Bob DiMento Now in Charge at Larsen Rink

WINTHROP – The Larsen Rink at the Mike Eruzione Center has been like a second home to Bob DiMento and that’s a good thing now that the town council has hired him as the new rink manager.

“But I couldn’t do it without Zibby (Anthony Puleto) and the rest of the staff,” DiMento said as he watched one of the teams finish practice. DiMento, 44, also has a son and two daughters who play hockey. He’s replacing former rink manager Dale Dunbar. Dunbar was responsible for putting in the snack bar and skate shop at the rink. He also expanded the lobby space to include the Mike Eruzione memorabilia from the 1980 Olympics.

DiMento has a few ideas of his own for the rink. He like to see four good locker rooms put in the rink. The estimated cost would be $250,000-$300,000, he said. The rink, built in the 1970s, underwent work to the mechanical systems, rink bed and compressors.

“There was an issue with the floor (rink bed). Parts have sunk and we’ll have to deal with that,” DiMento said. As a result the ice varies in thickness, from almost 10 inches of ice in some spots to two-inches in others. The rink is open 8 months of the year, from September to May, and when it is warmer puddles appear on the ice.

Other projects DiMento will be looking at is the potential for a new Zamboni machine. The current one the rink uses is 20 years old and was purchased for $24,000 used from the Fleet Center. It runs on propane. A new one would be electric and cost about $120,000. The rink is also in need of a new roof at a cost of about $150,000. It is the original roof and made of metal.

 DiMento, a business administration graduate of the University of New Hampshire, is deeply rooted in Winthrop. After 10 years at State Street Bank and 10 years as a stay-at-home dad, DiMento finds the job of rink manager a natural fit. He’s played, coached, served on rink committee’s. He is also on the town’s School Building Committee.

The job as rink manager calls for 25 hours a week at a salary of $37,000, but as DiMento knows from his life around the rink he’ll be spending more than 25 hours a week there.

“Hockey people tend to stay with hockey,” DiMento said..