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.

.To all hot-shot, zealous motorists on ramps on/off the 290, when I am in front of you, I am going to do the speed limit, not 5 miles less and not 1 mile more per hour. If you don't like it, tough. By the way, these motorists to whom I am referring are about 95 percent (at the very least) of all motorists other than myself and have no limitation as to age, gender, race, size, etc. I'll play my music or talk radio and will not pay you any mind; I will put my hazards on well in advance and pretend I'm having trouble just to aggravate you a bit.

.I'd like to know if Maple Road is done being paved. On Maple Road, east of North Forest, there are two huge bumps going towards Transit. When you are heading towards Niagara Falls Boulevard (by Tim Hortons), there is a huge bump in the other lane. Didn't someone from the county highway department see these bumps? Are they oblivious to a good paving job? Should we just abolish the county highway department and either have the town highway or state highway department pave these places? Also, where are the stripes? It's been paved for quite a while and has not been striped.

.Where are the beautiful homes that Fisher Pond promised South Cayuga Road residents? Two years ago, this was a lovely, tree-filled wooded area with interesting wildlife. We are now looking at an unsightly, dusty and weed-filled empty space. Our homes are filled with dust, inside and out; our roads and front lawns now flood with every rainstorm. What you see on the Fisher Pond Web site is not what we have on South Cayuga Road. It has been two years now. Are we ever going to see the promised lovely landscaping with new homes and patio homes? Have these plans been abandoned?

.Does anyone think that Amherst taxpayers are so naive to believe Bill Kindel's assertions in the Aug. 1 Bee that we can spend $12 million to buy back open land and take it off the tax rolls, losing tax revenues, and then pay back $12 million out of Amherst town property taxes? It's so naive to think that taxpayers will save money in doing this.

.I am upset about the condition of the soccer fields at Williamsville East High School. The fields are totally dried out and unplayable; they are dangerous and could result in a serious injury to one of our players. No one at the high school seems to want to take care of these fields; they need to be watered. Our home game this weekend had to be played at a different location because of this. Williamsville East has amazing and well-recognized soccer teams. It's about time the Williamsville School District did something about the condition of our home soccer fields.

.I was completely astonished to read Supervisor Satish Mohan being quoted in The Amherst Bee as saying that his goal was to hold the line on taxes and keep everything as it is. That is in direct conflict with his campaign promises to reduce government size and reduce taxes. In fact, looking at Mohan's record after his first year and a half in office, one is led to the inescapable conclusion that Mohan's unpreparedness and seeming unwillingness to do his homework is actually costing taxpayers money. The learning curve of Satish Mohan is far too much to bear.

.I'm very disturbed by the number of "for rent" signs I see appearing on houses in the village. This is bad news for homeowners, especially if you live next to or near one. Absentee landlords obtain these houses either due to a death or the age of the owner, and the estate sells cheap or inherits the property. The property is rented out, usually to young renters, college students or irresponsible tenants; the rent is split among numerous tenants, which means more cars, loud parties, grass not cut (inviting rats), bushes not trimmed, and the absentee landlord doesn't care, as long as they collect the rent. Some of the properties fall into disrepair, and the neighborhood suffers. The village only has codes covering the height of the grass and cars parked on front lawns. Noise must be reported to the police. If you live near a rental property, don't be afraid to report an infraction; it's the only way to protect our neighborhoods.

.Our home assessment went up tens of thousands of dollars last year, even though no house on our street or in our immediate neighborhood went up for sale in the last four years. I don't know where those numbers are coming from, but it's really scary. Now we get a school tax bill, and it's outrageous. As seniors, we will not vote yes for the school budget any longer, and we will do everything we can to negotiate getting taxes lowered. It's getting harder and harder to live in a house that is already paid for, and we can't afford to move. Something has to be done to make it more affordable.

.The Williamsville Farmers' Market is a success. Parking is at a premium, but it's a perfect opportunity for shop owners and businesses to get some good PR by allowing us to use their designated space. My only complaint is the dogs. The market is in a small area that very quickly becomes congested. Week after week, I have seen people parading around with their dogs (big dogs); I've seen dogs put their noses on the tables and right on the produce. (I told a vendor that I will not buy that.) More than once, I witnessed dogs barking and straining at the leash to attack another dog; the owner was more concerned about spilling their coffee than about restraining their dog. I saw owners talking and not paying attention to what their dogs were doing. Folks, this is not a dog show; it's a food and produce market. Dogs are not allowed in supermarkets; they should not be allowed at this venue. Please, leave your pets at home.