Island Dispatch, 2004-12-10

              Island DISPATCH Founded 1944 • Complete Community Coverage The Official Newspaper of the Town of Grand Island and the Grand Island School District Pear! Harbor Vets Honored Paae 5 Speed Concerns Abound Page 6 > www'Wiypapers.cof!f£ Us On The Web * Phone: (716) 773-7676 * Fax: (716) 773-7190 * E-Mail: NFPNews@clniail.com 60 Years As the Voice of Grand Island Award Winning Newspapers V01.60 « No. 38 December 10, 2004 SI.OO 24 Payes Plus Holiday (iilt (inkle Soccer team congratulated Grand Island Supervisor Peter McMahon hands a proclamation to the Lady Vikings varsity soccer team at Town Hall on Monday congratulating the players for a successful season that included going the state championships for the third year in a row. . Cell phone tower draws fire at Town Board meeting by Karen Keefe A cell phone tower on Councilman Dan Robillard's property was a lightning rod for public comment at Monday's Grand Island Town Board meeting. A capacity crowd filled the chambers',, and.the cell tower was the hot-button issue of the night. On Tuesday, Robillard told the Dispatch he.was upset about an unsigned flyer placed in mailboxes in his neighborhood prior to the Town Board meeting. The flyer reads, in part, "Protect your neigh- . borhood by attending Town Board meeting Monday," and "Greed and Power motivate Town Board." 'Ax to grind' Robillard said the activists who have spoken out at two consecutive board meetings have an ax to grind with him and his fellow Town Board members. "It's all about me voting for those two projects they vehemently opposed," he said, referring to the Mesmer air strip and a zoning change for a new Wilson Farms on Ransom Road near Stony Point. Of the flyer, Robillard commented, "That's terrorism and extortion."A half dozen .vocal residents objected to the Verizon Wireless tower that,went up last month on Robillard's property at 423 Ransom Road. They do not like where the tower was built ■-- in a residential area — and they do not like the way the Town Board gave the go-ahead for its construction. . Quality of Life Issue Robert and Rosemary Jellinick said the tower, visible from their East River Road home, wrecks their view and hurts their quality of life. "I don't know how we're going to compensate me and the rest of the residents for the economic, visual or worst, the cost in what I consider a very pristine area," Robert Jellinick said. "You just haven't ruined a piece of property that I own — you have ruined my wife's and my way of life with this tower." His comments brought . applause from a number of people in the crowd. Pat Anastasia, president of Sheridan-Transit Rod and Gun Club at 551 Ransom Road, denied that Verizon had ever contacted his club about putting the tower on its property. "We were never notified about that project," he said. Robillard has said Verizon did contact the club, but the club never got back to the wireless company. After the meeting, Anastasia told GI to share in sales tax windfall by Karen Keefe Grand Island will share in a $12.5 million portion of new sales tax revenue, now that Erie County lawmakers have averted the "red budget" in. an 11th hour compromise.Lawmakers were working against a midnight deadline on Wednesday to achieve a balanced ''budget and avoid the Draconian' cuts that loomed if the so-called "Medicaid Penny" had not been approved. The vote in favor of the extra penny was 10 to 5, and the vote to adopt the budget, itself, was 8 to 7. As a result the county's sales tax will increase by 1 percentage point to 9.25 percent, balancing the 2005 budget and keeping libraries open and sheriff's patrols on the road. "It's good news in the sense that the library is going to be open in 2005," said Grand Island Library Director Lynn Alan Konovitz. "But we really don't know to what extent." He said the entire county library system could take a hit of $3 million to $4 million. "We may have to reduce our hours, and perhaps staff," Konovitz said. "Most of the legislators didn't know what they were voting on. They dpn't know the numbers, so we don't know the numbers," he said. The library resumed circulating and reserving materials as of Thursday morning, after preparing for the possibility of a shutdown. Problems Remain Although it's a green budget, with 164 budget, amendments crammed through at the last minute, there are many loose ends that could come back to haunt legislators,legislators, many of whom did not even have the time or opportunity to read through the provisions. One of the harshest realities in the budget is the layoff of 400 county employees. The red budget would have cut 3,000 jobs. County Executive Joel Giambra had proposed a bare-bones budget that cut so deeply that even vital services such as public safety jvere adversely affected. The "red budget," was a way to show what statemandated Medicaid costs would do to county government if no additional revenue was forthcoming. The extra penny in sales tax per dollar is expected to generate $109 million. The growth in Medicaid costs is $24 million per year for Erie County. County Legislator Chuck Swanick (R-Grand Island, Tonawanda), has said Medicaid reform must happen if the county wants to avoid going the same route in four years. One major sticking point in lawmakers approving the extra penny was Giambra's initial refusal to share any of the extra revenue with the county's cities, towns and villages. . . ' continued on page 2 #g= continued on page 2 US" At a Glance Today and Tomorrow 'Castle by Candlelight' . at Old Fort Niagara Arrive between 7 and 8:30 p.m. Dress for the weather . Saturday Holiday Party Niagara Sailing Club, East River Road clubhouse 6 p.m. start; various events throughout the night. For a complete listing of area events. visit NFP's Web site at www.wnypapers.com CMi773-T4l74Bimpkdk«§»y»mr AmmimmmM* I*-«*£»?!/ JjHI / ■■* Sr|g|J& IjKfJlJlffffil " * SPECIAL 4 PAPER DEAL U&isSsgg/. M lIIK flfffffff i 4& \* >, SuyServke Biredoty in 4 heal papers and receive a Jlßf dattrfed eath & every week. (With a f year ilgeed toufcattj ■ ■■■ . ■ ■■'* ■»WWM« W celebrating Hometown lt, |gjgJF | 3^