Editor:

It is a disgrace that New York State is phasing out the sheltered workshops that serve people with developmental disabilities.

These workshops provide valuable work for people. Because of the workshops, these individuals are productive wage earners and perform beneficial subcontract work for businesses in the area. Realistically, there are not enough suitable jobs in the community to support the number of people currently employed in the workshops.

Closing these workshops is a way for the state to save money, plain and simple. The state paints a picture that it’s better for them to be integrated into the community, but the bottom line is money.

Over the last 20 years, the state has changed funding for non-profit services so that the state doesn’t have to pay 100 percent of the cost of these programs. Back in the mid-1990s, the state “medicaided” many of the services provided to individuals with developmental disabilities. So instead of the state paying 100 percent of residential services, they paid about half and also pushed a portion of these costs to the counties (county share of Medicaid costs). For years the workshops were sacred cows, but the state must really be hurting for money now.

Here’s how the state can save a lot of money – privatize all the duplicate services that they are currently providing at a much higher cost than the private non-profits do. Then maybe the non-profits could pay a fair wage to direct care workers, equivalent to what the state pays. And the state could also rebuild deteriorating bridges (especially in Orleans County) with the savings.

New York State needs to get its finances in order, but not to the detriment of people with developmental disabilities.

Tina Feldman
Lyndonville

Editor:

This week, from Oct. 4-10, youth and volunteers in our county and around the nation will celebrate National 4-H Week.

4-H is the nation’s largest youth development program and it allows youth the opportunity to learn about things that interest them while becoming more confident and better prepared for secondary education and careers.

There’s plenty of great reasons to join 4-H. Findings from the Tufts University “4-H Study of Positive Youth Development” indicate that, when compared to their peers, young people in 4-H are: nearly four times more likely to contribute to their communities, two times more likely to pursue healthy behaviors, and two times more likely to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs in the out-of-school time.

Another reason to join 4-H is being able to include 4-H accomplishments and experiences on scholarships and applications. But the best reason is 4-H is having fun participating in project-based learning and becoming more confident youth.

4-H in action is having fun while learning and it’s sometimes hard to describe to somebody who hasn’t participated. Some examples of positive youth development in action from this year are:

Having a robot you built slide down a grappling hook with a needle mounted in it that has to stab through a target;

Dancing to 80’s music with your dog and all your friends and their dogs and winning best in the state for your routine;

Being one of the youth who for the first time ever participated in 4-H at Kendall School and gave Public Presentations;

Traveling to Kentucky to participate in a plant identification contest;

Being one of 16 youth who receive an award trip for a week of camp, a teen retreat, Albany or career explorations in Cornell;

Completing your fifth star in the dog or horse knowledge program and receiving your award belt buckle or leash;

Attending Sr. Council and learning parliamentary procedure and having cookie parties all at the same time.

The list can go on and on of the incredible activities the 442 Orleans County 4-H youth have participated in over the last program year. Our new year is starting now and it’s the perfect time to join. You can learn more by calling our office at 585-798-4265 or emailing us at orleans4h@cornell.edu.

We’ll also have an open house at the fairgrounds on Oct. 7 to celebrate National 4-H Week, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. We’ll have free car washes for volunteers, popcorn for everybody, door prizes and other fun. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. youth can participate in the National Science Experiment.

Robert Batt
Orleans County 4-H Youth Development Educator

Editor:

In addition to the many negative consequences that have been voiced regarding the siting of industrial wind turbines in Yates and Somerset, I am very concerned that these turbines will preclude Mercy Flight from being able to operate in our area.

Mercy Flight cannot land where there are wind turbines; The entire area will be inaccessible. Due to the size and placement of these turbines, many peoples’ lives will be at risk.

I have first-hand experience of the invaluable service that Mercy Flight provides; Nine years ago Mercy Flight helped to save my daughter’s life after a horrific boating accident on Chautauqua Lake.

Thankfully, Mercy Flight was able to land there and flew her to ECMC in Buffalo, where she immediately underwent the first of three surgeries. There is no doubt that their quick response and ability to quickly transport her to the hospital helped to save her life.

What will happen to serious accident victims in our area if this project proceeds and that life-saving option is unavailable? Our roads are well traveled with both residents and tourists and there is obviously a great deal of boat traffic.

The specter of future accident victims not having the life-saving option of Mercy Flight helping them when they need it truly makes me feel ill. I would hate to have anyone experience what we went through, but with Mercy Flight’s assistance, we still have our daughter.

Please consider this huge detriment, in addition to the other serious and negative consequences to our health, environment, wildlife and property values and oppose the siting of Lighthouse Wind in our area.

Donn Riggi
Lyndonville

Editor:

A very serious, important issue I would like to discuss is welfare fraud. It has been a real problem in this county.

You work hard, you play by the rules. Like most of us, you struggle to make ends meet, pay your bills, and your outrageous school and property taxes. Even with all that, you don’t mind helping out those who are less fortunate, down on their luck.

Most of the people needing assistance are grateful and do what they can to get off and on with their life in an upward mobility once they are back on their feet.

There are those out there though that will take advantage of your kindness and generosity – those who will defraud the system for personal gain. Collecting benefits while working off the books or making false income claims. The use of the EBT card then selling food items meant for children and family for cash in the parking lot of your local grocers for half the value or less. The list they will stoop to is long. The predators are always coming up with new ways to defraud the system.

The county has been going after these welfare cheats and making arrests. I believe more can be done. I will work with the next sheriff in any way to try to further go after those who would take advantage of the peoples’ generosity. The savings could result in the high 7 figures and should be returned to the taxpayers in a form of a tax cut – not go in the general budget. I will try to work to see to that.

We must always take care of those who truly can not care for themselves: the elderly, the disabled. We should also give help to those who are working but at times can’t afford basic needs.

The way the system is now if you make a few dollars to much you can not get any temporary help. This does not make sense. We should do anything we can to make welfare the less attractive option especially for those holding a job with the dignity to go to work every day.

Paul Lauricella Jr.
Lyndonville
Conservative Party candidate for County Legislature District 2

Editor:

I’m writing to let everyone in the Village of Albion and the surrounding town know that I will be in the Village of Albion board room every other Tuesday starting Sept. 29 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The reason for this is to let anyone who would like to come in and talk on how we can improve the village. This will give you a chance to be heard, ask questions, get your suggestion heard.

I know we have work to be done and it is going to take some time so we have to start someplace and all of your suggestions will be a great help. I know one thing is we need to work on getting more businesses downtown. This is a time for you to vent so please come and talk to me.

Stanley Farone
Albion village trustee

Editor:

Dear Orleans County residents, make your voice heard!

You’ve seen the signs. You’ve heard the talk around town. You’ve read numerous editorials.

Orleans County will be electing a new Sheriff in November. The Sheriff is the only elected law enforcement officer. Their responsibility is to protect us not just from crime, but from violations of the Constitution.

It is your responsibility to vote wisely! It’s not too late!!

You have until Oct. 9 to register to vote in the November election. You can go online and get all the information you need to do so by clicking here. (If you need to do a change of address with the board of elections, you have until Oct. 14.)

Then, once you are registered to vote, get educated about the candidates! A great opportunity to meet and learn about the candidates will be at the Orleans County Sheriff Candidate Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. The event will be held at the Albion Elks Lodge #1006 located at 428 West State St. in Albion. Doors will open at 6:30 pm.

Orleans County SCOPE and New York Revolution are proud to be working together to bring this educational event to the citizens of Orleans County. We hope you will take advantage of this incredible opportunity to hear from the candidates in person and get answers to any questions that you may have.

Be an informed voter when you head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3. We look forward to seeing you at the forum!

Sincerely,

Mattie Zarpentine, Regional Director, New York Revolution
David Thom, Chairman, Orleans County SCOPE

Editor:

This letter is meant for the high school student that I saw today (Sept. 24, 2015), driving a dark Malibu or Impala into the Albion Middle School driveway.

You had a friend with you, and were attempting to cross East Avenue and turn left into the school driveway at about 3:30 this afternoon. That in itself doesn’t seem so bad, but you were clearly looking at your phone and trying to either read or send a text. It clearly made your attempt to make your turn that much more difficult.

You see, I was in a school bus and witnessed your turn. I could see very clearly what was going on as I was trying to turn left onto the avenue myself from the school.

How would you feel if you had a little brother or sister on that bus and we were involved in an accident because you were texting while driving? And lastly, what would be your parents reaction to an accident of any kind be?

In the future, wait until you are parked, or give your phone to your friend.

Peter Toenniessen
Albion

Editor:

As a longtime resident of the Town of Somerset, I have watched for months as numerous yellow signs against the proposed wind turbine project have gone up in front of concerned property owners’ homes.

Within the last several weeks, white signs supporting the project have appeared primarily on open farm land leased by Apex Clean Energy. One phrase on these white signs includes “Fear Not the Wind”.

I don’t fear the wind; I fear the potential health and environmental impacts, the slaughter of migrating birds and bats, and property devaluation with the loss of our bucolic landscape.

Another line reads “Harvest the Wind”. I support harvesting the wind by micro turbines with smaller footprints and I support the use of solar panels, geothermal systems, hydropower, and actually conserving energy so less power needs to be generated. The only thing to be harvested by these proposed 570-foot-tall monstrosities is our tax dollars. They are not profitable to construct and operate without tax subsidies.

I noticed a new version of these white signs a few days ago that I find offensive. They include the phrase “Support Our Farms”. Seriously? If we don’t support industrial wind turbines, we don’t support farms?

In 2005 the Town of Somerset adopted a policy which made this a Right-to-Farm community. A portion of this policy, as posted on the town’s website, reads “It is the purpose of this article to reduce the loss to the Town of Somerset of its agricultural resources by limiting the circumstances under which farming may be deemed a nuisance and to allow agricultural practices inherent to and necessary for the business of farming to proceed and be undertaken free of unreasonable and unwarranted interference or restriction.”

The town’s Comprehensive Plan states repeatedly how important agriculture is to our area and I support the town’s efforts in this regard. Does “Support Our Farms” imply that our local farms cannot be successful without wind turbines?

It is wonderful to see that several local farms have enjoyed dramatic expansions in recent years and represent a bright spot in our rural economy. I understand that farm commodity prices are very volatile but that has always been inherent in any agriculturally based business.

I don’t know who is responsible for producing these white signs but if it’s Apex Clean Energy, I suggest they hire a new PR firm. They’ve really missed the mark on this one.

Pamela Atwater
Barker

Editor:

“My plan is much better than his plan.” What plan? It doesn’t matter, because all of my plans are better than any of their plans. Of course, you have to take my word for it, as I haven’t really said how I will do much of anything.

But I will be great on national security, amazing on the military, better than any of our generals. I will have the best negotiators. All of our leaders are stupid. The deal with Iran is weak, because the negotiators were incompetent. What do you mean? Well, I know them, and they are incompetent. I see. Thanks for clearing that up.

Ending birthright citizenship? “A lot of people think it can be done.” Without a Constitutional amendment? “A lot of Constitutional scholars disagree (that an amendment would be required).” So, you have found some “Constitutional scholars” who think the 14th amendment can be undone without amending the Constitution? “Oh yeah, a lot of people agree.” Do any of them know anything about the Constitution? Or, did they take a course on the Constitution and put out a “shingle?”

Donald Trump makes “simple” believable. We all like “simple.” Why wouldn’t we? It is great when things are “simple.” When someone with his money asserts something is “simple,” it can have believability. Just as when Glenn Beck made one ridiculous statement after another on his television program. At times Beck appeared to be doing his best to incite frustrated and gullible people to revolution. He had a microphone and corporate sponsorship on a television network. Wow, there must be something to what he says. He has since been on a bit of an “apology tour.”

Mike Huckabee is taken seriously when he compares the “tyranny” of the unelected justices of the Supreme Court of the United States under the Constitution to King George III’s tyranny before the American Revolution? Same sex marriage is not the law? It is not Constitutional?

Sorry, Mike, same sex marriage is Constitutional if the Supreme Court says it is Constitutional. The Founding Fathers provided a Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution and decide exactly such matters. They provided that federal justices would be unelected in order to insulate them to some degree from politics.

About two weeks ago, I got a call from a person advocating a “Constitutional sheriff.” After a few minutes, I asked her if she was familiar with Article Six of the Constitution. She would like sheriffs to be required to take a course on the Constitution. Amen to that. Understanding the implications of “probable cause” should be a primary focus of such a course.

Based on many news reports, equal protection of the laws should be another point of emphasis. She wants sheriffs to be accessible to the public. Amen to that. She also suggested that, since they were elected, and presumably somewhat independent, they should be able to decide which laws they should enforce and which laws they should not enforce. Huh?

Though the local woman I spoke with at length does not, we have a boatload of people with microphones and, hence, perceived credibility, telling people all sorts of questionable things. I do not care if Donald Trump can find 250,000,000 Americans who think the Constitution can be changed by passing a law, it cannot. The fact that Colorado tried to pass a law imposing term limits on United States Senators in the late 1990’s did not mean it had any chance of “flying.” The Constitution would require amending to make term limits possible.

With the election of an African-American President, Constitutional amnesia has risen to a level more akin to dementia. Our Constitutional system is something we are stuck with regardless of an election’s outcome. It says what it says, whether we have read and understood it or not.

One of the things the Constitution provides for is elections and respect for the will of the majorityeven if we are not part of it. Elections have consequences. Those of us who were in the minority (evidently) suffered through eight years of utter incompetence while Cheney ruled. We are still paying for it. Though we haven’t lost 5,000 Americans in a disastrous war, Obama hasn’t succeeded in undoing the damage done by his predecessor’s Pollyanna policies.

The bottom line is that, regardless of what you may want to hear, believing something because of who says it can have its pitfalls.

Sincerely yours,

Gary F. Kent
Albion

Editor:

We need new leadership on the Town Board of Yates. Having narrowly missed winning the Republican primary, I am compelled to run a write-in campaign for town supervisor. I am willing to do it in order to serve all Yates residents regardless of party affiliation.

A significant majority of the residents of Yates are against Apex’s Lighthouse Wind project. I am convinced that Yates is opposed to Apex and loss of home rule after hosting a debate for and against industrial wind turbines at Genesee Community College; by going door-to-door the past eight weeks and speaking to hundreds of residents about the Apex proposal; by closely reading the hundreds of comments on the Public Service Commission website about the project; by seeing the hundreds of no-wind-turbine lawn signs across our town; and by listening to the public comments made by concerned residents at town board meetings these past 9 months.

Our Town Board found out about Apex in October of 2014. If I had been the town supervisor then, I would have been shocked to learn that Apex had secretly signed leases before the Town Board even knew they were in town.

I would have pushed for a resolution declaring a halt to all further discussions with Apex until they signed the NYS Wind Ethics code. For our town supervisor to claim there is nothing that can be done is very troubling. Meanwhile, Apex continues to sign leases behind our backs and refuses to sign the wind ethics code.

The Yates Town Board agreed on Aug. 13 to conduct a survey in order to gauge the will of the people. This was a welcome step, but long overdue. Our neighboring Town of Somerset decided to do a survey and had the design, development, implementation and publication of the results completed within 4 weeks.

In Somerset, 67 percent of respondents are against Apex’s proposal! That was in May. Had I been the town leader with such a monumental decision facing our town, I would have immediately launched a parallel survey effort to match Somerset.

No action was taken in Yates for 5 months. Now, over a month has passed since the decision was made to do the Yates survey, and we were told on Sept. 9 that it could be several more weeks before the survey is even written and months before the results are available. This is unacceptable.

If elected, I will establish a Business Development Committee to help us seek ways to attract businesses. I will institute a community-wide Renewable Energy Task Force to explore alternative energy sources like solar, geothermal, micro-wind and other forms of clean energy. I will seek grant funding to enhance our town park with restrooms and a playground. I will try to leverage USDA Rural Development funds to extend clean water to all town residents.

I will stop Apex and the State from industrializing our town against our will.
My town is worth serving. I ask for your vote.

James Simon
Yates