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In Our Opinion

City Hasn’t Yet Failed Blackstone-Ney Closure Test

It’s disappointing to see a longtime city business making a major cutback to its operation here. News that Blackstone-Ney on North Main Street is moving most of its North Main Street operation to Cincinnati is disappointing, but it’s not something city officials could do much about. On the other hand, we’re encouraged the city was at the table trying to keep the company here. Too often, when the public learns a company is moving on to greener pastures local officials say they hadn’t heard the company was considering a move. That’s unacceptable - and it wasn’t the case ...

Pair Of JCC Decisions Make A Lot Of Sense

Jamestown Community College officials seem to be on the right track by turning down a chance to further expand into the north county and then in selling the former School 7 building adjacent to its Jamestown campus. It’s a bit of practicality that more local officials should be showing. Participation in Dunkirk’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative was a head-scratcher given the presence of the State University at Fredonia a short distance away from JCC’s proposed Workforce Training Center on Graf Avenue, Dunkirk. JCC President Daniel DeMarte said the move would ...

Kitchen Fire In City Is Reminder Of Value Of Smoke Alarms

An early morning kitchen fire Saturday on Foote Avenue is, unfortunately, the exception rather than the rule. Everyone made it out of the home safely in part because working smoke detectors alerted everyone of the 12:59 a.m. fire. Not everyone makes sure their smoke alarms have batteries. Too many homes have no smoke alarms at all. The release from the Jamestown Fire Department reminded us of the relative ease with which the city and American Red Cross had finding homes willing to participate in the Sound the Alarm smoke alarm installation drive held last spring. Residents of about ...

March Of Time Catches Up To Eastside YMCA

We can surely understand the sadness of some in the community when news that the Eastside YMCA building is being put up for sale. The building holds a special place for many east side residents who found refuge in the Second Street building when it housed the 2XL program and then, when 2XL faded away, became the Eastside YMCA. We shared some of those stories in Wednesday’s edition. They were a reminder of the impact some agencies can have, and at the same time provide an example of how so much can change in a relatively short period of time. The closure of the 2XL program came ...

Nominations The Right Move Towards Energy Independence

President-elect Donald Trump’s decisions to nominate Chris Wright for secretary of energy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to serve a dual role as secretary of the interior and chairman of a National Energy Council are reassuring. Wright is the CEO of a company with considerable experience in natural gas drilling. We believe Burgum, as governor of a largely pro-development state, is an ideal choice to spearhead a comprehensive effort to improve the production and affordability of domestic energy — an effort that includes renewable sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectric ...

State GOP Can’t Oppose Everything

When it comes to state politics Republicans are often a voice of reason. That isn’t the case when it comes to the state Board of Regents emergency order for school districts to submit regionalization plans to the state Education Department. Part of the problem is the state Board of Regents, as it is wont to do, did a horrible job explaining what it actually wants. The Regents didn’t speak about the emergency order during the meeting where it was passed, leaving a general public that is typically skittish about regionalism or potential consolidation to let its collective mind ...