Breaking News

In Our Opinion

In Our Opinion

Chautauqua Lake has seen its share of potential invasive species over the past couple of decades. We had a close scare with the water chestnut, an aggressive aquatic plant that was most primarily concentrated in the Chadakoin River outlet and nearby waterways like the Audubon Community Nature Center's big pond. Chautauqua Lake was largely spared the worst. Hydrilla has been found in nearby water bodies, but not in Chautauqua Lake so far despite warnings dating back to at least 2013 that the invasive plant is spreading. Luck hasn't been quite as good with starry stonewort, though ...

The post-commercial air service future is here for county

It should come as no surprise to anyone except the most ardent supporters of the Jamestown Airport that the federal government has once again declined to restore the airport’s Essential Air Service subsidy. We noted last year that the number of passengers had decreased in the latest Essential Air Service proposal while the amount of the federal government’s subsidy was projected to increase. That was hardly the best way to show the federal government that there was so much pent-up demand locally that the Jamestown airport would be able to average 10 passengers per flight and a ...

City housing problem is driven by an economy problem

It is little secret that affordable housing in Jamestown is a problem, though in recent years the affordable housing crunch has shown up most publicly in the number of people being housed in hotels and motels throughout the county. So it is little surprise why documentary photographer Karen Lippowiths would want to spend time in the city as part of her newest project, Extended Stay. Work on the exhibit will cross 13 states and 30 cities across Appalachia, from New York to Mississippi, starting earlier this week with a two-day stop in Jamestown. The project will document what ...

Safety net shortfall puts GOP’s stance on reserve fund to test

There was an interesting debate during a recent Chautauqua County Legislature meeting over the county’s ever-escalating safety net program costs. Lawmakers delayed a vote in June on a resolution that would have spent a $2.8 million from the county’s surplus to pay for safety net costs that are coming in much higher than the amounts budgeted for when the legislature approved the 2026 budget. According to the county’s website, Safety Net Assistance is for individuals who are not eligible for other assistance programs. It is a state- and local-funded program for: Single adults; ...

Happy 50th Birthday to the Chautauqua Belle

It’s hard to imagine a time when the Chautauqua Belle wasn’t a fixture on the waters of Chautauqua Lake. But that’s exactly what our reality would be if not for James Webster, the Rochester man who had the vision to bring a paddlewheel steamship to Chautauqua Lake in the early 1970s. Webster collaborated with Capt. Alan Bates, who designed the ship around the same time Bates designed the Natchez, another steamship still in use in New Orleans. For a time, Mayville was marketed as Steamship Village when the Chautauqua Belle was still in its relative infancy, and many still make ...

In Our Opinion

State lawmakers, largely Democrats, want to increase Open Meetings Law and FOIL request training requirements for local government officials. Given the recent altercation in the Chautauqua County records room involving a self-proclaimed First Amendment auditor, the training likely isn't a bad idea. Local public records officials need to be the experts in the room when it comes to releasing records, and too often that isn’t the case. But in our opinion the legislature should also help local governments driven to the point of frustration by bot-driven FOIL requests and local ...