The welcome mats at 13 properties on Grand Island were laid out for residents Sunday in the third annual Garden Walk.

Grand Island Town Hall turned the big 5-0 this year and hosted a small birthday party Saturday to celebrate the milestone.

The Grand Island Town Board issued a town proclamation at its July 2 meeting in which the board "encourages all residents to attend the 13th annual Paddles Up Niagara."

The Zonta Club of Grand Island awarded five scholarships at its annual scholarship awards dinner held on June 26 at the Buffalo Launch Club.

With the start of the 2018-19 school year, a changing of the guard took place at Monday's Grand Island Board of Education reorganization meeting.

Jo and Paul Klock of Grand Island celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a Mass at St. Stephen R.C. Church and a dinner at the Como Restaurant with family and friends.

The National Association of County and City Health Officials recognized the Erie County Department of Health as Large Local Health Department of the Year at the 2018 NACCHO annual conference held this week in New Orleans. ECDOH received the award as a result of the department's communitywide leadership in developing programs and strategies to combat the opioid epidemic.

Cars lined the streets along the Town Commons last weekend to support kids selling their products at KidBiz, the annual event for young entrepreneurs to sell goods and products.

Relay For Life of Grand Island is dedicated to continuing to share Mary Dunbar-Daluisio's hope with all cancer survivors and caregivers.

The contractor that provides garbage pickup for the Town of Grand Island is catching up on its work, the Town Board was told Monday.

Grand Island Fire Co. volunteer firefighters were busy responding to first aid calls all day during the Fourth of July holiday, the GIFC reports.

Sunday's Grand Island Garden Walk will include a stop at a courtyard maintained by the fastest growing garden club on the Island: the Kaegebein Garden Club.

The Grand Island Holiday Inn Express is now a reality.

Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns announced the Northtowns Auto Bureau is officially expanding to offer additional weekend hours. Joined by Tonawanda Legislator Kevin Hardwick, Kearns announced the Northtowns Auto Bureau will begin Saturday service on July 28.

The Erie County Department of Budget and Management announced the preliminary findings of the budget monitoring report (BMR) for May, which indicated strong growth of 4.93 percent in sales tax through April, and also showed an accompanying positive variance of $9,552,893 for May year-to-date. By comparison, the May 2017 BMR indicated an unfavorable variance of $8,478,351, which means the May position for Erie County has improved by $18,031,244 when comparing the two years.

Audiences at the 179th Erie County Fair this August will be amazed and dazzled by a collection of international circus performers in the all-new "Cyrk LIVE!" show to debut on Aug. 8. "Cyrk LIVE!," a custom produced show created especially for the Erie County Fair, will feature cycling stars, amazing aerial artists, eccentric jugglers and comedy. The family-friendly, single-ring spectacular will take place under a colorful European-style big top tent that will host three shows on weekdays and four shows on weekends.

Thomas Insana's artwork will be on display at the Grand Island Memorial Library right before the holiday and continuing through the month of July.

Join the Town of Grand Island for the 43rd annual Dick Bessel Independence Day Run and the 49th annual Independence Day Parade! The kids run begins at 9 a.m. and the adult run starts at 9:10 a.m.

On Monday, the Grand Island School Board held its regular meeting in the Professional Development room at Grand Island High School. Among other agenda items, the School Board welcomed seven new members to its staff.

The Grand Island Garden Walk Committee is hosting the Grand Island Garden walk, featuring gardens across the town. The walk will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 8. Maps of the walk are available at the Town Commons gazebo.

People Inc. Marigold Senior Living, located at 3026 Grand Island Blvd., hosted a free Health and Wellness Open House on June 22.

In 2008, a young and aspiring entrepreneur ventured down into his basement, grabbed an armful of old toys and sold them at KidBiz. Ten years later, KidBiz is still running strong on Grand Island.

Twelve-year Islander Albert Hujer was the lucky winner of Northwest Bank's $25,000 Home Makeover Sweepstakes. Results were revealed late last week.

How has air pollution affected the health of communities in Grand Island, the City of Tonawanda and Town of Tonawanda?

Now through the end of August, Soma Cura Wellness Center is leading six free outdoor yoga classes each week in area park settings - and one just for kids, too.

Following the release of the New York State Authorities Budget Office (ABO) report, the Erie County district attorney's office immediately conducted an investigation into the Erie County Water Authority (ECWA) to determine if any criminal violations had occurred.

Around mid-afternoon Wednesday, the Northwest Bank on Grand Island, 2300 Grand Island Blvd., was robbed by an unknown suspect.

Fantasy Island kicked off the summer 2018 season Tuesday with daily operations and the debut of Fairy Tale Forest, a re-imagined children's area.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has established a quarantine following the detection of 51 European cherry fruit flies in 2017.

More signage has been installed at several locations along the course of the new West River Connector Trail. This sign pictured is posted at the end of Whitehaven Road.

Islanders from the Golden Age Center took part in a kayak trip to Motor Island.

Residents on Whitehaven Road threw shade on a proposed solar power project proposed for their neighborhood.

Summer-like heat and sunshine didn't stop Golden Age members from enjoying a unique opportunity: kayaking on the Niagara River.

Fifty years after the demolition of old Town Hall, the historic cupola that sat atop the building has been returned to the Baseline Road campus of Island government.

Assemblyman Angelo J. Morinello and New York State Sen. Chris Jacobs will offer a free, one-hour Alzheimer's Awareness event from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 27, at the Golden Age Center, 3278 Whitehaven Road, Grand Island.