I always enjoy reading commentaries written by local writers. Richard Westlund’s, “A simple, but masterful poem,” OBSERVER (May 26) brought back good memories of my high school American Literature class, circa 1962, when I first read “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Westlund ponders ...

Last article, we met Aida, a married woman working in the corporate world. Her job called for travel and time away from home. Steven, her husband, works at home and is essentially a house husband. They have three grown children on their own and one that still resides at home. Aida focused ...

In the next year, there might be a vaccine against COVID-19. Scientists are developing over 100 vaccine candidates. Five have reached the stage when they are tested in larger groups for effectiveness and safety. If a vaccine were to arrive, the country would have to decide whether to coerce ...

Another Memorial Day has passed. Many visited cemeteries in the days approaching the holiday to tend to graves of family or friends. A few months ago, cemeteries were beautiful yet lonely places. Now they’ve sprung to life with flowers of all sorts. A member of the clergy once said ...

I have lived on Chautauqua Lake now for 25 years. I have seen big Memorial Day weekends — but nothing like this year. The lake exploded with activity. It was like the Fourth of July! It should not be surprising, I expect, because of the coronavirus “lock down” which has resulted in a ...

This is that time of the year, and we remember well those who have given so much for our country. Many of us recall the words of John F. Kennedy when he said “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support ...

I would respectfully but stridently disagree with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Bill Gates or anyone else who might suggest that remote learning is an effective way to reimagine education. It has never been more apparent. There is no substitute for a willing student, in the classroom of a good teacher, at ...

This November will mark 28 years since I first set foot on the property I call DUCK! Whether in the grass or on the lake or in the woods (with parts there I have yet to explore), I continue to make new discoveries. That surprises me. Since it’s hardly that large an area, one might think ...

I would like to tell the story of a real American hero, a native of Western New York who played a pivotal role in the American victory over the Japanese in the crucial Naval Battle of Midway an event that we will mark the 78-year anniversary of on Thursday, June 4. Clarence Wade McClusky, ...

Is it any wonder that the skies are a brighter blue and the smog has lifted from our cities? Are the oceans cleaner, the creeks and waterways clearer, the air a little easier to breathe, albeit through a mask? If there has been one positive as a result of the coronavirus it is that the ...

Writing and making public one’s opinions guarantees people will respond. Writers, performers and every human likely desire his or her thoughts, and even their life, to matter to others. The alternative is to become hermits. Like other opinion writers I get my share of positive and negative ...

As a young boy, living in a small town (Gowanda), I spent a lot of time in the summer playing, and yes sleeping at night, in the woods. Right on the edge of town was a woods referred to as the glen, which was our playground day and night. I think that inasmuch as my formative years were ...

Sacrifice is a keep element to consider as we come to another Memorial Day. As we remember those who sacrificed to serve our nation in conflict and gave their all, we also remember others who sacrificed. Now we also use this time to remember our loved ones who have died. May we also remember ...

I offer congratulations and a challenge to the Chautauqua Lake Central School Class of 2020. Everybody feels the disappointment of your class not being able to experience a traditional, formal graduation ceremony. Some of the pomp and circumstance has been “stolen” from you. It seems ...

What’s green — or black, perhaps red or brown? Should we try pink? Or maybe “some other color”? “The Bug Review” continues “these pear-shaped insects are slow moving and range in size from 1/16 to 1/8 inch long. They have conspicuous slender antennae and near the rear end of ...

Let’s meet Aida. She’s 51, gainfully employed until recently, married to Steven for 28 years, and has four grown children together. Three are on their own, two married with young children, and one son living at home. She’s 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 138 pounds. She has dark hair ...

For decades, high-tax, big-spending, and big-regulation policies from New York state government have decimated much of New York. These policies have hurt people, particularly young people. Many who grew up here, and benefited from our tremendous schools, have fled New York. Pick any label ...

Thank you to our governor for your valuable advice in recent weeks. We all appreciate knowing that most of our lives and jobs are non-essential. For those who own their own businesses, are furloughed or laid off it is a good thing that we have you, Andrew Cuomo, to tell us that the solution ...

When I was 7-years-old, there was a pond where the local boys usually went for a swim. On this day there were several of us there. I had not yet learned to swim, and carelessly jumped into the water over my head. That was easy to do at age 7 since I was not very tall. I was flailing in the ...

The Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier and the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce have been working diligently and with urgency with leaders at the federal, state and local level, our boards of directors and a variety of stakeholders in the community to forge forward ...