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Opinion

No easy road to U.S. independence

Commentary

As the year grows closer to July of 2026 and we recognize that we have remained a country of democracy and freedom from the oppression of an intolerant king, we can reflect on the events that led to our declaring independence from England in 1776. For several years prior to our signed ...

New York State:Hook-up rule could have big impact

The OBSERVER’s View

What, you may ask, is the 100-foot rule and why are Republicans making such a big stink about Democrats’ move to repeal it? In a nutshell, New York’s “100-foot rule,” passed in 1986, prohibited utility companies from charging individual customers for the cost of a new gas service as ...

Boat Cruise Under The Bridge

Commentary

They say that about 90% of an iceberg you don’t see - it is underwater. The same thing might be said for a bridge. Most of it is underneath the bridge surface. What you drive on which is visible to the eye, is just its surface...a lot is going on underneath to support the pavement you are ...

Shared services County’s involvement needed in deals

The OBSERVER’s View

Twice in recent weeks we’ve seen shared services agreements come to an end. The first was a note that North Harmony was ending its agreement to share an assessor and code enforcement officer with the town of Busti. Then, it was learned Chautauqua and Mayville are ending a shared code ...

What made the USA great

Commentary

I loved the Fourth. I mean, as an 11-year-old back in those halcyon days of the ‘50’s, who wouldn’t have? Up in the morn, gobbling down Corn Flakes, running down Skinner to the park, joining the guys and excitedly heading up the street to take in the parade. We settled down on the ...

Lack of transparency, honesty in crisis

Commentary

At the June 17 meeting of the Dunkirk Common Council, City Attorney Elliot Raimondo was quoted in the OBSERVER as saying, “Obviously, this city does not have money for the $13.6 million.” He was referring to the Revenue Anticipation Note (RAN) taken out by the city in 2024 that is due on ...