Editor:

Thank you Councilman William Campbell for standing up for the residents of the Town of Clarendon and voting no twice on the oppressive, devoid of common sense, and tyrannical Local Law #1 requiring a building permit of detached structures 64 square feet or larger.

You are 100 percent right when you said “I don’t see the benefits to the Town of Clarendon. We should be looking to make things easier for residents.”

The elected officials’ job is not to oppress us but to protect our natural rights and uphold the oath of office one takes when sworn in. Unfortunately many in office see it as a tool to advance the nanny state and act as ruler rather than servant.

Paul Lauricella Jr.
Lyndonville

Editor:

Nearly 160 years ago the Mount Vernon Ladies Association led by founder Ann Pamela Cunningham purchased the home of George Washington with the intent of preserving and restoring the property. At $200,000, over $5 million today, the investment was large and frightful during a period of uncertainty in the nation. The effort is regarded as one of the first real efforts in historic preservation in the United States.

Since then, countless organizations have sprung up across the country in an attempt to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the U.S. To no surprise, Orleans County has her fair share of museums and historical societies sprinkled throughout the fourteen municipalities; perhaps too many to list for fear of excluding one. Those organizations were founded in a good faith effort to educate the local public about our shared history and many have grown and succeeded through the years.

Unfortunately, the current economy has not been kind to historical organizations. Our priorities have changed, arts and humanities are thrown to the side and resources are pumped into tangible outcomes in the sciences; cancer research and renewable energy are worthwhile projects by all means. Efforts to preserve the physical history around us prove to be extremely difficult and expensive at times. Any homeowner of an older property can explain the pain involved with maintenance and upkeep.

Our local historic gems have a small pool of local supporters who pay membership, contribute to pledge campaigns, and make in-kind donations on a regular basis. More often than not, those people constitute a pool of supporters who provide contributions to all historic organizations across the board. The result is an overburdened supporting base that finds itself overtaxed physically and financially.

Many of those sites are accessed by people across the country and across the globe. The Cobblestone Museum regularly welcomes visitors from countries in Europe, visitors from Germany, Belgium, Ireland and as far out as New Zealand. The interest in these sites is real and far reaching. Yet few of our existing sites are supported by local municipalities. Instead, many are left to struggle, reducing hours, services, and programming.

Heritage tourism is a real thing and should be supported by all levels of government. Studies show that a new generation of museum-goers has entered the scene, a younger, more energetic generation with varying interestswith that comes money.

Members of the community are now interested in supporting a museum/building/statue to the memory of Charles Howard and the Santa Claus School. I’m not going to argue whether we should honor Howard or not, that answer is simple. I’m not going to argue whether we need a new parking lot in downtown or not, the answer to that was spelled out several years ago in a parking study conducted by the Albion Main Street Alliance. Instead, I am going to cry out for the community to support the historical assets we already have, not recreate the lost ones.

People outside of Medina are likely unaware that the Company F Memorial Committee is working to raise over $70,000 for the erection of a bronze statue atop the Company F Memorial at the Medina Armory, in honor of those men who served with the unit. The memorial in its truest sense extends beyond honoring only those who served with Company F, but all men who served from Orleans County from the Spanish American War through our most current conflicts.

Few people are aware that the Cobblestone Museum is amidst a comprehensive project to raise funds for the restoration of windows on the oldest cobblestone church in North America, the only National Historic Landmark in Orleans County; a project that encompasses extensive repairs to a cobblestone home once owned by Horace Greeley. How many are aware that the Clarendon Historical Society is raising funds for the restoration of the historic chapel at Hillside Cemetery? What about the efforts of the Orleans County Historical Association to save one of the oldest cobblestone buildings in the county?

Every day we lose historic sites throughout the country because the interest and support needed to save them is not there. Far too young to ever have experienced this myself, I have heard the stories of the beautiful mansions that lined South Main Street, allowed to fall into disrepair and become yet another victim of urban sprawl. How many residents reminisce about the beauty that was once Albion?

My hope is that our greater community in Orleans County will come to appreciate what we have and see that we do not need to recreate what was lost. Save what is here, before it is too late!

Matthew Ballard
Albion

Editor:

For well over a year, I have listened with true appreciation to a number of people who have commented on how long they have lived here, including many who were born here.

I think another perspective is also warranted. I was not born here; in fact, my father was in the military so we moved often, as I have also done as an adult. I have lived in three countries and 13 states.

We spent over two years looking before we found our home here. We did not choose to make our home here to live in the middle of an industrial wind factory and if I wanted to live in the middle of 70 skyscraper-tall buildings, I would have chosen to live in NYC.

Having said that, I’d like to thank the Town Board for updating the wind law; certainly the size and technology have changed since it was first written and I appreciate the board trying to protect us all as much as possible from the negative effects this project would bring. To be honest, I don’t understand how anyone can not support this updated law. Even if you are in favor of the project, basic safeguards are necessary for our health, safety, and welfare.

So, how can APEX be upset with this law? It can’t be because of the property value guarantee. They’ve repeatedly told us that our property values won’t decrease! It certainly can’t be the baseline health study. Again, they’ve repeatedly said that there are no negative health effects.

Despite evidence to the contrary, they claim that the people complaining about them from around the world are exaggerating what are simply “annoyances.”

So, that leaves us with the setbacks. But the setbacks being required are actually under average compared to other communities! You aren’t even on the more restrictive end of the scale! If APEX says that these very basic setbacks equal a ban (as they said to Somerset); that’s on them. What that really means is that this project is improperly sited.

It means that they did not do their homework; they are trying to place the largest turbines ever built in an area that is too populated. The setbacks would not be a problem if that weren’t true. There are communities and even countries that have setbacks in excess of a mile or more to protect their populations; these setbacks pale in comparison. Not to mention the increasing number of communities that are now actually banning these projects altogether due to the overwhelming and negative effects they have. If only we had that right!

In fact, the only places that have industrial wind turbines without complaints from nearby residents are those projects not near residents! When wind companies say that there are few complaints at most wind projects it is because most of them are sited in sparsely populated areas like North Texas and Iowa. Rural New York is 20 times more populated than those areas. In projects that are in more populated areas, guess what? There are complaints and lawsuits over the negative impacts. Frankly, in light of that, I wish the setbacks were farther.

It’s time for APEX to acknowledge their mistake; they chose an area that is too populated; an area rich in wildlife, natural scenic beauty, and tourism, a place too close to the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station and a place in the middle of one of the largest migratory bird flyways in North America.

It is time they listened to five different surveys, two town elections, and the resolutions passed by three counties, and two town boards.

It is time to heed the concerns expressed by the American Bird Conservancy, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Orleans County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, the Great Lakes Seaway Trail, the Hawk Migration Association of North America, the Niagara County Board of Health, the Genesee-Orleans Board of Health, the Rochester Birding Association, the Genesee Valley Audubon Society, the Federation of Monroe County Environmentalists, the Nature Conservancy, Mercy Flight, The Niagara Chamber of Commerce, and the WNY delegation of the NYS Senate and House.

It is time to leave.

Donn Riggi
Lakeshore Road
Lyndonville

Editor:

Recently you reported on the Orleans County primary, and I would like to focus specifically on the Democratic results. Bernie Sanders bested Hillary Clinton in our small county 57.4% to 42.6%. I could speculate on all the reasons people in our county support Sanders, but let’s focus on one for now – the allure of “Democratic Socialism.”

Sanders supporters claim this is a way of “appropriating” taxes to “work for the people.” But what is a tax, and how does it relate to socialism?

A tax is an involuntary penalty you pay for being productive. An institution inserts itself into your interactions, and takes a portion of your earning, with the claim that it is to render public services. This institution asserts its right to your earnings based on your citizenship.

Essentially it holds you to a “social contract,” some claim you agree to simply by being born in a coincidental geographic location. A “contract” you never read, agreed to, or signed. It’s also impossible to opt out of because this institution has made it illegal to do so. Think taxes are voluntary? Try not paying them.

This institution can do this because it holds a monopoly on violence. It is able to hurt you without impunity. This is an uncomfortable truth Sanders supporters do not realize, or do not want to admit.

Every time you advocate for a social program financed through taxation, you advocate for that institution to steal the earnings of others at the barrel of a gun. If they refuse to pay, the IRS will burden them with fees that take even more. If they resist, the institution will put them in handcuffs and lock them in a cage. If they fight back, they will most likely be harmed or killed, and it will all be legal.

Supporting “taxing the 1%” does not make you moral. In fact, supporting a tax is one of the most immoral things you can do. It is simply “legal plunder”, and to quote Bastiat, “the state is the great fiction by which everyone tries to live at the expense of everyone else.”

It is not made any more moral by “democratically” voting for where the money goes either. At its core, democracy is mob rule, two wolves and a sheep voting on what to eat. It is an imperfect system, easily corrupted.

Socialism has been tried and has failed. Look to Venezuela and Greece.

The idea of individual liberty can be new and scary for a species that has spent most of its time on earth under the rule of tyrants. I implore your readers to explore these ideas. I also encourage your readers that in their study, if they should find no common ground this election cycle with a candidate, to stay home on election day. Voting is free speech, the same as not voting.

Our system is supposed to derive its authority from the consent of the governed. If you do not support the system, withdraw your consent.

Dave Joksimovic

Kendall

Editor:

With all of the discussion/debate regarding the race for the presidency, where were the voters?

With all of the excitement of candidates campaigning in Western New York because this primary year our NY votes were valuable to the candidates vying for delegates, where were the voters?

Overall voter turnout in Orleans County for Tuesday’s Primary was a pitiful 35.2%! That means that of all those residents registered to vote as a Republican or Democrat in the primary, roughly two out of three could not be bothered to get off the couch and head to the polls.

UNBELIEVABLE!

If you could have voted and did not, shame on you! Our veterans have paid a heavy price for the liberty you take for granted. Our children and grandchildren deserve better than your apathy.

Please think about that and make sure that your voice is heard in November at the general election. If you are not a registered voter, become one!

The words of Thomas Jefferson are even more relevant today: “We in America do not have government by the majority-we have government by the majority who participate. All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”

We, the People, can make a difference! We must exercise our duty to vote. Remember, our elected officials are our employees. THEY WORK FOR US, not the other way around! Be a part of the hiring process and then make sure that you are holding them accountable!

Stand Up! Speak Out! Fight Back!

VOTE!

Sincerely,

Mattie Zarpentine
Holley
New York Revolution State Coordinator

Editor:

Our county had a larger than normal turnout at the polls last November, partly because the people were frustrated and angry at those who were leading us. The governing officials were not listening to the voters, and because of that we had some hotly contested races, with newcomers stepping up to take us in a new direction.

Now that they have been in office for four months, I think it’s time for a check up. As citizens, our responsibility does not stop at the voting booth. If you voted someone into office, you now need to make sure that that person is doing what he should. At your place of business, there is always someone in charge. Doesn’t that person occasionally check on the employees to make sure they are doing the job properly?

You, the voter, are the boss of those who were elected. You are in charge of the town supervisor, the legislators, the sheriff, the judges, the highway superintendents, etc. They all made promises that would persuade you to elect them. They should not be getting a free pass once they’re in office, perhaps doing whatever they please and ignoring the will of the people. But if you don’t insist that they do the job correctly, they can and might do what they want to benefit themselves. If they take power to lord it over you, it is your fault. The expression is, “letting the inmates run the asylum.”

Anyone in public office knows that they are fair game. You have a right to respectfully question what they do and why; you have an obligation to see that they don’t try to oppress you with their new power; you need to remind them that they must fulfill their promises.

You might really like the person, but does that mean you ignore it if they aren’t doing their job? Do you look away when they don’t keep their promises? Do you give them a pass, saying they must certainly be good at their position because they have been re-elected?

In other words, you are responsible for keeping your candidate accountable. If you just get them into office and then walk away, you deserve it when the result is tyranny and oppression. You have the power to stop it and you refuse to do so. There is not much we can do at the federal level, and little, it seems, at the state level. But at the local level, you as a voter have a great deal of power. You need to continually remind your candidate that they answer to you, and that if they do not do what they promised, then they will be replaced.

Judith Larkin
Ridgeway

Editor:

A “technical session”involving Apex “Clean Energy,” the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and US Fish and Wildlife representatives was held on March 30 involving proposed project Lighthouse Wind, a project to construct 70, 600-foot-high wind turbines on the shore of Lake Ontario in the towns of Somerset and Yates.

Somerset technical representatives were explicitly excluded from this session and that is of great concern. First and foremost, why the exclusion? What is being hidden, decided or discussed about the proposed Lighthouse Wind project that must be withheld from a key stakeholder? What other things are going on that we know nothing about? These questions deserve immediate answers.

So far there has been a round of eight lawyerly letters, shockingly, one from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Office of the General Counsel, that concurs with this exclusion. It appears that some public officials are forgetting the people they represent.

If Article 10 , the state law governing the siting of these turbines, can legitimately be interpreted in this way, it is a deeply flawed law. Further this action is contrary to the public outreach program supposedly being conducted by Apex. A policy of exclusion only serves to deepen the mistrust and dislike our community has for Apex “Clean Energy”and the Article 10 process.

This is another reason why proposed project Lighthouse Wind should be terminated.

James C. Hoffman
Somerset

Editor:

What has happened to America? As I see it our country is floating aimlessly, without direction, like a ship on the ocean that has lost its navigation tools. The difference is, at least the captain and crew of the ship know where they want to go.

As for America, I think the majority of the people know what direction they would like to go. It’s the career politicians and special interest groups that farm votes, by double talking and telling half-truths that have run us off course after they threw the compass and map overboard.

It is very frustrating, to me, to see the words conservative and Republican along with Democrat and liberal be used as interchangeable synonyms. Any more party affiliation has nothing to do with the voter’s opinions and points of view, but more of a necessary evil when it comes to playing the “game”.

The only time a party affiliation is really utilized is during the primary election process. The term “game” is not meant as a derogatory reference to the political process but as a means of illustrating my point. In order to win at the game of politics, much like sports, you need to know the rules, players, and a strategy to succeed.

Succeed? But we are not running for office. Exactly! Remember the last line from the Gettysburg address, “– and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

It is our responsibility as citizens to do our due diligence before we get into the voting booth. We need to know what is important to us and who best fulfills those requirements. More importantly we should not let our decision be clouded by biased, empty rhetoric.

Many people have become so discouraged with the ways of Washington that they are beginning to think that their voice and vote are of no worth. It is my hope that they realize that nothing could be further from the truth! Last Novembers elections were a great example of people showing up to vote and having their voice heard.

The key is getting to the voting booth and making sure that our vote counts. Without that, the process of democracy is useless and as a citizen we have no right to voice our opinion.

What if the arrogant “politicians” stopped condemning the opposition with relentless narrow-mindedness and instead encouraged people to think for themselves, reminding them that their vote really does count. Maybe then we would start to see more people at the polls when it came time to vote.

Dennis Warriner
Lyndonville

Editor:

A handful of your readers may be interested in these observations.

Thirteen years into my experience with politics in Orleans County, I have vicariously experienced an indication that things are becoming less civil. Three Hillary Clinton signs placed in front yards on East Avenue have been trashed or stolen. It isn’t the $60 cost; it is the disrespect of free speech and property rights that is most disappointing. One of the victims was a 104 year old, registered Republican lady who asked for her sign.

I wonder how Donald Trump would react if, after becoming a baseball coach, he found out that games are decided by both “unearned” runs as well as “earned” runs. Would he pitch a fit if he lost a game in which his opponent scored four unearned runs to his team’s three earned runs?

How new to basic civics is the Trump family? Under long-standing New York Election Law, two of Donald’s grown children cannot vote for their father in Tuesday’s primary. Were they not registered at all, or were they not registered Republicans?

Can you imagine the hissy fit that Donald will throw once he finds out that Presidents are chosen by Electoral College votes rather than popular votes?

Trump has thrown out so much nonsense in the past few months that it is impossible to keep up with it. When he commented about the size of Marco Rubio’s ears, I could not believe that no one thought to inform him that the size of Abraham Lincoln’s ears did not stop him from being one of our greatest Presidents.

Then there is Bernie Sanders. There is a lot to admire about him, no doubt. But his tone has gotten really sour. He claims that Hillary Clinton is under a lot of pressure. My take is that Bernie is the one feeling the heat. He has energized a huge fan base and is realizing that he could come up short after working very hard and doing so well.

After 2008, Hillary Clinton knows the feeling. But it has dawned on him that he may not make it. That is hard to swallow and may explain his increasingly cantankerous tone. By the way, many of Sanders’ pledged delegates were chosen by caucuses attended by people who are more like the members of the Orleans Democratic Committee than your typical registered Democrats.

Once again, Hillary Clinton is not her husband and should not be faulted for his shortcomings. I remain convinced that she is the best suited candidate to be President.

Sincerely yours,

Gary Kent
Albion

Editor:

My wife and I learned this past weekend that we are the latest victims of Obamacare.

We thought we had survived this debacle of misguided legislation. Our premiums went way up, but we were covered and actually able to keep our doctor of 30 some years. We valued our patient/doctor relationship with Dr. Christine Stewart so much that we continued to drive to Penfield after moving to Orleans County about 20 years ago. An hour and a half round trip. The idea of finding a doctor closer to home never even came up. She knows everything about us, our medical concerns, needs, etc.

In Saturday’s mail we received a letter from Chris. It begins with “This letter is to let you know that I am closing my practice on June 30, 2016. With many new regulations and requirements, it has become very difficult to run a small practice”.

So much for “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.” That was a lie in more than one way – Obamacare is making it impossible for small general practitioners to survive. The same government that has decimated the health care of we veterans has now placed it’s unwelcomed “wisdom” into every home in America.

Ironically, on all of my visits, Chris and I would good naturedly spar over Obamacare – my conservative views versus her enthusiasm that it would help so many people. As it began to be implemented, I joked with her with “How’s that Obamacare working out for you?”

Now I feel very bad now for saying that.

I feel terrible for Laurie and Eva – her two long term team members that will be out of a job soon.

Chris, if you happen to read this, we love you, thank you so deeply, and will always miss you.

Bob & Dawn Harker
Clarendon