With the new vibe of fresh market produce and local homegrown pride that the Park Place Market will bring into our area, I can’t help but think about the shopping experience here in Niagara Falls and what I’ve grown accustomed to over the years. For those in the 716 area code, you must be one of two things – a Wegmans shopper or a Tops shopper… that is it, no other choice.  It’s like Coke versus Pepsi, Ali versus Frasier, Pop versus Soda.  While looking through the images in the Local History Department, I’ve seen many of the names and faces of local markets from yesteryear, but only one truly strikes that nostalgic chord for me – Tops Friendly Market!

In the background of my life, Tops has always been there.  My mother worked there when I was a kid, my sister was a cashier there, and I eventually stood behind the cash register, too, when I turned 16 (“Will that be paper or plastic?”).  During the mid to late 70s, when malls and department store chains were eating up the little guys and big time “supermarkets” were gobbling up the mom n’ pop grocery stores, Tops was naturally right there in the mix (although it was once just a little guy itself). I grew up when Tops was already a steadfast entity… in fact, the only entity worth its weight in Bulk Food.  So while some of you Dear Readers may harbor disdain for this local market because it eventually smushed the corner grocer into oblivion, I veer towards the place that never stops saving me more, the place where the deli workers always threw me a slice of bologna to try while I rode underneath in my Mom’s cart on grocery shopping day circa 1980.  [Wait, what? Wegmans you say? Wegmans schmegmans! Super Duper? Bells? Nahhh… ]

So, what brought up this small flicker of nostalgia and admission of allegiance?  Reading this BuffaloNews.com article and the realization that, holy shit, they make BANK.  Even with the losses due to debt and blah blah blah, my friendly hometown grocer is pulling it in!  The article puts in perspective how large Tops has become over the past few decades.  Is there risk of it imploding with the scattering remains once again becoming your neighborhood cheese shops and spice stores and butchers and fish market, etc?  Or will the Canadian influx (along with the need for local residents to have a one stop shop)  keep sales humming along for another 50 years and beyond?  I have great hope that while the lights of Tops and Wegmans twinkle in the distance, hometowners and tourists alike still yearn for the homegrown and the homespun (The Park Place Market!).

[Sidenote: However the direction of grocery getting evolves, I hope someone or something smushes   the “Dollar Generals” into the forgettable past.  Yuuuuck… the absolute pits! Clean up your act!]

Where do you shop?  Where is the best and worst places to pick up the family’s groceries?  Please submit your feedback in the comment section below:

 

LaSalle PRIDE, Inc. will present a lecture on Agricultural Fairs and LaSalle Carnivals at 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 1, 2014 in the second floor meeting room of the LaSalle Library, 8728 Buffalo Avenue. Teresa Lasher Winslow, an authority on the history of the former Village of LaSalle will present a power point presentation of the beginnings of the county’s Agricultural Fair and the beloved LaSalle Carnivals.

LaSalle, once a part of the Town of Niagara, became an official Village in 1897, until it was annexed into the City of Niagara Falls in 1927. As an agricultural area in the Town of Niagara, LaSalle hosted Agricultural Fairs on the former Tompkins Brick Works property on 91st Street between Frontier and Read starting in 1912. When the agricultural fairs moved to Lockport, the Village continued with the annual LaSalle Carnival in Jayne Park on Cayuga Island until the 1970s. Today, a small version of the carnival continues at St. John de LaSalle R.C. Church each June.

These events were very special for four generations of LaSalle residents. Former and present LaSalle residents and the public are encouraged to attend and bring photographs and other memorabilia which can be scanned and returned to the owners.

The History Committee of LaSalle Pride, Inc. is hosting a series of lectures on the neighborhoods, waterways, schools and other historical topics throughout 2014. For more information on either of these please call (716) 283-3295 or (716) 425-4005.

 

Niagara Region Parks release spring events schedule

The Niagara Region of the New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation has released its spring schedule of events. Registration is highly encouraged as activities do tend to book quickly. 

Friday, April 11: Vernal Pool Magic!

Evangola State Park

7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Don’t be a fool, a toad on a stool, come discover a seasonal pool! Inflating their throats, with a balloon-like sack, an amphibian attack, with a wood frog quack. Blue-spotted salamanders perform breeding dances too, and stick their eggs to branches like glue. Feathery gills, it’s part of their thrills, gee this is cool. I love vernal pools! For information and registration call (716)549-1050.

Friday, April 18: Evening History Walk

Artpark State Park

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Enjoy an evening at Artpark:  See the Hopewell Indian Mound, the Joncaire trading post site, hear War of 1812 happenings and learn of early steamboat transportation in the area. For information and registration call (716 285-0516.

 

Friday, April 25: Night Buckhorn Swamp People!

Buckhorn Island State Park

7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Will ‘O the Wisp, Swamp Sucker Mist.  Leads us astray, along Nightjar way. Whinnied Screech Owls fright, by Niagara’s flowing might. Hear a rattling snore? A Leopard Frog roars a symphibian chorus tonight, Buckhorn Theater by candlelight! For information and registration call (716)549-1050.

Saturday, May 3, 2014

I Love My Park Day!

Show State Parks some love by volunteering at any of our participating Niagara Region Parks!

Visit Parks & Trails New York website:

www.ptny.org/ilovemypark  for more information and online registration. This event is being organized in partnership between Parks & Trails New York and NYS Parks.

Below is a list of parks that our parks programs staff will be participating in.

Evangola State Park

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Please join us at Evangola State Park where we will be cleaning up the beach and parklands along with other improvement projects. For more information call (716)549-1050.

Golden Hill State Park

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Please come join the Friends of Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse in celebrating

I Love My Park Day. Our park will host a multi-event day: clean-up, lighthouse beautification including planting flowers and staining a split rail fence. There will be a Treasure Hunt for the younger volunteers. For more information call (716) 795-3885.

Whirlpool State Park

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Please join us at Whirlpool State Park where we will be cleaning up the parklands along the Niagara Gorge between Whirlpool and Devil’s Hole State Parks. For more information call (716) 285-0516.

Wilson Tuscarora State Park

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Join a park naturalist in beautifying Wilson Tuscarora State Park. The day’s activities will start at 10:00 a.m. and we will be planting flowers and cleaning up the beach. Come join the fun! For more information call (716) 285-0516.

Friday, May 9: Woodland Wildflower Walk

Wilson Tuscarora State Park

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Spring is in the air! Mother Nature awaits you with her annual display of wildflowers! Stroll through woods filled with old growth trees, listen for the birds overhead, and behold the beauty seen only this time of the year! End your evening with a Lake Ontario sunset! What a great start to your weekend! For information and registration call (716) 285-0516.

Saturday, May 10: International Bird Migration Day

Lake Erie State Park

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Evangola State Park

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

The southern shore of Lake Erie has one of the largest concentrations of colorful spring migrant bird species in North America! The sandy beaches, forests, grassland and wetland habitats are critical rest and feeding areas of the epic bird migration north. Two chances and locations to take a songbird- serenaded hike on this N.Y. State Parks and “Environment for the Americas” cooperative program. For information and registration call (716)549-1050.

Saturday, May 10: Gorge Hiking Series/Artpark Gorge Trail

Artpark State Park

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Come see where Niagara Falls began over 12,000 years ago. As we hike we will discuss the various rock layers and geography, as well as plants and animals in the area. For information and registration call (716) 285-0516.

Friday, May 16: Evening History Hike

Beaver Island State Park

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

We will cover tidbits of history: how the park was named, early archaeology finds and Grover Cleveland’s life here on his uncle’s farm. Learn some facts you may not know. For information and registration call (716)285-0516.

Saturday, May 17: Niagara River Bike Ride

Devil’s Hole State Park

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Get your bikes ready and join us on a bicycle ride from Devil’s Hole State Park to the Grand Island Bridge and back. This will be a leisurely ride along the river with stops along the way to view what you may miss when you travel by auto. For information and registration call (716) 285-0516.

Sunday, May 18: Long Point Trail Trek

Long Point State Park

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

From the tallest Cucumber Magnolia in New York State to the very tip of Long Point this moderately paced trail will explore the history and nature of this beautiful park along the shores of Lake Chautauqua. For information and registration call (716)549-1050.

Saturday, May 24: Gorge Hiking Series/Devil’s Hole Trail

Devil’s Hole State Park

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

This hike will explore the park’s richness of history, geology, flora, and fauna among some breathtaking views. For information and registration call (716) 285-0516.

Saturday, May 24: Gorge Hiking Series/Devil’s Hole Trail

Devil’s Hole State Park

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

This hike will explore the park’s richness of history, geology, flora, and fauna among some breathtaking views. For information and registration call (716) 285-0516.

Saturday, May 31: Gorge Hiking Series/Whirlpool Rapids Trail

Whirlpool State Park

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

One of our most scenic and challenging hikes! This trail will take us past the Whirlpool to see the rapids. We will discuss many of the unique features and events that took place here. For information and registration call (716) 285-0516.

Saturday, June 7: National Trails Day-Length of the Gorge Hike

Artpark State Park

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Come and enjoy the beautiful Niagara Gorge as we hike rim and gorge trails from the mouth of the gorge at Artpark to the American Falls! National Trails Day is an annual event celebrated across the United States. For more information on National Trails Day, go to http://www.americanhiking.org/

For information and registration call (716) 285-0516.

Saturday, June 7: Bobolinks of Knox Farm

Knox Farm State Park

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Bobolinks make the longest songbird migration in North America traveling over 6000 miles from South America to nest in the hayfields of Knox Farm! A great chance to see bobolinks, bluebirds, meadowlarks and more in the park’s protected grassland habitat.

For information and registration call (716)549-1050.

Friday, June 13: Evening History Hike

Fort Niagara State Park

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

The hike will cover an overview of the river, the fort, the lighthouse, the POW’s and New Fort Niagara. Join us for this walk and talk experience. For information and registration call (716)285-0516.

Saturday, June 14: Gorge Hiking Series/Great Gorge Railway Loop Trail

Suspension Bridge Trailhead

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

This hike will follow the gentle incline of the great Gorge Route with excellent views of the falls and rapids. We will return on the rim trail. For information and registration call (716)285-0516.

Saturday, June 21: Niagara Gorge Rim Trail at

Niagara Falls State Park

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

This hike will take us through the picturesque landscape of Niagara Falls.  We will walk the rim trail to Prospect Point, Luna Island, and Terrapin Point. We will also visit Three Sisters Islands. For information and registration call (716)285-0516.

Saturday, June 21: First Day of Summer Kayak Adventure

Wilson Tuscarora State Park

10:00 am. – 12:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Join us as summer begins for an easy paddle along Twelve Mile Creek. Water safety, paddle techniques and wetland interpretation are among the topics. Participant MUST have their own kayak and Coast Guard Approved PDF. For information and registration call (716)285-0516.

Saturday, June 28: End of June Kayak Adventure

Wilson Tuscarora State Park

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Join us for an easy paddle along Twelve Mile Creek. Water safety, paddle techniques and wetland interpretation are among the topics. Participants MUST have their own kayak and Coast Guard Approved PDF. For information and registration call (716)285-0516.