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Opinion

Taking action with rural suicide

The OBSERVER’s View

In 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed legislation that would have created a Rural Suicide Prevention Council to address increasing rates of suicide in rural counties. The reason for the veto, you may ask? Money and concerns about duplication. Those were unconvincing reasons in 2024. If the ...

April’s importance to U.S. history

Commentary

Looking closely at the month of April reaching all the way back to the beginning of this country and the many significant events bringing us to 2026. We find a great many events that were monumental to the United States of America. The first being the musket volley at Concord Bridge on April ...

NEW YORK STATE: Tier 6 reform is costly proposition

The OBSERVER’s View

Public employee unions are pushing hard for changes to the way pensions for government jobs are funded. If your social media feed has been flooded with calls for Tier 6 reform, here’s a primer. In 2010 former Gov. David Paterson’s Tier 5 plan rolled back pension benefit sweeteners ...

Spring construction starts on bridge

Commentary

If you have driven over the Chautauqua Lake Bridge lately, there are signs that spring construction work has started. The wooden railing along the centerline of the bridge to protect workers as they walk has been completed, cranes have started to put platform barges back into the water, and ...

DYNGUS DAY: Celebrating Polish heritage

The OBSERVER’s View

Shopping at stores over the past week, we’ve seen chocolate bunnies, egg coloring kits, jelly beans, Easter lilies and … pussy willows. While the majority of the country probably isn’t selling that many pussy willows, it’s a site that continues to be popular here in Western New ...

SAVE Act is tough on women

Commentary

I submitted my passport application this week. The total was $190 including processing fee at the post office in addition to the eight-dollar passport photo. I am fortunate that the expense was an irritation and not part of the grocery budget. Luckily, I had a certified copy of my birth ...