Bring back ice skating in town

Hooligans and ruffians at Binney Park

The town has banned skating on Binney Park’s pond since 2007, when the parks department eliminated it from its budget and saved taxpayers $7,500. While it’s certainly true that a cost-conscious town like ours would never engage in frivolous spending, why not spend nothing, except refraining to threaten town skaters with arrest? There’s no need for town equipment to clear snow from the ice; if skaters don’t want to do it themselves, they won’t, and skating will be deferred until Mother Nature removes it herself. Cost to town? Zero. Safety patrol costs? Zero. The pond’s 18” deep, and skaters can rescue themselves. Firewood for fires in the warming hut? Again, zero. Firewood can be brought in by free citizens, for free.

In other words, just stand back and get out of the way.