Editor:

This pandemic is affecting families a lot! I mean A LOT! I know this is a very difficult time we are all going through! But we just got to deal with it!

I think you guys should all listen to this quote “Everything will be OK. Stay safe, stay calm, and have faith we will get through this.” This is an amazing quote. I think being positive and staying safe is the best way to get through this.

I know lots of kids hate at home learning! I mean I do! I hate how our teachers can’t be there when we need help with our work like they would be if we were at school. When your teachers aren’t there to help you, your family is trying to teach you and help you out. But they have lots of work, too.

Most families can’t go to work so they must work from home. According to Care Manager of Mental Health Alan Girangaya, “Now that I am working from home it becomes a balancing act where I have to organize my time to make sure both my work and the at home learning work is completed when needed.”

I know when lots of people work on the same WiFi or are constantly on the internet (which we must be on now). It can boot you off Zoom meetings or automatically closes whatever you are on and it doesn’t save it. Or, like me, when you try to submit something it doesn’t go through so you have to do it again.

After all of this happens, you just don’t want to give up. But you can’t because it’s a grade and you don’t want to fail! Meanwhile your families are telling you to deal with it and to just do it!

Or lots of families can’t get any food and they are going hungry. This affects their whole family. Mr. Girangaya responded saying, “the free food services are a wonderful service in this difficult time.” “

Also, it isn’t just affecting them physically it is also affecting them emotionally. Lots of people are upset and sad and just want to be left alone and who can blame them.

The Covid-19 cases are spreading fast and people are worried about their families that live in other states and countries. This virus is scaring lots of people! Also, you can’t visit family or celebrate birthdays with your family face to face. Now people are celebrating online using face time, Zoom, and many more websites and apps.

I hope all of you reading this will stay positive and stay safe and don’t worry about a thing we will get through this together! Stay calm and try to do something new this is a great opportunity to learn something new!

Lastly Mr. Girangaya would like to give some advice to all families out there that are suffering during this difficult time. He said, “I want to tell them to hang in there.”

He would also like to say, “you’re not alone and there are services and resources out there you can use.”

Again, this is affecting a lot of families in many ways! So, stay positive it will make us all feel better about this situation.

Elena Girangaya

Holley sixth-grader, Mrs. Grillo’s homeroom

Editor:

To the residents of the Village of Holley, it is with mixed emotions that I am announcing that I will be not be running for a third term as mayor of Holley in the upcoming election.

Due to COVID-19 our terms have been extended until the revised election date of September 15, 2020, therefore I will be resigning in mid-July. The main reasons are that the demands of my professional life and family life are such that I cannot commit to another term as mayor and both of these things have to be my priority at this time. I truly hope the residents of Holley can understand and appreciate this tough decision I have made.

I have served the Village for over 15 years now as Planning Board chairman, then village trustee, and as mayor for the last 4 years. When I decided to get involved in local government, my goal was to bring my set of professional experiences and leadership approach to the table to do my part to make Holley the best it can be.

I have always told people that when I got involved in politics it was not to simply sit on a board and vote yes or no at meetings. I wanted to take my vision, to do projects and tackle tough problems.

I believe that those I have worked with in the past would attest to that. To accomplish this, it had to be through building relationships with other local municipal, county, and state officials as well as the village staff and trustees.

It also involved engaging with residents and making sure they stayed informed and engaged in these efforts that were going on. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of it and will miss it!

There are many things I am proud of that we have been able to accomplish in my years of service but none compare to the revitalization of the old high school into Holley Gardens. It is truly awesome to see the lights on in that beautiful old building and to know that people are living there and that very soon the Village offices will be there as well.

Our community and officials at all levels pulled together working with the developer to make that project a success and it is wonderful to be a part of it! Our village will be a better place with that historic building revitalized and I am truly happy for our community.

I am also excited about the water and sidewalk projects in our village. We took on replacing about one-third of our aged water and sidewalks in the village which is an enormous project for just about any town or village. This construction work will begin in June, finishing up in 2021. These projects are in good hands with our staff and consultants and am confident of their success. I am so excited to see the end result of these projects and the transformation that Holley will go through in the next 12-18 months.

There are other accomplishments I would like to point out but I will stop with these. I point them out not to draw attention to myself as if they are “my” accomplishments but to our community, village staff, local officials, because these are things “we” have done together.

I am proud to have served the village as Planning Board chairman and village trustee over the years. However, without question, having the privilege to be your mayor and being able to work with everyone I have met along the way is a great honor and a time I will always cherish. Thank you for your trust and support!

Brian J. Sorochty

Holley

Editor:

I’m writing to support my friend, Jeanne Crane, for Lyndonville School District, Board of Education.

I’ve known Jeanne for a very long time and I know she would be a great asset to the Lyndonville School Board. Jeanne’s best qualities are her honesty, her integrity and her humility. All of these are necessary to being a good school board member.

Jeanne knows that a board member’s job is to provide great educational opportunities for children, at a cost that the district can afford.

How do I know? I’ve been on the Medina school board for almost 13 years. In that time I have served as president and vice president as well. I know what it takes and Jeanne Crane has it.

That’s why it is my honor to support her for the Lyndonville School Board.

Sincerely,

Wendi Pencille

Town of Shelby

Editor:

Cheers and thanks from Oak Orchard Health for the recognition by the CDC for the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments’ nursing team.

Oak Orchard Health depends on our local county health departments to fulfill its mission of dispensing health care services to the thousands of farmworkers and their families in our agricultural counties.

This year, of course, farmworkers mirror our local populations with their concerns about COVID-19. Many of our full time, migrating and H2-A workers come to our region with understandable trepidation about the high numbers of COVID patients and deaths throughout NYS.

It takes inordinate skills within our local health care workers to confidently calm those concerns and to give not only routine inoculations but masks, sanitizers and instructions about “social distancing” to the workers and their families.

Over the years, these health care workers have developed trusting and warm relationships with the farmworkers and the farmers in our region.

Thanks to all of your dedication put into action every day.

Karen Watt

Oak Orchard Health Board member

Albion

Editor:

The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting families on many fronts.

• The Financial Downfall

The pandemic has caused a lot of people to lose their jobs. Some homes that had more than one income either went down to one or none. There are families that had or have to apply for government funding to help make ends meet like food stamps, cash assistance and or medical coverage that before were living fine prior to Covid-19 leaving many American homes with desperation and the feeling of losing it all.

This has caused many families prides to be affected. More adults are fighting over how they are going to make ends meet because either they were struggling before and or are struggling more.

• Emotional Shifts Among Children

Children are being affected by this pandemic because there is no social contact among family and friends. No school to let learning be taught properly except through social media platforms or a worldwide use app called ZOOM. At times it is not as effective as classroom learning because communication can be rough. Some homes do not have a strong Wi-Fi connection causing the feed to come back lagged or delayed, there is not an option to just focus on the teacher so your concentration is divided among other students that are attending the group. Children no longer go outside to play to let off some energy and are stuck at home doing the same thing over and over again, this is causing a high increase in young children and adolescent depression. Even morphing children to copycat anti-social behaviors.

• A Family Affair

This pandemic can have either a positive or negative effect on families. In some cases, there is no escape from each other. Most apartments and homes are single floor living quarters, where rooms are limited to as few as a 1 bedroom or to a five-room home. Due to the lack of space families are becoming more hostile. On the other hand, if you are lucky or fortunate to have a multi-level or more rooms plus a backyard then you can say you are better off than the average Joe because you are not always starring at one another for hours on end.

Wearing masks everywhere you go, consistently wearing gloves and using hand sanitizer has become the new norm for most families. This sad crisis has brought most families closer in everyday living.

The new age of living has learned to adapt old style living. Families have become more creative in daily living, moms are learning how to sew, more and more parents are learning to cook, or more home cooked meals are being made.

Faith in homes are probably being practiced more in homes if it wasn’t being done before. Like my mother keeps saying, “things are going back to how they used to be when my parents and their parents’ parents and even when I was growing up were!!!”

• A Mother’s Concern

On a most recent interview I had with Ms. Doris Llorens, a mother of three, when asked a series of questions she sincerely expressed her concerns and living adjustments to this pandemic. Ms. Llorens stated, “What scares me the most is the what ifs and the not knowing. For example, what if I or my children contract this virus? My kids need me, and I need them, so I try to think positive for the most part. We limit our travel to necessities only.” She began to express her concerns about her children’s attitude on the “Stay at Home” lock down. “I see how my children went from asking questions like where are we going today? Do we have any plans this weekend? Are we hanging out at my aunt’s house?

They then shifted to, “Why do we have to leave the house? Can’t we just stay home? We don’t want to go outside.”

“This whole thing feels like its straight out of a horror movie. I believe we as adults can manage and adjust to certain situations but it’s not fair to our kids, this is such a sad period of psychological warfare,” Ms. Llorens said.

She continued, “The children have become homebodies. I do not know if this a good thing or a bad thing. Hopefully this will be a temporary phase and once it is all over, they will not be afraid to go outside and just be kids.”

Ms. Llorens said, “In the end, this pandemic I believe has brought us closer. We spend more time together. We spend as much time as we possibly can. Our communication went from a quick conversation to sitting and understanding. We all have learned to appreciate what you have and be thankful instead of focusing on what you do not have.”

I would like to thank Ms. Llorens for the opportunity and time given to interview her.

We can all agree that together we will overcome this. Let’s all practice good hygiene and try to be cautious of our surroundings.

Stay safe America.

Anthony Feliciano

Holley sixth-grader – Miss Lippa’s homeroom

Editor:

I feel compelled to comment on recent events occurring in cities across America in the response to the death of George Floyd while in the custody of a Minneapolis Police Officer.

Let me begin by stating emphatically that I do not condone the actions of Officer Derek Chauvin. I do however wonder what precipitated Floyd’s encounter with Officer Chauvin, but I’m fairly certain that if Floyd hadn’t committed a crime (allegedly), then his interaction with the police would not have occurred.

Chauvin’s employment has already been terminated and he will face adjudication in a court of law. Unfortunately that will not satisfy the “eye for an eye” mentality.

Secondly, I learned early in my own law enforcement career that when one of us screws up, we all catch the blame. Cops are always painted with a broad brush. “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch.”

As for the so-called protests nationwide in response to Mr. Floyd’s death, here’s my take: If during your peaceful protest you graduate to criminal behavior, you are no longer a protester, you are a criminal. And the media should stop referring to you as a “protester”!  Arson/Rioting/Looting are crimes!

The overwhelming number of black individuals murdered in this country died at the hands of other black individuals, not the police. If you want to protest something, protest that!

During her speech on Saturday night, the Mayor of Rochester began naming black individuals historically who died while in the custody of the police. That serves no purpose other than to fan the flames of violence.

The first recorded law enforcement death in our country occurred in 1786. Since that time over 22,000 individuals have lost their lives in the line of duty. How many of those deaths were at the hands of an individual who was black? Perhaps we should research that? We won’t of course because that really wouldn’t serve any legitimate purpose.

When a cop loses his/her life, we mourn. We don’t protest and we don’t respond by engaging in criminal behavior. Why? Because such behavior of course would dishonor the memory of the deceased.

Steve Smith

Churchville

(Smith is retired as undersheriff of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department.) 

Editor:

I am an Albion NY, born at Arnold Gregory Memorial Hospital many years ago. I live in Syracuse now, and I was among the protesters last night.

These protests are the culmination of decades of police abusing their power on every level imaginable. I am forever grateful that none of the Albion village cops never kneeled on my neck for 9 minutes, but I do have first-hand experience with police brutality.

I woke up in the hospital more than once after being arrested, beat up to the point of needing an ICU bed.

The callous murder of George Floyd is, to put it in the simplest terms, the last straw.  The system we are to rely on to bring justice is, point blank, broken.

I am compelled to point out one last personal experience which proves the system is broken far beyond the police.

My ex wife, Renee, was under investigation by the Orleans County Department of Children and Family Services. She was indicated in an investigation due to her severe abuse of alcohol. She died from alcoholic hepatitis less than a few months later.

If the report was indicated, and she was under investigation, how could she continue to drink to the point of acute liver and kidney failure with absolutely no sign of any caseworker ever doing anything further than the initial investigation? When I approached the agency they gave me no apology and no investigation.

I do not condone violence in any way, but in the interest of explanation, I feel it is incidents like the one I just described, combined with police brutality, combined with a bias corrupt unjust system, for literally decades, results in the situation we find ourselves.

And, I feel, the fires will continue and spread until true change is brought about.

Charlie Hunt

Syracuse

Editor:

Several recent letters have called into question the various layers of government. It’s a subject worthy of discussion. Writer Capurso notes his home of Ashburn, VA is served only by the Loudoun County administration.

To clarify for readers – Ashburn is a census-designated population – otherwise known as an unincorporated area. It has no official boundaries or status. In New York, Ashburn would be classified as a hamlet.

Unincorporated areas are typically governed by some nearby town or village or in Ashburn’s case – the county. My former hometown was unincorporated and also governed by the county. At one point the county turned administration over to a nearby city and in doing so we got a mayor. Being unincorporated we had no say in the matter.

Finally in a fit of self determination, we incorporated into our own town with our own mayor. As a result, taxes did rise. The trade-off being the additional taxes remained within the community with direct oversight by the community and things improved.

Other writers mention the number of school districts the county has. To use one example, and if I’m not mistaken, the Lyndonville Central School District is one of several in the county. It has approximately 120 personnel of which roughly 40 are non-teaching, administrative or other support staff.

One writer mentions Bergen Co. NJ (where I once resided) but for this purpose I’ll point to another of my former residences: Los Angeles, CA.  L.A. has one superintendent guiding the enormous L.A. Unified School District. For every two teachers in the LAUSD there are three non-teachers.

Compare this with Lyndonville. In other words – in a large system under a single supervisor, 66 percent of school employees don’t teach. Under a leaner smaller system – 60 percent of them do.

There are a couple of points that come out of this contrast. The first being that organizations with fewer layers almost always mean the remaining layers – or levels – get thicker, bulkier and costlier.

Lyndonville’s school district is fiscally sound. On the other hand, LA’s single all-encompassing county-wide district, despite having a 9 percent drop in student population, saw a 22 percent increase in non-teaching administrative positions over the same time period all while on the brink of bankruptcy.

The second point might be that while a lot of people think government should be run like a business – it shouldn’t be – but if you think it should, you will recall that when any business gets to a certain size it (correctly) splits itself off into smaller departments, divisions, regional offices etc.

Splitting a company into a number of smaller, leaner, better-run organizations simply makes sense for a number of reasons. Thus, doing the opposite and combining a current number of smaller, leaner entities into one single, too-large, too-big-to-fail enterprise is the opposite of good business practice.

The argument being made by some appears to be in the name of efficiency. Efficiency and effectiveness are two separate things. One can be highly efficient, but if no one wants or cares about what you’re doing, you’re not effective. Effectiveness comes first.

To suggest doing away with a number of layers of government means one must have a great deal of faith that the level that remains – the one you have left – will not only be more effective, but also more efficient. This is, to put it mildly, a tremendous leap of faith. (I refer you to the LA Unified School District – singular, big, bloated and broke.)

Our ancestors who created the current system weren’t crazy or out of touch. Our small local governments were created for basically three reasons: to establish a level of local control; to respond more quickly to local priorities and finally to provide basic boot-camp level entry for any average individual who may have an interest in participatory government. Far better for the individual (and their constituents) to discover they have no real knack or taste for government while they are still on the town council than when they are in a state senate.

There are any number of areas where consolidation and cost-savings can take place and those should be discussed further. I would like to make one correction for Mr. Capurso. There was never a time when you had to go through a village or town government first before reaching someone at the county level. For the same reason you are free to contact your state or national senator without first going through the county.

Darren D. Wilson

Lyndonville

Editor:

I live in Medina, and I’ve been on the Medina School Board for 13 years. I believe that Albion residents could not do better than to elect Marlene Seielstad as one of their school board members.

I’ve known Marlene Seielstad for at least 10 years through Cooperative Extension, 4H, and horse showing. Marlene knows that being a board member means giving the best education to the students of Albion at a cost that the district can support.

Marlene is not afraid of hard work. She puts her heart and soul into everything she does. She has always been open and objective and she comes to the job with the best of intentions. She’ll make sure your money is well spent and your children get the education they deserve. I wish her the best of luck.

Sincerely,

Wendi Pencille

Vice President, Medina School Board

Resident Town of Shelby

Editor:

To the Lyndonville school district residents, I am asking for your vote to the Board of Education. Here are my reasons for running.

This year will be filled with challenges in uncharted waters. I have the time and the energy.

I am a retired Registered Infection Control Nurse and Risk Manager. I have lived in Orleans County since the mid-’60s and in this school district since 2006. I have three school teachers in my immediate family and 7 grandchildren who have attended the Lyndonville School, one still not graduated. Six of them have successful careers due to the education provided by this school.

We will need to work as a team so that we can maintain a high level of education for our students.

Yes, this year will be full of challenges with possible budget cuts by the state and yet unknown curriculum. I accept this challenge. Please cast your vote for Jeanne Crane and return your ballot by June 9. Thank you.

Jeanne Crane

Carlton (Lyndonville school district resident)

Editor:

My name is William M. Gourlay. I am a Lieutenant Colonel at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station and currently Kurt Schmitt’s commanding officer. We worked together with the State Police and now serve in the Air Force together.

We worked closely together on numerous complex and challenging situations including the Ralph Phillips’ manhunt, response to the 9-11 attacks and increased necessity for security in our schools.

Kurt has extensive training in leadership, active shooter response, defensive tactics, first aid, and crisis/emergency management. Through our numerous years as co-workers, I have found Kurt to be a person of high character and integrity, a person who carries out his duties and with thoughtfulness and fairness.

Kurt is the kind of public servant that takes on duties and responsibilities with the kind of ownership and leadership abilities that reflect his high moral character. He’s a great listener and someone who cares deeply about doing the right thing. When a full-time Operations Officer position became available at the Air Force Base, I sought out Kurt specifically because I knew the kind of talents he had.

Considering the kinds of challenges facing the schools in Albion and throughout our state, I cannot think of a better person to help the community to ensure the safety and security of the students, teachers, staff and public. Kurt’s willingness to serve presents a unique opportunity to the community to choose a real leader with great insight.

If I were a resident of the Albion School District, there is no doubt in my mind that I would be proud to have a man like Kurt Schmitt serving as a representative of the people of the district.

Very respectfully,

William M. Gourlay

Orchard Park

Editor:

Chris Kinter is someone I believe I know well. If you know him, you may imagine how encouraging it was to a retired teacher living in the Albion school district to learn that he was running for Albion school board.

Though enumerating them would take a while, I will mention just a few of the reasons for my enthusiasm for his candidacy in the interests of saving the reader’s precious time.

Chris is invested in our community and continues to pour his heart and soul into making it a better place for all of us to live.

Much of his focus has been on doing for the youth living here. In running his ice cream shop and being a great dad to his school-age children, Chris and his wife, Karen, make Albion a better place for all of us.

Chris enjoys young people and is, himself, young at heart. To me, those qualities are important prerequisites for a position on a school board, just as is wanting only the best for our youth. Having school age children of his own helps him understand their struggles, as does a good, honest, memory.

While parents, teachers, support staff, counselors, administrators, bus drivers, et. al. must be there when their charges reach out for help, having committed, intelligent, forward-thinking leadership determined to set a good example on the school board helps immensely.

Chris gets the big picture, and I am delighted that the young people living in the Albion School District may have the opportunity to benefit from the wisdom that an outwardly happy-go-lucky neighbor of ours would bring to a position on the Albion Central School Board of Education.

Sincerely yours,

Gary F. Kent

Albion

Editor:

“Knowing their thoughts, He said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.’” (Matt 12:25)

On Memorial Day, as we hold in the highest esteem all who died in the armed forces in service to these our United States of America, and while we pray that their loved ones find peace, the words of Jesus Christ cited above come to mind.

As we do battle with this deadly virus, we must strive for unity in the fight lest we succumb to the enemy. Our fallen military brothers and sisters deserve nothing less. They understood – and we and our families who served but did not pay the ultimate sacrifice understand – the critical role of the principle of war called unity. Lack of unity in warfare is a harbinger for defeat.

One of the unifying American values for which our fallen heroes gave the last full measure of devotion is freedom. This is especially true of our First Amendment freedoms. Therefore, what better way to honor their sacrifice then to safely and prudently allow houses of worship to freely exercise their religion and to fully reopen?

Since the beginning of recorded history, prayer has served as a rallying cry for herculean efforts against seemingly invincible adversaries. The prayers and unified actions of Americans in past wars have always prevailed. So too today.

People of faith have played a major role in this battle. In particular, we’ve obeyed the difficult but necessary guidelines to stay home and flatten the curve. However, that time has passed, and with sensible safety protocols in place, it is time to lift all restrictions on houses of worship and to unleash the power of communal prayer to defeat this enemy.

During the Last Supper as recorded in the Gospel of John’s 17th chapter, Jesus prayed to the Father, “…that they may be one.” May we be allowed to freely pray together again as one in our houses of worship.

May we continue to aspire to fulfill the dreams of our fallen warriors by being one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

May God continue to bless America.

Jim and Paula Simon

Lyndonville

Editor:

So, I have done the stuff: started a Facebook page, ran the ad on the Orleans Hub, and put up the signs. By all methods possible, I have tried to safely make sure that everyone knows that I want the job. Yes, I want the job!

Running for a position on the Albion Board of Education is more to me than a political journey. I want to be able to sit at that table again and use my experience to benefit the members of the community and most of all the students.

You see, I believe with my whole being that every conversation, at any school district board of education meeting, should start with the question, “How will [insert topic] benefit our students?” The children of the district are, after all, the reason the district exists.

I also promise to advocate for you. Yes, advocate. I will not make a promise to you that any singular item will most definitely happen, but I will advocate for you with everything I have, should you bring your desire to my attention.

If I don’t know the answer, I will find a reputable source to get it for you!

All candidates were given the opportunity to share how we would contribute to the board of education in 100 words or less. You can read my 100 words on the school website. Here are the 153 I would have liked to share:

Coupled with all of the important issues we face in public education today, our district will soon be completing a search for a new superintendent. Challenging times call for board of education members who are able to remain objective and student focused while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

I am a graduate of the district (class of 1985) and SUNY Oswego. My two children are graduates of the district as well (class of 2015 and 2018). Working as a realtor in the area and as a volunteer with several organizations has given me a unique perspective on local issues.

My prior experience as an Albion Board of Education member for 5 years concurrent with 3 years on the BOCES board along with my deep commitment to the community will be an asset. I look forward to the opportunity to serve once again and help Albion continue to be a “leader in the business of learning.”

Ballots have been mailed and I ask that you follow the premise that “we saved the best for last.” Please vote for Marlene Seielstad to represent you on the Albion Board of Education.

Respectfully,

Marlene Seielstad

Albion

Photo by Tom Rivers: The veterans’ section at Boxwood Cemetery in medina is pictured on Wednesday with the flag lowered.

Editor:

Friends and neighbors, another Memorial Day is upon us. While I’m sure that during a traditional year, many would enjoy the day off from work, the discounts and sales offered by businesses and the opportunity to begin enjoying the summer weather as it blesses us with blue skies and warm breezes, this year presented new challenges that might keep us from enjoying those niceties.

However, it is as important as ever to remember the true reason we honor this day the way we do: we remember the sacrifices of those who allow us to continue living free.

As someone who comes from a military family, with a father who served in World War II and a veteran myself, I can tell you firsthand that the sacrifices those brave men and women make are nothing short of remarkable.

Not only is the time and energy required in service to the country intense and all-encompassing, but it often leaves you with little ability to make your own decisions. So much is mapped out for you that it can sometimes feel like your own freedom is limited because of the path you have chosen to serve. But that’s just part of the job – giving up what you can so others can have freedom. To serve in the armed forces is one of the most selfless acts an American can make.

The impact that sacrifice can have for those people really can’t be understated. For many, yes, that means a sacrifice of time and sometimes personal goals. That alone is enough to earn the respect of their neighbors. But many don’t come back home.

Many give up life and sometimes limbs to give us the comfortable lives that we all enjoy. They sometimes don’t see family again; they sometimes can’t see friends the same way they used to. They’re asked to give up everything they have to ensure we can hold on to what’s ours. That, my friends, is true courage, true bravery and true selflessness. These are the qualities every American can strive for, but are always embodied by the few and the proud.

Memorial Day is more than a day off from work. It’s more than a time to start up the grill or get some sun. It’s a day to remember the sacrifices of countless generations who have given their blood, sweat and tears to ensure we can enjoy all we have in these great United States of America.

I encourage you all to take a moment today and reflect on why we’re here today, how we got here and what that means. Think of those service men and women and thank them, when you see them, for their service.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Batavia

(Hawley represents the 139th District, which consists of Genesee, most of Orleans and parts of western Monroe County.)