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Letters To The Editor

Burtis Bay Chautauqua Lake in Jeopardy of becoming a SWAMP!

To The Reader’s Forum: Based on The Post-Journal article Saturday March 2, 2024, T. J. Pignataro, DEC Assistant Public Information officer declared that the Chautauqua Lake “South Basin is Likely to Become a Protected Wetlands Area” when the new 2025 rules take effect. This is unbelievable to us as our lakefront home has been in our family since 1910! Generations of our family have spent countless weekends and 4ths of July enjoying the lake for more than 100 years. In fact our new neighbors call us the “fun” people because that’s what we do there - we have picnics, we ...

Changes Needed In Wetlands Discussion

To The Reader’s Forum: The topic of how New York State’s pending wetlands regulations revisions undertaking is going to affect the Chautauqua Lake community has become an emotional discussion topic in the community. Suppositions are being expounded upon that may or may not be real. The discussion needs to be toned down and better well-rounded. Chautauqua Lake is certainly a main economic driver for Chautauqua County’s economic well-being. Keeping Chautauqua Lake healthy therefore becomes very important for economic reasons in addition to ecological reasons. Wetlands are an ...

Don’t Designate Additional Parts Of Chautauqua Lake As Wetlands

To The Reader’s Forum: This letter is in reaction to the March 2 news article stating the DEC’s apparent intent to unfairly declare parts of the south basin of Chautauqua Lake a regulated wetland. I have studied the new rule, attended the informational session, asked questions, and submitted comments, all without ANY response at all. As written, the proposed wetland classification definitions are broad enough that the littoral zone of every single lake in New York state would qualify as a wetland, so I ask why? There is no benefit consistent with the stated goals of wetland ...

Looking For A Difference Choice In Presidential Election

To The Reader’s Forum: A little over two weeks ago, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Donald Trump when challenging a decision made by a lower court that would have left him off the presidential ballot in the state of Colorado. Several other states were waiting on the results of that challenge in order to decide whether or not they would rule to leave him off the ballot in their states as well. The Supreme Court basically said that one state, such as Colorado, should not be allowed to decide the presidency for the rest of the country. Everyone should get to vote. But, as I watched ...

Don’t Be Deceived Again By Trump

To The Reader’s Forum: Trump is unfit to serve as President first because he is subject to 91 felonies and is doing everything he can to avoid prosecution, that is he’s trying to run away from the law - now Part 2. Trump was determined to be guilty of “sexual assault” of E. Jean Carroll by a civil jury which awarded Carroll $88 million for the assault and defamation. He was also determined to practice “fraudulent” business practices against the people of NYS in another lawsuit, which awarded $355 million to $454 million. Even though Trump intends to file appeals, to do so ...

Immigration Reform Is Needed

To the Reader’s Forum: The Bipartisan Policy Center releases a report in December titled: Changing Border Policies and Apprehensions: What’s the Relationship? It reviews the various immigration policies of the Trump and Biden administrations and their effect on border apprehensions. It provides good background information on the hodgepodge approach both administration have attempted to ‘secure the border’, which has become necessary because of a lack of political will by Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform. The conclusion is instructive. “In recent ...