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Nosing around when it comes to area issues

This week’s essay is a collection of random observations and perspectives regarding Dunkirk and Fredonia. (If anyone wants to question me about this, my lawyer has advised me to exercise my right to plead the fifth.) Something stinks in Dunkirk. I’m not talking about the eruptions that sometimes heat up City Hall. It’s about the air in the Fourth ward, where the ice cream factory continues to have a big waste management problem. Despite the economic boom it promises (like 260 new jobs when it's all done), the bad smell continues. Combined with the smoky air drifting our way ...

It’s time to bring public comment back to Village Board meetings

It was encouraging to watch the Monday, Aug. 24 Village Board workshop on YouTube. Kudos to Trustees Tim Mulholland, Christine Cruz-Keefe and LeeAnn Lazarony for voicing their support to reinstate the public comment sessions at Fredonia village board meetings. Mayor Michael Ferguson and Trustees Paul Wandel and Ben Brauchler continue to push their tired old chestnut that public comment should remain suspended for “safety reasons” while masking their real reason for suspending public comment from meetings in the first place. Whether it be downtown parking, parking on Forest Place, ...

We have power to make great things happen here

Have you ever visited a town that just feels welcoming? Maybe the streets are lively, the parks are inviting, local businesses are thriving, and people seem proud to call it home. Then you wonder, "How did they make that happen?" The truth is, it usually starts with people who care about their community. Communities don't become vibrant overnight. More often than not, progress begins with neighbors, volunteers, business owners, and local leaders who decide to work together toward a shared vision. One of the best ways to create positive change is through something called ...

Nation’s leadership keeps overseeing unsteady ship

The United States is in real trouble — and we are being lied to. We had 15 bases in the Middle East and now we have two. Neither of them are big enough to resupply an aircraft carrier. That is why the crew of more than 5,000 sailors on the USS Lincoln were facing littoral starvation. There are other U.S. Navy ships in the area also in dire straits. It’s up to us to keep the pressure up. The most basic thing a country does for its armed services is feed them. This administration is completely incompetent. They do not know or care if everyone has enough to eat. Call U.S. Rep. Nick ...

Benjamin Franklin makes visit to Chautauqua

CHAUTAUQUA— Chautauqua Institution doesn’t slow down as the season winds down. Although the last week of the season often has somewhat fewer visitors than earlier weeks, the place bustles with as much energy as ever. Morning-amphitheater programs bring out the crowds, as do afternoon ...

Blame game ill effect of health care crisis

Because of the impending midterm elections, Gov. Kathy Hochul has not missed an opportunity to condemn the Trump administration’s federal healthcare policies, claiming they will strip health insurance from over one million New Yorkers, cost the state billions in funding, and spike ...