In a recent social media post shared by one of my classmates who still lives in Silver Creek I spotted an excellent example of cleverly disguised misinformation. The post my classmate shared was one of George Borrello, candidate for New York state Senate in the 57th district. The gist of the ...

Why wait till fall when you can have it all — right here, right now. I’m referring to silly season, the time of the year when wannabe politicians gear up to take a shot at the incumbents. And for city of Dunkirk residents, this year is going to be a real horse race right down to the ...

This is a great time for grousing about the weather. During the winter we expect bad things, and though we complain, there is the sense of inevitability as we resign ourselves to the usual torment. But now spring has already performed its vanishing act and we are aching for the kind of deep ...

A teacher of mine once said, “Robert, never give up, have hope, and keep working hard.” Truly, this comment is a statement of hope-filled advice and indeed it is worth remembering. Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams become a reality. ...

President Donald Trump promised to improve the lives of military veterans with improved medical care, education and other support. “We will get our veterans the care they need wherever and whenever they need it. ... No more excessive red tape. Just the care and support our veterans have ...

I read, with dismay, the OBSERVER’s decision to post an online poll question to our community on June 12: “Should special education children be integrated into regular classrooms?” As an educator and school system leader at Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES, I’m especially attuned ...

Editor’s note: Former State University of New York at Fredonia professor and OBSERVER columnist George Sebouhian was preparing to write his life story when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2013. He died three years later, having left behind hundreds of pages of research notes, poems and ...

“I wonder what the geese are doing tonight.” Sung to one of my favorite (but aren’t they all?) songs from”Camelot,” it hangs in my mind day after day — well now into the second month. Yes, what are the geese doing? Their pattern hasn’t changed in all the years I’ve ...

I want to share with the readership an experience that struck a chord deep into my heart. This experience, although relatively brief in time, compelled me to offer it up. My family has enjoyed the Lake Erie beaches. We picnic, walk the beach and beach-comb for glass. Occasionally we stay ...

In the near future, the Supreme Court will likely decide whether to overturn two landmark abortion cases: Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). If it does so, it will have to face the issue of when people begin to exist. In Roe, roughly, the Supreme Court held that ...

“How Big is Big” How big is big? How small is small? Does anybody know? If you went to infinity, Then how far would you go? The universe is standing still. I’ll tell you this is so, ’Cause as it includes everything, There’s no place it can go! And if it did, how could ...

Another proposed state law that comes from the left is really off the wall. It proposes that students in the fourth to eighth grades will not be suspended for their unruly behavior. Here we go again — forcing our teachers to tolerate bad behavior from the younger kids as well. Where are ...

Caveat emptor! Buyer beware! I am not the most tech-savvy person I know; but I know enough to know I don’t know enough. Hence, I can be hornswoggled by a slick salesperson. But give me a little time to think about it, and I can figure out I’ve been had. Case in point: I have an iPhone and ...

Please inform the Chautauqua Music Teachers Association and remind your readers the National Historic Landmark Chautauqua Amphitheater, built in 1893, was demolished and sent to landfill in September 2016. The Amp was the historic “heart” of the Chautauqua Institution, which hosted some ...

After many months of dialogue, debate, rumor and fact finding, the Red House for Youth, LLC., has finally been granted a special use permit by the village of Cassadaga, which will allow us to continue to serve our community as a wedding venue and as a resource for local community and youth ...

The Indian Army claims that fresh footprints of the abominable snowman have been found in the mountains of Nepal. This, they say, proves that he is real and not just a legend. He must be a rather large fellow because his footprint measures 32 inches by 15 inches. No wonder he’s barefoot. ...

Doctors are hard to come by in rural America. Nearly 20% of Americans live in rural communities. But only 10% of doctors practice there. Patients often must drive for hours to see a physician. Such barriers to care can prove deadly. A former director of the Centers for Disease Control and ...

Last month we looked at the Commands of God and how if we see God first as authority and judgment, the Commands of God become a burden. Yet if we see God first as love, then His Commands become for us an opportunity in which to serve Him with thanks for what He has done, knowing what God wants. ...

Suffering from numerous ailments for longer than I can easily recall, all of a sudden Henry was sick. Yes, s-i-c-k as in time-to-call-the-doctor sick. Indoors and out (he could move — at times), I’d watch Henry just stand immobile while staring at the ground. I do not exaggerate to say ...

I have been communicating with several members of the class Cardinal Mindszenty Class of 1964 via email. If I have not been communicating with you, please send me your email address so I am able to. This letter is a reminder that we will soon be having our 55th class reunion. We had a blast ...