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In Our Opinion

We Still Haven’t Heard Great Reasons Not To Close Job Corps

Sen. Charles Schumer is continuing his push locally to marshall support for the Job Corps Academy in Cassadaga. We continue to stand behind efforts to increase the use of vocational education for Chautauqua County students. As a county with a shrinking population, we have a strong BOCES program as well as Jamestown Community College and the programs it offers. For all the consternation about the Job Corps’ potential closure, we have yet to hear why the Job Corps is irreplaceable for Chautauqua County residents, nor why there is no alternate way to provide the same services while ...

Good Luck Getting Pandora Back In Her Box

A pair of Democrats in the state Assembly want to place new limits on advertising and promotions by mobile sports betting companies. Phil Steck proposes banning advertising by or on behalf of mobile sports wagering license holders during the broadcast of any live sporting event while Robert Carroll is pushing a bill that includes its own version of a ban on advertising during live sports events by banning advertising between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. and during live sports events. Carroll’s bill also includes a limit on wagers by an individual of $5,000 during a 24-hour period and ...

Comedy Is King Here For A Week. Can It Rule Longer?

The National Comedy Center once again brought in some of the brightest stars in comedy for this year’s Lucille Ball Comedy Festival. Jon Stewart’s appearance comes at a time of immense cultural relevance for the longtime stand-up comedian, film star and part-time host of The Daily Show - a platform that Stewart took to new heights. Bill Murray is a comedy film legend who brought his band to the festival to perform at the Northwest Ice Arena. He was preceded to the stage by Andy Huggins,a longtime comedian who entered the business with greats like Rodney Dangerfield and Woody Allen ...

State Math, ELA Proficiency Gains Are Still Disappointing

The state Education Department says more students are proficient in English language arts and math. Overall, the 2024-25 state assessment data show that proficiency rates of students in third through eighth grades to be 53% in ELA and 55% in math. The proficiency rate of students in fifth and eighth grades on the statewide science test is 44%. It’s better than it was - but nowhere near good enough. At least state officials have stopped trumpeting small gains in proficiency each year. There was a time when even tepid gains in achievement were trumpeted by state Education ...

Fulton Street Remains A Problem With No Easy Solution

Jamestown police officers have been called to Fulton Street 126 times over the first six months of the year. That number has only gone up since the end of June. August’s City Council meeting isn’t the first time Fulton Street residents have come to the council for help and we’re sure it won’t be the last. The fact that police have been called to one area of the city 126 times is ridiculous on many levels. While the city has a role to play in dealing with the continuous calls by Fulton Street residents for help dealing with issues in the neighborhood, this isn’t just a City ...

Swedish Ambassador’s Visit Could Be Start Of Beautiful Relationship

It doesn’t take much to find signs of the Jamestown area’s Scandinavian heritage. There are monthly events at Jamestown Community College, the yearly Scandinavian Folk Festival that brings hundreds of people downtown to celebrate the area’s Swedish roots and, of course, the Swedish flags one sees driving through city neighborhoods. But last week was a bit different. The city played host to Urban Ahlin, Swedish ambassador to the United States. Ahlin toured several sites in the city, including the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, TitanX Engine Cooling, First Lutheran Church and ...