Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down
Thumbs up to Derek Hosier, an Ashville native who recently traveled to Japan to present research at the Asian Congress on Nutrition in Yokohama, Japan. Hosier is an exercise science major at Mount Union University. Presenting at the conference was a lengthy process that involved submitting two research abstracts and then waiting for them to be peer reviewed before creating further literature reviews, graphs and posters. While in Japan, the students were able to listen to presentations by fellow scientists, visit ancient Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Hosier is another local high school graduate excelling. It’s a story we’re happy to share.
Thumbs down to a deceptive state mailer that could cost county taxpayers. The state Department of Motor Vehicles is sending vehicle registration renewals to customers stating they can only renew by mail or online along with the state website address, leading customers to believe they can no longer renew their registration in person. We all know that is not the case given that Chautauqua County has three DMV offices paid for with county tax dollars. They obviously are able to handle vehicle registration renewals. “I don’t know why the state would use such deceptive practices to drive business away from the local office when these offices are needed by the local residents. The best thing we can do is educate people to use their local DMV office, keep their money here and the doors open,” Larry Barmore, county clerk, said last week. This is a money grab, plain and simple, because the state shares pennies with counties when registration renewals are done by mail or online, as opposed to the county keeping the lion’s share of the renewals handled at one of the county’s three DMV offices. Is the state is really that hard up for a few extra dollars?
Thumbs up to trying to involve users in ways to improve services. Diane Crandall, Myers Memorial Library director, recently hosted a meeting at the library to discuss what the library has to offer, what can be found on the library website and ask library users how the library can better meet their needs or improve the programs the library offers. We hope a good number of library users participated and that the directors of more community organizations follow Crandall’s example.
Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down
Thumbs up to a community coming together once again during a time of trouble. At least 15 volunteer fire departments from as far away as Erie County, Pennsylvania, and the Buffalo area came to the aid of north county residents hit by flooding Monday and Tuesday nights. Brocton residents were helped by first responders from Sheridan, east and west Dunkirk, East and West Seneca, Marilla and Lancaster. Many of those departments then went to Silver Creek. Cassadaga volunteer firefighters spent 12 hours directing traffic in a steady downpour to keep people from traveling into harm’s way. And, as our sister paper in Dunkirk notes, the vast majority of those who helped pump out basements, redirect traffic and make sure residents were safe are also volunteers. Thumbs up to all of those volunteers who rush to the aid of others while most of us are running for cover.
Thumbs down to going it alone. The Silver Creek Central School district is looking for a new superintendent and, despite offers from at least one neighboring school district, will not split the position. Board members decided Wednesday to turn down Dunkirk Central School’s offer to share its superintendent. Give credit to Dunkirk for reaching out and to David O’Rourke, Erie-2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES superintendent, for relaying the offer and working with the districts. O’Rourke is right when he says there are other ways for districts to split costs other than sharing superintendents. We have seen success, however, in the sharing of positions in Panama, Clymer and later Sherman that began with Clymer and Panama sharing Superintendent Bert Lictus. It only makes sense to split the cost of what is usually the most costly position on a school district’s payroll and pouring the savings back into the classroom. It’s unfortunate more school districts aren’t exploring that cost-saving option.
Thumbs up to those who either have donated or will donate to help the Fenton History Center replace wooden beams below the steamboat engine that sits on the grounds of the Fenton History Center. Joni Blackman, Fenton History Center director, said the old beams, which had been sitting under the steam engine for more than 15 years, had rotted and needed to be replaced before it was too late. Center officials also were able to re-orient the engine so it correctly lines up with the propeller adjacent to the engine. Of course, all of this work comes at a cost. The city’s Parks Department donated a fallen tree from Allen Park to construct the new beams. Diversified Erection Services was hired to lift the engine while the beams were being replaced and to rotate the engine. Gene Wilston from Diversified Erection Services donated the rigging time, but the cost to use the crane was $740. The center still needs to raise $640 to pay the rest of the cost. Thumbs up to the city and to Wilston for donating their time to help preserve a unique piece of Jamestown history. To do your part, visit fentonhistorycenter.org and go to the “donate click here” button on the top right-hand side of the web page. Checks can be mailed to 67 Washington St., Jamestown, NY 14701.
Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down
Thumbs up to the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts for bringing films to the big screen that many might have missed during their initial run. Coming soon to The Reg are “Love & Mercy,” which dramatizes two points in the life of The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson (July 18 and 22), the action epic “Mad Max: Fury Road” (July 25), the 25th anniversary of “The Hunt for Red October” (July 29) and the Goldie Hawn-Kurt Russell comedy, “Overboard” (Aug. 1). And, fittingly, Reg officials plan to bring baseball movies to the screen during the upcoming 13-year-old Babe Ruth World Series. Film is an important artistic medium that can sometimes be forgotten in arts programming. Kudos to Reg Lenna Center for the Arts officials for bringing some of these pieces of art back to life in the format in which they were originally intended. Tickets for the movie series are $5 each.
Thumbs down to fighting off mixed-martial arts. New York’s Senate voted to legalize mixed martial arts with certain provisions, but the state Assembly blocked the effort. Under the Senate bill, fighters would have to have at least $50,000 coverage in accident insurance for injuries and $1 million for treating potentially fatal brain injuries, and doctors at professional matches would have clear authority to halt them if they think a fighter is in danger of serious physical injury. The sport may be violent, but so are others. The Senate bill contains sufficient safeguards for protection. Many people enjoy watching MMA, and the sport would be an economic stimulant in New York. The Assembly should give its OK to MMA as soon as the chamber meets again.
Thumbs up to the town of North Harmony reaching the halfway point of fundraising for its Veterans Memorial Park. A new billboard was recently installed on the Ashville site to keep the public updated on progress toward the $50,000 project cost, which thus far has been aided by a Chautauqua Region Community Foundation grant and thousands of dollars in private donations. Blair Smoulder, meanwhile, is organizing a fundraiser of his own in which donors can receive one-of-a-kind hybrid daylily’s Smoulder breeds. The donations cost $100 and are tax-deductible. For more information about purchasing a daylilies, call Smoulder at 763-6414. For more information about donating to the veterans park, visit crcfonline.org or call the town of North Harmony at 789-3445.