Catt. County Source 2-2-23

Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force still in business

fentanyl in Western New York has led to numerous overdose deaths in Cattaraugus County, the sheriff said. That is what is driving the task force now.

“The Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force has not been disbanded,” Whitcomb said. “Anyone who says otherwise does not know what they are talking about.”

Residents need to know “nothing is farther from the truth,” he added. On the contrary, the task force is about to grow bigger.

that new unit, Whitcomb said. While no longer a formal member, the Olean Police Department continues to cooperate with the county task force. Both agencies continue to call on one another if needed.

The Salamanca Police Department officer assigned to the task force has been reassigned to Salamanca and continues to work narcotics.

By Rick Miller

Comments at a recent Salamanca Common Council meeting led to unfounded rumors of the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force being disbanded.

Cattaraugus County Sheriff Timothy S. Whitcomb said he has been “putting out fires” over those remarks ever since.

The drug task force is still in business and is still connected with local police departments, state police and law enforcement in other counties, Whitcomb said

Jan. 17. The drug task force has evolved over the more than 30 years it has been in existence, Whitcomb said. At one time it involved full- and part-time officers from several area police departments and the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office

and Jamestown and Dunkirk police.

The only real change is that task force offices have been moved from Olean to the Sheriff’s Office in Little Valley, Whitcomb pointed out. There is a potential for the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office to again work with the task force as well, he said.

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“We are not cutting any narcotics personnel,” Whitcomb said. “Our commitment at the Sheriff’s Office is still full-heartedly focused on working with multiple law enforcement jurisdictions in the boundaries of Cattaraugus County and outside to pursue illegal drug activity.”

The increased use of heroin and

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The Sheriff’s Office is about to involve more members of its Detective Bureau in the task force — and task force members will be available to beef up the detective ranks if necessary, Whitcomb said.

It will be similar to when the Olean Police Department established the Street Crimes Unit and folded its officers from the task force into

That Salamanca officer is another source for the task force and can count on help from task force members, Whitcomb explained.

The sheriff said one of his biggest concerns is that with the state’s cashless bail law, those arrested on drug charges are often back home before police who raided a residence where drugs were being sold.

Just don’t underestimate the sheriff’s office commitment to arresting those who break the law and sell narcotics, Whitcomb said.

AUTO CORNER

Maintenance intervals drivers should know

Vehicles are among the most costly expenses individuals have. According to data from Kelley Blue Book, the average price paid for a new vehicle in the United States in September 2022 was $48,094. Canadian car buyers face an equally expensive reality in their country, where the average MSRP for a new car is more than $45,000.

Since vehicles are such sizable investments, it behooves motorists to do as much as they can to keep their cars and trucks running smoothly. Vehicle owner’s manuals typically recommend maintenance intervals and should be drivers’ first resource for information regarding how to take care of their cars and trucks. But the following are some standard maintenance intervals drivers can keep in mind.

3,000 miles - The 3,000-mile marker used to be the benchmark for changing oil, but modern vehicles can now go longer between oil changes. However, it’s still a good idea to check other fluid levels every 3,000 miles. Windshield washer fluid, coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid, and power steering fluid should all be checked every 3,000 miles and topped off if levels are low.

It’s wise for drivers to perform some additional maintenance checkups every 3,000 miles. Check tire pressure, inspect hoses (which should not be leaking or bulging) and clean the interior of the vehicle every 3,000 miles.

5,000 miles - Many vehicle manufacturers now recommend oil changes every 5,000 miles. Tire rotations also can be part of service visits at this interval, and drivers can ask their mechanic to check their fuel filters and batteries every 5,000 miles as well. Many may already do this as part of their comprehensive maintenance packages, but it’s still good to confirm if they do and request they do so if it’s not part of the plan.

Drivers also can request that cabin air filters are inspected at this point, though they can generally last a year before they need to be replaced.

Around the 5,000-mile mark, wiper blades also may begin to show signs of wear and tear, including streaking on the windshield or scratching noises when in use. Each of those signs indicates the wipers need to be replaced. However, drivers should take note of these signs regardless of when they appear. Some may not make it 5,000 miles before they begin to wear down. In such instances, they should be replaced immediately regardless of how many miles it’s been since they were installed. 10,000 miles - Some vehicles may only require oil changes every 10,000 miles. That’s not uncommon in vehicles that use synthetic oil, though drivers are urged to consult their owner’s manuals.

Brake pads also may need to be replaced around this time, and one telltale sign of that is a squeaking noise whenever the

brakes are applied.

Drivers can ask their mechanics to check the alignment of their vehicles around this interval as well. Though many vehicles won’t develop alignment issues, it’s best to check for such issues every 10,000 miles or whenever a vehicle feels as though it’s pulling in one specific direction.

Maintenance intervals are created to serve as a guideline for drivers. Any issues that arise should still be brought to the attention of a mechanic regardless of how many miles have been added to the odometer since the most recent trip to the garage.

$9K in damages to vandalized Salamanca Rail Museum cars

By Kellen M. Quigley

SALAMANCA

— Thousands of dol-

lars in damage was done to train cars at the Salamanca Rail Museum in January.

Salamanca po -

lice reported Jan. 20 that a vandalization of four rail museum cars caused about $9,000 in damages.

Police believe the damage happened sometime in the few days before reported.

Museum director Jaré Cardinal said she noticed something

amiss when she went to check on the building and grounds Thursday. The museum is closed during the winter months except for private tour requests.

“It looked like one of the windows was missing on the red caboose, but it gets blown out once in a while by the wind,” she said Monday. “I went to check and it wasn’t just that window. Glass was everywhere.”

Cardinal said their mannequin dressed as a conductor in one of the cars was also missing, but there were gummy bears left behind. Three

out of the four damaged railcars sit in an area surrounded by a barbed-wire fence.

“We did some research, and to replace everything that needs replacing, to clean up and because they’re exposed to the weather and there’s possible floor damage, it’s going to cost about $12,000,” Cardinal said.

Police are currently investigating the vandalism. Cardinal said they took the gummies as evidence and found a pitchfork that had been thrown into the museum yard.

In the meantime, rail museum officials are taking steps to secure the cars and avoid further damage caused by winter weather.

Cardinal said they managed to secure one caboose with covering over the windows thanks to Sixt Lumber and Al Robison Construction & Residential Electric donating supplies and labor to help.

Cardinal said the rail museum has set up the GoFundMe page “Repair the rail cars,” with a link available on the rail museum’s Facebook page,

to help raise funds to replace windows and other materials that were destroyed.

“Right now we’ve got over $1,000 in less than a day, so hopefully we can secure at least one more and then we can work on the other two,” she said.

Cardinal expressed thanks to all the friends and neighbors in the Salamanca community for their cooperation and support along with everyone on Facebook

and friends at other rail museums for getting the word out.

“We’ll get it fixed. It’ll slow us down on our timeline for other things for just a bit, but not for long,” she added. If anyone has any information, contact the rail museum at (716) 9453133 or Salamanca police at (716) 945-2330 or send a message to the “City of Salamanca Police Department” Facebook page.

Senecas denounce Hochul’s veto of unmarked burial protection act

of the families of lineal descendants and other groups.”

The Seneca Nation plans to submit a resolution further condemning Governor Hochul’s veto to the National Congress of American Indians and the United South and Eastern Tribes for their consideration and support.

Armstrong said the Legislature acted to protect the many sacred Natives sites and to extend to Native nations the dignity and respect they deserve. With every vote cast in support of the bill, he said Hochul’s signature was the only thing needed.

blatant disregard for Native issues and priorities coming from New York’s Executive Chamber is disturbing,” Armstrong said. “For more than two centuries, our governments, our people and our priorities have been greeted with a deafening silence and contempt from New York governors. We see little hope for change based on recent actions.”

SALAMANCA

— The Seneca Nation has denounced Gov. Kathy Hochul’s veto of a bill that would have protected unmarked Native American burial sites in New York state.

Seneca officials called the Dec. 30 veto a “continued pattern in Albany of turning a deaf ear to Native priorities.”

At its first official meeting of 2023 on Saturday, the Seneca Nation Council unanimously approved a resolution formally voicing the Nation’s opposition to the governor’s action.

“The importance

of the Unmarked Burial Site Protection Act to Native people cannot be overstated, and its rejection by the governor was an affront to Native nations, our people and our ancestors,” said Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong, Sr. Hochul’s veto keeps New York as one of only four states without protective measures in place. The act was passed by both the state Senate and Assembly in late May and early June of 2022, respectively. Prior versions of the bill had been first introduced in 2009.

“The Seneca people

have lived, raised our families and been laid to rest in our ancestral lands from time immemorial,” Armstrong said. “Because of our forced relocation from our expansive ancestral lands to our presentday territories over hundreds of years, the final resting places of all of our ancestors is likely unknowable.”

The Act would have required the “cessation of all ground-disturbing activities upon the discovery of a burial ground, human remains or funerary objects” and would have further

required a determination of whether the remains were of Native American origin and, if so, the remains would have been returned to the Native Nation from which they likely originated.

Armstrong said the act would have finally given Native communities “a true voice in honoring our moral and ethical obligation to protect those most sacred sites from destruction and desecration.”

In her veto memo, Hochul wrote that the bill fails to “balance the rights of property owners with the interests

“Instead, New York decided to remain on the sidelines, allowing property and development interests to maintain their priority position over people,” he continued. “The governor’s decision demonstrates an utter disregard for the fundamental rights of Native nations, Native people and all New Yorkers.”

Seneca Nation officials accuse Hochul’s veto as the latest action in a long pattern of disrespect in Albany for the rights of Native nations and people.

“The continued

New York, New Jersey and Wyoming are among the four states that do not have a process when burials are unearthed on private property through unintentional excavation. Unmarked grave protection legislation was drafted in Ohio but failed to meet the threshold for introduction in the Ohio General Assembly.

In addition to vetoing the Unmarked Burial Site Protection Act, Hochul previously vetoed another bill that would have given the Montaukett Indian Nation on Long Island state recognition, which also passed the state assembly. A third bill that would have established an office of Native American affairs never made it out of committee.

The following are just a handful of the many great reasons to visit your local library.

• Reading may help improve long-term mental health. A 2001 study from researchers at Case Western Reserve University found that patients with Alzheimer’s disease were less active in early and middle adulthood in regard to intellectual, passive and physical activities than people who did not have AD. Young adults and middle-aged men and women who visit their local libraries and check out a good book might decrease their risk for cognitive decline later in life.

• Reading can improve your vocabulary, even as you get older. Reading for pleasure as a child has long been linked to helping young people age 16 and under develop strong reading and math skills. But a recent study from researchers at the University of London that examined how the vocabularies of more than 9,400 people developed between the ages of 16 and 42 found that vocabulary continued to improve long after teenage years. By continuing to read books from their local libraries into adulthood, adults can further develop their vocabularies.

• Libraries provide lots of free entertainment. Libraries are home to thousands of books, but that’s not all you can find at your local branch. Newspapers, magazines, CDs, and DVDs are some examples of the forms of entertainment available at local libraries. Better yet, such entertainment is free to card holders.

• Libraries offer age-appropriate programs for kids. Some parents may lament the lack of programs available for their youngsters. Such parents are urged to visit their local libraries, which are often home to many programs that can inspire kids to read and foster their creativity. The scope of kid-friendly programs at your local library is wide and may range from sing-a-long sessions for toddlers to group art programs for preschool-aged children to STEM-based programs for elementary and secondary school students.

The local library is an invaluable resource than can benefit people of all ages.