Opinion

Red revolt on Trump, war led to blue outcome

Commentary November 12, 2026

While discussing the “blue wave” that hit with resounding force last week, my eldest son came up with an analogy that perhaps explains what happened. It goes like this: “Back in 2016 Hilary Clinton was the cancer that threatened the body politic and Donald Trump was the chemotherapy that cured that cancer. Unfortunately as sometimes happens with chemotherapy, it can make the patient sicker or even kill them.” Trump's endorsement of candidates based on personal loyalty to him rather than ability and electability was self-defeating. I firmly believe that Rep. Elise Stefanick would ...

Camera debate creates murky picture

The OBSERVER’s View November 12, 2026

There is a common theme across the nation when it comes to Flock cameras. Americans do not want to have something consistently looking over their shoulder. According to Pew Research Center, the automated license plate readers are high-speed camera systems that automatically photograph every license plate that passes them. When networked together and paired with specialized software, they can reconstruct where a vehicle has been over a period of days or weeks. Flock Safety is the leading automated plate reader vendor, Pew Research Center noted. The company estimates its cameras were ...

The human obligation toward animals

Commentary November 10, 2026

It was drilled into me at an early age that humans have an obligation to properly treat and take care of animals. Much of this training came from being the son of a dairy farmer. The cows really came first on the farm and taking proper care of them was foremost. Some of this sense of obligation or responsibility was, of course, driven by economics. The cows and the milk they produced were the primary source of revenue for the farm. Just think about it—a cow which may weigh 1,200 lbs., can, in one season of milking (10 months,) produce 20,000-25,000 lbs. of milk. A milk cow is an ...

Nation indebted to freedom fighters

The OBSERVER’s View November 10, 2026

They've never asked for thanks, but they've earned it a thousand times over. Every parade, every flag raised, every quiet moment of freedom enjoyed on a Monday morning exists because, somewhere, someone once stood between danger and home. Veterans Day isn't a gift to them; it's a reminder to the rest of us. Across the region, you'll find them everywhere--men and women who wore the uniform and came home to build lives, families, and towns that still depend on their quiet strength. They don't ask for recognition. They don't boast about their service. But the stories are written in their ...

Many of us are not aging with grace

Commentary November 10, 2026

Getting old is not for sissies, so says Bette Davis. I think she may be right. I have passed the three-quarter century mark, but I never thought of myself as old until now. I’m fighting the thought, but some days are tough. A couple years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I wasn’t worried. I had a very early diagnosis and an excellent surgeon. Two and a half years later, having dutifully taken the pill prescribed for follow-up, I find I’ve been shrinking, a side-effect of the medication. It may help prevent further cancer, but it for sure increases bone loss. Bone loss ...

Government has no worries over spending

The OBSERVER’s View November 9, 2026

Dunkirk resident Linda Wierzba makes a lot of sense. Last week during the public hearing on the $32.2 million city budget — that includes a hefty tax increase — she made the obvious points. "In my household, if I went and just kept spending, spending, spending and not having the money to pay my bills, what would happen? My house would go into foreclosure, they'd repossess my vehicles. I just don’t understand the mentality of this city." She’s exactly right. But government never worries about rising costs because they know the taxpayer will ultimately pick up the pieces. It ...