Skaters in the town of Outlook now have a new place to spend their free time, as the community recently opened up their new outdoor rink, the Co-op Community Rink. The Town received a substantial grant from the local Co-op to help fund the project, and the Outlook Fire Department even helped with flooding the rink.

The rink was initially opened just before New Year's, and Megan Anthony, Outlook’s Acting Rec Director, said that they didn’t encounter any major obstacles during construction. That being said, there is one issue that the town is hoping to tackle later in the year.

“We’ve had a little bit of trouble with the landscaping, with the dirt. It’s not level enough, but we are planning on fixing that up throughout the summer so that next year we don’t have the same issue.”

While the rink is open, and many in Outlook have already spent some time on the ice, an official dedication ceremony has yet to take place.

“We’re waiting for lesser COVID restrictions, so that we can allow more people to enjoy it, but we’re hoping for when the sign comes in that the CO-OP ordered, our big CO-OP sign, to have a barbeque or something with that. Hopefully in the spring.”

Anthony added that the new rink is a replacement of one that the town had for many years, so many people in the community are quite excited to finally have a new and updated place to skate. Due to COVID, there are currently no events or games planned for the rink just yet, but Anthony stated that since the town has several rec teams, she would love to put together a rec tournament one day, once COVID restrictions ease up.

There are a few COVID related rules to keep in mind for those who plan on hitting the ice.

1: A maximum of 30 people are allowed on the ice at one time.

2: Masks are mandatory

3: Use at your own risk

4: The rink is not supervised, so parents are responsible for their own children.

5: Any individual caught abusing or misusing the rink will be permanently banned