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The OBSERVER’s View

FIRE MERGERS: Testing the waters in Brocton, Portland

A contentious issue seems to be cautiously moving forward when it comes to consolidation of the village and Brocton and town of Portland fire departments. One of the most respected area individuals when it comes to volunteering for his community spoke about the issue last month. Dave Hazelton, an Emergency Medical Technician and former member of the Brocton Village Board, indicated he will be involved in the discussions to facilitate the process. Hazelton said of a potential merger, “It seems to be the popular thing to do.” Last week, five volunteer departments in Hanover were not ...

VANDALISM: Unfortunate acts signal frustration

It’s no secret there are some who aren’t happy with the new direction of the federal government. There are plenty of ways to register one’s disagreement. Some people choose to do so via social media. There have been protests like the one in early February outside Rep. Nick Langworthy’s Jamestown office. Other people choose to write letters or guest essays to the newspaper - and we can attest receiving more than a fair share of those in recent weeks. What happened recently at Langworthy’s office is unconscionable. Langworthy said last week that his Jamestown office was ...

POLICING Town missing reality on costs

Town of Dunkirk elected officials have some reasons to be annoyed. City of Dunkirk officials have proposed upping the cost for police patrols in and around the town for 2025. All the while, calls from town leaders to Dunkirk City Hall are not being returned. But there is a bigger picture that is simply this: town residents are getting a deal in terms of policing. In 2024, the town paid about $2,000 per month for patrols. This year, the city wants $2,580 per month. That’s an increase of more than $6,000 for the year — for a total of $30,960. Obviously, the increase and lack of ...

FORESTVILLE: Tax warning part of coming issues

Forestville Central Schools knew a tax increase was coming for district residents. Superintendent John O’Connor was very open about the possibility when talking about the budget last year at this time. In the proposal for 2025-26, the increase is 2.3%. What’s more concerning is what O’Connor talked about later in the meeting. The district noted that as of June 30, the District maintained a total fund balance of $5,877,913. Of that total, 14% was unassigned fund balance, totaling $828,376. With the allocation of funds to account for increased costs and decreased State Aid, the ...

COUNTY: Take the politics out of the judiciary

Was there dirty pool played in the race for Chautauqua County Family Court Judge prior to the November election? It sure seems that way. The filing of criminal charges against Sally Jaroszynski in October for allegedly illegal nominating petitions doomed an already longshot campaign. Jaroszynski, who has run for the position in the past as a Democrat, changed her party affiliation to Republican before last year’s election. She didn’t receive the party’s endorsement and tried to run on the Working Families Party line - which meant she had little chance of beating her ...

ARKWRIGHT New town hall is spending spree

As larger municipalities look to rein in spending, one of the smallest government entities is looking to build. This month, Arkwright appeared ready to move ahead with a new town hall. “We’re excited. I think it’s good. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Town of Arkwright Supervisor Brian McAvoy. “Nothing should stop us from doing it.” In the first phase, LaBella will prepare the designs and documents leading up to the bid process for the building itself. If satisfied, the Town will likely come to an agreement with LaBella to manage the bid process, and another phase ...