City to run snack stand

Feeding sugar-deprived children and adults looking for something to tide them over until practice ends will be a new task for the Watertown Parks and Recreation Department this fall.

The city will staff the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds municipal arena concession stand, taking over duties from the Watertown Hockey Association, which had used the stand to raise funds.

After failing to make a profit last winter, the association opted out of the business, leaving the city to either shutter the stand during events and rely on vending machines or upgrade the facility and find its own staff.

Parks and Recreation Director Jayme M. St. Croix said the city has applied for a permit from the Department of Health to operate the stand.

"In the meantime, we are proceeding with the tiling of the walls and floor and are ordering the various concession equipment," he wrote in an e-mail response to questions. "We are confident that we will be open for the start of the ice season on September 25th."

In late June, the City Council agreed to spend as much as $35,000 to upgrade the concession stand. The department plans to purchase hot dog rollers, beverage coolers, a popcorn popper and maybe a pizza warmer.

"We purchased some of the minor hockey equipment, which includes some freezers and a refrigerator," Mr. St. Croix wrote. "I don't think you will see anything new unless there is a demand for it, and we can make it available easily."

During the summer, Mr. St. Croix said, arena crowds could use vending machines stocked with soda, water and snacks for events and shows.

The city had taken in $3,795 from the machines before the last show.

Summer staff also sold snacks during events.

"Our current staff with the summer kids has been wonderful about assisting," he wrote. "As for the regular season, once we are up and operating, I have already forwarded to City Hall some applicants who used to work in the stand."

He said the stand will be open, at minimum, for events such as public skate, Rock N Skate and hockey tournaments.

Last year, the city and the hockey association came to an agreement in early October — after hockey season began — that allowed the association to operate the stand without having to pay a minimum $2,500 advertising fee, but forced the group to pay 10 percent of its gross sales to the city.