The Aquarium of Niagara

The Harbor Seals Rescue Cove is one of the most popular exhibits for visitors to enjoy at the Aquarium of Niagara.

Harbor Seals Rescue Cove

The Aquarium of Niagara features many different exhibits and shows. The aquarium contains Peruvian Penguins, California Sea Lions, Poison Dart Frogs, an Octopus, Sharks, turtles, and many different types of fish.

When you first walk up to the aquarium, there is a Rescue Cove in the front that people can look down into. It is open and allows people to see the seals swimming around the small pool of water. After walking into the building, people can venture right or left following a circle shape. Walking around the first floor, people will be able to see the sea lion tank in the middle as well as many fish tanks along the walls. Right next to the entrance to the aquarium on the right is the cove for the Peruvian Penguins.

Walking around the first floor allows visitors to see the open-air tank as well. It is shaped like a rectangle with water filled up halfway. There is different colored moss and plant-life growing around the tank as well as starfish and crabs.

People can access the second floor by the stairs or the elevator. Once upstairs, people can have an overlooking view of the sea lion tank. Also shaped in a circular form, people can go into the different mini alcoves of the fish tanks upstairs. Facts about the fish upstairs allow visitors to learn more about different undersea life.

Starfish, Crab, Sea Life Tank

“The aquarium is a wonderful regional facility that offers a great deal for anybody who wants to learn about sea life,” said Gay Molnar, an employee of the Aquarium of Niagara. 

“We have many different exhibits that have a lot of information regarding each one.”

The Aquarium of Niagara is host to many different types of fish. Some species that were in different tanks were sturgeons, seahorses, lionfish, clownfish, angelfish, eels, blowfish, and more.

Blowfish

“I really liked looking at the puffer fish because those are my favorite fish,” said Deb Quiles, a visitor who brought her two-month-old daughter. “I would definitely tell people to go [to the aquarium] because it’s a really nice place for the family and it’s cheap and they have really fun stuff to go see and the people there are really fun and nice.”

Deb Quiles said that her favorite exhibit included the seals because right when you up to the front door sitting there looking cute.

“The seals were pretty cool to look at when you first walked up to the building,” said Kacy McLaughlin, a visiting college student from Suffolk County Community College. “Everyone coming to the aquarium was stopping to look for a few minutes and see the seals swimming around and playing in their little cove.”

The Aquarium of Niagara is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on certain holidays. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for senior’s aged 60 and up, $6 for children between the ages 3-12 and free for infants 2-years-old and under. Parking is free for those who need it.

The Aquarium of Niagara is located at 701 Whirlpool St., Niagara Falls, NY 14301. Aside from the exhibits and shows, there is also a gift shop as well as opportunities for people to book special events.

Buffalo City Hall Tour

Buffalo City Hall

Visitors were shown the artwork and architecture of Buffalo City Hall during a free guided walking tour on Monday.

After gathering everyone waiting in the main lobby, David Rock, the tour guide, brought everyone outside to speak about the main face of the building. After returning inside, Rock pointed out a few of the murals on the first floor of City Hall.

One of the murals pointed out was called, “Frontiers Unfettered by Any Frowning Fortress.” 

It showed a woman standing as a central figure between Canada and the United States.

After learning about some of the murals, the tour was then taken to the second floor where the mayor’s office resides. The front of the room was gated off from the back part, and there were portraits hung all around the office of past mayors.

Sunburst Ceiling in the Common Council Chamber

The next area the visitors were brought to was the Common Council Chamber. The front doors were locked, so the tour guide brought everyone in through an alternative route. 

Rock said the chamber was modeled under a Roman Senate style including how the stands looked and the columns that could be seen underneath the sunburst glass ceiling.

The last place the visitors experienced was the Observation deck located on the 28^th floor. 

The elevator stopped at the 25^th floor, so everyone had to walk up the remaining three flights of stairs. After entering the observation deck, people were able to choose to walk around in a complete circle either inside or outside. Inside, there were windows overlooking different parts of the city. Outside, there was a glass case surrounding the view of the city. 

This allowed people to see many views of Buffalo from 28 floors up in the air.

“We have these public treasures here in Buffalo that people don’t know much about and we have a rich architectural and historical legacy here that’s leftover from a much more prosperous time,” said Rock. “You come on the tour to learn about the history of the city, to hopefully learn a little about architecture, and to enjoy the grandeur of the place.”

Rock said that the main architectural style throughout the building was Art Deco. There were also many different influences throughout the building including Egyptian, and Roman.

View of Buffalo from the Observation Deck

“There isn’t many other places people can get such a view of the city,” said Nathan Wang, a visitor from China. “The building is so old and historical.”

Wang said that from being so high up in the building, he’s able to see the skyline of Buffalo.

“The first floor is really popular,” said Derek Koonce, a maintenance worker for City Hall. “People come in and go crazy from seeing the artwork and architecture. They don’t expect it.”

Buffalo City Hall Tours last about an hour every weekday city hall is open. The tour is from noon until 1 p.m. The walking tour includes walking up and down stairs at various times. City Hall is located in downtown Buffalo, in Niagara Square. 

The Trek Tifft at Tifft Nature Preserve

Tifft Nature Preserve

Visitors experienced a guided walking tour of the Tifft Nature preserve’s field, forest, and wetland habitats on Sunday, during the The Trek Tifft.

The volunteer tour guide assigned to give the Trek Tifft, gathered everyone waiting for the tour in the main lodge and set off outside. Along the walk, the tour guide pointed out different plants and trees such as corkscrew willow trees, phragmites, evergreen trees, cattails, wild iris, and more.

During the Trek Tifft, interaction with animals in wildlife was often common. Many deer were seen roaming around the park usually alone, or in groups of three or more. The volunteer guide handed out birdseed to visitors and allowed them to try to feed the birds flying around.

Feeding the Birds

The tour also took visitors on the boardwalks of the marshes and lakes. Various plants were able to be seen over the railing of the boardwalks as well as ducks swimming around and tadpoles popping up to the surface in random intervals.

“My favorite part of the preserve is the wetland habitat because I like walking next to the water,” said Khrystal Barry, a visiting college student from Stony Brook University. “It’s very peaceful.”

Barry said that following the tour guide was very helpful. It was nice to listen to someone who was informative and personable.

“The tour guide was really great at getting people involved and asking questions,” said Barry. “She really kept my attention about finding out what we were looking at.”

“Actually being able to see nature benefits many of our Trek Tifft visitors,” said Carol Mathner, a volunteer tour guide. “These days people are so involved with what’s on television. It’s nice to have them come to the preserve and experience a whole new world, especially for children.”

The Trek Tifft lasted about an hour and a half. It allowed visitors to experience each different aspect of the preserve. The tour guide lead the group through the woodland areas, over the bridge of the connecting lakes, and onto the boardwalk of the cattail marshes.

“There’s always something new to see each season,” said Mathner. “In the spring people can start to see all the birds returning while in the winter, people can begin to see and follow animal tracks.”

Beaver Dam in the Tifft Nature Preserve

“I would definitely come back again to go for a walk and take pictures,” said Robert Henning, a resident of Batavia, NY. “It would be nice to slow down life for a little and enjoy the nature of the preserve.”

The Tifft Nature Preserve is made up of 264 acres of land including marshes, lakes, ponds, and forests. People visiting the Tifft Nature Preserve for the Trek Tifft are taken on a tour of the grounds.

The Tifft Nature Preserve is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. There is no fee to gain admission to the preserve, but donations are helpful.

The Trek Tifft takes place every Sunday from 2 to 3:00 p.m. except for every third Sunday of the month. It is a free program, open to all ages. The program will not be running from Dec. until March.

Burchfield Penney Art Center

Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo NY

Exhibit openings, concerts, and workshops are some of the special events of the M&T Second Fridays held at the Burchfield Penney Art Center.

“We have events going on every second Friday of the month,” said Sandra Perrin, a Visitor Services Associate at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. “A lot of people come to see live entertainment such as musicians, and the openings of new exhibits.”

Perrin said that the museum gets really busy when events are held. There have been concerts, as well as weddings held at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Classes, workshops, lectures, and performances are also held at the museum during Second Fridays for those who enjoy learning new things.

A few past performances during M&T Second Fridays at Burchfield have been by The Equinox Jazz Band, Genkin Philharmonic, Lisa Forrest, and Doug Lambert. Some of the past workshops include 'Message in a Bottle,' 'Artists Among Us II,' and 'Personal Doodles.'

"The Second Fridays at Burchfield are more crowded, but the atmosphere is nice," said Maxwell Pope, a student at RIT majoring in communications. "Everyone is enjoying themselves and having a good time. Especially when there is live music playing."

Pope said that although the museum isn’t as big as ones he has previously been to, it definitely has an appeal to make visitors want to look around and come back for new exhibits and performances.

“The Second Fridays are really popular,” said Laura Donnelly, a teacher and Buffalo State Alumnus. "There’s always something engaging for people to check out.”

Checking out an exhibit in the main hall at Burchfield

During M&T Second Fridays, the Burchfield Penney Art Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Second Fridays event is held on every second Friday of the month. Admission on these days is free between the hours of 4 and 8 p.m. Additional fees may apply for special programs being held.

Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium

Inside the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium, October 26, 2012

Candles in holders were spread throughout the room creating an eerie light.

Chains hung down from the edge of the ceiling.

Spider webs covered black holes in the wall.

The music playing softly in the background begins to swell as the lights flicker on and off.

Howling wind and mournful wailing add to the crescendo of sound as a black hooded figure enters and circles the room.

“I will be your guide today,” said the black hooded figure. “I am Charon, Boatman of the River Styx.”

Viewers sat on curved couches and stared up at the ceiling of the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium for the show. Charon went on to speak of each of the 12 Labors of Hercules. Pictures went along with each of the myths and music played softly in the background. The tales were of the Nemean Lion, the Lernean Hydra, The Ceryneian Hind, the Erymanthian Boar, the Augean Stables, the Stymphalian Birds, the Cretan Bull, the Horses of Diomedes, the girdle of Hippolyte, Geryon's Cattle, the Apples of Hesperides, and Cerberus.

After each myth was told of the 12 Labors Hercules had to go through, the ceiling lit up showing the stars. The audience was shown the autumn night sky and introduced to the man portraying Charon, Tim Collins. By rotating the autumn sky, Collins showed the audience different constellations that were visible such as the big and little dippers, the north star, and orion. Constellations from the myths like hydra, and the lion were also pointed out.

In its final three months of service before closing down for renovations, the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium hosted one its last showings of “Legends of Autumn: The 12 Labors of Hercules” on Oct. 26.

Collins, an employee of the planetarium and a Buffalo State alumnus, has worked on perfecting shows and creating ways to keep viewers entertained for 25 years.

“A lot of people enjoy the star shows,” said Collins. “People love to look at and learn about the different constellations in the sky. All of us who do the shows have our own style so you can come back to a show two or three times and experience something completely different.”

Collins said that the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium is one of the only planetariums around that’s open to the public. Being able to work in such a place is amazing because he gets to share his enthusiasm about the stars.

For married couple Marten Vanzwietering and Emily Pici, they were revisiting the place where they had gotten married.

“We don’t get a chance to come to the planetarium often anymore because we live in Vermont now, but I’m originally from Buffalo,” said Pici. “It will be fantastic to be able to see a show.”

Vanzwietering added that they were glad to be able to catch a show before having to head back to Vermont in a few days.

Steve Halasz, a native from Buffalo came to see the show about Hercules expecting it to be unique and interesting.

“I found out about the show because it was advertised on the computer through the science museum,” said Halasz.

The shows at the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium range from Greek mythological stories about Hercules and Medusa, to conspiracy theory shows about the '2012 Prophecy of Doom.' There are also Laser Music shows that combine laser patterns with popular songs.

The Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium has been around for 30 years. Beginning in Jan. 2013, it will undergo an upgrade to be moved to a bigger a more efficient space.

“The new planetarium will be state of the art,” said Collins. “There isn’t any other ones around except in Rochester, so the upgrade should be great.”

The planetarium holds shows every Friday at 6:30 and 8 p.m. Shows are also held on Saturday at 2 and 4 p.m. People can reserve tickets online for shows online, by e-mail, or by telephone number, 716-878-4911. General admission tickets cost $6. BSC students are admitted free with a school ID.

The Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium is located in the Science Building on Buffalo State College’s campus. 

Oktoberfest at The Broadway Market

The Auslanders playing onstage while people from the community dance.

The smell of food cooking wafted through the doors as I made my way into The Broadway Market to experience 'Oktoberfest.' A delicious chocolatey aroma made me turn towards a homemade baked goods stall. Seeing gooey chocolate chip cookies sitting beside thick dark fudge made my stomach growl with hunger.

Venturing further into the market, the buttery scent of popcorn made me turn towards a stall that sold different flavored popcorn from pumpkin to cotton candy. The popcorn came in colors according to flavor. Pumpkin popcorn was a vibrant orange, but green apple popcorn was a vivid bright green color.

Walking around allowed me to see many of the people visiting the Broadway Market for Oktoberfest. Around the market stalls were families browsing as well as older people. While looking around, I heard a shout and turned to see a little boy flying past giggling while holding a cookie. Thundering footsteps and more laughter followed as his parents shouted at him to stop running away from them.

The Broadway Market’s ‘Oktoberfest’ had people from the Buffalo community and the surrounding counties came out to celebrate the day’s event.

For Oktoberfest, the market featured different vendors specializing in wine, beer, and small collectibles such as palm-sized figurines of german people and pint sized beer mugs. Other vendors who sell regularly also sold products such as homemade breads and fudge, fresh meat and seafood, and other items like embroidered napkins.

The market is set up in a big rectangle shape with vendors lining the walls as well as being scattered in the middle. Some vendors have elaborate setups with materials to cook with while others have tables to place their product on to showcase. Consumers can easily navigate the busy market.

“It seems to be a better turnout than most days,” said Carl Schmitter, a temporary wine vendor from Buffalo, NY. “There are more vendors for Oktoberfest so the market is a little bit more busy.”

Schmitter was selling wine to customers. In order to prepare for this event he bottled the wine and set up his booth the week prior to Oktoberfest.

Bob Ziehm is a vendor from the Winery of Chautauqua County. He sells wine every Saturday as well as during the week when there are holidays.

“The turnout for Oktoberfest has been better than regular weekend,” said Ziehm. “The event was advertised well and it’s that time of the year when the weather isn’t so good.”

Ziehm said since the weather changes daily the Broadway Market allows people to come inside and shop rather than have to deal with the open-air markets.

The Broadway Market gathered vendors from all around as well as volunteers. Francis Perez was a volunteer at Oktoberfest, helping to sell beers to visiting customers.

“The event had a successful turnout because it’s fun and everyone’s talking with each other,” said Perez.

Along with different vendors, German band The Auslanders was featured. As The Auslanders played onstage, people from the surrounding audience gathered around and started to dance along. The strumming of the guitar, banging of the drums, and smooth notes of the accordion added to the atmosphere.

The majority of the audience was made up of people around 40 years old or older. They gathered around in a half table near the band, or sat at tables conversing with one another.

The event was located inside the Broadway Market at 999 Broadway St., between Gibson and Lombard St. The Broadway Market is open regularly Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The market’s Oktoberfest event was held on Saturday, October 20^th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information about The Broadway Market, please click here.

The Downtown Country Market

The Country Market in Downtown Buffalo located on Main St. has been having another successful year selling recently baked goods, freshly grown produce and other products such as newly popped kettle corn.

The Downtown Country Market has been going on for 29 years. It is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. It starts May 17th and ends October 25th. It is located at the center of downtown on Main St. between Court and Church St.

About 5 or 6 vendors line each side of the street on opposite sides of the NFTA Metro Rail. The vendors are set up next to each other with tables or tents set up to showcase their products. Consumers are easily able to walk from one seller to the next.

People can enjoy seasonal produce and specialties from local sellers. People can come to the market to buy products like dog treats, fresh herbs, newly grown squash, recently plucked apples, etc.

The market features many different vendors, some of whom have been there previously for years.

“I started selling out of home, not out of shop,” said Barbara Owcarz a baked goods vendor from Clarence Center, NY.“I’ve been selling at the market for about 23 years now.”

Barbara Owcarz sells an assortment of homemade baked goods and is especially known for her pies. A small homemade apple crumb pie costs $6.00. Although her slot at the market has been successful, she also says that the market has changed over the years from when she first began.

“It has been good for us,” said Owcarz. “People don’t come to the market as often anymore though. They can just go to the grocery store rather than come to the market for homemade comfort foods.”

Some vendors at the market also sell more than one type of product. Sandy Andrew specializes in selling homemade baked goods as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. Her freshly baked cookies come three in a pack about the size of a fist for only $2.00. There are different flavors such as sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, and chocolate chip.

“I’ve been successful because of the customer service and the quality of my product,” said Andrew. “A lot of people on their break from the office will come down to the market and buy something to eat.”

Andrew said that depending on the season, fruit is what she tends to sell the most of. It allows people to eat something fresh quickly before they have to return to work.

“This is the first time I’ve ever come to the market,” said Veronica Toeper, a college student who works at Grassroots Gardens of Buffalo. “It’s so awesome. I’ll definitely be coming back here more often.”

Toeper said she was there just to look around, but then wound up buying fresh groceries such as apples and sunflowers. 

A lot of different produce is available to people perusing the vending tables of the market. Different sellers have specialty products while others compete for customers. Ripe red apples can often be found at multiple stands to give people choices to choose from.

Marge Winter said the most popular and successful item she’s sold over the years has been the vegetable greens.

“The greens go the quickest,” said Winter. “The collard greens, mustard greens, all of those sell the most.”