Editor:

As our New Year gets underway we in the Town of Murray are presented with yet another town tax rate increase.

I have read on the Town of Murray homepage the justification for this 7.5% increase after last year’s 8.0%. I can debate the Town Board’s justification at length but the area most disturbing to me is item #6:

“Why is the Town of Murray not able to stay within the tax cap?”

Town Board’s response: “In reviewing the Town’s budget situation with over 40 other small communities within the Western New York region, it’s clear that less than 15 communities are able to stay within the State’s Tax Cap for 2016. So this situation is not unique to the Town of Murray.”

I disagree. Let’s be sure to compare our town to other similar towns with the same social/economic demographics. Orleans County is a wonderful area, with unique characteristics unto itself.

We are not the Finger Lakes, Amherst, Pittsford, or Chautauqua. We are the Town of Murray, a rural/agricultural community with open landscapes, fertile fields and a history based in agriculture. To make a balanced comparison on a level playing field may I suggest looking within our county to our surrounding neighbors who share similar circumstances?

Orleans County is made up of 10 towns. Let’s keep it simple and look at general tax data which is available on the Orleans County Web site. Of the 10 Towns for 2016, three lowered their tax rates, one had a 0% change. Five increased their rate by less than 1%. The Town of Murray increased 7.5%, the highest tax rate increase in the County.

In 2015 the general trend was four towns had a 0% increase, two towns increased less than 1%, one town lowered taxes, two towns increased taxes 1.5% and Murray again far outpaced its neighbors with an 8% increase.

The Tax Cap at this point is irrelevant. It is a very complex formula and I doubt any member of the Town Council can actually calculate the outcome without expert advice. The point is that we are far outpacing our neighboring communities with our property taxation. I think it’s high time we look in the mirror and dust ourselves off. Let’s ask ourselves who are we and where we going.

The next election year for the Town of Murray is 2017. In the past three years our town’s tax rate has risen nearly 17%. What have we to show for it?

It’s our money, yours and mine and I think it’s a fair question. In my opinion we need to think about returning to the days of James “Jimmy” Piedimonte. Regardless of politics, Jimmy Piedimonte could stretch a dime into a dollar! He kept our town taxes low. I think he looked in the mirror every day, knew who he was and where he was going.

I’ve been asked to run for Town Council by members of the community because of the tax-and-spend policy of this board. The facts speak for themselves. I am not Jimmy Piedimonte but would like to return to his fiscally conservative spending practices.

I will be running for Town Council in 2017 on the platform of stretching that dime into a dollar. I would like to join the team, bring fresh ideas, energy and openly discuss who we are and where we’re headed.

Most importantly reducing taxes and helping to bring better efficiency to the cost of government. There is no implied expression of corruption or wrong doing by our board. We should appreciate their efforts to serve.

There are some pretty smart folks in the Town of Murray who work hard. I ask you to look in the mirror and see if you too can find the time to help make a difference. The time is now for the people to speak.

I look forward to meeting fellow residents in Murray this year listening to your thoughts and needs. I’m happy to work with everyone for the benefit of our community. Please contact me anytime, I’m happy to help.

Joe Sidonio
Holley

Editor:

One year ago today I was discharged, after a week’s stay, from the Rehab Unit at Medina Memorial Hospital. While there I received excellent care. Shortly after I came home I returned to the unit to thank the many individuals who helped me in my recovery.

I thought however, that in many ways my personal thanks was not enough. I am writing today not only to celebrate my recovery but to give credit where credit is due and to let the community know how strongly I feel about the care I received while at Medina Memorial Hospital.

I found the medical and nursing staff to always be available to help in making decisions about my treatment and monitoring my progress. I found the aides very helpful, friendly and kind in their support in whatever way I needed their assistance both day and night.

My daily routine included occupational and physical therapy, where in my experience most of the hard work of rehabilitation takes place. The staff was great. They were patient but persistent for which I am now thankful.

I went to the Rehab Unit following a long hospital stay at Gates Vascular Institute and Buffalo General Hospital where I received equally excellent care. I would not have reached the Buffalo hospitals or for that matter the Rehab Unit were it not for the emergency room staff at Medina Hospital and the EMT’s who transported me to Buffalo. Several weeks earlier I had a heart attack and went into cardiac arrest while in the emergency room. They saved my life!

I also stopped to thank the emergency room staff on the same day I visited the Rehab Unit. The doctor who was part of the team who saved my life said to me after I thanked him, “nice to see you vertical!” I agree. Thank you Medina Memorial Hospital.

Grateful for the excellent care,

Tom Gardner
Knowlesville

Editor:

It seems to me to be kind of like jumping off a cliff. Once done, there is no going back, no pause, no rewind, that’s it – it is done. That is what the Industrial Wind Turbine Project is in my estimation.

We stand on the precipice of disrupting the fate of one of the greatest migratory bird routes in North America and we have the audacity to actually consider it when it is quite possibly an irreversible and unmitigated disaster.

If this worst case scenario occurs and this migratory route is destroyed, the Osprey and American Bald Eagle are killed off in the Town of Yates – then what? If the government steps in and shuts the turbines down, and I argue they will eventually because they will have to, what will happen to all of the dead rusting turbines?

Who will pay the untold millions to remove the behemoths and return the ecosystem to its original state? Do a quick Google search of dead turbines on the internet and you’ll get your answer.

Who will pay to repopulate the American Bald Eagle and other species? Everything has a cost.

I am fairly certain that Apex, or the unknown entity the turbines are sold to, will not. Well that leaves the tax payer on the hook. Even worse I am guessing there will not be pockets deep enough to pay such an astronomical cost, and these rotting six hundred foot giants will become Yates’ legacy. Everyone gone like rats from a sinking ship except for the poor folks of the Town of Yates and/or Orleans County.

I am not principally opposed to any form of alternate power, either proven or theoretical, including wind turbines. But, and this is a huge but, you cannot cut off your proverbial nose to spite your face. Is it justifiable to take such a catastrophic risk to potentially gain some “green or renewable energy”?

I will leave it to the experts to argue if wind turbines are actually truly “green” or not. To me it is simple math. Assuming if we will, that Apex senior management is in the wind business to produce green energy in order to better the planet, how in the day lights can they justify the slaughter of hundreds or thousands of birds that contribute to the exact ecosystem they are presumably trying to save?

Everything we do to produce energy on this planet has a cost including that to the environment – I accept that collateral damage is a cost of doing business – it’s unfortunate but a reality. Having said that, ethical energy producers have learned to limit this collateral damage and mitigate the losses as much as possible.

Ergo, when the cost outweighs the benefit, you walk away. Cost can mean many things. As I argued above, it can be the destruction of the environment, the rape of the town of Yates and Orleans County’s beauty, or the millions in damages carried on the backs of the taxpayers. What I can say with a great deal of certainty is it will not be borne by the executives of Apex as they will have made their profit and got the hell out of Dodge by the time all hell breaks loose.

In conclusion, these are my opinions and mine alone.

Respectfully,

Vincent Mulholland
Yates

Editor:

This may be a little late in coming, but it is most sincere. The Orleans County Conservative Committee wants to thank everyone who was involved in the “Team” that was incidental in Randy Bower winning both the Republican Primary Election, and the General Election, for the position of sheriff in Orleans County.

The “Team” consisted of people who signed the petitions, those who allowed the use of their property for the campaign signs, those who took the time to put up and take down the signs, marched in various parades with the “Bower for Sheriff” Red Shirts, the unions that endorsed Randy, those who wrote supporting articles and talked positively about him, and everyone else who worked on his behalf that allowed him to take the reins as the “Top” law enforcement official to Constitutionally represent and protect all of the law-abiding people of Orleans County.

We also want to thank all of you regardless of your party affiliation, for your votes on the Conservative Line for all of our endorsed candidates!

That makes us the “Biggest Little Political Party in Orleans County, in my opinion! -Allen Lofthouse

If there are fiscally conservative-minded people out there who are considering a run for a political position in Orleans County in 2016, and would care to seek a Conservative endorsement, it is not too early to get started. Call 585-659-8382 between the hours of 5 and 7 p.m. days, and I will tell you the steps that we require.

Again, a big thanks from the Orleans County Conservative Party, and Committee!

Al Lofthouse, chairman
Paul Lauricella Jr., vice chairman
Orleans County Conservative Party

Editor:

If you live on the northern edges of Niagara and Orleans counties, you are used to seeing two C-130 cargo planes fly at low altitude every day around sunset.

These planes originate at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station about 25 miles southwest of our lake shore. These planes have now taken on an additional significance, as three retired Base Commanders from NFARS have written to Governor Cuomo and other officials, to warn that Apex’s plan to erect up to seventy 620-foot industrial wind turbines does not mix well with the training mission of this military base.

NFARS apparently has something going for it that many air bases in more populated areas cannot boast: a lack of airspace “encroachment.” In their letter these three former NFARS base commanders state that the base has scored highly on this attribute, as “the military is very cognizant of any civilian and/or commercial uses that might interfere (encroach) with the ‘Military Operating Area’ (MOA) surrounding all military facilities. In fact, there is an ongoing effort to coordinate the zoning codes of the communities with the MOA to ensure that those codes reflect the need to prevent any encroachment into the MOA that could jeopardize military operations and the future of the base.”

They continue, “The current C-130 operations maintain a number of low level training routes, generally 500 feet above ground level (AGL) but as low as 300 feet AGL, on some routes. These routes depart on a common departure path, in a northeasterly direction. In the area of the lake shore, east of Wilson, NY, the individual routes commence with a turn in various directions, as per the route’s design. Additionally, there is an established high speed route, established primarily for fighter aircraft, that is in the same general area, and it also cleared down to 300 feet AGL.”

The letter draws the conclusion that NFARS has been considered for closure twice by the Base Realignment and Closure commission in the last few years. If the base loses this valuable attribute, and suddenly finds its training airspace encroached upon by huge wind turbines, it gives BRAC a reason to downgrade its value, thereby giving the commission another reason to consider NFARS’s closure.

In addition, the base now provides 3,000 jobs. Can anyone weigh that against the five to ten jobs that might possibly come from wind turbines? It is easy to see another reason why erecting giant wind turbines in Somerset and Yates makes no sense.

Respectfully submitted,

Christine Bronson
Barker
Member of Save Ontario Shores

Editor:

I would like to take a minute of my time to recognize the men and women of the Orleans County Auxiliary Police.

This all-volunteer organization is one of the most neglected agencies in the county. You see them everywhere, County Fair, Strawberry Festival, Youth Football, High School Football, Festival of Lights and so many more that there is no way to mention all the details they cover.

They are requested by every law enforcement agency in the county to assist with traffic and crowd control. I think its about time the residents of Orleans County recognize these dedicated men and women for all the countless hours they put in to keep us safe sometimes during very stressful conditions. Thank You!

Jim Vale
Albion

Editor:

I have noticed several issues which involve ligation or proposed ligation by public entities. As a taxpayer, the public must be aware of what the cost burden will be.

Forensic accountants and lawyers are costly. I see these cases wind down and often wonder how much money is wasted. What did it cost a taxpayer to find out an employee miss-marked a day off or charged for an extra ten miles of travel? How much money did it take to fight Ag and Markets or Article Ten?

Public entities have deep pockets. The forensic accountants and lawyers know that before offering representation. The cases I was involved with as a Lyndonville school board member had only one winner and it wasn’t the parties involved in the case. One of the best moves the board made was to not pursue ligation for ferroresonance.

The school was having electric issues. The board’s attorney at the time had encouraged this suit. Try and explain that concept to a jury. The matter was fixed and I doubt it was ferroresonance. What would it have cost the district to move down that path?

Elected officials please use judgment when entering in ligation. Taxpayers also need to hold public officials accountable for their actions in these matters.

Edward Urbanik
Lyndonville
Urbanik is a former board member and president of the Lyndonville Board of Education

Editor:

The recent news story concerning the EDA grant for New York, and specifically Orleans County left some points out.

First, when the statement was made that the money was from the federal government through the New York state housing trust fund, the small matter of reminding people that this is taxpayer money was not mentioned.

Also, is anyone looking at the success rate of the businesses that shared the $20,000 in 2009? In addition it seems 20 percent “for delivery costs and administration expenses” is extremely high. On the surface it seems this agency is doing very well, at the taxpayers’ expense with very little, if any, accountability.

Ken Longer
Town of Kendall
Conservative Party committee

Editor:

I am writing in regard to Gary Kent’s letter on Dec. 15 regarding the industrial wind issue currently plaguing the area. With all due respect to Mr. Kent, ‘green’ energy is NOT a partisan issue. Frankly, I do not know a single person (Republican, Democrat, Independent, or otherwise) who is not all FOR protecting our environment.

According to Mr. Kent’s reasoning, wind turbines are OK sited elsewhere, blighting someone else’s horizons – just not ours. Those who support this kind of ‘NIMBY’ (Not In My Back Yard) reasoning unintentionally give undue credibility to the scam of industrial wind.

Fact is: Industrial wind is a NET LOSER: economically, technically, environmentally, and civilly – no matter where it is sited. Let’s consider how.

Economically:

New York State already has one of the highest electricity rates in the nation, in large part due to throwing $Billions of ratepayer dollars into the wind.

Why destroy entire towns when just one 450 MW gas-fired Combined Cycle Generating Unit, operating at a 60% Capacity Factor, located at New York City – where the power is needed in New York State (NYS), would provide more power than all of NYS’s installed wind factories combined, at about 1/4 of the capital costs – and would significantly reduce CO2 emissions and create far more jobs than all those wind factories – without all the negative civil, economic, environmental, human health and property value impacts that are a result of industrial wind factories, or all the additional transmission lines to New York City.

The Institute for Energy Research tallied the numbers and found that each wind job costs $11.45 million, plus more than four jobs lost elsewhere in the economy; and all while wind is subsidized over 52 times more than conventional fossil fuels on a unit of production basis.

Consider multi-Billionaire wind developer, Warren Buffett’s candid admission, “We get tax credits if we build ‘wind farms.’ That’s the only reason to build them. They don’t make sense without the tax credits.”

Technically:

Due to the unreliable, erratic, and volatile nature of wind, industrial wind turbines (IWTs) provide virtually NO Capacity Value, or firm capacity (specified amounts of power on demand). Therefore, wind needs constant “shadow capacity” from our reliable, dispatchable generators – that is, if you want to be sure the lights will come on when you flick the switch. Thus, as Big Wind CEO, Patrick Jenevein candidly admitted, “Consumers end up paying twice for the same product.”

The list of accidents, blade failures (throwing debris over ½ mile), fires (10X more than previous wind industry claims), and more, is updated quarterly at this website (click here).

This lengthy and growing list is evidence of why these giant, moving machines do not belong anywhere near where people live.

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA – the wind industry’s lobbying group) admits that the life of IWTs is only 10 – 13 years (January, 2006, North American Wind Power) – substantiated by studies of these short-lived lemons.

Adding insult to injury, NYS’s wind factories have been averaging approximately 24% Capacity Factors (actual outputs) – many days providing nothing at all. Physicist and Malone Town Board member Jack Sullivan figures that NY wind factories are not even producing enough power to pay for themselves over their short life-spans.

Environmentally:

According to AWEA there are approximately 45,100 industrial wind turbines in the U.S. today. Most IWTs are remotely sited, far removed from urban centers where the power is needed. This necessitates the addition of a spider web of new transmission lines (at ratepayers’ expense), which exponentially adds to the needless bird deaths being caused by the IWTs themselves.

Studies show there are MILLIONS of birds and bats being slaughtered annually by these giant “Cuisinarts of the sky” (as a Sierra official dubbed wind turbines in a moment of candor), necessitating the passing of special 30-Year Eagle-KILL permits by President Obama for his favored wind industry.

Sprawling industrial wind factories cause massive habitat fragmentation, which is cited as one of the main reasons for species decline worldwide.

Civilly:

The only thing that has ever been reliably generated by industrial wind is complete and utter civil discord. Neighbor is pitted against neighbor, and even family member against family member, totally dividing communities (already apparent in Orleans and Niagara counties). It is the job of good government to foresee and prevent this kind of civil discord, not to promote it.

Don’t be a NIMBY! This partial list of the destructive NON-SOLUTION that is industrial wind energy is reason enough not to support the scam of industrial wind – no matter where it is sited.

Mary Kay Barton
Silver Lake, Wyoming County

Editor:

Mr. Wes Bradley of the Yates Town Board was quoted in the Orleans Hub article dated Dec. 28, 2015 as being disappointed with elected officials and the Orleans County Legislature for questioning or opposing the proposed industrial wind turbines in Yates and Somerset.

In response, on behalf of the citizens group, Save Ontario Shores (SOS), I would like to express our gratitude for the wise and timely actions of these same officials.

Senator Rob Ortt and the Orleans County Legislature have listened and responded to the will of the people of the town as expressed by the voting out of the current Yates town supervisor by write-in ballot, the SOS survey, and the presence of hundreds of people at SOS public meetings. Additionally, Congressman Chris Collins has addressed proper concern for potential impact of the wind project on the future of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, one of the largest employers in Niagara County.

The Yates Town Board has not responded to the will of the people and so they have lost credibility with regional leaders. SOS is grateful to the legislators and other elected officials who have listened to the majority of their constituents, done their own research and have spoken.

The Yates Town Board end-of-the-year meeting on Dec. 28, occurred two and a half weeks after the survey ballots were to be postmarked. The results could have been announced earlier. Instead, the Yates Town board chose to hold onto the results until three days before the end of the year – pushing up against the initial Jan. 6 deadline on comments to the APEX preliminary scoping statement (Note that this date has been moved to Jan. 12).

The Yates Town Board has dragged its feet, stonewalled citizens’ inquiries, and has done as little as possible regarding this project. They have admitted to not reading the materials provided them by citizens. Then at this end of the year meeting, with a new supervisor and council member about to take office, they fire off four resolutions.

Criticism by the Yates Town Board about anyone else’s actions is disingenuous, given their delay and lack of action. This is as egregious as the comments by APEX mailed out Dec. 28, that twist the 66 percent opposition to the Lighthouse Wind Project into something positive for APEX.

SOS hopes to work with the Yates Town Board in the future. We call upon them to respond to the overwhelming number of issues and concerns raised by citizens and the information and research citizens have presented by formally opposing this project in the first week of the new year.

Citizens of Yates and Somerset have spent the entirety of 2015 reading, researching, meeting with elected officials and spending their own money to fund these efforts. Members have traveled and spoken with people in other communities who have fought against similar projects and those who are currently living with industrial wind turbines in close proximity to their homes.

Our concerns are based on the knowledge that we have gained along with the experience of our own communities. We are proud of the grassroots energy and efforts in our towns that have drawn us together, even as the Lighthouse Wind project is splitting the community. It has been a difficult, exhausting year, but we are energized, and united.

In 2016, SOS, through the work, sacrifices and generosity of its members, together with the efforts of local elected officials, will succeed in protecting the health, environment, wildlife, economy and the quality of life in our communities from this poorly sited industrial wind project.

Kate Kremer
Vice President, and Director of Save Ontario Shores, Inc.

Editor:

I think it is very interesting that only 45 percent of my fellow Yates residents returned the wind survey. I would think that those that feel strongly about this issue would be the ones most likely to return the survey. So from the 45 percent who returned the survey 65 percent oppose wind energy in the area and 30 percent support it (another 5 percent have no opinion).

So what happened to the other 55 percent that didn’t return the survey? Is it because they don’t care either way? Or maybe they feel nervous to form an opinion?

From my perspective, SOS is presenting a lot of confusing and fear-based information. I think this 55 percent is torn by what to think and whether or not they want to get involved with this “fight.”

SOS is making it very difficult for anyone to have an opinion other than anti-wind. SOS’s agenda is very strategic and is intimidating people from forming their own opinions. They have even gone so far as to sue a fellow resident and the Town Board over a test tower that was erected to collect information that will help to answer some of the “concerns” they say they have.

The anti-wind campaign SOS is parading around town is exactly why Article 10 is in place. I am so happy that rational people will be making the decision on whether or not to have a wind farm here.

This topic has become so controversial locally and our county and state officials have taken a stand without even waiting for the results of all of the studies that are being done and those still to be done.

How can they say that they have the ability to make rational decisions about the wind farm when they don’t have all the facts?

Susan Campbell
Lyndonville

Editor:

Citizens of Orleans County, do you know we are paying for a lobbying firm? When asked, at a recent meeting, what we were getting for our money the County Legislature could not, or would not answer.

The Conservative Party committee in Orleans County wants people to know this is an example of the things that are going on at the county level. The Conservative Party supports term limits so this kind of disconnect between politicians and the people they are supposed to represent is kept to a minimum.

It seems, looking at the national, state, and even the local political scene this is the only way to “fix” this problem. This apparent arrogance does not seem to be limited to any specific party but is real!

There were some surprises in the last election and some people in the “establishment” were not happy about this. These people are more concerned about their political party than the will of the people and, again, this is true of both Democrats and Republicans.

Please get involved, attending your town and county meetings. Ask questions and hold our elected officials accountable.

Ken Longer
Town of Kendall
Conservative party committee member

Editor:

Waiting in the ER with a bleeding toddler must be awful, especially on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately ER wait is not uncommon and had that person been in a larger ER with even more patients with varying illnesses/issues, they would likely have still been in the hallway after two hours.

People that come to the ER are treated based on acuity. They are individually and skillfully assessed by trained professionals and seen/treated accordingly. It is not based on age, gender, profession, status in the community, who you know, if it’s Christmas, whether you’ve been up all night, or if you have to be to work in two hours, or any of many other reasons I’ve heard.

I understand that when you child is sick or bleeding, parental instincts are on high alert. You have tunnel vision. This is priority number one for you. I get that. I realize that if your wife is crying in severe pain, nothing else matters.

What you might not be aware of is that there is someone in the next room in a situation where time is critical and minutes or seconds could determine life or death. A person having a stroke or a heart attack would be a good example, or someone with a dangerous infection or serious breathing difficulty.

When you come to the ER, whatever reason brought you in is your number one problem at that given time. It’s the most important thing going on with you. Our job is to sort out all of those number ones and decide which order they come in.

The bottom line is waiting in the Emergency Department is never going to be a good time and nobody will ever look forward to it. Most people will feel they’ve waited to long. This may never change.

What may help is to understand the process of triage and prioritizing and be to assured that the staff in the ER work together every day to get people treated as swiftly and safely as possible. We will always do our best to make the experience as pleasant as possible without compromising safety.

As difficult it may be in time of crisis I hope if patients and families try to consider this during their next ER visit, it may be a little less stressful for them.

Danielle Gullo, RN
Middleport

Editor:

The technical, financial, research and staffing resources to make it Johns Hopkins or Boston University Medical Center are not there. Nonetheless, Medina Memorial is a hospital that continues to serve the people of Orleans County well. It is also the only hospital in Orleans County.

We can have numerous services performed in Medina without traveling to Rochester, Buffalo, or even Brockport. These include such things as MRI’s, CT scans, colonoscopies and rehabs.

Our personal experiences with Medina Memorial Hospital have been as satisfactory as any under the circumstances that result in hospital visits. In two cases, emergency room staff, after evaluation, recognized the potential seriousness of a situation and had us transported to Strong Memorial and ECMC. That is as much as one could ask. In another case, a 90-year-old friend was admitted and successfully treated for a blood clot in her lung. Fran Nayman was treated for limb-threatening infection and released after a brief stay.

Without enumerating every case, it suffices to say that any admission likely results in more all-important visits from family and friends than more distant treatment would.

The experience of the family whose small child suffered an accident over Christmas Holiday was no doubt scary. Though common, emergency room waits anywhere can seem like eternities. When it happens to one of our own, we understandably prioritize it. The fact that everything worked out well speaks volumes for a facility that works for all of us.

Yes, I am on the Medina Hospital Foundation Board. My experiences with Medina Hospital are the main reason why I value the institution. I would note that the closing of Medina’s Behavioral Health unit means that anyone needing such services now must travel to Rochester, Buffalo, or Wyoming County to access them. Even if I had never known a positive experience with the facility, however, I would recognize its value to Orleans County residents.

Sincerely yours,

Gary F. Kent

Albion

Editor:

On behalf of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee County, we thank all the wonderful people who rang bells for the Salvation Army. The money raised in Orleans County through the kettle campaign stays in Orleans County and especially all the businesses, churches, organizations, and individuals who adopted a child for the holidays.

Without all of you we at Community Action could not have provided a holiday season filled with smiles and joy for our less fortunate neighbors in the community.

Thanks also go out to the many groups that collected food – the Boy Scout food drive, organizations, and especially the wonderful young adults from Albion FFA that delivered 30,000 pounds of food. We share our good fortune with all food pantries, soup kitchens, Nutrifare, Meals on Wheels, and Medina Association of Churches.

We appreciated all the coats, jackets, clothes, scarfs and mittens that were donated so we could provide a warm coat for the winter.

I wish everyone could experience the tears in the eyes of people who received food, toys and coats. Community Action staff work very hard to ensure that all who need us are helped.

Save-A-Lot again donated fruit baskets for our elderly shut-ins. This is a gift they did not expect.

Over the years, we have found out how much our community does when called upon, you are truly not only our Angels but Angels for less fortunate people among us. We at Community Action wish you all a safe and wonderful New Year.

Sincerely,

Annette Grillo Finch
Director of Community Services