Portable ice rink to open at Saline's Henne Field this winter
This winter Saline residents won't have to look for a frozen pond to get in a little ice skating. The community will have its own outdoor rink on the northeast corner of Henne Field.
The ice rink is portable, which means it won’t be a permanent fixture in the field. The 60-by-100 foot rink will include a liner and sides that will be filled with water to make the ice.
Downtown Development Director Art Trapp said a $2,000 CARES recreation millage grant, a $1,700 donation from the Saline Rotary Club, and a $2,000 donation from the Economic Development Corporation paid for the rink. It will be open at no cost to skaters.
Trapp expects the rink to be up and available by the end of November, weather permitting. He plans to have it open from mid-afternoon to 10 p.m.. during the week and most of the weekends. It will not be available for hockey.
The field, located on East Bennett Street between North Ann Arbor Street and Harris Street will have lighting for the rink and picnic benches.
Trapp also hopes this will encourage people to use downtown businesses. Trapp has a suggestion for anyone who needs to warm up after being outside on the ice, “you can go downtown, visit any of the restaurants, or any of the stores,” he said.
Trapp predicts the rink will be a popular downtown attraction. “I’ve gotten lots of really good comments from people who hoped something like that could come back to Saline,” he said.
Bob Harrison, a board member of the Saline Historical Society, said Henne Field was home to a small ice rink in the 1960s, and it was well-attended.
Anyone interested in volunteering at the rink may contact Trapp at atrapp@cityofsaline.org.
Tara Cavanaugh is a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com. For more Saline stories, visit our Saline page.
Comments
OldHuron
Mon, Dec 6, 2010 : 3:38 p.m.
I just finished putting up my 50' x 90' rink which I've done for the last 10 years. It has no effect on the grass whatsoever and I lawn fanatic. In fact, the section under the rink is usually greener when everything melts in the spring. Great idea to get more year-round use of the new fields.
Tina
Thu, Nov 18, 2010 : 11:50 a.m.
I think this is a great idea. I may be hitting the second-hand stores for some skates for my kids. Now if we could only get an outdoor swimming pool...
Pat Ivey
Thu, Nov 18, 2010 : 11:32 a.m.
@4X4 Saline: I appreciate your comments about the impact of the portable rink on the ball fields, and this was one of my concerns when City Council discussed the proposed location. As I understand it, however, the rink will be located on the open grassy area at the north end of Henne Field between the backstops and the parking area off Bennett St.
4x4Saline
Wed, Nov 17, 2010 : 8:02 p.m.
A lot of money went into creating the new baseball fields, and using them for a purpose other than baseball defeats all the planning, money, and labor that went into the fields. The fields are played on at least 6 months out of the year, whereas the icerink will be in use only while the temps are below freezing. It's not worth the risk of damaging the fields.
A24Evr
Wed, Nov 17, 2010 : 10:31 a.m.
Why do you even have to rent/buy/steal/borrow a portable ice rink? We have the field, why can't we make an ice rink like the good ol days...you spray water down and it freezes.
4x4Saline
Tue, Nov 16, 2010 : 1:58 p.m.
For Greek God: The purpose of CARES is to provide funding for (C) (A) Cultural Arts, (R) Recreation, (E) Enrichment and (S) Senior Citizen Programs and Facilities that enhance the life of residents who live within the City of Saline. It is exclusive to the City of Saline and is a separate Millage that was passed last year. It provides annual funding for these specific four programs and also creates a discretionary fund allocated through a grant process to meet additional needs. The CARES advisory council is appointed through the Saline Board of Education and consists of five volunteer community members, and Superintendent/or his designee. All of this information can be found at www.salineschools.com or www.cityofsaline.org
stevek
Mon, Nov 15, 2010 : 7:10 p.m.
Thanks for explaining what "portable" means. I was confused
neel125
Mon, Nov 15, 2010 : 1:33 p.m.
Great, thanks for the map!
neel125
Mon, Nov 15, 2010 : 8:30 a.m.
Where exactly is Henne Field? I would be interested in skating this winter if I could find it. Thanks
LMajor
Sun, Nov 14, 2010 : 6:42 p.m.
This will be a great addition to wintertime in Saline. I grew up in a place where several city parks had ice-skating and we loved it!
Killroy
Sun, Nov 14, 2010 : 6:34 p.m.
When it comes to acronyms such as: "CARES recreation millage grant..." Please spell them out when they first appear so we, the readers, have an idea of what the actual name of the organization is?
Becky
Sun, Nov 14, 2010 : 10:28 a.m.
I grew up in Saline and we used to have an ice skating rink at Henne Field. It's about time the community is making one again. Now kids and adults who love to ice skate don't have to go out of Saline to skate. I think it's a great idea.