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Attendance matters with big tax dollars

The OBSERVER’s View

There is a lot of taxpayer dollars that CPL Architecture Engineering Planning receives from Chautauqua County alone. Just this week, the Silver Creek capital project including the new multi-sport athletic field — worth $36.1 million — was hailed as being handled by the firm. From all accounts, it is a job well done. Representatives from the North County Water District are not as jovial. Last month, CPL was criticized for its lack of attendance at the meeting. Rich Lewis, Portland town supervisor, also noted the group is failing to send reports. "This is totally unacceptable, ...

Maintaining republic requires understanding its founding

Commentary

CHAUTAUQUA – Let’s pick up where we left off 23 weeks ago, with a speech by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at the University of Texas. Progressivism is a form of statism more commonly known in the United States as liberalism. Thomas explained that “progressivism” — the ...

In troubled waters, border partners keep focus of lakes

Editor's corner

No one could have predicted two years ago that two of Western New York’s treasured resources would become part of a political grudge that is part of strained international relations. When President Donald Trump issued the executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America in late August, ...

Offering balance in left-leaning state

Commentary

Here are some of my thoughts and yes, my opinions, on recent happenings. — I understand that President Trump has barred Politico, CNN, and MS NOW from the White House for engaging in “fake news.” While all three outlets have been unrepentant purveyors of fake news during both Trump ...

The OBSERVER’s View: Reality strikes state’s big spenders

The OBSERVER’s View

It's pretty funny that it's a Democrat who is now taking aim at repealing the state's outside income limits for state lawmakers. Assemblyman Clyde Vanel makes many of the same arguments that Republicans made in opposition to the $35,000 outside income cap before the state Legislature approved them in 2022. Vanel, D-Queens City, argued in the legislative justification for A.11733 that the outside income cap wouldn't have prevented any of the laundry list malfeasance involving the New York's legislators in the 2000s. He also argues that the very costs that the state has struggled to ...

A day at Betts Industries: “Doing what’s best”

Commentary

Betts Industries in Warren is celebrating 125 years of manufacturing. When I read that they were hosting an open house, I was intrigued. And boy, what a story they have to share. All I knew was that Betts made truck valves for tankers. Dear Richard and I decided to take the company ...