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The OBSERVER’s View

The OBSERVER’s View

Do you remember where you were exactly six months ago at 8:47 a.m.? Probably not. But if we ask where you were 20 years ago at 8:47 a.m., chances are you will remember the moment as if it were yesterday. Sept. 11, 2001, was, without question, one of the most horrific in the history of the United States of America. At 8:47 a.m., the lives of all Americans changed when American Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center. Fifteen minutes later, United Flight 175 hit the second tower. An hour later, American Flight 77 hit the Pentagon in Washington. And, in a heroic twist, ...

History comes alive in Sinclairville

America is still in the midst of its 250th birthday celebration. In Chautauqua County, one community always remembers its history during the early weeks of September. On Saturday, the 27th annual Sinclairville History Fair takes place starting at 7 a.m. with a breakfast prepared by the Sinclairville 76ers. In the later hours is a grand parade, chicken barbecue, street dance, fireworks, craft show, farmers' market, music, horse drawn wagon rides, bounce houses, and more. One of the more fascinating pieces to the event is the 200th anniversary of the Sinclairville Baptist Church. ...

Name has strong connection to city hospital

A visit to the Brooks-TLC web site offers some history regarding the hospital’s name. It notes, “Horatio G. and Julia A. Brooks never wanted their names on a building. In fact, they were both deceased when that moment came to pass and Brooks Memorial Hospital was created. “It was their two children that saw an opportunity to model honor for us,” the website says. “They saw it first-hand in the way their father and mother cared for their staff at the Brooks Locomotive Co. for so many years. They were deeply involved and attached to the health, safety and continued well-being ...

The OBSERVER’s View: Hochul can veto cannabis wage board

Both houses of the state Legislature approved legislation (A.11562/S.10643) that would create a wage board for the state's cannabis industry. It's a bill that both state Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, and Sen. Liz Krueger, D-New York City, opposed in the state Senate. It's one of the few areas of cannabis policy on which Borrello and Krueger have found agreement on over the past few years – a fact that we hope will help sway Gov. Kathy Hochul as she decides whether or not to sign the legislation and create a wage board for a fledgling industry made up of small businesses ...

Applauding U.S. workforce contributions

As this year's Labor Day observance approaches, America's workers, traditionally part of the "cement" that holds this country together, are concerned increasingly about what effects robots and Artificial Intelligence will have on their work lives - and lives in general — going forward. And, that worry is destined to continue, although "people in the know" remain certain that humans' important places in businesses and industries will continue - albeit, in many cases, in different capacities. For now, though, Jorgen Pedersen, CEO of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute, ...

The OBSERVER’s View

Ten years ago, almost to the day, we lamented the difficulty in comparing results on state tests from year-to-year because New York's Education Department changed testing and assessment guidelines more often than most people change their socks. We noted, at the time, that proficiency rates in English language arts was 37.9% and 38.1% in math, truly depressing when one considered that meant only a little more than one-third of students were performing at an acceptable grade level. The state recommended at the time not to try to compare 2016 data to prior years, which would have been ...