Photo courtesy of Jack Burris: Runners line up on Main Street at the start of the 10-mile race in Albion on Aug. 18.

Editor:

Each year our list of people to thank for their help with Metro 10 gets longer. This year we faced some additional challenges but the move to downtown Albion from Bullard Park may have been a blessing in disguise, many people loved the atmosphere and the architecture.

I’d like to start with Village Police Chief Roland Nenni, whose action plan kept runners safe. Many people came up to me and mentioned that the course was perfectly managed by law enforcement. The Orleans County Sheriff, Medina Village Police, Holley Village Police and New York State Police all provided support. Our Orleans County law enforcement are not just protectors of our citizens, they are great individuals and ambassadors for our community. I can’t thank them enough.

This is our fourth year working with the Village of Albion government, and each year they are incredibly supportive and flexible. Three trustees participated in the Metro 10 as did Mayor Eileen Banker. It sends a powerful message to visitors when local officials not only visit an event, they participate in it.

The Village of Albion DPW deserves high praise. In spite of all the projects on their plate, they set up and tore down the event and were right there to answer questions and help with anything we asked. They are a great group of individuals.

Our Albion Cross Country Team and Weed Man have helped cover water stations for four years. With the course change we had all kinds of new challenges, both groups stepped up and showed up, and Weed Man took on a second water station this year after another group couldn’t make it. Wayne Litchfield has helped organize the water stations for years and does so many little things behind the scenes that are crucial to the event, and this year he actually sprung into action and manned a water station along with Jack Burris at the very last minute.

Jack Burris has been a vital and spirited supporter of Metro 10. There are so many things he has done over the years to make this event happen it’s hard to know where to begin. He was with us at 3 a.m. running around in the rain setting up the course, and has provided us with storage space and he is usually the first person we talk to when we need a problem solved or some words of encouragement or a supportive prayer. I am honored to have him as my close friend.

Pete Zeliff Jr. and his wife Sue and Ed Spence and all of the people from The Warrior House are always there to help when we need them. If you need anything they will figure out how to get it and always offer a hand when they can. Ed gets together a group of Veterans to hand out race medals at the finish. It’s incredibly humbling to think that the people who have already served us and protect us are there to serve these runners. I feel incredibly blessed to work alongside such a great charity with some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet in your life.

My longtime friend Jim Salmon has taken time out of his busy schedule to come out and help with the age group awards for four years in a row. After a long race day Jim and I get to share a few laughs, it’s one of the most enjoyable parts of my day.

Marsha Rivers came and did our pre-race prayer this year, twice, once for bikers and once for runners. Marsha brings a wonderful spirit and energy to the ministry, it was a true blessing to have her as part of the race this year, especially because her father and husband have participated in it every year.

Our sponsors make it possible to pull off the many layers to Metro 10. Oak Orchard Health has provided thousands of bottles of water over four years and provided volunteers to hand them out. Intergrow is our largest financial contributor and one of the favorite onsite vendors (people love free tomatoes). The Town of Albion and Town of Gaines provide critical financial support. The Oak Orchard Community Health Foundation, Batavia Downs, Colton RV, Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes, The Insurance Center, Burris Cleaning all provide financial support as well. Because of all the perks we offer, our race fees don’t cover our costs, so without direct financial support we would not be able to put on The Metro 10 or provide funds to The Warrior House.

Our in-kind support is crucial as well and Tops, Modern Corp, Alex’s Place, The Medina VFW, Karma Water, Bentley Brothers, Larry Albanese and COVA provided costly items such as Gatorade, Porta-potties, Ice, Medical Services, Tents, and Kobota utility vehicles, all items that would cost thousands of dollars out of pocket to rent or purchase. Bentley Brothers has been with us all four years, as has Watt Farms Country Market, whose apple orchard makes our course unique. In spite of all the rain the night before the apple orchard was in great shape for the runners because of the time and care they take to make it safe before the event.

My great friend Bryan DeGraw is at The Metro 10 every year with Mead. People really love his locally made product, and he is another one of those people that can help solve those crazy things that pop up along the way.

Wayne Litchfield has been by my side every year, always ready to help even when he was dealing with health issues this year. If you know Wayne you know he is always helping people. Erin Smith has been with us for two years, and she not only provides a “let’s get it done” attitude, she provides words of encouragement when everything around us seems like it is falling apart. Erin and Jeff Casillo did so many little and big things for this event, and there would be no bike component without them.

Mary Covell is our other superstar this year. She just knew how to be in the right place at the right time. Becky Bashford, Matt Swindon, Hailee Morgan and Bill Irwin all showed up the day of the race and played crucial roles. Crystal Hallenbeck did a great job making our first Health Fair happen. Vickey Beaver brought Team Rochester’s victorious team back in higher numbers, it’s her third year with us.

Adam Johnson and the staff at 39 Problems fed us and the runners this year. We have really fallen in love with that place! Adam has been amazing and incredibly easy to work with.

Of course I would never be able to pull any of this off without my incredible family including my wife Tracy, brother-in-laws Mike and Jack, my sister Kathleen and my sons Thom and Trevor.

Hopefully I didn’t forget anyone, but if I did it doesn’t diminish your contribution. Events, small and large, are never the product of one person’s work, it is the result of community members coming together to make it happen. Whether you have helped us this year, or in past years, we thank you for helping us bring this crazy event into reality for the last four years.

All the best,

Thom Jennings

Albion

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Editor:

It’s a matter of fact that I supported and voted for Donald Trump in 2016. Not because I was inspired by him or because I hated Hillary, I just happened to agree with Mr. Trump’s position on several key issues. It is also a fact that I have come to regret that decision for reasons I will not entertain here.

Does this somehow suggest that now I too am “inspired” by Hillary as Mr. Atwell openly accuses Mr. Capurso? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think Mr. Capurso mentioned being inspired by anyone in his recent letter. Nor do I recall Mr. Capurso accusing Mrs. Gregoire of having Trump’s values simply because of her inspiration one way or the other. The fact is, if Mr. Capurso can be assessed with saying anything of a personal nature regarding Mrs. Gregoire, it is his admiration for her by taking an active role in the political process. Personally, knowing what I know now, SpongeBob would have proven “most inspiring” had he been on the ballot in 2016.

I need neither the Fake nor Faux news to know without doubt that Al’s letter was pretty much spot on. The good Lord blessed me with parents who taught me right from wrong, a brain to understand The Golden Rule, ears to know a lie when I hear it and most of all … eyes to finally see that this President (whom I voted for) has no clothes. And here’s a shocker, neither Hillary nor Obama has anything at all to do with it! If anyone has projected their values personally on another in this recent exchange it is not Mr. Capurso.

It was asked: “Who is worse, a liar and a cheat or a liar and a cheat? Does it really matter who inspires who …?” Benito Mussolini and Adolph Hitler so much inspired each other’s political aspirations that it would ultimately lead to the deaths of well over 60 million people or 3 percent of the world’s population. In my humble opinion Jeff, it indeed DOES matter.

Lastly, if the “No Vacancy” sign is on the “whining room” door as previously stated, whoever’s in there please be sure to flush – maybe twice. “Two years” doesn’t even come close to get us to which lies, rather … I mean, what lies at the end of this long dirt road.

Respectfully,

Tom Graham

Rochester

AHS, ’78

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Editor:

Towards the end of last year, I highlighted the highly controversial and questionable film tax credit that our state has been recklessly participating in for the last 15 years. After beginning as a modest incentive of $25 million per year in 2004, by 2010 the credit had ballooned to an annual sum of nearly $211 million.

In 2014, that amount doubled and New York became home to one of the most generous film tax credits in the country. Over the last four years, our state has been doling out taxpayer dollars to the tune of $420 million per year in order to prop up the “struggling and downtrodden” film industry.

I applaud our local filmmakers and I am sure that some local projects have benefited from the credit. However, the film industry – filled with regressive, multimillion-dollar Hollywood elites – is suddenly the recipient of the largest industry-specific tax credit in our state and one of the largest of its type in the country. The benefits overwhelmingly favor big companies and New York City projects. The questionable subsidization of this particular industry should raise a few eyebrows, and the fact Gov. Cuomo recently hosted dozens of top film and Hollywood executives at a re-election fundraiser in Beverly Hills should raise all of them.

After handing out millions to “Death in Love,” described as Holocaust Porn by the New York Post and “Killer Rack,” the story of a breast enhancement operation turned man-eating killer, New York State chose to dabble in funding films that centered on prostitution and the sex industry. This report reveals “The Deuce,” a series based on the rise of New York City’s porn industry, received nearly $14.5 million while “The Girlfriend Experience,” a soft-core porn involving a law student who sells her body on the weekend to pay her bills, received nearly $390,000. I have no doubt that these works of art are consumed and enjoyed by many; however, I do not feel the state should be subsidizing these types of works.

Finally, Saturday Night Live once again received a tax credit. Over the last decade, NBC and SNL have been the recipients of approximately $68 million in credits and this year, it was over $15 million in taxpayer funds. Each year, the show seemingly threatens to leave New York (putting their famous “Live from New York” hook at risk) unless they are given a handout.

I continue to have serious doubts regarding the rate of return on this tax credit that repeatedly supports New York City projects that would have likely filmed in the city regardless of the credit. I take issue with propping up a billion dollar industry that clearly does not need support. With each quarterly report outlining where these funds are going, my assertion that this program is simply a kickback to his campaign donors like Sony, which donated $50,000 to Gov. Cuomo’s re-election campaign in 2014, becomes more evident. Until the Governor and Legislature overhaul or nix this program, I will continue to highlight its questionable use of taxpayer dollars.

Rob Ortt

North Tonawanda

(Ortt represents the 62^nd Senate District)

Editor:

I am responding to the letter from Mr. Paul Williamson of Apex Clean Energy posted on August 10, 2018, in the Orleans Hub.

First, I would like to correct Mr. Williamson’s statement regarding the recent submission of my letter. My letter, while certainly published in the Hub (August 2, 2018), was first read by myself to Mr. Williamson directly at the July 12, 2018, Yates Town Board meeting.

Additionally, this same letter was posted on July 18, 2018, to the NYS Department of Public Service website in relation to Matter 14-F-0485: “Application of Lighthouse  Wind LLC for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need Pursuant to Article 10 to Construct a 201MW Wind Energy Facility.”

By way of quick review, my letter challenged Mr. Williamson of Apex on his public statements at two town board meetings (Somerset and Yates) on July 11, 2018, and July 12, 2018:

1. There is no impact on Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station
2. Turbines are good for the environment
3. Turbines are good for infrastructure
4. Turbines are good for the economy
5. Turbines are safe for birds
6. There is no need for Yates to have laws governing wind turbines
7. There is no need for a baseline health study
8. There is no need for a Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement (PILOT)

Additionally, my letter also cited relevant data which refutes Mr. Williamson’s unsupported statements above.

In his most recent missive in the Hub, Mr. Williamson attempts to turn the argument 180 degrees by stating that my statements to him support the construction of Lighthouse Wind. This is incredible hubris and a fatally flawed argument. If Mr. Williamson had been listening real time during the meeting when this was read to him or took the time to read the letter (which I personally gave to him on July 12, 2018), he would have realized that there were no statements of support for Lighthouse Wind. In fact, he would have realized the letter was a systematic and data driven argument against Lighthouse Wind and Apex Clean Energy.

Since he is overly focused on money, why is he ignoring the fact that the Towns, School Districts, County Industrial Development Agencies and County Legislatures have supported our rejection Payment In Lieu of Tax (ie: PILOT) agreements in this case. Why would the Towns of Yates and Somerset enter into a PILOT agreement that would net the Town of Yates $40,000 a year when full property taxation on this project may net Yates and Somerset a grand total of $10,000,000 annually? Of course, there was no response from Mr. Williamson.

I find it interesting – but not surprising – that Mr. Williamson’s letter to the Hub is a weakly worded argument that includes no objective evidence in support of his statements – and this from a Wind Energy Industry expert? But we’ve all come to expect nothing but pablum and platitudes from Apex Clean Energy and their representatives: Mr. Neil Habig, Mr. Paul Williamson, Ms. Cat Mosely, Mr. Taylor Quarles, Mr. Dan Fitzgerald and of course Apex President and CEO, Mr. Mark Goodwin.

As a Town Councilman listening to the dialogue at our July 12 Town Board meeting, I was struck by how much more the constituency knew, not only about Apex projects across the country but also about wind energy technology. What absolutely floored me was how little Apex representatives Mr. Williamson and Mr. Habig knew about these same subjects. For example, when pressed to articulate how the 100 leaseholders in Yates and Somerset compared to the overall population of both towns, they were left speechless – for in fact they did not know the population of either town (3,134-Yates, 2,662-Somerset).

Detailed and data-driven questions from constituents are not ever answered with detailed and data-driven responses from Apex representatives.  Apex representatives do not respond in kind, but speak only platitudes and the same kind of generality-laced arguments exhibited in Mr. Williamson’s letter to the Hub.

I find it interesting that Mr. Williamson posted an email July 31st to Supervisors Simon and Engert of Yates and Somerset, respectively, indicating that he was busy and therefore would not be attending our August Town Board meetings. This excuse rings shallow in my ears. I’m wondering what the real reason is that Mr. Williamson refuses to attend Town Board meetings and if this is a breach of Article 10 outreach requirements.

Meanwhile, as Mr. Williamson let our town supervisors know on July 31st that he has more important things to do than to be available for outreach at our Town Board meetings. Apex Clean Energy held a leaseholder’s meeting on Tuesday evening August 7th at The Gallagher Barn in Medina. So, Apex is in town on Tuesday, August 7th, but is too busy to stay in town to attend Town Board meetings on August 8th and 9th? This behavior on the part of Apex Clean Energy is part and parcel with the generalizations and clichés offered by representatives of this firm to the directed questions of the constituency. Again, a breach of Article 10 outreach requirements? I don’t know, but you can bet that we’ll be checking on it.

Mr. Williamson has as much as told us that he is only a cog in the Apex machine by stating at the July Yates Town Board meeting that his only job was to finish off the project technical details. He has no decision-making authority. In fact, none of the Apex representatives yet to set foot in Yates or Somerset Town Board meetings have been decision-makers. They are low-totem pole folks. Mr. Mark Goodwin, CEO of Apex, on the other hand is a decision-maker but has continued to ignore the constituencies of both towns.  I wonder if that is a breach of the Article 10 law?

What Apex Clean Energy and Mr. Williamson need to understand is that they are responsible for putting the Towns of Yates and Somerset on a war-footing; as a result, our towns will remain vigilant in our pursuit of home rule and our defeat of the Lighthouse Wind Project.

Governor Cuomo, the Lighthouse Wind Project and Apex’s war against the Towns of Yates and Somerset must stop…Now!!

The toxicity is destroying the Towns of Yates and Somerset.

Governor Cuomo, are you listening?

Thank you,

John Riggi

Councilman, Town of Yates

Editor:

Who inspires who? Kellie is inspired by Trump and Al is inspired by Hillary… Who is worse, a liar and a cheat or a liar and a cheat? Does it really matter who inspires someone to run for political office?

Does it mean that because one person says they like something about a person they automatically have the same values as the person they said they liked? Does Mr. Capurso know Mrs. Gregoire? (I know both.) It’s been a long 2 years for some people – the sign on the crying closet says No Vacancy.

By the way, the tag on my MAGA hat says MADE IN USA.

Jeffrey Atwell

Albion

Editor:

“Life isn’t fair. It’s true, and you still have to deal with it. Whining about it rarely levels the playing field, but learning to rise above it is the ultimate reward.” – Harvey Mackay

The negativity has seemed to grow over the years, when it comes to our elected officials. Having recently received a mailing at home, read letters to the editor and observing posts on social media, I have found my fellow citizens whining about our politicians.

Whether it be on the national or the local government level, an election was held, a candidate won and was sworn to fill that position. Rise above the fact it was not what you wanted and become a productive means for change. Address the issues, not the person.

Most decisions in government are made by a group’s majority, not one person. Have a solution for the issue or issues at hand. Actions are what create progress.

Speaking out, especially anonymously, about an individual is just counterproductive in my opinion.  If you want to be heard, be present, suggest solutions and work together to resolve the issues.

Peter D. Hendrickson, Jr.

Gaines

Editor:

My name is Arthur Knab. I’ve been a Murray resident for 17 years. I am not a politician, just a taxpayer. During this time I have watched our representatives serve themselves in the name of our people. I believe our representatives should be elected not appointed to represent the people who elected them, not ignore the wishes of their taxpayers simply because they can.

That’s why I’m choosing to be the change we need by running for Republican committeeman for District 5 alongside my friend, Joseph Kellenberger. I look forward to representing the taxpayers of District 5.

Arthur Knab

Murray

Editor:

I recently read the Letter to the Editor, “Yates councilman says many negatives for community with wind turbine project” by Mr. John Riggi, and the response by Mr. Paul Williamson from Apex Clean Energy, Inc., and wished to comment as a graduate of Barker Central School, one who has left the area and worked at many power plants around the country.

Mr. Riggi contends, “[Mr. Williamson] your impact on Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) is a clear and present danger to all of Western New York” as though wind turbines have an adverse effect upon the successful completion of US Air Force (or any military branch) flight missions. This couldn’t be any further from the truth. I grew up watching NFARS-based C-130s flying down the old Hojack line paralleling Lake Ontario. They have flown this route, night or day, winter or summer, good weather or bad, Somerset Power Plant’s (Somerset PP) 613-foot emissions stack or not, all without incident for decades.

This is pure unsupported speculation on Mr. Riggi’s part, or a regurgitation of Rep. Chris Collins attack on “propeller turbines” that supposedly threatens “[an] air base employ[ing] over 2,600 people” – not “3,500 breadwinners” as Mr. Riggi states.

Somerset Power Plant is 25 miles from NFARS, Rep. Collins – under investigation for insider trading and having suspended his election campaign this week – proposed a 40-mile “wind turbine exclusion zone,” one may suspect to cover all of Mr. Riggi’s Town of Yates. So, I decided to check military bases around the US for wind farms within a 30-mile radius.

I cross-referenced 17 U.S. bases with Synapse Energy Economics’ Google Earth database, a visual, GIS based representation of EIA – Energy Information Agency data. I identified 5 bases having no wind turbines within 30 miles. However, I found 12 to have wind turbines within the same 30-mile radius. Not only does this include NFARS itself, but also New York’s Fort Drum. For military buffs, Fort Drum is famous for its 10th Mountain Division and A-10 Warthogs, known to hug the ground in the execution of their missions.

In fact, Dyess Air Force Base outside Abilene, TX has over 2,200 Megawatts (MW) of operating wind turbines, roughly 1,000 units, or 7 times that in proximity to Fort Drum. Travis AFB, which hosts a similar compliment of aircraft as NFARS, has over 1,000 MW of operating wind turbines within 15 miles of it.

Mr. Riggi’s second point discusses – pH, lime[stone], Lake Ontario and aquifers, while creating a narrative of a mythical horror story to come with wind turbine. Ironic really, considering “lime” was used to reduce the pH (higher acidity) of “dead lakes” throughout the Northeast US and eastern Canada during the end of the 20th Century as well as regularly to treat high acidity agricultural fields. The cause of these “dead lakes”? High pH rain, more simply known as “acid rain.” What is the scientifically agreed upon cause of “acid rain”?  Burning high-Sulphur content coal at plants like in Somerset.

Over the lifetime of Somerset PP, lime[stone] has arrived by the train load as part of the “wet scrubbing” process required to remove Sulphur Oxides (SOx) from the emissions and minimize acidic rain formation downwind. Somerset PP has traditionally sourced its coal from high-Sulphur coal mines in western Pennsylvania. And the “mountain” that has grown since 1984, to the east of the power plant, is a combination of coal ash and the combined products of SOx and limestone.

Even with “wet scrubbing”, Somerset PP still emits SOx into the air. According to the EIA, Somerset PP, while only operating at 11% of its total possible output for the years 2015 and 2016, produced 1,385 and 1,632 tons of SOx – the key agent of acid rain – respectively.

In those same years, as limestone continues to be delivered by the trainload to Somerset PP, Maple Ridge Wind Farm near Fort Drum generated more electricity than Somerset PP, despite it being only one-half as large. And it did so, without any CO2 or SOx emissions. And what should put Mr. Riggi at ease, no new “environmental boogieman” he has referred to as either “lime” or “rebar concrete.”

Unfortunately, I am unaware of any scientific basis for Mr. Riggi’s fears over “rebar concrete or lime … leaching” into aquifers or Lake Ontario. I will let the reader perform their own “sniff test” of Mr. Riggi’s trumped-up fears.

However, most residents near Somerset PP are well aware of the heated water that is injected into Lake Ontario.  The industry terminology for this phenomenon is “waste heat” and simply put it must be “disposed of” into the environment as part of the steam cycle required to generate electricity.

For every 1 MW of electricity generated at a thermal power plant such as Somerset, 2 MW of thermal heat units are ejected or expelled during conversion of coal to electricity. For every 3 MMBTU (Million British Thermal Units) that arrives by rail car in the form of coal, 2 MMBTU are sent up the stack or out into Lake Ontario… as wasted energy. This is a fact of life for thermal power plants like Somerset.

What impacts has 30-plus years of adding massive amounts of heat to Lake Ontario done to once native fish species? Or has it aided in the growth of invasive species? I do not know, but I would suspect this would concern Mr. Riggi who is worried about migratory birds.

As to infrastructure losses, let’s be honest – initial construction of the wind farm may lead to some hard-to-quantify increased wear and tear to local roadways above the baseline of regular heavy equipment farm use and transport of agricultural products. But let’s not confuse the infrastructure damage Mr. Riggi assures us will happen from a wind farm development and 20 years of operation, to that of many rural towns and counties around the US, whom are confronted with massive infrastructure losses due to oil & gas exploration, drilling and production. The scale of the heavy truck traffic of an oil or gas field to that of a wind farm over the life of the project are not even in the same ball field, where many O&G wells require “work-over” every 3 to 5 years.

Mr. Riggi concludes his exaggerations and largely indefensible tirades, with an unfortunate lapse into “small town, small mind” bullying, through his loosely disguised threat to Mr. Williamson, “You need to get out of Town.”

As one who has left this area long ago, I can only suggest that Mr. Riggi himself “need[s] to get out of Town.” However, this is not bullying. I am simply encouraging Mr. Riggi to experience the world outside Niagara and Orleans counties. This may help him broaden his knowledge-base, “sharpen his pencil” on relevant, factually accurate information related to the energy industry, and better serve his community.

Hans Hyde

Lockport

(Barker graduate in 1992)

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Editor:

I’d like to respond to Kellie Gregoire (August 6) who is running for a committee position in the Murray Republican Party. While I applaud anyone for getting politically involved, I cannot allow her glowing comments about “president“ Trump to go unchallenged. Ms. Gregoire states she has been “very inspired” by Trump, then goes on to quote something his speech writer wrote.

This man is no positive example to the youth of America. His constant lying, bullying, and selfishness are not behaviors I want my children to emulate. The man is a breaker of God’s Commandments. He golfs while young crying children are locked in cages at his command. He trashes our environment so his corporate donors can reap vast profits. He pays lip-service to the value of American products while Chinese slave labor make his MAGA hats. He considers a free press to be our enemy. He has been caught in lie after lie. No wonder he hates those who report facts. There isn’t enough space here to catalog all that is wrong with Trump.

Decent, Godly citizens will not stand by while the evangelical crowd tries to normalize the behaviors of this hateful, deceitful man. My God didn’t choose Trump to be president, Vladimir Putin did. We will all breathe a sigh of relief when this treasonous nightmare is over. Do me a favor; don’t lecture me about how sinners shouldn’t throw stones. Your man Trump does it all the time.

Al Capurso

Gaines