Library launches community quilting project

By kAtE Hill Staff Writer

This spring, the Cazenovia Public Library & Museum (CPL) has been working with the Towpath Quilt Guild to organize a community quilting project in preparation for the CazArts September Autumn Leaves Arts Festival.

According to CPL Adult Programming and Service Coordinator Renee Joseph, the goal of the project is to produce a quilt banner to hang in the library, and community members can contribute in a few different ways.

Experienced quilters are invited to make 10 in. x 10 in. autumn leaf quilt blocks at home and drop them off at the library by Aug. 11. A pattern will be available at the front desk to serve as a guide, but quilters are welcome to put their own creative spins on their blocks.

The library is also accepting donations of batik and cotton fabric that can be used by CPL staff to create quilt square kits for community members to pick up at the circulation desk. CPL is requesting that all the fabric be fall colors and measure at least 6 in. x 6 in. Donations will be accepted through June 15.

Registration for the quilt square kits begins on June 12, and kit pick-up begins on July 5.

The Betsy Kennedy Community Room is reserved for July 20, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., to give novice quilters of all ages the opportunity to receive assistance making their blocks from experienced Towpath guild members.

Every square will be signed by the individual who made it, and once all the squares have been collected, the guild members will connect them to form the Community Quilt Banner.

According to Joseph, the guild has already helped the library by creating a simplified template of a leaf pattern and by contributing a few squares.

“I’m really excited about the project,” said Joseph. “I think it will be a fun community [effort].”

The completed banner will be on display in the library starting Sept. 1. Additionally, CazArts President Geoffrey Navias will be displaying quilts from CPL’s archives and other community quilts in the CPL Art Gallery throughout September.

There will also be a special quilt display in the community room from Sept. 15-19 featuring the works of local quilting artist Sharon Bottle Souva.

A special reception will be held on Friday, Sept. 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. for the community to view the quilts in both the art gallery and community room.

On Sept. 19, at 6:30 p.m., Souva, who has been making quilts since 1976, will share her extensive knowledge and some of her quilted creations during a program in the community room.

The library will show the 1995 American drama film “How to Make an American Quilt” with Winona Ryder, Anne Bancroft, and Ellen Burstyn on Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. in the community room.

Refreshments will be served, and a discussion will follow.

CPL’s “Connecting Collections” open book group will meet ning Comedian & Drag Superstar” Anita Buffem, the festivities will include lawn games, face painting, food trucks, local vendors, recognition of the Amy Bradstreet Ally of the Year Award winner, remarks by Reverend Anna C Gheen from the First Presbyterian Church of Cazenovia and other leaders, and music by the 10-piece party band Nik and the Nice Guys. Barr, who is coordinating the festival with Gheen, Cazenovia Pride Vice President Lori Lewis, Tammy Tanner, Meg Tobin, and Maria Henneberg, described Nik and the Nice Guys as a perfect fit for the festival. He explained that the band’s diverse musical repertoire appeals to a wide range of musical tastes, and its positive and fun energy aligns perfectly with Cazenovia

Submitted photo the Cazenovia Public library & Museum is organizing a community quilting project in preparation for the CazArts September Autumn leaves Arts Festival. Community members are invited to make 10 in. x 10 in. autumn leaf quilt blocks that will eventually be connected to form a banner. on Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss “The Runaway Quilt” by Jennifer Chiaverini. Copies of the book will be available at the front desk the first week of September. The ongoing Connecting Collections book club series pairs each book selection with an exploration of related items from CPL’s museum and archive collections. The group meets every other month, and all are welcome.

Throughout September, CPL’s children’s activities will also be based on the traditional quilt block and will include coloring, paper, and felt crafts.

According to Joseph, the library decided to focus its contribution to the community-wide September Autumn Leaves Arts Festival on quilts and the fabric arts for a few reasons.

“The Cazenovia Art Trail has a lot of other fine arts, like pottery,

Pride’s mission of bringing people of all backgrounds together and creating an atmosphere of joy and camaraderie.

“Their high-energy music and charismatic stage presence naturally inspire people to let loose, dance, and connect with one another, which breaks down barriers, creating a sense of unity among our diverse audience,” said Barr, who is planning to perform a number or two with the band. “The biggest takeaway with this is the number of donations given from our community that made it possible to book a band of this size along with professional sound and tech. It is a symbol of our local community’s understanding of the importance of pride and what that encompasses. It literally could not have happened otherwise. . . Together, we are making a resounding statement of love, painting, and things like that, so I thought fabric arts would be a nice addition,” said Joseph. “[Quilts] are also cozy for fall and very representative of our area.”

If you live in Madison County, your local Boy Scout Troops and Packs are benefiting from support services, character development programming and leadership training funded by donations to The Leatherstocking Council.

On average, our Eagle Scouts alone (4% of all Scouts) are providing 190 community service hours to more than sixty other local nonprofit organizations each year!

If you would like to help recruit or support more Scouts in Madison County, please text the word LOCALSCOUTS to (844) 615-4269.

She added that she was also inspired by a 2021 visit to the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, where she viewed the exhibit “Threads Across Time” by Sarah Bond, who is known for her quilt-making inspired by modern design.

As the September Autumn Leaves Arts Festival approaches, the full four-week calendar of events will be posted on the CazArts website at cazarts.com.

To learn more about the Towpath Quilt Guild, visit towpathquiltguild.org.

Upcoming adult programs

On June 8, CPL will host a Brain Health and Alzheimer’s acceptance, and unity that will reverberate throughout our community and beyond.”

As of May 30, nearly 100 community members had donated to the cause, according to Barr.

The event is sponsored by Community Bank, Eagle News, The Rusty Rooster 315, and H. Grey Supply Co., which is co-owned by Barr. Several other local businesses and organizations are also actively working to support the LGBTQ+ community throughout the month of June.

“These are folks that are going above and beyond hanging a pride flag and claiming allyship,” said Barr. “Joining forces with BRiDGES & the Madison Co. LGBTQ+ Network, we are taking pride celebrations to a whole new level by integrating ‘Madison County Pride’ with the fabulous Cazenovia Pride. Together, we are igniting a spark that will create inclusivity and unity. BRiDGES & the Madison Co. LGBTQ+ Network are generously supplying us with an array of fun-filled items to pass out during the parade, ensuring that everyone gets to revel in the excitement. In addition to marching in the parade, they will have a prominent presence at Lakeland Park for the festivities.”

To kick off Pride Month, Meier’s Creek Brewing Company hosted “Caz Pride Drag

Awareness program at 6 p.m. in the community room.

On June 21, Dr. Juhanna Rogers, the 2021/2022 Stone Quarry Hill Art Park artist in residence, will speak about her interactive outdoor performative installation called “Queendom” at 6 p.m. in the CPL Reference Room. A selection of her work will be displayed in the art gallery.

On July 8, CPL is sponsoring a tour of the Oneida Community Mansion House and the Liberty Tabletop flatware manufacturing facility in Sherrill, NY. Transportation will be provided. The group will leave the library at 9 a.m. and return to Cazenovia at 2 p.m. Registration and a $10 cash or check returnable deposit are required.

For more information on these and other events, visit cazenoviapubliclibrary.org.

Bingo” and “Comedy at the Creek: Pride Edition.”

On Friday, June 9 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., H. Grey Supply Co. will host a special “LGBTQ+ Youth & Family Meet Up.”

“We love these much-needed get-togethers,” said Barr. “They’re an evening of connections, support, and an overwhelming sense of belonging. . . We’re also thrilled to announce our return to Madison County Distillery. Their unwavering support shines brightly as they have graciously donated their space for our ‘Family Pride Kick Off’ happening on Friday, June 16 [at 6 p.m.]. Get ready to come together with your loved ones, #ChosenFaimly, and celebrate the beauty of love and diversity in an unforgettable setting.” pond. When the FCC decided to disband, its most recent president, Mat Weber, approached CPF about accepting the pond property as a donation. The club also donated the remainder of its assets to CPF to support the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the property.

In celebration of Pride, Nelson Creamery and H. Grey are offering “The H. Grey Lavender Love” ice cream at both shop locations with ten percent off at Nelson Creamery when customers make a purchase at H. Grey from June 16-18.

For more information on the 2023 Cazenovia Pride Fest, visit hgreysupplyco.com/events or the “Cazenovia Pride” Facebook page.

Donations to “Cazenovia Pride” can be made at hgreysupplyco.com to support the creation of inclusive events for everyone in the community.

“In considering the potential acquisition, CPF evaluated the opportunities for public access for fishing, birding, and quiet recreation,” the Upland Journal states. “In addition to the serene and scenic setting, the pond is also the headwaters of Munger Brook, a tributary to Chittenango Creek, an important trout stream.”

CPF closed on the property in April 2023 and is now developing a management plan to address short- and mid-term maintenance needs, plans for signage, and other amenities.

According to CPF, a map will be posted to show public access areas as well as those areas along the pond shoreline that are privately owned and therefore not available for public recreation.

The Fenner Conservation Club Pond will be open to the public from dawn until dusk for birding, fishing, picnicking, and quiet recreation. Swimming and motorized boating are prohibited.

The pond is now one of seventeen properties owned by CPF, according to the Upland Journal, and the organization is planning a “grand opening” to be held later this summer. the Meadows conservation easement

The Upland Journal also reports that CPF currently holds 25 conservation easements on agricultural lands and natural habitats and 11 easements that have terms protecting historical architectural resources.

In 2022, CPF worked with Russ and Lisa Brownback to place conservation easements on both the 29-acre Meadows Estate on Rippleton Road and the 56-acre undeveloped property, Meadows Field, immediately to the south. The field was recently purchased by the Brownbacks and is currently grazed by a herd owned by Albanese Longhorns. Until recently, it was owned by descendants of the Lincklaen and Hubbard families.

According to CPF, the project achieves the following: “Prevents the potential for future sub-division and development of a historically significant property; protects agricultural lands important to the operations at the Meadows Farm, also protected by CPF; protects a large tract of natural habitat and wetland areas along Chittenango Creek; preserves the greenbelt at the southern gateway into the village of Cazenovia; and represents a critical linkage in a future large-scale trail connectivity project.”

Gianforte Farm conservation easement

In December 2022, CPF added 471 acres of “important agricultural land” to its conservation portfolio through a purchase of development rights project with Gianforte Farm.

Headquartered on East Lake Road, the farm grows a variety of organic grains that are sold wholesale or milled on-farm into products such as rolled oats and flour.

The project was funded through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Farmland Protection Implementation Grant Program and will permanently conserve the prime agricultural soils.

Burlingame Meadow and the “Bring the Note to Rest Campaign”

During the annual meeting, CPF announced a new capital campaign aimed at raising a total of $25,000.

In 2015, when the Burlingame Meadow property was listed for sale, CPF launched a capital campaign and was able to raise most of the funds needed to purchase the property to provide parking and permanent public access to CPF’s popular Burlingame-Fairchild Trails. While most of the purchase was covered through gifts from neighbors and CPF members, CPF financed the remainder with a mortgage, which is the organization’s only debt obligation today.

Last August, CPF welcomed a Symphoria string quartet to the property for the first “Music in the Meadow” event.

Given the success of the event, CPF is planning to present the evening concert in the meadow again this summer on Aug. 19 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Between now and the 2023 Music in the Meadow, CPF will be working to settle its debt so it can pursue other conservation projects.

With support from two donors, gifts will be matched 1:1 up to $12,000. According to the organization, any additional funds raised through the “Bring the Note to Rest Campaign” will be added to CPF’s Mission Fund, a reserve fund used to advance critical conservation objectives and secure important conservation properties.

“A musical rest is the open space between notes, an absence of sound that contributes to the musical composition,” the Upland Journal states. “Just as the composer cannot overlook the importance of these empty spaces between the notes, our community, as stewards of this land, cannot overlook the importance of the open spaces in our landscape. They are essential to our experience of Cazenovia.”

Today, CPF manages approximately eight miles of all-season public trails on the 358 acres of protected lands in the Burlingame-Fairchild Hill area.

On June 3, 2023, CPF celebrated National Trails Day by teaming up with Meier’s Creek Brewing Company and focusing on the Burlingame-Fairchild Trails.

Upcoming events

Each year, CPF hosts numerous community events, including Poetry on the Trail, Walks ‘N Talks, Walk Among the Spirits, and the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot.

Over the next few months, the organization will continue its community engagement efforts by inviting the public to join in several educational and recreational activities.

On Saturday, June 17, at 8:30 a.m., avid birder and former CPF board president Jim Steinberg will lead a guided walk-through of the Burlingame Meadow to identify the locations of the 2023 bobolink nesting sites as part of the Walks ‘N Talks Birding Series. On the last Thursday of the month from April through October, weather permitting, community members are invited to join CPF board members, staff, and other volunteers for Trail Work Thursdays. Spend an hour or two beautifying the community’s trails, then grab a refreshment at a local establishment. The group meets at the St. Peter’s Church parking lot, 10 Mill St. at 4:30 p.m. to collect tools and divide into work crews before heading out. RSVP to jwong@cazpreservation.org.

Children are invited to join nature educator Amy Kochem at the Burlingame Meadow to learn some fun facts about fireflies on July 5 from 8 to 9 p.m. as part of the Walks ‘n Talks Kids’ Discovery Series.

Additionally, CPF will present its biennial fall gala event at Owera Vineyards in Cazenovia on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, from 7 to 10 p.m. Catering will be provided by the Brewster Inn.

To learn more about these and other events, visit cazpreservation.org/events.

New board members and awards

The CPF Board of Directors consists of volunteers from the Cazenovia community who give their time and expertise to further the mission of the organization. Elections are held at the annual meeting each May.

This year, the board welcomed Jocelyn Gavitt and McKenzie Houseman.

According to the Upland Journal, Gavitt, who has lived in Cazenovia since 2001, is a licensed landscape architect specializing in site design and community planning. She has worked with numerous communities on projects and programs that build on and promote their natural assets in the public sphere. As president of the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, she worked to implement the GoCaz program, which included GIS mapping, trail and park signage, and a website to connect people to local recreational activities. Gavitt teaches design studios in landscape architecture and community planning at SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry. She is also the executive director of the Hamilton-area nonprofit organization Partnership for Community Development.

Houseman has strong ties to the Cazen- ovia community that extend back generations. Both sets of her grandparents raised their families in Cazenovia, and she and several of her family members started their businesses locally. Houseman owns 20|EAST & Cazenovia Cut Block, her grandfather Henry Grey Barr opened the Brae Loch Inn in 1946, and her cousin Travis Barr is co-owner of H. Grey Supply Co. Houseman earned her undergraduate degree at SUNY Oswego and her master’s in elementary & special education at LeMoyne College, and she has served on the boards of both the Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce and Madison County Tourism.

The CPF Board of Directors also bid farewell to former treasurer Craig Buckhout, who provided CPF with many years of financial leadership and service. According to Wong, Buckhout plans to stay involved as a member of the finance committee.

On May 30, CPF also presented the following awards:

Restoration Award –James and McKenna Parke for their historic barn renovation at 3790 Number Nine Rd. Stewardship Award – John and Beezie Madden for the quality, care, and design of their farm for retired show horses, including Olympic and World Cup equines, off Erieville Road.

Community Service Award – Ken Reger, Ken Edkins, and George Belton for constructing five new trail kiosks.

Community Service Award – Gary Mason for his continued stewardship of the Burlingame properties, from mowing and trimming to picking up trash and removing fallen trees from the trails.

The annual meeting also provided the community with information regarding topics such as stewardship program upgrades, updates to the CPF Strategic Land Conservation Plan, 2022 and 2023 grant awards, and the status of the Gorge Trail Gateway project, which is aimed at improving trail access to the CPF Gorge Trail at the Buyea’s parking lot entrance. The Spring 2023 Upland Journal and additional information on CPF can be found at cazpreservation.org.