As a manager for Naples-based Rink Specialists, Josh Gilliam, 27, has installed ice rinks across the country, including at Fenway Park. But this year the Casco resident is a little closer to home, running the show at The Rink at Thompson’s Point in Portland. Gilliam ensures the operation runs smoothly. He reinforces the ice, cleans it with a Zamboni, checks out skates and lends a helping hand to new skaters. “It’s always different, which I like,” Gilliam said. “I get to go and see places I normally would never go to.” Gilliam’s rinks use a refrigeration system, which means there’s ice even when air temperatures rise well above freezing. Keeping all the pipes working properly is hard, but the toughest part of his job is staying dry, Gilliam said. “Right now it’s sunny, but often it’s bad weather or snowing, and we have to be out there. We’re kind of like the mailmen.” A Rink Specialists manager can expect to make up to $60,000 a year, Gilliam said.
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