Winter plays neat
trick on recreation
By HOPE E. TREMBLAY
Staff writer
SOUTHWICK – Continuing last year’s unusual weather patterns, Mother Nature is showing who’s the boss once again with the lack of winter this winter.
In Southwick, those accustomed to the tradition of ice fishing derbies are surely disappointed this year. The Lake Management Committee met last night and discussed the lack of the main ingredient for such tournaments – ice.
“You can see more water than ice,” said Committee Chairman Richard Grannells.
“I’ve never seen it like this,” said committee member Susan Phillips.
Grannells said there is plenty of open water, a highly unusual occurrence for February.
“We had two ice fishing tournaments scheduled and I have been keeping in touch with the organizations,” said Grannells. “I called both of them to say there is a letter from the harbor master saying all events are cancelled because there is not enough ice.”
Grannells offered the committee a packet of information he collected on the lack of ice and ice safety from local and national publications.
Southwick Parks and Recreation Commissioner Daniel Call said there were no programs affected by the snow-less winter.
“I don’t know of any program that we normally have that would’ve gotten affected by the snow,” said Call.
Call said, however, that the October storm did ruin the normal winter use of the Rail Trail, which is normally used for cross-country skiing and snow shoeing, as well as for winter walks and hikes.
Because of the extensive tree damage, the trail was closed in late October. The mild weather, however, has been a blessing, as far as clean-up is concerned.
“We are making some headway and cleaning up the shoulder areas,” said Call, who said he estimates the trail would likely be cleared by the end of March.
When asked about the rail trail being closed and people going about using it, Call said “They certainly know that it is closed because there are signs everywhere so they are using it at their own risk.”
Meanwhile, the ice fishing derby planned for today at Russell Pond to benefit the Horace A. Moses Boy Scout Reservation has been postponed to next Saturday.
According to Camp Ranger Jason Boyer, tests conducted on the ice yesterday morning indicated an average depth of 6″-8″. However, the ice is being deemed unsafe, due to severe cracking, which occurs under the weight of walking on it.
“I don’t feel safe sending my scouts out there tomorrow so I’m recommending the derby be postponed,” Boyer said.
The Boy Scouts had been drilling in various places on the pond all week, and a number of local anglers have reported catching large Perch and Bass over the past several weeks.
According to Boyer, the test results seem to indicate that, although the ice is quite certainly thick enough, with temperatures in the 40’s during the day this week, the ice has become granular beneath the mirror smooth surface and cannot be trusted to support any substantial weight, despite temperatures dipping into the high teens and low twenties at night.
Last week, a tragedy was averted, thanks to the diligent actions of a passing Good Samaritan, when an ice fisherman fell though the ice at the former brickyard near the intersection of Root and Summit Lock roads.
Hope Tremblay can be reached at [email protected]
Lauren Connolly contributed to this report.
