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Opinion

No Kings Protests Were Universally Peaceful

Local Commentaries

All across the country, huge crowds showed up in big cities and small towns to affirm their commitment to the founding principle that in America, there are, “No Kings.” Here in Jamestown, I joined hundreds of local residents gathered in Dow Park Saturday to express our alarm at the ongoing threats to Democracy posed by Donald Trump. Even though many are feeling great anxiety about the direction of the country, the mood was upbeat. We listened to speeches before lining up along 6th and Washington streets with our handmade signs and funny costumes. The reaction we got from people ...

No Debating Accelerating County Payroll

Editor's Corner

About 16 minutes into the debate for Chautauqua County executive that was sponsored by WRFA-FM in Jamestown last week, challenger Tom Carle began some talking points regarding payroll for the largest government employer that stood out. One, in fact, was a real eye opener. “I’ve actually ...

Speaker Programs Need Diversity Of Thought

Local Commentaries

CHAUTAUQUA—Let’s pick up where we left off last week. Chautauqua Institution began the 2025 season with a hopeful sign that renewed enthusiasm for diversity of thought was in the air. That continued during the 2025 season. ♦♦♦ Meanwhile, an organization annually invites a speaker to Chautauqua Institution. Chautauqua doesn’t select the speaker. The organization does. It’s legally separate from Chautauqua, and its principal location isn’t in Chautauqua. Following the 2023 speaker, this column reviewed the organization’s Chautauqua speakers over the years and ...

Shared Superintendents Need To Be The Norm, Not The Exception

In Our Opinion

The rumors were flying fast and furious in advance of last week’s Bemus Point and Chautauqua Lake school board meetings taking place on opposite shores of Chautauqua Lake. Public meeting notices were pretty clear what would be taking place - one district’s superintendent was leaving, and the school boards were interested in a shared services agreement to share the position. But that didn’t stop the public rumor mill from running rampant that the districts were looking at a tuitioning agreement from Bemus Point to Chautauqua Lake or a complete merger of the districts. Of course, ...

Municipal Water Planning In South County Needs County’s Leadership

In Our Opinion

Southern Chautauqua County has been blessed not to have issues with dependable water like our counterparts in the north county - but that doesn’t mean all is perfect. Using wells and reservoirs mean times like the late summer and early fall drought that finally gave way to some rain this week can be a real pain if you live in a rural area that isn’t served by municipal water. That’s why towns like North Harmony periodically flirt with extending municipal water to populated areas like Ashville or why the town of Ellery is considering extending water service to Bemus Point and ...

Don’t Count On EMS Being A Big Boost For City Budget

In Our Opinion

Almost a year ago, we raised doubts about Jamestown’s EMS program meeting its projected revenue goals. It turns out those doubts were well-founded. Mayor Kim Ecklund’s 2026 budget proposal notes that the second city ambulance still isn’t reaching the original 2024 revenue projections. It’s the second year in a row that ambulance revenue has left a hole in the budget. Its late delivery in 2024 meant the city had no chance to meet ambulance revenue included in former Mayor Eddie Sundquist’s last budget. And, the same trends that led the village of Fredonia’s EMS system ...