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Peoples column

Salute the health heroes among us

Editor, OBSERVER: As we approach Thanksgiving week and reflect on what we are grateful for, the Chautauqua County Board of Health would like to thank the County’s public health workforce. They have stood strong and demonstrated tremendous resilience while working to protect our community in the face of one of the greatest health crises in modern history. With commitment and ingenuity, every day these public health heroes respond to emergencies, conduct disease investigations and surveillance, immunize against vaccine preventable disease, combat opioid and drug abuse, promote ...

Generosity shows in Westfield

Editor, OBSERVER: The Westfield Union Relief Association would like to express our gratitude for the community’s generosity toward supporting our organization and Westfield. While we regret to inform you that our annual Charity Ball will not take place again this year due to the ongoing pandemic, we are still organizing our Christmas Project for local families and senior citizens. These programs are a result of support for our events and fundraisers like the Charity Ball, Annual Golf Tournament, and the outpouring of donations we received last year. The support we receive makes ...

Finding new things to eat

Ready for more suggested recipes? I do suspect one would now have to wait until the lovely days of spring and summer to continue gathering the goodies. But let’s go. Marsh-marigold (Cowslip): Collected before the plant has finished blossoming, the young leaves (with the stalks removed) are excellent cooked for 20-30 min. in 2 or 3 changes of boiling water. The flowerbuds can be used as capers when boiled for 10 min. in 2 changes of water and pickled in hot vinegar. Do not drink the juice in which the buds have been pickled. Do not eat raw. Cowslip contains an acrid poison that is ...

There’s balance to placing blame

Editor, OBSERVER: I have a genial response to a recent letter. Should the Democratic governorship and Democratic supermajorities in both houses of the New York State Legislature share in the blame for our county’s woes? When they legislate, all counties are affected. PAUL N. DiPALMA, Fredonia

Placing focus on what matters

Editor, OBSERVER: I thought you might like to have a second version of my previous letter. I am very grateful for your publishing the first version. I continue to find myself floundering among enormous amounts of information coming at me from hundreds of sources. I find that it helps me and perhaps may help other readers to re-focus on what is important: ¯ Resolutions, not conflict. ¯ Civil rights, not totalitarianism. ¯ Moral methods, not any means. ¯ Helping, not exploiting. ¯ Justice, not a police state. ¯ Realism, not socialism. ¯ Peaceful society, not an ...

Praise for county on ’22 budget

Editor, OBSERVER: Last month, the Chautauqua County Legislature unanimously adopted a historic 2022 budget resulting in a property tax rate reduction of 40 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation or 4.7% along with a tax levy reduction of just over $270,000. Furthermore, this historic county budget is structurally balanced which means that no fund balance or savings were used to balance expenses with revenues. This wonderful accomplishment was achieved by county elected officials from both parties working together with the executive branch to deliver remarkable results for the taxpayers ...