Island Dispatch, 2006-08-11

              Island Dispatch $1.00 For Home Delivery of the island Dispatch Call 773-7676 August 11,2006 24 Pages V01.62 N0.21 Niagara Frontier Publications proud publishers of Niagara-Wheatfield Tribune Island Dispatch Lewisfon-Porter Sentinel Grand Island Penny Saver www.wnypapers.com Gibas meets Morris page 3 Kingdom Bound marks 20th page 6 St. Stephen's runners page 15 Digging Grand Island Story and photo by Alice E, Gerard Students unearth evidence of prehistoric life Earlier this summer, Beaver Island State Park served as a living classroom for a group of archaeology students. Led by project director Dr. Lisa Marie Anselmi, assistant professor of anthropology at the state University College at Buffalo, the 15 students looked for artifacts from the distant past as part of a class titled "Archaeological Methods." The site at Beaver Island has been excavated several times. All of the excavations have unearthed a variety of artifacts. Archaeologists who worked the turf in the 1970s and 1980s concluded that the Grand Island site "was the largest and longest continuously occupied prehistoric site on, the Niagara Frontier." Most Recent Finds The 2006 excavation produced artifacts from prehistoric and more recent times. Among the things found during this excavation were a projectile point, some pottery, glass, and a bullet, said UB student Nikki Finch. Also discovered were charcoal and debutage, the material that is left over when prehistoric people made wooden points. The charcoal Nikki Finch and .Nadiya Abbass, participants in an archaeological dig earlier this summer at Beaver Island State Park, screen soil for a test pit to find small artifacts or anything that they may have missed while they were digging. Remembering a life: Walt Kelly by Jill Endres What will you be remembered for after you pass on? What kind of legacy will you leave? Walt Kelly is best remembered by family and friends as a hardworking and dedicated husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend and entrepreneur. The standout position that he held for over 20 years was that of Santa Claus. Walt Kelly didn't just dress up as Santa, he was Santa Claus. As a child, you most likely sat on his lap and gazed deep into his eyes and told him exactly what you wanted for that Christmas. Or as a parent, you may have taken your own child to the back Christmas room at Kelly's Country Store. 'A Twinkle in His Eye' Walt Kelly's son, Mike, describes him as a caring and patient individual. "He had a way about Kirn. He always had a little twinkle in his eye. When he talked to a small child, he was magically transformed into a bearded wonder of a man. He could understand kids and see specific things about them, luce if they liked to read or how their home life was." The experience of visiting Santa at Kelly's Country Store was completely differentfrom a visit at a crowded mall. Instead of just posing for a picture and asking what the child wanted for Christmas, Kelly took his time with children. Santa also Walt Kelly in his beloved persona as Santa Claus at Kelly's Country Store on Grand Island. Wait Kelly, founder of Kelly's Country Store. 3rd Fuccillo dealership gets green light by Karen Keefe Fuecillo, the auto park that advertises: "Its HUGE ... and getting huger," received a huge vote of approval for further expansion from the Town Board on Monday. The board OK'd the site plan for owner Billy Fuccillo's third dealership in the auto park that already includes Chevrolet and Toyota showrooms. Also adopted was a related on-site conservation easement sought by Fuecillo. The Fuecillo Auto Park eventually plans a total of five dealerships on the Alvin Road site, which contains several wetlands. Fuecillo attorney Robert Scalione told the board the Hyundai dealership would comprise 23,000 square feet on 11.77 acres. He said the new dealership would employ about 30 to 50 people, generate about $40 million in revenue and take three to four months to complete. Wetlands, Light, Noise Concerns Prior permit approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers essentially puts the auto giant temporarily back into the environmental business, as well. Thaf s because the dealerships are going up, in part, on wetlands whose loss the government says must be compensated. The company has agreed to build approximately 5:65 acres of new wetlands on site to compensate for the 1.82 acres of wetlands the new construction would disturb, Scalione said. At the public hearing on the site plan, several residents said that as Fuecillo grows, so do the light and noise pollution from the complex, as well as traffic impact. Also, two environmentalists sought further assurances for the continuity of the new wetlands that Fuecillo would be creating. Resident Ed Dylag objected to the site plan approval. 'The impact to neighboring low-density residential homes has not been properly considered, nor has impact to residents of Grand Island in general." He said each new dealership "encroaches closer and closer" to its residential neighbors, devaluing their property and diminishing their quality of life. "So they're having to deal with iEumination from parking lots which is basically destroying their dark skies," Dylag said. Noise comes from car and truck traffic, as well as the dealerships' paging system, he claimed. In fact, Dylag doesn't even like the huge balloon characters used to advertise the dealerships to passing Thruway motorists. continued on page 2 continued on page 2 continued on page 11 Monday 11 Madness LARGE CHEESE PIZZA $795 M plus.tax 2131 Grand Island Blvd. j KutzbachKM \ Associate Broker Wmfjkm #1 Island Agent Vjj^B #1 Company in WNY 743-73*1 or 628*1719 C. Do yOD need to buy or • sen » home? j% •Call Unite Kntibaeh, \ "••the knows hew and j would love to help you. \