In a winter with repeated snow storms in which the South Orange Duck Pond has been frozen much of the time, skaters have been longing to see the green flag raised at the pond, signaling that it’s safe to skate. But it’s been years since that flag was raised and skating was allowed.
The Meadowland Conservancy wants to change that.
Linda Beck with the Meadowland Conservancy held up an ice skate during the Village Council’s hybrid meeting on Monday and offered the Conservancy’s assistance with whatever is needed to get the Village to allow skating again — research, working with stakeholders and the Village attorney or looking into nearby pond skating ordinances.
“I know Millburn allows ice skating. I know Harding Township allows ice skating,” she said. “On behalf of Meadowland Park, we hear more than anything — other than the situation with the goose droppings — we hear, ‘When is skating going to be allowed on the pond again?’”
She said Conservancy members are “enthusiastic supporters” of their collaboration with the Village and want to help.
“I’m willing to do any work necessary,” Beck said, “but I’d like to get us to ‘yes,’ because it is what the community wants. It’s what we deserve….I feel like we can find a way to do this and still keep our town safe from litigation and injury.”
South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum told Beck that she supports the idea.
“Just so you know, I love this idea. I’ve always been curious, and I’ve always been cautioned, because I tend to be a little bit riskier…but I would like to know a lot more, and I’m sure all of us would welcome that,” Collum told Beck. “We’ve got this tremendous asset. I’m sure that our risk managers, and everybody who cautions us against walking outside daily, will find some middle ground with us, but we do have this incredible resource, and nothing would make me happier than to see activity, when it is appropriate and safe. And I have seen it done in other communities.”
This photo was taken by Village Green Editor Laura Griffin in 2014, when it was cold enough that there were pick up hockey games on the Duck Pond.
Collum noted she’d like to see skaters on snow days.
“It would have been tremendous to see people not only out and building their snowmen and all that stuff, but having a way that we could leverage a great asset in Meadowland Park,” Collum said. “So let’s stay in touch on that one, and you had me when you held up your skate.”
The historical marker at the Duck Pond, which was once called Meadowland Park Lake, notes there there is skating on the pond in the winter.
“In winter, the frozen pond invites residents to skate and play hockey,” it reads. “A ‘skate house’ borders the east side of the pond.”
Linda Beck holds up an ice skate at the Village Council meeting to advocate for ice skating on the Duck Pond.
