Editor:

I wanted to comment on a recent post by Bob Lonsberry endorsing Brett Sobieraski for Orleans County Sheriff.

Bob you just don’t get it.

If the OCSO was so important to him, why didn’t he work there? That’s the issue. He wants to be the boss of an institution he knows nothing about. He doesn’t know the culture, he doesn’t know the ethos and he has no command level experience.

I think this is what people really don’t understand. One of the reasons that crime is so terrible in the city of Rochester is that every few years there is a change in leadership. A new chief comes in, a new command staff and a new plan. It takes a couple years to put the brakes on the previous administrations initiatives and begin their “new” ones. Before they get to full speed, a new chief comes in and the cycle repeats. Nothing gets done, nothing changes and that’s the issue facing Orleans County voters.

Do you like your community now? Do you like what you see when you look out the window? Or, would you rather have it more like the city of Rochester?

Seems pretty clear to me. Choose a team who knows not just the community, but the agency. Someone who can continue to develop its initiatives to fruition. Someone with command level experience in the agency they wish to lead with knowledge of how to run, not just a police force, but a jail, civil bureau and court security. (I’m not actually sure if Orleans County had those last two bureaus, but I assume they do in some form.)

Just because Bob Lonsberry admires that a guy can run long distances and wears a gun to work, does not mean he’s qualified to be the chief law enforcement officer in the county.

I hope voters take a minute to think critically. To recognize just because Bob says so, doesn’t make it true. Most importantly, I hope they see what Orleans County might become when led by an outsider. When led by a person who only understands vision to the degree of a single chapter of a book and not the story itself.

I don’t know Brett, never worked with him but I’m retired from law enforcement with the same rank and I know of him. He is by no means universally loved by his subordinates but seems liked a competent first line supervisor. In my estimation, the Republican voters of Orleans County have a clear choice for sheriff.

And it ain’t from a police sergeant from a dysfunctional city 30 miles away. Elect a team that knows your county and your agency. A team that put their career where their mouth is, so to speak, and served the agency they wish to lead. Not someone in the Baxter politician mold who hopes to be an executive carpet bagger winning a popularity contest with the help of their friends in the corrupt and out of touch media.

Do the right thing Orleans County.

Regards,

Scott Smith

Churchville

Editor:

On May 21, I attended and spoke before the Orleans County Federation of Sportsmen. I forwarded my speech to the editor of the Orleans Hub about my concerns with the loss of woodlots, hedgerows and wildlife habitat.

The complete speech wasn’t included in the Letters to the Editor, including 16 fixes to the situation.

The last part of my speech said: What are all of us, that includes government agencies, farmers, sportsmen and women, rural landowners and local representatives going to do?

I suggest we meet with representatives from all government agencies and encourage them all collectively to work together to make Orleans County great again for all of us.

Tools to use:

1. Study laws regarding pesticide application.

2. Report to law enforcement of overspray incidents. Collect evidence such as witnesses, videos, photos, etc. Also check hedgerow removal or wooded lots and see if they are being legally removed.

3. Contact local representatives. Let them know how you feel and how you will vote in your upcoming elections if your concerns are not addressed.

4. Attend Orleans County Legislature meetings and share information.

5. Run for office (If you want change, put the rubber to the road).

6. Support only candidates who will help us save our homes and who will openly speak about it.

7. Copy and distribute “Trees against the Wind”

8. If you are a rural home/landowner you should not remove habitat that is vital to survival. This includes hedgerows, wooded lots and/or hardwoods which provide food and shelter for so many species who also live here.

9. Provide food plots and shelter for birds, deer, turkeys, etc. Be sure they are not Hybrid or GMO products, and protect it from over-farming and over-spray.

10. Enlist the help of others. Educate them and yourselves to be good stewards of the place we all call home.

11. Distribute information to landowners who rent their land. Make sure renters tell you what they spray on rented land and investigate before you let them spray, plant or remove habitat.

12. Before you plant, study the seed inoculants and how they affect habitat. Don’t rely of manufacturers labels or rhetoric from people planting.

13. When you shop purchase at least 1 or 2 USDA organic products. If more of us do this prices will decrease and you support an industry that is aware of the crisis we are facing nationwide.

14. Don’t listen to agribusiness, seed or pesticide sales rhetoric. Do your homework. You can visit the media and read the article from National Geographic titled “The Second Silent Spring” and ask your farm friends if they know.

15. Collectively purchase or long-term lease hunting properties to ensure we all have places to hunt, hike, or ride ATV’s without worries of encroachment of agribusinesses or urban sprawl.

16. Lobby our representatives to add money to the budget to bring moneys to Orleans/Genesee/Niagara counties for conservation reserve. Also lobby our legislators to adopt in our counties, New York State Department of Health Neighborhood Notification Laws, to add additional safety restraints to pesticide applicators.

John Metzler

Barre

Editor:

The Orleans County Deputy Sheriff’s Association feels that it is unfortunately compelled to clear up some of the disheartening false accusations that are being spread about its members. The OCDSA is comprised of 24 hardworking individuals, whose ultimate goals are to serve and protect the citizens of Orleans County.

It has been implied that the OCDSA members are untrained, do not make vehicle and traffic stops, do not work with other agencies, and most recently do not handle drug overdoses properly.

The OCDSA members receive required refresher trainings annually, along with opportunities to receive more specialized training. Despite having a small number of members and a tight training budget, the current administration strives to find creative ways to get our members into trainings that are free of charge.

Many essential training seminars are hosted by the Department of Homeland Security at no cost to the department (including lodging for multi-day programs). Other examples also include a week-long training that was put on by the New York State Office of Mental Health in which they traveled to our county to instruct our members on how to help people who are experiencing a mental health crisis and facilitate in getting them support. Additionally, our members have received training in basic first aid, CPR, and Stopping the Bleed (tourniquets). We’ve had specialized training in the civil process and the proper way to serve civil papers.

Due to the opioid epidemic members have also received more specialized training in handling drug overdoses and overdose deaths to include the proper way to administer Narcan and issue a Narcan kit. A critical tool in solving overdose deaths is the ability to access data in the deceased person’s cell phone. Undersheriff Christopher Bourke was able to work with the DEA and have Cellebrite, a $10,000 instrument, donated to the department. This piece of equipment is used in overdoses and numerous other types of investigations.

With a significant amount of waterways in our county, the current administration recognized a need to send our member that is in charge of the Marine Patrol to the NYS Marine Law Enforcement School and also send him and an investigator to the week-long NASBLA Comprehensive Boating Accident Investigation Course.

Since January 1, 2016 our members have increased traffic stops, civil paper service attempts, civil papers served, and assists to other agencies. During this time, Undersheriff Bourke and the rest of the current administration have worked diligently to provide the members of the OCDSA with the necessary tools to successfully complete their duties and keep us all safe. Items such as new body armor, new rifles for patrol vehicles, and new computers for patrol vehicles are just a few things they have been able to acquire.

Our members take pride in our jobs and the community we serve and protect.  We would ask that the residents of Orleans County continue to support the OCDSA and to please support Christopher Bourke for Sheriff on June 25.

Orleans County Deputy Sheriff’s Association

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Editor:

As the Republican Primary Election nears, I’d like to express my support for Brett Sobieraski, and do so from three different perspectives.

As a retired law enforcement officer from a Sheriff’s Office, I understand the need for strong leadership in any law enforcement agency. Sheriffs are more than administrators. They are coaches. They are trainers. They are mentors. They lead by example. They reward success and hard work. They train and guide those who need to improve. They inspire good officers to become great.

We need leadership like this in our Sheriff’s Office. He will help every member of that organization be better. It will make them more efficient. It will make us safer. His service to others outside law enforcement is top notch, raising money for charity and helping people everywhere he goes. His spirit of service and volunteerism will be contagious in our Sheriff’s Office, and that can only be good for our community.

My second point of view is that as chairman of the Gaines Republican Committee. We had the opportunity to hear the candidates speak when they asked for endorsements. Brett’s vision and plan for improving our safety is outstanding. He can communicate it very clearly to people who aren’t in law enforcement. He understands what needs to be done.

He wants to make Orleans County a better place for everyone. His passion and commitment show through in everything he does. While the County Republican Committee didn’t come to the threshold required to support one candidate over another, the majority of the members of the Gaines Committee support Brett Sobieraski as the best candidate.

My third point of view is that of town supervisor in Gaines. As town supervisor, I am responsible for the safety of the residents in the town. In small towns without police agencies, we rely on the Sheriff’s Office to provide for that safety.

Having well trained, motivated, dedicated, and caring members of the Sheriff’s Office helps keep all of us safe. This isn’t just the deputies who patrol the roads and investigate crimes. It is the dispatchers who take our 9-1-1 calls and send needed emergency personnel. It is the jail staff that safeguard and transport prisoners to our court. It is the animal control officers who directly provide those services for our town. It is the office staff who glue it all together.

Brett Sobieraski’s leadership will make every part of the Sheriff’s Office better, and that, in turn, will make our town better.

So please join me in supporting Brett Sobieraski in the Republican Primary for Sheriff. He is the best candidate, and has my support!

Thank you,

Joe Grube

Gaines

Editor:

Looking at Chris Bourke’s endorsements leaves no question who should be Sheriff. Chris has been endorsed by the Orleans County Conservative Party, NYS Independence Party, Orleans County Deputy Sheriffs Association, NYS Deputy Sheriff Association, Orleans County Sheriff’s Employee Association, Council 82 New York State Law Enforcement Officers Union AFSCME, AFLCIO, Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers, and the Honorable James Punch, retired Orleans County Judge.

These men and woman who put their life on the line daily to protect you, and work with Chris already. They have that much faith in him to endorse him. To want him to be their sheriff! This isn’t to mention the experience he has had throughout Orleans County. That should be a wakeup call to our residents.

The political nonsense can go back and forth and it doesn’t change these facts. Chris has given us in Orleans County more than 35 years. He knows the county and its residents.

If you’re going to vote for Brett, please ask yourself a few questions first.

1. Do I want a sheriff that knows the county?

2. Am I doing this because my friend/neighbor wants me to?

3. Am I informed with 100% accurate information?

4. Is the grass always greener on the other side?

Make sure your informed and comfortable with your decision. You are the only one in that voting booth, no one knows who you’re voting for.

I am 100 percent confident that I can put my families’ welfare in the hands of Chris Bourke as sheriff.

Corie Strickland

Albion

Editor:

Given the current political climate across the country, I would like to make a few comments about the current race between two Republican candidates for the June 25 primary, and ultimately the office of Orleans County Sheriff.

I would like to start by stating unequivocally that Brett Sobieraski is not an “outsider” as he has repeatedly been called. This is not only insulting, but untrue. He has been a member of this community for the past 27 years. He raised his children here, made his life here, and is well known and active within our county.

The fact that he works for the Rochester Police Department does not, in any way, diminish the fact that he lives in Orleans County. That being said, perhaps the word “outsider” refers to the fact that he is not a member of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

However, this would not be the first time that a person who never held a position within the department has been elected sheriff.  As everyone knows, one of our former and very popular holders of the Office of Sheriff, never had any law enforcement experience in his background.  That didn’t stop me from voting for him. I simply liked the man and what he stood for. I think a lot of people vote like me. We vote for the man. We vote for his ideas.

I would also like to address the attitude, which I believe I see more and more, that this office is being considered, in this particular case, an entitlement. If this was an office based on promotions from within, that would be a completely different issue. This is a public office which puts the power to select the next sheriff into the hands of the electorate.

If someone works there for a number of years, it may make that person well known, it may make that person seem like a viable choice to a certain group, and in fact it may help to get that person elected. However, this sacred franchise to vote is held by the Republican voters of Orleans County.  We get to decide who we want in that office. It is not an entitlement, no matter how emotional people may feel about this issue.

This primary is being decided by persons of the same party who have different ideas about the direction in which we would like to see our county go. After this is decided, and a new sheriff is elected, we have to move forward as one Republican Party. I would like to believe we can survive what is starting to look like growing animosity held by the crew of the current undersheriff toward anyone who doesn’t support their candidate.

Nobody should chastise anyone for wearing a shirt for the candidate of their choosing. This still is, after all, The United States of America, and we do have the freedoms to express how we feel. I have become very uneasy when I hear rumors about these bully tactics.

My personal choice in this race is Brett Sobieraski. I have met with him many times, and found his ideas to be fresh, modern, progressive and invigorating. There is nothing wrong with getting someone with diverse and vast experience, someone who has enjoyed a very successful career with the Rochester Police Department, and brings that invaluable experience into our county.

We are now fighting big city crimes here, and the fight has to be waged by a sheriff with big city experience but who also understands our way of life. I think this is the time for change. I think he is the man who will change things.

I have faith that he is genuine in his cause to do the right things to make our county better than it has been in a long time. We all need to think outside of the box on this one. It may be a long time before a chance to elect someone like Brett comes our way again.

I would finally like to thank Sheriff Randy Bower for his service to the county. I personally admire the man, I voted for him, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Eileen Hare

Medina

Editor:

I would like to first state I am not a Shelby resident. I have no stance on matters that pertain to the town. I stand no benefit to any election in Shelby. Now that the necessary disclaimers have been made, I write this letter out of pure respect and gratitude for Shelby highway superintendent candidate Dale Root.

As many know, Dale has made his living in farming and trucking. Roughly a year ago I made the decision to buy my own tractor trailer and strike out on my own. Dale was right there to offer any help needed to establish myself amongst the trucking industry. Dale has put his reputation on the table numerous times and has vouched his confidence in me to freight brokers who generally would not give a start-up such as myself a second look.

In the 2016 election a famous catch phrase was, “Who will answer the 3 a.m. phone call?” I know Dale will! I have tested this out numerous times. A quick cargo question, a logistics inquiry, or a late-night repair tip, Dale has always been a phone call away.

I write this letter because Dale’s nature has always been to help his neighbors. He and his family have donated produce to a variety of charities and fundraisers throughout the years. Dale has gone above and beyond to mentor me when he certainly didn’t have to. For that I am grateful. I wish him the absolute best in the primary on June 25.

Sincerely,

Martin Bruning

Barre

Editor:

It is my pleasure to offer this letter in support of Brett Sobieraski as the next sheriff of Orleans County.  As a longtime resident of Orleans County, Brett loves his home community, is familiar with it and with its residents and is wholly committed to bringing his powerful combination of skills and experience to the county as your Sheriff.

It has come to my attention through traditional media coverage and social media coverage that Brett Sobieraski has been characterized as “an outsider” who knows nothing of the community he is running to serve and protect and neither is he committed to Orleans County as its next public servant.

This, in my opinion, is complete nonsense and falls in the category of campaign rhetoric that is often used as filler when the opponent is unable to develop a strong campaign message of his or her own to include a history of accomplishment and experience, a plan for and commitment to a solid plan for managing the position he or she is running for and a well-defined set of goals to which they are willing to be held accountable.

This characterization could not be further than the truth as it relates to Brett Sobieraski, a man I have come to know as a remarkable driven, solid, public servant dedicated to his constituents and to their safety and wellbeing. Brett has a complete and comprehensive plan for his role as Orleans County Sheriff and welcomes the opportunity to share that plan with anyone and everyone.

The Brett Sobieraski I know is passionate about his role in law enforcement, compassionate about the people of his community – often volunteering for causes that strike a sensitive chord for him such as the Special Olympics – a cause he has powerfully supported for many years.

In my present role as the CEO of Huther Doyle, a leading provider of drug and alcohol treatment in the area, I have seen first-hand Brett’s fight to end the opioid epidemic by both holding accountable those selling drugs while also supporting those who have fallen prey to the disease of addiction. He understands and is a champion on both sides of this important issue.

The Brett Sobieraski I know is a fair, reasonable and balanced man who considers all opinions and welcomes dialogue and the experience of others to help inform his decisions while also being clear about his role as a leader and ultimately owning the decisions he makes as his own.

The Brett Sobieraski I know is driven to make the community he serves safe, secure, prosperous and productive. He has a proven record of doing just that in Rochester and in Orleans County where he has lived, raised a family and plans to stay as your next sheriff.

Make your vote count on June 25th.

Regards,

Kelly A. Reed

President & CEO

Huther Doyle

Editor:

I would like to encourage everyone to come out today from noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Office to cast your votes for James DeFilipps and Rochelle Moroz.

We are running for re-election as your representatives to the Village Board.

We have served you these past two years and would very much like to continue to serve as we move forward with the many changes and improvements to our village.

I personally would like to thank everyone who signed my petition so I could be put on the official ballot, and to let you know how much I enjoyed speaking with everyone I met.

Remember we do not run on any political party, because we represent all the residents of the Village, so look for the “P” for the people and the “Owl” for common sense, which is how we approach all our decisions and how they will affect all of us as a community.

Thank you for your support.

Rochelle Moroz

Holley

Editor:

To the property owners residing in the Town of Murray, this letter is in response to an oversized campaign postcard I received last week where the writer questions my ethics as assessor.  When campaigning for the job as assessor in the Town of Murray in 1993, I stated that I would serve the Town of Murray residents in a fair and equitable manner. I have followed this practice throughout my career.

All assessed values of town and village properties are available on-line for public viewing. If anyone has any concerns or thoughts that town officials are benefiting with lower property assessments, please check for yourself. Appraising property is not a perfect science, but we have always given our best to be fair and produce an equitable roll.

Also stated is that the Town of Murray has one of the highest tax rates in Orleans County.  There are ten towns in Orleans County. The tax rates range from $4.03 per thousand to $9.28 per thousand. The Town of Murray is at $4.83 per thousand. I don’t consider this to be one of the highest.

Keep in mind that when an election is approaching, some candidates will intentionally make statements that are without merit, just to create attention for themselves. The Primary vote is fast approaching and I hope that the voters just stop and think about the statements that have been made attacking Town of Murray officials.

In my 25 years of experience, Supervisor Miller and the current board have done an excellent job and have indeed exhibited fiscal responsibility, with a decrease in our tax rate in 2017 and no increase in 2018.

Please take a minute to separate the facts from fiction and cast your vote on June 25 from noon until 9 p.m. at the Town of Murray building.

Thank you,

Lynn Wood

Town of Murray Assessor