Island Dispatch, 1998-09-18

              Island DISPATCH Vol. 54 No. 23 (716) 773-7676 24 Pages 650 Monday NtteMadneee LARGE CHEESE PIZZA 4.95 ♦TAX Festival of Homes Special pull-out section ■ ■ Ivy J "As the voice of Grand Island" 14 ■h—«r—3CSJ3C 2Bfi Complete community coverage \ September 18, 1998 Don't miss DeGraff Day Don't miss the opportunity to experience a mini health fair this Saturday courtesy of the DeGraff Healthcare Foundation and Adrian's Custard & Roast Beef. The event, which is sponsored by Niagara Frontier Publications, will offer blood pressure checks, health and wellness information, face painting and a "Teddy Bear/Beanie Baby" clinic. The Grand Island Volunteer Fire Company will also be on hand to conduct demonstrations and tours. The fair will run from 11:30 a.m. to 4p.m. 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. Charges against teacher to be pursued by Vincent Little The Grand Island School Board has determined there is probable cause to seek charges against Matthew Smith, a tenured teacher at the Grand Island High School, during an executive session held after the regularly scheduled meeting Monday night. Smith purchased rare and valuable sports cards from a 14-year-old student during school hours for approximately a four-month span late in the 1997-1998 school year. Smith was alledgedly unaware that the valuable cards belonged to the boy's father prior to purchasing them, prompting detectives at the Erie County Sheriffs Department on Grand Island to not press charges against him. According to School District attorney Chris Trapp, Smith now has 10 days to ask for a hearing. The matter would then be turned over to the state education commissioner, and finally to the American Arbitration Association. A pre-trial hearing will be used to determine the manner in which the case will be heard, either by a hearing officer or by a three-person panel. The teacher's union will represent Smith throughout the process. The hearing could get underway as early as* December. In a related matter, Eric Klein, a 1997 graduate of Grand Island High School, spoke during the meeting's Voice of the People portion in favor of Smith. He told the board how Smith, who was his teacher, convinced him to join the Distributive Education Club of America. During the competition, Klein won first place on the state's economics exam. Klein went on to attribute his success to the push and trust Smith gave him. So strongly influenced by Smith was Klein that he nominated him as his "Celebration of Inspiration," which is sponsored by the Grand Island PTA. He concluded by urging the board to not pursue charges against Smith. In other board news: •Assistant Superintendent Priscilla Schad told the board that the district has received a competitive grant worth $12,000. The grant, entitled Goals 2000, will be utilized individually by the district's elementary schools, the middle and the high school. Arlene Lewis, who's resignation was later approved with considerable regret by the board, presented how the elementary schools will use their portion of the grant. The focus will be on instructural improvement. A thorough evaluation and reevaluation of the current instructural process will take place. A data base containing all students in elementary school will be improved. This will enable students to be placed in appropriate programs based on what they've already learned. Kindergarten screening will be developed so time won't be wasted teaching kids what they already know. In addition, a teacher's manual will be developed which will list all of the skills students have to better instruct them. The grant will be used to better integrate technology at the middle school. The performance of students will be better charted. An action research team will be trained. All evaluations and results will be entered into a computer data base. The grant will be used to utilize item analysis of Regents exams and will be used to make data-driven decisions at the high school. •Eco Island Director Dianne Tiede made a presentation about how the first grade classes at Sidway participated in an Eco Island Adventure. The 2-day experience enabled students to enjoy art, music, and reading i relation to nature. The experience, which took Planning Board says 'Whoa' to equine issue by Cynthia A. Till In an ongoing debate over the granting of a special use permit, Lee and Joie Celano again appeared before the Grand Island Town Board Monday evening. The couple, who currently own two horses, have resided at the 3.4 acre property in question on Falls Link Road since 1990 and are asking for permission to keep the animals. Their intention is to clear their land and erect a shelter for the horses, which would be 100 feet from their residence and the required 200 feet from their neighbors. Failure to obtain the permit may result in the Celanos having to get rid of the horses altogether. The couple was granted a variance by the Zoning Board of Appeals in June. The Zoning Board's decision was based on the fact that* a) the ordinance that calls for 200 feet between residences and stables is satisfied in relationship to all adjacent homeowners, b) the Board's decision is relative to the homeowner only, c) the property has more grazing area than is required by the ordinance for the number of horses they have at the present time, d) Falls Link Road is a unique part of Grand Island, isolated from main streets, it is a dead end unimproved street which makes this a one-of-a-kind situation. "We don't understand what the problem is" said Joie Celano. "Were not trying to do anything wrong. My husband is unable to work because he has cancer. Having the horses has meant a lot to him. All we're asking for is to be able to keep our horses." Brought into question was the fact that the Celanos do not have a barn on their property, and the horses are currently sheltered in a structure that has only three sides. "Horses can live outdoors in any weather," said Joie. "We feel it's best for them to be able to come and go freely within their enclosed area on our property without the restrictions of being stabled. Besides, many other horse owners on the Island have lean-tos, and this isn't an issue for them, so why is it CENTER OF CONTROVERSY - Lee and Joie Celano's horses Breezy and Cali wonder what all of the fuss is about. The Celanos have yet to receive a special use permit to keep the horses on their property despite repeated attempts to acquire one. HOME SWEET HOME - The current horse housing, a structure that has only three enclosed sides, has come under fire by the Town Planning Board. The Celanos feel the horses are better suited in a structure like theirs, instead of a traditional barn. Smoke tests to begin on Monday Residents in the Ward Park, Lackland, West Park, Carl Street, East Park, Red Jacket, Hennepin, Love Road, Huth Road and Long Road from Grand Island Boulevard to Baseline vicinities are advised that sanitary smoke tests will be done in their area beginning Sept. 21. The contractor will attempt to notify you at your door when they are in the immediate area of your home. As part of the continuing process of improving sewer services and reducing sewer flows, the Town has contracted with State Pipe Services to smoke test the sanitary sewers in the area to identify potential sources of inflow into the system. The test will force smoke into the sanitary sewer system, and trained crews will be on site to record areas where smoke is observed. Residents are advised not to be alarmed if they see smoke coming out of the sewer manholes and/or roof leaders or traps. The smoke is non-toxic, non-staining white or gray and will not harm you. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Engineering Department at 773--9627.continued on page 8 continued on page 17