On Tuesday morning, I was tootling along Route 62, heading north to Jamestown. I had an 11 a.m. appointment and was actually running on time, thinking I would arrive with 10 to 15 minutes to spare. And then I saw him. The cruiser passed by me heading southbound. I hadn’t noticed him ...
Last week, we remembered the 25th anniversary of one of the most horrific terrorist attacks in human history, which occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, that basically made the world upside down in every respect. I strongly believe that one of the most affected areas of 9/11 is the ongoing distrust among people and decaying mutual respect. Specifically, the international and intercultural relationship between the West and East and perceptions about Islam and Muslim people/culture in the Western societies have dramatically shifted with the barbaric terrorist attacks on 9/11. Every time I fly ...
The facts are clear and not much in dispute that Chautauqua County has over the past few decades been experiencing population decline. Some of this is related to government policies (or lack thereof,) and some of it by the fact that we are not in a growth area of the country. Since World War II, the air conditioner has made living and working in the South a viable option. Southern states also tend to have lower regulatory standards, and, as “right to work” states, employers in these states do not have as many labor issues to deal with. The result has been a shift in population ...
Sept. 6 marked a significant and emotional change for many local Catholics. For the first time in more than a century, there was no Sunday Mass at St. Anthony's in Fredonia. Like many others from St. Anthony's, I attended Mass at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Dunkirk. What struck me immediately was how many familiar faces were there. People who had worshipped together for years were genuinely happy to see one another again. Just as meaningful was the welcome we received. The people of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton went out of their way to make those arriving from St. Anthony's feel at home. ...
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 ...
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 ...
