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.)

Editor:

Like Spring, the issue of closing a portion of the Lake Ontario State Parkway comes up again. A few years ago it was to suggest that lakeside prime real estate is only awaiting a developer and the closure of the westbound lanes. As noted at that time, you can find available real estate along the lake shore.  What the county needed then and needs now is more jobs.

And the let’s be frank – regardless of how far the Parkway was supposed to go westward, with the exception of the Rt. 98/Point Breeze Interchange – we as a county have done little to take advantage of a roadway that can bring traffic east to our businesses and attractions.

Instead of closing the westbound lanes, the Parkway should be upgraded to accommodate light commercial traffic and agricultural equipment. As bridges such as Wilson Road, Lake Shore Road, Kendall Road, and Norway Road need major repairs, perhaps they should be removed and replaced with at-grade intersections. That would reduce future maintenance costs, which would allow the funds to be used elsewhere.

Last fall, the eastbound Kendall to Morton stretch was re-paved, which makes for a much smoother ride along that section. Snow breaks were planted at an interchange to help reduce labor costs and reduce blowing and drifting snow in the winter.

The Lake Ontario State Parkway can be used to bring traffic from the east and support agricultural operations in northern Orleans County, but Orleans County will need more businesses and attractions that people want to travel west to experience. The Parkway can bring that traffic forward to our county – but we as a county need to take advantage of that opportunity.

Tom Klotzbach
Waterport

Press release, Medina Mayor Andrew Meier

Editor’s note: Medina Mayor Andrew Meier sent this response to a press release issued by the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby about a dissolution plan. Click here to see that press release, “Ridgeway and Shelby say village dissolution process has been flawed.”

The taxpayers of Medina, Ridgeway and Shelby deserve honest solutions that have been thoughtfully considered, discussed, researched and arrived at with transparency.

The Dissolution Committee has done that by proposing solutions that eliminate costly layers of government, improve quality of life for residents, and create the conditions for economic opportunity in a competitive environment.

The Committee is comprised of a diverse group of independent, honorable, and unbiased citizens who have invested great effort in this plan, and I thank them for their continuing contributions.

Our community’s motto is “Roots in the past, eyes on the future.”  We all find inspiration in the work of those who built our village with bold determination. But we can’t live in the past, doing the same old things we’ve done for years. Challenging and changing times demand that we think and act anew.

I remain confident that our local elected officials are capable of fair-minded and unfiltered dialogue about our future, and I welcome idea-sharing with residents at all times.

Editor:

I just completed 25 years of service to the Village of Medina and have been a member of Medina Fire Department since July 29, 1987, two weeks after turning 18 and able to become a firefighter callmen for the fire department. I have witnessed a lot of ups and downs in that time. I have seen morale at its best and at its worst more than once.

Throughout the years at budget time the fire department has been on edge fearing cuts or even dissolving the entire department. I have been called a janitor with a badge by a previous fire chief, listened to people who didn’t know me talk about how Medina doesn’t need a paid fire department.

I have had discussions with friends and coworkers on how I would never see five years let alone ten years, and never 20 years as a career member of what I call the greatest job in the world.

Medina is unique. It is a village split between two towns. Whether it is school taxes, county taxes, town taxes or VILLAGE TAXES, taxes are inevitable. If you want decent streets to drive on you need a good Department of Public Works.

Medina’s DPW has gone from 17 workers when I started to nine today. Same amount of work, but fewer hands. Then there are the costs of equipment and materials which hasn’t decreased either. Neither township offered up funds to assist with keeping streets in decent condition, nor did they step up to help fund the pass-thru project back in the early 2000s.

We have a police department that has maintained 11 members with a fiscally conservative boss who manages each year to turn money back to the village, while we send one full-time officer to the county major felony crime task force. We also put an officer in the school. Both positions are partially refunded by the county and the school district.

Our officers go outside the village to assist when the Sheriff’s Department or the State Police. Again, no commitment is made from the towns to help offset the cost to the village.

Then I come to the fire department. We provide primary ambulance service with four equipped Advanced Life Support Ambulances. Prior to being primary the towns had LaSalle/Rural Metro staffing one ambulance. The Village of Medina provided free dispatch service until 1997 and also was the backup service until we took on the primary service in July 2007.

Not one dime is contributed to the service from the towns. I have heard that town supervisors and council members state that any contribution is offsetting the cost for the village fire department. Today there is not one fire department in the western battalion that does not need assistance with a major incident.

The days of volunteers being able to leave Fisher Price, Abex, Bernz O Matic, or Harrison’s are gone, just as those places of employment are. The next problem is keeping members active, with training guidelines and requirements on the increase one simply doesn’t have the time anymore.

We all work to help each other out. Each town contracts with the fire companies in the townships and still they do not have enough money to operate without fundraisers. Our ambulances are going every day, our fire equipment – especially our ladder truck – goes out on every major fire or report of a fire on the west battalion’s first alarm. We also respond with the central battalion departments for major fires or reports of fires west of Route 98.

I still have people joke with me or my co-workers that all we do is sit around and play cards, drinking coffee. Again the village taxpayers fund the cost of maintaining equipment and paying for the staffing, and I am not advocating that we need your assistance, but from the Village Board perspective at budget time, they find it hard to pass the bill along to the village taxpayers when others also utilize a piece of apparatus that costs nearly $1 million today to replace.

And as far as the ambulance service goes, when a study was conducted in 2005-2006 it was estimated that 17 members were needed to adequately staff for approximately 1,800 calls a year. Just this past year it has been reported that the fire department answered over 2,700 calls. We are on pace today to answer nearly 3,000 calls for 2014. Revenues are at $1 million and yet cost of service is still on the village taxpayer.

And not one volunteer department has the manpower of trained members to run an ambulance. Even the volunteer ambulance to the east, COVA, is now a paid ambulance service with full and part-time employees answering the calls that come in each day.

It brings me to this, what as a village home owner do you get for your town taxes paid yearly? The only thing I can think of is NOTHING!! The only time the town has an issue with the village is when the village is a part of rebuilding Bates Road from Maple Ridge Road to East Center Street/Million Dollar Highway.

And then no one questions that the village is paying a third of the cost and nearly half from each township with taxes collected from village home owner taxpayers in the village, or when the town needs to tap into our water line or sewer system. The only time we seem to matter to the two townships is when we ask for relief or assistance in some fashion, or they need us to cast votes to re-elect them to represent, without listening to village home owners.

The sad fact is there is far too much apathy today. No one engages in local government whether it is at the village, town or county level. And our politicians take this as ‘We are doing a good job’ in which I say BULL!!!! People need to start paying attention and become active in your government. It supposed to be Of the People, not just a few who manage to hold onto their positions because of party lines or a lack of interest.

Village Trustee Mark Kruzynski said it best recently at a village board meeting. This is tearing our community apart; this is fracturing friendships and pitting us against them.

Grown ups are supposed to be the example and from Washington DC all the way out to Orleans County one must wonder and ponder REALLY?! Because from where I sit it certainly seems like a certain few can’t play well in the sand box and though some of the players’ faces have changed, it still remains the same.

Both sides of the issue have to step up and resolve the indifference for the sake of the taxpayers. Stop the blame game, tit for tat and other childish rhetoric. Get all sides together at an open community forum – have more than one if needed.

Put together a dissolution committee with town involvement or put the consolidation committee back in play, because a village/town divided is of use to no one!! And being that I am an employee, I very well may come under fire for speaking my opinion, and I can live with that. What I find disheartening is the continued morale plunge I see when I am at work and the thought of what might or might not be in the very near future.

Sincerely

Michael G. Maak
Medina firefighter

Editor:

For the past 28 years I have been involved in emergency services both as a firefighter and past assistant chief with the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company and also as a firefighter and as current chief with the Medina Fire Department.

In those years I have responded to thousands of calls including all types of emergencies. At the end of each call we return back to the station, clean our gear, clean and fix our tools, put the equipment back on the engines and restock the ambulances, all to get ready for the next run. Many times after sitting down to reflect on our last call I find myself wondering if all we did really made a difference.

This past Saturday I was on the receiving end of what I have done thousands of times in the past, when my soon-to-be daughter in law and her two sisters were involved in an accident.

I did not respond that morning so I didn’t see the vehicle firsthand as they were being extricated. Her father called me from the scene while they were still cutting the car open to remove the three girls. He was describing the scene to me and answering my many questions. I knew the girls were in the best possible hands as the emergency services in Orleans County are the best around.

A heartfelt thank you to the professionals from the Ridgeway and Medina Fire Departments and the Mercy Flight crew who responded that morning. You all did a remarkable job.

To all the emergency service workers in Orleans County who so tirelessly respond day and night please know thisYes, you do make a difference.

So the next time you’re driving down the road and you see a vehicle with blue lights on, a fire engine or ambulance with its emergency lights flashing and you think to yourself, do I really have to yield the right of way? Keep this in mind, this time it just may be someone in your family they are responding to help!

Respectively,

Chief Todd Zinkievich
Medina Fire Department

Press release, Towns of Ridgeway and Shelby

Editor’s note: This is the full press release put out by the towns and their PR consultant, Mindful Media Group, in response to the dissolution plan for the village of Medina.

MEDINA – More than eight weeks have passed since the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby joined together in a combined effort to provide their residents with clarity on the topic of the proposed dissolution of the Village of Medina.

Accurate data and detailed information on the potential tax impact to residents and efficient delivery of municipal services has not been forthcoming from Medina Mayor Andrew Meier’s office. Town officials believe the dissolution process is flawed. It is their position, and that of the respective board members, that the mayor of Medina should first address his own lack of fiscal management in relation to the Village of Medina, before attempting to dissolve it.

The mayor has publicly criticized the towns for not cooperating. Neither town has been invited to participate in the Dissolution Committee.  They were not invited to the most recent press conferences announced by the mayor, nor were they provided any documentation on the proceedings by the mayor’s office.

A Ridgeway board member volunteered to serve on the Dissolution Committee and was rejected by the mayor, who solely handpicked each member of the committee.  It is a travesty that Ridgeway and Shelby town board members were not included in a dissolution plan or public announcements that might greatly impact both towns.

While it is accurate that officials from the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby were in shared services talks with the Village of Medina (2012-2013), it is untrue that the towns refused to collaborate with the mayor. Talks broke down by September 2013, after June’s Shared Services meeting, when it became apparent that Mayor Meier was only interested in having the towns share in the tax burden, rather than mapping out an efficient shared services merger.

Town board members and residents of Shelby and Ridgeway have become increasingly frustrated by the lack of information available to the public and the manner in which the mayor chooses to conduct meetings. Dissolution Committee meetings are held at 8 a.m. in City Hall (600 Main Street) in the upper level of the old court room, which is not handicapped accessible. There are no questions allowed. Both town supervisors are of the opinion the mayor’s choice of time, location and format was strategic, so as to limit the number of residents able to observe the proceedings and gather information.

Both towns have been proactive on the matter. In December ’13 and March ’14, letters were sent to area residents about the proposed dissolution plan. In March, a 24-hour Cares & Concerns line (716-507-8533), website (www.2Towns4ThePeople.com) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/DissolutionFacts) were launched. The goal of both towns is to present additional data and factual information obtained, bringing to the forefront the true nature of the issues that will impact the community.

The Towns of Ridgeway and Shelby have done what they set out to do eight weeks ago; effect a change in the way the mayor manages the information and communicates on the topic of dissolution. Ridgeway and Shelby’s commitment to their residents will not stop there.

Only after both towns launched public campaigns to better inform residents did the mayor call a press conference (April 10). While the mayor’s newly-established OneMedina.com website is devoid of content, Ridgeway and Shelby’s website www.2Towns4ThePeople.com has been operational for months and full of data, links and comprehensive information on the proposed dissolution plan.

The towns were also successful in obtaining and posting the Dissolution Committee’s Approved Minutes from 2013, which were not made available to the public prior to their efforts.

The 24-hour Cares & Concerns line, Facebook page and website have been utilized by over 1,909 residents to date. Both towns wish to encourage everyone to learn more about the issues.

Both supervisors and all town board members of Ridgeway and Shelby will remain steadfast in their efforts to communicate the facts about dissolution to the community and serve residents in a manner worthy of their trust and confidence.

Visit the website (www.2Towns4ThePeople.com) and Facebook page for daily contributions from the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby on the topic of dissolution.

Editor:

Two important anniversaries are being celebrated this year.  It was 40 years ago that National Volunteer Week was established and it was that same year, 1974, that the first hospice in America opened its doors in Connecticut.

Even before that first hospice began to serve the community, volunteers were an integral part of the way that hospice brought care, compassion and dignity to the patients and families they selflessly served.

April 6 – 12 is National Volunteer Week and during this important time of recognition it’s fitting that we honor all of our nation’s hospice volunteers for the heroic work they do to ensure people at life’s end find comfort, love and respect.

Right here in our community, more than 150 trained volunteers are working with Hospice of Orleans, Inc., to give of themselves to support people during one of life’s most challenging experiences – the journey at life’s end. These dedicated volunteers are helping patients and families live as fully as possible and our community is better because of their service.

They spend time at the bedside, help out family caregivers, participate with outreach efforts, assist in the office, provide fundraising support, and much more. They are angels among us.

I encourage others to learn more about hospice by contacting Hospice of Orleans at 585-589-0809.

Sincerely,

Christine Fancher
Volunteer Coordinator

Editor:

I’m writing in response to the Hub article regarding the proposed stone quarry in the Town of Shelby. (Click here to see “Shelby hearing will focus on quarry’s environmental impacts.”)

Several of the statements made by Mr. David Mahar, President of Frontier LLC, are misleading at best.  Some of them are completely false.  I believe it is important for the residents of the town, and anyone who values our community and wildlife refuge, to have the facts regarding this proposed project.  My comments are in italics.

In the Hub article, Mr. Mahar stated that “We are pleased with the DEIS as its analysis reinforces our long-standing position that responsible mining can provide mineral reserves without harming the environment.”

Mr. Mahar should be very pleased with the DEIS. The document states that the quarry will not have a negative impact on the community or the refuge. However, in the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that Frontier Stone hand-picked the consulting firm that produced the DEIS, Continental Placer.  Frontier Stone paid Continental Placer.  And the lead geologist for Continental Placer, John Helert, is Mr. Mahar’s first cousin.  

The article continues, “Mahar said the quarry will add 15 jobs and also will benefit the local economy through the purchase of goods and services from local vendors and service providers, such as local truckers, electricians, and equipment and materials suppliers. He also expects the mine will supply lime to local farmers.

Frontier Stone’s 2006 mining permit application to the NYSDEC stated that the total number of jobs created  by the quarry was 4-5.  Now there are 15 jobs. I think we should hear what those other 11 jobs will be. 

According to Mahar, “The refuge is a true natural treasure in our community and we were pleased with the DEIS’s analysis which fully evaluates and addresses potential impacts on the refuge from the proposed quarry’s operation.”

In 2006 Mr.Mahar referred to the residents opposed to the quarry as “NIMBY’s” (Not In My BackYard.) He stated this during his presentation at the Shelby Town Hall.  Jump ahead to 2014 and he is now a member of our community and the refuge is a treasure to him?  Really? 

Mahar continues, “We expect our quarry operation to generate significant economic benefits to the community in terms of, among other benefits, additional employment, the purchase of services and goods in the area for many years.”

The proposed quarry will have very little effect on our local economy. Total taxes to be collected by the town for this project are expected to be roughly $12,000 – $14,000 annually. Three nice homes would produce more in taxes, and have less potential environmental impact.  We have many other quarries in the area, employing people and producing stone. Frontier’s quarry will be taking business and jobs from those established quarries. Those quarries also produce a surplus of Ag Lime for local farmers. We don’t need Mr. Mahar’s Ag Lime more than we need to keep this quarry away from our refuge. 

Finally I’d like to address some of the “facts” in Frontier Stone’s Fact Sheet:

The proposed quarry is located in the Town of Shelby in Orleans County about 3.7 miles south of the Village of Medina. The property principally fronts along Fletcher Chapel Road with a small portion along Sour Springs Road. The proposed site historically was and currently is used for farming. South of the site is a National Grid power line and south of the power line is the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

Anyone who has been to the refuge knows that the only thing that separates the proposed quarry site from the refuge is the power lines. They will provide no protection to the refuge from this project.

The excavation area is approximately 172.2 acres. Mining will be divided into four phases over the operational life of the mine estimated to be 75 years. The proposed mine will lower the present topographic surface by 100-150 feet. The site will be reclaimed by grading, replacing topsoil and revegetating upland areas with an approved seed mix. The reclamation objective and plan is to create open space and will include the creation of two lakes for recreation and wildlife habitat preservation.

That’s correct.  In 75 years, we will end up with two, 150 foot deep, straight drop off, rectangular lakes, so dangerous, that the local police regularly patrol the ones at the Mountain Road quarry in Gasport to keep the public from getting hurt or worse.  Those “lakes” are owned by Lafarge Stone.  Those “lakes” were previously owned by Frontier Stone.

It is anticipated that the quarry operation will create approximately 15 jobs directly and also increase demand for goods and services including from local vendors and service providers such as local truckers, electricians and materials suppliers.

Frontier’s own original application to the DEC in 2006 stated that the quarry would generate 4-5 jobs total. That document is no longer in the DEIS. The application included in the most recent version of the DEIS is undated, unsigned and altered from its original form.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation has accepted the draft environmental impact statement and will take public comments about the plan during a 6 p.m. hearing April 30 at the Town Hall on Salt Works Road.

All Town of Shelby residents need to attend this meeting and make it very clear to the Town Board that you oppose any re-zoning of this land for this quarry.  And let the DEC know that you are paying their salaries to review the DEIS for accuracy and validity, not merely to rubber stamp the approval of this mining permit.

Wendi Pencille
Town of Shelby resident

Editor:

I just read your editorial about the two towns’ response to the possible dissolution of the Village of Medina. I am surprised that you would state that, “the towns should put out their plan for what would happen with a village dissolution.”

That is exactly what they did in their letter. There they said, for better or for worse, that they will not cooperate with the village and its plans. I am uncertain as to why you think that it is the responsibility of the towns to present  the village’s point of view. Isn’t that the village’s job?

You are certainly right in saying that, “The towns for years have paid little attention to the village, despite village residents accounting for about half the population in the two towns.” Their plan certainly continues that tradition.

But the important information that the residents of the village need to have to decide on this issue is what savings will there be or what services will we lose if the village goes away. The towns can’t tell us that, only the village can and up to this point, rightly or wrongly, the village has not.

John Grimes
Medina

Editor:

I am writing in reference to the method of dismissal of Susan Rudnicky by the board of the Hoag Library.  I have been involved at the executive board level of several organizations and while there are many ways to cease employment of an employee, I would suggest that public humiliation is the worst for both the severed employee and also for the entity itself.

I have no frame of reference as to the issues which precipitated the decision to terminate this employee, nor do I know Ms. Rudnicky, but certainly there were several better ways to end a career.

I would also suggest that the irreparable damage down to Ms. Rudnicky is equal to that done to the reputation of the decision makers.  This is a black mark on this small town and it reverberates and cannot be erased or diminished.

Karen Watt
Albion

Editor:

I read that the Village Board of Medina was upset because the two towns of Shelby and Ridgeway sent out a letter explaining how they would deal with the dissolution of the Village of Medina.

I am a bit confused, isn’t information like this important to help residents of the village make the decision whether or not they want to get rid of the village? I certainly am glad to know what our costs or loss of services will be if we do choose dissolution.

Sincerely,

John S. Grimes
Medina

Friends and Neighbors of Medina:

We are seeking re-election to Medina Village Board on the Village Party line, and would be honored to have your support on March 18.

We are proud of our accomplishments in our brief time on the board. Downtown continues its boom. Businesses have breathed new life into abandoned buildings left for dead. Outsiders look to Medina for fresh ideas on how to make their communities stronger.

These successes are beginning to fulfill our vision for Medina to become a forward-looking community that capitalizes on its unique assets to create new opportunities for residents and businesses alike.

If re-elected, our next steps towards this goal include:

1. Fueling Downtown’s Continued Rebirth. We will continue to promote our burgeoning downtown through support of the Chamber and MBA, and changing the zoning to accommodate emerging winery, brewery and distillery businesses.

2. Continuing to Address Neighborhood Blight. In the last year, we demolished two problem structures on Genesee Street to clear the way for new investment, and collaborated with the county on the successful ongoing redevelopment of Jubilee (now Evans Ace Hardware) and the former Territory Wholesale warehouse, both on East Center Street. In the coming year our sights will be set on the former Starlight Drycleaner and Bernie’s Laundromat downtown, and the many mansions throughout the village that lie dormant in foreclosure limbo.

3. Growing Non-Tax Revenues. Some village infrastructure has significant excess capacity, such as the Wastewater Treatment Plant, and we need to attract more paying customers from throughout our region. More revenues from outside Medina will reduce village taxpayer’s maintenance burden. We must also develop strategies to grow ambulance revenues.

4. Upgrading Efficiency of Existing Infrastructure. Strategic investments that promote efficiency will trim operational costs in the long run. A comprehensive leak detection program throughout our water system is one of our priorities in the coming year.

We must also remove barriers to new private investment. Our high combined village/town/school/county tax rate drives business and residents out of the village. While we continue to do our very best to keep taxes in check despite declining village tax base, Medina needs a significant tax reduction to thrive in the long run.

To this end, we will seriously consider the Dissolution Plan once it is released, and we trust our committee of Don Colquhoun, Charlie Slack, Mark Irwin, Cindy Robinson, and Thurston Dale to diligently investigate every option. Until their important work is done, we must reserve judgment.

Nonetheless, in order for us to support the eventual plan, it must:

1. PRESERVE SERVICES

2. PROVIDE PROTECTIONS FOR VILLAGE WORKERS and

3. SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE TAXES IN THE VILLAGE.

If these elements are present, then the village voters should have the final say at a referendum on the plan. We have enormous confidence in our residents to balance the interests and determine our destiny.

We love this village. To us, Medina is so much more than a boundary line. Rather, it is defined by her people, shared history, institutions, and sense of place. These will remain with us forever, regardless of the outcome of any election. Our goal is make these stronger, so they may endure for generations to come.

We need your help and confidence to keep our momentum rolling, and would appreciate your support on March 18.

Andrew Meier
Mayor

Pat Crowley
Trustee

David Barhite
Trustee