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The OBSERVER’s View

DUNKIRK: Challenge reveals government power

“You can’t fight City Hall” was a common cry from the past when a decision went against citizens of a local municipality. But that might be a current sentiment of Dunkirk resident Ryan Reading. Within the last month, the OBSERVER has done a pair of articles regarding his angst and disdain for city leadership due to the 84% tax increase. First, he petitioned the city in April to offer a payment installment plan for property taxes, in response to a massive hike. That effort was basically ignored — “received and filed” by the Common Council with no further comment or ...

Town of Dunkirk: Board plugged in to area’s sentiments

Town of Dunkirk officials are doing something Chautauqua County legislators cannot ever bring themselves to do: take a stand. This month, during the Town Board meeting, members indicated their concerns regarding a moratorium on battery energy storage systems. The issue came up after a plan was denied in the town of Hanover, and the growing number of renewable energy options coming forward in the town and region. “I think with all the solar applications that we’re getting, eventually, these companies are going to want these standalone storage systems,” said Phil Leone, town ...

Cassadaga: Village’s charm keeps growing

Cassadaga got its feet wet when it came to an opportunity with the New York Forward grant. While it did not finish with any funding, two other Western New York communities did — Westfield and Angola. From this corner’s perspective, Westfield has plenty of punch in making its case. Its downtown is driven by small businesses and the Westfield Development Corp. plays a role in driving business to the village and town. Cassadaga, at the present moment, has seen strides in its downtown. There are more shops and restaurants — especially at the light along Route 60 that includes an ...

Thruway:Overnight toll-free trips worth try

A proposal introduced late in the state legislative session to eliminate overnight tolls on the state Thruway makes a lot of sense, in our view. Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, D-Schenectady, suggests eliminating tolls on the Thruway between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. in order to reduce congestion during daytime peak hours. There could also be potential savings on freight transportation if trucks can move goods without having to spend money on tolls. Santabarbara’s bill would also require the state Transportation Department to collect data on traffic patterns, toll revenue and public ...

Parnerships: JCC takes gamble with College Connections

Jamestown Community College officials are proposing a change to its College Connections program. The program is a collaboration between JCC and partner high schools in the region that allows high school students to earn JCC course credit. The content, assignments, projects, and assessments in College Connections courses are consistent with those taught on the JCC campus. College Connections students work towards the same outcomes as those enrolled in on-campus courses. Students who successfully complete College Connections courses earn JCC credit, which is verified by an official ...

FREDONIA: Oversized entity has list of issues

Shortly before the boil-water order hit Fredonia and its users, elected officials were dealing with some other leaks — notably those that are impacting the Darwin R. Barker Library and improvements needed to the Village Hall. It is just one more issue for a cash-strapped entity that recently passed on its troubles to property owners to the tune of a 56% tax increase. “We’re going to have to really do an inventory of repairs that need to be done for the building, and quit talking about it,” village Mayor Michael Ferguson said during a trustees workshop. “We got a quarter of ...