Island Dispatch, 2003-07-25

              Island DISPATCH — Founded 1944 • Complete Community Coverage, <*."£s-i''ML"&'~! It ~4 '"sJjL - I• t 4 ;. Irl * L2~¥" m\. :- * * Skiting To The Top Page 12 The Farmer's Almanac predicts: Warm i T-Storms * h ii rivht? Check the weather i >vi pg 2 Phone: (716) 773-7676 * Fax: (716) 773-7190 * K-Maii: NT I'Nevvsfr clniail.com 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 20 l»u«»tfs 85c July 25, 2003 No. 21 \ 01.59 Lions Club members share special day with children by Jon Sandino photos by Brian Garman The weather may not have been the best last Wednesday, but that sure did not mean it was not a special day at the Buffalo Launch Club. Weli over Jl ,oGG people,,, many of them , special children from across \ Western New\ York, were out in full force for the 45th annual Grand Island Lions Club Special Children's Picnic. This heart-warming event, which undoubtedly grows every year, volunteer and attendance-wise, offered all involved an unforgettable day. From the moment the children stepped off of their respective buses, hundreds of volunteers, from various Lions Clubs and other organizations,and a bevy of festivities were at their disposal.Whether the children chose to zip around in a golf cart, take a leisurely pony ride or hop aboard one of The Shriners several specially-designed miniature cars, the day was theirs to do so. And that was only a portion of the fun-filled offerings. Some sat back, relaxed and listened to the some smooth sounds of the Niagara Experience Players; others lined up and had their face painted courtesy of a group of Grand Island Middle and High School students and some rushed to the parking lot area as the Mercy Flight Helicopter circled above before landing for viewing pleasure. Other highly entertain- ing attractions of the day included appearances by the Grand Island Fire Company, trained dogs from the Canine Helpers for the Handicapped and several clowns. Gf course, the day was not complete until the children boarded one of a wide-variety of boats, made available by generous people that dock at the Club, and took a thrilling ride out onto ; the gorgeous Niagara River-on—guaran- guaranteed to provide life-long-memo~—— ries. Also returning to the event Was the Excalibur, a boat designed specifically for the disabled and the handicapped. According to numerous children, this was the most exciting part of the day. In addition to the aforementioned fun and festivities, children were treated to delicious grilled hot dogs and hamburgers as well as refreshing beverages.And along with all of the food and entertainm en t offerings, something else that could be found throughout the Club grounds: plenty of smiles. ' The most exciting part of the Lions Club Special Children's Picnic for many of the youth is the • boat ride out onto the mighty Niagara River. This portion 01 the event is made possible thanks to the volunteer efforts of the people that dock their boats at the Buffalo Launch. One of the main land attractions was the pony rides. A trip around the grounds put smiles on many a child's face. Many children took advantage of the face-painting festivities. Lynne Krawczyk is all smiles as volunteer Amanda George puts on the finishing touches. GI board approves consolidation of polling places; DMV up and running by Lisa Otto and Terry Duffy Last Monday's Grand Island Town Board meeting, as evident in this report, was rather short, smooth and concise with no significant comments being offered to the board by the public. That doesn't mean however there was a lack of activity that night by the board members, as many items were addressed including some unfinished business dating from the July 7 meeting. With regards to the town's plans for polling consolidations, in an effort to save money and help prevent . voter confusion, the board approved a measure that will provide for one voting machine to be on site in each voting district. This excludes the Family Life Center on Love Road which will have two. This measure will be in place for both the September and November elections. 15 Sites - . ■ The board moved that the following 15 district sites have been designated as polling places: •District 1: the Nike Base on Whitehaven Road. •District 2: the Huth Road Elementary School, 1773 Huth Road. •District 3: Grand Island High School, 1100 Ransom Road. •District 4: the Nike on Whitehaven Road. •District 5: the town Highway Department garage, Whitehaven Road. •Districts 6 and 7: Family Life Center, Love Road. •District 8: the Grand Island Fire Hall, 790 Baseline Road. •Districts 9 and 10: the Family Life Center, Whitehaven Road. •District 11: the Huth Road School, 1773 Huth Road. •Districts 12, 13 and 14: Grand Island Town Hall, 2255 Baseline Road. •District 15: the Grand Island Fire Hall, 3293 Stony Point Road. . Residents x>f Marjorie Drive were granted permission from the town board to hold a block party on Saturday, Aug. 9, from 11 a.m. until dusk. This will result in the closing of Marjorie Drive from Sheree Drive to Carter Drive. DMV now open Grand Island Town Clerk, Nancy Samrany, proudly reported to the board that the state Department of Motor Vehicles is up and running, offering weekly service to Grand Island from the Town Clerk's Office. The new program is already proving very welcome as evidenced by the great number of persons taking advantage of this new convenience. continued on page 20 US' continued on page 20 eg" I Week at a Glance s Saturday & Sunday Grand Old Island Days Grand Island Rod & Gun Club, 1083 Whitehaven Rd. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and 10 a.m. to ? This event includes tractor pulls, motor sports displays, food, refreshments, and a beer tent Tuesday GIHS Soccer & Lacrosse Chiavetta's BBQ Fund-raiser Town Commons, 5:30 to 8 p.m. < This event is being held in an effort to raise money for a scoreboard J Wednesday American Legion Post #1346 Monthly Meeting 2524 Grand Island Blvd., 7 p.m. > New members welcome For a complete listing of area events, visit NFP's Web site at www.wnypapers.com  ffi>»J /WW W gfF fl' /< .- nscagrA /IjJßar-J MPMJB |H*|MM|W|l jSillv : New York State Home Performance QflKsi Reach Over 30,000 Homes (Over 90M00 Readers) Mil rtlOil mth energy stakls helping homeowners! mWmk^k ™vm*»»'w*!r ■MWMMW*/ 1 £_-«£&. 17 MMfe / jifii) • AIR CONDITIONING * AIR SEALING 'APPLIANCES • VENTILATION • EBfnif tool papers aaifrecete a jt..^^^...|1.1..L*XvJ..1..1..?T>l.y I*a^iilPi*' * *"* ii^ffifflP^j