BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg’s Lockwood Arena is open with a Saturday free skate scheduled from 5:50 to 6:30 p.m., but availability is limited to 30 people.

Director of Public Works Shane Brown said anyone who hasn’t been to the arena recently will need to fill out some paperwork, which is available by calling the DPW at 315-393-2300.

He said temperatures are taken at the door and a release waiver must be signed.

Brown said most of the available ice time is spoken for as youth hockey and figure skating and other teams are renting space due to the closure of Ogdensburg Free Academy’s Golden Dome.

Brown says anyone interested in attending free skates must register in advance by calling the DPW.

Brown says he’s hopeful more free skates can be offered but said the ice rink has been booked up with other rinks closed down due to COVID-19.

He said extra cleaning is also eating up some of the time that would be allotted for rentals.

City Manager Stephen Jellie decided to open the arena despite the high number of COVID-19 cases after consultation with Ogdensburg School Super indent Kevin Kendall.

Several area youth groups and councilors also lobbied for the opening.

Fees

Renting the ice will cost resident youth groups $71.50 per hour and non-resident youth groups $81.50 per hour.

Adult residents can rent the ice for $81.50 per hour and non-residents can rent ice for $105.50 per hour.

On Monday through Friday from a discount of $60 per hour is available before 3 p.m., but excludes holidays and school breaks.

Ice can be rented for special events for $71.50 per hour and skate rentals are included.

Public skates cost $1 with $3 skate rentals. No season passes are offered this year as closures of the arena are unpredictable.

Facilities

The Lockwood offers a warming room with vending machines, a heated mezzanine with bleachers for spectators, locker rooms with showers and a heated score box for hockey and ice sports as well as a sound system.