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Escalators and elevators

Local Commentaries

I was intrigued when a beautiful wooden escalator crossed my desktop. I immediately began my research. It seems that the beauty is part of Macy’s Department Store in New York City. I think I probably rode it when I was with the grandchildren. I know we did not ride it when we visited Santa Claus with the ladies. I know we rode the elevator to go up to the top floor. This escalator was installed sometime between 1920 and 1930 So it has been in operation close to one hundred years. It was installed by the Otis Elevator Co. I knew that many elevators were made by Otis, but I never knew ...

Our opinion: Politics can’t shape due process

Our Opinion

We are deeply concerned about the misrepresentations surrounding decisions by a federal judge, James E. Boasberg, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. To be clear, Judge Boasberg has not ruled that criminal immigrants or violent immigrants cannot be deported. What Boasberg has ruled is that the executive branch must follow the practices already in place to provide evidence than an immigrant is a felon or a violent criminal to justify a deportation order. The right to due process is crucially important. The right to due process is not only about the rights of ...

Our opinion: Marijuana legalization shouldn’t be a budget issue

Our Opinion

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget includes revenue from the legalization of marijuana. As state lawmakers debate marijuana legalization, they should not think one bit about the $1.3 billion Shapiro projects the state could receive in tax revenue in the first five years after the legalization of recreational marijuana is approved. The argument is the additional tax revenue generated by legalized marijuana will help close the state’s structural budget deficit. We don’t doubt there’s a market, even here in Warren County, given the number of arrests we see of people coming ...

Big Julie wuz one of a kind

Local Commentaries

I was standing in the checkout line at a Country Fair in Erie when I heard the big tough man’s voice behind me. He was on the phone. “You tell doze guys I’m gonna take care-a dem poysinally when I get back.” He added profanity for emphasis. I hadn’t heard an accent like that – delivered in a threatening, gravelly voice – in over 50 years. But I didn’t have to dig too deep for the memory. The big tough guy with the rough-neighborhood New York accent was unforgettable. His name was Big Julie. Whadda a package he was. I was a stewardess based at New York’s Kennedy ...

Our opinion: District passes first merger test

Our Opinion

We knew closing two high schools in Warren County would make financial sense. The unknown in this equation was whether or not the closure of Youngsville and Sheffield would mean a higher-quality education for county high school students. At first glance, it does For the 2025-26 school year, based on student requests and staffing considerations, the district plans to offer 101 courses at Eisenhower and 115 courses at Warren Area High School, all meeting the 12-student minimum enrollment. Eisenhower will offer 80.2% of the courses available in the district’s catalogue while ...

Our opinion: County keeps close eye on tax base

Our Opinion

It can be hard for some to realize why they should care about state legislation that could make it easier for the state Game Commission to purchase land. After all, isn’t making more land available for sportsmen or conservation efforts a good thing? Generally, it is. But county, school and even city officials have good reason to be wary of making it easier for the game commission to purchase land more easily. Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Cheswick, is circulating a co-sponsorship memorandum seeking support for legislation she is drafting that will lift the cap on the purchase price the ...