Although it seems like the 2012 presidential election campaign has been dragging on since Halloween, another important race is not getting nearly enough attention: the duel for the United States Senate, which is slowly simmering between incumbent Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican challengers Attorney Wendy Long, Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos and U.S. Rep. Bob Turner.They will await the results of a primary being held June 26, the same day that David Bellavia and Chris Collins will face each other in a Republican contest for the right to challenge Kathy Hochul for re-election to the House of Representatives in November. In a Siena poll conducted in early May for the Senate... more

[photo1]There’s nothing like a freshly picked tomato. You can grow tomatoes, they’re easy. You don’t even need a garden. A simple container will do.Thomas Mitchell, a horticulture teacher at Niagara County Community College, shared tips on growing vegetables during a presentation at Plantasia, Western New York’s premier garden and landscape show, earlier this spring.Mitchell’s number one point was that you have to have good soil. I demoted that tip to number two because I want everyone to know that they can have tomato plants and enjoy fresh tomatoes no matter how little land they have. 1. You can grow tomatoes in small spaces: You don’t need a lot of room. You can grow tomatoes in containers... more

[photo1]Registered voters across New York state will have the opportunity to vote on suburban district school budgets and school board members next Tuesday, May 15. Despite this ability to make a direct decision on how their tax dollars will be spent, only a small percentage of voters in each district will take the time to vote. Whether it is a feeling of inevitability or simple apathy, this tradition gets about as much attention in Western New York as Bastille Day.One American who saw the value of public education was Frederick Douglass, the runaway slave who shocked 19th century white America with his powerful oratory and masterful writing abilities.Perhaps he appreciated the value of education... more

As the first anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden approached last week, members of the U.S. House of Representatives were debating the impact of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act.The bipartisan proposal passed 248 - 168 on Thursday, despite the threat of a presidential veto if it is passed through the Senate. The House bill allows for the exchange of potentially-threatening data between private companies and the National Security Agency, as well as other government departments. A separate Senate bill would focus cybersecurity efforts in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and require companies to increase security for critical infrastructures such as electric and water... more

[photo1]FIFTY YEARS AGOApril 12, 1962The Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches unite Palm Sunday evening in a union service in the Baptist Church at 8 o’clock. The service will be led by representative youth from the three youth fellowships of the several churches.On March 24, six members of the Field and Stream attended the Erie County Sportsman’s Convention in Lancaster. A Springville boy won a scholarship to the New York Conservation Camp in Rushford at this meeting: Robert Smith of Genesee Road.On Thursday evening, April 5, the regular meeting of the Felton-Burns V.F.W., the officers were installed by past Post Commander Michael Langreck.Boys were born to Mr. & Mrs.:Leroy Hock,... more

[photo1]The New York State Education Department and the teachers’ unions have reached an accord to allow the state to use student test scores to evaluate teacher performance. That agreement concluded after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo warned the parties that if they did not come to a consensus, he would impose his own solution. The school districts were also told that they would lose future state aid if they did not implement that agreement immediately. The apparent reason for this urgency was to secure $700 million promised to the state by the federal administration in Washington in conjunction with the federal Race to the Top Program.The newly-approved New York State Education Department... more

[photo1]Turn on the news and you will see stories about the latest bank robbery, mugging or home invasion. Yet, how often do you hear about the victims? How were they treated by both their assailant and the criminal justice system? Were they were helped, afterward? How did they overcome the impact of the crime?Our agency, along with others, recently kicked off National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. It was a time for us to think about those citizens who have been impacted by a violent crime, to promote the rights of victims and the expansion of services and support them in helping to rebuild their lives.Mary Travers Murphy, director of the Family Justice Center of Erie County, Deputy Liz Fildes,... more

The New York state spring turkey season for 2012 will begin next Tuesday, May 1, at 30 minutes before sunrise, with legal turkey hunting open until noon each day through the end of the month. Hunter caution before the shot is always required.Erie County hunters harvested a relatively high number of bearded turkeys in 2008 with 1,365 birds. In 2011, only 513 birds were taken. The decrease was attributed to a wet spring and poor hatch from the year before. The birds have had a full year to recover their numbers and this season will likely bring better results. Last year, the top five counties for harvest were Chautauqua, Steuben and Cattaraugus.On good hunting days, gobblers will answer to hunter... more

My brother was never lucky in love. He made some very poor choices in his romance and dating life. His marriages and divorces from four different women are evidences of this.His methods for choosing women were a mystery to Emmy and me. His reasons for breaking up with women who were well-suited to him were unfathomable to us.Donna was one such woman. She lived in a local, suburban southtown. She and Dick enjoyed each other’s company on half a dozen dates and he seemed very interested in her. Alas, all things must come to an end.She committed such a heinous crime that he walked out without a single word of explanation.Jack-of-all-trades would best describe most of the people in my family. Other... more

[photo1]It seems that I never had enough soil in my gardens, and the soil wasn’t great. I was constantly buying top soil to add volume, then shoveling in bags of peat moss to make the soil lighter and healthier.Now that I compost leaves, yard waste and kitchen scraps, I find I have great organic material to add to my gardens - for free!If you don’t have a compost bin yet, now is the time to start. Composting can be as simple or intricate as you want to make it. Plant material decomposes on its own, without our help, every day.The simplest way to get started composting is to rake dead leaves into one spot.How do you keep the leaves from blowing around your yard? Many people build retaining walls for... more

[photo1]I think a little appreciation from the citizens back home means more to the brave men and women of our military, past and present, than a chest full of awards and medals ever will.It was my distinct honor to take part in the National Former Prisoner of War Day commemoration ceremony recently held at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Buffalo. Congressman Brian Higgins and former Sheriff Tom Higgins, who gave the keynote address, participated in the ceremony, together with a nearly-full audience, consisting of approximately 20 former POWs, including one who survived the Bataan Death March.By their very presence, they represented those who did not make it back to their homeland. Their silver... more

A few days ago, I was getting my lawn rolled, raking out gardens and gazing fondly at lilac buds ready to burst into a full-blown spring riot. This week, I’m wondering if the snow and wind will rip the poor buds off the bushes and blow them to Ontario.Oh, Buffalo weather. You make us crazy and yet you’re so predictable, at times. Yes, we had a mild winter and the earliest spring I’ve ever had the pleasure of welcoming. But I didn’t trust it completely. The threat of snow is traditionally not over until May.I was talking to a friend from Costa Rica the other day about our strange, warm weather pattern this year.There are 12 micro-climates in Costa Rica, all of them warm and lovely, that vary in... more

[photo1]FIFTY YEARS AGOMarch 29, 1962The former Methodist Church on the corner of Buffalo and Franklin streets is being dismantled this week. Next year, this church would have seen 100 years of history pass by its doors.In 1812, 150 years ago today, the town of Concord was created by an action of the state legislature. Concord is also the second oldest town in Erie County, but shares this distinction with its sister towns of Hamburg and Eden.Mr. and Mrs. Myles J. Rogers, Shirley Rogers and Joann Lang attended the graduation of Richard J. Rogers from the New York State Police Academy, which was held at Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University, on March 23.At 8 o’clock Sunday evening, April 1, the... more

I had my eye on buying a beautiful, red-fringed winter coat. I waited, though, because the price was too high. Eventually, the cost was reduced to less than half. Then I waited some more, but never saw the coat again. Instead, I bought myself something much more useful, something that I could use every day, in all seasons, a pressure cooker.One of my friends had purchased one and raved about it. You can cook a small chicken in the cooker in 15 minutes, complete with juice for gravy. I’ve cooked a whole head of cauliflower in 5 minutes and cooked eggplant Parmesan, potatoes, carrots and pot roast in 45 minutes.The cookers are easy to use. Just follow the book and you will have dinner on the table... more

For Fat Tuesday, we had a big feast at work. I’ve included the recipes for the jambalaya and New Orleans Creolé gumbo. Next month, I’ll tell you what I bought myself for Christmas instead of the beautiful, red-fringed coat I had wanted.Jambalaya(Vickie Reffner)1 large onion, diced1 large green pepper, diced1 or two links hot Italian sausage, sliced2 - 4 tablespoons vegetable cooking oil2 (8-ounce) boxes New Orleans-style jambalaya mix. Place onion, green pepper and Italian sausage in a large frying pan with 2 - 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Fry over low heat until vegetables and meat are cooked through. Meanwhile, prepare the jambalaya mix according to package directions. Combine mixtures,... more

[photo1]The 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which was ratified in 1933, changed the beginning of a presidential term from March 4 to Jan. 20. It took effect for President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s second term, in 1937.Next year’s Jan. 20 inaugural address, to be made after the dust has settled from a marathon presidential campaign, will fall on a Sunday. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies announced late last month that it has voted to push the ceremony back one day, to Monday, Jan. 21, “since Jan. 20, 2013 is a Sunday.”What happened to tradition?This is the seventh time in U.S. history that the constitutionally mandated inauguration date has fallen on a Sunday, according... more

[photo1]Vertical gardens are a great way to add color to a fence or wall and are also terrific if you don’t have much space for gardening.“You can tack them up just about anywhere,” said Colleen Morrissey, herb manager and container designer at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, located at 118 South Forest Road in Williamsville. “The deer can’t get to it, so that’s always helpful.”With vertical gardening, you could install an herb garden right outside your kitchen door. Plant one now with cold-hardy annual flowers or, in a sunnier spot this summer, choose drought-tolerant plants. Succulents could be used in a vertical garden inside or outside. You can use anything you like.The trick to the vertical... more

[photo1]This April was designated Alcohol Awareness Month and we are reintroducing an ongoing initiative called Project Sticker Shock. This is a community awareness campaign aimed at educating people 21 years of age or older who might illegally buy and provide alcohol to minors. Project Sticker Shock is in full swing, as stickers, posters and other media warning messages are being pasted on multi-packs of beer, wine coolers and other alcohol products, sold at participating stores, that might appeal to underage drinkers. The timing couldn’t be better, with the upcoming prom and graduation season upon us. Too many adults accept underage drinking as a rite of passage. The true rite that young people... more

Bullying comes in all forms. We can’t teach kids not to bully if we show them exactly how to do it.In sixth grade, I witnessed bullying of a boy half my size by a kid twice my size. A couple of times a week, as I entered school in the morning, small-statured and mild-tempered Thomas would be in the clutches of a school bully named Chet. Most of the fun for Chet was threatening such a small person. If Thomas showed enough fear, then the bully would not actually punch or slap Thomas.Some days, Thomas could persuade Chet through conversation or humor to stop being a jerk. If Chet wasn’t in too bad of a mood, Thomas would get away with having to only fetch his hat from the sidewalk.I was too self-conscious... more

“It’s never too early to start padding your obituary.” This phrase was taken from a collection of Facebook posts about the distinguished-looking gentleman who appears in commercials for Dos Equis© beer. He has no name other than “the most interesting man in the world.” For many of us, an obituary is our final chance to be interesting.First, some newspaper nomenclature. A death notice is a short list of the deceased’s immediate family and the announcement of where and when services will be held. An obituary has the same details, but includes a miniature biography detailing the person’s achievements and experiences.Not that long ago, obits were the domain of only the rich and famous. You were... more