Prospect Park

The Daily Plant : Monday, February 27, 2006

More Than Just A Winter Activity: Ice Rinks Maintained All-year Long

Many New Yorkers take the City’s seven outdoor ice skating rinks for granted. But, making the ice is a colossal task made possible only through coordination and extraordinary efforts by staff in many divisions of Parks & Recreation. Kate Wollman Rink in Prospect Park, for example, is more than 40 years old and has somehow outlasted its life expectancy—thanks to perseverance on the part of Parks personnel.

Work orders for the skating season are submitted to Brooklyn Shops as early as June, and in-house repairs usually start shortly thereafter. By September, the Prospect Park turf crew should have weed-whacked the cement slab around the rink and fence line (phragmites are known to grow out of the previous season’s sand-filled holes); the JTP rink crew starts the sweeping and removal of debris; mechanics begin theri the two-page requests for the rebuilding of the aging Zamboni vehicles; and the district’s fix-it crew performs myriad repairs.

Come October, more serious trials and tribulations begin: the heavy-duty crew asphalts the Zamboni path around the skating rink; electricians replace endless burnt out ballasts and lights, install floodlights and speakers, and repair the WWII-era heaters; plumbers ignite the heaters and repair numerous flushometers, faucets, and valves; carpenters repair damaged Plexiglas windows, plywood platforms, skating rink walls, and railings, and build an emergency work station for the steamfitters; and the steamfitters repair leaks in the 40 pipes that carry the brine under the cement slab to freeze the ice.

Meanwhile, the painting of the building has commenced, with the help of workers from the Volunteer office as well as a handful of skate guards who have started around Election Day. By this time, the scheduled opening date is creeping closer, and there’s ice to be made—in above-freezing temperatures. This ordeal, which takes 16 hours at first, will require all hands on deck.

Rink supervisors follow the weather as closely as any meteorologist, searching for the perfect combination of clear skies and cool temperatures. This season, after a few false hopes, three days of clear skies were predicted (in spite of the high temperatures). The crew took the risk, since the engineers assured them that they can maintain the required low temperatures (less than 12 degrees) on the slab. Everyone pulled together, changing his or her shift and days off so we can make ice—and history is made once again.

In order to make ice, very particular conditions are required: temperatures between 30 and 40 degrees accompanied by dry air with no wind, followed by two to three days of calm, clear days. Next, a good crew is essential—something Prospect Park has, with some employees who have been at it for five to 10 years.

After the cement slab is completely clear of debris, the slab temperature is brought down (initially 9 degrees or lower). A special imported rice paper is then rolled out in strips, and hot water is sprinkled on. This is all done by hand—with a minimum of 15 pairs manning the hot-water hose, paper reels, and water spreaders. The purpose of the paper is to form a protective seal from the sun’s rays, and helps to maintain the foundation of the ice.

Underneath the slab are hundreds of pipes branching out from six large compressors that pump and circulate a special brine solution that is mixed with calcium chloride so the liquid will not freeze during circulation.

Ice making must take place when the sun goes down and requires everyone to work a double shift back to back. Skate guards, CPWs, APSWs, Supervisors, Plant Engineers, and the Park Manager take part in this all-or-nothing endeavor.

Once the paper is laid and an initial thin coat of ice is frozen (this usually takes six to eight hours), the rest of the night is devoted to patiently laying water and freezing each layer one by one. Only when the ice layers are thick enough to support machinery can the Zamboni be brought out to condition the ice. This work continues for the next two or three days. The weather isn’t always cooperative, but with perseverance and careful coddling, the ice is ready for skating once again.

-written by Josephine Pittari

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

...to Parkies born on February 28: Climber & Pruner William Cleveland; Principal Adminstrative Associates Deborah Britt and Jeffrey Shatz; Urban Park Ranger Evelyn Fasanaro; Community Associate Kareen Goss; Computer Aide Kevin Hughes and City Park Workers Elda Caro, Joseph Ciccotto and Darryl King and John Turner.

"Stand still. The trees ahead and bush beside you are not lost."

(1879-1955)