Readers’ Column for the week of Aug. 20, 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.

Does anyone know where I can drop off used eyeglasses in Owego? Please respond to this column. 

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Let’s see if I got this right. We elected a new board of trustees for the Village of Owego to straighten out the mess left us by previous administrations, but ignored their recommendations to implement needed changes at the urging of previous board members and their supporters. Did I get that right? Florence Alpert, in her Letter to the Editor, got it right when she said too many in the village like “doing business in the same ‘ole way”. And that, folks, is NOT good business. 

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Can anyone explain to me why people would spend hundreds of dollars to purchase pure bred dogs and never train them to not bark incessantly? It seems to me one ounce of common decency would let them know that it does nothing but disrupt the neighborhood.

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I think Stephen Colbert is a complete fool and the other guy, the English accented guy, I don’t even know his name. Idiots! Late night comedy used to be decent. Johnny Carson was the king of them all. Long live the king. These other guys are phony pretenders to the throne. Idiots!

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For currency exchange, check with local banks or travel agencies. They should be able to point you in the right direction. For auctions and farm equipment, check your local paper, the Pennysaver and Press. Also check the phone book yellow pages under auctioneers. They also could answer your question.

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The Owego Highway Department only works Monday through Thursday, only four days a week. That’s why they don’t get anything done. I think they should work five days like everybody else. Number two, regarding women and the right to vote in the Pennysaver, I think they actually overextended that article. They should call the Pennysaver the Women’s Right to Vote Saver. I think they should have given women the right to be drafted just like all of us men had the right to be drafted. That would have been more equal rights for everybody, I think.

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I was wondering how come George’s BBQ wasn’t at Newark Valley Depot Days this year? It’s the best chicken I’ve had and I missed it this year.

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Is anyone else astounded by the number of items on the school supply list for students at the Candor Elementary school? Teachers get money each year for students. Where is that money going? Families here don’t have a lot of money. If you have two students, that’s a lot of grocery money that you have to spend on supplies instead. Please check the list from other districts and see how much more the Candor kids have to bring in. Reduce the number of items needed.

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On July 29, a Saturday, I went to the Pennysaver metal container bin for my Pennysaver paper and someone or somehow the bin was dumped forward with some of the papers falling out and the wind blowing them around. I wasn’t sure I could set it back up, it’s heavy, but I did and a couple came along and helped me pick up the papers and put them in the bin. I want to say thank you for the kindness to those who had helped me. I have lived in Owego Height Trailer Park for 15 years and this has never happened before. We are thankful to have our Pennysaver delivered to us; it’s the best reading. Keep up the good work. The bin is okay, and thank you for giving us the Pennysaver to connect with our community. Keep up the good work and thank you to those people.

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I just want to say thank you for not printing anything I tried to get in last week but I would like to make sure you know that the pictures and phone do not lie. When my full page comes out your name will be in it.

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Here is a recipe for fruit fly deterrent; I thought this might be helpful. Combine a 1/2-cup of water, 1/2 cup of cider vinegar and 1 tsp. of dishwashing liquid. Then pour one ounce of mixture in a jar that has holes in the top so the fruit flies will be attracted to it; the fruit flies will drown in it. 

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This is in response to the two alligators they found in Whitney Point. Number one, somebody had to get them from a pet shop and let them go, and that’s against the law. Number two, my God they’re going to end up eating somebody because nine chances out of 10 these are going to have babies if they don’t catch them all. Thank God they got the two, but they need to check and see if there is more. May the people know that it is against the law to let such an animal go. If you do have such a thing as a reptile and you don’t want it, take it to professionals. This has got me very upset because it’s very dangerous. Think before you do something so stupid as letting an alligator go.

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I have a question, why is Florence Alpert of Candor so concerned about what goes on in Owego, New York? It doesn’t concern her, does it?

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Somebody is using Florence Alpert’s name to publish an opinion. That’s a felony. You need to investigate that and think hard about it.

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In response, somehow I do not think Mick Jagger even does his own grocery shopping. It must be nice to not worry about money and how much you are spending. Something many of us will never know. Maybe we should all become musicians and / or politicians. 

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This is to the person who keeps mowing on my side of the lawn. Would you please stop mowing on my side? It does no good to talk to them in person because they are so inconsiderate. Please stop!

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I’d like to thank the Tioga County Lion’s Club who put on a free picnic this weekend for residents of the county. It was a wonderful picnic and we had a great time. I enjoyed the bingo and the food was wonderful. Best of all was having a chance to talk to all the people who are members of the Lions Club. They were so friendly, helpful and outgoing. I really appreciated all of their help.

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It’s tough enough on 80 and 90 year olds only on Social Security, and then you set your blower down to cool and go rest and someone walks off with it on Spring Street in Newark Valley. Please, please return it.

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The VFW is sponsoring their 4th Annual golf Tournament to benefit Tioga County Rural Ministry with their holiday food giveaway program at Pheasant Hill on Sept. 9, shotgun start at 10 a.m. If interested there will be an application in this week’s Pennysaver or stop down to the VFW and pick up an application. 

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Am I the only one who finds food eating contests immoral and disgusting? And what do these gluttonous champions do after they wolf down umpteen hotdogs, spiedies, oysters or whatever? Go and throw it all up, probably. With so many hungry people right here in our own country, let alone around the world, I think these senseless and sinful marathons should be outlawed. 

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We live on Erie Street and there’s a neighbor that has a stinky campfire every night. It’s to the point we can’t hang our clothes out and we can’t have our windows open. There’s a person in the neighborhood that has breathing problems but they just don’t care, they just keep on burning their stinky rotten fires. If you think you have it bad in your neighborhood, come over on Erie Street and smell that mess.

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Everyone should be aware there is a IRS scam going around. You will receive a telephone call, which is a recording, telling you they are the IRS and that there is a warrant out for your arrest unless you call them back immediately to stop it. My business office received two of these calls. Each was from a different area code and number. If you get one of these calls, do not call back. They may tell you it needs to be paid immediately and ask for a credit card number. Do not give out any personal information over the telephone or by email. The IRS does not call you unless you have contacted them. If you owe taxes, they will send you a letter telling you how much, and what the penalty and interest will be, and give you a number to call. They also provide a file number or code number to refer to when you call back. They do not call you and request a credit card number.

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Contraire to what the person previously said – the Ransom Ware is not targeting senior citizens. It targets ALL Windows OS (Operating Systems). Please research and educate yourself so you can educate others. Don’t start nonsense gossip. State facts. Not fiction. Thanks. 

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Wondering how a reader learned of and complained about how Watkins Glen got $10 million instead of our area, but missed the Binghamton area getting $20 million.

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I noticed that in the past few weeks there have been some complaints about the poor road conditions in Candor, and the lack of quality repairs done and of the Town Board lack of interest in getting involved. I don’t know what all the complaining is about. I visited a friend a few days ago and traveled over Barden Road in the town of Candor and I have to admit it was in first class shape. It was wide with absolutely NO potholes of any kind. I couldn’t believe I was on a rural country road. This road was in great shape, so maybe the complainers are all wet.

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I would like to thank everyone who helped me celebrate my 90th birthday at the open house. It was wonderful to see everyone. – Julianna

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In reply to William L. Pletcher’s letter, Route 434, Route 17C, Route 96 and Route 38 are maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation. They have absolutely nothing to do with Mr. Clark. Mark Clark’s roads are the ones full of potholes, patches and gullies along the side of the road from not cleaning the ditches. Those are Mark Clark’s roads!

National Political Viewpoints

Had the Benghazi tragedy been investigated thoroughly at that time we wouldn’t have to be reopening the investigation today. This must be very upsetting to the families that were affected. Hopefully Hillary will be brought to justice and the issue closed. 

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So let’s see, 252 million years ago we had methane causing mass extinction of life and four of the five major extinctions were caused by global warming. Now, all of these occurred before the industrial revolution. Question, if these were not manmade, just exactly how does man stop the so-called next one? Me thinks this is just more spreading of methane or perhaps hydrogen sulfide. 

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In response to the first political comment in last week’s Pennysaver, Hillary deleted the emails for a reason. Honest people have nothing to hide. Her actions remind me of the 18-minute gap in Nixon’s tapes. You seemed to have answered your own question when you said you wouldn’t buy a used car from her. If you wouldn’t trust her for that, do you want her for president? And Trump is not getting indicted for anything.

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Trump is wearing everybody out. There is never a good day with him, such turmoil he causes and so destructive in many ways. I wonder what the evangelicals are thinking now. Richard Painter got it right when he said Sessions, Bannon, the so called Dr. Gorka and Stephen Miller are a dangerous group of people and the fish thinks from the head down. Get rid of them all. Over three million to remodel the oval office? Trump doesn’t need more chandeliers; Trump loves millionaires. Feed the poor. Good luck John King.

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President Trump is exactly right about the Charlottesville riot. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech. Everyone has the right to march and peacefully protest. We now know the black hooded masked thugs who started the riot and several past riots are funded by the Communist Party U.S.A. Who told the state troopers to stand down and let the two groups come together and fight? Could it be Virginia’s Democratic Governor? Who is playing the spectacle for political gain? One guess. The Marxist Democrats and the lame stream media. Go President Trump!

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It’s ludicrous to blame President Trump for what happened in Charlottesville. That’s just a waste of time. We all need, as Americans, to get together and work together. Remember, we are all Americans.

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Hey Trumpsters! Do you know who bailed out Donald when he was failing financially? The same Russian mafia billionaires who now live with him in luxurious Trump Tower.

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Donald Trump has to condemn the white supremacists that helped to elect him, but look who is condemning whom.

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Does the “R” following a candidates name running for political office stand for rich, or racists or Russian, because it most certainly does not stand for Republican. I have to leave this party.

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In view of all the present turmoil we have in the country today, I’d just like to remind everybody of the famous words of Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?”

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My family came to this country from England in 1610 and has had someone who fought in every war from the Revolution to Afghanistan. My father fought in both World War I and II, my wife’s father was a combat engineer in World War II and landed at Normandy D-Day, fought in the battle of the bulge and all the way to Berlin. I had cousins that flew B17’s and received some of this nation’s highest honors for service and bravery. I served in the Army during the Viet Nam war, not shirking my duty to Country. So it is with a lot of sadness and rage when I see a President that supports Neo Nazis, the KKK and other hate groups and traitors, everything that those true heroes fought to end. I am incensed that this President used deferments to avoid service and then supports the radical right that wants to destroy this Country. The events in Charlottesville, Va. should turn everyone’s stomach. How can anyone claim to be an American or a Patriot and condone this rightwing behavior? How can our President condone this? Yet he has. This President has cultivated the admiration of David Duke, the leader of the KKK, something I never thought I would see a President do in my lifetime. For those who continue to support this man, I sincerely question your patriotism, and your common decency. Over 450,000 Americans died and 650,000 were wounded, trying to save us from Nazi Germany, did these brave men and women do that in vein? So while you may still hate Obama, he never stooped to this level and will forever be head and shoulders above Donald Trump! Maybe, just maybe it is time to reevaluate your support.

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Will two crazy fat men with bad haircuts destroy the world?