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The OBSERVER’s View: Electric bus decision a start for state

The OBSERVER’s View

A five-year delay in the state’s electric school bus mandate is a reasonable compromise in the state budget. The electric bus mandate was always far too optimistic that technology would be ready quickly. Early adopters of electric buses have found the technology isn’t ready for New York’s winters. And, in a state where Gov. Kathy Hochul has proposed relatively flat state aid for many smaller districts, the cost of bonding for electric school buses was going to be more than most districts’ taxpayers were going to be willing to spend for technology that couldn’t yet handle ...

Making the right karate connection

Commentary

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 ...

How do big stars see those not in spotlight?

Commentary

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 — ...

Turbine troubles keep spinning in county

Commentary

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 ...

People's column

Peoples column

Going over the top on ‘scuffle’ Editor, OBSERVER; It was disappointing to read OBSERVER articles about recent Fredonia village board meetings, especially the May 18 front page “Comment critics chastise village.” Certainly, it is newsworthy when the mayor of a normally peaceful village resorts to a police escort to remove a citizen, a former school teacher/principal no less, who was speaking calmly, but strongly in favor of fiscal responsibility. However, the OBSERVER never reported that incident or any of the information and questions shared in the public comment segment ...

Dunkirk’s standards keep lowering the bar

Commentary

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. ...