Editor:

Greetings to the Republican voters of the Town of Murray! My name is Anthony J. Peone and I am seeking your vote for the Murray Republican Committee, District 3. That is the area of the town that encompasses most of the northern part of the Village of Holley.

I have lived in the town for the last ten years and was active in local politics in Brockport where I lived before moving here. I operated Brockport Computer in that village for over 20 years and am a graduate of SUNY Brockport.

I am seeking this position to hopefully add some new ideas to our local government. It seems that the committee and the Town Board are populated by persons who have been in their jobs for quite a while.

I believe along with Mark Twain that politicians, like diapers, should be changed frequently and for the same reasons! We need less career politicians and more new people with fresh ideas and a fresh outlook. If I am chosen for this office, I pledge to serve only two terms. Since that is the rule for presidents, I believe it should apply to all elected officials.

Please consider me for your vote for Republican District Committee member in the June 23rd election. Along with Kerry Neale in District 3 and Kellie Gregoire and Adam Moore in District 6 we will help bring about needed change in our town governance. God bless America and our President, Donald J. Trump.

Anthony J. Peone

Murray

Editor:

On June 14, Governor Cuomo signed an Executive Order, deemed “New Yorker’s Right to Monitor Act.” It was covered here on the Hub, but just to reiterate, it reaffirms the right of citizens to record law enforcement officers and to keep these recordings.

When I listened to the way this Executive Order was received, I was appalled. I think many felt the same. There were complaints about how Governor Cuomo went about this; every opinion I’d viewed or listened to was critical of his action.

Considering the catalyst of Cuomo’s Order – the unjust, systemically-prompted death of countless Black individuals – the right of citizens to record encounters with police officers is fundamental and completely necessary.

Black people are disproportionately targeted by law enforcement, consciously or not. That should set off alarm bells and warning signs in everyone’s head, and everyone should be willing to explore any means necessary, including this EO, to repair this very real systemic racism.

Video recordings of law enforcement are in no way an infringement of officers’ freedom; this Order is intended to verify and speak in plain words the right to sustain life for oneself and acquire justice because, for some, especially Black individuals, an encounter with the police could be a matter of death.

A “few bad apples” are products of the system that is designed to over-police and criminalize human beings based upon skin color. This severe fault in the system needs to be fixed.

Right now, all I can do to fight the issue of police brutality is to educate myself and use my words to act. I’m not yet old enough to vote, and that scares me. It scares a lot of my peers to think about how a great deal of the eligible voters are either apathetic or actively against the uplift of marginalized peoples. (We will be eligible in a couple of years, but those are two years of action lost for us.)

Reactions to this EO is pretty representative of what we usually see from Orleans County residents: “Anything Cuomo does is reprehensible,” and it’s left at that.

As a young person, this partisan game that we all seem to be playing is unacceptable. This isn’t an opportunity to criticize liberal minds like the Governor. This is an opportunity to reflect and to learn, and that means not jumping to say that reaffirming a civil liberty is an overreach.

Every last one of us exhibits biases, and I urge you to see past them in this moment and forward.

Ashley Ames

Albion

Editor:

I would love for Mr. Cropsey to explain to me, a mother of a police officer, how it is when a mob is descending upon police officers they are to know which “10 or 100” are the lawless ones.

My son who had no training in mobile response was put in the thick of protests, without a shield, to have bricks, frozen water bottles, feces and urine thrown at him. He worked an 84-hour week to try and protect peaceful protesters who were screaming the most vile insults during a pandemic where we aren’t even supposed to be singing in church for fear of the droplets spreading the disease.

Liberal leaders refused to call in professional riot busters for fear it looked like a military response. Perhaps if this was done early we wouldn’t have over 600 injured police officers.

Mr. Cropsey would do well to check the facts he keeps referring to. There is a false narrative being fueled by media and liberal politicians that actually paint our hard-working, dedicated, constitution-loving police with a wide brush!

Christie Urbanik

Lyndonville

Editor:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency on January 31. The June issue of The American Journal of Nursing asks, “Where are the Masks?” Reporting that: “As we went to press, nurses, nursing assistants, physicians, respiratory therapist, housekeepers, and other essential personnel continue to care for people with confirmed and suspected Covid-19 without adequate protective gear.”

This is the administration that Chris Jacobs praises and wants to join. As we watch refrigerator trucks line up outside of morgues, Mr. Jacobs thinks this administration is doing a great job with now over 100,000 deaths, and no plans to deal with the crisis.

It is not just the administration’s mishandling of the pandemic crisis that this administration displays. Since the beginning of his presidency, Mr. Trump has used racist and violent rhetoric to create an enemy class of “others.”

ABC reported on May 30, 2020, “‘No Blame?’ ABC News finds 54 cases invoking ‘Trump’ in connection with violence, threats, alleged assaults.” Reporting that “a nationwide review conducted by ABC News has identified at least 54 criminal cases where Trump was invoked in direct connection with violent acts, threats of violence or allegations of assault.” Again, Mr. Jacobs praises this administration’s leadership.

Conservative Republicans, George T. Conway III, Steve Schmidt, John Weaver and Rick Wilson in a NYT op-ed (12/17/19) wrote: “Congressional Republicans have embraced and copied Mr. Trump’s cruelty and defended and even adopted his corruption. Mr. Trump and his enablers have abandoned conservatism and longstanding Republicans principles and replaced it with Trumpism, an empty faith led by a bogus prophet.”

This is the administration that Mr. Jacobs praises. This is the incompetent, corrupt, cruel administration Mr. Jacobs praises.

We deserve better, we need a representative who will work for the citizens of NY 27th district. We need to elect Nate McMurray. Thank you.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

This letter is to the voters in the Republican Party, District 2, in Ridgeway. My name is Virginia Nicholson and I have resided in the Town of Ridgeway for over 20 years.

I have never been so disappointed with the ongoing events of the Ridgeway Republican Committee as over this last year. This is the reason I have decided to ask for your support in seeking one of the open seats on the Republican committee.

It is important that transparency be brought to the voters of this district. Further, everyone should be given the ability to attend the meetings and they are entitled to knowing by being given notice in a timely manner.

David Stalker, the chairman of the Ridgeway Republican Committee, has not brought effective leadership to the committee.

Please don’t be afraid on June 23rd to vote for someone to be your committee representative that isn’t afraid to give you what you deserve and expect.

Vote for someone who is willing to take on the challenge and make the Ridgeway Republican Committee strong and fair.

Thanking you in advance,

Virginia Nicholson

Ridgeway

Editor:

I was recently named in a letter by Ed Urbanik. I had written you about my concern that some people might get scapegoated and blamed for the work of thugs and criminals during the recent, and ongoing, demonstrations regarding the outrage over the Floyd murder.

Mr. Urbanik seems to think that the fact some people threw bricks and worse is proof of a conspiracy and that I approve of people who belong in jail. Far from it, I merely believe, for example, that when 10,000 Christians march for a cause – let’s say it’s pro life – that if 10 or 100 get into fights, throw bricks, or shoot and kill abortion doctors that all pro-lifer advocates  must be condemned as murders because of the act(s) of a few. It was a simple point.

Moreover, to the extent Mr. Urbanik condemns the violent people who came out after dark to work their havoc, I join in his condemnation. He does forget that there were occasions when cameras clearly show protesters were merely standing there but were clubbed and gassed regardless.  I

I write as Mr. Urbanik went too far and seemingly condemned good people with exactly the broad brush I was concerned about. I did not in any way or manner tar the overwhelming majority of officers or suggest a conspiracy due to the acts of a few!

Ed’s letter, I think, is actually a good example of scapegoating – as I mentioned before it’s a frustrating sign of these times which people of good will need to put an end to. As I said before this starts with rededication to facts.

In respect to Ed’s reference to the use of the National Guard, domestic assistance is one if their ordinary and constitutional roles. I was referring to the threat of using our Military domestically with which both current and past Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, multiple Admirals and Generals, and the still current Secretary of Defense have taken extreme issue or outright condemned!

I repeat this is still the United States of America. Our Constitution and laws should never be treated as an inconvenience. We need to pay attention when they flouted. Allies we have taken generations to cultivate are – and of our reactions.

Ed, we are better than this and can be better still.  That is our way.

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

With all the news focused on the Coronavirus and George Floyd’s death and national reaction, it is easy to overlook local news that affects us, even in a big way.

A few weeks ago, Orleans County lost a huge advocate and contributor to our community in the person of Edward Fancher, Director of Orleans County Community Action.

I had the pleasure of knowing Ed both personally and professionally. We were both part of the Holy Family Church Choir together, along with his daughter, Janelle. I first knew his wife, Christine, however, even before Ed as Chris was an intern at Orleans County Department of Social Services, where I worked for many years before recently retiring.

I also had the honor of working with Ed professionally in our capacities while working for the community. If I had a client as a foster care/preventive caseworker who I felt was in desperate need of help, I could go to Ed and more so than not, Ed and Community Action, would be there to come through for those people in our county who needed it.

With the true meaning of the word “Christianity” being tossed about in this world, and country, to be minimalized, by people pretending to act like Jesus Christ did while on earth, I submit that Ed Fancher exhibited the authentic life of a person sincerely trying to live as Jesus would.

Ed Fancher will be missed by this county, his friends and his co-workers. I think we could all use our lives to reflect on people who are around us like Ed and try to treat others as we would want to be treated.

To Christine, Janelle, Justine and Kyle and all his grandchildren and family, I am so sorry for your loss. Ed was a great man and I am sorry you have lost him prematurely in this life. I am sure he is in heaven now having gone straight to God where he can hopefully look down on us and help this country, this world, even better where he stands. God bless you!

Gerry Golden

Rochester

Editor:

My name is Ayesha Kreutz. I moved to Ridgeway about a year and a half ago from Rochester.

As a Chaplain working with the Rochester City Police and other first responders, and, as the founder and once president of the devoted Christian, proud American, active republican Frederick Douglass Foundation of NY, I’ve done a lot in Republican politics over the years.

However, upon getting to Ridgeway, I discovered that my desire to help the local Republican Committee was not only not wanted, but also ignored. My repeated calls to the chairman of the committee went eerily ignored. At first, I thought it was because they were busy with life, as can happen, or elections etc. Then I thought maybe it was because I am an “outsider.” But then I discovered I was not the only one and that this was the response to anyone who was interested in getting involved in local politics.

The Ridgeway Committee had become an uninviting hermetic committee of a select few who prize their unwillingness to be transparent so much so that most people have no idea that they even hold meetings, let alone when. To harden the curmudgeonly impenetrable shell around the committee, the meeting announcements were made at the last minute and only to those who are “supposed” to be there.

In a representative government, aren’t we all allowed to be there when our representatives are making decisions that affect our lives? Since I’m not “supposed” to be there, I hope that you will vote for me as you committee representative to a new and transparent committee that isn’t afraid of the people it’s “supposed” to represent. Help me make the Ridgeway Republican Committee Great Again.

Thank You,

Chaplain Ayesha Kreutz

Ridgeway

Editor:

I was on the fence for a long time about the wind farm project in Barre. It wasn’t until a group of people in this town started going door to door and speaking at town meetings that I decided to take a really good look at this project and wind farms in general.

I saw my friends and neighbors who had signed up for leases and our town board being constantly criticized and harassed. When I started my research, I found that almost all of the so-called “facts” about negative impacts of wind turbines are put out by a few large groups of anti-wind activists.

Let me tell you, there is a lot of money and power behind some of these groups. It does take some digging, but most of the time you can find this same information was already posted somewhere by some other anti-group and sometimes even backed by the fossil fuel industry.

I have not found a shred of scientific evidence in a peer-reviewed study which supports the claims of the anti-wind  groups. On the flip side, there are many studies that show that if people believe that wind turbines will make them sick, then they probably will get some sort of effect from them.

I have negative health effects every time I attend a town board meeting. Every time I hear people call my friends, neighbors and even my husband stupid, selfish, uneducated farmers, corrupt, greedy.

The anti-wind folks would like everyone to think that they are victims, when in fact they have mocked, ridiculed, snickered and laughed while others are speaking at meetings. If I thought seriously for a moment that wind turbines would hurt my neighbors, birds or wildlife, I would be opposed, but the information just does not support the claims that they would.

Do I think that wind turbines are going to save the world or even Barre? No. Do I think we need to do something to change how we get our power and what we are doing to the Earth? Yes! Do I think this project will benefit the entire community? Yes.

Listen, our governor, like it or not, has an agenda to make 70 percent of power in New York come from renewable energy by 2030. We can either have our town, county and schools benefit from this or we can drive through some other town that has embraced it.

Before I believe anything that is sent to me in the mail, at a town meeting or in a Facebook post, I will do my own research. Whether it is someone asking for my vote or asking to put a wind farm near my home. Ask questions.

I am by no means trying to belittle anyone’s concerns. I am just asking that we all take a step back, research. Talk to your town board. Look outside of our little part of the world at what can make a difference for everyone.

Kelly Dudley

Barre resident for 26 years

Editor:

During the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of communities are under lockdown. And with the virus, a lot of families might have to mourn the loss of a loved one, have to deal with the stress of being unemployed, and live in close quarters with their family.

All of this can affect a family’s lifestyle while in self-quarantine.

• Dealing with loss of a loved one from afar

Mourning the death of a loved one is never easy. But in self-quarantine, it is even harder. For example, you cannot go out to a funeral as you would normally. If a loved one was in the emergency room, or the ICU, you cannot go there without full protective gear, or being tested for coronavirus. The only easy way for a family to see and talk to the loved one would be through technology. Nurses and doctors can call you, and then hold the phone up for the loved one so you can see them one last time.

• The mass loss of jobs during the pandemic

With the pandemic, there is a large loss of jobs throughout the country. Your parents may not be the only ones, as the Department of Labor reported more than 700,000 jobs have been lost over the past two months due to the coronavirus pandemic. It has even been reported that 10 million people have filed for unemployment in the last few weeks of March. That can affect a family’s lifestyle very much.

Parents who worked jobs that brought in large amounts of income now have to deal with not making nearly as much as they did before. However, some workers have not lost their jobs. These workers are called essential workers.

Regarding essential workers, Tennille Richards, owner of Liv Acupuncture, said, “The way we work has changed profoundly, as we have to take extra safety precautions. For example, we can only have three patients inside of the office at a time, even with everybody spaced out. Also, every patient and worker must wear a face mask and gloves.”

Tennille Richards also states, “That’s not all, though, as we have split the waiting room up into multiple sections with red tape. That way, we can make sure everybody is spaced out.”

• How families can deal with stress during the pandemic

Most families, (including my own), have dealt with the stress by taking it slow. For example, the unemployment problem. My grandpa is now unemployed. Every so often, he might look at if he can get unemployment insurance from the state. Instead of spending days and days going through every article, going onto every website, and sending messages to government officials, he will put in an application and wait. That will resolve a lot of stress for him, and he won’t be as tense. Because of that, he has time to do other things. For example, prepare the pool for summer. Or, he can go ahead and clean his barbeque.

I hope this article has helped you recognize what other families are doing during the pandemic, and maybe even help you with your own.

Jax Richards-Dyson

Holley sixth-grader

Miss Rider’s homeroom

Editor:

I’ve been seeing many social media posts from people in the more rural parts of New York. I’m not sure where exactly all my fellow Albion High School classmates landed, but many of them are on my friends’ list.

When I think on my memories of these people, most are wonderful. And I know in my heart of hearts that these are good people. In the sense of true community spirit, it’s important to not let anything divide us as a people.

First and foremost, anyone who loots, attacks, robs, steals or takes advantage of the situation in any way, is in no way a representative of what we protesters are trying to accomplish. I stand against a fundamentally corrupt system that is designed to let people slip through the cracks of society.

We each have personal examples of how the broken system has affected us, some of us just don’t realize it yet. But as more of our stories come out, as I know they will, more will realize just how close to home they have been affected.

And lastly, at the risk of personalizing, if I show you provable examples of corruption, and you do nothing, you effectively condone that corruption. No one can rest in complacency any longer. Stay informed! Spread truth! Stay safe!

Charlie Hunt

Syracuse, formerly of Albion

Editor:

In watching the recent unrest I have a different perspective as compared to Mr. Cropsey. Staged cache of bricks and explosives are not the common tactic of ordinary thugs. Watching mobs trying to find the weakest security position to breech takes coordination.

Throwing  urine and feces at police is not a looter but someone who has no respect for civility. Having local police force overwhelmed required assistance from the National Guard.

The leadership of this country needed to restore order to prevent anarchy. Peaceful protest were allowed even though these protesters certainly didn’t respect the current health recommendations regarding the pandemic.

I am certain Mr. Cropsey would have a different perspective if his law office was located in one of those targeted areas.

Edward Urbanik

Lyndonville

Editor:

I would like to take a minute to thank Ken Daliusio of the Print Shop of 128 E. Center St., Medina for graciously stepping up during the Covid-19 epidemic, and for offering to print all the necessary postings that the Town of Ridgeway needs to have in our attempt to return to business as it now stands.

I have to say that Ken offered this service verbally to one of the Town’s Councilman and when I followed up on what seemed to be a “to good to be true offer” I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was true.

As a municipality, like any other business, we are required to have a return to work plan with the required postings, and as you can expect none of this has been budgeted for, who would have thought we would be here last year in September when budgets were due.

Ken is a local businessman and does the printing for several of our local businesses as well as business all over Orleans County and beyond. He is well aware of what kind of financial strain all of this has put on our town, our county and our nation.

He did not have to make the offer, but because of a sense of local pride and a love for his community he did. I wish to say that I am grateful and I wanted to take a moment to thank him publicly for his help and generosity during this very tough time and for once again showing that we are Medina Strong!

God bless those who step up to help their neighbors!

Karen L. Kaiser

Ridgeway Town Clerk

Medina

Editor:

I read with interest the New York State Sheriffs’ Association June 5 statement that they would like to engage “in open and honest discussions on … regaining the public’s trust in law enforcement through fact-based studies and training.”

While such a discussion is long overdue, their remarks regarding the death of George Floyd suggest that they don’t understand the problem.

The Association stated that politicians who talk of “systemic racism” are using it “for political gain.” In the United States of America, a white male born in 1997 has about a 1 in 23 chance of going to state or federal prison in his lifetime, whereas a black man has a 1 in 4 chance. African American children make up 32% of all children who are arrested, even though they make up far less of the underage population.

And an African American with a criminal record is about 50% more likely to be passed over for a job as a white person with a criminal record. If that isn’t systemic, I don’t know what is. Truly engaging in an open and honest discussion requires acknowledging that systemic racism is a problem in our country.

The sheriffs who signed the statement watched the video of George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis and saw “one rogue cop.” The rest of America saw two other cops help him, and one more who made sure no bystanders interfered. Police in the U.S. kill far more people than police in other western nations.

It wasn’t politicians leaving their “mansions” who started the current protest movement. It was average people, of all colors, who decided they are tired of watching stories of “rogue” cops treating U.S. citizens in a way that police would never stand for their own families or friends being treated.

As a white woman with friends and family members who have worked or currently work in law enforcement, I recognize the difficult situations that police officers have to face every day. All of us have racial bias (including me), and to think that this bias isn’t affecting both how police behave and how they are perceived is naïve. But clearly police training in “recognizing implicit bias, and proper use of force” is not working in all police departments.

As part of the Sheriffs’ Association’s commitment to their communities, I ask that these leaders don’t just think about “us” doing outreach to “them,” but instead start by asking “What are WE willing to change to make sure this doesn’t happen anymore?”

Meaghan Green

Medina

Editor:

Nate McMurray has earned my vote for the NY District 27 congressional seat. Having talked with him multiple times over the past couple years as he attended Orleans County community dinners and provided education to others on running for office, he has maintained a consistent offer.

He sincerely seeks to be our voice in Washington D.C. He listens more than he speaks but is principled in his support of protecting social security, advocating for economic and infrastructure advantage for farms and industry, and ensuring we all have access to healthcare.

We are all eligible to use an absentee ballot for the June 23 special election.  Applications marked “temporary illness or physical disability” to apply due to concerns of keeping coronavirus under control must be postmarked by June 16.  Early voting at the County Office Building starts June 13.

Please join me in getting your vote in for representation of Orleans County in Washington D.C. – Nate McMurray for Congress.

Beth Wood

Barre