Route 434 Name Change?
by: Fred Brown

Several local politicians are trying to have the name of Route 434 in the Town of Owego changed to Ronald Reagan Boulevard!
 Town and county officials-  without any input from the public - have sent a request to the state for the name change. Several property owners on Route 434 had no idea of the request, and do not see a need for any such change. 
 Yes, Reagan may have been a great president, but what has he done for Owego or Apalachin that would justify the name change? 
 If our officials are looking for someone to name Route 434 after, they should find someone who has put us on the map. 
 There is only one person that comes to mind, only one person who nearly 50 years ago brought world wide attention to the area, only one person who put us on the map. That one person is Joseph Barbara. 
 So, if we are going to rename Route 434 it should be named Joseph Barbara Boulevard. This would be a great start for the 50th Anniversary of the Apalachin Mafia Convention. 
 What do you think?