According to the Canton Citizen, the Canton Selectmen finally received an answer from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) concerning the fate of the new regional ice rink. The rink is to be built in Canton, not Norwood, either in the form of a rebuilt or a new facility, but will not be funded further by the state.
And although Canton believes the rink is to be built in their neck of the woods; Norwood is telling them not so fast.
“I’m not sure if the individual was misquoted or misspoke, but the rink issue in Norwood is not dead, in fact it’s far from it,” Rink organizer Bill Naumann said. “The bottom line is that the DCR held a public meeting back in February and were extremely impressed with not only the community support brought forth by the Norwood residents, but by the surrounding towns as well. They were blown away with the progress Norwood had already gone through.”
Earlier in the year, Norwood held a public hearing with the DCR on the fate of the new localized ice rink and where it should be built in the South Metro Area. At that time, the Norwood Board of Selectman, Planning Board, School Committee and Town all had already approved the much needed facility. Norwood State Representative John Rodgers had also helped to push the proceedings through as well.
Five years earlier, then Governor Duvall Patrick allocated some $6 million to the project to be built in Norwood, but unfortunately he was not re-elected to office during the next state election to see the project through. The new governor, Governor Charlie Baker, and his staff, halted the proceedings until he could get caught up to speed on the project.
“Governor Duvall understood the dire need for another public facility in the area,” Naumann said. “The Baker administration had to come in and analyze everything that Patrick had implemented with the program coming to Norwood.”
Norwood already had all the engineering and architecture done for the new rink over a year ago, but are still awaiting word on the go ahead. And while neighboring Canton believes the rink is as good as theirs, Naumann begs to differ. He noted that the Town of Norwood is slated to sit down once again by the end of July and further discuss the situation.