Island Dispatch, 2002-02-01

              Island DISPATCH Tasty Chili For All Page 3 Boat Show & Ice Festival Pullout Section - The Farmer's! Almanac predicts: $ Snow  hit risth!' Check ;he ntathe, on pj; 2 Founded 1944 • Complete Community Coverage 1C_ FESTIVAL Phone: (716) 773-7676 • I a\: (716) 773-7190 • K-Mail: NlTVwsC'aoUom 57 Years As the Voice of Grand Island Award Winning Newspapers The Official Newspaper of the Town of Grand Island and the Grand Island School District Vol. 57 No. 49 Tcbruan 1,2002 • 20 Pages 65c Student scholar athletes honored at board of education meeting, Capital project approved by Jon Sandino Monday night's Grand Island Board of Education meeting was more calm and relaxing in comparison to the Jan. 14 meeting. At the previous meeting, numerous residents were enraged with the length of time it was taking for the district's $18.4 million capital project to get underway. During Monday's meeting, Grand Island School District Superintendent Dr. Paul Fields was pieced to announce that he had received confirmation from Albany that the capital project had been approved. The attendees greeted the announcement with a round of applause. It was an announcement residents had been waiting to hear for 32 months. In May 1999, residents approved the school district's capital project bond. Then came the two-year wait. At the Jan. 14 meeting, Fields stated, "The improvements (capital project) was put off until the district first completed a $2.1 million utility improvement project." He added, "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/middle school in the fall of 2000." With the completion of the smaller project, Fields and his staff shifted gears and concentrated on the capital project. The $18.4 million project will enable the district to complete a variety of projects ranging from replacing the parking lot and sidewalkssidewalks at the high/middle school to installing new locker rooms at the high school. According to Fields, it is not possible to determine whether the delay will make the project more costly. He did suggest there will be additional cost efficiencies built into the project because of the aforementioned $2.1 million project.The next step will be drawing up project specifications. Board members were hesitant to provide a definitive timeline for the upcoming steps of the project. Despite the long delay, the majority of attendees were pleased with Monday's announcement. Scholar Athletes Center Of Attention The capital project announcement was big news, but the night clearly belonged to the scholar athlete students at Grand Island High School. All 11 of the school's fall sports teams enjoyed success on the field as well as off the field. Nine of the school's fall sports teams were honored as scholar athlete teams. The scholar athlete teams were recognized by the New York State A very Happy Birthday to you Or; Monday, Jan. 28 'Grandma" Nell Roberts celebrated hot 80th birthday at St. Timothy"c Lutheran Childcare Center, employees and children at tho center threw » birthday bash for Roberts. The cenier was decked out v/ith balloons streamers and a delicious looking birthday cake Roberts is an honorary life member at the center and has helped out there tho pas! 10 years. She it. also a member of St. timothy's Church. Hoboits. the 1905 Senior Cither of the Year winner. :s marnpu to Horrnar Roberts. She has been t< Giand tslano resident for tho past 30 y.-ars Aocoiding to Ghildcare Center employee Patti tiecKer. "Srie is oui ioi;kr..j grandma." 'photo by Jon Sttfidiiio': Grand Island Rotary Club receives $5,000 grant, will use it to help reduce Malnutrition in the Phillipines by Jon Sandino Recently, the Grand Island Rotary Club was presented a $5,000 grant from the Buffalo Rotary Foundation at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society. John Harbison Jr., a Grand Island resident and the World Community Service chairman of the Grand Island Rotary Club was in attendance to accept the grant. Harbison commented the Rotary Club intends to use the grant as an initial contribution to a worldwide effort to reduce malnutrition in the Phillipines. During his acceptance remarks, Harbison indicated that roughly two billion persons or l/3rd of the world's population suffer as a result of the lack of micro nutrients, primarily iron, iodine and Vitamin A. The World Health Organization estimates that each year deficiencies in these micro nutrients contribute to: • One out of four child deaths • 18 million children born with reduced mental capacity • 100,000 deaths of mothers during pregnancy and childbirth Grand Island Rotary Club member and Grand Island resident John Harbison delivers his acceptance speech after receiving a $5,000 grant from the Buffalo Rotary Foundation, as Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark, right, and Paul Marzello from the Buffalo Rotary look on. Week at a Glance Saturday Grand Island Rotary Club Annual Chili Supper, Sale Grand Island High School, Cafeteria, 1100 Ransom Rd. 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eat in or take out - all welcome Sunday Boy Scout Sunday Celebration St. Stephen's Church, 2100 Baseline Rd., 9 a.m. Mass All Cub and Boy Scouts should arrive at 8:30 a.m. in full uniform with Unit Flag Wednesday Grand Island Art Society Meeting Grand Island High School, Cafeteria, 1100 Ransom Rd., 7:30 p.m. continued on page 20 aw continued on page 20 *SP MARTY'S TOWING, INC. I"! F&ES» NYS INSPECTION • AUTO REPAIRS • BRAND NAME TIRES • BATTERIES —p-—■- -——«*»' M "T1 F-t E£ 3" !#*ll SSGSCllfl© RCl. _Btt8tt_Ba»m» *»» mil mmiiinnwiii-ninn **«**-**™«- _«™»»^ Lori Caso of Lori& Friends SamSdmes Valentine Cookies & Italian Love Cake \ Combo . Tues. Feb. 12th 7-8:15pm \ Fri. Feb. 15th 6-830pm