Editor:

On June 23, I am asking for Shelby residents support electing me to represent them in District 1 on the Shelby Republican Committee.

Shelby deserves steady, informed, and accountable representation. That starts with showing up, listening, and paying attention to the decisions being made on behalf of residents. For that reason, attending town and other local municipal meetings has become a regular priority for me. Staying informed is the best way I can understand local issues and how decisions affect my family, my neighbors, other taxpayers, and businesses.

Orleans County has always been home to me, and Shelby has been home for more than 20 years. My family’s long business ties in the area have also shaped a deep respect for the people, values, and traditions that make this community strong.

Community involvement has always mattered to me. That includes being a member of and supporting local organizations such as the American Legion, Jr. Wilsons Club, VFW, Sacred Heart Club, and Knights of Columbus. These groups bring people together and reflect the kind of service, respect, and commitment that help keep our community strong.

Local government works best when it is open, accountable, and responsive to the people it serves. Shelby residents deserve to know how decisions are made and who is being recommended for elected positions that affect how the Town of Shelby functions.

If elected, I will take accountability for the individuals I recommend for Town positions. I believe Shelby needs more leaders with professional skills and real-life experience that can help the Town get ahead.

Candidates endorsed by the committee should be chosen for their skills, merit, integrity, and accountability, not by the “good old boys” mentality.

Shelby needs more independent thinkers who ask questions, review the facts, and make decisions that are best for the community. And voters should also have more information and a better understanding of the Shelby Republican Committee’s work.

That is why I am running for the District 1seat.

I respectfully ask for your support on June 23rd and for the opportunity to serve Shelby residents on the Shelby Republican Committee.

Sincerely,

John “Yonic” Parada

Shelby resident, District 1

Editor:

The Town of Shelby is considering a change for the Highway Superintendent position to go from elected by the people to appointed by the Town Board.

The New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways, Inc. (NYSAOTSOH) opposes this change. Currently, the Highway Superintendent is accountable to the people of the town and should remain that way.

Voter Accountability: According to the State Comptroller the single largest expense in New York State’s towns is maintaining their local infrastructure. By having an elected highway superintendent the voters decide directly the person who will administer the largest share of their tax dollars.

As a full-time elected official with this sole purpose in mind, highway superintendents are constantly in touch with their constituents’ needs. If the position is no longer elected town residents will lose the ability to make a direct change for themselves.

The Bottom Line: It does not seem wise to take the power from the people to elect and transfer that power to the Town Board.

Keep your power to choose!

The New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways, Inc. is the State’s largest transportation association representing Highway Superintendents in 933 towns responsible for maintaining local transportation infrastructure.

Sincerely,

James A. Dussing

President of New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways

Highway Superintendent, Town of Clarence, Erie County

Editor:

Tuesday is election day in the Village of Holley. I am running for trustee.

I have been a trustee in Holley before and was also the Coordinator and DPW Chief.

I am running because I believe there needs to be a refocus of priorities. The taxes have increased 25% over the last 3 years, utility rates have gone up multiple times, and additional fees have been added.

No roads paved because the money to do that was taken out. Police building in deteriorating condition because the money to fix it was taken out. Veterans Drive unusable because no one addressed it.

I worked with many boards. Mrs. Formally attended the meetings for the Power Authority and made sure our electric bills stayed stable. Mayors Carpenter and Passarell did streets and water, built the park and did some sidewalk. Mayor Sorochty got the deal to rehab the old school and did major water and sidewalk in Main Street.

Now the focus is on a covered bocce courts, decorations and festivals.

My focus is on cutting taxes, repairing infrastructure and reducing costs.

I also will ask the state to put a crosswalk near the Dollar General to facilitate the pedestrian traffic. I will oppose regulations which make life difficult for the few remaining businesses.

Please consider voting for me.

Ron Vendetti

Holley

Editor:

For more than a century, Catholic Charities of Buffalo has stood beside our neighbors in their most difficult moments — offering not just assistance, but dignity, stability, and hope. Every day, Catholic Charities is often the first place people across Western New York turn to when they are facing hunger, mental health struggles, family crises, addiction, isolation, or the uncertainty of tomorrow.

Today, that need is growing at an alarming rate. More families are struggling to afford groceries and utilities. More seniors are living alone and vulnerable. For many households, one unexpected medical bill, car repair, or lost paycheck can spiral into a devastating crisis.

In Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, Catholic Charities provided hope and help to more than 2,500 people last year, through programs that are lifelines for our neighbors. Services include basic emergency assistance; multisystemic therapy for youth; and home visitation and friendly phones programs for seniors.

But none of this work happens without community support.

We’re in the final month of Appeal 2026, with a goal of raising $8 million by June 30. Every donation helps keep hope alive for someone in crisis.

Western New York has always been strongest when neighbors help neighbors. Supporting Catholic Charities is one of the most direct and meaningful ways to do exactly that.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call Catholic Charities at 585-343-0614. If you are able to give, now is the time. Our community’s most vulnerable neighbors are counting on it.

Katelyn DiSalvo

Tri-County District Director, Catholic Charities

Editor:

As retired educators, we support the candidate with the experience and passion to reverse the assault on public education in America: Diana Kastenbaum.

Historically, the expansion of education and democracy went hand-in-hand; a defining feature of American democracy is the right to vote. Diana will protect mail-in voting, early voting, and other measures which make casting a ballot by legally registered voters less, not more, arduous.

Wealthy campaign donors and Political Action Committees shift the focus of officials elected by “dark money” to school choice, culture wars, and divisive policies, often fracturing local communities. Diana’s engagement via Concerned Citizens for NY24, her opposition to taking corporate PAC money, and her commitment to undo Citizens United are specific examples of her leadership.

Our Founding Fathers believed an educated electorate was essential to a stable democracy. Diana demonstrates that conviction as a SUNY Genesee Community College Trustee and appointee to the Association of Community College Trustees Rural National Advisory Council. She serves as a member of the Government Relations committees on both the national and state associations of community colleges where she advocates for our students, educators, and institutions in Albany and Washington.

Diana Kastenbaum is highly qualified and the right choice to represent NY-24 in Congress; we urge Democrats to vote for her in this month’s primary election on June 23rd.

George Ann Carter of Warsaw

Peggy Fusco of Canandaigua

Dr. Gregory Geer of Williamson

Dr. Michael Glover of LeRoy

Edward Orman of York

Loren Penman of Batavia

Editor:

State Senator Rob Ortt wrote an illogical letter opposed to State Senate Bill S399A which is designed specifically to address Glock pistols that can easily be converted into illegal machine guns.

In his unhinged rant he claims that banning this pistol would “strip New Yorker of their freedoms.”  This proposed legislation does not ban the sale of handguns by other companies. It does not increase regulations or create a burden on gun owners or those wishing to buy a handgun.

Mr. Ortt even acknowledges that: “By law, the very thing Democrats are trying to prevent is already illegal.” Since it is already illegal how does it “strip New Yorker of their freedoms” or chip “away at the constitutional rights and liberties of responsible citizens?”

Mr. Ortt’s logic further falls apart when he criticizes statements made by Governor Kathy Hochul in her state of the state address as “complete nonsense” and then, in the very next sentence, writes that what she said, “may be factually true.”

The Glock pistol is sought after by criminals because they can be easily modified into machine guns. Over 11,000 devices to convert semi-automatic firearms into illegal machine guns have been recovered between 2019 and 2023. These devices have been recovered from numerous crime scenes.

California, New Jersey, and Connecticut have or are considering bans on Glock pistols. Last October a New Jersey judge allowed a lawsuit against Glock Inc. to continue writing that the lawsuit: “sets forth factual claims that Glock deliberately designed its handguns to be readily convertible to illegal machine guns, marketed those products, and failed to employ responsible controls or modify the design despite numerous warnings and increased harm.”

Rob Ortt is being very melodramatic and exaggerating claims of Constitutional harm. If we didn’t have government regulations, people could sell broken glass to children, like in the Saturday Night Live sketch.

This proposed law does not affect law abiding responsible citizens. As a taxpayer and as a citizen I am tired of reading about school shootings, or church shootings, or shopping mall shootings.  And I am tired of reading that every proposed gun safety law is a Constitutional crisis. This is a common-sense law.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

Thank you to the Genesee County legislative members who took time to meet with us several months ago regarding the proposed Stream data center project at STAMP. We appreciated the opportunity to discuss our concerns and wanted to follow up with additional perspective.

We have taken note of the Legislature’s strong and public opposition to large-scale industrial solar developments in our rural communities. We understand that many of you feel these projects are rapidly transforming agricultural land and altering the character of our region in ways that residents neither expected nor welcomed. On this issue, we agree.

We also recognize that the County has gone so far as to retain a lobbying and consulting firm, allocating significant taxpayer funds to oppose these industrial-scale solar projects and advocate for local interests. That level of commitment demonstrates that the Legislature understands the long-term consequences that large industrial developments can impose on rural communities.

We respectfully ask that you apply that same scrutiny and concern to the proposed Stream data center project.

While data centers and solar facilities may appear different on the surface, they share many of the same impacts that have led the Legislature to oppose large-scale solar development. Both involve the permanent industrialization of rural land, substantial construction disruption, habitat and hydrological impacts, heavy reliance on public infrastructure and emergency services, generous subsidies and tax incentives for multinational corporations, and minimal long-term employment opportunities relative to their scale.

Perhaps most importantly, both types of projects are being advanced rapidly, with limited transparency and growing public concern from residents who feel their communities are being fundamentally transformed without meaningful local benefit.

To help illustrate these parallels, we have attached a side-by-side comparison outlining the shared impacts and concerns associated with industrial solar facilities and hyperscale data centers.

We urge you to reconsider your position on the Stream data center project and evaluate it using the same standards you have applied to other industrial developments that threaten the rural character, environmental integrity, and long-term sustainability of our communities.

We appreciate your time and consideration and hope you will stand consistently in defense of the residents and landscapes you were elected to protect.

Sincerely,

Alyssa Beuler, Alabama

Kelly Hallenbeck, Bergen

Gina Schelemanow, Batavia

Richard Beatty, Batavia

RaeAnn Engler, Batavia

Liz Thompson, Batavia

Editor:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney and Congressman Nick Langworthy’s economic policies are hurting Western New York.

Their tariff policies are driving up cost of supplies and equipment for farmers. Fertilizer prices have increased between 4.7% and 37.6% according to a report from the National Corn Grower Association released last July, before the war with Iran.

Meanwhile, exports by New York dairy farmers declined by 12% in the first half of 2025 and soybean exports dropped from 985 million bushels in 2024 to 218 million bushels in the first eight months of 2025. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation farm bankruptcies in New York are increasing.

The Buffalo Niagara Manufacturing Association (BNMA) survey showed that Ms. Tenney’s and Mr. Langworthy’s tariffs are increasing cost of material and supplies harming manufacturing across Western New York.

Manufacturing Association of the Southern Tier found that more than 80% of their respondents reported that tariffs were increasing cost of raw materials. Peter Ahrens, Chief Operating Officer of the BNMA, reported that “the data shows far more manufacturers are struggling than benefiting under current trade policies.”

Small businesses that depend on tourism like lodging and hotels, rentals and restaurants are significantly hurt by the Republican’s policies. New York State Department of Labor reports that unemployment is increasing in Western New York.

It is no surprise that Moody’s Analytics put the possibility of a recession starting in the next 12 months at 49% before the war with Iran now with oil prices going up they predict a recession by more than 50%.

Farmers, manufacturing, and small business are all negatively affected by Republican economic policies. Your fuel costs are skyrocketing; food costs are increasing and the rise in inflation is eating your income.

While your economic condition worsens, Ms. Tenney and Mr. Langworthy are taking your tax dollars to fund a vanity ballroom for $1 billion dollars, a Triumphal arch for about $15 million, and their war in Iran for over $29 billion.

Now they are contemplating pulling $1.776 billion from the treasury, of your money, for the President’s slush fund to reward his supporters. Republicans are not working for the needs of Western New York.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

I recently bought a made-in-China T-shirt (accepted by USA customs and tariff paid) with the numerals 8647 included.

In my long experience, to “86” something is to discard or cancel it as useless or silly.  Any attempt to describe this as promoting murder is also silly.  We have larger free speech issues in this country without a ban on numbers.

Sincerely,

Gerard M. Morrisey

Albion

Editor:

In Albany this week, the Democratic majority put the Public Protection and General Government Bill to the floor for a vote, and despite its deceptive name, this package of bills strips New Yorkers of their freedoms.

This package aims to ban Glocks in New York State – another out-of-touch gun grab championed by Democrats, who understand very little about firearms and even less about the Constitution.

For over 40 years, Glock pistols have been known around the world as some of the most reliable sidearms. They are trusted by police departments and military branches across the globe. Our very own state police issue the Glock 47, and I carry a Glock 43.

Despite their reputation for safety and dependability with individuals and families who rely on these weapons for self-defense and home protection, we’re looking at a bill that will ban the sale of the most reliable, most user-friendly, and one of the most affordable pistols on the market.

Gun owners and licensed dealers have been anxiously watching this bill, and know full-well it has nothing to do with public safety, and everything to do with Democrats acting tough on guns.

In her state of the state address, the governor said pistol converters turn Glocks into “fully automatic machines capable of firing 1,200 rounds per minute.”  Anyone who knows guns knows this line is complete nonsense. It may be factually true that an illegally converted Glock can fire rounds faster than a semi-auto, but let’s look at reality.

In New York State, to legally obtain a Glock, you need a pistol permit – and if you don’t currently have one, there is a long and expensive process ahead of you. On top of that, it is already illegal to purchase or manufacture the so-called Glock Switch. It’s also worth noting, pistols are limited to 10-round magazines.

So tell me, how is a law-abiding gun owner a danger to public safety? By law, the very thing Democrats are trying to prevent is already illegal. I cannot, under current law, modify my Glock to fully automatic, nor load 1,200 rounds into it. Not to mention, having over 1,000 rounds loaded all at once would require a magazine the size of a watermelon.

It’s just not practical, and neither is this bill.

Democrats are targeting one of the largest and most popular gun manufacturers in an election year so it looks like they’ve actually done something. What they’ve done is hurt local gun stores who will no longer be able to sell their number one product, and are continuing to drive business to neighboring states.

The only thing this bill truly accomplishes is stripping New Yorkers of their second amendment rights and Constitutional liberties. But as usual, Democrats in Albany who know nothing about guns and less about the United States Constitution, are more concerned with taking away our freedoms instead of going after criminals.

As a State Senator, a taxpayer, and a gun owner, I am tired of seeing our state place greater burdens on law-abiding citizens than on those who break the law. New Yorkers deserve leaders who will hold criminals accountable and protect public safety without chipping away at the constitutional rights and liberties of responsible citizens.

Rob Ortt

New York State Senate Minority Leader and representative of District 62