Thumbs up to Chautauqua County Clerk Larry Barmore. Recently, Barmore approached county legislators about a waiver for stores that have passed one scanner accuracy price inspections, which involve scanning a minimum of 100 items. Barmore said more advanced computer systems in stores made a second inspection unnecessary. Stores will now be able to pay for a waiver and have only one inspection a year. In addition to not wasting time for store employees to go through the pricing check twice a year, doing fewer inspections means the county Weights and Measures Department employees can conduct other duties. This is good both for business owners who no longer have to undergo redundant testing twice a year and for taxpayers, who will get more productivity from county employees.

Thumbs down to the continued reach of hackers and identity theft. The latest example is at least 600 people locally who have had to get new debit cards after a data breach at Kmart. In a statement released May 31, Gareth Glynne, senior vice president of retail operations for Sears and Kmart, said the breach was the result of a “malicious code” undetectable by current anti-virus systems. Glynne said Kmart stores were EMV “Chip and Pin” technology-enabled during the time the breach occurred and that exposure to cardholder data that can be used to create counterfeit cards should have been limited. While we hope that is the case, this most-recent breach is another reminder that everyone must be vigilant in this day and age to be wary of their personal information. Hackers seem to stay one step ahead of every new form of protection offered by stores and banks.

Thumbs up to everyone who has stopped outside 1113 N. Main St. to purchase lemonade that will help the family of 5-year-old Bennit Derby of Jamestown as he undergoes a kidney transplant. The Post-Journal told Bennit’s story last August. When Bennit was one year old, he was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome. With the mounting costs of transportation, medical costs and the time his parents need to take off work, the Derby family has spent the better part of a year trying to raise money, first with a GoFundMe page and now with the lemonade stand. Bennit is scheduled for surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, but has been making weekly trips to Women and Children’s Hospital in Buffalo and twice monthly visits to Mount Sinai Hospital. Bennit will be in New York City for three months as he recovers. With summer weather here, this is as good a time as any to make a quick stop on North Main Street for some lemonade or popsicles for a good cause. The stand is operated daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.