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The OBSERVER’s View

CASSADAGA Too much trouble over concrete block

Cassadaga Trustee Cathy Cruver is exactly correct. What the village did to a business — Valley Outdoors — was not fair and quite questionable. Cruver brought up the topic last month after owner Adam Diate voiced his displeasure with the concrete blocks that surround a hydrant near his business asking for those objects to be removed. In Cruver’s view, the village failed to properly communicate the options to Diate. “At the permit process, we had every right to say to the owner of the business that in order for him to get the permit, he needed to include protection for the fire ...

Dunkirk Business boosts market in city

One of the reasons this region remains in a recession when compared to the rest of the United States is a lack of private investment. All too often here, governments and schools are relied upon to make improvements to the community. While that is often welcome, it is an unhealthy solution. Those institutions are funded greatly through tax dollars — not donations. But it is good to see industry lend a hand when possible. That was the case in Dunkirk last month when Refresco was honored for its part in having the pavilion built at the Farmers’ Market at 45 Cliffstar ...

COUNTY Taking quick action after escape try

After the July 11 escape attempt from the Chautauqua County Jail, we opined that the county should figure out how an inmate came so close to escaping from the Mayville facility. Kudos to Sheriff Jim Quattrone for doing just that. Members of the Chautauqua County Legislature’s Public Safety Committee recently met in executive session with Quattrone to discuss what has been learned from a review of the incident. While much of that discussion is eligible for executive session discussion, the fact that such a review and follow-up discussion happened. It would have been easy for ...

DUNKIRK Budget proposals likely to have pain

During a financial crisis in Erie County during the reign of Executive Joel Giambra, there were two budgets proposed. One was considered “green” that included keeping services, while the other was “red,” which proposed cutting services. It created a horrible debate that scarred the Giambra administration. Earlier this month, it was reported at a Finance Committee meeting that Mayor Kate Wdowiasz will likely take that same path. That announcement was made by Ellen Luczkowiak, city fiscal affairs officer. She said during the meeting one proposed budget will tax up to the ...

Government cannot spend its way out of housing problem

The Harris campaign is proposing assistance — up to $10,000 for first-time homebuyers and up to $25,000 for first-generation homebuyers — with down payments to purchase a house. There are at least two reasons every American should be deeply skeptical about the feasibility of this proposal. It should come as no surprise to anyone who reads our editorials that we have significant concerns about what this level of spending will do to the national annual deficit and to the $34 trillion debt to which that deficit continually adds. We understand we may seem excessively repetitive ...

COUNTY: No reason to rush bus options

It’s funny how bad decisions keep coming back to haunt you. Six years ago Chautauqua County needed to find a new home for its bus system after National Comedy Center officials asked that CARTS not use the area in front of the center as its downtown hub – even though that was one of the transportation-related uses the former Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Station was originally renovated to house. County officials made their way down Third Street and purchased the former Ray Nelson Service Station at 215 E. Third St. to be the new CARTS hub. We weren’t crazy about the move at the ...