Island Dispatch, 2008-05-09

              ISLAND DISPATCH Far Home Delivery of the Island Dispatch Call 773-7676 Niagara proud publishers of Island Dispatch Lewiston-Porter Sentinel Grand Island Penny Saver Niagara-Wheatfield Tribune www.wnypapers.com 773-7676 $1.00 V01.64 No. 8 May 9, 2008 20 Pages New Senior Wheels page 3 High Note page 5 GIHS Talent Show page 9 Inside The Dispatch Business 5 School 8 Sports 13 Classifieds 15 Crossword 16 Service Directory 19 Picture Page : 20 Black Hills of Ransom Road a sore topic at meeting by Larry Austin "Completely and utterly ridiculous" is how one Grand Islander described a stalled convenience store and gas station project at Ransom and Stony Point roads on the Island. At Monday's Grand Island Town Board meeting, the board tabled a renewal request for a special use permit for the property by Parkland Enterprises Inc. of Clarence, and set a meeting with the applicant to receive a status report on the project. The property is zoned B-l with a special use permit granted May 16, 2005, for a service station and convenience store at the corner of Ransom and Stony Point roads. During the public comment portion of Monday's meeting, three people spoke out against the renewal request, including Frank Burkhart, who described the lot as "the Black Hills of Ransom Road." Burkhart asked the board to require the applicant to post a bond to prevent the site from becoming an abandoned gas station. He added that though he opposed the planned gas station and convenience store from the beginning, he would prefer the developer follow through with the plans rather than leave the site in its current state. He said the long dormant lot, with a shell of a brick building and overgrown weeds and mounds of dirt is a longtime eyesore for the neighborhood and a safety hazard.Later, the board's silence gave hints that the project in limbo is dissatisfactory and bound for changes when Councilman Rich- ard Crawford moved the special use request, but none of the four other Town Board members were forthcoming with a second to his motion. Only after Crawford related his recent e-mail correspondence with the applicant, Chuck Rizzo, did Supervisor Peter Mc- Mahon second the motion for discussion. Crawford then said Rizzo had told him in a seriesof e-mails since January that work on the site will commence very soon. After Councilman Gary Roesch moved to table the matter until a meeting with the applicant could set out a timetable for completion of the work with stipulations. Councilwoman Mary Cooke said she would like to discuss changes in the parameters if they do review the matter. Roesch said at a workshop meeting in Town Hall Wednesday that he had strong feelings on the matter, and the board set Tuesday, May 20, at 3:30 p.m. to meet with the applicants. This lot on the comer of Ransom and Stony Road is the center of a special use permit requested at Monday's Grand Island Town Board meeting, (photo by Larry Austin) Artpark promises complete season of entertainment Preview by Joshua Maloni In the wake of the writers' strike, the last thing anyone wants is more reruns. For a while there, it seemed as if Artpark was going back to the future with its 2008 'Tuesday in the Park" concert series. An early look revealed a handful of acts, recently heard at the Lewiston venue, booked for a return engagement this summer. That list included David Clayton-Thomas (2004), Michael McDonald (2005), Dickey Betts (2006) and America (2007). Bringing bands back is not a bad thing, of course, and most Artpark-goers wouldn't mind seeing any of the aforementioned. However, in the wake of an intensely creative 2007 season - a summer of acts ranging from The Tragically Hip to Kenny Loggins to the Barenaked Ladies to Rebecca St James - a list of twotimers would've seemed a bit uninspired.Thankfully, Artpark President George Osborne had a few surprises up his sleeve. At a press conference announcing the venue's season on Wednesday, he revealed a bevy of fresh acts are also signed to perform 'Tuesdays" at the state park. That includes such out-of-the-box acts as Bret Michaels (of Poison and VHl's "Rock of Love"), country music superstar Trisha Yearwood, late '70s prog-rockers Kansas and jam band Gov't Mule. "Because we're dependent on profit (outdoor concerts are free), we have to please our sponsors; we have to draw a crowd so that we can pay for the bands," Osborne said. "I think we did remarkably well," he said of his team's booking efforts. "I think it's the strongest schedule we've ever had." That's certainly true of "Wednesdays on the Gorge," which boasts its most impressive lineup to date. The 3-year-old series stands poised to create a more youthful feel at Artpark with headliners including moe., Sam Roberts, Cherry Pop-, pin' Daddies and Sass Jordan. "We looked at a lot of bands that could appeal to younger fans," Osborne said. For the fifth year in a row, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will spend July at Artpark. "By George By Gershwin" kicks off a 10-show schedule that will include 'The Tango Returns" with Music Director JoAnn Falletta, the Neglia Ballet and"A Salute to John Williams." "All-in-all, this is a season to celebrate," BPO Associate Executive Director Steven Baker said. The "Big Band" series has morphed into "Dancin' in the Park." Patrons will sway to the Kings of Swing oune 30) and dance to the sounds of Grand Islander Sal Andolina and the Artie Shaw Tribute ouly 28). For those indoor performances, and for certain outdoor concerts in the amphitheatre, Artpark has added a parquet dance floor. Sal Andolina of Grand Island will perform at Artpark in Lewiston in this summer's "Dancin' in the Park" series. Trisha Yearwood SEE ARTPARK, continued on page 2 ®l Law Enforcement I 1 MWUSMUrmammMm I Linda Kutzbach ClfiM-__.li ZZ jfjr"p___^' BpHRW. _b_ift* _rlr |ummm mmm mm w * ,' an _■ ____9_l___l--___-9_»iti _m»3» ~"Sf t, S Iflll-, ■«_- __» mm «■_« *_-_.«. , j t-_ge®-peP_-©Sgi(fM*_n«_ :;: fl_H' A98.171Q ' WH I mmeVvti&K Malt 16-18 th \,w&9sK&r3BUßml *i___~~__ &_»,»__- .*____»_-_ ? wPSK o-so-i/itt __£•__. 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