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A challenging year in grape country

Alarm bells went off earlier this year, when Refresco Company announced that it was cancelling grape contracts in this area. It had been a large purchaser of Concord grapes here in Chautauqua County. I have not been privy to the decision of Refresco but am assuming that at least part of its decision was based upon the fact that grape processing was a small part of its overall international operations, and corporate big-wigs decided to focus company efforts more on its core businesses. Whatever the reason, it left some grape growers without an immediate market for their grapes. For ...

A Provoking Thought: We All Have a Choice

It is scientifically proven that positive words light up the front part of the brain which help people think clearly, solve problems, and make good choices. Whereas negative words put up a wall of defensiveness triggering a chemical response in the brain which impairs logical reasoning. This brings to question, why would we think we can reason and/or change the viewpoints of others through negativity, which according to science impairs logical thinking? Simply put, we can’t, which is evident throughout our current society. The Bible says, show me your faith without works and I ...

State must invest in alcohol addiction programs

Dear Senator, Assembly Member, and Elected Officials Representing Jamestown and Chautauqua County: My name is Erin Himes, and I am a resident of Jamestown, New York. I am writing to ask for your leadership in addressing a heartbreaking issue that affects many families in our community: the continued sale of alcohol to individuals suffering from severe alcohol use disorder, even when they are clearly experiencing life-threatening medical complications. Alcoholism is not simply a matter of poor choices—it is a serious medical disease. Families across Chautauqua County watch loved ...

Rebutting ‘America’s Sketchiest City’ video

I would like to respond to the local video recently produced claiming Jamestown is best known for its massive drug problem, high crime rate, and decaying infrastructure. The title states “Jamestown, America’s Sketchiest City”. If that didn’t give a clue as to the direction, or more importantly, the objective of the video, I don’t know what would. There are 19,460 cities in America (did my homework- more on that to follow). The number of cities depends on definition but you get my drift. It is quite apparent the lead was for the purpose of earning “clicks” on YouTube, ...

Dunkirk Battery Energy Storage project is another scam

The average cost of residential electricity in New York is 29 cents to 31 cents per kilowatt hour. The average in Chautauqua County is 22 cents to 24 cents per kilowatt hour. In Pennsylvania residential electricity costs 13 cents per kilowatt hour. Why do New York residents pay so much more? A recent article in the Post Journal provided clues. It was titled “Blistering temps take toll on state grid” It cited the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) dashboard indicator regarding how electricity is made in NY. It said total NY electricity produced by ...

Reagan movie is superbly made, worth seeing

CHAUTAUQUA—After seven decades of tyranny, the Soviet Union and its empire collapsed due in no small measure to the efforts of two former actors and a grocer’s daughter. One actor—named Karol Wojtyla—grew up in Wadowice, Poland, and later moved to Krakow, where he eventually became a Roman Catholic priest, bishop, archbishop, and cardinal. The other actor—nicknamed Dutch—was born in Tampico, Illinois, grew up in nearby Dixon, and became a sports announcer at WOC in Davenport, Iowa, and WHO in Des Moines before moving on to acting. The two, of course, are John Paul II, ...