How nice to see the NY Times tell the wonderful story of Buffalo’s architecture to the rest of the world. The author came to town in October and was impressed, as he should have been.

ONE of the most cynical clichés in architecture is that poverty is good for preservation. The poor don’t bulldoze historic neighborhoods to make way for fancy new high-rises.

That assumption came to mind when I stepped off a plane here recently. Buffalo is home to some of the greatest American architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with major architects like Henry Hobson Richardson, Frederick Law Olmsted, Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright building marvels here. Together they shaped one of the grandest early visions of the democratic American city.
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Chris Drongosky announced today that he will be seeking the Chairmanship of the Erie County Independence Party.

“I have had numerous conversations with the town chairmen and committeemen and they have asked to me seek the position,” Drongosky stated.  “I look forward to bringing a reform agenda the party desperately needs. I will take no salary and all money raised will be used to promote IP endorsed candidates.”

Drongosky stated that a county wide meeting will be held shortly to elect officers and will continue communicating with all town chairmen and committeemen.

The Village of Williamsville seems to be the coffee hot spot lately.  We have several coffee shops open including Starbucks and Café Aroma.  We are about to see the Coffee Spot open on Main near Union and if rumors are true, there will be another shop open in the not too distant future. 

The Coffee Culture Café & Eatery supposedly has plans to open in the old Sweet Jenny shop, according to some sources.  Coffee Culture Café & Eatery is based in Mississauga, Ontario.  What makes them different, they say, is that they resemble a European style coffee house.  They strive to create a warm relaxing atmosphere with comfortable seating. 

If this rumor proves true we’ll have coffee shops lining Main Street from one end to the other.  Take your pick.  One can hardly go wrong.

Last week Lydia Brenner, 49, sent a letter of resignation to the Amherst School Board.  They news stunned the community.  No reason has been given for her departure.  The School Board is now earnestly looking for a replacement who they hope to have in place by the end of the school year.  That date is arbitrary as the Board wants to ensure that the best qualified candidate is hired.

Parents are shocked by the news.  They are expecting the school to continue to meet the standards of excellence.  While they are collectively surprised they are also hoping that everything is OK with Brenner. 

The CSEA Region 6 Veterans Committee will present their annual Veterans Day Ceremony on

Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 11:00 AM

The Ceremony will be held aboard the U.S..S. Little Rock at the Buffalo Naval Park.

Coffee and snacks will be provided after the ceremony in the ship’s galley compliments of the

CSEA Region 6 Planning Committee

All are welcome

Free to all. Bring the children and tour the ship after the ceremony.

CSEA Region Veterans Committee

Bob Pyjas, Chair

To declare bankruptcy or not.  That is the question.  Whether ’tis nobler to accept the reality of necessary revamping or beg for billions to stay afloat for a bit longer, that is the decision to be made.  Skeptics point to the benefits of bankruptcy, which can offer a new start.

“Some experts note that while bankruptcy would be painful, it may be preferable to a government bailout that may only delay, at considerable cost, the wrenching but necessary steps G.M. needs to take to become a stronger, leaner company.”

“Although G.M.’s labor contracts would be at risk of termination in a bankruptcy, setting up a potential confrontation with its unions, the company says its pension obligations are largely financed for its 479,000 retirees and their spouses.”
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Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) invites local college and graduate school students interested in an unpaid internship to contact his office.  Openings are available in the Washington D.C., Erie County and Chautauqua County offices.

  “The ability to participate in this nation’s democratic process and make a difference in our local community is an opportunity I treasure each and every day,” said Congressman Higgins.  “I encourage students interested in learning from and contributing to the governmental process to contact my office.”

 Interns will have the opportunity work on a number of activities including:  constituent relations, research, staffing meetings, and writing projects.  A limited number of interns will be accepted each semester.

 If you would like to apply for an unpaid internship in the Washington, D.C. office, please send your resume and cover letter to Molly Ritchie at molly.ritchie@mail.house.gov .  If you are interested in an internship in the Erie County office, send your resume and cover letter to Megan Corbett at megan.corbett@mail.house.gov.  For those looking to intern in Chautauqua County please call the Jamestown office at 716-484-0729. 

The Amherstimes.com has been published for six years as a website.  That is a great deal longer than many other blogs on the net.  The reason for our longevity is that we do our homework and research stories before we publish

My name has been suggested as a possible replacement for Debbie Bucki on our town board when she assumes her new Town Clerk position on January 1^st.  This is an honor which I gave serious consideration.  I believe I could add the punch the TB needs to help the residents and businesses of Amherst as we head down the road toward financially difficult days ahead. 

I have been fighting the poorly run; corrupt government of Amherst for the last 20 years.  Back in 1989 when I first began attending Town Board meetings on a regular basis I dug up information about several important issues including payoffs in the Engineering Department.  There were also payoffs from vendors who gave individuals in the Engineering Department $500 each plus a trip to Florida, all expenses paid.  This stopped after I exposed it to the light.

A major scandal in the Highway Department concerned a management employee who ripped off thousands of dollars by using false invoices.  He was caught and fired.  Later he was a witness for the Police Department concerning another area of crime.  There was equipment stolen from the Highway Department being sold at different front shops. 

The worst rip-off was a basketball league run after school.  The pay-off for the 5 men who ran it was over $100,000 apiece.  I was very pleased to see that shut down.  These men are basically “out of the game” today.

The list of Amherst government crimes, which I worked on and continue to work on, involves people who believe they won’t/can’t get caught because Amherst has a history of being easy to steal from.  

Many good people who live and work in Amherst have helped me out so much with my investigations.  Without them I wouldn’t have gotten to first base in weeding out many of the losers.  

You can tell a good deal about a person by his enemies.  I have my share of them but I have far more helpful, supportive friends.  They have encouraged me to step up to this challenge.  I appreciate their encouragement but have decided to continue my work for the town in the format I found to be most productive.  I’ll continue do devote my energy to the town from this website.

Beware the dreaded, deadly bake sale.  Before you know it they will be banned!  Wait.  they are banned already in many places.  No longer can you buy a cupcake or brownie.  They are illegal in many places.  Is your local school next?

“The old-fashioned school bake sale, once as American as apple pie, is fast becoming obsolete in California, a result of strict new state nutrition standards for public schools that regulate the types of food that can be sold to students. The guidelines were passed by lawmakers in 2005 and took effect in July 2007. They require that snacks sold during the school day contain no more than 35 percent sugar by weight and derive no more than 35 percent of their calories from fat and no more than 10 percent of their calories from saturated fat.”
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You may not have high cholesterol yet your doctor may prescribe medication traditionally used to control high cholesterol.  Why?  A new study shows that using such medications known as statins, can significantly lower your risk for heart attacks.

“The study, involving nearly 18,000 people worldwide, tested statin treatment in men 50 and older and in women 60 and older who did not have high cholesterol or histories of heart disease. What they did have was high levels of a protein called high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or CRP, which indicates inflammation in the body.”
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