After volunteer effort, this Centre County community will soon have a place to ice skate
Patti Long isn’t an ice skater, but she’s hoping for freezing temperatures so Howard Borough can have its first community rink.
After thinking about the idea for a year and presenting the plan to the borough council, Long got approval to construct a skating rink at Howard Community Park. It took several rolls of plastic to cover the park’s basketball court and nearly eight tankers of water to fill the rink, and now, volunteers are just waiting for the water to freeze.
“It was exciting, and we’ve all been checking the ice every day,” Long said.
As of Thursday morning, the edges of the rink — which are two to three inches thick — were frozen. The center is about six to eight inches thick, and Long is hoping the entire rink will be frozen by Saturday.
“I don’t do ice,” she said. “But I love watching others skate.”
Once open, skaters may use the rink for free, and Long is hoping to collect skate donations for others to use and store at the park.
In addition to the community rink, scouts and their families are planning to host Howard’s first-ever winter festival, which will serve as a fundraiser for the local troop. Tentatively scheduled for March 13 at the park, the event will consist of more than 20 craft vendors, food trucks, raffles, entertainment and ice skating if the weather permits.
“Hopefully, we can do this every year,” she said. “That’s what we’re hoping for.”
