Flashing Digtial Signs: Will They Hurt or Help Our Town Of Amherst

The Amherst town code is specific about digital signs that are not on the highway but on Amherst owned grounds.  Digital sign messages can only be changed once a day.  The many flashing signs in Amherst which change their message every 5 seconds, or any other length of time except for once a day, are illegal unless they have received a variance from the Town.

Some Town Board members said it would help businesses if they could have signs with various times to flash, others said it would hurt the Town’s appearance as a desirable place to live.  Instead it might appear simply a place to stop and shop and go home to another town.

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Jeff Angiel of The Engineering Department Knows How To Give A Report

Jeff Angiel,  Head of Amherst Compost Facility, gave a thorough report to the Town Board on the physical and financial workings of our compost facility.  The Town of Amherst is saving $1.8 million by operating our own compost instead of shipping the work out to a dumpsite.

In addition to saving Amherst $1.8 million the town has earned another $5000 by selling our compost products. 

The report was one of the best and clearest reports I have heard in many a year.

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For Students at Risk, Early College Proves a Draw

 
Precious Holt, in class at SandHoke, resisted joining the program at first. “Now I’m excited,” she said, “because I’m a year ahead.”

Most good students will do well no matter what.  When it comes to college students whose parents are college graduates have a leg up compared to those who don’t.  It is exactly those students that are being targeted in a new program at North Carolina’s 70 early-college schools.  The goal is to keep at-risk students in school by eliminating the divide between high school and college.

48 SandHoke seniors are in a fast-track program that allows them to earn their high-school diploma and up to two years of college credit in five years — completely free.Until recently, most programs like this were aimed at affluent, overachieving students — a way to keep them challenged and give them a head start on college work. But the goal is quite different at SandHoke, which enrolls only students whose parents do not have college degrees.

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A Federal Effort to Push Junk Food Out of Schools

 
Betty Almond, center, uses proceeds from her candy sales at Orange County High School in Orange, Va., to help sports teams.

School snack machines are what some children survive on during the school day but that is exactly what is adding to the obesity war.

The Obama administration will begin a drive this week to expel Pepsi, French fries and Snickers bars from the nation’s schools in hopes of reducing the number of children who get fat during their school years.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will deliver a speech Monday at the National Press Club in which he will insist, according to excerpts provided to The Times, that any vending machines that remain in schools be “filled with nutritious offerings to make the healthy choice the easy choice for our nation’s children.”The first lady, Michelle Obama, said last month that she would lead an initiative to reduce childhood obesity, and her involvement “shows the importance all of us place on this issue,” Mr. Vilsack said.

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Toyota Is Expected to Add 2010 Prius to Recalls

Watching Toyota these past few weeks is like watching a game of Jenga.  Players continue to pull out one piece at a time hoping their piece on’t end the entire game. 

The latest piece (recall) that Toyota announced is Prius.  Even the 2010 edition is being recalled for brake issues.

Toyota plans to recall at least 311,000 of its 2010 Prius hybrid models after receiving a flurry of complaints about the vehicle’s brakes, a person briefed on the decision said late Sunday.

The decision is to be announced early this week, this person said. It comes after Toyota’s recall of about eight million cars worldwide over gas pedals that could stick or become caught on floor mats. The size of the recalls and questions about Toyota’s slow response to safety concerns have stung the automaker, which built its reputation on vehicle quality.

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Playing Precisely, Brees Answers Critics


Saints quarterback Drew Brees with his son, Baylen, after Brees passed for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns

They said he was done.  His shoulder injury so severe that doctors initially said it could not be repaired.  When he was a free agent many temas passed him up saying he was too short.  New Orleans adopted him and the payoff was last night.

With 5 minutes 42 seconds remaining in Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday, Brees threw for another touchdown and cemented his Most Valuable Player status. Tight end Jeremy Shockey caught the ball, and after a successful 2-point conversion, the Saints led, 24-17, against the favored Indianapolis Colts.

Only quarterback Peyton Manning stood in the way of the perfect ending for the Saints. And when his pass fell into the waiting arms of cornerback Tracy Porter, Brees and the Saints could finally exhale. Four decades of disappointment had amazingly, improbably and unbelievably expired.

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Super Bowl Ad Watch: Blogging the Commercials

The Super Bowl is over and the Saints have come out victorious.  Congratulations to them.  Maybe one day it will be the Bills turn, but I wouldn’t advise holding your breath until then.  I am looking forward to that SuperBowl for the game and of course for the commercials.  There were some really good ones and many that portrayed men in less than positive images.

Although the Super Bowl is often the program watched each year by more women than any other, there are few signs of that in the line-up of commercials scheduled for the game.In the final minutes of the pre-game show, there was one spot aimed at women, for L’Oreal, and another, for Quilted Northern bathroom tissue, a product that is more often bought for a household by the woman than the man. As for the line-up in the game, some products are bought by women as well as men, among them Coca-Cola. But the lion’s share of spots will be aimed at men.

Of course, the lopsided focus reflects that Super Bowls are by far the biggest show of the year for male viewers. Sometimes, though, advertisers reach out to the large female audience by scheduling spots for products meant for women. One year a commercial for Dove got a lot of attention.

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Public is Welcome To The Town Board Work Session Monday,Feb. 8th

There is an afternoon Town Board work session Monday Feb. 8th at 3:00 p.m. at Town Hall on Main Street.   The public is welcome.  Since this is a work session the public is not allow to ask quetions.  This has been the policy of the Town Board work sessions for at least twenty years.

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Palin Gives Keynote Address At “Tea Party” Coalition

Her audience waved flags and erupted in cheers during multiple standing ovations as Sarah Palin gave the keynote address at the first national convention of the “tea party” coalition. It’s an anti-establishment, grass-roots network motivated by anger over the growth of government, budget-busting spending and Obama’s policies.

Filled with Palin’s trademark folksy jokes, the speech amounted to a 45-minute pep talk for the coalition and promotion of its principles. The speech also was rife with criticism for Obama and Democrats who control Congress, but delivered with a light touch. But, aside from broad conservative principles like lower taxes and a strong national defense, the speech was short on Palin’s own policy ideas that typically indicate someone is seriously laying the groundwork to run for the White House.

Indeed, Republican observers say she’s seemingly done more lately to establish herself as a political celebrity focused on publicity rather than a political candidate focused on policy.

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Tony Acquisto Family Benefit

Tony, a beloved father of Arielle and Juliette, and wonderful husband to Laurie passed away in a tragic accident on December 4, 2009. We have set up a website so that family, friends and strangers may show their support to Tony’s family. Please find it in your hearts to help the family that Tony loved so very much. 

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The Tony Acquisto Family Benefit mission is to provide financial support to Laurie, Arielle and Juliette in their time of need.

The Tony Acquisto Family Benefit is currently selling tickets for a benefit  party to help alleviate the financial burden placed on the family that Tony loved so much.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR BASKET DONATIONS TO AUCTION. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DONATING A BASKET PLEASE EMAIL tafb1@verizon.net 

TO PURCHASE A TICKET VISIT THIS WEBSITE: Tony Acquisto Family AND CLICK ON THE PAYPAL BUTTON.

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IF YOU WISH TO MAKE A DONATION:

CHECKS CAN BE MADE OUT TO:

TONY ACQUISTO FAMILY BENEFIT

7323 CHESTNUT RIDGE ROAD

ORCHARD PARK, NY 14127

The Tony Acquisto Family Benefit mission is to provide financial support to Laurie, Arielle and Juliette in their time of need.

The Tony Acquisto Family Benefit is currently selling tickets for a benefit  party to help alleviate the financial burden placed on the family that Tony loved so much.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!!! 

DATE: SATURDAY MARCH 27, 2010 5:00 – 10:00 PM 

AMERICAN LEGION POST 567 

3740 NORTH BUFFALO STREET 

ORCHARD PARK NY 14127 

TICKET PRICE: $20.00 

BEER, SNACKS, 50/50 , BASKET AUCTION ETC !!!! 

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