Opinion

I’ve been reminded recently of the old cowboy song, “Home on the Range.” You know the line, “Where never is heard a discouraging word”? That is not the United States right now. It feels like pretty much everywhere I turn, all I hear is discouragement. But the question we have to confront is not, “What’s going […]

Big media, methinks you do a disservice to Americans in your coverage of the Puerto Rican hurricane damage. You carry a lot of criticism of Washington’s rescue efforts. Too little, too late you tell us. You are quick to show us people who lost their homes wailing that nobody was helping. You lace your coverage

New York’s tourism industry is alive and showing signs of growth. A recent study estimated that 239 million visitors traveled to New York state in 2016. These visitors had an estimated economic impact of $104.8 billion and $64.8 billion in direct spending. While the number of visitors and spending was up from 2015, the state can

I’m often invited to speak to school-aged kids and during these visits a common question kids have for me is: What does it means to be a good citizen? The question itself is inspiring because it means they are searching for ways to be good citizens. What is even more encouraging is that without realizing it,

Autumn is upon us. The area’s hard-working residents and proud small-business owners always go above and beyond to make each fall season special with unique events. Autumn is a particularly great time to visit, as the beautiful fall foliage, incredible hiking trails, and wine country-related events are unparalleled in New York and abroad.  We are

OCM BOCES can be a model for the benefits of cooperation To the Editor: As district superintendent for the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services (OCM BOCES), I am writing to heartily applaud the efforts of Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney and members of her shared-services panel for their efforts to improve government efficiency and

Back in March, two young members of Congress from Texas, Beto O’Rourke and Will Hurd, became brief Internet celebrities. Unable to fly back to Washington, D.C. because of a snowstorm, the two hit the road together, tweeting, and livestreaming their trip north. They fielded questions along the way on everything from the war on drugs

Unemployment rates are often viewed as an indicator of how the economy is doing, and these rates do provide valuable insight on economic activity.  However, because of how the unemployment rates are calculated, they should not be the sole assessment in determining the health of the economy. The current unemployment rate in New York state

The whacky North Korean leader revealed a few things recently. One is that the country has learned how to make hydrogen bombs. The other is that our intelligence agencies don’t have much of what they are named for — intelligence. In other words, the agencies missed whacko’s H-bomb. They figured he was a few years

Agricultural tourism is a growing component within New York’s 6.36 billion agriculture industry. More and more farms are inviting the public to have a firsthand experience on the farm and hosting farm tours where visitors can learn about farm operations.  Agri-tourism businesses, many of which can be found in our backyards, have increased in recent years.