Island Dispatch, 2003-06-06

              Island DISPATCH Thanks For The Support Page 3 The Winning Continues Page 12 The Farmer's Almanac pri'dicit' T-Storms/ CooS h n ni>jt:'.' Oh'i'k r/ii waihcr, on ps 2 j Hioik-: 1716i 773-7676 • la\: (716) 773-7IW • li-Mnil: MTNeusO 'clmuil.com 157 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. 59 No. 14 June 6. 2003 ">M |>.||||.fc- Ssc - Founded 1944 • Complete Community Coverage School district budget passes, newcomer elected to board by Jon Sandino When the final results were announced Tuesday night, the Grand Island Central School District's $36,77.8,818 budget for the 2003-04 school year passed. A total of 1,139 residents turned out, with the aforementioned passing by a 730-409 vote. Included in the "03-04 budget " will be a 2.9 percent increase in expenditures ($787,000 over the 2002-03 figure) and a tax rate of $32.82 per $ 1,000 of assessed valuation.Despite the increase in taxes, Grand Island as well as the majority (96 percent) of other communities, approved their respective school district spending figures. In comparison to Grand Island, district's such as Kenmore- Tonawanda, . Royalton-Hartland and Cheektowaga had to swallow a higher tax increase. Ken-Ton faces a 3.7 percent raise in taxes, Royalton-Hartland is looking at a 5.5 percent . climb and Cheektowaga is staring at a 8.7 percent hike. The only two district's to vote down their budget proposals were Gowanda and Newfane. Proposition II Also passing was Proposition 11, which will allow the district to purchase four 66-passenger transit school buses at an estimated cost of $79,363 each and three 20-passenger vans at an estimated cost of $36,000 each. This was passed by a 669-460 vote. Board Members In addition, residents elected Neil R. Seaman, running against three incumbents, to the school board. Joining Seaman are Francis DelSignore and David Goris. Voting was as follows: Goris, 882; DelSignore, 787; Seaman, 634; and Dr. Richard McCpwan, 617. Goris, currently serving as board vice president, will return for his second threeryear term while DelSignore will embark upon his third three-year term. "I believe in public education and consider it a privilege to represent the people of Grand 151and...," Goris commented in the 2003 School Budget Edition of"The Profit-earning seminar held 1 he Grand Island Business Assistance Comer and the Grand island Chamber of Commerce sponsored a twohour seminar to help businesses learn marketing techniques *.o earn profits from summer travelers. Joanne Kud. second vice president of the Grand island Chamber of Commerce, presented thank you gifts to guest speakers Susan McCarthy, director of the Buffalo Small Business Development Center, and Ed Healey from the Buffalo/Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau. Board makes quick work of agenda items by Jen Frey and Jon Sandino Exactly 20 minuets after Monday's Grand Island Town Board meeting commenced, attendees were headed for the parking lot, in what was the shortest gathering in the past year. Following the Invocation by Rev. Paul Robinson of Trinity United Methodist Church and the Pledge to the Flag, board members delved into agenda items. With no public hearings slated, and the minutes of the May 15 and May 19 meetings approved, board members promptly turned their attention to the nine-item consent agenda, which was approved in a sweeping motion. Items of interest on said agenda included: a memo from Grand Island Lion Jerry Dubiel to Town Clerk Nancy Samrany and an invitation from Erie County Legislator Charles Swanick to the town board. Dubiel's letter extended an invitation to Samrany, her colleagues and their families to the 45th annual Special Children's Picnic. This year's event will be held on Wednesday, July 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Buffalo Launch Club. Swanick was also extending an invitation to the town board members - for his open house on Saturday, June 7. The event, which will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be held at 1856 Whitehaven Road. The public is welcome. In Other News... Following the aforementioned, the board moved on to quickly approve a variety of regular agenda items, which included: •Designating the following as the polling places for the town Of Grand Island: Districts 1 and 4 - Nike Base, 3278 Whitehaven Road; Districts 2 and 11 - Huth Road School, 1772 Huth Road; District 3 Grand Island High School, 1100 Ransom Road; District 5 - Highway Garage, 1820 Whitehaven Road; Districts 6, 7, 9, and 10 - Family Life Center, 1780 Love Road; District 8 - Fire House, 790 Baseline Road; Districts 12,13 and 14 - Town Hall, 2255 Baseline Road; and District 15 - Fire House, 3293 Stony Point Road. •Appointing Wayne T. Clinton to the position of director of water and wastewater. •Accepting Highway Superintendent Ray Dlugokinski's hiring of Andrew Savory-Burke as a summer employee. •Granting a special use renewal for David Fisher of Staley Road, Charles Galante of Staley Road, Patricia Burg of Stony Point Road, Laura and Steven Gorcheck of East River Road, and Cingular Wireless. The renewals for Fisher and Galante are for the keeping of animals on their respective property, while the renewal for Burg is for the keeping of up to two stable horses on 3.5 acres of land. The Gorcheck renewal is for the keeping of one horse. continued on page 15 US' continued on page 15 eg" #B> See Your Locmt W&MtherlQ * ¥®¥B€ast In Yodmy*® Pm,p&r'v Lewiston • Porter • Town of Niagara • Wheatfield • Grand Island . % Sewn Bay Forecast'BeiaMed Report' Daily Averages iftecoirif and morew. . Weekend at a Glance Saturday Girl Scout Troops 46 & 437 Hot Dag Sale Tops Market, 2140 Grand Island Blvd. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Chiavetta's Chicken BBQ Trinity United Methodist Church, 2100 Whitehaven Rd., 773-3322 4 to 7 p.m. For a complete listing of area events, see NFP's Calendar of Events at www.wnypapers.com CONCRETE WORK Driveways • Patios * Sidewalks • Pattern, Stamped & Colored Concrete FREE ESTIMATES • FULLY INSURED CALL J&M 775-1215