People’s Column
Area can help Nicaragua
Editor, OBSERVER:
The Dunkirk-Fredonia Center for Peace & Justice is continuing its program for humanitarian donations for poverty-stricken residents of the Central American nation of Nicaragua. The center is doing this in conjunction with Ann Marie Zon, a Catholic social worker from East Amherst who has spent more than three decades in assisting Nicaraguans.
The following items will be collected: summer clothing, footwear, household items (dishes, pots and pans, small appliances, no coffee makers), linens, sewing items, personal care items, school supplies, medical supplies (anything over the counter), religious articles (no prayer books), shelf stable foods, toys and coloring books (no war toys). No bicycles!
Monetary gifts are also very much in order. Make checks payable to “Nicaraguan Mission.” Leave the checks when you bring items (or send them) to Rev. Rodney Houck, 146 Central Ave., Fredonia, N.Y. 14063.
The collection begins on Tuesday, July 5 and continues through Sunday, July 31. Items are to be brought to the Houck garage at 146 Central Ave., Fredonia.
Please call the Houcks at 673-9258 before coming.
REV. RODNEY E. HOUCK
Center for Peace & Justice
secretary,
Fredonia
Little lantern had value
Editor, OBSERVER:
Why do people steal?
From my front yard flower bed, my hanging lantern was stolen!
I’m sure it wasn’t really expensive, but nevertheless, it was priceless to me!
A gift from my husband, who has since passed away, therefore it is very sentimental to me.
To whoever stole it…
I WANT IT BACK!!!
DARLENE BURCHETT,
thief knows address,
Fredonia
People’s Column
Poppy sale, site big boost
Editor, OBSERVER:
A grateful thank you to Walmart for giving permission to the Sheridan Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6390 to sell poppies on Saturday, May 28.
The poppies are sold to honor our dead by helping the living!
Many thanks to all of the people who contributed and the workers who helped sell the poppies: Brian, Brenda, Dave, Ray, Dolly, John and Mary Ann.
RICHARD W. BURLETT,
Fredonia
What’s going on at YWCA?
Editor, OBSERVER:
After 12 years of dedicated service as the child services director of the YWCA in Westfield, Brenda Backus was suddenly terminated by the new YWCA board of directors.
The circumstances surrounding Ms. Backus? Termination seem abrupt and wholly confusing to the children and families who’ve witnessed her commitment to our community and the YWCA over the years.
To us, Brenda Backus is the YWCA of Westfield.
So, we appeal to the YWCA board members to reconsider and reevaluate this decision. We teach our children to “solve all problems by talking them through” and we humbly and sincerely hope for you to resolve these differences, find common ground and work together for the best interests of the YWCA and Westfield families.
HYLA STELLHORN,
Westfield
Solution eyed for mandates
Editor, OBSERVER:
Unfunded mandates place school districts and local governments in the position of having to pay for programs and services that they do not control.
That’s not fair and it drives up costs, which is bad for property taxpayers.
I have been working hard to address these local burdens, and I recently helped pass legislation that would require certain state mandated programs that are imposed on municipalities and school districts to be funded by the state.
Under the legislation, the law is amended so that no unfunded mandate will be enacted if it creates a net additional cost on any school district or local government.
If the state wants to tell municipalities and school districts what to do, then the state should provide the funding to achieve that goal. My Senate colleagues and I continue to demonstrate our distaste for unfunded mandates and the undue pressure it places on our community.
The Senate has now passed this bill twice, and I strongly urge the Assembly to join us in protecting our hard-working local property taxpayers.
I will be sure to keep you posted on my ongoing efforts.
SEN. CATHARINE YOUNG,
57th District, New York
People’s Column
Can’t get past
columnist’s agenda
Editor, OBSERVER:
Is this guy Stephen Kershnar for real? I am a professor emeritus at Fredonia and to have him say things like “on average, professors at research universities are smarter and know more about their field than professor at teaching universities” (June 8) is both ridiculous and insulting.
I’ve seen other articles by him and I’m surprised you promote such ignorance and obvious bias.
PHILIP S. MORSE,
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Why ‘loose cannon’ deserves a shot
Editor, OBSERVER:
While I admit it’s a pretty scary scenario having Donald Trump as the Republican candidate for the president of the United States, can we really afford another four years of the Democratic business as usual attitude and Congressional gridlock?
Not to mention a Hillary Clinton who has no credibility and a dishonest reputation that goes back to her dealings in a Whitewater scandal which almost derailed her dishonest husband’s run for president many years ago. The main reason Trump has not received immediate GOP backing is because they know he won’t play ball with their games of deceit and favorite money backers that continue to give them enormous amounts of cash to keep them in office.
I believe it’s a breath of fresh air from the middle class and hard workers of this country that want to see our veterans treated with dignity and the benefits promised them when they took an oath to protect this land of ours instead of giving it to countries who really don’t like us.
Take the money spent on foreign lands and rebuild our infrastructure that is in dire need of repair.
Loose cannon? Maybe. But I’d rather take that chance than continue down the road to nowhere.
LARRY ANDERSON,
Bemus Point
People’s Column
Finding ‘joy’
in our lives
Editor, OBSERVER:
One of the reasons I came out of retirement after having served 48 years in the priesthood was because of the enlightening Christian teaching of Pope Francis.
While Christ gives us the way to love and be loved, in the human condition, both we and the Church often miss the mark.
Professor Stephen Kershnar (May 25) forgot to mention that there is a new sheriff at the Vatican.
Cardinal Schonborn of Austria, when he introduced Pope Francis’ new apostolic exhortation, “The Joy of Love,” said “The Church should not look in the bedroom first, but in the dining room!” This is also good advice for the world.
In “The Joy of Love,” Pope Francis says those who struggle with some Catholic teaching should be cared for and not condemned.
Again, good advice as we all try to experience the joy of love, and not find fault with each other.
THE REV. DANIEL P. WALSH,
pastor, Holy Trinity R.C. Church,
Dunkirk
Change in the
season and trees
Editor, OBSERVER:
The Maple Tree
Outside my window where I work is a Maple Tree.
All summer the leaves are green happily sunning themselves in the warm breeze. Reminding me of those long glorious summer days when life is perfect.
In the fall the leaves turn radiant colors of reds and yellows and flutter seductively with the wind. It’s fun to watch the dance as the wind tries to blow the dying leaves off the tree but they refuse to leave trying to hang on for one more day.
In the winter the trees are bare – just skinny sticks pointing in all directions shivering in the cold and snow and like us waiting for spring.
At last the first signs of spring appear. The buds of the trees peek out cautiously to see if it’s OK to come out.
After months of bleak black and white days hope appears in the vivid green of the buds. Soon the grass and plants will join in and our world is once again alive.
JOAN KERLEY,
Silver Creek