With a national debt of $21.3 trillion, keeping the federal government’s spending within the limit of what revenue is taken in has become critical. Yet, after decades of warnings that needs to be done, political leaders have not found the will to make it happen. Last week, it was reported ...
The first part of my exclamation was definitely not fit for a family newspaper. Picture this: it’s a perfectly lovely summer day. You know, one of those we imagine through our long winter: sunshine, good breeze and temperatures just where you like them. Many opt for the seventies while I ...
Twenty years ago — 1998 The Silver Creek Youth Group from the First United Church recently took a little shopping trip. However, they weren’t doing this for themselves. Located behind the First United Church on Park Place in Silver Creek is the Non-Profit Used Clothing Center. There the ...
Former Fredonia village attorney Sam Drayo recently brought to light an accepted practice by elected officials that is full of pitfalls for constituents. During one of last month’s contentious Village Board meetings, Drayo criticized the practice of holding caucuses. Normally, these sessions ...
We have been complacent. We thought everybody knew how important a free press was to our world and that all this talk about us being the enemy of the people would be dismissed for the silliness that it is. But the reckless attacks have continued, instigated and encouraged by our ...
Defining truth has always been a challenge. In this era of information hysteria, finding reality has unique challenges. Yet as independent thinkers who value free speech and a free press, we need to be vigilant in safeguarding the quest for truth via a free stream of information. How does a ...
Twenty years ago — 1998 A Jerry Reilly sports column asks the question, “Did Bills leave Fredonia State for good?” Following the close of the Bills’ training camp at Fredonia for another year, Head Coach Wade Phillips expressed that if he has his way, there will be a 19th summer at ...
There was a well deserved round of applause for an icon when it comes to the area waters at the annual Lake Erie Experience VIP Day on Aug. 8. During the lunch portion of the event, Don Einhouse gave a presentation regarding the walleyes and their movement throughout the 200-mile waters. It ...
While chaos reigns in our nation’s capital with partisanship seemingly to be in control, in our neighboring village, infighting continues among trustees, and fingers are pointing in all directions. But on the shores of Lake Erie this small slice of Chautauqua County is becoming the ...
Twenty years ago — 1998 Ask members of the Dunkirk High School Class of 1999 where they’re going and they’ll soon be able to say, “We’re going to Disney World.” That’s because the Dunkirk Board of Education is expected to approve a request for a senior class trip to Disney World ...
Embattled U.S. Rep. Chris Collins could run but he could not hide. Last summer, The Buffalo News was all over the Collins connection to Innate Immunotherapeutics, a company with almost no name recognition until the last week. As the News covered what led to the arrest last week in New York of ...
In his recent column in the OBSERVER, Tom Kirkpatrick cited 18th century philosopher Adam Smith’s notion of an “Invisible Hand” — a metaphor in economics that describes the built-in, self-regulatory nature of the free market system. It served as context for the writer’s complaint, ...
Twenty years ago — 1998 There will be a full-year journalism course offered as an English elective to Brocton High School students this coming school year. The unanimous decision to restore the course came after the BCS board listened for almost an hour as audience members outlined why the ...
All eyes will be on Hanover tonight when the Town Board considers approving the 600-foot height for wind turbines in the Ball Hill wind project. Last week, in a non-shocker, the Villenova board gave its blessing without allowing public comment. It was there, it seemed, there was plenty of ...
We thought we had it made. Now, I know we did. I attended a one-room country schoolhouse — Boston District Number Seven. It was a school with one classroom, eight grades, one teacher, and a room of multi-aged youngsters. We had a plethora of rich learning experiences which went well beyond ...
Twenty years ago — 1998 Gowanda Electronics Corp. recently informed the village of Gowanda that the company will put an indefinite hold on the proposed building site on Townsend Street following its July 20 decision to purchase the M. Wile factory site in the city of Dunkirk. Gowanda ...
Red flags have been raised in the town of Dayton in recent months regarding finances. One side says the books have been audited fairly recently while another is in disagreement over that statement. Add to that, the town is running a deficit and there appears to be $100,000 ...
Praising a village solution Editor, OBSERVER: I am thrilled to have Eagle Street available to village residents for yard waste. There was a problem for many what to do while the board and mayor haggled over the issue The problem was solved with a legal opinion from our village attorney. ...
What is the difference between prejudice and snobbery? Is it just a matter of degree? Prejudice is defined, in part, as “injury or damage resulting from ... disregard of one’s rights; a preconceived judgment or opinion.” A snob, by comparison, is “the attitude of people who think they ...
Please consider this my only answer to the whole commotion and upheaval that came out of parts of the Village Hall in the last few weeks. During my campaign I put forward a vision for the village that included a safe, walkable community, open spaces, good schools and an active small business ...