At the recent Child and Family Services Celebration of Friends event, Chief Development Officer Susan Siwiec had no idea she'd be taking the stage.  She was pleasantly surprised when she found out a new award was being named after her.

Siwiec is moving on after 13 years of hard work and dedication at Child and Family Services.  The organization felt this was a fine way to honor her services.The Susan T. Siewec Distinguished Donor Award

"Everyone who knows Susan knows that she is a vibrant, energetic woman," said board member Kevin O'Leary in his presentation speech.  "Her passion for our agency and its’ mission is evident to each person she meets"

Siewec created the agency's Development Department from the ground up and has worked to develop it ever since.  O'Leary praised Siwiec's ability to establish and maintain relationships with individual and corporate donors in Western New York and beyond. 

The West Herr Auto Group is honored to be the first recipient of the Susan T. Siwiec Distinguished Donor Award.  Vice President Bill Loecher, also a new Child and Family Services board member, was there to accept.

"West Herr stepped up to the plate and provided additional gifts and food for families, ensuring that each and every person received a gift to open this past Christmas day," O'Leary said. 

As members of the Western New York community, we thank Susan Siwiec for all her hard work and the Child and Family Services for their award. 

To make a donation to Child and Family Service's Buffalo chapter, visit them online today. 

"Buick is Back!"  The cover of the latest Motor Trend magazine says it all.  With new models on the horizon, West Herr couldnt be happier with the momentum Buick is gaining. 

Motor Trend ran a comparison between the redesigned 2010 Buick Lacrosse and the 2010 Lexus ES350; the Lacrosse emerged as the overall winner.

 "This shows that we are introducing cars that merit the attention of auto enthusiasts, including the editors of Motor Trend," said John Schwegman, U.S. marketing vice president, Buick GMC.

Currently the 2010 Lacrosse is outselling it's predecessor threefold and it's safety ratings are some of the highest in the industry.

The Lacrosse has also earned great reviews and high praise for its multiple fuel-efficient options.  Aside from two fuel-saving V-6 engines, a new eco-friendly, direct inject Ecotec 2.4L four-cylinder engine will hit stores with the LaCrosse CX model this spring.

The 2011 Buick Regal is also being lauded by car experts everywhere.  Motor Trend Editor-in-Chief Angus Mackenzie says the Regal "is the first Buick in history with internationally chic sheetmetal and sophisticated road manners to match.”

"It is truly likely to appeal to young, affluent, trend-setting import buyers,” Mackenzie said. 

Available this spring, the 2011 Regal features a standard 2.4L Ecotec direct injected engine with anestimated 182 horsepower (136 kW).  Also available later this year is the 2.0L Ecotec turbocharged and direct injected engine rated at an estimated 220 horsepower (164 kW).

West Herr is proud to be Western New York's spot for the latest Buick products.  To test out the 2010 Lacrosse or find out more about the 2011 Regal's Buffalo launch, visit us online or come to our East Aurora location. 

"Dine Local, Dine Often, Dine Well" is the slogan for this year's Local Restaurant Week in Western New York.  Restaurants all over the greater Buffalo area are offering special deals and discounts from now until Sunday March 14th.  The staff at Localfoodservice.com are the main organizers of the event.

Businesses located as far as Eden, Youngstown and even Rochester are involved.  Most restaurants are even offering a special multi-course meal priced exactly $20.10.  

Food is not all Western New Yorkers can enjoy.  Many prominent wineries and breweries, including Sam Adams and Blue Point, are also taking part in Local Restaurant Week. 

Late winter and early spring are notoriously slow times for restaurants, so this week offers owners a chance to build rapport with consumers for now and the future.  Customers, in turn, get to sample new food and refreshments while supporting the local economy. 

Local Restaurant week is a national event, yet Buffalo is now one of the largest events with more than 150 restaurants taking part.  The majority of the restaurants are located in Buffalo's historic Elmwood district. 

Community response has been so overwhelming that today it was announced on the event's Twitter page that the event site will have to be moved to another server. 

"In the parlance of the industry we are slammed," said Vince McConeghy, community manager at LocalFoodService.com and administrator of the Twitter page. 

Visit the event online for a full list of participating restaurants, or join the conversation on Twitter now.

Nissan recently announced the purchase details for the LEAF, the world's first all-electric, zero-emission car designed for the mass market.  West Herr Nissan is already excited to bring zero-emission driving to the Buffalo area. 

"We want everyone to feel good about having a car that is affordable, fun to drive and good for the environment," said Carlos Tavares, Chairman, Nissan Americas.

The LEAF offers a sleek and practical design. The battery is located under the seats for the ultimate safety in case of a collision.  The charging station resembles a traditional gas tank but requires no liquids and emits no fumes.

Home charging devices will be available and plans are in place to construct charging infrastructure across the country, with San Francisco being one of the first cities on board.  Learn more about the charging process with this video from Nissan. 

The LEAF will have a range of 100 miles per charge under average, everyday driving conditions.   Nissan announced that AeroVironment will supply and install home charging stations for the LEAF, creating a one-stop shop for the Nissan LEAF and its charging equipment.

There will be a special reservation procedure needed for purchase.  Right now, customers can pre-register online for breaking news related to the LEAF.  So far more than 50,000 people have registered. 

In April, Nissan will announce pricing details and start taking refundiable $100 reservations.  In August they will start taking firm orders for delivery, with expected delivery dates in December. Full mass production begins in 2012.  

The LEAF holds up to 5 passengers and promises 100% torque at 0 RPMs, rare for such a car.  In terms of performance, it will handle like a V6 car and has a top speed of up to 90 mph.

For travelers, the LEAF features a standard 12V automotive power outlet for laptops or other devices.  Nissan plans to use a a cellular-type network for navigation purposes.

With the LEAF still on the Horizon, West Herr Nissan is offering great deals on our current stock to the Buffalo area.  The 2010 Rogue SL is now available at our Orchard Park location with special Nissan rebates and low APR finance rates. 

The Rogue recently won the 2010 Consumers Digest Automotive Best Buy award. 

A sold out crowd filled University at Buffalo's Alumni Arena on Sunday to support Cheer For The Cure, a cheerleading competion aimed at raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

The JDRF reported a record-setting turnout and a large increase in donations.  Cheer For The Cure is expected to raise over $30,000, up from the $21,000 raised at last year's event.   Spectator fees went up almost $5000 from 2009. 

"In my opinion, moving the Cheer to UB was a great decision," said Alexandra Kobza, JDRF Special Events Coordinator.

Kobza sent a special thank you to all those who "braved a very long day of the Cheer."  132 teams particpated in the competition that was split between morning and afternoon sessions. 

West Herr was proud to sponsor the event.  Tony Helta, General Manager of West Herr Ford in Hamburg, recently joined the JDRF Board of Directors. 

"We'd also like to give a big thankyou to Tony Helta," Kobza said. 

The Ride For Roswell Ride Spinning Event gives everyone in the greater Buffalo area a chance to join the fight against cancer before the annual Ride For Roswell cycling fundraiser on June 26.  The Ride Spinning event is a free indoor training session offering cyclists a chance to raise money for Roswell and increase community awareness for the main cycling event. 

The Ride Spinning session takes place Saturday March 13 with registration starting at 11:30 AM.  Cyclists can choose training sessions ranging from 1-4 hours.  Cyclists can train at the Buffalo Athletic Club's Downtown Buffalo or Williamsville locations or the World Gym in Hamburg.

Roswell offers a multiple training sessions in an effort to promote a healthier lifestyle for riders.  A full list of training sessions is available through Roswell's Ride Fitness Club.

When you support The Ride For Roswell in any fashion, your gift has a meaningful impact on cancer research and patient care at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.  Many riders, patients and survivors have shared their stories as to how the Ride For Roswell has touched their lives.  View these stories here.

This event is pivotal for anyone who wants to get involved in the fight against cancer.  Now more than ever Roswell needs support in finding a cure. 

The Hamburg Film Festival recently unveiled their updated website along with a Twitter and Facebook page.  The Festival first started last year and is looking to expand.  It is one of the few localized film festivals in the Buffalo area. 

The festival will take place Saturday July 17, 2010 at the Palace Theatre, located at 31 Buffalo Street in Hamburg. The festival is specifically designed for high school and college students with an interest in film.

The festival was started by Sarah Reynolds-Sweryniak, a member of the Hamburg Sun News staff.  Her goal was to deliver a creative outlet for the young minds of her community.  In addition to organizing the festival, she also serves as a judge.  Last year other judges included Jay Rouf, Palace Theater owner, Matthew Chander of the Buffalo Law Journal and Erie Community College professor John Harrigan.   

Last year, the theatre was packed and the judges gave out over 10 awards.  There also was a people's choice award as voted on by the viewers.   

For a full list of festival guidelines and current information, visit the festival's website. 

According to Hospice, 90% of local florists will be selling boquets for the event.  Dunkin Donuts, Bank of America and local hospitals are among the other participating locations. 

Vice President John Wabick is proud to announce that West Herr was the highest selling corporate location in Western New York for the 7th year straight, thanks to the hard work of the employees and their families. Mr. Wabick is also personally involved with Hopsice Buffalo on the Foundation Board of Directors. 

There are multiple ways to purchase a boquet.  Visit the Hospice Buffalo website for a full list of public locations and participating florists.  Those interested can also purchase a virtual boquet to send to the person of their choice.

West Herr is proud and excited to be a Buffalo Ford Dealer with a recent announcement about job expansion and new products from the company. 

The Ford Motor Company announced Friday they will invest $155 million and add 60 jobs to their Engine Plant No.1 in Cleveland, OH.  The jobs will focus on building a new V-6 engine for the 2011 Mustang, which is expected to lead its class in highway fuel efficiency with 30 miles per gallon on the highway and 305 horsepower.

“Ford is absolutely committed to delivering class-leading fuel efficiency with every new vehicle we introduce, and this investment in Cleveland provides further proof,” said Bill Russo, director of manufacturing for Ford’s powertrain operations.

This endeavor will represent two-thirds of Mustang's overall volume in 2010.  The 2011 Mustang is just one example of Ford’s industry leading committment to fuel economy.  The Environmental Protection Agency reports that Ford’s combined car and truck fuel economy has improved nearly 20 percent since 2004 – almost double the next closest competitor. 

In addition, the investment represents Ford's overall committment to Cleveland Engine Plant No.1, a long standing staple for the company.  Opened in 1951 as the first Ford plant in Ohio, the facility has produced over 35 million engines.  

"This facility represents the future of advanced manufacturing in North America,” Russo said. 

The West Herr Auto Group is excited to bring the 2011 Mustang to the greater Buffalo area this spring.  For a list of dealerships, visit West Herr online today. 

Buffalo Car Dealer Wins Award

Each year  the BNSME honors a prominent industry leader from Western New York as the Executive of the Year. This leader is someone whose efforts in the community has not only produced economic rewards for their organization and the area, but also has advanced the sales and marketing profession. Past recipients include Bill Polian, Robert E. Rich, Peter F. Hunt, and Paul Ciminelli.

Former Buffalo Bill Steve Tasker is the Master of Ceremonies for the event.  A networking funcion will kick things off at 5:15 with dinner at 6:30 and a short presentation to follow.  Tickets are still available.  For more information or to register for the event visit the BNSME website.