CeleBratinG tHe season

Cazenovia’s Winter Fest goes on despite unfavorable weather conditions

By kate Hill Staff Writer

Last weekend, Cazenovia area residents came together to celebrate the community’s annual Winter Festival.

Held this year from Friday, Feb. 10 through Sunday, Feb. 12, Winter Fest has been a local tradition for over 50 years.

According to Mayor Kurt Wheeler, the festival dates to the early 1970s and was organized annually by a special community committee until the early 2000s.

“When that committee faded out, [Project Café] took over the overall coordination duties,” said Wheeler.

Project Café is a studentdirected non-profit organization aimed at promoting drug- and alcohol-free activities, music, art, community service, and scholarship in the Cazenovia area.

In preparation for Winter Fest, Project Café’s student leaders reached out to all the participating groups to remind them of the dates and assemble a master list of scheduled events to share with media outlets. They also sponsor the annual Winter Fest Talent Show and Open ing Ceremony in the Cazenovia High School Audito rium.

At this year’s talent show, Selene DeVoye won the “People’s Choice” award — selected by the audience via an “applause meter” — with her vocal performance of “Human.”

Ethan Coburn won the judge’s award for “Best Act” with his acoustic guitar and vocal performance of “Just Breathe.” photoS

The judges were 2022 King and Queen Ben and Christina New and 2023 King and Queen Jack and Kaleen Sessler. The emcees were high school students JP Hoak and Maren Smith.

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Cazenovia held its annual Winter Festival from Friday, Feb. 10 through sunday, Feb. 12. The weekend kicked off with Project Café’s Winter Fest talent show and opening Ceremony in the Cazenovia High school auditorium. the schedule also included the scholastic Winter olympics, a pancake breakfast at the american legion Post 88 Home, and a “horses and hot chocolate” event at the lorenzo state Historic site. CloCkWise FroM aBoVe: a “Minute to Win it” contest at the 2023 Winter Fest talent show; 2022 Winter Fest Queen Christina New, left, and 2023 Queen and king kaleen and Jack sessler; Chuck Amos, left, and Scott Phillips, right, greeted diners at the legion breakfast; and Winter Fest talent show competitors. Winter Festival l Page 13

Town supports CPF’s revitalization in village commercial district

By kate Hill Staff Writer

On Feb. 13, the Cazenovia Town Board adopted a resolution authorizing Town Supervisor Bill Zupan to execute a letter of support to the National Parks Service for the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation’s (CPF) application for the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant.

Named in honor of a late preservation leader from Vermont, the grant program fosters economic development in rural communities through the rehabilitation of historic buildings in those communities. The program provides recipients (referred to as prime grantees) with a single grant that is then regranted in smaller amounts to individual projects (subgrants).

CPF aims to implement the sub-grant program in partnership with the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association (CACDA) for the revitalization of privately-owned historic buildings within the Village of Cazenovia Commercial District.

In his letter of support, Zupan states that CPF is an accredited land trust that has made many contributions to the community over the past 56 years through its work to protect the historic, agricultural, and natural resources that define Cazenovia.

According to the supervisor, CPF protects nearly 3,500 acres of agricultural land and open space through conservation easements and fee ownership and holds 11 easements that protect historical buildings.

Zupan expressed his belief that the subgrant program would greatly assist Cazenovia in preserving its community character and important historic architectural resources, which are critical to the economic vitality of the area.

“In the 1970s, CPF worked to catalog the historical resources in and around Cazenovia to support an application for listing on the National Register, and the Albany Street Historic Districtwaslistedin1978,”saidZupan.“Itiscritically important that these historic architectural resources are preserved to ensure that Cazenovia’s downtown remains a vibrant hub of activity and continues to attract visitors to the area.” in other news

The board also authorized the town to participate in a feasibility study with the village and CACDA relative to the future of the Cazenovia College campus and associated facilities.

“This is a feasibility study on the impact of Cazenovia College closing and what can be done with the physical assets,” said Zupan, who introduced the proposed resolution.

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

“Such closure is deemed by the Town of Cazenovia to be an issue of paramount importance and concern to the Town, the Village, the County and their residents,” the resolution states.

It goes on to explain that CACDA has proposed the engagement of a professional planner to assist in analyzing and recommending potential uses for the college campus and associated facilities.

“The importance of the retention of a professional planner/consultant is multi-faceted, including issues relating to economics, land use and needs of the community, such that the Town has determined that it is in the best interests of the Town and its residents to participate in this process,” the resolution explains.

The resolution concludes by stating that the town board authorizes the town supervisor to direct the participation in the reten-