Ice rink open for business

Although none of them had ever skated before, Nikki Haag and her three children attended the opening of the Arlington Square Ice Skating Rink on Friday. “We didn’t want to go out shopping or anything like that,” Haag said. “The weather is awesome, so we didn’t want to go to a movie. We just wanted to get outside and do something fun.”The rink, which is operated through the Carson City Parks and Recreation Department, is scheduled to run through Jan. 31, opens seasonally downtown. Last year, more than 10,000 skaters visited the rink. Amanda Van Fosson, 14, went skating Friday with friend Alexzandria Wahrer, 14. They said it has become a place to hang out for the local youth. “I think it’s good to have stuff like this to do,” she said. “We can go to the movies, the bowling center and now this.”Alexzandria said it’s a good outlet for teens. “It’s good because we can be outdoors and active with our friends,” she said. Rebecca and Charles Viebrock travel to Carson City from Marin County, Calif., each year to spend Thanksgiving with family. For the second year, they brought grandchildren Tec, 14, and Savannah, 12, Childress to the opening day of the rink. “It gives them something to do on a day off from school,” Rebecca Viebrock said. And Friday’s mild temperatures made it a more pleasant experience, Viebrock said. “Last year, the weather was terrible,” she said. “I was wearing my winter coat and gloves and the wind was blowing.”Mike Omey has been bringing his children to the rink since in opened in 2009. “I think it’s awesome for the community,” he said. They’ve learned to skate, he said, just by doing it. “I never got taught,” Omey said. “I just kind of figured it out.”That was the Haag family’s plan as well. And 3-year-old Kendal had her own strategy. “We’re gonna hold hands,” she said.