Jan 22, 2005 By Glenn Tunney For The 8 min read

That announcement in the Brownsville Telegraph generated excitement in Brownsville 60 years ago. The news rippled through a community experiencing one of its worst winters in decades. It was on Friday, Feb. 2, 1945, that Telegraph readers learned that the community’s newest recreational facility was set to open. “Located on the old Water Street athletic field, the rink is ready for the skaters,” the Telegraph reported. “Three huge bonfires will be burning on the three sides of the rink, and benches will be provided for the skaters. Music also is to be provided tonight.”

The old athletic field on Water Street served as the Brownsville High School football stadium until Brownie Stadium in Hiller replaced it in 1940. The Water Street stadium stood where the Little League field (Fenwick Park) is now located. After Brownie Stadium opened in 1940, the abandoned Water Street field saw only sporadic informal activity.

As a boy, former South Side resident Chuck (Zeke) Hosler lived near the Water Street field. “The Water Street field was not used for football after the new stadium opened, but it was occasionally used for pickup games of mushball and softball. I do remember when they built the ice skating rink at the old athletic field,” Chuck told me recently.

In 1944, a plan was hatched to turn the unused Water Street field into an outdoor ice skating rink. The project, placed under the supervision of the Brownsville Youth Planning Commission, was repeatedly delayed by bad weather, but by February 1945, the new rink was ready to be opened to the public.

“Completion of the rink marks another of the projects of the Youth Planning Commission here,” the Telegraph noted, “and brings to a successful conclusion weeks of efforts during which those interested were frustrated by the worst winter season in the last quarter of a century.”

Youth Planning Commission members Eli H. Hatfield, R. Donald Conn, Raymond T. Barner, the Rev. H.O. Danielson, Alan K. Taylor and H.H. Baer arranged for workers under the direction of street commissioner Fred McAvoy to do the actual construction work. Young Chuck Hosler watched with great anticipation as the long earthen embankments were formed to enclose the new rink.

“The skating rink was built,” Chuck explained, “by putting a mound of dirt about one foot high around approximately half of the athletic field. Once the barrier was in place, the fire department pumped water from the river onto the flat surface inside the barrier. When it froze, it made a nice rink.”

All of the planning and hard work finally bore fruit on Friday night, Feb. 2, 1945, when the rink was opened to nearly 1,000 excited residents who showed up to see it or try it out. Everyone was in a festive mood, despite the fact that the mercury was hovering at the 16-degree mark.

“The night it opened,” Chuck Hosler said, “it was crowded with people from all over town.”

The next day’s Telegraph reported, “The glistening runners of several hundred ice skaters gave the Brownsville Youth Planning Commission’s rink at the old Water Street athletic field its formal baptism yesterday and last evening. Approximately 400 skaters were on hand to try the newly frozen surface, with 600 others appearing at the field as spectators. The icy floor of the rink was frozen to a smooth hardness by almost a week of sub-freezing weather. Four huge bonfires along the sides of the rink helped the skaters enjoy an evening of the winter sports.”

Organizers did more than construct the rink and fill it with water. A “canteen committee” of S.J. Rodgers, the Rev. H.O. Danielson, Velma Vig and Howard E. Hamill made sure there was plenty of hot food and drink available to warm the skaters while popular recorded songs were played all evening over a loudspeaker system.

Bob Petriello visited the rink that first weekend, and in the following Monday’s Telegraph, he described the festivities in his popular column, “Red Peppers.”

“Officially opened only last Friday night,” Bob wrote, “the ice skating rink at the old athletic field already has caught on in a hurry with adults as well as youngsters in the community. Over a thousand already have glided along the newly constructed rink.

“The skaters wasted little time in enjoying the benefits as they covered the rink until late yesterday, when a slight drizzle discouraged any further skating. Youngsters arrived at all hours Saturday and Sunday and many remained for three or four hours.”

Bob mentioned the names of some of the skaters who enjoyed the community’s newest asset.

“Attracting the eye of everyone present yesterday was Joe Parrinelo, 16-year-old youth from Vesta Six,” Bob commented. “The youngster is really a fancy dan on skates as he performed numerous stunts for the benefit of the skaters.

“Two of the younger skaters yesterday were Mary Jane Lessner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Lessner, and Scott Campbell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dolly Campbell. Both seemed to enjoy themselves to no end as they also took numerous spills on the ice. Another 8-year-old youngster who can hold her own on the ice is Carol Harsh, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Harsh. They tell us that she is also a top-flight roller-skater.

“West Brownsville was well represented yesterday afternoon on the ice with the following present: Dick Beeson, Emil Skorich, Jim Edwards, Jack Duff, Paul Durda, Jim Spelick, Dale Webster, Jack Stansfield, Jack Sabo, Carl Forsythe, Marker Stephenson, Jr., Rodney Stephenson, Bill Deems, Alec Azare, Bill Welsh, Steve Lovasci, Bobby Deems, Janice Slingen, and Lola Forsythe.”

The older generation wasn’t left out of the fun, as was proven when one gentleman playfully issued a challenge.

“A race around the rink between two old-timers is in the making,” Petriello declared, “as Syl Benedict issued a challenge to Henry Scotillo last night at the Elks. Henry was a well-known skater in Brownsville in his younger days. Billy Groah, who was standing with Benedict, also was challenged, but the latter said that he will have to think it over for a few days.”

South Side native Sherman Elias, now of White Oak, remembers being at the Water Street rink that opening weekend. “They had bonfires burning and a lot of skaters,” Sherman told me. “We all had a wonderful time. There was no drinking or fighting.”

Of course, finding a pair of ice skates was a hurdle faced by anyone who wished to experience the new facility’s smooth surface. “Many of the kids there didn’t have ice skates,” Chuck Hosler remarked, “so a lot of them were simply running and sliding in their shoes.”

Les Teasdale now resides in the sunny climes of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., but he enjoyed the Pennsylvania winters back in those days. Les didn’t have a pair of ice skates, but he clearly remembers whose skates he borrowed the night he went to the Water Street ice rink.

“In 1947,” Les told me, “Bob Sargent and I went skating one evening at the Water Street rink. I remember the night well, because Margaret Strang lent me her skates. They were so tight that they limited the blood circulation in my feet, which became frostbitten.” Nevertheless, Les declared, “a great time was had by all, and I would like to convey a belated thank you to Margaret Strang Stewart.”

Margaret’s skates were the shoe-type, but as Brownsville native Chuck Rohrer told me, “There were all kinds of skates, including clamp-ons that you could buy at Brownsville Hardware. For Christmas, some kids received a pair of real hockey shoe skates or figure skates with the sawtoothed toe, so you could dig in and get a fast start and stop.”

“One could purchase a pair of the inexpensive stamped steel, key screw clamp-on skates,” agreed Allison No. 1 native Tom Liberator, now of Portland, Ore. “These skates utilized a fairly secure method to tighten four clamps against the thick soles and heels of high-top shoes.”

The clamp-on type of skate was less expensive, which was good news to a boy or girl whose pockets were distressingly light.

“Some kids had new ice skates if their parents could afford them,” Chuck Hosler noted, “but ice skates in Brownsville were hard to come by. I had an old pair from years ago that one of my uncles must have given them to me.”

Of course, even if one had skates, getting downtown to use the Water Street rink was not always convenient for those whose homes were in the patches or villages surrounding Brownsville. For those would-be skaters, there were frozen surfaces near their homes that were not as elaborate as the Water Street rink, but that would serve their purpose. Ponds, swamps, lakes and reservoirs could be great ice skating rinks – as long as the ice didn’t break.

Next week, we will venture to some of those places, where the thrill of skating onto a body of water whose frozen surface was of questionable strength was heightened by the ever-present element of danger.

Glenn Tunney may be contacted at 724-785-3201 or 6068 National Pike East, Grindstone, PA 15442. Comments about these weekly articles may be sent to editor Mark O’Keefe, 8-18 E. Church St., Uniontown, PA or e-mailed to mo’keefe@heraldstandard.com. All past articles are on the Web at http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~glenntunneycolumn/