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Opinion

Another ‘unacceptable’ city action

Commentary

The taxpayers of Dunkirk should be outraged. How can a city that has repeatedly claimed to be in severe financial distress justify creating a comptroller position with a reported salary of $140,000 per year? This comes on the heels of an 84% property tax increase that has already placed an enormous burden on homeowners and businesses. Residents were told sacrifices were necessary, yet City Hall now appears willing to spend taxpayer dollars as if money is no object. Even more disturbing is what occurred at the June 2 Common Council meeting. By a 4-1 vote, the Council approved creating ...

Feather in cap of serving turns into heavy lift

Editor's corner

Being elected to serve on a municipal board does not appear to come with the prestige it once brought in Chautauqua County. Instead, it often brings oversized headaches. Within the last year, especially in the north county, debates with the public have become almost as fractured as partisan ...

Upward mobility indicator may be surprising

Commentary

CHAUTAUQUA—What’s the greatest indicator of children’s upward mobility? Think about that. What do you suppose the answer is? American Enterprise Institute fellow Naomi Schaefer Riley raised that question during her presentation to Advocates for Balance at Chautauqua, or ABC, on July ...

The OBSERVER’s View: Giving spirit strong part of region

The OBSERVER’s View

For those who have not yet looked at the calendar, do not forget that today is July 16 — or 7/16, which is a major deal for the region. Give 716 is Western New York's biggest day of giving — powered by the Buffalo Bills Foundation and the Buffalo Sabres Foundation. According to the https://give716.org website, since 2021 $5,918,670 has been raised to support 944 charities with 29,331 unique donors and 47,297 total donations. Those donations, though based on teams who call Erie County home, also benefit organizations in Chautauqua County. So on this day of assisting, we show ...

Next generation is failing at history

Commentary

I recently took an online history test with questions drawn from standardized tests for eighth-graders. I guess I did better than a lot of eighth-graders because I answered all the questions correctly but then I was a college history major many years ago and continue to be a voracious reader ...

Lake’s lure matters greatly to region

The OBSERVER’s View

During the summer months, there is a lot to like about living near a Great Lake. Not only can the waters be refreshing, it also can help keep the region a bit cooler when the summer heat is nearly unbearable. Along the western border of Chautauqua County, Lake Erie has an average depth of only 62 feet and is the shallowest of the Great Lakes. That allows it to warm up quickly in the summer. On Monday, the lake temperature off Buffalo was 75 degrees. Lake Ontario, to our north, is a whole other story. The temperature off Rochester was only 50 degrees. While the waters can be inviting ...