When a teacher aide saw a male worker touching a young student in his private places she reported it to the teacher she was assigned to.  A letter was sent from the Principal to the Supertendent of School, Mr. Williams. The staff involved with notifying the Superintendent expected quick action.

Over four months passed before the Supertendent did anything about this serious case.  His defense for not acting faster is that he doesn’t read all his mail.  The letter sent by the principal was one he didn’t read.  Then someone, perhaps a secretary, should be assigned to read those he deems beneath him, or whatever!!!

Mr. Williams has worn out his time in Buffalo. He must be fired now.

Short Bib :

Gov. Patterson of New York State has stated New York recognizes gay marriages wherever they took place.  New York State doesn’t allow gay marriages.

Jim,

Since you find it necessary to trumpet certain Town Board members for showing up at the Parade, perhaps you should take note that at the annual Memorial Day ceremony Mohan was a NO SHOW.  He was listed on the program for a presentation of a wreath but when his name was called he was nowhere to be found.  Many other State and Town elected Officials were there, but Mohan was not.  Perhaps you recall that at the first 911 ceremony in front of the Town Hall after he was elected he did also not show, but was observed entering the Town Hall by the rear entrance during the playing of the National Anthem.  He will show if he is asked to speak, but other than that he shows nothing but contempt  for our brave Veterans.  Check it out….

Ddemps

By PAULINE JELINEK, AP Writer

WASHINGTON - The number of Army suicides increased again last year, amid the most violent year yet in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

An Army official said Thursday that 115 troops committed suicide in 2007, a nearly 13 percent increase over the previous year’s 102. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because a full report on the deaths wasn’t being released until later Thursday.

About a quarter of the deaths occurred in Iraq.

The 115 confirmed deaths among active duty soldiers and National Guard and Reserve troops that had been activated was a lower number than previously feared. Preliminary figures released in January showed as many as 121 troops might have killed themselves, but a number of the deaths were still being investigated then and have since been attributed to other causes, the officials said.

Suicides have been rising during the five-year-old war in Iraq and nearly seven years of war in Afghanistan.

The 115 deaths last year and 102 in 2006 followed 85 in 2005 and 67 in 2004. The only Army records immediately available go back to 1990, and show no year with a higher number of suicides than 2007. The figure in 1990 was 102.

More U.S. troops also died overall in hostilities in 2007 than in any of the previous years in Iraq and Afghanistan. Overall violence increased in Afghanistan with a Taliban resurgence and overall deaths increased in Iraq, even as violence there declined in the second half of the year.

Increasing the strain on the force last year was the extension of deployments to 15 months from 12 months, a practice ending this year.

The increases in suicides come despite a host of efforts to improve the mental health of a force stressed by the long and repeated tours of duty.

The efforts include more training and education programs, such as suicide prevention programs and a program last year that taught all troops how to recognize mental health problems in themselves and their buddies. Officials also approved the hiring of more than 300 additional psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health professionals and have so far hired 180 of them. They also have added more screening to measure the mental health of troops.

Earlier this year, Lt. Gen. Michael Rochelle, the deputy chief of staff for personnel, directed a complete review of the Army’s suicide prevention program, according to the Army’s Web site. He called for a campaign that would make use of the best available science, and would raise awareness of the problem.

“Since the beginning of the global war on terror, the Army has lost over 580 soldiers to suicide, an equivalent of an entire infantry battalion task force,” the Army said in a suicide prevention guide to installations and units that was posted in mid-March on the site.

“This ranks as the fourth leading manner of death for soldiers, exceeded only by hostile fire, accidents and illnesses,” it said. “Even more startling is that during this same period, 10 to 20 times as many soldiers have thought to harm themselves or attempted suicide.”

The numbers kept by the Army only show part of the picture because they don’t include guard and reserve troops who have finished their active duty and returned home to their civilian jobs.

The Department of Veterans Affairs tracks the number of suicides among those who have left the military. It says there have been 144 suicides among the nearly 500,000 service members who left the military from 2002-2005 after fighting in at least one of the wars.

The true incidence of suicide among veterans is not known, according to a recent Congressional Research Service report. Based on numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the VA estimates that 18 veterans a day — or 6,500 a year — take their own lives, but that number includes vets from all wars.

Our dogs in Amherst are very pleased with the gift we have given them, the Amherst State Park on Mill St. near Sheridan Dr.  There our dogs can run, play with the other dogs, and do their duty with is picked up by their owners.  Many of these dogs are not on any type of leash so they can run free and enjoy nature.  Nothing has been done at the park since Supervisor Grelick bought it so it’s most practical use is as a dog park.

The Town leadership moves at the speed of a dead snail.  Any progress, like placing nice Johnny on the Spot commodes and some benches where senior visitors could rest a bit as they walk the trail in the park would be a HUGE improvement.

This trail is one of the most beautiful in New York State as Council member Shelly Schratz has been screaming from the Town Hall roof top.  We own this land.  Let us create a nice place to visit for everyone, especially our senior citizens.

Blending a dog park and a nature walk could be done if our Town Board is given the go ahead by Supervisor Mohan.

The germ, resistant to some antibiotics, has become a regular menace in hospitals and nursing homes. The study found it played a role in nearly 300,000 hospitalizations in 2005, more than double the number in 2000.The infection, Clostridium difficile, is found in the colon and can cause diarrhea and a more serious intestinal condition known as colitis. It is spread by spores in feces. But the spores are difficult to kill with most conventional household cleaners or antibacterial soap.C-diff, as it’s known, has grown resistant to certain antibiotics that work against other colon bacteria. The result: When patients take those antibiotics, competing bacteria die off and C-diff explodes.This virulent strain of C-diff was rarely seen before 2000.“The nature of this infection is changing. It’s more severe,” said Dr. L. Clifford McDonald, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expert who was not part of the study.There are other factors that play into the rise of C-diff cases as well, including a larger of number of patients who are older and sicker. “And there may be some overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics,” said Dr. Marya Zilberberg, a University of Massachusetts researcher and lead author of the study.

Supervisor Mohan finally thought he had a man who was willing to take the job as our Town Engineer but like all the rest of the people interviewed he turned the job down.  Now we are finally advertising in national trade magazines and trade papers for a Town Engineer.  Not having a Town Engineer has been very costly to our town.

Senate Democrats Advocate for Bipartisan Passage of Enhanced Statewide Brownfields Legislation to Accelerate Neighborhood Clean-ups and Provide $1 Billion in Tax Credits 

New legislation would also create new jobs, help build affordable housing and provide $40 million in community grants 

(Albany, NY) The New York State Senate Democratic Conference today called for the Governor and State Legislators, both Republican and Democrat, to take action before the end of session and approve new Brownfields legislation that will speed-up neighborhood clean-up projects statewide. 

At stake, are nearly $1 billion in state tax credits and $40 million in state-funded community planning grants that can be used to help reclaim thousands of polluted sites in urban, suburban, rural, industrial, and residential areas across New York state if action isn’t taken now.  

Democratic Leader Malcolm A. Smith (D-St. Albans) said that bipartisan support is needed to pass the legislation to expand and improve the current five-year Brownfield Cleanup Program by effectively targeting public funding to create economic opportunities in areas suffering from abandonment, neglect, and environmental damage. 

“We need to jump start these negotiations for the sake of all New Yorkers,” Senator Smith said. “To clean-up contaminated sites for beneficial reuse in our upstate areas is critical to creating new jobs and affordable housing.” 

The legislation (S. 6177A) authored by State Senator Antoine Thompson (D-Buffalo/Niagara Falls), includes a new Brownfield “Shovel-Ready” program that would bring the Empire State Development Corporation, New York’s most powerful development arm, into Brownfield projects.  Brownfields are contaminated and/or rundown properties found statewide that have been  identified for remediation, development or expansion into usable properties. 

Senator Thompson said: “This new legislation protects the environment and provides other economic development measures that will benefit all New Yorkers today, as well as, our children and future generations.”   

The bipartisan deal is needed before the end of session next month “to maximize the benefits of the nearly billion dollars available in Brownfield Tax Credits.”  

Democratic Senators Thompson and Velmanette Montgomery (D-Brooklyn), Republican Senator Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset),  Assemblyman Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst) and Governor David Paterson have all contributed bills to improve the state’s Brownfields programs.

“Moving forward to remediate brownfields not only addresses the cleanup of environmental hazards; but it helps our localities access the land needed to build new affordable housing, support economic development and increase needed urban open space. In upstate and downstate, our communities need all of this to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” said Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan).

There are many sites around the state where businesses have left–such as gas stations, retail spaces and factories–that have severely impacted surrounding communities, Senator Thompson said. 

“This new legislation would not only combat urban blight, but create jobs as well,” he added. 

The Empire State Development Corporation Plays Key Role 

A key component of the new legislation is that the Empire State Development Corporation would be charged with boosting jobs and local development. 

Under Senator Thompson’s proposal, the Empire State Development Corporation would have the power to purchase contaminated properties, clean them to meet state environmental standards using local, state and federal grants, and sell the properties to businesses. In exchange, those businesses would agree to build quality structures and create new jobs. Additional requirements include, the majority of the jobs be filled by local residents and pay competitive living wages plus benefits. 

Smith said the new ESDC role could spur new job creation and local economic development through recycling and manufacturing-center development through Brownfield projects. 

“With ESDC involved we would have the power to create new green-jobs that can help boost the state’s economy and tax-base,” Smith said. “This is a win-win situation.

“Environmental advocates praised the proposed bipartisan legislation saying the measures would save tax dollars and “help safeguard the environment of the Empire State.

“Mathy Stanislaus, Co-Director, New Partners for Community Revitalization, Inc., said:  “The Brownfields Law must be fixed this session for it to be a tool to assist economically distressed communities throughout New York State.

“The focus of the fix must be to target the Brownfields tax credit to projects that need financial assistance,” Stanislaus said. “A significant Brownfields tax credit bonus must be provided for sites built consistent with Brownfield Opportunity Area plans to enable the economic recovery of urban centers throughout New York State while also serving smart growth by protecting against sprawl. The BOA program must be streamlined by placing its administration in a single agency the Department of State.”

Robert Moore, executive director of Environmental Advocates of New York, said that his organization was calling “on the state to stop wasting green and start acting green”. 

“It’s time to rethink New York’s brownfields program so that it encourages cleanups where they’re most needed, rather than squandering taxpayer dollars on give-aways to developers,” Moore said.

Frank Mauro, Executive Director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, said: “Where land is scarce and the demand for office space or…other large, expensive buildings is high, it makes economic sense to build such large, expensive buildings. But, there is absolutely no reason for the state to subsidize the development costs in such situations. Helping out with the remediation costs is more than enough.”

Ensure the Best Use of Public Funds

The proposed bipartisan legislation would: 

ü       Move the Administration of the Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) program to the Department of State, eliminating current dual-agency requirements to streamline review and expedite projects. The Department of State has experience and staff to facilitate and carry out planning processes, including smart growth planning, waterfront redevelopment, and other urban planning work 

ü       Coordinate community priorities to ensure that planning grants and state tax credits are consistent with community interests. 

ü       Require all new projects to qualify with state-funded Brownfield Tax Credits (BTCs) in order to meet the Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) program qualifications.  

Improve the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Tax Credits 

Thompson said that the process needed to be “streamlined” with the State Department of Environmental Conservation, working closely with the Department of Economic Development, to set clear and transparent standards that will allow developers to predict if they qualify for BTC tax credits – which is currently required. 

Additionally, the legislation would:  

ü       Require the Department of Economic Conservation to consult with the Division of Housing and Community Renewal and the Housing Finance Agency to develop standards to ensure BTC tax credits can be use on affordable housing when standard requirements are met. 

ü       Provide clarification to allow the use of BTC credits to clean up pollution that has migrated from its original source. Smith said: the proposed new standards will provide additional accountability and prevent abuse of the use of public redevelopment Brownfield Tax Credits. 

Brownfields Can Be Beautiful 

Thompson said that there are areas in his Buffalo community where vacant, dilapidated, run-down, and rusted-out buildings that were once manufacturing plants serve as reminders of how prosperous upstate can be.

“This is the ultimate recycling of urban eyesores being transformed into new, shovel-ready sites that will serve as an invitation to what our state can and will be, while attracting companies that are committed to paying good wages for New York state’s great worker talent-pool,” said Senator Thompson.

Senator Smith said: “You are talking about restoring the heart and soul of a community. Once a site is cleaned-up, and restored it provides not only an economic boost but increases the self-esteem of the community. Brownfields can be beautiful.”

Privacy.  It is something we cherish but we seem to have less and less of it as our government tries various methods of infringing on it.  When do we stop it? 

Dr. Mohan now wants to know what town employees are doing when they are not working for the town.  Is that really his business?

 Mohan has asked town employees to complete a form called, “The Town of Amherst – Outside Employment Data Sheet.” 

The information collected on the sheet is about worker’s “outside employment” while NOT on Town time.  The requested information includes:  the number of hours worked outside of town hours; the times you work; a description of the work; and other comments the worker wishes to include.

Is any of this information required under any town policy?  No.  Nor is it relevant for the Supervisor to have. It is the private business of the town employees and they should not be intimidated into providing it.

Here is the form they are being asked to fill out:

 TOWN OF AMHERST – OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT DATA Data Item                                            Response

1.  Department           

2.  Employee Name

 3.  Current Title 

4.  Brief Job Description

(2 lines)

5.  Outside Job (Yes or No)

Skip 6, 7, 8 if the answer is N0

6.  Number of Hours per

Week on Outside Town

7.  Times of Work                               From_______a.m./p.m. to _______ a.m./p.m.

8.  Length of Employment

with Present Employer

9.  Any Other Information

You Consider Relevant

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