Project CAFÉ announces July 4 parade, footraces planned

Project CAFÉ, in cooperation with the Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce and the Village of Cazenovia, have announced that the annual July 4th Parade will take place at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4th.

The parade will form on Green Street heading west toward Nickerson and on Emory Avenue beginning at 12:30 on the 4th. This celebration is open to all members of the greater Cazenovia community.

Email Project CAFÉ at cazprojectcafe@gmail.co m, call 655-9380 or contact the chamber for more information.

Those interested can also celebrate America’s independence by taking part in a great July 4th tradition, the Cazenovia footraces.

The Syracuse Chargers and Cazenovia High School Cross Country and Volleyball teams will offer their full array of 10 mile, 5K and 1 mile races this July 4th. The 10 mile race will begin at 8 a.m. this year to beat the heat, it starts on Forman Street. The 3.1 mile race will kick off from its Emory Avenue start line at 8:15 am on the 4th and the kids’ 1 mile fun run will begin on Emory Avenue at 8:20 a.m.

Runners can go to runsignup.com/ Race/NY/Cazenovia/CazJuly4thFootRace s or Google “Caz July 4th Race” to sign up or learn more.

Sign up today to get the best pricing and guarantee a race tee shirt.

This will be the 50th annual running of the event, also known as the Dan Sutton Memorial Race, and is one of the oldest races in Central New York. The race is a huge part of the July 4th tradition in Cazenovia and helps to raise money for Cazenovia sports teams as well as the Charger’s athletic opportunities for local run ners.

Cazenovia will celebrate July 4 with traditions like the parade and footraces.

Submitted photoS

Bat in the house

There are many other creatures we live with, whether we realize it or not and for that matter, whether we like it or not.

There are those things that it is nice to step outside and observe such as birds or maybe deer, squirrels, chipmunks and butterflies and fireflies and other species of wildlife.

And there are those animals we are less enthused to see. For some this can be mice or even creatures like bees or spiders, species we know serve important functions, but still we do not necessarily enjoy them being around us.

Among those animals we know are around but more often than not we don’t really have to give too much consideration to are bats.

When we encounter a bat outside, flying through the backyard for example this can be uncomfortable, but more often than not the encounters that inspire the most concern are when a bat gets in the house.

The concern is not simply that an animal has gotten into the house but the concern connected with the possibility of rabies, especially when we have been sleeping and can’t be sure one way or the other if we might have been bitten by the winged intruder.

We also have to worry about pets and children who may have encountered the bat.

In New York State, only about 3% of bats have rabies, however treatment for rabies exposures is highest for situations involving uncaptured bats. On average a savings of $3,000 to $6,000 per person or more may be saved for each exposure when an animal that was available for testing is negative for rabies, avoiding unnecessary treatment.

If it is certain a bat did not bite or scratch a family member, testing may not be necessary, but if there is any concern that a child, elderly individual or other person may have had possible contact with the bat, it is always best to capture the bat rather than letting it go, and contacting your county health department. Test results are typically available in a few days. When a positive rabies result is detected, an individual begins postexposure treatment soon after. If left untreated, a bite or scratch from a rabies infected animal would be fatal to the person exposed.

You cannot get rabies from having contact with an animals stool, blood or urine. The rabies virus can spread to a person when an animal bite breaks skin. Follow these tips to avoid rabies exposures: Keep your pets current on their rabies vaccinations, including indoor house cats that may catch a bat in your home. Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly.

In the event a bat does get in the house it is recommended that if possible it is captured for testing as this could save a lot of time and trouble for humans.

To capture a bat it is recommended that people find a small container like a box or a large can, and a piece of cardboard large enough to cover the opening in the container. Punch small air holes in the cardboard. Put on leather work gloves. Confine the bat in a room. When the bat lands, approach it slowly and place the container over it. Slide the cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside. If you are certain there’s been no contact between the bat and any people or pets, carefully hold the cardboard over the container and take the bat outdoors and release it away from people and pets. If there’s any question about contact between the bat and people or pets, you want to save the bat for testing. Tape the cardboard to the container, securing the bat inside.

Rabies exposure is medically urgent but not an emergency. If afterhours, contact your county health department the next day to discuss the situation. Only your county health department may authorize testing and treatment for rabies.