| Editor
Corrin Strong and Artist Tom Fox have been teaming up to produce editorial cartoons
for the last four years. Corrin is the idea man who decides which stories to feature
and comes up with many of the concepts for the cartoons. Tom, a former cartoonist
for the Binghamton Evening Press, provides the execution and many great ideas
as well. Their cartoons have won first place awards in the New York Press Association's
Better Newspaper Contest two years in a row. Cartoons may be reprinted with permission
of the publisher.
Call 800-346-9770 for details. 
1.
Getting Snippy (11/16/00)
The election
debacle with Bush and Gore shows America- especially Florida, about proper
voting, ballots, hanging chads
and recounts in one of the closest and most bizarre presidential elections
ever.
2.
9/11 Anniversary (9/12/02)
One
year after the terrorist attacks on the United States, we look back with some
pride
on the dark days of the previous September and see terrorism across
the globe in retreat.
That is for the most part due to the bravery of our
people in uniform backed by the firm
resolve of our nation's leadership. And
we continue to surge forward, remembering 9/11
as a day of not only terror,
but of heroism and selfless sacrifice. 
3.
Hopes dim for last Empire Zone (10/24/02) With
an estimated three dozen counties still in the running and five of the six new
Empire
Zones already announced,
Livingston County's chance at securing the last zone appears slim.
New York
Empire Zones were established in 1986 as a remedy for areas which had recently
experienced severe economic losses-typically the pullout or closure of some major
employer.
"Not having a zone puts the county at a terrible disadvantage
when competing for new and
expanding industry" -Patrick Rountree,
Livingston County director of economic development.
4. Gary Least gets probation (10/31/02)
Rochester City Court Judge Patricia
Marks passed sentence on Gary and daughter Tarryn in
the high profile Least
Dealership fraud case. Charges of Forgery and Scheming to
Defraud were
first brought against the Leasts the previous December, but
only probation, jail work release and
community service were handed out.
The defense argued that because of Gary's medical conditions,
sending him
to prison would be a death sentence. More than 80 people were defrauded by the
Least dealership, as well as banks, companies, and manufacturers that were affected
by the scandal. 5.
Town of Grove moovin' to Liv. Co.? (11/7/02)
 There
seems to have always been something about Livingston County that attracts towns
in northern Allegany County. Call it charisma or call it demographic affinity,
but the town
of Grove has
become the latest to want to secede and join Livingston County. A major issue
concerning the interest in Livingston County is Swain Ski Slope; the substantial
revenue
derived from the popular ski center and the cost Grove taxpayers
experience having the
ski
center in their town. 6.
Unfunded state mandates blamed again for tax increase (11/14/02)
 While
many of it's neighboring counties are facing double digit increases, Livingston
County's
2003 budget increase will be six percent. The budget will allow
county services to be maintained at
their current levels and there will be
no significant changes in staffing. In recent years, increasing
unfunded state
mandates from state government, highlighted by the increasing cost of Medicaid
for the county has been the biggest cause of increasing county taxes. 
7.
Energy East/Rochester Gas & Electric seeks rate increase (12/5/02
RG&E,
acquired by the holding company Energy East the previous June, proposed to increase
its annual electricity rates by $40 million (6.4 percent) and natural gas rates
by $19 million.
(6.8 percent)
The corporation has threatened massive layoffs of personnel and closure of five
of its regional satellite facilities in Geneseo, Canandaigua, Fillmore, Belmont
and Sodus and
two Rochester offices unless the
increase is granted.
8.
Foster Wheeler closing deals another blow to local economy (12/12/02)
 Foster
Wheeler Ltd. officially announced the closing of its Dansville facility, one of
Livingston
County's largest and most prosperous industries. The company had
come close to closure
before, and this time citing "continued financial
losses at the plant, the inability to reduce
future operating cost, and the
decline in business conditions in the energy sector."
9.
Rt. 63 Corridor truck traffic studied (12/19/02)
An
ongoing New York State Department of Transportation study is attempting to address
the popular trucking path between Pembroke on I-90 and Mt. Morris on I-390,
comprised
of routes 77, 20, and 63, or alternately 36. The great number and
percentage of trucks
(an average of 2,046 trucks each day, 31% of the total
corridor traffic) has caused safety
and quality of life issues to arise.
10.
County to hike sales tax, impose austerity (1/16/03) In
its effort to come to grips with exponentially increasing Medicare costs, Livingston
County
has plans to enact a 33 percent increase in sales tax–from 3
to 4 percent– on the heels of
this year's 12-to-13 percent effective
increase in local property taxation. The county program
for coping includes
not only tax increases, but also spending controls. Equipment and
purchasing
freezes are now in effect for all county departments.  11.
SUNY tuition to go up 40%? (1/30/03)
The Board of Trustees of the State University of New York authorized
a 2003-04 budget that instituted
a 41% tuition increase, from $3,400 to $4,800 at SUNY Geneseo and the other 63
campuses that comprises
the SUNY system. If approved by both houses of the NYS legislature, this would
be first tuition hike
in seven years, since the $750 increase in 1995-1996.
12.
Sheriff to accept credit cards for bail (5/15/03)
Livingston County Sheriff
John M. York announced the implementation of a program which provides the
Jail the ability for bail to
be posted by credit card. "This will help alleviate overcrowding at the Livingston
Co. Jail, primarily on nights and weekends when banks are closed and access to
cash bail is unavailable." Sheriff York said. 
13.
Lonsberry fired by WHAM (10/2/03) Mt.
Morris resident and popular outspoken talk show host Bob Lonsberry was suspended
from his radio job over an alleged racist remark.
During an offhand comment made during his 'Listeners on the Loose' segment of
his daily show on Sept. 18, Lonsberry commented that he heard that an escaped
orangutan discussed earlier was running for County Executive. Some took the remark
as a racial slur against Rochester's black Mayor William Johnson who was a candidate
for the position. The NAACP, local clergy, politicians and newspaper editors insisted
and demanded Lonsberry's suspension from the station be permament. |
