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Opinion

Court Annuls DEC’s Wetlands Regs

Local Commentaries

Let’s pick up where we left off on Labor Day weekend 2025. In the court battle over New York’s new wetlands law, Round 1 goes to the challengers. Bravo. * * * You, faithful reader of this column, will recall how devastating the law can be for Chautauqua County, particularly because ...

No Easy Way Out For Struggling Entities

Editor's Corner

Addressing Dunkirk’s Common Council last month, Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel offered insight into what could be the start of something big. With officials from four north county municipalities at the table — including the city, village of Fredonia and towns of Dunkirk and Pomfret ...

DEC’s Focus On Algal Blooms Is Welcomed

In Our Opinion

There was a lot of optimism in 2018 when Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced state support for projects to help local governments deal with harmful algal blooms. The announcement came with a flurry of activity - an online HAB map, four community forums in communities that had been affected by ...

No Reason To Vet Rural Suicide Prevention Bill

In Our Opinion

In 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed legislation that would have created a Rural Suicide Prevention Council to address increasing rates of suicide in rural counties. The reason for the veto, you may ask? Money and concerns about duplication. Those were unconvincing reasons in 2024. If the ...

Mayor Moves Quickly In Hiring New Police Chief

In Our Opinion

Quickly, quietly, Mayor Kim Ecklund has named a new Jamestown police chief. What a difference from the last time the city hired a police chief. For those who have forgotten, after the retirement of former chief Harry Snellings, the city cast a wide net to find a replacement. Candidates were ...

Blakeman Paid Hefty Price For Campaign Rhetoric

In Our Opinion

Democrats spend so much time blustering about fair elections, we had assumed they actually believed in the concept. They proved last week they do not. On Tuesday, the state’s Public Campaign Finance Board chose to deny the application filed by Bruce Blakeman, Republican candidate for ...