Island Dispatch, 2007-03-02

              Island Dispatch For Home Delivery of the Island Dispatch Call 773-7676 Vol. 62  No. 50 "Hftadi 2, 2007 20 Pages Niagara Frontier Publications proud publishers of Island Dispatch bewisfon-Porter Sentinel Grand Island Penny Saver Niagara-Wheaffield Tribune www.wnypopers.com 773-7676 $1.00 Lil Carpenter celebrates 99th page 5 Stars at Twirl Mania page 13 St. Stephen's bakers page 20 A new approach to school budgeting by Karen Keefe New Grand Island School Superintendent Robert Christmann has brought with him a new approach to budgeting - one he hopes will produce good results for the district and its taxpayers. If s a version of zero-based budgeting,budgeting, and it starts with rolling over last year's budget numbers as a starting point Loraine Ingrasci, assistant superintendent for Finance and Support Services, presented the very first draft of the 2007-08 budget to the School Board at Monday's meeting. Higher State Aid; Surplus She was the bearer of good news from Albany: Gov. Eliot Spitzer*s state aid proposal would send an additional $628,665 to Grand Island schools. Together with a "historic" 2 percent increase in property assessments, the overall revenue picture - when rolling over last year's budget - indicates a $270,000 revenue surplus, Ingrasci said. The total initial "rollover" budget is $46,861,193. The 2 percent growth in property A H-u-g-e Snowman This year's impressive snowfall provides the media for the snow art of Jayson Scritchfield of Evans, who built this gargantuan snowman in front of the home of his girlfriend, Marie, on East Colonial Drive. Scritchfield, who is 5-foc+9, stands atop his creation, which he said is 66 feet across and 15 and 1/2 feet high. "I just waited for it to snow and snow - and kept building it little by little," he said. "People stop by all the time" to look at it, he said. Their usual comment? "Huge." Scritchfield said he "just made it for everybody's enjoyment." He made a sjmilar snowman two years ago, and tells the Dispatch, it took until June to melt, jphoto by Fred Clausj Final Greenway Plan approved by commission by Joshua Maloni The Niagara River Greenway Commission voted Tuesday to approve the preliminary final Greenway Plan. Pending approval by all 13 Niagara River municipalities, the plan, as stated within its environmental impact statement, will be complete upon consent from the commissioner of state Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. To date, Grand Island and five additional municipalities have acted on.the plan, all voting "yes." Among the biggest differences in this version, the boundary has changed. In definition, the locale closest to the waterwater is now known as the "Focus Area" - as opposed to "Priority." In scope, the boundary has expanded to include more of Wheatfield, the Town of Niagara and Amherst It also recognizes the three state-designated trail systems - the Seaway Trail, the Erie Canal and the Niagara Wine Trail - while also referencing the New York Power Authority's relicensktg agreement with the Niagara Power Coalition in greater detail. The correction reflects discussions between the Greenway Commission and the NPC. In January, Samuel Ferraro, staff to the NPC, told the Village Firefighters contend with weather hazards by Ray Pauley Public Information Officer Grand Island Fire Co. Along with many other Western New York emergency services volunteers, Grand Island firefighters have had to face serious weather-related complications this winter, which makes their job that much more dangerous, according to Chief Greg Butcher. Over the past few weeks, a series of motor vehicle accidents at the South Grand Island bridge put an entire crew of firefighters and medics "in harm's way," when five approaching vehicles skidded out of control at the scene of a rescue operation, he noted. Even though at-the-scene safely was seriously compromised and GIFC personnel were able to escape injury, Butcher stressed that there is no guarantee that his crews will be as fortunate in the future. Closer collaboration with law enforcement officers handling traffic control will hopefully nidnimize potential threats to on-scene personnel, he added. Bouquets for Elderwood Katherine Fonte presents a bouquet to Dorothy Witmer, a resident at Elderwood Health Care at Riverwood on Grand Island Boulevard, earlier this week. More than $ 1,000 worth of bouquets were presented to the 90 nursing home residents by the Grand Island Teachers Association. GITA also furnished bouquets for each of the dining rooms at Elderwood. The money for the flowers was part of the teachers' fund-raising for Hospice, which sells bouquets at this time of year, (see additional photo on page 20). {photo by Larry Austin) SEE WEATHER, amtmued on pagz 2 Si?E#GA/a>. continued on page 2 SEE IJEWERS, continued on page 2 Kutzbach 091 628-1719  691-0787 ffj/gi QlDoyou need to buy or sell a home? A* Call Linda Kutzbach, she knows how and would love to help you! independently  owned & operated $( North »Call Joan for a FREE No Obiigarion Market Analysis on your home