‘Shop Local Holiday Market’
CCP to present fundraiser Nov 30
By kAtE HiLL Staff writer
In celebration of National Small Business
Saturday, Cazenovia Community Preschool (CCP) will present a Shop Local Holiday Market at the American Legion on Saturday, Nov. 30, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A link to the vendor application can be found on the “CCP Shop Local Holiday Market” Facebook event page. The deadline to apply is Oct. 21.
Elaine Vassie, secretary of the CCP Board of Directors, reported on Oct. 14 that the organizers had already received over 30 vendor applications.
“We’ve had [a] really nice variety of products [ranging] from baby and child gifts to jewelry to personalized cutting boards and ceramics,” Vassie said. “We will also be selling our wreaths and poinsettias, so whether it’s some holiday decor or gifts, we’re sure there will be a great selection for people to choose from.”
Founded in 1969 and operated out of a retrofitted house at 49 Burton St., CCP is a notfor-profit, comprehensive preschool with a mission to provide well-rounded and nurturing learning experiences for children in the Cazenovia area, regardless of ability or family income. The school strives to support the full development of each child’s potential.
The holiday market fundraiser sale will support the CCP’s tuition assistance program to ensure that families can access preschool education regardless of their financial situation.
The event will also support the CazCares food pantry and clothing closet by serving as a collection location for donations of personal care products and kids’ coats.
“For the first year, we are really focused on making this a true community event that supports local businesses and connects them to each other and the community,” said Vassie. “We know, therefore, that our costs to promote in year one will be higher than sub-
Five Caz girls qualify for swimming sectionals
Combined F-M/Caz team looks to win ninth consecutive sectional title
By kAtE HiLL Staff writer
All five Cazenovia swimmers on the combined Fayetteville-Manlius High School (F-M)/Cazenovia High School Girls’ Varsity Swimming & Diving Team are heading to sectionals after qualifying in various events this season.
The team members from Cazenovia Central School District (CCSD) are captains Eliza Smith and Maeve Kelly, both seniors; first-year swimmer Alison Morse, a junior; Callahan Frazee, a freshman; and Avery Howe, a seventh grader.
The team is led by head coach Tim Gallivan from F-M, assistant head coach Josh Smith from CCSD, and assistant dive coach Jennifer Kaleta from CCSD.
Class A Sectionals will be held at Nottingham High School on Nov. 6 at 9:30 a.m., and the state qualifier will be at Nottingham on Nov. 8 at 2:30 p.m.
“These five girls have continued the tradition of strong swim-
Swimmers l Page 3
Submitted photo
All five Cazenovia swimmers on the combined Fayetteville-Manlius High School/Cazenovia High School Girls’ Varsity Swimming & Diving Team have qualified to compete in the Class A Sectionals. Left to right: Callahan Frazee, Eliza Smith, Maeve Kelly, Alison Morse and Avery Howe.
NYS Police to vacate former Caz College campus next August
By kAtE HiLL Staff writer
On Oct. 21, Village of Cazenovia Mayor Kurt Wheeler announced that contrary to previous beliefs, the New York State Police (NYSP) is not extending its current two-year lease of the former Cazenovia College campus.
The NYSP has been leasing a large portion of the campus since August 2023 to serve as the site of its new basic school auxiliary academy.
The auxiliary academy welcomed its first class of cadets in October 2023 and has run concurrently with the NYS Police Training Academy in Albany.
“My understanding of the situation, based on conversations with multiple sources, is that the NYS Comptroller College l Page 4
discusses zero-emission buses, district bus garage
By kAtE HiLL Staff writer
During the Oct. 15 Cazenovia Central School District Board of Education (CCSD BOE) meeting, Superintendent Christopher DiFulvio provided information related to the New York State mandate that all new school buses purchased must be zero-emission by 2027, and all school buses operating within the state must be zero-emission by 2035. DiFulvio first discussed the NY School Bus Incentive Program (NYSBIP), a voucher incentive program established by the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to assist school districts in complying with the zero-emission school bus mandate.
DiFulvio informed the board that the grant writing team CCSD works with through OCM BOCES has recommended against applying for the grant program.
According to the superintendent, the grant writer who communicated with the district explained that NYSERDA would end up reimbursing the district for only about onethird of the cost of a bus.
The executive summary prepared by the grant writing team gave an example of an electric school bus with a purchase price of $332,511. The base voucher for that type of bus is $114,000, leaving $218,511 as the district’s responsibility.
Assistant Superintendent/School Business Official Thomas Finnerty noted that for the district’s 2024-25 gasoline bus purchase, the base price is about $139,000; with added options, the total is approximately $178,000.
In addition to stating that the NYSBIP would only cover about one-third of the cost of a zero-emission bus, the grant writer said the state does not have the infrastructure to support this program, and districts do not have the money to replace their gas and diesel bus fleets at such costs.
“It’s unlikely that this current mandate can be achieved in reality, so hopefully [the state pushes] this down the road because of the expenses [and] the lack of infrastructure,” said DiFulvio.
During his update, the superintendent also reported that CCSD Transportation Supervisor Karen Brouillette proposed inviting some vendors to future school board meetings to discuss electric buses and other options available to the district, including gas and “clean diesel” buses, to prepare the district to present a bus purchase proposition to voters in May and to clear up any misinformation.
“I think it would be beneficial for the board to hear more, so if that is what you would like to do, let me know, but it would be my recommendation that we learn some more about buses,” DiFulvio said.
Later in the meeting, BOE member Jan Woodworth asked if Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office has discussed changing the zero-emission bus mandate implementation or timeline.
DiFulvio responded that he knew of such discussions in the New York State Legislature.
“[Assemblyman] Al Stirpe said at the legislative meeting
Submitted photoS
the Cazenovia American Legion will host a Shop Local Holiday Market to benefit Cazenovia Community Preschool on Saturday, Nov. 30, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Book talk to explore history of Black pioneers
By kAtE HiLL Staff writer
On Nov. 7 at 6 p.m., the Cazenovia Public Library (CPL) will welcome author Amy Godine to the Betsy Kennedy Community Room to discuss her debut book, “The Black Woods: Pursuing Racial Justice on the Adirondack Frontier.”
Published by Cornell University Press in November 2023, the book chronicles the history of Black pioneers who migrated to New York’s northern wilderness from the late 1840s into the 1860s.
The New York State Constitution of 1821 required Black voters to own at least $250 worth of property to vote.
Gerrit Smith, an abolitionist and heir to an immense land fortune, came up with a plan to help Black men meet the property requirement.
Smith, who was from Peterboro, decided to give away 120,000 acres of land to 3,000 free black families, encouraging them to build lives as farmers in the Adirondacks.
His plan had the support of influential leaders such as Frederick Douglass. Antislavery reformer John Brown was such an advocate that he moved his family to Timbuctoo, a new Black Adirondack settlement in the woods, in 1849.
“Smith’s plan was prescient, anticipating Black suffrage reform, affirmative
action, environmental distributive justice, and community-based racial equity more than a century before these were points of public policy,” the publisher’s website states. “But when the response to Smith’s offer fell radically short of his high hopes, Smith’s zeal cooled. Timbuctoo, Freemen’s Home, Blacksville, and other [Black] settlements were forgotten. History would marginalize this Black community for 150 years.”
Through her extensive research, Godine discovered that Smith’s land offer failed to make settlers out of most of his 3,000 deed holders for a variety of reasons, mainly because they simply could not afford to make use of his gift.
“They were more than poor; they were incapacitated by their poverty,” she said. “And this [is something] the rich man seems not to have grasped. A deed was nice to get, but it couldn’t underwrite the cost of moving to a distant wilderness. And not just moving, buying livestock, farm gear, food supplies, everything you needed to survive those first years before your new farm paid you back with crops. . . . But while Smith, of course, was disappointed, many of those families who did take up Adirondack homesteading made out well. Black enclaves spanning two counties were at Freemen’s Home, Timbuctoo, Blacksville, John Thomas Brook,
sequent years, but it’s about building the foundation of an event that can be a key part of our community for years to come.”
Vassie has two children at CCP; Arden is in his second year of the “Lizard” kindergarten
Franklin, and St. Armand, and these pioneers didn’t call their Adirondack years a loss. They were community-builders [and] valued neighbors. Some of their descendants called the Adirondacks home into our century.”
In the book’s description, Cornell University Press applauds Godine for recovering the robust history of the Black pioneers who carved out futures for their families and their civic rights in the wilderness.
“Her immersive story returns the Black pioneers and their descendants to their rightful place at the center of this history,” the publisher states. “With stirring accounts of racial justice and no shortage of heroes, The Black Woods amplifies the unique significance of the Adirondacks in the American imagination.”
Godine’s book has received praise from the likes of historian Nell Painter, environmentalist Bill McKibben, and filmmaker Ken Burns.
“The Black Woods is a beautifully written, painstakingly researched, and uncommonly nuanced story, heretofore a footnote in the ongoing saga of race in America,” said Burns, who is celebrated for his documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle American history and culture. “But here is a real story, liberated from the chains of arrogant historiography and willing to
readiness program, and Isla just started in the “Honeybee” class this year.
“When we relocated to Cazenovia from Texas last year, we really wanted our children to be part of a community and for their introduction to the education system to be a positive, supportive, and caring one,” Vassie said.
look into dark corners of our national narrative and climb to summits that offer a panoramic ‘us.’”
Originally from Brookline, Massachusetts, Godine received her bachelor of arts in American studies from Hampshire College. She was an editorial assistant for the Heyday Press in Berkeley, California, and she wrote for the “Willamette Week” newspaper in Portland, Oregon, for five years.
She then earned her master of fine arts degree in fiction writing from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
Godine has resided in Saratoga Springs since 1980 and has been writing and speaking about social trends, marginalized communities, and ethnic and Black neighborhoods in the Adirondack region since 1988. She is also the curator of the “Dreaming of Timbuctoo” exhibit at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site in North Elba, NY.
“Twenty-five years ago, John Brown Lives! — a social justice group in the Adirondacks — tapped me to curate an exhibit on Timbuctoo, the long-gone Black farm colony in the Adirondacks [that] inspired the famous abolitionist John Brown to move his family to the region in 1849. I was skeptical, but the more we dug, the richer and more expansive the story got — bigger than Timbuctoo, bigger than John Brown, bigger than
Submitted photoS Amy Godine will discuss her book “The Black Woods: Pursuing Racial Justice.
Gerrit Smith. [It was] time to start a book.”
Godine’s extensive research brought her to Boston, Washington, New York, Syracuse, and Plattsburgh, as well as to online scholarly sites.
“It took me well over a decade, but what can I say?
When I step into a wormhole, it takes me all the way to China,” she said. “The social history of Adirondack ethnic and Black enclaves, migratory laborers, immigrants, and other non-elites has been the focus of my writing for over 30 years, and it always brings the news because, in most regional and local histories, these stories have gone missing. The history of the Black Woods was a little more than missing. In one history book after another, it was distorted, derided, and diminished. [Recovering] and recentering this chapter not only challenges a long exclusionary trend [but also] reveals our small upstate towns and backcountry to be much more diverse
“From our first interactions with CCP, it was obvious they truly cared about each child individually and were driven to support and nurture their development emotionally and socially. We couldn’t have asked for a better welcome to the area for us as a family, so joining the board was an easy decision as it felt like
and socially dynamic than we know. People of color visiting the North Country discover they have a home, a stake, heroes, and pioneers in a landscape they assumed excluded them completely. Local people see their hometown narratives jostled and expanded. And I think that’s good news.”
Godine’s Nov. 7 talk at CPL is made possible by The Friends of the Library.
“I love this part of New York,” Godine said. “It’s beautiful, of course, but the towns and countryside thrum with not just history but a palpable respect for history, and Cazenovia was in the thick of it. Gerrit Smith made this town the site of his great 1850 antiFugitive Slave Law Convention for a reason. In my town, Saratoga Springs, an antislavery gathering would never have been tolerated.”
To learn more about Godine and “The Black Woods,” visit amygodine.com or search for the title at cornellpress. cornell.edu.
a good way to support the mission and share the message further.”
The American Legion Post 88 building is located at 26 Chenango St., Cazenovia. To learn more about CCP, visit cazenoviacommunitypreschool.com
Swimmers
ming coming out of Cazenovia while being well-rounded and competitive in various events,” said Smith. “They will be integral to the team’s success moving into the championship season as the F-M/Caz team looks to win their ninth Class A Sectionals in a row. The veteran leadership of Maeve and Eliza has made it so the girls are 5-1 heading into the sectional season. Up-and-comers Callahan and Avery look to score at sectionals, which is tremendous due to their youth. Alison is a first-year swimmer who has also qualified, and if she scores, it will be exactly what the F-M/Caz team needs to do to win the meet. It is our depth that’ll take us there. Sure, we have a number of girls who can medal, but it’ll be those extra places that add up to the final winning score.”
The F-M and CCSD girls’ swimming teams have been combined for seven years.
The swimmers practiced in the Cazenovia College pool until the historic institution shut down in 2023.
“This has been a huge blow to the consistency of our program,” said Smith. “We
had stable practice times and a nice place to call home; now we are scheduled at Henninger High School in Syracuse. There have been some issues with scheduling, and we’ve had to do dry land practice [and] squeeze into other Syracuse facilities when needed. There is a lot of travel time, but the silver lining is that the girls get to have time together [during] that travel. It can be tough for some families to get their girls to the F-M bus for Saturday practices, but we are a family within a family and get everything taken care of.” Smith added that the team’s home pool is currently at Henninger High School, but because the pool is not set up for meets, the team has been hosting competitions at Nottingham.
“I am beyond proud of all of my Caz teammates,” said Kelly. “Being part of this team for the last four years allowed me to get closer with my Caz classmates and develop new relationships with students from F-M. It’s been such a great experience and one I will take with me as I leave high school.”
To learn more about CCSD athletics, visit cazenoviacsd.com/athletics
sell your home!
185 Clinton Avenue, Cortland, NY 13045 zfleitz@yaman.com (315) 725-3690
did not approve the extension based on the challenging recruiting environment at present,” said Wheeler. “It is not currently feasible to recruit enough
cadets to justify running two academies concurrently as the state had originally hoped to do.”
According to Wheeler, the current lease, which will expire on Aug. 31, 2025, allowed for two one-month exten -
sions, but it is assumed that they will not be exercised.
Wheeler also reported that the bondholders and their brokers are evaluating other offers and potential uses for the campus.
“We hope to have more information to share on that front in the near future,” he said. As of press time, neither the NYSP nor the brokers had released a statement.
Enjoy a garden reading retreat
SuBMiTTEd By LyNNE WECHSLEr
Gardener
maSter
Volunteer madiSon County CCe
Two of my favorite pastimes are reading and gardening.
The perfect day for me is one spent outside working in the garden or walking in the woods, and then enjoying a relaxing moment in my garden book nook, a quiet corner of the backyard to sit, rest, read and
contemplate. It’s a delightful place to enjoy the benefits of both worlds.
As the cooler weather and shorter days arrive, it’s time to migrate to my indoor retreat: my favorite chair strategi -
CANCER CATCHES
ALL oF uS
Some things are easier to write about than others. This, by far, is the most difficult of all.
Thoughts
Phil Blackwell
cally placed in front of the bay window, looking out at the garden and bird feeders, surrounded by books, plants and soft, cozy cushions.
It’s a well-known fact that reading and gardening can be therapeutic approaches to supporting one’s mental health. Both activities can be regenerative, cathartic, and inspirational. In particular, the effects of color can have a strong impact on a person’s well-being.
Research has shown that there are some “universal truths” associated with certain floral colors (Zhang, Dempsey and Cameron, 2023).
Early last week we mourned the passing of my mother, Janice Marie Blackwell. Even if we knew it was fast approaching and even if the last days were a countdown to the inevitable, it still hurts beyond all conceivable measures.
She learned in April that she had liver cancer, treatable but not curable. From that moment to when she breathed her last was less than six months, all the time it took to transform a happy, peaceful and healthy woman into someone impossible to recognize.
All the brave attempts to treat her by great medical professionals at Roswell Park in Buffalo and other venues proved futile. Instead of prolonging it, and her considerable pain, our family took her to hospice care where, tough and stubborn as she was, she hung on 10 more days while almost everyone in her immediate family got ample chances to stay goodbye.
I relate all this not for extra pity or sympathy, just sharing the terrible facts of a situation which overwhelmed us even though we know that we are all mortal and that we all must face our fate somewhere.
Rather, this illustrates something else – that all of us, at one point or another, have our lives affected by cancer. It matters not who we are, what we look like, how much money we have or who we know.
Somewhere that ‘C’ word makes its way into our daily existence. Either we have it diagnosed ourselves or it strikes a loved one, never when it’s expected, and it affects absolutely everything, including the very way we look at life.
This was not my family’s first direct encounter. I had a cousin diagnosed with bone cancer while he was still early in his teenage years and, like far too many others, he didn’t make it despite a brave fight and all the medical help possible.
Aside from the heartache it caused and left behind, it illustrated that we still haven’t found a complete cure for all cancers, remarkable as the progress has been to treat and even attack some of them.
Simple self-care like good diet and exercise help, but early screenings, whether they are mammograms for breast cancer or a colonoscopy go a long way toward proper treatment. A few hours or days of discomfort is worth not having to face a shortened lifetime of regret.
If you roll your eyes when you see advertisements for cancer screenings or turn the channel when children at St. Jude’s ask for your support, stop already. Not everything is about you or your convenience.
When Mom was diagnosed we were given the truth, that a person with liver cancer might get two years to live, tops. She did get enough time to celebrate another birthday, take one more trip back to Hawaii, a place she loved so much, and had more chances to enjoy seeing her four grandchildren.
Even at the end, when not able to communicate, she brought us all together, whether through prayer or, in the last 24 hours, having her husband of nearly 56 years and all of us, her five children, in the room together one last time, sharing stories, smiling, laughing, crying, caring.
While every family’s experience with cancer is not the same, all share the terror the word brings, the fear of a ticking clock that might soon run out, and most of all silent or not-so-silent cursing at a disease stealing our loved ones away.
In other words, we are just like you, grateful for the life our mother led and for the example she set for us, yet sorrowful for her not having more of a chance to live it when her heart and her mind were still good.
Both before and after she took her last breath, all of us, in our own way, silently resolved that best honoring her memory, and the faith she had in all of us, was to tell our story in the hope that it also gives comfort and strength to others in their own cancer battles, to work closer to a day where the dread of that word never haunts any of us again.
Phil Blackwell is sports editor at Eagle News. He can be reached at pblackwell@ eaglenewsonline.com. Random
way garage infrastructure and resources.
l From page 1
that there has got to be something done,” he said. “I think they are going to have to peel this back somehow to go city, suburban, and then to rural districts like Cazenovia.”
He also commented that some local districts with electric buses are struggling to use them due to issues such as the limited range of travel between bus battery charges and the amount of time needed to charge the batteries.
BOE member Ron Luteran then steered the discussion to the district’s need for a new bus garage.
“We at least can focus our attention more on [building a bus garage] and having it have the capabilities to run electric buses down the road,” Luteran said.
Regarding the garage, DiFulvio reported that the district is waiting on some pricing information. Once that is available, he plans to bring it to the board immediately.
Finnerty announced that Colliers Engineering & Design, the firm conducting a shared highway garage and electric vehicle charging infrastructure feasibility study, is tentatively planning to present at the Nov. 18 BOE meeting.
The firm is looking at the school district, the towns of Nelson and Cazenovia, and the Village of Cazenovia to investigate opportunities to consolidate bus and high-
The study is also examining the feasibility of shared electric vehicle charging infrastructure. upcoming CCSd events
The Cazenovia High School Pumpkin Run/Walk 5k Fundraiser will be held on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 1 p.m. Halloween costumes are encouraged. Register or donate at runsignup.com/Race/NY/Cazenovia/CazPumpkinRun5K.
The Cazenovia Junior High Drama Club will present Disney’s “Newsies JR.” on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. Purchase tickets at cur8.com/projects/CazenoviaHS.
BOE meetings are open to the public, and community members are encouraged to attend. Meeting dates are listed on the district website and the school calendar. For more information, visit cazenoviacsd. com. To contact the entire board, email boe@caz.cnyric.org
Anyone not directly affiliated with CCSD can sign up for the ParentSquare Community Group to receive newsletters and other information. Sign up at parentsquare.com/ community_signups/94dc9c19-0570-4ecdbd7a-868cb499bc46/new.
So why not combine both to have a special place in your home or garden to while away an afternoon with a book?
Creating an indoor or outdoor garden reading retreat is easy to accomplish.
Think of it as a place to go and sit back and unwind to read your favorite book or listen to an audiobook.
This can be accomplished in many ways, but a few basic necessities would include a seating area and a small table for your reading material.
A rustic bench, a hammock or just a pillow and blanket are all you need.
Then, surround yourself with color, shape and textures.
Consider planting flowers which bloom throughout the spring, summer and fall for everlasting color to promote positive emotions. Yellow flowers in particular are the most capable of improving
one’s feelings of calmness. Think sunshine: sunflowers, daffodils and mums.
Blue is also considered a soothing color: hydrangea, forget me knots and delphinium can create a sense of relaxation and meditation.
Purple flowers, such as lavender and iris, can inspire hope and creativity.
Include taller plants and shrubs to create a sense of privacy and style.
A similar effect can be accomplished indoors or on your balcony to create a relaxing reading
room. Surround yourself in nature with the calming effect of lush green plants such as ferns, citrus trees, or hanging vines.
Dried flowers or forced bulbs can add that much needed splash of color. Include floral fabrics for pillows and throws. Decorate walls with flowered wallpaper or handcrafted needlework floral pictures to surround you in coziness. So grab a good book, and enjoy the peace and quiet of your garden retreat.
Have an announcement, event or something else for the Republican? Email cazenoviarepublican@eaglenewsonline.com
Cazenovia Lake Summit
Annual Watershed Council Meeting
Saturday, October 26th, 10:15am Cazenovia Public Library
2024 Cazenovia Lake Summit Agenda
10:30-10:35 Watershed Introduction
10:35-10:40 Town Update 10:40-10:45 Rake Toss and 2024 Treatment Results 10:45-10:50 Village Update 10:50-11:00 5 Year Plan Review 11:00-11:15 Dam Removal Status 11:15-11:25 Wetlands Act Status 11:25 Open Discussion
The meeting is open to everyone, non-lakefront owners and lakefront owners. We are excited to inform and solicit your feedback.
Cazenovia Lake is a vital resource for our community.
The Watershed Council is a cooperative organization with members that include the Town and Village of Cazenovia, and the Cazenovia Lake Association.
Submitted photo
Cornell Cooperative Extension shares some ideas about how to create a cozy book nook.
OuR vOiCE
Oh, deer
According to AAA, their re search has shown that October, November and December tend to be the peak months for crashes involving animals, particularly deer in Central New York.
There were 34,064 animal-related crashes statewide in 2021 – up slightly from 2020 - that’s equivalent to one animal-related crash every 16 minutes, AAA said.
Of the 34,064 crashes, there were 1,515 injury animal-related crashes and five fatal crashes.
Of crashes AAA reports 972 alone were in the Onondaga County area during that period.
AAA always encourages drivers to stay vigilant behind the wheel, but notes that this time of year it is increasingly important in the interest of avoiding a potential crash with a deer or other wildlife.
It is also noted that as the seasons change and the hours of daylight diminish it can be even more difficult to spot wildlife in the roads particularly later in the day.
According to AAA this season is a particularly active time for deer as it is the height of mating season.
But AAA has offered some suggestions to help drivers mitigate the chances of having an encounter with a deer.
These crashes can be costly in terms of vehicle repairs, but also in terms of personal injury to drivers as well as passengers.
In the interest of safety there are some things drivers should keep in mind this time of year.
Drivers should always be vigilant when behind the wheel, avoiding distractions like cell phones and keeping focus on the road.
When it comes to deer and other animals it is recommended that drivers scan the shoulders of the road as deer may dash out from the shoulder or wooded areas adjacent to the road and keep in mind that they often travel in herds.
Drivers should also follow the speed limit. Lower speed will give you more time to respond to unexpected wildlife movements. Unfortunately, even for the most vigilant of drivers some times accidents with wildlife are unavoidable.
If a collision is unavoidable, apply the brakes firmly and remain in your lane. Swerving sharply to avoid an animal can often cause a more serious crash.
Deer can be hard to see, particularly at certain times of day as they often blend in with trees and foliage.
And at night, when our vision is already more limited and there are the lights from other vehicles coming toward us and behind us, it can be even more difficult to see a deer or other animals dashing across the road.
According to AAA, motorists should be especially vigilant while driving in the dark as deer crashes often occur outside daylight hours.
Most crashes occur in the two hours before sunrise and after sunset each day, according to AAA and crashes are common around dusk from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Deer and other wildlife are part of life in Central New York and by taking some steps to be diligent when we are on the road we can do our best to keep them and ourselves safe from vehicle accidents.
For more information visit AAA. com.
Notice:
This Oct. 23 edition will be the last edition prior to the Nov. 5 election that we will run election-related letters to the editor.
oFF-THE-CuFF CHiLi
It was a mean kind of cold that morning. Coffee in hand I carefully made up my daily to do list and stopped when I got to the part where I think about dinner.
Ramblings from the empty nest
How many days have I stopped and thought about dinner? To be truthful, there were many days that dinner just happened with whatever fell out of the freezer or what I could put together with leftovers.
Today needed a boost. I have mostly run out of boosts after 50-plus years of this, but we do have to eat.
Today I thought that dinner should be something to offset this dismal early fall chill: good, old fashioned chili with cornbread. I could imagine the taste, so warm and satisfying. I was inspired.
It was about 4 p.m when I began to gather the ingredients for the evening meal. Chili needs some simmering time to reach its perfection. I began with the vegetable components. Celery, carrots, onions, garlic for the base with peppers as the high note. But, wait. Where are the peppers? I always have peppers in the fridge. No peppers.
Gone are the days when I could just jump in the car and run over to Nojaims to get something that I’d forgotten Well, I thought, I’ll just add more onions. I then opened the freezer to
take out the ground beef and realized that the frozen meat would not defrost in time. Put a chunk of ground beef in the microwave to defrost is an exercise in destroying a perfectly good piece of protein.
Luckily, or so I thought, there was a package of something called “crumbles”, a faux meat product, lying next to the hamburger. The “crumbles” were separate little pieces of something that looked like meat which I had successfully passed off as meat in another recipe.
O.K. we should be good with this stuff as a substitute if I add a bit more seasoning. I had plenty of seasonings. Now, to the beans. Where are the kidney beans? Or the black beans? Or the great northerns? All I could find on the pantry shelves were garbanzo beans and a can of refried low salt beans. What could I substitute for beans? This chili was deviating dramatically from my usual recipe.
OK, I thought, I’ll add corn. I have corn in the freezer. Corn was invented by Meso-Americans, generally associated with what we call Chili.
A can of tomatoes, some tomato paste and some hot sauce in addition to cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and some parsley and the off-the-cuff recipe was about as finished as I could make it. It wasn’t chili, but it was
going to be dinner. The corn bread would help. I busily chopped, sautéed, seasoned and simmered this concoction for an hour, tasting as it progressed. Maybe, I thought, some parmesan cheese would help. It didn’t. Maybe a bit more time on low heat on the back of the stove while I make the corn bread.
You guessed it. No corn bread mix or corn meal. Should I drive to Skaneateles or Camillus for a box of corn bread mix? No. Back to the freezer. There were four hot dog buns in some kind of suspended animation. I don’t even remember when I put them in the freezer. I’ll open them up, put a few drops of olive oil and parmesan on each and run them under the broiler.
We ate this concoction. Talk about determination. More like doing penance for too much fun, a kind of self-created karma. The retreaded hot dog rolls were not awful, but the whateveryou-call-it “not chili” was. Did it taste better on the second day? It did not. You could give this baby a month and it wouldn’t improve.
Fifty years of making dinner does not guarantee a good meal.
I am not Martha Stewart.
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
135 years Ago – oct. 24, 1889
It does seem that in this enlightened age, anyone who is so fortunate as to possess a horse and carriage might be able to distinguish between the roads and the lawns by the side of the road.
Our roads are well kept, and at considerable cost to the village, but the lawns are also elegantly kept and at no small cost to the persons owning them.
There is, in our mind, nothing more beautiful than a well-kept lawn, and the lawns on Albany Street are among the best of their kind, but it is discouraging to some of our people who have spent so much time and money in beautifying the space between the sidewalk and the road in front of their houses, to see them so badly disfigured.
We would suggest that an ordinance be made requiring them who make the ruts in the lawns to fill them up. It makes them a little more careful.
125 years Ago – oct. 26, 1899
The drouth continues with increasing severity, not withstanding an occasional light rain.
While there has been sufficient moisture to keep vegetation looking fairly well, there have been no rains that would benefit the wells and springs since snow went off in the spring, and hardly within the memory of the “oldest inhabitants” have sources of water been so low.
In the north end of this town there are few farmers who have water enough for their stock, and many of them are drawing water a distance of two or three miles from Cazenovia Lake for their entire herd.
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115 years Ago – oct. 21, 1909
Mr. E. L. Beebe has taken to work on shares of Henry Lacey, president of the 3d National bank of Syracuse, a farm located about two miles from Baldwinsville comprising 600 acres and valued at $75,000.
There are six houses on the farm and one creamery.
The milk produced on the farm is here separated and the cream shipped to Syracuse where it is sold at 50 cents a quart the year round.
There are at present on the farm 100 head registered Holsteins, 40 head of grades, 12 horses, 4 mules, 3 yoke of oxen, 75 hogs and about 300 hens, from ten to 20 hands find work there most of the time.
Possession taken about Nov. 1.
We are sorry to lose from our midst, Mr. and Mrs. Beebe, but hope that success will be their lot. Mr. Beebe has had a large experience with registered stock and has been very successful in the dairy business.
95 years Ago – oct. 24, 1929
Mail boxes must be installed before a representative of the post office department will make an inspection, preliminary to ordering free delivery for Cazenovia.
Granger Hessler will call upon residents with samples of boxes that may be purchased. However, it is not necessary to purchase of him. Mailboxes may be purchased elsewhere or made at home.
However, mail will not be delivered to an address where a suitable box has not been installed.
Residents are requested to make early installation of boxes in order that free delivery may soon be commenced.
ann Ferro
Cazenovia students recognized for excellence
Cazenovia High School and two of its students were recently recognized nationally for excellence in high school academic achievement. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced that seniors Samantha Arnold and Hadley Briglin received letters of commendation in recognition of their high scores on the 2023 preliminary SAT. This award makes both Arnold and Briglin candidates for special scholarships from corporate and business sponsors associated with the National Merit
Scholarship Corporation. The corporation’s mission is to recognize and honor the academically talented students of the United States.
The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools that have done outstanding work to welcome more students into advanced placement (AP) courses and support them on the path to college success.
The College Board’s AP 2024 School Honor Roll has recognized Cazenovia High School for developing an AP program that creates a tertiary education culture, allows students
Stand by our decision
To the editor:
I find it ironic that Ed Theobald and Joe Carni would chastise Democrats for a lack of bipartisanship when Onondaga County Republicans have wasted hundreds of thousands of taxpayer’s dollars defending gerrymandered county legislative districts that a judge ruled illegal and ordered to be redrawn.
As to not cross-endorsing any candidates in this election, the Onondaga County Democratic Committee stands by its decision.
With Donald Trump at the head of the ticket, the Republican party has chosen to support a convicted felon and sexual abuser, who is also under indictment for election interference and mishandling classified documents. With their choice of candidates, the Republican Party has chosen to embrace falsehoods, misinformation, and election denialism. And while town clerk might not seem like an important position, ask those who were unfairly denied marriage licenses in Kentucky because Clerk Kim Davis chose her personal beliefs over the law, just how important a clerk can be.
When deciding to run for office, it is up to each candidate to choose the party which best represents their ideals. While we remain willing to work with local Republicans for the betterment of our community, the Onondaga County Democratic Committee does not believe it is possible for a candidate to represent the goals and ideals of the Democratic Party (fairness, justice, equality, and the rule of law) and also represent the party of Donald Trump. Pretending otherwise would be lying to the voters.
MAx RuCKdESCHEL Chair onondaGa County demoCratiC Committee
Stepping up
To the editor:
A sad sign of a fading democracy is the number of uncontested seats in election season.
This year, though, we have three great candidates who have stepped up to challenge incumbents. Some of those incumbents have been in Albany for years, but I can‘t name one accomplishment they have achieved for the people of Central New York.
Running for state senate is a young, energetic candidate named James Meyers. Unlike his opponent, Meyers has strived to meet constituents in every corner of the district.
Running for state assembly are Vicki Davis in District 121 and Adrienne Martini in District 122. My friends in Hamilton
to earn college credit, and maximizes their college outcomes.
“Research shows students who take AP courses and exams are more likely to attend college and graduate on time,” sSenior Vice President of AP and Instruction Trevor Packer, said. “The students who enter four-year colleges with credit from AP accelerate their path to graduation and build confidence for college success. Moreover, even for those who do not earn college credit, AP coursework provides early exposure to college-level work and contributes to a
and Eaton are thrilled to have a choice. So are voters from the City of Oneida south to Oneonta.
My county is now part of four assembly districts. Surely we’d be better represented if three of those four were in the majority in Albany!
Please, choose candidates who care enough to show up in our communities.
Vote for James Meyers, and if you’re in District 121 or 122, for Vicki Davis or Adrienne Martini. Then flip your ballot and vote yes to enshrine our civil rights in the New York Constitution.
KATHy A. ZAHLER
erieVille
False advertising
To the editor:
Brandon Williams is using false advertising in NY22 to scare us and mobilize Republican voters. That is because that is all he has going for him. He voted against every congressional bill designed to help people in our district. He failed to show up for events launching projects important to the economy in NY-22. When he finally held town hall meetings he undemocratically refused to take questions. He gave us canned MAGA lectures. Finally did tell us what he would do. He would fully support a national ban on abortion if it comes to a vote in a Republican controlled Congress.
I am voting for John Mannion because he will protect my daughters’ and granddaughters’ right to control their own bodies. I will vote for James Meyer and Al Stirpe because they will actually show up in our district, listen to us and continue to bring economic development to our region. And I will proudly vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz who are committed to protecting our democracy as they work to continue to grow our economy then flip my ballot and vote yes on Prop 1!
JANE M. o’CoNNELL CazenoVia
Person not party
To the editor:
As one who has participated in many aspects of our election process- phone banks, door knocking, and letters to the editor I’d like to address something I’ve heard on occasion. I’m not a big believer that any of these channels will overly influence someone other than to open an internal decision-making process. My proposal for your consideration, we should never “vote for the person, not the party” once the primary is over.
First, the primary. This absolutely is where a judgement of character, behaviors and of course policy positions should enter the equation. Past corrupt practices, self in-
college-going school culture.”
Cazenovia High School currently offers 11 AP courses: AP calculus, AP chemistry, AP physics, AP biology, AP English language and composition, AP English literature and composition, AP studio art, AP computer science, AP world history, AP U.S. history and AP U.S. government.
“It takes a significant school-wide effort; thank you, teachers, counselors, administrators, students, and parents, for prioritizing AP access and excellence,” Cazenovia High School
terest or erratic behavior should be front and center in our decision making. More often we don’t, the office holder or even a leading candidate becomes entitled and we become laden with a representative that’s not worthy of their office.
Once the primary is over I’m convinced that you vote for the party that reflects most closely your policy beliefs. As I knocked or called and spoke with voters in the past three election cycles I’d get the- I know the person and while it’s not my party I trust them. What you can trust is that person will vote with their party. One of our past congressman touted his “bipartisanship” yet voted well over 90% of the time with his party even as it became more radical and voted against the his sitting president’s first impeachment, when it was so painfully obvious he employed extortion of the Ukrainian president. I can name many other scenarios of either party. They will tow the party line.
Last note, beware the “Independent.” They have a core belief system that’s represented by their record. We have an independent trustee in the village near me who placed all Republican signs in his yard and really has never substantially broken from the Republican administration in a substantive way. This is his right. What’s not ok is to try to fool low engagement voters to thinking they’re independent. True for any who votes either way.
To address the Trump outcry on this stance-he’d never make it through a primary. Upon close and fair policy evaluation, traditional Rs would see he probably does not align with their own once the binary choice is established in the general election.
We need to do our research from the beginning. It’s exhausting. Yet our best and really only chances of getting the person in office is your vote in the primaries and the election.
BOB WHEELEr manliuS
Supporting Tim Kelly
To the editor:
I am writing to endorse Tim Kelly for our 127th District Assembly seat. On the most important issues, Kelly would differ from the incumbent, who...
1. …voted for a revised wetlands law in 2022 (ENV 24-0701) that eliminated welldefined maps, and left it to the Department of Environmental Conservation to define wetlands, to the tune of 4260 words (DEC Regulation 664). Their definition is, well, muddy, but it likely subjects up to 20% of Cazenovia Lake’s shoreline and adjacent properties to new burdensome regulations. They would require a DEC permit for each
campfire or cooking fire lit within one hundred feet of the Caz Lake shoreline. They would also interfere with the scientificallysound decades-long stewardship of the lake by the Town of Cazenovia and Cazenovia Lake Association, instead turning it over to distant pseudoscientific bureaucrats.
2. …supported the Democratic supermajority in the Legislature in gerrymandering Madison County into four Assembly districts. This decade is the first since Madison County’s establishment 200 years ago that it has lost its undivided voice in the Assembly. Until 2020, an undivided Madison County made up the majority population of the 121st District. Now, Cazenovia is the sole Madison County town, barely 5% of the district population, in a predominantly Onondaga County district 127. Caz has been divided for the first time from Nelson and Fenner, making it harder for Cazenovia School District residents to combine and influence any Assembly member.
3. …voted for a 2023 budget provision banning new natural-gas and propane hookups for single-family homes. After January 2026, homes must exceed 7 stories to connect to natural gas or a propane tank. Singlefamily homes and even apartment complexes will have to rely on electric heat pumps, expensive to install and maintain. The amount of annual CO2 reduction that this ban can possibly produce statewide by 2040 pales in comparison to the 20 million tons a year that could be saved by instead banning cruise-ship and private-jet departures from the state. My coastal friends dismissively say “Oh but banning those would put a serious dent in the economy.” But a gas ban will stop moderate-cost residential construction in Cazenovia, making it impossible for the middle class to grow and to replenish our shrinking school district, not to mention putting thousands of upstate construction laborers out of work. Tim Kelly has made reversal of this ban a centerpiece of his campaign. I have never voted for a Republican presidential candidate,and won’t this year. I have voted for hundreds of down-ballot Democrats in my life, and only a few dozen Republicans. But now it is necessary, in order to hold the Downstate regime accountable. I can do so with a clear conscience because a thoughtful Republican alternative is available.
I had the good fortune to be Tim Kelly’s introductory chemistry professor nearly two decades ago when he was a Syracuse University physics major. We need Tim Kelly’s science background to counter the pseudoscience working against our local interests.
MARK BRAiMAN CazenoVia
FROM THE MAILBAG
Principal Molly Hagan, said. “We also congratulate our Merit Award Scholarship program winners on their hard work and welldeserved success.”
Submitted photo
Cazenovia High School seniors Samantha Arnold and Hadley Briglin received letters of commendation in recognition of their high scores on the 2023 preliminary SAT.
Phil Blackwell | Sports Editor | 434-8889 ext. 348 | pblackwell@eaglenewsonline.com
Cazenovia football knocks off unbeaten Marcellus
By PHiL BLACkWELL
Whatever worries the Cazenovia football team may have provoked during its 0-3 start are now long gone.
The Lakers are in the midst of an October resurrection that reached a new peak last Friday night when it traveled to Marcellus and knocked off the unbeaten, state Class C no. 13-ranked Mustangs 47-38.
Start to finish, Cazenovia got a breathtaking all-around performance from Bobby Livingston, who accounted for more than 400 yards of offense and also paced the defensive unit.
Despite all he had done, though, the Lakers clung to a 39-38 lead early in the fourth quarter, only staying in front because Wyatt Scott intercepted a possible go-ahead two-point conversion after Marcellus had pulled within one.
With more than eight minutes to play, Cazenovia gained possession near midfield. Then it lurched forward, twice having to make clutch conversions including a third-down-and-22 when Livingston hit Paul Mitchell for 24 yards.
Even with that, the Mustangs appeared ready to take over on downs when it stopped a fourth-and-13, only to have a personal foul keep the Lakers’ offense on the field.
Having gained the first downs necessary to run out the clock, Livingston then scored with 1:05 left. More importantly, the Lakers added a clinching two-point conversion.
So ended a night where Livingston had constantly burned the Marcellus defense, completing 18 of 25 passes for 273 yards while also gaining 140 yards on the ground on 21 carries, the longest of which was a
69-yard dash to set up a touchdown.
Trailing 6-0 early, the Lakers took the lead for good on Livingston’s 11-yard scoring scramble and a Carter Bowden extra point before Livingston found Scott on a 35-yard TD pass.
These plays, along with a second Livingston scoring run and a 26-yard pass to Mitchell, gave Cazenovia a 27-20 halftime lead. Mitchell would finish the night with five catches for a career-best 141 yards.
Twice in the third quarter, the Lakers scored to stretch the margin, only to have Marcellus answer, one of them an 87-yard kick return for six points, all of which led to the drama of the final minutes.
As if all he did on offense wasn’t enough, Livingston recorded a season-best eight solo tackles on defense. Bryce Enders had five tackles and six assists/ Cazenovia returns home to Buckley-
Volo Field to meet Bishop Ludden/SAS in this Saturday’s regular-season finale at 1:30, aiming for its fourth win in a row and to finish third in the Class C West division.
Struggles for Chittenango continued last Friday against Indian River, with the Wolves piling up point on the way to defeating the Bears 70-30.
Even with Seamus Gardner’s nine-yard TD pass to Zailor Caras and Chayse Ostrander scoring on a one-yard plunge in the second quarter, the Wolves built a 3216 advantage by halftime. Not letting up one bit, IR tacked on five more touchdowns with its vaunted ground attack in the second half, more than overcoming Gardner’s second and third TD passes, both going to Aiden Greiner.
Caz tennis falls to Oneida in sectional state qualifier
By PHiL BLACkWELL
One match victory – and in the end, a single set – ended up separating the Cazenovia girls tennis team from making an appearance in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association tournament.
Oneida edged the Lakers 3-2 last Saturday in the sectional state qualifier which pitted the Class C and B team champions against one another, and it proved an instant classic with three of the matches going to five sets.
Cazenovia got a quick point in second singles when Madden Cobb swept Maddie Barretta 6-2, 6-2. Then a second Lakers point arrived when Ava Galton and Audrey Henry rallied and, twice two games from defeat, managed to outlast Peyton Hoang and Phoebe Fuller 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Still, another point was required, and the Express snatched one of them when Tessa Myatt and Lexi DeGroat put away Nora Berg and Lila Campagna 6-3, 6-4, Berg moving from her usual place in singles for this match.
Leah Bell, in first singles, pushed Kaylee French to a third set but lost 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, while in doubles Claire Vaccaro and Katie Williams also rallied to extend the match, yet also lost 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to Myah Rainbow and Emily French.
Since most of its energy was focused on the state qualifier, Cazenovia had only modest success in the sectional Division III singles and doubles tournaments earlier in the week.
Williams and Vaccaro had the top doubles seed, and rolled through the first two rounds, beating the teams of Molly-Moses-
Caitlin Sammon (Marcellus) and Tatum Bagnell-Emily Balduzzi (Westhill) in striaght sets. However, in the semifinals Williams and Vaccaro were upended by Christian Brothers Academy’s team of Audrey Schaefer and Maddie Kanervko 6-3, 7-5. Schaefer and Kanervko would go on to lose the final to their CBA teammates, Julie Zdep and Maddie Evans, who had to go through five matches as a no. 15 seed starting with a 10-6 opening-round win over Audrey Henry and Charlotte Rushing. Back in the quarterfinals Galton and Campgna took a 6-1, 6-4 defeat to Westhill’s Phoebe Gumaer and Samantha Burkett.
Moving to singles, Bell occupied the no. 2 seed, but after handling Lyla Falkenmeyer (Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) 6-0, 6-3 she was upended in the quarterfinals by Skaneateles’ no. 7 seed, Addison Zieler, 7-5, 6-3.
As Zieler reached the finals before falling to her Lakers teammate Eva DeJesus in straight sets, Cobb and Berg both took round-of-16 losses, Cobb falling to CBA’s Rowan Doyle 6-2, 6-3 after topping Skaneateles’ Katie Danforth 10-3 as Berg beat Natalia Mauri (General Brown) 10-4 but had a 6-2, 6-1 defeat to another CBA player, Clare Schaefer.
Chittenango competed in the sectional Division II tournament, where in singles Leah Ezzo beat Zoe Ruszala (Central Valley Academy) 10-7 in the first round before a 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) defeat to East Syracuse Minoa’s Kelly Li.
The Bears’ doubles team of Molly Douglas and Evelyn Keville won over ESM’s Caroline Sitnik and Lila O’Brien 10-8 before falling to Maddie Barretta and Kaylee French (Oneida) 6-0, 6-0.
Cazenovia field hockey heads to sectional playoffs
By PHiL BLACkWELL
A season emphasized more on growth than greatness could still lead to something special if the Cazenovia field hockey team makes a run through the Section III Class C playoffs.
At least the Lakers go there with reasonable optimism, having gone 5-3 following
a 1-6 start, with the sixth winning coming last Thursday at Cato-Meridian. Matching its season-high total for goals previously achieved Sept. 11 against Cortland, Cazenovia blanked the Blue Devils 6-0 and, in doing so, found a real force in Sidney Thompson.
Prior to this game, Thompson had only put up one goal all season. Here, though,
she burned Cato for a three-goal hat trick and tacked on a pair of assists.
Benefiting from Thompson’s passes, Bridget Stromer-Galley scored twice, with Lorelei Bock getting the other goal and Ava Eno picking up an assist. Challenged in Friday’s regular-season finale at Fayetteville-Manlius, the Lakers, without much time to recuperate from the
Cato game, fell 4-0 to the Hornets. All of the scoring came early, F-M jumping out 3-0 before the end of the first quarter and adding another goal before halftime as Carlye Bryant got two of those goals, the others going to Isa Crain and Francesca Burke. That it didn’t turn into more was thanks to the 14 saves put up by Cazenovia goalie Rae Western.
Cazenovia volleyball falls to Skaneateles in five sets
By PHiL BLACkWELL
Only once this season has anyone swept the Cazenovia girls volleyball team, a feat 2023 state Class B finalist Westhill pulled off back on Sept. 12.
Otherwise, there’s been close calls on both sides, including a quartet of five-set matches, with Cazenovia winning the first two but turned back two other times.
Skaneateles did so last Tuesday night in a close contest where the host Lakers avenged Cazenovia’s four-set
win over them in September at Buckley Gym.
Now on the road, Cazenovia and Skaneateles split a pair of tight sets at the outset of the rematch, the hosts winning the opener 25-23 and the visitors the second set 26-24.
Angry at dropping a set, Skaneateles stormed 25-8 through the third set, though Cazenovia recovered enough to take the fourth 25-19 before a final-set race to 15 where Skaneateles quickly took charge and then won it 15-6.
For Skaneateles, Delaney Fish had
35 assists to go with 12 digs. Quinn Reilley added 13 digs, with Finn Pas’cal getting 11 kills and 14 digs ahead of Hannah Ruetsch’s nine kills and 15 digs. Natalie Quinn managed seven kills, eight digs and four aces, with Maddie Mayer and Piper McAllister earning eight kills apiece.
Back on Oct. 9, Cazenovia lost in five sets to Marcellus despite winning a long second set 31-29, the Mustangs pulling it out 30-28 in the third and answering the Lakers’ 25-22 win the fourth by taking the final set 15-9.
Lucy Bliss had 22 assists and 16 digs, with Olivia Pirkl amassing 33 digs to go with seven kills. Alyssa Wardell excelled at the net with nine kills and seven blocks, Caitee Fenton getting six kills and 20 digs. Sophie Wilmot had 12 digs and four aces.
After playing Saturday in the OHSL Tournament at Phoenix, Cazenovia would challenge defending sectional Class B champion Westhill Monday before closing the regular season Thursday against Hannibal.
Chittenango, Caz golfers battle for league honors
By PHiL BLACkWELL
Nearly two full weeks passed between the end of the regular season and the boys golf Onondaga High School League fall tournament which took place lastThursday at Beaver Meadows Golf Club.
Once there, it was Chittenango putting up a strong showing, tying Cortland for fourth place as they both finished at 459, just seven strokes ahead of Cazenovia, who was alone in sixth place with 466. Individually, the Bears’ Anthony Thousand tied for 10th place, shooting an 18-hole score of 85
to match Westhill’s Jack Carruth, while the Lakers were paced by Nico Segall shooting 86 to finish alone in 12th place and Edmond Richardson earning an 88 to tie for 16th Thousand, Segall and Richardson all finished inside the cut line for individuals advancing to next spring’s Section III state
qualifying tournament.
Undefeated Christian Brothers Academy claimed the team title with 396 as Westhill (435) beat out Skaneateles (447) for second place. Individually, CBA’s Ethan Snyder and Westhill’s Danny Young shared the title with matching scores of one-over-par 73.
Chittenango, Caz boys soccer both pick up victories
By PHiL BLACkWELL
When the Section III boys soccer playoffs get underway this week, Cazenovia and Chittenango both have strong seeds and championship ambitions.
Chittenango, having avenged its earlier defeat to Cazenovia, followed it up with, among other things, yet another star turn from Gavin Karwoski in last Tuesday’s 4-0 win over Solvay.
Both early and late in the game, Karwoski kept the Bearcats off balance, eventually notching three goals for his
sixth consecutive multi-goal game and fifth hat trick.
Not only that, but Karwoski had the assist on Chittenango’s other goal by Landon Touchette, while Solomon Mullin and Jake Wagner gained assists. The Bears’ defense held the Bearcats to just three shots all night.
This happened as Cazenovia shut out Cortland 3-0, pulling away with a pair of late goals after only leading 1-0 at halftime.
Unlike with Chittenango, this production was spread out, with goals from
three different players – Nate Gale, Eliot Comeau and Alex Dolly. Cole Frazee contributed an assist, too, with Cazenovia enjoying a 16-2 shot advantage.
In Thursday night’s action Chittenango put away Canastota 4-0 and again it was a Karwoski showcase with two goals in each half by the senior to push his season total to 34, among the best in the state this fall.
None of these goals were solo efforts, either. Twice, Wagner picked up assists, with Touchette and Ryan Thousand also picking up assists.
All of this would get severely tested when the Bears, on Saturday, closed the regular season against the same undefeated Lowville side who was no. 10 in the state Class B rankings and had blanked Cazenovia 2-0 a week earlier. Chittenango was able to play Lowville to a 1-1 draw, the only goal for the Bears coming from Touchette off a feed from Wagner. Simeon Rush scored for the Red Raiders and its defense contained Karwoski, only the third time all season he was unable to record a goal.
Chittenango, Cazenovia girls soccer both
By PHiL BLACkWELL
As the Section III Class A playoffs loomed the Chittenango girls soccer team continued to boost its own standing, reaching double-digit win totals.
And it nearly got better last Thursday night, the Bears putting a serious scare into state Class B no. 4-ranked Christian Brothers Academy before taking a 4-3 overtime loss to the Brothers.
If nothing else, the game proved that Chittenango could stay with a high-quality opponent without leaning too much on Abby Scheidelman, who entered the game with 32 goals this season. In fact, with CBA worried about Scheidelman in the opening minutes the Bears stunned the Brothers with two quick goals from others – one from eighth-grader Camryn Potter, the other from Dominique Brown.
It nearly got to halftime 2-0 but the Brothers moved within one when Ciara Duggan converted just 11 seconds before intermission to snatch momentum that carried over.
Naveah Bacheyie tied it early in the second half and Anisa Tavarez gave CBA a 3-2 edge with 11 minutes left,
only to have Scheidelman, bottled up most of the way, force a turnover and find the net late in regulation.
This led to OT, and after one scoreless period the match seemed headed for a draw.
But with time running low Duggan returned and, taking a pass from Harper Bonstad, put home the decisive goal for the Brothers.
Before all this, Chittenango’s 10 th victory involved getting 10 goals against Cortland last Tuesday night, the Bears seeing Lis Vonderweldt earn her first career hat trick on the way to taming the Purple Tigers 10-0.
Those three goals by Vonderweldt complemented the three from Scheidelman. Hannah Machan converted twice, with Lily O’Brien and Danielle Ramie each getting one goal and one assist. Camryn Potter and Savanna Napolitano earned single assists.
And after the CBA battle, Chittenango finished its regular-season slate Saturday blanking Vernon-Verona-Sherrill 5-0.
One more hat trick came from Scheidelman, her three goals complemented by two goals from Machan as Potter set a new career mark earning three save and the Bears moved to
Chittenango girls runners win at Marcellus meet
By PHiL BLACkWELL
Before closing the regular season this week the Chittenango girls cross country team picked up a title during last Saturday’s Marcellus Invitational.
Competing in the larger Green race at Marcellus Park, the Bears, with 56 points, had just enough to edge Whitesboro (58 points) for the top spot, with the fifth runner proving the difference.
Whitesboro was leading when Chittenango’s fifth competitor, Emily Judd, crossed the line in 22 minutes 18.5 seconds, putting her in 16th place, ultimately five spots ahead of Judd’s Whitesboro counterpart Sophia Celia.
Prior to this, the foundation was laid by Natalie DiGennaro making her way to fourth place in 20:10.1. The trio of Ani McCarthy, Ava McLean and Mariah Stewart finished together, McCarthy going 21:35 flat for 11th place as McLean was 12th in 21:37.1 and Stewart took 13th place in 21:44.3.
Before this, in the boys Varsity Green race Chittenango had its own strong showing, its 86 points good for third place behind the 56 from Mexico and 70 from Whitesboro.
Bryce Edwards paced the Bears on an individual basis, going 17:13.7 for sixth place. Zach Driscoll finished 15th in 17:55.9, while Ethan Lavier was 18th posting 18:03.9. Gavin Roach (18:08.1) and Logan Rogers (18:23.1) were just ahead of Dan Mahle’s 18:25.1.
Back on Oct. 13, Cazenovia’s boys went to Sunday’s Manhattan Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx without Jake Woolbert, Will Galton and Nolan Campagna in the lineup.
The Lakers finished 14th out of 21 teams in the Varsity ‘B’ race, led by Kooper Wilmot, who finished 44th in the team standings going 15:25.2 on the 2.5-mile course.
Evan Molloy finished in 15:57.8, with Henri Mongeau posting 16:10.3.
Tristan Field-Bradley went 16:32.9 to beat out the 16:38.2 from Gavin Wagner as Robbie Dorus went 17:54.5 and Owen Woodworth finished in 19:37.5.
11-5.
Cazenovia managed to control most of last Tuesday’s game against Homer, only to take a 1-0 overtime defeat to the Trojans.
The Lakers had twice as many shots, but saw each of its 16 chances turned back by Homer goalkeeper Kennadie Taylor in the 80 minutes of regulation plus OT.
Skye Stanford had eight saves on her part, but in the first OT the Trojans picked up the decisive goal when Emily Petrella converted, dropping Cazenovia’s overall record to 3-12.
In its regular-season finale against
* Tiger Woods once said, “ ere are only two players who have ever truly owned their swings… Ben Hogan and Moe Norman”.
* Ken Venturi called him “Pipeline Moe”, because he hit the ball so straight.
* Lee Trevino said, “I don’t know any player who could strike a ball like he could, as far as hitting it solid, knowing where it’s going, and knowing what he wanted to do with the golf ball”.
* At the TELUS World Skins Game in 1995, Fred Couples, Nick Faldo, Ben Crenshaw and Nick Price all dropped their clubs to watch him hit balls at the range.
* Paul Azinger talks about the rst time he watched Moe hitting balls at a range in Florida. “He started ripping his driver, ‘o the ground’, at the 250 yard marker and never hit one more than 10 yards to either side. He hit 50 of them. It was incredible”.
* ere is a story about Moe playing with Sam Snead and Porky Oliver in an exhibition match when Sam played it safe and laid up with an iron to avoid hitting his ball into a creek that was 240 yards away. Moe took out his driver and when Sam told him he would hit his driver in the creek, Moe informed him he wasn’t trying to hit it over the creek, he was going to hit the bridge crossing the creek. He hit the bridge and his ball ended up on the other side of the creek.
Murray Irwin “Moe” Norman was born on July 10, 1929 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. He developed his golf game from childhood before becomning a caddie at the Rockway Municipal Golf Course in Kitchener. He began to re ne his skills by competing against the more talented amateur players in the area during his early teens. Moe was a self taught golfer and never took a lesson. As a teenager, he would play golf during the Summer months and spent many Winters setting pins at a local bowling alley for a few cents per pin. He didn’t win his rst golf tournament until he was 20 years old (1949), when he won a One-Day amateur event at the St. omas Golf & Country Club. He was a self taught golfer and never took a lesson…probably because he spent most of his playing career in poverty. In 1955 and 1956 he won back-to-back Canadian Amateur Championships and in 1957 won 17 of the 21 tournaments he entered as well as shooting a 59 for his rst of three 59’s in tournaments. He nally turned professional later in 1957 and played brie y on the PGA Tour, but because of his shyness and the bullying he experienced from certain pros, plus his preference to stay in Canada, he stayed in Ontario rather than travel extensively outside Canada. Moe died on September 4, 2004 at the age of 75. Today, unless you are a knowledgeable golf fan or historian, the name Moe Norman is probably unfamiliar to you. Here are a few reasons why
Cortland two nights later, the Lakers unloaded on the Purple Tigers, doubling its previous best season mark for goals in the course of a 6-1 victory.
Having not scored more than three times in any game this fall, Cazenovia got three just from Ava Vanetti, who had just two previous goals heading into the Cortland contest so she more than doubled her season total with her hat trick.
Ella Baker chimed in by converting twice, while Nora Berg and Maura Phillips had two assists apiece. Assists also went to Tara Pratt and Lexi Isbell.
