Thumbs up to U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for charging ahead in the fight against harmful algal blooms in Chautauqua Lake. Gillibrand is asking members of the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee to authorize a Chautauqua Lake Feasibility Study as part of the Water Resources Development Act. The study would help address environmental and economic damage caused by algal blooms. The feasibility study would allow the Army Corps of Engineers look into the phosphorus runoff which may lead to the formation of harmful algal blooms that impair the water quality in the lake. The Army Corps of Engineers would also look at the flood risk management, ecosystem restoration efforts and address accelerated erosion occurring in tributary streambanks. Studies of Chautauqua Lake are nothing new, so we worry about a possible duplication of effort, but having federal representatives directing money and expertise toward Chautauqua Lake can only be a good thing.

Thumbs down to yet another blow for the area’s retail sector. Bon-Ton Stores Inc. is going out of business, with stores expected to close by Aug. 31. The closure comes on the heels of Sam’s Club shuttering its West Ellicott location and uncertainty about the futures of big box retailers struggling in the face of online competition. Many large retailers with brick-and-mortar operations are scrambling to beef up their online offerings, but many made the move far too late. The result is a loss of local jobs and, if replacements can’t be found, a loss of tax base as the owners of empty buildings start pressuring for lower property assessments.

Thumbs up to “Roger Tory Peterson: The Life, The Work, The Legacy,” the latest exhibit at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. The new Peterson exhibition will feature pieces that are exclusively from RTPI’s archives, featuring never before exhibited original works from the Peterson Collection, along with significant artifacts and memorabilia that will highlight areas of Roger Tory Peterson’s life and work. In addition, there will be items on view from other institutions, such as a military aircraft manual on loan from the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, La. The exhibit opens today, with a wine and cheese reception from 5-7 p.m. Thursday. This exhibit is a wonderful opportunity for area residents who know of Peterson but have never seen his work to gain an appreciation for the wonderful talent the Jamestown native possessed. RTPI is located at 311 Curtis St., Jamestown, and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit rtpi.org or call 665-2473.­­­­­