Readers’ Column for the week of Dec. 7, 2014

You may call the Owego Pennysaver Readers’ Column at (607) 687-2378 24-hours a day, or e-mail comments to readerscolumn@stny.rr.com. We reserve the right to revise or reject any message.

We have two working, older style television sets with remotes that we want to give away. One is a 21-inch RCA and the other is a 32-inch JVC. Call (607) 687-9034.

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The adverse reaction of the IBM retiree’s spouse regarding my A+ for IBM’s handling of supplemental medical insurance appears to be justifiable based on the facts she presented. The biggest difference in our current plans is in the insurance costs. Whereas mine are 35 percent lower than IBM’s 2013 plan, hers is 102 percent greater than 2013. I do not know anything of her personal situation, but $3,166 of supplemental premiums on top of Medicare’s $1,259 premium seems like an awful large amount, especially when Medicare is supposed to cover 85 percent of medical needs. I would be inclined to seek out a second opinion of her insurance needs. I understand Tioga Opportunities Inc. offers help in that regard. It’s not too late to change plans for 2015 if the facts support such action. Regardless, I will still stick with my A+ for IBM.

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The average tax change for the Town of Owego Fire District is $3.76 per month for this coming year. The reason for the change in taxes was the Apalachin Fire District not renewing their EMS coverage. The new Campville Station 3 on Route 38 construction actually reduces taxes in that after six years of not paying the Owego Village contract fees the station is completely paid off and each following year there are no construction and land cost expenses. There are also no continuing annual contract fees. The money saved by not renewing the Village of Owego contract pays for the payments on the new station. This is a good business decision. The Village of Owego wants the continued Town Fire District contract because the money received is used to balance the village budget. Please Vote For Joe Stocks for Fire Commissioner on Tuesday, Dec. 9. He will work to protect the Town of Owego Fire District residents.

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To the lady who is an IBM widow, if you are on Medicare you should look into a plan like Aetna PPO zero premium plans rather than keep the IBM plan. I am an IBM retiree, not a salesman. Aetna is a very good plan that includes prescriptions. It does have some limitations, which would depend on your health record for it to be good for you. You may also be eligible for some reimbursement of your Medicare premium. Call the 800 number on the acknowledgement of your monthly IBM spouse retirement check form. Good luck.

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Do you want a say in Campville building a new station and increasing taxes in Owego by 22 percent, then vote for Carl Jones for Town of Owego Fire Commissioner on Dec. 9, from 6 to 9 p.m. Let’s get the Town Board and the Village Board together and re-negotiate a new contract. We can’t afford this kind of increase.

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Zippers broken? Hems need to be adjusted? Call Jean at 687-2069. Thank you to all that have left comments about my sewing!

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Republican leaders saw nothing wrong when Presidents Reagan and Bush used executive powers; When President Obama does the same thing he is accused of being an “Emperor” who damages the Presidency. Go figure.

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The gentleman who provided his jeep for the Memorial Day parade last year, I have a free tire that will fit his jeep. Call Charles at (919) 977-1746.

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From Jan. 1, 1900 to Sept. 11, 2001 it was Merry Christmas or have a good Christmas season, then after 9/11 we went on to say “Happy Holidays”. Why are we changing our American culture? Christmas is American, NOT Happy Holidays. We say God Bless America but can’t say Merry Christmas anymore.

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Within the Town of Owego Fire District there appears to be one more candidate offering to serve a five-year term on the board. At present his main concern is the increase in taxes for the new fire and emergency station in the northwest part of town. While I have a problem with ever increasing tax, I also think of other problems. The other candidate has many years in South Side Fire Company serving in several offices, five years on the present board, runs a productive dairy farm and is a benefit to the area and has traveled out many days and nights to help persons in trouble. I hope these listed items will help on Dec. 9, between 6 and 9 p.m. at your station’s South Side or Campville Department and elect the right person. Thank you!

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I’d like to try to clear up some of the facts about the bells and whistles in this new school in Owego. That’s not anything to speak of; the main thing is the architect gets paid by the thousands and in this case the millions, so much percentage. If you want to holler to someone about it, get the superintendent or the board. They don’t have to go for it.

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My name is Edith, I quilt and I would appreciate any fabric you would give me. Call 687-3628. Thank you.

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This is to the person that stole my trail camera off of private property off of Bow Bridge Road in Pennsylvania. I would appreciate it if you would return it as soon as possible.

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You know the general mantra is that everybody lies. What does that say about us as a society? I don’t think that’s true. That’s not the way I was raised. No. Everybody does not lie. Only the people that need to gain something from lying lie.

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Are you tired of the lies? They got rid of Ride Tioga bus service because they didn’t want to raise taxes and burden the taxpayer yet I see this morning that they have raised our taxes 2.74 percent; so how did that help the bus service to keep it? People, vote wisely next time for your legislation.

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Owego Board of Education at a public hearing to reduce taxes for combat veterans. Most people at the hearing were in favor of it. The Board of Education proceeded to sandbag it at the next board meeting because the superintendent didn’t like it. Encourage the Board of Education to honor our wartime combat veterans with a tax break.

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Good news is coming to the middle class. The republican carnival group is leading them into total disaster. They are anti everything. Anti clean air, anti fresh water, anti middle class, anti poor people, anti food programs, anti healthcare for women, anti minimum wage, anti everything! This will be the third rail that will guide the Republican Party right into oblivion. It may take a while but those jokers are on the way. Thank goodness!

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I am the person who is giving away the fabric. There were 12 requests in the Pennysaver this Sunday. This is how it is going to be handled. I am cutting out each ad and putting into a hat and drawing it out. The first one who answers the phone and can come and get the fabric the quickest is the one who gets it first.

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There are huge taxpayer costs associated with teachers and administrative salaries, pensions, and school building costs. Why is it that there is no push towards digital learning now, first in the classroom and then in the home? Computer interactive lessons with oversight by the very best teachers would require very few teachers across the country, save enormous amounts of taxpayer dollars and have many other benefits where students could advance at their own pace and that is at all intelligence levels. Think about it. In years to come digital classrooms will be commonplace, but will be opposed first by the teaching cabal until people see the enormous advantages.

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This is for the low information caller who cheers and loves Obama and fears those nasty republicans will help the elite rich. If you know how to use a computer look up the actual figures about the Obama regime economics. During his tenure the rich got richer and the poor got poorer and the average salary of the workingman went down under Obama. Wake up! Get a life. See the real facts and quit harping about your emperors and fantasy leader.

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I think they ought to get around and drug test these people that are watching kids because there’s people that are using marijuana and shouldn’t be working around kids. I think they should randomly drug test them and never let them watch kids again because of their drugs. It’s just a bad thing and it’s not good to be around little kids. So everybody that thinks it should be done, write in and say something about it. Maybe it’ll clean this place up.

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Wow, it must be nice to work in the Tioga County Legislative office when you can just close your doors at the first sign of snow while other offices have to stay open. Kudos to the office.

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This is the genius. I’d like to try to answer somebody that thinks I have all the answers. Well, let’s put it this way. I’ve got a diploma from the army engineering school; and top that off I’ve got an honorable discharge from the service. If he can back up any of his stuff, start blowing smoke, I’d like to talk to him.

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We have a nice television we would like to give away free of charge. It’s a 27-inch Sony Trinitron in excellent condition and located in Richford. My number is 657-8035 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

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I’ve been wondering for a while why I see announcements for the Candor Fire District meetings regularly advertised in the what’s happening column along with a contact number for someone if you have questions. On page 7 of this week’s Pennysaver the Richford Fire District has an announcement notice of annual election to elect members to the board of fire commissioners for Richford Fire District. I’d like to know why the town of Owego never advertises their meetings, especially now that there is controversy about the fire station north of Owego. Could it be that they don’t want the taxpayers to be involved in what they are doing or to understand or to be able to ask questions about what’s going on? I’d like to see in this week’s Pennysaver the times and the locations for the voting on fire commissioner for the Town of Owego. Southside and Campville, please pay attention. Your tax dollars are being spent in ways that you might not approve of.

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Follow the news. Media reports ranging through newspapers, radio and television now highlight the problems the millionaire republicans soon controlling the U.S. House and Senate are trying to become responsible in governing. These folks are having trouble putting on matching socks with their ongoing internal feuds about Obama, government shutdown, budgeting, etc. Sound familiar? The latest attack by republicans on our middle class and the poor is that they don’t want to appropriate funds for insurance company cost sharing reductions. This republican failure means ever higher deductibles imposed on beneficiaries of the affordable care act. Don’t these millionaires in congress have the best health plan paid by U.S. taxpayers? Why their constant disregard for the middle class and the poor? Those millionaires don’t have to think about money like the rest of us.

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Hi everyone! This is me wishing every one of you a joyous and prosperous holiday season with peace surrounding all of us, no matter how you observe the season. Have a happy!

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I’m looking for unwanted men’s ties. If anybody has any that they’d like to get rid of please call 659-5389.

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Attention law enforcement officers! Thanks so much for your campaign over the Thanksgiving Holiday. You handed out over 11,000 tickets to speeders, impaired drivers and tailgaters. We can’t thank you enough for your continued efforts and dedication to make our roads safer to drive on.

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Black Friday bowling at Owego Bowl was very well attended. Sixteen sheet pizzas were served, 58 pitchers of soda drinks and about 160 kids bowled about 300 games sponsored by Owego Bowl, VFW 1371, Men’s and Ladies Auxiliary of VFW Post 1371, Vietnam Veterans Chapter 480 and the American Legion. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped serve.

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If anybody sees a tan colored dog running around on Cass Hill or if the person who took it would bring it back I’d appreciate it. I’ve had that dog since he was 4 weeks old and he is a very missed dog. His name is Max. If you find him you can get a hold of me at (607) 793-5744. I’d appreciate it if anyone knows anything about this dog would please call me.

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After reading the column the Mayor of Owego wrote and had in several papers, including the Pennysaver, here are some of the questions that I have. You wrote about the traffic pattern changes where if you were a driver in Owego, it doesn’t benefit anyone. It just clogs up more traffic. The sewer bill is just that, sewer. The police department staffing problem will take away most of the drug businesses in the village. Now we won’t have that will we. The FEMA buyout is so confusing. Every time someone seems to comment on this, they seem to change their story. Let’s get one story and everybody in the village stick with it. What I did not see is anything to do with our bus service, which ended after years of service. Nothing. Mr. Mayor, did you even know there was a bus service? Did you even know that people were coming into your village and buying coffee in the morning before they went to work on the bus? Buying groceries after work and taking them on the bus. Eating at your small little restaurants in the village after they came home from work. And why was there no effort done on your part to either comment or say something about shoppers and diners coming into your little village. Good job, completely. No shoppers, no help for the elderly? Nothing. I’d like to see a comment next time you write an article from the mayor’s desk.

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This is in regards to the gentleman that was concerned when the man winked at him as he went to shake his hand. When I grew up in Newark, N.J. a lot of older people would wink at us. Younger guys or younger girls and it was a friendly thing they did. There was nothing bad meant by it. I think he’s misled what it means. I just wanted to let him know, unless the guy had something in his eye. Right?

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I’m hoping the Village of Owego Public Works will fill the uneven spots and potholes in the village parking lot between the rear of the Lake street shops and at the courthouse before long.

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There will be a free movie “Penguins of Madagascar” on Sunday, Dec. 14 at Tioga Theater. There will be free movie, free popcorn and soda. It starts at 11 a.m. and is sponsored by the VFW and Ladies Auxiliary, Men’s Auxiliary and Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 480.

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I just heard that the new commissioner candidate for the Town of Owego Fire District, who has all the signs out everywhere, is actually a village of Owego fire department member and is being supported by other village of Owego fire department members. I’m wondering why he is so interested in being a part of the town of Owego fire district and their finances and their plans. Voters should choose carefully.

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Here we go again. In the most corrupt coolest town in America it costs $417 to treat $216 worth of water use in the sprawling metropolis of Owego. Something needs to be done. Keep calling your state legislature.

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I just received a letter in the mail, no return address asking me to vote for Joe Stocks for Town of Owego Fire Commissioner to keep town tax dollars in the Town of Owego. Joe, I don’t want my tax dollars in the Town of Owego, I want them in my pocket. We do not need a new fire station.

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I am a concerned member of the community about the recent activity involving building a new station and the negativity surrounding our fire commissioners. I myself believe that each member of the fire commissioner board is doing a great job in providing for the district they were elected to represent. Each is from a local town fire department and receives first hand data from those they provide a governing service over. So why do we have people hurt and trying to elect Carl Jones, who has no credentials for the job, and over a less than $4 increase in fire taxes. Inflation is going to naturally happen no matter where you reside. So with that said I would much rather see Joe Stocks be reelected and continue on providing service to the town fire district men and women who serve and are truly affected by the board’s decisions, as he is one of those people who served his community under the town district. Please come out and vote Dec. 9 at South Side or Campville fire stations to support Joe Stocks.