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Opinion

Addressing Tuition Costs Should Be A Top Priority

In Our Opinion

Though a well-trained, well-educated and skilled workforce is more important than ever, students seeking a higher education to prepare them for their careers are having a harder time being able to afford it. Sure, many people still believe having a college degree will translate to higher earnings, but students are increasingly challenged to decide whether the expense of that education (or the long-term debt they may incur) is worth the risk. According to WalletHub, the cost of attending a four-year public college has risen by an average of 30% over the past 20 years. And that cost eats ...

Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Clause

In Our Opinion

In September 1897, 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon asked a now-famous question in a letter to the New York Sun. Is there a Santa Claus? Not only did the letter make young Virginia O’Hanlon a celebrity, but it prompted one of the famous newspaper editorials ever written with an answer to O’Hanlon’s question. It is reprinted today, a tradition our sister paper in Warren, Ohio, takes part in each year in part, the editorial page said, because it’s entirely possible that no one has answered the question better, nor has anyone better described the spirit of Christmas. The ...

Director’s Request Is Valid, Though Not Possible

In Our Opinion

We have a feeling many city residents agree with the city development director’s standing request to hire six to eight more code enforcement officers. Frankly, we can’t disagree with Crystal Surdyk’s request either. But we know just as well as Surdyk does that more code enforcement officers aren’t walking in the Development Department’s doors anytime soon, just as the additional police officers that are continually part of every Jamestown police chief’s budget request for the past three decades aren’t on the way anytime soon either. It would help, we note, if the city ...

Complaints About Homeless Street Outreach Are Concerning

In Our Opinion

Over the past few years, one of the constant issues expressed by both the homeless and by advocates is the lack of street outreach to the homeless. That complaint came up again in November during the county Homeless Coalition meeting. Amanda Straight, Chautauqua Opportunities Inc. housing and community development director, said it had been brought to the coalition’s attention that street outreach is a problem, again, throughout the county. While the county does have some street outreach funding through the Safe Point Lighthouse Outpatient Clinic in Dunkirk, there is no Continuum of ...

Lake Groups Must Show Cohesiveness Of Their Efforts

In Our Opinion

The Lakewood Village Board has declined - again - to support the Chautauqua Lake Management Plan written by Dr. Rob Richardson of North Carolina State University. At this point, no one should hold out any hope of the North Carolina State University plan, no matter Richardson’s qualifications. The plan has been publicly available, publicly debated and, at this point, largely publicly ignored for more than a year. That’s unfortunate. In our view Richardson’s plan is the sort of action plan that could have been a point of coalescence for Chautauqua Lake maintenance activities. ...

It’s All About Faith

Local Commentaries

As we come to the end of the third week (or six months, if you started in July) of this Christmas Season, and the near end of the Celebration of the eight nights of Hanukkah, and the upcoming arrival of Kwanzaa, many can reflect on the meanings of these special days, weeks, and seasons. During people’s preparation of these times, people often focus on their impact on their religions (if we practice religion), and/or culture (if we honor the heritage and beliefs of Africa), as they relearn and enjoy the meanings of the stories, customs, and traditions of St. Nicholas, Immaculate ...