New Britain herald., 1925-01-23
WRENCH
 IN RINK PROGRAM
Education Board Blocked Flood
 ing Of High School Field
BUMPER WAS ENGAGED
Thermometer Scurrics Down Past Zero Mark - City Prepares to Watch Eclipse-Merchants Com nlain of Blocked Cutters,
plain of Blocked Cutters.


 plain of Blocked Cutters.
 That preparations, even 50 far as the employment of one of the city fire pumping engines, had been made by Judge Roger $, Newell, chairman of the rccreational com- mittee in charge of the north wing of the new high school, for the flooding of the high school field so that it might be used as a public skating rink. and were checked by the board of education. was made known this morning.
 Following many requests from the city at large for the flooding of the field so that rink might be at the disposal of people in the east and south parts of the city, Judge Newell made the necessary arrangements. Fire Chief John II. Hayes was called into conference and consent ! cd to the use of the bumper to pump the water from the Pequabuck river. He also though the plan fine one. Then the board of education was called into the matter and here the whole plan went 10 smash as the board decided that the plan must be abandoned as the rink would at- tract crowds about the high school building and the structure might suffer damage. For this reason the board refused its cooperation and as | the field is under board of educa- tion supervision as well as the rec reational committee, there will be no skating rink on the athletic field this winter.
 The skating rink on the high school property has been advocated " for two winters past. because of the ideal location and the ease in which i the plan may be adopted. The ! flooding will not harm the field in any way and will on the other hand provide a use for the land during the winter time, which will prove of immense benefit to the city at large. Many arg unable to go to the city, while the proposed rink on the high school field is but a short distance from Main street.
 In its estimates for next year, the board of education asks the city for $7,000 in addition to it's regular amounts in order that grass may be grown on the field. As the field stands now, it is a dead loss to the city in the winter, except for q. few occasions when the younger genera ton slide down over the surface from adjoining streets, but even these occasions are rare.
 Now Bridge Progressing.
 Work on the new Pond stree T bridge, while held up by the cold weather, has progressed to the stage that but few details must be attended to before the structure will be ready for use. After the bridge construc- ton is completed, the road conneC- tions must be made and q new street must be laid out from Charles street to the bridge. Tho bridge does away with the dangerous grade crossing at North Pond street. The city has ap- propriatcd the sum of S10,000 for the structure of which amount, there has been expended $5,11t.14 up to the closing of the city year on No- ycmber 80, according to the reports on file at the city clerks office.
 Snow Causes kicks"
 The prevailing practice, during the last two or three snowstorms of the snowplow operators, digging out the streets and bling the snow up in huge banks in the gutters so that merchants are practically blockaded is causing many complaints especially in the west side section, where coll ditions are worse than in other paris. Because of the trouble eX- pericnccd there. a petition will soon be circulated, according 10 men con- vcrsant with the situation, asking the city 10 enlist the aid of the public works department in taking away the fruit of the storms.
 It is practically impossible to cross the streets in one part of the west side section as the high banks call for Alpine climbers, according tc complainants, who feel that the conditions arc unjustIfied, One mer- chant remarked today that along come the trolley snow splows, which dump the s'ow in the street on both sides of the rails, then the snow gets it's final shove almost to the store windows hy the blows, which clear the streets. As the state blows worked along the sections where inc complaints haVo arisen, requests wit , he made for some means of remov, ing the snow. Tunnels were dug be- ; tween the banks at street crossings | so that patrons could cross the thoroughfares to conduct their shop.