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KEYNOTES: Residents recall outdoor rinks of yesterday
Rosemary Rimkus
The frigid temperatures have frozen sections of the Assabet River and area ponds, allowing locals to continue the time-honored tradition in Hudson of outdoor skating. Hudson resident Dave O’Neil, 94, member of the 1943-44 Hudson High School hockey team, recalls that Tripp’s Pond was always frozen in those days by the end of December, and provided practice space for the team. “We practiced daily on a rink we cleared at Tripp’s, and then played all our games at the old Boston Arena,” he recalled, “traveling by bus.” Coached by Tom Fielding, the team made the state semi-finals in 1944, and was beaten by Needham High 3-2, O’Neil remembers. He recalls there were several outdoor rinks in the 1940s and 50s: at the VFW (now Amvets) parking lot on South Street; in the parking area between the State Armory and W.T. Grant store (now Robinson’s). Old newspaper records show that in 1929, the Firest ....

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