Island Dispatch, 2003-11-28

              Island DISPATCH Founded 1944 • Complete Community Coverage l'honc: (71ft) 773-7676 • I a\: (716) 773-7190_- K-Mail: MTN'cmsC" c lmaiUom Decorating The Town Gazebo Page 3 Jingle All The Way Premieres Page 5 The Farmer's Almanac predicts; Cofd/Snowy Is il risilil.' ! Check the weather ! on p$ 2 i i___ _ .... ; 58 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. 39 November 28, 2003 24 Pages Holiday fun for all ages at Lewiston Christmas Walk 2003 by Sue Cieslica Yet another holiday season is coming upon us, with plenty of shopping, holiday lights, cookies, hot cocoa and family gatherings and good cheer. If you're looking to get away from the hectic hustle and bustle for a few hours, why not take time out and enjoy the holiday season for what it has to offer. Round up the family and visit the Lewiston Christmas Walk, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5, 6 and 7 at locations in and around both the village and town of Lewiston in northern Niagara County. Now in its 36th year, the annual Christmas Walk has plen-.: ty of warmth to go around, that will be sure to lighten the hearts of the youngest child and oldest adult. Many Offerings For those who celebrate the holiday season .— and who doesn't — this weekend happening offers plenty of opportunity to take in a wide range of happenings and exhibits, and see firsthand the time and effort of many that was put in to make this holiday affair such a success. Lewiston is ready to pull out all the stops as almost everyone in this quaint little community seems to be involved in adding a little holiday magic in his or her own way. To kick off the fun, HSBC Bank Lewiston branch Manager and Vice President Janice McCaw along with her staff will open the Christmas Walk on Friday, Dec. 6. at their Center Street facility. Music, warm drinks and an array of desserts and hors d'oeuvres will compliment the opening day of fun at HSBC that day, from noon to 3 p.m. Entertainer Rich Blend will be on hand with renditions of various Christmas tunes, including "Let I it Snow" and "White Christmas," for a j one-show perfor- j manee, Sunday from j 2 to 4 p.m. on the ' - porch - of j McD o n a 1 d ' s Frontier House on Center Street in the village. Blend has entertained across the United States and abroad, appearing at banquets, performing on cruise ships, on ; small intimate j stages and on | Broadway. His Lewiston visit is a must-see. Open Sleigh Rides For a truly enjoyable holiday experience, come hop on and ride as the one horse open sleigh makes, its way from Bethany, in Genesee County to the front of Villa Fortunata's Restaurant on Center and North Fifth streets. The Double T Ranch of East Bethany will be offering rides, complete with holiday music, down Center Street on Friday evening beginning at 5 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday beginning at noon. Couples and families can cherish their experience with memorable photo taken on the sleigh. Holiday strollers on Center Street add to the Christmas Walk ambiance. Breakfast with Santa at the village Red Brick School is another Lewiston Christmas Walk favorite. Town of Lewiston Justice Tom Sheeran serves as Town Crier outside a Center Street business. As he has had in past years, Santa will again be making a special visit to the Old Time Barber Shop, 478 Center St. to gather up those wish lists from the little ones. Veronica Connor students, parents experience other cultures at International Night photos and story by Amanda Glowish Hula skirts, sombreros, and Irish dancers flooded the halls of Veronica Connor Middle School last Friday night. It was the school's sixth an n u a 1 International Night, coordinated by faculty members Diane Rumsey and M a r I e i n e Kaniecki. This event is designed to educate parents and students about different cultures through dances, crafts, demonstrations, food and music. Some of the student performances included a French, Mexican and Hawaiian dance. Irish dancers from McCarthy's School of Dance were in attendance along with a Karate demonstration from Project Future Western New York. The City Honors African Dance Troop from Buffalo also performed. Visitors that evening found a school cafeteria overflowing with an array of cultural food such as nachos, meatballs, candy, cannoli, hotdogs, bake goods and much more. There was even accordion music provided by Charles Wolffer. And the hallways were packed with different crafts to buy and a variety of raffle baskets. The Buen Amigo store,1 l|ocated in Buffalo, also participated in the festivities to edu- Cate visitors about Latin American I Culture. "I have been coming every year and I really enjoy this cultural event. I wish I could come to more events,"  Masferrer from Buen Amigo said. Preparations for this . big night began for the students and faculty in October. With . all of the time and hard work that goes into an event such as this, both coordinators saw it as very fulfilling."The most rewarding part of doing this is the , students get to keep all the money. The to their clubs," money goes Kaniecki said. Aloha! After performing their Hawaiian dance, Stacy Cich, Meghan Mahiques and Jordan Dudish (left to right) hurry to enjoy the rest of the cultural activities. Irish dancers Amanda Cinelli, Chelsea Fulle and Brenna McCabe (left to right) practice in the hallway before their performance. continued on page 24 *@* At a Glance I I Friday. ' I I Grand Island Alumni Association j I Thanksgiving Mixer 1 j River Oaks Clubhouse I I"• '"• ■ ' P"m' I I' For more information contact Jodi at j 1 773-6789, Ext. 117 I I Monday 1 GIHS Parent/Teacher Conference f Noon to 7 p.m. 1 For a complete listing of area events, 3 visit NFP's Web site at j j www.wnypapers.com J memth Over BOr@oo M@mm (Over 90,@00 M®ad@m} I 1/ Jtjni /  SPECIAL 4 PAPER DEAL LSBtMgy Bm/ Sssvks Pfeertey k 4 fool papas art mam & ilfllf cfestfaf mh i svssy week, fSMtt a lyes? signed twfmetf  ' - ■ . ' 3apGrS«COf¥l