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Opinion

Study’s release puts ball in communities’ court

In Our Opinion

We now should feel fairly comfortable that it’s not only possible to merge the Clymer, Sherman and Panama school districts, but generally beneficial to do so now that the merger study by White and Partners has been released. The 149-page study, for those interested, is available at tinyurl.com/3xp2dt97. In short, the study reinforces declining population trends in all three districts, suggests keeping elementary school children in their respective home communities and then operating a merged middle-high school for seventh through 12th grades in Panama for a variety of reasons. The ...

Straw gun purchases fueling illegal gun pipeline

In Our Opinion

A recent incident in Warren provides an example of just how easy it can be to skirt well-meaning laws written to keep guns out of the wrong hands. A couple with Buffalo addresses living in Warren were both charged earlier this spring with several felony charges related to alleged false statements made on gun purchase forms, including five purchases in Warren County for firearms then taken to New York state and sold to the sort of people who won’t undergo a background check. What should make people on both sides of our nation’s intractable gun debate consider is that this scheme ...

City’s high grass message got lost in its tone

In Our Opinion

Jamestown’s Development Department isn’t wrong to use social media to warn city residents about quality of life tickets for those who let their grass get too high. High grass is the top complaint the department hears once we hit the spring and summer months. Some lawns can look more like a hayfield than a city lawn, and Crystal Surdyk, city development director, makes a good point about grass and shrubs at some intersections being tall enough near curbs and intersections to make it difficult to see traffic. But the department’s May 31 message posted on the Development ...

The strongest men I ever knew

Local Commentaries

It’s hard to believe that in almost two weeks the year 2026 will be halfway over, but time seems to pass much quicker these days, quite possibly attributed to all the activities we’re involved with day in and day out. A while back, we waited and waited, anxiously anticipating the arrival date of a vacation we had planned, and in, what seemed to be, the blink of an eye, it came and went seemingly faster than the snap of our fingers. Special days every year seem to creep up on us and arrive, sometimes before we can even be ready for them, especially some, where the person being ...

America gleams from sea to shining sea during World Cup

Local Commentaries

They’re standing in front of Buc-ees with iPhone cameras rolling, marveling in the aisles of Walmart, ordering stacks of waffles at Waffle House, and walking through city parks amazed that they feel safe—that women can carry their purses over their shoulder without being robbed. Did we realize how difficult and disturbing life is for so many in countries throughout the world? One gentleman visitor was terrified to drive across the United States at night. No one in his home country of South Africa would risk their life in such a way. He was absolutely amazed that not only was he ...

Sales include welding location, former hardware store

Local Commentaries

A gas and welding building in the south county is under new ownership. The Post-Journal and OBSERVER have been analyzing real estate sales in Chautauqua County and recently looked at the transactions from April 8-13. The county does not provide transaction information, but real estate ...