Long Islanders make best of cold, snow

Long Islanders shrugged off another snowstorm Wednesday -- shoveling piles of powder, turning slopes into snowboard ramps, strapping on skis and, of course, doing a fair amount of grumbling.

Out in the snow

At Bergen Point Golf Course, Nadja Ashley, 13, and Jake Schindler, 13, seventh-graders at West Babylon Junior High School, found a short but steep hill and built a snowboard ramp.

"The trick is to figure out how to do it without dying," said Jake, who survived and even caught a bit of air on an early afternoon run.

During the outing, their mothers, Jan Schindler and Debra Rust, hiked around the course.

It was too cold to stand and watch, they said.

'Luxury of being retired'

Rose Behar surveyed her cleared Islip driveway, counting the blessings of retirement.

First came the group of young men to her door at 7 in the morning, offering a snow-shoveling service. She and her husband, Stephen, 69, didn't hesitate.

"We said, 'Oh yeah!'" she said. "It was great; they got it all cleared."

The Behars, who've shared their Hollister Lane home for 40 years, said they were "lucky" to be vacationing in Florida when the year's first snowstorm hit on Jan. 2.

The latest one, though, didn't faze them much.

"I have the luxury of being retired, and if I can't get out, then I don't go out," Rose Behar said with a laugh. "It's not a problem anymore like it used to be."

Empty diner

Yesterday afternoon lacked the usual buzz at Sweet Hollow Diner.

The Melville eatery, serving a corporate hub, is usually ripe for networking. But hours after the storm, the lunch crowd was sparse.

Many of the 9-to-5 regulars stayed home to avoid a repeat of the commuting nightmare that scarred the region's collective psyche Tuesday evening.

"Breakfast was completely nonexistent. It's been kind of quiet," said Chris Arvans, 47, whose father started the diner in 1977. "I don't think a lot of people went to work."

With politicians and alerts urging people to stay off snowy roads, Arvans said, "People are just trying to get from Point A to Point B."

That's not good for business, and Arvans worries a harsh winter is in the making.

"It could be tough," he said.

Hard road home

Mark Britt was making his way home to Ronkonkoma Wednesday morning on the Long Island Rail Road, after spending the night stranded in Manhattan.

The freelance camera operator finished work about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday -- too late to get home on the LIRR, which had suspended service. He spent the night at his friend's apartment in the city.

The following morning, he planned to take the Montauk train to Sayville and get a cab home.

When the Montauk train was delayed, he had to pivot, grabbing the 10:35 a.m. train from Jamaica to Ronkonkoma instead.

After finally claiming a seat, Britt, 41, gave the railroad poor marks for its reduced post-snowstorm service.

"It's been a disaster," he said.

Fun at Bethpage

Despite below-freezing windchill, Bethpage State Park drew some hardy cross-country skiers.

Laurin and Chris Renner of Lindenhurst were disappointed to see a "No Sleigh Riding" sign at the entrance to the park, but quickly donned skis instead. Their son, Zachary, off from elementary school, matched their pace on snowshoes.

"The wind in your face can be chilly, but cross-country skiers are die-hard people," Chris Renner said.

But Patty Moccia, of Farmingdale, conceded that the numbing cold made it tough to ski.

"I went out for a while, but even with two pairs of gloves my hands are too cold," she said.

Kevin McCarthy, of North Babylon, said the secret to enjoying winter recreation is bundling up.

"Folks down here tend to panic with a little snow," said McCarthy, formerly from Buffalo. "I love it."