Readers’ Column for the week of December 1, 2024

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

The five new BOE members are working to make a difference. These five newcomers are striving to fulfill their responsibilities. On Oct. 15, the BOE held a budget and finance education meeting. An event that has never been held before. At the Nov. 18 BOE meeting, they began addressing the gross negligence and breach of fiduciary duty regarding the retention (17 years of hoarding and not awarding) $3.3 million in scholarship funds. NO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT IN NYS HAS ANYTHING LIKE THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY AWARDED FUNDS TO THEIR GRADUATES. Additionally, they recognized the May 7, 2024 $337,000 scholarship donation from the Anne Miller Estate and will be expressing appreciation. Somehow this never got on the agenda nor showed up on the Treasurer’s Report until now! WOW. According to BOCES, OACSD made a $3.6 million profit in the school year 2024. Profit is BOCES’s term. Should OACSD be making a profit from taxpayers’ money?

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This past Tuesday my wife and I, on our way back from shopping, decided to stop at our newest restaurant! What a delightful experience! Lovely menu, reasonably priced, good, friendly service, and delicious food. Go ahead and try the Spicy Thai Shrimp Soup. Perfectly seasoned, just to my liking, simply delicious. The menu offers a wide variety of entrees. Our entrees were primarily seafood and pasta, both very tasty. Go ahead, give it a try; you won’t be disappointed. And show your support for newcomers in our community striving to make their new business a success. Show them we love them here in the Southern Tier. Miss Lilly will be happy to seat you at CHEF STANLEY’S on Route 434, next to the Blue Dolphin Diner and in front of the Comfort Inn. TRY IT! YOU’LL LIKE IT!

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Whoever planted the trees and reed grass along East Front Street from Davis Hill Road eastward deserves a hearty round of applause and thanks. You MOGA (Make Owego Great as Always)! It is pronounced like MAGA, but with an “Oooooo” sound instead of an “Aaaaah” sound. Why are the railroad crossings on Front and Main Streets always terrible? Is anyone responsible? Do they realize the environmental damage this causes by knocking out taxpayers’ vehicle alignment? Those responsible should be held accountable. 

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Just a shout out to the men from the Newark Valley Fire Department who went down to where the fires were close to New York City and New Jersey. Your sacrifice of time away from your families, jobs, etc. has not gone unnoticed! Thank you!

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The next Village of Newark Valley Board Meeting is on Dec. 10, and the budget meeting is tentatively set for Dec. 17. Under consideration is keeping the 2011 truck that we were told about during the Nov. 12 board meeting, when they said it needed to be replaced. It was. From what I know, $4,200.00 was put into the Maintenance Budget for this truck this year; unsure of the actual expenditure. Also under consideration is hiring a third clerk for the office. I read in this column that they voted to exceed the tax cap. I wonder why? Do yourself a favor and get a Financial Report . Very informative reading! Also, get a Budget Preparation Publication. Also, very good reading! I believe it is time for the residents and taxpayers to make their voices heard. When the discussion of raises comes up, I hope the powers that be remember that Social Security recipients are only getting a 2.5% raise, and $10.00 plus goes to Medicare. Sometimes, in order to get what you want, sacrifices must be made, but not at the expense of the taxpayers!

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Big thanks to the Village of Newark Valley Board for voting to override the tax cap once again. When does it ever end? The frivolous spending has to stop!

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The Resource Center of Candor would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their food and monetary donations: Candor Key Club, Spencer/Candor Masons, Bostwick Auctions, Candor Elementary School, New Quilter’s on the Block, Candor Book Club, Owego Rotary, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, and Candor 4-Wheeler Club. Thank you!

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Thank you to the residents of Owego – Apalachin who funded the unwanted and unnecessary 4-foot wide, 4-foot deep, 100-yard long ditch in my yard, and only my yard. A simple water runoff issue that could have been easily resolved, instead led to the utilization of your hard-earned tax dollars in a spiteful and vengeful manner. Who would have guessed that this would be the outcome of filing a complaint to have it fixed. I apologize; it wasn’t my intention to waste your money.

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Pre-order Christmas Cookies by Dec. 13 to pick up between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Nichols Presbyterian Church. The cost is $10 per dozen. Call (607) 699-3302 to place your order.

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The elimination of plastic bags in grocery stores has resulted in an increase in plastic bag purchases. So, Big Brother, keep your nose out of people’s business and stop trying to dictate everything we do in our lives. Okay? 

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The day after Halloween I was looking for pumpkins, and they were all gone already. All gone before Thanksgiving! I don’t remember it being that way. Do children understand the true meaning of holidays? I believe nowadays they lack an understanding of the meanings of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Holidays have become centered around shopping and spending money. It appears that children think Christmas is about decorated trees and gifts, rather than the true meaning of the holidays. It’s very sad.  

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I want to know why nobody has taken action regarding the tree that is on the lines on Route 96 across from the school bus garage. I have been informed that these are Verizon lines, and they don’t want to shut down the road for their removal. My concern is that the heavy wet snow expected this winter will exacerbate the situation, increasing pressure on the lines that could potentially fall on a car or a school bus. I want to know what’s to be done about it. Thank you. 

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To the kind lady who gifted me at the Owego Post Office, God bless you! 

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Once again, I opened the Pennysaver this week and found five pages listing delinquent taxes across Tioga County, indicating that individuals may face the risk of losing their homes. They’re going for sale. What a wonderful holiday present from New York State! Thank you, First Lady Governor Hochul, Chucky Schumer, AOC, and the list goes on and on. Because nobody cares, they haven’t given a crap about the people in New York since they took office. Nobody wants to do anything about these taxes, and people keep losing their homes year after year while they sit and get rich on the taxpayers’ money. They won’t in 2026, stand up and vote the right way. Get them the hell out of office! 

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This goes out to the Lockwood window shooter. I want you to remember when you stole the plants that I had planted on the railroad tracks. You stole them from me. I got you on camera. The reason this all started is I heard somebody had a problem with you, so I went and checked it out, and I showed them a picture I had, and sure enough, you’re the same person. This individual frequently travels along the same roads, driving at a slow pace daily. We are aware that you engage in poaching, deceive others, and we are going to get you! 

National Political Viewpoints

Let the fun begin. The GOP Senators are threatening anyone who doesn’t vote to approve Trump’s nominations. So much for honesty and integrity. What an embarrassment.

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“John Steinbeck once said that socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.”

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The letter to the editor (i.e., rant) in the Nov. 24, 2024 Pennysaver is quite shocking in its inaccuracies, twisting of facts, religious ranting, and general vitriol. This person may have been a professor, but his dissertation or area of study certainly was not Elizabeth I – for instance, the several languages she learned (beginning when she was a young girl) were taught by (paid) tutors, not from immigrants in London; notably, 64 people, including women, were executed during her reign; including her own first cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, who was beheaded – Elizabeth personally signed the death warrant. Not something we’d want a (woman) president to emulate. Perhaps JUCO ‘s do not cover British history fully, or even proper research techniques. Calls for damnation of anyone are archaic, shameful, reprehensible, intolerable, and ignorant.

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The Republicans, MAGA-nuts and the misinformed are all excited because they took America back. All they care about is if fluoride is in the water, who is going in which bathroom, if people are wearing masks, or if windmills are spinning. The world seemed to come to an end when the price of eggs increased by a dollar. OH the mess! Is there a plan for the mess? Trump has no plan. He never had. He just fooled a little over 50 percent of the voters. Celebrating with a ‘Trump dance’ in the end zones won’t bring about any improvements. If Trump is the man, then he better roll up his sleeves, get to work, and prove it. He has four years; time will tell.

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I am a woman, by any definition you choose to use. I consider my rights to include expecting a male partner to care enough about me to use safe, effective, inexpensive, readily available birth control that has been around for millennia, which also prevents the spread of disease. Individuals assigned male at birth, with male anatomy, should respect my privacy, safety, and modesty by refraining from using women’s designated locker rooms and restrooms. To not unfairly compete in women’s sports due to biological anatomical male characteristics such as musculature and larger lung capacity. Women also have the right to have a presidential candidate of their gender who is mentally and emotionally strong, serious, experienced, capable, intelligent, and likable.

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The election is over. Trump won, and Harris lost. Give it a rest!

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To all Republicans, if you believe Kamala Harris couldn’t handle the border, let’s see how JD Vance manages it. 

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To all you MAGAs out there. Let’s turn Owego and Tioga County into a genuine Republican capitalist society. No more free fire service, no more free emergency service, no more free plowing, no more free. Anything you want, you better be ready to pay for. 

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America is not a circus and Trump is behaving like he’s the three-ring master, appointing clowns to high posts, requiring expertise that none have. The tent will fall, and we will be worse off because of it. This isn’t a reality TV show he is accustomed to. We don’t require Trump’s highly incompetent nominees, many of whom face ethical and moral challenges similar to his. 

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Shouldn’t Biden be held accountable for his actions in this country? He has committed actions far worse than what Trump ever considered. He has allowed illegal immigrants, criminals, fentanyl, gangs, and now Venezuelan gangs to infiltrate the United States, breaking into the homes of our prominent figures. God knows what other actions they’ll be up to! He must take some accountability. It’s about time he gets charged with something! 

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Once again, a homeless man with mental illness and eight prior arrests stabs and kills three people on the streets of New York City. Why can’t we hold judges accountable for releasing them and have them dismissed? If at a party, someone drinks, leaves, and kills someone, we would face serious consequences, likely imprisonment. Judges should be held accountable for releasing individuals who go on to commit more severe offenses. 

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I just want to communicate a message to Governor Hochul. Do you believe you can retain that position indefinitely? You don’t think that the Republicans can take New York State. You didn’t think that Trump could win a second term. So I’d be careful flapping your lips like you do because in 2026, and I’m a Democrat, I’m going to vote you out. I promise you, my vote will not go for you. I’m tired of you! I’ve had enough. You won’t do anything about the taxes, all your rules, and regulations. It’s disgusting. It’s time for you Democrats to take a walk out of New York State. My vote will be for a Republican. I’m telling you here and now, in 2026, I’m voting against you! 

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I ponder why in New York State and nationwide, we secure our deodorant and toothpaste in stores, yet we do not secure our criminals. I’m looking for an explanation from a supporter of Harris/Biden. Thanks. 

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To the retired liberal professor who recently penned a letter to the editor this week. Many years ago, there was a man who was black who ran for a political office who said if you are black and you don’t vote for me, you’re a traitor, and if you are white and you don’t vote for me, you’re a racist. So, it’s like Harris saying if you’re a man, you’re sexist and racist if you don’t vote for me. Sir, it’s guys like you who are ruining our country, and I’m a guy who voted for Trump because I’m sick and tired of the liberal mess. 

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Neither Trump nor Harris won 50% or more of the votes. The difference was about 2.5 million, leading to a 1.6% difference in voting totals. Certainly not the overwhelming mandate that Trump is claiming he got. Just another one of his constant false claims. Fact check it. It was a very narrow win.