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.
Norm Westervelt is once again doing a bicycle project with Rural Ministries in which youth bicycles are refurbished and then distributed. They are currently looking for bicycles to be donated to the project. Norm will pick up the bicycles. Call Norm at (607) 687-2616 or Rural Ministries at (607) 687-3021.
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Vendors needed for Candor Fourth of July Carnival. For info call Liz (607) 659-7925 or email meddlerny@frontiernet.net.
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I would like to thank the VFW Ladies Auxiliary, Brenda, the VFW Jr. girls past and present, their parents, my friends and family for joining me at the wonderful luncheon given in my honor. Special thanks to Gail and her crew for preparing and serving. I am very sad that the VFW Jr. Girls are disbanding but the Patriotic Youth will be our future. The Patriotic Youth is open to both boys and girls ages five to 17 who would be interested in serving our Veterans and our community. Call Jean at 687-2069.
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I have listened to both sides of this debate and understand the parents of the Tioga students feeling threatened by the crazy rumors being perpetuated by the school management. (Management = School BOE and Administration). It is apparent Management has failed to effectively manage. This situation Tioga is in has been festering for years with many poor choices being made by the Administration, with the board’s backing instead of questioning. I fear the generous donation being offered will only mask the underlying problem of Management not being held accountable for their wayward actions. I hope the anonymous donor has more strings attached to their offer. Perhaps forcing Tioga to use BTOCES Financial Services, who bailed Maine Endwell out of their financial free fall a couple of years ago. In one year ME turned around their deficit. It seems painfully obvious the Tioga Administration has not learned any lesson here. Their push for 17 percent this year will most likely be followed by another 17 percent next year. On and on the merry go round goes. The teachers are not to blame for poor financial management. The Administration is. They are the ones punishing the children, not the taxpayers. Cut program expenses like homeowners have to. Vote NO on June 16. Let’s force some accountability from our overpaid, underperforming management.
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I found a set of Toyota keys on Route 38, across from the golf course. If they belong to you, please call (607) 642-8295 and identify them.
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This is directed to the party who trespassed on my posted Evelien Hill Road property in early May. My game cameras caught you fishing my ponds and also the way you come in. The pictures were very clear and close up. One man had red shorts and the other had a bald spot. A third was on an ATV. Two women were riding a “Kawasaki” ATV. There were three ATV’s. You can be easily identified. It is not my intention to turn these photos into the authorities; however, these pictures will be available if any of you trespass again. All I request is that you respect the privacy rights of landowners and act like responsible adults.
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Have you heard about the 19 year old and 18 year old teens that set fire to a plastic portable bathroom worth $500? It was destroyed. This happened at Campville Commons in the town of Owego. These parents should be so proud. I think making them pay for the damage and community service would be a great idea.
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Hi, I’m Doug Graves. Someone asked, last week, if I would be interested in helping with the proposed tax increase they expect to face if the re-configured budget for the Tioga Central School passes. If you will identify yourself, so I know to whom I’m speaking, I will see what I can do. No joke.
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In response to the Tioga Central budget vote, I am hoping to see this one pass. We will STILL be the lowest tax levy in the area. We have the opportunity to receive the monetary donation from Mr. Gural this year AND next year, if we can pass this one. The school is the hub of Tioga Center. In our family, three children have graduated from this school and working on the fourth. Between them, they have participated in just about everything offered. After number four graduates, I will continue to fight for other students to be able to remain here at Tioga. Now the emotional part; it is a SPECIAL place, and I wouldn’t have wished them to have been anywhere else. School concert nights are filled with people – not just the parents – same with talent shows, spelling bees, scholarship challenges and mathalons. On Friday nights in the fall, one would mistake our football stadium for a school in Texas where the game and athletes are loved and the stands are packed – same with every other sport. These students, parents, and faculty support each other in EVERYTHING they do. Many students from our school are excelling in college – this year alone so many of the students are above a 95 average and looking at good schools to attend. Many are breaking athletic records here, statewide and again at college. Some teachers take the smaller pay with more work just to remain here BECAUSE IT IS SPECIAL. I have heard all of the talk of fixed income, unemployment, etc. In reality, MOST are on a fixed income; raises aren’t handed out like they used to be. Personally, I am searching for employment for the second time in a year, but I can see the big picture of investing in these children’s future and the future of the community as a whole – even though it will be difficult right now. The elected school board worked diligently to keep costs low every year, and they are doing it again. They have made concessions and a community member has stepped forward to help us. Now it is OUR turn. A rally to help save Tioga will be held this Sunday beginning at noon; please come support our efforts as well as a vote of YES on June 16.
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Elected officials need to hear from the thousands of their constituents who see the writing on the wall: the TPP is a corporate handout disguised as a progressive trade deal — and it’s antithetical to our democracy. Call Reed and tell him to vote NO. Call Hanna and tell him to vote NO.
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I am not sure who takes care of the repairs on Pennsylvania Avenue. There is a hole is the road between 3640 and 3686, and about one month ago a circle was made around the hole with white paint and some other designs were made also. It seems to me it’s about time the hole and other depressions in the road were fixed.
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So the Tioga “no” voters are siding with Cuomo’s vision of closing rural schools and forcing mergers. I wonder what will happen to your taxes when students and families leave the district? You will get lower property values, higher taxes, and eventually double or triple the bill from another district. All Cuomo policies fail in the end. I vote YES precisely because I want to keep paying the lowest taxes.
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I recently drove by the new Owego elementary school. I was really surprised – it doesn’t even look like a school. It looks more like a hotel, plus it is huge. Why does this community need an elementary school this big? It really looks out of place. This is such a waste. Didn’t anyone consider what it is going to cost to clean and maintain it? Whatever happened to common sense?
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It is interesting that Richard Ives said 60 percent of the people support the OACSD tax increase when in reality, as stated in this column last week, it is actually 6 percent. This is another attempt by a school supporter to justify increased spending!
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I see last week in this column, there are people who continue to call people names. This name-calling doesn’t accomplish a thing. If there is something you disagree with – explain it. This will be much more civil and you may even learn from the debate.
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Look at all the lies being thrown at Tioga! A person could almost forget this school has the lowest tax levy and spends less per student than anyone in Broome and Tioga counties. They spend 25 percent less than the New York average and still get great test results. If Tioga is so poorly run, then why have independent education experts been studying their low cost, efficiency and results?
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You think Tioga did “nothing” about lost state aid? Did you really miss the closing of Nichols Elementary and the cuts of over 30 positions? Have you read your last few tax bills? Attended any meetings? It’s a lot easier to falsely smear others than to get informed. I have no problem paying a little more to a great school that has saved me a ton of money for decades.
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The Angels Over Afghanistan and Iraq will be having their annual yard sale Aug. 21 and 22 at the Owego United Methodist church. Any one that is interested in contributing items may leave a message on Facebook (Angels Over Afghanistan) or call 349-8109 or 240-9110. They are also always welcoming new addresses to ship to if you know of a deployed soldier. THANK YOU for your continued support! Austyn and Brenda Conti.
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Will the town supervisors and board members who wish to secede from New York please move to Pennsylvania (or Texas), thus opening seats for those who wish to work for thriving local communities, immune to corporate takeover?
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Tioga Central School District residents – the Summer Recreation forms came home with the students this week. Please remember if the budget does not pass on June 16, under the New York State Contingency budget the program will be CUT. Vote YES and save summer recreation.
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As a concerned Tioga Central School taxpayer, I just want people to think on a few simple numbers. The whole school, Pre-K through 12th grade has 1,042 students in it. There are approximately 96 teachers. The teacher / student ratio is 1 to 11. Our children should be geniuses. Vote NO!
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In regards to the person who wrote about the traffic pattern changes in the Village, this was NOT a village decision. It is the State DOT that made the changes. There were numerous public meeting regarding these changes before they were implemented. The trucks coming down North Avenue and turning right are not allowed to turn on red, but the cars CAN turn right on red and many times do not. Yes it is a pain sometimes the way traffic is backed up, and if it delays you why don’t you start a few minutes earlier or take the back streets?
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It is way past time for the Owego Village Board and the Mayor to hitch up their clothes and do the job that they were elected to do and promised the taxpayers that they would do when they applied for the offices. First off, how about finally coming up with an equitable water rate plan for all the residents and establishments. Then, it is about time to ride hard on the Clerk-treasurer and force him to do his job or to resign. The State audit is a disgrace and should demand a more thorough state audit with reprimands. For the mayor to say ‘some of the problems have been corrected’ is not a good enough answer. WHICH problems have been corrected and WHAT are the remaining problems and a timeline for when they will be corrected. This type of shoddy government should not be allowed.
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Guess who’s back Owego? I missed the fresh air, the atmosphere, and the general feel of Owego, and I need to protect the “Coolest Small Town in America.” The Owego Avenger is back. Nothing is going to make me leave this time.
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Congress Plots to Pay for Reviled TPP Deal by Raiding Medicare. It’s a move that will result in deaths. Medicare means many things to many people. To our elders, it’s a program providing minimally good, low-cost healthcare at a stage in life when it’s most needed. Medicare has been raided and weakened many times. Now, Congress, including both Republicans and Democrats want to raid it again and maybe kill Medicare. To Congress, it’s a piggy bank to be raided.
Note from the Editor: The call-in tape was damaged this week, and some calls were lost. If your call does not appear here, it may be the portion of the tape that was damaged. We apologize.
