Island Dispatch, 2006-12-15

              ISLAND Dispatch proud publishers of Niagara-W/heaffield Tribune Island Dispatch Lewiston-Porter Sentinel Grand Island Penny Saver www.wnypopers.com Niagara Frontier Publications For Home OeUvery of the Island Dispatch Call 773-7676 24 Pages December 15, 2006 V01.62 No. 39 773-7676 $1.00 Outstanding in his field... page 7 Christmas cookie basks... page 15 Santa Clans comes to town page 24 Thompson takes bridge toll petitions to Albany Story and photo by Karen Keefe Rus Thompson headed to Albany on Wednesday to deliver to the governor petitions proving nearly 5,000 people agree with him that tolls should end for the Grand Island bridges. Thompson is optimistic about the response. "I hope he accepts it and I hope I come back with a Christmas present for the people of Western New York to remove these tolls, and we'll move onto the next ones," Some may say Thompson is tilting.at windmills, but this Don Quixote is traveling armed not only with petitions from the local populace, but also with the support of politicians in Albany and Grand Island. Maziarz, Volker, McMahon are supporters Thompson said Republican state Sens. George Maziariz of Newfane and Dale Volker of Depew agree with his quest for equityequity for Grand Islanders. "I did talk to Sen. Volker (Tuesday), told him where we were with the petitions. He's looking forward to seeing me in Albany and he hopes to join me going over to the governor's office," Thompson said. Grand Island resident Rus Thompson, right, talks with Dave Debo, WBEN 930 AM radio reporter and anchor, at Tim Hortons early Wednesday morning, about his petition drive to end the Grand Island bridge tolls. Thompson left soon after to deliver the petitions to Gov. George Pataki in Albany. Capital improvement referendum OK'd by Kathy Duff Major school repairs are on their way to becoming reality with the approval Tuesday by Grand Island voters of a proposal to accept $3.9 million in building aid from New York state. ■ A steady stream of residents came to the Grand Island High School foyer throughout the day to register their decisions. "It has been good turnout, I thought," remarked District Clerk Janet Schuster, "better than I expected."With a total of 714 votes cast, chairman Ruth Baker announced at 9:15 p.m. that the referendum passed with 659 "yes" votes and only 55 "no." A small group of "observers," which included Interim Superintendent Dr. Larry Zacher, A new resource for after-school learning by Karen Keefe Three young women just finishing up their master's degrees in education have already embarked on a new business to help students make the most of their after-school hours. Their classroom is right on the Island, and they are welcoming students from kindergarten through sixth grade who may need extra help in reaching theh* academic potential. Lisa Miskell, Jeannine Klock and Rhonda Williams are the bright, enthusiastic staff of the Island Learning Center, providing after-school instruction with a fresh, hands-on approach. Each of the business partners is certified in elementary education and close to achieving a master's degree as a literacy specialist. They attend graduate school classes together at Buffalo State College. Klock and Williams live on Grand Island; Miskell lives in the Town of Tonawanda. Center Opened Nov. 1 "It just came about at a class one night - at a graduate class," Klock said about the origin of their business partnership. "We were discussing it and realized it was something we could make happen," Williams said. The center, which started operations Nov. 1 at 1879 Whitehaven Road, is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3:15 to 6 p.m. The staff currently has the capacity to handle five students at a time. The rooms are colorful and attractive, with light, neutral decor brightened by educational saturated with primary colors. The afternoon starts out with a snack and moves seamlessly into a learning environment that is both comfortable and supportive."We're doing tutoring and mentoring to students that need that assistance after school," Williams explained. "And it has been mostly that the students need help with their reading and writing skills," Klock added. Recently, as word of the center moved around the community, parents of high school students inquired if the center could help their child with vocabulary. "Yes, we would love to," Klock said. "We have all kinds of different strategies that we can use with them." Learning More Sight Words Earlier this week at the center, Logan Van Reyr, 6, was learning new vocabulary by playing bingo - Sight Word Bingo. Klock and her young student were in a nicely decorated classroom, where Logan was getting oneon-one instruction. He probably didn't think of it as instruction, so absorbed was he in playing the game. "Are you looking for the beginning letters?" Klock asked. "Good search! ... your turn," she encouraged. "What is the other sound that V makes?" she hinted. Rhyming, moving pieces on a board and sounding out letters, Logan quietly arrived at the target word "been." It appeared to be a fun way to practice the rules that govern sounds and are key to successful reading. Hock said Logan has more than tripled the number of sight words he knows in a little more than a month of instruction at the center. Applesauce and Math While Logan practiced reading and telling time, two other students - 12-year-old twin sisters Amanda and Denise Gonnell - were putting the finishing touches on a recipe for applesauce. Miskell and Williams incorporated lessons in math, organization and study skills as they pared and sliced the apples. Teacher Rhonda Williams makes applesauce with the help of students Amanda, middle, and Denise Connell, both 12, at the Island Learning Center, 1879 Whitehaven Road, (photo by Fred ClausJ SEE ISLANDERS continued on page 2 SEE ROOFS continued on page 19 SEE SUCCESS continued on page 19 KutzbachßßM Associate Broker _BT \_m| #1 Island Agent  #1 Company in WNY 743-7321 or 628-1719 Qm Do yon need to buy or * sell a home? j%« Call Linda Kutzbach, -*—"•she knows how and would love to help yon. &K_SS_fi__fi I p]y^ II Madness 1 I LARGE CHEESE PEZA 11 $795 j M plus tax 11 <^||k§ j j (pjg&isUßS) i 1 2131 Grand Island Blvd. ! _HHHHHHHHH_|!