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The OBSERVER’s View

CONGRESS: Louisiana official an embarrassment

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., could not have proved two points more handily last week if he had tried. First, he proved the spreading of vicious lies about an immigrant community in Springfield, Ohio, has indeed led to the kind of hostility that puts those people (and their entire community) in danger. Second, he proved even those we should be able to hold to our highest standards are willing to once again publicly shout their racism and hate. They believe they have been freed of the shame of doing so. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, Higgins was facing calls for ...

FORESTVILLE Volunteer efforts bring improvements

Talk about a can-do attitude. A group of volunteers who belong to Imagine Forestville continue to make their mark in the community. Last week, a celebration highlighted three new items for downtown: a clock, mural and historic horse trough that has been repurposed as a garden. “We’ve been waiting to have this event,” group President Aimee Rogers said. “From one thing after another, it’s a godsend that it happened, finally. We are so blessed that so many people showed up, and we were given a beautiful day after all the rain. Everything just fell into place.” In the ...

County Budget proposal is shortsighted

County Executive PJ Wendel’s 2025 budget proposal is an outlier compared to the cities of Dunkirk and, likely, Jamestown as well. Dunkirk is proposing a 100% increase in its tax rate in the coming year. Mayor Kim Ecklund is already warning City Council members that the 2025 Jamestown budget proposal is going to be much tighter than the past few years. Compare those budgets to Wendel’s budget released last week that comes with a 19-cent decrease in the county’s tax rate and we can see why Wendel was smiling when he unveiled his more than $300 million spending plan last week. ...

Fredonia: There’s few answers for pesky deer

Fredonia’s deer problem appears to be growing, according to members of the Board of Trustees. During last week’s workshop, the invasive four-legged creatures got a bit of attention. Jon Espersen, who tried to tackle the issue two years ago, backed away after receiving some criticism for proposals of bowhunting or poison to thin the population. “When I received a couple suggestions (about) what we might do, it did not go over exceedingly well … ,” he said. “But I don’t think the problem’s gotten any better, I think at this point it’s gotten worse.” In most of the ...

ENERGY Early signs point to nuclear renewal

The handwriting has been on the wall for quite some time that New York wouldn’t be able to the requirements laid out in 2019’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. That was the controversial - and ultimately unrealistic - legislation that requires 70% of the state’s electricity come from renewable energy by 2030 while also reducing greenhouse gas reductions of 40% from 1990 levels by 2030. By 2035 the state is supposed to be generating 9,000 megawatts of power from offshore windpower. The state’s electric grid is supposed to be 100% renewable by 2040 with the state ...

DUNKIRk: Time has come for control board

Wednesday’s budget presentation at Dunkirk’s City Hall is exactly the reason New York state failed the municipality by not instituting a control board to oversee its finances. This is not to place blame on a nine-month mayor who has been placed into a situation of fiscal disarray, but just a reality. Let’s face it. Local officials — as much as they point blame at Albany — are in no way capable of managing funding or important choices. Dunkirk is a perfect example. After borrowing $16 million from the state to cover expenses for the final eight months of this year, it has ...