St. Stephen's Mission Club students were busily preparing Christmas greeting cards for the elderly. These cards, made with loving care, are being delivered to the residents at Our Lady of Peace Skilled Nursing Facility.

The Neighbors Foundation of Grand Island is assisting a record 68 families in temporary distress this holiday season.

The Grand Island Town Board approved a $1 million service contract with the Grand Island Fire Co. at its meeting Dec. 16.

During a public hearing on the contract, Greg Butcher, chairman of the board of the GIFC, said the contract with the town "has been longstanding and the fire company provides an incredible amount of services to the residents of Grand Island, and I would challenge any other community in Erie County to provide as many services as we do to this community."

The Neighbors Foundation of Grand Island is happy to report that we will be helping 68 families, your neighbors on Grand Island, this holiday season. Well, no, we are not happy to report that number of families in temporary distress on the Island; all wish that the economy and sources of good-paying employment were better. What we are happy about is that so many Grand Islanders have helped: financial and food donations, gift cards, hands-on help, to allow the Foundation to provide that service to some of our less fortunate neighbors.

Fahim Mojawalla, owner of Island Ship Center, has announced the launch of his new website at www.IslandShipCenter.com.

After running his ship center business for seven years under the umbrella of his corporation, Creative Leather Concepts Inc., Mojawalla decided to make a new site for the pack and ship portion of his Island business, which has grown to offer services like package holding and printing.

The Niagara River Greenway Commission has announced that the public comment period has opened for the 37th round of projects. In addition, the commission announced that the public comment time will close at the end of the day on Dec. 31.

Projects are posted at www.niagaragreenway.org. Comments may be submitted either at the website or by hard copy to the Commission at 2136 West Oakfield Road, Grand Island, NY 14072.

Sixty-three years to the day after his actions saved the lives of his fellow soldiers, a Marine was honored Wednesday on Grand Island.

At the Charles N. DeGlopper Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, Congressman Brian Higgins presented the family of Cpl. Richard J. Blasinski with medals earned by Blasinski as a member of the "Chosin Few," a name given to the Marines who fought in the Battle of Wonsan-Hungnam-Chosin in North Korea during the Korean War. Outnumbered 8 to 1 on one of the coldest days in North Korea, Marines fought Chinese forces in rough terrain.

The Grand Island Town Board has proclaimed Nov. 30, two days after Thanksgiving, as "Small Business Saturday" on Grand Island and urged all residents "to support local businesses that we value in our community by patronizing them on 'Small Business Saturday' and repeatedly throughout the year."

The St. Stephen Mission Club has been busy collecting gently used and new winter coats, hats, mittens, and scarves for the "Coats4Kids Drive" for the needy of Western New York.

The Grand Island Chamber of Commerce is hoping the second edition of the Light Up the Boulevard 2.0 will top the first.

For the first time in the history of the Grand Island CROP Walk, the Golden Sneaker Award has been given to the walker who raised the most donations online at www.cropwalkonline.org.

The Grand Island Town Board issued a proclamation naming the month of November 2013 American Legion Membership Month.

At a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Grand Island, governor of District 7090, Kevin Crouse, called the club "exemplary," and so much so that the community should be called "Grand Rotary Island." Crouse was in town on his annual visit to the Island.

Work on this year's edition of the Huth Road Elementary Newspaper began Wednesday with a meeting of the Newspaper Club, under the direction of Angela Hamilton.

Winners of the Grand Island Central School District's School Bus Safety Poster Contest were honored an award breakfast at Tops Market.

Fundraising efforts to build a new playground at Kaegebein Elementary School received a hand from a neighboring business. Kevin Slachciak, owner of Say Cheese Pizza Company, located just up Love Road from Kaegebein Elementary, presented the Kaegebein Playground Committee with a check for $750.

At a crowded Grand Island Board of Education meeting Monday evening, Veronica Connor Middle School Assistant Principal Eleanor Payne received official recognition from the American Heart Association for her administering of CPR on one of her students who had collapsed in full cardiac arrest in a school hallway Sept. 9.

Grand Island High School alumni from the 1960s to the present took the field one last time at their alma mater Saturday.

The Huth Road Elementary School PTA presented Honorary Life Membership to Carolyn Thompson and Tracey Shickluna at a recent PTA meeting. Honorary life memberships are presented to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding effort on behalf of the welfare of children and youth.

The members of the Grand Island chapter of DECA, a business and marketing club, were present to be inducted into the state and national level of DECA at Salvatore's Italian Gardens.

The penalties for driving while distracted in New York state are finally catching up with a problem that seems to grow more serious each day.

We have all seen motorists talking on their cellphones as they navigate busy thoroughfares and small neighborhood streets alike. Do drivers who try to conceal their smartphones by pressing their entire device between their ear and the palm of their hand actually think the ruse is working?

Participants had a great time recently playing two rounds of laser tag and enjoying some pizza and soda during a get-acquainted event for Grand Island High School's Interact Club.

Two proclamations at the Grand Island Town Board meeting involved an Islander to whom "the world's children have been a priority."

In honor of School Board Recognition Week Grand Island PTA Council hosted a reception for school board members prior to Monday night's meeting.

The Mary Star of the Sea Council No. 4752 celebrated its annual Past Grand Knight's Dinner honoring Paul Minton on Saturday, Oct. 19. This was Minton's second term as Grand Knight.

The big prize is a golden sneaker mounted on a board. The sneaker was once the Rev. Earle King's running shoe. Running shoes get retired more quickly than walking shoes, and the pastor of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, 2587 Baseline Road, transformed his shoe into the most coveted prize of Grand Island's annual CROP Walk, held on Oct. 13 in Beaver Island State Park.

More than 2,000 Sidway Elementary School students and Fire Prevention Open House visitors came to fire headquarters on Thursday, Oct. 10, to learn more about their Grand Island Fire Co. volunteers, equipment, and operational capabilities.

The Town of Grand Island will honor veterans of past military campaigns during the annual Veterans Day program. This year, the town will honor veterans of the Cold War, Iraq War and Afghanistan War.

Veterans, family members, and friends are invited to attend the program on Monday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m. at Veterans Park, located at 1717 Bedell Road. Each Veteran will receive a memento.

Grand Island veterans are asked to notify the Recreation Department if they will attend the program on Nov. 11, or if a veteran will be represented by a family member.

The Grand Island High School Art Club brings Halloween this year to the Island's Nike Base on Whitehaven Road. On Oct. 25 and 26, the students from the Art Club will treat young families, teens, and adults to a fun-filled spooktacular event.

Grand Island Fire Co. Lt. Tom Dewey and firefighter Chuck Piccone, with the help of a volunteer, teach students at St. Stephen School how to use a fire extinguisher during a fire prevention assembly.

Nearly a dozen dogs and one cat attended a pet blessing Saturday at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church on Baseline Road.

Connor Middle School students have known all summer that they would stage "The Wizard of Oz" for their autumn musical this year.

A celebration of 50 years at Gene Masters Field will be held Saturday, Oct. 19, at 11:30 a.m. before the 1 p.m. Grand Island Vikings home football game vs. Williamsville North.

Islanders are mourning the passing of a longtime teacher who put students at the center of her work.

Retired teacher and current school board trustee Joan Droit died Saturday. She was elected to the Board of Education on May 17, 2011.

"The Grand Island Central School District wishes to acknowledge the contribution Joan Droit made on behalf of students, faculty and the school community at large," the district said in a statement.

The Grand Island Chamber of Commerce is holding 30 Days of Giveaways from Oct. 1 to 30.

At the Grand Island Chamber Website Launch Party, Fahim Mojawalla, the chamber's media director, introduced 30 Days of Giveaways as a way for local businesses to increase their exposure with clients. Log on to the chamber website and register for a chance to win the giveaway of the day.

The second annual Taste of Grand Island Fall Festival presented by The M.O.G. took place Saturday, Sept. 28, on Grand Island Boulevard between Baseline and Whitehaven roads. The sun shined down all day for the event, which took place from noon to 8 p.m.

Navy veteran Peter Xanthos of East River Road (pictured at center) recently hosted visitors, including his shipmate from World War II, Walter Frey.

State Sen. Mark Grisanti, who represents the Island in the New York State Senate, recently visited Grand Island Memorial Library. Lynn Alan Konovitz, director, said Grisanti gave libraries like Grand Island's extra funding aid, which Memorial Library used for computer hardware.

Kindergarteners and first-graders at Sidway Elementary School underwent bus safety training as part of Bus Safety Week in the district Sept. 23 to 27.

Tuesday was Apple Day at Kaegebein Elementary School.