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Sink Them All Into The High Seas

Local Commentaries

For decades, illegal drugs from all over the world—and particularly from Central and South America—have come into the United States. As decades have passed, illegal drugs have become more and more lethal. The drug trade is no mere set of commercial transactions. It is no mere set of illegal commercial transactions. It is a criminal enterprise. Yet it’s more than a mere criminal enterprise. This is an invasion of the United States of America, an invasion that has taken more lives than this country lost in any of its wars. Correction: In any of its other wars. It is ...

Historic State Miscues Drive Seneca Ire

Editor's Corner

Signs of discontent have been evident for years along Interstate 90 east of the Silver Creek and Irving exit. Once motorists enter Seneca Nation of Indian territory, a billboard expresses its disdain for New York state. “A fee is assessed for all vehicles traveling through Seneca ...

Mural Projects Are Putting Cart Before The Horse

In Our Opinion

Jamestown officials are applying for a portion of the county’s 3% occupancy tax for a project to install a mural on the east side of the Washington Street Bridge on Harrison Street. A week ago we noted there was opposition to a county-backed program to install four murals in Falconer, Dunkirk, Sherman and Westfield through the Paint CHQ program. Legislator Fred Larson of Jamestown disagreed with the mural program moving forward with outside funding after county legislators tabled the program, a sign legislators didn’t want to spend any county money on the project. We agree with ...

Lighting Under The Viaduct Should Be Top On The List

In Our Opinion

Like a bad penny, the idea of a public parklet underneath the North Main Street railroad viaduct keeps finding its way onto City Council agendas. City officials are asking for the council’s approval to apply for a grant to go along with money the city has already received. The city is looking for $100,000 to go along with $143,000 in BPU/CCPEG/HUD funding and $67,175 in ARPA funding. The first phase, which is lighting on the site, is the first priority for the project. Improving lighting in the area makes a lot of sense for public safety. Of course, the best thing for public safety ...

A Third Strike For Gus Macker In Jamestown

In Our Opinion

The news that Collaborative Children’s Solutions needs to take a two-year pause from hosting the Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament is disappointing for some, but shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. We’ve been doing this particular dance with Gus Macker since The Resource Center decided years ago to start its own tournament rather than host the Gus Macker tournament because the costs were simply too high. The Post-Journal, Warren Times Observer and Dunkirk OBSERVER had the same experience. Now, Pat Smeraldo is having the same experience. The Macker is a fun event for ...

Taking Another Excuse To Avoid Shared Services

In Our Opinion

There’s a lot to County Executive PJ Wendel’s 2026 budget that should sound familiar to county residents. The county needs more money. It needs to increase the amount it’s taking from taxpayers even as the tax rate goes down by a nickel. We’ll spare you financial gloom and doom speech about what happens when property values stop going up every year and those low tax rates no longer support the county government’s appetite for new revenue. We’ve sounded that alarm enough over the years. Just remember that eventually the bubble will burst. There’s a lot to unpack in ...