Star Review digital edition - May 17, 2023

CArPE CAfé olE

lHs showcase world languages and cultures

New Tropical Smoothie Café opening in Cicero

Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a national fast-casual cafe concept inspiring a healthier lifestyle serving better-for-you smoothies, wraps, sandwiches and flatbreads, announced the opening of its newest cafe in Cicero.

The restaurant is owned and operated by Roger Wagner, a multi-unit franchisee and head of local restauranteur group, W2B Management. Set to open its doors to the community on May 18, the cafe is located in the thriving retail block at 7987 Brewerton Road.

To celebrate the opening, the Cicero location is offering exclusive promotions to guests starting with free smoothies for a year to the first 50 guests in line on May 18. There will be a limit one free smoothie per week for 52 weeks. Valid only in-cafe at the 7987 Brewerton Road location. Not valid with any other offer or discount, third party services, online orders or the Tropical Smoothie Cafe® app. Must present original card at time of purchase. Copies not accepted. See cafe for details.

Other daily deals for dine-in guests at this location will include $1.99 smoothies on May 19, $3.99 flatbreads on May 20, and $5 flatbread combos on May 21.

Prior to the grand opening, the Cicero cafe is inviting all local first responders and veterans to sample certain menu items on May 15 and 16. Finally, as a thank you to the community, the first $1,000 earned on opening day will be donated to No Kid Hungry, a nationwide organization, and Tropical Smoothie Cafe national charity partner, aimed at ending childhood hunger.

Submitted photoS

Bonjour. Kumusta. Chào. salve.

Guten Tag. ¡Hola! Those were just a few of the greetings recently heard during liverpool High school’s annual Carpe Café Olé. The lHs foreign languages Department hosted the event, which celebrates world languages and cultures. Carpe Café Olé celebrates the cultures taught at lHs while also allowing students to share their families’ cultures and traditions with the entire school community. The event featured food, crafts and cultural exhibits. Those in attendance also celebrated the students who earned new york state seal of Biliteracy honors and inductee new members into the french Honor society.

Crawfish Festival comes to Clinton Square

By JAson KlAiBEr Staff Writer

With an unmistakable blend of spices wafting through the downtown Syracuse air, Operation Northern Comfort held its 16th annual Crawfish Festival in Clinton Square on Saturday, May 6.

Previously held in April, the seafood extravaganza switched to May when the weather would be slightly less “touch and go,” but it still typically marks the debut of the festival season in Syracuse.

Apart from having the distinction of being first, the Central New York nonprofit’s festival is also scheduled to beat the end of crawfish season.

“The best quality crawfish are up until this week, and then the quality drops off,” said Cicero resident Laurel Flanagan, the CEO of Operation Northern Comfort, on May 6.

Throughout the rest of the year, Flanagan’s organization assigns itself to disaster relief in various parts of

the country and assists those in need locally by providing donations and different types of labor.

While more recently the nonprofit has had volunteers help out in Houston, North Carolina, and close by in Oneida when it was hit with flooding troubles, the organization was originally formed in 2006 as a way to lend a hand cleaning up and rebuilding from the wreckage of Hurricane Katrina.

Not long after, founder and first CEO Norm Andrzejewski hatched the idea to host a crawfish-centered festival in Syracuse to pay homage to the Cajun-style cuisine of the areas they were aiding.

Joyce Reap, an early volunteer and now the chair of the festival, admits she was originally skeptical about whether people around here would be clambering for crawfish, but she came around to the idea once she saw attendees standing in line for two hours to snag some at the firstever fest in Hanover Square.

“Every year I think we build a little bit bigger, and people seem to enjoy us,” Reap said.

One man, Ron Panetta of Liverpool, makes a point of being the first customer in line every year to place his signature request of 11 pounds of crawfish, and numerous Syracuse transplants from Louisiana have attested to the authenticity and quality of both the overall festival and its food, Flanagan said.

She said that stamp of approval, at least this time around, could partly be attributed to the three cooks in charge of boiling crawfish who hail from the fishing community of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, and a chef at the Cajun Café stand from Baton Rouge who trained at the Louisiana Culinary Institute.

The menu for the day listed not only crawfish, shrimp and clam dinners but also sausage sandwiches, pulled pork, salt potatoes, jambalaya, walking tacos and gumbo at the stands,

“We are very excited to bring the Tropical Smoothie Cafe brand to Cicero,” said Wagner. “This brand brings better-for-you eating options to Cicero in a fast-casual, grab-and-go environment which is an element that the community has little exposure to. The Tropical Smoothie Cafe brand compliments our portfolio and offers products that keep guests coming back. Being a native to the area, I felt it was important to give back to our loyal fans and celebrate this momentous location.”

Before joining Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Wagner worked with fast-casual and quick service brands all over the country before settling with his family in central New York State. W2B Management began their Tropical Smoothie Cafe journey two years ago, and this new location marks their fifth cafe in the state of New York. The group has plans to open five additional locations in the following years. Most recently, Wagner was honored at the Tropical Smoothie Cafe convention with the Emerging Leader award for his hands-on operational style and commitment to the brand.

“We are pleased to announce the opening of our latest location,” said Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Café, LLC. “Roger is an exceptional franchisee, and we are confident that he will continue to build a loyal fanbase and amazing guest experience here in his community. His determination and seasoned experience with business

Subimtted photoS

Operation Northern Comfort’s 16th annual Crawfish Festival took place in Clinton square from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on saturday, May 6. The event is the organization’s main fundraiser.

Festival l Page 3

BET on A Crisis, soon

First there was the news that Alabama Crimson Tide baseball coach Brad Bohannon was fired. Then there was the suspension of more than three dozen athletes from Iowa and Iowa State.

Each of these events, hundreds of miles apart, were connected by the strong, singular thread of sports betting.

Bohannon lost his job because he was communicating with a person making wagers on the Tide’s game with LSU. In Iowa City and Ames, the situation involves bets perhaps coming from the players themselves.

And all this came on the heels of the NFL suspending a handful of players for their wagering, even if had nothing to do with football but was on other sports.

Really, is anyone surprised by this?

Five years have passed since the Supreme Court threw open the doors for legalized sports books in all 50 states. What was once illicit, and covert, was now out in the open.

No doubt, you have noticed, if you’ve watched any sports event on television. Pre-game, during the game, after the game, and in every single commercial break, it’s all about the odds, the prop bets, the point spreads, anything but, you know, the game itself.

True, a fraction of the audience has always cen-

Random Thoughts

Phil Blackwell

tered their interest in a contest on whether they might make a few bucks out of it. Now, though, it’s like they’re the only audience, and the other fans are fools for only caring about who won or lost.

Athletes see all this and are just as immersed in it, if not more than the outside audience. And they are human, just as vulnerable to temptation as all of us.

Drill down to the socalled “amateur” sports, and the picture gets more complicated. Even with the advent of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) funds now available to all college athletes, we all know they’re going to get largely funneled to stars in the revenue sports by scrupulous and not-so-scrupulous individuals.

In other words, the starting quarterback is sure to get compensated, but others? They’ll have to get by on their scholarships – if they even have them, as plenty of athletes in nonrevenue 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

Share your milestone celebrations!

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.

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.

lHs Athletic Hall of fame seeks nominees

The Liverpool High School Athletic Hall of Fame Committee is looking for former Liverpool graduates who have distinguished themselves on the athletic fields at LHS. The gymnasium lobby at LHS displays the Hall of Fame inductees who have been honored since the first class of inductees in 1987. More than 200 individual plaques honor past inductees for their athletic achievements and contributions to the athletic program.

To be eligible, a candidate must:

3 have attended Liverpool High School

3 have participated in at least one Varsity Sport at LHS

3 submit, or have submitted on their behalf, a written resume of his/her athletic achievements at LHS

3 be at least five years out of high school (before the class of 2018)

Nominations will be accepted for:

3 Individual athletes - with emphasis on their accomplishments at LHS.

3 Contributor - an outstanding contributor to athletic programs of LHS, either in coaching or other service related to Liverpool athletics. Coaches must be retired to be eligible for induction.

3 Team nominations - those teams that have won state championships or were ranked #1 in the state at the end of the season before there were state playoffs.

Nominations for induction will be accepted until June 30, 2023. Once the nomination is submitted, the nominee will remain eligible for the next five years. Nominations can be submitted online by visiting the Athletic Hall of Fame Web site at liverpool.k12.ny.us/departments/athletics/athletic-hallof-fame.

liverpool Elementary students sing the blues with Colin Aberdeen

Liverpool Elementary band members were in for a treat recently when they had the chance to sing the blues with Syracuse bluesman and Los Blancos frontman Colin Aberdeen.

Aberdeen visited LE as part of Blues in the Schools, a program created by The Blues Foundation. Blues in the Schools offers the opportunity for students of all ages to engage in multidisciplinary, whole-language learning using the study of music, math, language arts, history, anthropology, and sociology in a hands-on approach celebrating creative self-expression. By bringing the blues genre into the classroom, students are exposed to these traditional subjects and an open dialogue about cultural diver-

Submitted photoS

liverpool Elementary band members recently sang the blues with syracuse bluesman and los Blancos frontman Colin Aberdeen.

sity.

In addition to sharing the history of the blues with LE students and performing, Aberdeen asked

students to write their own blues lyrics, which he then brought to life by combining the lyrics with music on his guitar.

Area swing band to perform

By russ TArBy

Contributing Writer

A single string drives Djug Django. Ithaca’s Gypsy swing band features the washtub bass playing of Syracuse native Jim Sherpa. A Bishop Ludden alumnus, Sherpa began thumping the gutbucket in the mid-1970s for the Water Street Boys jug band in Oswego where he studied theater in college.

Now, after several years in New Orleans, Sherpa holds down the bottom for Djug Django, a snappy octet also featuring fiddler Eric Aceto, clarinetist Brian Earle, drummer Michael Wellen, pianist Chad Lieberman and guitarists Harry Aceto, Dave Davies and Doug Robinson.

Djug Django will play a concert hosted by the Jazz Appreciation Society of Syracuse from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, May 21, at the Spaghetti Warehouse, 689 N. Clinton St. in Syracuse. Admission costs $15 for JASS members, and $20 for others; jasscny.org; 315-652-0547.

“The group’s overall musicality is on a very high level indeed – sophisticated and dead-on,” said the late Syracuse cornet player Pat Carroll.

“In fact, these guys really enjoy playing together, and that spirit comes across clear as crystal.”

While the Quintette du Hot Club de France had Louis Vola playing double bass, Djug Django is driven by the spirited Sherpa, playing a single string attached to an old inverted bass drum. He’s showcased on tunes such as “Hit that Jive, Jack,” “Old Folks at Home” and – aptly –“Mr. Rhythm Man.”

‘Mr. rhythm Man’

The washtub’s sole string may seem limited, but Sherpa makes the most of it. Carroll, an astute observer of the jazz scene for more than six decades, was duly impressed.

“I’ve heard others play this seemingly simple instrument, players who fail to pass the first test,” Carroll said. “This is a rhythm instrument, and Jim has a natural sense of rhythm plus the skill to obtain a full range of sound out of a single string. Simply amazing.”

Sherpa has become “the heart and soul of the band,” says Djug Django’s website, watershed-arts.com/djug.

html. “He provides the rock solid pulse that the dancers love and the steady drive that lifts the band up and out of

the ordinary.”

The Ithaca octet specializes in the music of Roma guitarist Jean Baptiste “Django” Reinhardt (1910-1953) who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France which also featured fiddler Stephane Grappelli. Hot Club numbers revived by Djug Django include “Nuages,” “Honeysuckle Rose” and “Exactly Like You.”

The quirky combo also plays Mose Allison songs such as “Everybody’s Cryin’ Mercy,” blues tunes like Willie Dixon’s “Seventh Son” and Dixieland standards such as “Bourbon Street Parade.”

Sherpa, 70, is the son of the late Joe Sherpa, a former drummer who played for the Mario DeSantis Orchestra in Syracuse in the 1940s.

The Jazz Appreciation Society of Syracuse is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and presentation of traditional New Orleans jazz. JASS president is trombonist Bob Morris, who lives in Liverpool.

l From page 1 Cafe

l From page 1 Festival

and for dessert, attendees could order up bread pudding or beignets. There were also food trucks representing Cue Dogs, Bold Coast Lobster, Ma & Pa’s Kettle Corn, Byblos Street Grill, Carvel, Birdsong Café and It’s a Utica Thing.

Among the vendors, items like glass works, bottles of honey straight from the apiary, and pet accessories were being sold too, and for musical entertainment C’est Bon Cajun Dance Band, Letizia & The Z Band, The Fabulous Ripcords and Brass Inc. performed on the main stage with Bridget DeMarse, Christopher LeFever, Steve Maclean, Dylan Michael, Justin Parker, Kyle Miller, Caleb Liber and Michael Meredith on the acoustic stage.

When it was founded, the nonprofit entity was called Operation Southern Comfort, and then for a while it was known by both the Northern Comfort and Southern Comfort names under the same umbrella to distinguish between the projects down south and the ones nearer to home.

Once the amount of work that needed to be done in Central New York became clear, the organization incorporated as Operation Northern Comfort (ONC) solely in 2014, but the readiness to venture out of state when necessary remained.

That service trip side of the mission was put on hold for about three years due to the COVID pandemic, but it was restored in January of this year when a team of five representing the nonprofit traveled to Fort Myers, Florida, to reverse

some of the damage brought about by Hurricane Ian. A second team that included Flanagan went to the same city in March.

Over the years, the trademark comfort has come in the form of putting in modifications like railings, ramps and platform lifts for senior citizens and veterans and creating better shelving for food pantries in addition to removing moldy drywall and damaged floorboards in the wake of natural disasters.

The organization’s steering committee and volunteers prepare for the Crawfish Festival all year long coordinating with a long list of sponsors, finalizing performer contracts and ordering 2,500 pounds of crawfish in total. The event serves as ONC’s primary fundraiser, and Flanagan said anyone unable to spare the time and resources to go on a service trip for ONC can always contribute to that planning process.

After outgrowing Hanover Square, subsequent moves to the New York State Fairgrounds and the Inner Harbor, and a cancellation in 2020, the festival has gotten nice and settled with the return to the more centrally located Clinton Square.

“There’s just a feel about Clinton Square with all the buildings in the backdrop,” said Flanagan, who took over as CEO of ONC at the beginning of 2022. “This is our home.”

ONC’s next service trip is to Buffalo for a week starting June 18, but Flanagan said people don’t need to make a full-week commitment to volunteer. Sign-ups are on the organization’s website, operationnc.org.

OuR vOicE

Teacher appreciation

For those of us who have completed our years of school, from elementary school on to high school and even through college, it is likely we have some perspective that let’s us look back and think fondly of some of our favorite teachers.

Even for students who are still in the midst of their school days, there are probably teachers they have already created special bonds with or moments where they feel that their teacher has made a difference in their lives.

This influence can make a big difference.

It can come in any of the myriad things teachers do that resonate with a student.

Whether it is taking those extra minutes to listen when a young student has a story they are excited to share or taking that extra time to help work through a math problem or listening to a student’s ideas on the meaning of a classic book or showing appreciation for writing skills or fanning the flame for students with a love of the arts or music or encouraging them to go the extra mile on the athletic field, teachers have an influence that resonates.

In some cases it can even be this influence that helps us on our path to follow our passions and study harder, or push ourselves to explore new ideas in college or even helping us find our path in our adult lives with careers that were inspired by those little extra bits of encouragement we got from that teacher that we remember years later.

Needless to say the role teachers play in our lives is not one that is easily confined or defined by the strict parameters of the school day and can have a lasting impact on our lives.

According to pta.org, since 1984, the National PTA has designated one week in May as a special time to honor the men and women who lend their passion and skills to educating our children.

Last week, the first full week of May, was set aside as that week to stop and think about the educators in our lives and the lives of our children and to show our appreciation.

In recent years teachers have shown an incredible ability to adapt and keep working to offer the best possible education for students.

In 2020 as everything closed there was a great deal of uncertainty about so much, including how schools would function.

Teacher rose to the challenge of teaching remotely and adapting lessons to this new reality. This was no small task and one that had to come together fairly quickly.

Even as schools returned to normal, teachers had to adapt to split schedules where students were present part of the time and remote other days.

And even now as schools have returned to more or less normal teachers are still working to address the challenges that the past couple of years posed, often going the extra mile to help students who may need a little extra help.

This is all in addition to the many hours teachers put in on evenings, weekends and holidays to grade work, prepare lessons, make evaluations and numerous other tasks that cannot be done during the regular school day.

Many teachers even go above and beyond purchasing supplies and other needed materials for their classes with their own money.

For many of us the pandemic may have given us a little more insight into what it is like to be a teacher and a better sense of the work they put in every day.

For many of us this has helped give us a deeper appreciation for the role educators play in the lives of our children and this has carried on even as things returned to normal and we see all the work teachers continue to put in for our children.

While the appreciation week has passed, like any other profession, extending courtesy and appreciation can go a long way.

It never hurts to reach out to your children’s teachers and have a conversation, ask questions and let them know the work they do makes a difference.

Or for other ideas visit pta.org to get some thought on ways to show appreciation for local teachers.

CAN WE HELP?

HOW

A BroKEn sysTEM

Today was glorious –warm with the sun shining.

I thought, “I’ll go outside and work in the garden.”

Sure, I will. I bent over to pull a weed and had to grab onto the porch railing to prevent myself from becoming an embarrassing example of stupidity. Vertigo in one or another of its dizzying manifestations has been my unfortunate identifier for some time now.

I went to my new doctor about two months ago with a detailed description of what was identified by previous physicians as orthostatic hypotension and benign postural vertigo, not one malady but two. I get to use the word comorbidities here. We came up with a plan.

The plan was for me to seek help from physical therapy for the latter and to wear a Holter monitor for a bit to eliminate or identify any cardiovascular issues with the former. Someone from the cardiologist office would call me about the Holter monitor. OK.

I’ve been going to physical therapy. I think that it is helping. I use the word think because becoming dizzy, short of breath, etc. are symptoms of both. For a while I could truly say that the symptoms were intermittent, but no longer … more mitten than inter.

So, I waited to hear from the specialist to whom I was referred to have a Holter monitor fitted. I waited for almost a month. My ability to carry on normal activities was declining rapidly. “dizzy dame” was not at all inappropriate.

A “patient” patient was also correct but the patience was wearing thin. A month seemed a bit long to wait.

I called my doctor’s office. Was it something I had failed to do that was holding up my access to this test? They assured me that I would be contacted “any day” now. “Any day” passed, so I calmed my umbrage and I called the specialist. They had no record of a referral for the device. I could only get a Holter monitor if I saw the cardiologist and the first appointment available was in late June. Are you kidding?

That seemed odd, since my PCP was the one ordering the device. Did he have to get the approval of the cardiologist? Approval from the cardiologist? I was under evaluating who second guesses the physician the doctor’s plan would have to go through. I had worn one of these devices in the way-back time when they were huge and didn’t remember having to wait at all.

Back to the primary doctor. The response was “There must be some mistake, someone will call you.” No one called.

Last week I got a letter from EviCore, a firm that is hired by Excellus to evaluate whether or not I should be allowed to have a Holter monitor. Luckily for me, this company, located somewhere in the southern U.S., decided that I could have one. Apparently, there is something special about me because my spouse, who purchases the same health insurance as I do,

got a Holter monitor within five minutes of the doctor telling him that he would need one. No referral, no waiting, no scrutiny of what the doctor wanted. The nurse went to a supply cupboard and got one. Actually, I have permission to get a cardiac event monitor which is a bit different from a Holter monitor. Who made the change? The guy at EviCore?

So two and a half months after one was ordered, I got a phone call from the cardiology department to report mid-May to get not a Holter monitor but a Holter event device with instructions to wear a shirt that opens in the front.

But wait. Want more of the source of my frustration? My spouse had a referral to another specialist and again, no one called. I followed up with the primary care doctor who said that the office would look into this. The next day I received a call from the specialist and made the appointment.

This morning we received a call apologizing for our long wait and telling us that the specialist had not received the original referral. The primary care doctor’s office would help us set up an appointment with the specialist. When I told the nurse that we had an appointment this Thursday, her response was “the system is broken”

It sure is. The trick is to not have it break me or my spouse.

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.

New book recalls lakeside mission 300 years ago

Retired Onondaga County Sheriff’s officer Jon Anderson has turned his avocation – the study of local history – into his postlaw enforcement career.

Page Publishing of Pennsylvania has just published his book, “Gannentaha: The 17th Century French Jesuit Mission Ste. Marie among the Iroquois Haudenosaunee at Onondaga Lake.”

The 258-page paperback costs $20.95 at and Barnes & Noble. Anderson anticipates it’ll also be available soon as an ebook and audio-book.

Seventeenth-century North America was truly a new world for both the European and indigenous native cultures that interfaced upon our spectacular wilderness. For both the native people and the Europeans, this stage forged new understandings of all things.

Clash of cultures

“Throughout this historical period were episodes that defined the era,” Anderson said. “Episodes that captured the essence of the human spirit, and episodes that abase a work of fiction.”

The author benefited from years of serious research into the copious chronicles of the Jesuit missionaries who arrived here nearly 300 years ago. Based on those historical accounts known as the “Jesuit Relations,” Anderson’s book recalls the establishment of the 17th Century French Jesuit mission among the Iroquois Confederacy, on Onondaga Lake, 1656-1658.

That place was known to the Haude -

FROM THE MAILBAG McMahon’s stance?

To the editor: Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon:

I’ve learned that William T. Kinne

nosaunee as Gannentaha, and to the Jesuits as Sainte Marie Among the Iroquois. Nowadays it is Skä-noñh, the Great Law of Peace Center, at 6680 Onondaga Lake Parkway in Liverpool.

Jazz s unday at s harkey’s

The third annual Berkshire Bank Interscholastic Jazz Festival concludes from 3 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, May 21 at the newly renovated and covered Sharkey’s Event Center on Route 57 in Liverpool. The public and band parents can all enjoy free admission.

Jazz combos from Cicero-North Syracuse High School will perform in the afternoon, followed by students from Camillus Middle School and the West Genesee district at 6 p.m.

The festival was coordinated by cnyjazz.or g and its director, drummer Larry Luttinger, who lives in Liverpool.

o ff the Ground guitarist dies Rock guitarist Dave Antonini died April 28 at his home in Syracuse.

The co-pilot of the rock band Off the Ground, Antonini had a special feel for the blues and often vocalized tunes such as “Built for Comfort” and “Key to the Highway.”

Earlier in his life, Dave had earned a law degree and later worked a day-job as a certified public accountant. But his true love was always music.

Off the Ground – which also features Liverpool musicians Dave Clement, Tom Navagh and Mike Manley

- your Democrat Party opponent for the county executive race - seems to be pro-marijuana, based on passages from his website. With the election for Onondaga County Executive approaching, what are your views on weed?

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– won the 2020 Syracuse Area Music Award for Best Americana CD for their disc, “Cleared for Takeoff.”

Off the Ground will kick off the 37th annual Liverpool Is The Place Summer Concert Series with a noon concert on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29. The band has hired Sammys Hall-of-Fame guitarist Arty Lenin to fill in for Dave that day; liverpoolistheplace.co m

s anchez now with s yrMets

One-time American League All-Star catcher Gary Sanchez is now playing for the Syracuse Mets.

The former New York Yankees slugger will bolster Syracuse lineups –either as catcher or designated hitter – when the Triple-A Mets return from the road next week for home games at the redundantly named NBT Bank Stadium against the Louisville Bats. First pitches are scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, May 23, 11:05 a.m. Wednesday, May 24, 6:35 p.m. Thursday, May 25, Friday, May 26, Saturday May 27 and Sunday, May 28; milb.com/Syracus e ; 315-474-7833.

l ast word

“‘Fortunately or unfortunately?’ Who would say fortunately to describe the act of sexual assault? I know who. He thinks stars like him can get away with it. He thinks he can get away with it here.”

–E. Jean Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan in her closing argument in the civil case of Donald Trump.

Should its use be encouraged? Discouraged? Thank you in advance for your response.

Ramblings from the empty nest ann Ferro

Livin’ in Liverpool russ tarby

HoA breaks ground for Comprehensive Cancer Center

Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY (HOA) is celebrating the beginning of building their future 21,000 square foot comprehensive cancer center in Camillus. The new building will be located at 5490 Cobbler Way. HOA is tentatively planning to open the center in December 2024.

Continuing HOA’s commitment to provide patients with holistic and personalized cancer care that is state-of-the-art, comprehensive and convenient, the new center will offer the following services all under one roof, with plenty of free parking:

l Medical Oncology care, including Infusion Services for cancer and other non-oncology needs

l Radiation Oncology care

l Medical Imaging

l Nutrition counseling for cancer patients

l Social Work Services

l Clinical Research

l Laboratory Services

l Pharmacy Services

l Wellness Center offering holistic care and classes for cancer patients and the community

“Providing our patients with the best possible care includes

a modern, spacious location where they can conveniently and cost-effectively receive all their cancer care, rather than traveling to different locations,” said HOA CEO Maryann Roefaro. “We have outgrown our current Onondaga Hill location, which this new center will replace. Plus, we are excited to move our Wellness Center into this new location which offers more space and greater accessibility for our patients and members of the community.”

The new center’s design team includes Bennetts & Huysman Architects, P.C., St. Germain & Aupperle Consulting Engineers LLP, RAM-TECH Engineers, P.C. and Terry Horst, Landscape Architect, P.C.. Construction will be completed by Rich & Gardner Construction Company, Inc.

About Hematology-oncology Associates of Cny HOA is a private community cancer center established in 1982 with a mission provide the highest level of quality care in a healing environment for the mind, body and spirit of patients dealing with cancer and blood disorders. A member of the Community Oncology

Submitted photoS

Hematology-oncology Associates of Cny recently broke ground for its new building, which will be located at 5490 Cobbler Way in Camillus.

Allianc e , HOA has offices in Auburn, Camillus, East Syracuse and Onondaga Hill. HOA achieves its mission with a multi-faceted team dedicated to holistic, patient-centered care, and is the only cancer practice

in CNY Certified for Quality by The American Society of Clinical Oncolog y . HOA also serves as an oncology medical home (OMH) which means all care plans center around what is best for the patient. With an emphasis on

quality of care versus quantity, OMH patients generally experience lower costs, higher satisfaction, reduced medical errors, and are better-informed. For more information visit hoacny. co m

crouse Health Addiction Treatment Services receives grant to increase access to care

Crouse Health’s Addiction Treatment Services (ATS) has received a grant of $239,097 from New York State’s Opioid Settlement Funds.

The funding was approved by the state’s Office of Addiction Services and Supports through the Comprehensive Treatment

DEATH NOTICES

Mary H. Youngs, 89, of Liverpool, passed away May 2, 2023. Maurer Funeral Home, Inc., Liverpool, has arrangements.

Karen G. Riordan, 72, of Liverpool, passed away May 8, 2023. Fergerson Fu-

Programs grant. The funding will increase patient access and engagement while supporting the recruitment and retention of clinicians.

The grant will make it possible for ATS to pursue certification as a Comprehensive Integrated Outpatient Treatment Program.

neral Home, North Syracuse, has arrangements.

Louis Lamphear, 85, of Baldwinsville, passed away May 4, 2023. Maurer Funeral Home Moyers Corners, Baldwinsville, has arrangements.

Currently Crouse co-locates an Opioid Treatment Program and Outpatient Treatment Program. With the integrated certification patients will no longer need to have two primary counselors in order to receive services through both programs. This will

Michael S. Waters, 80, of Fayetteville passed away May 5, 2023. The Bush Funeral Home of Elbridge has arrangements.

Thomas V. Wilcox, 86, of Jordan, passed away May 6, 2023. The Bush Fu-

improve the patient experience and also support ongoing efforts for on demand access to treatment. Funding will also be used for ATS clinician recruitment, patient education and the purchase of equipment needed for patient care.

neral Home of Elbridge has arrangements.

Julius P. Joshanski, 85, of Jordan, passed away May 8, 2023. The Bush Funeral Home of Elbridge has arrangements.

Liverpool baseball gets pair of wins over C-NS

By PHil BlACKWEll

Over the last two weeks of the regular season, the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse baseball teams, already quite familiar with one another, would square off three times.

In the first of these games last Monday afternoon, Liverpool combined timely hitting with solid, consistent pitching to produce a 5-3 victory over the Northstars.

C-NS got in front 1-0 in the top of the second inning, only to have Liverpool counter with a decisive three-run rally in the bottom of the third off pitcher Battista Wood.

Single runs in the fifth and sixth innings followed against relievers Lucas Thelen and Justin Coyne, which provided Liverpool with its winning margin as the Northstars, trailing 5-1, scored twice in the top of the seventh before Aidan Blincoe got the final out.

Tyler Vivacqua pitched 6 1/3 innings, strik-

ing out seven and limiting the Northstars to four hits. At the plate, Liverpool got a home run from Jack Hoppe as Anthony Testone and Alex Evans had two hits apiece, Evans joining Chris Baker and Nate Benjamin in the RBI column. Jaden Zimmer and Hayden Staab scored runs for the Northstars.

They met again 24 hours later at the Gillette Road complex, but though the venue changed, the result did not, Liverpool again getting the best of C-NS, this one in a tense 2-1 battle. A pitching duel between Benjamin and Northstars ace Bryce Zicaro unfolded, Liverpool getting a run off Zicaro in the top of the second, the Northstars answering an inning later as Staab scored on Shacory Willams’ single. Quickly, Liverpool broke the 1-1 tie in the top of the fourth, having seen Chaz Anthony and Gianni Toscano drive in the runs that, thanks to strong pitching from Benjamin, proved enough.

Both pitchers threw complete games

L’pool boys lax battles past c-NS, 11-10

By PHil BlACKWEll

All indications going into last Tuesday’s game at Bragman Stadium was that the Liverpool boys lacrosse team had a major advantage over its rivals from Cicero-North Syracuse

Since Mason Ciciarelli was lost for the season with a torn ACL, the Northstars had not won, and now it was facing an LHS side that beat them 12-10 in April even when Ciciarelli was there, getting two goals and an assist.

Again, though, the neighborhood rivalry proved close – all the way to the final horn, in fact, as Liverpool had to hang on to turn back C-NS 11-10.

Here, no one on Liverpool’s defense could contain Northstars forward Ian Leahey, who led both sides with six goals, more than half his team’s output.

Helped by Elijah Martin’s two goals and two assists, plus two goals from Donovan Chaney, C-NS offered a direct challenge, with Leyton Sullivan stopping 17 of the 28 shots he faced.

Still, Liverpool pulled through anchored by Joe Sacco’s two goals and four assists. Often, his passes went to Dom Osbeck, who scored four more times.

Brady Michaud and Aaron Clouthier also had two-goal outings, while Owen Michaud tacked on a goal and each of Owen Salanger’s 11 saves proved important.

Another game for Liverpool on Thursday brought another close result – only this time it was on the wrong side of it as it fell 5-4 to FayettevilleManlius at LHS Stadium.

This same F-M side which had netted 14 goals in a win over West Genesee earlier in the week was contained most of the way and shut out in the fourth quarter.

A lot of this was a tribute to the work of Salanger, who piled up 21 saves, but watched as his teammates were blanked in the third quarter, the Hornets scoring twice to break out of a 3-3 tie.

In fact, only Clouthier, with three goals, and Sacco, with one goal, found the net for the hosts, with assists credited to Osbeck and Owen Michaud.

Liverpool’s regular-season would conclude Tuesday against Jamesville-DeWitt, a day before C-NS hosts West Genesee.

c-NS track teams earn sweep of Liverpool, F-M

By PHil BlACKWEll

Leaving little question as to who stood on top of the SCAC Metro division, the Cicero-North Syracuse girls track and field team earned a clean sweep of last Wednesday’s showdown with Liverpool and Fayetteville-Manlius at Bragman Stadium.

But the boys Northstars won all sides of it, too, taking out Liverpool 95-46 and F-M 102-39 as, on the girls side, it was C-NS defeating Liverpool 9249 and handling F-M 105-33.

Taking both of the boys sprints, C-NS’s Jayceon McGrew beat Davine Bennette, 11.22 seconds to 11.32, in the 100-meter dash while going 23.14 to top Jordan Ballard (23.78) in the 200-meter dash.

Dan Henry got first in the 400-meter dash in 53.45 seconds as James McConnell (54.02) was runner-up, with Camron Ingram speeding to 14.93 in the 110 high hurdles and Ballard first in the 400 hurdles in 1:01.40, with Andrew Potter (1:04.16) in second place.

In the 1,600-meter run, Dante Melfi, in 4:31.14, pulled away from Liverpool’s Michael Purvis (4:37.61) as Joshua Vang was second in the 3,200-meter run in 10:23.28 to F-M’s James Ditre (10:20.18) and Austin Ziegler was second in the 800-meter run in 2:07.33, edging Roman Murray’s 2:07.87.

and only allowed five hits. Zicaro had seven strikeouts more than twice Benjamin’s total of three, but the Liverpool hurler only surrendereed one walk and got consistent defense behind him.

Once this ended, C-NS turned elsewhere and, trailing again Thursday against Fayetteville-Manlius, made quite a late comeback to edge the Hornets 3-2.

It took a run in the fifth inning and two runs in the bottom of the seventh to erase a 2-0 lead F-M built in the first two innings and reward Casey Gunnip for his completegame effort as he held F-M to six hits. Crystal, Zicaro and Andrew Davis drove in those late runs, C-NS only managing just four hits against three different Hornets pitchers, with MasonMingle, Lucas Thelen and Kyle Gancarz crossing the plate.

In Friday’s action, Liverpool lost, 8-3, to Elmira, from Section IV. A two-run second inning and four-run rally in the fourth put the Express in control as Hoppe took

the loss. Benjamin and Lucas Crawford both drove in runs.

This was a prelude to a big Saturday doubleheader against Christian Brothers Academy, who started the season 10-0 before defeats early last week against West Genesee and Cazenovia. Liverpool then gave the Brothers its third defeat in the opener, winning 9-3 largely on the basis of a six-run fourth inning that broke open a 0-0 game. Adding three more runs in the sixth, Liverpool saw Vivacqua not only pitch 6 1/3 innings for the win, but drive in a pair of runs as he and Evans both scored twice. Hoppe piled up three hits.

CBA would salvage a split by taking the second game 20-5. a power surge that included home runs by Zach Mulhern and Jack Landau as Vivacqua went deep for Liverpool and got two RBIs, with James Tearney and Mike Henderson also driving in runs.

Liverpool, C-NS softball fight through tough slate

By PHil BlACKWEll

When the Liverpool and CiceroNorth Syracuse softball teams conclude the regular season against one another, they do so both feeling good about where they were headed.

And no victory for Liverpool was as satisfying as the comeback it made last Wednesday against reigning sectional Class B champion Marcellus, resulting in a 7-5 victory that halted the Mustangs’ 12-game win streak.

Little worked in the early going as Marcellus charged in front 5-1, but all of that changed in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Batting around, Liverpool chased Mustangs ace Bella Mondello and put up six runs, two of them coming home on Emiy Nestor’s single as Joelle Wike, Gracie Zankowski and Mackenzie Frani also had RBIs.

It was Frani, taking on a larger pitching role this week as Cassie Wiggins sat out, benefiting from this rally. After giving up three runs in the first inning and two runs in the third, Frani relieved Maya Mills and blanked Marcellus the rest of the way, including the last two innings while preserving the lead.

Liverpool brought a four-game win streak into last Tuesday’s game against Auburn, where steady production at the plate was needed to defeat the Maroons 11-6.

Unlike its 6-1 win over Auburn on April 20, Liverpool had trouble keeping the opposition off the board, but made up for it with runs in each of the first six innings, capped by a four-run sixth that provided much-needed insurance.

Mills went three-for-three and scored three runs, with Lauren Ragonese getting a pair of RBIs. Wike and Zankowski also drove in runs as Frani again pitched a complete game.

All of this caught up to Liverpool Thursday when it lost, 6-5, to West Genesee, unable to hold on to a 5-2 lead as the Wildcats scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth and won it on Alanna Bowman’s RBI single in the seventh.

Frani went 4 1/3 innings after Mills started. Liverpool got two hits apiece from Ragonese, Mills and Katia Flavin, with Mills earning a pair of RBIs.

A 5-1 defeat to Section V’s Webster Schroeder closed out this busy week, but it did mark the return of Wiggins to the pitcher’s circle and to the lineup.

Though she took the loss, Wiggins did pitch all the way through and, at the plate, got two of Liverpool’s three hits while driving in Frani with the team’s lone run.

C-NS’s confidence grew by what it did last Tuesday against Baldwinsville, keeping the Bees mired in a late-season

slump as it prevailed by a score of 3-0.

Avenging an 8-3 defeat to B’ville on April 20, the Northstars were led by pitcher Lilian Hotaling, who limited the Bees to two hits and one walk, only striking out two but getting tremendous defense behind her.

Meanwhile, C-NS struck for a pair of first-inning runs then tacked on an insurance run in the sixth. Eva Farone, Sydney Rockwell and Celia Wood gained two hits apiece, with Paige Pangaro getting an RBI as Rockwell, Sydney Puttkamer and Tahlia Gerardi scored runs.

Even better was what the Northstars did Wednesday against West Genesee, scoring four runs in the second and fifth innings to help erase an early 2-0 deficit and eventually beating the Wildcats 13-6.

Rockwell and Aubrey Coyle led C-NS with four hits apiece as part of an 18-hit attack. Coyle doubled drove in three runs, with Rockwell matching Gerardi and Eva Farone as they each got two RBIs. Mia Farone scored twice, joining Pangaro, Isabella Moya and Paige Glassford driving in single runs.

But as WG was beating Liverpool, C-NS lost 6-0 to Auburn, held to two hits by pitcher Madison Lowe, who struck out nine as Elise Clifford doubled, tripled and drove in four of the Maroons’ six runs.

C-NS girls lacrosse rallies for OT win over B’ville

By PHil BlACKWEll

Once again, the Cicero-North Syracuse girls lacrosse team managed to earn a dramatic overtime victory against Baldwinsville on the turf at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium.

And while the stakes last Tuesday night did not match those of the 2021 Section III Class A final, this 11-10 victory greatly boosted the Northstars’ chances to get back to the top and unseat the reigning state champions.

Trailing 9-5 in the second half, C-NS made it all the way back, sparked mainly by the duo of Mackenzie Prentice and Brooke Molchanoff as Elizabeth Smith hit with 4:32 left capped a 5-0 run that produced a 10-9 advantage.

Mia Pozzi tied it for B’ville with 2:20 to play, and both sides missed chances in the final two minutes, leading to OT, where Gabby Putman pushed the draw to Smith, who gained possession.

For more than two minutes, the Northstars patiently worked it around the Bees’ net, making defenders guess when it would attack. Then Molchanoff, just behind the cage, passed to the front, and Prentice one-timed it past

Ava Graham for the game-winner.

C-NS went into the game with a 12-1 record, the lone blemish a 12-8 loss to B’ville on April 20 where it had fallen behind as much as eight goals before making a late surge.

Twice in this rematch, the Bees threatened to run away again, jumping out 4-1 in the game’s opening minutes and, after C-NS stayed within range the rest of the half, building that 9-5 margin early in the second half led by Brianna Peters’ four goals and Carlie Distefano’s six assists.

What kept it close was that the Northstars made enough stops, and won enough draws, to gain more possession time that eventually wore B’ville’s defenses down - and led to a victory.

Prentice finished with five goals and three assists. Molchanoff and Smith both scored twice, Molchanoff adding two assists, while Putman and Marissa Doty had the other goals.

When C-NS trailed West Genesee at halftime two nights later, fears of a letdown persisted, but again the Northstars played strong in the second half and ended up beating the Wildcats

13-9.

Here, Putman and Doty went to the forefront, each scoring four times to make WG pay for the attention given to Prentice, who still had a goal and two assists. Molchanoff added three assists as she and Kaelyn Reid converted once and Shea Firth had a pair of goals.

This happened as Liverpool, seeking to complete a regular-season sweep of West Genesee at LHS Stadium, could not quite do so, taking a 10-7 defeat to the Wildcats.

Addyson Graham’s three-goal hat trick was complemented by two goals from Gianna Carbone. Abby Geary and Mia Berthoff had the other Liverpool goals as WG’s Olivia Blanding and Mia Gialto had three goals apiece.

Two days later, against Marcellus, Liverpool lost 11-9. Though Berthoff and Carbone each had three goals and Kaitlyn Guilfoil converted twice, the Mustangs pulled it out mostly due to five goals by Cece Powell and four goals by Claire Card, dropping Liverpool’s record to 5-10 before a Tuesday regularseason finale with B’ville.

C-NS boys tennis wins rematch over B’ville

By PHil BlACKWEll

Finally getting a full week of sunshine and perfect playing conditions, the Cicero-North Syracuse boys tennis teams would be frequently on the court. And no match for the Northstars meant more than last Wednesday’s showdown with Baldwinsville, who gave C-NS its lone defeat of the regular season back on April 24.

The rematch would go quite different, though, as C-NS took advantage of a forfeit in doubles and did just enough elsewhere to edge the Bees 4-3.Wyatt Dupell set the tone in first singles, topping Mason Doan 6-4, 6-1, with Brady Petranchuk getting past Zach Treichler 6-4, 6-4 to make up for Brandon Nguyen’s 6-1, 6-3 defeat to Aidan DeLaney.

Moving to doubles, Mike Azzarello

and Nathan Smith claimed that forfeit, but the teams of Peter Gill-Andrew George and Mike DeGroat-Alex Cao each lost in two sets.

That left it up to Matt Jordan and Ryan Kiel, who won the fist set 7-5 over Andrew Jung and Nick Helbig and, after absorbing a 6-4 loss in the second set, dominated the third set 6-0 to get the clinching point.