Gambling takes toll on youth Editor, OBSERVER: Underage gambling is a growing concern in New York state. The explosion of internet gambling and gaming opportunities — combined with the inescapable advertising and marketing of gaming and gambling everywhere from television to the ...

DPW does great job with leaves Editor, OBSERVER: Tony Gugino and his crew picked up our leaves on Wednesday, Nov. 27 and they did a great job. We want to thank him and his crew for a nice job done. Mr. Gugino is a terrific supervisor for the village of Fredonia. He’s smart and he knows ...

Editor, OBSERVER: I recently attended the Dr. Seuss musical put on by the Silver Creek Middle School under the direction of Mr. Phillip McMullen. It involved 100 students and all of them did a great job and were like professionals singing and acting. The scenery was also made by students ...

Editor, OBSERVER: We would like to take this opportunity to thank Ginger Pokoj and Big Rick’s One Stop, Mike Porpiglia and La Casa D’Mangia, the Dom Polski Club and its members, WDOE and all the patrons who attended our recent rib dinner and basket raffle fund-raiser. Without the ...

Mayor must help in transition Editor, OBSERVER: I would like to quote the Fredonia outgoing mayor’s Facebook post from Nov. 5: “In fairness to tonight’s election, and to me, starting tomorrow I will only do my very basic duties, meetings and paper signing when needed. Grants, ...

Editor, OBSERVER: In 2007, the New York State Legislature officially established the third Tuesday of November as “School-Related Professionals Recognition Day.” This Recognition Day is today, Nov. 19. We would like to publicly acknowledge the hard work that these men and women do every ...

Wind comments are hot air Editor, OBSERVER: In response to Dr. Ellen Banks thoughts concerning offshore turbines, it is not true that the turbines will not affect the fish industry. She said the cod fish are starting to come back, why did they leave in the first place? These turbines ...

Give thanks today for veterans Editor, OBSERVER: Too often we go through our days thinking of the next item on our “to do” lists, but today, I hope you will join me in taking a few minutes to honor our Veterans. This day is a day for each of us to remember, thank and honor all of our ...

Writer’s view proves misunderstanding Editor, OBSERVER: In his commentary (Oct. 28) criticizing “this administration” for “neglecting the downtown business district” in Dunkirk, Richard Makuch accuses the administration as being “already in the hands of illegals.” Clearly he ...

Revitalize Dunkirk grateful for donation Editor, OBSERVER: On behalf of Revitalize Dunkirk, Inc., and its membership we’d like to say how very pleased and surprised we are to be one of the 15 local not-for-profit organizations to benefit from the recent “Divots For Dunkirk” Charity ...

Dunkirk’s drive led by Rosas Editor, OBSERVER: The city of Dunkirk’s mayor has proposed a 2020 budget of just over $24 million for 12,000 residents. Yes, we did see an increase over the 2019 budget — but there was no increase in taxes, water rates or sewer fees. How is this ...

There’s no ‘typical’ day for a mayor Editor, OBSERVER: At the debate on Oct. 23 we mayoral candidates were asked to describe a “typical” working day as the mayor. To be clear, in this job, there is no such thing as a “typical” day. So instead, this is generally what ...

Village mayor bringing results Editor, OBSERVER: It’s the results that matter. Mayor Athanasia Landis, during her first term in office, led several projects to completion including: $6.4 million upgrade to the wastewater and filtration plant; $1.8 million resolution — critical to ...

Pledge to work for Fredonia voters Editor, OBSERVER: This is my campaign promise to the voters of Fredonia when I become a village trustee in Fredonia for a four-year term. I promise to try to be everyone’s trustee, not a political party’s trustee. I promise to work to return decorum ...

Morgan can help those in need Editor, OBSERVER: Austin Morgan, a bright young man from a small rural town called Freedom in Cattaraugus County, New York, is running to become senator of New York state District 57, which includes Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties. He is the first ...

City mayor puts priority on water Editor, OBSERVER: Dunkirk is a city on the Lake. We have a mayor with a vision, of how far we can take our wonderful resource and make it work in our favor. Dunkirk’s water filtration plant is the biggest project we have had these past four years and ...

More candidates needed to run Editor, OBSERVER: This year, 12 of the 19 county legislators are running unopposed, that’s not even mentioning the array of other incumbents that typically go unopposed every election cycle. This has become a huge problem. What can be done to fix this? I ...

Candidate needs to have more respect Editor, OBSERVER: What is with the constant bashing of the city mayor’s staff by Paul VanDenVouver? He has called for the resignation of the human resources director, city attorney and the mayor’s executive assistant all because of his personal ...

Coverage, cartoon draws ire in village Editor, OBSERVER: I was appalled to see the political “cartoon” on Page A4 of the Oct. 7 edition of the OBSERVER. Political cartoons are plentiful, but I have seen few designed to incite violence such as this one. Your portrayal of both Mayor ...

Editor, OBSERVER: This is in regard to the front-page article (Oc.t 8) stating, “Members of the Chautauqua County Board of Health are considering stepping up Health Department regulation of industrial wind turbines.” There are currently more than 56,000 onshore wind turbines operating ...