Going over the top on ‘scuffle’

Editor, OBSERVER;

It was disappointing to read OBSERVER articles about recent Fredonia village board meetings, especially the May 18 front page “Comment critics chastise village.”

Certainly, it is newsworthy when the mayor of a normally peaceful village resorts to a police escort to remove a citizen, a former school teacher/principal no less, who was speaking calmly, but strongly in favor of fiscal responsibility.

However, the OBSERVER never reported that incident or any of the information and questions shared in the public comment segment of that meeting.

But a follow-up story on May 18 paints an incomplete picture of the behavior of one man. “There was some misbehaviors by the public…a couple of people got shoved, chairs knocked over, and police were called,” the article indicated.

It was one individual, a man who pushed a petite woman and was ordered to leave the building by an off-duty fireman who intervened before a police officer arrived. To be clear, the hands-on was a single incident by an angry, shouting man whose wife openly criticized the SOR (Savor Our Reservoir) members in the public comments and claimed, “I follow the rules.”

Unfortunately, the OBSERVER leads the reader to assume that many from SOR were involved in a shoving match that knocked over chairs and created a dangerous situation.

Actually, one man pushed a woman, who responded, “Keep your hands off me.” To suggest this as a scuffle between SOR members and others is simple fantasy. It didn’t happen.

It is ironic that the paper is called “the OBSERVER, but does not have eyes and ears at village meetings. The newspaper might better serve their readers if they sent their reporter to actually attend a meeting to observe and interview more than the mayor.

It appears that Mayor Michael Ferguson, who frequently voices his desire to cut off public comments at meetings, might try to use this “misbehavior” to censor future speakers. That would harm all of us.

DADIE SEDOTA,

Fredonia

Eyesore reflects on our region

Editor, OBSERVER:

After four years of driving by the postapocalyptic eyesore Pawn Starz, I have to speak out. Please, please, please figure something out, county development boards. I don’t care whose jurisdiction it is, and I know the ball is currently the Land Bank’s court.

I don’t think area residents and visitors care, either, about the reasons for delays four years later. Figure something out. The reflection on our county is devastating. Dare I say it – I have heard “loser county” used to explain the horrendous sight. It is inexcusable, especially on a main road into Fredonia, one of the areas of the county we otherwise could be so proud of.

CATHY KAICHER,

Forestville