Island Dispatch, 1996-01-26

              THE ISLAND DISPATCH January 26, 1996 20 Pages 65c Vol. 52 • No. 42 & In Today's jja> Paper rin§ -j^-^ridal RM£%_ popper Conjunction In. Winter Special Now thru March • Kitchen & Bath remodeling • Call now lor tree estimate on Kitchen, Bath or any interior remodeling 773-6781 I Peace, justice and prizes Villa Maria College of Buffalo sponsored a Peace and Justice competition where students were asked to submit original poetry, essays, or posters on the Uieme What Peace and Justice Mean to Me. Pictured are Si. Stephen School poster contest winners in the grade 4-6 division: Robert Kujawa, grade 5, first place winner of a $100 savings bond; Paul Valera, grade 6, first honorable mention, winner of a $50 savings bond; Robert Koryl, grade 4, second honorable mention, winner of a $50 savings bond. Shown wilh the students are (left) Dr. Natalie Modgil, vice president for Academic Affairs; Sister Marcella Marie Garus, College President; and Sister Joanne Suranni, social studies teacher at St. Stephen. The awards were presented by Sr. Gams at Villa Maria College on Jan. 15, the national holiday celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Hoyt co-sponsors tax deadline bill for federal workers ASSEMBLYMAN Sam Hoyt (D-Buffalo, Grand Island) announced this week that he has cosponsored legislation to extend the deadline for furloughed federal employees to pay their real property taxes. 'The Republican Congressional leadership is AWOL, meanwhile federal employees are furloughed while their property tax obligations are not," Hoyt said, "and we have an obligation to help those caught in this legislative impasse." This legislation would permit federal employees furloughed by the shutdown of the federal government to pay their real property taxes up until March 31, 1996 without any late payment penalty or interest. It is estimated dial more than 70,000 federal employees in New York have been affected by the budget crisis, according to (he government's Office of Personnel Management. "Many federal employees and their families are suffering terribly because of missed paychecks caused by the current budget crisis," Hoyt said. "The shutdown has been devastating to the thousands of New York federal workers who have been furloughed. This bill provides some relief to those workers who are already under great financial stress because diey have been without paychecks." Hoyt represents the 144 th Assembly District which includes Grand Island and much of Buffalo's west side. Weather The Old r«tnner's Almanac Says: i Jan. 26-28: Rain. Jan. 29-31:. Snow, cold. Feb. 1-3: Mild. 1 .•now. Deputy linked to drug raid AN ERIE County Sheriff's deputy who worked in the Holding Center in Buffalo was fired when continuing investigation of a drug bust on Grand Island implicated him as a buyer. Robert Lawler, 38, was fired when it was found he had violated regulations governing the conduct of deputies. One was buying a handgun under the color of his badge, according to Internal Affairs Chief Louis Giardino. "That is the gun recovered during the drug raid," Giardino said. The raid on Blackmon Road here took place Dec. 6. Ronald Stelfans, a suspected drug dealer, 'was arrested at the Grand Island address when cocaine, valued at 512,000, a hand gun and more than S7.(XK) in cash was found there. Lawtef also violated regulations on associating wilh known drug dealers, Giardino said Uiis week, adding that the investigation is continuing in regard to possible criminal violations by the former deputy. Erie County Sheriffs deputies early in December also seized cash, guns and about 170 pounds of marijuana in a raid in a Town Hall Terrace apartment. Arrested there on charges of drug and weaponsrelated charges were Judy Shelton, and an illegal alien, Richard Ricardo of Mexico. MEK Officials attend Perinton for open space strategies talk GRAND Island town otficials, Dec. 19, attended a discussion meeting on open space strategies at the Town of Perinlon Town Hall. The trip was arranged by Assessor Jim Milne who attended with Conservation Commission Chairman Sam Akinbami and member Dorothy Westhafer, Planning Board Chairman John Trianda and Quality Quest board member Roger Cooke. Perinton Supervisor James Edwards and the town's assessor, Tom Beck, discussed how development is guided for the benefit of all, while the tax impact is minimal. Island officials were given Perinton's Limited Development District ordinance, information on its $600 per lot recreation fee, Capital Reserve Account for open space purchase and easement program. Pedestrian (usage) easements are established in developments there and the group stopped to view a part of the Crescent Trail system on the way home. Shown in front of the Town of Perinton Town Hall arc (left) Sam Akinbami Roger Cook, John Trianda and Jim Milne. Photo by Dorothy Westhafer Town and county tax bills mailed THE 1996 town/county tax bills were received last week from the county and Grand Island Receiver Marlcne L. McCarthy and her staff mailed them this week. Anyone who has not received a bill (those not paid by a bank or new owners) should call the office at 773-9623 after Jan. 31. Payments are due by Feb. 15. Mailed payments must show a postmark of Feb. 15 to be on time. A one percent penalty is added I'ch 16. If a receipt is requested, the return box must be checked.