Bee Heard

(Editor's note: Call The Bee at 632-0390 and record a one-minute comment on our Bee Heard line. It gives readers an opportunity to comment quickly and candidly on items of local or regional interest. Callers do not have to identify themselves and no callers' names will be used. In the interest of fairness and good taste, The Bee will not publish derogatory or insulting comments. All comments are by our readers and are subject to editing.

.New York State Assemblyman Jim Hayes, who represents the Town of Amherst in Albany, has a plan to assist sinking homeowners by reducing their property taxes. That plan is faulty and merely shifts the burden of the sinking homeowners' problems onto the rest of the people in the town. He should find federal aid for the sinking homeowners.

.Trustee Jeff Kingsley gives us village residents hope that change is finally possible. He is pulling and dragging the rest of the members of the village board and village administration to become more accountable, efficient and fiscally responsible with our taxpayer dollars. He is exactly what we need in village government; he is like a guard dog watching over our taxpayer dollars.

.I've lived in Williamsville for over 60 years. I have to take exception to the comments about a proposed development on North Cayuga. The builder's rendition of what he plans on building is beautiful and will only be an asset to the area. All along the right side of the street are apartments and expensive townhouses; there are not just single-family homes on this street. The builder's development is nature friendly and will compliment the escarpment.

.On Monday night, I drove down Main Street and it started me wondering why the village purchased those garbage totes. There were five open ones, overstuffed, between North Cayuga and Reist. Aren't they supposed to be closed to keep rats out?

.I was disappointed recently when I went to People Inc.'s Museum of Disability because the bathroom is not handicapped accessible. For it being a museum for disabilities, how can they not have a bathroom for handicapped people? (Editor's note: A grant has been received to bring the museum's facilities up to full compliance.)

.There is a homeowner on a certain street in town who had two trees that belong to the town. He hated the trees, because the roots lifted the sidewalk. The trees were undamaged by the October storm; they were deemed healthy twice by the Town of Amherst. Two perfectly-health trees were cut town at taxpayers' expense because someone owed somebody a favor.

.Residents in the Williamsville School District are very angry, because they predicted a raise in our school tax because our town supervisor failed to put us on 100 percent assessment list. He took us off, and we must go after him to pay for this increase in our taxes.

.I'd like to know why Heim Middle School no longer put its honor roll students in The Bee. These kids work very hard.

.I appreciate knowing which candidates are supporting Dr. Satish Mohan and his programs as supervisor. Now that I know that, I will not vote for any of those candidates.

.If you have trouble with your garbage pickup or any questions about it, don't call the highway department. Call the refuse control department at 631-7119. They control that.

.On Thursday around 9:30 a.m. I had a diabetic crisis, and one of the Amherst Police helped me. I want to thank him and the department. I was pretty scared; I'm a 77-year-old and I really needed help, and the police officer was there to help me. They do a wonderful job.

.Enough is enough. Taxpayers are not a bottomless pit of money. It's time to consolidate all of the school districts under one superintendent and one administrative office. Instead of raising taxes, do what taxpayers have to do: consolidate and cut expenses.

.The constant bickering of the town board, the actual physical appearance of the town and the latest escapades at the Pepsi Center makes me think it's time the town gets a public relations firm.