Island Dispatch, 2002-01-18

              Island DISPATCH The Official Newspaper of the Town of Grand Island and the Grand Island School District Founded 1944® Complete Community Coverage All WNY Players Named Page 8 ' Blizzard Captures • Championship Pagel2 The Farmer's \3m;inuc" lirudicts: Smew & Said */. ■>■■■• ' !*'f '-I" :." ,',a' Phone: (716) 773-7676 • Fax: (716) 773-7190 • E-Mail: MTNevvstf aol.ioiu 57 Years As the Voice of Grand Island Award Winning Newspapers Z*VSE>f No. 47 Jaiuian IS. 2002 « 20 Pages 65c Make-A-Wish receives $2,000 check from local VFW, Buffalo Sabre Rob Ray makes appearance photo and story by Jon Sandino On Friday, Jan. 11, members of the Grand Island Veterans of Foreign War Post 9249 and Ladies Auxiliary President Kathy Lommer presented a $2,000 check to Buffalo Sabre tough guy Rob Ray and Judi Downey, marketing/public relations coordinator of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western New York. Close to 50 individuals gathered for the event, which took place at the VFW Post on Grand Island Boulevard. For Ray, it marked the second time in three months he visited the VFW. Before and after the check. presentation, the fan favorite signed autographs and mingled with the crowd. "What a marvelous example he (Ray) is," Council woman Mary Cooke said. "He could have come and left, but he didn't. He stayed, took part in the whole process and signed autographs." The , overall atmosphere was indeed positive and should have been. After all. the November cook off was very successful. Islanders will remember slightly over three months ago the VFW hosted its annual chili cook off. The event was a booming success. Close to 50 individuals were in attendance last Friday as the VFW Post 9249 presented a $2,000 check to Buffalo Sabre Rob Ray and Judi Downey, marketing/public relations coordinator of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western New York. The money was raised during the November chili cook off the VFW hosted. Pictured above are some of the individuals that were in attendance last Friday. Welcome to the neighborhood On Wednesday. Jar- 16. Trie County and Grand Island offioirJs heid a ribbon outlay jmomony to officially open new offices on Whitehaven Roan. Tho .lf'icos v/ifl house !h-_ Grand Ir.land Town Police, Enc County Shei'ffo Ol'ioe suosration *. F.ne County Legislator Chuck Swnnick and '-'.k- animal control department. Pictured from 'eft to right are Tev.n Supervisor f-'oic-r McVlahor.. SAamck Er.e County Shriiff Patrick Gallivan. Counciinan Ric'iaid Crawford Jr. and Cojncilv.oman Mary Cooke. Look -jp payc U-ree of todays O'sofitcn for ccm:»lele coverage (phoio b, Terry L-uf'\ ■ Capital project bond causes Chaos during meeting by Jon Sandino During Monday night's Grand Island Board of Education meeting, residents finally let 32 months worth of pent up frustration loose, as they, voiced their displeasure with the amount of time it is taking for the district's $18.4 million capital project to get underway. In May 1999, residents approved the school district's capital project bond. Two years later they are wondering why work has. not started at the district's Ransom Road complex. . Some residents are furious, and they went as far as accusing district officials of misleading the public on the status of the project during Monday's meeting. "We are in our 32nd month since we approved, the issue, and nothing has been done," said Denise Dewey of Orchard Road. "I had twin sons that were in seventh grade when voters approved the bond. They're now sophomores." Dewey proceeded to ask the board when could residents expect to see improvements. "I'd like an answer, and I'd like a date," Dewey said. According to Grand Island School District Superintendent Dr. Paul Fields, the improvements were purposely put off until the district first completed a $2.1 million utility improvement project. The $2.1 million project was considered much smaller. It focused on saving energy efficiency in district schools. It also provided new boilers to the high school/middle school in the fall of 2000. "That's the one we put our time and money into first," Fields said. With the completion of the smaller project, Fields and his staff can shift gears, and concentrate on getting state approval for the larger project. However, James Mulcahy of West River Road, disagrees. He openly accused district cffi ■ cials of "lying to the people" and claimed they were "conning people."Mulcahy was basing his facts off a letter to Fields by the state Education Department's Office of Facilities Planning that rejected plans for the project due to unsatisfactory documents. The letter stated, "The construction documents submitted for Commissioners Approval are being returned to your architect, Mr. Edwin Egan, because they contain too many code non-conformance's continued on page 20 iSf" continued on page 20 *SP MARTYRS TOWING, llStt. "T I ?FR W?z SS NTS INSPECTION • AUTO REPAIRS • BRAND NAM! TIRES • BATTERIES " ' " "~ " "~>"~ 24 hr. Emergency -tr* a k» icsr «C 3£ Road Service & Recovery '■' 6w *9 it-_»gsw ,~s«i__-8 __ »£*££* __ ~j.s E s Week at a Glance Friday Grand Island Jr. Vikings Football and Cheerleading Board Meeting Nike Base. 3278 Whitehaven Rd: 7:30 p.m. All are welcome Charles DeGiopper's First Annual Saloon Nite V.F.W. Post #9249. 2121 Grand Island Blvd. 8:30 to 12:30 p.m. Open to everyone Tuesday Home Bureau II Meeting Bible Presbyterian Church, 1822 Huth Rd., .10 a.m. SesquicenteiMiia! Meeting Grand Island Memorial Library * (| 7:30 p.m. \ SOME WALK &AL&% Now - Jan. 21" • 297-0200 or 773-7038 :.-.<. Come In Out Of The Cold For Some Real "HOT" Peals . v