A democracy cannot flourish without a well-informed citizenry

The most important — indeed essential — service that a library or a newspaper provides is access to information. Without a well-informed citizenry, a democracy — a government of the people, by the people, for the people, as Abraham Lincoln phrased it — cannot flourish.

Who will carry Liberty’s torch?

by Melissa Hale-Spencer

You can’t say that education is up to the states while simultaneously demanding that states do your bidding. And yet, here we are. We again commend New York state for its stance against this perfidy. In its DEI purge, the federal government has removed historic accomplishments of people who are not white men from websites ranging from the Pentagon to the Park Service. None of us should accept the purging of our history. Men and women of different races, religions, and cultures have all made important contributions to the United States. We erase that history at our own peril.

Art reflects life and inspires us to reflect on our own lives

by Melissa Hale-Spencer

Each of us has our own way of seeing the world. We bring who we are to the art gallery when we look at paintings or sculpture, or to the theater when we see a play, or to the library when we read a book or newspaper. In turn, whoever created that art, or play, or poem brought his or her or their intention in creating it. 

Resolve the salt-shed standoff for the public good

For the good of the public they are meant to serve, we urge county and town representatives to settle their differences and work out a sensible system for tracking salt use so that the existing shed can be shared.

What to do when the cupboard is bare

We live in a time and in a nation where the gorge between the poor and the wealthy is getting wider and deeper. And, as Milo Perkins said in the 1930s, we need “to find a way to build a bridge across that chasm.”

One family’s hardship makes clear the need to ban use of toxin-laced sewage sludge as fertilizer

New York state should follow the lead of other states that ban the use of biosolids as fertilizer.

From the editor: The three branches of our government are meant to provide checks and balances

We are pained not just because of rising costs but by what feels like an irrational betrayal. Why would we, as a nation, want to harm an ally at great cost to our own citizens?

Profit shouldn’t take precedence over health and safety

We support initiatives that help close the gap between wealthy companies and struggling consumers.

Plant a tree as an emblem of citizens working together for the common good

“We need all New Yorkers to lend a hand – or shovel! – to reach our goal of planting 25 million trees by 2033,” says the state’s Tree Tracker website, urging residents to record the trees they have planted. It is easy to feel helpless in times when problems like climate change are so enormous. But planting a tree is something any of us can do. Think of it as a start to digging in for the common good. Perhaps we can revitalize democracy so that citizens do their civic duty and in return enjoy benefits that expand opportunity.