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Editorial
Changing seasons, changing topics
The leaves are changing and there's a chill in the air, which means only one thing: Fall is here and Winter isn't too far behind. As the weather finally catches up to the change in the seasons, we'd like to offer some quick thoughts on a few recent town topics.
Senior Center's anniversary: The area's best senior center continues to get better every year. Patricia Wojcik established a standard that demands nothing but a complete effort from the staff. That standard continues today under the guidance of Kerry Switalski. The center just celebrated its 25th anniversary, and all indications are that 25 years from now the center will continue to be the model that other centers seek to emulate.
Recent fires: We found it ironic that Cheektowaga, Depew and Sloan were hit with a rash of fires right before the start of Fire Prevention Week. The merits of joining your local fire district were pointed out in a previous editorial. Today, we'd like to remind our readers about the importance of fire safety. Don't leave burning candles unattended; keep space heaters away from curtains, blankets and other flammable material; make sure your cooking appliances are turned off when not in use; if grease catches fire, carefully slide a lid over the pan and smother the flames, then turn off the burner; and check your smoke detectors twice a year.
Web sites: In a front page article of today's Times, the Cleveland Hill Board of Education expressed a desire to see more information up on its Web site, noting that some information is months old. In the article, a board member mentions that communication will revolve around computers. He's right. Digital television will soon rule the screens, and computers are already programming radio stations. People are looking to the computer more often for their news, which is why the Cheektowaga Times offers breaking news stories on its Web site, www.cheektowagatimes.com. It is absolutely vital that students and teachers understand the computer's influence in today's society. Technology isn't slowing down, and it's vital that today's students are prepared to succeed tomorrow.
Merging services: Officials from two villages and two towns (Depew, Sloan, Cheektowaga, Lancaster) recently met to discuss the possibility of the four municipalities sharing building inspection services. The request was made by Depew Mayor Barbara Alberti. After examination, the two village mayors discovered that a merger would actually force their costs to go up. We commend the government leaders for exploring the possibility of shared services. This one didn't work, but perhaps they can find a better solution elsewhere.
The budget: It's always nice to see a drop in the tax rate, but as some observers pointed out, property values went up, and actual spending is up, albeit by "only" a few hundred thousand dollars. Some property owners will be happy when they receive their bill, others will grumble. We say: enjoy it now, because as the town begins planning for infrastructure improvements to the tune of tens of millions of dollars, things are going to change.
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