Editor:

As another year passes, with just as many challenges (or certainly more so) as in years previous, we arrive at yet another Veterans Day.

Like many federal holidays or days of remembrance, it may sometimes be easy for us to forget why we have days like this dedicated in the first place. Between the large-scale issues that face us today and the minutia of our lives, we can easily forget why we celebrate as we do. Veterans Day is here to remind us why.

To serve one’s country on the battlefield is one of the most selfless things a person can do. Our nation has a proud history of innumerable servicemen and women giving themselves to the country, to ensure our safety and security, and to protect the prosperity in our country today. That sacrifice cannot be understated.

As veterans, our soldiers, sailors and airmen and women alike all face unique challenges when leaving service or retiring. What these folks see and do would shock even the most accomplished individuals.

There’s truly nothing like the work our veterans do; that’s why we dedicate this day to honoring and remembering them. It’s not just a day for department stores to get rid of some over-stocked goods or a day to throw a fun parade for the town.

The true essence of Veterans Day is about showing reverence and thanks to those who have given it all so we can have it all. Remember their sacrifices today, and remember to thank a veteran when you see one. God bless America.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Hawley represents the 139th District, which consists of Genesee, most of Orleans and part of western Monroe County.

Editor:

What makes this country strong, great is the web of relationships, beliefs, trusts, decency and identity that make a society work.

Many Republicans, like Congressman Chris Jacobs, replace accepted facts with lies, baseless accusations, support for QAnon and conspiracy theories. This has cost us trust and dissolves our connectivity our sense of community.

When Trump tweeted that he protected the “Suburban lifestyle” because he rescinded rules to reduce racial segregation, minorities felt that their American rights, as citizens, were challenged by an elected official. Your rights, as an American citizen, were challenged by elected officials and the silence of Republicans like Mr. Jacobs is the silence of consent.

The Buffalo News Editorial (11/07/20) wrote that at a news conference (11/05/20), Mr. Trump stated lies that were “aimed at the heart of American democracy. If they are not countered by responsible Republicans they will gain currency. Silence is consent.”

The Editorial states that Chris Jacobs is silent. Just like Mr. Jacobs said nothing about Mr. Trump’s tweet suggesting a 75-year-old protestor injured by Buffalo police officers wanted to be hurt in a setup against the police. Trump said the protestor could be an “ANTIFA provocateur.” Silence is consent.

To unite this community, to heal the country, Mr. Jacobs needs to end his silence. Denounce the hatred, lies, conspiracy theories and racist comments by the current administration. The time to heal is now, silence is consent.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

With so much that can been taken as negativity, or at the very least, stressful. I hope this attempt at spreading some positive makes the cut.

I would like to say Happy Birthday (Nov. 6, 934) to my dad, Charles H. Hunt Jr. He would have been 86. He worked for the NYSDOT for 34 years as a welder, working on Canal Barges and I’m sure other things.

He was also President of the local chapter of the CSEA for a period of time. During which he was very vocal about the risks of lead poisoning. A thing he was all too familiar with, being diagnosed with it himself. He wrote and spoke directly to Congressmen, helping raise the awareness of lead poisoning to where it is today. (The “acceptable” lead levels, as it relates to lead poisoning, in the 1980s are shocking!!)

He passed away March 7, 2009. And on that deeper note, it’s strange. I somehow can’t imagine him in today’s world. I learned so much from him. Often, I find, it’s things I didn’t even realize I learned until much later.

In this age of global pandemic, political uncertainty and just general uneasiness on a scale never seen before, I would love to sit and talk to him. Even for just a few minutes.

If you have a decent parent in your life, talk to them. If nothing else, they offer a different perspective. It’s being open, able and willing to see things differently that leads to not only realizing things about yourself, but also growing and evolving as a person. And, when you think about it, isn’t that the basic meaning of life?

Charlie Hunt

Syracuse, NY (Albion native)

Editor:

I am drafting this letter to thank each and every person that voted for me. This tenure as your State Assemblyman for the 139th district has been a wonderful experience, and I am proud to continue to serve as your assemblyman.

And while there is certainly celebrating to do and thanks to go around, I want to assure you that as the new session starts up in January, I am just as committed as ever to making the voice of Western New York heard.

I will continue to fight for local and small businesses that need support from the state following the Covid-19 lockdowns, for their economic success means a strong economy for New York. I will continue to hold the majority party accountable when they try to play fast-and-loose with the laws and the God-given rights of citizens. I will push even further my two-state New York bill, which will ensure that the needs of Western New York are not drowned by the urban demands downstate thrusts upon the rest of us. I will continue to ensure our law enforcement is defended and uplifted in state government. All of this, and more, I will continue to do.

And I will continue to give my time to you all, to ensure you have the support you need from your state government. Because of you, I am continuing to fight for you.

Thank you.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Batavia

Editor:

Wow. Who knew such a level of political prowess was even possible? Apparently “being a Democrat, a liberal or a progressive” isn’t the only mental disorder running unchecked out in Orleans County.

Mr. Lauricella, does your diagnoses include Independents as well … or just anyone who is not a Republican?

The only words missing from this latest conservative rant were: “I’m Donald Trump and I approve of this nonsense.”

Tom Graham – AHS ’78

Rochester

Editor:

I strongly urge a vote for Nate McMurray for Congress and Joe Biden for President. Experts in fields of science, medicine, economics and national security all endorse Joe Biden.

Scientific American, The New England Journal of Medicine, The Economist have all written editorials endorsing Joe Biden and a resounding Democratic victory. Forbes magazine reported (9/24/20) that nearly 500 former National Security Officials have endorsed Joe Biden. In a signed, open letter they wrote: “We are former public servants who have devoted our careers, and in many cases, risked our lives, for the United States. We are Republicans, Democrats and Independents. We love our country,” the letter reads. “Unfortunately, we also fear for it.”

For a strong economy Moody’s Analytics and economists at Goldman Sachs concluded that Joe Biden’s economic proposals would result in a stronger economy and job growth than the republican plan.

The New England Journal of Medicine wrote in their editorial: “Here in the United States, our leaders have failed that test. They have taken a crisis and turned it into a tragedy.” Scientific American in their editorial wrote: “The evidence and the science show that Donald Trump has badly damaged the U.S. and its people—because he rejects evidence and science.”

The Economist, in its endorsement of Joe Biden, I think, summed it up best: “In this election America faces a fateful choice. At stake is the nature of its democracy. One path leads to a fractious, personalized rule, dominated by a head of state who scorns decency and truth. The other leads to something better—something truer to what this newspaper sees as the values that originally made America an inspiration around the world.”

As I stated above, I strongly urge a vote for Nate McMurray for Congress and Joe Biden for President.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

In response to Carol Nochajski and Cindy Fleischer. Being a Democrat, a liberal or a progressive is an actual mental disorder. It causes much destruction socially, economically, mentally and politically.

I am not a fan of many of the socialist norms such as subsidies and many government programs and until politicians man up (I said MAN) and do away with them, they are part of the landscape.

I am however opposed to Venezuela and Cuban-type socialism that your party will impose on this country if by chance they win this election. It’s not my fault that you see everything backwards and have not looked into your awful candidate Nate McMurry.

After all, in his words, he is an admirer of Bernie Sanders but his politics are more in line with Elizabeth Warren, you know the woman that lied for years about her Native American genes. Used it to advance her career and says if she was elected president she would end all commercial electricity and much more crazy things such as reparations and open borders.

I also have no fear of the coronavirus. I am strong, I am healthy (and quite handsome for an old brute) and I still work as hard as I did when I was 20 years old. The coronavirus fears me and the tiger blood that flows through my veins.

Oh and by the way no one has done a better job on the coronavirus that our president and if you think differently than you must think ill of the leaders of other countries that are spiking around the world. Such denial on the left and devoid of reality.

No Carol and Cindy I do not want to work with the left. I want to defeat them and their sickness and rid them from the public offices, board rooms and school systems and have normal commonsense people living in reality. I ask you this, would they compromise with me or other normal thinking people?

I want sensible environmental conservation not the radical, hysterical buffoonery that comes from the left. Democrat and RINO Republican regulations moved jobs off shores. Mostly Democrats.

The president has brought them back. You can deny this but it’s true. It’s as true as Obama-Biden built the cages for children at the border. You won’t acknowledged the horrible thing Nate said about Caputo.

Hey it would not be so bad but he tries to portray himself as a nice guy above that kind of thing. No it is you and Carol that will need to seek therapy or a healthy outlet after November 3rd when your candidate loses, Pelosi is sent packing, Mitch will be in charge of putting more conservative judges in the courts and 45 becomes 46 for 4 more years.

Now that’s confidence.

Paul Lauricella

Yates

Chairman of the Orleans County Conservative Party

Editor:

With tomorrow being Election Day I feel I have raised some very good points as to why I’m making this push for write-in candidate for the Town of Shelby Councilman.

There are times I ask myself, why didn’t I question this whole process back in June rather than turn my cheek and say to myself “that’s just politics.” But the more that family and friends came to me after knowing the facts, I decided to make a push for a write-in campaign.

Over this past week with the help of others we have reached out to residents of the town via social media, phone calls, word of mouth and the Pennysaver. I made my signs out of scrap wood I had kicking around in the barn and began getting them out. Overall I think the feedback has been very positive but we still need everyone to continue to pass along the message to please write in Crag Stalker for Shelby Town Councilman.

I feel I have a lot of the same characteristics, values and goals that my father Dale Stalker had when he was councilman. I myself was born and raised in Shelby for 34 1/2 out of 36 years. There were 1 1/2 years my family and I lived in Lyndonville but shortly returned back to Shelby.

I’ve been a registered Republican since I was able to vote (18 years) and have always had the same beliefs, visions and common goals as my fellow local Republicans. I feel I know a lot of the residents in our town and what direction we would like to keep going.

Within the past 15 years Shelby has really taken off as far as the Industrial Park, businesses, and even a hotel if we can get that going and finished up. The direction we are heading and what we have to offer is grabbing the attention of businesses like Amazon, so we need to continue on the path of success and not start to revert backwards.

When it comes to businesses wanting to move into our area, I myself would like to ask the following questions:

How is this going to benefit our tax payers? Is the investment worth the money the town will earn from having this business? How will this affect the residents everyday life, travel, daily outdoor activities, and or wildlife? Due to the increase traffic are they going to help the town build up the road/roads? What kind of tax breaks are they looking for? Will this benefit all taxpayers or just a small portion? How long will the town benefit? How many jobs will this create?

I would like to point out what the majority of residents in Shelby already know, that this area is predominantly Republican and has been for some time. Mr. Wilkins was a registered Democrat from 2005 to March 2020 when he changed to non-affiliated up until he was officially changed to Republican on 6/30/2020, so almost 15 years. So from March 2020 to June 8, 2020 when he submitted to become a Republican (as per the board of elections) Mr. Wilkins for 3 months was unsure of what party he wanted to join? With that being said how do we know what Mr. Wilkins views and beliefs really are, being he is unsure himself.

So when you go to the polls always just be mindful and really think about who your voting for because it might not always be the best option listed under your party line.

Thank you,

Craig Stalker

Write-in candidate for Shelby Town Councilman

Editor:

If you are looking for evidence of a huge political divide in this country, you need look no further than a recent letter to the Hub, by someone who is identified as a local political party leader.

I have written many letters to many editors, but I have never personally attacked people for their political affiliations. Nor have I attributed their actions to some hidden purpose or secret agenda that only I seem to know about.

Disagree with a policy or candidate that I support?  Have at it; offer facts and suggest alternatives. But attacking people personally cheapens the meaning of political debate and reduces it to name-calling and worse.

Before you know it you get people stealing lawn signs, making threats, breaking windows, running campaign buses off the road, and showing up at rallies and polling places armed. I think, I hope, that most of us are so much better than that.

Have a problem with someone? “Ann Landers”, “Hints from Heloise” and “Ask Amy” of newspaper advice fame nearly always make this point: Go talk to the person who is somehow bothering you. They never advise smearing people publicly.

I will also add that the party organization that I belong to in Orleans County does not sit around and think of ways to attack and destroy people personally.  When I affiliate myself with any group I make sure that decency, kindness and generosity are its core values. I would steer way clear of an organization, party or otherwise, that undermines those values.

Sincerely,

James Renfrew

Clarendon

Editor:

A Town of Shelby Councilman position opened in the summer after Councilman Jeff Smith was appointed to take over after Ed Houseknecht resigned the Town Supervisor’s position.

When the position on the board came up, I filled out the application and did several in-person interviews and several phone interviews. The position was put to a vote and it was awarded to me. I was sworn in as a councilman at the August board meeting and I have been serving the town faithfully since.

As part of being appointed to the position I knew that I would have to run and win the election in November to serve out the last three years of the term.

I am not a politician. I have never been in office, my Uncle Don (Kennedy) was on the Village of Medina Board and briefly served as Mayor of Medina. I do not have political alias, nor do I have anyone trying to do favors for me to get me into office.

I do not owe anyone anything and no one owes me anything. I have tried to be a person that looks at the situation and makes sound rational decisions. I just want to do what is best for the Town of Shelby and since I was appointed to the board in August, I believe I have.

I will not engage in mudslinging, politics as usual, backdoor politics, public gamesmanship, or any of the drama that surrounds elections. That is not who I am. Anyone that knows me, knows that I will tell it how it is. I am a straight shooter. If you want to know where I stand on an issue just ask, I will tell you. If I win this election, I will win it because I am the better man to represent the Town of Shelby.

I would like to thank Pat Eick and Skip Draper, of the Shelby Republican Committee, for your endorsement and for having the confidence in me to continue to represent the Town of Shelby.  I would also like to thank Town of Shelby Superintendent Jeff Smith, Highway Superintendent Dale Root, Board member William Bacon and Board member Steven Seitz for your support, help and guidance since being appointed.  I hope to continue to work with everyone.

Good luck to everyone and make sure to get out and vote.

Respectfully submitted,

Ryan Wilkins

Republican-endorsed candidate for Shelby Town Councilman

Editor:

As the educational leaders of the five school districts in Orleans County, we implore local and state legislators to continue their efforts to bring reliable, accessible high speed broadband internet to our communities. This is no longer a want but a need for our families.

Since March we witnessed first-hand and heard countless stories of families struggling with remote learning due to poor, unstable, or inaccessible high speed internet. This was not a new concern in our communities, but one that become more pronounced during the pandemic.

As districts, we responded by opening our school Wi-Fi, partnering with local libraries, purchasing mobile hot spot devices, and even placing vans with hotspots in key locations in our communities. While these strategies attempted to fill the gap, there is simply no substitute for reliable high speed internet access in homes and residences. Equity in educational opportunities is also critical. Case in point: paper packets pales in comparison to virtual zoom meetings.

While schools are not internet providers, we want to ensure access to families. In today’s digital age, having high-speed internet access should be considered a necessary utility, just like electricity, gas, and water. However, schools do not have the infrastructure, utility capabilities, nor a budget, that can support providing mobile devices or internet to all families.  Furthermore, a mobile device such as a hot spot is not high speed internet nor is it reliable internet access.

The five of us can personally share stories of how our families have been affected by this problem. Just last week, Lyndonville third graders had to suddenly transition to remote learning, and several families immediately voiced concern with their lack of reliable internet.

This problem is real and it is having an impact on our students’ education; similarly, as is the lack of reliable, high-speed internet impacts the growth of businesses in our county.

We thank you for your advocacy thus far, and we ask that you continue with efforts to make high-speed reliable internet a reality for ALL citizens and families in Orleans County. We owe it to our current students, future students and our communities!

Thank you.

Brian Bartalo, Holley Superintendent of Schools

Scott Bischoping, Albion Interim Superintendent of Schools

Julie Christensen, Kendall Superintendent of Schools

Mark Kruzynski, Medina Superintendent of Schools

Jason Smith, Lyndonville Superintendent of Schools

Editor:

This election week, thank you to the writers of the United States Constitution, seeking to “secure the blessings of liberty” for us, seeking to “form a more perfect union” and seeking to “promote the general welfare.”

Due to their effort, we have a system of governance designed to evolve as we try to be more perfect, as we try to be more caring, as we work to count our blessings (and votes) in challenging circumstances.

Thanks to the foresight of those writers (and much strife) women are now voting. Thanks to their foresight, we have developed a system of secret ballots for citizens, and there is no need to declare publicly our candidate of choice. Every vote counts.

Among leaders, though, we need organization among those with ideas. We need capability to come together openly and peaceably. We have a process for political parties to be recognized by the state.

From many ideas come a few good ones. For a county neighbor to declare in print that “a politician that loves this country would never ever belong to the Democrat Party” and to make assumptions about someone who has served her community in democratic leadership for 50 years is divisive in a time when we need to be unifying.

Not only the highest office in the land is at stake this week. Among those still to fill in ballots, please consider the values of your congressional candidate choices. My suggestion, Nate McMurray, who traveled to Orleans County, smallest population in the district, to meet even more of his future, multi-partisan constituents with only 6 days of voting left.

Nate McMurray, a candidate promoting dignity, decency, kindness, science, and most of all, a candidate deliberately seeking to serve and find common ground among all in his constituency, regardless of political affiliation.

Beth Wood

Barre

Editor:

In response to Paul Lauricella, Orleans County Conservative Party Chairman, I hope your hateful rant helped you feel better. Beware, stress is a strain on the body, contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and mental disorders like depression, anxiety and personality disorders. Find a healthy outlet.

You like the USPS, a socialistic system because it benefits your business. Hate-fueled misinformation is ruining the Republican Party, which united to block Obama from making more progress.

If you love our country, as you say, you will want parties to work together to provide benefits for everyone, like the USPS and the billions of socialistic aid for farmers. If you love our country you would want our environment protected for the benefit of everyone and future generations. If you love our country you will put country over party.

Big business moved jobs offshore, not Democrats. To expand and sell in the very large Chinese market, China required building products there, and so big business conformed. It’s “fake news” to say that the Democrats are behind it.

With Michael Caputo’s cancer, he is being treated, with great public healthcare. Americans do not want to be denied the basic right to healthcare in a pandemic or when they lose a job.

The Me-Me thinking hurts everyone. The coronavirus teaches us that it does not discriminate. We must work together to reduce the risk so citizens and businesses can survive and thrive again. We’re all in this together. No one has the corner on love for our country.

Me-Me attitude entrepreneurs often opt for moving to tax havens abroad or South Carolina.

Carol Nochajski

Wilson

Editor:

To my fellow residents of Orleans County, I personally believe that much of the political divide that exists in our country today arises more from misunderstanding than anything else.

The word socialism is often tossed around in our area as a slur by many Conservative voters and it seems as if they do not understand the effect that socialist ideals and practices have had on our county/country.

It is not controversial to imply that Orleans County is one of the most socio-economically disadvantaged areas in Upstate New York and that the vast majority of us residents rely on inherently socialist systems to make our daily lives possible.

The vast majority of Orleans County residents depend on public schools as a means for their children to obtain an education and climb the socioeconomic ladder, but in a completely capitalist, “free market” America, public schools would likely not have the funding to exist, leaving many children in our community without the opportunity to chase their dreams, or even pay their bills.

Many of our elders in Orleans County depend on Social Security to live independently after retirement, even if they do not have enough money saved on their own to do so (yes, I understand that each member pays into SS over the years, but it is still an inherently socialist program).

How many of you, or a loved one, have ever collected Unemployment or Workers’ Comp during hard times? Well, both of these programs are also deeply rooted in socialist philosophy and practice. To clarify, I am not advocating for a completely socialist society, but it seems ignorant for many of you to denounce socialism when it has most likely had a profoundly positive impact on your life or the lives of loved ones.

It is also not controversial to imply that sometimes, Orleans County becomes a little too disconnected from the trends and changing values of the majority of the United States. Statistics show that the Republican Party just does not align with the values of younger generations of voters overall and this is not by accident.

The Republican Party is a relic at this point and if it ever hopes to gain support from more open-minded and ethnically diverse young people, I personally believe it must adopt policies that support the utilitarian good of all, rather than just capitalizing on fear and misinformation to manipulate poor white people into supporting madmen like Donald Trump, who only act with self-interest in mind. You can read this and shrug my opinions off, but the writing is on the wall.

To my fellow citizens of Orleans County, either we adapt or we die, both spiritually and economically. To quote both Theodore Parker and later Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

Either we can come together as a community and advocate for justice ourselves, or justice will eventually overcome anyway, whether you like it or not. Would you rather have your legacy be on the right or wrong side of history? The choice is up to you.

Also, do not forget to vote for Nate McMurray for Congress, a true American who advocates for liberty and justice for all.

Eric Neace, Jr.

Lyndonville

Editor:

For 19 years, I have worked in the Orleans County Clerk’s Office serving our residents with respect and competency. It is an immense source of pride in my life to serve as your Acting County Clerk and I take my appointment seriously.

My staff and I strive to provide excellent customer service to the residents of Orleans County, and I believe we are doing just that. My desire is to continue serving Orleans County residents as your elected County Clerk for many years to come.

Regardless of occupation, the ability of a supervisor to be able to work beside or in place of any worker which they are tasked to oversee is important. Anyone who has had a boss that knew less about their job than they did will understand this implicitly. Unfortunately, it seems this concept has been falling by the wayside over the years. Too many people feel their ability to simply delegate responsibility is in itself all the qualification necessary for any particular managerial position.

The possibility that I would one day be thrust into the political arena had never crossed my mind, and in hindsight I was quite naïve as to how the process actually worked. Exactly one year ago to the day, a small group of friends gathered together at my house for what has become a tradition during Trick or Treating, “the Halloween Lasagna”, and it was that night the first utterance of a possible campaign escaped my lips.

Although not one person in the room had ever before been personally involved in a political campaign, the idea was met with a high level of enthusiasm. A truck driver became a “Campaign Manager”, a boyfriend became a trusted consultant/helper/companion, and a worker became a candidate. Completely lacking experience in the political arena, we collectively learned the basics of a political endeavor as we muddled through a stressful, exhausting campaign.

And now just days before November 3rd, I now share with them a delicious pan of lasagna as thanks for all their hard work and effort.

For the last eight weeks, the blessing of beautiful weather afforded the opportunity to walk and visit the voters in every township in Orleans County on the weekends. Although some would have you think I have spoken harshly against my opponent, I assure you that I have not spread a single unkind word. My only focus has been to tell the voters of my experience and the many years I served in the County Clerk’s Office. That has been my focus from the very start of this campaign.

I ask every voter, every Republican, Democrat, Conservative and Independent, please exercise your right to vote in this 2020 election. Is it important to our country, state and county. Regardless of the outcome of the County Clerk race, I remain proud of the campaign that I have run and grateful to those who have supported me along the way.

Diane L. Shampine

Holley