Let's Go Back for June 20, 2014

40 Years Ago, June 12, 1974

St. Stephen's annual Chicken Bar-B-Q set

Pies, pies and more pies are being called for these days from the ladies of St. Stephen's Church as preparations are being made for the annual Chicken Bar-B-Q scheduled for Father's Day, Sunday, June 16.

Each year on "Chicken Dinner Sunday," the pies begin to arrive with the early churchgoers. By noon long tables are groaning under the weight of 400 to 500 beautiful, home-baked pies of every description. By mid-morning, members of the pie-cutting brigade appear bearing their aprons and favorite knives. From then ... the pie-cutting room is a beehive of activity.

Many of the ladies of St. Stephen's have been baking and cutting pies for the annual affair for more years than even they can remember. "Years ago," they will recall, "there were fewer families living here but great crowds came by ferry boat and the Tonawandas. ..."

30 Years Ago, June 8, 1984

Residents still requesting Mesmer action

Progress made by Mesmer & Sons Dairy to comply with environmental laws concerning the Love Road business was praised by one Glen Avon Road resident, Ken Tornabene, at Monday's Town Board meeting but failed to receive comment from other nearby neighbors attending the session.

The Town Board was criticized for its failure to include on Monday's agenda the May 21 petition signed by 67 homeowners, urging Town Board action in requesting improvement in the plant and surrounding territory owned by the Mesmer Company. ...

20 Years Ago, June 10, 1994

Bridge to Canada again in planning stage

A bridge between Grand Island and Canada may at last become a reality. Shown on old Island maps as a possibility, one is now being proposed by Canadian developers as part of a $1.5 billion highway linking Buffalo with Detroit.

The proposed turnpike would be privately financed from Buffalo to St. Thomas, Ontario, tying into Highway 410 where it would continue to Detroit.

According to John Sherk, chairman of the Ontario Turnpike Steering Committee, the road could be completed as early as 1999.

For Grand Island, the project would also include a new four-lane bridge across the east river and a highway across the town to the west river bridge to Canada.

Leonard DePalma of the Buffalo division of the Thruway Authority has estimated the Buffalo-to-Detroit turnpike would handle about 30,000 vehicles a day. ...

10 Years Ago, June 11, 2004

Residents speak their minds at hearing

Nearly 100 Island residents turned out for the fifth rezoning hearing held June 3 at Kaegebein Elementary School.

The residents were given the opportunity to speak about the proposed zoning changes that could be coming should the Grand Island Town Board adopt the new zoning plan.

...For residents in R1A, that zoning has been separated into two categories. Those in R1A and do not have sewers, under the proposed plan would be designated as R1B. For those who have sewered lots, they would now be R1C. Residents who had their property in the R1B would be designated as R1D, and those who had R1D would be R1E, as these would be non-conforming lots.