Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media an effort is underway to restore the Catskill ice skating rink after more than 10 years of nonuse. In January, the Catskill Village Board approved plans to reopen the rink at Elliott Park and purchased a liner for $1,200, Village Vice President Peter Grasse Jr. said. Grasse estimated the rink was deactivated about 10 or 15 years ago, noting that upkeep of the rink became more trouble than it was worth. “There were issues with vandalism,” he said. “It became a hassle to babysit it, so they stopped doing it,” he said. Catskill residents got a brief sample of the rink last week, when, with a little help, rain froze into a sheet of ice on the 75-foot-by-112-foot fenced-in blacktop surface, he said. “We flooded over top of the rainwater and people were down there skating,” Grasse said, adding that a nearby hydrant makes flooding the blacktop convenient. He said the village expects to get the liner installed in the coming days and by next week the village will have an ice rink. Grasse is also working on having a food truck, music and hockey nets ready, as well. “I think this is a great idea for our community,” Legislator Matthew Luvera, a Republican who represents Catskill said. “I remember years ago when I was a child that I would skate there. I’m glad the village has invested in the community once again.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.