Island Dispatch, 2007-05-11

              Island Dispatch For Home Delivery of the % Island Dispatch Call 773-7676 Niagara \»_ Publications proud publishers of Island Dispatch Lewiston-Porter Sentinel Grand Island Penny Saver Niagara-Wheatfield Tribune vtfvrw.wnypapers.com V01.63 No. 8 May 11,2007 28 Pages 773-7676 $1.00 Basket Raffle and BBQ page 6 Everyone Loves a Parade page 16 For Art's Sake page 28 School budget vote is Tuesday by Kathy Duff Each year, May brings tremendous activity to the Grand Island schools, including the year's budget vote and school board elections. The year 2007 is no different, except that fewer people seem. to be worried about the passage of the budget, and fewer people are running for open board seats. On the ballot Tuesday, May 15, is Superintendent Robert Christmann's first budget for Grand Island - one that increases spendingspending by 3.92 percent over the narrowly passed 2006-07 budget - for a tax rate increase of 0.6 percent. The total amount of the budget is $47,390,798. Since coming on board as superintendent in February, Christmann has focused his attention on putting together a budget that would be balanced in terms of revenues and expenditures with respect for changing needs of thestadent population and for expectations on the Relay flamingos say 'Happy Mother's Day' by Karen Keefe Dorothy Mcßride and her son, Dan, 40, have a lot to be thankful for this Mother's Day. Dan is cancer free and feeling well after enduring a tough bout with Mantel cell lymphoma, diagnosed on New Year's Day, 2006. He is even going back to work part-time at Advance Furniture in Kenmore. His mother put her heart and soul into supporting Dan in his fight to beat the. disease. "I can never thank her enough. I couldn't ask for a better mother," he says. For Dorothy, her son's road to wellness is like a huge weight lifted. "It's a big relief," she says with a big smile. There were many difficult days. "There was a time he thought he wasn't getting better," she remembers. It started with a loss of central vision in his left eye and extreme fatigue. At first they thought it was pneumonia. Then, after a series of doctor visits, referrals, specialists - the blood tests told the story. The doctor said: 'You have to go right away" to Roswell Park Cancer Institute.There were eight rounds of chemo, a loss of hair, a loss of appetite and weight - 50 pounds - and, last October, a bone marrow transplant, using his own marrow. "I was at Roswell Park every day for six months," he relates. As his immune system was under attack from the disease, he achieved a dubious distinction: His white blood cell count was the highest every recorded at Roswell - in excess of Aboye, cancer survivor Dan Mc- Bride brings a Relay For Life poster to the Copy Cat, where his mother, Dorothy, works, (photo by Larry Austin) At right, Mcßride, right, admired the Relay For Life's purple flamingo flock that he sent as a surprise to land on the lawn of his sister, Dorothy Mesmer, second from left. His mom, Dorothy Mcßride is at extreme left and his daughter, Rachael, is in the center. To hire the flock, call 773-4649. (photo by Nathan Keefe) Harbor Lights Fellowship opens doors on Grand Island Blvd. Story and photos by Rustie Dimitriadis Those who have traveled down Grand Island's main thoroughfare in the past couple of weeks may have noticed a new addition at 1821 Grand Island Blvd. A sign was recently erected on the property owned by Harbor lights Fellowship and the Grand Island House of Prayer. The sign is merely the latest in a long line of changes that have taken place on the property that sits between McMahon's Family Restaurant and the Medically Oriented Gym. Starting back in June 2005, the small congregation of Harbor Lights Fellowship began a massive overhaul of the buildings and land they were renting. First, church members cleared away a great deal of brush and worked-at repairing and renovating the small house at the forefront of the property. With new carpets, fresh paint and plenty of tender loving care, the smaller of the two structures on the lot was prepared as a temporary meeting place for Harbor Lights and its fledgling house of prayer. Met in Private Homes Prior to becoming tenants at this address on the Boulevard, Pastors Gerard and Maureen Haberstro appear beside a new sign for the Harbor Lights Fellowship and the Grand Island House of Prayer, located at 1821 Grand Island Blvd. An open house will be held at the church on Sunday, May 20, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. SEE TRANSPORTATION, on page 11 SEE AREA, continued on page 2 SEE PVRPLEyContinued on page 2 Kutzbach  628-1719 &-A3 773-2573 gjjj| Do you need to buy or sell a home? Call Linda Kutzbach, she knows how and would love to help you! W >"W? '#£&?* owred a operated $ NOffih •' --*"-*- f'"jwt.' '■ Call Joan for a IEsUI FREE No Obligation ■"EuSssi Market Analysis Ion your home jo3ndlugokinski@century2l .com