While skating on Greenbelt Lake is prohibited, Greenbelter Jessica Blacksten and others have taken to the fields. “The fields are skateable right now, but the lake would be better!” said Blacksten, who had hoped someone might be able to drill into the ice to measure its thickness and enable the city to open it for skating. She has been skating at both Braden and Northway Fields recently and even tried to skate the route of the Pumpkin Walk, though the latter was not very successful, she told the News Review.
City Manager Josué Salmerón says the prohibition on ice skating on Greenbelt Lake remains in effect. “We were unable to identify staff or contractors who could reliably assess ice thickness, and our Recreation Department did not have the capacity to monitor or maintain a safe perimeter around the lake this weekend,” Salmerón told the News Review.
Fond Memories
Greenbelt News Review Editor Mary Lou Williamson recalls when her children were little, the police would determine how thick the ice was. Once deemed safe, a good day of skating and even bonfires ensued on the lake. Greenbelter Marc Siegel also has fond childhood memories of skating on the lake and explained that fires were built on a metal pit and children could roast things on them and warm their hands. A News Review article from December 29, 1977, advised residents that “No fires will be allowed at the lake except those provided by the city, because of the scarcity of firewood and danger from brush fires.” That year, the Recreation Department provided assistance at the lake during weekdays from 4 p.m. until dark and on holidays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to dark. No skating was allowed on the lake after dark.
Safety Concerns
Greenbelt Lake has not been immune to safety concerns and accidents, however. An article in the News Review from January 28, 1965, details a harrowing rescue of two children from the lake after the ice broke underneath their feet. The children remained in the water for nearly 45 minutes before rescuers came to their aid.
Another article recounts James W. Burke breaking his arm two inches above the wrist on November 14, 1937, while trying to break his fall on the ice at the lake (see Greenbelt Cooperator, December 22, 1937, issue).
If residents are tempted to break out their skates, they should follow Blacksten’s example and head to the fields rather than the lake. “We understand the appeal given the cold weather, but the risks ‒ from unpredictable ice conditions to liability concerns ‒ are simply too great,” said Salmerón.
Laura Charleston and Stephen Lotz are University of Maryland students in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism interning with the Greenbelt News Review
