Swan Breaks Through Ice On Greenwich Cove

EG Patch captures a slice of natural life on the road into Scalloptown Park – a lone swan working its way to open water.

Some quibble about the name, but regardless of what you call it, Scalloptown Park and Nature Preserve (otherwise known as "the old dump") is a natural treasure. On a walk there Monday late morning, I noticed a swan pushing through the ice, making its way to the open water beyond. The swan would rise up and push, then rest for a bit, then do it again.  Swans are not casual flyers. They do fly, of course, but as a friend reminded me, it liftoff takes effort. Perhaps that's why this swan decided cutting through the ice was the path of least resistance. 

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You Asked ... Patch Answers: Is The Ice Safe?

There is no officially sanctioned safe pond ice in East Greenwich.

For some of us, the payoff of all this frigid weather is that maybe area ponds will be frozen hard enough for skating. Sadly, EG Patch is unable to confirm that any ice is our vicinity is safe for skating.  Confirming that ice is safe is tricky business, since stories of people (usually children) falling through ice rarely end well. Case in point, the death of Christopher Martini, age 7, in 1995, after he and two other boys fell through the ice on Spring Green Pond in Warwick.  When I called the EG Fire District to ask about safe ice in town, I was told they no longer check the ice. The police said they also do not check the ice but recommend common sense precautions. The state Department of Parks and Recreation checks the ice at three …

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5 Things You Need To Know Today

Cove Commission, NO Skating Yet & More

Five things you need to know about East Greenwich today, Jan. 4.

Trash pickup & Xmas trees: Because the New Year’s Day holiday was Monday for town offices, trash pickup is delayed this week by a day. So, if your trash is usually picked up on Thursday, this week it will be picked up on Friday. If you have a Christmas tree you’re looking to get rid of, that’s next week. Tree pickups begin Jan. 9. Just remember: they will not take your tree if it’s in a plastic bag. If you want to use a bag to get the tree outside, just cut it off curbside. Cove Commission meeting: This panel meets at 4:30 at Town Hall. Moorings and an update on 60 Crompton Ave. are on the agenda. Nature stories: Rocky Hill School offers a monthly nature-inspired story time. Young children and parents are welcome. Rocky Hill School …

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