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Bravo to wetlands law challengers

Commentary

Let’s pick up where we left off on Labor Day weekend 2025. In the court battle over New York’s new wetlands law, Round 1 goes to the challengers. Bravo. ≤ ≤ ≤ You, faithful reader of this column, will recall how devastating the law can be for Chautauqua County, particularly because of the law’s impact on Chautauqua Lake. The law has the potential to turn the lake into a weed farm, hinder growth of lakefront-property values, and have the effect of driving up property taxes for those owning land not along Chautauqua Lake. You, faithful reader of this column, will ...

Continuing education in humor gets serious

Commentary

Long car drives are good for sweeping out the sticky cobwebs. Lottsa time to think. On my way back from the writing conference I recently attended in Dayton, I had 375 highway miles to review the stimulating weekend, to relive many new stories. The conference’s real name is the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop. It is named for Erma, the housewife humorist and distinguished alumna of the University of Dayton, the conference venue. She began writing for her school newspaper in junior high school. And never quit. Dayton is a Catholic University. It was Brother Tom Price, Erma’s ...

Finding middle ground with politics in schools

Commentary

In 2024 the liberal Brookings Institute did a national poll of students and adults to determine how they perceived the possible presence of political bias in our schools. Both groups were asked whether, in their view “public schools tend to promote: 1. Liberal political viewpoints, 2. Politically neutral and/or balanced viewpoints, or 3. Politically conservative viewpoints.” The results indicated most adults believe our public schools present neutral or balanced viewpoints. However, adult views on school political leanings are heavily influenced by party affiliation. Republicans ...

Welcome news for Westfield industry

The OBSERVER’s View

An important cog in the economy of Westfield received some significant news earlier this month. Empire State Development announced that Renold Inc. at 100 Bourne St. will undergo a $2.975 million transformation to include a dedicated advanced manufacturing cell, optimizing the production of high-demand industrial couplings. Renold designs and manufactures custom gear spindles, couplings and specialized gearing. Its products are used in industries ranging from cement and chocolate manufacturing to subway trains and power stations. Specifically, the area facility produces a unique ...

Taking action with rural suicide

The OBSERVER’s View

In 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed legislation that would have created a Rural Suicide Prevention Council to address increasing rates of suicide in rural counties. The reason for the veto, you may ask? Money and concerns about duplication. Those were unconvincing reasons in 2024. If the reintroduced legislation passes the state Legislature during this session, Hochul should correct her mistake and sign the legislation into law. All one needs to do is look at the increased rates of rural suicide to see that existing state efforts wouldn’t be duplicative since they rarely make much ...

April’s importance to U.S. history

Commentary

Looking closely at the month of April reaching all the way back to the beginning of this country and the many significant events bringing us to 2026. We find a great many events that were monumental to the United States of America. The first being the musket volley at Concord Bridge on April 19, 1775. This event was the very first in our country under the idea that we would be free from British rule. This moment was the actual first shot fired beginning the American Revolution. As years passed by and we grew into the country being envied by every other nation around the globe, certain ...