Here are some of the best and worst - of the week:
BEST
OUTLET PROPOSAL - Granted, it's in the very early stages, and the proposal came as part of a political announcement, but idea of constructing a large outlet mall in Hanover by the Seneca Nation of Indians is intriguing. The Senecas have found success in Salamanca - hardly a tourism mecca with their casinos and now they're eyeing developing 108-acre site just off Exit 58 in the town of Hanover. The proposal calls for the construction of a 400,000 square foot outlet mall, and could mean 250 construction jobs to start with and another 750 full- and part-time jobs when completed. Should the proposal come to fruition, it would mean not only jobs locally in Northern Chautauqua County, but also a new place to draw tourists. We'll see what the future holds, but so far it certainly sounds positive.
ARCH REPAIRS - It sure is strange to look at downtown Brocton and not see its signature arches. The arches were taken down this week for refurbishing. They'll be back up in time for Portland's 200th anniversary celebration next spring. We applaud all those involved in supporting the project, especially financially, so the work didn't just fall on taxpayers' shoulders.
SPORTS TAKE ON CANCER - We love sports because it's fun and competitive; but ultimately the games are just that - games. Fighting things like cancer changes lives. That's why we want to applaud all the area high school sporting events trying to raise awareness of cancer. This past week, Forestville and Silver Creek girls volleyball teamed up for the annual Spiking Out Cancer. The week before, the Lady Hillbillies "pinked" the soccer field as they played a special game in honor of their coach Cathy Cruver, a cancer survivor. These sporting events help us all to remember there's a bigger battle brewing than just hometown rivalries.
WORST
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS - Why is it that the Fredonia Village Board held multiple executive sessions before officials announced the village owed $99,000 to the city of Dunkirk for water purchases? How is this an "executive session" item? If they were determining the fate of the water treatment plant operator, perhaps that could fall into the "personnel" category, but the bill itself should not have been discussed privately. It's obvious Fredonia was embarrassed by the situation and wanted to get its "ducks in a row" before telling the public what happened. But that's not how open government works.
