Overview

This point datalayer containing all of the ice skating rinks and arenas in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was created by the Bureau of Environmental Health (BEH), Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH). The Community Sanitation Program (CSP) of the CEH, MDPH obtained the rink addresses and associated attributes. The CSP monitors skating rinks, as they are bound by the state sanitary code related to indoor air quality and ice making. The GIS Program mapped the location of these facilities for general planning and analysis purposes. Included in this layer are rinks both publicly and privately owned, as well as those located on school campuses. MassGIS stores and distributes the layer as ICERINKS_PT.

Rinks data were gathered by the CSP, BEH, MDPH, and delivered to the GIS Center, CEH, DPH in Microsoft Excel format. The spreadsheet was imported to a Microsoft Access database table and geocoded using ESRI's ArcMap 9.1 software against GDT Streets Data (v15.3). Through the use of color ortho photography and various web sites the geocoding results were moved to more accurately represent the physical location of the rink. Pictometry images at http://www.bing.com/maps were used in some cases where the rinks had been built after the ortho photography was taken. In the vast majority of cases the points were placed directly on the roof of the facility. Where a facility contains more than one rink at the same location, the points' accuracy is limited to the facility itself; as it was not possible to determine the exact rink locations within a building. The data layer was given a final review by Department of Conservation and Recreation staff, since many of the rinks are owned and/or leased by DCR. MassGIS performed additional quality assurance.

The datalayer's point attribute table has the following items:

FACIL_NAME		Name of facility
ADDRESS		Street address of facility
CITY_TOWN		City or town in which the facility is located
TOWN_ID		Numeric identifier for Massachusetts municipalities (1-351)
PHONE		Telephone number of facility
FACIL_TYPE		Facilty type code  DCR - State owned, Division of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)  DCRP - State owned (by DCR) but privatized, leased by third party, or run by a municipality  Public - Privately owned but open to the public (for skating hours or other events)  School - Facility located at a school, K-12, public and private, and colleges, etc.
RINK_SIZE		Size of rink  Full - standard-sized rink, NHL- or Olympic-size or similar  Mini - smaller than full-sized rink
RINK_ID		Unique numeric identifier for each facility
LEGIS		The legislation (or similar binding action) designating the rink's name
FACIL_STAT		Facility status (Open/Closed)
LABEL		Alternate (shorter) text for map labeling of features

Maintenance

MDPH maintains the layer and will provide any updates to MassGIS.

In the October 2009 update the LEGIS, FACIL_STAT, and LABEL fields were added, and a few points had their positions and/or attributes modified and the Butler rink in Hyannis was added. In November 2009 the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Skating Rink in North Adams (RINK_ID 257) was rededicated and its point attributes were modified as follows: FACIL_NAME to 'Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Rink'; LEGIS to 'Acts 2009, Chapter 130'; and LABEL to 'Foote Vietnam Veterans Rink'. In June 2010 the FACIL_TYPE for the Flynn Rink in Medford was changed to 'DCRP'. The facility is no longer DCR-owned and operated; Friends of the Flynn Rink, Inc. signed an agreement with DCR to manage the property. In August 2011 attribute updates included changing FACIL_TYPE for the following rinks from DCR to DCRP: RINK_ID 245 - Anthony A. LoConte Memorial Skating Rink is now managed by Medford; RINK_ID 250 - Max Ulin Memorial Skating Rink is now managed by Milton; RINK_ID 267 - Mayor William T. Shea Memorial Rink is now managed by Michael B. O'Toole, Jr. LLC.; RINK_ID 281 - Veterans Memorial Skating Rink is now managed by Somerville. Also, the Name and Label for RINK_ID 176 (Veterans Memorial Skating Rink) are now both Ed Burns Arena. In addition, RINK_ID 336 (Cass Rink) was deleted, as it is no longer an ice rink, but a multi-use recreation center without ice or ice making equipment.
 

Last Updated 8/23/2011
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