 Many outdoor enthusiasts are expected to be happy about the current weather conditions because of the consistent cold temperatures, Bemidji City Parks and Rec has been out flooding and preparing the outdoor ice skating rinks in town. So far, two floods have been made to get the rinks ready for the season. Compared to previous years, the city rinks are expected to be open about a week earlier than expected. This year, we're actually pretty excited. The last couple years, people probably liked it, but, you know, the temperatures were really warm and we didn't get the rinks open until right around Christmas time. So our goal every year is, of course, to have the rinks open before school lets out for a break. But I think we'll be ahead of the game this year and we're pretty excited about that. Once the rinks officially open, they'll operate from three until nine on weekdays and from ten until eight on weekends. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.