The Grand Island Lions Club held its annual installation dinner at Byblos Niagara Resort & Spa. A number of members were recognized for perfect attendance and years of service.

The Grand Island Alumni Association will hold "Friday Night Under the Lights" when the first night football game on the Ransom Road campus in Grand Island Vikings history takes place at new Gene Masters Field.

Grand Island Dance Center recently took part in the Fairy House Festival, a yearly event held at Artpark in the Village of Lewiston.

On Saturday, June 14, the annual Father's Day Lawn Mower Race and Classic Car Show took place along the West River to support Grand Island Relay For Life. This family-friendly event, founded by Islander Floyd Doring even had a race category for push mowers for the younger race fans.

An Island group is seeking to explore environmental issues on the Island through the medium of photography.

The Grand Island PhotoVoice project began Wednesday night at St. Timothy Lutheran Church with an introductory meeting attended by more than a dozen people. The GI version of the PhotoVoice tool is meant to express viewpoints of community members regarding their health and environment in the wake of the 2013 conviction of Tonawanda Coke for polluting and violating the federal Clean Air Act.

Kim Yaeger, a facilitator and member of the St. Timothy congregation, will collect photo submissions from the community that address how the outdoor environment improves, threatens or harms health and quality life.

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!

The Miracle League of Grand Island and WNY is saying "Thank you" to the scores of volunteers who went to work on Father's Day weekend at Veterans Park to build the latest addition to the baseball complex for the disabled.

The process of building a new million-dollar storage and maintenance building for Veterans Park is underway.

At its meeting Monday, the Grand Island Town Board set a public hearing for Monday, July 7, at 8 p.m. in Town Hall to consider an application by Russell Certo to rezone 1881 Bedell Road from R1D to M2 for the purpose of constructing the maintenance building.

Board members held a meeting with Bedell Road residents May 21, where they explained the town would lease the property with an option to later buy it at an estimated cost of $1.2 million. The lease-and-buy option would allow the town to avoid prevailing wage laws and save 20 percent on the overall cost of the project.

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.