To the Editor:

I would like to start by making something very clear to not only the Knox Town Board members and The Enterprise, but to all citizens of Knox as well: I wrote my comments about the electric-vehicle charging station in its entirety and specifically asked Supervisor Vasilios Lefkaditis to read aloud my comments to the town board because I am in Buffalo for college.

Although I had someone in my family at the Feb. 14 meeting, they were extremely ill and advised not to talk much by their doctor, which is why I personally asked Vas to read my comments. If there is a question about this, I will gladly show my emails to prove it. I am a citizen of Knox and, according to the town board meeting rules, I have my three minutes of speaking time like any other citizen, regardless if I am physically present or not.

It would seem that the editorial written by this newspaper’s editor has misrepresented my comments by saying that Knox is a “boring place.” [The editorial said, “The letter made fun of the project and stated EV stations should be near businesses not in a boring place like the Knox hamlet.”] It is wrong to simply assume that is so when I was simply against a charging station in a town, at the town hall, that has a small population, no businesses, and failing infrastructure.

I never once insinuated Knox was “boring” and, if anything, that is quite the contrary since we have seen an increase in youth activities, as well as the Fall Festival, return of the Pucker Street Fair, and work has been done to improve the town park. Knox has some very interesting and appealing town-wide tours and amenities that many people are unaware of, including the Helderberg Quilt Barn Trail tour, Dutch Barns tour, and even the Winn Nature Preserve on Street Road, to name a few.

I also think it is time for the baseless claims by Mr. Eric Kuck and others that Supervisor Vas took “great pleasure” in reading my letter, to stop or prove their ignorant statements with facts. You do not know this, nor can you prove this and you are simply trying to muck up baseless arguments for no reason at all.

If you and others claim that the supervisor is out of control, rude, disrespectful, derogatory, and demeaning or whatever other word you can come up with, then prove it with video. Prove to the town your claims are true by filming a board meeting or streaming it live for all to see. Will you? Probably not, because you know your claims are baseless and outright misleading.

To Ms. Dee Woessner: I am a citizen of the town of Knox. Yes, I live in the Buffalo area for college, but does that mean I really do not care about what is happening in my town?

I have lived in Knox my entire life, far longer than two years [Dee Woessner has lived in Knox for four years], so to say I’m just “someone in Buffalo” is not very sensible on your part. I have been a committed member of this town and speak up when I feel a voice needs to be heard. There was nothing “evil” or “defamatory” about my comments. To you personally, it may be “evil” because it was not something you wanted to hear but I never intended to defame Mrs. Pokorny at all.

I would applaud her for finding a way to help fix our infrastructure, all while using grant money to do so. I was simply against a pointless and useless charging station and how it was supposedly “risk-free” which it would not be.

Did I call Mrs. Pokorny a “liar” as you so assume? I did not. I simply said calling this idea “risk-free” was a lie. I also pointed out the free option that could have been pursued in November — November, but was not. In fact, based on the building inspector’s time frame he provided in December, his training could have been completed by the end of March, before or around the same time as this charging station installation — and for free.

I care about the town and its future but unfortunately, I am limited to the extent I can help or do something right now. Making my voice heard for others who cannot or will not speak up, helps the board and Knox citizens realize there are millennials who do care.

We are not just about our cell phones and social media. I live in this town, too, and, in one way or another, millennials are the future and I am proud to be standing up for things that are best for the interest of the town. I will never give up, will continue to speak up, and I strongly encourage other citizens my age to do so as well.

Most, if not all, of last week’s letter writers were utterly shocked that people in the town of Knox decided to show up and voice their disdain for a ridiculous idea. They realized, after not being told previously, that their tax dollars were being spent on a useless idea and voiced their concerns.

The town board members have their own brain and consciences. They could have voted however they wanted. There was no gun to their heads, saying how they should have voted. Why are these letters not attacking Mr. Earl Barcomb, who originally voted for the grant proposal request, and then didn’t make a peep when it came to accepting it?

If this newspaper and so many other townspeople were for this charging station, then where were they on Feb. 14? Granted, it was Valentine’s Day, but, if they were so passionate and so shocked at the protesters there, it only shows how few people wanted this after all.

Josh VonHaugg

Knox

Editor’s note: Josh VonHaugg, a Knox native, is currently a senior at Hilbert College in Hamburg, New York.

The letter that he wrote to the Knox Town Board, which was read out loud by Supervisor Vasilios Lefkaditis, is posted below.

This letter to the Knox Town Board was read out loud by Supervisor Vasilios Lefkaditis at the board’s Feb. 14, 2017 meeting.

Sitting way out in Buffalo, I am still appalled that Councilwoman [Amy] Pokorny is pushing her extreme climate initiatives and forcing hardworking, taxpaying Knox citizens to pay for these electric charging stations. The town pushes for this $100,000 grant that Knox is not even guaranteed to get.

How could any board member in their right mind think that this is one of the most important issues and of best interest to this town? I even pointed out in a letter to The Enterprise a few weeks ago that back in November, it was discussed that the town could send town building inspectors to a free training session in Albany to meet one of these climate goals. Wouldn’t something like that not only save the taxpayers’ money but be more beneficial to the town?

But no, let’s put in an electric charging station that will make those feel good that they are helping the environment. If the council members think that little ol’ Knox is going to be saving this entire planet from “climate change,” I have news for you, we will not!

It would seem that if this truly were a “town-wide” effort, wouldn’t more than one councilmember be commenting on this issue. It always seems that Mrs. Pokorny is the one to spearhead these decisions and talk to The Enterprise about the charging station.

It’s great that you think climate change is a more pressing issues than our failing infrastructure and lack of services but when is the board going to wake up and realize this is not a top priority to the people? What do the other board members really feel about this issue? I hardly hear what the rest have to say.

Lastly, to have Mrs. Pokorny say this is “risk-free” is a lie. Please tell me how wasting our money to install these stations that will not help the town, is risk free? For once, think about this: What person is actually going to come to Knox and charge their electric car at the town hall?

A town hall — what fun and interesting things they can do there! I live outside of Buffalo for college and the very few electric-charging stations present are near businesses, which Knox does not have. Stop lying and open your eyes to the real problems here. If you claim people can charge their electric car at their own home than what is the point in putting one in a parking lot of a town hall?

Simply put, this charging station is a farce. It is a waste of taxpayer money and simply offers zero benefits to the town at all. I urge all councilmembers to reconsider this proposal and search for a more beneficial one for everyone!

Josh VonHaugg