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Let Ukraine Be Ukraine

On December 1, 1991, the people of Ukraine voted overwhelmingly 92% to 8% to be an independent country, no longer a part of the Soviet Union (which soon dissolved on December 26, 1991). From December 2, 1991, onwards countries around the world recognized Ukraine as an independent state. For over 30 years the world recognized Ukraine (which had been the second largest Republic in the USSR) as an independent and sovereign nation before Russian President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Putin alleged that Ukraine, in fact, was not a nation but an historic possession ...

Parishioners Work With Holy Spirit

JAMESTOWN—Oh, Happy Day. Or maybe we can—under these special circumstances—take the liberty of putting that another way: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum.” Those are the words—“I announce to you a great joy”—with which a cardinal standing on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City heralds the election of a new pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Such words also apply to the Dec. 6 announcement that Jamestown’s Holy Apostles parish—which includes Saint John Roman Catholic Church and Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church—will not merge into ...

Tax The Rich And Make America Great Again

Zorhan Mamdani proclaims to be a Democratic Socialist. What exactly does that mean? Well, as mayor he wants to provide taxpayer-supported public transit, so people can get around. He wants to provide publicly funded child care, so parents can get to work. He wants to provide public grocery stores, so people can eat. He wants to promote affordable housing, so people have a decent place to live. In short, he wants the government to respond to the needs of the people. My god, he’s terrible! We, the citizens of Jamestown know first hand, the value of public services that put the ...

Facing The Reality Of AI

Though I don’t completely understand it, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. It is the latest permutation in our high-tech world and has taken over the stock market, if not our lives themselves. In a way, AI sort of crept on me. I didn’t think much about it when I began to ask “Siri” to dial a phone number or asked “Alexa” to play Johnny Cash on the radio. But, the development of voice recognition technology should have alerted me to the fact that AI was coming. Now, you can ask your computer or smart phone almost anything and it will get back to you in a ...

Wider Participation Needed In Lake Policy

The September 17, 2025, Post-Journal editorial hit the mark in commenting that the community should “Move cautiously before creating a new lake authority.” The editors noted that improvement may happen by adding more elected officials to the Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance Board. Unfortunately, the new board composition structure flies in the face of best management practices. Due diligence demonstrates that best lake management practices occur when there is diversity of knowledge at the table and no single sector controls decision making. At its October 9, ...

Chautauqua Lake Nightmare Continues

Back in mid-August, the Chautauqua Lake Property Owners Association (CLPOA) submitted an OpEd to the Post-Journal which we titled “Chautauqua Lake’s Absolute Nightmare – Summer 2025 Edition”. The Post-Journal changed the title to “New Approach Needed For Chautauqua Lake” and published it on August 16. Our “Nightmare” title echoed a Buffalo television station’s comment on poor Lake conditions following the July 4 weekend. Poor Chautauqua Lake conditions were broadcast across western New York many times in summer 2025. Unfortunately, the harmful publicity was well ...