Island Dispatch, 2007-03-09

              ISLAND Dispatch V01.62 No. 51 $1.00 March 9, 2007 773-7676 20 Pages Niagara Frontier Publications For Home Delivery of fhe island Dispatch Call 773-7676 proud publishers of Island Dispatch Lewiston-Porfer Sentinel Grand Island Penny Saver Niagara-Wheatfield Tribune www.wnypapers.com Hoyt visits Huth page 8 Polar bears bear the cold page 10 Justin Tyme NASCAR HQ page 12 Corporate Bowl: For GI, 'It's Academic' by Karen Keefe •Team photos, page 20 America loves its quiz shows. So does Grand Island. While TVs Jeff Foxworthy asks contestants, "Are You Smarter than a sth Grader?" Grand Island's academic challenge aims a little higher. The questions are at the high school level, and so are the contestants. And the sharp competition will leave many adults in the dust Starting Tuesday, March 13, at 7 p.m., Grand Island's ninth annual Corporate Bowl will pit brainy high school students against each other in a competition for $7,000 in scholarships. The setting for round one is the Grand Island High School Auditorium. The finals are a week later, on March 20 - same time, same station. In fact, the competition will be broadcastbroadcast on Time Warner cable - stay tutted for dates and times. Corporate Bowl is sponsored by the Grand Island School/Business Alliance. If s a group that also sponsors Shadow Day and Job Search, events in which local The Cat in the Hat turns 50 Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in the Hat" visited the Grand Island Memorial Library on Saturday, to the delight of a roomful of youngsters. The Cat played games with the group and told stories to them. The A project included i making hats for all the attendees. There was a birthday cake for the Cat, too, since the book character turned 50 on March 1. "The Cat in the Hat" author Theodor Seuss Geisel, known as Dr. Seuss, (j wrote the wildly popular book using only 236 words, creating a story first-graders could read and enjoy all by themselves. Educators say Seuss' books have boosted literacy in a big way. ■ At the Grand Island Library, > ail the youngsters received Q. balioons to go home with, after their treat for the day. The parents had some of the cake, as well. For the most part, no one knew who the Cat reaily was - the makeup was great! And all had a marvelous iime. {photos by Barbi Lore) ;; GI resident has income tax preparation advice by Michael J. Owen U.S. Navy Journalist (Ret.) As the midnight, April 17, deadline to file your federal income tax forms draws near, hopefully you won't be among those making the mad dash to the U.S. Post Office. (Actually, Western New York gets a two-day reprieve. April 15 is a Sunday, and our returns go to Andover, Mass., where Monday, April 16, is Patriof s Day.) While many taxpayers prepare and file their own returns, for those considering an income tax service or hiring a tax preparer, Grand Island resident Peter Xanthos offers some advice. Caution with Quick Refunds "Taxpayers seeking income tax preparation help from tax preparers should take extreme caution in choosing one," he explains. "There are some unscrupulous people out there trying to take your money. Additionally, beware of practitioners who base their fees on a percentage of the refund of your original return." According to Xanthos, a New York state licensed public accountant and enrolled agent, this is considered a contingent fee and is prohibited, according to the U.S. Treasury Department's Circular 230 Regulations. He also warns that taxpayers should be cautious regarding "quick refunds" called Refund Anticipation Loans. "These are actually loans based on your refund. You should also find out what interest rate you're paying," continued Xanthos. Xanthos said that in 2006, a large tax preparation service in several class action lawsuits covering eight Grand Island resident Peter Xanthos serves as a fax consultant at the offices of Christine A. Learman, CPA, accounting and tax services, 1763 Baseline Road, (photo by Barbi Lore) SisEMi.a>ntinuedtnipage 2 S/i'E„,con_uedonpage 2 __ Mr _ Monday Madness LARGE CHEESE PEZA $795 _f plus tax _____!) 2131 Grand Island Blvd. Kutzbach |Pr*qN 628-1719 _W_m 773-2573 _____f_ Q* Do you need to buy or sell a home? _\l CaU Linda Kutzbach, she knows how and would love to help you! mm Each office independently l*^l__i* owned & operated %9 NO!-! -