The third N&R cover story this week prompted me to get off my arse and go have a look at the new downtown Greensboro ice rink.

The dimensions are listed as 40 x 85, which didn’t mean much to me since I don’t have an eye for dimensions on paper. So I was really surprised to see just how small it looks —- kinda like the the baby pool we used to have set up in the front yard (much to the chagrin of neighbors.)

Looking at it, I simply couldn’t imagine how many ice skaters the rink can accommodate at one time. A few aluminum bleachers are set up on one side, and a wooden shack to rent collect admission fees and rent skates sits at the other end. Above the shack a sign reads “this area is under constant video surveillance.” Oooooh.

The rink looks like exactly what it is —-a project slapped together at the last minute. If the powers-that-be think this is going to enhance Greensboro’s image —-our own Rockefeller Center, remember—- then they’ve got another thought coming. The fact that our local paper of record promotes this as some great thing only enhances its reputation as a PR mouthpiece.