On Saturday, December 17, volunteer groups will construct two ice rinks on Cochituate Ball Field. One rink will be 46 by 146 feet and the other will be 100 by 100 feet. The bigger rink will be for free skating, and the smaller rink will be for hockey players.

“I’m hoping to get January and February out of the rinks,” said Director of the Board of Public Works Don Oullette.

Warm weather threatens the sustainability of the rinks.

“It’s been abnormally warm, but eventually we’ll get a cold snap. Four to five weeks of operation would be great,” said Oullette.

The rinks will be open during daylight hours, but it is currently under discussion whether or not the lights will be turned on for nighttime use due to expenses and potential disturbances in the surrounding neighborhood.

The Board of Public Works is not interested in anything elaborate for the rinks’ first year.

“This is simply a mechanism to keep people off the ponds and on the ground. There will be no fees, no program, none of that kind of nonsense,” said Oullette. “If the Recreation Department or the schools want to use it, it’s available. If it’s successful, we can make it annual and get more creative.”

Looking to the immediate future, the Board of Public Works is optimistic about the rinks.

“The majority of people we have spoken to think it’s a fantastic idea,” said Oullette.

The town used Cochituate Ball Field to erect the community rink in the 1940s, but the site was chosen this year because of its ease; alternate locations may be chosen in the future.