Readers’ Column for the week of September 7, 2025

You may call The Owego Pennysaver Readers’ Column at (607) 687-2434, extension 2, 24-hours a day, or email comments to ReadersOP@gmail.com. We reserve the right to revise or reject any messages. To allow more callers to be heard, please limit your comments to 100 words or fewer. We will not be running comments that exceed this number, give or take five words.

Riding dirt bikes and mini bikes on a county highway (no helmets even) is not AG related. Tractors and related equipment are. SXS UTVs and 4wheelers are if you’re going from field to field in the course of working. This has nothing to do with “going back to the big city” – it’s a safety and legality issue. If you want to ride on the roads, get the ordinances changed.

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Owego Gardens has not had hot water since Friday, Aug. 29. Today is Tuesday, Sept. 2, five days so far! I’m 75 and better off than most; many cannot drive to go anywhere to shower, etc. A few weeks ago, there was an electric power outage; no backup lights worked. Third floor, walkers, canes, and wheelchairs couldn’t come down to the1st or 2nd floor. No elevator; stairwells are very dark. We are expected to pay rent, and we have not been able to bathe or do dishes, etc.

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Does anyone pay attention to their NYSEG billing dates? If the bill says the meter was read on the same day each month, how can NYSEG come up with 32 days? Example May 10 to June 10 from May 10 to May 31 is 21 days, plus 10 days for June equals 31, and the same goes for July 11 and August 11. Sometimes, they put different dates for when the meter was read. For example, the meter was read on 2/11/25 and the next bill shows 2/12/25. How do you find out when they are actually read?

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As a resident of Newark Valley, may I ask that when the repair on Brook Street is in process, could there be two speed bumps put in? Brook Street is used as a so-called shortcut to avoid the light at the bottom of Rock Street. Kids ride bikes, and folks walk on the street. Just waiting for disaster to happen. Residential streets should be treated as such, not as freeways.

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“If you feel pain, you are alive. If you feel other people’s pain, you are a human being.” — Leo Tolstoy

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Have you seen the condition of the Flemingville United Methodist Cemetery? Since when did we stop caring for our loved ones and their final resting place? I understand the church is selling and that the town of Owego is buying it, but the cemetery is in such disrepair. The sight is heartbreaking and infuriating for those of us who try to visit our loved ones but can’t because almost all of the headstones are so overgrown and others are broken. Please, someone make this right!

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O Flying Spaghetti Monster, clothed in sauce and crowned with meatballs, we lift our hearts in reverence before Your Noodly Majesty. From the boiling waters of creation, You brought forth all that is, and by Your tender appendages, You sustain us. In awe, we behold the mystery of Your pasta, the depth of Your marinara mercy, and the richness of Your eternal feast. Forever shall we honor Your name, and forever shall we give thanks for the gift of Your endless nourishment. R’amen.

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I’ve been to many school and government board meetings that have periods reserved for public comment, and limiting folks to 3-5 minutes of speaking is the norm. These limits help ensure that a public body can conduct its business in a timely manner without being derailed by a single speaker or a large group.

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Reading the comment about the motorcycle driving on Pennsylvania Avenue in Apalachin caught my eye for several reasons. I live in the village of a small town in Tioga County. In front of my house is a 35mph limit with double solid lines. Very few cars, trucks, and motorcycles obey the speed limit. They also use it as a drag strip and think nothing of passing on double solid lines. Recently, there have been several deaths, all young males. 

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I’m happy to report that Casterline Road has been repaved. Thank you, Town of Owego Highway Department.

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It is not news that the Mayor and Trustees of Newark Valley do not want to hear from village residents. What the critics need to understand is that nothing is going to change until someone steps forward to successfully run against the current regime.

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On these foggy mornings, please, drivers, use your headlights, the regular ones, not just the fog lights. It certainly would help you to see those of us who are early morning joggers and walkers and allow us to see you as well.

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Now that students are not allowed to use cell phones during the school day, does this rule apply to staff and teachers as well? Teachers and staff should not be allowed to be on their phones all day, either.

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Village of Newark Valley residents and taxpayers, there is a petition to dissolve the village. If you’re disenchanted with the way our local leadership goes about our business, maybe signing it might send a message to them! This is just the beginning of a long process.

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New York State school taxes are based on the market value of property. How New York State comes up with this number is a mystery. It occurs to me that this is a tax on unrealized capital gains that occurs each year.

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I need help with my yard work. Leave a number to call if interested. Thank you.

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Just wondering if the handicap parking rules have changed. Twice in one week, I tried to park in the handicapped spot on North Avenue, and twice in one week, it was blocked by a delivery truck. Is that okay now?

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I would like to compliment the person or organization that is renovating the building right next to the fire station. It looks so nice, and now the Harris Diner is painting outside, so that looks nice, too. My other question, though, is how much longer are we going to have scaffolding up on the corner of Lake and Main Street? I think it’s been a few years now. Interesting. But congratulations on making Owego look better on North Avenue. 

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After reading about the Town of Owego meeting minutes regarding the highway department, I can see why Mike Roberts lost the primary vote. Unfounded, negative statements were made and circulated about his work. We’re losing a hardworking, conscientious employee in Mike.

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This is regarding the Village of Newark Valley’s time limit on open floor discussions. The question is, do you have 3 to 5 minutes under the Office of Public Meetings to ask your question? The discussion after the question is asked has no time limit at all. So if the Village is trying to include their discussion in that 5 minute time period, that is unlawful, but you can offer your question within the 5 minutes. It’s the discussion after that that has no time limit.

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I wanted to thank the Nichols Village Mayor, Leslie Pelotte, for replacing the swing sets with softer seats that the little kids can now more easily manage. She listened to the people who use the park and improved the experience. As someone with three kids who regularly use that park, we really appreciate her care initiative, as well as the park caretaker, Joe, for installing them.

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Why don’t they fix that little footbridge at Hickories Park? It’s been closed for two or three years now, and there isn’t even that much wrong with it. It’s more dangerous the way it is than if they just took it out.

National Political Viewpoints

How can a man who can’t keep a worm out of his brain have any grasp of healthy living?

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Praise the Lord. Our national hate, divisiveness, and disunity media of CNN and MSNBC are rebranding. Spewing TDS 24/7 isn’t making money. They have started to report real news and give credit to Trump! Did the Chinese and Russian psychological warfare operations to divide America lose their funding? Are there not enough useful idiots when the truth rings clear? We are Americans first, and if you don’t like it, leave it.

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“Concerns about Trump’s health have intensified after videos showed swollen, red eyes, bruising on both hands, and an unsteady gait. The White House attributed right-hand bruising to handshakes, but similar left-hand bruising undermined that explanation. Medical observers note potential issues related to blood thinners, corticosteroids, diabetes, liver or kidney disease, or obesity. Trump’s attempts to hide bruising with gestures and makeup have only drawn more attention to it.” — David Pakman, August 25, 2025

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Real Americans don’t burn flags; they salute them. — Mama Gump

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In 111 years, no president until Trump has attempted to remove a governor of the independent Federal Reserve. He had no legal basis for removal and did so only to install someone loyal to him rather than to what is in the best interest of the U.S. economy.

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It seems that everyone, no matter their political affiliation, should be very upset about the

recent shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis. However, if you want to see a change in these events occurring, do not vote Republican, as they care more about the rights of gun owners than the rights of children in schools. I mean, how can you call yourselves the Right to Life party when you are not for protecting the lives of children with sensible gun legislation?

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This is for the person who thinks that D.C. is and has been safe for a long time. You sure? All I know is that 75 homeless camps in DC have been cleared by the US Park Police since Trump’s “SAFE and Beautiful” executive order. Why would anybody feel safer just because the streets are cleaner and the National Guard is standing on the street corners? I can see I am out of my Tioga County bubble, pal. It was a nice weekend in DC to take a walk in the park. So sorry you couldn’t make it.

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Trump put substantial tariffs on the country of India. Real brilliant. Now they are hooking up with China and Russia! So tell me again, how great a businessman Donald J. Trump is.

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The guns are not the problem; it’s deranged people. That’s the problem.

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I’m so glad that a judge stopped the deportation of children in the middle of the night. How inhumane is that! The children had been through so much, but Noem shot and killed her own dog, so what would you expect?

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I don’t know why everybody thinks that Trump is a tyrant when we have “horrible Hochul” as our governor who’s trying to tell us what we can cook with and what we can heat with. That’s a tyrant! I don’t know where she gets off saying what we can and can’t do. It is just wrong. I think people should protest.

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I find it mildly amusing that people are complaining about the overall prices and that they are not coming down quickly enough for them. Where were these people in their complaints when Biden and Harris had prices way out of control? People were just barely hanging on. Remember, Rome was not built in a day. Things are definitely headed in the right direction. You need to relax.

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Governor Hochul is planning to put new laws into effect for senior citizens, requiring road and written tests. Yet an illegal immigrant gets a commercial license, could not read road signs, and kills three people. Something’s very wrong with this picture. Someone also said we need to get rid of Governor Hochul; no truer words were ever spoken.

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I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of Taylor Swift and Kelsey’s wedding. I will give it a couple of years. To me, that’s not news. Give me the real news. That’s what the country needs, not fake news.