I am writing in response to a June 2 ad in the OBSERVER run by the “Save Our Reservoir” organization.

The wording used in the ad is downright nasty. Implications are made that our Village Trustees and Mayor are horrible and evil people trying to take water away from the village residents. The fact is, our village trustees and mayor live here, too. If you disagree with someone, that’s one thing, but being mean and disparaging is quite another. Unfortunately, winning the court case has only emboldened them.

Here are some of the incendiary quotes from the June 2 piece:

— “Fredonia Water Scheme.”

— “stealing the Village’s future well being.”

— “deceitful in their attempts to avoid transparency and civic engagement.”

— “resume any plot.”

— “building the water infrastructure within the City of Dunkirk at Fredonia’s expense” (I don’t recall any discussion of Fredonia building infrastructure in Dunkirk).

— “compliant and economic water treatment plant.” (I don’t for one moment believe that at this time we have a viable water treatment plant).

Anyone who attended the April 10 presentation by the Chautauqua County Health Department would clearly understand from the information provided that our current water system is in desperate need of replacement. If you would like to watch this presentation, it can be viewed on YouTube.

In addition, Save Our Reservoir continues to verbally abuse our Village Board and Mayor at meetings and in the media. This is not acceptable. It needs to stop.

We, as a village, elected our current village officials through the democratic process. I am not interested in having people who were not elected or who were defeated in the election make decisions for our village. If the former mayor and former trustees are so knowledgeable about Fredonia’s water issues, why did they fail to address it while they were in office? A better course of action might be to assist and support our village officials instead of tormenting them.

Due solely to the Save Our Reservoir group, we have arrived back at ground zero. With a new hospital on the horizon, and after years of waiting, Save Our Reservoir seems willing to assume that pipes installed at the reservoir in the 1830s are adequate for the additional needs of a hospital. What will a hospital need to do when there is a boil water order?

Save Our Reservoir purposely put an end to the process. The residents of the Village of Fredonia are now burdened further with no plan, no money, no grants, and a small group that will oppose anything that isn’t what they desire.

They have also proposed that the village remove LaBella as the engineer for our water improvements. It seems unlikely that there is a member of Save Our Reservoir that currently has the same credentials as the engineers at LaBella. Choosing a new firm will also waste more time and more money.

After winning the court case, Save Our Reservoir now has the audacity to ask for donations to help offset their legal costs. I say that’s on them. The village of Fredonia taxpayers have already paid a substantial price, in more ways than one, as a result of this lawsuit.

I would not give this group one dollar. And that’s my two cents. And I wouldn’t give them that either.

Helen Ihasz is a Fredonia resident.