To the Editor:

Congratulations and thank you to Mayor Ainsworth and the Board of the Village of Herkimer on their unanimous vote to amend the zoning regulations to prevent the construction of a new county jail within the village limits. Continue reading →

Dear Editor:

I’m writing to show my support for the candidacy of Mr. Jon Hansen for the office of Herkimer County Legislator to represent District 15.

Although I’m not a resident of the district and have only known Mr. Hansen for a short while, I still feel certain of his ability to be an outstanding legislator for the county and would like to share that certainty with the voters of the North Country. Continue reading →

To the Editor:

For a long time we’ve been deluged with the words, “dilapidated, deteriorating, unfit for use” when our elected officials talk about the county jail.

They assure us that conditions are so dire that the only solution is abandonment and new construction.

In last Sunday’s OD, the Sheriff, the Legislature and the SCOC all lined up again to tell us how bad things are at the jail.

Don’t they see how self-condemning, how self incriminating such statements are? Continue reading →

To the Editor:

Most of us believe that actions taken by a public body should be done in a manner that is consistent with the letter and intent of our laws.

I strongly feel that many of the resolutions passed by the Legislature of Herkimer County on issues and items relating to the construction of a new county jail were executed incorrectly and, therefore, they are invalid.

Most of the resolutions, especially those pertaining to expenditures, begin with the statement,

“Whereas, the NYSCOC has mandated that Herkimer County construct a new county correctional facility” and then go on to describe the resolution and the expected result.

This is clearly wrong! Continue reading →