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Lies, attacks corrode democracy

A divisive, fascist political campaign has targeted transgender Americans for several years. Writing as a cisgender straight male, I see this not only as an attack on these individuals, but as an attack on our democracy itself. Since 2021, state legislatures have proposed 2,492 bills and 265 have passed, aimed at restricting gender-affirming care, access to bathrooms, and legal recognition, according to the Trans Legislation Tracker. The Anti-Trans campaign is imbued and fueled by fear, lacking data or reason. A movement this large and this inflammatory has disastrous implications for ...

Bridge project progresses despite issues

For those who use the Chautauqua Lake Bridge on a daily basis, there has been recent good news—there is now a “temporary” exit ramp for Bemus Point on the eastbound lane just as you cross the bridge. Businesses in Bemus and the Village had been asking that this be done, and, to its credit, the State DOT made the decision to do so. It complicates things a bit for workers and contractors who had been accessing the bridge from the east side. They will now have to come in from the west side in order to avoid traffic using the new exit ramp. But, the new arrangement, thus far, seems ...

NCCF Local Economic Development committee: Teamwork can stem rising costs

There have been a lot of changes in the funding priorities of our federal government during the past six months. As a result, more and more responsibilities will be moved back to the states and local governments, if they haven’t already been, and many funds already allocated to some local projects will likely be clawed back. This comes at a time when it appears funds for many other federal programs we and our neighbors rely upon, like food assistance and health care, also appear likely to be reduced. These changes, and others, will probably make the difficult financial situations ...

Editorial overlooks ‘reasonable’ water options

Without question, the OBSERVER’s View, published (Aug. 16-17), is a classic example of muddled writing. As a journalism teacher and high school student newspaper adviser for more than 40 years, I often challenged students to read carefully and seek the truth when we know adult writers sometimes miss the mark. This editorial that leans toward the destruction of Fredonia’s “antiquated” water plant misses the mark on several levels. First, it assumes that the board will finish what it attempted to do nearly two years ago before a lawsuit stopped them: Ignore the multiple ...

More sour politics in our region

GENESEO—No one could have reasonably anticipated that at 5 p.m. on summer of 2025 Fridays, supporters of Rev. Jason McGuire would gather with him near the Livingston County jail entrance just before his surrender for weekend-long incarceration. Yet that’s what has happened. ≤≤≤ McGuire, a former Livingston County Conservative party, or LCCP, chair, and the current executive director of New York Families Foundation and New York Families Action, is bright, personable, cheerful, dedicated, and principled, all of which make him an effective advocate. According to ...

A holiday that was worth waiting for

Beginning in 2001, I took three writing classes each summer at Chautauqua – for five years. I gradually learned my way around campus absorbing the babbling fountains, magnificent gardens, and snatches of symphony rehearsals. I dreamed of spending a week there. My dearest friend, Ginger, fulfilled that dream – under challenging circumstances. Tom, my late husband, died in May, 2007. Weeks later, Ginger sensed that I needed a change of scenery. I needed new conversations … and time to think. Her enormous gift – a week at Chautauqua – was just what I needed when we went ...