Island Dispatch, 2002-08-23

              Island DISPATCH Giving Back To The Community Page 3 Chamber Celebrates With Cruise Page 5 ;' ..» s«s '!■ r . Warn ' ' f\»*t .''/■ ■• <'.v< " tin i$ 2 i IMioir: (716) 773-7676 • I a\: i716) 773-7190 • K-Mail: MPNtwsO'tlmail.com Founded 1944 • Complete Community Coverage 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. 58 No. 26 August 2X 2002 20 Pages Plus Hack To School Tab Section 85c Parking restrictions near Grand Island High School set, revised site plan for airstrip approved by Jon Sandino Following Monday night's Grand Island Town Board meeting, two highly controversial issues are one step closer to completion. A packed court room listened as the board approved parking restrictions near Grand Island High School, and then proceeded to approve a revised site plan for an air strip at the residence of Robert Mesmer, 2548 Love Road. The meeting was a roller coaster ride for the majority of the attendees, as they were pleased with the announcement of the parking restrictions, but disappointed by the board's decision to approve the revised site plan for the airstrip. The parking situation has been a problem at the high school, located at 1100 Ransom Road, for several years now. The school does not have enough spaces to accommodate the number of students who drive their automobiles daily. With nowhere else to place their vehicles, the students have been parking along Ransom Road and other nearby streets. Over the past year, numerous residents have signed petitions and shown up at board meetings in hopes of having the problem solved. Finally on Monday, the first steps of improving the situation were taken. The board unanimously adopted local law number two for 2002. This law will restrict parking on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the following locations: Ransom Road to Sturbridge east for half a mile; Ransom Road to Tracy Lane west for half a mile; the entire length of Sturbridge, International, Continental, End of the summer celebration Af!r>r (toilicattrii; ti-i-riis&lv<?s to loading ai> io.i.j, cn-ltliep that were onrofed >n the RubDer Duck> Diver. Beachcomber, and Surfer programs at the Cranci island Momonai Libra*v had the pleasure of pai'iopanpg »n t><? Summer Heading dub CJc-hra'ion last rhiirsdav Diinng the two-hour celebration, cn-lmf-p enjoyed o mayc show, fact pwtiny sidewalk cnalk drawirvj. •■efr.-'S'weiits, and ice cream Also all the cb.i- Uren walked away witr. a balloon in nand Pictured above, children line up for ice up.uw, and wait to get their face pamteo Also cirtuir-J above from left Amm and Maria Oia-juinto arc «ii sni'les a'tf sampl-mj tho-r ice ctoam iphotoa by Jon Sandmol Governor, Senecas sign pact on Buffalo, Niagara Falls casinos Historic agreement clears the way for major boost to WNY economy As part of his continuing effort to create jobs and opportunities in Western New York, Gov. George E. Pataki joined Seneca Nation President Cyrus Schindler in signing a Nation-State Gaming Compact that will enable the Seneca Nation to open up to three Class 111 gaming facilities - one in Buffalo, a second at the Niagara Falls Convention Center and a third on existing Seneca territory. The casinos will boost economic activity in WNY by providing real competition with similar facilities in Niagara Falls, Ontario, which has been seen tremendous redevelopment spurred by the construction of casinos. "This is an historic day for Niagara Falls, for Buffalo and for all of Western New York," Pataki said. "By allowing us to compete with our Canadian neighbors, these casinos will provide a major boost to the Western New York economy - creating thousands of new jobs, bringing thousands of tourists to the region, and encouraging new private-sector investments from around the world. "When combined with our tax cuts, new Empire Zones and Buffalo's Center of Excellence, these new casinos represent another bold step forward in our ongoing effort to strengthen Western New York's economy," Pataki said. "I look forward to working in partnership with our local government leaders and the Seneca Nation as we continue our efforts to secure a brighter, stronger, more prosperous future for everyone in Western New York." Schindler said, "This is an important and historic step for our Nation. We've gotten this far because my administration and the Tribal Council are determined to make casinos - and the economic benefits they bring - a reality for our people. Running our own casinos will bring economic sovereignty to our people. I'm sure that when the Department of Interior reviews our compact they will agree that this is a positive thing for our Nation." Under the terms of the compact, the state will receive a portion of the proceeds from electronic gaming devices, including slot machines, based on the net drop of such machines. The net drop is the money dropped into the machines after payout but before expenses. The state would receive a portion of the proceeds on a sliding scale of 18 percent for the first four years, 22 percent for years 5 to 7, and 25 percent for the remainder of the compact.continued on page 14 ss* continued on page 14 s3° MARTY'S TOWING, IMC* TI RL EE Si NYS INSPEaiON • AUTO MfAIRS • BRAND NAMS TIRES»BATItRSS ' " : 24 hr. Emergency , "f*| §» * Road Service & Recovery ' m m  1/41 SaSSline Rd« wimrawiMKi n mi—wi jgnmttfa, Week at a Glance Saturday Butterfly Exploration Beaver Island State Park Noon to 2 p.m. Pre-register by calling 745-7848 Monday Student/Parent Orientations Grand Island High School, 1100 Ransom Rd. Student Orientation - 10:50 a.m. Parent Orientation (for parents only) Auditorium, 6:15 to 8 p.m. For more information call 773-8820 Friday Blues on the River Holiday Inn, 100 Whitehaven Rd., 6 to 10 p.m. Rain or shine Featuring the Mark Winsick Band Chssmm Ms? fief SZesutis  ?3SOO & iiitder ads i~«££ " See pago "KS for tfiors? details '