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In Our Opinion

Safety net shortfall puts GOP’s stance on reserve fund to test

There was an interesting debate during a recent Chautauqua County Legislature meeting over the county’s ever-escalating safety net program costs. Lawmakers delayed a vote in June on a resolution that would have spent a $2.8 million from the county’s surplus to pay for safety net costs that are coming in much higher than the amounts budgeted for when the legislature approved the 2026 budget. According to the county’s website, Safety Net Assistance is for individuals who are not eligible for other assistance programs. It is a state- and local-funded program for: Single adults; ...

Happy 50th Birthday to the Chautauqua Belle

It’s hard to imagine a time when the Chautauqua Belle wasn’t a fixture on the waters of Chautauqua Lake. But that’s exactly what our reality would be if not for James Webster, the Rochester man who had the vision to bring a paddlewheel steamship to Chautauqua Lake in the early 1970s. Webster collaborated with Capt. Alan Bates, who designed the ship around the same time Bates designed the Natchez, another steamship still in use in New Orleans. For a time, Mayville was marketed as Steamship Village when the Chautauqua Belle was still in its relative infancy, and many still make ...

In Our Opinion

State lawmakers, largely Democrats, want to increase Open Meetings Law and FOIL request training requirements for local government officials. Given the recent altercation in the Chautauqua County records room involving a self-proclaimed First Amendment auditor, the training likely isn't a bad idea. Local public records officials need to be the experts in the room when it comes to releasing records, and too often that isn’t the case. But in our opinion the legislature should also help local governments driven to the point of frustration by bot-driven FOIL requests and local ...

NY Forward grant provides boost for Falconer

The fact that the village of Falconer received a NY Forward grant in the first place is proof that hard work does, indeed pay off. Those who have paid attention over the past couple of years know Falconer officials have done more than simply throw some paperwork in state officials’ ...

Expansion of existing manufacturers is encouraging

Twice in recent weeks we’ve reported that local businesses are looking at possible expansion. The announcement that Jamestown had received money from the EPA to prepare several brownfields for future development included the nugget that three high priority sites - including the former Crawford Furniture site - were the subject of expansion talks by neighboring businesses. Then, county officials said during a recent IDA meeting that there has been interest in the Mason Industrial Park, specifically mentioning expansion from local manufacturers in spaces that include the former Bush ...

CHPE power line failure underscores fragility of power grid

New York’s power grid spent last week in the spotlight as a four-day heat wave brought requests to moderate power usage - including requests by Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s for air conditioners to be set to 78 degrees and for as many electric devices as possible to be used during cooler evening hours. Last week certainly shows the mess that New York’s elected officials and the administrators they have put in charge of day-to-day have made of the state’s power grid. While New York is hardly alone struggling to provide enough electricity for its ...