Island Dispatch, 2008-06-20

              Island Dispatch  ® Niagara Frontier Publications proud publishers of Island Dispatch Lswiston-Porter Sentinel Grand Island Penny Saver Niagara-Wheatfield Tribune wwvr.wnypapers.com For Homo Bolwory of the island Dispatch Call 773-7676 Vol. 64 No. 14 June 20, 2008 20 Pages 773-7676 $1.00 Buckhorn | 3 Installation page 5 Flag Day at Huth Road page .8 Homecoming page 10 Inside The Dispatch Church 6 School 8 Sports 13 Classifieds 14 Crossword 15 Service Directory 19 Picture Page. 20 Vikings for the win GIHS earns School of Distinction honor Grand Island athletes went 25-for-25 on the 2007-08 school year. It wasn't in batting average or shooting percentage, but rather every Vikings varsity athletic team earned Scholar Athlete status this year, a feat that only a dozen schools in the entire state attained. The school district and Grand Island Holiday Inn hosted an informal reception Friday honoring the players and coaches. The feat earned GIHS the moniker of a state School of Distinction. Superintendent of Schools Robert Christmann called the accomplishment' Very rare." - "I want the students and the coaches to know that the support is realty pretty widespread for what you accomplished,"Christmann told the assemble d students Friday. To attain Scholar Athlete status, a team must have a class academic average of 90 or better. Every team in the fall, winter and spring sports seasons achieved that status this season. Athletic Director Jon Roth said only three schools in the area join GI as a School of Distinction and called the honor "an unbelievable accomplishment" Roth noted five of the teams also won a Niagara Frontier League championship, and four more were runners-up. Grand Island High School Principal Sandra Artzabne speaks to students and coaches Friday-during a reception recognizing the attainment of School of Distinction status, {photo by Larry Austin) School welcomes new, safer playground "Earth is a taskgarden, Heaven is a playground," Chesterton wrote. Grand Island's Barbara Swagler learned that providing the children at Huth Road Elementary School with a safer playground was her own personal taskgarden over the lengthy four-year time period it took to complete the job. The new playground had its official ribbon-cutting June 13 at the school, and Swagler was the recipient of accolades for her effort.effort.GI Board of Education President Richard Little said it was Swagler's endurance and persistence that kept the project on track. "I really appreciate that," Little said. "She did a lot of work. She was tireless in the effort to make sure we got it. She was not going to let it go." A lack of school resources prompted Swagler and others ATV use discussed at Town Board meeting by Alice E. Gerard Town government has issued a warning to all-terrain vehicle riders of Grand Island: If you're not riding on your own property or on the property of someone who has given you permission to use it, you are violating the law and there will be consequences. According to Grand Island Councilwoman Mary Cooke at the Town Board's June 16 workshop session, there have been a number of complaints about ATVs being operated on Grand Island. One group that has issued complaints, Cooke said, is the town's snowmobile club, which wants "the town to get serious about enforcement.""They feel that enforcement is half hearted," Cooke said. She added that the Erie County Sheriffs Department and the New York State Park Police now have equipment for enforcement of laws concerning ATVs. "It's difficult to catch someone riding in an ATV if you're in a vehicle," Cooke said. "So we'll have ATVs and, as the supervisor mentioned, we're having some support for enforcement. This will help us to catch people." "We have suffered damage at the Colonial /Driftwood playground and at Veterans Park from ATVs being driven illegally there," Cooke said. There also has been some damage to the linear bike path. ATV operators are not allowed to ride their vehicles in town parks, Buckhorn Island State Park, or any other public property, Cooke said. "If you're riding your ATV somewhere and you're unfamiliar with whose property it is, that should be the first warning that you need to go find out and you need to ask permission. Come into Town Hall. There are maps that show who owns property. If s very easy to get a property owners' name. You have to follow through and communicate with that property owner for permission to be running your machine," Cooke said. Cooke commented that people have said, "I moved to the Island so I could run my ATV." Public education about the proper use of ATVs is as important as enforcement of existing laws, Cooke said. "The idea that we have open land on Grand Island is true, but it's not open for trespassing. Talk to somebody and make arrangements for you or your child or whoever to ride an ATV. You can't just go." Councilman Dick Crawford said that if ATV owners don't like current laws, they should work to get them changed. "I was contacted by responsible ATV owners who want to ride the trails." He added that, if it were legal for people to use their ATVs on trails set aside for that purpose, "you could curtail the damage."Grand Island Town Supervisor Peter McMahon presents a proclamation to members of the Disaabled American Veterans in support of their ongoing sales drive, (photo by Alice Gerard) SEE HUTH, continued on page 8 «% Th» Summit Main A] mere is no better ftine than now! IC fly 771.947* ■K?\>F« ls°whm&Mtoi wLwniiilillu 'H Ine autumn mam w wmrn | I J //*'»/* / 16> » *&luho m IKli! 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