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Warming hut newest addition to Milford skating ring

To the Editor:

On Saturday, Jan. 25, Milford officially opened the newest improvement to the ice rink at Shepard Park in east Milford at the annual Winter Festival.

This year, the Recreation Department constructed a building that will serve as a warming hut and permanent storage facility for all the rink equipment. The shed is 16-by-32-feet and was designed to look like it has been part of the neighborhood for the past 100 years.

This is the final phase of the outdoor ice skating project. The rink (70-by-130-feet), equipment, lighting and shed are all due to the generosity of the Shepard Park Trust and a group of volunteers that call themselves “MICE,” for Milford Ice.

For the past three years, the town has used an old bus stop that Hitchiner Manufacturing Company donated. The bus stop worked very well for people to put their skates on and off.

We really needed a permanent building to store the equipment that maintains the ice during the season. The building was saved for last to better determine what would be needed. The building is not heated but controls power to the flood lights and hot water system needed to maintain the ice.

The Shepard Park Ice Rink is a fine example of what a community can do when we work together. The MICE volunteers, headed by Chris and Heather Romeri, worked with the Milford Parks and Recreation Department, Community Development and Department of Public Works to design and plan this new building.

In addition, there were more than a dozen local businesses that donated significant time and materials to make this ice skating rink a reality. This project has been fully supported by the town and community.

Depending on weather, the outdoor rink is open from dawn until 8 p.m. The rink is installed in December and usually stays open until March 1 for young and old to come together and enjoy that great New Hampshire air.

The Recreation Department is very fortunate to have a local resident volunteer his time to offer Saturday morning learn to skate and learn to play hockey programs.

If you would like to consider being a MICE volunteer, please feel free to call the Parks and Recreation Department at 249-0625.

It is a great place.

RICK MOSSEY

Milford Recreation
Commission