Editor:

My name is Mark Prawel and I am running for reelection for a second term as Medina Village Trustee. I am a lifelong village resident and have owned and/or managed a small business in the village for the better part of 35 years. I also am a former law enforcement officer that spent sixteen years working for the Village of Medina Police Department.

Prior to being elected, I heard from my customers for years regarding the direction of the village, questionable decisions by previous boards, and how the costs of living here were beginning to become unsustainable.

I care very deeply about  Medina, always have and always will. This is where I grew up, where I went to school, where I raised my family, and where I have worked my whole life. I shared in the worries of the direction of the Village and I wanted to help fix it; that is why I ran two years ago and that is why I have decided to run for a second term.

In the last two years, especially in the last few months, I believe the Village Board has finally been making the right steps towards a better future for Medina and making responsible decisions for our residents. But, for far too long, the “Bully Mentality” has been accepted, and even sometimes encouraged, across the entire village government as the way to operate. This is not okay and should not be tolerated. I aim to create a better, healthier work environment for all village employees.

In recent months, some have even chosen to question my devotion to Public Safety. I believe my track record of 30+ years of serving the public faithfully, including 16 great years here in Medina, speaks for itself. My passion for serving this community and pushing for a safe and responsible Medina hasn’t diminished one bit and any assertion otherwise is just flat out false.

The public safety of this village is much more than one department, one piece of equipment, or one building. It encompasses all facets of us as a village. In order for this to be the best version of Medina, we need to continue to find the best ways to be responsible and equal in spending and attention for all of our village departments without bankrupting our residents. I have always been welcoming of any village resident to come speak with me directly regarding any issue or idea that they may have and that will never change.

I would also like to express my support for Debbie Padoleski for Mayor and Jeff Wagner for Trustee. For many years I have had the pleasure of witnessing firsthand Debbie’s hard work and dedication for this village, whether it be as our Clerk or Trustee. She possesses all the necessary knowledge, experience, and mindset necessary to be our Mayor. Jeff also would be a great asset to this Village as a trustee and I can personally attest to his great business mindset and his love for this community. We are all united in our commitment to putting the Medina taxpayers first and finding the best, most responsible way to keep moving forward.

I ask all Medina Voters to please come out and vote on March 18th and hope you chose to support Padoleski for Mayor and Prawel and Wagner for Trustee. Thank you.

Mark Prawel

Village of Medina

Editor:

I’m writing this letter of support for my friend and (retired) colleague Marguerite Sherman, who is the current mayor of Medina and is now seeking another term.

I’ve known Marguerite as a teaching colleague for the entirety of my (27-year) career. I also know her as a friend, and I know her to be a person invested in what is going on locally, be it community events, school events, or local politics.

Marguerite Sherman has always had a presence. In all of these arenas, she is actively involved, caring, intelligent, and sincere. I have learned so much from the example she has consistently set.

She has taught me that in everything, there is one constant: we are all neighbors. We have to find a way to live and work together. Over the years, there is one sentence I have heard her say again and again: “We’ve got this.” And she always says it with a smile. She means it, and she will be right there alongside you, working to make it happen. From one step to the next, she’s done her homework, whether through deep reading, meeting with various stakeholders, or doing the labor herself.

Marguerite Sherman has also taught me that labels do not define a person. In a village and in a town, there’s no such thing as a Democrat or a Republican. Everyone is just a neighbor. What defines someone as worthy of leadership in public office is their character, honesty, intelligence, work ethic, faith, perseverance, humility, generosity, and empathy. Marguerite Sherman embodies all these qualities.

She puts herself last. She puts her constituents— all of whom she treats as neighbors— first. Over the years, I’ve watched her give so much of her time, energy, and care to Medina, a community she loves. She doesn’t do it for power or status. When she starts something, she wants to see it through and is willing to keep working to help long-term goals become a reality.

She signs up for thankless jobs all the time. At the school, there were many volunteer jobs she did behind the scenes that were unknown to most people. She didn’t want money or recognition. She just cared and wanted to make her school community the best it could be. With quiet dedication and hours of labor behind the scenes, the endeavors she led and assisted were better because she was there.

I’ve seen her bring this same ethic to the work she does now as Mayor of Medina and as an active member of Medina and Orleans County, regularly attending other entities’ meetings, like the Shelby town board meetings. She is there to listen and truly hear what the people around her care about and value.

It’s why when questions about water, shared services, or aging infrastructure come up, I know she will be part of the solution. She understands what surrounding communities care about and works well with people across different entities and across party lines.

No one running for public office can magically solve all the issues facing our villages and towns. But we need people who do more than grandstand. We need people who are willing to work together to accomplish goals.

When I see a picture in the Hub of the Village of Medina Mayor sitting down with people from Ridgeway and Shelby, it restores my faith in what we have here in Medina: the ability to work together to solve things. Marguerite Sherman will never outshout anyone. She will smile, take notes, and listen. Patience and behind-the-scenes labor rarely gets the headline, yet these virtues are sorely lacking in the world today.

When I see a person like Marguerite Sherman running for office once again, I know it is because she truly wants to help the village be the very best that it can be. It is my honor to give Marguerite Sherman this character reference and to endorse her candidacy as Mayor of Medina.

Respectfully,

Karen Jones

Medina

Editor:

Recently, political consultant, James Carville, displayed obvious symptoms of Trump Derangement Syndrome and admitted he has the malady. His words: “I want to hate him more,” exposed not only his anger but his acute loathing.

His profane and utterly disgusting rant very accurately confirms that when hatred this intense threatens the well being of the hater, it has become pathological.

In his position as a political influencer, he has the responsibility to maintain composure and decorum, not only for his audience but for his party – in this case the Democrats. His words arose as a significant hypocrisy because his own failure to display diplomacy weakened his attack on Trump.

He then beckoned people who were listening to his tirade to pray to God to intensify their hatred to the point where “…we can’t see straight.” Imagine praying to God with a heart laden with hatred. It opposes the very foundation of who God is – a God who so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son to die for our sins.

His insults against Trump continued as he rattled on his putrid condemnations against our President. He displayed a false consensus that his Democratic Party agreed with everything that poured out of his vile mouth; at one point stating: “This is what we believe.”

This is the same idiot that told everyone before the 2024 election that Harris would be the winner. In 2025 he declared his support for AOC if she won the Democratic nomination.  I wonder if he still maintains this claim as she made a fool of herself on the world stage in Munich, displaying both incompetence and inexperience. Her gaffes and pauses exposed her vulnerability. Undoubtedly, her credibility was obviously questioned after her ignorance on foreign policy.

Both Conservative analysts and social media users rapidly called out Carville’s unhinged behavior. His despicable and combative delivery was indicative of extremism within the Democratic old guard.

Mary Mager

Fairport, formerly of Albion

Editor:

In a democracy the government derives its just powers with the consent of the people, as stated in our Declaration of Independence. One of the ways our Founding Fathers codified this principle is by giving our elected representatives the authority to declare war in Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

President Trump violated U.S. law and the Constitution by starting a war with Iran without any consultation with Congress let alone a declaration of war.

Furthermore, Iran did not pose an immediate threat to the U.S. The U.S. intelligence officers assessed that there was no imminent threat from Iran. The International Atomic Energy Agency says there is no evidence Iran has an active plan for creating nuclear weapons and the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessed that if Iran tries to build an intercontinental ballistic missile it will take them at least ten years.

Clearly, there was time for negotiation and other measures, like economic sanctions, short of war. Mr. Trump unilaterally started this war with no clear justification, and no clear goals, stating it was to prevent them from obtaining a nuclear weapon and later that it was for regime change.

Mr. Trump did not consult our allies, and he is violating the United Nation’s Charter. These actions have alienated us from our friends, leaving us isolated. Finally, Mr. Trump is a profiteer. After U.S. forces risked their lives to extract Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Mr. Trump announced he controls the oil and the money from that oil. There is no reason to doubt that Mr. Trump started this war for his personal benefit.

Representatives Claudia Tenney and Nick Langworthy lavishly praise Mr. Trump, a convicted felon and sexual predator, for starting this war. Mr. Trump’s reckless illegal actions and Republican’s willing embrace of his actions threaten American lives. I pray our service men and women are not harmed, but I fear for their safety.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

Deborah Padoleski’s tenure as clerk-treasurer demonstrates deep institutional knowledge of village operations. She has proven her fiscal responsibility and budget management through her experience in the clerk’s office.

Her understanding of municipal regulations, procedures, and legal requirements gives her a heads up for the mayoral position along with her track record of maintaining accurate records and ensuring transparency.

She has exhibited integrity and ethical standards in public service especially with her problem-solving abilities during challenging situations.

Debbie has exhibited a commitment to the community’s welfare through her collaborative approach to working with other officials and departments.

Debbie has the ability to make difficult decisions under pressure especially through her experience in balancing competing community needs.

Debbie has a vision for the village’s future and shown her accessibility and willingness to listen to constituents.

As I have stated previously, I worked with her for 31 years and her work ethic, dedication and leadership during our 31 years working together showed her skills as clerk-treasurer translate directly to mayoral responsibilities.

If you live in the Village of Medina be sure to vote on March 18 for Deborah Padoleski for Medina’s next mayor.

Dawn Meland

Medina

Editor:

I don’t typically like to engage in local political discussions. I never felt like I had a true need to. Growing up, I felt like the people leading our community had a concrete vision for Medina – and a vision that helped it grow for the better.

I’ve always heard that the secret to Medina’s “Renaissance” was the fact that everyone – all the stakeholders – were pulling in one direction. Working together was and still is the key to success.

Lately I’ve been disturbed with the absence of direction and transparency, creeping micromanagement, and unwillingness to work cooperatively by some members of the Board of Trustees.

I think everyone always looks at positions in politics and thinks “I could do a 10x better job– it would be so easy.” Maybe in a perfect world, that might be. But it’s not.

The reality is that governance requires long hours in an often thankless job. It requires leadership, perseverance, a willingness to listen to everyone no matter how small the issue, to be decisive, creative, forward thinking, all while maintaining a high level of integrity.

This is how I see Mayor Sherman. I believe Mayor Sherman has done about as good of a job as you can humanly ask for. I see her working hard for a sustainable, affordable Medina by seeking diverse funding sources to ease the tax burden – grants, private funding, foundations and the like. Where others see problems, she sees opportunities.

I see her passionately supporting public safety, and again working incredibly hard to identify new funding sources and ways forward so we can maintain the level of services residents have come to depend upon.

It’s been said that leaders “do the right thing,” while managers “do things right.” Mayor Sherman does both exceedingly well. She has a long-term view with an eye on the future, focusing on people and solutions. And she is an extremely competent executive, carrying out the day-to-day tasks of meeting with people, formulating plans, managing difficult circumstances and making sound decisions.

I’m disappointed by her opponents on the Board of Trustees who seem so unwilling to work cooperatively. To have disagreements is expected, but to disengage from finding cooperative solutions is another. We need – we deserve public servants who are committed to working cooperatively for everyone, in the best interests of all of Medina – even those with whom they disagree. Too much is at stake.

Rather than working with the mayor in a non-partisan fashion, some trustees think that digging their heels in and just saying “no” to everything the mayor suggests is a plan.

It’s not. Some also seem fixated on watching the mayor’s every move. Also, not a plan and not effective governance.

The board’s job is to set direction and policy, while executive is meant to carry out that policy and help execute it. That involves the day-to-day grind of meetings, management, and decision making. When trustees demand to be a part of everyday administrative duties, effective governance slows; daily operations become muddled; clear direction becomes foggy.

They may see it as “staying on top of things” but in fact, they are micromanaging and impairing the very thing they want to help. It’s simply not their role. Yes, there certainly are things that the executive/mayor should and must bring to the board – but that’s her job. It’s not their job to sit on her shoulder.

Let me say it one more time: the secret to Medina’s “Renaissance” was the fact that everyone – all the stakeholders – were pulling in one direction. Working together was and still is the key to success.

I think it’s quite clear that Mayor Sherman is trying to help and do what’s best for the people of Medina under very trying circumstances. My fiancé and I have chosen to live in Medina and make our home here. I believe in Mayor Sherman. I believe in her vision, and I believe in the future that she sees for our community.

I hope that you will join me in voting for a clear vision and what’s best for our future. On March 18, vote Sherman.

Sincerely,

Sam Busch

Medina

Editor:

To Town of Shelby residents, it’s that time of year the Republicans are out getting signatures for our endorsed candidates.

This year Shelby Republican endorsed candidates are:

Republican Committee – District 1: Steve Seitz and Dale Root

District 2: Bill Bacon and C.J. Woodruff

District 3: Alana Koneski and Mike Moriarty

District 4: Tom Winans and John Pratt

Please note that for District 3 there will be the ability for all residents in Lakewood Village, west side of Gwinn Street, Batavia, Oak Orchard, North and South Avenue to come to Lakewood Village on Saturday, March 7th, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and sign petitions and enjoy a slice of pizza and a soda. And chat with Alana and Mike.

Also endorsed by our committee: Assembly – Steve Hawley; Senate – Rob Ortt; Congressional District 24 – Claudia Tenney; all current County Legislature members.

Please take a minute of your time and get involved in the process. We would enjoy meeting with you.

Dale Root

Town of Shelby Republican Committee Chairman

Editor:

As a life-long resident of WNY I want to thank all those responsible for their outstanding responses in preparation for and each day for this winter’s weather.

So often I would waken to the sound of snowplows passing from 4:30-4:50 morning after morning heading to the canal bridge, turning around and often coming back with salt to ensure traffic was safe to travel at early hours. And then, back they would come again during the day, if needed!

We WNYers have had decades of dealing with Mother Nature and have the equipment and the extraordinary staff at all village, town and county levels to maintain the equipment, the repairs, the levels of salt needed for this winter.

It’s been a tough one on all our critters too!  The geese are now heading back from the south and we can see some deer, raccoons and skunks beginning to rummage for leftovers in the fields from last year.

Ah, the delights of living in Albion and in WNY as other parts of this entire country still grapple with destroyed powerlines, roads, roofs and entire homes which were never prepared.  Thank you!

Karen Watt

Albion

Editor:

I am running for Mayor of the Village of Albion because I believe in the power of community service — and I believe our village is ready to put that power to work.

When I walk through our historic downtown district, I see something that many communities would envy: a backbone of beautiful, character-rich buildings that tell the story of Albion’s past. But I also see what our 5,600 residents and visitors see every day — facades that need attention, storefronts that have sat vacant too long, and public spaces that are crying out for a little tender loving care. The good news is that the answer to this challenge is already living right here among us.

Community service, when organized and purposeful, is one of the most powerful tools a municipality has. As mayor, I would work to launch a structured Village Revitalization Volunteer Initiative — a program that connects willing hands from our schools, civic organizations, faith communities, and local businesses with the buildings and green spaces that need them most. From beautification days in the downtown historic district to coordinated cleanup efforts along our historic Erie Canal, we can accomplish together what no budget line item alone can achieve.

Preserving our historic downtown is not just about aesthetics — it is about economic vitality, community pride, and honoring what those who built this village left behind for us. A well-maintained historic district attracts visitors, supports local businesses, and gives residents a place to feel proud of. After all we are the county seat of Orleans County! That is a return on investment that every resident should be able to see and feel.

I also intend to work closely with state and federal historic preservation programs and our very own Historian, Susan Starkweather-Miller, to identify grant funding that can support property owners who want to restore their buildings but need a financial lift to get started. The Village also has at its disposal a grant writer, G&G Municipal Consulting and Grants Writing, who provide additional help in finding and completing grants on behalf of the Village. Community service and smart resource stewardship go hand in hand.

Albion has the people, the history, and the heart to turn this vision into reality. All we need is the leadership and the will to get started. I am asking for your vote — your ideas and your participation.

 Sincerely,

Joyce A. Riley

Candidate for Mayor, Village of Albion

Editor:

I am Dean Bellack, a 42-year resident of this community and a business owner who spent decades operating in a highly competitive environment where partnerships were not optional — they were survival.

If people didn’t come together, I didn’t eat. That experience shaped how I think, how I work, and how I solve problems. With all respect to the others in this race, that background sets me apart.

I am running for Village Trustee because we cannot continue operating the way we have been. You may disagree with many things in this village — and that’s healthy — but I challenge anyone to disagree with this:

We live in a politically insignificant area, in a state that is crushing us with costs, and our residents cannot continue absorbing tax increases year after year.

Those are facts. And facts require action.

The only way to change the curve is to change how we do business. We cannot keep thinking like a village of 6,000 people trying to solve 21st century problems alone. We must build partnerships — with our towns, our county, our nonprofits, our schools, and our neighboring communities. We must expand our grant efforts dramatically. And we must stop treating collaboration as optional.

My public history shows these results in action.

When I started at the YMCA, the organization was broke, the roof was leaking, and we were dealing with the aftermath of a financial scandal. We were one small, isolated branch with no path forward. We came together, completely remodeled the building, and spent two years working toward a merger with the GLOW YMCA. That merger created stability, doubled revenue, and built an endowment that now funds repairs and long term needs. The YMCA is strong today because we changed the model.

When I volunteered to lead the United Way, we were broke and struggling with trust issues. We rebuilt that organization from the ground up — shifting from a small fundraising group to one that wrote grants for nonprofits, secured county contracts, and achieved financial stability. We created an endowment, restored credibility, and then made the bold decision to drop the United Way model entirely and reform as Orleans Community Connects. Today, OCC is positioned to add asset building roles across the county and bring in resources that individual organizations could never secure alone.

These are not theories. These are results — built through partnerships, planning, and a willingness to change how things are done.

I am for services. I am for a strong, functioning village. But the only way to protect services without breaking taxpayers is to change the model.

If you want to know how I will operate as Trustee, it is simple:

• My votes will support partnerships that reduce costs and increase capacity.
• My direction will push for greatly expanded grant proposals and shared applications.
• My decisions will focus on what is necessary, not what is easy or familiar.

I have lived here for 42 years. I have invested hard in assets here. I owned 43 rental units and improved each. I have built businesses here. I have served this community in multiple roles. And I believe deeply that Medina can thrive — but only if we stop pretending that doing things the same way will produce different results.

It is time to think differently, work differently, and lead differently.

Respectfully,

Dean Bellack

Candidate for Medina Village Trustee

Editor:

So President Trump orders the bombing of Iran. He says to stop their ability to build a nuclear bomb which he already said the strikes on Iran months ago completely destroyed their capability to do so.

Then he indicates regime change is a goal. His Secretary of State says that Israel was going to bomb Iran so the US had to join them to protect US personnel and interests in the area and regime change was not an objective.

Hostilities commence and the crap hits the fan. US military installations in the area are not significantly hardened and Iranian munitions kill US service members and destroy assets. The commander in chief says there will be casualties as this happens in war, brilliant military mind he is. Then we lose three multimillion dollar aircraft to friendly fire. Actually our own planes were shot down with air defenses supplied by the US.

Iran targets our embassies and consulates in the area and civilian airports, stranding thousands of American citizens and the state department says we can’t help you and you are on your own and get out anyway you can.

So here we are. My take is when you fire every senior experienced and seasoned military leader, others resign rather than support the regime and replace them with Trump loyalists, the force is weakened. Especially when you have a totally incompetent Secretary of Defense.

During the DOGE purge many senior State Department staff were fired or resigned causing a large gap in the ability to anticipate, plan and protect citizens abroad. This is the most reckless and irresponsible administration in the history of the country. This nightmare will only stop when Americans wake up. So again I ask still not enough?

Thanks.

James Fraser, Colonel (Retired), USAF

Batavia

Editor:

The Somerset Solar project is a 125 megawatt installation proposed on part of the site of the shuttered coal-fired powerplant.

Financially, the project should stand on its own and not receive tax breaks or financial incentives from the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency (NCIDA) or other organizations.

Those that argue for incentives claim Somerset Solar will help meet the New York State Energy Policy Goals. These goals are under question as to how realistic they are and raise issues that were ignored in the original State Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) decision.

Claims made that the Somerset Town Board is on record as approving the project are false. More power to our Governor who has begun to raise questions about certain of the issues surrounding “clean energy.” Further a greenspace barrier was required by the Article 8 siting process for the coal operations. That barrier is being destroyed to the detriment of those living in the area.

ORES has recently issued a deficiency judgement for the project allowing the clearing of trees to begin on the proposed site. There is nothing more counterproductive to clean air than cutting down trees and clearing forested lands. Trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, store it and release oxygen to the atmosphere. Exactly the process wanted to clean our air.

Further, trees act to deaden sounds and form a sight barrier, a much desired effect to preserve the Rural Character of our area. The Nature Conservancy in its Spring 2026 issue indicated that New York State has a plan to plant 680 million  trees by 2040. Part of this plan should be to stop the arbitrary destruction  of forested areas for unreliable clean energy projects.

The Somerset Solar Project will remove 247 acres from active farming. The 2022 Agricultural Census of Niagara County estimated the average yearly value of agricultural products sold in the County is $1,291 per acre. Over the projected life of 35 years the total loss in agricultural production in Somerset will exceed eleven million dollars in 2022 year dollars. How will this sum ever be recovered?

Farmland and all green spaces should never be used for solar projects. Secure landfills, rooftops, abandoned shopping centers and parking lots, and brownfields located in cities and suburban areas closer to the electrical demand are far better sites.

An examination of details of construction of Somerset Solar puts the lie to any possibility of rehabilitation of the site after it outlives its useful life. Hundreds of buried pilings will be constructed to support the thousands of solar panels. Five miles of crushed stone trails and roads will be constructed, eliminating any notion of ever farming the site again.

The claim is that Somerset Solar will supply power to 25,000 homes. This is at best half-truth as power is only generated when the sun shines. Reliable clean burning natural gas, reliable clean hydropower and reliable carbon free nuclear power come to the rescue.

The Niagara County Industrial Development Agency must deny the request of Somerset Solar for all manner of tax exemptions and financial incentives. Hopefully this action will be enough to kill the project. We will all benefit!

James C. Hoffman

Town of Somerset

Editor:

By the time I was done reading about the bombing of a girls’ school in Minab, Iran, on Saturday morning, Trump/Netanyahu supporters were already hard at work running cover.

“You believe Iranian state media?” “You’re telling me they were in school on Saturday?” “Oh, did you forget war is hell?” American media would wait to report on the school children we killed until Sunday, when the death toll had reached well over one hundred. Now we have videos, evidence, photos of bloody backpacks, and all those Trump/Netanyahu supporters have to say is…

Well that’s the obvious problem; they can’t get their story straight. Why were suddenly bombing dozens of sites across Iran? Trump said it was so they couldn’t make nukes. This, despite the fact Ted Cruz told the media he’d seen no evidence Iran was rebuilding what we apparently “obliterated” last June (the “12 Day War”), and despite the fact that negotiators told CBS news the day before that the US and Iran had come to a framework for a nuclear deal more comprehensive and secure even the historic and durable one Obama signed in 2015, and despite the fact that last spring Trump’s own Director of National Intelligence said, “Iran not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamanei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003.”

To hear others tell it, the reason Trump was now killing civilians in Iran and admitting American soldiers would have to die (Trump: “That’s just the way it is”) was that Iran was a brutal regime that kills its own citizens. If that’s a legitimate reason for war, I think we have to start a lot more wars. If Trump cared about the deaths of protestors, he wouldn’t have blamed Alex Pretti for legally carrying a firearm while trying to help a woman abused by an ICE officer.

Others say we had to bomb Iran because the Ayatollah was a religious zealot who says “Death to America.” Has anyone heard the way our own government officials speaks about other countries and entire ethnicities?

Does anyone remember that Iran was a democracy in 1951 when Mossadegh was voted in on a platform of nationalizing Iran’s oil? The CIA created a coup and installed a literal King whose police state brutalized Iranians for decades before a religious movement overthrew him. Trump and his cronies are the last people I want to hear talk about Democracy; anyone paying attention can see this is part of his broad, chaotic attempt to stop future elections (just listen to the pro-Trump attorneys pushing him to sign an executive order to declare an election-stopping emergency over “Chinese election interference in 2020”).

There are no good reasons for this war. Iran is not a threat to us.

There are not good reasons to bomb a school. Children are not a threat to us.

There are no good reasons to close the entry points to Gaza and stop the World Central Kitchen from feeding the starving Palestinian people. Palestinians are not a threat to us.

Trump is a threat to us. We’ve already seen US soldiers die. Praying won’t save them. The only thing that can is an act of Congress. Use the 25th amendment because he’s clearly lost touch with reality, or impeach him, again.

Tyler Barton

Hamlin

Editor:

My name is Joyce Riley, a  resident since 1960 and senior citizen of Albion, New York. I am a proud graduate of our local high school in Albion, New York. I am a Registered Nurse and hold a Master’s degree in Public Administration.

As a Registered Nurse with over 50 years of experience in practice and administration, I have been an international presenter and I have served on multiple boards within this community. Today, I am writing to share why I am running for Mayor.

For the past four years, I have had the honor of serving this village as a Trustee, including two and a half years as Deputy Mayor. That experience has given me a clear-eyed understanding of what our village needs — and what it is capable of becoming.

When I first took office as Trustee, one of the most urgent challenges facing the village was closing the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant). No one in the  current administration had the knowledge or time to dedicate to close it correctly, and without proper closure, the village risked having to repay a significant amount of money. I took it upon myself to learn the process, successfully closed the grant, and protected the funds of those who participated in the grant.

I then built on that knowledge by writing small grants to support summer programming at Bullard Park and our downtown Erie Canal park — resources that directly benefit our residents.

I am by nature action-oriented and an optimist. I want to fight for our Village and I believe we could do it together — residents, property owners, Village staff, other municipalities  and leadership working side by side.

That being said, what I did not fully anticipate was the depth of the financial challenges that awaited us – loss of the Fire Department. That crisis forced us to think creatively and boldly. We worked to form a fire district and by collaborating with other municipalities around shared services, like the codes department, and reduced some cost and redundancy.  More instances of collaborative actions need to take place in the future to decrease the financial burdens and redundancy.

I am running for Mayor because I believe this village deserves leadership with the experience, the tenacity, and the genuine love of community to see us through the next chapter. As a senior citizen who has lived and worked in this community, I am not running for prestige — I am running because I know there is more we can accomplish together, and I know I have the background to help us get there.

My goal has always been simple: to serve the people and improve the community in which I live. I humbly ask for your support.

Respectfully,

Joyce Riley

Albion Village Trustee

Candidate for Mayor

Editor:

If you live on or near East Avenue in  Albion or a resident of the Village of Albion, and you are concerned about quality of life issues in the village,  please attend all meetings concerning the Dollar General store project that is being planned on a site across from the high school building.

Even if it is not a “public hearing,” your presence at these meetings will let our Village and County government officials know that, “This Place Matters”!

Next meeting is Thursday, February 26, at 7 p.m. in Legislative Chambers, County Administration Building.

Sincerely,

Annette M. Piano

Albion, resident of East Avenue