Downing Park’s fresh water pond, the Polly, is well-known for ice-skating during the winters. But this past winter and many winters before, the Polly hasn’t been open for ice-skating. Residents all over Newburgh have raised concerns over the lack of skating.

George Garrison, Department of Public Works Superintendent, presented on the situation at last Thursday’s Newburgh City Council work session. The topic was brought up at the request of Councilwoman Patty Sofokles.

According to Garrison, the Polly currently only has one inch of ice on it. In the next two weeks the weather will likely get warmer, and the ice will continue to melt.

“Just to walk on it,” said Garrison. “You have to have a minimum of four inches. Five inches you can get a snow mobile.”

In order for ice-skating to occur, there needs to be a minimum of seven to eight inches. “That has to be measured from the shoreline to the middle,” said Garrison. “Because it freezes from the shoreline, middle, and out.”

The safety of ice-skating on fresh water ice has become a bigger issue, as climate change has become a rising concern. With warmer weather, it becomes harder for the water to freeze.

“There is no longer safe ice in this part of the country,” said Fire Chief William Horton. “As somebody who’s been on ice rescues at Downing Pond, as someone who’s been an ice rescue instructor for 20 years; I can tell you it’s not safe.”

Horton said with current weather conditions, there is no possibility for the ice to be thick enough to skate on. “The Polly is not deep enough to support the way physics and chemistry happens,” said Horton.

“It sounds like it’s a huge liability,” said Councilwoman Ramona Monteverde.

The council discussed future alternative ice-skating options to the Polly like a skating rink. The council decided that there will be no skating on the Polly this winter.