Editor:

Clear Skies Above Barre, in response to a postcard recently sent out to the residents of Barre which contained inaccurate information in direct regard to our organization, makes the following statements:

Firstly, we must express that Clear Skies Above Barre is not running for a position in the Town of Barre. The members of our organization have come from all party affiliations and beliefs; we will continue to respect members’ discretion.

Clear Skies Above Barre is and has been devoted and zealous in sharing the truth and spreading knowledge about the industrial wind turbine project, Heritage Wind LLC, proposed in the Town of Barre. Current proposal: 33 turbines in the Town of Barre at 680’. We reject claims that we have misinformed or mislead the public in anyway.

There is no “scheme.” Clear Skies Above Barre is out front in declaring the make-up of our Town Board needs to change to represent and express the concerns and values of all of the residents in Barre. This is evident in Town Board members being listed on Heritage Wind LLC’s list of conflicted individuals.

We support our community voice in Barre and the essential need for transparency specifically concerning industrial wind turbines. We cannot uphold CSAB’s mission “to protect the community of Barre, NY from Industrial Wind in a productive manner that values a sense of community and neighborhood relations,” if our concerns are not represented and residents are intentionally being kept from information.

It is with fervor for our community that we needed to address and correct the false claims made against Clear Skies Above Barre. We openly welcome discussion. Any further questions please send to clearskiesabovebarre@gmail.com.

Barbara Verburg

Vice President – Clear Skies Above Barre

Barre

Editor:

Please vote for the candidates on the Conservative Party line on Nov. 5 and here’s why. For sheriff, I am convinced Chris Bourke knows what’s going on and what is the best way to deal with it for our county and our great Orleans County law enforcement officers.

For the Highway Superintendent races: In Clarendon, Tracy Chalker will do a great job for you and watch the spending. For Shelby, Dale Root couldn’t be a better choice. My story is Dale’s story. As a small businessman many of us and our families go without just to keep the doors open. Dale will bring common sense and precious value to your tax dollars much better than a comfortable 40-year career politician. Please invoke term limits in Shelby.

For the Town Supervisor races:  In Murray, Joe Sidonio is a rare gem. He’s actually going into government to reduce taxes, reduce the regulatory burden and work for the people. All of the people. Joe is a leader of men and a rare candidate. A fighter for ethics. He has done much to change Murray Town government from the outside. Imagine what he can do on the inside. He has never given up on what is right so now send him to victory with your help on the conservative line.

For Ridgeway, David Stalker is desperately needed. On the outside the current supervisor would make you think his long overstay is a road paved with roses. On the inside, a long history of excessive regulation. Targeting businesses he doesn’t like. Regularly raising your taxes. Now allowing an industrial solar farm into your town and playing into Cuomo’s green scheme of dumping these projects into rural NY with no gain to you.

For the Town Council Races: For Murray, Dirk Lammes is going into government for the same reasons Joe Sidonio is. Cut your taxes, reduce the regulatory burden, and be a fierce watch dog of your tax dollars and unethical practices that plague town governments in this county. Please send Dirk to that seat. Joe will need him as an ally against a machine that wants to continue the “Status Quo.”

For Barre, Kerri Richardson a registered Conservative bringing all the conservative values abandoned by the Republicans in this county to the table. She wants to cut taxes and reduce the regulatory burden on the town residents. Bring common sense and ethics back to government. She will also protect Barre from becoming Governor Cuomo’s next dumping grounds for the Industrial Wind Scam that is being sold as a savior to the planet and gold in the coffers for all. A scam is scam is a scam. Don’t fall for it people of Barre. Vote on the Conservative Line for Kerri.

For Gaines, Dr. Mary Neilans will also bring proven conservative principals to her job as councilwoman. Watching your tax dollars with hawk eyes. Saying no to excessive purchases and spending. Using common sense in her voting. Mary resided over many years of tax cuts in the past. She is fearless and I trust her to always do the right thing for the taxpayers. Send Dr. Mary back for another term on the conservative line.

For Shelby Town Justice, please vote for registered Conservative Mark Wambach. Mark will bring his conservative values and wisdom to the bench and implement the law fairly. The politicians will never vote for term limits. It’s up to the voters. Mark will do a great job.

Get up, get out, go vote, early or on election day.

Thank you.

Paul Lauricella

Lyndonville

Orleans County Conservative Party Chairman

Editor:

This past Sunday, we joined 60 others in a bus tour of four area churches. The tour included an appreciation of the architecture, art or history of each church, plus a demonstration of the antique organ at St. Mary’s in Medina and the Bell Choir at St. Joseph’s, Holy Family Parish, Albion.

The Bell Choir was amazing, a wonderful demonstration of agility, skill and thrilling music.

Holy Family is blessed with this Bell Choir, 15 members, vocal choir—20 members of nearly equal number of men and women, many of whom are musically trained.

They are conducted by the creative choir director and virtuoso orgainst, Harriet Greaser. She knows the skills of her musicians/singers and utilizes them to their maximum: Six-part harmonies, wonderful duets, most remarkably,  Shannon Vanderlaan and Joe Condulucci recently.

The choir’s tonality, especially on complex harmonies is top-flight and thrilling. St. Joseph’s Church fortuitously, projects music beautifully. We also attended 8 a.m. Sunday Mass recently.  Kelly Kovaleski and the Folk Group were likewise thrilling.

We are big music (and art) lovers. We’re out at night a lot, hearing great classical and jazz, in Rochester, Buffalo and Myrtle Beach. But we’re often wowed by the quality of church music and the art and architecture of churches.

Also, at Holy Family, the sermons/homilies of Fathers Dick and Patryk and Deacon Jim are enlightening and entertaining.

We recommend church as a source of hope, love and music and art!

Marg and Bob Golden

Waterport

Editor:

Vote for people who will sort through what the industrial wind turbine developers want us to believe and get us the truth! When Heritage Wind LLC talks about ridiculous sums of money and jobs that will come to the town, know that it is not reality.

Vote for people who will diligently and aggressively negotiate for  what is best for our town in all matters. If the turbines do come the best interests of all the community members will be served.

Vote for people who will keep everyone in the community informed. How many of you actually knew that they are currently proposing 680 feet (Vesta 5.6 MW)?

Vote for people who know about other ways to help with taxes that will not lower our property values, be a health threat, or harm wildlife.

Vote for people who know that there are health problems associated with them. Do you need something more to disrupt your sleep (to name just one!)?

Vote for people who are willing to recommend what is best for our community’s health and how far the proposed turbines should be away from homes and property lines.

Vote for people who are concerned with all aspects of our community and looking to a positive, strong future for the Town of Barre.

Vote for people who are well informed about the Article 10 process. Vote for people who have the best interests of everyone in the community.

You do have an opportunity to be represented in Barre. Please vote Jerry Solazzo – Supervisor, Cindy (Delemarter) Burnside – Council person, and Kerri (McKenna) Richardson – Council person.

If built as proposed, did you know Barre would have more structures over 650 feet than NYCity per square mile!

Iva McKenna

Barre

Editor:

I have seen a pattern emerging in the county and across our towns during local elections. Election interference, officials wielding influence to discriminate against those who do not favor the candidates they prefer and more one-note candidates running for office for the sole purpose of opposing projects, over-regulating taxpayers and restricting citizens’ property rights.

Like those of us in Shelby, our neighbors in Barre, Yates and even Somerset in Niagara County are suffering at the hands of individual candidates and special interest groups backed by lobbyists and big-city law firms making a mint sucking the life and hope out of our rural towns.

Their goal is to ban everything, ban it all and not look back – no new business or industry (unless it’s a farm stand, storefront or manufacturing), no telecom towers to give us better phone reception and no tall structures of any kind. They implement unjustifiable setbacks or acreage restrictions that make other uses prohibitive so there can be no widespread tax relief for our communities as a whole – and less potential for individual landowners to secure telecom or commercial energy leases to offset their own taxes.

These new candidates and officials running for re-election are bent on banning or unreasonably restricting growth and development here. In doing so, they are restricting our freedoms and the right to use and enjoy our property. They’re also setting the county back decades.

Our neighbors in Yates were subjected to similar legislative restrictions developed by the special counsel who mapped out Shelby’s restrictive zoning laws. These laws robbed many of us of technological advances, telecom towers and over 20 land uses. The lawyer and his firm really know how to cash in on taxpayer dollars, creating administrative and procedural chaos, unnecessary delays and obfuscating the facts in a legal proceeding which typically takes under 12 months to resolve – we’re going on 22.

More alarming to see was Yates now using the law firm that represents the Town of Somerset.  Taxes in Somerset went up 150 percent as a result of legal fees incurred to oppose a windmill project. It practically took a citizens’ revolt in Yates to reverse the vote to split legal fees with Somerset “50/50” when the majority of the turbines were to be located in Somerset. It’s not rocket science but the “antis” in the majority couldn’t rework the math on one issue one vote for the good of all their constituents.

When Somerset taxpayers requested public documents under Freedom of Information law what they received was chock full of improper redactions. The redactions could have been challenged in court, but at the time residents did not know their rights. The same thing happened to us and other landowners in Shelby.  It’s an abuse of power when our tax dollars pay for elected officials to work hand in glove with lawyers to conceal information that should be made available to the public.

One of those attorneys also represents a special interest group in Barre opposing another renewable energy project. The attorney reps Clear Skies Above Barre, a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation that receives intervener funding from the state for the Article 10 process.

Clear Skies’ president is also running for Barre’s Town council on the “Citizens for Change” line. The “Citizens for Change” ticket includes three anti-wind candidates that Clear Skies publicly supports. All three candidates are pictured together online and in ads, including a large outdoor billboard which leases for thousands. For a non-profit group that gets funds from the state, Clear Skies Above Barre is actively electioneering.

This is no small thing. Special interest groups and some of the same legal consultants worked to get “anti” candidates elected in Orleans County before. A multi-year review showed registration patterns equivalent to rigging.

I’m not supporting people running for office just to oppose a project and over-regulate me, my neighbors and other landowners. Candidates should have a platform more substantial than angrily opposing something. They should have progressive ideas and show regard for our tax dollars and not deliberately disregard potential tax relief for every property owner. Orleans County is losing population. There’s little hope for revitalization with a huge digital divide and deluge of regulations sure to deter future investment.

Whether or not you support or oppose renewable energy, mining, telecom, or the other banned and heavily regulated uses around here, everyone should support a person’s right to use and enjoy their property. Something will eventually have to be located on somebody’s land, maybe near your house, or right in your view in order for our towns to survive.

Those of us fighting for our property rights in one way or another should stand together on this. My family, neighbors and I will continue the fight in the courts and at the ballot box to regain our property rights, constitutional rights and the modern conveniences we have been deprived of.  And we’ll show up every Election Day to support uncompromised candidates with open minds who run a fair and honest race and will work to advance us all.  I hope you will too.

Edward Zelazny

Zelazny Family Enterprises

Shelby

Editor:

I encourage all readers to exercise one of the most powerful rights we have as Americans and get out and vote on November 5th.

I was truly surprised how much each vote matters when I was elected on a write-in campaign four years ago with a thin margin.

Since that election, and another one two years ago, I have tried to serve all residents in the Town of Yates – whether they voted for me or not. I have also tried, alongside my colleagues on the town board (those who agree with me and those who don’t) to chart a course for the future that is inclusive and takes into account all of the blessings we have in Yates: prime agricultural land, a beautiful lakeshore, quiet rural neighborhoods and world-renowned migratory bird pathways and habitats (just to name a few).

Unfortunately, I must report that we have yet to convince Apex Clean Energy to leave town.  The overwhelming majority of Yates residents are against this ill-conceived industrial wind turbine proposal, and yet Apex continues to divide us with their presence. In fact, we are consistently treated as second-class citizens. I co-wrote a letter with Somerset Town Supervisor Dan Engert to Apex CEO Mark Goodwin dated July 24, 2019, asking him to cancel the Lighthouse Wind project. No reply as of the 1st of November. This is indefensible hubris.  Citizens of Barre beware.

Meanwhile, these past few years have been exciting! We expanded the water district, updated the Employee Handbook, revised the Western Orleans Comprehensive Plan and updated our union contract and several town policies.5

We are also in the process of stabilizing the town park from lakeshore flooding. We are grateful recipients of $2.5 million from the state to enhance the town park. We formed a task force comprised of Yates citizens from all walks of life to help us design our new park in a way that best serves the needs of the public.

I ask for your vote, and please vote for John Riggi and Susan Hrovat for Yates Town Councilpersons.

Very respectfully,

Jim Simon

Yates

Editor:

It is not surprising that a leaseholder would attack my cautionary letter to Barre as there can be very large sums of money involved for leaseholder residents. They are well paid for the impact that the turbines will have on their property.

Our experience from Apex in Somerset and Yates is that they consider leaseholders as project “participants,” have special meetings with them, and give them information others do not have.  This included information that Apex did not give to our town boards and town supervisors. The information that the PILOT Apex is seeking is 20 years actually makes my case stronger because that means that there is a far less financial benefit each year.

Notice that the Heritage Wind website mentions 30 years of benefits to leaseholders and a vague 25-year benefit to the region. It’s lack of clarity is not reassuring. And there is no guarantee as to how long these industrial wind turbines will actually operate.

The leaseholder made a great deal about the host community agreement but that is also included in the total dollar value Apex advertised. If Apex is planning to make a large settlement with the town that means they are planning on a smaller PILOT and there will be far less for the school. So, cut back on plans for the school items listed in the Apex ad.

Relying on the Apex website for Heritage Wind isn’t a thorough information source. Believing that the PILOT will increase over time does not take into account what has happened in Cazenovia with Fenner Wind or the Tug Hill Plateau with Maple Ridge. Those wind companies wanted to cut the value of their projects to a small fraction of their true value – a 97% reduction in the Maple Ridge case.

Maple Ridge is still pending and Fenner has settled for half of taxes the town expected after their original 15-year PILOT ended. This is happening with wind projects across the U.S. – California, Texas, Iowa – to lower the amount of money paid to the towns. Don’t hold your breath that your PILOT payments will increase. They may actually decrease over time.

The leaseholder advised people to visit the Apex website for Heritage Wind. If you are going to take the time to do that take a look at other Apex projects and you will see that each project’s website is a cookie cutter format of all the rest. Any site will do – just substitute the title Heritage Wind on any site.

After that viewing, visit the opposition websites and read about both sides of the issue – not just the Apex sales pitch. Read about sleep deprivation, infrasound, light flicker, turbine fires, ice throw, blade breakage and tower collapses (component liberation is the spin on that one), view one of the movies created by people who have the horror of living too near turbines, or read about the wholesale killing of eagles, bats, and migrating birds. Then remember that the turbines they are proposing for Barre are hundreds of feet taller (with substantially longer blades) than most in the United States.

I wrote my letter of caution because Apex has stated that they plan to build wind turbines from one end of Lake Ontario to the other. I do not want Western New York to be turned into an industrialized nightmare.

Industrial wind turbines produce only a tiny fraction of the electricity that they claim to and it is a highly subsidized product that cannot get to New York City where it is needed. There is much to be lost and not enough to be gained in either electricity or money. Leaseholders and shareholders will benefit, the rest will suffer. Beware of advice given by a leaseholder.

Elizabeth Wolanyk

Barker

Editor:

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office recently promoted two deputies to the rank of Sergeant.  The #1 candidate on the Civil Service Sergeant’s list supported Brett Sobieraski in the June Primary and was therefore denied the promotion.

The two candidates who scored much lower on the exam but supported Brett’s opponent and attended political fundraisers for him were each promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Although Civil Service Law allows for this type of cronyism, does it make this right?

In a Facebook post after the June Primary, dated July 1st, Brett’s opponent stated in his post “there will be no retaliation for supporting another candidate.” I guess he forgot he posted this when the promotions were made.

Leadership is not a position or a title. It is action and example. Let’s elect a sheriff who will take the politics and cronyism out of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office. Let Brett Sobieraski be the example of what leadership looks like. It’s time to restore morale for the individuals who we, as a community, rely on each and every day to protect us.

Please write in your vote for Brett Sobieraski on Nov. 5.

Martin J. Stirk, Sr.

Albion

Editor:

Dear Save Ontario Shores, as a lifetime resident of the town of Barre, I ask that your organization stops meddling in our town’s business. Your fight against wind turbines is not welcome in our town.

In the early days of Heritage Wind, SOS came to one of our board meetings, and our town board let them know they are not welcome. I am curious as to why they continue to insert themselves in Barre, and pay hundreds of dollars for a full page ad in the Pennysaver. Barre does not want to end up like Somerset and Yates.

For those who do not know, Save Ontario Shores had a nasty battle fighting Lighthouse Wind in Somerset and Yates. Let’s talk about how great things are going for those towns. The town of Somerset basked in the glory of a hefty PILOT from their coal plant for many years. That coal plant will be shut down in the next year, and the PILOT has been decreasing drastically over the past few years.

Since 2017, their town taxes have doubled. Instead of inviting new business in to make up for the increasing taxes, the town of Somerset spent $400,000 of taxpayer dollars fighting the wind project.

Now, they are begging the state to give them subsidized money to develop a data center that will cost $65 million to create 165 jobs. Each of those jobs would cost about $515,000 of taxpayer money. The Yates Town Board was so concerned with fighting the wind project that they weren’t able to keep track of their books, and were reprimanded by the state comptroller.

I don’t know about you, but this is not what I want in my town. SOS, please stop trying to involve yourselves in the Heritage Wind project and the town of Barre. Our residents are not interested in your tactics. Your towns will continue collapsing as ours flourishes with the money from Heritage Wind.

Kirk, Alice and Charles Mathes

Barre

Editor:

I would like to thank the Villages of Orleans Nursing Home for hosting trick and treating for the children.

My grandsons loved visiting and seeing the residents. The residents all had smiles on their faces as they greeted each child. It was a win-win for the children and the residents.

Marie Snyder

Albion

Editor:

This letter is being written in response to Mr. Root’s Letter to the Editor dated October 29, 2019, accusing me of having a “fractured relationship” with the Shelby Town Board.

I have done everything the Town Board has asked of me (and then some) as the Town of Shelby Highway Superintendent for the last 14 years. In addition, I have accomplished the following:

• Oversaw the multi-agency Shelby, Ridgeway and Medina $2.5 million Bates Road Reconstruction Project, working daily with engineers, approving changes, modifications and signing off on all pay estimate paperwork. This project was successful, as evident by the current growth of our Medina Business Park.

• Worked with the Town Board and DEC on the remediation of the contaminated soil at the old town property on Maple Ridge Road by making a bio-cell, saving taxpayers $90,000-plus, so that Aldi’s could acquire the property.

• Worked with the Town Board and employees as we assumed the responsibilities of operating two private cemeteries (Millville and Mount Pleasant), saving the taxpayers $50,000 per year.

• At the request of the Town Board, I personally oversee the storage, packaging and shipping of the Orleans County e-waste site, located at the Town of Shelby building.

• Along with the Town Board, I have utilized students from the Iroquois Job Corps trade school to paint the Clerk’s offices and the masonry students to repair the stone head wall at the Shelby Center cemetery.

• Along with the Town Board, I have utilized personnel from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department Alternatives to Incarceration Program to paint fire hydrants and pick up roadside debris, several times in the past 14 years.

• Along with the Town Board, I acquired the help of the New York State Department of Corrections inmates to paint the entire outside of the Town of Shelby building, and the inside of the truck bay area.

There are facts that the taxpayers need to know about me, that go above and beyond what my opponent is can do:

• I have established working relationships with other municipalities to foster shared services within our county. My opponent does not have these relationships.

• I have over 40 years of experience handling rural snowplowing operations, including the Blizzard of ’77 and several other major snowstorms. It has been my goal to keep our residents safe, especially during the winter months.

• I have knowledge and expertise on rural road building and repair that I have acquired from years of service working with the former Superintendent and by attending Cornell Local Road Schools.

• I am currently certified as a Class C and D New York State Department of Health Water Systems Operator, which is mandated in order to provide water to our residents.

I take my job very seriously and work within a tight budget to maintain our roads and cemeteries. Our roads are safe. Our cemeteries are well maintained. Our municipalities have a great working relationship with each other.

If you would like this to continue, I would appreciate your vote for re-election on Nov. 5.

Sincerely,

Michael O. Fuller

Town of Shelby Highway Superintendent

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Editor:

My name is Michael Maak and I writing to inform voters in the Town of Ridgeway and Village of Medina why I am running for Town Supervisor.

A little bit about who I am for those who may not know me. I am a life-long, 50-year resident of the Village of Medina in the Town of Ridgeway side. For some that may not be aware the Village of Medina is split between two townships. I have lived in the village on the Ridgeway side since I was born.

I worked as a Village of Medina Fire Department employee, retiring in January 2016 as Captain. I served 27 years as a paid employee having served two years prior from 1987 to 1989 as a callmen firefighter. I continue today to work in the emergency services as a Paramedic.

I am running for Supervisor to represent all residents of the Town of Ridgeway including the taxpayers that live in the village. I feel that for as long as I have been an adult, the village taxpayer is only acknowledged when one runs for office or more recently when the Village of Medina held a dissolution vote. Only then were the taxpayers given any attention from the Town Supervisor.

As a taxpayer in the of the village in the Town of Ridgeway, I feel that we have taxation without representation. We pay taxes and receive nothing in return with the exception of the campaign put on by the town to scare village residents with a misleading narrative for not dissolving the village in 2015.

I am running to advocate a better equality for all taxpayers and not just those in the town. In 2015 it was pushed for more discussion for shared services with the Town of Ridgeway, Shelby and Village of Medina that has been lost in the years following with no real discussion or resolution to share or consolidate. I have a plan if elected.

First of all, I want to look at a merger of the Town Highway Department with the Town of Shelby. It is an opportunity that was missed this year to consolidate the Highway Superintendent position with the retirement of the Ridgeway Highway Superintendent.

An endorsed candidate in the Town of Shelby has campaigned on the issue that the position can be changed. It is my opinion that, just like the Town Court, we could combine the two Superintendent’s position into one and form a Shel-Ridge Highway Department that eventually could be merged with the Village of Medina DPW with one superintendent for the three municipalities. This would allow for money already in the budget to go from salary to having another employee to clean ditches or maintain roadsides that have been neglected.

Another area is the Emergency Services of which I am very familiar with. I would like to see more funding to the Ridgeway Fire Department as I feel that they are currently underfunded. This has lead to a decline in recruiting and maintaining volunteer firefighters and EMT’s. I know firsthand that many do not stay in the fire service because of the continued need to fund raise for the Fire Company.

When I first got involved there were many members and always enough responders. Today numbers would astonish people that less than five people respond to calls on average. My proposal is to look into creating a Fire District of which a Board of Commissioners chart their course for funding and how they survive for the future as volunteerism is dying in our country.

This is not a new concept. This already occurs in the county in the Towns of Barre, Murray and Kendall and with a Joint Fire District with Holley Fire Department. This could potentially lead to another merger of the fire departments in the Western Battalion that is composed of Ridgeway, Yates and Shelby.

A recent Hub article about the Clarendon Town Supervisor Richard Moy bringing the attention to the decline of the volunteer fire department. My proposal for a Fire District removes Town of Ridgeway Council from negotiating a contract with the Fire Department and allows for the Board of Commissioners setting the annual fire tax with the town taxpayers voting on this annually as is the case in Fire Districts.

Thirdly, I want to look at the budget and see where we can put money that village taxpayers contribute that goes back into assisting the Medina Village Board with road and sidewalk upkeep, tree maintenance, and potential tax relief with a share of sales tax revenue that currently goes to the Town of Ridgeway with the Village of Medina seeing nothing for this.

My fourth plan is to promote and advocate for more renewable energy projects with in the Town of Ridgeway.

In closing, I say this that if you are happy with the way the Town of Ridgeway government is working for you then I accept that. If you are unhappy with how the Town Board and Supervisor have worked for you as a taxpayer in recent years then I am asking you give me your vote and I will work diligently to find ways to change things and potentially provide more for the tax dollars spent, with the hope of maintaining and containing costs. With some changes we could lower the tax burden.

I have worked and retired on the taxpayer dime and I am very aware of cost containment and very fortunate that my career allowed me to retire with a pension.

I hope you give me your vote on Nov. 5.

Sincerely,

Michael Maak

Ridgeway

Democrat-endorsed candidate for Town of Ridgeway Supervisor

Editor:

I’m writing in support of Joe Sidonio for Murray Supervisor. My family has had the pleasure over the past 6 years to develop a wonderful relationship with him, his family and their farm.

Joe is honest, hardworking and matter of fact. He works tirelessly. His work ethic, integrity and business management skills are exactly what this town needs. Who else has shown the dedication to wanting to help our Town as much as Joe?

Over the years Joe has shown nothing but kindness and generosity to my family. My kids love him and his dog Gus. Joe constantly makes himself available to help, especially in winter by doing us the favor of plowing us out on the Ridge. Not because we ask him to, but because he knows how much it helps us with our busy work schedule and that’s what good neighbors do. We have never had an unkind word spoken. We couldn’t ask for a better neighbor and friend.

Joe has a real passion for our town and wants to see it move forward in a positive direction for us all. In the June primary election, town residents showed up in support of Joe by electing him across the board as the Republican, Conservative and Independence candidate for Murray Supervisor.

However, the current administration and against their own Republican Party bylaws are trying to run a backdoor campaign attempting to steal the election against the will of the people. Do they have what is best for the town in mind or what’s best for themselves in mind?

I’m voting for Joe because he has shown the grit, determination and intelligence to bring our town back on track. He will bring accountability and restore much needed confidence to government. Don’t be misled, the tax rate remained flat however with the increased town-wide assessments and the increase in budget spending our out-of-pocket tax bills will increase.

If you would like to see Murray thrive and be more inclusive to all residents then it’s crucial that you get out and vote on Nov. 5.

Adam Moore

Murray

Editor:

My name is John Riggi and I am running for re-election as Yates Town Councilman.

The last four years have been a very busy and critical time for the Town of Yates and I’m extremely grateful to have served the constituents of Yates for these past four years. I am committed to serving the Town of Yates for the next four years as I believe that we are at a crossroads that needs to be effectively managed to ensure the successful future of our Town.

The platform I ran on 2016 was one that clearly stated the Vision for Yates for 2016 and moving forward. I am proud to communicate positive, forward movement in each of the following platform planks:

Our Town:

1. Farming – Continued support of our farming legacy via update of the Western Orleans Comprehensive Plan.

2. Lakefront – Protection of public lakefront access through submission and receipt of New York State 2017 flood grant monies. These funds are strengthening shorelines at the Town Park (foot of Morrison Road), the foot of Marshall Road and the foot of Countyline Road. Additionally, the Local Waterfront Redevelopment Plan (LWRP) is in final stages of development. LWRP funds will significantly improve public access to the lakefront as well as Johnson’s Creek.

3. Lyndonville Village Center – Expansion of the Local Waterfront Redevelopment Plan (LWRP) area to include Johnson’s Creek.

4. Parklands – The State (REDI Commission) has awarded the Town of Yates $2.5 million for expansion of the Town Park that will include annexation of NYSEG land contiguous to the Town Park, lakeshore protection of the annexed parcel as well as preservation and protection of the Federally registered wetland within the annexed portion of the Town Park.

5. Unique Wildlife – Our ongoing and successful fight to preserve our local environment has ensured a safe haven for local and migrating species of wildlife.

6. The People of the Town of Yates – Additionally, our ongoing and successful fight to preserve our local environment has ensured the quality of life, health and well-being of our residents.

As we move forward into 2020, we are utilizing our unique building blocks to not only consistently and prudently develop economic opportunities within the Town of Yates, but to leverage economic development opportunities throughout Western New York to the benefit of our Town.

I humbly ask for your vote for Town Councilman on Election Day on Nov. 5.

John B. Riggi

Councilman

Town of Yates

Editor:

We are writing to make residents of the Town of Murray aware that they have a choice for Town of Murray Supervisor in the Nov. 5 election.

The incumbent, Bob Miller is not on the ballot, but he is running a write-in campaign. This means that on the bottom line of your ballot, in the Supervisor column, you can write in “Bob Miller” to cast your vote for him.

The Murray Town Board currently consists of two long-time members, two new members in the past two years, and a new supervisor. There has been change! We work hard to represent every resident of the Town and to keep spending in check, while maintaining our services to the residents.

Last year, the tax rate did not increase and this year the tax rate has gone down. Per the New York State Comptroller, the Town of Murray has an excellent Fiscal Stress score of only 3.3 out of 100. Please do your research to find out the real facts.

I urge everyone to get out and vote. Keep the people, who are doing good work, in office. Vote Bob Miller, Neil Valentine and Lloyd Christ on Nov. 5 at the Town of Murray Highway Building from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.  Your support is greatly appreciated.

Paul Hendel, Councilman

Neil Valentine, Councilman

Murray