Editor:

This letter is written in response to Kimberly Kennedy’s letter to the editor dated February 5, 2019. Ms. Kennedy’s conspiratorial, climate denying musings are without merit and not based in the reality humanity finds itself in. Make no mistake, the overwhelming scientific research concludes that the planet is warming, the oceans are rising, and the rate of species extinction is accelerating.

The most ironic part of Ms. Kennedy’s opinion piece is that she employs the same tactics she accuses “climate change alarmists” of incorporating into their “campaign.” Derisive attacks abound – “godless Democrats;” “well-financed minions;” “social justice warrior ‘teachers,’” which are all well-documented talking points from the right-wing, Fox News echo chamber.

Is Ms. Kennedy aware that promulgating fear of “globalist” forces has its roots in anti-Semitic propaganda against a “global, diasporic” people in 1930’s Europe (namely Jewish people)? Given that her rant is utterly devoid of any facts – she’s probably unware of the nature of her anti-Semitic sentiments.

In fact, the only statement Ms. Kennedy makes that has any basis in reality is the fact that “weather” has been changing for millennia. Releasing millions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere can and does have an effect on the planet’s well-being. This isn’t conceit, it is reality. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the PhD scientists at NOAA, NASA, and the IPCC and their controlled scientific, peer-reviewed research over the opinion of a “non-scientist” former meteorologist.

Simply put, Ms. Kennedy’s Google search is no substitute for decades of climate science research by educated professionals. There’s a difference between climate and weather and I encourage Ms. Kennedy to study said difference. Let’s assume Ms. Kennedy’s claims are true for a moment, if she is correct then we will have spent great sums of capital making the air and oceans cleaner for future generations; but if Ms. Kennedy is incorrect and we do nothing, then we, as a species, are destined for extinction. No one is arguing that the “planet” won’t survive; rather, it is homo sapiens who will not survive.

Nothing about global warming is manufactured besides the polymers that are being released into the air by the metric ton. To the “social justice warrior” teachers at Medina, Lyndonville, Kendall, Holley, Albion and beyond – disregard errant nonsense, and keep teaching climate science to your students.

Respectfully submitted,

Andrew Remley

Albion

Editor:

I just saw a Facebook thread advocating division of upstate and downstate. It was claimed Medicaid reform could make it work.

Downstate, it turns out, generates 70 percent of the state’s income. Medicaid requirements and costs are federally regulated. Cut them and there goes several community hospitals.  Nursing homes, too.

In this crazy world with lies presented as fact every day, it’s important that facts and not party or stupid slogans inform our decisions. This is one example but here we are in a district that voted for a indicted felon. We are getting what we deserve if we do not step up our game.

A citizen of a poor county that keeps shooting itself in the foot. Can we blame the kids for fleeing?

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

My name is Olga E. Gonzalez and I am the Pastor of the Lyndonville United Methodist Church.

The first time I met with Ruth Hedges and she shared with me the vision God was giving her about a thrift store, I knew that was God’s plan for Lyndonville community and beyond. After some time, she shared with me the name for it Hope Resales: A Community Thrift Store and that sounded wonderful. Then I said, “Ruth we need to find a Scripture that goes along with the name of the thrift store.”

Later Ruth sent me the Scripture in the Bible on Romans chapter 12:9-13 that says: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Wow!!! What an invitation not just for our community in Lyndonville, but for everybody that would like to experience God’s love.

For that reason, we invite the people of Lyndonville to “Come and See” God’s love through Hope Resales. As a Hispanic, Puerto Rican pastor, we also want to invite the Hispanic community around us to “Come and See” how wonderful is God. We also want to invite you to our Winter Rummage Sale at Lyndonville United Methodist Church on Saturday, Feb. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 102 North Main St., Lyndonville.

We will receive you with open arms, open hearts and open doors to listen how can we help you. It will be a blessing to meet you and have you with us. See you soon, God bless you!!!

Gonzalez also wrote the same message in Spanish:

Mi nombre es Olga E. Gonzalez y soy la pastora de la Iglesia Metodista Unida en Lyndonville.

La primera vez que Ruth Hedges me compartió la vision que Dios le estaba dando sobre una tienda de ahorro, supe que era un plan de Dios para la comunidad de Lyndonville y mas allá. Luego de algun tiempo ella me compartió el nombre para esa tienda, Reventas Esperanza: Una Tienda de Ahorro para la Comunidad, y eso me pareció maravilloso. Después le dije: “Ruth necesitamos una Escritura Biblica que vaya acorde con el nombre de la tienda de ahorro.”

Un tiempo mas tarde Ruth me envió la escritura Biblica en Romanos capítulo 12:9-13 que dice: “El amor debe ser sincero. Aborrezcan el mal; aférrense al bien. Aménse los unos a los otros con amor fraternal, respetándose mutuamente. Nunca dejen de ser diligentes; antes bien sirvan al Señor con el fervor que da el Espíritu. Alegrense en la ESPERANZA, muestren paciencia en el sufrimiento, perseveren en la oración. Ayuden a los hermanos necesitados. Practiquen la hospitalidad.”

Wao!!! Que invitación no solo para nuestra comunidad de Lyndonville sino para todo el que le gustaría experimentar el amor de Dios.

La tienda Reventas Esperanza: Una tienda de ahorro para la comunidad, tendrá su gran apertura el sábado, 30 de marzo de 2019 a las 10:00am. Por esa razón, invitamos a la comunidad de Lydonville para que “VENGA y VEA” el amor de Dios a travez de Reventas Esperanza. Como pastora Hispana, puertorriqueña, invitamos a la comunidad Hispana para que “VENGAN y VEAN” que maravilloso es Dios.

Tambien deseamos invitarles a nuestra Venta de Invierno en la Iglesia Metodista Unida en Lyndonville el sabado, 9 de febrero de 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 102 North Main Street, Lyndonville.

Te recibiremos con corazones abiertos, brazos abiertos y puertas abiertas para escuchar como podemos ayudarte.  Será una bendición el conocerte y tenerte entre nosotros. Hasta pronto, Dios te bendiga!!!

Olga E. Gonzalez

Lyndonville

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Editor:

The announcement that Brett Sobieraski is running for sheriff of Orleans County is truly a blessing for the people of this community.

Before people say, “oh this is just sour grapes because this guy lost the last election.” It has nothing to do with the last election as I accepted the defeat and moved on to another chapter in life. I will admit after my retirement I did not like the tantrums and threats that were directed at people who helped me during my campaign but that is all water under the bridge.

The changes in the election laws that came out of Albany a few weeks ago have drastically changed the timing how a campaign will unfold. Candidates have had to shift their efforts into high gear if they want to seek the Republican line for the new June Primary Election. Something the candidates will have to deal with but a hurdle none the less.

In today’s world of social media and numerous information outlets people can get the information if they look. Brett has set up a web site, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts all titled around Brett for Sheriff. If you google him, you will find a lot of information. Take a few minutes and educate yourselves on his platform, education, people motivating skills, training and experience as a leader. If you have questions or want to set up an appointment, he encourages you calling him directly at 585-331-0217.

The people of Orleans County deserve superior leadership. Don’t wait until you or a loved one becomes a victim to then realize there was a better choice for a law enforcement leader.

Take the time to truly get to know your candidates. Don’t take someone’s word as gospel just because they said so. Get past the rhetoric. Look through the smoke and around the mirrors and educate yourself. Things are not always as they appear.

The time is now!

I support Brett Sobieraski for sheriff, 110 percent.

Respectfully,

Tom Drennan

Kendall

Editor:

In the face of real science and common sense, wind energy opposition continues to promote junk medicine.

Regardless of how many times the issue has been conclusively studied, wind energy opponents keep claiming that sound and infrasound (inaudible low frequency sound vibrations) from wind energy noise is making people sick. It is time to apply a little common sense to this issue.

The Environmental Health Sciences Research Center has collaborated with the Iowa Policy Project just published yet another thorough study (click here) that demonstrates that sound and infrasound from wind turbines has no effect on people’s health.

The study did demonstrate that there in many cases of people claiming to have symptoms caused by a nocebos effect. People are shown videos of wind turbines and claim they are getting ill.

In response to all the conclusive medical evidence those opposed to reasonable judgement counter with studies performed without any regard to the scientific process.

All the arguments of studies aside, let’s look at this with your grandfather’s common sense. The maligned “infrasound” that is causing all of this sickness is all around us today. It comes from the furnace in your home, the traffic on the road, the car you drive, radio you listen to, the tractor used by the farmer and waves along the shore of Lake Ontario.

The unheard vibrations from all of this activity is present for all of us every day. Those vibrations are not any different from the vibrations created by a wind blade passing through the air. It is all inaudible vibrations covering a wide range of the same frequencies. Are you feeling sick right now knowing that your body has been subject to all of this infrasound for so many years?

And what do we call a male bovine standing in a field?

Linda Fisk

Lyndonville

Editor:

Andrew Cuomo is blaming federal tax policies for the potential 2019 budget shortfall. Evidently the taxpayers which have to foot this tax bill are leaving the state.

One has to compare the New York State budget to those of two larger states. Florida is projected to spend  $88.7 billion and Texas $108.4 billion. New York State will spend $175.1 billion.

Cuomo should review his own costs to operate this state before pointing the finger elsewhere. This migration of taxpayers out of state started long before federal tax law change. This is just an excuse to lay blame elsewhere.

Cuomo and his progressive ideology own this problem 100 percent. Those taxpayers forced to accept these policies, small in number, are voting by taking their residency and wealth elsewhere.

Edward Urbanik

Lyndonville

Editor:

I’ve tried to bite my tongue, but I’ve had quite enough of the climate alarmist propaganda being indoctrinated into not only in our children’s head, but in education in general.

The alarmist’s have been more concerned about the health of our planet and animals than about the well-rounded education of our young people. Climate “scientists” have been well paid for thanks to the globalists’ attempts to replace God with “Mother Earth” for decades. It’s become an entire industry, worth billions of dollars, and anyone who claims that “climate change” is a natural phenomenon, rather than the actions of us awful human beings, is taken to the woodshed, or worse, being called “climate deniers,” a moniker for “stupid people,” like me.

The climate has been changing for billions of years. But yet we think we have the arrogance, the self-importance to claim that we are to blame for it? Really? I didn’t realize our pride was that out of control.

The planet has been through billions of years of volcanoes, earthquakes, worldwide floods and fires (which hundreds of thousands of people have died from long before the industrial age; begun a little over 200 years ago), the magnetic reversal of the poles, erosion, plate tectonic shifts, asteroids and comets; None of which have ANYTHING to do with us humans.  But WE are responsible for the health of the earth? And people are now being blamed for the death of the polar bears and the fish (among the fabricated “global warming” scares, thanks to the non-scientist Al Gore and his other well-financed minions, whom have made millions pushing this propaganda).

The job of our teachers (especially in local schools, like Medina Central) is to teach real science, not manufactured propaganda from the liberal left.  When I was in school, my teachers taught me earth science not “earth alarmist” so-called “science,” made-up myths, half-truths, or opinions. In fact, none of what the “science community” on climate change claims have been proven.

If you don’t believe me, check out the dozens of websites (including The Weather Channel’s founder, John Coleman, who did an interview on CNN just a few months ago) for proof. He said that global warming has morphed into “Climate change” is a manmade creation. And I quote him: “One of the hard, cold facts is that there is significant no man made global warming now or in the future.” He stated that the Democrats have made this a part of their platform; But that it’s all propaganda. Which is being delivered by liberals, the godless Democrats, the media and academia as “Truth,” when it is far from that.

I have had enough of this. Our children already have enough to deal with. They don’t need to feel guilty for breathing, let alone responsible for the health of the polar bears or, for crying out loud, the fish population! They are already going to battle AI, replacing the jobs they are going to need for the future, college student debt, social (intrinsically evil) media and their own social justice warrior “teachers” in public school.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Kennedy

Medina

Editor:

A huge thank you to the extraordinary road crew of the Town of Gaines during the month of January! Seven days a week, this crew was excellent at keeping roads safe during horrible weather conditions.

Every day, decisions must be made while most of us are still asleep. I live where a road terminates and while still half asleep I learn each day of that day’s weather just by the timing of the snow plow or sander turning off that road onto our road as it heads toward the canal bridge, turns around and heads right past my house again heading north.

If there has been snow accumulating during the night I will hear and see the light from the plow making its turn between 5-5:30 in the morning.

If the roads just need salting or pushing back I will hear that done by no later than 6:30. And, as a courtesy, if the driver notices an unusual situation, there is helpful notification made to a resident.

Of course, the county and state crews are out doing their work also. I am sure that I speak for residents of all our Orleans County towns. Thanks for getting up so early and doing such a great job almost 24 hours each day. Punxsutawney Phil predicts an early spring, but no matter, I am sure we all can count on our road crews!

Karen Watt

Gaines

Editor:

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, in a press release, stated that he is worried that raising the minimum wage will hurt small businesses and the working poor.

However, that is not what economic researchers have found in peer-reviewed research. Dube, Lester, and Reich, in a study “Minimum Wage Effect Across State Borders” looked at the effect of one state raising minimum wages while a bordering state did not raise its minimum wages – and found no adverse effect on employment.

In a study from March 30, 2006, the Fiscal Policy Institute found states with minimum wages above the federal level had faster small business and retail job growth. Furthermore, raising the minimum wage hasn’t resulted in higher unemployment. The unemployment rate is at a 30-year low.

Economists cite several reasons for these findings: increased minimum wage allows employees to buy more goods and services which improves the bottom line and increased wages reduces turnover which reduces employers’ costs.

I would encourage Mr. Hawley to reconsider his position in light of all the economic research showing the benefits of raising the minimum wage. Thank you.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

It defies common sense. There is no study that can convince me that any normal human being would actually gravitate to a community where homes are dwarfed by giant 591-foot industrial wind turbines.

Nobody drives through a gauntlet of these gigantic spinning towers and starts looking for homes with “For Sale” signs, although my gut also tells me there would be quite a few of those. Find a cozy home and settle under the turbines? In all honesty, I cannot imagine a thinking person would be drawn to these as he or she would be to beautiful hills, a body of water, or some other natural landscape feature.

Yet, the insistence of this unnatural attraction leads me to recall an old fairy tale, “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. Essentially, the emperor in the story was swindled by two tailors who said they would weave him clothing out of the finest gold threads. The catch was that these clothes would be invisible to all but those who were worthy of their office.

In short, no one in the kingdom wanted to admit that he could not see these clothes either, for fear of admitting he, too, was unfit. All who viewed the emperor in his procession pretended to admire the beauty of his finery, until a child exclaimed that the emperor was unclothed.

Those people who exclaim the “wonder” of industrial wind turbines remind me of those in the emperor’s kingdom who, too, wouldn’t admit their leader was naked. They denied their own common sense and their own eyesight in favor of what they thought they “should” say.

Surely these people have common sense and decent eyesight to see, like I do, that these nearly 600-foot abominations do not attract people to live under them, or near them, or even to be in sight of them. I haven’t seen one ad or promotional piece for any land for sale, or home on the market that includes the proximity of IWTs. Not in photos, not in any descriptions. If anything, it would be handled as more of an undesirable disclosure to the prospective buyer. In the case of Lighthouse Wind, how about something/s 30x higher than your home? Who needs a real estate study?

All health and environmental reasons aside, the naked truth is that “Emperor” Apex is an embarrassment. Those who see clearly what is unfolding here are being true to their five senses and to their own common sense. The only ones eager to deny reality are those who are also mesmerized by Apex tailors. They are the same ones who stand to benefit from Apex cash—the gold threads the rest of us taxpayers made possible.

Christine Bronson

Somerset

(Bronson is a member of the Somerset Town Board)

Editor:

I’ve been walking at the Albion Elementary School for four years. I think the walking trail is the best kept secret in the entire school district.

I started walking after my heart attack. I begin when the weather turns cold and rainy in the fall and walk well into the spring. In those four years, I have made new friends, walked with old friends and have gotten to know some of the staff and teachers who are friendly and welcoming. I have seen other people like me walking to improve their health, friends exercising together, parents walking with their children and mothers pushing baby strollers. I especially like the kid’s art work that lines the hallways.

Last December I was asked to join the Walking Trail Club. This club and others are a part of the Community Schools Program. A group of about 20 children came together to learn about the health benefits of walking and to study how to improve the walking trail experience. We walked the trail several times in order to learn the route. One day we walked it with an odometer in order to determine the length (1/4 mile) and we designed a “Welcome to the Walking Trail” sign.

I want to thank Kim Burrell and Stephanie Schepis for making this a great learning experience for the children and for including me in the process. I also want to invite the Albion Community to use the walking trail. It is open from 4 to 8 p.m. during the week.

Sincerely,

Tom Gardner

Knowlesville

Editor:

The Holy Family Parish Social Justice Committee thanks State Senator Robert Ortt for his initiative requiring increased regular NYS inspections of Adult Care Nursing Facilities, i.e. more surprise inspections of such institutions, as well as sanctions against the owners of such facilities that fail to meet the minimum standards of care that are supported by the Orleans County Legislature.

This request was passed unanimously in the Holy Family Social Justice Committee on January 15, 2019 and we encourage the community to support Senator Ortt in this effort.

Thanks for your consideration,

Holy Family Social Justice Committee

Robert Golden, Chairman

Editor:

I wanted to give a public thank you to Medina Central School superintendent Mark Kruzynski for doing the right thing and closing the schools for the next two days.

You lead by example and put the students safety first. You provided the parents with enough time to plan child care accordingly and put the children first. Thank you for being a parent, a leader and part of this community.

Tim Elliott

Medina

Editor:

Tom Rivers, editor of the Orleans Hub,  provided a good recap of a local legislators gathering in Albion on Jan. 25. Assemblymen Hawley and Norris and State Senator Robert Ortt are good dedicated folks doing an often tough frustrating job. But support does not necessarily mean agreement.

Norris states, among other things, that he wants, “… residents better equipped to excel in the economy.” Hawley on the other hand isn’t keen on raising the minimum wage. If you raise the minimum wage (which Hawley opposes)  aren’t you enabling residents to be better equipped to excel in the economy (which Norris desires)? These are two people acting on our behalf who aren’t even on the same page.

Hawley’s concern is the impact that a raise in the minimum wage would have on businesses.  It’s a legitimate concern. Hawley’s thinking however is out of date – about 100 years out of date.

In 1914 Henry Ford made an announcement that shocked the country, causing the financial editor at The New York Times to stutter, “Is he crazy?” with further predictions that Ford Motor Company would soon be bankrupt.

Henry Ford began paying his employees $5.00 a day, over twice the average wage for automakers in 1914. He also cut the workday from 9 hours to 8 hours. In that year the Ford Motor Company sold 308,000 cars – more than all other carmakers combined – and set new records for profitability. A year later sales were up to 501,000. In 1919 Ford raised wages to $6.00 a day – and the wage hike produced even higher production numbers. By 1920 Ford was selling a million cars a year.

Henry Ford had several reasons for doing this. But paramount was his understanding that “The owner, the employees, and the buying public are all one and the same, and unless an industry can so manage itself as to keep wages high and prices low it destroys itself, for otherwise it limits the number of its customers.” One might conclude that things have changed since that time. They have. But nothing that was done 1914 is beyond our capacity or reason in 2019.

Assemblyman Hawley makes speaking points that higher costs and regulations discourage business growth. Since we’ve debunked the first point, I’ll make a brief point about the second. I would remind anyone listening that the U.S. Patent Office, the Department of Motor Vehicles, labor unions and the five day work week, the Clean Air and Water Act and non-discrimination based on age, gender, race or religion all fall under the “regulations” banner.

“We need less regulation” may play well at face value in front of unchallenging constituents. However most businesses want their intellectual property protected and most of us want to be paid overtime or to go to a restaurant that isn’t re-using dishwater. Regulation, conformity and enforcement of standards are necessary. If some regulations are deemed excessive – then address them directly – but let’s dispense with the political sound bites and generalities – we’re better than that.

Norris states that “Rural counties are not getting the attention they deserve.” Um – isn’t that why you’re there Mr. Norris? To get us the attention we deserve? Or is there some other reason you showed up to work today?

Since it looks like our legislators are going to get a $50,500 increase in their annual salaries, I’d like to challenge them all to become legislative innovators and thinkers – not mere complainers and echo chambers. I’m pleased Assemblyman Hawley is still “energized” after 13 years – but if one is going to simply sit in the same box does it matter?

Darren Wilson

Lyndonville

Editor:

This past week we watched with sorrow and amazement when the NYS Legislature passed, and Gov. Cuomo signed, the perverted Womens’ Reproductive Health Act, which actually should be called the Death of Unborn Babies Act. How ironic this action took place following the previous Sunday being “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.”

It was not unexpected, as the governor had promised to make this his number No. 1 priority now that he controls all three branches of NYS government. Where is the public outrage over the standing ovation of the legislators  which occurred when the measure passed? Have New Yorkers sunk that low in morality and conscience with regard to human life? Apparently so, as the majority of voters elected these individuals to represent them.

With absolutely no regard for the sanctity of human life, the next logical action will be to legalize assisted suicide, something we know the governor has already made plans for.

One of the reasons the Marxist-socialists give for wanting to import millions of illegal aliens into our country is because we need the workers. After murdering more than 60 million human beings through abortion since Roe v. Wade, we certainly have reduced the American workforce.

Where is the outcry from the pulpits of our churches? Since so-called “Christian” leaders are  so caught up with the social justice gospel, apparently they have no time or desire to preach the True Gospel of Jesus Christ, one which values all life, as created by God.

As a society, and especially as Christians, we should be crying out in repentance, begging God for forgiveness before it is too late. There will come a time when His patience will end, and He will turn us over to destruction due to our reprobate minds and hearts (Romans chapter 1). Personally, I believe that time has already come and we have begun to see the results of that perversion. May God have mercy on their souls!

Wayne and Belinda Lemcke

Waterport