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In Our Opinion

County Can’t Solve SNAP Problem, But It Can Help

The federal government shutdown certainly caught counties with their pants down. It’s not as if there was no warning that SNAP benefits could be delayed when the calendar turned from October to November. It had been a topic in newspapers, on television news and amongst those who receive SNAP benefits for weeks. Decision makers knew the possibilities, but they didn’t think the shutdown would last this long. Frankly, no one did. There’s never been a federal government shutdown that has lasted this long. That means we are dealing with an extraordinary circumstance for which there ...

Area Races Have Impact On Region

Tomorrow is Election Day. While there are hundreds of county residents who have taken part in either early voting or cast an absentee ballot, Tuesday is the day when the majority of local residents will go to the polls to cast their ballot for town, city and county offices. Precisely because no federal or state offices are on the ballot this year, today’s election affects you more directly in your day to day existence than any other. These are the levels of government that provide the services that affect you every single day in one way or another through things like police and ...

Elect County Legislators Who Represent You, Not Their Party

There aren’t enough contested races countywide to change control of the Chautauqua County Legislature. But Jamestown voters can vote on Tuesday to change the way the legislature relates to its two biggest cities. It’s a change that, in our opinion, is much needed. We noted a couple of weeks ago that Mayor Kim Ecklund needed to take a page out of former Republican County Executive Vince Horrigan’s playbook by finding a revenue boost to stabilize the city budget while putting together a growth formula. Horrigan looked to New York state to increase the county’s sales tax. ...

In A Strong Field, Gonzalez, Bonfiglio And Daversa Are Best At-Large Choices

There are five candidates for three at-large positions on the City Council when voters go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 4. Incumbents Russell Bonfiglio and Randy Daversa, both Republicans, are joined by three newcomers: Republican Michael Zanghi and Democrats Daniel Gonzalez and Jeremy Engquist. Bonfiglio has quickly proven himself to be a no-nonsense voice on the council while Daversa has handled well his position as chairman of the council’s Public Works Committee. In our view Bonfiglio and Daversa should return to the council. Each of the three newcomers bring an interesting ...

Jaroszynski Would Bring A Different View To City Council

Voters for the City Council’s Ward 5 seat have candidates with very different skills to choose from when replacing incumbent Bill Reynolds. Dan Hickman, the endorsed Republican, has spent the past nearly 10 years working with the Small Business Development Center at Jamestown Community College, and Hannah Jaroszynski, a licensed mental health counselor whose father is the mayor of Falconer and whose mother is a judge in the town of Ellicott. Both have skills that could be useful on the council. Hickman has a background in small business development, something that could be ...

Ward 4 Residents Face A Difficult Choice Between Paterniti, Scotchmer

It’s almost too bad there can be only one City Council representative from Ward 4. Joe Paterniti, the incumbent Republican, has been a fresh voice the past two years on the council, bringing with him private sector experience, a willingness to speak up on behalf of those who have come to him with issues and, most importantly, common sense that is all too often lacking from our elected representatives. Doug Scotchmer, the endorsed Democrat, is a newcomer to elected politics but no stranger to residents of Ward 4 as is the husband of former Ward 4 councilwoman Marie Carrubba. While ...