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Opinion

Citizenship Is Before Supreme Court

Local Commentaries

The Fourteenth Amendment is back before the U.S. Supreme Court in a way that presents an issue of extraordinary importance. Yet what’s before the court in Trump v. Barbara isn’t one of the clauses that is often before the court. This time it’s the Citizenship Clause: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the (s)tate wherein they reside.” In this action, birth, not naturalization, is at issue. One specific issue is: What does “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” ...

Dream Of Restoration Of Sea Lion Ship Is No More

In Our Opinion

The Sea Lion is no more. The ship has been decommissioned and scrapped after years of work to try to turn the historic sailing ship into a museum at the Henricus Historical Park in Virginia. COVID-19 delayed fundraising for the project and, unfortunately, finished the job that Lake Erie started. There wasn’t enough of the ship left to proceed with a restoration. The news brings more than a touch of sadness for those who lived through the Sea Lion’s story. Some 40 years ago, most south county residents knew of the Sea Lion. They’d drive by its berth on Sea Lion Drive in ...

Comedy Fest Has Roots In Movie Premiere

In Our Opinion

There is genuine excitement each year when the National Comedy Center announces its headliner events for the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival. This year’s announcement of Jerry Seinfeld, Seth Meyers and Bert Kreischer as the 2026 festival headliners was no different. The festival draws thousands into downtown Jamestown in a four-day festival of laughter at venues throughout downtown. This year’s festival, for the record, also includes comedian, writer, producer and Emmy Award-winner Carol Leifer, whose credits include Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Saturday Night Live, Modern Family, ...

City Action Is Clear Sign Of Need For Cheaper Housing

In Our Opinion

The city of Jamestown recently paid more than $30,000 in back taxes for the privilege of taking control of 12 parcels that had been foreclosed upon by Chautauqua County. Why, you may ask, would the city do that? The answer is because the city had little choice. The parcels are located at 60 W. 14th St.; 32 W. 17th St.; two additional parcels on West 17th St.; two parcels on West 15th St.; one parcel on Isabella Ave.; two parcels on Monroe St.; and three parcels on Clinton St. Some of the properties are vacant lots. Other, however, are homes that either have homeless squatters ...

Despite Growths, Work Isn’t Done On Fulton Street

In Our Opinion

It’s encouraging to hear that residents of Fulton Street in Jamestown see conditions on the street improving. No one should have to deal with the types of issues that neighborhood residents have dealt with over the past couple of years. The demolition of some vacant houses has helped, as has increased police patrols in the neighborhood and an increased presence from city officials. It should serve as a lesson to city residents that raising issues with the City Council can help - even if solutions don’t happen overnight. The city’s work isn’t done. Residents say drug sales ...

The Cost Of Blind Trust

Local Commentaries

In the early stages of the pandemic, I wrote a column here about the use of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to treat COVID-19. The pushback from readers was immediate, despite the fact that I had quoted several doctors who had seen success using the protocol in healing critically ill patients. I wrote about a Democrat congresswoman who had begged her doctors to prescribe her ivermectin as she entered a critical phase of the illness, but they refused. Her husband was able to source the ivermectin for her by calling in favors, and within hours she could feel she was on her way to ...