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 the caller who complained about the late leaf pickup, you are missing the point. The reason for the late leaf pickup is, because with global warming, the leaves don't fall until later. We've lived here for 16 years, and I remember having all the leaves raked by the end of October 10 or 12 years ago, but now the leaves don't completely fall until well into November, almost Thanksgiving. That's why the leaf pickup comes so close to the snow-plowing season.

.All year long we like to walk and shop along Main Street in the Village of Williamsville, where we live. Doing so in the winter, though, is both tricky and treacherous, because too many merchants and professional offices fail to remove the snow from in front of their establishments. Neither do the road crews who respond to snow removal clear a path at pedestrian cross lights. No wonder there is so much jaywalking. Given this dangerous situation, merchants who complain about not enough walk-in business in the village have only themselves to blame.

.Regarding the interest of People, Inc. in purchasing the Mennonite Church, why all the fuss about a well-recognized organization purchasing the property? After all, the town used it as a storage facility and, as such, is totally useless. Unless someone like People would put it to good use, it can then become a community asset.

.After reading Jeff Marion's attempt at justifying his release of Susan Jaros' absentee ballot application, I can only be thankful that this man did not get into public office in the Town of Amherst. Releasing a document showing a public official's, or any person's, address and dates they will be out of town to the general public is shameful at best.