The Miracle League of Western New York held a paver selling contest for all players and buddies, and the winner was Michael Dinsmore, who won a 32-inch flat-screen television donated by Double D Construction.

Grand Island Central School District has announced a new, mobile-friendly school district website is now live. In addition to a new look featuring Grand Island's own students, many new enhancements have been made, including improved navigation, a spotlight news section, upcoming events list and easy buttons to frequently visited pages, like the Parent Portal.

The 2013-2014 school year budget was discussed again at the Feb. 11 meeting of the Grand Island Board of Education. Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Joe Giarrizzo told trustees that he has adjusted his previous budget gap estimate from $1,514,000 to $1,644,199. The increase is due to higher wage and salary estimates for the coming year. Basically, 68 percent of the budget forecast increase is due to step increases in salaries. Giarrizzo also indicated that the mandated percentage that the district must contribute to the Teacher Retirement System is 16.25 percent, up 4.14 percent from the last reported estimate.

Born in Buffalo on Feb. 20, 1933, Jan Madejski died peacefully at his home in Grand Island on Feb. 12, 2013, surrounded by his family.

Dorothy E. (Roach) Carey, entered into rest Feb. 8, 2013. She was a resident of Grand Island.

Directors from the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce, elected officials, RE/MAX North agents and friends all joined Peg Eisenhauer, broker and owner of the new RE/MAX North office, at a ribbon-cutting.

In an effort to keep the property owners informed as to what information they will receive in March 2013, a public meeting will take place on Feb. 28, in the court room of the Town Hall at 7 p.m.

The Grand Island Chamber of Commerce has recognized Fahim Mojawalla, owner of Creative Leather Concepts and Island Ship Center, along with Liz Wilbert of Realty USA, for their generosity by stepping up as a Bronze sponsors for this year's Citizen of the Year Awards event.

The 2013 Relay For Life season began in a full sprint with a kickoff rally Wednesday.

New teams and veteran Relayers gathered at Grand Island High School to award medals for 2012 and to begin the 2013 event, which will have an Olympic theme of "Going for the Gold."

The Niagara Region of the Office of New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation will host "Birding on the River" at Beaver Island and Buckhorn Island state parks from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23.

Congressman Chris Collins announced Friday that the Federal Highway Administration is sending nearly $7 million to Western and Central New York to repair roadways heavily damaged when storms hit the region during August of 2009. Severe storms and heavy flooding washed-out many roads in southern Erie, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties. The same storm system also caused damage in Central New York.

The effects of dementia will be the topic of a special presentation at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, at ElderWood Health Care at Riverwood, 2850 Grand Island Blvd., Grand Island.

In an effort to improve upon what he called failings in the SAFE Act, and to reduce violent crimes in the communities, Assemblymen John Ceretto joined several of his colleagues Wednesday at a forum to discuss the issues of mental health, school safety, gun violence and general public safety.

Six new part-time police officers were hired by the town at the Grand Island Town Board meeting on Feb. 4.

With its opening performance of "Inherit the Wind" on Friday, Feb. 8, the Niagara Regional Theatre Guild celebrated its 90th year of community theater in Western New York.

Erie County Legislator Kevin Hardwick has planned two district outreach meetings on Tuesday, Feb. 19, to meet with residents and discuss county issues.

March 1 is the deadline for all Basic STAR, Enhanced/Senior STAR and veterans property tax exemptions to be added to the assessment roll for school tax year 2013-14 and town/county tax year 2014.

Wednesday, Feb. 13, the 2013 Relay For Life Kickoff will take place at 7 p.m. in the senior cafeteria of Grand Island High School, 1100 Ransom Road.

Ed Satterlee, a resident of North Port, Fla., and formerly of Grand Island, passed away after a brief illness.

Grand Island High School has announced that Job Search Seminar will be held Thursday, Feb. 14, at the Holiday Inn Grand Island, 100 Whitehaven Road, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Breakout sessions will be provided by local colleges.

The Grand Island Lions Club has been serving the community for more than 50 years, and though most people are familiar with our eyeglass collections, our Special Kids Picnic, our annual spaghetti dinner, and our involvement with the Miracle League Field, most are not aware of all the behind-the-scenes activities we perform and the services available through our work and our association with sight, hearing, health, and environmentally-related professionals and organizations.

Take, for example, the trip a used pair of eyeglasses takes from your face to the face of someone, somewhere in the world, who needs them but, unfortunately, can't afford them. How can we do that for just 8 cents a pair?

The Kaegebein Community Playground Committee will host "Dinner and a Show" to raise money for a new playground.

On Friday, March 1, the Playground Committee will supervise the annual Kaegebein Talent Show, with a spaghetti dinner fundraiser preceding the show.

The event will take place at Grand Island High School, 1100 Ransom Road.

The 2013 Relay For Life Kickoff Party will take place Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. in the senior cafeteria of Grand Island High School, 1100 Ransom Road.

Grand Island Women of the Moose Lodge No. 180, 2524 Grand Island Blvd, will hold a chili cook-off to benefit cerebral palsy on Sunday, Feb. 17, starting at noon.

The Niagara Regional Theatre Guild will celebrate its 90th anniversary with a pre-show ceremony sponsored by KeyBank, including ribbon-cutting and a birthday cake on stage, after the show "Inherit the Wind."

Ray Billica has announced that he will seek re-election to the Town Board position of councilman he has held for the last three years.

The Holiday Inn Grand Island and Niagara Frontier Publications have pledged support for the annual Citizen of the Year award banquet with platinum sponsorships.

WIVB-TV's Luke Moretti will act as this year's master of ceremonies at the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year awards dinner.

Town of Grand Island officials and local police are hoping a $1,000 reward will help resolve a spate of vandalism incidents that have taken place at the Nike Base.

Erie County Sheriff Timothy B. Howard has reported the arrest of two offenders for driving while intoxicated by sheriff's road patrols in separate incidents on Sunday morning, Jan. 27.

Following three motor vehicle incidents on Friday, Jan. 25, Grand Island Fire Co. rescue personnel had to contend with two separate accidents on Sunday, Jan. 27.

On Saturday, Feb. 9, Serene Gardens, 2800 Grand Island Blvd., will host a free Japanese cooking demonstration and tasting, beginning at 4 p.m. Explore two basic staples of Japanese food, miso soup and sushi roll, with Serene Gardens' Chef Satomi Smith.

Coming off of a recent Buffalo Soup Fest award for "Best Kept Secret," Satomi will demonstrate how she prepares these dishes from the first step; making broth for miso soup, washing the rice properly, making the vinaigrette for sushi rice, etc. Following the class there also will be a sake and wine tasting.

Football and chili go together like Interact and Rotary. The latter two joined together Tuesday at Grand Island High School to make chili in advance of the Super Bowl.

Grand Island is putting out the "Open for Business" sign and taking a proactive approach to business development.

Members of the town's Economic Development Advisory Board are ramping up efforts to promote the town as business-friendly. EDAB Co-chair Tom Knight said the group's goal is to recruit new business to the Island "that are a fit and makes sense, without stepping on the toes of existing businesses."

The Grand Island Board of Education worked through a lengthy agenda of approvals, reports and tabling of items.

The board also had a new look, which included new Interim Superintendent of Schools Paul Hashem, Vice President Paul Krull presiding and trustee Tak Nobumoto in attendance via Skype. Trustee Joan Droit was absent due to a medical problem, and the board is functioning without a president since David Goris' resignation earlier in the month.

Erie County Legislator Kevin Hardwick has announced that a Home Energy Assistance Program outreach will be held Tuesday, Feb. 5, at Grand Island Golden Age Center, 3278 Whitehaven Road. Interviews will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. All applicants will be interviewed.

The Grand Island Historic Preservation Advisory Board is looking to scan pictures to save for future generations. Bring your old pictures of family, friends, buildings, etc., from earlier days on Grand Island, to be saved for posterity.

The music department at Grand Island High School has turned its ship around 180 degrees in presenting "Anything Goes" as its spring musical this year.

John French Wakeley, entered into rest Jan. 28, 2013. He was a resident of Grand Island.

The Town of Grand Island has received a grant of more than $200,000 to improve sidewalks in the Ransom Road neighborhood near Grand Island High School and Veronica Connor Middle School.