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The importance of public water systems

This past week marked a big event at our house—we were finally connected to the public sewer system that has just been completed along the west side of Chautauqua Lake. When it happened, it was really a “non-event.” The toilet flushed the same way, the drains in the sink were no different than before—yet, we knew that our wastewater was now going to a better place—the public sewage treatment plant in Celoron. Actually, I think that I slept better that night, knowing that this 10-year odyssey of getting sewers up the lake had finally come to a successful conclusion at our ...

Spending hikes prove county’s growing footprint

Chautauqua County's government spending has steadily increased every single year since 2020, and the 6.5% spike for 2027 is a stark departure from the smaller, incremental increases of prior years. The year-over-year spending reality includes: — 2020, $263 million — baseline when Executive PJ Wendel took office. — 2025, continued multi-million dollar incremental growth. — 2026, $309.7 million. — 2027, $330 million — an abrupt, massive $20.3 million single year spike. Despite blaming external economic pressures like unfunded state mandates, the Legislature has not ...

Something smells funny at Sugar Hill in Portland

Something doesn’t smell right in the Town of Portland, and it isn’t coming from the grape vineyards. Apparently, someone wants to build an artificial intelligence data center on 44 acres of Lake Erie waterfront property at the former Sugar Hill Golf Course. And the Portland Town Board, in what appears to be a remarkable display of enthusiasm for a project nobody seems to know much about, voted unanimously to express its general approval. My first question isn’t even about the company behind the proposal. It’s about the idea itself. Who looks at Portland, with Lake Erie ...

Golden days of Dunkirk are long lost

I am looking at all of Dunkirk’s problems, including the current mayor and her support staff, the Democratic leadership, and the deep despair of a city that appears to have lost its way. I grew up in a community surrounded by neighborhoods and churches, corner stores, a thriving downtown, and factories that provided blue-collar families with jobs and hope for the future. Today, I see a city struggling with desperation and decline. The delicate fabric of our community is being erased and forgotten. Neighborhoods where scores of children once played outside, participated in playground ...

State’s current path is familiar — and crippling

We do not need a crystal ball to see the future of New York state if things don’t change soon. Merely observe what has happened in places with similar policies. England is a Leftist economic disaster, and so is France, but let’s look at Germany. Germany was Europe’s industrial heartland. It was a world leader in technology and engineering. It anchored the European economy since World War II. But Germany is now crippled by a bloated and self-defeating Welfare State and irrational Green Energy policies. Their industry is leaving, their economy is retracting, and young Germans ...

State’s current path is familiar — and crippling

We do not need a crystal ball to see the future of New York state if things don’t change soon. Merely observe what has happened in places with similar policies. England is a Leftist economic disaster, and so is France, but let’s look at Germany. Germany was Europe’s industrial heartland. It was a world leader in technology and engineering. It anchored the European economy since World War II. But Germany is now crippled by a bloated and self-defeating Welfare State and irrational Green Energy policies. Their industry is leaving, their economy is retracting, and young Germans ...