Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down
Thumbs up to three area residents whose work best represents Chautauqua County through the I Love CHQ contest. A judging committee reviewed five entries during the first contest and was responsible for selecting three winners: Tracie DeMotte of Panama; David Saxton, Jamestown Photos Street Photography owner; and Roslin Smith, assistant professor at SUNY Fredonia. DeMotte’s video, entitled, “Outdoor Chautauqua Living,” received the highest overall rank, followed closely by Saxton’s “Hometown Winter,” and Smith’s “View’s From Within.” Videos submitted by contestants are one-and-a-half to three minutes long. Videos are based on one of the five themes: local flavors, outdoors and recreation, living in the county, working in the county, and arts and culture. All videos are approved by the CCVB prior to inclusion in the contest. Once the videos are approved and displayed in the contest gallery, participants can share their work and solicit votes. A $250 prize is awarded for the best videos during the contest period. Following the second contest June 30, the third stage of the contest begins July 1 and runs through Aug. 31. The final contest will take place from Sept. 1 and goes to Oct. 31. Work such as these three videos – and the works to be submitted in the future – are reminders for all county residents to remember there are many good and beautiful things happening around us here in Chautauqua County. Sometimes, we need to take a second and remind ourselves of that fact.
Thumbs down to a scary situation earlier this week at the Jamestown Public Schools’ tech academy on Fourth Street. Two teachers were attacked and injured Monday by two students. One teacher was punched in the face and had cuts to his face and mouth. He was also struck in the head with a metal clock removed from a wall. The other teacher was reportedly hit in the face several times. Police responded to the scene and took one of the teenagers into custody. The other allegedly fled the scene prior to police arrival. The teenager in custody was charged with second-degree felony assault, and taken to the Chautauqua County Jail while charges against the other student are pending via an arrest warrant. Tim Mains, Jamestown Public Schools superintendent, said he and Mike McElrath, Jamestown High School principal, have been meeting to review the academy’s safety plan and determine what additional steps are necessary to prevent future incidents. Such a plan is needed and should happen quickly. Just as necessary, however, are changes to the types of parenting that allow teenagers to think such behavior is acceptable.
Thumbs up to a family’s passion for video making its way onto ABC’s “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” A video of Daisy and Ruby Meyer of Jamestown jumping off the dock at their aunt and uncle’s lake house yelling the name of Tom Bergeron, the show’s host, was selected to open the show during a recent episode. Barry Meyer told The Post-Journal he works in video, and the girls are always coming to him with ideas for their own videos. Meyer said they filmed the clip in August of last year, and sent it in this January with hopes of winning. The girls said they were planning on continuing their foray into visual arts, especially with a little help from their father.
Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down
Thumbs up to state Transportation Department approval of a mill and overlay project along Foote Avenue all the way to West Second Street. Foote Avenue had already started to show abnormal wear and tear last fall. Wear and tear became a full-fledged traffic nightmare after this winter’s harsh cold. Thumbs up not only to state officials for approving the emergency work but also to Mayor Sam Teresi, state Assemblyman Andrew Goodell and state Sen. Catharine Young for their work over the past two months to have the city project placed on the state’s construction schedule.
Thumbs down to record overtime pay. New York’s agencies spent a record $661 million on staff overtime in 2014, an increase of almost $50 million from the previous year. Overtime earnings went up for the fifth straight year, according to a report from the state comptroller’s office. The comptroller says state agencies need to control overtime better and manage costs more carefully. He’s right. State government finds it easy to be generous with overtime when taxpayers are footing the bill. This doesn’t happen in the private sector. State officials must get state government’s bloated spending under control.
Thumbs up to the Southern Tier Brewery Company for its recently earned honor as USA Today’s ultimate craft beer champion. “We had no idea we were in the tournament,” said Nathan Arnone, brand manager for Southern Tier Brewing Company. “They didn’t tell us we were going to be in. We just happened to find out one day when it was announced.” Area residents have long been familiar with the Southern Tier Brewery Company’s success story. It’s wonderful to see the brewery receive the national accolades it so richly deserves.
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As the old public service announcement said, reading is fundamental. Thumbs up, then, to the James Prendergast Library bringing more people than ever through its doors – even if patrons aren’t always cracking open a book. “The library is busier than ever with patrons looking not just for books, but for computer classes, technology help, tutoring, storytimes, craft classes, research and social interaction,” said Tina Scott, library director. “Today the library is a place to meet friends and discuss ideas, interact with others online, dream, create, explore, learn and, yes, read. Books in whatever format the reader chooses contain information that people want to share.” Even more impressive was participation in the library’s 2014 summer reading program. The superhero-themed program saw 1,245 participants, the most in its history, take part in 441 programs. That type of usage should give pause to those who think libraries are past their prime.
Thumbs down to a poor payoff. New York state has spent $53 million since late 2013 to promote its Start-Up NY program. Thus far, the program has led to $1.7 million in private investment and the creation of 76 jobs statewide, according to a report by the Poughkeepsie Journal. In fairness, the 54 companies that have been approved as Start-Up NY businesses have pledged to create 2,100 new jobs over five years with total private investment of $91 million – though those pledges should be taken with a heaping spoonful of salt. Only time will tell if New York’s investment in Start-Up NY is a wise one, but the early returns aren’t promising.
Thumbs up to the LINKS Charity, which recently completed and surpassed its three-year pledge of $300,000 toward the purchase of 3-D tomosynthesis technology at WCA Hospital. This was the third year of LINKS Charity’s three-year, $306,000 pledge, which now has raised a total of $1.18 million toward enhancing local cancer care efforts. Links Charity fundraisers include an LPGA golf pro-am golf scramble and banquet and a LINKS Pink Walk. These efforts were spearheaded by lead-sponsor Truck-Lite and major sponsors Cummins Engine, United Refining Company, The Bilicki Law Firm and Alstar EMS, along with associate sponsors Veracity Benefits and Jamestown Savings Bank and many other community volunteers. We look forward to seeing what the LINKS Charity will focus on next as it begins its 2015 fundraising season. Events thus far include the 24th annual LINKS LPGA Golf Pro-Am and “LINKing Together” banquet, auction and LINKS Charity Golf Scramble on July 27 and 28 at Moon Brook Country Club and the 5th annual LINKS Pink Walk on Oct. 3 at the Chautauqua Mall.
Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down
To The Readers’ Forum:
Interesting news lately in the P-J. Thumbs-up to conservative columnist Patrick Buchanan on his consistent opposition to an American “boots on the ground” intervention mentality to resolve conflict in the Middle East. In a recent op-ed, Buchanan chided several prominent Republican political leaders for their war-mongering voices, and also criticized crude comments made towards foreign leaders, such as Senator Lindsey Graham calling Russia’s Vladimir Putin a “thug.” He questioned whether the current crop of Republican presidential potentials has the right qualities to be leader of the “free world.” I concur.
Thumbs-down to the letters from those questioning President Obama’s love of country, who ought to recognize that he was elected twice by a majority of voters, and I have no doubt that many of those voting against him did not question his patriotism, even if they disagreed with his policy proposals. If one questions Obama, then it would seem that a majority of Americans don’t love this country either. Really?
I agree with much of a letter by Shirley Leyman on the tremendous influence of money in politics by both political parties. Too bad the letter did not state opposition to the recent 5-4 Supreme Court “Citizens United” decision that reinforces the false belief that money=speech. Money only “speaks” when it tries to buy something, in this case political influence. Leyman also wrote that the TEA party opposes corporate welfare, but it’s too bad she listed only the G.M. bailout and a failed solar energy company and no other examples such as the oil and coal industries, and military contractors like Halliburton and Bechtel. I hope the omission was not on purpose.
Lastly, I note a bit of hypocrisy in the P-J editorial on March 13. It calls for restoration of “much-needed federal backing” (i.e. funding) to combat a “growing narcotics epidemic” in Jamestown. However, I believe the P-J has a long history of writing editorials opposed to much of what the federal government administers. It’s funny how many people hate “big government” except when it comes to taking a slice of the budget pie for their own needs. “Big government” is really nothing more than the sum of activity and resources needed to satisfy all the slices of pie Americans, in a very large country mind you, need and want. It just struck me odd that the P-J editors are asking “big government” for help.
Paul L. Demler
Jamestown
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Thumbs up to an opportunity to hear renowned composer Eric Ewazen, a faculty member at the Julliard School of Music, at Jamestown Community College on Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesday, a lecture and presentation by Ewazen will take place in the Weeks Room on campus at noon. At 1 p.m., a panel discussion will take place with Ewazen and local composers, also in the Weeks Room. On Thursday, a composition master class will take place with Ewazen and student composers in room 144 of the Arts and Sciences Center. A pre-concert lecture will take place at 6:15 p.m., followed by a concert with music by Ewazen in the Scharmann Theater at 7 p.m. All events are open to the public, and all the events are free except the concert, which has a charge of $4 for general admission tickets. Those with an interest in the arts shouldn’t miss an opportunity to hear and learn from a true master of his profession. Kudos to Jamestown Community College officials for bringing Ewazen to Jamestown.
Thumbs down to the laughable inclusion in the state budget of a tax credit for those buying yachts for more than $230,000 or who buy private planes that carry fewer than 20 people. As Ron Deutsch of the Fiscal Policy Institute told The Atlantic magazine this week, “Your average Joe in New York who wants to go out and buy a small 16-foot bass fishing boat for his own personal use will actually pay sales tax. But someone going out and buying a yacht isn’t going to be subject to the same tax.” A tax break on fishing boats and smaller pleasure craft would likely have helped Chautauqua County retailers sell more boats than this giveaway for the very well off. We have been against aggressive minimum wage increases the state has proposed over the past few years, but we are equally against wasting tax money on giveaways for the rich. That money would be better spent on education, infrastructure and economic development initiatives.
Thumbs up to an historic anniversary 75 years in the making. On Thursday, the Robert H. Jackson Center will host United States Attorney William J. Hochul Jr., who will examine the continued relevance of Robert H. Jackson’s 1940 speech, The Federal Prosecutor, one of Jackson’s most significant speeches as the 57th United States Attorney General. Delivered during the second annual Conference of the United States Attorneys, the speech outlined the duties and role of the federal prosecutor and more importantly laid out Jackson’s vision for their ethical and proper conduct. During Jackson’s tenure as Attorney General, he and the Justice Department were principally occupied with national defense matters. Jackson and other Justice Department officials and components provided both formal and informal legal advice and assistance on national defense issues to other government departments. Jackson particularly emphasized restraint in federal prosecution, reining in some of the excesses and publicity-seeking that had preceded his leadership. It’s easy to forget Jackson’s tenure as attorney general when considering the rest of his historic legal career. Remembering the entirety of Jackson’s career and the impact his career can still have on the world today is just another reason why it is so important to have the Robert H. Jackson Center thriving in Jamestown.