Editor:

Although it is well and good to compare a fire protection tax to your garbage tax, I feel it is unfair for Ms. Babcock not to mention the majority tax base of Barre consists of open farmland. (Click here to see “Writer urges support for new Barre Fire Hall.”)

Farmland is also taxed on fire service. Unless there is a major grass fire, it pretty much takes care of itself.

The statement made of a minimal increase to the average home may be correct but it is not completely accurate in the overall equation. A taxpayer foots the bill no matter where the money comes from.

A new roof and a handicapped accessible entrance do not seem like insurmountable challenges for the current hall.

Will someone just please be honest and say they just WANT a new fire hall?

Martin Bruning
Barre

Editor:

Your editorial on the closing of the Journal-Register was very well put!  (Click here to see “A community newspaper will be missed.”)

I am so sad to see it go. I applaud that your Orleans Hub is available and hope that you will be able to fill some of the void that will be left behind! I am particularly concerned about the Towns of Shelby and Ridgeway and their very interesting behavior in regard to Dissolution of Medina.

I am particularly appalled that they chose to wait out the demise of Journal-Register rather than comply with a FOI request! I hope some journalist will take up this cause!

Thank you for your continued efforts to report on Orleans County!

Sincerely,

Dayton Hausman
Medina

Editor:

We assume we elect adults to office. We assume they do what they say, and do what they mean.

After reading that our town officials are not providing the information they are legally obliged to by the freedom of information act is more than disappointing. (Click here to see “Towns miss deadline on FOI request” in the May 28, 2014 Journal-Register.)

It seems that the Ridgeway and Shelby town boards are waiting for our paper to close and for the voices that may question or critique their actions are silent.

We really only have one of our three governments presenting options for our collective benefit. That benefit is lower taxes for most, and similar taxes for the rest. These statements are based on the combination of us all into one Medina.

I am personally disappointed in the lack of communication from the town governments. Personally I do not know the people, so I’m not sure if it is a lack of commitment, courage or fear of being elected again.

But it does seem like hide and seek.

Either way, when all three governments agreed that consolidation was the best option in 2011, it would be best for them to work toward that option.

Dean Bellack
Medina

Editor:

First of all I would like to thank the Barre Fire District Commissioners and all those involved in the development and planning for a new fire hall for the Barre Fire District. You have shown a lot of dignity at this time.

For the last two weeks we have read ads put in the Pennysaver that are against the new proposed fire hall. The people putting in these ads were not at the informational meeting nor have the correct facts and information. They are listening to people who think they have all the answers.

Although I don’t have all the answers, I do know this:

1. Will my taxes go up because of this building? No. You pay more garbage pickup than you do for fire protection. If you don’t believe that, check your recent tax statement.

2. The Fire Commissioners are responsible to the voters of the Town of Barre to make sure there is a building that the fire trucks can be in and that is safe for both the trucks and the firefighters – Not a building that has a leaking roof, no storage and, above all, is not handicapped accessible.

3. This building if built by EITHER the Fire District or Fire Company must be built according to New York State Building, Fire and Energy Codes and OSHA, State and Federal Regulations, and prevailing wages must be paid because it is a public works project and financed with the taxpayer money. If you don’t believe that check with the Town of Batavia about having the same issue or you can look up a recent lawsuit that the Bath Fire Department just went through.

To me this fire hall project is a no brainer. We either build it now with the approval of the Town of Barre voters, or we build it when we are forced to build it with no voice from the taxpayers. If you still need additional information you can visit the fire hall on Tuesday evening June 3 and there will be people that you can ask questions and get answers.

Remember to vote on Wednesday, June 4, from 3 to 9 p.m. at the Barre Fire Hall.

Cheryl Babcock
Barre

Editor:

Recently, Channel 4 investigations found that Ridgeway and Shelby hired an expensive PR firm from New York City for $6,000 to influence the media  and citizens how to report  and interpret dissolution.

Two mailers were sent to my home. Neither one was especially informative. Who paid for this skewed information? What did that cost? What about their website, phone line, all the ads, and signs?

When interviewed by Channel 4, not one of the town’s elected reps talked, only an attorney? Someone is making a lot of money on all this, and who pays? Looked at your tax bill lately? If our little Shelby and Ridgeway can’t speak honestly regarding dissolution, it is so insulting to me to have a PR person and attorney do it, with tax money.

Time to face the facts, which were laid out quite simply for FREE by Mr. Barhite in his recent letter to the editor.

Deborah Rodrigues
Ridgeway

Editor:

I felt anger and sadness on Memorial Day when I saw the no parking signs and barricades in place at the Ace Hardware store on East Center Street during the community program to honor veterans.

Medina observes this holiday in a special way and has been held for over 60 years. It is a time for young and old to honor our men and women who have served the country in the military and shows the true meaning of Memorial Day.

We see our older community members, hear our youth through the band, youth organizations and meet our Boys’ State representative. It probably takes 3 hours out of the day and the owner of the Ace store feels he has to protect his property by not allowing any parking except for his customers.

I personally spoke with the owner last year about this situation, but apparently his property is more important than giving some space to the community on one day a year.

Patricia Farman
Medina

Mother of son active US Navy
Husband – served in US Air force Vietnam
Brother – served US Army
Father – US Marine WWII
Grandfather – US Army WWI

Editor:

As a former resident of Orleans County and someone who still has many family members and friends living there, I would like to comment on the Clarendon Street bridge situation.

I agree with those who see the bridge as a vital entry into the Village of Albion. Having this street closed to through traffic would have a negative effect on both the citizens of Albion as well as visitors. It gives the impression that the village and/or county does not care about its citizens or the well being of the community.

At a time when Albion, as well as other villages, are working so hard to beautify and revitalize its business district, and the village as a whole, it would have a detrimental effect to have Clarendon Street block off.

I hope that the county and village can come to an agreement to keep the street open. I believe it is essential to a thriving community.

James Comden
Oak Brook, Illinois

Editor:

Taxes inside the Village of Medina are the highest anywhere. It stands to reason – we are taxed for services we don’t receive.

Look at the 2013 town budgets to see what villagers pay for in their Town tax:

Town Boards
Justices
Town Supervisors
Town Auditors
Assessment
Town Clerks
Town Attorney
Town Engineer
Town Elections
Buildings
Central Storeroom
Traffic Control
Control of Dogs
Town Highway Superintendents
EDA Support
State Retirement
Social Security
Medicare
Hosptial/Medical Insurance
Worker’s Compensation
Unemployment
Loan Interest
Machinery
Brush and Weeds
Snow Removal
“Services For Other Governments”

All together, we pay $2.6 million for all these services every year.

What do village residents actually get for our money?  Not much:

Assessment
Licenses (all of which we pay a fee for besides)
Courts (which is offset by fine income)
Elections

The Village is a Bank for the Towns with no pay back to the Village.  No wonder the Town Boards are spending our Tax dollars on PR agents and mass mailings to scare us  and village residents paid for those, too.

We need relief NOW! The Towns are unwilling to give any tax relief, so dissolving the Village government looks like our only hope.

Let the people vote on it.

David Barhite
Concerned Taxpayer in Medina

Editor:

The voters of the Medina Central School District (MCSD) have the opportunity to elect a new person to the board on Tuesday, May 20.  In the recent two elections, the community has selected three new members in the persons of Ann Webster-Bunch, Lori Draper and David Sevenski.

I am certain they provided new ideas, a vigilance and attention to detail, and a desire to serve the educational community selflessly. Board of Education service is demanding and requires a commitment to represent the entire community; students, staff and the tax payers. Hence the need for vigilance and attention to detail.

Renee Paser-Paull is running for a seat on the MCSD Board of Education. She is a very accomplished individual and I would encourage you to read her profile in the district budget insert in the May 11 Lake Country Pennysaver. This document should also be available at any Medina school office or business office.

I met Renee on several occasions when she attended board meetings during my tenure as a board member. She also was a faithfully attending member of the Medina PTSA.

I found her to be keenly interested in student achievement, available programming and how to best guide the district to its former place of excellence among WNY schools. While many schools struggle in our current economy, I believe Renee would bring a wealth of experience to the table and continue the efforts of many to reclaim MCSD’s reputation of excellence.

Renee, along with the other three newer members, brings a wide range of experience to the board. As I recall the district I grew up in, was employed by and served as a board member, I know that spirit of excellence still exists. We have an excellent new superintendent. Any organization is only as good as its CEO, in this case the board of education’s leadership and vision. Voters, select a brighter future for our district. BOE service is hard work and your vote counts. I welcome any questions you may have regarding Renee’s qualifications.

Maureen Blackburn
Medina

Blackburn is a former president of the Medina Board of Education.

Editor:

I wish to add my voice to the opposition of the Frontier Stone Company’s proposal to mine limestone next to the Iroquois Wildlife Management Area. The possible harm to the habitat and ground water within miles of the quarry will no doubt reverberate for the 75 or more years of the mine’s operation.

Make no mistake, there is big money involved here. One hundred seventy-two acres wide and 175 feet deep is a lot of limestone. They will have to pump out over half a million gallons of water a day, every day. That muddy discharge will go in a “drainage ditch” which will eventually find its way into the Oak Orchard River.

The harm to the river is incalculable and will be irreversible. The vibrations from blasting, drilling, front end loaders, crushers will resonate over this once peaceful farmland.

The resulting lowering of the water table will rob the neighboring Wildlife Refuge of its essential water. A tremendous amount of dust will pervade the atmosphere for miles around.

The time for public comment has been extended by the New York State DEC to June 9. You can mail your comments to:  Scott Sheeley, regional permit administrator, DEC Region 8, 6274 Avon-Lima Rd., Avon, NY 14414-9519. You can also email him at: frontierstone@gw.dec.state.ny.us.

This is important. We stand to gain only 15 jobs with this needless quarry and run the risk of endangering a very important wildlife area. Unfortunately, money talks and nature walks, unless we stop them.

Al Capurso
Albion

Editor:

This week the beginning of the emotions of our town and village residents came out at the dissolution meeting at the middle school. This is understandable and predictable.

This process is also necessary to let our thoughts be heard, and to let out our fears and frustrations.

What is occurring is the only step that could present itself at this time. In 2011 there was agreement between the two towns and the village representatives that moving toward one entity was in the best interest of all. Now in 2014 the political reality is if you are elected in Shelby or Ridgeway you have no motivation to do anything other than keep things the same.

The only way anything could move along is with the Village starting the change.

If there is one entity, one merged unit the taxes for many will go down, and the rest will be close to equalized with a merger of all.

The hardest thing to realize and see is that one entity over time is simpler, less costly, and better able to accommodate growth than three. Three governments always will create more long-term cost than one. Three governments will always be more restrictive than one. Three governments will always create more duplication than one.

The benefits we will gain can be hard for some to grasp. The benefits come after we are one. So look at where we are, and understand … One Medina is stronger than Three!

Dean Bellack
Medina

Editor:

A few weeks back I went into visit our Orleans County clerk to ask for information on adding my father’s handguns onto my handgun permit, and vice versa. My father had gone into his county clerk’s office, in a neighboring county east of us, and was told it’s as easy as filling out a couple of forms, and to find out what my county required.

I was surprised to learn that in our county, our judge has decided he will not allow handgun sharing unless living in the same residence. I moved out of my parents’ house 8 years ago. I have a husband and children, and sharing a house with my parents would not fit into our current daily lives.

I really am appalled that our judge, who seems to be rather Constitutional and or Conservative, would find it necessary to not allow handgun sharing, especially between relatives. I find it a huge infringement on the county residents’ Second Amendment Rights. And I find it to be a major hassle on us as well.

Imagine if my father or I were to die tomorrow, having handgun permits would require law enforcement officers to come and confiscate our handguns. I don’t find it fair to burden a grieving family with law enforcement, or the hassle of law enforcement confiscating those handguns, until paperwork was filed and submitted in order to have a living (grieving) family member be able to gain possession of those handguns.

We have to remember that these handguns are our property. We pay for them, including taxes. We go through a rigorous licensing process in order to gain permission to own those handguns (which is an infringement all on its own.)

According to the unConstitutional SAFE Act, we must also be required to reapply for a handgun license every 5 years. So why is it possible for our judge to restrict and not allow handgun sharing between family members, but a neighboring county (that has much higher rates of left views on gun control) does not?

Orleans County has proven where they stand on Second Amendment Rights. We were the first and ONLY county in NY State to have all municipalities pass resolutions opposing the SAFE Act.

I must ask our judge to reconsider his notion to ban handgun sharing in separate residences, and not just because it will grieve loved ones, but also because it infringes on our Constitutional Rights.

Gia Arnold
Holley

(Arnold is a state coordinator for New York Revolution as well as a candidate for NY Senate.)

Editor:

The Village of Medina began investigating the possibility of Dissolution after the Towns (of Shelby and Ridgeway) declined the Village’s numerous requests to pursue a 3-way municipal consolidation.

To me, this is akin to deciding that because the Towns said “no” to becoming a Bigger Better Farm Together, the Village Board decided to burn its own fields down.

The past Board had written that the final plan should:

1. Keep as many services in place as possible – such as fire, ambulance service, and police;

2. Minimize the impact of a dissolution on village employees;

3. Be implemented to the maximum extent possible by the Village Board, not the Town Boards; and

4. Require as few approvals of the State Legislature as possible.

In my view, what was suggested glosses over how the money is going to be saved:

1. Negotiated, bargained-for-exchange contracts are not important (oh, they are to you? Too bad.) The services the fire, ambulance, and police provide are important, just not their pensions.

2. Some but not all village employees will still have (contract-free) jobs.

3. The Towns don’t want to consolidate anyway, so even if we burn the field down, cleanup should be entrusted to us.

4. The Village doesn’t like oversight.

This may be rather negative of me, but I have yet to hear a common sense voice say: Look, it may save money, this plan. It may even save a lot of money. But, it will cost money to implement, and the savings will come directly from the benefits of the town workers you depend on. Even the new Village Board members (Michael Sidari, Marguerite Sherman) have not spoken clearly on this issue.

I hope that transparency can be a part of this process, and that the ‘fire’ of dissolution threatening the fields can be put out before it is too late. Of course, the firemen would have to do that, the ones whose pensions are at stake.

A concerned citizen,
Amy D’Amico

(D’Amico is a former Medina resident who recently moved to Albion.)

To the Editor:

I am writing this letter to urge my fellow members of the community to attend the very important meeting this Wednesday, April 30, at the Shelby Town Hall on Salt Works Road at 6 p.m.

There, community members have the right to voice their position regarding Frontier Stone’s proposed quarry on Fletcher Chapel Road and Sour Springs Road in Shelby, right on the outskirts of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. We will be speaking with a judge who represents the Department of Environmental Conservation, and it is our opportunity to remind the DEC of their duty to the land, water, and wildlife they have dedicated their livelihoods to protecting.

Frontier Stone has submitted what is called a DEIS: a draft environmental impact statement seeking a mining permit.  They’ve worked long and hard on it: multiple versions have been submitted since 2006, all of which were originally returned to Frontier as incomplete or unsatisfactory.

Well, this latest version, packed with reports, charts, maps, graphs, and appendixes is done. It was written by Continental Placers, Inc. of Albany; technical consultants and lawyers from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Phoenix, New York are also cited. I’m sure it cost a pretty penny.  It’s over 1,000 pages long, and it is a doozy.  I know, because I spent the weekend reading the whole thing, appendixes and all.  (The link to Continental is here. Click on the first application listed, beginning with Volume One.)

There were so many things I read that were disturbing and problematic. Perhaps most troubling of all, in the hundreds and hundreds of pages, was what WASN’T there.  The proposed quarry is barely two miles from the walking trail of Swallow Hollow on East Shelby Road in Shelby, yet nowhere in their so-called environmental impact statement do they bother to refer to it. I know many of my friends and neighbors in Orleans County and beyond place great value in the peace and tranquility of Swallow Hollow. Now imagine what it will be like with 400-plus truck traffic, mining equipment, blasting and vibrations occurring just two miles west of it.

Now imagine the impact on the water, Western New York’s greatest natural commodity. Mining operations, especially quarries, require the draining and dumping of all the water that comes up. How do you think that will impact the nearby ponds and wells? The Oak Orchard watershed? The Oak Orchard River?

There’s more. According to the DEIS submitted by Frontier, there will supposedly be multiple economic benefits to the quarry; namely, local tax dollars and perhaps 15 jobs. What about the upcoming STAMP project with its possibility of 10,000 high tech jobs in nanotechnology?  The Judge Road/Oakfield site in Genesee County was selected specifically for its high water tables and lack of seismic activitythe perfect setting for delicate technology production.

But how attractive will that site be when blasting and pumping is going on three seasons out of four just a few miles north? Anyone who lives near an existing quarry will tell you that their windows shake on a very regular basis, and that their water has been impacted by the close proximity to the quarry pumping. Genesee County officials have already admitted that this is worth examining.

The proximity to Swallow Hollow, the nearby ponds and wells and river, and the threat to the STAMP project are just a few aspects to consider. I have not even mentioned the very real threat to the wildlife and endangered species protected by the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

We must join together as a community to tell them unequivocally what a terrible idea this project is, and why the DEC must in good conscience deny the permit.  The Refuge belongs to all of us.  And we must be its most diligent guardians.

Wednesday’s forecast is dire: rain, hail, and sleet. But come “hail” or high water, we must prevail and make our message known.  See you in Shelby at six, neighbors.

Sincerely,

Karen Jones
Medina

Editor:

The availability of quality, affordable healthcare is not only essential, but I believe is a right of every individual.

I have grown to love rural country living in Orleans County. It is also necessary for me to have quality local health care.  A recent local experience was not only life-saving, but humbling.

Here is my story:

I recently needed a 7-day inpatient stay at Medina Memorial Hospital to heal from a serious health condition. I experienced the highest quality of care and am extremely thankful to have witnessed such a high level of professionalism, expertise and teamwork.

From my diagnosis in the Emergency Room, to care in the Intensive Care Unit and in-patient wing; housekeeping, dietary, laboratory and patient care technicians. Everyone was accommodating, helpful and willing to go the extra step to assure the comfort of myself and my family.

I believe as area residents, we are all blessed to have full service healthcare available to us. Yes, the System has faced difficult times in the recent past. We all go through difficult times. It is how we respond that matters. I believe Orleans Community Health is making changes to assure that residents receive the best care possible.

If you have had a difficult experience at Orleans Community Health in the last year or the year before, let it go. It is a New Day!  If you have had trouble recently, speak up.  Ask to speak to someone.  They will make sure your issue is addressed within 24 hours.

Orleans Community Health has 400 dedicated employees ready to serve you. This is Our Healthcare System. Lend support by using services, volunteering your time and giving back. I cannot afford – we cannot afford – to drive 45 minutes to Batavia, Lockport, Buffalo or Rochester for care all the time. In some cases, time is critical.  We MUST have care close to home.

I thoroughly believe in the new direction of Orleans Community Health. Join me and share the good news. It is a New Day!

Jim Moody
Lyndonville

(Moody is the Executive Director of the Orleans Community Health Foundation.  He says people are welcome to call him at 585-735-5566 to hear more about his experiences with local healthcare.)