Editor:

As we approach the June 27th primary for the town of Murray, one has to wonder if past history is any indicator of future behavior. More than likely, we will see a barrage of negativity, personal attacks and hate letters with last-minute bombshells.

While campaigning, Mr. Rightmyer stopped at my residence asking for my support.

I graciously declined and informed him of my unwavering support for Joe Sidonio. While we talked further, Mr. Rightmyer acknowledged that Supervisor Sidonio has done good things for the town such as keeping taxes in check and would like to continue that pattern while bringing everyone together.

That’s great but as a current member of the board, what efforts has Mr. Rightmyer made to bring everyone together in light of the fact that Supervisor Sidonio has done a good job? The answer is “none.”

The notion that Supervisor Sidonio doesn’t work with other people is a farce. Look no farther than his running mate for councilman, Murray ZBA Chairman Eric Collyer, whom has stepped up in support of the current supervisor.

On many occasions I have seen Mr. Sidonio interacting with town officials and/or employees. Whether partaking in an official function or something as simple as a friendly lunch, Joe always made it a point to get along and work together with others. So what’s this nonsense that Joe doesn’t get along?? It’s malarkey. It’s their campaign of hate and deceit led by those who represent nobody but themselves.

Nobody is perfect. Joe Sidonio is not perfect but he tries. He has done many good things for this town in his two terms, despite his frustrations with his board. Look at the achievement to honor the veterans of WWII at the Fancher Memorial.

His courage to call out tough issues is commendable. Water loss, ethics, spending, to name a few. And what treatment does he get in return? Most recently, the supervisor’s office door was physically kicked in. A violent act of aggression aimed at the supervisor. What would anyone call that? Intimidation? Bullying? Why is there no outrage from the Town Board to get to the bottom of it? Complicit and feckless come to mind. The board’s silence is encouragement enabling the dysfunction.

Great leaders make tough decisions and often stand alone in the face of diversity. What will happen if Joe is not there? I believe that things will get quiet. And a quiet government is a dangerous one filled with back-room deals. Thus resurrecting the “Good ole boys club” once again.

We are fortunate to have a guy such as Mr. Sidonio with guts to stand his ground for us and do the right things for the Town of Murray.

Brian Fauci

Murray

Editor:

Being part of this community I wanted to do my due diligence at looking at the candidates for Shelby highway superintendent. I asked fellow residents as well as doing my own research. Being a small community I know people will have their personal choices and I like to form my own opinion.

What I found was someone using big words to make himself look more important than he really is. Let’s break down Mr. Wolter’s claims. He stated he was water superintendent for three years, when in reality it was only two year and then replaced.

Mr. Wolter claims he handled citizens’ complaints. So does anyone that works in the highway department. The claim of working with government agencies was a completely bloated statement. Mr. Wolter was sent to pave roads, fill potholes, plow snow, work on water pipes – again it’s the highway men’s job.

His statement “worked and set-up/removal traffic control” is fancy words for setting up signs and traffic cones. Mr. Wolter was not involved in working on highway budgets as it is the job of the highway superintendent to do. This was clarified by past and present administration.

I then looked into Mr. Root’s time as highway superintendent. He has been saving the town money, by staying under the budget every year since he has been elected. Mr. Root has worked with other government agencies to get roads paved, water lines fixed, shared services for the updated parking lot at the Town of Shelby, as well as many other accomplishments.

Mr. Root has changed various procedures that has helped bring revenue to the town as well. Mr. Root has worked for the people that elected him, putting the town on the forefront. He hasn’t made up his credentials with big words. He has the respect of his fellow highway superintendents as well as his highway employees.

I’m not a fan of being misled. Do your part to look at the candidates as I did. I will be voting for Mr. Root on June 27. To me he is the best choice for the Town of Shelby.

PJ Johnson

Shelby

Editor:

Defamation of character happens when a visitor leaves a comment concerning a social media post, as well as within the content of an article or document that a host has uploaded to social media for public view. A statement may be defamatory even if it is framed as an opinion.

Negative statements about people or companies appear frequently on social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If they are false statements of fact, they can be considered defamation in some circumstances, or more specifically libel because they are written statements.

Some words, labels, social media posts, or accusations do more than trigger hurt feelings. Some can trigger serious psychological and monetary damage. This can occur when messages are placed online with the intent of costing people or business their ability to do any of the following:

• Earn money through retail sales
• Earn money through services
• Raise revenue
• Otherwise affect the company or the person’s reputation

If you believe you are a victim of defamation due to content the Town of Shelby, an individual, or entity has posted to social media, contact an attorney experienced in litigating internet defamation cases.

Andina Barone

Mindful Media Group

Snyder

Editor:

We can tell by the yard signs that it is election time once again, so I’ll try to offer my two cents worth without getting skewered too badly.

Ask yourself some questions. “Who do I support?” “Why should I support one person over the other?” “What are the candidate’s motivations for running?”

During my tenure as Supervisor I had one desire, and that was to do what is best for the Town within the law and with regards to consideration for all the stakeholders involved.

I learned a great deal in that time. I learned who I felt was more interested in using their position for their own gain, who had the best interest of the Town as their primary consideration, and who gave effort above and beyond that required.

I was blessed to work with some of the most dedicated people I have ever known.

Cindy Oliver comes immediately to mind. She is the flywheel, the major source of energy that guarantees the Town runs smoothly in greased gears. She is not up for election this time around, but when she is, she is the most critical cog in the machine who would always have my endorsement.

No Town can function in these modern times without a great attorney. Jeff Martin provided constant steady guidance and has been sorely missed in his position since his departure at the end of my term.

Louise Passarell was one the hardest working employees the Town of Murray ever had. She performed many functions, from Water Clerk to Assistant Highway Superintendent to custodial work on weekends. She was also the Assistant Assessor until such time that she studied hard and completed a course of training to become Assessor upon the retirement of Lynn Wood. She did so well she completed her examinations as #1 in the County, which made her appointment to that position all the more appropriate.

Ed Morgan, our former Highway Superintendent, retired shortly after my departure receiving many professional accolades from his peers for the outstanding performance of his duties during his long career with the Town of Murray. One such achievement was the completion of over 97% public water lines to service the people of Murray.

So, why should I bring all this up? The issue is that we worked together. Everyone knew their job, knew how it impacted everyone else’s work, and did their best for the Town of Murray. The only one remaining from such a strong core group is Cindy Oliver.

Sadly, we lost many fine and qualified individuals for the sole reason that they could not perform as a team any longer. One caustic personality, who has over the years yet to convince me he works for anyone but himself, has personally driven away from Murray many such fine individuals.

In almost every situation he seeks to promote legislation and exploit opportunities which only serve his purposes. That is not public service but self service. Some of the initiatives may benefit others, but in the long run do not be so blind to not see that his primary motivation is his own and his family’s best interests.

In closing, I will be supporting those individuals who I firmly believe have the best interests of the Town as their sole motivation, all of whom have been endorsed by your Town of Murray Republican Committee.

Gerry Rightmyer for Supervisor

Lloyd Christ for Town Council

Randy Bower for Town Council

Elaine Berg for Town Council

I have known most of them for many years and believe in their values and integrity. I humbly ask that you consider supporting them as you make sure to vote in the Primary Election on June 27th.

Respectfully submitted,

Robert G. Miller

Murray

Editor:

Town of Shelby residents, please allow me to introduce myself, I am Justin Gray; a husband, a father of two boys, and a very strong Republican.

My current job outside of family is split between being a farmer and in law enforcement. For the past couple months, I have been talking to residents and explaining my intentions on why I decided to run for Town Council. The decision to run for public office comes with great pride but I would be lying if there wasn’t a sense of worry or uncomfortableness.

I am just like many of you. A small-town guy who wants to do better for their family and their future. Unfortunately, I cannot just sit by and let opportunity pass by, it’s not how I was raised.

I understand how important it is to set values like safety, integrity and honesty. As a lifelong resident of Shelby, my roots are deep and connected to our community. I was raised by my grandparents and mother in a house that I now raise my family in.

My grandfather, Mr. Gray, was a bus driver for many years in our community. I began my love of farming at the age of 11 when I went to work on Eick’s farm milking cows. Now 20-some years later, my oldest son Nathan opened his own produce stand! He has his own garden and I love teaching him in the ins-and-outs. These experiences matter because they are true pictures of what we want to accomplish in this world.

When I went into the academy in 2019, it was because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to protect the very fibers of our community for the harshest of dangers while providing my family with the best opportunities available. Nearly four years into my second career, I see the importance of protecting everything you worked for. Every action we do in this world should be based on improving upon what we have. If we are to do that, then our greatness is never limited.

Apparently, those values don’t quite line up with the establishment. They don’t quite gel with the status quo. I get that but, at the same time, I am not backing down.

When certain politicians want to falsely damage my character or lie about my intentions, I look back and say this is exactly what I want to put an end to. This Town deserves a voice, they deserve representatives who will fight for their interests not the politicians’ self-gain.

Without my candidacy, the establishment wanted to deny your voice and have no challenge to their handpicked candidates. We will put an end to the backroom deals, we will shine a light on the darkest corners, and together we will put people first before politics.

I am Justin Gray, a lifelong resident of Shelby, a strong Republican, and the voice you can count on. I would be honored to earn your vote on June 27th.

Justin Gray

Shelby

Editor:

Many people have said that Biden and Pence are as guilty as Trump for keeping classified US government documents in their homes.

In Biden’s case, he took 6 pages of classified information by mistake and returned the pages immediately. Pence had a number of documents that he also returned quickly.

When Trump left the White House he took 15 boxes of documents, 197 classified as Secret and Top Secret – all in violation of the law and National Archives strict regulations.

The legal charges against Trump say that (1) he and his assistant sought to hide and keep some of the documents, (2)  that he conspired to obstruct an investigation and schemed to conceal the truth from the government and his own lawyer, (3) that he suggested to his lawyer that he hide or destroy the Secret and Top Secret documents requested by the Justice Department and (4) that he hide the documents illegally from the FBI.

All of the charges have been summarized as obstruction of justice. The key is not having them, it is unlawfully hiding them from authorities.

Perhaps at his trial we will learn why he kept them. Mr. Cropsey in his thoughtful Letter to the Editor on June 12, discusses this topic in some detail.

Up to this point all of Trump’s legal life has centered on civil cases. He has been involved in over 3,500 legal cases: some he won, some he lost. When he lost he wrote a check and walked away.

Criminal cases are different. He has three more potential criminal cases to worry about: (1) the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, (2) the City of New York indictment for falsifying business records, and the (3) Atlanta, Georgia investigation into his possible interferences in the 2020 Presidential election count in Georgia.

If found guilty in any of these cases, he will not walk away.

Jack Capurso, Albion High School 1960

Ashburn, Va.

Editor:

The Shelby Town Board must require that Edward Zelazny recuse himself from all discussion of Overlay Zones and Industrial Zones within the Town.

He and his family have a financial conflict of interest with the quarry permit that the DEC just renewed, as the sons of Mr. Mahar Sr. and Mr. Zelazny Sr. are taking over the quarry fight in place of their fathers. Renewing that permit is a formality and a wake-up call for the rest of the town residents.

The DEC permit means nothing as far as the Zelazny’s and Frontier Stone LLC being able to start operating a quarry. The town’s zoning laws prohibit that type of industry in a Non-Industrial zone and the Refuge overlay zone.

An industrial quarry in the residential area and near the refuge also violates the Orleans County Comprehensive Plan. After reading the entire permit letter, I noticed a condition of the permit whereby it must be visibly posted on the permitted property. As of this writing, I don’t believe it has.

I want to give you some history for anyone who is unfamiliar with the quarry fight.

It started in 2006 when the residents of Fletcher Chapel Road found out about the Zelazny’s intention to lease their land to Frontier Stone LLC to build a nearly 300-acre quarry on the land adjacent to the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. At that time, they contacted me. The fight should have ended in 2019 when the NYS Supreme Court upheld the Town of Shelby’s overlay zones, prohibiting the quarry in that location.

The court found no merit in the lawsuit brought by Frontier Stone. But here we are again, with one of the Zelaznys in a position to effect a change in the zoning laws.

In 2006 the town surveyed the residents regarding wind, and industrial quarrying. Overwhelmingly, the residents were against industrial mining anywhere but in an industrial zone, specifically not near the refuge. The town put a moratorium on wind, solar and quarrying permits at that time.

For the next 13 years, I, along with Ken Printup, Wayne Dickenson, and hundreds of residents, and non-residents, concerned about the potential damage to the refuge and the quiet rural way of life for those living near the quarry site, worked our tails off to get the facts out and to protect the neighborhoods and the refuge.

We researched. We collected monthly well water data. We got trained in Hydrology by the US Geological Survey in Ithaca, NY. We wrote articles for the newspapers and the Hub correcting false information spread by Frontier Stone and later the image consultants hired by Frontier.

Unfortunately, there was no doubt that the DEC would issue the permit. The SEQR process does not protect even the state’s most delicate ecosystems. The Town residents and the Town Board, through their land use attorney Daniel Spitzer, worked day and night to tighten the local laws to avoid generation’s worth of damage and disruption to the residents and the Refuge.

Currently, a candidate running for Town Board is telling people that the Zelaznys back him. He has publicly stated his opposition to the Town’s Overlay Zone. This should tell the board all they need to know about the need for diligence in transparency and avoiding the appearance of impropriety in making decisions where a board member stands to benefit from these decisions financially.

In closing, I would like to thank the board for the Town’s Facebook page. It has been an invaluable resource for informing residents of things happening in the town and how the Town is addressing issues such as the cemetery mowing. I appreciate all the work that has made this a clear source of information for the town. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Wendi Pencille

Shelby

Editor:

I think Joe Biden is too old to serve a second term. I wish someone like Chuck Schumer was in the mix. I could stand having Chris Christie as president. But Donald Trump has been a much bigger disaster and embarrassment for America than I thought was possible back in 2016.

Comparing Biden’s “secret files” situation to Trump’s insane goofball antics is like comparing visiting a hospital for a urine test to being admitted to have a lung removed.

Yeah, Biden’s secret files are “all over the place” – I found three or four blowing around my back yard just this morning.

And I find it most depressing to see elected Republicans lying through their teeth, scurrying to avoid offending the beliefs of the millions of cretinous moron Trump suckers. And how many of those fools aren’t quite so stupid, but are just lying to themselves?

Tom Taber

Albion

Editor:

It’s almost time for the Town of Murray Republican Primary and Joe Sidonio is being challenged by Gerald Rightmyer, a short-time town councilman.

Since becoming Supervisor, Joe, who is an accomplished businessman with a degree in accounting, has demonstrated his ability to manage our town finances better than anyone. That is, after all, the primary responsibility of town supervisor.

As a  Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Army’s 23rd Infantry Division, I also appreciate that Joe is a  U.S. Marine Corps veteran and it shows in his unrelenting work ethic.

I know that Joe has spent a lot of time on the Fancher War Memorial and doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He was even criticized by the wife of an elected town employee recently on Facebook.

Several of my friends who are also veterans have commented on their appreciation of Joe’s involvement in this and that we should all support him at election time.

In these trying times with the current state and federal government leadership there is very little patriotism on display anymore and when a patriot like Joe works tirelessly to honor these local veterans it’s really appreciated.

Joe was also the driving force to reduce the town’s 50 percent water loss that cost Murray water customers thousands of dollars a year in water we paid for but didn’t use. If Joe hadn’t been elected this would never have been addressed.

Joe’s opponent has been a town councilman for a short time now. What are his accomplishments? What is his platform? What leadership experience does he have? What qualifies him to run for Murray Town Supervisor?

I’m supporting Joe because of his work ethic and proven track record as twon supervisor, because he is not related to anyone in Murray Town Government, his opposition to corruption within the town government and because he has accomplished everything he promised to do including his  tax cuts all in his first year.

He deserves to be re-elected to continue his drive for a better, more efficient town government.

Jim Johnson

Murray

Editor:

In response to Mr. Cropsey, I would find your letter more creditable if you acknowledged the fact that the current President has the same problems going back many more years than Trump.

Records from Mr. Biden have been found all over the place in less secure areas than Trump’s estate. This double-tiered justice system needs to be changed.

There is a serious problem in Washington and I think “We The People” need to hold both sides accountable, not just the one you don’t belong to.

We also need to rein in the media and get them back to honest reporting instead of pushing their own agenda or the agenda of a certain party.

This country is in far worse shape now than when Mr. Trump was in office. I will gladly vote for another “mean” businessman to run this country and clear the swamp.

Gary Palmer

Elba

Photo by Tom Rivers: Three Santas help to celebrate a new bronze statue on June 10 in honor of the late Charles W. Howard, who ran a school for Santas in Albion and also Christmas Park.

Editor:

What a memorable and well earned dedication inspired and brought to all by the Albion Betterment Committee! What an incredible achievement!

The legacy of Charles W. Howard and his Santa School and Christmas Park now shines forever.

The Albion community glows and thanks each of you and others who moved the goal forward to its completion.

Karen Watt

Albion

Editor:

Trump stole war plans and nuclear secrets. The speaking (detailed) indictment makes clear that it is an overpowering, easy case to prove – tapes, videos, his lawyers’ testimony, associates all clearly establish espionage. Just read the indictment, it’s amazing.

The only loose cannon may be that the case seems to be assigned to Judge Cannon who the 11th Circuit (affirmed by the Supreme Court) already found “abused discretion” trying, as she did, to apply so called legal principles she heard on Fox News about Trump rather than apply the actual Rule of Law. She is astoundingly uninformed! That could delay the inevitable.

There is an unanswered and serious issue as we have no idea how long it will take to figure out how much information was compromised or sold in the year and a half it took to retrieve the documents Trump stole. Monetizing them through sale is the only reason for holding onto these secrets. (The Indictment has partially listed 31 of them.)

Quite differently, the question now for voters is figuring out what to think and do about all the copycat politicians who still puff up their chests and lie like “our” lives depend on believing their message of distrust and dissatisfaction.

Do we look around and realize our lives are pretty good or do we want to think everything was better in some idealized past or the present they lie about. There are, for example, a false narrative about literature being subversive. A false narrative we were better off being racist and intolerant.

A false narrative that with these idiots in charge we have more (not less) opportunity to move up the ladder of opportunity. A false narrative that rights that affect us are fine but it is wrong to recognize the rights of others who did others no harm. A false narrative that in the past the money government raised was not getting good things accomplished.

Trump showed politicians a path to power, corrupted our traditions, and inflamed partisan passions and laws to hide subversive and paranoid ways.

Can we rely that truth and reason can now overcome the widespread paranoia he stoked and others still spew? Or are enough of us willing to say (or realize) the Constitution and Rule of Law have to prevail if we have any chance to maintain a mature democracy which is ultimately in our best interests?

The mature response – the response that has always carried us through hard times and will carry us through these times – is to trust those (all of those) who choose tolerance, policy over winning, and the Rule of Law. Can people relax and get their heads together again or will they continue to fool themselves with the distrust and fear that is being peddled?

The truth is things are good. Get things in perspective. Overwhelmingly people of all stripes and government are good and serve us well. Putting “winning” over good policy and fair dealing is bad. And Trump and his copycat politicians and entertainers are cheap, loud mouth, common crooks.

Jack Smith, the prosecutor, came home from the Hague where he was prosecuting war crimes and criminal heads of state. This country has a hundred years of experience with special prosecutors who make their own decisions. Smith is used to hearing noise and ignoring it. He will hold fast as otherwise good people come back to their senses as they see the proof.

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

I would like to give a heads up to the Airbnb owners and people who rent out their cottages and homes part time in the Town of Yates. I was at our town workshop with Steven Colon on June 5 and our Town Supervisor is head strong on regulating what has been a cultural norm for the last 30 years in our town.

They will be taking from Clarendon’s town law (click here) and the draconian Kendall town law (click here) to put something together against the owners in our town.

To be fair there will be a press release on the Hub about this. They are also proposing a Town Hall meeting so residents can come and ask questions before they propose a public hearing. Pay attention to the dates.

I urge this to be attended so you can become informed because if this proposal moves forward it will be very hard to repeal. Neither I or Steven Colon (candidates for Town Board) support this in any way shape or form as we believe in a free prosperous Lyndonville.

Thank you.

Paul Lauricella

Town of Yates

Editor:

Town of Shelby residents have asked for transparency, so here goes…

The last Town Board meeting a request was made to the Town Board to assist with funding Basketball Courts at Butts Park.  The Board voted unanimously to fund $10,000 towards the Basketball Courts.

Recently the Town Hall parking lot was milled and paved.  A big thank you to Highway Superintendent Dale Root for coordinating with Keeler Construction to immediately start on the Town of Shelby project as soon as they finished milling the roads in the village of Medina. This coordination saved the taxpayers of Shelby approximately $5,000 in transportation costs if Keeler Construction was not already in the area doing work.

Superintendent Root also applied for grant funding to purchase a new dump truck/plow truck with Congresswoman Claudia Tenney’s office,  which if approved, could save the town approximately $300,000 for a new truck.

The heavy truck fleet is strong but tired. The cost of repairs are starting to rise and the trucks are starting to need more repairs as they age. I commend the crews on their maintenance and upkeep of the trucks. You can see the effort and pride they have in their vehicles, but season after season of salt takes a toll on the equipment. The Town Board has authorized Highway Superintendent Root to accept bids for two new plow trucks with plows to replace aging equipment. Updates will be forthcoming.

The Town Board has engaged the services of a local engineering firm to explore funding opportunities to establish a water district 13 which includes the east side of the Town of Shelby.

Recently I have been getting questions from concerned citizens about comments made by an unendorsed candidate for town council, who said that the National Wildlife Refuge Overlay near Fletcher Chapel Road, which the Town of Shelby approved, needs to be removed because no business can be established inside the overlay area.

The overlay surrounding The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge was established to protect the Refuge which is a unique natural resource in the Town of Shelby. If you go to NYS Local Law look-up and search Town of Shelby Local Law #3 of 2017, it clearly defines businesses that are allowed in the overlay district.

That area is zoned Agricultural/Residential. It does allow for home-based businesses such as vehicle repair shops, bed and breakfasts, even a campground up to 10 acres in size, among others. What it does not allow for is commercial or industrial-type businesses.

So to answer the concerns, yes the overlay district does restrict commercial and industrial-type businesses. However that does not mean you can not have a business in the overlay area. If you are interested in starting a business in that area, contact the Code Enforcement Officer at the Town Hall.

I received an email that I think every taxpayer in the Town of Shelby should be made aware of.  The email I received was addressed to the Town of Shelby Supervisor and it was from The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Region 8, Regional Permit Administrator.  The email was a notification that a renewal mining permit was issued to Frontier Stone LLC of Wilson, NY for the Frontier Stone Quarry on Fletcher Chapel Road-Sour Springs Road in Shelby.

If any resident is interested in obtaining a copy of the mining permit, it will be available at the town hall.

Respectfully,

Scott Wengewicz

Supervisor

Town of Shelby

Editor:

Hi! I’m Dale Root, your Shelby Highway Superintendent. It has been a pleasure serving you and the town for the past 3 1/2 years! I am the endorsed Republican candidate and asking for your support as I seek re-election.

The town primary is June 27th. Please vote!

Below is a list of a few of our accomplishments during my tenure:

• Never going over budget! AND, working closely with the town board.

• Paved, repaired, and sealed over 18 miles of Shelby roads.

• Switched winter plowing and sanding to straight salt. Doing this lessens spring cleanup and saves us all tax dollars!

• We have implemented a high-speed water meter reading program reducing meter reading from one week to one day, saving us all tax dollars!

• Working with our Soil & Water office we came up with a solution alleviating flooding and potential health hazards on West Avenue Extension.

• Immediately respond to any water main breaks and continuously cleaning ditches & culverts in need of repair.

• We purchased a new High Lift at great savings to the town.

• We team with neighboring towns to share services saving tax dollars.

• I do not accept the NYS retirement and I decline (& discontinued) the town’s water stipend (saving the town thousands of dollars).

I believe Shelby is in a better place than when I was first elected. I take my role as custodian of our highway funds (our precious tax dollars) very seriously! We have always worked within our budget and frequently stay under budget. I’m asking your support as I seek re-election.

Dale S. Root

Shelby