Vienna council accepts donated outdoor hockey rink for Jackson Park

The Vienna City Council voted unanimously to accept a donated outdoor hockey rink and associated equipment for Jackson Park and authorized the Vienna Recreation Improvement Association to construct and install the rink on the asphalt adjacent to the park’s basketball courts.

The resolution, presented to the council as a gift from the Vienna Recreation Improvement Association with support from the Meet Family Charitable Fund and the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation, states the facility and equipment will be open for public recreational use and that the RIA will carry out installation at no cost to the city. The resolution became effective immediately upon adoption.

A member of the RIA committee described how the project began as a grassroots effort to create a local place for children and adults to play hockey. "We're sick of having to drive 2 hours to go somewhere just to play a little bit of hockey," said Mr. Slusher, a member of the organizing committee. He said a local contact helped the committee acquire a full assembly of dasher boards previously used by a YMCA; the boards were purchased using funds from the Meet Family Charitable Fund and the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation and transported to Vienna by volunteers.

Mr. Slusher described the equipment as 42-inch-tall rubber dasher boards with supporting posts and netting. "They are white. White. There's typically a yellow strip painted along the very bottom edge just so it's visible to those that are approaching it," he said. He also characterized the installation as intended for long-term, seasonal use: "It is permanent. Seasonal... it can be disassembled and stored," though he added disassembly is a tedious process.

Council members asked about parking and possible conflicts with existing uses of the lot. The committee member said an ongoing bridge-replacement project near the park and underutilized nearby space make additional parking or access options available if needed, and that the parks department could request temporary removal if another city need arose. The committee also said the surface was suitable for ball or roller hockey but noted asphalt is more abrasive than indoor surfaces and can wear equipment used by existing adult leagues.

The council made a formal motion to accept the donation and install the rink; during roll call the following members were recorded as voting "yes": Councilman Beasley, Councilman Leach, Councilman Orson, Mayor Emerick, Councilwoman Reddick, Councilman Sassen and the presiding officer. The motion passed unanimously.

The resolution assigns responsibility for full installation and states the facility will be available for public use during park hours. Council members, during later reports and comments, also discussed broader recreation goals — including regional sports-complex models and the idea of pursuing a full-size soccer field — as separate, future topics for council consideration.