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Opinion

Exciting world view from the cockpit

Commentary

Those were the days. Before the savagery and idiocy of 9/11, the aviation world was calmer. More relaxed. Nicer. And w-a-a-a-a-y before, when I flew as a stewardess in the ‘60s, and ‘70s, the atmosphere allowed for lots of wonderful experiences. Every flight has a designated lead flight attendant. In those days we were all women. We bid for specific positions on trips – each position has slightly different job responsibilities. I enjoyed bidding for the #1 position for a few different reasons. In my early flying days, I was airsick. A lot. I didn’t mind working the ...

Quiet change may impact your ballot

Commentary

On Christmas Eve, when most of us — including the news — were focused on wrapping presents and preparing to gather with family and friends, the United States Postal Service (USPS) finalized a policy change with newly binding legal consequences. It has the potential to put you in violation of the law or invalidate your mail-in ballot during upcoming elections. According to the Federal Register (Postal Service 39 CFR Part 111), as of December 24, 2025, you can no longer count on your mail being postmarked on the day the post office receives it. Now, your mail will be postmarked when ...

NEW YORK STATE: Will Dems sign off on registry idea?

The OBSERVER’s View

Everyone agrees that domestic violence is a scourge on our society. The question before New York state lawmakers this legislative session is whether or not they want to try something new to deal with domestic violence. Two bills (A.9538, S.8932) have been introduced in recent weeks to create a domestic violence registry for repeat offenders. The bills aren’t companion bills, which means there are two completely different proposals floating around the legislature waiting for action. If the bills had been crafted by Democrats one would believe the issue could be ripe for action between ...

The lineman is still on the line

Commentary

I have always been taken by Glen Campbell’s song “The Wichita lineman is still on the line.” It is about a lonely telephone lineman in Wichita still at work and wishing for better things. However, at this time of the year, with the snow blowing and temperatures dropping, I think mostly about those linemen who, in the middle of the night, are still “on the line” trying to restore electricity to those who have lost it. We live close to the National Grid maintenance facility in North Harmony, and on bad weather days when I drive past that area — there are usually pickup ...

Freedoms in U.S. remain resilient

Peoples column

Editor, OBSERVER: American freedoms are not fundamentally being lost because they are rooted in the foundational principle of inalienable rights — endowed by the Creator (as stated in the Declaration of Independence) —rather than granted by government. These God-given rights, including life, liberty, free speech, religion, and self-defense, are inherent to human dignity and cannot be legitimately surrendered or revoked by any authority. Governments exist only to secure and protect them; any infringement is illegitimate and can be challenged through the Constitution’s ...

DUNKIRK: Control board cost just a panic button

The OBSERVER’s View

State Sen. George Borrello and Assemblyman Andrew Molitor last week renewed the call for a control board in Dunkirk. Though there is a sentiment for the idea from some residents, Democrats have major reservations about the idea. In most cases, they worry about the cost citing the Buffalo Control Board costs $1 million per year. What’s wrong with that? Buffalo’s budget tops $622 million. The cost for that control board is not even 1% of the total city budget. Besides, why are we worried about the potential price tag for a control board in Dunkirk? At present, the city’s budget ...