ON ICE: With the Olympics under way, it’s a perfect time to
think about ice skating!

Jerome Pier of Carlisle writes about skating in Mount Jewett in
the 1940s: “The ice pond beyond the end of Chestnut Street was
medium size but 3 or 4 miles from our home on West Main. Later on,
the tennis courts at the Tannery GM’s house were flooded. This was
great because it was floodlighted and a steam-heated garage was
available for changing.”

“Unfortunately, a girl broke her leg in a fall and that ended
it. Some brave souls skated on the Tannery settling ponds which
were glass smooth (and forbidden by the Tannery) but hazardous if
you fell in. Kushequa Lake was great for skating although you had
to watch out for cracks, but it, too, was a long walk in cold.
Better for daylight skating.”

Denny Ordiway has the scoop on skating in Aiken: “Growing up in
Aiken, we had a couple of ‘slush’ pits that were frozen during the
winter.”

“These pits were made by South Penn Oil Co. when they drilled
their oil wells. Our dad told us more than once that if we fell
through the ice, the bottom of the pit was like quicksand. We never
broke through the ice because we always knew when it wasn’t thick
enough to walk on.

“We didn’t have ice skates, but shoveled the snow off and played
on the ice because we were dressed for cold weather. Living on the
hilltop (Aiken, Gifford, Cyclone and Ormsby), we always found
something to do, winter or summer.”

We also heard from Barney Snyder: “When I was 4 or 5, there was
a pond at the foot of Hawthorne Road next to the railroad tracks
behind where the Kendall lot used to be. My sister and her friends
skated there.”

Meanwhile, Jolene Schuessler’s kids are still in the process of
making memories.

She writes, “After reading about the ice skating on the pond, it
made me think of my kids. Some day, my children will tell people
about their fun times they enjoyed ice skating on the pond near the
old Rixford Elementary School.”

“What wonderful memories they are making while they enjoy this
chilly Pennsylvania winter weather! The kids always have a great
time skating and playing on the ice.”

She attached a photo of her kids skating on a recent
weekend.