Walking trail named for former Amherst teacher
SOMEONE YOU SHOULD KNOW
by TERRI MEDINA

Huber

A man as notable, as friendly and as profound a community member as Werner "Whitey" Huber of Elma makes it difficult to want to walk all over him.

But fear not, it's only his name that folks will be treading upon if they visit the Elma Village Green Park, which features the newly named "Whitey Huber Walking Trail." It was dedicated before a crowd of roughly 200 people during a ceremony July 9.

The first-generation American - his family moved to this country from Germany - began his career and status as a community man in Williamsville, where he taught elementary students English and social studies from 1967 to 1969 at the former Amherst Junior High.

He and his wife, Carol, moved from Cheektowaga to Williamsville so that they could manage the Williamsville Pool Club in 1965. The setting was ideal for Huber, who was an accomplished swimmer. He soon realized teaching others was just what he wanted out of life, and he began working at what is now the Amherst Middle School.

He later went on to teach law to high school students at Buffalo State College when it still had a high school on campus.

It was around this time the Hubers moved to Elma and began their own family, eventually raising four children: Dawn Southard, Todd Huber, Troy Huber, and Joy Caparaso. All said, the Hubers have 15 grandchildren, 10 of whom are in Elma.

It wasn't long before the call of civic duty was answered by Huber, who began a career in municipal politics and planning. He sat on the Elma Town Board as well as the Elma Planning Board for a number of years, and as Supervisor Michael Nolan said, though their political affiliations were different, never did they argue. Carol Huber agreed.

"During his political career, no one ever had a bad thing to say about Whitey," she said. "People just respected him, and he showed respect for other people no matter if they agreed or not."

It was his respect for the community-at-large, no matter where he was living, that convinced the Town of Elma fathers to dedicate the walking trail to him, an act Nolan said is rarely done.

"I think only four people have ever had the honor of having something named for them in this town," said Nolan. "That says a lot about Whitey Huber."

Though Huber suffers from Parkinson's disease, Carol Huber said it hasn't slowed him down too much.

"It's just another aspect that makes him admirable for the way he handles it," she said. "We 're all proud to call him our family, our friend."