If you’ve taken a walk over by Bleachery Pond to check out the falls recently, you probably noticed it looks like someone is clearing it for a road. The town has indeed spent the relatively mild winter months clearing out the vegetation there that routinely grows (and grows), but not for a road. The reason: to be able to access the sewer “trunk line” that runs through the property.
“We need to maintain access to that line,” explained Public Works Director Anthony Vaccaro. “The last time it was done could have been six or more years ago.”
The DPW wants to make sure trees don’t start growing near the sewer line and it needs to be able to access the line.
“If there were an emergency situation with a sewer clog or backup … we need to be able to get our jet truck with a high pressure hose to clear and clean the interior of the pipe,” Vaccaro said. “I’d like to have more routine maintenance so it doesn’t get so thick and difficult.”
He said he’s hoping to work with Parks and Recreation to build a stabilized (not paved) path for easier access. The area is part of the town’s land trust.
“It’s like a little hidden gem,” he said.
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Bleachery Pond was a gem. It was a swimming hole for most of the EG kids along with others such as the cove for the youth in the Town.
Bleachery was a place kids and families went skating in the winter. The latter also included Payne’s Pond (crossing Jean Eddy’s property), the Cove and behind Trafalgar where a warm fire would be burning along the shore.
Bleachery had two rope swings. The first was located on the south side across from what is now Cole Jr. High. Houses started to be built then the rope swing was moved to the north side of the pond down the slope from the cemetery.
The long way around Bleachery in the summer was walking down Cedar to Kenyon or down Cedar to Post Road. Some would walk across the slippery falls. During the winter with Bleachery being frozen over one could cross over the ice.
The other location at Bleachery to swim was known as the Rock. Shore Side Apartments are located there now. Your first challenge as a kid was to swim from the Rock to the Cedar Avenue side. The second was to be able to make that swim while holding your breath under water.
As the end of the summer drew near the pond would dry up although not totally but enough to where one couldn’t swim. If I recall you’d see pickerel, (some may say pike) on some dried up parts. The only fish I ever saw anyone catch in that Pond were Sun Fish.
The last big freeze I remember (I think) was maybe in the range of 2014 -2016.
The cove was frozen over out to Sally’s Rocks and from Goddard to Button Woods. One could walk across the cove from Water Street/Goddard to Apponaugh Cove or to Buttonwoods.
Bleachery, Payne’s all iced up also and covered by snow.
The daily skating I knew as a youth seems to have become nonexistent. The snow we once shoveled off the ice at these places hasn’t as I recall been removed when frozen and safe enough for skating as would be checked by then EGVFD. Very possibly these days for a number of reasons skating has slacked. One being perhaps a shift in climate. Swimming also halted with the build of Shore Side Apartments.