There was plenty of irony when considering two events that occurred in the same structure that houses the Fredonia Village Hall and Opera House over a 30-hour period. On Monday night, lines were again drawn during a Village Board meeting with regard to department head meetings.

For 3 1/2 hours trustees and the mayor bantered over the minor issues, so to speak, that come with the running of day-to-day operations in the village. While Trustee James Lynden came across as bitter and standoffish, Mayor Doug Essek countered with some excellent points.

“I’m trying to build better relationships with our surrounding municipalities,” Essek said in regard to the division in the room. “Just this week myself and Trustee Roger Britz along with our wives spent some time with Sen. George Borrello and Dunkirk Mayor Willie Rosas and their wives.”

Coming together was everything for the community on Tuesday night. People from Dunkirk, Fredonia and across Chautauqua County cheered as the village won first place in the “Small Business Revolution” contest for a $500,000 investment by the show.

It was a night to remember. Village Board meetings, however, with the continued lack of cooperation and poor governance are becoming events to forget.