Shelby appoints town justice, Town Board member

Photo by Tom Rivers: Jeff Schiffer takes the oath of office as a new member of the Shelby Town Board on Monday evening. Town Clerk Darlene Rich administers the oath.

SHELBY – The Town Board has a new town councilman and also a new town justice.

The board appointed Jeff Schiffer to fill a vacancy on the board created by the resignation of Ryan Wilkins.

Schiffer is retired after a 36-year career with the state Department of Corrections, working as a corrections officer, counselor, sergeant and supervising counselor. He worked at the Albion, Orleans and Attica prisons.

Ed Grabowski

“I love everybody around here,” Schiffer said about the town. “I just want to try to help.”

Schiffer’s appointment brings the Town Board to full strength at five members. The board on Dec. 13 also appointed Scott Wengewicz as the Shelby town supervisor following the resignation of Jeff Smith from that position on Oct. 12.

The board on Monday also filled a vacant town justice position. Ed Grabowski will serve in the role following the resignation of Dawn Keppler on Dec. 2. She was a town justice since 1999.

Grabowski, an attorney and a retired criminal justice teacher at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES, was a town justice from 1990 to 1994. He also was a police officer for eight years from 1973 to 1981.

Grabowski has worked as an attorney for the past 25 years. He also represents Medina as a member of the Orleans/Niagara BOCES school board.

He doesn’t start as town justice until June 1.