Letter
Eagle House will honor Mr. Lewicki

The Eagle House Restaurant, owners and employees mourn the loss of a cherished friend this week. Sadly, on the afternoon of Nov. 28, we were informed by the family of Walter Lewicki, a longtime and respected customer, that he had passed away.

For generations, Walter has held a dear and special place in the hearts of all of us at The Eagle House as well as a special "corner" at the bar. Long before Nov. 28, the owners at the Eagle House had a special brass marker put up in honor of "Walter's Corner." That corner is where Walter traded stories, sipped a cocktail, worked on the crossword puzzle and taught all of us honored with knowing him a thing or two about life.

So, respectfully and appropriately, The Eagle House will be dedicating "happy hour" on Friday, Dec. 7 to the memory of Walter Lewicki. You are invited to share a story or memory with us, and at 6 p.m., we will all lift our glasses and hearts in celebration of a dear and sweet friend who will be greatly missed.

Thanks for the memories, Walter.

Tricia Hanny Browne

General Manger

The Eagle House Restaurant

Development wrong for Maple

The Buffalo Shooting Club on Maple Road should not be developed. It should stay an open field and perhaps remain a gun club. The Benderson Corporation proposal to rezone it and build a "Town Center" is inappropriate. Amherst is overbuilt.

These 34 acres of green space now absorb and gradually drain-off all the water that falls there. It is a giant sponge preventing the surges that stress our storm water system when storms hit impervious rooftops, streets and parking lots.

The $2.6 million of tax and school levies it would generate might or might not pay for the services they would mandate.

The proposal is primarily for store space requiring four more Maple Road intersections. Maple Road now takes pressure off Main Street Williamsville. This Benderson burden would turn Maple Road into downtown Williamsville at its worst.

The university, a giant concrete boat, afloat in our wetlands, contributes mightily to Amherst traffic and flood problems. This behemoth in our back yard now wishes to weigh in and eat up more of Amherst instead of pouring its penchant for building into Buffalo.

Benderson proposes to clean up the decades of lead shot buried on the site - to commercial not residential standards. Why should the cleanup be a shoddy one and why tied to unwanted development. The 250-member Shooting Club enjoyed the use of the site; they are responsible to clean it up.

Realtors and developers feel the pinch of public resistance. Their alarm explains their tenacity on projects like this and the ill-named Muir Woods. The triple mailing of expensive, oversized, full-color anti-Open Space Bond postcards paid for by squeezing Amherst citizens into traffic jams, sinking their homes, flooding their basements and polluting their air was a signal. They're scared.

Amherst, say no to "Muir Woods" and "Town Center."

Larry Beahan Conservation Chair Sierra Club Niagara Group New Wal-Mart will bring traffic issues

So, the Amherst Planning Board has approved the project at Sheridan Drive and will permit a big, fat, square peg to be planted in a small, round hole, regardless of the squeeze it puts on the residents of the area. The blatant disregard for concerns of homeowners in the Hartford Estate North Bailey area is deplorable.

Residents in our area are already seeing gridlock traffic situations on North Bailey/Maple Road/Niagara Falls Boulevard, and this will only get worse with traffic heading south toward Sheridan Drive.

In addition, with the planned expansion of the University at Buffalo's North Campus, traffic on Sweet Home Road is bound to increase as it heads south to Sheridan Drive. Both Sweet Home Road and North Bailey Avenue intersect Sheridan Drive at the proposed site; these roads cannot be widened due to the residences located there. And the board wants to check traffic in six months after the store opens! What will they do then? Close Wal-Mart? You can bet that nobody on the Planning Board or the Town Board lives in our gridlocked area.

Yes, the site was zoned commercial but note please that the previous occupants were not a 24/7 operation. Further, there is a wide interpretation of "commercial," anywhere from a barbershop, to a mom and pop operation, to a clothing store, to some chain stores, and then there is the commercial type known as Wal-Mart, which can bring more than 830 vehicles per hour into the driveway planned for Sheridan Drive at Augusta Drive. There a new signal will be installed - that's five signals from Sweet Home Road to Niagara Falls Boulevard.

So, when you are sitting in the traffic gridlock in that area just remember who provided all these opportunities to cause traffic congestion and waste expensive gas.

Dolores Kurzdorfer

Hillcrest Drive

Amherst Coach set to retire, thanks South

After 40 years associated with Williamsville South, as a student teacher, teacher and coach, I am retiring from the last position I hold with the district, that of cross country coach.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Williamsville School District for the opportunity to work with the students of Williamsville South over that period of time. I cannot imagine that there is a better school district, nor a better school than South to have worked in. I have found the administration, parents and students to be overwhelmingly positive in their attitudes and support, and the staff at the school to be remarkably professional and dedicated.

I have found the vast majority of the students at South to be polite, hardworking and receptive of efforts to teach them, whether it be in the classroom or on the athletic fields. As it turns out, 36 of my 60 years (I spent four years on military leave in the U.S. Air Force after I started teaching) have been spent in an environment that afforded me the opportunity to really enjoy work, while being a teacher and coach at such a great school. Consequently, I've always viewed working at South to be a privilege, rather than an obligation. Again, thanks to the district, parents, students and staff for allowing me to have a career which gave me so much joy.

Chuck Godfrey

Yvette Drive Cheektowaga Campaign loss still feels like a win

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me in my bid for Amherst highway superintendent, and congratulate Bob Anderson on his successful run.

Although I did not have the winning campaign, I still consider it a successful campaign. The results were close, and I was happy to learn that voters reached across party lines to support me. This gives me a great sense of accomplishment and encouragement.

Words cannot express how grateful I am to my family, friends and campaign volunteers for all their hard work and support.

The best part of the campaign was getting to meet so many residents when I was in their neighborhoods knocking on doors. I learned so much from talking with residents about what their needs are and what they expect from their elected officials.

I am honored to have had the opportunity to run for public office, and thank the residents of Amherst for their kindness and consideration. I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Kathy Kaminski

Amherst Election column is just sour grapes

Political columnist Dan Meyer's Nov. 14 column titled "Some Random Thoughts as we turn the page on 2007 elections" got my attention. I expected an objective, informative discussion. This was pure self-indulgence. Mr. Meyer's photo should properly identify him as "Disappointed Democrat" rather than "Political Columnist." I've seen more grace displayed by grammar school Student Council candidates after a loss than Mr. Meyer manages here.

The ensuing laundry list "gathered from a variety of sources" (And those 'sources' would be? A greeter you chatted up at Wal-Mart last night? Hillary?) might more aptly be titled "Every Area Democrat I can Think of; am Just so Darned Mad We Didn't Win!"

This column was plain silly. Despite its heading, Mr. Meyer is clearly having trouble turning the page on 2007 elections. Let's hope he can. Nobody likes a sore loser, especially one masquerading as a political columnist.

Colleen A. Collins

Clarence

Editors note: The author indicated that she is not related to the newly elected county executive.