The LEADER

THE EDITORIAL BOARD Dennis Bruen | Publisher OPINION Stella DuPree | Managing Editor MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 12 | 2011 | PAGE 4A Our luck Grins ARTIST’S VIEW has run out pparently this area and groans has been too lucky A too long. And now THE ISSUE | Grins and groans the odds are catching up from news of the week. with us. Natural disasters are OUR OPINION | A grin to Corning Natural Gas things we watch on our and jam band Phish. A groan to Mother Nature. television screens and read about in our newspapers. They are not something Grin we can see out of our window. Corning Natural Gas is continuing its annual But all of that changed work to upgrade the gas systems’ aging lines. in recent weeks. Major work this season is being First the end of tropical done in the city of Corning, Bath storm Irene struck this area and Hammondsport. and creat- Jerry Sleevy, Corning Natural Gas ed havoc vice president of administration, THE INSIDER in much said the company annually replaces of eastern seven miles of gas line. The work costs on aver- New York age of $3.5 to $4 million annually. as well as Since the program began in 2007, Corning in New Natural Gas has replaced more than 42 miles of England. service lines affecting more than 2,300 cus- We sat tomers. CNG serves about 15,000 customers and on just the has about 400 miles of line. Bob Rolfe end of that Groan COMMENTARY | STATE SEN. TOM O’MARA destruction though por- tions of the area did sus- While recent flooding wasn’t nearly as bad as tain damage. it was in Binghamton and other But then last week the areas of the Northeast, it still caused The labor of rebuilding remnants of tropical storm major problems in Horseheads and Lee spun into the north- Wellsburg. east and leveled a big blow Creeks in both towns overflowed lished an Upstate Storm The Bath Volunteer Fire at parts of the Southern causing flooding, closing roads and he aftermaths of and Flooding Recovery Tier. forcing evacuations. Hurricane Irene, Department’s Swift Water likely to be Task Force to coordinate Rescue team was deploy- It’s long been a tradition Crews have worked to clear mud and debris T in our house to note that among the top 10 costli- the statewide response. ed. The list goes on. from sites. A state of emergency was declared in when weather channel est natural disasters in The hard work of putting The timing of this much of Chemung County. Luckily, there were expert Jim Cantore broad- these communities back no reports of major flooding in Steuben County. American history, and, reminder of the willing- casts from a specific loca- together will be intensive. now, Tropical Storm Lee ness of people to pull tion, that area is in the remain devastating. The bottom line is that together has been equally path of disaster. Grin As our nightly news- we will carry on. That poignant – arriving as it Last week Cantore was Two months after their Fourth of July blowout casts have continued to was the message being has as the nation pre- in Binghamton as were at Watkins Glen International, jam band Phish show us day after day delivered again late last pared to observe the 10th news crews from around will cap a long summer of touring with a flood over the past two weeks, week. anniversary of September the country. recovery benefit concert Wednesday evening in the northeastern United “All levels of govern- 11th. To this very day, The swollen Susque- their home state of Vermont. States was particularly ment are working togeth- while 9/11 evokes such a hanna overtopped flood All proceeds will be distributed to er to help New York walls in the downtown hard hit – especially difficult mix of emotions, flood relief in Vermont through recover and we will not area of that city and record many upstate New York one of the most powerful Phish’s charitable arm, The stop until the job is flooding was recorded communities, including feelings of all remains Waterwheel Foundation, and the our region. done,” the governor said. throughout the region. this one: we are Ameri- Vermont Community Foundation. The damage in numer- Or as one upstate farmer As far west as normally cans and above all else, in The show will be held at the ous upstate counties is who suffered enormous placid Horseheads some Champlain Valley Fairgrounds near the city of the toughest of times, we people had to be displaced astonishing. Roads and crop losses summed it Burlington, where the band – guitarist Trey will stand together in aid, by high water. bridges in rural regions more philosophically to Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, keyboard player While the farther you the New York Times, “You in comfort, and in Page McConnell and drummer Jon Fishman – have been entirely went east, the worse the washed out. Main Streets put your boots back on resolve. This same resolve met during the college days. Several still live in is being demonstrated disaster became. the area. were turned into and deal with it.” again at this very mo- For a long time we have Wednesday’s benefit sold out quickly, but riverbeds. Of course the What comes to mind been lucky but with more ment in the ongoing local fans can still catch the show as the band is losses for countless indi- most quickly in assessing and more storms tracking offering a pay-per-view webcast at phish.com. vidual homeowners are disasters like these is, storm recovery. farther and farther north it The band webcasts a handful of its shows, and heartbreaking and simply again, the overwhelming As a nation, we are still appears that at least for fans often throw “Couch Tour” parties, hooking unimaginable. response from New healing from the now, our luck has run out. up their laptops to high-def TVs and speakers. And the storms have Yorkers as a whole. One September 11, 2001 ••• Tickets for Wednesday were $75 a pop, and hit upstate agriculture at upstate daily newspaper attacks – that process Maybe it’s just me but it there was also a $250 package with box seats, a the worst possible time wrote in an editorial, “If continued anew this seems as if wherever there craft beer tent and other perks. Merchandise with the year’s harvest any additional proof were weekend at many local is a vacant lot in this area, sales will also be donated, and so will proceeds underway. The terrible needed that it is a new observances and cere- somebody chooses that from the $19.99 webcast, with fans across the losses of livestock, crops, day for New York, it came monies across the nation. spot to build a new hotel. U.S. likely to be watching. All in all, it should barns, and equipment are on a day that, ironically, As many of us quietly The rate at which hostel- raise a tidy sum for a good cause, a nice move ries have mushroomed in unfathomable and, in many New Yorkers would walk a “Healing Field,” by the band. Chemung County in the most instances, unrecov- surely have traded for a The 30,000 fans who attended Phish’s three- visit a “New York past year beats any con- day concert at The Glen this summer got good erable. “I’ve been new day … Communi- Remembers” exhibit and struction boom in memory. reviews for their behavior from Schuyler County involved in agriculture cation was constant. The in many other places and My question is when officials and WGI staff, and afterward all my entire life,” the state’s governor’s office updated ways, we will remember every vacant lot is filled by parties involved left the door open for a possible agriculture commissioner the media constantly on that American decency, a hotel who’s going to stay return here by the band. reflected, “and there have road conditions, power American generosity, and in them? been times when the outages and the like. American fortitude can- ••• weather has wreaked Cuomo’s demeanor at not be overcome – and There can’t be an awful LETTERS POLICY havoc on livestock and press conferences was no- that reminder still serves lot more said about the 10th anniversary of 9/11. farms, but I don’t think nonsense but reassuring. us well and gives us hope It all added up to an Every news outlet in the ■ Letters should be typed or neatly printed. I’ve ever seen anything today. on this scale here in New executive in control – world has been filled with ■ So as our thoughts Letters must be signed and include an address York.” something the state had learned dissertations for remain focused on our and phone number. No letters will be published So clearly the recovery gone largely without in weeks. It almost seems current struggles and on unless verified with the author in person or by and the rebuilding effort many ways for at least nice to know that today is one of the darkest chap- will demand the atten- the past four years.” Sept. 12 and maybe all this telephone. will start to slow down. tion of federal, state and Equally impressive was ters in American history, ■ Of course we should Letters may be edited for space considerations. local leaders for months the response from volun- we also put at the fore- remember 9/11 and reflect ■ The publication of any letter is at the discretion of and months to come. teers, work crews, and front the labor of putting New York back together on the lessons it has the editor. Government plays a vital first responders who once again. We’re grateful to taught us – good and bad. role in these responses. more proved that when To many people its main ■ All letters become the property of The Leader and the volunteers, the work- You can stay updated on disaster strikes, so many impact has been the cannot be returned to sender. the effort through stand ready and willing ers, and the community increasing ability of the Governor Andrew to help. National Guard leaders who will carry out federal government to get Cuomo’s website, units from Hornell and that mission. in the face of the average The LEADER CIRCULATION http://www.governor.ny.g Horseheads were mobi- American. Elmer Kuehner | Circulation director ov/. The damage assess- lized. Local Red Cross ■ Tom O’Mara is a Repub- Security measures have The Leader (ISSN #10501983) 936-4651, Ext. 320 ments will be ongoing. volunteers and DOT lican state senator from been ramped up across the The Leader is published daily at The governor has estab- workers were sent out. Big Flats. national landscape and 34 West Pulteney Street, EDITORIAL Corning, New York 14830 you can’t go very far with- out encountering someone by Liberty Group Corning Holdings, Inc. Stella DuPree | Managing editor Periodical postage paid 936-4651, Ext. 361 LETTER TO THE EDITOR whose job it is to block at Corning, New York 14830-0817. [email protected] potential terrorists. USPS code | 0586-160 In many areas this has Postmaster: county clerk’s office. She Constitution and to faith- ADVERTISING Re-elect gone way too far; just look Send address changes to strives to represent the fully discharge the duties The Leader, West Pulteney Street, at the messes our airports Classifieds (607) 936-4651, Ext 651 constituency of Steuben of county clerk. Corning, New York 14830 Hunter have become. Yet, in very Retail (607) 936-4651, Ext 653 County with courtesy, I encourage the voters Publisher: Dennis Bruen Adv fax (607) 962-0782 TO THE EDITOR | I few occasions, damage has integrity and the profes- of our county to support been warded off by these ON THE FRONT PAGE have been fortunate to Kurt Bartenstein | Ad director, sionalism that is expected Judy in her bid for re- efforts. 936-4651, Ext. 388 know Judy Hunter for Corning clocktower by artist of this position. election to the position of Is it all worth it? Probab- Larry Barone [email protected] about 20 years. Our occu- pations united us profes- Hard work, dedication Steuben County Clerk ly but I’m not too sure. POSTAL RATES sionally and she is to the position, and sin- and to cast their very ■ Bob Rolfe, a retired Leader STEUBEN COUNTY ELSEWHERE IN USA respected by the local cere desire to serve has important vote on reporter/editor, can be One month $28.60 One month $36.85 clerks throughout our been evident throughout Tuesday, Sept. 13. reached by writing The Three months $85.80 Three months $110.55 her career. Judy takes very Leader Six months $171.60 Six months $221.10 county. Judy has intro- , PO Box 1017, One year $308.88 One year $397.98 duced the technology of seriously her oath of Rose M. Blackwell Corning, NY 14830 or the 21st Century to the office to uphold the Corning [email protected].