Readers’ Column for the week of September 18, 2022

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

 

Last Friday I went to the Owego football game. I’m a senior member of the community so I don’t get around easily. When we went to leave the game there were no lights on in the parking lot at all and I tripped and I fell. I didn’t hurt myself badly but I did scrape up my knee, and all I could think about is that we pay school taxes; can we at least have the lights on in the parking lot at 9:30 at night? 

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I just wanted to say thank you to the Town of Candor Highway Department for mowing the roadsides on Slate Road in Candor.

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Attention all you pill heads; if you are having trouble finding your pills, just contact your local corner. He’ll hook you right up.

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This is for the residents of West Main Street in Apalachin; hurray, hurray, the guy that blows the air horn has moved! I think you all should have a parade.

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I can’t believe the Owego village is giving the American Legion Post 401 a hard time about their sign in front of their post. The Owego Post 401 was there way before the OHPC and the village zoning rules. This is the biggest veteran organization in the world. Wake up village board! 

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We need help here at Valley Community Park from the Town of Owego. We have called, we’ve asked the manager, and she has called. We’ve called the corporation that owns Valley Community Park on Route 38 in the Sunnyfield Drive area. We have large potholes and we can’t seem to get the town of Owego to respond to fill these potholes before snow and ice fill them up again. Please, is there anything we can do to force Tioga County to get out here and fix these potholes on Sunnyfield Drive?

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Just came through Lockwood headed north on 34 on Sept. 9 at about 3:30 in the afternoon when I saw a 300 to 400 pound healthy looking black bear crossing the road to my right, into the woods, from an open field.

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To the person that had called several times and it wasn’t printed. I also called several times and it wasn’t printed. It was short and to the point. But good for you, you said it all, no need for my comment.

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We’ve been traveling around New York State quite a bit this summer since we finally can, and I’m noticing Tioga County roads just do not compare to all the other counties around us. Route 17/86, Route 38; I realize these are state roads, but as soon as you get to our Tioga County line, our pavement is in horrible condition. I wonder if our legislators are missing out on an opportunity that these other counties all around us have opted into. I would also like to suggest that our legislators have a report in this paper at least once a month. 

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I’m speaking for a lot of people that I wish the Nichols fire department would have more activities, dinners, a harvest supper, and maybe even some dances, square dancing or something held down there to make use of that beautiful new fire station. Then we would get our money’s worth for it. It’d be nice to go down there and dance again and have a good time. 

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With all the burglaries, robberies in the village of Owego late at night and early in the morning, it’s a known fact that Owego only has two shifts. When will we go back to 24/7? You are only doing 66% of the job, 1/3 is not being done. Please reinstate what was there for 200 years 24/7.

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I would really like to see the Town of Candor board meeting stay on YouTube. I cannot get to the meetings and really appreciate being able to stay caught up.

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This is a message that all senior citizens need to read. I am a 79-year-old and living in an assisted living facility in Broome County. When I called here prior to deciding on a facility, I was told that they provide rides to doctor appointments and grocery stores, clothing stores, etc. Once I paid the price and was settled in here, I was told that there is no transportation available here. While most other facilities offer trips to events and so on, that does not happen here. If you don’t have a family member or someone to help you, you are stuck. After an endless search I found Senior Helpers out of Broome County who are willing to help. They do charge for their services but the fee is reasonable. The phone number is (607) 724-2111.

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Bravo to last week’s (Sept. 11) writer, re: Hochul (“Cuomo”)’s school tax rebate. Albany must actually BELIEVE every New Yorker is as dumb as THEY think we are! Voting Democrat in November will only allow them to further sink our ship.

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“The forecast was wrong because it didn’t rain / snow / whatever at my house.” Are we really that unaware?

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To the reader who needs someone to talk to, remember Our Heavenly Father is always ready to listen and talk with you. He understands your loss and wants to comfort you; but if the second best is okay, you can call me and we can chat for a while. My number is (607) 642-5037.

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I’d appreciate any suggestions for a tree trimming service in Tioga County. I’ve left messages with many services but get no callback. Please provide a name and contact information.

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Strange ways we speak. Question: “Does anyone know when ‘activity’ is?” Obvious answer: “Yes.” What should have been asked: “When is ‘activity’?”

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I wish to agree with two items mentioned in the Sept. 11 column. I, too, have tripped and fallen many times in Owego, which has the most awful sidewalks I have ever seen. I also have a problem with stray cats coming into my yard and dumping their poop on my lawn. I know where these cats are coming from.

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I agree with the person who objects to females being referred to as “”guys”. I think it is rude. I am well into my 80’s and my wife is a bit younger, so it is not like we are kids. We have been in a couple of restaurants where the servers are not allowed to call customers guys, which is refreshing. We often correct servers who do not get it and ask that they call us “folks”. It is a shame that the media is responsible for the lack of class in this regard.

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To the commenter on tuition costs of Then vs. Now; then tuition was based on actual costs up until the government stepped in. When Pell Grants were introduced, colleges and universities saw enrollment climbing and it wasn’t long before the forever increasing cost of tuition began, with no sign of tapering off. Government Guaranteed Student loans were introduced for college and university enrollments, with qualifiers of a deferred loan payback. It was presented on the premise that students would graduate with the promise of a good career and employment. All this happened with H.S. ‘s buying in at 100% in encouraging mainlining students into college, while downsizing and/or removing viable solid vocational and trades programs. As a result, colleges and universities started annually raising tuition, even while state universities were/are supported by state tax dollars. As a taxpayer I already paid tuition twice. Unlike public education, it is not mandatory and reject that I now should pay off with my tax dollars a student loan debt any more than I ask the government to pay my mortgage or car loan. Better the student goes to Community College and takes some business courses. As it stands, good tradesmen and women are too hard to find. Whether it is plumbing, roofing, repairs, painting etc., large jobs are being scheduled out six months to a year; smaller jobs are four to six weeks, and then so much depending on the weather. I would much rather see my kids in an apprentice job to be a trades person than send them off to a four year college only to come out in debt and no defined future.

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Last year I decided to give my fishing boat a little TLC. One of the little updates was a new 3-gallon portable gas tank. My engine is only 9.9 horsepower, so this tank was the perfect fit. Almost immediately I started to experience engine problems like not starting, running rough, and no power at all if I was able to get it running. Figuring maybe it was bad fuel, I dumped the tank and refilled with the exact same results. I took the engine to some of the best marine techs in the area and spent around $150 for their diagnostic time. Neither tech could find anything wrong with the engine. The downtime cost me some bucks, and I lost the majority of my fishing time. The problem seemed to be that the engine was not getting enough fuel. I noticed the gas cap on the new tank was the new style EPA approved non-vented cap. I found an old style non-EPA approved vented gas cap online and like magic, the engine is running like new! So all along it was an $8 fix and I am left with a really sour taste in my mouth regarding our Federal government and the stupid EPA nonsense. By the way, have you seen the new EPA approved 5 gallon tanks with the stupid nozzle system, you spill a lot of fuel with this stupid thing just trying to use it; what a bunch of morons.

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For your information, North Avenue is known to the state as State Route 96/38. Any repairs or maintenance is on them. Note, Route 96 from Turners Bridge to the Tompkins County line took two years to complete with total resurfacing. It had been on Tioga County DOT request to Albany for triple that time, and when funded was split into two fiscal years. Perhaps they have saved the worst for last. Contact the NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) in Tioga County at (607) 687-3780. Maybe North Avenue to Turners Bridge is on their 22/23 to do list.

 

National Political Viewpoints

Imagine that, Steve Bannon in handcuffs. Guess who’s next? 

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This is important. I think people have been misled by Biden on drug prices. If you read Our Bulletin, the September 2022 issue, the price cap out of pocket doesn’t take effect until 2025. Most people need it now, not three years from now.

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News flash. Our illustrious Vice President Harris was asked if our borders are secure. Her answer was, “Yes they are.” So why will 2 million illegal aliens cross our borders in 2022? Why will 5 million illegal aliens cross under the horrendous Biden regime? Seems like a lot of cheap labor for those mega corporations who support the obviously corrupt Democratic Party. We are headed towards civil war. God help the USA and protect us from incompetent leaders.

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Hey Joe, you just celebrated your war on inflation. Guess what? You just lost the war! Food in general is up an average 15% with many items up 20, 30, even 50%. Wake up and smell the roses, Joe. They stink just like your nonsensical “spend more and increase inflation” strategy. 

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I’m sitting here watching Zeldin, Democrats for Zeldin for governor. I agree. I’m voting for Zeldin. Show me one thing that Hochul has done since she took over. Taxes are still high. We still are smothered with code enforcement that the tyrant ahead of her has forced on us against the Constitution; telling you what to do on your own property all the time, seven days a week. It costs money, continuously. What has she done? She’s good with a pen, just like the tyrant before her, law after law, after law, after law, rule after rule, and climate control. You can’t get your car inspected because of the nonsense; the light is on, the light is on. All because it’s bogus because she wants to shove it down your throat just like Newsom. Get her out! 

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So now the FBI have raided the pillow guy’s home and taken his phone and everything he has. You have to be kidding me! What kind of country do we live in that the democrats can do this to anybody that disagrees with them? It’s certainly not America, and it better be stopped soon.

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I am a Vietnam War veteran. President Kennedy and President Johnson committed the United States to that war to stop the spread of Communism. Today we find the principles of Communism in our government, in our schools and in our society, and I see Communist ideas in the media. I guess we lost that war! “Behold, this (North America) is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ…” (Ether 2:12)

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Considering how many people died of COVID after Biden took office (Biden who promised us a cure), do you believe that lockdowns, masking, vaccines that didn’t keep people from getting the disease, and following the ever changing and never correct advice from the CDC and WHO, and whoever they were listening to was the right way to handle any of what we’ve gone through for the last few years? The only way we are ever going to get answers to anything is to vote in a Republican Senate and House. They are the only people who want answers and have already laid out their plans to get answers, which people like Dr. Fauci refused to answer. The democrats have actively shown they just don’t care or think the truth about COVID and all the deaths is important enough for us to know.

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Every time I hear any news lately I hear another reason why even one Democrat vote this November will be the last nail in our coffin. With the anticipated RailRoad strikes we are facing increased prices on everything we use, from junk food to new cars and fuel. Along with higher costs, we are guaranteed a slow down in the supply chain. This might be a little more palatable if it wasn’t just in time for colder weather, which will cause a much greater need for heating fuel. It’s also just in time for the holidays, which should make them a lot of fun. One more Democrat in charge means guaranteed mandates, and less freedom. You don’t have to take my word for it, just look at what’s happening in Democrat communities, cities, counties and states around the country. Look at the cost of living, look at illegal immigration numbers, look at crime rates, and look at drug arrests and deaths. If you can’t see what’s going on, I suggest you open your eyes.

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Regarding the message to Trump supporters in the Sept. 11 edition that said, “Are DEMOCRATS willing to forgive Biden, et al, for inflation; the border crisis; COVID mishandling; increased crime and violence; increased gas / grocery prices (yes, gas has come down, a little); and giveaways?” President Trump has not been proven guilty of anything; but Biden? ALL OF THE ABOVE! (Which is probably why Democrats don’t join in debates!)

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While growing up in the 50’s and 60’s we had to study current events, which included things like presidential debates, and following the campaigns. After graduating, I continued following campaigns and promises made by candidates to determine whom I’d vote for. What I can’t recall is any candidate in those years intentionally trying to vilify, insult or assault all members of either party until Obama’s first presidential campaign. Of course his insults were mild compared to the later Clinton and Biden campaigns. Right now there’s no presidential campaign, but the name calling, bullying and Insults are actually worse and more derogatory, and frequent. If those of you who are registered democrats think that this is a dignified, adult way to treat a political opponent, you are in the right party.

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Question: How can you tell when a politician is lying? Answer: Their mouth is moving.

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“person, woman, man, camera, prison”