Editor:

With all that seeks to divide and polarize our great country and community, I urge readers to look to Calvary’s cross and remember what the Son of God did to cut through all the controversies and make us one.

Until we turn to faith in Jesus Christ we’ll find plenty that divides. Jesus Christ is no respecter of persons or political parties. He alone died for the sins of every one and forgives those who ask.

I pray we each choose civil discourse while discussing our differences. Perhaps it starts with the grace and peace extended with outstretched hands and the humility modeled by God who became flesh to rescue us from — ourselves!

Pastor Steven Pawley

Shelby Center Church

Editor:

I have read a back and forth about the police. Both writers lost their way with overstatements, hyperbole, and finger pointing. Let’s get some things settled.

1. The overwhelming majority of law enforcement is great. Studies show the very small percent who use excessive force were emotionally or physically abused as children. Some small departments – particularly in states that cut corners – do not administer needed psychological testing to weed out bad eggs. That is not politics.

2. Looters are looters. There is no proof, per the FBI, that leftists are organized to commit violence these days. (Personally, I believe some – too many – radicals jump in when the opportunity arises.) Per the FBI there are organized and armed far right groups (now trying to integrate into the MAGA wing for cover) out there ready for insurrection. It’s totally warped double standard for either MAGA or left wing Revolutionaries to root theirs on while condemning the other. This is rotten politics but not policing.

3. “Defunding the police” is as stupid a slogan as “supply side economics”. (Both think cuts in funding make the product better.) But mainstream people in both parties support more money for police. All agree we need to deal with reactions to race better. That probably begins with hiring but continues with what type of training works best. It’s legitimate stuff to talk through. No villains here though. Just problems to solve.

4. The one issue in these letters I see is that official public vehicles seem to have been used at a political event. It’s unfortunate people try to use good policing as a wedge issue. But once the uniform is on, wedge issue or not, the officer and his official car getting dragged into politics is not only illegal but forgets good policing stands above politics. It was an unfortunate oversight to mix the two.

There is nothing good that cannot be made better yet. The police, law enforcement, needs positive discussion – not far left or MAGA finger pointing.

Conrad F Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

From my previous written article about GCASA putting the entrance of the recovery center to Route 31 instead of Butts Road in Albion, I admit to being wrong that this could happen. I was informed about the state not wanting more driveways on main highways.

So I am writing this to say that GCASA’s 25-bed women’s recovery center be relocated to a completely different location in Albion. Due to the Town Planning Board and GCASA making a recommendation that their vendors, supply trucks, residential trucks and employees use Butts Road from Route 31, there would be more high traffic that comes up and down this road. The construction of the site will also add to the demands on the road.

The recommendation to use Butts from Route 31 will only increase the risk for a serious to fatal accident to occur, either due to people hitting the underpass, or misjudging the size of their vehicle and having to turn around in residential driveways or turning around in the proposed center’s driveway. It risks an accident with vehicles coming and going from it. Too many people also treat Butts Road/Crandall Road as their own personal drag strip.

Me, my fiancé and my mother have lived on this road roughly five years now. Our neighbor across have lived here a lot longer than us and has seen many more years of craziness that involves the underpass with people hitting it. Or misjudging their vehicle size and not being able to go under it.

To go back what I said about people treating it as a drag strip, this road has a 40 MPH speed zone on it. The majority of the vehicles – cars, motorcycles, trucks, dirt bikes and even snowmobiles – don’t obey it. There have been multiple motorcycles/dirt bikes that fly up and down this road at well over 80 MPH and it makes it hard to get a description to call to make a report.

Since the public hearing on Aug. 5 about the proposed center, we have had multiple turn-a-rounds due to the misjudgment of people with the underpass. On Aug. 27, three different times that day  vehicles came north to the underpass and tried to go underneath. They had to turn around. They either turned around in our driveway, our neighbor’s across the street or in front of the proposed entrance to this center or even as far back as Saint Gobain’s employee entrance.

Then yesterday at 7 p..m we were almost involved in an accident with a motorcycle treating Butts Road as his own personal speed strip. We were trying to make a left turn into our driveway with children in the car he almost hit us from behind and then passed us on the right and took off at speeds close to 100 MPH. There was no way to make a report or call the police due to him flying at those kind of speeds.

Today at 7 am a U-Haul truck was driving south going under the underpass and got wedged underneath in it and was stuck. The underpass was shut down for almost an hour and again our driveway, our neighbor’s across the street and even where the proposed center’s entrance would be were all used as turnaround for multiple vehicles.

This part of Butts Road, with an already high traffic flow, doesn’t make sense to add more. You’re asking for a higher chance of a serious to fatal accident to occur or happen.

My recommendation is that other locations in Albion be looked at for this proposed center.   One example is Clover Hill, which is currently vacant. It offers more bed space and is closer to the village and what the village offers. Residents could walk to doctor’s appointments, dentist appointments, grocery stores or parks if they chose not to use transportation.

I’ve said time and time again I’m all for this center. It’s a need to help fight addiction. But I think the time and effort to find a safe and secure location to help people fighting addiction was not taken into consideration when this part of road was considered.

Aaron Vosburgh

Albion

Editor:

I’m surprised that in Mr. Dragon’s letter of August 15 he felt that it was odd that the overwhelming support of police came from proud Republicans carrying their signs.

I’m wondering if Mr. Dragon has been living under a rock the past few years ignoring the dangerous anti-police rhetoric coming from the Democratic Party and a huge call by these same Democrats to defund the police.

Mr. Dragon’s ignorance is then supported later in his letter by claiming that soon police would only answer 911 calls placed by Republicans. Police are called to serve and protect ALL citizens.

During the BLM riots my son was a police officer who was assaulted with frozen water bottles,  feces, urine and rocks.  A woman who pelted him with these things and screamed in his face that he should die, later called 911 because BLM had destroyed everything in their path including her car.

When my son responded she recognized him as the officer she had assaulted earlier. She sarcastically said, “I suppose you won’t help me.” As my son was trained to do he professionally got her the help she needed without even considering her total disrespect the entire evening, just as 99 percent of our hard-working police officers would do.

I am so proud of my son and am thankful for the officers who serve our country in a thankless, dangerous profession made even harder by attitudes like Mr. Dragon. Perhaps next year he could join the parade with a sign stating that Democrats support our wonderful police.  Since that doesn’t really fit their agenda and pandering I doubt that will happen.

Christie Urbanik

Lyndonville

Editor:

Sunday morning, as mayor, I received a call from the Holley Police Department reporting another night of vandalism.

One of the new buntings on the gazebo had been ripped down and another had been singed. A window in the building housing park bathrooms had been broken. It is not the first time that that window had been broken. In fact, it had just recently been replaced. Lastly, a light along the canal path had been smashed.

Monday morning, as mayor, I received another report that a different light had been smashed on the canal path and numerous windows had been broken on a home on South Main Street. All of this in two days’ time!

How many Monday mornings do we find members of the village work crew repainting picnic tables in the park because someone thought it was “funny” to paint obscenities on them?

As taxpayers, think about the cost of materials and labor to repair the damage and the time taken away from other important village projects. We, and the whole village crew, work hard to make the Village and its parks an inviting “family setting” for residents and guests.

However, vandals are ruining this image. Chief Barton and our officers have been making hourly drives along the canal path. We can not do this alone, though, so we need your help.

If you see or hear anything suspicious call 911 and report it. If and when we need to take further actions, we will. Together we can end this streak of vandalism.

Respectfully submitted,

Village of Holley Board

Trustee Jim DeFilipps

Trustee Rochelle Moroz

Trustee John Morriss

Deputy Mayor Connie Nenni

Mayor Mark Bower

Editor:

Representative Claudia Tenney attacked law enforcement for carrying out a legally obtained warrant to search Mar-a-Lago for classified documents, held illegally, that could damage U.S. intelligence gathering capabilities.

“Don’t be fooled. This dirty FBI raid isn’t about ‘stolen documents’ or pee tapes,” Tenney stated on Twitter. She then went on, without evidence, to claim that the search was politically motivated to prevent Mr. Trump from running for office again.

This isn’t the first time Mr. Trump has damaged or demeaned U.S. intelligence agencies, rather this is part of a pattern. It is also a pattern for Republicans like Ms. Tenney to defend Mr. Trump’s antipathy for U.S. intelligence.

In May 2017 President Trump gave sensitive secret Israel information to the Russians in the Oval Office jeopardizing U.S. intelligence gathering ability. A high-level CIA individual in Russia had to be removed for his own safety because of the carelessness of Mr. Trump.

In Helsinki Mr. Trump held a two-hour conference with Vladimir Putin then told a news conference he trusted Mr. Putin over U.S. intelligence. In 2018 Mr. Trump posted video of members of Seal Team Five revealing the team’s location and un-blurred faces.

In 2019 Mr. Trump released classified images of a surveillance photo revealing highly classified U.S. surveillance capabilities which allowed amateur satellite trackers to determine the photograph came from National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite USA-224.

This is only a partial list of Mr. Trump’s compromising U.S. intelligence. Ms. Tenney’s kowtowing to Mr. Trump and his failures to protect and defend the U.S. show how unfit she is to hold office.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

Just saw New York’s Governor Hochul behind a microphone blasting Republicans and urging them to “get on a bus, get out of town, and go to Florida!”

Doesn’t she realize that New York is hemorrhaging residents because of taxes, outrageous spending, violent crime, “bail reform”, and wind/solar projects that defy environmental regulations? Rational people can’t get out fast enough.

We left Niagara County for Tennessee, only two of the 76,000 in 2019 who said adios to New York State. In addition, between April 2020 and July 2021, more than 365,000 New Yorkers decided to get a U-Haul and see New York in their rear view mirrors.

So yesterday Governor Hochul tells off millions of her state’s residents, informing them that they’re not welcome, and “they don’t represent our values.”

Looking at the dismal direction New York is headed, I’m glad we left when we did.

Christine Bronson

Crossville, TN

Editor:

This week I attended a beautiful service for a fellow nurse. GiGi (Godule) Barcena came to this country 40 years ago as an RN from the Philippines. She came so she could give her family a better life.

She left her husband and two boys behind and it took five years to bring them to the US. GiGi was one of the most dedicated nurses that I have ever met. She was dedicated to her profession, to her patients and to her family.

She worked at Medina Memorial, Arnold Gregory and Orchard Manor, not only one eight-hour shift but two. She touched so many lives and her family and friends gave her a great send off.  There was a Mass of Christian Burial, memories and a wonderful meal from her traditional country, the Philippines. Thank you to her family for the invitation. Godspeed GiGi!

Jeanne Crane, a fellow nurse

Carlton

Editor:

As a Carlton resident I write this letter because the residents of Albion, Barre, Carlton and Gaines need to know that COVA ambulance, the ambulance that each of us rely on as a staple to our community, is in danger of closing their doors.

We recently learned that for the last few years COVA has been meeting with county and town officials. They have explained this crisis in hopes that our elected officials would understand the dire situation that they are in, and the fact that after three years there is no resolution is truly alarming. These officials are elected by the community to serve us and to act in the best interest of their constituents.

We are truly fortunate to have a community-based ambulance service that has survived the last 40 years on their own with no tax or public funding. COVA has survived on billing and donations alone. Times have changed and clearly the ambulance crisis is a huge areawide problem. Let’s not make this another Orleans County problem.

COVA has asked for financial help from our community leaders and there has been no resolve. The residents of Orleans County need to understand that if COVA closes its doors the residents will be left with no ambulance service or waiting who knows how long for an ambulance from out of town to show up.

As the wife of someone whose life was saved by COVA 7 years ago I pray that as a community we can get them the help they need. The seriousness of this needs to be known and we the people deserve a say.

Call our town offices, write letters! The town boards will make the final decision on whether an ambulance shows up to save your life or the life of your loved one.

Julie Rheinwald

Carlton

Editor:

In the past few weeks Democrats have passed major legislation that will improve the local economy, help families afford needed medication and expand health care for veterans. That is how you make America Great Again; that is how you put America First.

The CHIPS-Plus bill will help companies throughout western New York. At present there is a relatively small percentage of computer chips manufactured in the U.S. and virtually none of the most sophisticated chips used in military equipment and smartphones.

This legislation will incentivize private-sector investments in research and manufacturing capabilities in the manufacturing of micro-chips here in the United States, including local companies. Furthermore, since the micro-chips will be manufactured in the U.S. there will be fewer supply chain issues to interfere with manufacturing of other goods such as cars and medical equipment.

Republican leadership opposed this legislation. They want corporate America dependent on Asia including China. They want America dependent on foreign governments. Democrats passed legislation that will make America Great Again and keep America First.

Democrats also passed legislation to lower the cost of medications such as insulin. This will help families throughout the region. Insulin is a life-giving medication, without which people will die. Pharmaceutical companies have increased the cost of this needed medication to whatever the market will bear, making insulin barely affordable. Republicans voted against helping struggling families. Helping families with needed medical expenses is what America First means.

Democrats have also passed legislation to help care for veterans, sent overseas to fight for the U.S. and were exposed to toxic burn pits. Our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen defend the U.S. and it is the government’s responsibility to care for their health care.

Republicans voted reluctantly for this bill after being shamed for voting against it. Taking care of our military personnel and veterans is what will make America Great Again.

Democrats support our local economy, provide solutions for working families and defend our veterans. Democrats make America Great Again.

William Fine

Brockport

Photo by Tom Rivers: An Orleans County Sheriff’s office patrol car leads the third annual “Ride for the Blue” on Sunday. The group is shown here on Route 31 in Holley. They went on a 52-mile ride in Orleans County.

Editor:

I just watched an odd display and I feel compelled to comment. For another year there was a loud procession of police cars and fire trucks intermixed with a collection of motorcycles, cars, pickups, a propane truck, dump trucks, and other large vehicles.

There were a lot of large flags including: Ultra Maga, Trump 2020, Trump 2024, Mario Fratto, and Let’s Go Brandon. Apparently, they were taking a loop around the county and then going to listen to Andrew Giuliani and a couple Republican candidates.

I’m not sure what the purpose of the dump trucks was. Perhaps if I was flying a Joe Biden flag today, one of those trucks would have lost control for a few seconds and it would have accidently been taken out? Maybe my front porch too? Would I have been able to call the police to complain, or would I have been ignored? Would the fire department have put out any resulting fire or would I have been stuck using my garden hose?

It gets me to wondering how people are hired into the local government departments. Do they recruit from our whole community in an apolitical process or do you have to be carrying a Trump card these days? I really have no idea. I wonder, the way things are going, if in another 5 years there will still be a single 911 number to call in an emergency. Perhaps that will be the number to call for the Republican police and there will be another number to call for the Democratic police. If I would prefer the Democratic police, will I have to wait for them to drive in from Monroe County?

At least I didn’t see any Confederate flags – well, not today at least.

Jason Dragon

Albion

Editor:

To the residents of Albion, Carlton, Gaines and Barre, I am a lifelong resident of the Town of Gaines and current President of the COVA Ambulance Board of Directors. I am writing this letter partly as President but most importantly, as a resident. You can either choose to read and ignore, or share and take action…but you need to know.

COVA is critically close to closing its doors permanently.

As with all EMS agencies nationwide, insurance payments are at an all-time low and relying on donations is simply not feasible. With insurance claims paying on average 20% of what is billed, the days of a nonprofit community-based ambulance company surviving off of insurance payments, fund raising and donations are over.

If we do not get help, COVA will be gone.

Over the past 3.5 years we have contacted every town in our service area, the Village of Albion, and the County Legislators as well our NYS Assemblyman and Senator. We have met with their attorneys, spoken at board meetings, written letters, begged, turned in power point presentations (only to be asked months later to “please give them a power point presentation”) and made innumerable phone calls. We are grateful for the support from Assemblyman Hawley as well as County Legislator Don Allport, Barre Town Supervisor Sean Pogue and County Legislator Skip Draper, but most of the others have shown little to no response, and these four men can not help us alone.

We have been discouraged at the lack of urgency and interest seen in some of our community leaders, some of whom actually slept through our presentation. There has been an EMS task force meeting since January and we have been told by members on that task force that there has been no progression whatsoever.

Every meeting we have attended has ended with “we will talk this over and get back to you.” There is currently “tens of millions of dollars” of Covid relief money available for areas of need. In April I presented a letter to the County Legislators asking for some of the available Covid relief money to help purchase a new ambulance as two of ours are very old and cost thousands per year in repairs and maintenance. COVA was on the front line of Covid servicing the people of Orleans County every, single day. We never got a response to the letter.

We have tried to be polite and professional as we hear rumors of a “county funded” agency coming in to take over. If these rumors are true please be aware that it will cost you!!! It will cost millions to get started and to maintain yearly and this cost will be passed on to the taxpayers.

We have presented figures showing that with as little as $50 per year per household, COVA would survive and would actually be able to pay decent wages, have reliable rigs and update aging equipment. We are not asking for much when you figure most of us are paying at least 3 times that much for a library tax! Yet we hear nothing…no help.

Let me answer the naysayers before you can complain about ambulance costs. Our doors are always open. We would be happy to sit down with any concerned citizen or patient who wants to understand the cost of running an ambulance service. With equipment costs, insurance, fuel, wages, medical supplies and medications always on the rise it is a sad reality that it is expensive to operate an ambulance service that provides all levels of care. We welcome anyone, anytime to stop by and we will gladly show you why we bill what we do.

As a person with older parents the thought of possibly having no ambulance company in our district is terrifying. Listening to the calls on the monitor and knowing that one day soon those calls may go unanswered and thinking about the people who will have to race their own loved one to the hospital emergency room in order to save their life keeps me awake at night.

For the sake of our community we need to be taken seriously and we need to be taken seriously NOW. We do not have time to wait until the next budget meeting or board meeting. We have been waiting for 3.5 years and time is running out quickly. Those tens of millions of dollars sitting in Covid relief need to be disbursed to the companies who were there for us during Covid.

And COVA was there for us as it has been for 41 years. If our elected officials choose to sit on this and ignore this, COVA WILL BE GONE. I cannot make it any clearer than that.

Again, you can choose to read this and ignore it, or you can choose to read it and take action. For the safety of our residents, our families, your families we plead with you for a final time to take action now.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Stilwell

President of Board of Directors for COVA EMS Ambulance

Editor:

The law surrounding documents at Trump’s home is being misstated by MAGA acolytes. Facts are being made up.

If we just look at the container containing “Top Secret/SCI”  (Secure Compartmentalized Information) there are laws and regulations that they can only be read in a special intrusion free room called a scif. Moreover when anything is declassified there is a process for it. The classification markings must immediately be stricken from them before they leave the special vaults where they are held.

Saying all he has to do is say something is declassified is nonsense. Trump once tweeted he declassified something only to later argue in Court, when the press wanted to see it, that that is inadequate. There is a formal process and he knows that. MAGA Congressmen know that too.

As to what was taken there are other markings after the “SCI” which we are not allowed to know. I would guess there may things like whose approvals are needed to look at the documents.  There could be project identification like “hydrogen bomb plans” or “state department spy information on Russian nuclear warheads.” Who knows. This class has had specialists from affected agencies agree that any release endangers the national safety and its collection technics.

You have read about classification disagreements but it’s always about documents two levels of classification down. Not the “eyes only” stuff.

One of the charges being considered against the target is that they “illegally retained” the documents. (Trump foolishly admitted he had them and we now know he did not turn them over when they were subpoenaed.) The claim they were “planted” fell when one of his attorneys admitted on FOX TV that Trump was watching the whole seizure from New York via CCTV. Plus a receipt was provided and signed by his on-site representative.

“Espionage” is a huge statute so we cannot read much into it other than it is much more serious than the violation Sec. 1924 and mere improper “possession” which was the crux of possible  “confidential” material in H. Clinton’s email. The judge in Trump’s case clearly thinks there is evidence of wrongful taking, criminal avoidance,  and possible criminal use going on.

Espionage is so serious the “document” in question does not even need to be formally classified before we are protected  by this law. Garland at DOJ has always been  by the book so I am positive anything he thinks is a stretch will never see the light of day.  He brought down the Oklahoma City bombers with dogged detail work to be sure everything stuck. He was that way as a Federal Judge too. All we know now – and all we may ever know –  is that “eyes only”  material was illegally and dangerously mishandled over an extended period of time.

Consider the other MAGA excuses whipping up frenzy. If these were boxes with no strategic value there was no reason to have worthless stuff at Trump’s home.  On the other hand there was no reason to fail to produce worthless documents when subpoenaed. Neither excuse works. Completely contradictory, they are nothing more than people throwing any excuse that might float someone’s boat against the wall in order to misdirect us and feed hatred.

Handling secrets cavalierly drew rebukes from Israel when Trump was in office. Now, possible espionage is not a political issue. It is a safety issue which affects you and me! (Was the Saudi 2 billion consulting fee for a file??? Who knows at this point. But any possibility of leaks had to be stopped.)

We just have to wait to see where this goes. It’s inexcusable, no matter. But the MAGA reaction to hide that once again shows it knows no limits and at heart despises the police and everything else associated with law and order which gets in its way.

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

On behalf of OCALS (Orleans County Accredited Learning Services) I would like to thank the public and local businesses for supporting our first-ever basket raffle fund raiser that was held this past July.

OCALS is accredited by Pro Literacy and is a non-profit agency that provides free confidential tutoring services for adults, families and children in need of improving their literacy skills (including digital literacy). We provide services to all individuals within Orleans County.

During the month of July, a total of 44 separate items were on display at Case-Nic Cookies in Medina for the public to purchase tickets in hopes of winning one (or more) of these prizes.

A special thanks goes out to the following businesses and individuals who donated these items:  Medina businesses – A Kut Above, Ashlee’s Place, Tompkins Bank of Castile, Blissett’s Specialty Shop, BMP America, Inc., Case Nic Cookies, Celebrity Day Spa, Creekside Floral, Della’s Chocolates, Downtown Browsery, ellen j goods, Evan Ace Hardware, Herbalty Cottage, Modern Mercantile, Orleans YMCA, Rosenkrans Pharmacy Inc., Rudy’s, Supercuts, Tops Friendly Market, Tractor Supply Company, Valu Home Center; individuals – Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Cathy Hooker, Cindy Parada, Carolyn Wagner and Ginny Kropf.

The backbone of our community is our local businesses and individuals who reside in the community. Your continued support (by donating items or purchasing tickets to the basket raffle) is truly amazing! We are grateful and humbled by the community support.

Thanks to all for making this fund raiser a great success! We look forward to continuing this new tradition next year!

Carolyn Wagner

Middleport

OCALS Board of Trustees

Editor:

The court-ordered search of Donald Trump’s home is a tempest in a teapot so far.

1. Trump-appointed FBI director, Christopher Wray, was responsible for the investigation and conviction of Clinton’s Secretary of State, Sandy Berger, for illegally possessing far less classified documents when he was no longer in office. He is not partisan.

2. Trump’s lawyers haven’t made motions against the search warrants at this time, so we don’t know what their legal basis for complaining is. They will if Trump’s litigation history is any guide.  DOJ will have to disclose something even if the motion, as has been his wont, is bogus.

3. Trump is free at any time to release the warrant so we can know what’s suspected and what was being looked for. That would settle a lot of guessing that’s going on.

4. We’ve known for over a year that representatives of the National Archives at DOJ have been going there asking for “eyes only” documents which were believed to be there and not in the 15 boxes he turned over.

5. The Trump-appointed judge who was satisfied the application met the requirements of the Fourth Amendment which must at some point open everything. When is a guess depending on what’s found and any other pending cases. If there are “eyes only” classified materials they will not be described, just noted. The fact the National Archives had to piece torn and shredded documents back together with tape last spring suggests there were some there at some time.  We know some staffers have testified documents plugged the toilet so the toilet bowl will cloud the accuracy of any inventory when it’s finally released.

Until we know about the about these four things all we are seeing is political posturing. But historically these document cases go away unless the person with the documents has passed the information on to our enemies or used it to profit themselves. Of course this could be the first “eyes only” case not charged as treason which is a different animal.

We just do not know yet but that warrant, which Trump can release, would tell us a lot. Is this a mole hill made out to be a mountain by him or is he actually being accused of something unforgivably serious?

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion