Readers’ Column for the week of October 8, 2023

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

 

We are changing our email address for submission to this column. If sending your comment via email, please send to ReadersOP@gmail.com. Thank you.

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Don’t forget about the Village of Newark Valley Board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. As residents and taxpayers we need to pay attention to what’s going on. Not sure of the agenda, but the discussion on the budget will be coming soon.

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“Where were you when I made the world? – God. In nature, everything serves a purpose, whether we understand it or not. Cats keep the rodent population under control, so you can HAVE a garden. Guess who’d be the first to complain if rodents were out of control, destroying all the plants in their garden?

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I will no longer set foot in Ithaca. The homeless population there has been overwhelming public spaces; now they are being moved to “The Jungle” where they will be provided with showers, toilets, heating and cooling stations, while even more will be walking out of Walmart and Lowes in “The Jungle’s” front yard (and where I used to shop) with unpaid merchandise. These folks were not as numerous when they were getting solid help for their problems; now those places are eliminated because the word “institution” suddenly became taboo, among other lame excuses. Giving homeless showers in a field is not going to solve the basic problem. (PS: We still continue to send billions of dollars to foreign governments.)

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I chuckled at a comment last week, the one asking about how many uncertified teachers are working at OACSD. Really? They’re still getting away with that? They were pulling that 20 years ago. And with the obscene taxes we pay. We are also paying through the nose for the well-fortified administrative palace and inaccessible staff; yes, indeed, “more buttoned up than the National Security Council.” Are they hiding something? You do have to wonder.

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I would like to recommend a couple of family owned businesses in this area for those of you that may need these services. I have used each of these companies and can highly recommend them. All are family owned, trustworthy, and the services are fairly priced. They are Kevin Kline Construction in Spencer, N.Y.; Croft’s Trailer Sales in Glen Aubrey, N.Y.; and Baker’s Garage Doors in Owego, N.Y.

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In May, several new members were added to the Owego school board. Those new members vowed to make the district more transparent with the taxpayers and to get rid of corruption like nepotism. Does anyone know if they are achieving these objectives?

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I think the county should put the BUMP sign back up on Pennsylvania Avenue in Apalachin where they replaced the culvert pipe. Going south it’s not bad, but going north it’s quite a bump.

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Why is it that the Candor Highway Department keeps ignoring Vanderpool Road in Willseyville? Even after the town board was notified.

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I suggest that The Owego Pennysaver start printing local school board meeting times. There are six school districts in Tioga County. Publish all of their meetings for the month in one place.

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This is for the person who called in last week trying to find out how many uncertified teachers there are working at OASD. I gathered from the tone of your question that you think the district is trying to hide something, but that number won’t really mean anything. School districts are allowed to hire people with bachelor’s degrees while they work on their master’s degrees to become fully certified teachers. There may be some years where a school district has a relatively young staff of recent college graduates and that number would be high, but it wouldn’t mean those young teachers weren’t doing a great job just because they weren’t certified yet. And it is getting harder all the time for schools to retain teachers, certified or not, because the work gets harder all the time and the expectations get more unreasonable.

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Off to the store to buy pasta “on sale” – what was $.89 three years ago now goes for $2. What a deal! Thanks, Joe! And keep fiddling those inflation numbers, when we all know better.

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I am writing in support of the librarian at OFA. There has been a challenge to a particular book in the library, and a community member would like it removed from the collection. Our libraries are supposed to offer books for readers with diverse points of view, and removing one because it offends one or a few people is a disservice to the many who might benefit from reading it, and may not find it offensive at all. Our democracy is built on the premise that everyone has access to many points of view and can therefore be educated about the issues. I hope that our community will support the right of readers to read what they wish, especially an award-winning book with outstanding reviews.

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As a Tioga County taxpayer I’d be interested to know the salary of all Tioga County employees. Is this information publicly available and where can I find it?

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Thanks to all of you that have stopped throwing your garbage onto the roadways and sidewalks. Thanks also to those who have been taking a garbage bag along with them as they walk to pick up trash. Together we can all make a difference!

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It would be wonderful if the Town of Owego could extend the sidewalk on Fifth Avenue to go all the way from where it ends over by MJ’s restaurant, to all the way to the Plaza where Grand Union and McDonald’s is. I see people walking there and it’s very unsafe. It worries me.

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Free air conditioner; looks rough, but works fine. Call (607) 240-1678. 

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When the sidewalks were replaced on the corner of Main and Central Avenue, the crew used a silver compound to fill the sidewalk joints. Today, Wednesday, temperatures are in the 80s. That compound got tracked all over the corner and the stores and people’s homes and automobiles. I contacted the mayor’s office and the reply I received was that this is a state issue, not the village. This office gave the impression of so what? Nothing can be done. 

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We are a senior couple looking to hire some help. Right now we need to hire someone to do some tasks with a high ladder in our barn. We need a light bulb replaced and the flood light lens removed and cleaned. Then when the snow comes we need help shoveling two large decks and the house. We live in Berkshire. Please call (607) 657-8035. If there is no answer, please leave a message. We will call you back. 

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I think the closing of the Walgreens drug store in Newark Valley has been a big hardship for residents in Newark Valley, Berkshire, and Richford. Now we have to drive an hour, round trip, to any other drug store. I have lived in Berkshire for 35 years and there was always a drugstore in that building. I wonder what plans, if any, there are for that building in the future? 

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I’d like to thank the state trooper that watched a car ride on my bumper all the way down Main Street in Owego. Thank you so much for doing your job. I bet if I stepped on the gas pedal to get away from them you would have stopped me for speeding.

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Free, two Nikken Magnetic mattresses, a double and a twin. Call (607) 240-1678. 

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I would like to thank the person or persons that cleaned up the roadside along Gaskill Road. It looks so much better. Thank you folks. 

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I just wanted to add to the chorus of people who think Kirby Park in Nichols is not what it used to be before Mr. Cash retired. The saddest part is they spent all that money from grants to upgrade the park to make it a nice usable facility with a nice playground and new pavilion and nice walking path, while its upkeep has been less than stellar. 

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I was watching the Board of Education meeting a week or so back and listening to a gentleman with his granddaughter who is having bus problems. I pass by Honeypot every morning and there is a bus sitting there. I guess I don’t understand why we don’t have time. 

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In last week’s Owego Pennysaver there was a photo on page 16 showing rail cars in Berkshire. I hope to learn more about them. I googled it and checked for the Facebook page. Can somebody give me more information in this column? 

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Does anyone know what the big deal is about Taylor Swift and the Chief’s football player, Kelce? When I go to a football game I want to watch football. If I want to see Taylor Swift, I’ll go to one of her concerts. I’ll do neither because I don’t enjoy either spectacle. So please, is anybody else tired of reading about this? This to me is not news. This is just another romance that’ll break up in a few months like all the other big stars. 

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If you want to drink and drive, just come on down Bodle Hill Road in Owego. I just picked up $14 worth of beer cans along the road. Very low police presence, so come on down and keep giving me some spending money. 

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Well folks, it’s getting worse. I went to Lockwood for an appointment to get my truck worked on from my mechanic. I was there for about 10 minutes and the code enforcement man jumped on some cars, never asked anybody anything or talked to anyone. He just started sticking parking tickets on windshields. I ask you people, when is it going to stop? This is the state of New York. When does it stop? I’m telling you people to get out and vote all these people out right now. Get rid of these people that are telling you how to live. He’s giving parking tickets on a secondary road! It’s not on the highway and he’s acting like a police officer. It must stop and you people have to help.

 

National Political Viewpoints

Trump is going to be our nominee, but after that there’s probably a good ten other people who would be pretty good presidents. And what do the democrats have? Slow Joe Biden, who I predict won’t even be their nominee because I don’t think he’ll make it to the finish line this term. And after that, whom do they have? Gavin Newsom, the lady from Michigan, the worst governors in the country? They’ve got nothing, or maybe, I’m on baby leave Pete Buttigieg.

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This is a message to all you bureaucrats out there from Albany, all the way down to these small towns. We are now in the process of getting a mass amount of people to vote against all of you people. We are a very large group that will vote against each and every one of you come Election Day, and when your term is up; I can promise you. You are going to face a terrible loss because our group is getting stronger every day. We’re done with your crap. We’ve had enough. We want people in there that work for us, not for what you think you want for us. We are done with it. 

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The incredibly brave and courageous witness Cassidy Hutchinson, “It’s a make or break moment for the Republican Party, and now is the time to take a stand against Trump.” 

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To solve the immigrants coming into this area and the housing problem, what they should do is start a website. Anyone that has an extra bedroom can sign up and for every bedroom they could probably house one family; but you know they have to maintain help, feed them, medical care, clothing, possibly getting them a job. But if they all did that then most taxpayers that don’t want them here aren’t burdened with the cost of them sitting on the border, coming in here, different airports, and all these cities. And they should start with every politician that agrees with the policies they have now for the border crossing and let them occupy six or seven of their rooms in their mansions. Let them pay for their food and lodging and medical care.

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Jamaal Bowman, a left wing Liberal Democrat, can’t tell the difference between a fire alarm and a door handle, even though the fire alarm was on a separate wall all by itself. There’s nothing the Democrats won’t do to try to cheat. In this case, you were trying to delay a vote.

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Our enemies do not need a Trojan horse to invade and destroy our country. They can just stream across the river at our southern border; get released to go wherever they want to go. There have been 260,000 in September and six million since Biden became president of illegal migrants. They don’t come across the designated points of entry. You may not like Fox News, but you will see live drone pictures of migrants illegally entering our country, hopefully able-bodied military age men. Democrats want to send more agents to process these people into our country, and Republicans want to reinstate the Remain in Mexico rule and finish the wall. You decide whom you will vote for in 2024. 

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All this Republican and Democrat fighting. You know what? We should just have the person’s name on the ballot. No more Republicans. No more Democrats. I don’t know what, but just men and women running for a particular office. That way whoever is the best choice can go in and do the job.

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Ha ha, Trump!

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How does Biden do it? He just cancelled millions of student loan debt when the Supreme Court ruled against that. He doesn’t care about any laws in this country; he just does what he wants to. 

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Why did the auto union support Socialist Joe Biden? He’s trying to put them out of business with his fear mongering electric vehicles. Give me a break! 

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Once again the Republicans in the House of Representatives have shown themselves incapable of governing. The clown car continues to go off the rails, hurting all Americans. Vote for sanity – vote Democrat, and you’ll have a government working for the people. 

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Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, “Donald Trump is a liar who spreads conspiracies and incites political violence. I’m going to do everything I can do to protect American democracy.” 

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Biden Nomics and your green agenda are killing this country. 

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Has anyone noticed when KJP bats her eyes she’s lying? She bats her eyes all the time. 

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How come nobody’s mentioned the immigrants being in cages over here in the U.S.A.? I saw it on CBS News one night. 

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In regards to the White House dog, animals react to the way of peoples’ dispositions, so I don’t think there’s much difference between the stress of  what’s going on in the White House and this dog. 

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I won’t support any candidate who doesn’t support the Ukrainians and neither should you. I’m shocked and dismayed that it’s the Republicans who don’t support them. They ran the Speaker out, in part, for supporting Ukraine. Who are these people? Ronald Reagan must be rolling in his grave.

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“You see, we in uniform are unique… among the world’s armies. We are unique among the world’s militaries. We don’t take an oath to a country. We don’t take an oath to a tribe. We don’t take an oath to a religion. We don’t take an oath to a king or a queen or to a tyrant or a dictator. And we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator. We don’t take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we’re willing to die to protect it.” General Mark Milley upon his retirement as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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If a tree falls in an empty forest, does it make a sound? If the federal government shuts down will anyone notice? Will your local schools still open? Will your local police still patrol the streets or will your state and local courts still be open and functioning? Will you still get your mail delivered? The point is there are something like 50,000 government units in America, from state government to the federal government, which will be at work come Oct. 1. Although the federal government is the largest government unit, it is only one among our 50,000 government jurisdictions, many of which are more important to our day-to-day lives than the federal government. The fact is, even a federal government “shutdown” doesn’t mean no federal government at all. Social Security checks will still be sent out and other “essential” services, like our military out in the field, will continue. Calm down. Government is working the way it should.

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I marvel at the ignorance of some posts, which basically parrot information heard or seen on NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, MSNBC OR FOX 40 NEWS. I really cannot see how you can make such definitive statements with one half of the story. It’s true that house Republicans hesitated to sign a bill to keep the government open temporarily because they wanted funding included for the southern border. If you think that isn’t for the benefit of Americans, then I can’t figure out what you think is good for us. According to another comment in this column, we each pay $40,000 per illegal. Since there were over 200,000 in September alone, figure it out.