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Opinion

EDUCATION Toughen penalties for sex crimes

The OBSERVER’s View

Twice in less than two months, area teachers have been accused of inappropriate conduct with students. First came news that the Westfield Academy and Central School Board of Education was aware of claims against a current staff member accused of inappropriate behavior. Then, just a couple of ...

Hochul secures victory for voter lists

Peoples column

Editor, OBSERVER: Thank you, Gov. Kathy Hochul for signing the ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center) bill (S1356A/A3649B). This bill allows New York State to join ERIC, a multistate collaboration to help maintain voter lists. It will strengthen voter protection, election ...

Heroic recognition during a season of giving

Commentary

The month of December throughout our nation’s history has been a very active time for our military. We all know about the Day That Lives in Infamy, when the Japanese, unprovoked, attacked the islands of Hawaii decimating the Pacific Fleet of our Navy. We know about the siege of Bastogne in ...

Industry needs a diverse energy strategy

Commentary

Editor, OBSERVER: For manufacturers across New York, abundant and reliable energy is not a luxury or a choice. Around the clock power, 365 days a year, drives daily operations, keeps us competitive and allows us to grow our workforce and continue investing in communities. This is why we ...

At their best, Bills are unbeatable

Commentary

ORCHARD PARK—Let’s pick up where we left off 15 weeks ago, after the first week of the 2025 National Football League season. You, faithful reader of this column, will recall that the Buffalo Bills came back from a second-half — indeed, a late-fourth-quarter — deficit for a 41-40 win ...

Years of fulfilling Christmas dreams

Commentary

Marcy’s vacation week offers a holiday column excerpted from her book, Rounding Third … originally from 2006. Christmastime is pure nostalgia. Many of my holiday memories began with our children’s arrival. I will never forget the total exhaustion of falling into bed after filling the ...