Readers’ Column for the week of May 14, 2023

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.

 

Quote: If all urban flat roofs in warm climates were whitened, the resulting 10% increase in global reflectivity would offset the warming effect of 24 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions or the equivalent of taking 300 million cars off the road for 20 years. Source Wikipedia Reflective surfaces. If solar panels reduce reflectivity from 11 percent to 2 percent, does this offset the increased reflectivity from whitening the roofs? How would these values be stated compared and mathematically related graphically? Statisticians utilize your capabilities. Thank you. 

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I was wondering if there’s anybody in the Owego area that does housekeeping. I’m not looking for a service; I’m just looking for a person that might be interested in cleaning a house. My number is (607) 687-0926. Thank you very much. 

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I’m calling in reference to the person that wrote about the village of Newark Valley saying smoking is banned. Somebody needs to read things. It is banned on village owned property, ball fields and play areas within the village. Other than that your laundry shouldn’t be in your front yard, and you live in a very, very small world if that’s all you’re worried about. Where are the smoking cops? We don’t even have police in our village. So, where are the smoking cops?

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I lost a silver elephant charm bracelet on Saturday, May 6, possibly at the Sayre Arts Fest. If found, please call (570) 662-3306, there is a reward. If there is no answer, please leave a message. 

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Hi, I was just wondering if Evergreen Cemetery will be open before Memorial Day and hopefully it’ll be mowed up and looking good. I have out of town people coming in and a family reunion and the cemetery is a place where we’re all going to go meet and visit and hopefully will be a little bit cleaned up. Thank you.

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It is Mother’s Day and I’m thinking about my mom. I lost her in 2011. I miss her, but I’m so glad that she’s not around to see all the mess that’s going on today. She would be so disgusted.

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I have yard waste in Apalachin to dispose of; approximately 12 bags, mostly leaves and small tree limbs. If anyone is available to do this, please leave your number in this column and I will call. 

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This is for the person calling in about their retirement age. Are you insane? Take care of yourself. That security has been pulled out of my checks since I started working at age 16. I deserve my money back, but instead we give it to these people who don’t want to work and people who keep their hand out for more government support. Excuse me, but I have worked hard all my life and I deserve every penny of my retirement before 66 or I’m too old to enjoy it. And yes, I take care of myself and I could live to be 100, but I would rather not. Give me my money I deserve.

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I have a vintage dry sink that is all wood that has had extreme water damage. Who in the area does refinishing work? 

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Okay, the telemarketers are getting ballsy. Got a call this morning from a number I didn’t recognize and let it go to the answering machine. The person didn’t identify who they were or where they were calling from, just called my name and said are you there? I answered the phone and it turned out to be a telemarketer. What gives them the right to call someone by their first name? Now I won’t answer the phone without knowing who it is. So to everyone, beware of what they are doing.

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People in Owego and in general need to learn how to chill. We had a medical emergency Wednesday night along upper Front Street. A young lady had fallen down from heat exhaustion. I pulled my truck over to lend aid to her, but everybody else was in too much of a hurry. People were going by impatiently and giving me the finger because I was lending aid to someone. Really? Let’s get back to caring for each other. What if that had been your young daughter, sister, or mother? Would you have wanted someone to pull over to help them? Think about that.

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As a lifelong horse lover, I feel I have to express my sadness and outrage about the seven horses that died at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby week. They were either preparing for the Derby or one of the races that ran just before the Derby. It was a slaughter. This follows the dozens of horse deaths at Santa Anita a year or two ago, and at tracks in New York and across the country since our former Governor Cuomo demanded an investigation of the New York horse deaths because there were so many. There are many drugs that the Racing Commission allows for use on racehorses and they vary from state to state and there are loopholes. These should be banned. Thousands are also forced to start racing at too young of an age when their bones aren’t fully developed. 

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Join the Owego Strawberry Festival Parade on Saturday, June 17! Register at www.owego.org or call (607) 429-8958.

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How are there so many people with tinted windows that far exceed the legal limit? There’s one particular pickup that I frequently see parked in downtown Owego that has completely opaque black windows. The police turned a blind eye. I don’t understand why anyone needs opaque windows. It’s 100% illegal. It’s unsafe. It’s ridiculous. Why are you exempt from the laws that govern everybody else?  

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Who remembers 369 Front Street as being The Old Ladies Home? It was a BEAUTIFUL place. Would someone please bring it back to its beauty?

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Thank you to the wonderful gentleman that found my wedding band on Lake Street and turned it into VanHorn Jewelers. I had lost it the day before and was heartsick over it. Next month will be our 39th wedding anniversary since he put it on my finger. The store didn’t get your name, but God knows who you are and I pray He will bless you abundantly. 

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I tried to purchase rhubarb this week and could find none. All sold out. Who is buying up all the rhubarb? Will we have to go into the strategic rhubarb reserve?

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Regarding gas stoves, a friend of mine had her tiny Quaker parrot in her kitchen less than five feet from her antique (1930’s) stove she uses several times a day. That tiny bird lived an exceptionally long, happy, healthy life. Are we all supposed to believe yet another “study” by (government funded) “experts”? These are the folks who told us making a mask out of your tighty-whities would save you from COVID!

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I am one-eighth Indigenous / Native American, and I thank Joan Wise for her letter to the editor regarding OFA Indians. As a person in the education field for years myself, I submit New York’s Department of Education has many serious issues to address that directly affect our school children in this state, but are not perhaps subject to political grandstanding and toadying to social activists. Despite outrageous amounts of tax dollars spent per student, our children are falling behind academically to the point our schools are among the worst in the nation; forcing parents to add another reason to flee the state, if they are still financially able to do so. As long as they don’t drive the family vehicle quite possibly would not survive a trip on our abysmal state highways. That also goes for our governor having extremely serious and impactful issues that should take high priority, like crime, illegal drug use, taxes are all out of control; our hospitals and nursing homes are among the worst in the nation, etc. Yet they all grandstand, fiddling while Rome burns. To my full Native American relatives, if a sincere effort to honor us – our values, our history – was / is a problem, YOU have had several generations to speak up! Suddenly you are okay with letting someone else fight YOUR battle, if this is indeed a harmful grievance? Are you going to let someone not of your ethnicity pretend to care in order to glorify themselves at the expense of YOUR heritage, pride, traditions, recognition, and history being further erased? My 1/8 appeals to The Great Spirit to instill some common sense. It would wisely point out that the world would be a better place if people MINDED THEIR OWN BUSINESS and folks were “brave” and SPOKE UP FOR THEMSELVES.

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Thanks to the Berkshire Highway Department for the improvements to Brown Road.

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The Owego Farmers Market (The 7 Counties Farmers Market) will be back again this year from June 13 through October at 153 Main St. in Owego (Walgreens Parking Lot). The State provides low-income seniors and families with young children with coupons that can be used at the farmers market. We are looking for vendors. If you have vegetables to sell we can work with you so you can be able to accept these coupons. We are also looking for vendors that sell craft items. All vendors must carry Liability Insurance on your business (some qualified vendors can be reimbursed for part of their expenses). If you are interested in being a part of this Market you can call and leave a message at (607) 237-2799, or send an email to 7countiesmarket@gmail.com.

National Political Viewpoints

The Biden regime mouthpiece John Pierre just proclaimed that the illegal immigrant invasion numbers are decreasing. That is great news and starting next week 10,000 illegal aliens per day, yes, per day, will be crossing the border. China is now selling pill-manufacturing equipment to the Mexican cartels. Yes, the inmates are running the asylum. God help the USA.

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Now the democrats are going after Clarence Thomas again, just like they did in the 90s. What a joke! 

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I just read something that said the jobs report is the best it’s been in 50 years. That is awesome. What’s really sad, frustrating and irritating is how a certain party in Congress refuses to work with the debt ceiling that jeopardizes our country, our citizens, our status in the world, and basically our entire quality of life. Look at who voted and who held up things before you vote. Don’t be a blind follower. Look at each individual and vote accordingly. 

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I just want to say that you know the Republicans, and they don’t want to discuss gun control. And every time you turn around there’s another episode where somebody’s been killed by a gun, but they don’t want to talk about gun control. You might want to think about that next time you vote Republican. 

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Biden has ruined this country with the migrant situation. We’ll deal with this forever. They live on taxpayer money. They drain the money from the states, crisis, disaster, no place for them to go, work, live. We’re all going to pay. Has anyone seen the garbage they’ve left along the border? Tons of it!

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I can’t understand why anybody with any sense would ever put Biden back in office. There are 10,000 a day with others backed up forever at the border, possibly two million, that I heard were to apply for Asylum. The only thing that’s going to work here is to completely close the border, station somebody every 10 feet, and put the ones that are there back on a plane and take them back home because we absolutely cannot absorb any more people. I can’t understand what goes through this man’s head.

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So my question is, where was Obama when all this Biden corruption was going on while Biden was vice president? I’m guessing he was on the golf course. And why doesn’t Biden take questions from the press? He just gives you that smile, if you can call it that. He walks off. They went after Trump all the time with questions, and the man was decent enough to answer them. But Biden? He doesn’t care. 2024, we’ve got to remove Democrats from office and vote for the Republicans. It’s the only hope that we have.

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Every day, more and more evidence comes out about the Biden crime family’s laundering of money from China and how it influenced a lot of his policies. What’s the fake news and top level of the FBI going to try to do to stop this? I don’t think there’s any way they can. 

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I guess you can go back 30 years now and accuse somebody of rape. Same thing like they did to Kavanaugh. Is there anything these Democrats won’t do? They’re even attacking Clarence Thomas, one of the greatest members of the Supreme Court ever. They’re going after him too. Unbelievable!

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So our governor of New York is now trying to force people to buy an E-ZPass for the thruway. The total is going to go up 16% for people that have an E-ZPass, and if you don’t have one it’s going up 75%. See what happens when your Democrats and big government run your life.

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I think we all know that if my son had committed the crimes that Hunter Biden has he would be in jail already, probably a good six months. What gives with these Democrats? I can’t wait for the walls to come closing in. They’re more corrupt than the Clintons. Didn’t think it was possible, but I guess it is.

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The jury finds Trump abused and defamed E. Jean Carol; he is guilty. Trump is guilty of sexual abuse and $5 million has been awarded to Miss Carroll in damages. There are now 34 open felony cases against Trump. We’ll see if justice prevails. Let’s as Americans, all hope so.

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The title 42 ends at midnight tonight. Our country is going to have so many migrants coming in; they’ve already declared it’s going to be a crisis. But I want to say to The Owego Pennysaver readers, don’t blame me, I voted for Trump both times.

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Twice impeached and disgraced Donald Trump has admitted publicly that he is a sexual predator. A jury has agreed with him and he’s now been convicted of being a sexual predator. Many women are now feeling justified relief. Now on to the Stormy Daniels case versus Donald Trump! George Santos and Trump are now finally facing accountability in courts.

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What do you think of Republican Liz Cheney’s new ad slamming Trump? If you haven’t seen it, switch channels. And about Republican Chris Christie’s wholehearted onslaught of MAGA Republicans’ insidious undermining of American values by Donald Trump.

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The verdict against Trump in the E Jean Carroll trial should come as no surprise to anyone. You need not actively investigate Trump to ascertain that he’s a notorious philanderer, for the evidence is abundant and readily available. Trump himself described Jeffrey Epstein as his “wing man”. Former Miss America contestants have said that Trump was utterly repugnant backstage during his pageants. The details are too sordid for The Pennysaver. And we have the Access Hollywood tape, which is Trump essentially confirming what the Miss America contestants alleged; and the numerous hush money payments. And Trump’s own press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, has said she witnessed Trump’s jaw-dropping behavior firsthand. According to her, Trump had a penchant for one particular young staffer, and Stephanie said, “I tried everything I could to ensure she was never alone with him.” And despite all of this, a certain segment of the population will be undeterred. They’ll keep their Trump flags hoisted in homage to their Emperor. That’s a good thing, in my opinion, because it’s an easy way for me to identify the people with whom I do not want any interaction.

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Congressman George Santos was charged with fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making false statements. How very republican of him. Congressman Molinaro will whisper he needs to go but hasn’t the courage to actually get rid of him. Santos gets to stay in office because the republicans need his vote to create global economic chaos.

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I see all of our local MAGA extremist congressional representatives voted to wreck the economy along with the full faith and credit of the United States government because a democrat is president. They had no problem raising the debt ceiling with a clean bill multiple times when Trump was president. But what else can we expect from MAGA republicans other than chaos. It is not like they have the ability to effectively keep the lights on let alone execute meaningful legislation. All they seem capable of doing is performing like Howler Monkeys for a Fox sound bite.

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Donald J. Trump, disgraced twice-impeached indicted former president was found liable to sexual battery this week. Checking scorecard, Obama, Biden, Pelosi and Schumer have not been indicted or convicted of anything. More Trump indictments on the way based upon reporting from Georgia and Washington D.C. Trump is a one-man crime wave.

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So George Santos was indicted and arrested. If he is guilty of crimes he should be prosecuted. HOWEVER, the language used in the following paragraph could just as easily be applied to JOE BIDEN. “This indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. “Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself. He used political contributions to line his pockets.” Joe Biden was on the take from foreign nationals and enriched himself through about 20 fraudulent LLC’s. He enriched at least nine family members of up to 10 million dollars. Let’s see if the Democrats stand up and condemn this. If I had to guess I would say they wouldn’t. 

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How many more mass shootings need to occur in this country before our legislators do something? No, we are not coming for your guns, but as the second amendment says it should be a well-regulated militia. That means there should not be weapons designed for military usage in a civilian’s hands. How can you say that you are pro-life when you are not in favor of common sense gun laws? We can do better than this! Yes, thoughts and prayers are nice, but it is time for action!

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The NRA and its willing-accomplice Republican politicians and celebrity pundits assured us that a “good guy with a gun” is the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun. That was technically true in Texas last week, except the good guy with the gun was a cop. Those are the only people who should be armed in public. We need fewer guns in this country. We need fewer armed idiots walking around. There are people with mental health issues all over the world, but only in America can someone go shopping and walk out with a case of beer, a bag of Doritos, and a brand new firearm. Our Canadian neighbors have far more sensible gun laws. They have a total ban on assault rifles. Concealed carry is more or less impossible. Canada has had four mass shootings in 2023, and the U.S. has now passed 200.

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I did not vote for Donald Trump. I did not vote for him because he bullied other politicians and world leaders. I did not vote for him because of alleged personal transgressions that had nothing to do with me. I did not vote for him because of the Russian connection, or the laptop, or the Ukrainian phone call. I did not vote for him because he moved out of New York to show them. I did not vote for him because I liked Biden. I voted for him because I wanted to see the U.S. continue on a path to prosperity. I voted for him so I would have money in my pocket to afford lower priced gasoline, food, medicines and a mortgage. I voted for him because he showed the rest of the world that the U.S. was not to be trifled with, that we would protect our citizens and those worthy of that around the world. I voted for him so that I didn’t have to constantly read about deaths from drugs or criminals slipping into the Country. Right now I live in fear of traveling to Blue cities. I pay exorbitant taxes to provide phones, hotel rooms and catered meals to people that have no business being here without applying for citizenship. I watch my liberties slowly being taken away by Democrats that can’t get their own cities in order. I can’t purchase a gas appliance. My mortgage goes up to allow someone that can’t afford one a lower interest rate. All of this is making me see red. Red on the ballots for November and for as long as I can.