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Editor:

My name is Jeff Schiffer. I am currently a Town Councilman for the Town of Shelby. I take great pride in where I live and the people of Shelby.

There has been much discussion concerning the division in the town government. I believe if all members put the good of Shelby first, we can do some amazing things in the future. I will not be drawn into the negative histrionics.

My only concern is the good of Shelby. In closing, I would like to mention that we have a great town supervisor with great vision and is extremely honest. I would appreciate your vote in November.

Thank you,

Jeff Schiffer

Shelby Town Councilman

Editor:

My name is Dale Root and I am the Republican- and Conservative-endorsed incumbent for the Town of Shelby Highway Superintendent position. I will give you some documented facts of what has been accomplished during my first four years in office.

The town of Shelby has 45.9 miles of paved road, and as of this date 25.1 miles of roadway has been repaired and paved, along with 2 miles of reconditioned dirt roads. This includes cold pave, grader pave and chip sealing. We are currently on track with the town’s 5 year plan.

It wasn’t long after I assumed office that the pandemic hit. This resulted in escalating prices for everything as everyone knows. My Department persevered and continued, plowing, fixing roads, repairing water main breaks (of which there has been plenty).

During the pandemic the new truck order was cancelled with the uncertainty of covid. This past summer we were able to order a new plow truck to help bring our aging fleet up to date. Our High Liftfront end loader is on a 3 year lease, which saves the Town expensive repair bills.

We were able to purchase a new mini excavator, which is used routinely to repair water leaks.2 major leaks were recently found and repaired.One was two valves under Oak Orchard Creek, which resulted in substantial savings for the town resulting in no water leaked and less water purchased.

We are continuously testing and flushing water lines to ensure the quality required by state and county guidelines were not only met but exceeded.

This past summer was a banner year. The road crews assisted the village of Medina during their road paving project, in accordance with municipal agreements, enabling the town to obtain excess road millings which were used on town roads, and the town hall side parking lot, saving taxpayers untold tax dollars.

The Town Hall parking lot was milled and repaved. The courtroom was repainted (thank you Job Corps) at no labor expense to the town, and the carpet was replaced bringing our town hall up to date on much needed repairs. More will be accomplished next summer on the exterior.

So, it was a banner year on roads, water savings, shared services with other municipalities, trees cut, and stumps ground. I am proud of the work accomplished by the crew I work with.

In closing, are we better off than 4 years ago? I would say yes. My Democrat-endorsed opponent does not think so. When we work together we can accomplish much and move forward as a department.

I enjoy serving the Town of Shelby and would greatly appreciate your support November 7th for another term.

Thank you,

Dale Root

Shelby

Editor:

I have known Darlene Rich for at least 50 years ,and worked with Darlene for 12 years at the Town of Shelby as highway superintendent. I found her to be a dedicated worker.

Over the years Darlene  has gained valuable knowledge and perfected her ability to serve our community.

Our town would be very fortunate to have Darlene Rich for another four years as Shelby Town Clerk.

Respectfully,

Michael Fuller

Retired Town of Shelby Highway & Water Superintendent

Editor:

Bring back honesty and integrity! Choose someone who has the Shelby constituents’ best interest at heart. Vote Bill Wolter! Bill will actively listen to the citizens of Shelby and give 110% to any questions or situations that arise.

If he can not, he will use his communication skills to keep all parties involved and apprised of progress on a solution. He will hold himself accountable for living up to the expectations of Shelby residents as well as the commitment he has made to himself to uphold his duties as a Shelby Highway Superintendent.

He will show empathy and respect for all in a positive manner. Bill humbly has the courage and emotional intelligence to run a campaign where he is not slandering or spreading untruths about his opponents which proves his respect and empathy for everyone.

He is not stooping to a level of spreading untruths or creating rumors for political gain, like many candidates do. Ask yourself, do you want someone in office, for any position, that you don’t have the utmost trust and respect for? I know I don’t.

People in these positions have access to a lot of personal information and if they’re misrepresenting their opponent during a campaign, imagine what they are going to spread once they are in office with so much information at their fingertips.

Having known Bill in the capacity of a friend, employer, worker, husband, father, and now grandfather, I can say that he is fair, honest and hardworking. He is the type of guy that will work as a team, knowing when and how to delegate fairly.

He is self aware of when things need to change and not afraid to look at things from another perspective. He has passion and drive to do the job, do it right and to the best of his ability. Bill is also the type of person that will be grateful and proud of his staff for their hard work every day.

Being the son of a former highway superintendent, I know the long hours and dedication it takes and I know that Bill Wolter has what it takes to do the job and do it well.

Choose a leader that holds himself accountable to the community he serves by being  humble, courageous, respectful, listening actively, fair, honest, hardworking and grateful. Vote Bill Wolter and you will not be disappointed after the election because these qualities are not a false pretense to get your vote.

Respectfully,

Jim Blackburn

Medina

Editor:

We are writing this letter in support of our friend, BILL WOLTER, for the position of Shelby Highway Superintendent.

Bill has done lots of landscaping work for us over the years when we built our home and also at our cottage on the lake. His work ethic is phenomenal.  He is always on time when he says he will be there.

He’s such a hard worker and has proved that at his job at the Shelby Highway Department over the years. Safety is his main concern at whatever job he is on. Bill is very knowledgeable, capable and a pleasure to do business with.

He is more than qualified for the position of Town of Shelby Highway Superintendent.

Sincerely,

Thomas C. Mack and Janice Kelly-Mack

Town of Shelby

Editor:

Shelby voters have a fabulous opportunity to re-elect Darlene Rich as their Town Clerk. She has aptly served the residents for 16 years with compassion, kindness, knowledge and professionalism.

With the office of Town Clerk being the hub of the town, Darlene has and will continue to be a dedicated public servant stressing that the residents are number one. She has been answering your needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Whether at the supermarket or a community event, Darlene has and will continue to be available.

Darlene’s resume speaks for itself.  She has continued to be educated in the regulations and laws to benefit the residents of Shelby, having earned the prestigious designations of Registered Municipal Clerk, Certified Municipal Clerk and Master Municipal Clerk. Years of public service and numerous hours of extensive education is needed to receive these honors.

It has been my honor to have worked with Darlene over the years, while serving as Somerset Town Clerk.

To continue the exemplary service you have been receiving for the past 16 years, vote to retain Darlene Rich as your Town Clerk.

Rebecca A. Connolly, MMC/RMC

Retired Somerset Town Clerk (Niagara County)

Editor:

Today, I am reaching out to express my support for Bill Wolter as the next Shelby Highway Superintendent.

Having known Bill personally and professionally for over 23 years, I can vouch for his outstanding character. Bill is, without a doubt, one of the most reliable, trustworthy, and honest individuals I’ve had the privilege of knowing. In all my years in business and life, I’ve found no one more honest than Bill.

In our many years of collaboration, Bill has always been committed to doing his best. He tackles challenges with determination. Often, when faced with a problem, he’ll say, “Let me think about it and get back to you.” And he always comes back with a top-notch and affordable solution.

His tenacity, combined with his dedication to providing quality results, makes Bill an ideal candidate for Shelby Highway Superintendent. His ability to always find a way to get things done, while also ensuring affordability, is precisely what every town needs.

I urge citizens to cast their vote in favor of a candidate who embodies reliability, honesty, and a commitment to excellence. Please elect Bill Wolter for Shelby Highway Superintendent.

Pat Fox

Medina

Editor:

I commend John Pratt’s honesty and echo his frustration about how the Town of Shelby is being run. Everything and more that John said is true.

The town’s advisors have, on more than one occasion, provided inaccurate information to the board and the community. This has influenced certain voting decisions, causing board members to unknowingly support resolutions contrary to their views.

Not only have consultants provided misleading, and at times, untruthful information to both the board and the public, but certain officials have also exerted undue influence over them. It’s concerning that taxpayer dollars, which should be directed towards the betterment of our community, are being used for questionable purposes under such influences.

I believe in real transparent governance, not just loose references to it, and feel it’s our duty to keep the public informed of these alarming developments. The integrity of our town’s operations is at stake, and I urge Shelby’s citizens to stay vigilant and hold those in power accountable.

Ed Zelazny

Shelby Town Councilman

Editor:

Hi friends, our names are Paul Lauricella Jr. and Steven A. Colon.

We are hoping to earn both of the councilman seats up for election in the Town of Yates. Next year reassessments are coming (could be 20 to 50 % increases) and the town budget is up about $25,000 from last year. Someone has to put their foot down with these no-end in sight tax increases. That is why we are running.

We want government to take less of our money. We don’t want you to have to choose between paying out-of-control taxes, putting food on your table or giving your family a nice Christmas. We want you to be able to stay in your home, maybe pass it down to your children, but the taxes are not affordable right now to many.

Will your children be able to afford the taxes down the road? Will you or they have to sell or worse lose the lifetime of sacrifice to taxes? The property tax is most immoral and despicable tax ever inflicted on mankind.

That is why we will put “You the Taxpayers First,” meaning there will no support for any spending that is not absolutely necessary for the town to function. All spending will be put under the microscope of  “Can the taxpayers afford it?”

We will put priorities first. For instance we must build up our equipment reserves. We need to put money away to paint the water tower that is coming soon.

We will work with the businesses here in our town, all of them. They provide much-needed jobs and income to many of our residents. We are a farming community first and foremost. We need to get out of the “Real Estate Business, the Manure Business, the Entertainment Business, the Litigation Business and the Legacy Building Business.”

We need to get back to “Doing the People’s Business.” We say this because we see your money being wasted on these things with no shame or regard for you. We will leave all that to the entrepreneurs and farmers by clearing the way for them.

It is essential that you not sit this one out and vote for the two of us. There are part-time residents that have switched their addresses to try to influence our local elections for team incumbents.

Every single vote will matter. Do you think that if more taxation is collected by our town government that they will do the right thing with it? Cut your taxes? Do you think they will just spend it and beyond? Coming back the following year for more. Grow government. We know you are smart enough to figure that one out. That is why we want to earn your trust and to elect both of us to those seats so we can make a difference and bring some balance.

For fiscal responsibility, sanity, and limited government please get out and vote early, send in your absentees, or vote in person on November 7th for Paul Lauricella Jr. and Steven A.Colon on the Conservative Party Line or the Taxpayers First Line. Thank you for your support.

Paul Lauricella Jr.

Steven A. Colon

Candidates for Yates Town Board

Editor:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney is purposely spreading false information about the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) proposed Secure Docket Cards. The cards are provided to undocumented immigrants after they have passed secure background checks and are to be used by DHS agents.

The purpose of the cards is to increase efficiency of the immigration system. I repeat, the cards are provided to undocumented immigrants if you have one of these cards you are an undocumented immigrants and therefore cannot be used as identification for voting.

Ms. Tenney knows this. Beyond this disinformation (deliberately intended to mislead and intentionally mis-stating facts), there is no evidence that voting by non-citizens has ever been a major issue; Ms. Tenney knows this as well.

Spreading mis-information is all that Ms. Tenney has to show for her time in office. Ms. Tenney voted against the Infrastructure Act (H.R. 3684) and the CHIPS and Science Act (4346), which creates jobs in Western New York.

Ms. Tenney voted against lower the cost of insulin and medicine (H.R. 5376), which will benefit her constituents. Ms. Tenney also voted against the PACT Act (H.R. 3967), which will benefit veterans who defended this country.

Purposely spreading mis-information to create fear and divisions is what Ms. Tenney thinks will win her votes. It is obvious that voting for her is a vote against the interest of citizens of Western New York.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

My name is John Pratt and I have had the honor of serving as a board member for the Town of Shelby. As my role winds down this year, I feel compelled to share my observations, concerns, and hopes for the future of the town.

For too long, I have witnessed an unproductive level of aggression and unprofessionalism within our town government. This adverse environment has infiltrated every facet of operations, making it a challenge to progress forward for the benefit of all residents. Even more concerning is the clandestine nature of many decisions that are made behind closed doors, far removed from the eyes and ears of the community we are sworn to serve.

It’s worth noting that our current leadership has often paraded the word “transparency” as a badge of honor.  Yet, in practice, their actions have made a mockery of it, using the term carelessly without truly embodying its principles. Alarmingly, there have been evident breaches of ethics by both current and former leadership, all under the less than watchful eyes of the town’s legal advisors.

Our taxpayer dollars have, unfortunately, been funneled towards consultants to seemingly advise on how to dance along the edges of the law, and at times, potentially step over it. It frustrates me that these funds have indirectly or directly supported operations that cater to the personal whims and often the wallets of certain officials.

It pains me to disclose that the town’s consultants have provided misleading, and at times, untruthful information to both the board and the public. This has unfortunately led to board members voting in favor of resolutions they would not typically support.

I have also been deeply disturbed by instances of women being verbally harassed, degraded, and disrespected by officials, both in the office and in public settings. To make matters worse, the outside consultants, funded by our own tax dollars, have at times remained silent during such offenses, or even worse has assisted in their cover-up.

With regards to our town’s finances, there are glaring inconsistencies in the bookkeeping, and deliberate efforts to withhold vital records and information not just from the public, but also from duly elected officials. As a means of remedying this, I strongly call for a forensic audit of Shelby’s finances. This will help shed light on any discrepancies and ensure the proper use of our taxpayer dollars.

While there has been recent push for a local ethics “law,” I believe it’s unnecessary given the state of New York’s Article 18, which provides clear guidelines on ethics for municipal employees and officials. The  town’s employee handbook also outlines ethical expectations.  Adding another layer of law only serves to give more power to a voting majority that has misused it in the past and could potentially do so again in the future.

I urge Shelby residents to become more involved, attend meetings, learn about how local municipal government works, and bear witness to the operations of their town government.   Genuine openness can only be achieved if there is active public interest and informed engagement.

Sincerely,

John Pratt

Shelby Town Board member

Editor:

I am writing this on behalf of Darlene Rich, the only Shelby Town Clerk I’ve known.  She has been in the position a long time and knows the job inside and out.

I have never gone in with a question that she hasn’t been able to answer immediately and professionally. I hope to see her happy smiling face after November 7th.

Thank you.

Paul McPherson

Shelby

Editor:

Look! The apocalypse did not happen! The drag queens came, they provided entertainment to over 175 adults over the age of 21 at The Lockstone in Albion for a few hours, and they left.

No children were harmed in the event, no clergy were harmed either. The general public was not harmed either and a local business was able to host a great event.

I kept thinking that this was going to turn out like the movie “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar,” starring Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes. I was waiting for something like “Strawberries are Red,” and dancing on a set of picnic tables….if you know you know.

I am happy that all went off without a hitch and the village of Albion is better for it! Albion can hold a progressive event that focuses on fun, entertainment, and most of all some fabulous wigs! I know that all that attended had fun and some fantastic food!

Thank you to The Lockstone, Ms. Darienne Lake, Mrs. Kasha Davis, Ms. Aggy Dune and Ms. Ambrosia Salad! Brava! Come back soon to where so many people need you to spread the word of love and kindness. It will always dispel the darkness!

As Mrs. Kasha Davis would say, “There’s always room for kindness!”

Jason Helsdon

Brooklyn, formerly of Lyndonville

Editor:

Hello again fellow Shelby voters, my wife Margaret and I, former owners of Lakewood Village, are fully endorsing Bill Wolter for Town of Shelby Highway Superintendent

In our view, Bill’s years of hands-on experience, forward-thinking approach and qualified background position him as the ideal candidate to guide Shelby’s Highway Department toward improved safety and operational excellence.

When casting your vote, we invite you to support someone wholly dedicated to elevating the quality of life in Shelby. Bill Wolter is hard-working, honest and highly qualified for the position. We can always depend on him, and you can too.

Sincerely,

Jim & Margaret Lustumbo

Medina

Editor:

I continue to stand as a candidate for Shelby’s Highway Superintendent, fully committed to our community’s well-being.

With 12 years of experience as a Motor Equipment Operator (MEO) within the department and 20 years as a local business owner, I’ve gained valuable insights into the workings and challenges that face us. It’s clear to me that there’s room for improvement in a few key areas that affect the well-being of our residents.

From water issues to road work and equipment maintenance, there are areas where I know that I can make a difference:

Water Quality and Safety: A clean and safe water supply is crucial. I will ensure that we don’t compromise the health and safety of our residents under the guise of “saving money.”

Road Safety: Improving road safety is a priority for me, from tackling potholes and overgrowth to enhancing snowplowing. There’s more we can do to make our roads safer. I am committed to a proactive approach for regular maintenance and improvements.

Equipment Maintenance: Proper maintenance isn’t just about the longevity of our machines; it’s about ensuring that our team can work safely and efficiently. I propose a more structured approach to equipment care that protects both our budget and our employees.

My experience is backed by a strong list of credentials, including a NY Class A Commercial Driver’s License, NY Right-of-Way Pesticide License, and NY Grade D Water License, among others. I am the only member of the department with NY U-Dig Excavator certification. These are not just pieces of paper; they represent a commitment to ongoing education and adherence to regulatory standards that benefit us all.

Thank you for considering my viewpoint. If residents have questions, they can contact me at wgw112023@gmail.com and read more on: Facebook.com/wgw2023.

I look forward to the opportunity to bring my skills and experience to serve the community better.

Sincerely,

William G. Wolter

Candidate for Shelby Highway Superintendent