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With the allure of a white Christmas gone, Western New Yorkers are well into month No. 2 of the winter doldrums.
But everything need not be lost just because it’s cold outside.
Whether you prefer to escape to warmth or enjoy what nature’s dumped upon the region, there are numerous ways to fend off cabin fever as winter creeps ... slowly ... toward its halfway point.
Ice skating
Jennifer Usiak, a member of the Wneatfield-North Tonawanda MOMS Club, recommends Bond Lake Park on Lower Mountain Road in Ransomville or Buffalo’s Rotary Rink for winter ice skating. Rotary Rink, located at Fountain Plaza downtown, is free to use, although there is a charge for skate rental at the outdoor facility
Numerous arenas offer skating to residents, including Dwyer Arena at Niagara University, Amherst’s Pepsi Center, Hyde Park Arena in Niagara Falls and the arenas at Brighton Park and Lincoln Park in the Town of Tonawanda. The recently opened Snow Park Niagara in downtown Niagara Falls offers a full-sized outdoor synthetic rink.
Skiing
Cross-country skiers can enjoy Bond Lake Park’s 13 miles of trail, which park officials said are maintained by staffers. The Town of Niagara’s 1.6-mile loop is one of the few other options for Niagara County skiers seeking a groomed trail; that path is located in Veterans Memorial Park.
Other trails used by local skiers include Fort Niagara State Park in Youngstown, Joseph Davis State Park in Lewiston and Beaver Island State Park just south of the county line in Grand Island. Other parks in Erie County that offer cross-country skiing include Chestnut Ridge Park in Orchard Park and Ellicott Creek Park in the Town of Tonawanda.
Many local downhill skiers consider Holiday Valley in Ellicottville and Kissing Bridge in Glenwood to be the main destinations. Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo offers numerous personal and family snowshoeing packages, as well.
Sledding
Usiak recommends Bond Lake Park (which only permits inflated sleds) and Reservoir State Park in Lewiston to locals looking for a place to sled. On a smaller scale, Niawanda Park in the City of Tonawanda can be found fully occupied on any wintry afternoon with families putting in some quality sledding time. Beaver Island Park also offers numerous sledding hills, as does Ellicott Creek Park and Buffalo’s Delaware Park.
Snowmobiling
The Shawnee Sno-Chiefs help operate miles of trail in the rural regions of Niagara County, as members groom trails, post signage and secure land for member use. As of November, the group had more than 100 member families, according to the club’s Web site, with 20,000 families in clubs statewide.
Trails run from Niagara County south to Erie County, with the club looking to connect additional Niagara trails east to trails in Orleans County. Visit snochiefs.net for details.
Sled registration is $100, but club members receive a $55 discount.
“This is designed to encourage people to join our clubs,” Gary Broderick, Niagara District director of the New York State Snowmobile Association, said in a letter.
Safety, of course, is paramount, and the club will host a safety course from 5 to 9 p.m. Jan. 25-26 at Shawnee Fire Hall, 3747 Lockport Road, Sanborn. Registration begins at 4:30 p.m.
While the Sanborn-based club encourages use of its trails, snowmobilers are cautioned not to stray from marked paths.
“Without the landowners, we have no trails, so we need to keep they happy,” said the club newsletter, citing off-trail riding, late-night noise and garbage among the complaints.
The great indoors
Some people just can’t bring themselves to venture outside for long periods of time during the winter.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Locals can venture to a Sabres game, check out an art museum or attend one of the numerous events hosted by venues such as North Tonawanda’s Riviera Theatre. There are too many options to list here, but here are a few highlights.
• Pizza Fest will unleash the Tonawandas’ best culinary offerings for the ninth time this year. The event, which always fills to capacity, will take place at 5 p.m. Jan. 26 at Classics V Banquet Center in Amherst.
• Parents of children probably have an especially hard time fighting boredom this time of year. Options such as Chuck E. Cheese in Amherst can make mom or dad a hero for a day, and the WNT MOMS Club suggests NT’s Rainbow Roller Rink, which offers a roller stroller day on Tuesdays, during which parents can bring in just about anything for children to ride on. In addition to daily skating on other days, the facility has a bounce house (Lockport has its own roller rink in Skateland).
The Riviera hosts family films at 1 p.m. Saturdays through the winter, while the Town of Tonawanda’s Winterfest continues with events today and Monday, mainly at Lincoln Park and the Aquatic and Fitness Center.
• Winter is the time during which local theater heats up. Starry Night Theatre in North Tonawanda will host “Nosferatu: The Legend of Dracula” from Feb. 11-28. The Town of Tonawanda’s Towne Players will stage “Alice Through the Looking Glass” from Feb. 26-March 7. The Niagara Regional Theatre Guild, which performs in Cardinal O’Hara High School, will host its annual “Broadway in Concert” fundraiser Friday-Jan. 24 before performing “Love Letters” from Feb. 5-14.
Contact Paul Laneat 693-1000, ext. 116.
