Years Ago in History

By Cindy Bell ToBey

32 years Ago – May 15, 1991

“Operation Zero Zebra,” a program to prevent the Zebra Mussel from entering Cazenovia Lake, has taken steps to enlist the help of the Cazenovia Village Board.

The board of directors of the Cazenovia Lake Association met May 1 to consider ways to avoid a possible infestation and outlined a plan which would involve the help of both the village and town boards. On May 6, lake associaiton board members Connie Getmen and Robert Hofstead spoke at the village board meeting, giving trustees some background about the Zebra Mussel and ideas about prevention.

The lake associaiton asked for town board for help on May 13. Mr. Hofstead explained that the Zebra Mussel is a real threat to Cazenovia Lake, one that makes the Eurasian Milfoil seem like a “mere nuisance.”

The rapidly multiplying mussels can close off intake pipes and cling to piers and walls along the shore. Steam cleaning of boats is believed to cut down on chances of the mussel moving from one lake to another.

22 years Ago – May 16, 2001

They envision a place where community members of all ages will gather for recreation and socializing, where area youths can have fun and freedom in safety. The Cazenovia skate park committee, which was secured about 500 signatures in favor of the park, and has raised about $1,500 in contributions, meets weekly at Common Grounds Coffeehouse.

Its goal is to renovate the Burton Street park into a recreation facility for all ages, focusing on the skate park, which will accommodate skateboarders, rollerbladers, ice skaters and ice hockey players.

“Burton Street stood out because it was already an athletic facility,” Nancy Sellers said. “They were talking about renovating it anyway.”

Plans call for picnic tables at the park so parents could socialize while their children skated.

“Kids will always find someone there,” said Josie Glos. “It’s of great comfort to a parent,” Julie Mattina added. The Cazenovia Community Skate Park would be unsupervised.

All skaters would have to register at the village office and comply with posted rules and regulations, which include mandated wearing of helmets and refraining from abusive language and any substance from food to alcohol.

12 years Ago – May 18, 2011

The Cazenovia Baseball and Softball Association celebrated the start of the season for players 9 years to 12 years old on Saturday May 7, with their annual Opening Day Parade.

The ceremonial stroll began at Burton Street Elementary School, as the players, lead by Cazenovia Fire Chief Gil Hodges driving Engine 131, marched to the Burton Street Fields.

The opening ceremony was conducted by Terry Damon, president of the Cazenovia Baseball and Softball Association.

Damon acknowledged the importance of volunteerism to support a community baseball and softball program, and thanked the many program volunteers from past to present. Cazenovia High School junior

Kelly Dougherty sang a beautiful rendition of the national anthem and Mayor Thomas J. Dougherty delivered an inspirational speech.

2 years Ago – May 19, 2021

On Saturday, May 15, the newly repaired and rerestored 1835 Lincklaen House Sign was unveiled during a brief rededication ribbon cutting ceremony. Located at the corner of Albany and Lincklaen street, the historic sign was accidentally knocked down by a Town of Cazenovia snowplow this past winter.

According to Highway Superintendent Dean Slocum, the plow was turning around at the intersection when the back of the wing caught the pole; in the process, the sign fell off. The distinctive roadside hotel/tavern sign was first erected in 1835 when The Lincklaen House was built.

According to a 2017 article in the Cazenovia Republican, the sign was taken down around 1870 when the hotel temporarily closed down, but it was replaced upon the reopening. In the early 1980s, the Village of Cazenovia took responsibility for the sign.

ships – if they even have them, as plenty of athletes in non-revenue sports don’t.

It’s not a stretch to think that the Iowa and Iowa State players in question fall into this category and could prove vulnerable, even if they all know they cannot wager on any events or risk losing their eligibility.

Oh, and add to it how easy it is to download a sports wagering app and get hooked.

What’s going on now in the United States already happened in Great Britain and Canada. Sports books were legalized thanks to effective lobbying from the gaming industry, widespread betting followed, and so did the stories of men (mostly men) increasing their bets, gambling more, falling into inescapable debt, depression, even a few cases of suicide.

Human nature knows no geographic boundaries, so all of these trends, multiplied by population and betting opportunities, are sure to turn up on these shores, too.

The only question is what form the crisis will take. In the 20th century, without all the forms of technology at our disposal now, we had the Black Sox, various college basketball point-shaving incidents, Paul Horning and Alex Karras suspended by the NFL and Pete Rose kicked out of Major League baseball.

All that we’ve seen so far remains relatively small-scale, nothing vastly organized or involving big names known beyond sports circles. But with billions floating out there and so many sports intertwined with them, no great leap of imagination is required for a larger scandal that could paralyze a particular league.

To ask for pure morality is pointless – such loud proclamations are usually accompanied by vast hypocrisy. Still, you can acknowledge the presence of wagers without subjecting an entire broadcast to their whims, or centering an entire storyline of a game around a point spread.

As seen at Alabama, and again on two college campuses in Iowa, it doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to have our fun and games called into question. So many outlets, with so many ways and means to wager, are close at hand. It will take extraordinary focus to avoid a bigger mess. Not to mention some luck.

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