DEMOCRATS Party missed having an open process

July 26, 2024

For a brief moment on Sunday following President Joe Biden’s announcement that he would not seek re-election in November, Sen. Joe Manchin considered switching parties back to Democrat to explore running for office. That changed a short while later as support coalesced around Vice President Kamala Harris, but don’t expect Manchin, I-W.Va., to sit on the sidelines and simply toe the line for any nominee the Democrats put forth. “I am not running for office,” Manchin said Monday on CBS, comments he reiterated several times through the day. What Manchin said he would like to see ...

DUNKIRK: Breakwater work a need near harbor

July 25, 2024

Lake Erie can be treacherous once the winds begin whipping. Besides damaging the Lake Front Boulevard breakwall, it can hammer boats and shorelines. It is why Monday’s announcement by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer and U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy that Dunkirk Harbor improvements for the breakwater totaling more than $7.5 million are so welcoming. Work is planned to take place over the course of two construction seasons, with completion in 2025. “Dunkirk Harbor is a critical component of the Great Lakes Navigation System, supporting economic growth in the local economy,” said Lt. Col. ...

DUNKIRK: Going backward won’t fix finances

July 24, 2024

County lawmakers will vote today on a resolution requested by County Executive PJ Wendel asking the state Attorney General’s office to investigate Dunkirk’s budget process, audit and applicable financial documents for the city from 2014 through 2024. “At the end of the day, we just need to make sure that if there’s any engagement from the county, we need to know exactly what has happened and how did they get into this position,” Wendel said recently. We’re not sure we agree. Yes, the county needs to make sure county taxpayer money isn’t wasted. And the county ...

TRAINING CAMP New year has start near Rochester

July 23, 2024

Some big changes will emerge starting Wednesday when the Buffalo Bills open training camp at St. John Fisher University outside of Rochester on Wednesday. We cannot help but be sentimental that the summers were once at the State University of New York at Fredonia, especially during the real four Super Bowl glory years of the early 1990s. Does this version have the ability to get back to the big game? The last four division championships have ended for all fans too early, especially with the last three in the divisional round. Though most of the summer camp focuses on the young ...

Havoc: State feeling weather’s wrath

July 22, 2024

We thought we had seen the destructive power of Mother Nature when a tornado ripped through Arkwright and Hanover a couple of weeks ago. Winds reached 110 miles an hour, but damage was largely limited to minor roof and tree damage along Henry Road in Arkwright; tree damage along Putnam, Zahm, and Bradigah Roads; and significant roofing damage on Gage Road. The damage is life-changing for those whose homes were damaged by the tornados. But it could have been worse for Chautauqua County. Tornados could have ripped through a major downtown area as they did in Rome last week. Barely a ...

Let us not forget we are Americans

July 19, 2024

In the moments following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump Saturday, there was horror and confusion. Trump emerged defiant from the pile of Secret Service members who rushed to protect him, but as the nation breathed a sigh of relief we learned the attack had, indeed, been deadly. Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief who was attending the Butler, Pa., rally with his family, had dived in front of his wife and daughter to protect them from the bullets. He died for them. Meanwhile, Trump was able to let the nation know he was injured but “fine” after the ...