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JESSICA FINCH Associate Editor

• THE BEST MOTHER'S DAY GIFTS - My mom gave herself her own Mother's Day present last week.

Her final grades from Trocaire College were tallied, and she has graduated, earning the title of registered nurse.

All the hours of proofing her papers and quizzing her, using medical terms I can't even begin to pronounce, are over. I am sure she is relieved, too. Just kidding of course. I would never make light of the amount of work required to become an RN. She earned it, and she deserves it.

Going back to school years after graduating from nursing school took a lot of determination. Doing it on top of working a full-time job took great stamina - a level of which probably hasn't been tapped into since the years when my three siblings and I would tear apart the house. I wonder what a mother of four would deem more difficult. But we are grown and out of the house, and she is a recent graduate. Hopefully, she can sit back and enjoy her successes. Congratulations, mom.

And no, I didn't count her hard work as a Mother's Day present. I will be treating my mom to a day at the salon in the next few weeks as we prep ourselves for my family's upcoming vacation in the Outer Banks.

On another Mother's Day note, one of my good friends and her husband welcomed their son on May 6, making her first Mother's Day an early one. When I went to the hospital last week to see her and the baby, she informed me that, as an Amherst resident, she is waiting for a column where I call out the actions of rude people.

There's not enough space in the paper for that task, but I will start with her recent complaint - people who don't signal when driving on Interstate 290.

On her behalf, as a young mother who will be toting around an infant, please re-evaluate your driving skills and become a safer driver. There are so many horrible drivers out there - people's decision making has become scary.

Happy Mother's Day to a brand-new mom. I hope you see more blinking lights during your travels.
by DARLENE DONOHUE
Lifestyles Reporter

• THE NEWBIE - Hello everyone. I am the new Lifestyles Reporter with Bee Group Newspapers, and I look forward to writing stories about Amherst and the surrounding areas. I will also be covering the Williamsville Village Board. I attended my first meeting Monday, and have already been introduced to a lot of newsworthy issues. With that said, I anticipate many phone calls and e-mails, or you can stop into the office to say hello. I can be reached at 204-4920 or via e-mail at ddonohue@beenews.com.

However, some people won't talk to strangers so let me tell you a little bit about myself. I'm a Western New Yorker, born and raised, living it up in the Land of the Crabapples - Cheektowaga. I'm a Medaille College graduate, and I have journalist experience from previous employment as a sports editor and schools reporter for the Cheektowaga Times and Metro Community News.

When I'm not working, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, watching movies and some television shows, playing fetch with my two dogs, blogging on various forums, attending concerts and sporting events and relaxing at home.