Vandals hit new village skate rink

Warwick — It didn’t take long. Vandals damaged the new skating rink at Veteran’s Memorial Park over the weekend, leaving gouges in the ice and the new liner. According to Steven Sisco, the Department of Public Works superintendent, there were three holes — one a foot square — in the ice and the liner. The two others were smaller, but still went down into the liner. Sisco said his guys used patches to fix the liner and filled the holes with water, hoping Mother Nature will take its course and freeze up for Warwick residents to enjoy. “If you are there to ice skate, why would you ruin it?” said Trustee Bill Iurato. “It was just a stupid thing to do.” Iurato said it wasn’t clear what was used to cause the cut, speculating it could have been a skate blade or a knife. The village recently set up the new skating rink at the pavilion in Veteran’s Memorial Park after years of flooding the basketball court in Stanley-Deming Park. This location offers a smoother surface, protection over head, and lots of sledding hills for those interested in winter sports.