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Visit Chautauqua Institution this summer

Local Commentaries

CHAUTAUQUA—Progress often comes in steps rather than all at once. One encouraging step at Chautauqua Institution is particularly worth applauding. A few years ago a visitor came to Chautauqua other than by being invited by the institution. Shortly thereafter, the visitor was critical of the institution in a national forum. Never mind who the visitor was, what the visitor said, or what the forum was. None of those is important here. What is not only important but also noteworthy here is that the institution—the institution itself—has invited the visitor to give a ...

City seeing costs of deferred environmental maintenance

In Our Opinion

It’s no secret that Jamestown has a deferred maintenance problem. Before the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing $28.3 million ARPA shot in the arm, deferred maintenance or replacement of city vehicles and equipment was a common talking point as city department heads discussed their budgets with City Council members each fall. It’s still a topic, but the influx of federal money certainly improved the situation. But what we didn’t realize until the past couple of years was how far maintenance of the city’s physical environment had been neglected as city leaders tried to manage ...

CLCPA delay buys time to create reliable, environmentally friendly power grid

In Our Opinion

Debate in recent months over changes to the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act had us wondering if there was any common sense left in the halls of the state Capitol. In the wake of last week’s vote to push back some parts of the 2019 law, it’s good to see there’s at least a thimble full of common sense remaining in Albany. State lawmakers approved Several deadlines and benchmarks included in the 2019 CLCPA are being pushed back, including a 2024 deadline for regulations from the Department of Environmental Conservation that were the subject of a lawsuit by ...

Can county legislators actually say no?

In Our Opinion

We still struggle to justify automatic pay raises each year for Chautauqua County lawmakers - though judging from last week’s vote Republican lawmakers have no such struggle. In 2024, the county legislature voted to increase the base salary of individual legislators from $9,000 to $14,732, an increase of about 64%. It was the first pay hike in about 20 years. It’s a failing of the legislature that, in our opinion, they’re overcorrecting with the automatic pay raises now. The only reason the legislature didn’t get a raise over the course of 20 years is that the body ...

Theatre’s Use Of AI In Advertising Is Small Potatoes

In Our Opinion

When one sees a 12 panel post on Facebook from a local institution, it’s fair to assume the news isn’t good. So there was a bit of breath-holding when we read through a post by the Lucille Ball Little Theatre recently. We didn’t have to read much of the statement before we were able to exhale. Aubrey Russell, the theatre’s board president, was discussing the use of artificial intelligence in some of the theatre’s social media and advertising. The news could have been much worse. We understand the concerns over the use of artificial intelligence. We have them as well in ...

What Good, But Previously Dismissed, Ideas Could We Be Ready For Now?

In Our Opinion

On its own, it’s not the biggest news that the towns of Ellington and Charlotte are looking to merge courts and share one judge. In 2021, the towns of Sherman, Mina, French Creek and Clymer merged their courts to a single operation. That was followed by the towns of Harmony and North Harmony court merger that took effect Jan. 1, 2025. These mergers are a logical reaction to the county’s declining population and the resulting decrease in rural court caseloads. There is no good reason why Ellington and Charlotte should not move forward with a formal court merger since they already ...