Readers’ Column for the week of Jan. 1, 2017

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.

With recent layoffs happening around the area, the Tioga Employment Center would like to advice people filing for benefits that the correct avenue is to visit www.labor.ny.gov. Do not “Google” this address, as third party sites are gathering personal information and your claim is not being filed through the Department of Labor. For questions and assistance, contact your local workforce office. In Tioga County, call 687-8483.

There’s much to say about living in a small town, and here’s one to share. On Christmas Eve, part of my son’s bracket from his braces came off, leaving the wire uncomfortably sticking in his gum. I contacted his dentist / orthodontic provider, Dr. Chris Aumock, to see what we should do. Dr. Aumock so graciously offered to come in on Christmas Eve; or if more convenient for me, Christmas Day. Where else, but in the coolest small town, would that ever happen? Thank you Dr. Aumock for everything you do, it is greatly appreciated!

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I wish the folks who dislike President Obama would give us specific reasons and not show their ignorance by calling him a “Marxist / Socialist”. He is neither. Vladimir Putin is a Marxist and Bernie Sanders is a Socialist. The President is not even a Liberal by most standards. What he is, is a very intelligent, honest, decent, loyal American with whom I disagree. 

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First of all, MERRY CHRISTMAS! Second, I just don’t get it. Our “fearless Leader” in Washington continues to allow Syrian Muslim refugees to come here, by the thousands. Look how that’s working out in Germany and other European countries. Just what we need here, right? Yet, there are thousands of CHRISTIAN refugees wanting asylum who are much more easily vetted, because most have gone to the same church their whole lives, as have their parents and grandparents. Pastors and priests can vouch for them sometimes over decades, yet we don’t want them. Why?

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Just want to say thank you to the newly retired Town Clerk of Owego. Don’t know exactly how long you held this position but it’s been many years. It won’t be the same without you. May you have many years of retirement to enjoy. God bless you.

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It is hilarious reading the comments from the blockhead about socialist, marxist who has that word hack saved into his brain. The day after Obama won, the Republicans said they would stop everything he attempts to do. Obama stepped into a recession and the worst mess the Republicans created for years. One major thing he did was get medical coverage for cancer children and the middle class by the thousands. I don’t think this blockhead could begin to comprehend all Obama accomplished. Trump doesn’t trust anyone but his family. He wants to put his whole family running the country, a family that knows nothing about government. He wants New York City to keep his wife there and cost the city a million dollars to protect her. Thank heavens they can’t go bankrupt and said no! Trump (a dictator) says nobody will tell me what to do; well boy, will he find out! Also, 90 percent of the U.S. wanted Hillary! 

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I have 10 to 15 roosters to give away. Call me at 687-5268, leave a message and I’ll call you back.

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Presidential thinking. Any child can follow this argument; Trump says that Berlin attacked by one Muslim affirms his plan to bar Muslims from entering the United States. Any child doing dishes knows if you find a crack in one dish you don’t throw out all the rest. What are we in for with this guy in the White House? Oh, I forgot, it’s the Trump tower. Good luck voters!

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Here’s a tip, make your own liquid soap by mixing one part dish soap with three parts water, or if you want it soapier, mix one half of soap and one half of water. It washes hands really well.

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Drain the swamp? More like draining the sewer into the swamp. Buckle up!

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Now of course, this story is old and we have to accept what we wanted. If Trump can only do all this building by borrowing from Russia and Germany, and then come into the picture downing a company that we have pride in, Lockheed Martin, where does he get all this information from, our people or Russia?

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Just a comment from two weeks ago about hunters who are hunting on different properties; It wasn’t me, because if it was me I would have called the game warden right off. Maybe it was the neighbors who bought property behind us that you were trespassing on, but it wasn’t me. Like I said, I would have called the game warden. 

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Can somebody please explain what we had to gain with self-driving cars besides job loss or something else for these crazy people to hack into and wreak havoc? I just don’t understand all the hype. You lose coverage, everybody wanting it, it’s just a no win situation if you ask me. Someone with an opinion, I would appreciate your comment in this column.

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We must not be overly critical of poor ole’ nobama, after all his dismal performance propelled Donald Trump into the presidency. Have the Democrats learned anything? That is very doubtful as their hapless leaders are promoting the likes of an acknowledged racist, Keith Ellerson, and have reelected Nancy Pelosi who presided over one of the worst losses in political history. The few patriotic Democrats left are afraid of expunging the loony Marxist wing controlling the present Democrat Party. They should stand up and throw the bums out!

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As Obama leaves office he leaves the American people a world and country less safe than he inherited. It has been eight years of terror attacks, both here and abroad. Obama could have maintained stability in the Middle East by leaving some of our troops, but no he wouldn’t listen, and he pulled them all out and that action allowed Isis growth. Obama is concerned about his legacy; as well he should be, as it’s one of leaving us a mess with too many problems to be mentioned here.

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Trump voters should be delighted that the bomb thrower in chief, the monstrous clown, will soon be in the White House – or will it be in Trump Tower? In any case, he’ll be safe while you guys are hunting for fallout shelters. Nuclear Arms Race, my God, what has the world come to? Are you really happy with your votes, folks?

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Bring back the death penalty. These murderers and rapists and child molesters and terrorists and dealers of hard drugs should all be strung up!

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The Republican Party has been reactionary for decades. The philosophy was to slow down the inexorable march toward the goals of the Socialist, Marxist, and Communist, Democrat elites. Soon under Donald Trump, conservatives must stop and reverse secular liberal progressivism. Patriots of America have a chance to get strict constructionist Supreme Court judges appointed and to get a school system by establishing school choices where parents have a true choice on which schools to support. The voucher system will do this. Simplified lower taxes, strength in military and an enforced border will give real hope – get that? Real hope to all sentient Americans. 

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We have had the most contentious election in American history. In 2017 let’s put all this contentiousness behind us and let’s all work together to support our new president Donald Trump. My favorite poem is Ring Out Wild Bells and one of the lines it says in it is “ring out the grief that saps the mind for those that here we see no more, ring out the feud of rich and poor, ring and redress to all mankind, ring out the old ring out the true”, that is what we need to do.

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I’m still looking to find a pair of those rose colored glasses that Obama wears. Now he’s saying if he was allowed to run he would have won November’s election against Donald Trump. No way! He said it would be an insult to his legacy if Hillary doesn’t win. Well, figure it out, his legacy is nothing but executive orders all done under the cloak of darkness, which will be repealed by Trump; and that is wonderful news. Rose colored glasses, where can I find them for myself, and the rest of us?

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One caller stated that President Obama’s legacy was a healed economy. I say his legacy is the fall of the Democratic Party. 

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Thanks to Jeff Gural and Tioga Downs, Tioga County will receive much-needed infrastructure funding as Martha Sauerbrey, county legislative chairwoman, stated in a recent article. She said, “The license is a wonderful early Christmas gift for the county that will help support infrastructure projects across the county.” We on Maple Lane are looking forward to much needed road repair so it can be as good as the Tioga County roads that surround us.

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I’m calling to thank Lyle Stevens Jr. for bringing his animals to the Barton United Methodist church all week long for a live nativity scene. Both young and old enjoyed seeing the live manger and riding the donkey. It’s a wonderful reminder to all what Christmas is all about, the birth of Jesus Christ. Thanks again to Lyle and his family.

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I read a comment in this column about the Newark Valley band not marching in the parades. The Newark Valley School does not have a marching band, that’s why they are not marching. 

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Just take a minute and look down Broad Street in Waverly; if everyone painted their homes fresh like the places that have been done, especially that beautiful blue, we would have the prettiest town in the valley! Think about it.

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There’s now a report stating there is fraud in the food stamp program. I say the program must stop. The government program should work with soup kitchens and supply some of the needs to those kitchens. The kitchens in turn would serve three meals a day, and those needing a meal need to trek to a soup kitchen for a great meal and only healthy meals would be served. I believe that would be a win-win for everyone; there would be no more waste. 

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This is in response to the upholstery and furniture repairs. I can be reached at (607) 239-3973. I have been doing upholstery work for several years. 

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Does anybody know why Michelle Obama is on talk shows all the time? It seems like every time I turn on the TV she is on them. I don’t remember any First Lady on as many as she’s been on. Have a Happy New Year!

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There have been a few comments in this column about the Newark Valley high school band not wanting to participate in community parades. Okay, so maybe the current administration or the current music director does not support taking the band outside of the school facility. What I, and other people, just don’t understand is why there has not ever been a pep band in the stands for the home football games. It used to be there. It would just take four or five kids, a drum and a horn to make a big difference. Where is the community spirit for this football team?

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I just wanted to say how nice it is; I just had to go into the Tioga County Clerk’s office to get some papers recorded and how nice and pleasant the women are who work in there that help you, especially Ms. Klett, the new County Clerk. She went out of her way for almost an hour to help me find some information. It was very nice of her and all the people in there. 

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On Dec. 24, at approximately 5 p.m., I met an angel or one of Santa’s helpers or elves; this angel elf came in disguise and an automotive technician. He was just locking up at Getzke’s Automotive on Rock Street in Newark Valley. I could not get the hood to open on a 17-year-old car, and it was very hot. He did not say come back Tuesday morning when we reopen. He did not say I am leaving; you will have to find someone else. What he did was unlock his shop and get some vice grips; but it still would not open. Back in the garage he went for a flashlight. After a few minutes it opened and it was bone dry. Back in the shop he went for antifreeze, filled it up, and made sure the hood locked back up properly. I tried to pay him, but he would not take anything. As we all know, at times we feel so alone in this world with the weight on our shoulders, and at this time with a human being who took the time and patience to help me my shoulders are feeling a whole lot less heavy with the kindness and patience he showed. I wish him a Happy New Year and want to thank him for what he did for me. 

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To last week’s caller, if you are not happy with Trump’s cabinets picks you may want to consider that they are going to be good because they have no experience. Think about it. Where has the experience gotten us for the last eight years?

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Obviously Obama misspeaks when he said he would’ve beaten Trump if he had been allowed to run in the election; but maybe he means in a game of golf, as we all know he plays the game a lot more than anyone else!

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5,000 Sprint jobs are coming back to the U.S.A. Thank you Donald Trump! This would have never happened with a Clinton win. We would all be saying goodbye to these jobs and I understand another 3,000 more are on the way! Thank you again Mr. Trump.

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I guess if one is not happy with Trump’s cabinet picks, then Trump could go with anyone from Disney’s fame; he could have picked Mickey, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Jiminy Cricket and yes, even Pinocchio as they surely would have done a better job than anyone we’ve had in these positions in the last eight years. 

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I just returned home from the holidays from the state of Michigan and had a chance to look at the Dec. 18 Pennysaver. What a pleasure to see the Holiday Magic in Newark Valley photos. They remind me of other times of innocence and of the holidays. Thank you for the lovely pictures!

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Just because there’s no school, the town supervisor of Nichols thinks no one else travels roads to work or appointments until 9 a.m. or later and he sits home by the fire. We need to be safe too! Use some of that sand you saved from last year and do the plowing you didn’t do much of last year. Happy New Year!