Editor:

I have long believed that a strong two-party system with both parties presenting platforms that appeal to most voters is essential to our society. A number of people have commented that the Republican Party has become one of exclusion – uninterested in minority issues, fearful of change, favoring the suppression of voting, and worried that a rising tide of immigration will result in endless Democratic Party victories at the local, state and national levels.

It does not have to be this way. Consider the following organizations and actions enacted by a President who believed that the inclusion, not exclusion, of more people in the democratic process was healthy for the country: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Clean Water Act, Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), Consumer Protect Safety Commission, and dramatic increases in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits. That President was Richard Nixon.

In US history we have had 35 national political parties. The two that have survived generally appealed to wide segments of our society. Those that disappeared narrowed their appeal by catering to an ever smaller group of voters.

Note that the US Census Bureau statistics indicate that by 2060, 50 percent of the total US population will be part of a minority group. I believe both parties should consider the dramatic increase in minority voters an opportunity to broaden their appeal. I also suggest the Republicans take a long look at the Nixon Presidency and consider the opportunities inclusion politics can bring.

Jack Capurso

Ashburn, Va

Albion High School 1960

Editor:

I appreciate the letters to the editor section of the Hub, as it gives individuals an opportunity to express their opinions on many areas of concern in our community, state and beyond.

I appreciate it even more when facts are checked and provided in an honest and fair manner. That being said, If anyone is interested in learning about what Jim Crow laws were and why they came about please stop by any one of the local libraries in the area. Please do not rely on one-sided opinions and half facts.

I will say the Jim Crow Laws started following the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in the Democratically controlled Southern States. They came about as a means to thwart any and all political, economic and social gains of the Blacks at the time.

These laws remained in effect from approximately 1865 to 1965. In 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act. In 1965, The Voting Rights Act was signed and in 1968 the Fair Housing Act. Granted just because these laws were signed it did not mean peoples’ attitudes or hearts were changed overnight. But it did provide a legal foundation for action where one did not exist before.

On refreshing my memory on many of these subjects, I found some very interesting stories of people who fought against the injustices of these times. Some became household names, but others, equally important I found, made an impact in the fight against racial inequality. Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King Jr. are very well known, but another who deserves mention is Victor Hugo Green, a Harlem postman who wrote a book “The Negro Motorists Green Book.” It identified all the safe places African American travelers could stay. His book was first published in 1936 and remained in publication for nearly thirty years. Others I read about were Ida B. Wells and Charlotte Hawkins Brown, who each fought against segregation and violence toward Blacks.

Another reason I write is because of the misinformation flowing through our news media, elected officials, corporation heads and even the Hollywood elite concerning Georgia’s Election Integrity Act of 2021. This piece of legislation was worked on for many months by a bi-partisan committee who hashed out their differences and worked on a solution to insure voter integrity.

The Act provides an expanded early voting period of three weeks, with Saturday and Sunday voting, which was important to the African American population because their “Get Out The Vote” drives are sometimes held in local churches. Their polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and if you are in line at 7 p.m., you will get to vote.

Then there is the food and water…The law states that “no person shall solicit votes in any manner, or by means or method…” Or to put it simply you can’t pull up to a polling site in your campaign vehicle and start handing out food and water to influence voters. Voters are allowed to bring their own and polling sites may set up coolers or drink stations if they so choose to.

Producing identification is not new and is not just for voting. Have you ever tried to cash a check, go to the library and check out a book, go to the doctor, register your car, obtain insurance or get assistance…the list goes on. More than half the states in the US require voter ID. 97 percent of registered Georgia voters have an official driver’s license or (free) state ID. I might add that the majority of registered voters want voter ID and that includes 65 to 70 percent of African Americans. (Depending on which poll you look at).

So, don’t take my word for it, investigate these things on your own. If you use your computer, be sure to scroll down and find official sites, and don’t just rely on social media opinions that pop up. Please take the time to be fully informed.

Rochelle Moroz

Holley

Editor:

It’s time to thank the Orleans County Office of the Aging. Melissa Blanar, the Office for the Aging director, and her team worked very hard to get many of the residents of Orleans County vaccinated, especially those who have no computers or were having a difficult time getting an appointment.

Also another area that should be thanked are the volunteers who worked with the food distributions that have been ongoing for months. Those volunteers worked in all the elements – rain, snow, sleet and sometimes heat.

Jeanne Crane

Waterport

Editor:

A few weeks ago, my family suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. We’ve had so many people supporting us.

First and foremost, we have to thank the first responders – the EMTs and firefighters that saved the 6 of us, plus our pets. I’ve been a CNA for 20 years, the last 5 years at the North Wing in Medina. They were amazing enough to give me a leave of absence to take care of my family without hesitation. Kris’s job at Dobbins did as well. Lyndonville school has been outstanding!

Our son Nicholas alerted us that something was seriously wrong, when we believed it was a stomach bug. Without him, we may not be here today.

We’ve had donations, along with well wishes from family, friends, acquaintances, and even complete strangers. This right here is what pulls at my heart strings the most. I feel like outpourings of love are usually done after people pass. Unlike most, we are beyond lucky to feel this while we’re alive. Unless anyone has ever had this happen, I don’t know how to describe this. As if having a close call with death isn’t enough, all of this love and support just drives us to be better people. We fully believe in Karma, and have good intentions to “pass it on.”

You always hear, “life’s too short” or “appreciate everything you have.” It doesn’t hit home until something like this happens. Always hug your family. Tell people I love you. And sincerely from the Skowneski family, thank you for caring about us. #lyndonvillestrong

Jessica Skowneski

Lyndonville

Editor:

Here’s an idea:  Since the following concepts are clearly not being taught in a vast number of homes, why not add them to the primary & secondary school curriculum:

1. Obey The Law

2. Comply With Law Enforcement

3. Don’t Resist Or Attempt To Flee From A Lawful Arrest

If school officials can’t find time in the school day to incorporate these life preserving lessons, they could make time by eliminating some of the PC nonsense that is currently being taught!

Steve Smith

Churchville

Editor:

We were greatly saddened by the news of Dr. Sterling’s passing. We were contemporaries practicing medicine in Medina. Actually, when I was looking for a place to establish my practice as a General Surgeon, Jim was a big factor in the decision to come to Medina. Dr. Sterling was the first in Medina to provide modern anesthesia. (As opposed to open drop ether method.) He was a pioneer in that sense in Medina.

Jim was a gentleman and a great friend and fun to be with. His wit and sense of humor is still legendary in our household and circle of friends (almost in a Yogi Berra-esque way).

As it turned out, Jim Sterling, with his huge family practice, was the biggest supporter of new doctors coming to the community and the community should be grateful to him for bringing modern medicine to Medina.

We will miss Jim! RIP! Our sympathies to Ilya and the family.

Sal & Kris Abbasey

Rochester

Editor

I’d like to thank everyone who came to Thursday night’s Town of Murray work meeting. Despite the Murray Town Board being a “No Show” residents filtered in with genuine interest.

What was to be a Town Board work meeting addressing the complex nature of domestic partner health care coverage, turned into an open forum by a diverse group of citizens openly discussing a variety of topics. It was fantastic, respectful and incredibly productive. Amazing!

Dirk Lammes, our Highway and Water Superintendent, openly discussed his department and the challenges ahead. It’s refreshing to have a knowledgeable, experienced person at the helm willing to share information and listen to the voices around him. Outstanding!

Since the evening turned into such a success, I’m willing to have an evening with the Supervisor every 2nd Thursday of each month. I will make myself available for anyone who has something on their mind to come over and talk without all the formality of a regular Town Meeting. I’m here, I care and we have a lot of work ahead of us.

My mother always said, “Never turn down an invitation.”

Thanks again to everyone who attended for the great evening. It’s the way it should be!

Joe Sidonio

Murray Town Supervisor

Editor:

The new voter suppression law in Georgia was ostensibly passed to prevent voter fraud. However, the evidence of massive voter fraud is missing.

In over 60 court cases no evidence was produced. Every state certified their election as fair and free of fraud that would overturn the election. Mr. Trump’s Attorney General William Barr and the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Christopher Krebs, both stated that there was no massive voter fraud.

In Georgia, News station WDEF reported: “After a day of hearing evidence of election fraud in 63 cases, Georgia officials have decided to pass 24 of them on to prosecutors,” (2/18/21). There were over 4 million votes cast in the Georgia presidential election and only 24 allegations of voter fraud serious enough to be considered for prosecution. Voter fraud is minuscule; (.0006% of the election). Furthermore, the law that was just passed does not address those cases of voter fraud.

The real rush to push voter suppression laws is because when voters turn out they rejected the policies of Republicans who control of the Georgia state government. The New York Times (4/3/21), reporters Nick Corassaniti and Reid J. Epstein, went through the Georgia law and found 16 “provisions that hamper the right to vote for some Georgians, (principally people of color), or strip power from state and local elections officials and give it to legislators.”

For example in the new law there will be fewer drop boxes. NYT reports: “For the 2020 election, there were 94 drop boxes across the four counties that make up the core of metropolitan Atlanta: Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb and Gwinnett. The new law limits the same four counties to a total of, at most 23 drop boxes based on the latest voter registration data.”

Instead of trying to appeal to voters, Republicans want to win elections by suppressing voting and gerrymandering. This is the very definition of Jim Crow laws and it diminishes and damages our democracy.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

As families throughout the state have tightened their budgets throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to prepare for an uncertain future, the Majority has decided now is the time to become more cavalier than ever in their spending. Worse yet, by increasing spending to historic levels, we may have less than ever to show for all of that spending in this incredible time of need for so many small businesses throughout New York.

In this second-largest budget in our nation that spends more than those of the large and populous states of Texas and Florida combined, and almost as large as California’s proposed executive budget for this year, a state with about twice as many people as ours, we will give $2.1 billion to illegal immigrants in stimulus and unemployment payments while only giving small businesses about $1 billion in assistance.

These small businesses employ our neighbors, pay taxes that fund our municipal governments and emergency services and make our communities the unique places we know and love. The loss of these businesses would devastate the communities that rely on them and our state as a whole, and it should not be controversial to want to support businesses that families have worked to build for generations rather than people who disrespect our laws in order to enter our country.

As unwise as this spending is, it’s also unsustainable in a very dangerous way. The Majority is treating the hefty federal stimulus we received this year like an incredibly-irresponsible person would treat lottery winnings, spending it all rapidly to start living a lifestyle we won’t be able to sustain that will be financially ruinous for our state in the future. The money we’re spending now won’t be there this year, but it’s unlikely the people and agencies across the state it supports will plan for that. Instead, we will be forced in the future between painful tax increases or spending cuts, which will come with very real consequences for our economy and our communities.

Those in the Majority would do well to look at how their constituents have “lived within their means” in the last year as we pass this budget that’s 20% larger than last year’s. If New Yorkers managed their finances like their government did we would be in a very bad place, and I only hope the consequences of this budget do not bring about suffering in communities that have worked to be responsible with their resources.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Batavia

Assemblyman Hawley represents the 139th District, which consists of Genesee, Orleans and parts of Monroe County.

Editor:

Before the Covid-19 crisis, New York had a serious “tax-and-spend” problem. Now, during the pandemic recovery period, is certainly not the time to go on a reckless spending spree that will ultimately further hinder the ability of our citizens to survive and remain in New York State. Unfortunately, Albany’s downstate-driven leadership simply could not help themselves and continued to accelerate an already speeding tax-and-spend freight train which is clearly heading towards the edge of a cliff.

Breaking the state’s 2 percent annual spending cap, this budget increases spending by $34 billion. Let that sink in. This is the most expensive budget in state history at over $212 billion in overall spending and will raise taxes permanently by more than $4.5 billion. Our state debt is the second highest in the country, and this budget only increases it further, indebting even more generations of New Yorkers…or whoever is left behind to turn out the lights.

It’s sadly true. Over one million New Yorkers have already left since Governor Cuomo took office because of overspending and “tax-and-spend” policies. As they have left, they have taken with them jobs, their tax revenue and the New Yorkers left behind have been asked to pony up a greater share of their incomes to make up the difference. While the financial cost is difficult to bear, the human cost is crushing. Families are broken up, lives are changed forever. The pandemic exposed the new American diaspora in ways that technology will never make up for. And budgets like this are directly responsible for it.

This budget was an opportunity to set our state on a new fiscal course. With $12.5 billion coming in from Washington, we could have passed a balanced budget this year but also make one time investments in infrastructure, broadband connectivity, or pay down debt to help address the high cost of living in our state to curb outmigration.

Instead, downstate-driven leaders at our state Capitol chose to create a new multi-billion program to provide unemployment payments worth more than $15,000 per individual to undocumented persons. They also chose to strip away even more of your local control when it comes to the taxing of massive energy projects like wind or solar farms in local jurisdictions. For all the reasons outlined above, I voted against the state budget in its entirety.

However, having been appointed as a member of the Joint Budget Conference Committee on Transportation in addition to my role on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, this year I had a greater opportunity to serve during the budget process. Having worked very hard on key priorities for our community I am pleased to share that many of them have been included in the final budget agreement, including:

INFRASTRUCTURE: The Consolidated Local Street and Highway Program (CHIPS) will be seeing its first funding increase in nine years with $100 million in new funding. The Extreme Winter Recovery Program will also get another $100 million.

BROADBAND: I was a sponsor of the Comprehensive Broadband Connectivity Act and worked across the aisle with my colleagues to get this bill passed in 2020. Unfortunately, the governor did not sign the bill into law at the time. However, we were able to persuade him to include it in the final negotiations and it was included in the final budget.

LIBRARIES: Many of our libraries are historic and in need of capital improvements, but Albany has not given this funding the attention it needed. I’ve worked hard to raise awareness for this year and an additional $20 million was included in the final budget agreement. This nearly doubles their funding allotment.

VETERANS: One of the most successful programs to help veterans is the Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer Counseling Program. The governor proposed cutting the program, but not only were we able to restore it, nearly half a million dollars more in funding was added to further the mission of this wonderful program.

DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES: The budget also expands services for people with developmental disabilities in terms of day services and family support. All of the governor’s proposed cuts were restored and new funding was also added to this vulnerable population.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: As the chair of the Assembly Minority Learning for Work Task Force, I am very pleased to see workforce development initiatives similar to those championed by our task force included in the budget.

I’m glad to report we have made progress, but quite frankly these appropriations are a drop in the bucket in this reckless spending plan. The bottom line is that the budget over spends in unsustainable ways and further divides upstate and downstate in its spending priorities. Ultimately this will continue driving people out of state, hurting everyone in the future.

Mike Norris

Lockport

(Norris represents the 144th Assembly District which includes portions of Erie, Niagara and Orleans counties.)

Editor:

This is in response to Matthew Ballard’s recent letter attempting to equate the new Georgia election law with Jim Crow laws.

Ballard’s letter is the textbook definition of the Red Herring logic fallacy. As owl.purdue.edu puts it, this fallacy is a diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues, often by avoiding the opposing arguments rather than addressing them.

Diversionary tactic? Narrating the horrid history of racism in the U.S. without once building a case against Georgia’s election law.

Avoiding the opposing arguments? Never once mentioning any regulations of the Georgia law that he opposes, or that are in any stretch of his imagination on par with Jim Crow laws.

Verdict? Well, I will leave that to the gentle readers.

Jim Simon

Yates

Editor:

I want to know why it is so difficult to open a phone or get records of text and phone calls resulting in the death of our son on March 23, 2021. He was a disabled Vet who suffered from multiple illnesses as a result of Iraq. The latter being bilateral kidney cancer.

He served with honor and pride. He did not drive. We know what he got was laced with multiple types of fentanyl and a horse tranquilizer. There was no heroin. We suspect it may have come from Rochester.

We want to see justice but also help reduce other deaths from this. We think of who he was and not how he died. We need to do more to prevent these deaths.

Orleans Recover – Hope Begins here offers peer consulting, Missing Angels, Jesus Factor and Narcan training. We all need to be a part of getting these drugs out of our county and hold those responsible.

Our organization is nonjudgmental and non-bias. We want to help those in need and offer support where it is safe and comfortable. We need more volunteers and funding. We want to get out there to those in need. This is a disease and they need help to find the root cause.

We all need to be part of the solution for it is all over. We need to work together and hold those accountable. We do not want to see another life gone to substance abuse. We cannot help our son but we want to help others to choose a pathway that fits their needs through recovery.

It is good for our county and communities to get involved. We are at Suite 190, 243 South Main St., Albion, NY 14411. The hotline number is 585-210-8750. We want to get out in the communities and let all know our services.

It is heartbreaking to see the losses, those using and how it affects the user and their families. We all need to work as a team.

Brenda Sills

Medina

Editor:

Rumor has it that the Irish were disliked because they were red-haired, Catholic, and worked hard. The Chinese followed Gautama Siddhartha and Kung Fu-tse, among their other “faults.” Italians revered a Pope and often had dark hair. Mexicans lived in what is now the United States before the Pilgrims landed in 1620.

Without native-Americans and these—and other—ethnic groups the United States might not be the fascinating and great country that it is today. We might never have had an Erie Canal or a transcontinental railroad. The sandstone churches of Albion, Holley, and elsewhere may never have been built. For that matter, Orleans County might not have an agricultural economy were it not for the migrant farm workers who came here from Africa via the old Confederacy and what was once part of Mexico.

My grandparents came from Austria after World War I when having a German surname and an accent to go with it often worked against you. So, the Kantuschers changed their name to something English sounding.

Immigrants are exceptional people when you think about it. They are but a tiny minority of every nation they come from. They are the ones who would not tolerate deplorable conditions and wanted something better for themselves and their children. They believed in themselves and were hoping their abilities and willingness to work their tails off would allow them to succeed in a place which often was not that welcoming.

My thinking is that if you dislike living in an extraordinary country whose immigrant origins and ancestry helped make it what it is, in my opinion, maybe you should ask yourself how great a fit you are for the USA.

Sincerely yours,

Gary F. Kent

Albion

Editor:

Recently, Assemblyman Steve Hawley voiced his opposition to a 2-plus billion dollar aid package. I posted this on Facebook and immediately an onslaught of replies came forward, claiming racism was at work.

For the sake of clarity, can we keep the word racism out of this narrative. This has become one of the most overused and abused words – becoming the catchall for any opinion that strays from the liberal agenda.

The safety of our citizens and country should be our number one concern as the border crisis continues to pose atrocities for the immigrants coming over. Let’s begin by looking at the many unaccompanied minors being dumped off.

This week I happened to witness a horrifying image of two small children being dropped off over the wall. Many people do not realize that two-thirds of the migrants are being abducted, robbed, extorted and tortured.

The Administration doesn’t want that to be in the limelight, but that’s what’s happening. The southern border is now permeable, which means an open invitation to the cartels with drugs, gun smuggling and human trafficking. There is no compassion here to anyone when these catastrophes prevail.

It is insane to bombard our country with surges such as this, when we are facing calamities of our own. High unemployment, the opioid crisis, and crime are at all-time highs. Did anyone in the powers to be think there may be a better way to bring migrants in; so their influx would run parallel to when a better fiscal outlook in America took place? I don’t think so.

It appears to me, the surge is the fault of poor planning.  Who is suffering? Everyone. There is no singling out here of various racial groups who are culturally different or their achievement level. No one is looking down on these people who hope for a better tomorrow. But when one group is prioritized over another, then racism is in its glory.

Our present fiscal scene is problematic and until that clears up, someone with an ounce of sanity needs to take a long hard look at the truth.

Mary Mager

Fairport, a former Albion resident

Editor:

It has been a year of reflection for each of us as individuals as we have negotiated a year impacted by Covid-19. Reflection and discernment have also been required of the many organizations in our Orleans County community that serve our citizens.

In some respects, it has been an exhausting year but we, Supportive Care of Orleans (formerly known as Hospice of Orleans, Inc.), have emerged stronger in many ways.  We have developed new tools, relied on our strengths and investigated ways we can improve and increase services to the community. With this in mind, the Supportive Care of Orleans Board of Directors will be sharing regular updates over the next few months to reminisce about our history, honor our present, and celebrate an exciting future.

PAST

In 1988, a small group of Orleans County residents, notable among them, Mary Janet Sahukar and Mary Anne Fischer, identified a need in the community to provide support and services to persons diagnosed with a life-limiting illness.

Desiring to provide hope, love and peace to people with terminal illness, People Promoting Hospice was born in 1989. A few years later when the organization became certified by the NYS Department of Health, the name changed to Hospice of Orleans, Inc.

Initially, the many, varied services were primarily provided in the patients’ homes until the Martin-Linsin Residence was opened in December 2012.  The Residence, only one of twelve free standing hospice residence facilities in New York State, can be home to eight patients.

PRESENT

This past several years have seen a significant increase in the number of people seeking services from Hospice. With services offered along a continuum of care from the Transitions Program to Supportive Care to Hospice, the Board of Directors made the bold and exciting decision to rebrand Hospice of Orleans to more accurately reflect the wide range of programs offered.

Now known as Supportive Care of Orleans, our goals are to serve a minimum of 16 patients in their homes or other community locations and eight patients in the Martin-Linsin Residence. To ensure the organization provides exceptional care to our patients, we currently employ 40 full-time, part-time, and per diem employees and contracted medical professionals and administrative staff.

As we continue to grow, we have been challenged to recruit registered nurses to provide care to our patients.  To help meet this need we have established a relationship with Rochester Regional Health – Lifetime Care Hospice who is currently providing SCO with several outstanding clinical staff.

FUTURE

The Covid pandemic has posed many challenges to SCO and health care providers throughout the country. With a shortage of available clinical staff, SCO has been challenged to fully expand our programs and the number of patients served at the rate we feel would fully benefit the community.

The Board of Directors is looking toward the successes of Rochester Regional Health – Lifetime Care Hospice to potentially expand our relationship with this top-notch organization. We believe that an expanded partnership may assist SCO with fully meeting our goals of increased patient care and additional programs for the Orleans County community. We are exploring the possibility of further leveraging Rochester Regional’s training programs, their expertise in Palliative care, and their network of specialists.

As you may be aware, we are also in the process of hiring a new CEO / Hospice Administrator. The organization will be welcoming Elisa Chambrey to the Supportive Care of Orleans team.  She is the current Executive Director for The Highlands at Pittsford.  We have been fortunate to have the exceptional leadership of Kellie Spychalski for the past four years.

Kellie, and her husband Ron, are making a move to Arizona to be closer to their youngest son and enjoy the opportunities the warm weather and sunshine offer. The Board of Directors extends our heartfelt gratitude to Kellie for all she has done for the organization and the community. The Board and staff wish Kellie and her family the best of luck as they embark on this new journey.

The Board of Directors would like to publicly thank our staff for shepherding us through this very difficult year. Their dedication, professionalism, and care of our patients is unsurpassed.  We intend to keep the community informed of our progress as we invite our more than 150 volunteers back into the organization once our medical director, Dr. Bill Wnuk, feels that it is safe and prudent to do so.

The Board would also like to thank our community partners, volunteers and generous donors for the ongoing support of Supportive Care of Orleans.

For more information about the many services offered by Supportive Care of Orleans, community members, physicians, clergy, and others should contact the office at 585-589-0809 or visit the website at www.supportivecareorleans.org.

Respectfully,

Board of Directors – Supportive Care of Orleans