Town Board lauded for library support

Fortunate communities are served by politicians who can unite heart and head with common sense. Presently this behavior has been shown by the Amherst Town Board's unanimous support of the Williamsville Library. Anything else would have been disrespectful of the frequently voiced support for all of our town's libraries; their usage rate shows how much they are valued and needed.

Thus, as a longtime member of Citizens Save the Libraries, I congratulate the Amherst Town Board.

Beatrice J. Elyé

Country Parkway

Williamsville

Library funding appreciated

On behalf of the Save our Williamsville Library grassroots organization, I want to express our heartfelt appreciation to Supervisor (Satish) Mohan and the Town Board for funding the Williamsville Library for 2007. Keeping the library open is a statement about the priorities and values that we have as a community. By funding the library, the board demonstrated their continued commitment to the education of our children and the lifelong learning of the community.

I want to thank all the community members who wrote letters, e-mails, signed petitions, made phone calls and attended the budget hearing to advocate keeping the library open. The number of hearts signed and prominently displayed in the library is a testament of the passion we have for our library. The huge sign erected in front of the library and the numerous signs made to have at the hearing were very visible and clearly expressed the importance of the library. People spent a great deal of time and effort in these endeavors. Everyone leads very busy lives and everyone's lives reeled and became more complicated in dealing with the aftermath of the October storm; yet people made the time to do what was necessary to help keep the library open.

Finally, many thanks go to Mary Bobinski, director of the Amherst Libraries. Her tireless efforts to keep the Williamsville Library open are one more indication of how fortunate our community is to have such talented and committed leadership of our excellent library system.

Jean Stadelman

chairman

Save our Williamsville

Library

Town politics get in way of budget

As usual the Town Board, as only politicians can, reinstated all the proposed cuts. This was done so as to make them more acceptable to the town employees and the union bosses. Even more so when a union president threatened and implied the power they have in electing individuals at the Nov. 6 meeting.

Thus, it's time for the electorate to consider more experienced professionals, rather than politicians, to be on the board.

Only then will we see budgets that reflect cost cutting without affecting the amenities the Amherst people have come to expect.

This will never happen with the politicians we presently have, either because of their lack of management experience or their inability to separate themselves from the party and union bosses. Roger W. LeGoff

Hunters Lane

Williamsville