Time Is Now For Community To Engage With Study

January 12, 2026

We’re sure William Schneider, Panama mayor, has many of the same concerns as the Panama residents he represents when it comes to the proposed fate of the Panama school building as a study of a possible merger of the Panama, Clymer and Sherman school districts begins. But we appreciate Schneider’s comments on the issue during the most recent Panama Village Board meeting. Panama and Clymer have been down this road before, and Schneider’s comments encouraging public participation in the merger study process are words we hope residents of all three communities take to heart. ...

As It Moves Into New Phase, JRC Needs To Find Right Leadership

January 10, 2026

We’ve long thought it was important to have someone whose sole focus is downtown Jamestown. So we’re encouraged by the seeming reinvigoration of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation announced earlier this week by the non-profit’s board after six months of inactivity that began last June. This version of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation is stripped down, notably with no mention of housing and neighborhoods that was part of the JRC’s mission for roughly 15 years before the 2025 shutdown. Also not mentioned is events, which had been part of the group’s mission since ...

Apparent Lack Of Planning Could Be A Problem

January 9, 2026

How do you do regime change without changing the regime? That is the conundrum facing President Trump following his announcement that the United States would run the government of Venezuela “until such time as a proper transition can take place” — date TBD. Coming from a president who has mocked American military occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Trump’s declaration was almost as surprising as the lightening-strike operation itself, which led to the arrest of Venezuela’s autocratic president, Nicholas Maduro, on drug trafficking charges. Set aside for a moment very ...

Focus Should Be On Affordability During Session

January 8, 2026

We appreciate Gov. Kathy Hochul’s stated focus on affordability. We know, as do most New Yorkers, that it isn’t as easy to make ends meet these days as it was 20 years ago. Hochul has focused her affordability agenda on things like wage increases, tax cuts or tax credit expansions, including her most recent push to eliminate state income taxes on up to $25,000 of tipped income in tax year 2026, which follows federal guidance. A recent World Population Review study showed New York’s cost of living index is 148.2, the second highest in the country, with housing costs that are the ...

Maternal Care Undergoing Change In Area

January 7, 2026

UPMC Chautauqua is no stranger to dealing with the closure of neighboring hospitals’ labor and delivery units. First, it was Westfield Memorial Hospital, then Brooks-TLC just a few years ago. Now, Warren General Hospital is closing its labor and delivery unit amid a shortage of OB/GYN physicians. Starting next week, pregnant women will either be sent to UPMC Chautauqua or Erie’s UPMC Hamot or Allegheny Health Network. Given Jamestown is roughly 40 miles closer for Warren residents, we’d be surprised if most of Warren’s roughly 175 births that previously took place in Warren ...

New Restaurant A Chance To Prove Airport’s Vitality

January 6, 2026

County officials have spent the past several years trying to talk up the amount of activity at the Chautauqua County Airport at Jamestown. Those efforts have been part of efforts to both balance the airport operation’s budget and to convince the federal government to reinstate the Essential Air Service subsidy that would allow commercial air service to resume at the airport. We’ve heard about private flights for Cummins, the National Comedy Center, Chautauqua Institution and other area companies. The success of a new restaurant at the airport would say as much about the number ...