Letter: Barrington's Friends of Legion Way stepping down

Posted 6/21/17

To the editor:

The Friends of Legion Way is a nonprofit corporation that was formed by some residents to improve the conditions at the skating rink on Legion Way in town. 

The idea began …

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Letter: Barrington's Friends of Legion Way stepping down

Posted

To the editor:

The Friends of Legion Way is a nonprofit corporation that was formed by some residents to improve the conditions at the skating rink on Legion Way in town. 

The idea began with wanting to protect the ice from vandals (mostly people driving cars on the rare smooth sheet of ice that occurs). After that, the group focused on adding lights to the facility. The fireplace was fixed up. Eventually grant money became available to pave the surface.

The group started in 2010. Many individuals and local contractors helped out along the way. They have all been listed in the paper before. The late John Lazzaro (former police chief) was very helpful. He secured the timbers as the state DOT was dismantling the "temporary" bridge over the Barrington River — recycling at its finest. So, when you're sitting on the guardrail lacing your skates, keep in mind you're sitting on part of a bridge that spanned the Barrington River (temporarily) for over 10 years.

The group has been at it for seven years and the board feels it is time to either pass the torch to a new group or discontinue the corporation. What few assets the group has would be transferred to the town.

That is not to say you won't see some of us down there shoveling or plowing or spraying frigid water at midnight, but the formal organization has really run its course.

There are a few tasks that could be completed. The grant that allowed us to pave also had money earmarked for coating the surface in a lighter color heavy duty paint to improve the thermal characteristics of the surface in the winter sun. For some reason that never happened. So, the paint could still be pursued. Trees could be planted along the southern edge of the rink to someday provide shade. 

In our wildest dreams a portion of the rink could have refrigeration and/or a roof. But in these tight fiscal times in town — when even half the cost of a turf field can't be found — those will likely remain just dreams. Too bad someone with more financial resources than us doesn't see fit to endow the town with these sorts of improvements to the town's recreational facilities. I promise, I'll make the honorary signage.

If anyone is interested in picking up the mantle and continuing the corporation - please contact Dave Bonney at davebonney@aol.com. 

Let's hope we get a few more cold days in the coming years.

David Bonney

Barrington

Mr. Bonney is president of Friends of Legion Way.

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