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In Our Opinion

Taxpayers Take A Hit With Proposed Frewsburg Library Tax

The Myers Library in Frewsburg currently receives $30,000 from the town of Carroll and $6,500 from the Frewsburg Central School District. That amount generates 32% of the library’s $113,824 budget. Now, Frewsburg Central School taxpayers are being asked to roughly triple their support of the library through a proposition that will be included on the May school board election and budget vote ballot by approving a yearly $100,000 district-wide tax that will be given to the library. We don’t doubt that the Myers Library provides services enjoyed by some Frewsburg School ...

Learn A Lesson From Cancellation, Revival Of Winter Festival

Reaction was swift last week when the CHQ Chamber canceled the annual Mayville Winter Festival. Concerns over costs for insurance and lack of volunteers made hosting the festival too difficult - until the cancellation sparked a community reaction and renewed community involvement. A full schedule will be released this week, but for now it’s known the festival will take place Feb. 14-16 with a castle and food vendors in Lakeside Park. A planning meeting at 6 p.m. tonight in Mayville will pin down further details on events at both Lakeside Park and the Village Green across from the ...

There Is One Big Unanswered Question About Jamestown Airport

We’re glad to see the public didn’t have to wait long to see the latest study regarding the future of the Chautauqua County Airport at Jamestown. After a public presentation at the Chautauqua County Legislature’s December meeting, however, we’re left asking what the fuss was about. For the short-term, the consultants recommend pursuing a partner airline under the EAS program, focusing on hub connectivity, with other options to restore air service including collaboration with major carriers like American or United for consistent hub services or exploring an ultralow cost ...

So Far, You’re Bearing Brunt Of Homeless Aid

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently released its 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report: Part 1: Point-in-Time Estimates. It’s results aren’t surprising, at least not to those who have been paying attention to what’s been happening in Jamestown over the past year. The annual snapshot of the number of individuals in shelters, temporary housing, and unsheltered settings found more than 770,000 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2024, an 18% increase from 2023. Believe it or not, it’s actually not comforting to know ...

Decision About Weight Loss Drugs Not Easy

Americans elect their leaders on the premise that those individuals will be capable of making the right decisions on difficult, as well as easy, issues. An issue on which members of Congress might have to render a decision, possibly in the early weeks of the new legislative session, is the kind of topic that could generate opposition and trigger anger, no matter how the decision making shakes out. The issue is whether Medicare and Medicaid should pay for popular anti-obesity drugs for many more Americans than those already eligible for that benefit. The Biden administration ...

Legislative Goals For 2024 Are Lacking

It’s good to have goals. In the next few weeks, we’re going to be hearing a lot about our elected officials’ goals in the form of various agenda-setting addresses at the city, county, state and federal levels. The first such effort came from Pierre Chagnon, R-Ellery and chairman of the Chautauqua County Legislature, during last week’s legislature reorganizational meeting. Those goals, honestly, are pretty meh. Chagnon has six goals in mind for the coming year: successful launch of the administrative director for the North Chautauqua County water and sewer districts, support ...