Opinion

The OBSERVER’s View: Is U.S. ready to celebrate its 250th?

The OBSERVER’s View July 1, 2026

Residents around Chautauqua County have plenty to choose from when you consider the plethora of Fourth of July events and fireworks planned for the upcoming weekend. Not only is it a major celebration of summer — but about our great country that turns 250 years old. Even though the spotlight is greater in 2026, this celebration is nothing like 50 years ago when the nation proudly marked 200 years. In 1976, patriotism abounded — even though we were healing from the Vietnam War and a shake-up in the presidency due to the Watergate scandal. In this era, America seems to be at a fork ...

A welcome back with write stuff

Commentary July 1, 2026

Hi there! What have I been doing since my last column you ask? It’s been a few years. Covid ran amok and changed countless lives. Cut-backs curtailed my writing, and isolation dampened my enthusiasm. I haven’t been totally idle, however. In 2021 I finished and published my first book, ...

Village discourse appears ‘unacceptable’

Peoples column July 1, 2026

Editor, OBSERVER: Fredonia residents do indeed have the right to be heard by their elected village officials. Unfortunately, because of the actions and behavior of a few people, that right has been changed to sending a letter to the village, and requesting that your letter be read at the meeting. A previous writer to this publication has stated that nothing untoward has happened during the public comment time at the village board meetings, and that there is no reason for the board to consider this change. If you have attended or watched any of the village board meetings, you will ...

The OBSERVER’s View: Government purchase raises questions

The OBSERVER’s View June 30, 2026

The OBSERVER’s View: Government purchase raises questions There doesn’t seem to be much commercial interest in land on the shores of Chautauqua Lake in Mayville where a controversial condominium project was once planned. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing for Mayville residents who fought the condo project tooth and nail over the course of years before the project fell apart. For now, the open views of Chautauqua Lake are preserved. Mayville Mayor Rick Syper has approached the Mayville Village Board about possibly purchasing the parcel. The 1.2 acre parcel is currently ...

The president has learned the reality of war

Commentary June 30, 2026

Even having been in one, Vietnam, I cannot say that I am an expert on war. The only thing I know for sure is that it should, if possible, be avoided at all costs. War represents a breakdown in diplomacy and civil discourse—the rule of law is forgotten and the rule of war, destruction, takes the fore. Thus, it was, with a sense of relief, that I was pleased to see the announcement that Iran and the United States had come to some kind of understanding to cease hostilities. I think it likely, though we will probably never know, that President Trump got talked into the massive attack ...

Data centers creating dilemma in state

The OBSERVER’s View June 29, 2026

There are a lot of questions regarding the siting of data centers in New York state. It didn’t seem like the questions were local ones until last week when the former NRG power plant in Dunkirk was sold to Genover, a company that repurposes old power plants. One of the uses the company has found in the past for mothballed sites like Dunkirk’s is data centers. We don’t know if a data center is Genover’s end use for the former power plant in Dunkirk, but it is, at the very least, a possibility. That means Chautauqua County now has a very real interest in a one-year moratorium ...