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Opinion

Politics has a way of blurring truth

Commentary

“I don’t know what to believe anymore.” These seven words are uttered so often these days that if given a beat and melody, they would be the hit song of the century. For many of us, the words reflect more than confusion and distrust in government. They reveal a deep seated fear that something major is changing in America, something beyond our reckoning. It’s becoming more and more difficult to think of ourselves as individuals who have a purpose in a world where Truth is irrelevant. As citizens, we are being deprived of moral agency and reduced to mere spectators. While all that ...

There's no cashing in with socialist theories

Commentary

Socialists have a long history of writing checks that Socialism cannot cash, and the platform of the Democrat(ic) Socialists of America (DSA) continues that tradition. Socialism is Socialism, whether or not proclaimed “Democratic” for political convenience. There is no difference between Socialism and Communism except that Communists are honest about their intentions to subjugate the population to totalitarian rule, whereas Democrat Socialists try to sneak Communism through the back door. The Democrat Socialist platform promises to reduce the work week to 32 hours while keeping ...

Drastic change for area school

The OBSERVER’s View

Chautauqua County’s only Catholic school is in the midst of a transition. With the resignation of Principal Paul Pinto, the Northern Chautauqua Catholic School lost a key leader. Just like one of his predecessors in Andrew Ludwig, Pinto was a cheerleader and advocate for the institution. “It has been an honor and a privilege to be your principal,” Pinto said in a message to NCCS families. “My door and office are full of cards from students, their artwork and surprise messages from the last 18 months. We cried together, shared in disagreements but only to grow in faith and love ...

Oversized governments keep adding to area burden

Commentary

There comes a point when citizens must speak plainly, and for many of us in the village of Fredonia and the city of Dunkirk, that moment has arrived. The tax burdens imposed on local residents have grown so excessive, so punitive, and so detached from the principles of limited government, that many freedom‑loving Americans now regard them as inherently unjust. These are not the modest civic contributions envisioned by our founders; they are heavy exactions that strain working families, retirees, and small businesses alike. In recent years, both municipalities have raised taxes to ...

Area fully plugged in to data center debate

Editor's corner

Maybe Portland town Supervisor Rich Lewis and Town Board members were testing the waters in March. That is when the legislative body passed a resolution expressing its support for a proposed data center to be located on the grounds of the former Sugar Hill Golf Course. If anything, they had ...

Chautauqua County Day at institution is July 17

Commentary

CHAUTAUQUA—During just the first two weeks of Chautauqua Institution’s 2026 season, the music at Chautauqua Institution has been tremendous. Finding more than three examples would be easy, yet for today, let’s take just three. * * * You, faithful reader of this column, have long known the Raleigh Ringers—a North Carolina handbell choir that its conductor said has been to Chautauqua seven times beginning in 1995—are worth hearing. Their July 1 concert didn’t disappoint. What’s obvious from any Raleigh Ringers performance is that they’re having so much fun, ...