Cazenovia Republican digital edition

A win At hoME

Voters approve 20232024 school budget

By kAtE hill Staff writer

On Tuesday, May 16, Cazenovia Central School District (CCSD) put forth its proposed 2023-24 school budget for voter approval.

The voters authorized the district to expend the proposed $36,529,529 as general fund appropriations for the 2023-24 school year and to levy the necessary tax. They also approved two additional propositions and reelected Dr. Jan Woodworth and Meghan Kelly to the CCSD Board of Education (BOE).

The budget, which passed by a vote of 427 to 258, represents a 6.28 percent increase over the current school year’s budget and is supported by a tax levy increase of $1,437,472.

According to the CCSD Spring 2023 Budget Brochure, the budget maintains all existing academic, fine arts, athletics, and extracurricular opportunities for students, and it allows for continued innovation of pre-K-12 curricula and technology infrastructure improvements that will help maintain internet reliability and safety and enable the district to remain vigilant against vulnerability to cyber threats.

On May 18, the Cazenovia High School Unified Sports Basketball Team played its final home game of the season. Cazenovia Central School District added Unified Basketball to its athletic programs last spring.

Unified Basketball team shines in final home game

By kAtE hill Staff writer

On Thursday, May 18, the Cazenovia High School (CHS) Unified Sports Basketball Team played its final home game of the season in the Buckley Gym against Baldwinsville.

The Lakers were victorious with a final score of 32 to 22.

Unified Sports join students with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team to train, play together, and compete for their school.

Cazenovia Central School District’s (CCSD) 12-student, co-ed Unified Basketball team is coached by CHS Special Education Teacher Todd MacIntosh.

“The Cazenovia Unified Basketball Program is an inclusive opportunity for students with disabilities and gen. ed. students to learn, develop, and collaborate as basketball players [and] community members while developing friendships/relationships that will benefit them throughout their future in school and the real world,”

said MacIntosh. “This opportunity allows them to build confidence, patience, and creativity in order for the team to be competitive, successful, and for [it to be] a fun experience.”

CHS also has a Unified Bowling team, which is coached by CHS Physical Education Teacher Brian Ellithorpe and plays from February through March. This year, the team finished first in the season-end tournament.

The district added Unified Basketball to its athletic programs last spring.

According to CCSD Athletic Administrator Mike Byrnes, CHS is one of the smallest schools in Section III to sponsor Unified Bowling and Unified Basketball teams.

“I am very proud that CCSD’s district administration and board of education have supported our school joining the Special Olympics New York Unified Sports Program partnered with the [New York State Public High School Athletic Association],” said Byrnes. “. . . Unified Sports allow all students to demonstrate their abilities in a competitive arena and learn from success and failure. Lessons of teamwork, responsibility, sportsmanship,

Friends of Lorenzo to present Garden Gala

By kAtE hill Staff writer

The Lorenzo State Historical Site will host its annual Friends of Lorenzo (FOL) Garden Gala on Thursday, June 8 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The public is invited to join FOL in celebrating 40 years of support for the restoration and maintenance of Lorenzo’s 1914 Ellen Biddle Shipman-designed formal garden.

Timed to showcase the garden’s peony blossoms, the event will feature hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer, and other refreshments, as well as music by the Cazenovia High School Quartet, and several raffles.

“It’s a wonderful time to see the peonies in bloom surrounded by other spring flowers in the formal garden,” said FOL President Tracy Palmer.

The “Corks and Keg Raffle” will offer guests the chance to take home a special wine or some microbrew beers.

Floral arrangements will be raffled off so guests can take a small part of Lorenzo’s garden home with them.

FOL will also be raffling off a cocktail party and house tour at Lorenzo for 14 people.

“It’s a fun way to share some of Cazenovia’s history with friends and family,” said Palmer.

Submitted pHoto

The gala will be held on Thursday, June 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Lorenzo State Historic Site.

Attendees can also enter a raffle for the “Historic Wooden Bowl from Lorenzo,” which was handcrafted locally by Neal Parker of GingerWorks.

According to Palmer, the wood is from the black locust tree that was planted on the property to commemorate the Oct. 26, 1819, wedding of Jonathan D. Ledyard — brother-in-law of John Lincklaen — to Jane Strawbridge. Due to its age and condition, the tree was

“We are thrilled to have public support for our students and teachers,” said Superintendent Chris DiFulvio on May 17. “I would like to thank all community members for voting. This budget will ensure that our students get the best possible education, help with necessary infrastructure updates in technology, and support curricular updates. In particular, I would like to thank our poll workers, especially our student volunteers. Working the budget vote was a first-hand experience for our [advanced placement] government students.”

The budget brochure states that the district continues to operate with one of the lowest tax rates in the region.

“The district continues its commitment to strategic and responsible longterm fiscal planning by utilizing a combination of a tax levy increase of 6.99 percent and appropriated fund balance of $1.1 million to help reduce the overall impact to taxpayers,” the brochure states.

Additional cost-saving measures include energy performance contracts, cooperative purchasing through BOCES, collaborative shared services, and continual assessment and realignment of resources.

“Most importantly, the budget supports maintaining and reinforcing equity in our current programming for students, including mental health supports, robust fine arts and music programs, dynamic athletic programs, an array of extra-curricular offerings, and overall district safety,” the budget brochure states.

The brochure also highlights the fact that New York State Foundation Aid is increasing by approximately $802,000, and the total state aid is increasing by $1.3 million.

On May 16, voters also approved a bus purchase proposition, authorizing the district to purchase and finance four replacement school buses, including necessary furnishings, fixtures, and equipment and “all other costs incidental thereto,” and to expend a total sum not to exceed $633,132. According to the resolution, the sum is to be raised by the levy of a tax upon the taxable property of the school district and collected in annual installments.

Additionally, residents authorized the district to levy a tax in the amount of $498,241 for the Cazenovia Public Library and $187,185 for the New Woodstock Free Library.

The bus proposition was approved by a vote of 462 for and 218 against, and the library proposition passed by a vote of 539 to 146.

In the BOE election, both candidates ran unopposed. Woodworth and Kelly will serve three-year terms commencing July 1, 2023, and expiring June 30, 2026.

School board meeting

On the day of the vote, the BOE convened for its regular monthly meeting.

In honor of National EMS Week, which is May 21-27, the BOE recognized the district’s student emergency medical services (EMS) providers.

CCSD currently has 17 students who are volunteer members of the Cazenovia Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps (CAVACS) Student Corps.

Past CAVAC President Sara Mitchell provided the board with some information on the responsibilities of the student corps and accepted certificates of appreciation from DiFulvio on behalf of the district.

According to Mitchell, the student corps had 40 members prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they are working to build their numbers back up.

“[The students] run their own organization through CAVAC,” Mitchell said. “They select their own members. The members have to apply. The kids themselves interview [the applicants] and decide who can join the student corps. Their grades, of course, are important; they have to keep them up in order to still be members.”

All the student members are cardiopulmonary resuscitation- and au-

Kate Hill the vote was held on May 16.

Kate Hill

Real estate firm accepting offers for Cazenovia College Equine Center

By kAtE hill Staff writer

The national real estate firm A&G Real Estate Partners is currently seeking offers for the approximately 157-acre Cazenovia College Equine Center property and the adjoining 87 acres of land.

Together, the two parcels make up the Cazenovia College Equestrian Campus, which is located on Woodfield Road in the Town of Cazenovia and includes 70,000 square feet of buildings, a state-of-the-art equestrian center, 74 stalls, two indoor arenas, three outdoor arenas, a cross-country course and paddocks.

Voters

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tomated external defibrillator-certified, according to Mitchell, “They are on every ride,” Mitchell said. “If they are on duty, they go with the ambulance. It doesn’t matter what kind of a call it is. The only time they may not go is if a paramedic decides for some reason that they shouldn’t, or if the student is uncomfortable.

I don’t know of any time that that has happened, and I’ve been doing this a long time. . . They help the paramedics, they help the [emergency medical technicians (EMTs)], they know where all the equipment is on our ambulances. They are incredible.”

Mitchell highlighted one of CAVAC’s student volunteers who is enrolled in an EMT course and is expected to become a licensed EMT at just 17 years old.

Following Mitchell’s overview of the program, the BOE applauded the two student corps members in attendance at the meeting

Unified

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and selflessness shine through during our games and practices. . . Unified Sports is one of the most rewarding activities we sponsor at CCSD. I am so proud of our athletes, partners, and fans. I have witnessed acts of kindness and fierce competition all at the same time; it’s a great thing.”

Byrnes also commended MacIntosh and Ellithorpe for leading the unified programs with class and thanked CHS Business Teacher Christina New for her support as the

According to A&G, bids may be placed individually or for both properties, which are being sold in “as is, where as” condition. The buyer is to perform their own due diligence.

“It’s a no contingency sale,” said A&G Managing Director Christian Koulichkov.

An online due diligence room is available, containing surveys, floor plans, building information, a copy of the lease, operating expenses, and additional photos.

Cazenovia College is scheduled to officially close on June 30, 2023.

A&G is requiring that the purchase of either or both equestrian campus properties be completed by July 31, 2023, and that letters of

and thanked them for their service.

Mitchell attributed the low student turnout at the meeting to the fact that many of the student corps members are involved in multiple other extracurricular activities.

She also pointed out that student corps member Grace Probe was out on a stroke call at the time of the meeting.

“Grace was supposed to be on from 4 to 6 p.m.,” Mitchell said. “They do two-hour shifts, but she is now with a stroke patient headed into Syracuse. That’s the kind of work these kids do, so they are not only role models for their peers, but they are an excellent example for the community.”

After the board recognized the CAVAC student corps members, BOE member David Mehlbaum acknowledged that there are currently three Cazenovia students — one senior and two juniors — volunteering with the Cazenovia Fire Department.

He stated that if there is a way for the board to honor them in the future, he knows

advisor to the Youth Activation Committee (YAC), a requirement of Unified Sports.

According to New, the YAC is a group of students that has been actively helping to market the Unified Sports teams.

“The Youth Activation Committee makes signs and banners for the team and helps to spread the word for fans to attend the home games,” New said. “. . . It’s been a great experience for everyone involved.” MacIntosh also remarked on the farreaching impact Unified Sports have had on the CCSD community.

intent be submitted to A&G by 4 p.m. on June 6 along with proof of funds and ability to close by the July 31 deadline.

The real estate firm is requiring the completion of a confidentiality and nondisclosure agreement prior to bidding.

Letters of intent and questions should be directed to Koulichkov at ckoulichkov@ agrep.com and A&G Co-President Emilio Amendola at emilio@agrep.com

According to Koulichkov, there are currently no date restrictions for offers on Cazenovia College’s main campus, which is also listed for sale with A&G. Offers can be made on that property at any time.

they would appreciate it.

He also commented that the fire department, like CAVAC, has experienced a drop in the number of student volunteers and it is making an effort to get more young people involved. in other news

The board authorized the district to enter a purchase & installation contract with Toth’s Sports for three electronic scoreboards as part of the district’s ongoing $10.7 million athletic fields project, which the voters approved in March 2022.

The contract provides for one large scoreboard for the primary athletic competition field and two smaller scoreboards for the upper practice/secondary competition field. The total cost for the purchase and installation of the three scoreboards is $384,585, which is fully within the budget of the voter-approved project.

The BOE accepted the Cazenovia Athletic Association’s (CAA) donation of a 50 in.

“The experience has shown benefits beyond just team members and their families as the community has embraced and supported us,” he said. “Christina New [and Mike Byrnes] have been leaders in building the program and spearheading school support since last April, our first year in the Section III Unified Basketball League. Other coaches and teachers have been [involved] in providing support in building the team as well as supporting me as a coach with teambuilding strategies and equipment.”

Unified Basketball practices began on April 11 this year, and the team played its first of six regular season games on May 3 at home against Liverpool.

During the team’s May 18 game, the fol-

“We are just pushing for offers on the equestrian center and the land [at this time],” said Koulichkov. “I mean, obviously you can offer on anything at any time; there is just no date set for the other parts of campus.”

The A&G online listing advertises the main campus as offering 433,000 square feet of buildings on just under 27 acres, dormitories with 600-plus beds, and full athletic facilities. It also describes the property as a well-maintained historic campus that is 20 minutes from Syracuse.

To view the Cazenovia College listing for both campuses, visit agrep-sales.com. Property tours are available by appointment.

x 600 in. banner to be hung on the bleachers at the Sean Googin Athletic Fields on Fenner Road.

The CAA purchased and donated a banner in October 2022; this latest donation will be a mesh version of the same banner design for use on the bleachers. The mesh banner will be digitally printed at a cost of $1,706.40.

Later in the meeting, Assistant Superintendent/School Business Official Thomas Finnerty acknowledged the resignation of CCSD Custodian Trevor Wiley, who is moving to another district.

“He was a great custodian for us,” Finnerty said. “. . . We’re going to miss him.” CCSD BOE meetings are usually held at 6:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month. Meeting dates are listed on the district website and the school calendar. For more information, visit cazenoviacsd.com/ board-of-education

lowing senior players were recognized at halftime: Connor Wilcox, Connor Adams, Jessa Rhorberg, Kiana Vazquez, and Ian Decker.

The team is scheduled to wrap up its 2023 regular season on May 23 at West Genesee High School.

For Evan Rice, a junior, a highlight of playing on the team has been getting to support the other players.

“It’s just good to help out the kids, give them confidence going into other sports that they do,” said Rice. “They can just have a good time, learn to play organized sports, and just [feel] good.”

To learn more about Unified Sports, visit specialolympics.org

Multi-use downtown property listed for sale and/or lease

By kAtE hill Staff writer

“37 Albany Street,” a significant multi-use property in downtown Cazenovia, was recently listed for sale and lease with the Syracuse real estate firm JWP Commercial.

Owned by Cazenovia resident, former real estate developer, Bob Hood, the property consists of a sizeable block of interconnected buildings on the corner of Albany and Sullivan Streets and a separate 24-space private parking lot off Wall Street. The property also has public parking adjacent to the front entrance facing Albany Street.

The property’s current tenants are Dave’s Diner, Purpose Coffee, Cazenovia Artisans, the Les Pâtes et Les Nouilles Thai restaurant, and Cazenovia College.

For around two decades, Cazenovia College has been leasing the recently closed college bookstore and copy shop spaces; 40 elevator-accessible student dormitory rooms on the second and third floors; meeting rooms; and the space now occupied by the Thai restaurant, which the college subleased to the owners. A hallway connects the bookstore to the diner and to an open space behind the Thai restaurant that Hood designed as a community room, seating 100 people and featuring a large roll-down screen, a ceilingmounted projector, a sound system, and restrooms. The bookstore, copy shop, and dorms are all accessible through a single main entrance on Sullivan Street. Cazenovia Artisans and the Thai restaurant also share an entryway.

“The whole space was built [for Cazenovia College] as an interconnected community space,” said Hood. Cazenovia College is scheduled to officially close on June 30, 2023, and, according to Hood, the Thai restaurant is also planning to vacate the property. “The college is going to give me the keys back in less than two weeks,” Hood said on May 15.

Therefore, all the spaces leased to the college are now available for immediate use and/or redevelopment.

According to a marketing brochure prepared by JWP Commercial, the property’s B-1 General Business District zoning allows for multiple redevelopment options, including retail business, office, restaurant, motel/hotel, indoor recreation, community center, and club facilities. Specially permitted uses include banks, medical centers/ clinics, hospitals/related uses, residential, and animal daycare facilities.

Dave’s Diner, Purpose Coffee, and Cazenovia Artisans will continue to operate in their current locations, regardless of what happens with the vacant spaces and regardless of whether the property’s ownership changes hands.

“The building might sell, but that wouldn’t terminate any of the leases,” said Joshua Podkaminer, managing member and principal broker of JWP Commercial. “All those operating leases would continue with the building whether Bob was the owner or whether there was a new owner.”

At this point, Hood is hoping to secure a new tenant for the restaurant and to find new uses for the remaining vacant space that support the property’s primary purpose of cultivating community and serving the needs of the local population.

Hood described converting the vacant space into apartments as his “last resort.”

“In addition to the 10,000 square feet of commercial space that the college has vacated, I have 40 dormitory rooms to re-purpose for new use,” Hood said. “While I can [easily] redevelop the dorm rooms into village apartments with parking, I first want to determine if there is a use for the dorm rooms that will be of benefit to our village.”

One of the options being explored, according to Hood, is using the dorms as week-long or multi-week accommodations for visiting artists or other individuals and groups that are in town taking advantage of Cazenovia’s many cultural resources.

“If I convert those to apartments, that whole opportunity of bringing people into the community [is lost],” Hood said.

Hood also said he hopes to use the room behind the Thai restaurant as a not-for-profit space to be used for community-focused events and activities. If he is unable to find users for the vacant spaces, Hood intends to sell his entire block as one offering.

“Bob has got his heart right there in the village, so he wants to see something that would be a positive contribution to the [community],” said Podkaminer.

Common Grounds

At the heart of the “37 Albany Street” property is “Common Grounds,” a building at 35 Albany St. that now houses Purpose Coffee, Dave’s Diner, and Carter’s Creamery, a division of Dave’s Diner.

Hood, who sold his successful real estate development company to his employees in 1996 to pursue volunteer service opportunities, originally developed the building over two decades ago as a community gathering place.

Common Grounds was the vision of a group of Cazenovia High School (CHS) students in the mid-1990s who were interested in establishing a drug- and alcohol-free place for the entire community, including teens, to gather and enjoy art, music, poetry, discussion, and more.

Working with CHS History Teacher Kurt Wheeler, the students determined that a coffeehouse would be the optimal setting for their planned activities. They called their vision Project CAFÉ (Community Activities for Everyone). The group was established in 1995 and incorporated as a non-profit in 1998.

After learning about the students’ idea, Hood purchased and renovated the building at 35 Albany St. to provide a home for Project CAFÉ and a multi-use community gathering space.

“We ran a contest to name the coffee house that I started, and ‘Common Grounds’ was chosen from several dozen names submitted,” said Hood, who officially opened the space in December 1998. “The majority of the first-floor

space and the second-floor meeting rooms have been available free of charge for individuals and community groups to use. Common Grounds has often been referred to as ‘the community’s living room,’ and some refer to the entire building as Common Grounds; note the awning out front [that] says ‘Dave’s Diner at Common Grounds.’”

Wheeler, who continues to advise Project CAFÉ and now serves as Village of Cazenovia mayor, was instrumental in the early stages of Common Grounds, according to Hood.

“His leadership of Project CAFÉ and mentoring of young leaders was a primary reason I invested my time creating and promoting Common Grounds,” Hood said. “The work that Project CAFÉ kids do for our community is underappreciated and under-recognized.”

The many groups and events that have been hosted by Common Grounds throughout the years include a bereavement group, tutoring classes, book clubs, a chess club, art exhibitions, TED Talks, open mic nights, wellness speakers, Toys for Tots, and “tough topic” discussions.

Project CAFÉ operated out of Common Grounds until 2015. Today, the student-directed group continues to organize community events such as the Cazenovia Winter Festival, an Earth Day cleanup, the Fourth of July Parade, and the 9/11 Observance. In addition to serving as a dynamic meeting place, Common Grounds has offered support and funding to many local organizations. The Common Grounds Challenge Grant program provided two-for-one matching grants to support multiple initiatives to help improve the Cazenovia community.

Common Grounds has also supported the creation of entirely new community organizations, such as Cazenovia Welcomes Refugees and the CazArts creative alliance.

In the early 2000s, Hood learned that someone was considering opening an adult bookstore/head shop in the vacant Magpie’s Pizza building on Sullivan Street. Thinking that that type of establishment was not a good fit for the village, especially not for a building adjacent to Common Grounds, Hood bought the property and initiated a co-op arrangement with several local artisans who sold their works primarily at

the local farmers’ market.

The Magpie’s building was renovated, and the artists were given a year-round home at The Shoppes at Common Grounds.

When the grocery store on that same block closed, Hood bought that property too and relocated Harvey’s Drugs into the renovated grocery store space, which is now Kinney Drugs.

“Around that same time, the college was considering a bookstore and newer dorm rooms, and an expanded presence in the village,” said Hood. “I ended up developing and leasing to the college two floors of dormitory rooms, the college bookstore, the copy shop, and a restaurant in the former Harvey’s Drug store space, which [the college] subsequently leased to the Thai restaurant. I relocated the artisan shops at Common Grounds into their fine gift store renamed the Cazenovia Artisans.”

Dave’s Diner moved into the expanded Common Grounds building in 2008 and is now owned by Bill and Debbie Tilison. In 2022, the Tilisons opened Purpose Coffee in the space in front of the diner.

Now, as Cazenovia College vacates “37 Albany Street” and the property’s future uses remain undetermined, Hood is seeking input from the community.

“When I developed Common Grounds, I held the community contest for coming up with the name,” he said. “Once again, I’m asking for community input and ideas for how that space, and even the dorms, can be used to serve the needs of our community. . . When members of our community come together, great things can happen.”

In addition to planning for the loss of Cazenovia College from his own property, Hood is also working with Wheeler and other local leaders to explore viable long-term options for uses of Cazenovia College’s main campus.

“Bob has made enormous contributions to our community over the past 25 years with his vision for Common Grounds, the Cazenovia Artisans, and countless other initiatives,” said Wheeler. “Like the broader challenge of the main campus, we look forward to working with him and [using] this time of change as an opportunity to strengthen Cazenovia.”

Submitted pHoto

Bob Hood’s “37 Albany Street” property in downtown Cazenovia was recently listed for sale and lease with the Syracuse real estate firm JWP Commercial.

removed in November 2022.

“We are fortunate to have part of the tree for Neal to use to create this beautiful bowl,” Palmer said.

The proceeds from the 2023 Garden Gala will support the continued maintenance and restoration of the gardens and the Dark Aisle Arboretum, a double hedge of white pine, hemlock, and Norway spruce planted by Ledyard Lincklean. A significant feature of Lorenzo, the Dark Aisle provides a windbreak to the south and west for the formal garden and contains walking paths for visitor enjoyment.

Lorenzo’s grounds, including the formal garden and the Dark Aisle, are open yearround from dawn to dusk.

Garden Gala tickets are $35 for FOL members, $40 for a member’s guest, and $50 for a gala patron.

To purchase a ticket, visit

friendsoflorenzo.org or send a check payable to Friends of Lorenzo, Garden Gala, P.O. Box 4, Cazenovia, NY 13035, and indicate the number of guests on the check. Located at 17 Rippleton Road, Lorenzo is the 1807 Federal-style home of John Lincklaen, who was an agent of the Holland Land Company and Cazenovia’s founder. The Lincklaen/Ledyard family continually occupied Lorenzo until the property and its contents were conveyed to New York State in 1968. The site is operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and supported with help from the FOL.

Lorenzo’s formal garden Lorenzo’s formal garden is recognized as one of Central New York’s premier country estate gardens.

John Lincklaen’s original garden was laid out according to Dutch tradition, with a grid

of eight squares surrounded by paths. The beds were planted with vegetables in the center bordered by flowers. Eventually, the vegetables were relocated to an area behind Church Cottage, the building that now houses the gift shop.

In 1856, after inheriting Lorenzo, Ledyard Lincklaen installed his own design featuring a central path with a sundial as the focal point.

Today, the garden retains much of Ledyard Lincklaen’s design. When the front and back doors of the mansion are open, the view extends straight from the garden to Cazenovia Lake.

In 1914, Helen Lincklaen Fairchild hired Shipman, a renowned landscape architect, to enhance Ledyard Lincklaen’s design with formal perennial beds.

In 1983, FOL hired Master Gardener Janine Golub, who used the original Shipman design as a guide for plant selection and placement.

OBITUARIES

Jane keegan, 84 Longtime Cazenovia resident

Jane Keegan, a longtime resident of Cazenovia, died peacefully on May 15, 2023, with her children by her side, in Clearwater, FL, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 84 years old.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on March 25, 1939, she was the only child of Joseph Fields and Janet Feeny. She married the late John Keegan on Jan. 16, 1960, in Bronx, N.Y., and shortly thereafter they moved to Cazenovia, where they would reside until 2020. Together they enjoyed a 62-year journey that included raising two children, countless friendships, and frequent adventures. They were active parishioners of St. James Catholic Church, founding members of the Cazenovia Country Club and supported numerous civic organizations throughout the years.

Jane was a passionate advocate for the arts and an avid supporter of local art, music and theater. She worked for nearly

two decades at Cazenovia Abroad where she could promote the commerce of local artisans. She was also a dedicated volunteer, and involved in several organizations, including Syracuse Stage, the Art Park of Cazenovia, to name just a few. She was always willing to lend a helping hand, and her compassion and generosity touched the lives of many people.

Her passion for theater led her to pursue roles on her own, and in 1987, she began an acting career that spanned more than 20 years and saw her perform in Syracuse Stage productions, in local theater companies like Theater 90, and in numerous productions over the years. She performed in more than two dozen plays and musicals, including leading dramatic roles in “Torch Song Trilogy” and “Steel Magnolias” and as part of ensemble casts for musicals such as “Annie” and “42nd Street,” often with her husband John working behind the scenes and occasionally joining her on stage.

Jane is survived by her daughter Jennifer Yackel; her son Michael Keegan and his partner Laura;

Jane keegan

her niece, Laura Fanning; and her granddaughters Noelle Yackel and Maura Keegan. She is preceded in death by her husband John and her parents.

The family received friends on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Michael E. Brown Funeral Services, 2333 Fenner Road in Cazenovia. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated 10 a.m., Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at St. James Catholic Church, 6 Green St., Cazenovia with Rev. Kevin Corcoran as celebrant. Burial followed at St. James Cemetery.

Contributions in Jane’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association online at act.alz.org. Condolences may be left at michaelebrownfuneralservices.com.

our voice

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is usually a festive time in many communities.

Usually seen as an unofficial start to summer, many gather for parades and to listen to guest speakers and host parties and cookouts.

It is a day many look forward to and a lot of people give their time and effort to create the parades and other events so many of us look forward to year after year.

And as Memorial Day approaches many of these celebrations are preparing to honor and celebrate the day and the people it recognizes with many of traditional events we have come to anticipate.

While it is great to gather with friends and family and celebrate the day, Memorial Day and its true meaning are something well worth remembering and well worth putting a greater focus on and sharing with friends and family as we prepare to celebrate this special day.

The parades, the gatherings, the cookouts, the long weekend are all things we can share in and enjoy, but taking the time to consider the tradition, the history and the countless people this day represents is incredibly important.

While the short answer is that Memorial Day is about honoring those who gave their lives serving their country, there is a great deal of history behind this day and it is a day that reminds us that remembering those who served deserve our respect regardless of the date.

Memorial Day goes back to what was known as Decoration Day starting in 1868 following the Civil War.

The Grand Army of the Republi c , an organization of Unio n veterans founded in Decatur, Illinoi s , established it as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the Union war dead with flowers. By the 20th century, competing Unio n and Confederat e holiday traditions, celebrated on different days, had merged, and Memorial Day eventually extended to honor all Americans who died while in the military service.

In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved Memorial Day from May 30 to the last Monday in May.

While this move created the three day weekend so many have come to associate with Memorial Day, locally many organizations from municipal governments to VFWs have worked to maintain a sense of the true meaning behind the day.

There will be ceremonies honoring those who served, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice as wreaths are laid at memorials. There will be guest speakers who will share their experiences and insights as veterans, people who have served and people who understand the sacrifice others made and there will be time to reflect on what this means and how much those who served and sacrificed have meant to this country.

We hope that everyone, whether they are attending a community celebration or hosting their own private gathering with friends and family, will keep the true meaning of Memorial Day in mind in their own way.

Whether it is with a moment of reflection or silence or sharing stories of loved ones who served and sacrificed, honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice is really what Memorial Day is all about.

I’M no SI CovER MoDEl

It is what it is. It has been a rough week for me. The comorbidities that have been plaguing me for some time decided to ramp up the dizziness and nausea.

I spent a lot of the time sitting up straight on the loveseat in the living room trying not to provoke the symptoms by not moving my head or body.

Finally, I threw in the “I can deal with this” towel and I went to the doctor begging for some kind of diagnosis and attack plan.

The doc revisited the symptoms, initiated some testing culminating in a wait-and-see plan plus one medicine.

OK. I am taking some medicine and will go back in a week.

I know, being elderly and dizzy is a common occurrence, but not for this old lady.

While I was waiting, I worked on my own plan for getting things done. I mean, someone has to clean out the refrigerator.

A carton of milk should not stick to the shelf. Right?

The inside of my car could be made off limits by the board of health.

Dust will not remove itself nor will the clothes in the hamper wash themselves.

I was determined to rise above the awfulness by force of mind.

This was my challenge. I could break down my chores and projects into smaller

FROM THE MAILBAG Concerned about ‘new direction’ for TMPD

To the editor:

With over a month since the Manlius police chief’s resignation and the town board looking to take the police department in A “new direction,” no update or explanation has been given. With all the events that have happened over the last few months, we are lucky to have such a professional and responsive police department. From children bringing guns into the schools, stopping a potential mass shooting at Tops, to a sextortion incident in one of our middle schools, our police department and the officers in our schools have quickly and efficiently prevented tragic outcomes.

It is this type of dedication and response that the citizens of the town of Manlius have come to appreciate and depend on.

Being told that a limited few want to take one of our most important services in a different direction with little to no explanation is concerning. Leading up to these events little or no discussion seemed to happen during any of the regular police committee meetings. These meetings, which include a representative from each of our villages, seem to have not been aware of any issues or discussion of a new direction until after the resignation of our police chief.

I have full confidence in interim police Chief Cassalia, but I am concerned with the distraction of the unknown future of our police

Jason Klaiber, jklaiber@eaglenewsonline.com

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segments that I could attack while holding on to something and thinking good thoughts.

It seemed to a be a sensible, reasonable plan, but that strategy limped because you can’t weed your garden while holding onto something.

You have to bend over to do this and bending initiates dizzy.

How do I get the laundry down to the basement where the washer and dryer are? Getting down stairs means holding on to railings on both sides of the staircase. I only have two hands. Is the laundry on its own?

Most of the stuff that you do to maintain a home can make me dizzy, especially cooking dinner. (I am probably exaggerating the cooking thing)

Or I could sit on that loveseat and daydream about aspirational things, like winning the lottery and hiring someone to paint the house and sand the floors and fix the porch.

I could dream of lying on a sandy beach with a stack of good books and adult beverages at my side.

In that dream I would have reached my Weight Watcher goal…but even dreams aren’t that ridiculous.

I could be strolling

department and how it will affect our community. The questions that we should be asking about this new direction should include how it will affect response time, will property checks continue and the role which officers play in our schools. We cannot afford to have any distraction from the service that we have come to expect and should not sit silently on the side waiting to see how our safety is reorganized. This is not a topic that we can become complacent about and need to make sure that the town board is aware of what we want to see from our department.

I strongly encourage everyone to attend the Police Committee meeting on May 24 at 5 p.m. or to listen via Zoom and ask questions on what we should expect going forward. We need to be part of the conversation before decisions are made and not after. As a resident I think this is a time for the board to stop dragging their feet and become more transparent about what we should expect.

DAvE BARnwEll Candidate for Manlius town Board

Gun legislation doesn’t address the problem

To the editor:

This reader was amazed at Mr. McKeever’s fervor in attacking Rep. Brandon Williams for his stance against serious gun legislation in his recent letter to the Eagle Bulletin . It certainly sounded like he believed himself to be 100 percent correct in his assailment. As I believe Mr.

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through the park or Baltimore Woods, playing with my little grandsons on the floor or watching the older ones play sports.

I could be the toast of the Riviera, sing with a symphony orchestra, have nice hair … so many options.

There is one thing I would never consider in my wildest thoughts - to dream of becoming a Sports Illustrated cover model at my age. After all, I am not Martha. Eighty-one-year-old Martha Stewart announced that she will be on the cover of the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated

“I have never had any plastic surgery, only a little filler twice a year,” she said.

I do have one of those love-hate relationships with Martha, who says she practices Pilates, has two dermatologists, a daily routine of skin care, eats clean and healthy and has good genes. She discussed how the swimsuit was chosen for the cover. She refused anything frilly and wanted something more modern.

She saw this as her challenge.

And here I am trying to figure out what happened to me, not only because of the dizziness, but also because I couldn’t be on the cover of the swimsuit edition of any publication that was read by human beings. Why not?

Well, I don’t have a dermatologist. Have you tried to make an appointment at a

McKeever to be at least 70 percent wrong, I offer the following.

It is very unfortunate Mr. McKeever chose only to write of those extremely well publicized mass shootings. He knows full well of the thousands of minorities killed by guns over many, many years in all the large cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City. Don’t Black lives matter? Does Mr. McKeever believe those guns were bought legally? Surely not.

So, it proves gun legislation does not adequately address our problem. Personally, I have always believed gun violence is caused only by evil or misguided people. And these people come about when parents ignore their religious faiths that are so vital to raising children to be both responsible and caring. That just might be the best way of reducing our gun violence – very difficult to accomplish, but very successful.

Ch AR l ES M IR u C k I

fayetteville

Need senior housing, not grocery store

To the editor:

Although I don’t know all the details, I was pleased to read about the lower income, senior apartment structures that are being built in Baldwinsville and wish that we might do that here in Fayetteville on the site proposed for another supermarket. As has been noted in the past, we have two large supermarkets within a few miles of each other so that residents of Manlius or Fayetteville

dermatologist lately?

I have no idea what Pilates is. I do have an exercise bicycle, a very good one, but have been warned not to use it because of my loose artificial hip. Bet she doesn’t have one of those.

I do have a skin care routine. It is called washing my face with soap and rinsing well.

I don’t’ think that is what Marta was referring to.

My diet is lousy. I eat over the sink when I am not cooking for my spouse. Too many carbs. My genes are not stellar either.

Oh, and my swimsuit is an antique.

I bought it for $35 in 1966. It is in the chest at the foot of the bed in my daughter’s old bedroom, a reminder that one time, in the long ago, I could wear something like that.

Martha is not holding on to furniture and walls to get around nor is she looking in a mirror and wondering how what she sees has happened.

There is no amount of filler that can fix me.

What I do share with Martha is that I, too, have not had any plastic surgery. My version of fillers are chocolate. There is that. Explains a lot.

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.

need drive no more than two miles for shopping and only slightly further for a giant supermarket in DeWitt!

What we do not need is another market that will create not only acute traffic and safety issues, but does not serve a need or a desire of the residents! What we do need is affordable, senior housing units for ourselves when time comes for downsizing and for loved ones and to diversify our community.

If that parcel of land is to be developed, let it serve human values and human needs, not building another large market between the other two.

What will serve this community is affordable housing, not more food marketing .

DAvE PASInSkI fayetteville Cazenovia

June 20

To the editor:

election

The Village of Cazenovia will hold its election on June 20 from noon to 9 p.m. at the American Legion on Chenango Street. Over two months ago I announced my candidacy for one of two village trustee positions. Since that time I have met with many residents to listen to their concerns about the village. To a person, there are things that trouble those who call Cazenovia their home.

A primary issue is the question over who will buy the Cazenovia College property, what it will be used for and how it will be maintained.

Other issues that rate high Letters l Page 7

Ramblings from the empty nest Ann Ferro

CouRAgE to MovE foRwARD

Early on a sun-kissed

Wednesday evening in May, two girls lacrosse teams met up, one a reigning Section III champion in Class C, the other a top contender in Class B.

There were plenty of goals with a lot of back-and-forth action and a high skill level on display. When it was done, Auburn, the visitors, had prevailed 2014 over the hosts from Fulton.

It was the most important game played in Central New York high school sports this year. And the score had absolutely nothing to do with it.

For this was the first time Fulton had stepped on a lacrosse field for a game since a car accident 11 days earlier took the life of one of its senior players, Rylee Bartlett.

In doing so, these young women taught all of us that real bravery can simply involve moving forward when the easiest instinct is to withdraw.

Difficult as it is, try to put yourself in their position.

It’s a Sunday evening, and suddenly you get word that your teammate, your friend, is gone. Worse yet, her longtime boyfriend, also in that car on that

Random Thoughts

Phil Blackwell

awful night, is critically injured and, despite all his strength, ultimately passes away, too.

Consider a world upended, shattered, ruined. May and June are supposed to be celebratory times in a teenager’s life, with junior and senior proms, last concerts and games, final exams and, for some, a cap and gown and a key to a bigger, more exciting life beyond their tightknit communities.

Instead, there’s crushing grief, tears of shock and dismay, and a feeling that doing something, anything is a violation of some sacred trust and must not be broached or considered.

Maybe those are the first instincts. What’s more, they are understandable. At first blush, doing the kinds of activities you did before may feel wrong and only remind you of all that you lost.

But the funny thing about human grief is that part of it involves remembering, celebrating, and cherishing all the good parts of the lives taken from us, whether full or, in the case of Rylie Bartlett, far too premature.

As a whole, the Fulton girls lacrosse players mourned, for sure. Yet they also

demonstrated for us that the best kind of remembrance and tribute is to take those next steps – perhaps tentative at first, but then bold and convincing.

So when a little time had passed and after the postponement of a couple of games, they returned to play Auburn, though they already knew just how much everyone cared about them.

Of course there was the entire Fulton community wrapping their collective arms around family and friends. Beyond that, though, was seeing many different teams in Central New York wearing special T-shirts in Rylie’s honor or offering various tributes using the color pink that Rylie loved so much.

Then, during the Auburn game, there was Fulton players celebrating goals with a different song from Rylie’s favorite, Harry Styles, after the first one brought forth Taylor Swift’s “Bejeweled” – which played when Rylie notched her only goal in a game a month earlier.

Ultimately, the best way to salute a young life, taken too soon, doesn’t involve wallowing in sadness at what might have been, but instead having the simple courage to take the valuable lessons learned from this unexpected

Years Ago in History

By CInDy BEll toBEy

100 Years Ago - May 24, 1923

A Card to the Public – The thirtieth day of May will again be observed by the Grand Army of the Republic as a sacred Memorial Day, commemorative of the services and sacrifices of the comrades who died that this Republic might live.

While each succeeding year has diminished the number of those survivors yet living, it has added to the number of the defenders of the Union to whom this honor should be paid.

To those who yet survive the duty and privileges of Memorial Day becomes the more sacred and imperative.

The comrades of Knowlton Post G. A. R. desire to observe this day as heretofore, in a fitting and patriotic manner.

There are so few of us to do this now that we again ask your aid and help.

80 Years Ago – May 27, 1943

Several community organizations have worked together to arrange a food preservation program which will be of practical help to homemakers in caring for garden surpluses this summer.

The first demonstration will be presented in the Central School cafeteria on Friday, June 4, and is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

The demonstration will show equipment for several types of food preservation. Asparagus, greens and rhubarb will be canned by both boiling water bath and pressure cooker methods.

Mrs. S. F. Sweetland, who has recently attended a training institute at Cornell for the Home Bureau demonstrators, will give this first demonstration.

She will be assisted by Mrs. Robert Anderson of the Red Cross Canteen Group.

60 Years Ago – May 23, 1963

Another hallmark of community civilization fell before the bulldozer’s blade last week in the Village of Cazenovia as the P & C Food Company began clearing operations for the construction of their new supermarket here.

The immediate victim was the tavern of the late Ed Lynch which had served our citizens since 1946 when it was constructed following a total loss of the original building.

Prior to that we go back to at least 1890 when a village map shows the location of an extensive building owned by L. (Ludon) Blodgett, groceries, provisions, meats, milk and ice cream.

In 1921 P. A. Flanagan sold the creamery business to Will White, who operated it until 1931 when it was sold to Mr. Scanlon, who removed the creamery from the premises.

This creamery was one of the first to pasteurize milk, which they did in 1926.

40 Years Ago – May 25, 1983

A slaughterhouse and meat packing plant on Stone Quarry Rd bit the dust Friday morning when the Cazenovia Town Board refused to permit a zone change that had been requested by Edward and Nancy Kaldowski of Lowville.

The Kaldowskis had asked that three acres of a 35 acre tract that they planned to buy from the Nourse estate be rezoned from residential to industrial to accommodate their proposed venture.

The area, opposite the Madison County Landfill transfer station, was found by the Cazenovia Advisory Conservation Commission to be environmentally sensitive, and the commission strongly opposed the proposed change.

Mr. Kaldowski, who attended a public hearing held by the town board May 9, said that he had not thoroughly investigated the soil qualities at the site and added that he did not want to upset the neighbors.

trauma and apply them to all of us, especially the adults.

In the next couple of weeks, you’ll hear plenty about the stakes involved in various league, sectional, regional and state tournaments.

What happens on these fields, diamonds, track ovals, tennis courts and golf courses will, heaven willing, resonate for decades in the minds and hearts of those involved.

They also have great perspectives, though, and in a flash they’ll tell you that what counts, as much as any medal or plaque or accomplishment, is the great times, bonds and friendships forged in these young days, some permanent, some temporary, but never forgotten.

Some lacrosse players wearing Fulton red and green will take much more with them. Not only will they hold the precious and beautiful memory of Rylie Bartlett in their hearts, they will have left behind, for all of us, an exemplary lesson on what a real victory looks like.

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

among residents are development pressure, including the future use of the 101 acres on Fenner Road that are contiguous to the village and the separate parcel across the road on Fenner Street.

In addition, there is a desire for more understanding of the planning process in the village and town, particularly in light of the ongoing developments on Burton and Fenner Street.

Another concern that I was previously unaware of was voiced by residents of the Carriage Garden Apartments on Carriage Lane which were sold in the recent past by Empire Management Company. This change leaves many residents unsettled about increasing rent, buildings and grounds maintenance and long term upkeep.

Vehicle speeding is a perennial issue in most communities. Some residents want to add to the 30 MPH zones as you approach the village from the town that are already in place in certain areas. In general, everyone wants speeding curtailed from a safety standpoint.

Finally, I have heard too many residents state that they feel the community is changing in ways that they do not like. This particular topic is likely the most complex as it involves some tangible issues like development, business vitality, tra ffi c, environmental concerns and aesthetics. The other component involves how residents treat each other when a contentious issue is at hand. Few want to get involved or share their opinion for fear of in-person criticism or that which is shared on social media. I am cognizant this is a societal issue, but within Cazenovia all of us, myself included, can and should work to be more tolerant of di ff ering opinions.

We have shown time and time again during the most heartbreaking and challenging times in Cazenovia’s history that we as a community can and do come together like no other to care for our friends and neighbors when in need.

There is a lot going on in Cazenovia right now and yes, there are concerns among residents. With hard work, cooperation and kindness I believe Cazenovia’s best days are ahead. I am eager to take on the issues facing our community, to listen intently to residents and business owners and to encourage everyone to help in some way to maintain the greatness of our hometown. Please mark your calendar to vote on June 20.

I welcome feedback by e-mail, if preferred, and your comments will remain in confidence.

My e-mail is ttait@twcny.rr.com

thoMAS tAIt

Candidate for Cazenovia village trustee

CROSSWORD

Boys tennis wins sectional C-1 title

By Phil BlACkwEll

It proved to be close to a clean sweep for the Cazenovia boys tennis team as it rolled to the Section III Class C-1 championship last Wednesday at Utica Parkway Courts. The Lakers claimed all three singles titles, with Traian Cherciu leading the way in first singles. Cherciu did not drop a set as he beat Kenny Relyea (Canastota) 6-2, 6-1 and Jassim Zaman (Manlius Pebble Hill) 6-0, 6-1 to reach the finals, where he topped Holland Patent’s Jeff Dewar 6-3, 6-4.

Moving to second singles, Garret Lounsbury was also a top seed – and also rolled to victory, getting past Lincoln Pelc (Vernon-VeronaSherrill) 6-0, 6-4 and Nick Hetzner (Lowville) 6-0, 6-1 on his way to a 6-0, 6-2 sweep of MPH’s Alex Fung in the championship round.

Gabe Reagan completed the sweep in third singles, also without surrendering a set. Reagan blanked Errol Fern (Marcellus) 6-0, 6-0 and beat David Fayle (Lowville) 6-4, 6-0, leading to a final and a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Holland Patent’s Chris Kelly.

On the doubles side, Cazenovia took second doubles thanks to Cy Laurie and Ethan Camp,

who as a no. 2 seed claimed straight-set wins over teams from Lowville and Marcellus before a big comeback in the final.

Trailing by a set to MPH’s Andy Lurvey and Sam Lurvey, and facing a second-set tiebreaker, Laurie and Camp roared back to win it 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.

Only in first doubles did Cazenovia not prevail, but the team of Evan Molloy and Max Reger got to the final before Skaneateles’ Max Karpinski and Peter Salzhauer beat them 6-0, 4-6, 6-2.

Not stopping here, Cazenovia then went into the sectional state qualifying tournament and, against Class C-2 champion Sauquoit Valley, put together a 5-0 victory to advance.

Lounsbury, in singles, blanked Quincy Slayton 6-0, 6-0, with Cherciu routing Bryan DeGironimo 6-1, 6–0 and Reagan working past Lucian Thompson 6-0, 6-4.

Then, in doubles, Molloy and Reger beat Colin Jones and Zack Murphy in three sets, with Camp and Laurie handling Bryce Petteys and Vitaly Chmukh 6-4, 6-3.

Up in the sectional Class B tournament, Chittenango had one strong showing following an 8-5 regular season.

nEt MAStERS: the Cazenovia boys tennis team rolled to the Section iii Class C-1 championship last Wednesday in Utica, claiming four of the five divisions and finishing second in the other.

The Bears’ Seth Boulter reached the finals in third singles, helped by a 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 win over Jamesville-DeWitt’s Dean Bratslavsky, before he lost in the final 6-0, 6-0 to Oneida’s Ryan Lusher.

Logan Bronner finished fourth in first

singles, with Micah Alpuerto falling in the second singles quarterfinals. Seamus Gardner and Vincent DiNatale lost in the first doubles quarterfinal round, as did Noah Edwards and Kyle Wehrlin in second doubles.

Caz boys track wins at OHSL Liberty meet

By Phil BlACkwEll

What started in the regular season continued for the Cazenovia boys track and field team as the post-season got underway.

Earning 229 points, the Lakers nearly lapped the field at last Monday’s Onondaga High School League Liberty Small School Championships at Marcellus, with Skaneateles second by earning 118 points.

Branden McColm went 1,600 meters in four minutes, 50.30 seconds and went 1-2 with Will Austin (4:53.75), and would also prevail in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, going 11:05.37 to pull away. In the 800, McColm was second in 2:08.53, beaten by

Jaden Kaplan’s winning 2:07.02.

Connor Frisbie won multiple events, going 16.88 seconds to take the 110 high hurdle as Sean Wilcox was third in 17.72, while also winning the triple jump by going 40 feet 9 inches, Wyatt Scott third in 37’6 1/4”.

In the long jump, Frisbie was second with 19’1 1/4”, just 1/4 of an inch behind Skaneateles’ Max Paciorek (19’1 1/2”), with Braden Carnahan fifth at 18’6 1/4”.

Kaplan returned in the 4x400 relay helping Dan Raymond, Eliot Comeau and Tristian Field-Bradley take the 4x400 relay in 3:40.61, beating the field by nearly seven seconds.

J.P. Hoak went 11.86 seconds in the 100-meter dash to edge Marcellus’ An-

drew McCaffrey (11.90), with Finn Worthington fourth (12.24). In the 400-meter dash, Raymond prevailed in 52.49, Comeau taking third in 53.97 and Tristan Field-Bradley fifth in 54.92 as Hoak was second in the 200-meter dash in 24.20 seconds, with Worthington (24.82) sixth.

McColm, Austin, Caleb Gilmore and J.D. Dolly prevailed in the 4x800 relay in 8:47.54, beating out Phoenix (8:51.61). Hoak, Worthington, Wyatt Scott and Charlie Compeau were third in the 4x100 relay in 47.25 seconds.

Killian Blouin was second in the pole vault with 10’6” to McCaffrey’s 11 feet as Gilmore (8’6”) was seventh. Comeau topped 5’8”in the high jump, second to Skaneateles’ Max Paciorek (5’10”) as

Frisbie was fourth, Sam Wilcox throwing the discus 111’6” for second place to Skaneateles’ Will Feeney (119’9”) as Aidan Bailey was eighth.

Will Schimer went 1:05.88 for second place in the 400 hurdles as Gabe Sanchez got sixth place in 1:08.49. Owen Woodworth picked up 1,740 points for fourth place in the pentathlon, with Hoak sixth in the shot put with 35’9”. Jake Woolbert, in 11:09.34, edged out Chris Kelly (11:09.70) for third in the 3,200-meter run.

Moving on from this, Cazenovia saw McColm win the steeplechase at Friday’s Cicero-North Syracuse Invitational, his time of 10:45.97 the only one under the 11-minute mark.

Cazenovia baseball runs win streak to seven

By Phil BlACkwEll

Regardless of what happens in the Section III Class B playoffs, it’s already proven a memorable spring for the Cazenovia baseball team.

And those memories continued to get built last week, partially due to the Lakers dominating its neighbors from Chittenango and cruising to a 12-2 victory over the Bears.

Steadily, Cazenovia got away, scoring twice in the first inning and three times each of the next three innings while accumulating 12 hits, three of them by Jack Byrnes, who doubled,

walked and got two RBIs. Jacob Szalach singled and drove in three runs, with Dan Bliss getting two RBIs. Jack Donlin, Sully Clarke and Taven Reilley had one RBI apiece.

Donlin only gave up a pair of Chittenango runs in the bottom of the third driven home by Andrew Kielbasa’s single. That was one of just four hits the Bears managed, Donlin accumulating 10 strikeouts in his five innings of work.

A day earlier, in its Lakers duel with Skaneateles, Cazenovia got the best of it with yet another spectacular all-around performance by Byrnes in an 8-3 victory.

Skaneateles entered the game having won five in a row, but Byrnes, pitching for the first time since his May 9 no-hitter against CBA, only allowed three hits this time while striking out 12. Even bigger was what Byrnes did at the plate, hitting his third home run of the season, adding a single and finishing with four RBIs. Clarke also had a pair of hits and scored three times as Jacob Grevelding managed three hits and an RBI.

The drama returned on Friday when Cazenovia staged a stirring late-game comeback to beat Solvay 10-7 for its seventh straight win

and third consecutive 15-win season.

The Bearcats jumped out 5-0 in the first two innings and were still up 7-4 through five, but Cy Abbott settled down and, in 4 1/3 innings of relief, only allowed two hits to keep the game close.

Cazenovia then netted a run in the sixth and, trailing 7-5, broke through for five runs in the top of the seventh to go in front, Donlin earning three hits as Dan Bliss and Nico Seagall each scored twice. Byrnes not only got two hits, but pitched a scoreless seventh inning of relief to end it.

Caz girls lacrosse falls to Westhill, General Brown

By Phil BlACkwEll

A busy closing stretch of the regular season for the Cazenovia girls lacrosse team did not start on a good note.

Up against Westhill last Monday night, the Lakers found itself overwhelmed on both ends, leading to a 20-3 defeat.

Riley Knapp scored twice in the fist half and Julia Reff added a goal, with Katie Rajkowski, Maren Smith and Charlie

Prior each picking up assists.

Even with that, though, Westhill went up 11-3 by halftime and blanked Cazenovia the rest of the way. Olivia Lints had seven saves as, for Westhill, Adelaide Lowery scored five times, with Rosemary Mahoney, Kara Rosenb erger and Karly Dillobaugh getting three goals apiece.

Cazenovia rebounded on Wednesday night with a 12-9 victory over VernonVerona-Sherrill, the Lakers getting out in

front 7-4 by halftime and then equaling everything the Red Devils produced in the late going.

Reff scored four times, contributing an assist, and the rest was spread around well as Rajkowski, Knapp, Prior and Madison DeAngelis each got two goals and Smith had two assists. Eliza Smith recorded five saves.

Playing one more time at home Friday night, Cazenovia welcomed General

Brown, and despite a solid offensive effort again found itself taking a defeat, 15-11, to the Lions.

Rajkowski and Knapp carried Cazenovia’s attack for long stretches, with Rajkowski scoring six times and Knapp three times. DeAngelis and Hayden Bubble both had one goal and one assist, while GB got five goals from Trinity Stowell, four goals from Alivia Cross and three goals from Ava Dupee.

Cazenovia girls golf takes third at OHSL tourney

By Phil BlACkwEll

Twice in the span of less than a week, the Cazenovia and Chittenango girls golf teams would go through their post-season tournaments. It began with last Wednesday’s Richard Winstead Onondaga High School League

championships at Woodcrest, where the Lakers rose all the way to third place with a team total of 462 as the Bears were fifth with 507.

This was Cazenovia’s best finish in the league tournament since 2017, and wasn’t far from the runner-up total of 448 from Marcellus as Christian Brothers Academy, unbeaten in the regular season, easily claimed the team

title with 361.

Shooting a 102 for 18 holes, the Lakers’ Claire Marris claimed seventh place, CBA’s Hana Kang (84) edging Manlius Pebble Hill’s Amitees Fazeli (85) for top honors.

Isabella Fazio also made it to the top 10, claiming 10th place with her 111, while Grace Probe finished 17th at 123. Chittenango’s best

total came from Ava Hohl, whose 118 tied for 13th place.

Back on Monday, Chittenango lost 183249 to CBA as Alea Morris shot a 54, Abby VanDee had a 63 and 66s were recorded by Rory Beckwith, Emma Stanek and Kaelyn Rudd, all behind the Brothers’ 41 from Anna Fuller and 43 from Grace Catalano.

Caz lacrosse battles in losses to Skaneateles, CBA

By Phil BlACkwEll

As it prepares for the Section III Class C playoffs, the Cazenovia boys lacrosse team can take some comfort in knowing that its defense is capable of containing a high-caliber opponent. This is what happened in last Monday’s game at the Sean Googin Sports Complex, when the two Laker rivals got together and Cazenovia more than held its own for long stretches of a 6-4 defeat to Skaneateles.

Right from the outset, it was clear that both

teams would struggle to find the net. Some of it was due to poor shooting, but more of it was a result of defenses forcing those shots off target.

Playing one of his best games of the season, Cazenovia goalie Tucker Ives recorded 16 saves, which equaled the total the two Skaneateles netminders, Jack Marquardt and Luke Logan, put up, each of them playing a half.

Helped by three goals from Forrest Ives and a goal from D.B. Falge, Cazenovia had it tied, 4-4, going to the fourth quarter, but was kept off the board the final 12 minutes.

Skaneateles got the go-ahead goal and tacked on an insurance tally, overcoming Cazenovia’s focus on Grayson Brunelle (he was held to one assist) thanks to two goals and three assists from Sean Kerwick as Devon Gryzlo also scored twice. Single goals went to Ethan Hunt and Charlie Carbonaro. At Alibrandi Stadium on Thursday night, Cazenovia took on Christian Brothers Academy, and its attack could never get going as it lost to the Brothers 14-5.

CBA kept Cazenovia off the board until a

single second-quarter tally, and even then the Lakers found itself trailing 6-1 at the break and 11-2 through three quarters.

Forrest Ives would get a three-goal hat trick late, Bobby Livingston netting the other goals but the likes of Falge and Barnard shut out, aside from Barnard’s three assists.

While Tucker Ives made 13 saves, the Brothers leaned on Andrew Kohlbrenner, whose five goals equaled the entire Cazenovia output as he also got two assists. Joe Papa added three goals and two assists.

Caz girls track

rolls to league meet title again

By kuRt whEElER

The Cazenovia girls track and field team assembled one of its best performances of the spring on Monday, earning 22 new season bests and tying a school record as it scored 229 points to overwhelm second place Skaneateles (118) and four other teams for the Liberty League small schools title.

In all, the Lakers captured 27 slots on the all league team along the way as it earned the Liberty crown for the fifth time in a row.

Grace Dolan led the Lakers, earning four league honors, including a personal record, first place performance of exactly one minute in the 400-meter dash. She also led the 4x100 and 4x400 relays to first team honors and earned second team recognition with a 27.17 effort in the 200 meter dash.

Reid McMurtie was right on her heals, running a State Qualifier time of 1:01.09 for second in the 400 sprint and anchoring the 4x400 meter (1:01.0 leg) to its season best time of 4:13.02 with Alyssa Wardell and Meghan Mehlbaum also adding fast legs. Caitlyn Smithers, Audie Spring and Sophie Rheaume joined Dolan in the first place 4x100 effort, as they clocked 53.01.

Smithers not only earned individual first-team honors in the pole vault, but tied the school record of 9 feet 6 inches along the way. Fellow record-holder Susie Pittman, who reached 9’6” last season, was second in the league with a 9-foot effort. Smithers also scored in the 100 and 200meter dashes as Riley Knapp led the team in the 100 with a personal record time of 12.95 for second place.

Pittman earned first team honors of her own with a 33’2 1/2” effort in the triple jump and also scored in the high jump. Corinne Albicker led the charge in the long jump as she achieved a personal record of 15’11” for first place with Freshmen Wardell and Spring second and third for the Lakers at 15’5 1/2” each. Mehlbaum

led the way in the high jump, clearing 4’8” for second place.

Maddy Rothfeld continued to shine in the throws as she earned two third place finishes including a personal best effort of 86’1” in the discus. Olivia Morse also scored in the discus while Alayna Berson backed up Rothfeld in the shot put with a personal best toss of 25’2”.

Faith Wheeler led the team in the distance events, earning a pair of first team league honors as she ran to a personal record time of 5:11.66 in the 1,500 and returned to win the 800 in 2:33.63. Zoey Gagne captured second in the 3,000 in a personal best time of 12:04.71 along with a strong third place finish in the 1,500.

Dinah Gifford seized the league crown in the 2,000-meter steeplechase with a season best effort of 8:34.65 with Bonnie Pittman taking fifth in 9:11.79. Pittman also scored in both hurdle events.

Albicker (fourth place) led the team in the 100 meter hurdles with Mehlbaum (third) and Albicker (fourth place) both excelling at the 400 meter hurdles.

All three of the Cazenovia relays earned all league status as the 4x800 captured second in 10:37.88. Izzy Stromer-Galley led off with a huge personal best of 2:31.7, with Lily Kogut also earning a personal record at 2:38.5 before handing off to Lauren McLean and Julia Reff who anchored the strong finish.

Skye Stanford capped off Cazenovia’s impressive scoring effort with an all-league performance in the pentathlon, earning second place with a season best total of 1,440 points including new bests in both the 100 meter hurdles (20.79) and shot put (24-7).

The league meet win complemented the Lakers’ undefeated regular season title effort from last week. They had one final tune-up meet at last weekend’s 30th Annual “Junkyard” Relays hosted by Clinton before they attempt to defend their Section III Class B-2 crown this Thursday at Canastota.

LAKERS ON TOP AGAIN: The Cazenovia girls track and field team dominated Monday’s Onondaga High School League Liberty small-school division, picking up 229 points, nearly double the total of runner-up Skaneateles.

Golf builds character and sportsmanship…

On June 25-18, 2023, the US OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP will be played at the Los Angeles Country Club. It is the annual “open” national championship in the United States. The first US OPEN was played on October 4,1895 on a nine-hole course at the Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island. It was a 36-hole tournament and was played in one day. Only 10 professionals and one amateur were entered . The winner was a 21 year old Englishmen by the name of Horace Rawlins who had arrived in the US earlier that year to accept a position at the country club. He won $150 in cash out of a total purse of $335. Since 1898 the competition has been 72 holes of “stroke play”. It is staged and managed by the United States Golf Association (USGA). The US OPEN is open to any professional, or to any amateur with a USGA handicap index not exceeding 1.4. That means that if you can’t shoot…even par or under…about 50% of the time, you will probably never get the opportunity to play in the event, unless you become exempt by winning or coming in runner-up in one of several prestigious amateur tournaments the previous year or the current year. The exemptions for amateurs apply only if the players remain amateurs as of the tournament date, except for the US Amateur Champion. The USGA conducts 109 qualifying sites in 44 U.S. states and Canada.

I enjoyed watching golf on TV in my twenty’s and thirty’s, but when it was time for the US OPEN, it was more like the Super Bowl for me. The fact that both golf professionals and amateurs played in the same tournament, was absolutely captivating. I couldn’t get enough of it and I often thought about playing in one…so I could say I did. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. By the time I started playing “serious” competitive golf, I was already too old to compete with, shall we say, the more youthful “skilled” amateur golfers in their twenty’s and thirty’s. I was 42 years old before I won my first golf tournament and and I remember how excited I was when my name was announced as the winner. I was presented with a “green jacket”, (that I still possess), a $250 gift certificate and I was asked to speak to about 250 people, including the participants and their significant other. It was the beginning of a wonderful journey for me as an amateur golfer.

The only USGA amateur championship I attempted to play in was the Mid-Amateur Championship for golfers from 25-49 years of age, back then. I always regret not attempting to qualify for the US OPEN and attempting to break a course record. I heard about another

golfer who did shoot a course record 62, but the final outcome was not what you would expect…

One of the qualifying sites for this years US OPEN was played at the Illini Country Club in Springfield, Illinois last week. A fifth-year University of Illinois golfer, Tommy Kuhl, posted a course setting record of 62. This is truly remarkable. Unfortunately, Kohl’s goal of playing in a US OPEN will have to wait another year before attempting to qualify again. The qualifier at Illini Country Club was played with the greens that were “aerated” and Tommy repaired several aeration marks during his round. The USGA Rules of Golf allow for players to repair “almost” any damage on the green, (Rule 13.1c(2)). That rule does permit players to repair aeration marks, unless, “local rules are enacted”. Kuhl said, he was reminded of the rule by a teammate at the event and subsequently reported the violation to a USGA rules official. “I felt sick to my stomach after realizing I committed a violation”, Kuhl said. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I didn’t tell the rules official. I should know better. It comes down to me. I should know that rule. Khul was having another interview with the Golf Channel when he said, “I tell people it’s all on me. It’s not the tournament directors fault or the people running the tournament or the course or superintendent. It’s all on me. I should know the Rules of Golf. Yeah, the rules are pretty silly at times, but I should know the rules”.

Congratulations to Tommy Kuhl for his record setting score of 62 in a USGA qualifier for the 2023 US OPEN, but, more importantly, his self-reporting of the violation to the USGA rules official. Fifty years from now Tommy Kuhl will be known more for his character and sportsmanship by self-reporting his violation than his 62.

“For when the one great scorer comes to mark against your name, he marks not that you won or lost, but how you played the game”. Grantland Rice