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President Trump’s trip to China

We have had a year of confrontations under Donald Trump — the humiliation of the President of Ukraine in the Oval Office, the put-down of the Prime Minister of Canada, threats against our ally Denmark to take over Greenland...I could go on. Thus, it was with a sigh of relief that we watched the unfolding of the President’s recent visit to China. The White House played down having any great expectations about issues like access to rare earth metals, tariff relief, the status of Taiwan, and even of the Iran War—and there were no major breakthroughs announced on these ...

Comments keep village accountable

The OBSERVER that at the last Fredonia Board of Trustees workshop session this past Wednesday (May 20) that the Mayor and Trustee Esperson intend to impose as soon as possible a suspension of the public comment period at Village Board meetings. The allegation made by the mayor was Fredonia citizens were threatening the mayor and board members. Not true. I observe or attend most Village Board meetings and this allegation of threats or harm to Village officials are not true. There is nothing that has happened at Village Board meetings to justify the claim it’s unsafe to the ...

How do big stars see those not in spotlight?

From a common person’s perspective, the elite class consists of a wide range of villains, heroes, and eccentrics. It is populated by individuals who, by virtue of superior intellect, talent, inheritance, criminal activity or plain luck, enjoy a privileged life. They have, by book, hook or crook, managed to position themselves beyond most of the everyday issues that confront the everyday man. Unless their line of work requires public relations of some sort, the upper crust of society occupies a space within a bubble. Probably the most mysterious of the elites are the super rich — ...

Making the right karate connection

I grew up watching Bruce Lee movies and Kung Fu the television series starring David Carradine. I was fascinated with the martial arts. No way my parents were going to let me study karate. When I was a senior in high school I signed up for evening karate classes at Fredonia State. They were inexpensive and taught by a SUNY student. Sensei Jim was a macho jerk but I wanted to learn karate so badly I would have taken affordable classes from anyone. Jim the sensei jerk said I had real potential but I sure didn’t like his attitude. He bragged about how he worked as a bouncer at a local ...

Turbine troubles keep spinning in county

Six hundred-foot industrial wind turbines across Chautauqua County? No! Residents suffering from “wind turbine sickness” who live with turbines in Arkwright, Cassadaga, and Forestville-Villenova have described the symptoms they experience to the Chautauqua County Health Board in March 2026. “When the turbines are spinning, I experience adverse health effects including headaches, severe migraines, sleep disruption, dizziness, tinnitus, nausea and vomiting — spontaneous vomiting, equilibrium disruptions, and heart issues - not severe ones - mostly just palpitation, rapid ...

Dunkirk’s standards keep lowering the bar

I am so disappointed in our community. A headline article of what should be no news because it reads like an afternoon soap opera script appears on the front page of the local paper. No facts. No proof. All gossip. A lot of “allegations.” I am so disappointed. In its front page, top of the page article there are allegations of misconduct, abuse of alcohol, and personal misbehavior — all given as though we are on the Facebook level of gossip. Can Dunkirk sink any lower? Can we be the laughingstock of the county to a greater degree? Everything in the article is gossip. ...