WHITMAN — Whitman Park was teeming with activity as families emerged for a peek at the sun during a spring-like day on Sunday, Jan. 12.
With temperatures reaching over 70 degrees, forecasters and the National Weather Service proclaimed the centuries old record was beat by Sunday’s short heat wave.
Max Capelotti, 6, and his sister Valerie, 4, of Rockland spent time running and jumping around the playground with their mom and dad nearby. Miles, 8, and Charlotte Davidson, 10, of Whitman had races back and forth on the field with a “no jackets” rule catching on quickly as children came down the slide. Another pair of soccer players squared off in shorts one even going shirtless in the sun.
There were no boots or cross-country skis to be seen along the dirt paths. However Jessica Smith walked with her two children Collin, 4, and Annabelle, 6, as they rode their bikes diagonally on the dry fields toward the park.
The Barry-Gill family of Whitman could be heard laughing as they raced down the hill — rolling from the top to the bottom — the flag pole directly behind the Civil War Monument is normally frozen at this time of year; with parents keeping watch as their children sled down and race back with their snow tubes. The hill was bare Sunday.
The Whitman family normally sleds on the hill, but said they were thrilled to be outside on such a beautiful day.
Mom Sherri Barry-Gill took photos from the bottom of the mound as her daughters and husband Mike Gill rolled as fast as they could towards her.
Amari Romera, 4, of Whitman took a walk with his parents and proudly showed off his Popsicle it appeared that it too was not going to stay cold as he sipped the liquid from the plastic.
Others could be seen walking their dogs, teens on bikes pedaled by and families threw pebbles in the frog pond. Two couples sat on the benches overlooking the pond resting their heads back a bit as if to sun their faces.
An unlit holiday tree somehow appeared out of season on its stand in the middle of the pond. The gift of a cold weather reprieve however short was gladly accepted by so many smiling faces on Sunday.