Island Dispatch, 2006-12-01

              Island Dispatch December 1,2006 20 Pages For Home Delivery of the island Bkpateh Ca11775'7676 Niagara Frontier Publications proud publishers of Niagara-Wheatfield Tribune Island Dispatch Lewiston-Porler Sentinel Grand Island Penny Saver www.wnypapers.com $1.00 773-7676 Vol. 62 No. 37 Community Thanksgiving I page 3 Air base flying high I page 3 Platinum Wireless opens page 6 Graffiti making mark on town center by Karen Keefe Richard Ray of Tully Products Inc. is not happy about someone's idea of art. About two months ago, just after the outside of his building at 2061 Baseline Road got a new coat of paint, a vandal covered some of the walls with graffiti. He had it repainted - and the vandal or vandals went back in action with even more spray paint to wreck the work. "Iknow it's just kids. I wish they'd stop it." Grand Islanders may be surprised to see graffiti - usually a sign of urban blight - applied to buildings in their town's suburban setting. Nonetheless, the photos show if s here - first at the abandoned Dunlop building near the North Grand Island Bridge, and now at thriving businesses in the town center. Recently, a Buffalo State College student was sentenced to jail time after pleading guilty in State Supreme Court to felony criminal mischief for similar graffiti vandalism to an estimated 100 buildings in Buffalo. Pricey Clean up Eric. R Osborne, 23, will serve 90 days behind bars, pay $360 in restitution and spend 40 hours removing graffiti, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office. Graffiti at Tully Products, 2061 Baseline Road, ana at Tops Market's loading dock, have a similar look, police say. An investigation is under way to find the perpetrator or perpetrators, (photos by Fred Claus} 'The Nutcracker' blends poise with pageantry by Joshua Maloni " - allet is elegant It's delicate. ' I - Ballet dancers are poised and proper. WiMpedia describes the dance as "best known for its unique features and techniques such as pointe work and high extensions, as well as its graceful, precise movements and ethereal qualities." Elegant, graceful, ethereal: In short, ballet is not often thought of in terms of a giant mouse chasing a schoolgirl, and lands filled with candy canes and snowflakes. Nor is it associated, necessarily, with small children dancing with a squadron of toy soldiers and real life community leaders. And yet, in 1891 Alexandre Dumas and Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky somehow merged the dance's exquisiteness with Ernst Hoffman's peculiar fairy tale to create "The Nutcracker," arguably the world's most famous ballet, Rachael Fraser and Irek Muchalski in "The Nutcracker." SEE POLICE continued on page 2 SEE NUTCRACKER on page 2 | Monday I H Madness ! | LARGE CHEESE PEZA j I] $795 | j | Jf plus tax 11 <ilzs?§o§g) i ! 2131 Grand Island Blvd. j ___~___^^__—^| Linda flfigf  KutzbachFW' \ Associate Broker mf "mm #1 island Agent ifr^HHf #\ Company in WHY 743-73 M or 028-1719 df%® Do you need to buy or ! 3|g,® sell a home? j j Jjk 9 Call Linda Kutzbach, f ••••he knows how and I I would love to help you. j Mi . | j 1 i | WHAT: "The Nutcracker" ballet I WHERE: I j The Niagara Falls High School j | Performing Arts Center, 4455 I j Porter Road, Niagara Falls. j I ' 4 J WHEN: . .. j j Saturday, Dec. 9, j j at 2 and 7:30 p.m. ij ! CALL: For more information, or for | tickets: 1-877-236-8055. _