Island Dispatch, 2007-04-27

              ISLAND Dispatch ? Niagara Frontier Publications For Home Delivery of the Island Dispatch Call 773-7676 proud publishers of Island Dispatch Lewiston-Porter Sentinel Grand Island Penny Saver Niagara-Wheatfield Tribune www.wnypapers.com $1.00 Vol. 63 No. 6 April 27, 2007 20 Pages 773-7676 Dr. Miller Honored page 5 Gl's Fraser Stars in Ballet page 11 Saj wins Medals page 13 It's not your grandma's library by Karen Keefe photos by Nathan Keefe by Susan Mikula Campbell The" librarian wasn't saying "Sh-h-h" last Saturday at Grand Island Memorial library. On the contrary, youngsters were encouragedencouraged to express themselves, both verbally and creatively in a very special program. To observe National library Week, the Grand Island library held a Pop-up Book program, in connection with the Explore & More A Children's Museum at 300 Gleed Aye., in East Aurora. Geared for kindergarten through fifth-graders, the program was funded by the Friends of the Grand Island Memorial library. About two dozen youngsters showed up for instruction by museum staffer Mike Kelly. They filled five tables in the library's community room, working diligently on three projects. Children's Librarian Anne Slater, program assistant Marilyn Smith and Janet Kelly handed out blue and green construction paper and precut images of the sun National Library Week - celebrated on Grand Island last week - was an occasion to see just how far libraries have come in the computer era. If you haven't visited your local library recently, now would be a great time to stop in and see whats new. It's not your grandmother's or even your parents' library anymore. It's not the sleepy little library you visited as a Hd. The books, newspapers and magazines are still there, but so are things like CDs, DVDs, books on tape, computers with Internet access, and, in many cases, programs and services that go far beyond the traditional story hour. The old-fashioned cabinet - bristling with index cards listing books available - is gone, replaced by an efficient, computerized card catalog, which not only lists items at your library, but those available in other libraries participating in" the library system. Patrons can go online from home and order books for pickup at any library in the system. Some libraries also have wireless access, so patrons can bring their own laptops from home. Teehnoiogy to Key libraries, like the rest of us, have adapted to the computer age, but will they still be needed and survive in the future? Absolutely, say local librarians. Alex Whetham, 9, and Caitlin Watt, 6, show their pop-up books while a fellow student works on hers at a program at the Grand Island Memorial Library. Celebrating Earth Day on Grand Island 31 participate m Quality Quest's cleanup of Buckhorn In celebration of a beautiful Earth Day 2007, 31 Grand Island residents contributed their efforts last Saturday to the cleanup of Buckhorn State Park, from Eagle overlook to the west and Baseline Road to the east This event, sponsored by the Quality Quest Environmental Coalition of Grand Island, was part of a Western New York cleanup coordinated by the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper organization. Quality Quest President Jim TomMns of Grand Island was very pleased with the turnout. "It confirms my belief that Grand Island residents do care about their community - with a special emphasis on the quality of its environment," he said. "It was a great success, not just because of the colossal amount of trash collected, but by the great diversity of the participants." Those who took part Included elected officials, educators, retirees, parents and grandparents, teen-ag- ers, senior citizens, artisans, kayakers "and last, but not least, five members of Cub Scout Pack 510 with their parent leaders," Tomkins said. "Earth Day also got great support from Bill Huntoon of the New York State Parks Department, Joe Scaffidi at Allied Waste, Grand Island Council members Mary Cooke and Gary Roesch, Tops Market and our own Grand Island Highway Department," he said. "Thank you, each and every one." Quality Quest has organized these annual spring and fall cleanups for many years. Tomkms said the group intends to continue raising awareness of the environment "and how important it is to all of us, especially now, as the pressure to develop marginal sites, such as protected wetlands, becomes more common." Also, Beaver Island State Park was the site of an Earth Day tree planting on Saturday. A number of trees at the state park were downed or damaged in last year's devastating October snowstorm, and this was part of the effort to refurbish the park's trees. The event was sponsored by the Niagara Region Park Interpretive Programs Office. For more information or to participate in any of Quality Quest's efforts, contact TomMns at 773--5268orjtboatwork@aol.com.An Earth Day cleanup of Buckhorn State Park, organized by Quality Quest, drew 31 participants last Saturday. SEE LIBRARIES, continued on page 2 SEE CHILDREN, continued on page 18 Kutzbach IP^lj 628-1719 EPIJ| 773-2573 ff tfffffff Qj Do you need to buy or sell a home? A; Call Linda Kutzbach, she knows how and would love to help you! liwii: w I Sach of! cc independently *i? KfflHnmk I o*ned & operated §„ NOfth »BISIMIW FREE No Obligation j f eHSSmI Market Analysts II on your home yoandlugokinsiu@Gentury2l .com