Local Columnists

We agree with Gov. Andrew Cuomo on the importance of making higher education more affordable, notably for students from families of more limited econo...

I recently stumbled on a curious publication. Housed in the archives of Alfred University and dated October 1876, the document — The Alfred Student — ...

It’s probably been true of any age. Change can bring improvement, especially with technology, but also results that people did not necessarily expect....

I was helping a friend last week and was swinging an old, heavy-headed hammer with a handle about a yard long. It was so heavy I couldn’t swing it muc...

One of the first things we were taught as children, even in my generation, was, “Don’t talk to strangers.” In today’s society, sadly, such warning has...

My first drive up the Southern Tier Expressway is permanently painted in my mind’s eye. It was early March, so it wasn’t quite as green as it can get....

I’m a little ashamed of myself. When I read about village elections throughout our region, I’m sorry to say I wasn’t even aware that an election was c...

“For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of stars makes me dream.” — Vincent van Gogh. Stars don’t make me dream as much as they...

Many good things have taken place in Salamanca in the past few months, starting with the presence of Seneca Nation tribal councilors at the city’s swe...

I wish I could share that my wildlife woes were over — but I guess they are not. Several kind readers shared various remedies for deterring skunks and...

The year, I recall, was 1992. The sense of place is vivid still. My wife, Caroline, and I had stopped for lunch at a taverna in Kardamyli, a seaside s...

Western New York continues to attract new businesses, both large and small, to set up shop in the region. We are the largest economy in New York state...

A Facebook friend and I have been discussing America’s future in light of the tone of our times. It’s easy to predict nothing but gloom. Washington la...

When I taught introductory newswriting at St. Bonaventure, I would ask students two questions about stories they had written: What’s new here? What’s ...

I am a worrier. I try not to be, but I am. Anxiety and panic can overtake me if I’m not careful, especially when seeing or hearing headline news of th...

On the agenda for the last Ways and Means Committee meeting (Wednesday) of the Allegany County Board of Legislators was a proposal to extend the count...

When I was a young adult, I chanced upon a poster of a mama duck leading her ducklings. In bold letters beneath the drawing were the words, “Do someth...

Donald Trump tweeted a link Wednesday to an Emerson College survey showing, in his words, “Trump administration seen as more truthful than news media....