Accident Leads to DWAI-Drugs Arrest

Accident Leads to DWAI-Drugs Arrest
New York State Police responded to a one-car accident on Rice Road in Elma at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Wed., Feb. 15. An investigation revealed that the 30-year-old Buffalo man was driving with a suspended license, and had no insurance on the 2002 Ford Explorer he crashed. He was allegedly was under the influence of drugs, and he was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs. He was processed at the State Police Elma Barracks, and a blood sample was obtained.

No Contests Expected in Village of East Aurora Elections
The Village of East Aurora will have a quiet election season in 2012. Tuesday was the last day in which candidates for the three open trustee posts and the mayor’s seat could submit independent nominating positions. The only candidates to submit petitions by the Feb. 14 deadline were current Mayor Allan Kasprzak and incumbent trustees Ernest Scheer, Patrick Shea and Randy West.

Aurora Historical Society Looks to Expand Millard Fillmore House Museum Complex
The Aurora Historical Society is considering a number of projects at the Millard Fillmore House Museum on Shearer Avenue. The organization hopes to expand the site by acquiring an additional parcel of land, members of the Historical Society told the Village Board at its Feb. 6 work session.

Iroquois Class of 2013 will Head to Walt Disney World
Iroquois High School students are going to Walt Disney World. The Iroquois School Board has approved a proposal for next year’s seniors to take an educational journey to the famed resort from Jan. 23 to 27, 2013. The board’s Feb. 8 vote followed a proposal the board heard from members of the student government.

Citizens, Teachers Speak Out Against Proposed Cuts at East Aurora Schools
Proposed staff and programming cuts, including the possible elimination of German language instruction, drew comments from local citizens and teachers at the Feb. 9 meeting of the East Aurora School Board. None of the proposed cuts have been finalized, Board President Daniel Brunson told the audience.

Review: "Millie" Charms Audiences
From the opening number through the final bow, East Aurora High School's production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" thoroughly charmed audiences last weekend. Strong voices, a talented orchestra, dazzling choreography, colorful sets, snazzy costumes, and appealing performances fit together flawlessly for one of the school's most impressive shows in the past decade. [See photos at Facebook.com/EastAuroraAdvertiser.]

Farm Fire in Holland [Updated Feb. 15]
Though exact numbers were unclear, at least 60 cows and 10 horses were displaced after fire ripped through a barn at the Norbert Bennett farm in Holland the afternoon of Mon., Feb. 13.

Felony DWI Charge Filed After Marilla Stop
While on patrol on Two Rod Road in Marilla around 1 a.m. on Wed., Feb. 8, Erie County Sheriff’s Deputy Simon Biegasiewicz stopped a vehicle for erratic operation. He arrested the driver, 33-year-old Aaron W. Lippert of Marilla, and charged him with driving while intoxicated, equipment violations and traffic infractions. The driving while intoxicated charge was raised to felony level due to a prior conviction for DWI. A breath test indicated Lippert’s blood alcohol content to be 0.08 percent. He was processed at the Elma substation and released on appearance tickets.

Holland School Board Looks at Cuts to Close $1.3 Million Budget Gap
Holland Central School District's budget estimates for 2012-2013 have been released and the good news is hard to find. In trying to close a projected $1.3 million gap, the School Board and administration are determining what programs will be eliminated, which positions to cut and what type of tax levy should be sent to the voters in May.

East Aurora School District Saves Thousands Through Bond Anticipation Notes
Rather than convert the debt from the district’s recent capital project to bonds, the East Aurora School District has been keeping the debt in the form of Bond Anticipation Notes, which have had lower interest rates than bonds in recent years. In 2010 and again in 2011, the district renewed those Bond Anticipation Notes, saving money in the short term and hoping that bond interest rates would not increase too much by the time the debt must (by law) be converted to bonds in 2013.

Immaculate Conception School Holds Science Olympics
Immaculate Conception School ended its celebration of Catholic Schools Week with the school's first-ever Science Olympics on Fri., Feb. 3. Students in kindergarten through grade four worked together, with fourth-grade students as team captains. Students in fifth through eighth grades worked on more advanced scientific problems, with eighth-graders in the team captain role.

Elma Business Turns Bottles and Cans Into Cash
Quick, clean, and easyâ€"that’s how Kevin Rolf and Sean Overton think the process of returning cans and bottles should be. And that is what they strive for at their new Elma business, Cans2Cash.

Village OKs Updated Offer for Center Street Site
The East Aurora Village Board on Monday night authorized Mayor Allan Kasprzak to execute an amended purchase offer for 33 Center Street. Village Attorney Robert Pierce reported that the renegotiated agreement for the site, which officials are eyeing as a potential location for a new central fire hall, is now contingent upon the board’s completion of its State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) of the property resulting in a "negative declaration" determination that the development of the project will not have a significant adverse environmental impact on the surrounding area.

State Selects East Aurora Middle School for National Contest
East Aurora Middle School is one of just 19 schools named as a New York State finalist for the National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence program. The program recognizes schools where students achieve at very high levels and schools that improve the performance of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Marconi's Team Creates New Tool for Military's Use
Will Marconi, a 2002 East Aurora High School graduate, served in the Marines for four years and earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. He is now the president of Reflex Edge, a business which sells a product not for the average American but for the Marines and Army. His business team members are personal friends who have the shared experience of serving in the Marines. And, importantly, his product that is marketed to the United States military is entirely American made.

Suspects Sought in Larceny from Copper Shop
Two women, each with glasses and black hair, reportedly worked in conjunction to steal a $120 vase from the Roycroft Copper Shop on South Grove Street. Around 10:20 a.m. on Mon., Feb. 6, one subject reportedly distracted a worker with questions about another object while the other woman put the vase into a large black handbag.

Aurora Waldorf School to Host Screening of "Queen of the Sun: What Are The Bees Telling Us?"
Aurora Waldorf School, in partnership with the East Aurora Cooperative Market will hold a screening of the award-winning documentary "Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us?" on Fri., Feb. 10.

Town of Holland Unveils New Website
With tulips, memorials and historic images on the home page, the Town of Holland has a new website that town officials hope will be more useful than previous editions.

clevermethod Takes a Creative Approach
clevermethod, a full-service web agency housed in an unassuming former furniture store on Maple Road, may be surrounded by farmland on the outside, but inside it seems to belong somewhere else entirely.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church Celebrates 150 Years in Elma
Looking back over 150 years of history yields a wealth of information and stories, some discovered through documents, some personally remembered and shared with others.