Editor:

Town of Yates voters. You will have three choices for councilman this November 7th. All three are against the wind turbine invasion.

What do you know about each of the candidates? I attend town meeting regularly so let me help you out here. Two have been endorsed by the “Liberal Progressive” Yates Republican Committee. I can say that because it’s true. As far back as I can remember they have not produced a candidate that has not voted to raise your taxes or maintain the status quo.

The elected officials are never taken to task for this only given continuous endorsements. The incumbent candidate is a skilled career politician that will say and vote any way he has to to keep the seat. He has also voted to raise your taxes every year since he has been in office.

The endorsed challenger I can’t tell you much about other than he’s against the wind turbine project, was a Democrat before recently being sought out by the Yates Republican Committee to give their endorsement and switched parties. As far as I know he hasn’t been to one meeting or workshop this year and maybe two meetings in the last three years. So I can’t tell you where he stands on all the other town issues and apparently neither candidate has to because they have the R in front of the name. Republican voters, don’t be fooled by that R. It’s in name only. I would like you to help me change that so I can help you where it counts. Your wallet.

So here is why I respectfully ask you to elected Paul Lauricella Jr. as Yates Town Councilman on November 7, 2017.

• Expel the wind turbine giants from our town.

• Help to protect our all-volunteer fire department.

• Help to cut unnecessary spending and fight the status quo.

• Help to continue to support local farming and agriculture.

• Help to bring business and quality development to Yates.

• Help to protect our culture and way of life that residents enjoy.

• Help to reduce regulations and oppose creation of more.

• Fight to cut taxes that burden and stress the citizens of this town.

• Protect and defend the Constitution and all of its liberties.

Those of you who know me know I back up my words with action. When I commit to an endeavor 100 percent devotion is given. I am not a politician. I am an advocate for you the ordinary citizen whose voice is not heard.

When I speak, I speak for you. Government continues to operate and spend in last century’s fashion. Why not, it’s other peoples’ money they are spending. Your money, with no cares how much you have to give up and stress over how you can pay.

I will fight over every nickel spent. We must reduce spending to reduce taxes. It can be done. I will do this job for no pay as a service to my community. I respectfully ask you in Yates for your vote. What have you got to lose? Seems no matter who you elect the status quo reigns supreme. Let’s change that. Help is on the way. For true change vote for Paul Lauricella Jr. on the Conservative and independent lines.

Paul Lauricella Jr.

Candidate for Yates Town Councilman

Editor:

As is customary at quarter end, an assessment has been completed to include comments “In-Favor” and “Opposed” to the Lighthouse Wind Project as proposed by APEX Clean Energy. As you may know, APEX Clean Energy is an out-of-state wind developer based in Charlottesville, Virginia.

By way of history, APEX began approaching large-scale landowners in September of 2013 with the goal of signing leases on land for industrial wind turbines. In October 2014, APEX Clean Energy “went public” with their project and in December 2014 issued a Public Information Plan (PIP) which indicated that they were proposing to place 70 industrial wind turbines in a 24-square-mile swath of land in Yates and Somerset.

In the summer of 2015, APEX indicated that their selection of turbine size would be the largest available at the time of application. For informational purposes, the largest industrial wind turbine currently available is manufactured by Vesta, Inc. and is 787 feet high. By way of comparison, 787 feet corresponds approximately to a 79-story skyscraper.

In late 2014, APEX obtained a project number:  14-F-0485 from the New York State Government and began posting documents on their project to the NYSDPS website. Concurrently, the general public also began posting comments to the NYSDPS website both in favor and opposed to the project. It was at this point that the quarterly comments assessment process commenced.

At the end of Q3-2017, 1004 public comments had been posted to the NYSDPS site. Assessment of comments continues to show the opposition rate to the Lighthouse Wind Industrial Wind Turbine Emplacement Project at 84%.  Please see the table below for details:

It is important to note that in the 2.75 years in which quarterly assessments have been performed, the quarterly opposition rate dipped only once to 70 percent.  The overall average opposition in those same 2.75 years has settled at 84 percent.

As with previous assessments, all comments made to the NYSDPS site regarding the Lighthouse Wind Project were included in the assessment and cover the time period from Q1-2015 through September 30, 2017. All comments were read fully in order to ascertain position regarding the wind project.

In other news:

There seems to be a shift in our State Capitol of Albany toward the many Upstate and Western New York Industrial Wind Opposition Movements.  For example:

• On September 14, 2017, at a meeting of the Independent Power Producers of New York, Public Service Commission Chairman John Rhodes said that the state was not going to force wind projects on rural communities and said the Article 10 is “not a stacked process” against those communities. Mr. Rhodes stated, “Not under this governor are we going to force people in a police state mode to do anything.”
• On September 14, 2017, Lieutenant Governor Hochul spoke at the North Country Regional Economic Development Council Meeting at SUNY Potsdam. A councilmember informed Ms. Hochul that the council unanimously supported keeping Fort Drum a regional priority when siting industrial wind turbine projects. “We are aggressive in protecting our bases,” Lieutenant Governor Hochul said. “It’s the jobs, it’s the impact on the community and also … it’s protecting our nation’s defense.” Ms. Hochul was also asked about industrial wind turbine projects elsewhere in the North Country. Lieutenant Governor Hochul confirmed that addressing community needs was important. “We’re committed to clean energy and reducing our reliance on outside fossil fuels, but we’re also very sensitive to the needs of the communities, and we’ll always strike the right balance,” she said.  The extension of similar Albany attention to the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is only a matter of time.
• On October 12, 2017, Mr. Paul Agresta – Chief Counsel for NYSDPS spoke at the Alliance for Clean Energy (ACE) New York Fall Conference in Albany, NY. Agresta stated the following:  “Care must be taken by Article 10 applicants to avoid, and we as regulators must ensure against, giving in to the attitude of the pure entrepreneur,” Agresta said. “The pure entrepreneur only cares about closing the deal, its deal, today’s deal, by hook or by crook, by trickery or intimidation, close a deal, cash out, move on. That’s a dangerous attitude, which if taken too far will kill the Article 10 process.”  In relation to continuing struggle to define the term “unreasonably burdensome” in relation to local zoning law requirements, Mr. Agresta stated the following:…the better practice is to find a town that wants you and help them write an ordinance that accommodates what you want to build. That’s really what we need to have happen,” Agresta said. “We don’t want to be fighting towns over waivers. We want developers to go to a town where they’re wanted and work it out.”

While the tide seems to be turning in Albany, it is important to remember that it takes herculean efforts to effect meaningful, long term change with large governmental organizations. So, it’s right and appropriate to celebrate these victories in Albany. However, we cannot rest in the ongoing effort and fight to defeat APEX Clean Energy and the Lighthouse Wind Project. Our economy, wildlife, environment, health and very quality of life is at stake.

Thank you,

John Riggi

Councilman, Town of Yates

Editor:

I am running for Murray Supervisor to clean up our town’s financial operations. A review of water district taxes reveals that our leaders are asleep at the wheel.

At construction, each water district borrowed money to be built. This debt is repaid by district users through an annual debt service tax. Each district has its own debt and its own corresponding tax rate. The amount raised by tax levy must equal the annual bond payment. No more no less.

However, Murray continues to tax water district resident’s way too much, despite my protests over the years. Here’s the data from the 2018 Preliminary Budget:

On a per user basis, this over levying costs each household anywhere from $27 to $198 per year more in taxes than necessary. That’s real money and it adds up fast.

Where’s it all go? Defenders of the status quo tell us it goes to pay for operation and maintenance of our water system. Sound reasonable? I suppose.

Except that it’s grossly unfair and illegal.

Why should users in District 5 pay almost 7.5 times more for water system operations than their neighbors in District 1? District 11 where our water superintendent resides doesn’t even collect enough revenue to cover its own debt and pays nothing for operation and maintenance! Doesn’t it make infinitely more sense for users to pay for operation costs in proportion to their water usage??

Operation and maintenance cost must be paid from water charges rather than through taxes, precisely to avoid this unfair outcome. The more water you use the more you pay the less you use the less you pay, period.

Unless you live in Murray, that is, where the rules don’t apply.

Our town must immediately reduce water district taxes to come in line with bond payments.  If we can’t pay for our operations by selling water we are living beyond our means and must trim costs and waste.

We cannot afford blind tax and spend. We cannot tolerate covering it up by overtaxing our residents for debt service.

Our board refuses to act. Once elected Murray Supervisor, this will be among my first orders of business.

Please vote Joe Sidonio on the Conservative and Independence Lines.

Joe Sidonio

Murray

Editor:

I have been a member of the Medina-Ridgeway community my entire life. I have raised two children in this community and put them through the public school system. Additionally, I have worked, owned homes, paid taxes, and contributed on a daily basis to the economy of our town.

This letter serves as my endorsement of Tara Albone-White for the Town of Ridgeway Clerk. I have known Tara for 25 years from the time she was a small child. Tara has grown up in Medina and has strong lifetime attachments throughout the community, as well as a strong sense of what it means to live and raise a family here. Tara, as I know her, is an incredibly ethical, honest and hard-working woman who represents the next generation of our community.

Most importantly, Tara’s work with ARC, NYSDDSO and State Correctional Facility, combined with her associate’s degree in business, provide her with a deep sense of community as well as the education necessary to make and execute administrative decisions.

Given the qualifications and the education level of Tara there will be no incremental costs to bringing Tara up to speed in this position other than the required state/local training for any candidate elected town clerk.

The bottom line is that Tara is incredibly well trained and educated and able to step into this position with very limited training and a strong sense of equity in our community.

On a personal level, one of Tara’s strongest assets is her ability to be diplomatic and fairly represent the interest of all constituents.

I endorse Tara and strongly urge all the residents of Ridgeway vote for her.

Cheryl A. Tuttle

Medina

Editor:

Carlton residents on Election Day, please support our current Highway Superintendent David Krull.

Over the past eight years Dave has turned around the highway/water departments in Carlton.

He has made employees productive and accountable. He has implemented an equipment maintenance program, paved and rebuilt more roadways per year, and fixed or replaced dozens of out-of-service fire hydrants.

Our first line of defense is a safe and passable route along with an available and ample water supply – resources that first responders depend on. Dave has strived to make public safety his number one priority.

Dave is passionate about his duties and responsibilities to the residents of Carlton. Simply put, he gets the job done.

Please vote and keep a dedicated public servant in office.

Respectfully,

Rich Cichocki, Jr.

Former Town Supervisor in Carlton

Editor:

My name is Debra Mitchell, I am the Deputy Clerk of the Town of Gaines, and I am running for Town Clerk.

I have been told, “If you are not a Republican, you don’t have a chance!”

I am of a different opinion. I am not registered with any political party. I have been serving as Deputy Clerk in the Town of Gaines for over a year, and I love this job. According to all of the people I work with and to the residents with whom I’ve spoken, I do the job efficiently and well.

I did not get the position of Deputy Clerk based on my affiliation with people or parties, and I won’t be elected to Town Clerk that way either. In this country each and every vote counts, and in a small community such as this, an individual’s vote counts a great deal more. Your voice matters in this election.

My promise to the residents of Gaines is to continue to do the job well, while continually improving on the groundwork that is already in place. It is of the utmost importance to me to be fair, and to stand firmly on what is right. I am able and willing to work with any and all people. I have no agenda, and I owe no favors.

Between my opponent and I, I have the unique experience of being the Deputy Town Clerk for over a year. I’ve been working in tandem with the current Town Clerk, and I’ve had the opportunity to see the job up close. I’m always striving to learn, that is why I have received formal training through the New York State Town Clerk’s Association, and will continue to take advantage of every opportunity to further my education in this field. I believe it would be a requirement to remain knowledgeable in a rapidly changing world.

Not being registered with a political party means that the only thing I can offer you is my skills and experience as a public servant, as a person, and as a resident of Gaines. There is no name or party to overshadow who you are electing.

Please, remember to vote on November 7th.

Respectfully Submitted,

Debra Mitchell

Gaines

Editor:

Orleans County residents do not be fooled by the republican rhetoric.  We are giving you a choice, the best choice for Orleans County Court –Tonia Ettinger.

We are a democracy, but James Punch will have you believe that we are a monarchy (supreme power by a single person). That power is being systematically handed down to the next in line and we are expected to do nothing about it?

Punch all but admitted this succession plan in his letter to the editor saying? I would not have felt right about retiring if Sandy was not willing to succeed me. The job of County Court Judge is not an entitlement or reward.

It was no coincidence that Punch retired at the end of July, well after the normal time to pass petitions for candidates. When this occurs, there is a narrow window where candidates can be nominated by a political party after the primary election (September 12), yet Church was announced as the GOP’s choice well in advance of the meeting and vote (in fact there is an article on the Hub about it).

We need to stand up to the “good old boys club,” take action and vote for Tonia Ettinger on November 7th.

Thank you,

Jeanne Crane

Chairwoman of the Orleans County Democratic Party

Editor:

When I first became an attorney, I had the opportunity to practice in Orleans County Court before the Honorable James Punch. Specifically, I had a Family Court matter where Sandy Church was appointed as the Attorney for the Child.

To say that having a case with Mr. Church was unpleasant would be putting it mildly. Not only was Mr. Church condescending and patronizing in his interactions with me, but also my client. When I asked around about raising Mr. Church’s behaviors with Judge Punch, I realized it would be pointless – Judge Punch and Mr. Church are good friends.

Years later, I find out he is set to succeed Judge Punch for Orleans County Court Judge (as this most assuredly is a succession, as Judge Punch admitted in his letter to the Editor). I was not surprised to learn of this exercise in nepotism, but find myself disappointed for the residents of Orleans County. Not only did I begin my legal career in Orleans County, but my father was born and raised in Albion and I still have family members living there today.

Orleans is a county of hard working and humble citizens. Having only one candidate, and a prime example of an “establishment” candidate, no less, struck me as being the antithesis of what Orleans residents deserve. Do Orleans residents want a candidate handpicked by his predecessor? Do Orleans residents want to be told by a bunch of local attorneys, whose bank accounts rely on regular assignments from the sitting Judge, for whom to vote? Do Orleans residents want a Judge who will continue to rule as Judge Punch had done for almost 3 decades? Do Orleans residents want a Judge who behaved rudely to other attorneys and parties in his practice? Do Orleans residents want to elect a man that will have conflicts with so many cases that he will not be able to preside over them? I would imagine that the answer to all these questions is a resounding “no!”

Then I discovered that Orleans residents will have another option – Tonia Ettinger. Ms. Ettinger was born and raised in Orleans County and, like me, began her legal career in Orleans County. However, for the past several years her practice has been outside of Orleans County. She is not indebted to the legal establishment nor bound to follow their standard.

Working with Ms. Ettinger is a pleasure, as she is not only knowledgeable, but also humble and welcoming. Ms. Ettinger has the community connections, the education and the experience to serve the residents of Orleans County well. Furthermore, she will provide a much-needed change from the establishment of almost three decades.

On November 7th, voters must ask themselves one question: do I want a Judge, who will affect people’s lives in the most important ways, to be an establishment attorney who will rule as his predecessor has done for nearly three decades, or do I want a Judge who is not only qualified, but will be impartial, independent and fair? If you want the latter, then you must vote Tonia Ettinger for Orleans County Court.

Katie Woodruff

Rochester

Editor:

This letter is in response to Andina Barone’s letter to the editor posted on Oct. 9, 2017, regarding Frontier Stone’s proposed stone quarry in the Town of Shelby. Miss Barone would be wise to take the time to review the nearly 12-year history of the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) and Draft Environmental Impact statement (DEIS) on this project before she attempts to offer facts on the subject.

Mr. Capurso may not have provided proof of ample existing stone quarries to satisfy future need, but Citizens for Shelby Preservation, Vice President, Ken Printup did, 11 years ago when he polled the quarries in the area. There are 15 quarries and permitted gravel pits within a 25-mile radius of the proposed site. They provided proof of how many years’ worth of aggregate they had available for future use. This was provided to the DEC.

Ms. Barone asked for proof that the proposed quarry would undermine the existing quarries. The fact is, dollars spent in the proposed quarry would not be spent in one of the existing quarries. That’s Economics-101.

Ms. Barone says Frontier Stone is not a local employer. This is true.  Frontier Stone previously owned the Niagara Falls quarry, the Lockport quarry and the Gasport quarry, and they subsequently sold each one to LaFarge. Lafarge is one of the largest aggregate companies in the world, one that could literally bankrupt a town in litigation if they were sued for residential or environmental damage. One has to wonder then, do they really want to be a local employer? Or is their intention to open this quarry and then sell it to Lafarge?

Ms. Barone contends that the DEC protects the environment. The DEC mining permits office, responsible for issuing the permit, is not tasked with protecting the environment. They are only tasked with reviewing and approving mining permits. The fact is, even the SEQR review does not protect the environment. It does not contain any limits to the amount of damage that the quarry can do in order to prevent the issuance of the permit.

There is no doubt that the quarry will be noisy, dusty, and disrupt the quiet residential neighborhood and the refuge. No doubt it will negatively affect the residents of the surrounding community with weekly blasting and truck traffic. But the SEQR review and the DEIS don’t put a limit on any of this. All Frontier has to say to receive permit approval is they will mitigate to the best of their ability any damage that they cause. That’s it. It doesn’t matter if they drain the refuge. It doesn’t matter if they flood the refuge. It doesn’t matter if their blasting ruins the attraction of nanotechnology to the STAMP project. It doesn’t matter if the millions of gallons of salt and sulphur water they dump into Oak Orchard Creek every day affect Salmon fishing. As long as they say they will limit their damage to the best of their ability, the permit is issued.

Ms. Barone claims that Frontier coordinated with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service on the quarry. I would ask that she provide proof of this claim. The fact is, Refuge staff did not in any way, at any time, endorse the quarry. Frontier sent a letter to the USFWS telling them they would provide water to the refuge in times of drought. That’s not coordination. The refuge never asked for this, and doesn’t need it. The refuge operates on seasonal and annual variation. It has for over 50 years.

In her letter, Ms. Barone targeted hunters because of audible and visual disturbances to the refuge. At the same time, she ignored Frontier’s proposed weekly blasting and 30 dump truck passes per hour, during the breeding and nesting seasons. This is hypocritical at best. The fact is, hunting season does not interfere with the endangered species in the refuge, nor does it interfere with breeding and nesting seasons. Refuge management knows how to regulate the use of refuge lands to protect the sensitive species that live there, while providing recreation for hunters. More importantly, hunters in Orleans County have a far greater respect for the refuge than Frontier Stone ever will.

Ms. Barone sites the test blast that was conducted by Vibratech as proof that the proposed quarry would not negatively affect the STAMP project. The fact is, Vibratech is another company solely in business to get mine operations approved. This statement is from their company website, “Our instrumentation, 60 years of experience and professional qualifications will help your operation get past the rough spots.” The danger to the STAMP project was another one of Frontier’s rough spots.

Ms. Barone stated that there are no other existing water filled quarries that are too dangerous and off limits to the public. This might be true right at this moment, but she must have missed the report by the EPA in 2011, Lafarge North America Inc. Clean Water Act Settlement, citing LaFarge with 21 violations including those at the Lafarge Gasport quarry, sold to them by Frontier Stone. And I quote:

Lafarge violated CWA Sections 301, 308, and 402 at 21 facilities in five states, when it failed to obtain and/or comply with its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. The alleged violations include the following:

• Discharges of wastewater without a permit
• Violations of NPDES effluent limits
• Failure to apply for and have coverage under the “Multi-Sector General Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity” (MSGP)
• Unpermitted discharges of stormwater
• Failure to implement conditions of the MSGP at certain facilities

Ms. Barone says there is no story here. What happens when Frontier sells the proposed quarry to LaFarge just like they did with all of the other quarries they have owned? There’s your story.

Ms. Barone’s job as an image consultant to her client, Frontier Stone, is to improve their image in the community and put a positive spin on the proposed quarry. She has also done consulting work for the Town of Shelby. Her company, Mindful Media, still maintains the Town’s website. This is certainly a conflict of interest that should be addressed by the Town Board. But no matter who her clients are, she needs to do some research before trying to discredit someone publicly with such limited knowledge of the subject. I believe that undermining Mr. Capurso’s campaign was the goal of her letter, but in doing so, she exposed just how badly misinformed she is about the quarry.

I, along with many members of this community, members of Citizens for Shelby Preservation, have followed this project very closely for nearly 12 years. We have attended every meeting and public hearing on the subject, reviewed every page of the DEIS, researched the process of permit issuance. We knew from the very beginning that we were not going to stop the DEC from issuing the permit to Frontier. But we were sure that given time, the Town Board would review the public surveys completed early in the process and take the steps necessary to protect the community and the Refuge.

Frontier Stone has recently filed an article 78 against the Town of Shelby, challenging the Overlay Protection Zone the town recently enacted around the refuge. This protection zone forbids mining on this land. Frontier is also not allowed to operate the quarry on this land without first obtaining a zoning change to have the land next to the Refuge re-zoned Industrial. They must also obtain a Mining Overlay permit from the town.

Now, more than ever, it is critical that we have a Town Board unified in the goal of protecting the residents of the town and the Wildlife Refuge. It is for this reason, and several others, that I am running as a write-in candidate for Shelby Town Supervisor.

Sincerely,

Wendi Pencille

President – Citizens for Shelby Preservation

Write-in Candidate for Shelby Town Supervisor

Editor:

I am writing in response to Mr. Grube’s criticism again regarding a water billing error.

Yes, there was a billing error.  When it was noted by the billing clerk to the Water Superintendent the bills seemed high, Mr. Mannella said, “send them anyway.” I discussed the numbers with Ron and he suggested a possible meter calibration issue with the 5 corners meter pit and would contact the Village of Albion.

In the end, they were sent and were wrong. Working with the IT people with the billing system, the meter reading system and our IT person, it was discovered in some cases the readings were pulled from the March quarter making some of the bills higher than they should be. Why?? It’s a software issue. Have we not all had that experience?

But the water still flows and there wasn’t any interruption in services. The new bills were sent out and the experts continue to figure out what happened.

The “leadership” Mr. Grube constantly criticizes consists of not just me as the supervisor but the board, the highway superintendent, the town clerk and the town justice. We are the elected officials and the “leadership” team.  I am the treasurer of the town and a board member as defined by the state comptroller’s office, not the “boss”.

Let’s talk about what this “leadership team” has done and continues to do working for the people of Gaines. Taxes going down 10 cents this budget through this team’s efforts to live within our means. In 2012 the tax rate was $4.19 town wide, this budget the rate will be $3.27. We don’t have any debt except our water districts and we are doing great financially.

Our water districts which were in the red when some of us took office are now in the black and profitable. We made our town hall more secure for our staff to maintain a safe working environment. We are now ADA compliant so all our citizens no matter what their condition have accessibility to our town hall and the services they need.

The updating and upgrading of our town hall will begin shortly, new windows, new siding, doors and insulation. That will save energy costs and all for approximately $11,000. The whole projects cost is $101,000 but with grant money we benefit.

I would suggest that the critics of our town and our “leadership team” are either misinformed and/or uninformed. The Town of Gaines is an example of hard work, looking out for all of its citizens and doing a great job.

Respectfully submitted,

Carol Culhane

Gaines Town Supervisor

Editor:

The Town of Ridgeway advertised itself to be “for the people” a few years ago during the dissolution vote. Tara Albone-White has demonstrated that she is and would be for the people, having put in hours of time and effort during the primary and current season — meeting people, shaking hands, going door-to-door, coordinating a meet and greet session, and very importantly, listening to Ridgeway residents’ concerns.

As town clerk, she would be the public face of the Town office — she proposes extending office hours to accommodate those of us who work elsewhere. In addition, Tara supports the idea of online bill payment as an option, which would bring the office into the 21st century.

Experience may be a plus for a candidate, yet it’s not always helpful when there are updates and changes needed. Think about who has shown the residents that she truly wants the job when you vote for Ridgeway Town Clerk. Tara Albone-White has shown me that she has the energy, enthusiasm, commitment and positive attitude to make a difference for the Town of Ridgeway residents as their town clerk.

Sincerely,

Ann Webster Bunch

Ridgeway

Editor:

After a lot of soul searching, I have decided that if I quit now in my run for Town of Shelby Councilman, I would be letting down not only the residents of Shelby, but also myself.

I am truly passionate about the fact that change is needed on the Town Board to be able to bring our Township back to the great working environment that use to exist and to the teamwork needed to try and bring the tax rate under control.

Why am I so passionate about change? I feel taxpayer money is being spent on items that the residents are not aware of:  A grant was received for a security system for the town building. Did we really need security cameras in every room? How much taxpayer money was spent above and beyond the grant? Pictures were placed in the foyer. They are beautiful, but at what cost?

Another employee was evicted from their office to make room for yet another conference room and big screen TV for viewing information on. Have we ever held more than one conference in the building at a time?  Do we need four conference rooms – more than our employees, who work in the building daily, need room to do their jobs efficiently? And, what was the cost to do all the renovating of this room?

For the record, I was endorsed by the Republican committee and was told I was expected to support all endorsed candidates. I chose not to support one of the candidates I felt was not qualified for the job and aligned myself with a person I felt was. I am not the typical politician.

I truly feel if our political environment spent more time working as a team that we would accomplish so much more for the people. If saying that hurts my chances, so be it. I cannot and will not be dishonest or act against the needs of the people for my own personal gain and just so I can get elected.

I was asked when interviewed for the position of councilman if I could put personal feelings and opinions aside and vote for the good of the people – I will definitely do that if I sincerely feel it is good for the majority. Yet, as I surveyed the situation in the town, I found what I felt was a lack of putting this “condition” of endorsement into action in several town situations. Our town offices use to work so well and supported each other in helping to serve the residents. Now all I see is discord, lack of teamwork, and long-time employees leaving because of it. In the long run, who will suffer…the residents.

Most of you know me and know that I have worked in several areas in the town so I have a good understanding of the needs. As town clerk, I tried to serve you to the best of my ability and will do the same as one of your councilman.

Change is needed in the Town of Shelby and I hope that enough of you feel the same way and will get out and support the write-in campaign of myself and Wendi Pencille (for town supervisor). We will both be transparent and listen to what you have to say, and do our best to represent the majority in all areas. We can’t change what has already been done, but we would like the chance to set our town…..your town….back on the right track.

Sincerely,

Gerry Zinkievich

Shelby

Editor:

Many of your readers from Gaines were shocked to open their water bills this quarter and find their bills had dramatic increases. In my case, an increase of over 67 percent from the previous month. According to the town website, these bills are in error, and that error has been blamed on the implementation of their new water meter reading system.

Some would chuckle at that, since the new system cost the town over $30,000 when, in the past, the town shared that system with the Town of Murray, and the required upgrade could have been shared by both towns.

The purchase of a new water meter reading system is, as they say, water under the bridge. We can’t change what the Supervisor has chosen to do. However, we can question not only the logic behind “becoming independent,” but the skill set of the Supervisor in managing a system upgrade to a critical component of the town’s operation.

If you live in Gaines, you know that, for the most part, your water bills don’t change too much from quarter to quarter. A quick look in my records finds that mine doesn’t change more than about 10% each quarter, and, in many instances, is within a couple of dollars of one another. I’m sure if you examine the water use history town-wide from quarter to quarter, the same is true, and that any large swings in use are directly tied to the weather and other predictable influences.

At the board budget meeting (October 9th), the Supervisor took the opportunity to talk about how there was a large increase in water use this quarter, going on to talk about how much “profit” is being made with the water system.

If you just changed water meter systems, and suddenly there was a very large increase in water use, wouldn’t that trigger a double-check of the accuracy? Wouldn’t you think it odd that so many water customer’s use skyrocketed? Don’t you compare the water billed vs. the water bought? The water billing and receipt clerks certainly can’t be blamed, since, due to high turnover, they haven’t had the benefit of experience to help them notice these errors.

In my professional life, I’ve been involved, many times, in major computer system upgrades that were much more complex than the water billing system. Part of managing that process is making sure everything is correct afterward by checking the validity of the data. This clearly wasn’t done, or wasn’t done properly. Errors happen when you take on projects such as these. Managing those errors before they compound into larger ones, as happened here, is a key component of running a business entity, Town of Gaines included.

Lastly, how many people in Gaines even know their bills are inaccurate? The Town posted on social media and their website, but why wasn’t there a release to the news media to help get the word out? If you don’t actively call the town, go to the website, or go on social media, you wouldn’t even know about this error. Why don’t we have the ability to call everyone and let them know? We now have all received a second bill, but with no explanation. What happened to people set up for auto-pay?

For these and so many other reasons, it is clearly time for a change in Gaines. You can make that change on November 7th.

Sincerely,

Joseph Grube

Gaines

(Grube is a candidate for Gaines Town Supervisor.)

Editor:

This is an open letter to Andrew Cuomo. Mr. Cuomo, I live in western NY, live paycheck to paycheck, do not travel to NYC, and can’t afford to own a boat.

Yet every time I travel the Thruway for business or pleasure, I am required to not just pay for the upkeep of this important artery, but also underwrite a downstate bridge named after your father, and a waterway I cannot afford to use.

Why is that?

You’ve stated that the canal system is an important “economic engine” for western NY. How so sir? Certainly, there are some bars and restaurants along the canal that benefit from it being open. At the cost of the great majority of us that neither use or benefit from the huge outlay of tax dollars used to keep it open.

Conservative capitalist as I am, I cannot fathom the rationale of those that use it and/or benefit from it are not responsible for it. But my taxes/tolls are.

I’m well aware I will not receive a response as you ignore the wishes of anyone west of Albany.

This letter is more directed to my fellow western New Yorkers that should and will vote for a NY Constitutional amendment that may restore our state to being a powerhouse of growth.

New laws, including ethics reform, term limits, the repeal of your imposed “safe act” are just the start.

And most importantly demolishing and reinventing tax laws in this state. Why is it you grant huge tax breaks to certain businesses instead of truly making NY “Open for Business.”

Bob Harker

Clarendon

Editor:

The New York State, County and Local governments rather than complain about elimination of SALT deductions should focus on tax relief. The impact of removing the deduction would be less burdensome to the taxpayer.

Why is this State’s budget double that of Florida? Wasteful spending promoting green energy is just one of the issues which contribute to a bloated budget. The Riverbend Project in Buffalo, built with state dollars and leased for $2 annually to a now defunct owner, should raise attention.

I am certain many more examples exist throughout this state.  Why should Federal taxpayers subsidize the price of progressive leadership?

Ed Urbanik

Lyndonville