Readers’ Column for the week of March 1, 2015

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.

Here we are again on a third sewer billing cycle, bills still haven’t been changed, bills are still being overcharged, village keeps promising that they will take care of this issue or deal with the issue but still nothing. Voting’s coming up, let’s elect some people that will do something about it.

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The Richford Highway Department goes when there’s no snow to plow in the road. After residents get their driveway plowed or shoveled out they go and knock the snow banks down, sometimes right in front of the driveways and plug them back up so I see many residents push the snow right back into the road. You do get tired of cleaning your driveway and this is not necessary.

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It is totally embarrassing to see the John Stewart president nobama clowning around and making selfie mug shots while 21 Christians were beheaded by Isis. What has this country come to? Depraved and unpatriotic behavior is encouraged by nobama while he is secretly deploying thousands of Special Forces into the Middle East to risk their lives under impossible rules of engagement. The Iranian Peace Delegate shouts down and deprecates John Kerry and he sits there and takes it. Nobama has kept his promise to fundamentally change the U.S.A. and we are now a banana republic.

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A big thank you to the Tioga County Sheriff who opened my car door for me during a snow storm. I accidentally locked my keys in it again while running.

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Dear Pennysaver folks and candidates for office for the Village of Owego. The voters desperately need an article where all the candidates state their policies on the important issues facing this village. A side-by-side comparison this year is essential. We cannot cast our vote in good conscience if we don’t know where the candidates stand and in what direction our village is planned to go. Candidates, your signs in yards do not explain your policies, and flyers only reach a handful of voters. Your dollars would be better spent compensating this paper to print an all-inclusive article and of course it would be nice if the Pennysaver did this free as a public service.

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I want to say how much we enjoyed the Berkshire lasagna supper Saturday, and as far as I’m concerned they could do it every month. It was fabulous!

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A big thank you for excellent service and a great customer attitude to the Valu Home Center in Owego and the Apalachin post office. Thanks also to the recyclable collection team in Apalachin. They work very hard, especially in this weather and it is appreciated.

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It’s time to dissolve the village. Enough talk about the fire department, OPD and public works. Who’s going to take the step and do the study? We all need to know. The village can’t afford to go status quo anymore.

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I was wondering if there is anybody that knows somebody that moves mobile homes. If they do, would you please leave your number in this column?

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Congratulations to former Owego Coach Richard Brown who is being named to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater Oklahoma. At OFA he coached baseball, wrestling, football and cross-country. Also we do not want to forget some of his great athletes he coached like Bob Leonard, Tom Riley, Dale Wales, Jerry McTamney, Brian and Steve Bidwell, and many more who was coached by Richard Brown.

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I want to thank the two young men, Tyler and James, who stopped and helped me shovel my walk last week in Newark Valley. I do so appreciate it! God Bless them.

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I have a suggestion for the school board. I think you should hire another administrator just to handle all the questions that you’re getting from the tax creep. I think that would help the community so that we can move forward and do good work.

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Could somebody tell me why we need the Owego Police Department? You never see them involved in any arrest of criminals or any of that. All they do is give out parking tickets or something in that fashion. The crimes committed in Owego it’s always the Sheriff’s Department or the State Police, so you might as well get rid of the Owego Police Department.

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Shaving away to a cure for pediatric cancer research. Come to the St. Baldrick’s event on March 8 at the Candor American Legion. We are shaving our heads to raise money for pediatric cancer research. We would also like to honor any child who has had or has cancer at our event. Please contact www.stbaldricks.org/event/candorny website to register to have your head shaved and to let us know that you would like your child recognized at our event on our honor wall.

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I wonder what contractors or builders every got the bright idea to put registers underneath windows. We have venetian blinds or window shades or curtains to try to keep the cold out when it’s so bad but the when the registers blow air, it goes right up underneath them. I found to take a little scotch tape and put on the edge of the window treatments to keep them tight to the window so the air doesn’t blow up underneath them. Anybody else have any other good ideas? Maybe these contractors or homebuilders will get a hint.

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I’m looking for a long lost friend. Her name was Kim Alexander. It’s been over 10 years. She used to be a phone operator for a certain facility in Tioga County and she knew me by an acquaintance, she used to work there in the same building. I’d like to at least talk to her again if she is willing to at least remember who I am. She can call (607) 221-9811; it’s been a long time Kim, I’d like to hear from you.

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Would it occur to you to take a person recently out of a mental institute to a shooting range with live bullets to shoot guns as a method of helping them? You wonder who the crazy people were in that story.

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I would like to wish Tom Ash a wonderful retirement. He was a great addition to the Owego community. I’ll never forget being in an accident and calling him and hearing his peaceful voice walking me through what to do. It was a very calming experience and I will never forget it. So I wish Tom good luck and I also congratulate Jennifer for taking over the business. I’m sure she will do a fantastic job as well since she worked with Tom Ash for so long; and of course we must mention the beautiful and lovely Mrs. Marzo who is a wonderful grandmother to all of our children. We love you, we’ll miss you, and good luck with your retirement as well!

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The Village of Owego Trustee candidate who says she’s going to run the village like a business spent over $6,000 in that last election. That doesn’t sound like somebody that wants to run it like a business.

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Does anyone out there know if they are ever going to reopen the Valero Gas Station on Southside Drive or not? I’ve bought gas there for years and I really miss the place.

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Bill O’Reilly lied, Brian Williams lied and VA Secretary Robert McDonald lied. These men all implied that they were in war zones and exposed to death and dismemberment that was happening to our soldiers who are putting their lives on the line for the likes of those three, and probably many others like them. If these guys were under oath, they would be charged with perjury and punished. These three were in a high level position of public trust and they extremely violated it at the expense of heroes and an unsuspecting public. All should be fired and forbidden to work in any future capacity that relates to a position of trust. Mea culpa just doesn’t do it.

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Dear Pennysaver reader, you don’t care what anybody says, you love Chuck Schumer. So I guess I will not be able to change your mind? But here is what I think about the big mouth. You see “Bank Run Chuck”, couldn’t help from shooting his mouth off about California based, Indy Mac Bank. They were having a rough time of it, during the housing crisis – you know that thing, the Democrats, headed by Chris Dodd and Blarney Frank, caused, by allowing unqualified people to get mortgages (by the way, I hear it is happening again). Chucky, as always, trying to grab the limelight, had to shoot his mouth off. He said he didn’t think IBM could meet its obligations. That statement caused a run on the bank, and the bank failed. As a result I lost my entire ROTH IRA, invested in IBM! So every time I see Schumer, stalking a TV camera, I want to barf!

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A-rod, Tiger, Bucsh, Ray, Winston, Rose and others. Can’t we find anyone better to guest on our talk shows? Aren’t you really getting tired of reading about these guys all the time? I sure am. There are plenty of good people to write about. How about a break?

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To the Town of Owego board and administration: Today is Feb. 23, 2015, and the latest board meeting minutes posted are over two months old. The last published minutes are from Nov. 18, 2014. Minutes from Dec. 2 and Feb. 19 are outstanding. It would seem prudent that minutes should be published within one week. The residents deserve this, and information should not be outdated by over two months. In addition, agendas should be posted in a timely manner, at least two weeks in advance.

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I wonder if the Owego Village Board is giving the same scrutiny to the Fire Department and Public Works staffing and budgets as they are to the OPD. Seems to me that if they are really that concerned with costs they should be. After all, they could easily ask the town to take over the fire department and either the town or county to handle public works.

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Why is Bijoy Datta, Chairman of the Broome County Republican Party and former Broome County Deputy Executive running a village election in Tioga County?