…Cellino & Barnes airs its first “if you’re hurt while riding a motorcycle” ads.

Mayor Byron Brown and Congressman Brian Higgins held a press conference this morning to announce that the Erie Basin Marina will now be open all year-round. This way, Buffalonians can enjoy views of the lake and the Buffalo Light, as well as the scenic concrete bunker and parking lots of the marina during the wintertime.

This past weekend, Labatt’s sponsored the local iteration of its North American pond hockey tournament, and it was by all accounts a rousing success. Although opening the marina area up during the winter was being planned, the success of the hockey event pushed it up to today.

Mayor Brown says this move won’t cost the city anything, and it is hoped that the Hatch might open up occasionally during the off-season.

The funny thing about it was that the press conference was held outside, with temps in the mid-30s and a very, very biting wind (not breeze - wind) that had most everybody in attendance shivering.

It’s a nice gesture, and will certainly be appreciated when it’s warm enough, but I don’t think that particular strip is going to be all that popular in the dead of winter.

In other news, Tim Tielman was expressly named several times as one of the people who will be consulted as to what to do with that area during the wintertime. Regular folks will have an opportunity also to be heard. My question is - what expertise does Tim Tielman have with producing wintertime attractions in a parking lot?

All we need is a remotely slippery condition, and cars go sliding and flipping off the 990 like it’s a roller coaster.

I like to call it a snowicane. A Hurricane with snow. With the wind gusts down here by the lake, it’s the one time I can say that my weight is an advantage, because everyone else is getting blown around by the wind. I didn’t realize the temperature had dropped as dramatically as it did:

A wicked winter windstorm … packing gusts up to 70 mph and accompanied by a temperature drop of 21 degrees in just one hour … ripped through the region early today, prompting virtually all area schools to close and knocking out electric power for roughly 70,000 customers.

We lost power for some time this morning, but it’s back on now. There also appears to be a band of lake snow from about Lackawanna to Batavia. How is it by you?

Standing outside on the back porch, looking at the glow of lights over the low clouds, listening to the muffled sounds of life over a fresh coating of snow. Stillness, with only the gentle snowfall - there’s nothing like that in any other season.

In Daytona Beach, FL. Tomorrow.

The day after Christmas marks the start of what we affectionately know as winter-until-April. Or as the Canadians call it, “Boxing Day”. At least the lights will be up for a little while longer.