Skating on Thin Ice

The shimmering ice forming atop the myriad of bodies of water in Greenwich may be enticing, but the town's parks and recreation director says it's unsafe at any time to skate on the waterways.

From the headwaters of the Byram River in Glenville to the Bruce Park pond and the Mianus River Pond in Cos Cob, and the Binney Park Pond in Old Greenwich, residents who desire open-air skating should be forewarned, says Joseph Siciliano, the town's parks and recreation director.

"There is no supervised skating within the town of Greenwich and skating is prohibited at the various pond locations Binney Park, Bruce Park, (Montgomery) Pinetum, Mianus River Park," Siciliano said.

"The locations are posted appropriately to say that—no skating," he added.

According to Siciliano, "We have not had an active skating program on ponds in years...we don't have the budgetary funds to support that program any longer," Siciliano said. "We encourage people to go to the Dorothy Hamill indoor skating rink."

He added, "We are not maintaining or monitoring any of those locations for the thickness of ice."

Despite this week's Arctic air cap that's kept temperatures hovering in the single-digit range, Siciliano said, "It's way too soon for people to consider skating on any pond in town, town pond or not."