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The OBSERVER’s View

CABINET Smart steps toward energy independence

President-elect Donald Trump’s decisions to nominate Chris Wright for secretary of energy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to serve a dual role as secretary of the interior and chairman of a National Energy Council are reassuring. Wright is the CEO of a company with considerable experience in natural gas drilling. We believe Burgum, as governor of a largely pro-development state, is an ideal choice to spearhead a comprehensive effort to improve the production and affordability of domestic energy — an effort that includes renewable sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectric ...

SNOWSTORM: Giving thanks for major rescue

One of the busiest shopping days turned out to be a bust due to the weather. But there was a tremendous gift of life that received the support of area first responders in the middle of heavy snow and whiteout conditions that Friday. A 64-year-old woman from the Rochester area was headed to Cleveland Clinic for a heart transplant when her husband encountered the lake-effect snowstorm. Traveling on Route 5 in the town of Portland, he called a nurse at the Cleveland facility to report his predicament. He and his wife, with a battery powered heart pump, were stranded in the snow. Within ...

Snowfall: Some won’t heed storm warnings

There is not much more area forecasters, government officials and emergency responders could do to warn motorists and residents about the impending lake-effect snowstorm that was headed for northern Chautauqua County. Warnings came through media, cell phone alerts and on signs on Interstate 90. Despite that, motorists took their chances. Some to venture to the Bills’ game, others to head home or shop during the Thanksgiving holiday. In December 2022, 47 people died in the notorious blizzard with 70 mph winds that hit Buffalo. Some believed not enough was done to warn residents of the ...

COUNTY Transparency missing in studies

Twice in recent weeks Chautauqua County legislators have seen studies regarding the Chautauqua County Jail and Chautauqua County Airport in Jamestown. They’re choosing to keep those studies close to the legislature’s collective vest. Given that public money was spent on the studies, the fact that the studies have been discussed in public meetings and the fact the studies detail future potential uses of public money, those studies should be made public now rather than when the legislature or its special committees decide to release them. We can see why legislators haven’t ...

COUNTY Snowfall brings hope for snowmobiling

√If this weekend is any indication, we have officially ventured into the winter season. With that snow comes a number of events so many cherish — and venture to our region to partake in. With more than 400 miles of groomed trails over rolling foothills, open meadows and majestic state forests, Chautauqua County is a snowmobiler’s paradise. Based on previous winters, the snowfall over the weekend was a welcome sight. But before taking to that site, the state Department of Motor Vehicles reminds riders to register their snowmobiles as those must be renewed annually. DMV allows ...

DUNKIRK: Expense items miss scrutiny

Big-ticket items continue to be ignored when it comes to Dunkirk’s fiscal problems. Earlier this month, a proposal was floated to bring back parking meters to help with city revenues. Let’s try to get this straight. A city facing an $18 million budget crunch is aiming to raise between $5,000 to $10,000 in additional added revenue. Noting a need “to generate something” will not even come close to fixing what ails city coffers. “It’s just so we’re trying every which way we can to help ourselves,” said councilwoman Nancy Nichols. That statement is nowhere near being ...