The Welch Trail in Westfield

New recreational trail, The Welch Trail, is nearing completion in the Village of Westfield.

The non-motorized, shared-use trail is approximately 1.25 miles long. It’s being developed along a former historic trolley bed and will provide the public with an access point to Chautauqua Creek, which was previously inaccessible.

Once completed, the trail will include an overlook area and other amenities along the trail such as benches and picnic tables. The primary uses for the trail include: walking, jogging, cycling, inline skating, snowshoeing, and cross-county skiing.

The project cost is $312,250 with the Town of Westfield receiving a $200,000 grant in 2015 from the State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Office. Additionally, they received financial assistance from the Westfield Development Corporation and the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development.

The Chautauqua County Land Bank also assisted by leveraging the cost of demolishing the dilapidated Portage Inn as the local match. The Village of Westfield was also able to provide in-kind contributions to assist with the demolition of the Portage Inn.

The Town of Westfield was able to provide the property for this joint venture as well as the expertise of the Highway Department to construct the scenic walkway

All state-owned beaches, boardwalks, marinas, playgrounds, recreation centers, and group camps are included in the ban. Smoking in these designated areas will be punishable with a civil fine of $50. The bill exempts the Adirondacks and Catskills from the ban as well as parking lots, sidewalks adjoining parks, and areas not used for park purposes.

Many municipalities and local governments, including the city of Jamestown, already have restrictions or bans on smoking in public spaces. This additional penalty will enforce a statewide prohibition and includes a fine that will be collected by localities.

Hochul said that in addition to the health risks posed by secondhand smoke, cigarette butts are a major environmental hazard due to the non-biodegradable filters that are discarded. She said they are the leading item found during clean-up projects and that parks and beaches will be kept more clean through the prohibition.

The State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation announced its Parks Explorer mobile app has been updated to better orient visitors and provide helpful wayfinding information when in the parks and on the trails. The multiple new enhancements are in addition to the app’s information about the destinations and activities available throughout the Empire State’s parks and historic sites.

The new features just introduced include upgrades to trail mapping functionality such as planning hike distance using the new trail mileage tool, offline maps for use when connectivity is a challenge, and live maps for use on Wi-Fi or with good connectivity.

Interactive map elements now provide visitors:
– Easier wayfinding: When the user’s mobile device’s location services are turned “on”, visitors can easily follow along with where they are on the map;
– The ability to zoom in on and around each map to learn more about the facility;
– Information about trails, park features and amenities by simply tapping on a trail or icon;
– Trail segment distance; and
– The ability to change base layers in live maps from satellite view, simple street view or topography.

The app also includes a link to a brief video to demonstrate the new mapping features.

To download the app, visit https://parks.ny.gov/explorer-app/

Officials, though, did not decide on a total smoking ban for all parks, except state parks located in New York City, which has enacted its own local tobacco ban for city-owned parks.

The smoking ban applies to such spots as beaches, picnic shelters, pavilion and event tents at Allegany State Park; any covered areas, any food and beverage lines, and eight new areas – including waiting lines to pay for trolley rides or patio areas at the Maid of the Mist – at Niagara Falls State Park. Smoking already is banned inside public buildings in the park system.