Cold enough for lily pond skating, but too cold for skaters

YOUNGSTOWN

As ice skating at the Lily Pond in Mill Creek Park wrapped up for the season, park officials say the cold kept many people at home and off the ice this year.

“I think with the unseasonably cold temperatures, people just weren’t outside,” said Samantha Villella, park community engagement director.

The freezing cold temperatures are what made the outdoor skating opportunity possible — this is only the second year in the last 25 the Lily Pond froze to a safe-enough level to allow recreational use in the winter. Last year was the first.

“It was very well-received [last year]. Though it was still cold, the temperatures weren’t as frigid, so it just gave people more of an opportunity,” Villella said.

Friday’s record low temperatures, however, didn’t keep Anatoliy Radchenko of Poland and his 11-year-old son Alex off the ice. As the temperature climbed just past zero degrees, the pair were out on the pond playing a one-on-one hockey match.

Read more about their ice-capades in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.