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Opinion

Positive efforts at water plant prove a point

Commentary

It may seem odd to some people that I am complimenting Fredonia Trustee Paul Wandel on his efforts in overseeing operations at the village’s water treatment plant. I have been critical in this column of Wandel’s support of the village’s current plan to join the North County Water District. I have also been critical of the inaccurate statements and misinformation that Wandel often spreads about this ill-advised water project. But credit should be given where credit is due. In THE OBSERVER’S VIEW of Sept. 1, water plant upgrades made a difference in the village, the editor ...

Painting proves to often be a tall order

Commentary

As a part-time writer, musician and non-tenured teacher, I might qualify as a struggling artist (as if there were any other kind). The struggle has been real, and throughout my life I’ve periodically relied on house painting to make ends meet and facilitate my other, sometimes less lucrative ...

Quippies

Commentary

Nin Privitera, former Fredonia resident, offers some offbeat takes on recent headlines: — People in New York City have witnessed strange men of unknown origin coming up out of the sewers. Rumors are that they could be part of Mayor Mamdani’s new program of rent control. — Donald Trump is hinting at renaming the state of New Mexico from that to New America. You know what this renaming scheme is eventually leading to, don’t you? “In the beginning God created the heavens and The Trump.” — Even though Prince Harry is moving back to England, it has been announced he will ...

Quippies

Commentary

Nin Privitera, former Fredonia resident, offers some offbeat takes on recent headlines: --- Oh boy, our trade war with Canada may become more heated than it already is. According to the relentless digging for the truth, my super duper investigative team has found another executive order of President Trump that may soon be signed into law. Here are the highlights of what will be called executive order operation, GET OFF OUR LAKE, YOU, LOSERS. --- Starting today, upon the signing of this executive order 12345, I, Donald Trump, the greatest President in American history, legally declare ...

Flock comments don’t match current picture

Commentary

In response to the District Attorney’s statement and press release to the OBSERVER (Aug. 31, Sept. 2 and Sept. 5, 2026), it is immediately apparent that the facts behind the Flock camera program don’t back up what the DA says. Here are four problems: — Crime is not going up. The DA says crime “has increased substantially.” State data checked by the OBSERVER shows Fredonia police reported 293 crimes in 2003 and 163 in 2024 — a drop of almost half. SUNY Fredonia, with its own police force, reports very low crime. The whole reason for the program rests on a trend that isn’t ...

Failure is often the only result with socialism

Commentary

Apologists for socialism commonly claim its historical failures were because “they” did it wrong. To the contrary – we think “they” did it perfectly. However, those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it, and today’s socialists seem determined to repeat history. Conversely, we who learned from history are not particularly eager to live under socialism’s totalitarian yoke. We do not want our children standing in bread lines for the sake of “equality”. We reject socialism’s innate lust for power over us. Nor will we surrender our minds to ...