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Time to speak up on quieting village residents

Commentary

A resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the village of Fredonia on June 23 prohibiting village citizens from publicly addressing their elected representatives at Village Board meetings. The resolution was approved by Mayor Michael Ferguson and Trustees Paul Wandel and Ben Brauchler. Trustee LeeAnn Lazarony and Trustee Christine Cruz Keefe voted against the resolution. Allowing village residents to publicly address their elected is a long tradition over many years permitted by previous Village Boards. It allows for a candid give and take between the resident and the ...

America always gets the government it elects

Commentary

Riddle: How many presidents does it take to flush a Constitutional Democratic Republic down the drain of authoritarianism? Answer: One. Donald Trump. How many has it taken to preserve a Constitutional Democratic Republic? Answer is 45. Over the past 250 years, we’ve elected president after president who respected and upheld the Constitution of the United States of America. We, the People, elected them. What has happened to us? And after the chaos of his first presidency, to elect him again? What is wrong with us?! We have been given a privilege that most people across the world ...

Perfect solution in village parking debate

The OBSERVER’s View

For all the troubles and controversy surrounding the village of Fredonia in recent months, it is refreshing to see that the elected leaders appear to have reversed course when it comes to its parking-fee plans. On Thursday afternoon, the Mayor Michael Ferguson announced instead of motorists paying with a phone app system, a two-hour parking limit would be the norm for downtown. “I pride myself on being an advocate and supporter of shopping, dining and conducting business in our village,” Ferguson said. “I know I have spoken about the increase in business on the Route 60 corridor ...

Challengers need to spice up insipid races

Editor's corner

As the month of July melts into the sunset, August begins to turn up the heat when it comes to this campaign season. In both Pennsylvania and New York, it appears incumbents are in complete control with the election 95 days away. Republican gubernatorial challenger Bruce Blakeman is hoping ...

Heeding the warnings of past on socialism

Commentary

CHAUTAUQUA — Let’s pick up where we left off last week. Speaking to Advocates for Balance at Chautauqua, or ABC, on July 20, retired Lt. Col. Allen West discussed remarks by a U.S. senator. Coincidentally, ABC’s July 13 speaker had discussed the same remarks by the same ...

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 ...