Washington Trust Community Skating Center

Rhode Island has a new public ice skating rink, and it's a hit. On the banks of the Pawcatuck River in downtown Westerly, the Washington Trust Community Skating Center opened the day after Thanksgiving, and it hosts more than 200 skaters on most Friday and Saturday evenings. Many of the skaters have purchased season passes.

Colin Petrie, a senior at Stonington High School, bought season pass No.1. "I'm here every day," he said. "Later in the winter, I teach snowboarding at Yawgoo Valley, and when the weather is warm, I surf. Ice skating is what I do in between."

The new rink is a popular date place. "A lot of kids come here," Petrie said. "It's especially fun when you're with people who haven't ever skated."

It is also a favorite family spot, said Stewart Pucci of Westerly, who was skating with his daughters, Alanna DeFelice, 10, and Caitlin Pucci, 5. Caitlin took to the ice for the very first time last weekend, and she spent much of the afternoon attached to her father's leg.

The new, 12,000-square-foot facility is located at 61 Main St., Westerly, on land owned by the Westerly Land Trust and W.H. Properties, Inc. The capital investment for the rink came from the Royce Family Fund, headed by Charles Royce, who restored the Ocean House in Watch Hill.

Washington Trust, headquartered across the road from the rink, provides funding to support the facility.

"The new skating center will benefit the entire community and will add to the many activities already present in downtown Westerly and the surrounding areas," said Dennis L. Algiere, Washington Trust's senior vice president.

Ocean Community YMCA manages the facility. Rink manager Tanner Evak posts skating guards, who wear bright yellow jackets, on the ice. "They're like lifeguards," he said. "They keep everyone safe."

The Washington Trust Community Skating Center is open Monday through Friday from 3 to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission costs $7 for adults and $5 for children and seniors. Skate rentals cost $4, and more than 200 pairs are available. There is a refreshment area and blade sharpening service. Lessons will be available later this winter, Evak said. The rink also is available to rent for parties, he said.

Skating outdoors can be refreshing on a sunny winter afternoon - and romantic on a starry winter's night. Here are some of our favorite places to skate, whatever the time of day.