Karen Patterson

                                                                                                                                                27 High St.

                                                                                                                                                Alfred, NY  14802

March 8, 2024

Dear Editor:

One hour and seven minutes without a single named called.

Without threatening violence against the rude interruptions.

Without disparaging anyone or going off onto wild, revenge filled tangents.

Without extolling the virtues of our enemies and castigating our allies.

Without unfairly demonizing entire groups of people.

Without repeating over and over again how horrible our country is but instead looking towards how great we can truly be.

An entire speech filed with facts and policies and optimism.

A speech of unity,  not division 

Of inclusion,  not exclusion.

Of solid plans,  not wild claims.

Of pride for what has been accomplished and determination to do more.

A speech about moving forward and not backward.

A speech that praised the heart and soul of this great country.

Given by a man who has dedicated his life to serving it.

Isn’t that who should be leading us for the next four years?

Sincerely,

Karen Patterson, Representative

Almond NY

Allegany County Democratic Committee

McKean County District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that, on March 8, 2024, charges were filed against the homeowner of the residence of a woman recently sentenced to state prison for selling drugs in the Kane area.  Robert DYNE of Kane is charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance (2 counts – methamphetamine and marijuana) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – misdemeanors. 

Dyne’s residence in Kane was searched on October 24^th by Detectives with the McKean County Drug Task Force during the arrest of Catherine Morrison after reports were made to the Task Force of her trafficking large amounts of drugs in the Kane area, leading to an investigation and her arrest.  She was sentenced to state prison last month for Delivery of Fentanyl, Xylazine and Methamphetamine as well as  Dealing in Unlawful Proceeds related to drug sales (Felonies). 

Following Morrison’s arrest during a traffic stop, the residence she shared with DYNE was searched by Detectives. 

Chief County Detective Ryan D. Yingling filed the charges against Dyne.  Magisterial District Judge David Engman set bail at $5,000 unsecured. 

Drug trafficking investigations continue.  If you suspect illegal drug activity, please report them to the McKean County Drug Task Force at the DA’s Office: (814)887-3312 or McKeanDA.org.

We have several exciting Collette tours for 2024 and 2025: Discover Switzerland, Austria & Bavaria: August 21 – August 30, 2024; Southern Italy & Sicily: October 25 – November 6, 2024 (same trip that was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid); Tropical Costa Rica: November 4 – November 12, 2024; Iceland’s Magical Northern Lights: February 24 – March 2, 2025; and British Landscapes (England, Scotland & Wales): April 27 – May 6, 2025. Email jmorley@pcedcouncil.org or call (814) 274-4877 for more info or to request trip brochures.

Roulette Township

On Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 8 a.m. until noon, Main Street from School Street to Pfeiffer Street and Cow Hollow from Lanninger Creek Road to Hester Avenue will be closed to through traffic.

You Do Know It’s Not About Rules

By

Pastor B.J. Knefley

You do know that God isn’t focused upon you keeping a set of rules, don’t you? What he’s really looking for is a relationship with you and everyone else. So why do we or where do we get the idea that somehow God is interested in our rule keeping? Is it because of the Ten Commandants? Maybe it’s because of the Old Testament laws? Or perhaps it was some pastor or church organization that said if you wanted to get right with God you needed to do certain things? I believe that God calls us first to a relationship with him and the rules come later. Not because God is a God of rules but because within the relationship, we will naturally want to follow him. Out of that relationship comes our desire to do all that He asks.

Someone recently responded to this idea by saying that this idea gives a person permission to love God and do hideous things like murder, adultery, thievery, and a host of other things. Yet Paul said in I Corinthians 5:13, “God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, ‘You must remove the evil person from among you.’ Earlier in I Corinthians 5:5 in referring the man who was found to be in sin that they were to: “Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.”

The point is, one cannot say they love God and keep on doing the destructive things that would indicate that you do not. Loving God is about a relationship. In any relationship my actions will be the truest indicator of the real condition of my heart. If I say I love my neighbor and do horrific and mean-spirited things against them then I truly don’t love my neighbor. If I say I love God and continue to live a godless life, then I truly don’t love God. The opposite is also true too. Remember the rich young ruler found in Luke 18:18-30? He told Jesus that he had kept all the commandments. Jesus responded that he needed then to sell all that he owned and give it to the poor and then come follow him. The man became very sad. It appears that the man was able to keep the rules but not the relationship. Perhaps that could describe some of us. Think about it.