A member of the Barrington Park and Recreation Commission says the Legion Way ice rink needs some attention.

At the recent commission meeting, Thomas “TR” Rimoshytus said the seams in the rink’s asphalt base appear to be separating. Those cracks could present problems when the rink is filled and frozen for skating, as well as during the summer months when kids use the area as a skateboard park.

Mr. Rimoshytus said grant money had been dedicated to maintenance of the rink years ago, and he believes some of that grant money should still be available. Others were not so sure, and believed  any remaining grant money may have been put in the town's general fund. 

John Renquinha, the superintendent for the Barrington Department of Public Works, said there were a couple of options for repairing the cracks in the asphalt. He said crews could use a crack-sealing material on the seams or possibly spread seal-coating over the entire asphalt surface. Mr. Renquinha believed that money to support the maintenance work would need to come out of the Park and Recreation Department budget.

Mr. Rimoshytus said using a crack sealer would be a problem for skateboarding. He also said he was confident that the grant money was still available. Other members of the commission seemed skeptical on the chances that the grant money was still there, but appeared to support the idea of placing the Legion Way ice rink in the maintenance rotation.

Barrington Park and Recreation Commission member Mike Seward asked if Mr. Renquinha could come up with an estimate on rink maintenance. The DPW Superintendent said he could, but would need to wait until later this spring for the ice to thaw, and because of frost heaves under the asphalt during the winter months.

Commission members eventually decided to table the discussion until a future meeting. In the meantime, Mr. Rimoshytus said he planned on speaking with Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha — he said he was hoping to track down the grant money.