Island Dispatch, 1994-11-11

              THE ISLAND DISPATCH X-PRESS 1 Hour Dry Cleaners "Trust the X-Perts" Drop off your clothes with confidence 2275 Grand Island Blvd. Town Hall Square Ca11... 77KLEAN Mon-Fn - 6 30-7 PM; Sal • 8 AM- 8 PM Furniture Inc. Interior Dhskin Service Ilourn: Mm , Wed., * Ihun 9-9 In * Sal. 9 U) S • Tun. 9 lil Noon 6001 Pixtti Kd !■■ iin l'». k.,i.l CII/.1 • NT, NY 14304 297-6666 November 11,1994 24 Pages 504 Vol. 51 'No. 32 Ararat Stone To Be Exhibited In Buffalo THE CORNERSTONE of the visionary city Ararat is no longer in the town hall. It has been returned to the Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society building where it is to become part of a three-gallery exhibit entitled "Neighborhoods - The People of Erie County." The cultural display of ethnic heritage items is expected to be ready for public viewing early in January. The mythical city of Ararat was the dream of Major Mordccai Noah as a refuge for Jewish refugees on 2,225 acres of Island land in the vicinity of what is now the River Oaks complex. Part of Noah's plan was to tax every Jew in the world for maintaining the proposed city and assisting the people who settled there. An elaborate cornerstonelaying ceremony was held in St. Paul's Church (now Cathedral) in Buffalo September 1, 1825 when transportation to the Island proved to be an obstacle. But the city never materialized. "The whole thing died and passed among the other thousand absurdities that preceded it," Lewis F. Allen is reported to have said in a talk in 1866 before the Buffalo Historical Society. The stone for a while after the ceremony rested behind St. Paul's Church. Later it was brought to Grand Island and displayed in various places such as Shccnwater, the Wallace Baxter farm and even at River Lea on Allen's Farm. Returned to the Buffalo Historical Society in 1866, it remained there until brought back to the Island in 1962 through efforts of the newly formed Grand Island Historical Society. Other than the two-year period when it was part of a Jewish exhibit in Philadelphia, the stone remained in the Grand Island town hall until it was returned to Buffalo this week. MEK Darryl Dodge and Supervisor James Pax, supervised by Town Historian Marion Klingel, remove the Ararat Stone from the town hall in preparation for an exhibit at the Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society building. Photo by Barbi Lure Isle Voters Favor Pataki: Approve Bell-Jar Law GRAND ISLAND voters helped elect Republican George E. Pataki as governor, 4431 votes; Democrat John LaFalce another term in Congress, 3548; and Democrat Sam Hoyt to remain as the town's assemblyman, 3834 votes. The local proposition to allow bell jar games was approved 2910--1987.Other vote getters for the Island included winners Anthony Nanula, 2508; and Senator Daniel P. Moynihan, 3361; County Clerk David J. Swarts, 3428; Supreme Court Justices Norman J. Joslin, 2222 and John A. Michulck, 2247. A total of 2180 voters were cast here for incumbent Governor Mario Cuomo. MEK Election '94 Vote - Story Of Incumbents & Republicans REPUBLICANS celebrated nationwide as it became evident Tuesday night that they would take control of the House and Senate. Seven key gubernatorial races went Republican including New York where George Pataki stunned threeterm Democrat Mario Cuomo. Western New York's Dennis Vacco was also helped by the Republican show of strength as he narrowly led Karen Burstein for state attorney general. Locally, it was a victory for the incumbents as Daniel Moynihan was returned to Senate for a fourth term in a race that was really no contest for the popular public servant. Democrat H. Carl McCall held on to his comptroller post in a tighter race with Herb London. In the state congressional race incumbent John J. Lalalce was another Democratic survivor in the Republican onslaught by securing his 11th term in the House of Representatives. He beat I.ockport lawyer William Miller Jr. hy 20,000 votes. Miller took Niagara and Orleans counties, but lost liric and Monroe counties. Fire Company Budget Meets Opposition THE PRELIMINARY fire protection and emergency budget for 1995 was approved by the town board at Monday's meeting, but not with the wholehearted support of all five members. Councilman James R. Sharpe recommended the Fire Company consider cutting 10 percent from the spending plan in the light of the general fund tax increase. The fire protection rate of 99 cents per M now projected is the same as at present. No increase is projected. Council woman Mary S. Cooke also expressed dissatisfaction, complaining that the volunteer company did not submit its budget by the September 30 deadline. Councilman Gail J. Lazenby, instructor of the Fire Company's paramedic unit and a member of the board of directors, also was criticized by Sharpe who questioned if that might be a conflict of interest with his town board position. "There is no conflict," Lazenby said. "The only thing I said at the fire company board of directors meeting was that there could not be a rate increase." He then abstained from voting on the budget after CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Weekend At A Glance a************************************** Friday Grand Island  FISH rHY, Kof C hall, 4:30-7 P.M.. $5.50 for adults, $5 for seniors, $50 ** " 1!»lanu /dQ-Xt? for ages 6-12 Veterans' Dav ij^ffiWr HOLIDAY BAZA*»R, Trinity Church. 11 AJvt.-S P.M. rtimmnnxr T^^^^H/G&ff SPAGHETTI DINNER, Trinity Church, 2100 Whitehaven, 5-7 P M , ceremony %MM* Saturday Today, November 11, M^^Zmmm// CRAFT FAIR* Kaegebcm Elementary, 10 A.M-4 P.M. 11 A.M. at m^^S^^i MAGIC SHOW. Kaegcbein Elementary, 10 A.M. & 12:30 P.M. DeGlopper Park, 2/ CHOWDER SALE. Boy Scout Troop 575, Sl Timothy's Lutheran i,»h kx, p„„( aoAa  Church, 11 A.M., S3 per quart, bring a container and receive a discount tea Dy vrw rosi B ****************************** VA*******