CALAIS – “Just in time for the holidays, it’s been reported there is some skating on Curtis Pond,” wrote Don Heise in a Front Porch Forum post, December 21, “Thanks to Rik Dryfoos who has taken on the organizing to scrape, snow blow and flood a rink.”
Heise recommended skating only on the plowed area, where the safe ice is. He asks that skaters scrape the ice after using it; the cleaner it is the better it is to flood.
“Stay clear of the dam area. The water is deeper there and with it moving we just don’t know how safe it will be around the dam. Make it clear to the kids it is not safe near the dam,” said Heise. “Please stay off the ice when it is soft or has just been flooded. Footprints can ruin it for weeks.”
Heise added, “Remove clothing, pucks and injured hockey players from the ice surface. They get stuck in the snowblower!”
The dam camera at cobyheise.com/ice is being relocated.
“Lights go out at 10 p.m. Have fun and be safe!”, wrote Heise.
Dryfoos wrote December 22 to add, “We were able to get some water on the far rink this morning . . . [We] need some skaters on it to smooth the bumps a bit. Today we will also need a little more scraping on the bit closer to the blue barn and then we will be able to flood that part too. Looks like there will be skating for Christmas folks!
“Stop in at the Maple Corner Store to buy pucks and hot cocoa. And while you’re there, pick up a Men of Maple Corner Calendar that is good as new for 2025 (proceeds go to paying off the Curtis Pond Assn’s dam loan.)”
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
