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No clear-cut answers on village water plans

The meeting for the discussion of the proposed Fredonia water system is scheduled for Thursday at the new town of Pomfret building on Chestnut Road. For convenience of the public, it should have been at the Fredonia Opera House as was done for the last citizens meeting with the Village officials and engineers The meeting is important as it will have engineers and others present to explain the purchase of water from the North Chautauqua County Water District and answer questions. The meeting should be broadcast on the public access channel for those that may not be able to ...

Summer update on the bridge work

There has been some recent news relative to the Chautauqua Lake Bridge. There was one announcement by the DOT that related to planning for new detour routes once the eastbound section of the bridge is completed. This will require new routing for traffic on nights when the bridge is closed for construction activities. Another news item was more somber, as a worker fell from the bridge and was injured. The person injured, as I understand it, was an inspector...not a part of the actual construction crew. Nevertheless, it reminded us that there are risks on construction projects of ...

Triumphal arch, or sign of an arch enemy?

Architecture always sends a message. So what does President Trump’s desire for a Triumphal Arch say about his authoritarian aspirations? About his regard for process, precedent, and the rule of law? First, we should look to the inspirations for the “Arc de Trump.” The form originated with Ancient Roman arches such as the Arch of Titus which served as “billboards” for military victories and glorified the absolute power of the emperors who erected them. Similarly, Napoleon’s famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris marks his army’s victory at the Battle of Austerlitz, a monument to ...

Who can Fredonians trust with water plans?

After a March 30 Fredonia Village Board Meeting two members of Save Our Reservoir and I had a cordial and pleasant conversation with Trustee Ben Brauchler on the steps of Village Hall. During that conversation I asked Brauchler what he thought of the water cost projections made by former village administrator, the late Jim Sedota, which predicted that buying water from the North County Water District would be $52 million more expensive over the next thirty years than simply upgrading the village’s water treatment plant, dam and reservoir. Brauchler admitted he never read the study ...

Have a blast, but think of the pets

The Fourth of July is the holiday I dread most. It’s not because I am unpatriotic. It’s just that I have no taste for explosions and screeching missiles, which go on here in Dunkirk from early evening to late at night, and from mid June until the end of July. It’s also because Rocco, our ...

American war of independence was no revolution

MECOSTA, Mich.—When this columnist was a newspaper reporter, one of the editors was fond of saying we needed to write in a way that would hold people’s attention when the kids were screaming, the dog was barking, and the television was on. Today’s column doesn’t follow that ...