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From the Desk of the Supervisor: Fishing, concerts, celebrations planned

by jmaloni

•Taken from the June 20 Island Dispatch

Fri, Jun 27th 2014 11:55 pm

by Mary Cooke

Supervisor

Town of Grand Island

Happy summer, Grand Island!

Enjoy free fishing (no license required) at Fisherman's Landing at the South Grand Island Bridge on Saturday, June 28, in a contest sponsored by the Recreation Department from 8 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. Prizes will be awarded on July 1 at 2 p.m. More information is available on the "Recreation" page of the town website at gigov.com.

Summer concerts under the Grand Island Rotary Club Gazebo in the Town Commons begin on Tuesday, July 1, and run through Aug. 12. This year, two will be held at Byblos Niagara Resort & Spa: July 8 and July 22. The schedule is on the town's websitegigov.com and in the Island Dispatch. Hope to see you out enjoying some live music!

One of the many great things about living on the Island is the July 4th Parade. If you wish to be in the parade, reserve your spot with the Recreation Department at 773-9680; they are finalizing the lineup now! The festivities begin with the 39th annual Dick Bessel Run: kids at 9 a.m., everyone else at 9:15 a.m. Register online at register-this.com or pick up a form at Town Hall or the Recreation Office at the Nike Base. The Veterans of Foreign Wars will be holding their annual party following the parade and fireworks are scheduled for Martin's Fantasy Island at dusk. Please use good judgment and care as you enjoy the day and be especially mindful of no parking signs. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

June 9, 2014, marked the 70th anniversary of the death of Island native and World War II hero Pfc. Charles N. DeGlopper, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for sacrificing his life so his unit could run for cover. The U.S. Postal Service has issued Medal of Honor postage stamps featuring both the Navy and Army medal and honoring the 464 World War II soldiers who received this honor. Charles DeGlopper's name is halfway down on the first page of names in the folder holding the stamps. Get some at the post office on your next visit.

Quest Diagnostics is coming to Grand Island! This has been often requested and especially desired by anybody with regular need for blood tests. Drawings were submitted late in May to transform the former NAPA Auto Parts Store in the plaza near the south bridge into a Quest location. While we do not have an exact time frame, it seems that it will be open before the end of the year.

Grand Island has much open space and many wild animals. If you see a wild animal, leave it alone and it will generally go back to the woods on its own. DO NOT touch any wild animals, particularly those most likely to carry rabies: skunks, raccoons, foxes and bats. If you touch a wild animal, chances are you will be scratched or worse. When that occurs, the animal must be killed so that it can be tested for rabies. Please educate children that touching wild animals is a death sentence for the animal and could result in expensive and painful rabies shots for the victim of the contact. If you think there is a threat to public safety, call the Department of Environmental Conservation at 716-851-7000 or SPCA Wildlife at 716-629-3528. Flyers with excellent information about rabies are available in the kiosk at Town Hall. The Erie County Health Department has many good resources on their website at erie.gov.

It is garage sale season! Signs are a great help to attract people to your sale but they are not allowed on road signs or on utility poles. Signs need to be kept out of the road right of way. Please be as enthusiastic about taking them down after the sale as you are to put them up before the sale begins. If everyone takes responsibility for their signs, nobody is left with a mess to clean up and the Island will look so much better.

Sunnking is the company now taking the electronic waste that is collected at the Highway Garage, 1820 Whitehaven Road. Since 2012, electronics have not been allowed to be discarded in the trash; they can be left in the boxes under the awning. Microwave ovens are now accepted.

It's always a pleasure to hear from you and get your ideas about how we can improve our town. Please continue to stop by when you are at Town Hall. I am also easily accessible by phone at 716-773-9600, ext. 616, or email at [email protected].

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