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Economics make baseball a different game

Commentary

Well, it's summertime and as the song goes “the living is easy” and my mind turns to baseball. The current season has not been a happy one for New York Mets fans like me. In the preseason, the Mets were predicted to finish first or second in the NL East. Analysts expected them to comfortably secure a postseason berth. Now with the season nearly two-thirds gone the Mets own a record of just 44 wins and 62 losses for the fourth worst record in baseball. There are several reasons for this nightmarish season. Following the second half collapse in 2025 President of Baseball ...

A night out at the old ball game

Commentary

It was my first Tarp Skunks baseball game of the year – and it was their final game of the season. Timing has not always been my strong suit. Saturday evening the Jamestown Tarp Skunks were playing the Geneva Red Wings at home in Jamestown’s Diethrick Park. The Tarp Skunks are all ...

The OBSERVER’s View: Another high cost for SUNY to absorb

The OBSERVER’s View

New York state this week announced the ratification of a five-year labor agreement with the United University Professions (UUP), which includes approximately 42,000 SUNY faculty and professional employees. The agreement, which runs until July 1, 2031, was approved by 98% of UUP members who cast ballots. As part of the deal, raises in each of the five years include: 4.5%, 4%, 3.5%, 3%, and 3%. The contract also includes boosts to location pay and several other unit-specific payments “This agreement invests in the hard-working members of the United University Professions, recognizing ...

Surging prices impacting summer travel

The OBSERVER’s View

One year ago this week, motorists were paying $3.15 per gallon to fuel up their vehicle. This year, that cost is $4.23 across New York state — and closer to $4.36 in Chautauqua County. Those figures come from AAA of Western and Central New York, which notes that volatility along the Strait of Hormuz and instability in the region have pushed crude oil prices into the high $90 per barrel range last week. According to the latest data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand is on the rise while total domestic gasoline supply is also up along with gasoline ...

Coach Larson left large impact for many

Commentary

The life of Fredonia cross-country and track Coach Frederick "Ferd" Larson deserves celebration after his passing at age 85. As a member of the Fredonia High School Class of 1970 and a member of his sports teams, I plan to join the community in honoring him as an extraordinary educator, mentor and friend at 1 p.m. Saturday at Coughlan's Pub in the village. Our class had its 55th reunion last year at the wonderful White Inn, and once talk faded of children, grandchildren and, gasp, great-grandchildren and of course health challenges, attention turned to a coach some of us called ...

Trump whacks Canada again

Commentary

You have to think that President Trump must have had a bad trip or unpleasant vacation in Canada, as I can’t think of any other legitimate reason for why he keeps attacking the country. This past week, he announced two major policy decisions/complaints relative to Canada: - he announced a new 50% tariff on many of the goods Canada sells to the United States; and - he blamed the Canadian government for the smoke-filled skies coming from forest and brush fires in that country. It is always interesting to me that our President never seems to accept responsibility for much of ...