The following article from the Berkshire Eagle highlights the Waconah outdoor ice rink project led by Alex Regen.
Our Opinion: Pittsfield ice rink project is a testament to local generosity
BERKSHIRE EAGLE EDITORIAL
It might be a bit warm out to be thinking about ice skating right now, but we always love to see Pittsfield community stakeholders thinking of ways to improve recreational opportunities for city families. And it’s even better when those stakeholders come together to see their plans come together, too.
As with many projects, funding was one of the bigger initial hurdles for the proposed skating rink at Clapp Park. Organizers put the startup cost at $250,000 and sought $200,000 of that in community fundraising. We’re pleased to see they hit that goal thanks to the generosity of five local philanthropic and business leaders. The Fitzpatrick Trust was the first to chip in on the ice rink project, putting up $50,000. Then, earlier this year the Feigenbaum Foundation put up $125,000 — more than half of the total fundraising goal. The rest of the fundraising gap was filled by two $10,000 pledges from The Mill Town Foundation and Berkshire Bank and $5,000 pitched in by Pittsfield Cooperative Bank.
The city will have some skin in the game, too, as Mayor Peter Marchetti has said that Pittsfield will front the remaining $50,000 of the project’s price tag — setup and construction of the rink, including electrical wiring upgrades — as well as ongoing maintenance costs. And while Clapp Park is where the ice rink initially will be sited, the mayor is weighing the notion of eventually moving it to Wahconah Park. That could be a shrewd way to increase the multi-use and multi-seasonal utility of a new Wahconah at relatively low cost to the city.
The above is an excerpt. See the full article here.