Island Dispatch, 1995-12-29

              THE ISLAND DISPATCH 16 Pages 650 December 29, 1995 • M'9*i Frail,, Put,iki!lonifg^ Serving Grand island for Coalmen*, Arc. Winter Special Now thru March • Kitchen & Balh remodeling • Call now lor tree estimate on Kitchen, Balh or any Interior remodeling 773-6781 Vol. 52 • No. 38 Auld lang syne At the last town board meeting of 1995, Supervisor Jim Pax recognized outgoing board members Gail Lazenby and Marion Fabiano for their service to the town, awarding each with plaques identifying their accomplishments Lazenby and Fabiano lost their re-election bids to Andrea Moreau and Richard Crawford Jr Lazenby then presented his fellow Democrat, Fabiano, with roses and thanked her for her guidance. Continuing board members Mary Cooke and James Sharpe also had good things to say to the departing members, as did several citizens. during the"From the floor" session. Shown is Sharpe (left), Lazenby, Pax, Fabiano and Cooke. Photo by Barbl Island inauguration set for New Year's day NEWLY elected town officials will be inaugurated at a 1 p.m. ceremony Monday in Charlotte Sidway School. The ritual, to be conducted by the -Honorable Supreme Court Judge Christopher J. Burns, will honor reelected Supervisor James H. Pax,. Town Clerk Nancy J. Samrany, Receiver of Taxes Marlene L. McCarthy and Town Justice Francis B. Pritchard, as well as newcomers Councilwoman Andrea L. Moreau and Councilman Richard W. Crawford, Jr. The Rev. Monsignor Richard Cahill of St. Stephen's Church will pronounce-the invocation and Rev. Abram Dueck of Whitehaven Road Baptist Church will offer the benediction. Ms. Samrany will present the certificates of election. Donald A. Burns will be master of ceremony. A reception will follow in the Baseline Road school. MEKlingel High School plans Alumni Day GRADUATES OF the high school are welcome back for Alumni Day Friday. Graduates are invited to visit and share their post-graduate experiences with seniors during senior study halls. The event is sponsored by the PTSA. For more information call Kay ' Saunders, Alumni Day co-chairman (773-3087), Bonnie Benko, PTSA president (773-3479), or Principal John Essler at 773-8820. Essler said lunch will be available for visiting graduates LFC Town Meetings: Wednesday, Jan. 3: • Reorganizational meeting and regular town meeting, 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4: • Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., Board Room Monday, Jan. 8: • Planning Board, 8 p.m.. Conference Room Tuesday, Jan. 9: • Arch. Review Adv. Board. 7:30 p.m., Conference Room • Traffic Safety Adv. Board, 8 p.m., Conference Room Dunlop bond bombs; space issue still there by Lee Cohen A WELL-ORGANIZED and apparently well-financed campaign to defeat the bond referendum was successful as Islanders gave the issue a resounding "No" vote last Friday. The count was 1,514 to 552. with 13 blank ballots, for a total of 2,079. Ruth Baker, volunteer chairman for the referendum, said there was 353 first-time voters. Some senior citizens reportedly were taken for a ride to the high school by bus to cast their votes. Senior citizens turned out in large numbers, many concerned that the purchase would increase their school tax payments. A spokesmen for die school district denied thai would happen. In addition to seniors, other Islanders, including some school employees, expressed doubt about the referendum. Many were uncomfortable with the short time frame in which to consider the project: others were concerned about reliability of BOCES tenure in the current economic climate. Some voters said they would prefer to see a new gcnuol built when the time came rather than use the Dunlop building and one voter said she would like to see the building used as a senior citizens complex. Some of those involved in the fight against the referendum were reported to be Norman Bauman Jr., a former school board member; Jim Milne, town tax assessor; Mike Sendlbeck, owner of the former Galley Restaurant, and Robert Grimm, who owns property on the Island but is not a resident. Superintendent Paul Fields said the overcrowding problem, particularly at the Middle School, will not go away and will have to be addressed by September. Next year's sixth grade is projected to be the largest since 1983, with 281 students. Middle School Principal Agnes Becker said several faculty members have no home base and teach from a cart, including health, math, atid foreign language teachers. Former officers file lawsuit against town A STATE Supreme Court lawsuit against the Town of Grand Island, its Town Board and a Sheriffs deputy was filed Tuesday by attorney David G. Jay, who is representing former Grand Island police officers Patrick Dworak, Ron McNamee and Ed Niemann. The lawsuit seeks at least $100,000 from the town government, each member of the 1995 Town Board and Erie County Sheriffs Deputy Russell P. Pecoraro. The positions of the part-time officers were eliminated by the town in May in an effort to downsize the police force. Supervisor James r-ax ieporieu the reduction from 11 officers to seven will save the town between $20,000 and $25,000 annually. Paul Gorman, a former officer who also lost his job in May, did not join the lawsuit. The action has a political base to it - Pecoraro has been accused by Jay of conspiring with the Town Board to eliminate the positions after the police officers issued traffic tickets to Grand Island Conservative Committee members. The papers are scheduled to be served on the defendants this week. Once served, the defendants have 20 days to answer the complaint. Weather The Old Fanner's 3^*v^v\ Almanac Says: Q-/ w "*]7) Dec. 30-31: Freezing ii snow. Jan. 1-3: Severe cold. uV**|4 Jan. 4-5: Mild, flurries. 4 INNER PAGES: Grand Island's 1995 highlights, page 5  -**«/>/& /986