Editor:

Orleans County has an important choice to make for Orleans County Legislature. If, like me, you think we can do better, you finally have a real choice in Marlene Seielstad. I’ve known Marlene for nearly 30 years, through multiple programs at Cornell Cooperative Extension, the school board, and the BOCES Board.

She is one of the hardest working women I know. She’s smart, honest, and engaged in the community. Her drive and work ethic are second to none.

Marlene is a graduate of Leadership Orleans. She’ll use the knowledge gained there to ask the difficult questions and not shy away from challenging the status quo; something that is sorely lacking in our current Legislature.

Marlene is a thoughtful decision maker, and she truly listens in conversation. When is the last time you can say the legislature actually listened and considered comments from the community before making a decision?

Marlene has given a lifetime of volunteer service to our community through the Albion School Board, the Orleans Niagara BOCES Board, and the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension. Marlene Seielstad is the right choice for Orleans County Legislature. Please vote this Tuesday. The future of your community depends on it.

Sincerely,

Wendi Pencille

Town of Shelby

Editor:

Lots of hate is being whipped up to turn out the vote. Some are using the excuse to claim the results are fixed – assuming  several pollsters are right about how fed up people are.

But when you are at the polls really look at the kind and selfless people helping you. Remember they do not know your party and you do not know theirs.

Democrats are not immoral and Republicans are not ignorant. We simply need to elect those without hidden agenda and motives who are willing to talk to each other without rancor.

That’s the type who can articulate real solutions rather than shop worn epithets. Our job is to spot them and demand the right to live quiet, decent lives without fear of economic or personal hardship.

Regardless of the results  remember your poll worker and don’t get worked up by conspiracy from the fringes. Keep in mind that people no different from them are helping people at every precinct in the country. They will get the job done fairly and well.

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

I add my strong personal endorsement to Marlene Seielstad’s campaign to serve as an At-Large Member of the Orleans County Legislature.

I have been impressed with Marlene’s common-sense approaches to modern challenges, her dedication to the completion of each task, as well as her heart for serving our community.

Marlene inspires confidence in her leadership, and she will be a strong voice for Democratic principles during a time when even the most basic functions of government are under threat.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3rd, from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m, with a polling site in each of the county’s 10 towns.

James R. Renfrew

Clarendon

Orleans County Democrats, Chair

Editor:

After reading some recent letters to the editor, I have to agree – these are trying times.

As a resident of Orleans County, I believe our community deserves leadership grounded in truth, rather than partisan fearmongering and unverified talking points.

In a recent letter, County Legislator Don Allport presented several claims that do not hold up under the simplest scrutiny. Rather than respond to the recitation of those familiar alarmist points about Socialism, I’ll keep this focused on the truth as relates to our election.

No one in Orleans County can vote for someone who is endorsed by the Democratic Socialist Party or who is running a campaign to advance items from their platform.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about what we can vote for. We should expect that a candidate taking the time to assert historical claims in the local news source would fact check them prior to writing. I have heard Don speak about history, particularly the revolutionary war, with the accuracy and reverence it is due. This leaves me particularly confused regarding the following assertions:

Allport: One vote decided our national language.

Truth: Unless we’re considering the 2025 executive order by the current president, the US does not actually have an officially designated language, and there was never a risk of this occurring were it not for a singular vote.

It’s likely that Mr. Allport refers to the persistent myth stemming from a group of new citizens in Virginia, German speakers, who requested that some of the laws be copied over into German so that they could be readily followed by that populace. The “one vote” difference was not even whether to copy over the laws in German for the residents, rather it was a vote resolving to table the issue and take it up another time. It was defeated 42-41, and the actual measure did not come to the floor.

Allport: The ’60 presidential election was lost by Nixon due to one vote in each election district in Illinois.

Truth: Back in 1960, the path to 270 was actually the path to 269, the number of electoral votes needed then to secure the office of President-elect. Even if the 27 electoral votes from Illinois had gone to Nixon rather than JFK, Kennedy still would have prevailed with 276 votes.

Allport: An earlier Nixon presidency would have prevented so much of the upheaval of the ’60s, including Vietnam, the JFK assassination, and Kent State.

Truth: If we are going to judge Nixon by his fruit, we may find it hard to believe that the man who delayed peace talks through Anna Chenault (something well documented in US historical documents including Haldeman’s own declassified notes) and then carpet bombed Cambodia while hiding it by falsifying military records – resulting directly in the Kent State massacre, would somehow have been the peace president he claimed in word but never deed.

As for the JFK assassination, I don’t think that he would have been shot in November of 1963 if he was not the sitting US president, so perhaps that one could have been averted if the election outcome was reversed.

Back in the local arena, attacking federal safety net programs ignores the reality that low-income residents in Orleans County rely on these services. Would the county choose not to offer them if they were not mandated or supported by federal and state support? An average house assessed at $200,000 paid around $1,600 in county taxes last January. Of that, nearly half of it (roughly $700) paid into Medicaid. This money solely funds healthcare to residents of our county.

Because the most recent census shows that the median household income in Orleans County is $65,969, the median taxpayer spends 1.06% of their annual gross income on healthcare for their neighbors. Maybe there’s a better plan. Maybe there’s a better method of implementing the current plan. But I bet it doesn’t involve calling homes in the county where we all live a cesspool – literally household sewage.

Elected officials should welcome community observation and transparency rather than promoting anti-government cynicism or attacking media credibility. I have met most of the elected officials in this county and, regardless of party affiliation, do not believe that a single person running for or holding office here did so for any motivation but one: to make their community a better place the best way that they know how.

It’s disingenuous to attempt to distinguish local office holders from “politicians.” Government is the system, politics is the method. We should expect all of our elected officials to work methodically to advance good government for the residents they serve.

Therefore, it’s alarming to hear a local politician, writing in his personal capacity, to both misrepresent facts in history and to describe a fear of being watched.

A truth that we do agree on, and the most important truth being advanced in each letter, is that each vote does in fact count and not nearly enough of our neighbors are exercising that right.

Because our elections are how we choose who represents our interests best, I hope that the truth weighs heavily in your decision-making process this year.

See you at the polls,

Jess Marciano

Medina

Marciano is a trustee on the Medina Village Board.

Editor:

Allow me to add my voice in support of Susan Hrovat for Yates Town Supervisor.

Susan is an accomplished leader with years of experience in multiple public service realms.

She served over two decades as a NYS parole officer and over ten years as a Lyndonville school board member.

Susan became a councilwoman on the Yates town board in 2020. Of particular note, she will be finishing her second year in December as the town’s deputy supervisor.

Did I mention she is an active member of the Lyndonville Lions Club?!

I’ve seen Susan in action – she is smart, patient, thoughtful and articulate. She listens. She is willing to make the tough decisions required of a leader in public service.

Susan consistently tries to balance the common good with the God-given dignity of each person.

I whole-heartedly endorse Susan!

Jim Simon

Yates

Editor:

This letter is in response to the letter posted October 28, 2026 and written by Legislator Fitzak.

Yes, I am aware it said it was written “in my individual capacity” to skate the Hatch Act, I just personally don’t believe that you can remove your official elected position like a jacket when it’s convenient, especially to endorse a political candidate.

At any rate, I have run a campaign for the better part of 2026 without personally attacking my opponent and that will continue regardless of any negativity that may come from the other side.

What I would like to offer, that was left out of the letter are the links to the referenced documents. I would invite everyone to do your own reading so you can make up your own mind before it’s too late!

For complete transparency please go to www.Marlene4Orleans.com and follow me on Facebook at Marlene Seielstad for Orleans County Legislator at Large. Do not think you have all of the information from a couple quotes taken out of context.

I respectfully ask for your endorsement at the polls.

Thank you,

Marlene Seielstad

Carlton

Candidate for Orleans County Legislator at Large

Editor:

On Tuesday, November 3 town of Shelby voters will decide whether the highway superintendent and town clerk positions should be hired by the Town Board (appointed, as the ballot says) rather than elected. I urge you to vote yes on both.

First, what this is not about. No one is taking away your right to vote. You are the ones deciding this question. The board is asking whether you agree, as we do, that hiring these positions means better management and more accountability.

I have served on the board for three years. Our highways are one of the largest things your tax dollars pay for: plowing, paving, drainage, equipment, and a crew of employees. Yet the person who runs that department answers to no one between elections. The Town Board works with the highway superintendent to set the budget, but it has almost no say in how the department is run. When an elected superintendent chooses not to cooperate with the board, as has been our experience, there is little the board can do.

Supporters say an elected superintendent is accountable to the public. In theory, yes. In practice, residents rarely attend the meetings where highway spending is discussed. When money is wasted or the department is poorly managed, the board takes the blame, even though it has no authority over the department. Responsibility without authority is no way to run a town.

Consider the rules everyone else works under. Town employees follow the town’s personnel policy. Highway crew members work under a union contract. The elected superintendent follows neither. The elected position has no limit on vacation, sick, or personal time, no set hours, and no one who reviews their schedule. Taxpayers pay a full salary and have no way to know how those hours are managed.

A hired superintendent would report to the board, work the hours it sets, and follow the same time-off rules as other town employees. If the department isn’t performing, the board could act, and voters would know whom to hold responsible: the board they elect.

Hiring also means choosing on qualifications. The board could post the job, review resumes, interview candidates, and select the best person. An election offers none of that. Candidates can claim qualifications during a campaign that no one verifies, and voters are limited to whoever chooses to run.

The same reasoning applies to the town clerk. The clerk collects millions of dollars in taxes, in addition to keeping official records and issuing licenses and permits. Handling that much public money takes training, accuracy, and reliability, and the board should be able to hire for those qualifications and hold the clerk to the same standards as other town staff.

Opponents will say elections give voters direct control, and that a hire could simply be a favorite of the board. Those are fair concerns. But voters would still control who sits on the board, and the board would answer for every hire it makes. Today, no one is answerable for these offices in any meaningful way. This isn’t a new idea. Towns across New York (Bath, Avoca and Howard to name a few) have moved to this model.

Please vote yes on both propositions on Tuesday, November 3.

Sincerely,

Linda Limina

Shelby town councilwoman

Editor:

I write this letter of support for Don Allport in my individual capacity.  While the Orleans County Government is perceived to be an all-knowing, haphazard, decision-making organization that works solely behind closed doors, as projected by the Marlene Seielstad campaign for County Legislator At-Large Central position, this is categorically false, and a highly misleading platform for a political campaign.

The Orleans County Legislature and all of the departments that we oversee for the taxpayers that we represent are committed to transparency and public input.

We have invested heavily on designing our outreach, through our County Website, which is ADA compliant, our press releases, that are one of our many cost-saving shared services with neighboring counties, the continuation of hybrid in-person and online standing committee and Legislature meetings, and our monthly Association of Municipalities’ meetings, in which your local Town and Village officials attend to get additional information that may be pertinent to make your local municipality a better place to live, work and play in.

Every resident can rest assured that we completely vet and probe all possible impacts and options, while taking in current and long-term implications. The keyboard critics and the coffee-clutch membership may talk a good game, but ask them where they got their information to form their opinion. With almost certainty, they probably weren’t at or streaming our meetings, viewing our website, or talking to any of the seven Legislators. Their want for transparency is commendable, and actually using it is paramount.

The campaign to Re-elect Don Allport is the obvious choice. Don’s IT background, his dedicated leadership on the Public Health, Mental Health, Office for the Aging, and Veterans Standing Committees, which are vital segments of our community, and his involvement in critical County-wide decisions, demonstrates his commitment to improving the quality of life in our county. Don understands the wants, needs and desires our county residents have and those must be navigated through the myriad of un-funded mandates that are pushed down by New York State, that the Legislature must abide by or be financially punished, much of which is the result of the One-Party Rule we see endorsing Mrs. Seielstad.

Marlene’s website also distorts the sales tax distribution calculation within the County. As the holder of an Accounting Degree from my Alma-Mater, SUNY Oswego, has she studied the current county budget? When we had to utilize approximately $15 million of sales tax revenue to make up the shortfall that the Real Property levy couldn’t sustain, that’s basic accounting. How could we fund our internal obligations and also increase our subsidies to the other municipalities? There isn’t enough wealth to redistribute, unless we raise taxes, break the mandated tax cap, and face the financial repercussions.

While competition is a cornerstone to success, even Marlene should consider voting for Don Allport, since her own website says “She believes experience matters. Transparency matters. And every taxpayer deserves to understand how public decisions are made.” That sounds like an endorsement for Don Allport!

Respectfully submitted,

John Fitzak

Carlton

Mr. Fitzak is an Orleans County legislator for District 4 – towns of Carlton, Kendall and most of Murray.

Editor:

A recent letter writer warned about the danger of socialism and urged voters to vote against socialist policies; I agree.

Socialism is defined by Merrian-Webster as the government “ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.” In July of this year, The Cato Institute reported that the Trump administration has taken a stake in 30 companies.

Under Howard Lutnick, the Department of Commerce awards grants for research and development to companies that sell a stake of their company to the government. The U.S. now holds a stake in microchip manufacturing, mining for minerals, and nuclear energy production.

The government holds a “golden share” in U.S. Steel, allowing the government veto power over executive decisions. The Trump administration is the very definition of Socialism.  Representatives Claudia Tenney and Nick Langworthy are strong supports of these socialist policies. I urge voters to vote against these representatives, support Democrats and return our country to a capitalist economy.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

If you haven’t yet attended a performance of the Hoag Music Series you’ve missed some wonderful entertainment. From March until December on scheduled Saturdays at noon Jim Doyle arranged for some great music for our community.

On October 10^th, the concert featured Evie Ladin who sang, played the banjo and did some percussion dancing that was awesome. She performs all over the country, is based in NYC and Jim promises that she will be back. You should not miss her.

Os Pipe and Fiddle Witch Duet will be here on Saturday, November 7^th for a blend of East and West.

The Rochester Ukelele Orchestra will be at the Hoag on Saturday, December 5th at noon. Bonus: Gary Simboli will lead a Christmas Carol sing along at 2 that afternoon too!

All performances are free. December 5 closes the series for 2026. Jim promises that next year’s series, starting in March, will be awesome too. Look for them, put them on your calendars and enjoy!

Catherine Moore

Albion