The Niagara team from Gleason's School of Gymnastics level 5 team took second place overall in the Nickel City Classic meet held in Orchard Park on Feb 12.

New Seneca Hickory Stick loyalty card on sale now

The racing season is just eight short weeks away for Ransomville Speedway, which will celebrate its 55th season of operation. The Friesen family will enter their 40th as track operators at the famed one-half Niagara County oval.

As with all racetracks, sponsorship remains a valuable part of the weekly operations. We are blessed to have great companies to work with at Ransomville Speedway. Certainly one of the factors that make my job so enjoyable is the great people I work with from the sponsors, to the drivers, and the fans - they are second to none.

The Bud Bakewell Bruins won the Western New York Amateur Hockey League Bantam Major AA playoff championship for 2011-12.

Students from the Lewiston Dance Center try on their costumes for the upcoming yearly revue, "Dancin' 2012" taking place this spring at the Niagara Falls High School Performing Arts Center.

Congratulations to the St. John Eagles boys varsity basketball team for winning the Lutheran School Basketball League Championship.

The Niagara-Wheatfield Amateur Athletics Youth Wrestling Club helped out some area food banks and the City Mission by holding a canned food drive at a recent tournament at the high school.

Even though the weather was pretty decent compared to other years, there were 88 hearty contestants in the 28th annual Lower Niagara River Anglers Steelhead Contest held on Feb. 18. The contest is held yearly in honor of Roger Tobey, who was a hard-working volunteer in fisheries management.

The Niagara-Wheatfield junior varsity and varsity girls basketball players were big winners off the court, raising more than $1,000 for the American Cancer Society.

The Lewiston-Porter varsity wrestling team successfully defended its 2011 Section VI and Class B tournament championships. The Lancers have two wrestlers traveling to Albany for the New York State Wrestling Championships.

VFW Post 7487 recently presented Dennis Brochey of Dennis Brochey's Automotive with a check for $1,000.

The Lewiston Dance Center's competition/performance team, the Lewiston Dance Ensemble, has recently toured the county.

Stephanie Senn signed on to play goalkeeper for the Kent State University women's soccer team next year, but if the Golden Flash need someone to play one of the other 10 positions, the Grand Island High School senior is ready.

For the second year in a row, the Niagara University Skating Club was awarded the club trophy for first place at the Skaneateles Figure Skating Invitational competition

The Niagara-Wheatfield boys' swimming and diving team recently posted its second consecutive undefeated season and won the Niagara Frontier League title.

The Empire State Winter Games, a multiple day sporting event, took place Feb. 2-5 in Lake Placid.

The Niagara University women's hockey team is holding its annual "Pink the Rink" game on Friday, Feb. 3, when they host Mercyhurst University at 7 p.m.

All four of the women's hockey teams in the College Hockey America conference are taking part in the sixth annual "Skate for the Cure" fundraiser. The program was started to help raise awareness and funds toward the fight against breast cancer. In an effort to "pink" Dwyer Arena, the hockey team will wear custom-made pink jerseys and encourage everyone in attendance to join them by also wearing pink.

Throughout the winter around here you regularly see boats on trailers coming on and off the Moses Parkway, and up and down Center Street heading for the Lewiston Landing.

Kallie Banker became Grand Island High School's all-time leading scorer in basketball during a win at Niagara Falls on Jan. 19.

Grand Island basketball player Kallie Banker is on the verge of setting a GIHS record for scoring.

From the time I wrote the bobcat article until now, a lot of people have come up to me and said, "Gee, I think I've seen one of those things, too."

The Niagara County Coyotes PeeWee Minor team recently took home first place honors in Cleveland during the Rock-n-Roll Cup Ice Hockey Tournament.

For the past 24 years, insurance agent Joel Holka has presented a football award to local high school athletes.

The Niagara team from Gleason's School of Gymnastics levels 5 and 6 recently participated in Graffiti meet held in Niagara Falls.

Mild January weather this week lured out a few hardy visitors to the Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Club on Creek Road for a round of golf.

The Lewiston-Porter Athletics Department has the national signing intents of three high school students.

The Lewiston-Porter Lancers junior varsity club hockey team won the first-ever Cheektowaga JV Christmas Tournament

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Bureau of Fisheries is offering a new, full color map/brochure free of charge for individuals who fish in the freshwaters of New York. The "I FISH NY Guide to Freshwater Fishing in New York State" provides information on more than 320 lakes and ponds and 112 river and streams.

"Research shows one of the primary reasons people do not fish more often is because of a lack of information concerning where to fish," said Kathy Moser, assistant commissioner, DEC Office of Natural Resources.

Johnson's Fudge stand stood just a few feet back on Lower River Road between Lewiston and Youngstown, but how many knew Johnson's Boat House was on the river below?

I never knew that, and when asking around not too many of the surviving old-timers didn't know it either. Several years ago, river man and commercial fisherman Art King gave me a manila folder with some old stuff in it before he passed away, and I kept it as a treasure from Art. It had some old papers, old New York and Ontario fishing licenses, a 1950 New York state fishing syllabus, and an old, undated, Johnson's Fudge Company/Boat House six-page booklet. In there was even an old Ontario beer rationing coupon book with eight coupons left and it is dated "valid until Oct. 31, 1944," but that is another Niagara story for later.

With nearly a dozen family race teams in the Ransomville Speedway pit area, you can add another to the list when the facility opens for its 55th year of operation in May of 2012.

Darrell Borkenhagen, who has competed in the Ransomville Speedway Thursday night go-kart program, will join his brother Derrick, a two-time track Street Stock champion. It will be the first time that Darrell will be in a stock car on a competitive basis.

Darrell recently purchased the Billy Coleman Street Stock, which finished second in 2011 Street Stock points behind Derrick. Both Derrick and Darrell have their cars inside the family garage with preparations being made for the upcoming season. Their father Rick, who has overseen the maintenance of Derrick's car, will work on Darrell's car as well.

Members of the Dance Ensemble from the Lewiston/Grand Island Dance Centers performed at the Niagara Falls Fire Department's annual Firemen's Fund Telethon.

The Niagara Junior Purple Eagles Squirt Tier 3 Travel Hockey Team won all tournament games.

More than 160 items were collected in the Lewiston-Porter wrestling's "Thanksgiving Takedown Hunger Food Drive."

Grand Island began its boys basketball season Wednesday with a host of new faces in a scrimmage against visiting Newfane.

An official signing ceremony was held at Niagara-Wheatfield High School for senior Caitlin Attfield, who will attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The Lewiston-Porter School District announces its annual Athletic Hall of Fame induction dinner will take place Friday, Dec. 2, at Antonio's Banquet and Conference Center, 7708 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls.

The event opens at 5:30 p.m. with a cash bar, followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person and are available by contacting Lewiston-Porter Athletic Director Scott Townsend at 754-8281, ext. 2160.

The highlight of the evening will be the honoring of four individuals - three Lew-Port gradates and one coach - for their unique contributions to the district and the community.

The Western New York Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure has opened registration for the 2012 Susan G. Komen Western New York Race for the Cure. The race, which is chaired by Shelly Kubala and Meri G. Notaro, will take place on Saturday, June 9, at 10 a.m. in the Delaware Park Rose Garden.

The race is an opportunity for the Western New York community to raise critical funds for programs for the medically underserved and for breast cancer awareness; to celebrate survivors; and honor those who have lost their battle. Participation is open to all who would like to run, walk, volunteer or donate.

Labatt Blue USA has announced details for the fifth annual Labatt Blue Buffalo Pond Hockey Tournament.

Taking place Friday through Sunday, Feb. 10, 11 and 12, the tournament will feature night pond hockey under the lights on Lake Erie at downtown Buffalo's Erie Basin Marina. The evening play takes advantage of the colder temperatures and will allow more teams to play.

Nicolette Jacobs, a sophomore from Niagara-Wheatfield High School, has been selected to compete in the Queen of Diamonds North at Kent State University on Jan. 7 and 8, 2012. Currently in its 18th season, the QDSN is part of the Queen of Diamond's Showcase events, which are the largest fastpitch softball showcases of their kind in the U.S.

This event continues to attract athletes from more than 30 states and two Canadian provinces. Its sister showcase, the Queen of Diamonds South, is in its fifth season. Each of these events has more than 2,400 applicants from which only 264 athletes are selected as participants.

Shawnee Sno-Chiefs Snowmobile Club, in cooperation with the Shawnee Volunteer Fire Co., will be offering a New York state snowmobile safety course, Saturday, Dec. 17, at the Shawnee Volunteer Fire Co., 3747 Lockport Road, Sanborn. Course time is from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The course is available to children ages 10 and up. Parents are required to accompany the child at registration to sign the state required permission slip and provide a signed note for their child to take the course. Parents are also encouraged to attend the course with their child.

Students are advised to bring a pencil and/or pen and a snack. Soft drinks will be provided courtesy of Shawnee Sno-Chiefs.