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North Syracuse Junior High announces honor rolls ... Page 7
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eaglestarreview.com Volume 119, No. 11 March 16 to 22, 2011
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A corned beef celebration
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On the line North Syracuse BOE proposes 103 job cuts, 5.3 percent tax increase
Community
By Caitlin Donnelly
editor@eaglestarreview.com
Renovations underway House at 807 senior living center to receive upgrade with $37,000 federal grant. ...See page 3
Obituaries
CAITLIN DONNELLY
Frederick Crittela, age 62 Talented local chef loved by family, friends, customers and staff passed away March 3. ...See page 20
CALENDAR ...................2 CLASSIFIEDS .............. 22 EDITORIAL ....................4 OBITUARIES ............... 20 SCHOOL NEWS..............6 SPORTS ..................... 10
The Masonic Memorial Center in North Syracuse hosted a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner to raise funds for this year’s Masonic Grand Matron projects. Kellie Parker, Onondaga District Deputy Grand Matron and event coordinator, said that members from different chapters of the Eastern Star came together March 12 to raise funds for Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a foundation dedicated to raising money for childhood cancer research. Pictured, left to right, volunteers Margaret Heitmann of Central Square, Betty Bartlett of Syracuse and Mary Jane Conover of East Syracuse serve up a hot meal during the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner.
North Syracuse Central School District announced a 5.3 percent tax increase and 103 position cuts during a board of education special budget presentation held March 14 in the auditorium of the junior high. Wayne Bleau, assistant superintendent for management, led the audience of parents, students and teachers through the district’s 2011-2012 preliminary budget. He stated that because of the $9,097,857 reduction in state aid, the district struggled to make adjustments to accommodate the $134,070,072 proposed budget. The 103 job cuts include 65 teaching positions: 30 at the elementary level, 23.1 in grades 7 through 12, and
11.9 full-time art/music/ physical education teachers. Other position eliminations included 3.5 administrators, 33.6 support staff and a programming position. These cuts would save the district over $7 million in salary and benefit costs, but increase class sizes. Other cuts included a 15 percent decrease each in athletic and extracurricular funding across the district. The proposed budget would mean a 5.3 percent tax increase for district residents, which translates into an additional $115 in taxes on a $100,000 home in the towns of Salina, Clay and Cicero. “One of the things that I think we need to do as a community is to decide how much we value our education in the North Syracuse school district and how much we are willing to pay for it,” said Board President Pat Carbone. The next board of education meeting will take place at 7 p.m. March 21 in the auditorium of the North Syracuse Junior High School.
Pieper ‘the scariest of killers’ Jenni-Lyn’s parents and sister address the court as Pieper is sentenced for murder By Russ Tarby Jenni-Lyn Watson’s parents characterized her murderer, Stephen M. Pieper, as a greedy, self-centered young man who ingratiated himself into their family with lies and false promises.
“He lied about the ring he gave her,” said Jenni-Lyn’s father, David Watson. “He lied twice about having cancer. He lied about having a concussion...He lied about why he got fired from Wal-Mart…He lied about everything. He can’t be trusted.” Jenni-Lyn Watson, a 20-yearold dance student at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa., was strangled to death Nov. 19 while spending Thanksgiving break at her parents’ home in Clay. Pieper, her former boyfriend, admitted he killed her
and then drove her body to Clay Park Central where it lay hidden for eight days before being discovered by searchers from the Onondaga County Sheriff ’s Office. On March 8, Watson’s parents and younger sister spoke at a hearing at the Onondaga County Criminal Courthouse in downtown Syracuse prior to Pieper’s sentencing by Judge Anthony Aloi. Directly addressing Pieper, who
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