A new ride at Martin's Fantasy Island provides a view of Canada, Buffalo and the mist from Niagara Falls, and an 80-foot spinning freefall.

A lifelong dream to open a salon has culminated in Shear Paradise.

About two-dozen supporters watched Lisa and Kevin Dilliot cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the Shear Paradise salon.

At its Monday evening meeting, the Grand Island Board of Education recognized the service of two departing trustees: Emily Ciraolo and Tak Nobumoto.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Teresa Lawrence thanked Ciraolo and Nobumoto for their service. Ciraolo has been responsible for creating and helping maintain the district's Facebook page. Nobumoto has served as board president after a tenure as vice president. Nobumoto finished fourth out of four candidates up for election to three seats last month. Known for his insightful questions and orderly running of meetings, he will serve until a new president is elected in July at the board's annual reorganizational meeting.

The Grand Island Alumni Association and Grand Island Central School District Athletic Director Jon Roth have announced the first sponsor of "Friday Night Under the Lights."

Pete Hayes, Class of 1974, has signed on as a gold sponsor for the event, which will herald the opening of the new Gene Masters Field at Grand Island High School. The ongoing capital construction project includes a new football stadium, complete with new turf, new seating, new scoreboard and lights.

"Friday Night Under the Lights" will be on Friday, Sept. 19, at Gene Masters Field. The festive evening will begin at 5 p.m. with a gathering of old friends, classmates and players from the past 50 years.

United Way of Buffalo & Erie County is accepting project submissions from nonprofit organizations in Erie County for the annual Day of Caring, the largest one-day volunteer event in Western New York, which will connect thousands of volunteers with projects that will assist area agencies.

Day of Caring will be held Wednesday, Aug. 20, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. It is sponsored by Wegmans, HSBC, National Grid and UAW/GM.

Organized by the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, the annual event is designed to provide volunteer manpower to nonprofit organizations for projects and services that would otherwise cost organizations resources that could be spent on fulfilling their missions.

Hundreds of Islanders partied like rock stars May 31 and June 1 during the 12th annual Relay For Life at Veterans Park.

The Rotary Club of Grand Island and the Grand Island Central School District's PTSA honored 12 graduating seniors from Grand Island High School Tuesday at the annual Rotary/PTSA Students of the Year award banquet, held at Byblos Niagara Resort & Spa.

The Grand Island Chamber of Commerce will host the 18th annual KidBiz Sidewalk Sale on Saturday, June 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Rotary Club of Grand Island sponsored another Document Destruction Day, offering safe and secure destruction of sensitive materials.

Cancer is the enemy that attacks indiscriminately, said Mary Dunbar-Daluisio, 59, former co-chair of Grand Island's Relay For Life. "Cancer doesn't care how old you are. Cancer doesn't care how young you are. It doesn't care what gender you are. Cancer affects so many people because it doesn't just affect the person with cancer. It affects that person's family and friends."

Town, county and state government officials praised the Grand Island Fire Co. for its proud tradition of community service for the past 76 years. This anniversary celebration tool place at fire headquarters on Saturday, May 17, and was well attended by family members and special guests, including local fire service officers.

Board of Directors Chairman Greg Butcher noted that the GIFC has kept pace with increased membership recruitment demands and took in a class of six rookies during 2014. Personal sacrifice is nothing new to members of the volunteer fire service, who provide more than 70 percent of fire and emergency medical services protection throughout the United States. He concluded that GIFC accomplishments to date would indicate that the township is "in very good hands."

While growing up in Grand Island, Kristina Bulera fondly remembers spending much of her summers on the beach or the playground at Beaver Island State Park. During the past couple of summers, the 29-year-old co-owner of the Riverstone Grill with her husband, Chaz, would ride her bicycle to the park with a trolley on the back for her 3-year-old daughter, Avery.

The Father's Day Classic Car Show & Lawn Mower Race benefiting the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life on Grand Island will be held this year on West River Parkway at Long Road, Saturday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Shawn Conschafter, sales manager at Anchor Marine on Grand Island, wants to remind Western New Yorkers it's not too late to become involved with boating this year.

The 2014 season started locally on May 15, which, in comparison to last year's April 1 opening date, is a significant delay.

In celebration of the beginning of the season, Anchor Marine, located at 1501 Ferry Road on Grand Island, is holding an open house Saturday, May 31, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as well as Sunday, June 1, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

What makes Anchor Marine different from other area watercraft dealers?

For the second year in a row, Grand Island's The Beach House has won Niagara Frontier Publication's "Best Fish Fry" contest.

Patrons at LobsterFest 2014 will enjoy freshly cooked Maine lobster as they take the "ultimate musical journey through the decades of rock and pop music," courtesy of headline performer New York Rockin Revue, pictured.

A new adaptive playground on the Island for children with disabilities is just weeks away.

The Miracle League of Grand Island and Western New York took delivery Wednesday of equipment that will form a new playground adjacent to the present ball diamond and pavilion in Veterans Park.

Grand Island Fire Co. Chief Matt Osinski notes volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention has consistently been given "top priority" by the GIFC, and the results speak for themselves.

Bottle Junction co-owner Ray Pabon watches as a customer returns 519 plastic and glass bottles and aluminum cans and then walks out the door $25.95 richer than when he walked in just minutes before.

Erie County Legislator Kevin Hardwick and Town Supervisor Mary Cooke have announced a partnership to outfit town offices with furniture from the county's surplus warehouse.

PHOTOS: The auditorium at Grand Island High School has been gutted as part of the ongoing capital project in the Grand Island Central School District. Work on the ceiling went on high above the aud floor on the platform.

Olivia Goc and Ryan O'Neil recreate the famous spaghetti noodle scene from the Disney animated movie "Lady and the Tramp" during Monday's Lions Spaghetti Dinner.

Erie County Clerk Chris Jacobs recently announced the launching an aggressive campaign to significantly increase the number of Erie County citizens opting to become organ donors.

"Our goal is to raise the number of registered organ donors at our auto bureau by 30 percent," said Jacobs.

According to Unyts, 80 percent of people who become organ donors register at their local auto bureau. "That means we at the Erie County Auto Bureau have a unique privilege and a responsibility to tell our customers that this simple act of checking a box can save countless lives," said Jacobs.

The Grand Island Lions Club's 45th annual spaghetti dinner will be held Monday, April 28, at the Byblos Niagara Resort and Spa from 5 to 8 p.m. The Lions will not only offer sumptuous piles of plated pasta, a basket raffle, and a presentation of Lions' Peace Poster contest entrants, it will also offer the community access to representatives from area service agencies who will be able to provide information on their services (some free or at low cost) and even volunteer and employment opportunities.

Volunteers are again needed to sell newspapers to support Kids Day on Tuesday, April 29. Proceeds from this paper sale help support the Women and Children's Hospital in Buffalo.

Islanders will decorate their homes and workplaces with purple to show their support for the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life.

The liberating world of scuba is now an exciting option for disabled people in the Western New York area with its first student, Tom Schofield of Burford, Ontario, a quadriplegic. After 30 years out of the water, and a few false starts to learn scuba diving, Schofield was finally able to realize his dream of training to become a diver with the help of the regional Handicapped Scuba Association Training Team, Byblos Niagara Resort & Spa and Adventure Scuba and Watersports.

Three Grand Island High School music groups earned superior ratings at the Dixie Classic Festival in Washington, D.C., with one winning the top prize.

St. Stephen School on Grand Island was the latest setting for the magic and mischief of Rob and Carol Allen of Wheatfield, sponsored in part by the Western New York Dairy Industry.

Grand Island resident Al Shreder was selected as the grand-prize winner in the recent Island Dispatch survey contest. He and his wife, Marion, received a $150 gift card from Seneca Niagara Gaming Corp.

The Zonta Club of Grand Island will award scholarships at its annual awards dinner June 24.

The Memorial Scholarship Award of $750 will be presented to a woman between the ages of 18 and 25 in memory of deceased Zontians who gave of their time and resources to improve the status of women. To be eligible for this award, the applicant must be a resident of Grand Island, at least 18 years old (not a high school senior) and be enrolled in a degree or certification program.

The Career Advancement Scholarship will recognize one woman over 25 with a $750 award. She must be a resident of Grand Island and attending or have proof of acceptance in a program to further her education or help re-enter the job market.

Residents opposed to the rezoning of a parcel of the Light House Pointe housing development walked out of a meeting with developers after 20 minutes Tuesday, but stayed long enough to criticize the developers for scheduling the meeting on short notice.

Seven-year-old Gavin Firmstone got a surprise ride home from Huth Road Elementary School Thursday.

The Grand Island Chamber of Commerce has named Teddy Linenfelser Citizen of the Year for Service to the Community.

The chamber will honor Linenfelser at the 48th annual Citizen of the Year Awards Thursday, April 24, at Byblos Niagara Resort and Spa.

Teddy Klingel Linenfelser was born to Ted and Marion Klingel shortly after they and daughter Mary Ellen moved into their new house in Grandyle Village. She attended grades kindergarten through ninth grade at Charlotte Sidway School before taking the school bus off the Island for 10th through 12th grades. Her children attended Sidway and her grandchildren also went to kindergarten and first grade at Sidway.

The Erie County Legislature issued a proclamation at its recent meeting to recognize and commend the Island Dispatch on the celebration of its 70th anniversary.

The Grand Island Chamber of Commerce has named Grand Island High School teacher Cheryl Chamberlain Citizen of the Year - Educator 2013.

The chamber will honor her at the 48th annual Citizen of the Year Awards Thursday, April 24, at Byblos Niagara Resort and Spa.

Chamberlain has been teaching with the Grand Island Central School District since 2000 when she and her husband, Gregory, moved back to where he grew up to raise their daughters Brooke and Sarah. When they moved into their home on Stony Point Road, Chamberlain was considering going back to school and her husband said, "Why don't you substitute teach at the schools on Grand Island?" This started Chamberlain's career focus in business education.

The Grand Island Chamber of Commerce has named the winners for the Chamber of Commerce's 48th annual Citizen of the Year Awards event.

Four individuals and one business are winners:

•Nonnie Carroll - Volunteer Service

•Cheryl Chamberlain - Educator 2013

•Hizair Hair Salon - Business of the Year

•Lynn Alan Konovitz - Professional Contributor

•Teddy Linenfelser - Service to the Community

The Citizen of the Year Award dinner will take place Thursday, April 24, at Byblos Niagara Resort and Spa. Tickets will be available at the chamber office, 2257 Grand Island Blvd., or by calling 716-773-3651.

The third and last group of the third-grade Newspaper Club at Huth Road Elementary School, under the direction of Angela Hamilton, began work after school.

More than $10,000 in proceeds from the Robert G. Hoch Winter Memory Walk were donated to the Hospice Foundation of WNY.

The St. Stephen R.C. Church Holy Name Society will present a Pitmaster Barbecue from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 30, at St. Stephen School, 2080 Baseline Road. The pulled chicken or pulled pork barbecue (your choice) will include potato salad, coleslaw and baked beans.