Albeit late, crackdown on fireworks welcome

Like every year around this time, use of illegal fireworks ramps up at night in Schenectady, so much so that the City Council is racing to ratchet up enforcement — albeit quite late.

When relatively safe sparklers were briefly legal a few years ago, the use of illegal varieties, such as rockets and firecrackers, proliferated. Even after Schenectady County reversed itself and banned sparklers, it's as if nothing changed.

Now the council is setting a $250 fine for anyone caught illegally using fireworks. Necessary as the move may be, this could have been done months ago, without rushing it through with no real time to weigh public comment.

Still, fireworks are a particular danger in a city. Much as this may be like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube, it's worth the effort.

The EPA must enforce laws protecting NY's air

Some states to New York's west have been bad neighbors, sending dangerous ozone and smog this way. And the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is lax in enforcing the laws designed to minimize that, a federal court has ruled.

New York and Connecticut sued the Trump administration in December, claiming the EPA was not adhering to the "Good Neighbor" provision of the Clean Air Act, intended to control smog and ozone and keep them from harming residents across state lines. Emissions make the air unhealthy to breathe and can result in acid rain that damages the environment. The Adirondacks have been recovering from such pollution in the past.

Now it's up EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to heed the courts and enforce the law.

Mechanicville truce ends a black eye for the city

It's nothing short of pathetic when an outside negotiator has to be brought in to end a heated feud between a mayor and the local police.

That's what happened in the city if Mechanicville after the police department filed a five-page complaint alleging Mayor Dennis Baker harassed, demeaned and intimidated officers.

Both sides have reportedly made concessions, but it never should have gone this far. The community would best be served if everyone just got back to doing their job.