Island Dispatch, 1998-09-11

              island DISPATCH "As the voice of Grand Island""\A Complete community coverage Monday NiteMadneee LARGE CHEESE PIZZA 4-95 In This Issue: Peach Festival pgs. U,12 &13 September 11, 1998 24 Pages 650 Vol. 54 No. 22 (716) 773-7676 "DeGraff Day" coming by Rick Forgione Supervisor Peter McMahon, representing the Town Board on Tuesday, proclaimed that Saturday, September 19 will be "DeGraff Day" throughout the Town of Grand Island during the Town's public meeting on Tuesday. The event is sponsored by Niagara Frontier Publications. Present to accept the proclamation for DeGraff was Roxane Albond, Director of Philanthropy and Beverly Rash, member of the DeGraff Healthcare Foundation and event chairperson. The DeGraff Healthcare Foundation and Adrian's Custard & Roast Beef are sponsoring "DeGraff Day"on Grand Island on Sept. 10 from 11:30 a,iiar.to 4 p.m. As part of a mini health fair, the DeGraff Wellness Ambassadors will offer blood pressure checks, health and wellness information, face painting and a "Teddy Bear/Beanie Baby" clinic. The event will also feature the Grand Island Volunteer Fire Company conducting demonstrations and tours. DeGraff Memorial Hospital was founded eighty-five years ago to provide healthcare services to the surrounding communities. Many of the residents in Grand Island have directly benefited from the high quality medical care provided by the professional and dedicated staff at DeGraff. A percentage of the day's sales will benefit the fund raising efforts of the Foundation which will be utilized by purchasing necessary equipment, programs and services at the DeGraff site. HELl'lNii HAND - Wellness Ambassadors Carol Goerss and Janet Haacker discuss new services at CGF Health System's DeGraff Memorial Hospital with Jim Bemardoiii, a member of the DeGraff Healthcare Foundation. "DeGraff Day" will be held Sept. 19 on Grand Island. PROCLAMATION - Town Supervisor Peter McMahon reads a proclamation stating that Saturday, Sept.'l"<> will' tJ«f*Deuraf r Day" off Grand Island. Also pictured from left is Councilwoman Andrea Moreau; Councilman Mike Heftka; Beverly Rasch, member of the DeGraff Healthcare Foundation; Councilman Richard Crawford; Roxane Albond, director of Philanthropy; and Councilwoman Mary Cooke. Public hearing to be held for Veterans Park Recreation Center by Rick Forgione During its meeting on Tuesday, the Town Board unanimously agreed to hold a public hearing for Monday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. to consider the adoption of a bond issue of up to $4 million for help in the construction of the proposed Veterans Park Recreational and Cultural Facility. "This is a project we are really moving forward on," said Town Supervisor Peter McMahon during a recent meeting held to discuss the proposed center. During that meeting, consultants, ad-hoc committee members and the Town Board discussed the changes that ICElanders, Inc. had proposed after completing their feasibility study on the proposed $9.75 million facility. After several new calculations, such as number of households and memberships expecting to use the facility and the shifting of some labor costs from the current recreational staff, were added into the study by ICElanders, another meeting was held last Thursday. If the board does indeed approve to issue a bond to help fund the facility after the public hearing, then according to McMahon someone who is opposed to the resolution can file a petition up to 30 days after the decision is published. If the petition meets the minimum percent of the voters it "w»*«csa rcfcivii&tmrr****1* While most of the officials involved feel that many members of the community will welcome*a recreational and cultural facility with open arms, Dorothy Westhafer, of East River Road, Milne requests revaluation in year 2000 by Rick Forgione In a written request to the Grand Island Town Board, Town Assessor James Milne asked the town to consider funding a revaluation in the year 2000. The last time Grand Island properties were revaluated was in 1986 and according to Milne not all properties were correctly assessed. In the letter, he stressed that assessments should be brought up to date for several reasons but mainly because of the following: •Equity - The value of all properties on Grand Island have not increased at die same rate, yet they all are valued as they would have been in 1986. •Public Understanding - It is difficult to explain to a taxpayer how his house built in 1998, on a street built in 1998, is valued at 1986 prices. A revaluation would give everyone an assessment which would indicate today's value, a more understandable figure. •Public Confidence - When the revaluation was completed in 1986, all properties were not correctly assessed. Many of the neighborhoods that were not properly valued then have the same assessments today. •State Funding - New York State encourages systematic revaluation and is encouraging all municipalities to embrace the program that Amherst initiated and Clarence has followed this year, in constantly checking values and Sendlbeck airs opinion of court case by Rick Forgione Mike Sendlbeck, Chairman of the Independence Party on Grand Island, gave a brief speech regarding the recently dismissed court case against him during the Town Board's Public Meeting Tuesday night Sendlbeck was charged with violating the Zoning Code of the Town of Grand Island for residence in a B-2 district in August 1996. Town of Tonawanda Justice Frank Caruso dismissed the charge after Sendlbeck's lawyer, Glenn Edward Murray, successfully filed a Goodman Motion, stating that Sendlbeck was selectively prosecuted by Zoning Officer Dr. Samuel Long based on his political affiliations which he claimed are vastly unpopular with the dominant Republican Party on the Island. After the meeting's agenda items were completed, Sendlbeck stood in front of the board and had his say in front of his peers and fellow residents. He stated the facts of the case, talked about the mistreatment toward him, and reminded the Town Board that he still has one more year left to file a counter lawsuit. "I am not in favor of suing the town because it was not the town that harassed me," Sendlbeck said. He did, however, talk about his disdain for Long stating that several people on the Island have had the same type of problems with Long and that a new Zoning Inspector is needed. "What docs it take to get this continued on page 7 continued on page 7 continued on page 7