It was hotter

in the past

Editor, OBSERVER:

The heat this summer has come up a few times during conversations so I went online and checked what has been recorded at the Buffalo airport.

This year we had the coldest April with the most measurable snow over the last 148 years ago. I won’t list all the temps I found, but here are a few.

It was 96 in 1946, 99 in 1948. 96 in August 1944 and 1936. It was recorded at 97 in June 1933 and 98 in September of 1953. I remember that year because we had returned to school and the teachers allowed us to wear shorts because of the heat. Remember, no air-conditioning back then!

The year I graduated high school, 1954, the top temp was 90. The next scorcher was in 1988 with a temp of 97 and again in 1995. The highest temp in June 2005 was 95.

NORMA DIKEMAN,

Portland

NRG wasn’t being honest

Editor, OBSERVER:

Methinks NRG led us down the proverbial garden path from the outset! They had to know of the deadline and costs involved to go online if they missed it. The time could/should have been extended due to the lawsuit, but once the lawsuit was no longer a factor there should have been some efforts made to proceed with the change over to gas.

However, no such activity was noted.

Now the community is faced with nothing will happen, and meantime we are paying higher electric costs! Thanks NRG!

The city and county should institute full property taxes on this facility.

ROSALEE OWEN,

Dunkirk

Immigrants still wlecome

Editor, OBSERVER:

In response to a recent letter, “Cruel actions by this country are heartbreaking,” I would like to note a few facts that were missing from the writer’s “outrage.”

First, the “policy of separation of children from their parents” started in the Clinton administration. I can imagine the writer’s further outrage to find that it was a Democrat who started this, and it has been happening steadily since. Eight years of Barack Obama didn’t change it, either! President Trump has stopped it with an executive order.

Secondly, while many families are descendants of immigrants searching for a safer/better life in America (myself included), they came here and legally applied for citizenship; many having to stay more than three months on Ellis Island awaiting approval. However, at that time we didn’t have the numbers of people we do currently, who are aligned with terrorist organizations hoping to do harm in our country — thus the need for an organization like ICE! — or caught up in human trafficking. Imagine the “outrage” at separating a child from an adult who purchased, or worse, stole them from their family, only to have the checks and balances of our immigration policy reunite them with their family.

Thirdly, I speak from experience here. My dear sister-in-law was born and raised in Mexicali. She is an American citizen; and she became a citizen the same way she became a legal resident: filling out paperwork, numerous trips to Tijuana to the consulate, and studying our American history.

I’m so glad she came to this country legally … and so is she. She wishes others would do the same.

MELANIE MANN,

Fredonia