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The continuing importance of public education

Recently, a friend gave me a book, “Sketches of the History of Chautauque County” written by Emory F. Warren and published in 1846. It traces the earliest history of our county including the establishment of school districts. Each school constituted a district. In 1835 the New York state Legislature passed a law to provide funding for books in school libraries around the state. “School District Libraries have thus become objects of profit and a just pride to all,” wrote Mr. Warren. “The choicest productions in literature and science are placed in the hands of every person who ...

Don’t abolish the commission without a plan

I am pleased that members of the Jamestown City Council’s Public Safety Committee recently tabled consideration of Mayor Kim Ecklund’s proposed local law to abolish the City’s Strategic Planning and Partnerships Commission. While the commission has been inactive since early 2020, that lack of activity should prompt a serious discussion about its purpose, effectiveness, and future before any decision is made to eliminate it. Established in 1996, the Commission was created to develop and recommend strategic initiatives, establish community-wide goals, and help address issues ...

We need a new generation of community leaders

From an early age, my father taught me the importance of giving back. As a postman in our city for nearly 30 years, he saw the needs of our community that often went unnoticed—from seniors living in isolation to families waiting for housing support. He taught my brother and I that community isn’t something we simply live in; it’s something we help build. One of my earliest memories is accompanying my dad alongside an older gentleman he had befriended while delivering mail to Heritage Village. The man had no family in the area, no real connections outside of the group home he ...

Maintaining republic requires understanding its founding

CHAUTAUQUA - Let’s pick up where we left off 23 weeks ago, with a speech by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at the University of Texas. Progressivism is a form of statism more commonly known in the United States as liberalism. Thomas explained that “progressivism”—the ...

The bridge is in a race with winter

It looks to me like construction activity has been increasing on the Chautauqua Lake Bridge as winter begins to close in. Will the DOT be able to beat winter and finish the two lanes on the southside before the construction season ends? I would say that the chances are “fifty-fifty,” yet, let’s hope that it can be done. The pouring of new concrete decking has been accelerating. There are now two concrete leveling machines in view on the bridge so that two sections of new deck can be laid at the same time. Instead of being continuous, some of the new deck sections are being ...

A proposal for downtown parking

I read with interest the recent coverage of the parking meter complaints being raised before City Council, particularly Councilman Bonfiglio's reference to a "yelling match in front of Pace's." Before anything else, I want to thank Councilman Bonfiglio for continuing to raise this issue and for the support he has shown Pace's throughout this entire situation. His willingness to bring this before the Council, more than once now, has not gone unnoticed, and we are grateful to have him championing this on our behalf. I also want to say, outside of this particular parking issue, that the ...