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JESSICA FINCH Associate Editor

+ MANY SIDES OF THE STORY - You can never assume anything - period. As the associate editor of this newspaper I spend a lot of time in the community, hearing both sides of stories before reporting on them. Both the 2006 and 2007 Town of Amherst budgets have topped the news for several months. In a letter to the editor appearing this week, I have been told I am one-sided. That is an assumption. Based on what? I don't know. When Supervisor Satish Mohan submitted his tentative budget I reported on what he had to say about it. He does not speak for the entire town. I then met with department heads who commented on the numbers Mohan had tentatively foreseen for 2007. If I had allowed Mohan to be the sole speaker on the budget then I would not be doing my job. Not only are we printing what department heads had to say, but in the Nov. 8 edition readers will hear what residents have to say following the 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6 public hearing.

There are many people involved in developing the town budgets, and it often proves productive to let all sides speak. In some cases, adjustments have already been made - the fire districts are an example - to restore some money that had tentatively been cut. Letting everyone who is involved speak is anything but impartial.

 WAKE UP CALL - Now, three weeks past the October storm, we have set our clocks back, are in the 11th month of the year and the holiday season has started. The storm showed me how unready I was for the notorious Buffalo winters. I was badly in need of new tires, had one pair of gloves in the car and no extra blankets or warm clothing (don't tell my mother I admitted that) - as a Southtown-raised girl I should know better. This will be my first time living in the City of Buffalo during the winter months. Previously, I made the 30-mile commute from Marilla (a community that had very little to show for the Oct. 12 storm, while my Elmwood apartment was buried). But normally that is not the case; when I was living in Marilla I would have to dig my car out of a good several inches of overnight snow, scrape the ice from the windshield and start down the treacherous, unplowed country roads, ending with the final battle between my small Nissan and Route 400. Reaching the West Seneca border and beyond, I would find the Northtowns were sunny and clear, with not even a dusting of overnight snow. It happened on more occasions than I care to remember.

But now I am living in the city, to be faced with whole new challenges of winter street parking, unplowed streets (I am used to that) and trusting that the landlord has arranged for shoveling of the driveway. The Southtowns normally report more snowfall for the year than the city and Northtowns and I am hoping that fact stays true this year. So far I am not off to a good start.

 FLU SHOTS - A flu and pneumonia immunization program will be held by appointment only on Tuesday, Nov. 14 and Wednesday, Nov. 15 at the Amherst Center for Senior Services, 370 John James Audubon Parkway, Amherst. To schedule appointments for immunizations, call 636-3059 only. The program is provided by Kaleida Health VNA Immunization Program. Flu shots are $25 and pneumonia shots, $35. For any questions, call 636-3055, ext. 112.