Cazenovia Republican Digital Edition - Jan. 25, 2022

Art community mulls impact of college closing

By kAtE Hill Staff Writer

On Jan. 18, CazArts creative alliance gathered representatives of the local arts community at the Cazenovia Public Library & Museum (CPL) to begin exploring options for the future of the arts without Cazenovia College.

On Dec. 7, 2022, the nearly 200-year-old college announced its decision to permanently close following the spring 2023 semester due to financial difficulties.

The meeting of the arts community explored how the closing is expected to impact the arts, where things stand with the college and what is being done, ideas for repurposing the college’s facilities, and ways the arts can aid in the reimagining of the community’s future.

The following organizations were represented: CazArts, Catherine Cummings Theatre, Cazenovia Artisans, Carpenter’s Barn Studio Artists, Cazenovia Area Community Development Association (CACDA), Cazenovia Area Painters, Cazenovia Art Trail, Cazenovia College Art & Design Program, Cazenovia College Art Gallery in Reisman Hall, Cazenovia Counterpoint, Cazenovia Forum, Cazenovia Heritage, Cazenovia Preservation Foundation (CPF), CPL, Cazenovia Watercolor Society, Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce, Lorenzo State Historic Site, National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, New Woodstock Free Library, and Stone Quarry Hill Art Park.

“Many of us were finding that no matter where we went, we were hearing conversations

[about the college],” said CazArts President Geoffrey Navias, who facilitated the meeting. “People care about the college closing and are worried and upset, so there were lots of conversations. Lots of it was [based on] misinformation or not full information or just no information at all. So, we thought, ‘We need to call a meeting and start to get as accurate of information as we can out to [the arts community] and talk about what we are going to do.’ That is what we are doing tonight.”

Before proceeding with the bulk of the evening’s agenda, Navias took a few moments to acknowledge the many facilities, programs and supports that the community is losing due to the college closing.

The college consists of the main village campus, the Stephen M. Schneeweiss Athletic Complex at the end of Liberty Street, the Jephson Campus (South Campus) on Albany Street, the Catherine Cummings Theatre on Lincklaen Street, other village properties, and the Equine Education Center outside the village on Woodfield Road.

Navias invited the attendees to share the aspects of the college that they are currently grieving.

The group came up with a list that included concerns about the loss of the following: stu-

dents and parents; diversity; the print shop and bookstore; programs/events that connect the college to the community such as Jazz-N-Caz, Great Minds/Great Ideas Lecture Series and continuing education programs; tourism; the theatre and art gallery; the athletic complex; well-maintained campus gardens, facilities, and streets; jobs; and the community’s identity.

“[This list] is on top of the fact that we are grieving a couple of years of the pandemic and hard political times; there is a lot of grief that we are carrying with us,” said Navias.

Cazenovia College closing background, current situation

CACDA Executive Director Lauren Lines summarized the circumstances that led to the college’s decision to close.

Lines explained that the institution was faced with a “perfect storm” of multiple external considerations, including unfavorable demographics.

According to Lines, Cazenovia College is certainly not alone in this respect. A lot of small colleges across the county are experiencing similar enrollment issues, and the issue is about to get even worse.

Lines explained that the population of col-

Artists to present workshop in Carpenter’s Barn

By kAtE Hill Staff Writer

On Saturday, Feb. 25, professional exhibiting artists Jen Pepper and Pilar Figueira will encourage community members to ignite their inner artists through a creative, mixed-media workshop inside Carpenter’s Barn at Lakeland Park in Cazenovia.

Open to ages 16 and older and all artistic levels, the program will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a snow date of Saturday, March 4.

“The guided workshop will introduce artistic materials and techniques to all, whatever their level, from [beginner] to advanced students,” said Pepper. “We will work with collage, stencils, and a variety of acrylic mediums and paint on stretch canvases.”

All supplies will be provided, and each participant will leave with a 12x16-inch canvas ready to hang on their wall.

“This opportunity will not only set fire to the participants’ creative souls, giving each new techniques to continue to explore beyond the workshop, but it will also be a morning to meet other like-minded people and make new friends,” said Figueira.

Carpenter’s Barn was originally built in 1889 as a carriage house for the former Lakeland estate (now Lakeland Park). Through the efforts of CazArts creative alliance, in cooperation with the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, the Village of Cazenovia, and Cazenovia College, the stone building has been refurbished and repurposed to serve as a dynamic arts hub and “welcoming gateway” to the village.

The barn’s main room has been transformed into a multi-purpose Community Arts Hall,

which is available for classes, meetings, workshops, performances, and programs.

The stables have been redesigned into a large, shared art studio with six workstations for artists who want to rent their own dedicated space and work around other artists.

Pepper and Figueira, who both work out of The Artist Studio at Carpenter’s Barn, plan to bring their unique artistic skillsets and instructional experience to their upcoming workshop.

Figueira (pilarfigueira.com) is a Portuguese artist who, according to her website, “creates period paintings of scenes that feel strikingly familiar with brush strokes of oil and nostalgia.”

“By representing common experiences shared in old photographs, her paintings transform old memories into new narratives, creating figurative portraits that are both anonymous in nature but also very personal,” the website states. “. . . Women play a crucial pictorial role in her work.”

Figueira’s work has been exhibited at the Blaffer Art Museum, the Lawndale Art Center’s “The Big Show” in Houston, Texas, and the Vignette Art Fair at The Women’s Museum in Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. She currently has an exhibition titled “Recollection” on display in the Cazenovia Public Library Gallery through Jan. 31. Born in Canada, Pepper (jenpepper.com) is a visual artist who works in both two- and three-dimensional media. She has exhibited in solo and group shows internationally since 1990. Her work has been reviewed in “Sculpture” magazine among other journals, and she has been an artist in residence at institutions throughout the world.

Pepper holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art & Design and a master of fine arts degree from the University of Connecticut. She is a professor of

art and art history at Cazenovia College and the director of the Cazenovia College Art Gallery in Reisman Hall.

Figueira and Pepper’s Feb. 25 workshop is limited to 25 participants. Sign up by emailing pilar.figueira@gmail.com

The cost per participant is $60, which includes four hours of full instruction and all materials. A registration fee of $30 is required to be paid by Feb. 18.

To learn more about CazArts and Carpenter’s Barn, visit cazarts.com/carpenters_barn

SchOOl NEwS

Athletic field improvement moves forward

Superintendent speaks about college closing

By kAtE Hill Staff Writer

During the Jan. 23 Cazenovia Central School District Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Christopher DiFulvio addressed an inquiry made during the public comment period as to whether the district has considered purchasing Cazenovia College’s athletic field.

The question followed the Dec. 7, 2022, announcement that the college will be permanently closing following the spring 2023 semester due to financial concerns.

The community member specifically asked if the district has explored purchasing the college’s synthetic turf “Christakos Field” instead of moving forward with its plans to install turf at the district’s Emory Avenue Complex.

During the superintendent’s report, DiFulvio announced that the college is not currently for sale. He also stated that he has been participating in a group of local leaders and community members that has been discussing what the future might look like without the college.

According to the superintendent, the group has established a goal of keeping the campus intact rather than it being carved up and sold off piecemeal.

“[The goal] is to try to make sure the college stays together in one piece so there are no ancillary parts of the college that are for sale,” DiFulvio said. “I think it’s also important to note that if there was an ancillary part of the college for sale, it’s not connected to the school district, and we would need funds approved by the taxpayer to add to our overall operating budget to operate any of those facilities.”

For the district to receive state aid, DiFulvio explained, the property would need to be directly connected to a school campus and available to students during the day. The facility itself would also need to be renovated to meet New York State Education Department (SED) standards, which would also fall on the local taxpayer.

“If something changes down the road, we will certainly do our due diligence if something makes sense for the school district,” DiFulvio said.

He concluded by stating that, at this point, the group believes it is in the community’s best interest to find a future use for the campus that duplicates the many jobs that are being lost and the significant economic impact the college has had on the area.

During the Facilities Committee report, Chairperson David Mehlbaum provided an update on the status of the district’s $10,713,319 Phase II Capital Project, which is aimed at modernizing the physical education, athletics, and community facilities at the Emory Avenue Complex to include a multi-purpose sports stadium and synthetic turf fields.

According to Mehlbaum, the project, which was approved by voters on March 30, 2022, is currently under review by the SED. The review process is expected to be completed by mid-February.

“[That] would enable us to move out to bidding, which, at the moment if we stay on track, would be in March, [which] would result in a mobilization in April,” he said.

Work would begin on the upper field first and then commence on the lower field a couple of months later. Therefore, the upper field will be

Submitted photoS On Feb. 25, professional artists Jen Pepper and Pilar Figueira will present a creative, mixed-media workshop in Carpenter’s Barn. the program will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is open to ages 16 and older and all artistic levels.

Kate hill

On Jan. 18, CazArts creative alliance held a meeting of the local arts community to begin planning for the future of the arts without Cazenovia College.

lege-age Americans is about to crash due to a demographic aftershock of the Great Recession. The higher education industry refers to what is coming as “the enrollment cliff.”

“Small colleges are preparing for [it], but it hasn’t even happened yet,” said Lines. “We were already experiencing locally a drop in enrollment, then came the Excelsior Scholarship that New York State offered at SUNY schools.”

The Excelsior Scholarship allows eligible students to attend New York State’s public col

leges and universities tuition-free.

Lines stated that although Cazenovia College offered “tremendous” financial aid opportunities, the marketing of free tuition hurt the private institution.

The next blow to the college was the COVID pandemic, which resulted in decreased enrollment and increased expenditures.

“It was kind of like one hit after another in a short period of time,” said Lines. “It seemed like the prospects were good for refinancing their debt. All through this past summer and even into the fall, it seemed like a done deal, and then the bond market fell apart in the

United States. It was just one more in a series of unfortunate circumstances that led us here. The college had $25 million in bonds that [they defaulted on this fall]. The collateral for those bonds is the real estate.”

Lines continued by reporting that the college negotiated with the bondholders to be allowed to operate for the spring 2023 semester, during which the college will assist its students with their transferring plans and provide additional supportive services.

According to Lines, the bondholders are getting ready to hire a broker to disperse the real estate.

Upcoming planning sessions

In partnership with other local agencies, CACDA is currently working to quickly establish a planning process to begin developing a clear vision for the post-Cazenovia College use(s) of the campus that will have the greatest long-term positive impact on the community.

Lines said CACDA and CPF are working to organize an initial “visioning” session, which will lead to additional forums that will give the business community and residents opportunities to provide input on potential future uses of campus properties.

The goal, according to Lines, is to put together a planning document that can be used to market the campus to potential investors.

“The idea [is] that we would like to keep the campus whole,” said Lines. “We want to have a future use that includes jobs and [does] not necessarily carve up the campus but keeps it intact.”

Lines added that a higher education use would be ideal, but it might not be an option, so CACDA and its partners are working to identify the “highest and best” uses for the property that would benefit the community, create jobs, and maintain the vibrancy of Cazenovia.

She concluded by stating that the planning process will not only benefit the community but will also help the bondholders to get the highest return on their investment.

CPF Executive Director Jen Wong then took the podium to provide more information on the initial planning events that CPF and CACDA are organizing.

The first event will be limited to a small, focused group of 20 to 25 attendees who have professional planning experience, knowledge of the community, and/or other specific skillsets and backgrounds such as development and redevelopment for example and will bring their perspectives to some of the options on the table for the college properties.

“We wanted to keep it small and nimble and really pull in the professionals within our community, with the idea that we can then pass this information to a professional planner who will take it to the next level,” said Wong.

The hope, according to Wong, is that doing some of the work now with locally available skills and resources will enable the planner to get a little further along in their process a little faster.

The first part of the initial meeting will focus on holistic solutions for the entire campus/main campus. The second part will explore options for some of the properties outside the main campus, like the theatre, equine center, and Jephson

Campus.

“Some of those solutions for the whole campus/main campus might include some or all the peripheral properties, [and] some of those solutions might not be inclusive of all of those peripheral properties, so we want to spend a little focused time thinking about those as well,” said Wong.

Wong wrapped up by stating that the initial small-group workshop will be held within the next two to three weeks and will set the framework for a larger community forum.

College closures in other communities

Former CPL Director Betsy Kennedy dedicated her presentation to looking at what happened in other communities when their colleges closed.

Kennedy first highlighted Poultney, Vermont’s Green Mountain College, a private liberal arts institution that was forced to close in 2019.

In 2020, the college was purchased by Raj Bhakta, the founder of WhistlePig Whisky, and his wife, Danhee. According to Kennedy, the couple opened a private school and has been working with the town and community development agency to make the campus a destination.

Kennedy noted that she was unsure of exactly how the entrepreneurs aim to make the campus a destination, but she appreciates their efforts to “follow through.”

In contrast, Kennedy pointed to Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire, which closed in 2017. The following year, the college was purchased by two Chinese investors. As of 2021, no plans were in motion and the college stood vacant with $811,000 owed in back taxes.

Kennedy said her research also turned up colleges that have been repurposed as healthcare centers and housing developments, absorbed by neighboring colleges or universities, purchased by a local government for a possible new high school, partially purchased by a city for recreation opportunities such as a gym, trails and other uses and used for workplace development training for noncollege jobs or for addiction recovery care.

“It’s just remarkable when you start doing the research how many colleges have closed in the last ten years, and it’s anticipated that more will be closing,” said Kennedy.

She added that she recently read an article announcing that SUNY Delhi is headed in the same direction.

“Even SUNY colleges are having trouble,” said Kennedy. “. . . They have the same issues of demographics. You can’t invent students when there aren’t any. I noticed Oswego is advertising ‘Finish your degree,’ trying to get adult students to come. So, everyone is scrambling. We have a very tough road ahead, but [the people in this] group are doers, and there are even more doers out there. Looking forward, let’s try to make something good happen here as best we can.”

How much say does the community have?

When asked how much control the community will have over what happens with the college properties, Lines responded that the an-

swer is “tricky.”

“There are transactions that are going to happen, and the community is not officially part of either side of that transaction,” she said. “So, I think all we can do is work hard to bring good prospects to those that do have the decisionmaking power.”

She added that the village will have power when it comes to the zoning of the properties.

For example, the main campus, athletic center, and Jephson Campus are in C-1 and C-2 zoning districts, which are exclusively for postsecondary educational uses. Therefore, any other proposed use will require a zoning change.

“That gives the village a bit of a circuitbreaker,” said Lines. “So, that’s a decision-making ability; that’s a little bit of leverage that we have locally. . . To the extent we can plan and have ideas and potentially attract prospects, that’s something we should certainly do.”

Maintaining a strong arts community

Next, Navias proposed a few initiatives to help strengthen and nurture the arts community and support Cazenovia throughout the upcoming years of transition.

He suggested pursuing grants to fund coordination and marketing, taking advantage of CazArts’ all-arts community calendar, working to keep the village main street vibrant, and encouraging members of the arts community to attend and support each other’s events.

Upcoming events throughout the college’s spring semester include “Seussical the Musical” at the college theatre, as well as BFA senior exhibitions, a juried exhibition of student work, and a faculty show in the college art gallery.

CPL Interim Director Elisha Davies provided a brief overview of the all-arts community calendar, which will enable people to search for upcoming arts, heritage, and cultural events in one place. Cazenovia-area organizations and businesses are invited to list their events on the calendar by filling out a simple online form. The calendar is currently active on the CazArts website.

Focus groups To wrap up the session, Navias invited the group to help brainstorm focus areas for the arts community.

“When things happen, [we want] to be prepared to deal with them,” said Navias. “If in a year and a half, suddenly the theatre becomes available, we desperately want to have an idea of what we want to do.”

In addition to the theatre, Navias also proposed focus groups for the college’s art facilities, its architecture and heritage, Jazz-n-Caz, and the print shop.

The group’s many suggestions included planning for the loss of the college bookstore, which offers art supplies, local artwork, Caz merchandise, and more; preserving the college’s archives and art collections; exploring future uses for the equine center; and addressing the loss of social services and support for underrepresented populations.

During the brainstorming session, Cazenovia College Professor of Art Kim Waale, M.F.A., pointed out that the institution has three buildings dedicated to the arts and that one-third of the student body is majoring in art & design.

In response, Lines said she thinks it would be helpful for her to be able to highlight in the planning document the fact that those buildings have been heavily invested in and “specially appointed with equipment and infrastructure for the arts.”

“As far as planning for a future use for these facilities, they are special use buildings; they are not just shells,” Lines said. “. . . [The Art & Design building] could be turnkey to make it an art center where you have studios and resources the public could use. Communities apply for grants and spend countless dollars creating that, and it exists there, so you would hope that the future use would make use of that huge investment that has already occurred.”

According to Navias, CazArts will be calling additional meetings over the next couple of years.

“This isn’t a one-shot kind of meeting,” he said. “. . . It’s a very fluid situation from what I can tell, so we are going to be meeting again as things develop and people have ideas, but we

want to give Lauren and the mayor and whoever else as much support and oomph as we can in the directions that we want to go.”

At the end of the session, attendees were invited to fill out forms to provide information on the role the arts play in their lives, their concerns about the college closing, the challenges they see for the arts community moving forward, and a project area that they would like to help work on.

“It’s kind of hard to hear and think about what is going to happen, but on the other hand, there are lots of opportunities that are going to be coming up also,” concluded Navias. “. . . CazArts will just keep on trying to coordinate as best we can, and you folks tell us how we can do better.”

CazArts is a creative alliance of area arts or-

ganizations, individual artists, and members of the public, that works to promote the creation and appreciation of arts in the greater Cazenovia area.

The organization believes that thriving arts and cultural activity are the hallmarks of a vibrant community.

“CazArts promotes, educates, and advocates for the arts to policymakers, funders, community leaders, and the public,” the organization’s website states. “We are a stronger community when we work together. CazArts is a hub that serves the visual, performing, folk, written, and other disciplines of art by facilitating educational and professional development opportunities.”

For more information on CazArts, visit cazarts.com

House (guests welcome) call 315-655-9182 11, 9-noon - Snow Sculptures in Memorial Park HS Classes competition 11, 7-noon - Pancake Breakfast at American Legion 26 Chenango St. 13, 5:30-7:30pm - Live Music w/The Cadleys at Brae Loch Inn Feb 16, 11:30am-1:30pm CASA BINGO Luncheon at Hampton Inn (call 315-825-5710 reservation) 16, 6-8pm -Live Music w/Mark Douglas at Brae Loch Inn 17, 6-9pm -Live Music w/Jay & The Tie Dyers at Brae Loch Inn 18, 10am-1pm - Winter Farmers Market, American Legion, 26 Chenango St. 20, 5:30:7:30pm - Live Music w/The Cadleys at Brae Loch Inn 23, 6-8pm - Live Music w/Mark Douglas at Brae Loch Inn 24, 6-9pm - Live Music w/Crushing Midnight at Brae Loch Inn 26, 3-6pm - Sunday Funday w/Colleen & Friends at Brae Loch Inn 27, 5:30-7:30pm - Live Music w/The Cadleys at Brae Loch Inn Don’t

Keep warm safely

While compared to other years this winter so far has been relatively mild, we have still had some fairly cold days and even if it hasn’t been the bone chilling cold that often defines this season, it is still cold enough we have to take extra measures to keep our homes warm.

Whether this effort involves a fire place, gas or electric heating systems or other kinds of heaters it is important to make the effort to be safe.

According to the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, FASNY, winter is a time when fire departments usually see an increase in home fires.

According to the organization nearly half of all home heating equipment fires are occurring during December, January and February. Carbon monoxide (CO) exposure and poisonings also increase during these months.

“There is an increased risk of home fires and carbon monoxide poisoning this time of year as residents use space heaters, portable heating sources, gas furnaces, and fireplaces to heat their homes,” FASNY President Edward Tase, Jr., said in a press release. “We encourage New Yorkers to take proper precautions when they heat their homes this season.”

According to the National Fire Prevention Association, heating equipment is the second leading cause of US home fires and the third leading cause of home fire deaths. Space heaters are the type of equipment most often involved in home heating equipment fires, accounting for more than two of every five fires (44% ) , as well as the vast majority of deaths and injuries in home fires caused by heating equipment.

Homeowners should keep space heaters a safe distance from combustible materials, such as curtains, bedding, and upholstered furniture. To prevent CO exposure and poisoning, avoid the indoor use of unvented gas-burning appliances, unvented gas or wood-burning stoves, and unvented fireplaces.

“Homeowners should check that all heating equipment is functioning properly and that furnace and dryer vents are clear of ice and other debris,” Tase said. “As we turn up the heat, it is crucial to ensure that there are working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on each floor of the home and outside of sleeping areas. These devices can be the difference between life and death. We want all New Yorkers to be fire-safe this winter and remember— if there is a fire: get out, stay out, and call 911.”

Gov. Hochul, according to FASNY, recently signed legislation to help address some of these concerns particularly involving space heaters.

This legislation requires all space heaters sold in New York to have a thermostat and automatic shutoff and be certified by a recognized certification organization.

FASNY also shared the following tips to keep safe:

Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment.

Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters. Never use your oven to heat your home.

Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.

Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.

Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.

Always use the right kind of fuel specified by the manufacturer, for fuelburning space heaters.

All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.

Test smoke alarms at least once a month.

RUMiNAtiNG ON REAlity

I watched a fascinating program on PBS about dogs and how their sense of smell far outstrips ours. It got me thinking about how we interact with what we call reality. Let’s think about it. Would we love to hang our heads out of the car window to pick up the marvelous world of scents that are so enticing to our canine companions? Probably not, unless we had ingested some form of mind altering substance

What is real to a person who is color blind is different than that of someone who has complete human color vision. What about those creatures whose color perception is wider than that of humans? Their reality is then different from that of our species, color blind or not.

The world is full of sound. There are sounds that children and teens can hear that people older than 20 can’t and the other sounds that have gradually disappeared for those of us who are of an even more mature nature. My offspring will ask us to turn off the TV in the kitchen because of the high-pitched sound it makes. The spouse and I look at each other and ask, “What high pitched sound?” Then there are the sounds that spouses are incapable of hearing when uttered by their counterpart. Things like the faucet is leaking or the garbage needs taking out.

Just what is real? I can remember,

Ramblings from the empty nest Ann Ferro

painfully remember, taking a philosophy course at 3 p.m. on Fridays during my senior year at Syracuse Univerity. My advisor, and he must have had a good laugh, advised me to take this graduate level course to round out my last semester as an undergraduate. Talk about being lost. These students were throwing around ideas and questions that, for me, might as well have been written or spoken in ancient Sanskrit.

Determined or crazy, I persisted, and while I was looking up the meaning of the word syllogism the rest of the class was discussing Descartes and Plato and things like “multiple worlds” which, I have found is a link to physics theory. In any case, I just barely passed this course, but what I did learn was that, most of the time, the debate was about what was real. Now, this meant taking into consideration the differences in cultural and physical ability to come to grips with the stuff of reality … whatever that is. And Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. had its own grim reality.

The physicist talks about matter and states of matter that have no meaning for most of us in everyday life. Sub particle physics describes states of matter that are of little use when you are trying to figure out why the nob in the kitchen cabinet keeps falling off. The reality of their world is also ours, but less accessible

FROM THE MAILBAG

because of education, experience and the use of obscure words like “charm.”

Dr. Fauci could lecture us about the ways in which our environment, our diets and our vaccine status affect our health while we contemplate the reality of the sweet seduction of a cream filled donut. Lunch to my daughter means a gigantic salad. To her sons, lunch means anything but salad.

And, on the same or barely-related topic, have you ever wondered why our pets learn to understand words while we have not a clue about what their utterances mean? The world of your pet is not the same as yours. Their receptors for sight, sound, touch and smell are much wider than ours. They don’t see what we see. While their color reception is often less, their depth of field is much greater, as is their ability to hear, smell and interpret touch. In that sense, they are living in a different world than we are. Which may explain why none of our cats respond to their names but will be right at my side when I ask who would like a yummy.

If I could apply all of this rumination to Congress, I might be less anxious and better able to sleep at night.

Ann Ferro is a mother, a grandmother and a retired social studies teacher. While still figuring out what she wants to be when she grows up, she lives in Marcellus with lots of books, a spouse and a large orange cat.

Bob’s biggest battle

Protect conservation land

To the editor:

I began to mourn the loss of a place, an entirely new sense of emotion for me.

Random Thoughts Phil blackwell

Just about every minute since I started this job in another millennium all those seasons ago, he’s been there, an essential character in area high school sports.

Most of those winters, he would arrive at the bench, surrounded by assistant coaches, calmly checking his notes as his teams warmed up, always in a shirt and tie and those trademark suspenders.

Then the game tipped off, and the transformation was instant. Four quarters (or more) of instructing, pleading, cajoling, and plenty of words for officials whenever whistles didn’t go his team’s way.

Far more often than not, his teams won. Whether at Jamesville-DeWitt or later at Bishop Grimes, Bob McKenney would coach basketball teams that, come late February and early March, would pick up a steady stream of banners and plaques.

All of these are noteworthy now because McKenney is battling not against Westhill or CBA or Bishop Ludden, but something that cares not for championship resumes.

Late last year, Bob found out that he had breast cancer, which happens far more often among men than we’d like to admit. After some early treatments, he is now amid chemotherapy sessions.

Yet except for the absence of his curly hair and the more casual outfits most coaches wear these days at games, you’d never know this is a 64-year-old man battling for his life.

Not for more than a day has McKenney gone away from his tasks as both coach and athletic director at Bishop Grimes, taking in all kinds of school activities and even taking part in a benefit last weekend at the school.

It’s funny. Sometimes we bristle at the competitive nature of our most successful coaches, or successful people in any profession, questioning their singleminded determination and focus.

And when we’re at the game, seeing McKenney or someone else express themselves, it’s understandable to tell them to cool down, or of course ask for the technical foul, usually at a high volume.

Yet it’s that very intensity, focus and

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On Jan. 9, 2023 Twin Ponds Housing, LLC presented to the Manlius planning board a plan for proposed construction of 276 units east of N. Burdick Street, Manlius. The map shows the access road traverses a narrow strip of land adjacent to two bodies of water (ponds), and the plan already excludes 55 acres because of a combination of ponds and severe slopes. eaglenewsonline.com/new/ government/2023/01/12/housing-plancalls-for-276-units-on-n-burdick-st/

The Environmental Protection Agency Climate Change Environmental Justice screen (ejscreen.epa.gov/ mapper) shows a 100 year flood plain east of the two ponds extending to route 257, meaning that the proposed units might experience a flood right to their back door. The Department of Environmental Conservation wetlands map (dec.ny.gov/animals/38801.html) shows that site contains an existing freshwater forested/shrub wetland with Bishop and Limestone Creeks (with a joining riverine tributary) adjacent to or within its borders.

The 100-year floodplain follows Limestone Creek which becomes Chittenango Creek which enters Oneida Lake. Decisions made by the Manlius Planning Board to alter the natural water pathways of Bishop and Limestone creeks will impact not only Manlius, but communities downstream all the way to Oneida Lake.

Based on this information, Manlius might consider protecting this land for conservation, rather than approving a building site which already has serious risk of flooding. The local decisions that we make affect our neighbors, adjacent communities, and the public at large. Let’s all look at a goal of 50% conservation of lands and waters by 2050 one acre at a time, and do our part to lessen devastating impacts to our community from climate change.

SONiA y kRAGH, MD member, Climate Change aWareneSS and aCtion member, deWitt adviSory ConServation CommiSSion

My goodbye to Cazenovia College

To the editor:

This winter, Cazenovia College announced it will be closing after the spring 2023 semester. I fell apart at the news. At first, I was angry and I found it difficult to believe that there was no way the college could be saved. The more I learned, the more my anger turned to sorrow and

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I wondered why I was affected in such a deep way. This is life right? People come and go. Places come and go. Why couldn’t I stop crying and mourning this loss? I realized after some time that Cazenovia College is my safe haven. Losing it means that I am losing a sense of hope, of my hope and all of the hope of the lives this institution has touched.

In the fall or 2008, I began my college search journey as a student with little aspirations and sense of direction. Thankfully, I was close to my guidance counselor who saw something in me that I hadn’t. One day she handed me a catalog for Cazenovia College, a small college nestled in a western New York town. She specifically wanted me to look at their liberal arts approach to education, which she thought would benefit me, and I would also have the opportunity to explore my creative side.

My first year at Cazenovia was confusing and felt like a whirlwind, but after some time my intuition was telling me to stay. I was taking my first photography class and fell in love with the process, which inspired me to eventually change my major from English to Photography. I finally found my place.

It’s not hard to fall in love with Cazenovia College and the intimacy of it all. However, what truly makes it a special place is the people. As cliche as it may sound, the people are the beating heart of the college.

To my favorite professors, Neil Chowdhury, Jen Pepper, Kim Waale, Anita Welych, and Warren Olin-Ammentorp, thank you for whole-heartedly leading your programs and setting us up for creative and professional success. To everyone who is essential to the fabric of Cazenovia College, you mean everything to the community. From the folks who cooked us meals in the cafeteria to the librarians who kindly supported us through our capstones, thank you for everything you do.

Cazenovia College is one of my favorite places in the world. I keep going back to the comfort and familiarity of it all. It has truly been my anchor and the recent news has ripped it away from me and so many others. This May, it will be 10 years since I’ve graduated and every time I visit, it’s the same; being on campus grounds me, it validates me, I became an artist there, and I met some of my best friends there. Cazenovia College matters. It will always matter and I will miss it terribly.

JENNA

PEtRONE, ClASS OF 2013 CatSKill, ny

Bob Years Ago in History

By Cindy Bell ToBey

10 Years Ago – Jan. 23, 2013

There has been a slow, steady and excited buzz permeating Cazenovia in recent weeks that can all be boiled down to the fact that the nationally-known “Fabulous Beekman Boys” – bestselling authors, farmers, entrepreneurs and recent winners of the television’s “The Amazing Race” – are coming to town on Saturday, Jan. 26.

The two-hour event, sponsored by the Historic Cazenovia Business District committee of the chamber of commerce, will feature Josh Kilmer-Purcell and his partner Brent Ridge giving a special book signing of their “Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook” and Kilmer-Purcell’s New York Times best-selling non-fiction book, “The Bucolic Plague, How two Manhattanites became gentleman farmers An unconventional memoir.”

8 Years Ago – Jan. 28, 2015

The village of Cazenovia extends an open invitation to a public meeting at which Saratoga Associates consultants will present the first drafts of conceptual drawings for a master plan for Lakeland Park.

The meeting is the second of three public meetings to be held in conjunction with this project.

The first occurred on Sept. 29 and was well attended by stakeholders and residents. Saratoga led the group in focused brainstorming and generated a large amount of input and feedback on various visions for both preserving and enhancing the park, as well as Carpenter’s Barn.

Discussion topics included a potential pathway system to increase walkability within the park, enhancements to the swim and diving areas including addressing the failing walls, a potential visitor dock, a tree assessment and planting plan, evaluating the traffic flow and

parking pattern, reviewing the sitting and conditions of the bandstand and maximizing the use of the park and barn for public events, just to name a few.

6 Years Ago – Jan. 25, 2017

On Sunday, Jan. 22, Cazenovia 12-yearold Isabella Uzcategui played a major part in the newest episode of Food Network’s show “Worst Cooks in America” as she mentored show recruits through a skill drill to make unconventional pizza.

Uzcategui, the niece of show co-host Anne Burrell, who is also a Cazenovia native, is an enthusiastic amateur cook who is making her television debut.

“It was really fun; I couldn’t stop smiling,” said Uzcategui, who is a seventh grader at Cazenovia Middle School. “At first I was scared to tell [the adult contestants] what to do, but once I got past that it was really fun.”

2 Years Ago – Jan. 27, 2021

Last year, the First Presbyterian Church of Cazenovia hosted 12 blood drives, collecting a total of 414 units of life-saving blood that potentially helped up to 1,292 patients in need.

According to Stephanie Mahoney, American Red Cross account manager in Herkimer and Madison counties.

Cazenovia is one of the top blood collecting locations in the area. “The reason Cazenovia has been a top location is 100 percent due to the community,” Mahoney said. “It’s their loyalty and their awareness. A lot of donors, when they come out to donate, preemptively schedule their next appointment, because that’s how committed they are. It really comes down to the citizens in the Cazenovia community stepping up. I don’t have to do a lot of extra marketing and awareness, because they just know, and they have made it part of their routine. It’s a great community to be working in.”

drive that is absolutely perfect for what McKenney is facing. Anyone who’s gone through a cancer battle or knows someone who’s faced it – which is just about everyone – will say that attitude is critical. The more we fight, the better our chances.

Oh, and the timing is poignant.

We’re near the 30-year mark of when we lost Jim Valvano. In biological terms, to compare the two stories is impossible since the cancer that took Jimmy V’s life was far more virulent and advanced, and in a different part of the body, too.

Still, we all know how Valvano spent the last year of his life – battling, fighting, inspiring, and ultimately laying the groundwork for the V Foundation for Cancer Research that has saved countless others, young and old.

Whether they accept the premise or not (and most do), coaches are leaders, especially at the scholastic level. Far beyond the games, wins and losses, what they teach, and how they behave, will leave a permanent impression on young people, so it’s crucial for them to set as good an example as possible.

Thus, seeing McKenney continue an astonishing level of activity in the middle of

a cancer battle must convey a message of hope and resilience, both to his team and to anyone else paying attention.

Plus it’s something we can all agree on. Back when McKenney was coaching at J-D, it was easy to say that his titles were a byproduct of having supreme talent on hand. The way his tenure ended at J-D and his subsequent chapter at Grimes left hard feelings that have decreased, but not gone away.

Cast all of that aside, though. Certainly rival schools, coaches and officials have done so, all sending their best wishes to McKenney in recent months, understanding that this transcends basketball.

Good thing, too, because if you didn’t know better, whenever you head out to watch Bishop Grimes as they move toward another post-season appearance, Bob McKenney is still there, working as hard as ever, seeking every possible edge as fans cheer and boo in response.

When it comes to cancer, though, everyone is on the same team, facing the same common opponent, and praying for a bigger victory than anything you can find on a scoreboard.

Phil Blackwell is sports editor at Eagle News. He can be reached at pblackwell@ eaglenewsonline.com.

completed sooner than the lower field.

The entire project is scheduled to wrap up in the late summer or fall of 2024.

“We are still on track,” said Mehlbaum. “The good news was that SED is reviewing it and asking questions and moving because that’s the biggest hurdle we’ve got to get through now before we can finalize and actually know what the numbers are going to look like.” in other news

The board approved the final Smart Schools Investment Plan - Phase 3 (Revised).

To date, the district has committed $677,009 of the $813,516 it was allotted through the Smart Schools Bond Act.

Phase 1 (2016) consisted of technology infrastructure and building security upgrades totaling $316,650. Phase 2 (2017) involved the purchase of new computers, Chromebooks, and projectors to support students and staff, totaling $360,359.

A total of $136,507 remains for Phase 3.

According to the district, Phase 3 purchasing under the grant will support needs related to installing high-speed broadband or enhancing wireless connectivity. Phase 3 will also support learning technology equipment, including interactive whiteboards, Chromebooks, laptops, desktops, projectors, and other technology items that enhance teaching and learning.

Prior to approving Phase 3, the board held a public hearing to allow stakeholders to respond to the preliminary plan.

OCM BOCES Engineering technology program at Marquardt

On Jan. 19, Onondaga-Cortland-Madison (OCM) BOCES announced the upcoming launch of a new, two-year engineering technology program that will allow high school students across the region to learn in an on-site classroom at Marquardt Switches, Inc., and to work side-by-side with industry professionals at the company’s North American headquarters in Cazenovia (2711 Route 20 East).

According to the press release, Marquardt

is a total solution provider for the automotive, off-road, and home industries and is expanding into the defense, aerospace, drone, and medical markets. It offers prototype development, testing services, equipment building and automation, product assembly, and supply-chain management — all under one roof.

Scheduled to launch in September 2023, the onsite program is aimed at exposing junior and senior students to engineering concepts and practices, preparing them for college and careers in the field, and generating a pipeline of workers for a rapidly expanding high-tech industry.

In the press release, DiFulvio said the hands-on experience at Marquardt will open students’ eyes to career possibilities related to designing, manufacturing, and selling hightech products from start to finish.

“Our students will have access to one of the top engineering programs for high school students in the state,” he said.

According to Marquardt executives, the company is determined to develop a skilled and talented workforce to ensure its future success.

“We’re excited to partner with OCM BOCES to invest in the educational process of our local community,” said Kevin Thompson, director of supply chain and general manager, in the press release. “We want to provide local students with real-world engineering and manufacturing experience to help promote future career opportunities in Central New York.”

OCM BOCES and Marquardt are holding two open houses for prospective students and their families on Thursday, Feb. 2, at the company’s Route 20 facility. Presentations and tours will be offered from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and again from 6 to 8 p.m. Anyone interested in attending should email cmcloughlin@ocmboces.org. All visitors must wear flat, closedtoed shoes to tour the facility. Sneakers are strongly recommended.

CCSD BOE meetings are usually held at 6:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month. Meeting dates are listed on the district website and the school calendar. For more information, visit cazenoviacsd/board.com/board-of-education.

Caz hockey goes 2-0-1, beats liverpool, ithaca

By PHil BlACkWEll

Whatever else happens this season, it’s doubtful the Cazenovia ice hockey team will experience anything as exciting as last Wednesday’s battle with FayettevilleManlius at the SUNY-Morrisville IcePlex.

It would go back and forth all night, both sides producing plenty of end-to-end action, but in the end resolving nothing as the Lakers and Hornets tied 7-7.

Shamus Newcomb got Cazenovia in front early in the first period, only to have F-M counter with three unanswered goals, two of them by Greg Manzi.

Trailing 3-1, the Lakers made its own surge

early in the second with four goals from four different players, yet could not contain Manzi, who pulled off a natural hat trick and worked his goal total to five by period’s end.

The Hornets led, 6-5, going to the third, but in continuing the game’s theme the Lakers netted the tying and go-ahead goals, only to see Will Sanzone pull F-M even again late in regulation with his second goal of the night. Neither side was able to convert in OT, Cazenovia seeing seven different players earn its seven goals and Tucker Ives finish the night with 37 saves, two less than Hornets counterpart Chris Finger. Jack Donlin, with three assists, and Forrest Ives, with two assists, led the balanced Lakers attack as they joined Newcomb, Logan Hull,

Caz indoor girls excels at Utica meet

By kURt WHEElER

The Cazenovia girls indoor track team posted some of their top performances of the winter last Saturday during its only trip to Utica University this season, the Lakers placing second in a 28-team field with only Class AA power Rome Free Academy narrowly ahead of them.

The girls took advantage of the superb facility at Utica’s Hutton Dome to earn 36 seasonbest performances, including multiple sectional and state qualifier times and distances.

Despite missing more than a fifth of their line-up due to conflicts caused by the meet being rescheduled from a Thursday weather postponement, the Lakers still managed to score in 14 of 16 events as athletes stepped up to fill gaps caused by missing teammates.

Grace Dolan led the way for the Lakers as she claimed second in the 300-meter dash in 44.24 seconds, just .15 seconds from the state qualifier standard. She also ran a season best time of 7.84 seconds to score in the 55 meter dash and led off Cazenovia’s second place 4x200 relay.

Natalie Dolan and Susie Pittman handled the baton in the relay’s middle legs and Izzy Stromer-Galley brought it home with a personal best leg of 27.1 seconds as the foursome finished in 1:54.33.

Stromer-Galley also ran a personal best of 44.94 in the 300 to earn seventh and anchored Cazenovia’s 4x400 relay to a second place finish

with another personal record effort of 1:03.4. Meghan Mehlbaum, Natalie Dolan and Maura Phillips also ran strong legs for the Lakers as the group totaled 4:25.39.

Phillips also scored for Cazenovia in the 600meter run with an eighth-place 1:50.51 effort as teammates Reid McMurtrie (1:52.92) and Sally Hughes (1:53.38) each ran season bests.

Julia Reff also ran a personal best of 3:22.10 to place sixth and hit the sectional qualifying mark in the 1,000-meter run. She returned to lead the Lakers’ third place 4x800 meter relay team with a 2:41.8 opening leg. Hughes, Bonnie Pittman and Dinah Gifford also handled the baton during the team’s 11:16.43 effort.

Kate Millson led the way for Cazenovia in the distance events, posting a huge personal best to earn sixth in the 3,000-meter run in 12:25.25. Gifford and Haylee Stearns also ran the grueling event while Zoey Gagne represented the Lakers in the 1,500-meter run.

Susie Pittman added a pair of state qualifier performances to pace the Lakers in the field events. Her personal best triple jump of 33 feet 4 inches was good for third place and she equaled her indoor best of 8’6” in the pole vault to claim fourth there.

She had plenty of help in the jumps as teammate Corinne Albicker achieved two personal bests of her own, triple jumping 32 feet for eighth and long jumping 15’4 ½” for seventh. She and Bonnie Pittman also added their fastest times of the season in the 55-meter hurdles

Girls volleyball Bears fall to Tully

By PHil BlACkWEll

In its first nine matches of the season, all victories, the Chittenango girls volleyball team had only dropped two sets while recording seven sweeps.

One of those sets was gained by Tully in the Dec. 6 opener. The Black Knights hadn’t lost since, and last Tuesday it would dominate on its home court, handing the Bears a three-set loss.

All through the opening set, Tully kept making the plays it needed, eventually claiming a 25-16 margin, and while Chittenango improved in the second, it still dropped a 25-22 decision.

The Black Knights won the third set 25-20 to close it out, Samantha Garback putting away 16 kills and helped by Catherine Lund, who got 18 digs to go with her eight kills. Keagan Usherwood had seven kills as, on the back line, Alexa Shay managed 31 assists and 20 digs, Veronica Kowalewski adding 15 digs.

On the Bears’ side, Rachel Gilbert, with seven kills, was the only Chittenango player with more than two. Alex Sylstra had 10 assists as

Margaret H. Frisbey, 94 raised nine children

Margaret Howe “Peg” Frisbey, 94, passed peacefully on Jan. 20, 2023, one day short of her 95th birthday. Peg was born on Jan. 21, 1928, in Highland Park, MI, to Earl and Madeleine Howe. She spent summers at her grandparents, aunts and uncle’s farms as a child in Erieville, N.Y. Peg was a graduate of Boston University but her greatest achievement was when she moved as a young bride to a farm in Erieville in 1953 and went on to raise nine children. When the children were mostly grown and out on their own, Peg went to work at Dielectric Laboratories for 17 years.

Peg was a member of the Cazenovia Golf Club for over 40 years and cherished her many years of weekly card games with Peg Hughes, Karen Ferrari and Patsy Hagen along with regular subs Janette Blair and Betty Putney. Time spent with her besties Joan Keith and Doris Holmes were the highlight of her week for years, whether it was at the “Coddige,” rides for ice cream or time sitting on the deck chat-

Taylor Streiff (25 digs), Cara Keilbasa (20 digs), Anna Spencer (16 digs) and Stephanie Huckabee (14 digs) all played well on defense.

Chittenango roared back on Thursday to sweep Port Byron 25-21, 25-17, 25-16 and improve its mark to 10-1 ahead of matches this week against Cincinnatus and East Syracuse Minoa.

Meanwhile, in boys volleyball Chittenango faced a test Saturday when it took on 4-1 Canastota, and though it was tighter than previous matches, the Bears still prevailed in three.

Both the opening set, which went 25-21, and the third set, which finished 25-22, saw Chittenango have to come up with late points, with an impressive 25-15 second set in between.

Cole Thomas picked up 23 assists, also getting three aces to equal Tanner Smith as Lawson Pagorek led the defense, earning 14 digs.

Up front, Landon Parks led the way, earning 11 kills, helped by Quinn O’Brien’s six kills and Trevor Cole’s five kills as Kai Streeter finished with four kills and the Bears looked ahead to a big match Tuesday against Vernon-VeronaSherrill.

Cam Scheilber, Bryson Weaver and Braden Carnahan in the goal-scoring column.

This was just the first of three games in four nights for the Lakers, who went to State Fair Coliseum 24 hours later to face Liverpool and, doing its all of its damage in the early going, beat the Warriors 4-2.

Twice in the first period, Hull struck for goals, with Donlin also finding the net to go with an assist and then adding a second-period tally to give his side a 4-0 edge. Scheibler, Weaver and Forrest Ives also had assists.

Though Evan Haskins and Erol Abadzic earned third-period goals from Liverpool, it didn’t put much consistent pressure of Ezra Stahlberg, who finished with 12 saves.

Then in Saturday’s game against Ithaca at the IcePlex, the Lakers prevailed again, riding a quick start to an eventual 3-2 victory over the Little Red.

Ives got the Lakers in front in the first period, deflecting a Newcomb pass home, and then Ives assisted when Donlin made it 2-0 later in the period. Ithaca got on the board early in the second, but Ives answered it, which gave the Lakers a 3-1 edge before the Little Red pulled back within one before intermission.

All through the third, Ithaca tried to pull even, but could not do so, Tucker Ives eventually gaining 16 saves and the Lakers improving to 7-6-1 ahead of games this week against Fulton and CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt.

to pace the Lakers there.

Cazenovia achieved a host of other seasontopping performances in the jumps led by Mehlbaum’s 4’8” effort in the high jump for fourth.

Sofie Reger had two record performances as she cleared 4’6” in the high jump and 7’6” in the pole vault to earn seventh. Stearns had her best long jump ever at 14’1”, while McMurtrie posted her best efforts of the winter in both the long and triple jumps.

Maddy Rothfeld led Cazenovia in the

throws with two sixth place performances as she hit 29’2 ¾” in the weight and 25’9” in the shot. Teammates Karly Vaas (26’7 ¾”) and Olivia Morse (24’7 ½”) each hit season bests in the weight while Alayna Berson topped her previous best with a 24’5” in the shot.

The competition was the Lakers’ final regular-season event, and it will now focus on training and preparation for their upcoming league (Feb. 1) and Section III (Feb. 8) championships as it strives to match last winter’s Class B-2 title performance.

Caz girls hoops goes 1-1, beats Hamilton

By PHil BlACkWEll

Once the Chittenango girls basketball team had its Jan. 13 win over Cazenovia secured, the question turned into where each of these sides would head next.

The Lakers proved successful last Wednesday against state Class D no. 13-ranked Hamilton, the Lakers able to battle to a 32-27 win over the Emerald Knights.

Neither side produced much in the first three quarters, leading to a stalemate. Then, in the final period, Cazenovia went in front for good, ultimately outscoring Hamilton 10-5 in those last eight minutes.

On Friday night, Cazenovia lost 4530 to Hannibal, the game a close one most of the way, but only after the Warriors roared to a 15-5 lead in the first quarter.

OBITUARIES

ting for hours. Peg is survived by her children, Marianne (Scott) Appell of Charolette, NC, Dale Frisbey of Tahoe, CA, Nancy Frisbey (Sean Palmer) of Cazenovia, Sarah Frisbey of Hickory, NC, Martha (Larry) Lytle of Winston Salem, NC, John (Gretta) Frisbey of Granite Falls, NC and Keith (Tammy) Frisbey of New Woodstock, N.Y.; grandchildren, Wayne Jones, Jason Jones, Patrick Frisbey, Nolan Frisbey, Lucy Eller; great grandson, Riley O’Hara; nieces, Madeleine Howe and Mary Howe. She is predeceased by her parents; her brother, Richard Howe; sons Craig and Jay, and by her grandson, Liam Bola.

A memorial service is to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at jdrf.org or to CAVAC, 106 Nelson St., Cazenovia, NY 13035. Condolences for the Frisbey family may be left at michaelebrownfuneralservices.com.

Robert W. Gregg, Jr. Former Cazenovia Mayor

Robert W. Gregg, Jr., was a lifelong resident of Cazenovia and an active member of the community. He died Jan. 16, 2023, from Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and COPD. Born March 15, 1943, he was in the Class of 1961 at Cazenovia High School, and earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in secondary social studies from SUNY Cortland. Bob went on to teach high school social studies in the Cazenovia Central School District, and was the social studies department leader for 20 years of his 30 years of teaching. He also served on the village of Cazenovia Board of Trustees for three terms, served two terms as mayor, from 19751978, and was chairman of the Village Board of Appeals.

Bob is survived by his wife Sally Travis Gregg, son Michael (Christine) grandchildren Mackenzie and Morgan Gregg of Cazenovia, daughter Diane (Rocco) grandchildren Sam and Sally Galasso of Cazenovia, sister Mara-

Trying to fight back, the Lakers saw Ella Baker put up nine points and Bess Johnson add eight points, but Hannibal had Tenly Baker (19 points), Olivia Kuc (11 points) and Samantha Edmonds (10 points) all reach double figures.

In the Bears’ case, it put its 3-8 record on the line last Tuesday against 9-2, state-ranked Skaneateles, who never let Chittenango do too much until the latter stages as it lost by a score of 49-39.

These other Lakers never let Chittenango get to double digits in any of the first three quarters, the deficit growing to 39-26 as Maddy Ramsgard, with 18 points, and Allie Michel, with 13 points, led the visitors.

A late push was led by Alazayah Smith, who had 12 points. Mia McReynolds finished with eight points as Abby Scheidleman got six points.

vene Marion of Manlius, brother John (Heidi) Gregg of Sparta, NJ, sister Debra (David) Johnson of Newark, NY, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Bob enjoyed family and friends, reading, golfing, skiing, floating in the pool and time spent on Sanibel Island and Martha’s Vineyard. He was a fan of the New York Yankees, Giants and SU sports.

Those who knew Bob know that he especially liked to laugh and argue for causes he believed in. “He will be missed by those that liked him and those that didn’t.”

A Celebration of Life will be held for Bob at the Lincklaen House from 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. Contributions in Bob’s memory may be made payable to the Cazenovia Central School District, 31 Emery St., Cazenovia, NY 13035, Att: Amy Haube to be used to establish a scholarship in Bob’s name for students enrolling in education or political science college courses. Condolences for the Gregg family may be left at michaelebrownfuneralservices.com.

Margaret H. Frisbey

Robert W. Gregg, Jr.

Cazenovia girls indoor track and field runners (from left) Natalie Dolan, Susie Pittman, izzy Stromer-Galley and Gace Dolan were second in the 4x200 relay at last Saturday’s meet at Utica University.