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People’s column

Peoples column

The OBSERVER’s View (July 30, 2026) states that “… no state official has indicated how struggling SUNY institutions are supposed to pay for these generous increases” in State University of New York salaries. In the midst of an international infectious epidemic in 2009, President George Bush recognized that the U.S. did not have sufficient vaccine production facilities to inoculate its own citizens. Overseas facilities were committed to the vaccine production for their own citizens. I suggested to then-Chautauqua County Executive Mark Thomas that the north county would be an ...

The OBSERVER’s View: Bottom line closes another church

The OBSERVER’s View

Another incredibly important parish in the history of northern Chautauqua County learned of its fate this weekend. During the 9:30 a.m. Mass, it was announced that St. Anthony’s Church in Fredonia would be closing. Members of the church’s finance committee made the announcement, citing declining attendance and donation rates. The closure will leave Fredonia without a Catholic church. St. Joseph’s on Main Street closed as of Jan. 1, 2025. As sudden as the decision seems, there is no question the tumult in the Buffalo diocese has a lot to do with all of the transitions. Facing ...

A challenging year in grape country

Commentary

Alarm bells went off earlier this year, when Refresco Company announced that it was cancelling grape contracts in this area. It had been a large purchaser of Concord grapes here in Chautauqua County. I have not been privy to the decision of Refresco but am assuming that at least part of its decision was based upon the fact that grape processing was a small part of its overall international operations, and corporate big-wigs decided to focus company efforts more on its core businesses. Whatever the reason, it left some grape growers without an immediate market for their grapes. For ...

The OBSERVER’s View: Important addition to county business

The OBSERVER’s View

It was roughly six years ago that Chautauqua County made a pitch for an Amazon regional distribution center that, when completed, would have been one of the largest in the world. County Executive PJ Wendel, Mark Geise, county IDA director and former U.S. Rep. Tom Reed all advocated for Amazon to consider Chautauqua County, which was pushing land the county owns in Ripley as well as the Mason Industrial Park in Ellicott. The project never came to fruition, but there was a lot of genuine excitement around the possibility at the time. Last month, Amazon made a quieter entry into ...

Understanding our U.S. Constitution

Commentary

For 250 years this country has remained as free as one can be. Each citizen enjoys such liberty as freedom to speak their mind. To pursue the happiness that is granted by their creator. As Americans we can freely roam the globe, and especially within the confines of our own borders we can come and go as we please. Although each state of residence offers unique observance of power that is granted and accepted by the constituents, in most cases their freedoms and privileges are held in reciprocity by the other states in the nation. That means that if you can drive a car here in New York ...

People’s column

Peoples column

Editor, OBSERVER: You know, Democrats talk all the time about how they hate President Donald Trump. They hate President Trump but they never say what he's doing specifically that they hate. So, is it the $1,000 trust fund for all the children being born? Just for being born. And when they become adults many of them will be millionaires, possibly multi-millionaires. Is it the lower drug cost on drugs that many of us use everyday through Trump RX? The fact that manufacturing is coming back to our country bringing high wage jobs like Toyota just announcing they are bringing Tacoma ...