Editor:

As another legislative session comes to a close, the people of New York have once again been left on the hook with a $220 billion budget that’s more bloated than ever before.

It seems with every year the Majority passes budgets that cost more but do less for the average working family in this state, and while the small tax cuts in this year’s plan were welcome, they simply won’t be enough to give New Yorkers the financial jolt they need now more than ever. As prices on just about everything continue to skyrocket with no end in sight, I am disappointed that solutions our conference proposed to bring our residents substantive relief were not considered in earnest.

Our Inflation Relief and Consumer Assistance Plan (A.8481) would make everyday necessities, such as gasoline, prepared foods, household goods and personal care products, state tax-free for two years. The savings provided by this bill would be immediate and, perhaps most importantly, would help those hit hardest by inflation, some of whom have had to make hard decisions between paying for rent or groceries.

As if the financial strain affecting our communities wasn’t enough to contend with, people now feel less safe than ever in their own communities. According to a recent poll conducted by Spectrum News and Siena College, 7 in 10 New York City residents fear they may become a victim of violent crime. Their sentiments are also shared statewide, according to another Siena poll, finding that our residents are more concerned about crime than any other singular issue.

We need to restore respect for laws and law enforcement. We need to help victims, not criminals, and we need to restore judicial discretion. Our constituents were counting on us to fix bail reform, and it’s saddening that they will now be the ones who will suffer the consequences of its shortcomings in their neighborhoods.

I only hope that this November every voter will remember who stood up for their wallets and their neighborhoods by demanding direct solutions, and those who instead put forward half-measures and downplayed their suffering.

Steve Hawley

Batavia

Assemblyman Hawley represents the 139th District, which consists of Genesee, most of Orleans and part of western Monroe County.

Editor:

This is a reminder to the Village of Holley residents to come out and vote Tuesday, June 21^st, in the Holley Village Office foyer from noon to 9 p.m.

As a member of the board these past five years I have seen many village improvements. I feel your board has done a great job and I would like to see them continue moving forward.

As a Trustee, Mark Bower has been a strong advocate for open and informed policies and wants to initiate a periodic newsletter to keep the residents informed. He also wants to continue to keep costs down and reduce unnecessary spending.

Being a good steward of the residents tax dollars and municipal funds is critical to continued progress. Mark has lived in the village for more than 40 years, served on the Holley School Board as a member and president and served as a member of the Village Zoning & Planning Board. Mark Bower would make an excellent mayor and would work hard to gain your trust.

Connie Nenni is seeking re-election as a trustee. She is a long-time resident and is the District Clerk and Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent of the Holley Central School. Her valued knowledge on policies and procedures has kept the Village Board focused. She is also a proponent of reduced waste and open policies and feels that it takes a truly group effort to make things work in the Village. Your feedback is very important to Connie.

John Morriss, a lifelong resident of the village and former trustee, is a retired Greece school teacher. He is active in the Holley Fire Department and would like your support as a write-in candidate for Trustee. Mr. Morriss shares the fundamental values of fiscal responsibility and he will surely move the village forward.

The many improvements that have taken place include water lines and new sidewalks, with more being replaced as time and funds become available. We are finishing up the new water lines on Park Place and once each resident is hooked up to the new service lines the road can be repaired. The sidewalks on West Union are slated to be next. Additionally, materials for High Street have been ordered.

We are seeking estimates for the roof repairs for the gazebo, bathrooms and kiosk directory. We are waiting for grant monies to start on the state-required upgrades to our waste water treatment plant, and estimates are bring sought for roof repairs needed due to wind storm damage.

The Holley June Fest returned this year on June 4th. It was great seeing neighbors and visitors having big-time fun. I enjoyed visiting the yard sales, checking out all the vendors and fun activities along the canal walk, as well as sampling some tasty pizza, baked goods and ice cream.

We welcome our newest business: Red White & Moo Ice Cream stand, and look forward to the co-located Restoration Brewery which should be sometime in the fall. The Train Depot Museum is open again for visitors from noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Please stop by and learn about the history of Holley at the Train Depot Museum.

Rochelle Moroz

Holley

Ms. Moroz is a Village of Holley trustee.

Editor:

Tuesday, June 14, is designated as Flag Day. The flag of the United States is a symbol for the ideas and ideals of this nation: that all men are created equal, justice for all and self sacrifice for the common good.

I know there are some in our community who reject these ideas because they fly the Confederate flag. The Confederacy was formed in opposition to the idea that all men are created equal and their flag is the symbol of that idea.

Alexander H. Stephens, one of the founders of the Confederacy stated quite plainly that the cornerstone of the Confederacy is slavery; completely rejecting the ideal that all men are created equal and idea of equal justice.

Some may try to argue that the Confederacy stands for states’ rights but this is completely wrong. South Carolina, the first state to secede, made quite clear that they were leaving the Union because northern states would not change their laws and return runaway slaves. So it wasn’t that the northern states were telling the South what to do; it was because southern states couldn’t dictate to North what laws to pass, totally rejecting states’ rights argument.

By their very words and deeds the founders of the Confederacy believed that only the privileged few should have justice and be free. The Confederate flag, representing the Confederacy, is the very antithesis of the United States.

Flying the Confederate flag shows your hatred for the U.S. Constitution and all the men and women who have served this great nation. In this country you are free to display your distain for freedom, for equal justice and your hatred of all this nation stands for. That is your right.

I am a patriot, I defended this nation in war when it was not popular and I will display my American flag proudly. I believe in the ideas and ideals of this great nation.

Reference: 1). The Cornerstone Speech by Alexander H. Stephens in Savannah Georgia 3/21/1861. 2). Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union, 12/24/1860

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

There is a new effort by wind developers to propose “community wind” projects. These are projects consisting of one or two industrial wind turbines that would be approximately 640 foot tall and be sited on town or private property. They’re being touted by at least one developer, Borrego, in their information, as “NOT a utility-scale wind farm.”

Is this a new tactic by developers in an effort to get around the issues associated with siting large scale industrial wind projects in New York State? Put one or two up, scatter them around a town and no problems, right?

But while the energy generation is below the threshold for State review of the project, the size of the turbines is industrial. The turbine size of 640 feet was shared by Borrego in a May 3rd presentation in the Town of Shelby.

That is one or two hundred feet taller than the tallest building in Buffalo or Rochester! For turbines this tall, the FAA would require them to be fitted with blinking lights. In the Town of Somerset, we know what something this tall looks like. The stack at the power plant can be seen all the way to the Niagara Escarpment.

How much sound will these turbines emit? Borrego’s website for the proposed project in Shelby states that “these turbines typically produce no more than 50 decibels of sound that will blend into the background noise.” In many rural areas, the ambient noise level is typically closer to 30 decibels. Setbacks from neighboring property lines will be critical to minimize the impact.

Some towns are not welcoming Borrego “community” projects with open arms. In the town of Glen, Borrego withdrew its application in May, after months of review by the town. A project was blocked in Middleburgh, also in May, after “months of debate and public hearings” as people objected to the size, the lights, and the noise of these industrial turbines.

Local laws are important. These projects will not go through the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES). Your town board will have the ultimate say in what happens. Check with your town to see what ordinances are in place for these types of projects in terms of height of turbines, setbacks and noise levels. And be watchful. The timeline for this project in Shelby began in 2020 but many people are just now aware of it because of the public hearing notice.

There is going to be a public hearing in Shelby on June 14th at 6:15 p.m. The purpose of this hearing is for the public to comment on the “special use permit and site plan applications submitted by Borrego Solar System, Inc. for the installation of two wind turbines on South Gravel Road.” If you live in that area, it is important to attend. Become informed of the details and ask questions.

Pamela Atwater

Somerset

President of Save Ontario Shores, Inc.

Editor:

I see that January 6^th, 2021 remains in the news. I, Steven A. Colon, declare to the people that I went and was at the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021.

I sent the January 6th Select Committee a signed, sworn before notary affidavit of why I went to DC and up to the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021.

I went along with a large number of Americans because the U.S. Constitution was attacked and voter fraud was open and obvious. I give the people notice that a coup d’état happened at noon on January 20th in the year of our Lord 2021, resulting in an unconstitutional pseudo US government.

I give notice that the F.B.I. already came out and saw me. They did not want a signed statement or see a video of Ashli Babbitt getting shot. I sent out many notices, affidavits, amicus briefs and grievance letters.

President Donald J. Trump had in no way led me up to the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021; Treasonist, traitorous, lying rat actions drove me there. I stand by what I have written and will defend what I wrote in a court of law.

I am in Lyndonville, NY. Willing to talk and explain how the people can help make America great again. Get involved, do not sit in the bleachers.

“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” ― George Washington

Steven A. Colon

Lyndonville

Editor:

The Lyndonville American Legion Post 1603 will hold a U.S. flag burning ceremony at 4:30 p.m. on June 14. It will held at the Lynhaven Cemetery near the cannon and flagpole.

The public is invited to attend with their children. This is an opportunity to learn about the retiring of old worn and torn flags the correct way.

Bring your chairs and refreshments so you can observe this ceremony in comfort. See you there.

Carl Boyle

Chaplain of American Legion Post 1603 in Lyndonville

Editor:

We would like to offer a response to address some of the inaccuracies demonstrated in Tom Crawford’s recent letter to the editor about Heritage Wind (June 4, 2022). Our response reiterates the information we presented at the May 2022 Town of Barre Board meeting.

To begin, Heritage Wind has not been issued an amended permit. Rather, the project is planning to submit an application to the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) to amend its existing permit.

Second, we want to be clear about the wind turbine model selected. The proposed turbines are the same model that was submitted in the original application, with the same rotor size. However, due to technological advances, the turbines have a larger megawatt (MW) nameplate capacity, or power generation capability. The turbine that was permitted was 5.6 MW, and the turbine in the amendment will be 6 MW.

Regarding the moving or addition of any wind turbines, Heritage Wind is not adding four additional turbines to the permitted layout; Mr. Chandler’s statement is incorrect. Heritage Wind is removing six turbines (T1–T6) and replacing them with four turbines in new locations. The permitted layout includes 33 turbines, and the new layout will include 31 turbines. Per ORES regulations, there will be a notice sent to all residents within five miles of the project boundary, and we have agreed to Councilwoman Richardson’s recommendation to add the wind farm layout map to the notice.

As stated at the Town of Barre Board meeting, there will be a public hearing process once the amendment, with the new turbine locations, is filed. Once that happens, residents will have 60 days to provide written comment, or they may provide verbal comment for the record at the public hearing.

We also want to clarify “lightened regulation,” which pertains to Section 68 Certificate of the NYS Public Convenience and Need (CPCN), filed with the Public Service Commission (PSC). First, Section 68 CPCN is separate from the ORES permit application, and it does not apply to the specifications of the wind energy facility and layout.

Second, lightened regulation in a Section 68 CPCN refers to the type of PSC regulation applicable to power generation facilities. Lightened regulation is routinely granted by the PSC to most, if not all, large power generation facilities—wind and solar facilities, as well as traditional coal or natural gas power plants. This is because many of the PSC’s regulations were written for oversight of the day-to-day operations of utility companies to protect captive ratepayers. The PSC has stated that it does not make sense to apply the stringent regulations placed on utility companies to private market participants like Heritage Wind—hence “lightened regulation.”

We are here to answer your questions about Heritage Wind. We also want to ensure that you are receiving true and accurate information. Please reach out to us at any time if you have questions by emailing us at info@heritagewindpower.com.

Carmen O’Keefe

Development Manager

Apex Clean Energy

Editor:

Woodward and Bernstein (one Dem and one Rep) did the dogged reporting which resulted in the Watergate hearings. That was the all-time biggest Congressional investigation until the current Jan. 6th commission.

The public portions of those Watergate hearings were televised daily and ultimately brought down a crooked President 48 years ago. Woodward and Bernstein are now releasing their audio tapes of ex-President Trump and say Trump thinks nothing of things Nixon would never dream of.  So what will the hearings bring. Fireworks it appears.

Thursday (June 9) starts the public portion of the Jan 6th Commissions results to date after interviewing a thousand witnesses.

The first night they have a tape of the leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers meeting in an underground garage doing final prep for insurrection. We will finally get to hear what they say. Those  supremacists (replacement theory and worse) were so sure that they and Trump would usurp the election results the next day that they brought a video documentarian.

But where is Fox News in all this?? It’s not showing the hearings! Fox learned its lesson when it correctly called Arizona for Biden first and lost viewers for months. You know who was angry and you can’t have that.

If Fox is not an alt right, cancel culture operation with woke politics. The fact is that after running 1,000 Benghazi segments, Fox would run the Jan 6th Committee hearings for real unvarnished testimony. It will even feature Vice President Cheney’s daughter for impeccable conservative creds.

(Anyone who wants to read the proof of the “big steal” can join “Pacer”. Look up the Court name and case name each time Trump lost. So long as you only look and do not print (which costs money) you can look at all the bogus exhibits Trump and his gang said proved the election was rigged. (Last count 65 Trump attorneys have had their licenses pulled or under review.  They are getting scorched for pursuing TV style fakery.))

So between this hearing and the discredited Court exhibits you can get an education Thursday night and start to figure out who is pulling for you or just pulling your leg.

It’s just not going to be on Fox which would lose viewers for showing real democracy in action.

For real reality TV, Thursday night is a must see.

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

I would like to point out a correction for the article titled “Rock the Park returns to Albion on August 6th, at first big event at new amphitheater.”

This is absolutely untrue. Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries held a 100% free event on June 4th. This event offered the community a place to talk, praise worship and have a meal with each other. Offered by the church were hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, cotton candy, popcorn, snow cones, bounce houses, face painting and family-friendly lawn games.

While they could not get coverage in any of our local papers, digital or otherwise, the event was very successful with over 400 hot dogs and hamburgers given away by word of mouth and Facebook sharing only.

Great things are happening here without being a paid event.

Nicole Horn

Albion

Editor:

A statute outlawing the purchase of protective vests passed both legislative houses and signed by Governor Kathy Hochul early this week.

Many of the regular citizenry want to know what reasons underlie such action. Apparent reasons for passing such a foolish legislative edict seem spurious at best.

The salient question here is: How do protective vests endanger anyone?

Are protective vests not defensive devices? How is anyone in the public potentially endangered when a law-abiding citizen purchases or wears a protective vest in public?

Indeed, this action seems to raise questions about public safety, but not in the way promulgated by Governor Kathy Hochul and company.

Is it true that government officials in NYS and much higher up have goals of reducing world population by up to 50 percent as evidenced at the recent meeting of world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland?

A top transhumanist advisor to Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the Forum, Yuval Haari, stated that a rising class of “useless people” urgently needs to be addressed “both politically and scientifically.” There are many others proposing drastic reduction in world population, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

This needs to stop. The first thing that needs to happen is waking of the people to increasing restrictions on defending ourselves and the dire situation afflicting our Republic.

A prohibition of law-abiding citizens to purchase, possess and wear protective vests is an embarrassment to NY and undeniable proof of what agenda NY leaders are following.

Dr. Randall Shortridge

Albion