Breaking News

Local Commentaries

Three feet can make all the difference

Every day, people in Chautauqua County share our roads. Most of us do so behind the wheel of a car or truck, but many of our neighbors travel by bicycle—for exercise, recreation, transportation, or simply because they enjoy riding. When a bicycle and a motor vehicle meet on the road, there is an obvious difference in size and weight. A moment of inattention or a vehicle passing too closely can have devastating consequences for the person on the bicycle. That is why I am proposing a local law requiring motorists to allow at least three feet of space when passing a bicyclist. New ...

Dunkirk Battery Energy Storage project is another scam

The average cost of residential electricity in New York is 29 cents to 31 cents per kilowatt hour. The average in Chautauqua County is 22 cents to 24 cents per kilowatt hour. In Pennsylvania residential electricity costs 13 cents per kilowatt hour. Why do New York residents pay so much more? A recent article in the Post Journal provided clues. It was titled “Blistering temps take toll on state grid” It cited the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) dashboard indicator regarding how electricity is made in NY. It said total NY electricity produced by ...

Democrats keep moving left

CHAUTAUQUA—The framers of the Constitution didn’t envision political parties. Yet small-r republican government often leads to forming alliances and, by extension, political parties. In the United States, establishing the Electoral College in effect secured a system with two major ...

A challenging year in grape country

Alarm bells went off earlier this year, when Refresco Company announced that it was cancelling grape contracts in this area. It had been a large purchaser of Concord grapes here in Chautauqua County. I have not been privy to the decision of Refresco but am assuming that at least part of its decision was based upon the fact that grape processing was a small part of its overall international operations, and corporate big-wigs decided to focus company efforts more on its core businesses. Whatever the reason, it left some grape growers without an immediate market for their grapes. For ...

A Provoking Thought: We All Have a Choice

It is scientifically proven that positive words light up the front part of the brain which help people think clearly, solve problems, and make good choices. Whereas negative words put up a wall of defensiveness triggering a chemical response in the brain which impairs logical reasoning. This brings to question, why would we think we can reason and/or change the viewpoints of others through negativity, which according to science impairs logical thinking? Simply put, we can’t, which is evident throughout our current society. The Bible says, show me your faith without works and I ...

State must invest in alcohol addiction programs

Dear Senator, Assembly Member, and Elected Officials Representing Jamestown and Chautauqua County: My name is Erin Himes, and I am a resident of Jamestown, New York. I am writing to ask for your leadership in addressing a heartbreaking issue that affects many families in our community: the continued sale of alcohol to individuals suffering from severe alcohol use disorder, even when they are clearly experiencing life-threatening medical complications. Alcoholism is not simply a matter of poor choices—it is a serious medical disease. Families across Chautauqua County watch loved ...