Judges should visit jails and meet with crime victims, too

July 2, 2026

The New York State arms adopted on March 16, 1778, shows Justice wearing a gold-colored dress with a blue belt fringed in red. Her unbound hair is decorated with pearls, and there is a narrow band of cloth over her eyes. In her right hand she holds a gold-handled sword, and in her left, the scales. The message is obvious. Justice is supposed to be blind, with the weight of the evidence tipping the scales. And Justice’s hand being placed on the sword references arriving at a just punishment. We have to wonder if it’s time for a new depiction of Lady Justice on the state’s arms, ...

Spin on federal CDPAP probe misremembers recent history

July 1, 2026

We find ourselves bemused by the wholly expected partisan reaction to news that the U.S. Department of Justice is suing New York for allowing widespread fraud in its Medicaid programs to continue. In a statement to the Associated Press, the state Health Department said the lawsuit was "baseless ... inexcusable and completely lacking in merit." It said the claims were "the latest attempt by Washington Republicans to score political points at the expense of vulnerable New Yorkers." That’s an interesting stance for the Health Department to take, because New York Republicans weren’t ...

Government purchase of lakefront property in Mayville raises questions

June 30, 2026

There doesn’t seem to be much commercial interest in land on the shores of Chautauqua Lake in Mayville where a controversial condominium project was once planned. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing for Mayville residents who fought the condo project tooth and nail over the course of years before the project fell apart. For now, the open views of Chautauqua Lake are preserved. Mayville Mayor Rick Syper has approached the Mayville Village Board about possibly purchasing the parcel. The 1.2 acre parcel is currently owned by Erie Bank and being advertised as suitable for commercial ...

Access to mental health treatment still lags

June 29, 2026

The fact that we have a mental health treatment capacity shortage in rural areas should come as no shock to anyone. Those in the health care industry have been talking about the lack of capacity for years. State and federal officials have heard the stories. And while we understand that it takes time to rebuild the mental health care infrastructure after it has been intentionally dismantled in well-meaning but ultimately fruitless efforts over the course of decades, work to increase mental health care capacity cannot continue at the current snail’s pace. We don’t all think about ...

City’s application earned DRI funding. Now it must deliver

June 27, 2026

City residents should have cautious optimism following the announcement that Jamestown has received another $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant from New York state. City officials put together a pretty impressive application. For that, Crystal Surdyk, city development director, and her team deserve a lot of credit. Surdyk and Jason Kulaszewski, city principal planner, had talked publicly about the plan having 24 distinct projects in the past, but simply having 24 projects doesn’t guarantee a big impact on downtown. Seeing the 24 projects makes one think that the ...

Maybe the second time is the charm for Furniture Mart

June 25, 2026

Ten years ago city officials had high hopes for the redevelopment of the Furniture Mart building. At the time, the $19 million project was going to be led by Ellicott Development with $1.5 million of DRI money earmarked for the project. The proposal was for two floors of office space, a 100-room hotel spread over five floors and rental apartments on the remaining three floors. The parking lot next to the building was to see a parking structure with 354 spaces, including 90 spaces available to the public. Retail space would have been created on the first floor. A decade later, ...