Island Dispatch, 2007-12-07

              Island Dispatch for Home Delivery of the Island Dispatch Call 773-7676 Niagara Frontier Publications proud publishers of Island Dispatch Lewiston-Porter Sentinel Grand Island Penny Saver Niagara-Wheatfield Tribune www.wnypapers.com V01.63 No. 38 773-7676 $1.00 20 Pages December 7,2007 'The Nutcracker' Returns page 3 St. Stephen Breakfast of Champions page 14 Call for Distinguished Alums page 14 Remembering Pearl Harbor Story and photo by Michael J. Owen Ceremony planned at Island's VFW Post today U.S. Navy Journalist (Ret.) "Yesterday, December 7,1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces Of the Empire of Japan," stated President Franklin D. Roosevelt in an emotional address to: the Congress after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor 66 years ago this week. Grand Island veterans and the Charles N. DeGlopper Memorial VFW Post 9249 will host a memorial service at noon, today, Dec. 7, in observance of the Pearl Harbor attack. All are encouraged to join the ceremony at the WW Post flagpole, 2121 Grand Island Blvd., in remembrance of those who perished at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7,1941. A History Lesson We Must Never Forget Prior to President Roosevelfs speech in 1941, war news/, was spilling out that fateful day from radios, street taverns, barber shops and homes across the nation. Many popular Sunday afternoon entertainment programs were interrupted. The news sent a Shockwave across the nation and influenced many Americans to join the armed forces and unified the nation behind the President. At dawn on Sunday, Dec. 7,1941, without warning, Japanese forces attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet center in the Hawaiian Islands and other military targets. Their goal was to cripple the American Fleet so that Japan could capture the Philippines and Indo-China and gain access to raw materials needed to maintain its global military and economic power. This included feeding the war that Japan started against China in the 19305. With great aerial striking power from the sea, Japanese planes struck at 7:53 a.m. Pearl Harbor was not on high alert Based on available intelligence, senior commanders believed that no such attack was irruninent. Therefore, aircraft were left parked wingtip to wingtip, anti-aircraft guns were unmanned and many ammunition boxes were locked in peacetime mode. There were no torpedo nets protecting the fleet anchorage, Under the flags of Grand Island's American Legion and DAV waving in the winds of freedom with the red, white and blue, Town Supervisor Peter McMahon addresses the crowd at the VFW post in a past Pearl Harbor Day Ceremony remembering all those that died on Dec. 7, 1941, from the "surprise" Japanese attack in the Hawaiian Islands. This year's ceremony is scheduled for today at noon. GIHS students give back to community On Saturday, members of Grand Island High School's Interact Club served as Red Kettle bel! ringers for the Salvation Army. The students worked on Tops on Grand Island Boulevard. Above left, club members Ryan Hagen (far left), Jordan Kessler and Sarah Webb stand next to Janet Fitzgerald (far right), one of the Tops shoppers who stopped by to donate money to the Salvation Army bucket, which Interact members manned. Above right, Pictured standing inside the supermarket, Caitlyn Driscoll (left) and Ailie Boron were ringing bells and collecting donations, (photos by Donna M. Webb) A journey of faith culminates at Whitehaven Road Baptist Church by Kathy Duff "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." The words of Luke who authored this Gospel passage were so obviously applicable to the testimonies of 22 women honored at "A Treasured Tapestry of Fellowships," a Rekindled Women's Ministries event held Friday, Nov. 20, at Whitehaven Road Baptist Church, 1290 Whitehaven Road. It was an evening aimed at celebrating the church's European heritage and roots at the Austin Street Baptist Church in the Black Rock section of Buffalo. The night's agenda, held in a packed fellowship hall on the church's lower level, offered food, song, and live and videotaped interviews of senior church members who traced their journeys of faith in Christ through hard trials as youngsters in war-torn Hungary and Germany. The small Baptist churches which they grew up in, churches which 100 years ago were started by American missionaries with a desire to bring Biblical Christianity to a largely Lutheran and Catholic population in Germany and Hungary, were a critically important part of their day-to-day lives. Escapes from Russian and Nazi oppression were facilitated by little "flocks" of believers who left their native lands with few material possessions. Though most of these women and their families came at different times from Europe to different destinations in Canada and the United States, they all providentially ended up at the Austin Street Baptist Church and lived within walking distmceof the clapboard« church and their beloved Pastor JohnLehmann. Similar Threads A large part of the story was told in a church-produced video. Barb Pierce, who along with Rekindled service team members, Barb Fick, Sue, Maerz, Susie Hanna and Michelle Spencer, who spent weeks planning the evening, composed questions and interviewed 16 of the 22 women in their homes. From 4-1/2 hours of taping came a finished 39-minute video shown to those gathered at the event Their stories SEE DAY, continued on page 2 ■'SEEWOMEN, continued on page 6 Linda |Htay| Kutzbach RIPPM Associate Broker  628*1719 Erf-'ii 773"2573 Jf^M /mm***I** I other a / * w *. North owned & operated JJH-_t.__ PJg1' Coil Joan for a ■ FREE No Obligation jj Market Analysis on your home ioandlugokinski@yahao.Gom