Cazenovia Republican digital edition - May 3, 2023

lAkEr lOCkEr OPEns

Village gives updates on antisemitic incidents

By kAtE Hill Staff Writer

During the May 1 Village of Cazenovia Board of Trustees meeting, Mayor Kurt Wheeler and Chief of Police Michael Hayes provided information regarding the ongoing New York State Police investigation into the recent wave of antisemitic incidents within Cazenovia and several other Madison and Onondaga county communities.

On the night of Friday, April 21, Nazi and white supremacist recruitment propaganda with antisemitic and racist messages and symbols were distributed onto about 75 properties within the Village of Cazenovia.

The messages, which were distributed in plastic bags with cat litter, were taken from the website of a far-right, Neo-Nazi, white supremacist organization based in the US.

According to Hayes, similar recruitment propaganda was discovered on properties in Chittenango, Canastota, Fenner, Nelson and Tully.

High School debuts free thrift store

By kAtE Hill

Staff Writer

On April 20, Cazenovia High School (CHS) debuted its new student thrift store, the Laker Locker, with a small ribbon-cutting

ceremony. Located in room 260 on the high school’s second floor, the “thrift store” does not operate as a store in the traditional sense, as all items, includ-

Locker l Page 13

Submitted photoS

On April 20, Cazenovia High school opened laker locker, a new free thrift store for students.

Advertising students team up with local businesses

By kAtE Hill Staff Writer

This spring semester, students in Cazenovia College’s advertising class were challenged to develop real-world ad campaigns for local businesses.

Eight students and eight downtown businesses teamed up to complete what Adjunct Instructor Kevin Mann titled “The Project.”

According to Mann, he selected the participating businesses, and each student picked their client out of a hat.

Otis + Matilda New York was paired with Noah Weaver, H. Grey Supply Co. with Taryn Kleaka, J.S. Hight & Sons Fine Wines & Spirits with Samuel Goldman, Matthew’s Salon Spa with Savanna Elliott, 20|EAST with Isabella Seidenfuss, Lavender Blue with Cyan Seibel, The Brewster Inn with Andrew Hansen, and Eye Love Optical Boutique with Kaitlyn White.

Apart from serving as a student learning experience, The Project was aimed at helping each participating business to showcase its unique story and expand its reach within the local community and beyond. The students’ ideas were intended to inspire their clients and provide a foundation for future marketing tactics ranging from social media activity and website updates, to print media, brochures, posters, and catalogs of products and services.

The project kicked off on March 28 with a two-hour input and briefing session, during which the students met the local business owners, familiarized themselves with the brands, and began brainstorming ideas.

The students dedicated the next couple of weeks both in and outside of class to crafting their advertising concepts.

According to Mann, the students were encouraged to visit their assigned businesses on their own time to speak with the owner(s), get to know their offerings and potential marketing challenges, and take photos.

Each student developed a client profile, a campaign theme, and multiple advertising concepts.

The students delivered their final presentations to their clients on April 13 in Cazenovia College’s Reisman Hall.

The first to present was Weaver, who revealed his designs for Otis + Matilda New York, a men’s and women’s footwear, accessories, and home boutique.

In two of his ads, Weaver borrowed the “+” from the business’s name to combine images of different products that might be purchased together.

“You can get a nice pair of shoes, why not get a nice handbag to go with it?” Weaver said.

Using the same idea, he also used the “+” to tie together

Students l Page 14

Submitted photoS

On April 13, Cazenovia College students in Adjunct instructor kevin Mann’s advertising class presented their real-world ad campaigns for local businesses. Eight students and eight downtown businesses teamed up to complete what Mann titled “the Project.”

Because the incidents occurred in both Madison and Onondaga counties, the New York State Police is acting as the lead agency on the investigation.

The April 21 incidents occurred following a limited number of similar events earlier that month.

During the week of April 10, reports were made of antisemitic propaganda being tossed onto about three private properties in Cazenovia. The incidents, which all occurred outside of the village, were not within the Cazenovia Police Department’s jurisdiction to investigate.

The village board and Cazenovia Town Board condemned the acts of hate and intolerance in an April 13 joint letter to the editor of the Cazenovia Republican.

During his May 1 update, Wheeler said the village police are continuing to collaborate with the state police and the other impacted communities. He also encouraged the public to dial 911 if they witness a hate incident.

“When you have a situation like that, if you see something that looks wrong, looks out of place, please call 911,” he said. “People, I think, are afraid to call 911 unless there is something on fire or [something like that], but if it looks wrong, call 911. The dispatcher can make a decision about how to deploy those resources, but the ability to get witnesses and gather evidence is sometimes very fleeting, so if you see something, say something. That will be really helpful to us. As we and the town indicated, this is absolutely contrary to our community values, and we do not want these kinds of things happening here, and we would like to put a stop to it, but we need the public’s help to do that.”

Hayes reported that there was a total of approximately 220 incidents in Madison and Onondaga Counties on April 21. The majority were reported in Madison County.

“It seems to sort of be random,” said Wheeler. “It doesn’t seem to be a pattern. It doesn’t seem to be targeting Jewish residents. . . It was kind of a shotgun pattern around different communities around Central New York. . . It’s just not anything that anyone wants to wake up and find on their front lawn or in their driveway.”

Hayes also remarked that he believes that although the distributed messages advocate for a specific group, the recent antisemitic incidents were the work of an individual, not an organization.

“Investigators have contacted the individual that was named in that flyer,” Hayes said. “He, himself, has put out that this is unsanctioned activity [and that the organization does] not support this individual and they do not support his activities.”

Wheeler added that the evidence does not seem to suggest that the incidents are part of a broader effort to establish that kind of an organization locally.

“This seems to be a lone wolf-type activity using materials from a group that, I think, is headquartered in Indiana,” he said. “. . . Being very clear about what our community standards are and what is acceptable and what is not acceptable is good because that helps [keep Cazenovia from being] fertile ground for those kinds of ideas to take root.”

Wheeler concluded the discussion by stating that these types of hate incidents are not unique to Madison and Onondaga Counties or to Central New York.

“It’s, unfortunately, a nationwide phenomenon,” he said. “It’s a tiny minority of people, but even a tiny minority is too many with this kind of message.”

Following the meeting, Hayes stated that the New York State Police have identified a person of interest in the case and are interviewing that individual.

Post-Cazenovia College planning

Wheeler provided a brief update on the community’s ongoVillage l Page 11

deborah kenn, 67

Served as a Nelson town board member

Deborah “Orah” Kenn, 67, of Nelson, died at home in the presence of family and friends on April 20, 2023, after a courageous seven-year journey with leukemia. Born in New York City and raised in Fort Lee, N.J., she spent her adult life in Syracuse and Nelson. She obtained a bachelor’s degree from Eisenhower Col-

OBITUARIES

lege and a JD law degree from SUNY Buffalo. Initially practicing environmental and animal rights law in NYC, she then worked in poverty law with Legal Services in Syracuse. Subsequently, Deborah was employed at Syracuse University starting in 1989, initially as a law professor to direct the Community Develop Law Clinic. She was then appointed as Director of Clinical Legal Education Office, and most recently served as Associate Dean of Clinical

Years Ago in History

By Cindy BEll tOBEy

40 years Ago – May 4, 1983

Prudence Burg Hubbard gives a frog a

and Experiential Education at the Law School. She also led three student trips to South Africa to study the post-Apartheid legal system in that country. Throughout her legal and academic career, Deborah was a passionate advocate for social, environmental and economic justice, for animal rights, and for compassionate lawyering. She is the author of “Lawyering from the Heart,” and coauthor of “Community Economic Development Law.”

pat on its bottom.

“Look, it’s trying to get into the bird bath!” she says with delight.

Both the frog and the birdbath are made of terra cotta, a lovely pattable material that gives Mrs. Hubbard, who likes to be called Prudy, unending joy.

She is a ceramist and definitely not the ashtray and pencil-holder kind. Her frogs, fish, squirrels and figures of women will

Kellish’s

Over 50 years of service to our friends & neighbors

Deborah also served the Nelson community as a member of the Nelson Town Board. Her energy and dedication for living was shared with her family, a wide circle of friends, her animals, her students and her colleagues. Her interests included gardening, word puzzles, hiking, traveling, reading, cooking and dining out. She also found comfort, wisdom and strength from the natural world.

A celebration and tribute

to the life of Deborah is being planned. Please check michaelebrownfuneralservices.com for future details when they become available. Donations can be made in Deb’s honor to the ASPCA https://www.aspca.org/ or to Syracuse University College of Law (in support of the College’s Clinical Programs), c/o Advancement Services, 640 Skytop Rd., Syracuse, NY 13244 or 315-443-1964.

be exhibited at the Everson Museum all through the month of June.

At the moment, the house she shares with her husband, Richard Hubbard, a painter and sculptor, at the end of a long, long driveway on a Cazenovia hilltop, is filled with work that will be shown at the museum.

But most of her work sells almost as soon as it comes out of her kiln. No wonder! Her fanciful creatures are perfect in gardens, on lawns, by the side of a house or, in the case of a fish, on the edge of a little stream.

She works in a tiny studio tucked behind her kitchen where she can see a magnificent view of Cazenovia Lake, real bluebirds who’ve turned an old

Martin house into a home, and deer that almost walk into the kitchen.

30 years Ago – May 5, 1993

Ithaca College coach Dan Robinson called the Cazenovia Lake setting for the New York State Intercollegiate Rowing Championships “a remarkable situation.”

Robinson, whose school wound up dominating the final point standings, said there were a few glitches, but nothing that wasn’t corrected immediately and with friendliness and courtesy.

“The people here were wonderful,” he said, “They really made it a great

Town of Nelson Highway Department Notice of Hire – Roadside Mowing

Applications are being accepted for the position of roadside mowing for the Town of Nelson Highway Department. Interested persons must have a valid New York State Driver’s License and have knowledge of equipment handling and familiarity of Town of Nelson roads. Will be member of local municipal highway crew working with them to mow cemeteries as well. Position will be for eight weeks. References and applications welcome. Experienced preferred. Must be able to start once mowing season begins. All applicants are subject to a background check and license check and are subject to drug testing immediately upon hire. Applications are available at the Nelson Town Office located at 4085 Nelson Road and Town of Nelson Highway Department, 3985 Dugway Road. Applications must be received by the Town Clerk or Highway Superintendent by 3 p.m. May 19 th .

Share

Eagle Newspapers is here to help readers share their milestone celebrations, including birth announcements, engagements, weddings, anniversaries and milestone birthdays. The deadline to submit an announcement is 10 a.m. the Friday before publication. Announcements of up to 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.

experience.”

l From page

“A little more know-how” in such things as setting up the starting line is needed, he said, but he marveled at how quickly things were addressed and noted that the problems were few and far between for a club running its first big statewide competition.

20 years Ago, April 30, 2003

The selected location for the new art and design building has all of the elements Cazenovia College needed and desired: size, visibility and convenient access.

It appeared to be the perfect place when first identified.

But there was one problem: a longtime Cazenovia resident in a quaint, pink house already lived there.

Sylvia Wyckoff, 87, not only lived there, but she loved her home in which she had resided for 26 years.

It was a scenario fraught with potential trouble as college officials pondered how to gain the property without causing strife with a woman and her home on the property.

Then, Wyckoff herself suggested a possible solution: move the house to another piece of property. Challenging as it sounded, everyone agreed it was a fitting solution, and so on Oct. 31, 2000, the house was hoisted from its perch at 2 Seminary St. and moved less that a half mile to 4 Liberty St.

10 years Ago – May 1, 2013

Recently, Cazenovia First Presbyterian donated $5,000 to purchase a new commercial oven for Jamaica First Presbyterian.

Fenner Clean Up Days

May

Located in Queens and founded in 1662, Jamaica Presbyterian is the oldest continually serving Presbyterian church in America.

To assist with long term recovery efforts, Jamaica Presbyterian has committed to housing and feeding up to 50 Hurricane Sandy relief workers per week for two years.

They were cooking with an out-

dated oven which hindered their efforts to serve such a large group on a continuous basis.

Cazenovia First Presbyterian learned of their need for a new oven and agreed to fund it with a donation from the church’s outreach committee. The committee’s mission is to relieve suffering wherever it is found.

Honor Earth

While it may sound trite or cliché, or more than anything blatantly obvious, the reality is we only have one planet and we do need to take care of it.

It was with this in mind that Earth Day first started.

First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day events now take place all over the world.

What started as a grassroots effort to raise awareness about environmental issues has grown to be an annual event recognized in more than 193 countries every April 22.

Local, nationally and globally issues such as climate change and pollution are often explored on Earth Day.

But this is also a time when people will explore issues such as renewable energy or even get a jump on Arbor Day and plant trees are take part in other green initiatives.

While it is certainly important to have a time like Earth Day set aside to bring these issues to the forefront, the reality is these are issues we all can and need to be cognizant of regardless of the date on the calendar.

While April 22 may be the one day that helps many of us to stop and consider the health of our planet, environment and communities, the concept is one that extends well beyond one day. Almanac.com shared a number of things we can all do regardless of the date to help protect and support our planet.

Some actions are easy efforts all of us can take to help.

For example almanac.com suggests to clean up plastics in our neighborhoods and parks.

Something as simple as going for a walk and taking a trash bag and picking up plastics and other refuse can make a big difference.

Making the effort to collect things like plastics that can be recycled can have a positive impact on the environment.

The website also suggest considering the household products, particularly for cooking and cleaning, we use.

Making a change from some products to ones that are biodegradable or that can be composted or are made from recycled materials such as parchment paper, aluminum foil and using vegetable based inks can go a long way toward making a difference.

Perhaps one thing many people immediately think about when the consider Earth Day is trees.

And of course planting trees can have an incredibly positive impact on the environment.

Trees capture carbon, help cool temperatures around our homes and have benefits for agriculture, pollinators and the local ecosystem.

According to almanac.com, planting one oak tree can bring more birds and insects, boosting the local ecosystem, than an entire yard of other plants.

Along a similar line, planting wildflowers and native plants also have a positive impact.

Wildflowers and native plants, according to almanac.com, not only offer beauty, but they naturally attract native species of birds and insects, which improve pest control as well as pollination.

And there is a phrase many of us are familiar with, reduce, reuse and recycle, that has become a well known idiom.

This can take the form of using reusable shopping bags when you go to the grocery store, buying things like top soil in bulk, which cuts down on packaging as well as transportation and consider using biodegradable pots for plants. These can even be placed right in the ground when planting.

These are of course just a few suggestions and there are many things we can all do in our daily lives to help have a positive effect on our planet.

We are fortunate locally to have access to many natural resources, lakes, woods, trails and wildlife.

By protecting these precious resources, by taking even small steps such as recycling or taking part in community cleanups, we can make every day Earth Day.

For more suggestions visit almanac. com.

tHE MOrE tHinGs CHAnGE…

After reading a little note from NYSEG about saving money by being more frugal with energy usage and several articles in the Post about preparing for a possible recession I thought that it might be time to review what my grandparents and parents taught me about frugality. Their hands-on training came from lives modified by the constraints of the Great Depression and World War II. They passed it on to me.

The following is a piece that I wrote 15 years ago and, with a few tweaks, I could have written it this morning

My sure-fire cure for occasional insomnia is to dip into my college economic text.

Mr. Samuelson’s discourse on what makes the economic world go round sends me, after only a few paragraphs, into blissful, escapist sleep. Yet, the truth of this dismal science that is based on the concept of supply and demand, is something that has particular applicability to my growing concern about purchasing power and its effect on us all.

Personally, I’ve been trying to calculate the point at which the cost of taking the bus to work would be cheaper than driving my tiny car that is supposed to get 40 miles to the gallon. At the rate that the price of gasoline is increasing, the economy of taking the bus is within striking distance if I include the cost of wear and tear on my vehicle in the calculation.

I don’t know what I will do about eggs, though. Right now, as the price of eggs increases, one wonders if they were produced by golden chickens. The explanation for this increase is attributed to, as most price increases are of late, rising fuel costs and the diversion of feed corn into biofuels. I guess I will have to adopt my grandmother’s depression era solution by limiting myself to recipes that call for no more than two eggs.

The worrisome economic state of a possible recession has brought back memories of another time not too far removed from when I was a student with that economics text under my arm.

It reminds me of the time when we were part of a group of young couples, some with college degrees, some not. We all worked hard and practiced the thrift that we had come to learn at our parents’ knees, deferring gratification, saving money, being what we considered

Guns aren’t whole problem

To the editor:

On April 5, 2023, a man climbed over a wall surrounding the playground of a daycare in the city of Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil. He had a hatchet, and he killed four children ranging in age from 4 to 7, three boys and a girl; and he wounded four others, two boys and two girls. Then he went to the police and turned himself in. I don’t know his name; don’t want to know his name. He committed an atrocity and should receive zero publicity for it. And he did it without a gun.

A week before that, a 13-year-old killed a teacher with a knife in São Paulo, and wounded five other people. No gun.

In 2017, a guard at a preschool in the city of Janaúba, Minas Gerais, Brazil, killed nine children, a teacher, and himself, by dousing them all with alcohol and setting them on fire. No gun.

My point is that we need to look at the problem as “violence in our schools” rather than as “gun violence in our schools” (regardless of what country we’re talking about.) If we were able to wave a magic wand and poof all guns permanently out of existence this afternoon, people would find other ways to commit violence. They were doing it for millennia before guns were invented -- having guns just makes it a little easier.

You could say that we took God out of schools and then we’re surprised that our schools are Godless and violent. That’s true, but it’s an oversimplification. The world is Godless and violent, and has been since Cain killed his brother Abel outside the Garden of Eden. Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the grave to give us eternal life in heaven, and we have turned his name into a cuss word, something meaningless to say when we’re startled, upset, or angry.

I don’t have an answer to the problem of violence in schools or in the world. But I do know that the Bible says, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14

to be responsible adults.

Ramblings from the empty nest ann Ferro

When we, now as “empty nesters” or senior citizens, chat, we note how much the distribution of wealth has changed, how expectations for the accumulation of wealth have risen, how deferred anything is a foreign concept.

The use of credit, the drop in savings, the multinational nature of corporations, the cost of fuel, a growing Asian economy and something called a sense of entitlement have changed how we approach responsible economic life … or so it would seem.

When we first moved to Marcellus, I joined a group of women who met once a month to learn about a wide variety of topics.

Home Bureau was established first for the wives of farmers to spread information through a method called learn and return.

It had, by the 1960’s become, at least in the western suburbs, or what were becoming suburbs, a rationale for social and educational activities for a wider circle of women.

We attacked all kinds of topics from wine tastings that turned out to be hysterically funny, to how to determine the best buy when you purchased a dozen eggs or how to turn a pedestrian chuck roast into both stew meat and rib eye steaks.

We exchanged ideas about how to make your own cleaning solutions, build compost bins and save money on fabric purchases. We were careful with everything from fuel use to growing and canning our own vegetables. It was a different time. We defined our successes in different ways, expecting to live lives that were, by today’s standards, extremely frugal.

Pressures are different today. Young families aren’t focused on the same kind of thrift that we were. The accumulation of what are considered the necessities today rather than the security of savings seems to be the norm.

I say “seem” since I am not young and my sensibilities were grown in a different era. I don’t know what it means to have to provide my children with cell phones, subscribe to all of the cable channels, provide high speed computer access, call waiting and so forth.

My gosh, I still have a rotary dial phone in my bedroom and I have yet to either eat or serve a good steak at any social gathering.

Today young mothers don’t attend meetings where they are taught about re-cutting a chuck roast or making your own catsup

FROM THE MAILBAG

(English Standard Version). lOri kinGstOn minoa

Attend a town hall

To the editor:

It was not surprising to read a derogatory letter describing a town hall event held by CongressmanBrandonWilliams.Ialsoattended a town hall and observed a nice group of polite voters who took the opportunity to meet Mr. Williams and learn about his positions. We listened and learned about Congressman William’s experience, how he came to be our congressman and what he sees as America’s current challenges. He was quick to point out that while we have challenges we still are fortunate to live in the greatest country ever.

Unfortunately a small group, most likely including a previous writer, decided they somehow had a right to be rude and interfere with the town hall. We were specifically there to meet the congressman and hear his positions. Surprise to those who arrogantly assumed they somehow have a monopoly on facts and everyone there cared about their opinion, we didn’t. Your rude outbursts were much more telling of who you are and really accomplished little else, except explaining to the polite group why Congressman Williams cannot conduct a Q&A.

The congressman offered clear ideas, thoughts and hope for our future. I am not surprised you failed to acknowledge any, you were much too busy trying to force your opinions on the majority. Your bully tactics resolved nothing, solved no problems and certainly showed why the congressman’s ideas are widely accepted, he was just elected, and your rude group remains only a fringe.

To anyone in the district, please take an opportunity to attend a town hall with Congressman Williams. You will have a chance to ask questions via cards. Thanks to the rude, you won’t be able to verbalize but you will hear clear answers to current questions and most likely leave saying you are comfortable with our congressman.

CAl niCHOls Cazenovia

(which I never did … there is a limit).

I wonder though, if the fuel situation, the excessive cost of the war in Iraq and China’s impact on the world’s resources, will have a dampening effect on supply and demand of the young families and the not so young families that I know.

I am also remembering something that makes me worry. Once, during the Reagan administration, while I was employed by a large human service agency, I was sent to speak to the families of the air traffic controllers who had lost their jobs after an unsuccessful strike. These were families that, by most standards, had been quite comfortable financially.

Now, without incomes, they had few resources on which to call. The kinds of knowledge that I had accumulated that fell under the rubric of thrift, were outside their experience. What I had to share was so elemental for me, that it seemed almost bizarre to stand in front of those frightened people as an “expert”.

I wasn’t there to tell them how to apply for public assistance, I was there to tell them about things like home gardens, farmer’s markets, thrift stores, how to shop with coupons, how to find medical care without health insurance, using the library and such.

The ripple effect of rising prices, the inevitable cutbacks that accompany increased costs, especially those that affect petroleum prices and all of the things that are affected by petroleum prices, and the resulting drop in consumer demands can have a dramatic effect on the larger economy.

Accumulating those necessities of which I spoke earlier underpins jobs and salaries that affect the jobs and salaries of others.

When we are forced to curtail spending, we negatively affect the economic security of others, who are ultimately linked to our jobs and salaries.

Mr. Samuelson didn’t write a witty, literate book, but right now, his explanation of the role of supply and demand is as cogent and as applicable as ever, generating the possibility of a waking nightmare for a lot more than myself.

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.

Mayor’s comments heartfelt, but not quite accurate

To the editor:

In an April 26 article reporting a “recent wave of antisemitic incidents within” Cazenovia and environs, Mayor Wheeler states that the “hateful propaganda” distributed in connection with these incidents “was a clear violation of the community’s beliefs and values.” Having lived in Cazenovia for over 25 years as a proud Jew who doesn’t make a secret of his love for Israel, I’m confident this is largely true. Why the qualifier? Here’s why.

Recently, The Republican published a long article about a Cazenovian who is hosting a Palestinian exchange student from Gaza. This Cazenovian has a history of inviting to Cazenovia speakers who deny Israel’s right to exist, including one, Alison Weir, condemned by the Anti-DefamationLeagueasovertlyanti-semitic. The host exploited the opportunity afforded by the article to deliver herself of a long, completely gratuitous rant vilifying Israel for the defensive measures it takes to isolate Gaza - a territory ruled by Hamas which the U.S., Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom designate a terrorist organization. Her rant was gratuitous because it had nothing to do with the substance of the article which was (ostensibly) about the first impressions of the Gazan student.

The student himself had nothing anti-Israel to say - not word one - but confined himself to interesting and perceptive comments about what has impressed him during his time in the U.S. But not his host who just went on and on in the most vitriolic of ways, unedited by The Republican which appeared not to have a problem with giving column inch after column inch to an irrelevant - and hurtful - diatribe.

So thank you, Mayor Wheeler. I’m sure your sentiments are heartfelt. But not quite accurate.

BArry sCHrEiBMAn CAzEnOviA

Editor: Jennifer Wing, ext 340, jwing@eaglenewsonline com

Editor: Jason Gabak, ext 319, jgabak@eaglenewsonline com

Kate Hill , ext 325, khill@eaglenewsonline com reporter: Jason Klaiber, jklaiber@eaglenewsonline com sports Editor: Phil blackwell, ext 348, pblackwell@eaglenewsonline com

display Ads EB: linda Jabbour, ext 304, ljabbour@eaglenewsonline com

display Ads Cr: lori lewis, ext 316, llewis@eaglenewsonline com

Classified Advertising: Patti Puzzo, ext 321, ppuzzo@eaglenewsonline com

Billing questions: alyssa dearborn, ext 305, adearborn@eaglenewsonline com

legal Advertising: luba demkiv, ext 303, ldemkiv@eaglenewsonline com

Publisher: david tyler, ext 302, dtyler@eaglenewsonline com

Creative director: Gordon bigelow, ext 331, art@eaglenewsonline com

Requiem FoR the oakland a’s?

Maybe the news skipped past you amid a thousand other headlines, but John Fisher intends to bring the Oakland Athletics to Las Vegas.

And baseball would be far poorer for it.

Few franchises, in any sports, carries the unique history of the A’s. They started in Philadelphia, ruled for half a century by Connie Mack, who built two dynasties and always managed in a shirt and tie, into his late 80s.

Then there was a sojourn in Kansas City, mostly defined by trading young stars (think Roger Maris) to the Yankees until Charlie O. Finley showed up, outlandish and outrageous, and eventually brought the A’s to Oakland.

Once there, players fought Finley and each other,

grew long hair and mustaches, wore green and gold uniforms instead of the usual gray and white and, oh by the way, won three World Series in a row.

More history followed, from Billy Ball to the Bash Brothers to Billy Beane and other things that did not include the initials of BB, including the “Moneyball” era memorialized by Brad Pitt on the big screen.

Yet the A’s could never put together just the right plan to put up a real ballpark, whether in different spots in Oakland or in nearby San Jose.

Thus, the call of Vegas, where, and this is all important to John Fisher, land is plentiful and public officials are more willing to fork over taxpayer dollars for a new ballpark.

If it happens (and it’s no guarantee yet), then Oakland, a city of serious sports history, home to Frank Robinson, Bill Russell and so many others, will have no major pro teams left. Gone are the Raiders to the same Vegas playground that the baseball team wants to relocate. Gone, across the Bay, are the Golden State Warriors, now with the rich folks in San Francisco.

Even if we, as sports fans, grow numb to the eternal conflict between owners who want pleasure palaces and the fans of the teams they possess, we can’t let rich men (and they are almost always men) get rewarded for their mistakes.

Look what happened in Washington. For two-plus decades of ruining one of the

NFL’s landmark franchises with one of its most passionate fan bases, Daniel Snyder will get $5 billion for his troubles and close to zero accountability.

By no means is Fisher close to Snyder in terms of really bad behavior. His main fault is either incompetence or, worse yet, a refusal to use his riches to actually build a winning team.

For a generation now, fans in Oakland have grown used to seeing any player that achieved any sort of status get moved out in a trade or get lost to free agency the moment they had any chance to make a real salary.

True, that also happened in other places (Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Cleveland), but in all those cases they had newer or refur-

bished ballparks to take the sting off things if the product on the field was inferior.

That, safe to say, is not the case with the Oakland Coliseum. Once a fine venue, it’s turned into a nightmare with stories of sewage backups and (really) possums in the broadcast booth.

So yes, the A’s aren’t wrong in a desperate need for a new venue. They’ve just got the wrong owner on hand, who would much rather leave the hard work and expenses to someone else, somewhere else.

But Vegas is not a given. Any hang-ups there could leave Major League Baseball exasperated enough to force Fisher to either move his team or sell it, and there’s no shortage of rich folks in the Bay Area who, you know, just might be more inclined

to keep the A’s in Oakland, whatever the cost.

What is not in dispute is that, if this move happens, the Athletics move further away from its quirky, unique brand of baseball history and turn into just another thing to bet on in a town where wagers are everything.

Funny, though. In the movie version of Moneyball, Billy Beane talked about changing the odds while playing at the casino. It’s more difficult to do when the casino is right down the street, the house always winning.

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

Random Thoughts

Phil Blackwell

CROSSWORD

CAzEnOviA sOftBAll EArns BiG wins

By PHil BlACkwEll

Following an 0-4 start, the Cazenovia softball team caught fire, earning double-digit runs in consecutive victories over OHSL Liberty division foes.

The Lakers’ 12-4 win over Homer on April 22 broke the skid, but it did even better in last Tuesday’s game against Phoenix, with a landmark shot the highlight as it romped past the Firebirds 14-3.

Not only did Paige Reilley pitch a complete game and strike out seven, she hit the first home run of her varsity career, adding another hit and earning a team-best three RBIs.

Once trailing 2-0, the Lakers tied it in the second inning, went ahead in the third and then broke it open with an eight-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth.

Helping out Reilley, Sophie Wilmot, Lucy Bliss and Abby Falso had two hits apiece. Bliss also scored twice and drove in

two runs as single RBIs went to Wilmot and Cadence Walter. Skylar Dannon and Riley Newcomb both scored twice.

All of this halted on Thursday when Cazenovia lost, 17-0, to Westhill, who got home runs from Hannah Schmitz, Alexa Korrie and Kathleen Rogers, who each had three RBIs. Wilmot and Audrey Wells had the Lakers’ lone two hits.

Having seen a season-opening, seven-game win streak halted in a 3-2 loss to Fayetteville-Manlius on April 22, Chittenango quickly recovered. In fact, the Bears steadily built a comfortable lead in last Tuesday’s game against Christian Brothers Academy, but had to hang on late to beat the Brothers 8-6.

Runs in each of the first four innings meant a 7-0 edge, Chittenango getting two hits and three RBIs from Anna Spencer as Stephanie Huckabee drove in a pair of runs and Anna Cavotta scored twice.

Despite all this, pitcher Caroline Porter got tagged in the top of the fifth, CBA scoring five runs and the Bears needing 2 2/3 innings of relief from Lauren Machan to pull it out.

Chittenango won another close one on Thursday, beating Central Valley Academy by the same 8-6 margin that it did with CBA as the two sides traded runs for three innings before the Bears scored three times in the fourth.

Huckabee led with three hits as she and Alivia Cavotta both earned a pair of RBIs. Spencer, Machan, Savannah Drake and Mackenna Palko also earned RBIs, with Anna Cavotta scoring twice.

Cazenovia softball player

Paige reilley with the ball she hit over the fence for her first varsity home run in last tuesday’s game against Phoenix. reilley also pitched a complete game in the l akers’ 14-3 victory.

Caz girls track beats 20 foes at Onondaga meet

By kurt wHEElEr

The Cazenovia girls track and field squad raised its record to 3-0 with a 124-16 win over Hannibal last Wednesday and followed up with a decisive first place finish among 20 teams at the Onondaga Invitational two days later.

Against Hannibal, the Lakers won 14 of 17 events and swept 13 of them, including all three relays, as 23 different girls got on the scoreboard and the team racked up 50 season-best performances plus eight new sectional qualifying marks..

Riley Knapp led the team on the track, winning the 100 \-meter (13.0) and 200-meter (28.1) and anchoring the 4x100 to first in 53.1 seconds. Caitlyn Smithers was close behind, claiming second in the 100 (13.1) and 200 (28.2) while also joining with Knapp, Izzy StromerGalley and Alyssa Wardell for the 4x100 win.

Reid McMurtie led a sweep in the 400 (1:01.7) with Stromer-Galley

and Wardell as the Lakers earned a perfect 32-0 margin in the sprints. Stromer-Galley returned to anchor the team of Maura Phillips, Meghan Mehlbaum and Julia Reff to victory in the 4x400 relay in 4:34.6.

Faith Wheeler led the Lakers in the distance as she easily surpassed the sectional standard to win the 3,000 in 11:49.6 with Haylee Stearns second. The duo also backed up Julia Reff who won the 1500 in 5:34.3.

Olivia Ruddy won the 800 in 2:40 flat to lead a Laker sweep and also anchored the 4x800 to first place in a season bet 11:15.5 with Dinah Gifford, Lily Kogut and Lauren McLean contributing.

Corinne Albicker led the squad in the hurdles taking second in both the 100 meter and 400 meter races with Bonnie Pittman also scoring in each with season best times. Albicker also led a Laker sweep of the long jump with a leap of 15 feet 2 inches and was tops for Cazenovia in the

triple jump.

Skye Stanford had a banner day, winning both the discus (74’4”) and high jump (4’6”) with career bests. Olivia Morse was close behind in the disc at 73 feet while Maddy Rothfeld was tops in the shot put at 29 feet. Faith Wheeler led a Laker sweep in the pole vault as she cleared 8 feet.

Grace Dolan led the Lakers to their overwhelming victory at Onondaga, earning three first place finishes as she topped the 400 in 1:01.25 and led off the winning 4x100 (51.59) and 4x400 (4:18.04). All three times met the state qualifier standard.

McMurtie (1:01.74) was second in the 400 meter and anchored the 4x400 with Mehlbaum and Phillips also contributing. Stromer-Galley, Smithers and Knapp all ran legs in the winning 4x100.

Susie Pittman was a double winner for Cazenovia, leaping a career-best 35’1” to win the triple jump and clearing 8’6” to

win the pole vault, both state qualifier performances, with Wheeler second in the pole vault at 8-0.

Rothfeld (31’1 3/4” in the shot put), Wardell (15’1 1/4” in the long jump) and Mehlbaum (4’8”) in the high jump) all led the Lakers in their events with season best efforts.

Smithers (13.48) teamed with StromerGalley (13.53) to go 2-3 in the 100 meter dash and also captured second in the 200 at 28.28. Albicker finished third in both hurdle events including a personal best of 1:12.82 in the 400 hurdles.

Wheeler led the team in the 1,500, placing third in 5:19.90 with Phillips one place back at 5:24.76 in her first attempt at the distance. Julia Reff ran a personal best of 2:36.03 to lead the team in the 800 while Ruddy anchored the 4x800 to its second place time of 11:20.59 to round out the scoring.

The Lakers (3-0) travel to Skaneateles Wednesday for a battle that will likely determine the OHSL

Liberty-National title and compete at the East Syracuse-Minoa Invita -

tional Friday in a quest for more state qualifier performances.

Cazenovia boys track team beats out Homer 107-34

By PHil BlACkwEll

On Friday Cazenovia track and field was part of the Onondaga Central Invitational, its boys team earning 44 points to tie Henninger and Oswego for third place, trailing only Watertown and Tully.

Back on Wednesday, Cazenovia had blown out Homer 107-

34 at Buckley-Volo Field, with Branden McColm sweeping all three distance races, taking the 800 in 2:15.5, the 1,600 in 5:02.8 and the 3,200 in 10:59.5.

Connor Frisbie had a top triple jump of 40 feet 2 inches to go with a winning long jump of 19 feet and a time of 16.8 seconds in the 110 high hurdles.

Wins also came from Jed

Olkowski (shot put, 36’5”), Miles Weiler (discus, 98’2”), Killian Blouin (pole vault, 10 feet), J.P. Hoak (100-meter dash, 12.0 seconds), Dan Raymond (400-meter dash, 53.5) and Jaden Kaplan (200-meter dash, 23.5).

Now, at Onondaga, McColm needed 2:10.47 to beat out Canastota’s Ryan Sanderson (2:11.44) and win the 800, while also taking

second in the 3,200 in 10:17.80 as Will Austin was fourth in the 1,600 in 4:53.65.

Kaplan needed 51.60 seconds to storm to third in the 400 sprint as Eliot Comeau (54.41) was eighth, but Kaplan would help McColm, Austin and Caleb Gilmore win the 4x800 relay in 8:42.14, more than 14 seconds ahead of the field. Comeau took

fifth in the high jump, clearing 5’6” as Finn Worthington (5’4”) tied for ninth. Blouin cleared 9’6” for fifth place and Gillmore was seventh (8’6”) in the pole vault. Frisbie was eighth in the 110 high hurdles in 17.47 seconds as Austin, Judah Ossont, Owen Woodworth and Tristian Field-Bradley got fifth in the 4x400 relay in 3:52.41.

Cazenovia baseball no-hit by Westhill’s Campbell

By PHil BlACkwEll

All that the Cazenovia baseball team wanted was exactly what it had when it welcomed undefeated, defending Section III Class B champion Westhill last Thursday to Robert S. Dubik Field.

Riding its own six-game win streak, and a perfect 5-0 against local competition, the Lakers were set to try and get the best of the same Westhill side that denied them a sectional title

By PHil BlACkwEll

At least in the early stages of the 2023 season, the Cazenovia girls golf team was finding success against Onondaga High School

one year ago.

What happened, instead, was that Cazenovia got a full dose of tremendous pitching as Westhill ace Ryan Campbell put together a no-hitter and, helped by a late-game getaway, the Lakers took an 8-0 defeat. All game long, Campbell maintained his control and frustrated Cazenovia’s batters, only allowing two walks, one each to Jack Byrnes and Taven Reilley, while amassing 14 strikeouts.

League foes. Going to Camillus Golf Club last Monday afternoon, the Lakers endured wet, chilly conditions and, by a 229-265 margin, topped Westhill to move to 2-0 overall.

Opposing Campbell, Jack Donlin pitched well, too, only surrendering first and third-inning runs, one of them earned, before an increased pitch count forced him out in the sixth and Westhill responded with six runs in the top of the seventh off Cy Abbott and Jacob Szalach.

Two days earlier, hosting Phoenix, Cazenovia found itself behind early and still in a tight contest late before a late breakout led to an 11-3 win

Grace Probe’s nine-hole 50 led a top-four Cazenovia sweep, with Claire Marris close behind as she shot 53. Kayla Mahoney-Hahn and Lucile Hagan both had 63 to beat Westhill’s low round of 64 from Sa-

over the Firebirds.

Phoenix got to Byrnes for three runs in the top of the first, two driven home by Anthony Guglielmo’s single, but from there Byrnes blanked the Firebirds and accumulated 12 strikeouts.

The Lakers scored twice in the first and second innings, but it remained 4-3 until the bottom of the sixth, when Cazenovia batted around and plated seven runs.

Jacob Grevelding went four-

mantha Burkett.

Chittenango took a 226-265 defeat to Marcellus last Monday at Tuscarora Golf Club. Abbey VanDee and Alea Morris shot 65s ahead of Ava Hohl (67) and Kaelyn Rudd

for-four, earning an RBI. Nico Segall’s pair of hits led to three RBIs as Donlin drove in two runs. Izaak Gilbert and Sully Clarke joined Byrnes driving in single runs.

The loss to Westhill still left Cazenovia at 8-2 overall going into Saturday’s game against visiting Bishop Ludden, which got rained out, the Lakers hoping to resume this week with three games at Dubik Field against Bishop Grimes, Homer and Clinton.

(68), though they trailed a quartet of Mustangs led by the low round of 50 from Allison Coombs. More matches are in store this week as both teams hope the weather warms up – and dries up, too.

Cazenovia girls track and field runners Grace Dolan (front) and Reid McMurtrie finished 1-2 in the 400-meter dash during the lakers’ victory in last friday’s Onondaga invitational.

ing clothes, shoes, hygiene items, school supplies, and food, are free.

Student shoppers do, however, get the experience of being checked out by the store’s workers, who track the inventory and package items in specially branded Laker Locker bags.

In addition to perusing the store’s offerings, students are encouraged to go through their own closets and homes and bring in items that are in good condition and that other people might be able to use.

The idea was based on a model adopted by several other local high schools, including Chittenango and Fabius Pompey.

“We toured Chittenango’s store, the Bear Den, last spring and were inspired by their model,” said Marla Reger, Cazenovia Central School District’s mental health coordinator and one of the Laker Locker facilitators. “Our framework is based on the idea of ‘upcycling’ our resources and taking an environmentally friendly approach when it comes to reusing/ recycling goods. Students love thrifting and we want to encourage access for all students — no stigma, just sharing what we no longer use instead of creating waste. . . We opened the store on April 20, the same week as Earth Day, to align with our mission of sharing our resources with each other and supporting all members of our Cazenovia School Community.”

According to Reger, the

high school’s room 260 borders the middle school, enabling the younger students to access the store as well. The plan is to eventually expand access to Burton Street Elementary School students.

On opening day, numerous students stopped by to check out the space, and 450 items were given away, Reger said.

The store has been staffed primarily by students, including Miriam Moskovich, Makennah Garrow, Molly Wilcox, Casey Felton, and Garrett Lounsbury, who have all been particularly active in the initiative.

“My mom works at Chittenango, so I have heard about this idea of a free thrift store for a while,” said Wilcox. “When I heard we were starting the same in Caz, I was very interested in helping out. I have

helped [with] decorating and organizing the store. I am also running an Instagram, @cazlakerlocker, for the store in order to share and promote this store to all students.”

According to Reger, the initiative has been a collaboration between Cazenovia staff, students, and community members, who have all dedicated their time and efforts to creating the student shopping space.

Reger specifically recognized the students in CHS’s work-based learning, accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, and teachers for tomorrow classes; Future Farmers of America students for helping to set up racks; staff members Christina New, Christie Brenneck, Kathy Hudson, Bobbey McCarthy, Sara McDowell, Maggie Dougherty, and Mandi Millen; Gigi Redmond, Casey

Will Tiger win another pga tour event?

I hope I am wrong, but I don’t believe Tiger Woods will ever win another “Major” or another tournament on the PGA Tour and it will not be because of his age(47)….

On April 19, 2023, Tiger underwent a “subtalar fusion procedure” to address his traumatic arthritis from his previous “talus fracture”. Dr. Martin O’Malley who performed the surgery determined the surgery was successful. Does this mean that we will see Tiger perform in more PGA Tournaments? I say…absolutely yes, but probably “not” in the PGA Championship next month at Oak Hill in Rochester, but don’t be surprised to see him in the US Open and the British Open (The Open). He “will” play in more PGA tournaments because he will do whatever is necessary to successfully rehabilitate any injury he incurs, Once he starts swinging a club the golf world will “again” anticipate his return to competitive golf just as the people of the Philippines anticipated the return of General Douglas McArthur to liberate them during World War II. You may remember McArthur saying, “I shall return” during a speech on TV to the people of the Philippines. I do…I heard his entire speech and it was inspiring. Tiger has had the same effect on golfers around the world since 1996 when he first joined the PGA Tour. Will Tiger play at a “high level” again? Yes, I believe he will play at a “high level” again because he is Tiger Woods and we expect him to play and be competitive. And when he isn’t competitive, we will thoroughly enjoy watching him hit another one of his spectacular golf shots, just to get our attention.

The reason he will not win is because of the following issues with his “body”…not his “mind” or his “age.”

IN 1994… He had two benign tumors and scar tissue removed from his left knee while he was attending Stanford University.

IN 2002… Fluid is removed from inside and outside the ACL of his left knee as well as benign cysts.

IN 2008… After the Masters in April, he had surgery on his left knee to repair his left knee to repair cartilage damage. In May he is told by his doctors he had two stress fractures in his left tibia. In June, he won the US Open playing on his injured leg before

undergoing surgery to repair his left ACL using a tendon from his right thigh.

IN 2014… He withdrew from two tournaments in the Florida swing and has surgery on a pinched nerve in his back.

IN 2015… He has two microdiscectomy surgeries in September on his back to remove bone fragments that were pinching a nerve. In October, he has another back surgery.

IN 2017… He had his 4th back surgery for a spinal fusion in April.

IN 2019… He had arthroscopic surgery in August to his left knee that was described as minor cartilage damage. It was his 5th procedure on his knee.

IN 2021… He again had back surgery in January, which was another microdiscectomy to remove a bone fragment that was pinching a nerve. A month later he was involved in a car accident that broke his right leg and ankle that required surgery to insert a rod into his tibia and screws and pins into his foot and ankle.

IN 2023… After making the cut at the Masters and tying the Cut Streak Record of 23 with Fred Couples and Gary Player, he had to withdraw because he re-aggravated his plantar fasciitis. (see 2nd paragraph).

Tiger Woods is a remarkable athlete and I consider myself lucky to have followed his career beginning with his first television appearance at the age of two, with his father Earl, when they appeared on the Mike Douglas Show.

Tiger will not win another tournament on the PGA Tour, but I hope and prey he will decide to play on the PGA CHAMPIONS TOUR when he turns 50 and win at least 3-4 tournaments every year for at least 10 years before retiring. YOUR THOUGHTS?

racks, and

and local families and parent–teacher associations for their donations.

Frazee, and Erin Kelly at CazCares

Submitted photoS

On April 20, Cazenovia High school opened laker locker, a new free thrift store for students.

different words that capture the essence of the business, such as NYC + CAZ, FASHION + LIFESTYLE, and COMFORT + LUXURY.

H. Grey is a modern-day general store and outfitter that offers a wide range of goods, including clothing, accessories, bath and body products, skincare brands, makeup, pantry items, household necessities and décor, and bar supplies. Last year, the store expanded and added an espresso bar and comfortable seating.

When developing her concepts for H. Grey, Kleaka homed in on the brand’s funky/ retro theme, color palette, and dedication to inclusivity, diversity, and community. One of her ads featured rainbow stripes and the slogan “Come as you are leave with what you love” in a 1970s-inspired font.

Goldman provided J.S. Hight & Sons with inspiration for a new wine label-style logo featuring a stylized depiction of owner Judith Hight and her two sons. To help drive home the shop’s mission of providing a curated selection of exceptional wines at affordable prices, Goldman introduced the slogan “Top shelf wines always within reach.”

While researching Matthew’s Salon, Elliott took note of the business’s commitment to using Aveda-brand organic products and to creating a relaxing environment that nurtures each client’s “whole self,” not just the “beauty self.” One of her concepts featured a watercolor-style depiction of a woman with a botanical- and flowerinspired hairstyle and the words “Come stressed leave special.” Elliott’s advertisement for Matthew’s Barbershop focused on a vintage photograph and featured the addition of a barber’s pole to the salon’s traditional logo.

“When I first looked at [Matthew’s] website for the barbershop, it had an old picture of his grandfather when he started the bar-

bershop, so I wanted to [give a similar] oldfashioned feel of getting your hair cut at a barbershop in the 1950s,” Elliott said.

Seidenfuss created multiple options for a logo that represents the 20|EAST farm store and Cazenovia Cut Block, which are both owned by McKenzie Houseman and operated out of her shop at 85 Albany St.

“Even though they have separate logos, they are all [McKenzie],” said Seidenfuss. “So, we wanted to look for a way to maybe combine them without stripping them away from their own personalities.”

By combining elements of both existing logos, Seidenfuss’ new logo design emphasizes that all of Houseman’s offerings, including local foods, gifts, flowers, and wood products, are available at a single location.

In her designs, Seibel combined photos of Lavender Blue’s curated French items with flower details, a lavender color pallet, and an elegant hand script font to capture the brand’s theme and the idea that the store’s offerings are “Hand-picked for you.”

“This is a specialty shop,” said Seibel.

“[Owner Judith Warburton travels] to France to get tablecloths and other items she puts in the store. . . Anything you can find in her store, she hand-picks herself, so I really wanted to incorporate that into the designs I made.”

In his concepts for The Brewster Inn, Hansen made use of a selection of highquality photographs and short, memorable slogans to advertise the resort’s luxurious boutique hotel, award-winning restaurant, outdoor bar, marina, and exclusive lakeside “1890 Table” — which he highlighted on social media with its own Instagram carousel of photos.

Present in each of his concepts was the slogan “Memories are the main course.”

“If you go [to The Brewster], you are probably going to propose to someone or you’re at some kind of event,” Hansen said humorously. “. . . You just don’t go to The Brewster because you felt like it. This is

typically a planned outing.”

Through her conversations with Eye Love owner Shawna Clarke, White discovered that the business is about more than helping customers enhance their vision; it’s about helping them to select eye-catching pieces of art that suit both their unique faces and personalities. To emphasize the idea of glasses as art, White manipulated photos of individuals wearing unique frames to look like they had been painted on canvas. The images were paired with slogans like “Unique faces unique frames” and “Make a statement with just a look.”

Following the presentations, the business owners commended the students for their work, offered feedback on the concepts, and brainstormed how they might integrate some of the students’ ideas into their advertising strategies.

For example, H. Grey Co-Owner Alex Altomonte said he was eager to borrow Kleaka’s “Come as you are leave with what you love” slogan for a tote bag.

Matthew Dydo, the owner of Matthew’s Salon, was impressed by Elliott’s decision to use colorful, whimsical, and painterly depictions of women in her ad concepts.

“You see photographs of beautiful women with hair [everywhere],” Dydo said. “You see them online all the time, you can get them and put them in your ad. What I liked was the watercolor effect. I think what I would like to do is tagline ‘Aveda’ in there [because its recognizable and] an exclusive product in a way. . . But I think you nailed it.”

Houseman commented that she appreciated that the project made her reflect on her business and the messages she is trying to convey through her advertising.

“It was kind of cool to have to self-reflect,” she said. “You’re kind of just doing your thing all day and you don’t have to break it down, and then all the sudden you do. That’s pretty cool [because] then you kind of rethink some things like, ‘Oh, what do I mean? What am I trying to say?’”

According to Mann, each of the participating businesses will receive copies of their ad concepts to serve as an inspiration and a reminder of their involvement in this special partnership with Cazenovia College.

“The students in my class are from all over the area, and they have come to Cazenovia College to learn and to grow,” Mann said on March 21 leading up to The Project. “They’ve made friends, they’ve learned new skills, and they’ve made memories that will last a lifetime. The closure of Cazenovia College is a loss for the entire community, but I believe that the story of these students and their ad campaign is a positive one. It’s a story about the power of education, the importance of community, and the resilience of the human spirit.”

Mann is a branding and design professional with extensive experience in advertising and design.

He began his career in Chicago at Leo Burnett advertising agency, where he was responsible for print, television, and direct marketing projects for several high-profile national clients, including Kellogg’s, Keebler, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Johnnie Walker, and Dewar’s.

He is currently an associate creative director at Fingerpaint Group in Saratoga Springs and owner of Campdesign, a freelance design studio in Cazenovia that specializes in branding, graphic design, and advertising for small and regional clients. His clients include the Lorenzo State Historic Site, Cazenovia Public Library, Syracuse Stage, NBT Bank, Byrne Dairy, and Turning Stone Casino.

Mann has also served as an adjunct professor at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University for over 15 years, where he has taught creative advertising classes. His students have produced award-winning campaigns in print, television, and digital media, and have gone on to work on a range of brands and agencies.