Cazenovia’s 199year-old college was recently listed for sale via A&G Real Estate Partners.
The online listing, which advertises a total of 500,000 square feet (SF) of buildings and 271 total acres, shows both campuses for sale — the main campus in the heart of the village and the nearby equine education center on Woodfield Road in the Town of Cazenovia.
On April 17, the Cazenovia Central School District Board of Education (BOE) approved a proposed 2023-2024 School Budget to expend the sum of $36,529,529 as general fund appropriations and levy the necessary tax.
According to Assistant Superintendent/School Business Official Thomas Finnerty, the proposed budget represents a 6.28 percent increase over the current school year’s budget.
“We have spent a lot of time going line by line, person by person, trimming where we could, so I think it’s a very responsible budget and [it] keeps Cazenovia [as] Cazenovia,” said Finnerty.
Superintendent Christopher DiFulvio stated that he thinks it is remarkable that the district was able to limit the budget increase to 6.28 percent during these tough financial times.
An aerial view of Cazenovia College.
According to the listing, offers will be considered for one or both campuses. A&G offers the following details on the main campus: 433,000 SF of buildings on 27 acres; Dormitories with 600-plus beds; Full ath-
letic facilities; Well-maintained historic campus; and 20-minutes from Syracuse.
The equestrian campus, as described in the listing, offers the following: 70,000 SF of buildings on 244 acres; State-of-the-art equestrian center; 74 stalls; and Large competi-
Submitted photo
tion arena and paddocks.
A&G is inviting interested parties to register on the listing webpage for more information and a property overview.
Cazenovia College announced on Dec. 7, 2022, that it would be per-
College l Page 13
On April 12, Keith Silliman, director of regulatory compliance at Cypress Creek Renewables, updated the Fenner Town Board and a group of community members on the status of Oxbow Hill Solar, a proposed utility-scale solar project to be collocated with the existing 30-megawatt (MW) Fenner Wind Farm.
During his presentation, Silliman discussed such topics as interconnection into the electric system, the developer’s participation in the 2022 New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Renewable Energy Credit Auction, and the 94-c state permitting process. He also responded to questions from multiple community members who expressed their concerns with and/or disapproval of the proposed project.
Oxbow Hill Solar has a proposed capacity of 140 MW, which, according to the Cypress Creek website, would supply power to approximately 30,000 households. The solar facility would connect to the existing Fenner substation and take advantage of existing wind farm access roads.
According to Silliman, Cypress Creek has done projects of this scale elsewhere in the United States, but not in New York State.
The facility site encompasses 1,586 acres leased from 10 landowner families. The facility area or “project components,” once constructed, would occupy 684 acres. Silliman said Cypress Creek is exploring uses for the acreage of the site that would not be occupied by the solar panels and other project components. One potential option is agrivoltaics, which the U.S. Department of Energy defines as agricultural production, such as crop or livestock production or pollinator habitats, underneath solar panels or adjacent to solar panels. interconnection
Over the last three years, the Ox-
bow Hill project team has been working with National Grid and the New York Independent System Operator (ISO) to determine what it would take to interconnect into the grid.
Silliman said the transmission line that the project would tie into crosses one of the properties the developer is currently leasing.
He also pointed out that Cypress Creek is fortunate that ENEL Green Power North America, the owner of the Fenner wind turbines, built a substation on that property.
“That’s where we are going to interconnect,” he said. “We’ve done all the studies. We’ve gotten all the costs. We’ve agreed on all those numbers with National Grid and the ISO, so what we are doing right now is negotiating the contract with National Grid and deciding who is going to do what in terms of the building.”
According to Silliman, the contract, which would handle all the interconnection aspects of the project, is expected to be executed by the middle of August 2023.
Renewable energy credits
For the proposed project to sell its power, Cypress Creek will need to obtain renewable energy credits from NYSERDA, which put out a solicitation for bids and a request for proposals last fall.
According to Silliman, Cypress Creek submitted Oxbow Hill Solar earlier that day.
Silliman said that although he does not know exactly when the developer will hear back from NYSERDA, he thinks it would be by fall 2023.
He added that Cypress Creek believes it will be successful in that auction.
One aspect of the paperwork included in the proposal deals with community outreach.
According to Silliman, the community outreach plan that is part of the submission will be posted publicly on the NYSERDA website within a week or two.
“We discuss the outreach we’ve had up to this point,” Silliman said. “We include all the correspondence that we’ve had with the town. We include the report from the meeting we had down at the county park in I think it was June 2021 — we are anticipating having another meeting like that this year. We talk about our webpage, which we update frequently, and we are also going to get a couple more all-residents mailings out on the project this year. So, all that information is online.”
Fieldwork for 94-c application
Cypress Creek is preparing to apply for a permit from New York State’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) for the Oxbow Hill Solar Project.
In support of developing its 94-c permit application, the project team has conducted numerous studies at the facility site, including wildlife site characterization, breeding bird surveys, and winter raptor surveys.
As a result of those studies, the project received an occupied habitat determination from the state regulatory agencies in December 2022.
“They have no concerns for bats from this project,” said Silliman. “. . . They had no breeding habitat concerns for threatened and endangered species. There is some occupied winter habitat for northern harriers, and we are going to have to prepare a conservation benefit plan. We need to mitigate [those] impacts, and that means we need to preserve roughly 76 acres of land for wintering habitat for harriers. We are in the process of figuring out how best to do that. It’s important to have that mitigation where the impacts are. So, that mitigation site is going to be here, it’s not going to be four counties away.”
According to Silliman, a full wetland and stream delineation demonstrated that there were no Class I wetlands within the facility site, that the developer is avoiding all Class II
Solar l Page 14
“I know we have other districts in our region that are talking about 17 percent budget-to-budget increases and things like that, so really good work from our board and administrative team,” he said.
BOE President JoAnne Race said the district was able to apply some reserve funds — otherwise known as the district’s savings — to avoid making cuts to programming.
“We are in a place to support additional curricular and technology infrastructure improvements, which are needed for our growth,” she added. “You know, Cazenovia is a gem of a district in so many ways. We want to preserve what makes us special and keep improving.”
A budget hearing is scheduled for May 9 for members of the public to ask questions and receive information about the proposed budget.
The annual budget vote and BOE election are scheduled for May 16, 2023, from 12 to 8 p.m., in the Middle School Auxiliary Gymnasium at 31 Emory Ave.
The district will release its budget newsletter shortly before the vote.
Also on the ballot will be a resolution authorizing the district to purchase and finance four replacement school buses, including necessary furnishings, fixtures, and equipment and “all other costs incidental thereto,” and to expend a total sum not to exceed $633,132. According to the resolution, the sum is to be raised by the levy of a tax upon the taxable property of the school district and collected in annual installments.
Residents will also be asked to vote on a resolution authorizing the district to levy a tax in the amount of $498,241 for the Cazenovia Public Library and $187,185 for the New Woodstock Free Library. in other news
During the facilities committee report, BOE member Ron Luteran said the committee has been struggling to decide whether to move forward in the short term with pursuing a new bus garage or working to meet some other “much needed” infrastructure needs.
“It seems to me like we are headed in the direction — at this moment in time — of looking towards a tax-neutral project to deal with some serious infrastructure [needs], particularly at Burton Street,” Luteran said. “[The elementary school] is down to two boilers, almost one and a half right now. If they lose that second boiler, they are out of commission. So, we are looking at three boilers for Burton Street, to finish the roof, which is pretty extensive, and controls, along with the high school tennis courts, [which] I guess are shot.”
According to Luteran, it would probably be about a $4 million project.
Luteran said Tetra Tech Architects & Engineers has shown the district at least a dozen drawings of options for new bus garages at the current Route 20 site.
“Tetra Tech has been very creative,” he said. “It hasn’t been a waste of time. We certainly know we need a new bus garage coming down the road, but there are just so many questions that are unanswered from the state. We are just not sure we are ready to commit to that big of a project that would in all likelihood not be tax neutral or at best be close to tax neutral.”
Additionally, Luteran informed the board that he is working with someone to figure out how to get the high school tower clock synced and up and running again.
“It’s not as easy as he thought it was going to be,” Luteran said. “. . . It’s not just fixing a few dials in there, which is what I was hoping. We are looking into it though. That clock really is the [focal point] of the front of the building.”
Also during the meeting, the board adopted a resolution approving the creation of six extracurricular clubs in the middle school and high school — the Art Club, Environmental Club, Fishing Club, Haven Club, the Intergroup Dialogue, and Project CAFÉ.
The board welcomed Eric Benedict as the district’s new director of facilities II, effective April 27, 2023.
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. com/board-of-education.
G.
Army veteran
Richard Gregory Gara, 86, of Cazenovia, passed away on March 20, 2023, in St. Augustine, FL, after a short hospitalization. He is predeceased by his parents John P. and Elizabeth (Miller) Gara, his brother Jack Gara and son Brian Gara.
Dick is survived by his wife Kathleen (Schilo) Gara, daughter Bridget Gara (Michael) Stone and daughter-in-law Robin Whitman Gara. He was always happy giving advice to and sharing stories with his grandchildren: Hayley Stone (London, UK), Hanna Stone (New York City), Lindsay Stone (Rochester, N.Y.), Jack Stone (Austin, TX); Brian Gara (Charlotte, NC), Grace Gara (Cazenovia) and Faith Gara (San Bruno, CA). He was a great- grandfather to Isla.
Born in Glen Ridge, N.J. on July 14, 1936, Dick attended Christian Brothers Academy and graduated from Most Holy Rosary School in Syracuse. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea during the Cold War. He graduated from Colgate University with a degree in economics and was a member of Delta Upsilon Fraternity. Dick also played lacrosse for Colgate and later refereed for Connecticut prep schools.
Beginning his career in Connecticut, Dick worked in human resources for International Silver Company, AMF-Cuno and New England Die Casting until 1979 when he moved to Syracuse to work for parent company Crouse Hinds (now Cooper Industries) as manager of industrial relations. He retired from Caldwell Manufacturing in Rochester, N.Y., in 2002.
Dick’s community involvement in-
cluded many years as an usher at St. James Church and serving on the board of directors at Wanderer’s Rest Humane Association. He was a member of the Cazenovia Country Club and Colgate Maroon Council. He loved sailing on Cazenovia Lake. Whether oceanside on fall trips to Chilmark, or winters spent on Anastasia Island, Dick was an avid reader. He loved traveling to London and Paris, but his most recent trip to Washington, D.C., aboard Syracuse Honor Flight Mission 17 on Sept. 24, 2022, was his favorite adventure.
There will be a funeral mass on Friday, April 21, at 11 a.m. at St. James Catholic Church, 6 Green St., Cazenovia. Contributions in his memory may be sent to Honor Flight Syracuse Inc. P.O. Box 591, Syracuse, NY 13209, or Ronald McDonald House of Central New York, 1100 East Genesee St. Syracuse, NY 13210.
Evelyn J. Spring, 92 loved the outdoors, visits with friends, family
Evelyn Jean (Kreis) Spring, 92, of Nelson, N.Y., passed away peacefully on April 8, 2023. She was born on Sept. 21, 1930, in Syracuse, to the late Oscar and Edith Kreis.
Evelyn was a graduate of Onondaga Valley Academy and started her career as a phone operator for New York Telephone. She met and married John E. “Jack” Spring in 1955 and finally settled down in Nelson. Evelyn worked for the family businesses as co-owner and bookkeeper while raising five children.
Over their years together they hosted many gatherings and really enjoyed the annual clam bakes they would host at the house.
Evelyn and Jack looked forward to their annual fishing trips to Charleston Lake in Canada, shared their love of golden retrievers and took joy in occasional trips to Las Vegas to see family and friends and to visit the many casinos and attractions there.
Evelyn loved the outdoors and tending to her gardens, feeding the birds, and fishing. She also cherished visits with friends and family and, when the weather turned cold, amused herself with setting up and working on her ever-present picture puzzles, accumulating quite a collection over the years.
One of her greatest enjoyments was trying new foods and recipes. Her famous home-made barbecue sauce was a staple of the clambakes, and she spent a good deal of time perfecting it, always guarding the “family recipe.”
Her greatest adventure was the trip she took with her sisters to Switzerland, which is her family’s homeland.
Evelyn was predeceased by her husband of 49 years, John E. Spring, as well as by her parents, Edith and Oscar Kreis, and sisters Lucille Grome and Doris Wheatley.
She is survived by her children Deb -
bie (Mike) Costello of Cazenovia; Denise (Dave) Lyga of Green Cove Springs, FL; John (Amy) Spring of Cazenovia; David (Lisa Bates) Spring of Gilbert, AZ; and Thomas (Joanne) Spring of Las Vegas, NV, and Colorado Springs, CO; her sister Arlene Prugger of East Syracuse; and her sister Barbara (Ron) Huckabee of LaFayette, N.Y. Evelyn leaves behind 13 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, special friends and relatives including Beverly Hausaman, Anita Spring and Raymond (Sally) Dewitt.
Calling hours was held on Thursday, April 13, 2023 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Michael E. Brown Funeral Services, 2333 Fenner Road in Cazenovia, immediately followed by a celebration of life service at the funeral home by Pastor Tom Davies. Family and friends were invited to a celebration of remembrance at 6 p.m. at the Hampton Inn following the service.
Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made in Evelyn’s memory to Francis House (https://francishouseny.org / ), Hospice (https://www.hospicecny.org / ), or the Nelson Preservation Associates ( olddroverstavern.com/donat e .)
Condolences for the Spring family may be left at michaelebrownfuneralservices.co m.
On April 4, the Cazenovia Volunteer Fire Department recognized past fire Chief David Vredenburgh for his 50-plus years of dedicated service to the department.
Held at the firehouse at 121 Albany St. during the department’s annual meeting, the ceremony included representatives from Assemblyman Al Stirpe’s office, the Central New York Firemen’s Association, the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, and the Madison County Volunteer Firemen’s Association. Each of the represented organizations presented Vredenburgh with a certificate of appreciation.
“Dave is an incredible public servant,” said Village of Cazenovia Mayor Kurt Wheeler. “For a person to devote a halfcentury to serving the community as a firefighter, a village trustee, and in countless other ways is truly an inspiration for all of us.”
Vredenburgh joined the Cazenovia Fire Department in 1972.
“l moved to Cazenovia in 1967 and at one point lived on Fenner Street,” Vredenburgh said. “Orville Clark, who lived across the street, belonged to the fire department,
and one day asked me if I wanted to join. I thought it was a good opportunity for me to get to know people in the village as well as [contribute] my time to a good cause.”
According to current Chief Sam Usborne, Vredenburgh was well received by the department members and went on to complete not only his recruit training but also numerous other fire and emergency medical services (EMS) training courses.
“His eagerness to learn and willingness to help out at every opportunity allowed him to rapidly acclimate into the community and be a positive and productive member of the fire department,” Usborne wrote in a letter inviting the above organizations to the ceremony.
Vredenburgh became rescue captain in the mid-seventies. He joined the fire officer ranks as second lieutenant in 1979, became first lieutenant in 1983, and served as captain until 1991. He was second assistant chief in 1991, first assistant chief in 1993, and was elected chief of the department in 1995.
“I think the most rewarding position I held was that of chief of department, 19951997, although just being a member and building friendships throughout the years and being able to help people in the com-
On average, our Eagle Scouts alone (4% of all Scouts) are providing 190 community service hours to more than sixty other local nonprofit organizations each year!
If you would like to help recruit or support more Scouts in Madison County, please text the word LOCALSCOUTS to (844) 615-4269.
LeatherstockingCouncil.org
munity was and is a rewarding feeling,” said Vredenburgh. In his letter, Usborne stated that Vredenburgh was awarded a certificate of appreciation from the New York State Police in 1992 for an extremely difficult rescue of a “despondent” woman at Chittenango Falls. In 1998, he was honored with the annual Chief’s Award, given each year at the department’s banquet, and in 2010, he was given the annual EMS award at the annual gathering.
Today, Vredenburgh remains active in the department, but much of his volunteer time is spent at the county level.
He has served Madison County as a state- and nationally-certified fire investigator since 1988, and as a deputy fire coordinator since 1998.
Outside of the fire service, Vredenburgh is a charter member of the Cazenovia Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps (CAVAC) and held the positions of director of operations for nine years and president for four years.
“I was an EMT/medic for 30 years, however, I ‘retired’ from CAVAC around 2008,” he said.
In reaction to the April 4 ceremony held in his honor, Vredenburgh said the recognition was unexpected and appreciated, but it is not what motivates him and
Submitted photo
On April 4, past fire Chief David Vredenburgh was recognized for 50-plus years of service to the Cazenovia Fire Department.
others in the fire department to serve.
“That’s not what we do it for,” he said.
For more information on the Cazenovia Fire Department, visit the “Cazenovia Fire Department” Facebook page.
If you live in Madison County, your local Boy Scout Troops and Packs are benefiting from support services, character development programming and leadership training funded by donations to The Leatherstocking Council.
Among miles of green pastures on Erieville Road, 3402 Old State Road consisted of a vast expanse of acreage, a pond, a barn, and an old farmhouse that needed a lot of work. There wasn’t an apple tree in sight, let alone 2,500 of them – or a large warehouse that houses thousands of items made or collected by over 60 local artisans; there was no furniture business, no gourmet cafe, no pianos on a stage, and no trace of a young entrepreneurial couple who, themselves seeking greener pastures, changed the landscape of the world around them. That was, until Florence and Owen Gilmore, founders of Johnny Appleseed Farm, discovered it in 1963. “I said [to Owen], ‘Keep driving. I don’t want to live in a chicken coop,’” Florence recollects today as she laughs. At 93 years old, she reflects on all the ways Johnny Appleseed Farm has reinvented itself over the years, all of the hardships, and all of the accomplishments. “This was sort of a dream that came true. It didn’t happen overnight.”
The dream was to start an apple orchard, even if the newlyweds had
no experience in the field. Florence, a Registered Nurse and Owen, a sales manager at Mohawk Carpets, wanted to take the risk. They gave up their jobs, sold their house in Cazenovia, and planted 2,500 small apple trees. Slowly, as the trees grew, so did the business.
“I was down with my dog at the [farm] stand all the time when the customers came . . . Imagine coming over [to the stand] in the morning by yourself, with your dog, selling apples–with an RN background,” she laughed.
The couple branched out and soon began producing their own cider in addition to selling apples. And because of Florence’s friendships with artisans, and love for local arts and crafts, they sold a small supply of flower arrangements, baskets and quilts. As the years passed, they bought the old farmhouse, worked with an architect to restore it, and raised eight boys, all of whom contributed in some way to the business. But there were challenges: a hail storm and other foul weather, crops in disrepair, and ultimately a seasonal farmstand rather than a sustainable business that operated successfully all year.
So in 1981, Owen decided to expand the business to include unfin-
ished furniture. “The two of us, in an 18-wheeler, got our first [pieces of] unfinished furniture. I’ll never forget it,” Florence said, recalling people asking them, “Can you drive that truck?!”
For the next 20 years, all good things came to fruition. They sold furniture from around the world. They expanded their infrastructure to sell more products and opened The Apple Hill Cafe while still maintaining a few hundred apple trees. By the 1990s, the business was selling $3 million dollars of furniture and $100,000 dollars of apples and food.
“The more children they had, the more people they had to help with the business,” said Erica Gilmore, wife to Florence’s youngest son, Patrick. “Patrick was always working. [He and his brothers] didn’t sleep in on Saturdays. They didn’t watch cartoons. Everybody had a job to do on the farm. As a result of all the hard work, it’s still here.”
Sadly, some of the Gilmores are no longer here, which has raised questions about the future. Owen passed, then their eldest son, who played a leadership role in the business, died of Leukemia. “That hurt. That was really hard,” Florence said. “That was where the business really fell off.” Johnny Appleseed Farm closed in 2015, and Florence had to decide what to do. “I thought, what am I going to do? Sell it? I had crazy offers for it. And I decided, no. We’ll do something else.”
Erica said, “Mom, being the entrepreneur that she is, and I came up with a plan with Patrick to re-open it and continue with the legacy that we have here.”
The family envisioned a cooperative market where Erica and Florence would be co-owners. Florence knows the community loves arts, crafts, and antiques just as much as she does, so she networked with her friends and found people to set up shop in 2017 at what is now called, The Shoppes at Johnny Appleseed. Today, with more than 60 vendors, good eats, and live music, Florence is endlessly entertained and intrigued by what people create and collect. She’s responsible for interior design and decorating while Erica manages the books, technology, and graphic design. Patrick, with an M.B.A. and a culinary degree, and his brother, Shawn, an artist and the owner of Route 20 Sofa Company, transformed the cafe into The Apple Kitchen, a place where patrons can enjoy gourmet food in a picturesque atmosphere. The land outside of The Shoppes is open for people to hike, ski, and snowshoe.
“I’m glad we never sold,” Florence said. “It is going well. People
like it.” She encourages aspiring women to work hard for what they want, to be patient, and to never give up on their dreams. “We never gave up,” she said.
“A family legacy is something you really have to work at,” Erica said. “And [Florence] has been such a great role model and so inspiring to us over the years.”
Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in Syracuse Woman Magazine.
Marquardt is a leading company that produces high-quality electrical switches and systems for various industries. Founded in Germany in 1925, the company has since expanded to multiple locations around the world, including its very own North American Headquarters located in Cazenovia.
The Marquardt Cazenovia location was established in 1981 and has since become a vital part of the company’s global network. With a focus on research and development, the Cazenovia team works tirelessly to create innovative and reliable solutions for customers in industries such as automotive, home appliances, power tools, medical devices, and off-road equipment.
Marquardt’s Cazenovia location has been manufacturing for over 40 years; Marquardt’s leadership in Cazenovia has over 100 years of combined experience in
manufacturing.
One of Marquardt’s key strengths is its ability to customize solutions to fit the specific needs of each customer. This customization can range from adapting existing products to designing entirely new systems from scratch. Marquardt’s experienced engineers work closely with customers to ensure that their unique re -
quirements are met while maintaining its high standards of quality and reliability through a wide range of in-house testing.
In addition to its commitment to customer satisfaction, Marquardt also places a strong emphasis on sustainability. The company utilizes environmentally friendly materials and processes whenever possible and has implemented energy-saving measures throughout its facilities including recycling its plastics and electronic waste.
When considering an electronic manufacturer, look no further than the quaint town of Cazenovia. Marquardt is the hidden gem with a plethora of knowledge with global resources readily available to fit your needs.
“
A family legacy is something you really have to work at. And [Florence] has been such a great role model and so inspiring to us over the years.”
Erica GilmoreJohnny Appleseed Farm ‘a dream that came true’
Pewter Spoon Café and Eatery in Cazenovia recently held a fundraiser to benefit Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an international, independent medical humanitarian organization that cares for people affected by conflict, disease outbreaks, natural and human-made disasters, and exclusion from health care in more than 70 countries.
Located at 87 Albany St., Pewter Spoon is owned by Pat Carmeli and managed
by her daughters Ava and Dana.
The Carmeli family decided to support MSF after hearing the news about the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria and feeling compelled to help in some way.
“We know the small but mighty community we’ve built through the Pewter Spoon would be a great resource to tap into and help raise funds during a time of crisis,” said Dana. “The magnitude of the loss in Turkey and Syria is just unimaginable, with death tolls growing higher each day. The newest
earthquake that hit on Feb. 20 just made a difficult situation that much worse. The recovery for those regions will be long and arduous, but medical care for its victims is needed immediately. MSF is a highly reputable organization [that] provides tangible medical care to victims of natural disasters and war all over the world. Because they’re a nongovernmental organization, they can provide relief to regions incredibly fast, without all the barriers sometimes left by bureaucracy. For example, MSF was especially quick to
respond in northwest Syria because they already had an active presence in the region.”
Pewter Spoon held its first weekend fundraiser several years ago. Since then, they have raised money for multiple organizations, including UNICEF, the International Rescue Committee, and Campaign Zero, a project of the non-profit organization WeTheProtesters.
To learn more about Pewter Spoon visit pewterspooncafe.com. Learn more about Médecins Sans Frontières at doctorswithoutborders.org.
After a nearly three-year break, Friendship Inn Cazenovia reopened for in-house service on March 20.
Through the COVID pandemic, the weekly outreach program meant to revolve around food and camaraderie has steadily distributed 75 to 80 meals on a first-come, first-served basis.
“I know that many of our older clients have been looking forward to it because it’s their time of fellowship with others that they missed so much,” said Duane Moore, the kitchen director for the Friendship Inn. “They’ve been asking about it and asking about it, but with COVID jumping back up, we didn’t dare do it.”
The Friendship Inn dining hall is located in the lower level of the building at 21 Lincklaen St. shared by Summit Church and Cazenovia United Methodist Church.
Open to anyone and everyone, the nonprofit meal service has provided grub such
as pork chops, ziti coated in meat sauce, and hot dogs with sides of vegetables and fresh garden salads.
“You get a well-rounded meal,” said Dan Schallmo, the senior pastor for Summit Church. “There’s also a synergy between our churches, and we enjoy each other’s company. With the COVID restrictions essentially being lifted now too, we feel comfortable doing the in-person service again.”
The collaborative initiative led by the combined ministries has also welcomed helping hands from the greater community, whether it be from local businesses, the town rotary club, other churches, or random groups of volunteers who help to prepare and serve the meals.
Moore calls the assistance received over the years a “blessing.”
In the past, Dave’s Diner in Cazenovia, Caz Sports Bowl, Tops Friendly Market, the Brewster Inn, the Lincklaen House, Heritage Hill Brewhouse and HeartStone
Artisan Bakery have been among the establishments that have supplied food for the Friendship Inn’s Monday meals. The program supervisors also keep up with the contents of the monthly Food Bank of Central New York newsletter.
Because the Friendship Inn has regularly relied on Cazenovia College’s food service personnel for excess food, from pans of corn to frozen shrimp scampi, not to mention the support of administrators, faculty members and students through the semesters, Schallmo said the permanent closure of the institution after the current academic year will be a “deep loss.”
“It’s a shock wave that’s still rippling through our community,” he said. “We’ve
Submitted photo
Friendship inn Cazenovia serves inhouse, free-of-charge meals for the community at large.
enjoyed a good partnership and close association with them, so that’s going to be a big dent in our food supply.”
For more, contact Duane Moore at 315952-6685 or dmoore4850@gmail.com. The volunteer coordinator, Deb Wilcox, can be reached at 315-506-0478 or deb@cazmail. com.
of up
250 words with a photo cost just $50, with an additional 15 cents per word over 250 words. Announcements will be posted to eaglenewsonline.com within 24 hours of receipt of payment. To submit a milestone announcement, email Alyssa Dearborn at adearborn@eaglenewsonline.com, or call 315.434.8889 ext. 305.
Life is stressful.
We accept this to a certain degree in that daily life comes with many stressors from our personal lives, work, the daily commute and innumerable other factors that each individual has to contend with.
While we know there is stress in life, we don’t always take the time to realize how stressed out we are and even less time to consider the negative impacts living under stress can have on our mental and physical health and even less time to do things that can help us destress and live a healthier life.
The month of April is recognized as Stress Awareness Month as a means of drawing attention to the impact of stress and help us realize how important and vital it is to find ways to manage it in a healthy manner for our overall wellness.
According to the American Heart Association, stress is a health risk we all need to be cognizant of. In the short term stress can increase blood pressure and heart rate and interfere with sleep. Over the long term, stress can lead to weight gain and pose a risk for diabetes.
Stress may contribute to poor health behaviors linked to increased risk for heart disease and stroke, such as smoking, overeating, lack of physical activity, unhealthy diet, being overweight and not taking medications as prescribed
Your body’s response to stress may be things like a headache, back strain and stomach pains,
Stress can also zap your energy, wreak havoc on your sleep and make you feel cranky, forgetful or out of control.
A stressful situation sets off a chain of events. Your body releases adrenaline, a hormone that temporarily causes your breathing and heart rate to speed up and your blood pressure to rise. These reactions prepare you to deal with the situation — the “fight or flight” response.
The American Heart Association says chronic stress is when stress is constant and your body is in high gear off and on for days or weeks at a time. Chronic stress may lead to high blood pressure, which can increase risk for heart attack and stroke.
According to the organization managing stress is good for your health and well-being. Negative psychological health/mental health is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. But positive psychological health is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and death. Negative mental health conditions include depression, chronic stress, anxiety, anger, pessimism and dissatisfaction with life.
These conditions are associated with potentially harmful responses in our bodies such as irregular heart rate and rhythm, increased digestive problems, increased blood pressure, inflammation and reduced blood flow to the heart.
People with positive mental health are also more likely to have health factors linked to a lower risk of developing heart disease such as lower blood pressure, better glucose control, less inflammation and lower cholesterol.
Fortunately, you can manage stress in ways such as exercising regularly. It can relieve stress, tension, anxiety and depression. Consider a nature walk, meditation or yoga. Also making time for friends and family is recommended. It’s important to maintain social connections and talk with people you trust. And getting enough sleep is important. Adults should aim for seven to nine hours a night. Also important is maintaining a positive attitude. Practicing relaxation techniques while listening to music and find a stimulating hobby that can be fun and distract you from negative thoughts or worries.
Figuring out how stress pushes your buttons is an important step in dealing with it. Identify sources of stress in your life and look for ways to reduce and manage them.
A health care professional can help you find ways to manage your stress, according to the heart association. For more information visit TheAmerican Heart Association at heart. org.
The latest was in Nashville.
A private Christian school. Thoughts and prayers … over and over. Are we praying for, thinking about, the wrong things. What has gone wrong?
Something should be done! Yes, something should have been done … right after Columbine, after the horrible carnage of little ones at Sandy Hook … but no! The policy makers voices, “Let’s wait until this settles out. Use more reasoning. It’s too emotional now.”
And it continues, for me and for so many others, an unsettling disbelief that we could allow this to continue, an integral part of the gun violence culture that has become a descriptor of the United States. We are offering our children on an altar of intransigence where solutions run the spectrum from eliminating all guns to arming everyone. Where slogans have become the research that fuels the inertia.
Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Absolutely true. How many school children and their teachers would have died if there were no guns, particularly automatic weapons available to the people who kill people?
Beef up the security of the schools. Spend, spend on making the school house a fortress to respond to the lack of response to the role of gun violence in our nation. Allow the perverted actions of the few change the culture of education.
Arm the teachers! As a retired teacher, you can bet that I have something to say about that. The solution to gun violence is not more guns. Teachers are not gunslingers. Teachers don’t fill the voids left by the inability to sort this
FROM
To the editor:
I have lived in Manlius for many years and have always enjoyed the tree lined view of our charming village as I drove down East Seneca Street. You can’t even imagine the disappointment and sadness I felt when I discovered that all of the trees had been rapidly chopped down in two nights in the cover of darkness. On Friday March 17, people gathered in the village taking pictures of the healthy large stumps left behind and they all seemed to be equally stunned by the scene. Now as I drive down the hill, I see a street void of any natural beauty. I see telephone poles, electrical wires, street signs and the bright red roof of Tops from nearly a mile away.
Attendance at the mayor’s state of the village address on March 28 confirmed to me that many local residents felt the same way about these trees. Most were completely unaware of the grand plans to remove the trees and “revitalize” the Village of Manlius. I learned that officials had determined that the trees had “outlived their usefulness.” I guess it all makes sense in the cell phone obsessed, consumer driven, throwaway society that we currently live in. Just throw all of those trees away! They’ve outlived their usefulness was the decision made for our community.
Does the Village of Manlius truly need to spend government money on an “overarching revitalization initiative”? I’m certain that the modernized Micron friendly new vision for the Village of Manlius appeals to some, especially those in power making the decisions. After the chaos of this lengthy revitalization project, I certainly hope that the Village of Manlius will look nice again someday. We will all be watching in anticipation of the many changes. I still question whether it is truly a representation of what local residents want. Make way for the new and improved Manlius! Personally I happen to love the old quaint picturesque Village of Manlius. It is gone forever.
kate MarkaM manliuSTo the editor:
With great interest, I read the article about the Bible Belt rift over gay marriage in the Methodist Church on the recent front page of the Post-Standard. It was the following paragraph from it that really piqued my interest, however.
“And the Council of Bishops, 40 in total from each U.S. region, supported a plan that would strike the anti-LGBTQ+ language from the Book of Discipline and let each congregation decide what to do.”
It strikes me very important that the 40 bish-
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problem out. Does this sound like something out of a dime novel?
Take away the all guns.
Lots of luck. Guns are important parts of the mythical culture of the frontier, self-sufficiency and specific interpretations of the second amendment. Honest people hunt, though needing an automatic weapon to hunt is beyond my ken. We have numerous examples of countries that have figured out a way to separate guns from violence. Can’t we use these models as templates here?
Ann FerroFix the mental health system. Words used to identify what we all suspect, that the shooters are what my grandmother would have described as “not right.” Mental health care for everyone, but especially for young people, is woefully in short supply. No one is significantly making any changes to that.
It is beyond complicated, but not beyond solution.
Still, there is something else that might be relevant as the meaning of school shootings.
A firearm is a manufactured object. It did not come from the burning bush nor is it described in the 11th commandment. There is the design, manufacture, sale, ownership and use of guns to look at as we search for solutions. Can design and manufacture be addressed as part of a solution? How do you deal with the illegal manufacture of guns, ghost guns and modifications that make single-shot weapons into automatic weapons.
Who can buy and own a gun? Yes, many states have eliminated sales and ownership of firearms to people who pose a threat to themselves and others, but, even then, triaging the potential buyer has always been difficult without longer wait times and the ability to access pertinent, accurate information. How did the shooters obtain their weapons? Was there a paper trail of information that would have set off an alert to a gun salesperson? The rules of each state are different so that you can own a gun in one state but not another. So many guns are sold illegally that laws don’t apply.
ops be asked if they made their decision based on the believe Christ voiced in the Bible or was it based solely on personal judgment. If the former, I’m sure the faithful would want to hear more about that Bible connection. If the decision was made solely on personal judgment, I don’t understand why they were made bishops. I thought all bishops must be, first of all, fervent followers of Christ.
CharleS MiruCki FayettevilleTo the editor:
The April 10 town hall meeting at Chittenango High School sponsored by Congressman Brandon Williams served his stated purpose: to introduce himself to his constituents and to address his positions on various issues.
So, I know now for sure that:
Mr. Williams has no intention of supporting strong gun laws. He does not support a ban on assault rifles because “...only criminals will have these weapons…” Really? So does this make us safer because everyone will have a gun, even someone with a grudge, someone with mental health issues?
He recognizes that New York State has some of the most liberal abortion policies and he hopes to change them since he sees the issue as a states’ rights decision.
He does not recognize strong efforts to protect our environment. His solution to climate change challenges is nature working by itself, namely photosynthesis (his words!). His idea of clean energy is “…natural gas and nuclear energy...”
Mr. Williams believes that the recent funding for the IRS is akin to increased audits of the middle class that itemizes! He does not consider this as an investment to recouping the money owed by corporations or wealthy individuals who avoid paying their fair share, a gift from the previous administration.
With views such as these, I want Mr. Williams to know that these policies do not align with my views. Contrary to his beliefs, it is not just criminals who possess automatic weapons; pro-life is not pro-life, it is pro-birth that fails to provide the means to support the births: and without strong environmental policies, it will be nearly impossible to provide a healthy environment for our children and grandchildren.
Furthermore, I would like to know why brochures sponsored by the John Birch Society were in evidence. Are the views expressed in them the views of Mr. Williams? Is this the core of his values and priorities? He needs to address this issue and explain himself.
And finally, this town hall format is sorely lacking in allowing Mr. Williams to know what his constituents support. A true town hall allows give and take with questioners not only questioning but allowed to express themselves.
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When one happens, the news media rapidly produce pictures of the dead and wounded, heart-wrenching stories about each, often spoken by grief-stricken family and friends. There will be photos and video of ad hoc memorials built of teddy bears and flowers and art work and candles and balloons.
There will be film of the police who answered the 911 call, even chilling snippets of children cowering in their classrooms, calling for help. Local politicians and the police chief will hold forth on the preparation and implementation of shooter plans
School children and teachers who survived will be interviewed.
The shooter will be identified, his or her picture displayed on TV and social media. A biography of the shooter will be shared. Relatives, friends and neighbors will make comments about the shooter. Footage from the body cameras will show us the exchange of gunfire and, in most instances, the death of the shooter.
And all of these will live together as an episode in American life. A boxed set of failure. A production, another roadmap for the disgruntled, the disaffected,
It appears that Mr. Williams feels unable and unprepared to truly defend his positions face to face.
He will be holding more town halls across Oneida and Madison Counties, and yes he even consented to hold some in Onondaga County. I encourage concerned constituents to show up and make their views know. Little red cards of disagreement are a civil way to show him what he does not allow us to say in person.
ROSEAnn LOREfiCE AnD PAtRiCiA Carranti manliuS Board addresses anti-SemitismTo the editor:
During the week of April 10, two Cazenovia residents reported finding on their property plastic sandwich bags filled with stones and hate speech including anti-Semitic language, racist propaganda, Nazi symbols (swastika and flag), and recruitment messages from an organization that the Anti-Defamation League identifies as a “longstanding neo-Nazi group.” Similar incidents have happened across the United States over the past few years. The objects themselves are not a crime. However, the messages are threatening to whole groups of people and are intended as a recruitment tool.
Each year, small and large incidents occur in our community that spark concern. The Town of Cazenovia adopted anti-bias and antiracist language into legislation on January 11, 2021 through Resolution No. 15-2021, which reads:
The Town of Cazenovia is a welcoming and inclusive community. We recognize the responsibility and rights of community members to respect the personhood of all individuals to live their lives with dignity, free of discrimination based on faith, race, sexuality, gender identity, national origin or immigration status. We therefore renounce hatred and intolerance, including but not limited to: racism, misogyny, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia and transphobia. We commit ourselves, as a town, to respect the diversity represented within our community and to be good neighbors to all.
While words in a legislative document may not always reach community members who feel at risk, elected officials are committed to action against hate and providing support for vulnerable residents. Any community members who have experienced or are witness to hate incidents are encouraged to:
Photograph graffiti and objects to archive as evidence of an incident
Report the incident to local law enforcement so that a record can be established
Notify town and village officials to request an investigation and an affirmation of commitment to anti-hate resolutions and to commu-
Letters l Page 7
call the hotline at 1-888-3923644, or text “HATE” to 81336
Reach out to the AntiRacism Coalition for Cazenovia at https://www.arc-c.org for additional support.
Words are only as good as the actions behind them, so please join us in embracing the commitment to respect the diversity represented within our community and to be good neighbors to all.
SuPerviSor Bill ZuPan, CounCilMeMBerS Pat raCe, kyle reger, JiMMy goluB, kelli JohnSon Cazenovia town board
130 years ago – april 20, 1893
Parties were in town last week looking over the ground with a view to putting in electric lights.
They are contemplating putting in an electric light plant at Edwards Falls near Manlius and lighting Fayetteville, Manlius, Chittenango, and Cazenovia. The company which is backing the enterprise, proposes to put the plant in at its own expense, providing a contract can be made with the villages for using the light.
110 years ago – april 17, 1913
All Cazenovia schoolboys and girls between the ages of 10 and 15 years are to be given the chance to win a gold medal. The medal is to be given to the pupil between those ages who writes the best omposition, not to exceed 800 words on “The Repair and Maintenance of Earth Roads.”
The award is to be made by Logan Waller Page, Director, Office of Public Roads, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. The composition may be based on knowledge gained from books or other sources, but no quotations should be made. After many years experience in
dealing with the public road situation of the country, it is Page’s belief that ignorance on the subject of repair and maintenance of roads is as much the cause of their bad condition as any other factor. It is expected that the competition will bring about a better understanding of the subject of repair and maintenance in the rural districts.
Many children living in the rural districts have experienced the disadvantage of roads made impassable through a lack of proper maintenance and it is expected that their interest in the competition will stimulate greater interest among the parents.
90 years ago – april 20, 1933
Byron Davis, a member of the agricutural class of Cazenovia Central School, is winner in a statewide poultry essay contest on the subject, “Why Farmers Should Raise Official Poultry Breeders Chicks.” The prize was 25 super grade single comb White Leghorn chicks, donated by Henry Burden, owner of Longview Poultry Farm. Byron is the only boy in Madison County winning this fine honor.
The contest was sponsored by New York Cooperative Poultry Breeders, Inc. with headquarters in Ithaca.
The letter received by Prof. George H. Ilse, agriculture instructor, says “Your boys surely responded to our essay contest in full force. The quality of the essays was very high and it took good ones to win.”
When the trout season opened Saturday morning at 5 a.m. there was a chilly wind blowing and the temperature was 41 degrees according to Don Hart’s recording thermometer. Probably the cold accounted for fewer fishermen being on Chittenango creek than is usual on the first day. However, The Republican camera man recalls colder opening days.
A few years ago some of the gentler sex Izaak Waltons wore fur coats, some men earlapper and there were numerous bonfires along the banks where chilled fingers were thawed out. Yet in spite of brisk winds and cool temperatures Saturday there were some good catches by three-townships anglers.
Probably the best was by the area’s renowned Herby Douglass who got the limit of 10 including four 16-inch browns.
The biggest fish, of which The Republican has heard, caught by local residents was a large brown, 20 ½ inches long and weighing three pounds. Merritt Lyon, Sr. of Nelson was the fisherman and the the stream Callahan Brook near the East Nelson town line. Merrill Bailey and son, Bruce, also of Nelson, between them caught 12 browns, and Gordon S. Schutzendorf and son Gordon, of Chenango street, early on the stream, in a few hours caught enough for their breakfast, the largest 10 ½ inches.
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manently closing following the spring 2023 semester due to financial concerns.
According to the college, the decision was the result of a perfect storm of financial challenges, including a shrinking population of college-aged individuals; skyrocketing inflation; decreased enrollment and increased expenditures during the global pandemic; and recent uncertainty in the bond and stock markets, which made it exceedingly difficult to refinance a $25 million bond debt, which the college defaulted on last fall.
On March 6, 2023, during the regular monthly meeting of the Village of Cazenovia Board of Trustees, Mayor Kurt Wheeler reported that the college, at the behest of the bondholders, had engaged the broker A&G Real Estate Partners to begin marketing the college properties.
Wheeler is part of a team of local leaders and stakeholders that began meeting within days of the college announcing its closing to analyze the challenge facing the community
and to start investigating potential future uses for the campus. According to Wheeler, he and Lauren Lines, executive director of the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc., met with two representatives of the national real estate firm A&G while they were in town familiarizing themselves with the college properties.
“It was a very positive engagement,” Wheeler said during the March village board meeting. “We offered our help to them. . . At this point, it’s a team effort to get the best possible buyer for any part of the college property or, we hope, a big chunk of it all at once. They were very receptive to that. It was not an adversarial meeting at all. It was very positive, very collegial, and cooperative, I thought.”
On April 13, Wheeler said he and Lines relayed to the A&G representatives the community’s aim to identify and evaluate holistic future uses for the college properties that would replicate the substantial economic impact of the institution.
“We provided A&G with our big picture ideas when we met but did not get into mar-
keting strategies,” said Wheeler, who added that he first saw A&G’s listing of the college on Yahoo Business about two weeks ago.
According to the mayor, the firm’s decision to list the college as two campuses “makes sense” because he views the equine facility as distinct from the main campus.
“The listing of the property with a broker has been an anticipated step in the process, so the recent events have not had any impact [on the community’s work],” said Wheeler. “Local leaders will continue their efforts to
proactively assess and seek out the best longterm options for our community and work with the college, bondholders, and broker to make them a reality.”
To view the Cazenovia College listing and learn more about A&G Real Estate Partners, visit agrep.com.
To stay up to date on and/or contribute to the local community’s ongoing planning for the future of the Cazenovia College properties, visit futureofcazenovia.org.
wetlands, and that there is one collection line that has a minor impact on an area adjacent to a wetland.
“It’s not in the wetland, but the DEC also regulates a hundred-foot area around the wetland, and we have a collection line crossing that,” Silliman said. “To be determined is [whether it is] better to cross that with an aerial line to avoid an impact to the wetland, or [if we] trench it the way we normally would with a collection line.”
Silliman remarked that he does not foresee any issue with the regulatory agencies in the state that would cause a delay in the project or significant conditions to be imposed on the project.
The developer has also conducted a noise analysis, cultural resource work, and a magnetometer survey that used drones to search for abandoned oil and gas wells, which it did not locate.
The bulk of the fieldwork in support of the 94-c permit application was completed by December 2022. As of April 12, the developer had yet to complete the required visual impact assessment and historic resources impact assessment.
According to Silliman, the visual impact assessment kicked off ahead of schedule earlier that day because of the favorable weather.
He explained that he was unaware the work had started prematurely until he drove past the site that afternoon and saw the workers. Therefore, he was unable to alert the town ahead of time.
“We have a crew out taking photos of the area in leaf-off condition,” said Silliman. “That’s the baseline, so then what we can do [is] create simulations of what the project would look like. Leaf-off is the worst possible condition for visual impact, so that’s where you start. If you see people out there working, that’s what they are doing.”
Silliman also remarked that Cypress Creek plans to work with adjacent landowners — not only the landowners who are leasing their properties to the developer — to figure out what type of screening would be best for them and make the most sense if the project goes in.
Silliman encouraged residents to call the town office or visit the Oxbow Hill Solar website for information on what work is happening at the site. 94-c permitting process
According to Silliman, Cypress Creek has completed the bulk of the analysis required to prepare its permit application, which the developer anticipates filing with ORES this summer with a target date of Aug. 1.
Located within the Department of State, ORES was established by the Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth & Community Benefits Act — which passed as part of the FY 2020-2021 state budget — to consolidate the en-
vironmental review and permitting of major renewable energy facilities into a single forum that provides “a coordinated and timely review” of siting permit applications.
All large-scale renewable energy projects 25 MW or larger are now required to obtain a siting permit from ORES for new construction or expansion.
In 2021, at the recommendation of its solar committee, Fenner adopted a local law that prohibits all large-scale commercial solar facilities within the town and regulates the design, placement, construction, and operation of small-scale solar systems that support principal residential, agricultural, and business uses.
Under the 94-c process, Cypress Creek can ask ORES to waive local requirements if the siting board determines them to be unduly burdensome in terms of meeting the goals set forth in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The act was signed into law in 2019 to address climate change and put the state on a path to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions. One of the plan’s targets is to generate 70 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
“One of the things we need to do is sit down and talk to the town about the local laws that apply to our project,” said Silliman. “We have to go through them and advise the town, ‘These are the laws that you have that we can comply with, and these are the laws we have a problem complying with for various reasons.’ The town has a chance to respond, and they have a chance to correct us if we’ve missed something.”
Silliman continued by stating that Cypress Creek is aware of Fenner’s ban on large-scale solar and that the company will be seeking a waiver of that requirement from the state.
“I just know that we are going to be doing that, but we still need to go through this process and have this discussion to see what other aspects of the local laws that the town has would apply and how [we would] comply with them,” he said.
According to Silliman, once Cypress Creek files its application with ORES, the developer will provide a fund to the state that will then be made available to the municipality and/or an approved citizens group — that is either for or against the proposed project — to hire a lawyer or consultants to review the application.
Silliman explained that the state provides this mechanism to ensure that local municipalities have input on the process.
Sixty days after an application is deemed complete, the state must either say it is not going to issue a permit or issue a draft permit with all the conditions that would apply to that
specific project. “That’s really the operative document that everybody reviews and would be subject to public comment at a public statement hearing,” said Silliman. “If there is an issue that somebody, like a town, felt was substantive and significant, they could ask for a hearing on that issue. The judge assigned by the state office would have to determine [whether] the threshold was met for having a hearing or not. That’s the process, [and it] all starts once we file our application. It’s important to think about that and get ready for that so that you can effectively participate in that process.”
94-c requires that the final decision on a project’s permit be made within one year of the application being completed.
Agricultural land Silliman next provided data compiled by Cypress Creek related to the agricultural land Oxbow Hill Solar would occupy.
He reported that the facility site encompasses 806 acres of Prime Farmland, which is 9.8 percent of the town’s Prime Farmland and 0.7 percent of the county’s Prime Farmland.
The facility area — where the panels and inverters will be positioned — encompasses 390 acres of Prime Farmland, which is 4.74 percent of the town’s Prime Farmland and 0.37 percent of the county’s prime farmland.
The entire site covers 383 acres of Farmland of Statewide Importance, which is 5.86 percent of the town’s Farmland of Statewide Importance and 0.22 percent of the county’s Farmland of Statewide Importance.
The facility area encompasses 186 acres of Farmland of Statewide Importance, which is 2.84 percent of the town’s Farmland of Statewide Importance and 0.11 percent of the county’s Farmland of Statewide Importance.
“I’ve seen lots of numbers being thrown around out there, and we just quadruple-checked these,” said Silliman. “This is what we just gave to NYSERDA in our submittal. These are the numbers we are basing our 94-c application on right now.”
Public comments and responses
Following Silliman’s update, multiple residents voiced their fervent opposition to the project and some expressed concerns related to such issues as home values, the visual impact of the solar facility, the removal of agricultural lands from production, and the state’s apparent ability to disregard local regulations and force the project on the community.
In response to a resident’s concern that Oxbow Hill is just the beginning of Cypress Creek’s plans to develop Fenner and Madison County, Silliman said the company has no current plans to build another project of this scale in Fenner.
According to Silliman, Cypress
Creek has a project out near Buffalo, called Bear Ridge Solar, which is about a year ahead of Oxbow Hill in development, and it has another project that is in the Thousand Islands area and is trailing Oxbow Hill by about a year.
“We call it a pipeline of projects,” said Silliman. “We don’t have in our pipeline a plan or vision of another 100 MW project here.”
Silliman later said that he believes that if Cypress Creek was to walk away from the project tomorrow, someone else would be in Fenner the very next week seeking to develop almost the same project.
“It’s the way the state works,” he said. “For the state to meet their goals, they are going to build more and more larger-scale solar projects.”
Fenner is particularly attractive to solar developers, according to Silliman, because of the existing transmission line, the presence of willing landowners who already have an energy supplier on their properties, and the fact that the fields are cleared.
Regarding the end of the useful life of the solar panels that Cypress Creek intends to install, Silliman said the responsibility of decommissioning them falls on the developer.
“We have to put up a decommissioning bond, usually for the town, in case we are not there,” he said. “We put that up front, so the money is there for clean-up.”
During a discussion of potential community benefits, Silliman highlighted a possible payment in lieu of taxes agreement, a host community benefit fund, and an electric bill credit for Fenner residences.
At the mention of the bill credit, multiple community members spoke up to inform Silliman that it is their understanding that a large number of the town’s residents would not receive the benefit because they use power companies other than National Grid.
Town Supervisor Dave Jones also highlighted Fenner’s large Amish population, which is not on the grid and therefore would also be unable to benefit from an electric bill credit.
One community member suggested that Fenner residents receive a tax benefit as compensation for having to live with the transformation of their agricultural community into an “industrial, energy-producing town.”
“Great point,” said Silliman. “I think that that could be built into the discussions that we need to have with the town over how best to flow the benefits to the town.”
To address the question of how close the panels would be to neighbors’ houses, Silliman reported that the setback requirements are 100 ft from a non-participating residence, 50 ft from any non-participating property line, and at least 250 ft from a non-participating occupied residence.
“Those are the state requirements,”
he said. “Now, do we have flexibility there if we are working with you as an adjacent landowner as we are figuring out the precise location of panels and [things]? We have some flexibility to work with you on that.”
Silliman stated that the most recent site maps showing panel locations and access roads would be posted on the project website within a week. Additionally, he said his team would gather some of the information requested by the attendees, including the manufacturer and life expectancy of the panels, the efficiency of the panels over time, the level of facility monitoring throughout the life of the project, the amount of land that would be cleared to accommodate things like an access road or a collection line, and the amount of money Cypress Creek has invested in the project so far.
That information will likely be available on the website in a week or so, Silliman said. The website layout is also expected to change within the next month to make it more user-friendly.
To wrap up the Oxbow Hill Solar discussion, Nadine Bell, one of the town’s attorneys, cautioned the group that, to date, all the projects submitted to ORES through the 94-c process have been approved.
“The town has essentially very little — and that’s actually being pretty generous — say in this process,” she said.
Bell emphasized that municipalities can do things like comment, share their concerns, and explain their local laws and values to the state, but at the end of the day, ORES has full control over the process.
Her goal, she explained, was not to be discouraging, but rather to make sure the community understands what, if any, influence their elected officials truly have.
“Once an applicant chooses to be part of that ORES 94-c process, there is no control other than working with an applicant,” said Bell.
According to Silliman, if the project is approved, Cypress Creek would start site prep probably nine months to a year after permit issuance.
On April 13, Silliman said he was very pleased with the previous night’s meeting.
“We had over an hour of interaction with the town, and the residents asked that we come back to the town board routinely to provide updates,” he said. “We were able to respond directly to the residents’ concerns; I really appreciate the opportunity to have a dialogue.”
Information and updates regarding the proposed Oxbow Hill Solar Project can be found at ccrenew.com/projects/ oxbow/.
Fenner Town Board meetings are typically held on the second Wednesday of each month at 8 p.m. at 3151 Fenner East Rd.
The Cazenovia girls track and field team got their regular season off to a fast start as it overwhelmed Homer 112-29 last Wednesday afternoon, winning 13 of 17 events, including all three relays, and achieving 21 sectional qualifying performances en route to a decisive victory.
Senior captain Corinne Albicker led the team as she scored in four events and hit the sectional standard in each.
Albicker led a sweep by the Lakers in the 400-meter hurdles, posting a quick early season time of 1:14.9 to win, with Bonnie Pittman second and Meghan Mehlbaum third. She also ran a speedy 17.9 in the 100 hurdles and teamed with Pittman for second and third place there.
Albicker returned to lead another sweep in the long jump, hitting an outstanding 15 feet 2 inches for first with Alyssa Wardell (14’6”) and Susie Pittman (14’2 ¾”) also scoring.
Audie Spring was less than an inch behind with a 14’2” effort in her first varsity meet. Albicker (31’9”) and Pittman (31’8 ½”) both placed in the triple jump as well.
Susie Pittman scored two wins of her own as she cleared 8’6”to win the pole and 4’8” to win the high jump. Caitlyn Smithers matched her height of 8’6” to take second in the vault with Faith Wheeler third for a Cazenovia sweep while Meghan Mehlbaum took second in the high jump.
Maddy Rothfeld won the shot put with an exceptional throw of 29 feet with Karly Vaas second in a personal best 27’1 ½”. Olivia Morse won the discus at 70 feet with Rothfeld third at 66’6” to cap the Lakers’ 44-10 advantage in the field events.
Cazenovia was equally successful on the track as they won all three relays and amassed a 68-19 margin overall.
Grace Dolan paced the team with four scores as she led off two winning relays, won the 200 in an outstanding 27.3 seconds and took third in the 400 with a quick 1:03.3. Reid McMurtrie also ran 1:03.3, a career-best, to place second
Cazenovia girls track and field star Corrine Albicker starred in four different events, helping the Lakers defeat Homer 112-29 in last Wednesday’s league opener.
with Maura Phillips third in 1:05.1.
Izzy Stromer-Galley matched Dolan’s four scores as the duo combined with Smithers and Wardell to win the 4x100 meter relay in an exceptional 53.2 seconds and teamed up with Mehlbaum and Lily Kogut to triumph in the 4x400 in 4:37.6. Stromer-Galley also scored in the 200 (27.8 seconds) and the 100 (13.3), just a step behind Smithers (13.0).
Cazenovia’s distance runners dominated Homer as they piled up a 31-1 advantage in their events.
Wheeler led the charge, winning the 1,500 in 5:31.8 and the 800 in 2:43.6. Olivia Ruddy and Zoey Gagne backed up Wheeler in the 1,500 with Kogut second in the 800.
Dinah Gifford led a sweep in the 3000 with Gagne and Haylee Stearns close behind. Phillips led the 4x800 meter relay to victory with a 2:36.5 lead-off leg with Kogut, Gifford and Lauren McLean also contributing.
The Lakers (1-0) will be back in action on their home track against Chittenango (1-0) on Wednesday before travelling to Utica for the Cook-DeStefano Invitational two days later.
