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Opinion

Accountability matters when commenting

The OBSERVER’s View

We wholeheartedly agree with Fredonia Trustee Paul Wandel when it comes to reading letters during the public comment portion of a government meeting. If someone wishes to offer an opinion, they need to have their name attached to it. Why would it be any other way? Wandel’s resolution, which was not voted on this week, was spurred by comments read at a recent meeting with the writer requesting anonymity. That individual’s thoughts then included name calling of Mayor Michael Ferguson while bashing his behavior. Talk about not having courage in your convictions. That letter is ...

Crying a green river over unreliable renewables

Commentary

After 20 years of outright fraud, the UN-IPCC finally admitted their climate doom scenarios (RCP8.5 and SSP5-8.5) were phony nonsense. But those fraudulent scenarios were used to fleece New York taxpayers to subsidize Albany’s fear-based Green Energy mandates. But the climate-con continues daily. Consider the knee-jerk reaction of climate doomers blaming the recent Nepal flooding on global warming – before any scientific data was available! But geologists – using detailed video and seismic data – showed that the underlying bedrock collapsed, not the glacier. It had nothing ...

Marijuana decisions are ‘unwise policy choices’

Commentary

I write as a former marijuana user and a concerned member of our community to strongly oppose the legalization of marijuana and the proposed opening of a retail store here. These steps are not merely unwise policy choices — they are dangerous, both practically and spiritually. From personal experience I know that marijuana dulls the mind, weakens judgment, and opens the door to habits and influences that are difficult to reverse. What begins as recreation often erodes clarity, motivation, and spiritual discernment. Introducing a commercial outlet that normalizes and profits from this ...

Hernandez understands rough waters, rip currents

Commentary

SUNSET BAY—It’s a gorgeous late summer day on the shore of Lake Erie. As a Buffalo Bills’ game is on television, the sun is bright, the air is warm, and wispy clouds fill the blue sky. This is the kind of day that postcards are made of. It’s that much fun. It’s a bit windy ...

Lavish, placid Republican legislators may be on hot seat

Editor's corner

Right as the controversial data center issue began to ramp up in the spring, our newspaper received a communication from a fired-up individual. As part of the impassioned discussion, the caller made it clear what she was going to say would be important to the Brocton-Portland community. Why ...

9/11 vivid to many, but becoming more distant

Commentary

As I watched the ceremonies marking the anniversary of 9/11, I found it hard to believe that it has been 25 years since our nation was attacked by the forces of radicalized Islam. That Tuesday was a beautiful end of summer day in New York City as it was in Silver Creek with clear blue skies ...