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Hitting our stride as summer approaches
The calendar reads June 14, which means that we're already almost halfway through 2007. In fact, the first day of summer is one week away. Much has occurred during the first five and one-half months of the year, and some topics haven't been addressed in this space. Today, we offer some quick thoughts as we begin the last week of spring:
Last days at local Catholic schools: When six Catholic elementary schools in Cheektowaga and Depew close their doors at the end of the academic year, they will be closing permanently. Students at Infant of Prague, Kolbe Catholic, Resurrection, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Barnabas and St. Josaphat will all be attending classes next fall at other schools. However, the closings could be viewed as a celebration. Some of these buildings will find new life. It's already occurred at Resurrection, where pre-kindergarten classes will be offered. Also, one building that was closed during the last round of consolidation, Our Lady of Czestochowa, may be converted into apartments for the handicapped. We're sure that other worthwhile uses will eventually be found for the remaining buildings.
Warning, warning, warning, fine: While battling its rodent problem, the town is taking a four-strikes-and-you're-out approach to enforcing the local sanitation ordinance. We hope that it doesn't take three warnings for residents to purchase garbage cans, but we'd like to advise them- the price of a garbage can is significantly less than the $25 fine for the first offense. Let's hope that most residents don't strike out.
Apathy: Residents are becoming increasingly less interested in school board elections and school budget votes. For example, only 414 voters turned out to decide issues in the Maryvale School District. Now, there is a new empty seat on the Maryvale Board of Education. The board hopes to fill the seat from a list of candidates who sought appointment to a vacancy last fall. Perhaps the board should leave the seat empty; we doubt the public would notice. Qualified candidates do volunteer, but the electorate needs to show an interest in the process, also.
True colors: A splash of color always looks nice on the pages of the Cheektowaga Times. We hope our readers enjoy the full-color pictures in this week's issue. Readers may have noticed some subtle changes in recent weeks. We believe that these changes, and other upcoming surprises, will provide a fresh look to the Times as we boldly move into the future! We welcome our readers' suggestions, too. Contact us by phone at (716) 892-5323, e-mail at mail@cheektowagatimes.com or by regular mail: Cheektowaga Times, 343 Maryvale Drive, Cheektowaga, NY 14225.
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