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In Our Opinion

Illegal Marijuana Sales A Problem With No End In Sight

State Taxation and Finance officials have conducted numerous adult use cannabis inspections in Jamestown and Ellicott. So far, they’ve only cited one business, a smoke shop on East Second Street that state officials found were selling illegal adult-use cannabis. We have no doubt there are more shops selling cannabis illegally. We also have no doubt there is still a thriving black market for marijuana. There are too many people in the Jamestown area using marijuana for the sales to be coming from legal shops that largely don’t exist here yet. Stop us if you’ve heard this ...

Council Requests For Information Show Engagement

Last week, we opined in this space that we’d prefer tough questions about projects be asked before money has been spent, not after. That opinion hasn’t changed. But we are encouraged by the fact that Councilmen Jeff Russell, R-At Large, Bill Reynolds, R-Ward 5, and Regina Brackman, D-Ward 3, are asking for additional information they don’t feel they’re getting. There is already more information about issues coming before the City Council available now than at any time before 2020. Former Mayor Eddie Sundquist deserves credit for that, as does Mayor Kim Ecklund for ...

State’s Climate Chickens Come Home To Roost In City

There are more than a dozen options in the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities’ study of options to retool its district heating system. Three options make the most sense - exiting the district heating business altogether and letting 70 downtown building owners install their own boilers, extending the district heating loop to the BPU’s wastewater treatment plant to Kennedy so it can use heated and treated wastewater as the heat source for district heating or, if test wells are successful, using geothermal wells drilled on BPU property to provide the heat source for district ...

Can Right-Sizing Fire Protection Work Here?

A new fire district in the Mayville area will provide an interesting test case for many rural volunteer fire companies in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties. The Mayville, Hartfield and Dewittville fire departments are likely to have a merger completed by sometime in early July. The new North Lake Fire District will cover most of the town of Chautauqua, except for the area covered by the Chautauqua Fire Department, which covers the Chautauqua Institution and that end of the town, and a small portion covered by the Sherman Fire Department. It’s expected the merger can save money, ...

Legislature Should Increase Penalties For Child Manslaughter Cases

Society cannot prevent the maltreatment of children no matter how hard it tries. Not even a veritable army of Child Protective Services workers would be enough to be able to prevent the abuse inflicted on some children by the adults in their lives. Knowing that we cannot prevent adults from shirking their responsibility to care for the children in their care, we agree with Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, D-Schenectady, that those who cause the death of a child should face a tougher penalty. Last week - only weeks after a Jamestown man allegedly caused the death of an ...

Church Demonstrates Wonderful Generosity – But Let’s Not Stop Giving Yet

If we had them to give, we’d give Sam Ognibene 40,000 thumbs up for his work spearheading an effort that led to 40,000 pounds of food to the St. Susan Center. Ognibene is no stranger to taking part in causes and events that help others, but his efforts to help secure the donation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - of which he is an integral part locally - was made in commemoration of the St. Susan Center’s 40th anniversary and comes at a time when food providers are seeing increased need. We’re not surprised that the St. Susan Center is sharing the donation ...