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The OBSERVER’s View

ENDORSEMENT Long-shot candidate resonates in county

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is a familiar name for many in Chautauqua County. We wouldn’t say she’s a familiar face for county residents despite serving in the Senate for nearly 16 years. The incumbent senator has carved out a position in the national discussion on issues like sex violence in the military and funding for medical care for 9/11 survivors, but at the same time is somewhat absent when it comes to federal aid for local projects. Chuck Schumer she is not. She has also been willing to work with some Republicans, introducing legislation or co-sponsoring bills with Sen. ...

DISTRICT 23 GOP dominance overshadows race

For the last six months, it has been a fairly uneventful race for the 23rd Congressional District. That speaks to a couple of prominent reasons. First, and most importantly, incumbent U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy’s campaign is flush with cash. His challenger in Thomas Carle is nowhere near as prosperous. Secondly, the Republicans have a stranglehold on the 11 counties the seat serves. That’s evident in the last election in this district in 2022 when Langworthy won the contest with 65% of the vote against a respected candidate in Democrat Max Della Pia. Challenger Carle is no slouch ...

ENDORSEMENT: Assembly race has new faces

There have been a lot of issues thrown around in the race between Michael Bobseine and Andrew Molitor to see who will replace the retiring Andrew Goodell in the state Assembly. Bobseine comes with a lengthy history of public service and experience through his time as a Chautauqua County legislator and Fredonia school board member. He has stated his support for Proposition 1 on this year’s election ballot, redesigning health care in New York state, amending the state’s Freshwater Wetlands Act to more clearly states activities exempt from state regulation, and gun safety that he ...

FOOTBALL: New trophy adds to atomosphere

A more than 100-year-old rivalry will add a new piece on Friday. Fredonia Mayor Michael Ferguson announced the Hillbillies-Dunkirk Marauders football game will now include a trophy. “Hopefully, it will be a trophy that will be passed around for years between the two schools,” he said. Plaques with the scores and winners of each game will get engraved on the trophy. All things considered, it is a nice touch. Many rivalry games — especially those in the college level — play for something. Michigan and Minnesota play for the Little Brown Jug while to the east, Cortland and Ithaca ...

ARKWRIGHT Small town keeps chugging along

Arkwright Supervisor Brian McAvoy offered some insight that many do not consider when it comes to putting together a spending plan. His thoughts came after the town reduced its tax rate by 1.8%. Though the town’s biggest claim to fame may be that it was one of the first to venture into deals with wind-turbine companies, McAvoy recently remarked about assessment, fair market value and equalization rates. He said the fair market value of the homes in the town have increased 67% over the last 10 years. His point: the town offers a “competitive” tax rate compared to neighboring ...

RIPLEY: Time will tell if land investment pays off

We’ve long called for investment into shovel-ready sites in Chautauqua County. So it’s hard to be critical of a $1,999,999 federal investment in the site announced last week by U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy and Sen. Charles Schumer. We’ve heard a lot about the Ripley site over the years. Now, we may see some action come spring now that the county has secured about $13 million of the project’s original $16 million price tag. County officials are looking for another $3 million from the federal Economic Development Administration to fully pay for the work. We hope this investment ...