letters to the editor/opinion

Editorial: Bravo to 5 school districts for their musical productions

Photos by Tom Rivers: The cast of The Addams Family sings the opening number of “When You’re An Addams” during Friday’s show in the middle school auditorium. Zack Baron is in the lead role of Gomez and Mallory Ashbery plays his wife Morticia. The famously ghoulish family embraces being true to themselves and decries being “normal.”

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 March 2023 at 3:26 pm

It has been a busy theatrical season for the five local school districts. They all put on full-length musicals. Albion did two – the Jungle Book by middles schoolers and The Addams Family by the high school.

This is the first time in at least 11 years all five districts have staged musicals. Lyndonville and Medina had a combined program hosted by Lyndonville for 11 years, until Medina decided to bring the program back to its own district.

Medina and Lyndonville both had crowd-pleasing shows and I expect they will be recognized by the Stars of Tomorrow, which honors the productions in the Rochester region – highlighting acting, dancing, singing, the sets and crews and overall production of the shows.

But the local districts don’t need to be validated by the Stars of Tomorrow to know they put on a good show. I attended all of the musicals in the county, and they all made their school districts and community proud.

Gabe Lindsay showed lots of exuberance in the lead role of the Willy Wonka in Holley Junior-Senior High School’s production of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka last Friday and Saturday. This is from the opening scene of “Pure Imagination” with Willy Wonka joined by Oompa-Loompas. Holley always puts on a fun show. The school brought back the musical last year under new director Dustin Gardner following the retirement of Dan Burke. There wasn’t a show in 2021, and 2020 had all of the local musicals sidelined by Covid restrictions.

It’s no small feat to put on a musical – shows that can run two to three hours. These small districts have the talent in the students, and teams of teachers to lead the productions. The shows also tap into expertise outside the school walls for people to make costumes, build sets, play instruments in the pit orchestra, and cover other needs to make the shows so entertaining and well done.

These shows bring together cast crew members of about 50 to 100 people. The musicals unite them for a common purpose. The theater departments are places of acceptance and inclusion, finding spots for people regardless of their singing and dancing abilities, or where they stand on the social hierarchy.

These shows often bring powerful messages about friendship, love for community and what it means to be in a family.

There is Daddy Warbucks whose heart is melted by the orphan Annie. There is Dorothy who wants desperately to leave Oz and get back to her small town home in Kansas. And Willy Wonka teaches many lessons about greed.

Adriana Schiavone performs the lead role in Kendall Junior-Senior High School’s production of Annie. Kendall put on the show from March 10-11.

I was encouraged, too, that many of the musical cast and crew members tried to attend the shows by the other districts, offering support and loud applause, especially in Medina and Lyndonville, where those students had a strong bond for years doing shows together.

I heard many people from the older generation say the school plays have come a long way with the music, choreography, costumes, sound and lighting. Lyndonville even had five characters take flight to add to the magic of the story on the stage.

Next year I encourage everyone to check out the show at their school district, and see the ones at neighboring districts, too. The cast and crew deserve to perform in front of a full house.

Medina performed Little Mermaid from March 17-18 and they deserve applause for a great new beginning for the drama program. Elaina Huntington plays the role of Ursula, a sea witch/sorceress at left, and Seagan Majchrzak starred as Ariel.

Greyson Romano plays the role of the Great Oz who takes off too early in a hot air balloon near the end of the Wizard of Oz, which was performed Friday through Sunday in Lyndonville. Oz was one of five characters who took flight in the show. The characters wore a harness and they went airborne through wires and a tracking system. It was an element that added to the sense of awe and wonder of the show, which included 108 students from first grade to seniors.

Albion middle schoolers performed the Jungle Book on March 10-11. In this photo Ayme Vallejo Morales is Kaa, a python that sings “Trust in Me.” The snake has powers to hypnotize. The middle schoolers put on a full-length show every spring.

TV ads shouldn’t include propaganda from pharmaceutical companies

Posted 26 March 2023 at 6:25 pm

Editor:

Drug ads should be removed from television. Almost every other commercial on TV is an advertisement for a new drug.

The integrity of drug ads has long been questioned. The only two countries in the world that allow drug ads on television are the United States and New Zealand.

Other countries such as the U.K., France and Germany have banned them due to high pharmaceutical spending and negative health outcomes. Additionally, the advertising companies that create the pharmaceutical ads are only required to state at least one approved use for a drug, the generic name of the drug, and any potential side effects.

Therefore, advertisers can leave out the cost, how the drug works, and whether a condition is treatable with a change in behavior.

Drug ads also cause distrust in doctors. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine conducted a survey of 1,744 adults, which found that 16% of the adults questioned their doctor’s advice after asking for a drug and could not receive it. This can cause people to stop visiting their doctor, which may cause more health issues.

Pharmaceutical ads have a negative impact on the public and should not be legal in the United States. We must speak to our representatives and advocate for the removal of drug ads on TV.

Sarah Kelly

Holley High School student


Editor’s note: Nick D’Amuro, Holley social studies teacher, said the student essay is completed by a student seeking the New York State Seal of Civic Readiness. The Seal of Civic Readiness is a formal recognition that a student has attained a high level of proficiency in terms of civic knowledge, civic skills, civic mindset, and civic experiences.

The Holley Central School District is an institution that offers students the opportunity to earn this designation on their diploma upon graduation. Students must complete a variety of tasks surrounding a particular research topic that is of interest to them.  A crucial element of this project requires students to inform citizens in their community about their topic and call for citizens to take action. This article serves as the basis for this requirement, D’Amuro said.

Tulsa massacre in 1921 devastated Black community that built a thriving Middle Class

Posted 26 March 2023 at 1:51 pm

Editor:

The Hoag Library and Community Coalition for Justice last month reviewed “The Burning,” where in 1921 Tulsa  300-plus Blacks were killed and 1,130 houses, 12 churches, doctors’ and  dentists’ offices and numerous businesses were burned to the ground. Blacks were executed in the streets, with one Black woman hung from a lamppost.

The ferocity of the dark of the night attack and its aftermath were incredible. (Denial, the lack of appearance in history books and even current electronic Tulsa history is shocking.)

The flip side: restraint of Tulsan Blacks.

Two times, caravans of cars full of many Black World War I veterans drove to the jail, where a Black man, accused of accosting a white women, was being held. One Tulsa newspaper had headlined “Lynching Tonight.” The black caravan leaders met with Sheriff McCullough, who assured there would be no lynching. They returned home.

As the white crowds and tumult at the jail grew, they went back a second time. A white man, incensed at a Black man having a gun, tried to wrestle it away. The gun went off, killing a white bystander. Both sides began firing, with some people killed. The Blacks, better armed and battle-ready by their WWI service, again, reassured by the Sheriff, returned to their neighborhood.

A white man was employed as projectionist in the Black movie theater. He got caught there as the whites massed into Greenwood at 5 a.m. At great risk to himself, a Black theater employee, drove this man to an area south of the attack, so he could safely get back to the his home in the white area

By midday, some Blacks had assembled in a new stone church and were defending themselves.  But a white man came forward, waving a white “truce” flag. They ceased fire, and let him approach. He lit a kerosene fire bomb, threw it through a window, catching drapes and wood interior on fire. The Blacks fled and were fired upon.

By Christmas time, 7 months later, some Blacks had returned, and living in tents, began to rebuild. They gathered for a Christmas celebration. A Black minister climbed onto a truck. “Let us remember an old Negro tradition,” he preached. “There is no room in our hearts for hatred.”

Sheriff McCollough, who successfully prevented the lynching, was motivated by a personal incident 2 years before. A 19-year-old Black lad had been accused of accosting a white woman.  McCullough questioned it. The Sheriff got to know the young man and believed he was innocent. He sadly presided over the public hanging.

The young lad asked to speak to the crowd. He cleared his throat and spoke in a loud voice,  “Now I want to say that all people should tell the truth when they come to the courthouse. And I hope God Almighty blesses each and every one of you.”

For more on such incidents and business and government policies that restrain Black middle class, come Tuesday, March 28, at 6:30 p.m. to the Hoag Library to see the film, Against All Odds, The Fight for a Black Middle Class.

Bob Golden

Waterport

Orleans Hub provides service in reporting news, giving forum to debate issues

Posted 26 March 2023 at 1:41 pm

Editor:

Happy Birthday to the Orleans Hub. Newspapers are an integral part of the community; they inform the public about important issues, encourage political participation and social cohesion.

Local journalism, like the Orleans Hub, provide trusted independent reporting to hold government officials and public policy makers accountable through necessary oversight. Local journalists, like at the Orleans Hub, in a real sense roll away the stones of societal sins, and let the sunshine in.

Furthermore, local journalists provide social and cultural content of hard-to-reach audiences which helps our understanding of our neighbors. Newspapers also provide a place for readers to express opinions in a respectful manner.

While social media sites allow for rude, demeaning, bullying and intimidation with little facts or evidence to advance a policy or argument; newspapers offer opportunity for thoughtful arguments.

It is appropriate that we celebrated the Orleans Hub’s birthday the same month we celebrate Easter, a spiritual rebirth. I encourage readers to donate and support the Orleans Hub.

William Fine

Brockport

(Editor’s Note: The Orleans Hub will be 10 years old on April 1.)

2 candidates for Medina Village Board say they are committed to community

Posted 16 March 2023 at 9:14 am

Editor:

Residents of the Village of Medina: Diana Baker and Jess Marciano ask for your vote on March 21st.

From Diana Baker:

I have lived in Medina most of my life; I’ve grown up here, I’ve worked here, and I’ve been fortunate to raise my daughter here. I hold the position of AVP Project Manager at M&T Bank, and I am the Assistant Director/ Color Guard Caption Head for the Medina High School Marching Band.

I have worked with this group for 14 years, designing routines and coordinating students at practices that develop into bigger shows for both performances and competitions. I strive to help students find their passion and develop skills to allow them to grow, learn, and overcome obstacles they may encounter.

My goal as a Trustee is to encourage the involvement of the younger generation – to learn, to understand in order to contribute to the continued growth of our village. Our community has been blessed to have many positive contributors.

From Jess Marciano:

Having moved to Medina after years of living in urban areas, I am energized by living in a community where a resident can be so closely involved in decisions impacting our daily lives. During my incumbent term on the Village Board, I’ve had the opportunity to work hard at balancing much needed services with the cost it requires to facilitate them and to lead a few initiatives to bring residents closer to the decision making process.

Some of those measures include helping to implement a mass notification system (click here) and creating a public Facebook page (search MedinaJessMarciano) with frequent updates and ways to get involved.

We love this community and the collaborative process working in this village entails. We look forward to serving this village with honesty and respect, and to be a voice for all residents. Thank you for your support.

Diana Baker

Jess Marciano

Medina

Push to renewable energy sources brings many downsides

Posted 14 March 2023 at 9:10 pm

Editor:

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has allocated $52 million dollars of taxpayer money to establish twelve Regional Clean Energy Hubs.

These hubs are to act as Centers of Outreach Awareness and Education. They are to promote New York State’s efforts to move to clean energy. Apparently NYSERDA has come to the realization that there is public resistance to the New York State clean energy program, hence the necessity for a propaganda barrage to “educate” the public. There are many reasons to be wary of State energy policy as actions have consequences.

The Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) created under the Climate Leadership And Community Protection Act (CLCPA) has the authority to suspend local laws they deem “excessively burdensome.” This law does not protect our communities and is a threat and a power grab by unelected officials appointed by the Governor to push a political agenda.

Renewable energy programs, Solar and Wind, are absurdly called “ farms” and are having a devastating effect on local communities. Disruption of traditional farming and destruction of farmland forests and wetlands is commonplace and counterproductive. Noise and visual pollution are ever present. Health issues persist. Only a select few benefit at the expense of many. Without heavy subsidies (handouts) renewable Wind and Solar energy programs would not exist.

Viability of Electric Vehicles (EVs) comes into question as the State pushes for zero-emission vehicles by 2035 and effectively bans the sale of Internal Combustion Engine-powered vehicles.

EVs have attractive features such as quietness and smooth riding. However, they are costly, expensive to produce, extremely impractical for average use, suffer for lack of charging stations, are heavier than their Internal Combustion Engine vehicle counterparts and pose a fire threat.

Ford has recently suspended delivery of its lightning pickup truck because of “battery problems.” Also note the 2021 recall of all General Motors Chevy Bolt’s some twice, for “battery problems.”

Further, EVs require less labor to assemble and will result in a net job loss in the automobile industry. Without direct government subsidies (bribes) to the buyer and numerous other subsidies for charging stations and battery development there would be no market for electric vehicles.

In addition, the electrification of our transportation system will seriously impact suburban and rural residents as they rely heavily on practical reliable transportation.

Lithium ion storage batteries are being used to supply power when the wind does not blow, and the sun does not shine. Lithium Ion Batteries have a long history of unexplained fires.

The electrical grid is experiencing instability as reliable base load power from coal, clean burning natural gas and nuclear sources are shuttered, and solar and wind energy installations are  ramped up. This is due to the unpredictable and intermittent nature of Solar and Wind. Rolling blackouts occurred during this past Christmas Holiday in the Carolinas and a Tennessee Titans football game was postponed for an hour in a rolling blackout. The grid in New York may be next. A single source of energy is a high risk policy to pursue. National defense is at stake. Mr. Zelensky is not pleading for wind turbines or solar panels as the Russians invade Ukraine. When hurricanes and severe weather occur fossil fuels come to the rescue. Nuclear energy, clean burning natural gas and  the pursuit of clean coal must all be in our energy mix. Diversity is needed most in our energy portfolio.

The earth is warming at the present time and  humans are having an effect. How much and what can be done is debatable. Steven E. Koonin’s book “Unsettled” is an excellent resource to put climate change into perspective. Dr. Koonin is currently a professor at New York University. His qualifications include serving as Under Secretary for Science in the Obama Administration and much more. This book is well worth reading.

For future generations the outlook is problematic. Erosion of our individual freedoms will continue. Executive orders will proliferate, extremists will persist in confusing weather and climate. The government will dictate the kind of cars we drive, how we heat our homes, how we cook our food and much more. Rolling blackouts will be the norm. Subsidies will abound, public debt will continue to skyrocket and the attack on the fossil fuel industry will continue. Mountains of unrecyclable trash will litter the landscape as discarded turbine blades, solar panels and batteries outlive their useful life.

In short, socialism on the march with all its downsides.

A redirection of our State and Federal energy policies are overdue! Let us start with an overhaul of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. New York can lead the way.

James C. Hoffman

Somerset

Better signage needed for people lost in ‘Kuckville Triangle’

Posted 12 March 2023 at 6:10 pm

Editor:

NY Route 279 once ran from 5-Corners through Gaines to Route 18 in Carlton. New York turned 279 north of Ridge Road (Route 104) over to Orleans County and removed State signage.

This creates a “Kuckville Triangle” for visitors and fisherpeople lost in the Black North country. Solution: County Tourism and / or Highway can make small “Old Rte 279” markers with arrows sending outsiders down the correct roads. This is especially important before coming fishing derbies and the April 2024 eclipse.

Gerard M. Morrisey

Albion

Snow removal could be better in downtown Albion

Posted 10 March 2023 at 5:37 pm

Editor:

Quick question for the Albion Village Board. Why is snow not removed from along the sidewalk/curbs in the downtown business district?

My wife and I went to go eat at 39 Problems Thursday for lunch, but couldn’t park along Main Street. The snow banks along the edge of the sidewalk and curb are so big, you can’t open your passenger side doors. It looked like Bank Street was the same.

Now go figure, few people want to shop downtown.

I remember the Village DPW used to always clean up the snow. What happened?

Oh, by the way, had a good lunch at 39 Problems.

Can’t wait to hear the replies.

Paul Roberts

Albion

Fox doesn’t report on its efforts to distort the news, but the truth is trickling out

Posted 10 March 2023 at 7:34 am

Editor:

Fox “Not News” does not report on itself.  Last week we learned Carlson, Hannity, Ingram, Dobbs, etc. give air time to people they have said in writing they do not believe on theft of an election they acknowledge, between themselves, are disproven.

Rupert Murdoch, the founder, testified this falsification was not about red or white but about green – the color of money.

This week we learned 1) these  entertainers call their viewers “nuts” 2) Carlson wrote that he deeply “despises” Trump and his Presidency was a failure, and 3) Murdoch passed leaked confidential Biden campaign information to Trump’s son-in-law J. Kushner.

Inter alia, Fox Managing Editor Sammons wrote “It’s remarkable how weak ratings makes [us] do bad things.”

In reply Fox Political Editor Stierwalt wrote: “What  I see us doing is losing…..  viewers as we chase the nuts off a cliff….”

Now Fox not only publicly lies but is now supporting rewriting text books to support propositions like teaching race as essential to society. Of course, banning math books and teaching that recognizing race differences is essential are topics for other days. But while Hitler burned books Fox is at the point it supports rewriting history.

This all is a developing story. Will the “nuts” realize they are being played? Will we remain a majority ruled democracy of, for and by the people? Will history be rewritten till the world is no longer recognizable?

Till then Fox is in a bind. It finds itself between a few fully delusional “news” competitors including QAnon and accurately sourced and truthfully reported news. But drip, drip, drip, truth is still getting out, thank goodness.

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Decriminalize sex work to make it safer, remove threat of arrest

Posted 3 March 2023 at 8:28 pm

Editor:

The purpose of this letter is to encourage your readers to contact their representatives and advocate for the full decriminalization of sex work in the United States.

Decriminalization would provide benefits not only to sex workers but also to all Americans by enhancing their safety and well-being. It is time for our society to take action to protect the rights and safety of this marginalized group.

It is worth noting that sex workers do not desire legalization or extensive regulation of their profession. Decriminalization, in contrast, would generate new jobs and significantly increase economic growth.

A study conducted by the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women found that the full decriminalization of sex work in the U.S. would raise GDP by $11 billion annually. Between 70,000 and 80,000 individuals are arrested for prostitution each year in the U.S., costing taxpayers approximately $200 million. Decriminalizing sex work offers a substantial opportunity to enhance economic growth and improve the lives of millions of Americans.

Sex workers have faced violence, discrimination, and stigma for too long. Criminalizing sex work drives it underground, making it substantially more hazardous for sex workers. Denying sex workers access to basic legal protections leaves them susceptible to exploitation, abuse, and trafficking. Decriminalization would remove the threat of arrest and prosecution, and permit sex workers to operate safely and autonomously.

The issue of decriminalizing sex work should not be a partisan matter. It offers advantages that both Republicans and Democrats can support. Decriminalization has the potential to reduce the number of individuals reliant on welfare by providing these individuals with access to a legitimate source of income.

Furthermore, decriminalizing sex work can help to achieve universal rights for all Americans. I believe that it is important to uphold the principle of non-interference in the affairs of consenting adults, respecting their privacy, and honoring their personal autonomy. I’m not alone in this regard.

It is crucial to maintain consistency in our beliefs about American freedom. If we believe in the inherent value of individual liberty, this should apply to all Americans, regardless of the specific moral beliefs we hold. Prostitution is a consensual activity between adults that neither harms nor takes from anyone else. In the absence of any infringement on the rights of others, there is simply no justifiable reason for sex work to remain criminalized.

Prohibition has never proven to be effective, whether in the early 1900s or in the present day. Instead of promoting the idea of rescuing sex workers, it is essential to recognize their need for rights; understanding that sex workers do not exploit themselves nor sell their bodies. Rather, they offer their services or labor in exchange for monetary compensation. I suggest researching the history of why this industry continues to be criminalized.

I urge you to write to your representative in support of all hardworking Americans and taxpayers by advocating for a bill that fully decriminalizes sex work, without imposing harmful and unnecessary regulations.

By taking this action, you will be taking a significant step towards ensuring that these laborers are able to work safely and independently, and towards creating a more equitable and just society for all.

Sincerely,

D. Hill

Carlton

(Hill, formerly known as C. Tkach, is author of Sexual Liberty: Memoirs of a Sex Worker’s Fight for Freedom and is the founder of the Libertarian Party of Orleans County.)

Drug rehab site would add to strain on Village of Albion from so many tax-exempt properties

Posted 2 March 2023 at 4:57 pm

Editor:

The Village of Albion Board is right to oppose the conversion of the Clover Hill Adult Residence building into a drug rehabilitation facility. The mission of the ‘Gates to Recovery’ organization might be noble, but this project would very likely reduce the tax base in the Village of Albion, increase the demand for village services, and serve and employ people who predominately won’t be residents of the village. The village cannot afford to be the place to locate all the tax-exempt organizations that the wider Orleans community might need.

The Clover Hill building has a tax assessment of $619,600. If that becomes tax exempt, then village taxes for all other village taxpayers will go up. And, like it or not, neighboring properties will probably become less desirable to future buyers with a rehab facility close by in the neighborhood. So, the tax base of the village will decrease even more. It may be that people at the facility would go into the village and buy things like food and gasoline. But Orleans County has frozen the amount of sales tax that it has shared for the past 20 years, so the village would likely not see one extra cent of sales tax revenue.

With up to 135 people living and working in the building we can expect extra police, fire, and ambulance calls. Again, it would be the people of Albion who would pick up that cost. We saw last year that the leaders of the county and towns paid for ambulance service by placing an unfair burden on Albion. Costs were allocated based upon where ambulances were sent, not equally throughout the county or by where the patient normally resides. Albion will very likely be on the hook again.

As to the building, it is located very close to neighboring properties with little buffer space. It was built to serve quiet, older people who had limited mobility – neighbors that you might never hear a peep from. To spend $1 million to expand and/or renovate the existing building to serve a different purpose might very well not be fair to neighboring properties.

If there is a need for long-term drug rehabilitation services in Orleans County, then a site should be selected or built in another town. It is time to spread the locations of tax-exempt organizations throughout the county and to stop pushing most of them into villages.

Over the decades the politicians of Orleans County have purposefully made the villages very highly taxed and there is no sign that they plan to change course. Village residents need to push back where we can or pretty soon no one will be able to afford to live in an Orleans County village.

Jason Dragon

Village of Albion

Don’t let fear, misinformation determine response to proposed drug rehab site

Posted 1 March 2023 at 7:20 am

Editor:

A letter writer to the Orleans Hub expressed fear and worry over a drug rehabilitation center opening in Albion. “Who in their right mind wants drug addicts in their neighborhood? I sure don’t. Watch the crime rate soar and property values plummet if a drug rehab facility goes in at Clover Hill in Albion.”

These fears and anxieties are real and should not be dismissed; they must be addressed. One way to overcome fears is by knowledge; understanding the problem and solutions.

There is abundant fact-based evidence that drug rehabilitation centers do not increase crime and they do not cause property values to plummet. In fact by helping people get off drugs they make our communities safer.

But let’s get real. I am not going to change your mind with studies and factual data. Let’s talk about what we all know. There is a drug problem in Albion, Orleans County and beyond. This drug problem is not getting any better; in fact it’s getting worse.

Closing our eyes does not make the problem go away or improve the situation. Arresting and putting people in jail for drug abuse has not worked in the past 30, 40 or 50 years, it is not likely going to work any better now.

The current policies are not and have not worked. Since nothing else has worked why not try a drug rehab center? The studies and evidence supports rehab facilities.

Fear and mis-information are keeping us from learning from the failed policies of the past. It is time to move beyond fear. It is time to base policies on evidence-based solutions that actually work.

This letter, or any letter will not assuage your fears and anxieties; knowledge will. I suggest that the writer learn more about rehab centers in general, and about this rehab center specifically, i.e. who is running it, how it will be run, and how and if it will benefit the community.

William Fine

Brockport

Join the book discussion on Tulsa Massacre in 1921 and learn from the mistakes of the past

Posted 27 February 2023 at 8:10 am

Editor:

The Burning, the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, will be reviewed at the Hoag Library in Albion at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

Mike Magnuson of the Library, Rev. Jim Renfrew, Gary Kent, Lorienda Smith, Bob Golden and others will assist and participate in an audience-wide discussion.

Saint Pope John XXIII prayed daily, “Lord help me to remain humble, so I don’t hurt others.”

But at 5:01am on June 1st, 1921, a mob of heavily armed white men, “the superior race,” aided by a machine gun from an over-looking hill and two armed airplanes, aided and abetted by the press, business and public officials, stormed a highly successful middle-class community of 15,000 Blacks.

They killed as many as 300 Blacks. (We don’t know exactly, because many were stacked on trucks, dumped into mass graves and covered over, unmarked. Because of pictures and persistent tales of the truck loads of Black bodies, 99 years later the white mayor of Tulsa led a search by archaeologists and 12 such unmarked graves were excavated.)

They also looted and burned to the ground 1,115 homes (315 more were looted only), 5 hotels, 31 restaurants, 4 drugstores, 8 doctors’ offices, a new school, two dozen grocery stores, a hospital, public library and 12 churches.

Why study this now? So we don’t repeat (and desist from) the same mistakes. Although this may be an extreme example, there are countless similar incidents in our history, and for that matter in the history of man, e.g. Ukraine and Afghanistan right now. Currently in the US –although we’ve gotten better – we continue to consider and treat Blacks, Native Americans, other minorities and women as “inferior” and “hurt’ them.

As Alcoholics Anonymous says in its Twelve steps toward recovery, “We need to make a fearless examination of conscience.”

This book discussion is organized by the Community Coalition for Justice, which includes committee representatives from 6 churches and two civic organizations.

Bob Golden

Waterport

(Golden is a member of the Coalition and a retired Probation Director in Orleans County, as well as a member of the Social Justice Committee at Holy Family Parish.)

Lots of options to grow Albion besides a new drug rehab center at Clover Hill

Posted 27 February 2023 at 7:31 am

Editor:

Wow, seems I have stirred up a hornets’ nest in regards to the proposed drug rehab at Clover Hill. Good!!!! That is what America is about, isn’t it? We can voice our opinion.

I spent 25 years in prison, I should mention, as an employee. I have family members who are drug addicts. I have friends who lost a child to drugs.

I do understand the strain drugs are putting on society. I watched the revolving door court system first hand while working at the prisons. It’s even worse now with the current coddling court system our liberal politicians have put into place.

How about we start at the top, with the person sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office in DC. This person claims the borders are secure. So, I must assume, the borders are secure, so no illegal drugs are entering the USA from the borders. Right?

To the person regarding the empty derelict downtown Albion. Have any ideas? Attend the board meetings? Where is the codes officer? Drive around Albion. Trash all over, abandoned cars. Burned out buildings. Trash cans left at the curbs for days. Cars parked on front lawns for days. The list goes on and on.

Medina has an industrial park that is shovel ready. Does Albion? No! Therefore where are the employees and businesses – in Medina.

Thank you to the new owners of 39 Problems for opening. And the coffee shop at the old corner pharmacy. Have been to both and plan on continuing to frequent them.

Was hoping a Veterans Outreach Center or senior living facility would take over Clover Hill. Both desperately needed in Albion.

Can’t wait to hear all the negative replies on here and Facebook. How about some real answers then? Step up to the plate, open a business in downtown if you can afford it. The old Ames plaza has a couple empty stores.

How about something that is Albion-based, Santa Claus-themed?

You have a good opportunity right now to get the ball rolling in opening a good family business. Several vacant buildings downtown. Lots of time to build your business plan and get opened just as the canal bridge and the main thoroughfare in Albion reopen. More employees!!

My opinion is and will remain, no drug center at Clover Hill. Put it in your neighborhood if you think it is so great. Open up one of the closed prisons.

Thank You to Orleans Hub for this time to voice my opinion.

Paul Roberts

Albion

Knee-jerk opposition to drug rehab facility but silence over dying town

Posted 24 February 2023 at 8:27 am

Editor:

From a “liberal”:  I see the predictable, fake outrage that someone would dare buy an Albion property, spend $1 million on improvements, hire one hundred people and actually fight addiction. How dare they! They must be stopped!

Property values: Drive around the Village of Albion and see the “Pool Hall” and “The Hive” etc. etc.  A drug culture is all too embedded on our dying streets. Do the shouters think that this helps property values?  Go all out; keep Clover Hill abandoned as a symbol of a dead or dying town!

Wake up; See how this outfit has behaved at other locations. Have they been a good neighbor and have they fought addiction?

Gerard M. Morrisey

Albion