ThE SpECiAl DiShES

We had a glassfronted cabinet that held the special dishes. I can’t remember if they had a pattern. I do think that there was a faux “gold” ring around the edge of each dish. My mother would caution us to wash them gently, lest we rub the gold ring off. They certainly weren’t Limoges or Wedgwood or Spode. Most likely they were from Sears or Monkey Wards (that is what my brother called Montgomery Wards.) One thing that set them apart was the variety of plates and serving pieces. There were luncheon plates, dessert plates, dinner plates, big platters and medium sized bowls and cups and saucers. All were neatly arranged along with what appeared to be silver salt and pepper shakers in the appropriately-named China cabinet, a display of “special.” The cabinet and its contents proved to be a telling contrast to the chairs in the living room that my dad made out of the wood from packing crates. We only used the good dishes on Thanksgiving, and that was when we lived in Brooklyn and were surrounded by family. Even though our row house was narrow, it was still able to accommodate the Smithwicks and Toms families on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving and the dishes on which it was served were an integral part of the rituals of our family. When we moved north, out of the city, we still celebrated Thanksgiving, but without the good dishes. The China cabinet and the dishes were stored somewhere because there wasn’t enough room in that little house on Ogden Road for them.

Then our extended family was represented by my Aunt Lucy who lived in Athens, N.Y., a bit closer to Carmel than Brooklyn. But again, this new house was small. You could get eight people around the table if

Thanks for your support

To the editor: We would like to take a moment to thank all of the people who helped make the 2023 Cazenovia Pride Festival a success again this year. It was the biggest and best yet! Pride events play an important role in providing visibility, acceptance, and support to LGBTQ+ youth. Pride events like this one create safe spaces where LGBTQ+ youth and adults can find solace, connect with supportive communities, and embrace their authentic selves. This year’s festival aimed to show LGBTQ+ youth that they are seen, valued, and surrounded by unconditional love. Thank you to Chief Hayes, Bill Carr, Meg Tobin, Thorne Hall, Jason Pope-Bane, Mayor Wheeler, Sue Dady, Tammy Tanner, Nik & The Nice Guys, all of the volunteers and all of the people who donated time and/or money (or in any other way) to help us make it the party that it was! It was truly a place of safety, support and love! See you at the next Caz Pride event!

loRi A. lEwiS & TRAviS BARR Cazenovia Pride Committee

Swans

To the editor: I am writing regarding the event(s) of May 28-29th, 2023 (the killing of Faye, the swan).

Like everyone else, I am absolutely appalled that this happened and I am very concerned about the future safety of Manny as well as the cygnets.

I would like to see them placed in a safer place where they can be protected more effectively (maybe Rosamond Gifford Zoo or a sanctuary) where Manny and the cygnets can be safe but visited regularly. I am an animal lover and their safety is paramount to me and many others. I realize that

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Display Ads EB: Linda Jabbour, ext. 304, ljabbour@eaglenewsonline.com four of them, once seated, couldn’t move and didn’t mind the intimacy of your neighbor’s elbows. There we used the faux Blue Willow dishes, our everyday dishes that were given away at the local Grand Union. I don’t think we ever had enough glasses that matched unless you counted the juice glasses that once held pimento cheese spread. The “flatware,” your basic knives, dinner forks and spoons, were premiums that my mother and grandmother earned by collecting coupons from General Mills products.

I don’t remember ever having a centerpiece on our tables. The center of the table was for the food and the condiments. Centerpieces came later, after I had gone to college and met people who actually worried about how to set a table correctly and decorate it artistically. In addition to all of my college courses in history and anthropology, I was also studying which dishes and silverware went where on a correctly-set dinner table.

So, today I pondered the excess of dishes and flatware that we have in our house. Let’s start with our China cabinet. I have a set of Depression glass luncheon plates right next to a set of clear glass luncheon plates. They sit on the shelf above the full service for eight of Syracuse China, a gift to my husband from a colleague who had inherited the dishes from his mother-in-law. Across the dining room, the Hoosier holds eight Syracuse white China restaurant plates and eight Syracuse China restaurant cups and saucers purchased eons ago from the Syracuse China seconds store that used to be on Court Street in Syracuse.

And I am not counting the 20 fine China cups and saucers or the two demitasse sets that also reside in the Hoosier. When was the last

Manlius has had swans for over 100 years (I believe) and it is a nice tradition. However, we now live in a much more violent age. With people of all ages watching videos that kill animals and people without any repercussion, it desensitizes people to the killing of animals and humans. It makes them think that it’s ok to kill in real life. If this horrible event happened before, it can happen again!

I know that you have, or will have, cameras and a security system in place for the pond. However, security systems and cameras can be disabled/ destroyed. What good are security cameras if they only catch the event as it unfolds? I want to make sure action is taken to ensure safety BEFORE another such episode happens again. Even banks with highly sophisticated security systems have been dismantled and millions of dollars have been stolen. A security system with cameras is no absolute guarantee of safety for these beloved swans. This is going to cost the village of Manlius a fair amount of money over time and future weather events may tamper with this system, as well, making it a constant concern.

Why not make the pond area a type of mini-sanctuary for birds that can come and go at will (such as hummingbirds, cardinals, finches, chickadees and others) as well as butterflies, etc. by planting flowers, plants and placing bird feeders out that attract them to this area of Manlius? It could be a real draw for nature lovers of all sorts. A garden club, and the community, could contribute to this and it might be a really nice project to bring people together.

I just want to see the swans protected properly and the community to benefit, as well.

ChARlEnE

longo Cazenovia

time that I served anything in demitasse cups?

Finally we come to the dishes that we actually use, service for eight including dinner and luncheon plates, soup bowls and mugs, bought from Grants … remember Grants? They are white with a blue border and, more importantly, they are dishwasher safe, unlike the Syracuse China, the Depression glass and the 12 exquisite Limoges dessert dishes that reside next to the cups and saucers in the Hoosier.

Yesterday I had to resort to paper plates for lunch because our regular luncheon-sized dishes were in the dishwasher. Were there other similarly sized plates available? Sure, but using them would seem oddly strange. I do believe that they had acquired the status of the “good” dishes.

What would an anthropologist say about the burden of crockery, glassware and flatware that my family culture has created? I suspect there would be a lot to say about things like displaying wealth, conspicuous if not consumption, at least conspicuous display.

The tragic end of our Brooklyn “good dishes” can shed some light on this. When my mom and sister moved to St. Pete, the good dishes were released from wherever they were stored and displayed in another China cabinet in their home. After both passed on, we hired someone to sort through and sell what was left of their belongings. Items were identified with colored stickers. Yellow meant “junk.” The China cabinet and its contents displayed three yellow stickers.

As ever, value has its context.

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.

Years Ago in History

By CinDy BEll ToBEy

80 Years Ago – July 1, 1943

Picture of Theophilus Cazenovia, after whom Cazenovia was named, hangs in the Cazenovia Public Library. Below his picture is the Cazenovia banner presented by his family to the village at the time of the centennial. The banner was held in the custom’s house and arrived too late for the centennial. The banner has been framed with glass on both sides. On one side the banner has a ground work of blue silk and located in the center in grey is appliqued the de Cazenove coat-of-arms and in each corner also in grey is appliqued the Lincklaen coat-of-arms which consists of a swan and a star. The other side of the banner has a ground work of white silk on which are the flags of the United States, France and Holland and in the upper left-hand corner is the date 11-14 Juin, 1793-1893.

60 Years Ago – June 27, 1963

Our five-digit zip code is 13035, Postmaster Lester Hendrix announced today. “Everyone in Cazenovia please use this ZIP Code on all their correspondence to speed mail deliveries and reduce the chance of mis-sent mail,” Postmaster Hendrix said. ZIP Code, the Post Office Department’s revolutionary new system of improved mail dispatch and delivery, goes into effect nationally on July 1. Postmaster Hendrix stressed the importance of all citizens of Cazenovia learning this city’s ZIP Code and using it in their return address on all correspondence. In answering mail, he said, ZIP Codes taken from return addresses on incoming mail should be used. “The ZIP Code is literally the last word in mail addressing,” Mr. Hendrix said. “It should follow the city and state in addresses.”

40 Years Ago – June 29, 1983

A small group of outspoken Cazenovians emerged victorious from last week’s meeting of the Town Zoning Board of Appeals, and now Niagara Mohawk must look elsewhere for a place for the proposed 200-foot radio tower the company wanted to locate on Peth Rd. “You’ve Years Ago l Page 7

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