Sunday Opinion: PSU goes global, Adk population, and thoughts about Easter
Morning, folks. Here’s a survey of the weekend’s opinion pages from around the North Country.
We start with a celebration in the Plattsburgh Press-Republican of Plattsburgh State’s ranking as a top school globally for international students — a much-needed bit of good news for a school beset by budget cuts:
The 2010 International Student Barometer has ranked Plattsburgh State as first in the world — in the world — in terms of making friends and first in the United States for student satisfaction with the overall learning environment. Further, the university ranked third in overall satisfaction among its global competitors and fifth in the world for satisfaction with the overall learning experience.
The Glens Falls Post Star weighs in on the debate over the Adirondack Park’s population, arguing that it’s time for the quibbling to end.
The park is an economic gold mine that continues to go untapped, and reasonable development is possible without destroying the essence of the park.
The Watertown Daily Times celebrates Easter, with an invitation to go out and enjoy the day:
These festivals of faith are rich in meaning and life affirming. They communicate messages of hope, of God’s love for his people, of freedom and renewal. Our faith traditions also teach us to serve and help one another, to extend love and mercy to our fellow travelers on this earth.
In the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, meanwhile, managing editor Peter Crowley thinks out loud the “weird but good” aspects of Good Friday.
It seems like a terrible example of doublespeak to slap the word “good” on the day Christians remember how Jesus was tortured and executed. But it’s even more bizarre to watch a church full of Catholics line up to kiss – or “venerate,” in Catholic jargon – a lifelike statue of Jesus hanging on the instrument of his death.
Would you kiss a vivid image of someone dead in an electric chair? Hanging from the gallows? It wouldn’t be all that different, except crucifixion was a more painful way to die.
And the Utica Observer-Dispatch also celebrates the day.
Those who accept Jesus Christ as savior will joyfully sing alleluia today, restoring the proclamation that was removed from worship during the Lenten period as they strive to better understand God.
There you go. As always, opinions and comments welcome. Those of you who feel inspired to chat about religion and faith, be sure to bring your In Box civility chops.
Tags: adirondacks, college, religion
“The park is an economic gold mine that continues to go untapped, and reasonable development is possible without destroying the essence of the park.”
That line smacks of the ‘highest use’ philosophy which believes every resource should be developed to maximize the $$$$ it can generate. It fails to recognize that not everything can or should be valued in terms of money.
I will give credit to the Post Star for suggesting that the quibbling needs to end but must point out the Post Star is often guilty of what it says should come to an end.
Sorry for my quibbling.
Yes, we should stop quibbling and passively accept what the Post-Star editorial board dictates to us peons.
Jim,
This position articulated by the Post Star (and quoted by Brian above) is the same position supported by many environmental groups in the Adirondacks.
See this from a recent press release by the Adirondack Council:
“Both rural parks are vital economic engines for the state, hosting millions of visitors each year.”
Just replace “economic engine” with “gold mine”.
Paul: funny, the PS doesn’t ever quote environmental groups in a favorable light. Also bear in mind that the PS editorial contained quite a bit more than the paragraph quoted by Brian M.
Brian, that is true but basically the Post seems in agreement with the philosophy of the Council and other groups.
From the PS:
“These hamlets need to be developed, in a responsible manner of course, in order for the park to sustain that tourist economy. Every town doesn’t have to have a major resort project like the one proposed in Tupper Lake, but neither can they survive on a row of run-down cabins and a half-empty general store. Converting old rail lines to bike/snowmobile trails and marketing the towns that host them is one idea that has a lot of promise.”
From the Council’s vision:
“We envision an Adirondack Park with clean water and air, large wilderness areas, surrounded by working farms and forests and vibrant local communities”
Their website currently has lots of coverage of the population increase in parts of the park. This increase that they appear happy with, and I assume from the articles that they hope will continue, obviously leads to the type of development that they seems often times opposed to. I don’t quite understand this position?
The tourist based economy and the encouragement of it leads to second home and resort development. There is no way of getting around that.
I found the P-R editorial about PSUCs apparent high level of desirability to foreign students more interesting than Adirondack Development Debate, vol. 254, chap 127. But more interesting for what it left out. Like a link to the poll, or an in depth article about why PSUC is so doggone attractive to foreign students. Kind of made me wonder about the validity of the whole thing. But the notion of PSUC being a foreign student magnet is intriguing. Hope somebody follows up on it.
Very nice to see the Post Star suggest that the APA, and development regulation, is not the crux of the problem.
As they point out, there are APA free, or APA approved, development zones already in the park that are currently not being developed. Can’t blame restrictions for that.
Any problems with business in the park, real or perceived, goes beyond the APA, beyond the forest preserve.
I like that they bring up communications infrastructure and marketing as things we need to do better up here. Couldn’t agree more.
I agree with the PS and the environmental groups that tourism will be the key driver of the Adirondack economy in the long run. APA pre-approved business parks are not going to help with that type of development. Nobody want to build a lake side hotel or slope-side hotel out in a business park next to the Lake Clear airport.
The title of Chris Knight’s ADE story on the census yesterday has a classic title:
“Population in Park was flat but variable”!!!
This shows the complexity of the issue.
Newt,
Let me google that for you:
http://pressrepublican.com/0100_news/x103913797/PSU-best-in-world-international-students-say/print
On Sunday the Post Star said the quibbling needs to end. Then on Wednesday it’s back to complaining about the state and conservancy groups purchasing land.
Guess the Post Star speaks with forked tongue.