Shortly before 11 a.m. on Sunday, July 8, Grand Island Fire Co. firefighters responded to a fire alarm at the Holiday Inn Grand Island, 100 Whitehaven Road on East River Road.

Nine-year-old friends Mike Valle and Jack Dlugokinski have been friends since kindergarten. Even though they attend different elementary schools, one at Huth Road Elementary and one at Kaegebein Elementary, they still do things together. Mike and Jack decided to team up as business partners and participate in this year's KidBiz event held on June 23. This Grand Island Chamber of Commerce event allows students in grades 2 through 8 to get an idea of what it is like to run a business. Mike and Jack made 60 marshmallow shooters and sold them all at KidBiz for $5 apiece. After seeing just how successful their product was at KidBiz, they decided to make another 125 marshmallow shooters to sell up and down Grand Island Boulevard during the Independence Day parade. The students went to Town Hall and applied for a peddler's permit and got to work. Mike and Jack decided after reviewing costs to make the product and to decorate each shooter with paint and duct tape they made a business decision to sell the shooters for $6 apiece during the parade. They worked together and sold 115 shooters on the Fourth of July. After paying their parents back for purchasing the materials, they had a nice profit. Mike and Jack play hockey together and decided to put some of that profit towards a hockey camp, but first they wanted to make a contribution back to their community. Mike and Jack met with Kim McMahon of the Miracle League of Grand Island and Western New York and donated $115 towards the organization, which provides an opportunity for disabled baseball players to play games on an adaptive diamond. Both boys love baseball, but Mike has a cousin who is now 4 years old and has special needs. His hope is to someday play baseball with his cousin at the new Miracle League Field located at Veterans Park on Grand Island. Mike and Jack are looking to continue the growth of their business. Those interested in purchasing marshmallow shooters for gifts or party favors can contact them by emailing [email protected].

The Historic Trinity Committee will present its final garden tour this upcoming Saturday, July 14, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. The tour costs $15 after Thursday, July 12, and at the door.

Shortly before 1 a.m. on Monday, July 9, Grand Island Fire Co. rescue personnel responded to a motor vehicle accident in the southbound lane of the I-190 near the Staley Road overpass. The horrendous crash was reportedly caused by a driver who was travelling in the wrong direction and then collided head-on with another vehicle.

Tom Igiel has been chairman of the chicken barbecue and silent auction at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church for 10 years. To him, it's more than just a chicken dinner fundraiser, it's a means to bring the 100 or so families in the parish together.

Grand Island resident and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent Christopher J. Dlugokinski was recognized for his part in courageous rescue efforts undertaken on July 19, 2011.

More than 100 golfers teed off at River Oaks Golf Club to support an Island boy with autism.

On June 26 at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo, Chuck Thore of Harvey Road was the honorary PALS member (Person with ALS) at a Buffalo Bisons game, and got to throw out the first pitch of the game with the assistance of his wife Kristen, and step-daughter Sarah Brand.

The Historic Trinity Committee will hold the ninth and final Garden Tour on Saturday, July 14, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting at Historic Trinity Church, 2100 Whitehaven Road.

One of the darkest days in Grand Island history was remembered Sunday during a ceremony along the West River. June 23 marked the 100th anniversary of the Eagle Park Resort pier collapse, which took the lives of 39 people.

Scores of Island children took over the Town Commons Saturday in the 16th annual display of youth capitalism.

David Nolf and Stacy Clark, Two talented Grand Island-native musicians, will open for major artists performing in the Niagara County area in coming weeks.

The Grand Island High School Class of 2012 heard Sunday that graduating isn't the end of the learning process.

The Grand Island Chamber of Commerce Island Happenings - KidBiz and Business Expo Event will be held on Saturday, June 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the lawn of the Town Commons.

Sunday's Father's Day Lawn Mower Races on West River raised thousands of dollars for the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life.

KeyBank Foundation, and KeyBank of Grand Island presented the Miracle League of Grand Island and Western New York $10,000.

The Kaegebein PTA recently recognized two of its members with the PTA Honorary Lifetime Membership award, Mary Haggerty and Tracy Melisz. In addition, Kathy Chadwick, pictured, was the recipient of the PTA Distinguished Service Award.

It's Father's Day on Sunday. Celebrate! Don't mow the lawn, instead rev that motor over to West River Parkway, between Long Road and Sunset Drive, for the Grand Island Lawn Mower Races and Classic Car Show.

Viridian and the Alliance for the Great Lakes are working to clean Beaver Island State Park.

At 6:16 p.m. on Monday, June 11, Grand Island firefighters responded to a reported structure fire at the home of Jeremy and Elizabeth Lange, after multiple calls for GIFC assistance.

Fire Chief Kevin Koch reported that the fire spread so quickly that the entire unattached garage was totally engulfed in flames when the first engine arrived on location within three minutes. Engines, Nos. 3, 4, and 5 and Ladder Truck No. 6 commenced a sustained interior and exterior attack on the house, but fire suppression crews encountered difficulty in keeping pace with the fire, which had penetrated the attic loft area directly beneath the roof of the house.

Mrs. Percival's third grade class at Huth Road Elementary School recently created nine fleece blankets for Project Linus as an end of the year community service project.

On May 26, at Veterans Park, Grand Island High School's Interact Club, with the help of the Grand Island Rotary Club, organized the Grand Island Flag Football Tournament to raise money for charity.

What started as "a little shoebox store" is celebrating 30 years in business this month.

The Zonta Club of Grand Island installed officers and new members at its annual installation dinner at the Buffalo Launch Club.

The Grand Island Central School District's music program recently accepted a national award that notes its status as one of the "Best Communities for Music Education in America."

Mike Madigan of Grand Island officially announced his candidacy for Congress in the 26th District Sunday at his campaign headquarters on Buffalo's East Side.

Grand Island native Stacy Clark, a national recording artist, is back with a brand new music video.

Grand Island is home to a new gasoline convenience store brand with the opening of the long-awaited Dino-Mart at the corner of Ransom and Stony Point roads.

Grand Island opened a new "gateway" at a ribbon-cutting for the new Fisherman's Landing on East River Road.

When cancer survivor Rita Thurnherr raises money for the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life, she reminds sponsors and donors about the impact that their donations make. It's standing right in front of them.

Before doing battle on the ball diamond, two opposing softball teams joined in a shared effort to honor the memory of one who lost her battle with cancer.

The Grand Island Community Chorus invites the public to its biggest concert event in the group's history.

The Grand Island Central School District participated in Operation Safe Stop, a statewide effort to help ensure that motorists stop for the school bus.

The sheriff was in town recently to meet Islanders and address local concerns.

The students of Grand Island High School recently had the unique opportunity once again to "shadow" a career for a day.

Beginning the day with breakfast and inspiration from guest speaker, the Hon. State Supreme Court Judge Henry Nowak, the students were prepared for a peek into the world of work. Locations this year included: the Buffalo FBI office, 98.5 WKSE radio station, Sweet Beginnings Bakery, Cannon Design, and local Grand Island schools.

One Island, One Team, One Dream, to be Drug Free, was formed in 2006 as a very grass roots movement when newly appointed Grand Island High School Principal Sandra Anzalone issued a survey to parents to determine the most pressing needs in the school body.

While millions have watched the annual Easter television broadcast of "The Sound of Music," Shannon McNaughton was recently watching it for just her second time.

Photo gallery; the Island Dispatch congratulates the following winners of the 2012 Easter coloring contest:

Sixteen years ago, Grand Island Central School Superintendent Paul Fields appointed Bruce Benson and challenged him to "take Grand Island Middle School into the next century." With forethought and meticulous planning, Benson met the task head on and accomplished exactly that.

During his tenure as principal, six new classrooms were added to the existing building, and it was renamed the "Veronica E. Connor Middle School." More significantly, however, Benson was instrumental in Connor Middle School's rating as one of the top 10 middle schools in Western New York.

Dick and Jenny Benz met in New Orleans at the Upperline Restaurant - she was a server and he was the chef. After getting married on Uncle PJ's boat on the West River, they decided to open a little dinner restaurant in uptown New Orleans. They called it Dick & Jenny's, of course.