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In Our Opinion

Supreme Court Defends Freedom Of Speech

We are grateful for the Supreme Court’s unanimous verdict in National Rifle Association v. Vullo — a case that cut to the heart of freedom of speech. New York state officials targeted the NRA specifically because they found the NRA’s message objectionable, and pressured private enterprises to “blacklist” or refuse to conduct business with the organization. “Today’s decision confirms that government officials have no business using their regulatory authority to blacklist disfavored political groups,” David Cole of the American Civil Liberties Union, which argued on ...

Fate Of County Offices In City Still Up In The Air

It’s good to see that Chautauqua County has arrived at short-term extensions of leases for its offices in Jamestown. The county’s frustrations with its office locations are understandable, but there were enough questions about a proposal to move the offices to the Chautauqua Mall in Lakewood that keeping the offices located in downtown Jamestown made a lot of sense for now. But those who fought to keep the offices downtown shouldn’t think they’ve won anything but a temporary reprieve. It’s telling that Josh Rothwell, assistant director of Public Facilities for ...

Vandalism In City Could Be Curbed By Deterrence

City officials last week asked for the public’s help addressing an increase in vandalism affecting city parks and public spaces. It’s not a new story, as we noted last week. Vandalism and theft of historical markers were stories in 2024 as well, with additional issues created by homeless encampments - particularly downtown - over the past couple of years. In recent weeks, city staff have responded to numerous destructive incidents including the theft of flowers from decorative planters, vandalism to playground equipment and the deliberate damaging of park infrastructure, ...

JRC Closure Doesn’t Change Much For Development, Housing

The handwriting had been on the wall for the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation since the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization’s board has shrunk over the years, the JRC hasn’t been a consistent advocacy group for quite some time, and public awareness of the organization had shrunk over the past few years from 16 members to 10 members, with three of its board members listed on the JRC’s website being Mayor Kim Ecklund, Crystal Surdyk, city development director, and Ellen Shadle, former city planner. A fourth is a representative of the Gebbie Foundation. Essentially, 40% of the ...

Washington Street Redesign Was Worth The Hassle

In 2020, Washington Street intersections at Third, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth streets accounted for four of the top eight car accident locations in Jamestown. It wasn’t an isolated trend. The 2020 Jamestown Public Safety Department annual report is the first time the city published the number of streets with the most traffic accidents, though we have a feeling the trend that we saw from 2020 through 2022 likely would have held true for quite some time. Four intersections - Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth streets - and the entrance to the Tops parking lot made the list in 2021, while ...

The Third Street Money Pit Shouldn’t Get Another Cash Infusion

What else is there to say about the still non-existent CHQ Transit hub on East Third Street other than ugh. You’ve heard the whole sordid tale already. After being asked to move the CARTS hub from Second Street in front of the National Comedy Center, the county settled on the former Ray Nelson Service Station building on West Third Street. Everything has been downhill ever since. Rather than relitigate the litany of missteps that have led us here, we’re more interested in what happens next. The situation, in a nutshell, is this: the county had secured a little more than $1 ...