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Top: Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Wallace, with 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade, helps his 4-year-old daughter Baileigh navigate the ice. Wallace, his wife Elizabeth, and their daughter were the first on the ice Jan. 14 when the Remington Park ice skating rink opened for the season. Fort Drum community members laced up their skates for the opening day at the Remington Park ice skating rink Jan. 14. (Photos by Mike Strasser, Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs)
 

Community members enjoy
first skate of the season at ice rink
in Fort Drum's Remington Park

 Mike Strasser

Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Jan. 14, 2022) – With the beach area closed and the paddleboards and boats put in storage for the winter, Fort Drum’s Remington Park might seem a little deserted this time of year.

That all changed three years ago, when Fort Drum Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation staff opened an ice skating rink near Lloyd’s Landing Lodge.

“We were thrilled to introduce a new recreational opportunity then, and now more than ever, we are focused on helping Soldiers and their families enjoy all the great outdoor winter activities that the North Country has to offer,” said Abby Shutter, Remington Park assistant manager.

Once again, Soldiers and family members laced up their skates and enjoyed some ice time on opening day Jan. 14. The Wallace family, recently arrived at Fort Drum from Fort Hood, Texas, were first on the rink and eager to try outdoor skating for the first time.

“We don’t have rinks like this in Texas,” said Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Wallace, 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade.

Along with his wife, Elizabeth, and their 4-year-old daughter Baileigh, they had the rink all to themselves for a full hour. Even after a few spills and a few tears wiped away, Baileigh was comfortable enough to push away the training walker and skate on her own.

“I got this,” she said, when her mother offered her a hand.

“You’re doing so good,” Elizabeth Wallace said.

Sgt. 1st Class Wallace said they are enjoying their first North Country winter and they plan on spending more time on the rink.

“We’ll be coming back out as long as there is ice,” he said. “We’re kind of testing the environment, trying new things. We did the (Monument Ridge) sledding hill a couple of weeks ago, and that was intense. We’re looking forward to doing some skiing pretty soon.”

They also started building their first snowman.

“It’s in progress right now – a lot of work,” he said.

The Wallace family made use of the free skate rentals inside the lodge. There is a limited number of skates in various sizes for adults and children available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Remington Park rink is open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; and from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday (weather permitting). Upon entering Remington Park, a green flag will indicate if the rink is open and a red flag will indicate it is closed.

For more information, call the Remington Park office at (315) 774-7331 or visit www.facebook.com/RemingtonParkMWR.