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100 wins
WORK BUY SELL TRADE GET IT DONE
Village approves summer events
Wheeler achieves milestone in 17th coaching season
By kate Hill Staff Writer
By kate Hill Staff Writer
On April 26, longtime Cazenovia High School (CHS) cross country, indoor and outdoor track coach Kurt Wheeler achieved his 100th career win in Girls Varsity Outdoor Track & Field. Wheeler, who also teaches history and government at CHS, earned his 100th and 101st wins during a “double dual” meet versus Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) and OnTECH Charter High School. The results of the competition were 122-18 against CBA and 136-3 against OnTECH. “Every day coaching these kids is a joy,” said Wheeler. “For me, the satisfaction is in the journey. This has been especially true since COVID in 2020 when we lost our spring season. We literally treasure every day.” Wheeler started out as a volunteer assistant track coach at CHS in 1997 during his first year of teaching. He was hired as an assistant in 1998 and took over as head coach in 2004 when Rich Fratini retired. Since then, Wheeler has missed only one season, in 2007, due to mobilization for the Marine Corps Reserve and deployment to Iraq. This spring marks his 17th season as head coach. “Mr. Wheeler has inspired hundreds of people over these years, and I was so honored to get to meet and work with such a humble and encouraging coach and teacher,” said Katie Pavelchak, a senior on this
Submitted photo
On April 26, Kurt Wheeler, head coach of the Cazenovia High School Girls Varsity Outdoor Track & Field team, achieved his 100th (and 101st) career win. Pictured: Wheeler timing the 4x400 relay and Grace Dolan handing off to Maleigha Coffie at the April 23 VernonVerona-Sherrill Invitational. year’s track team. Wheeler has also dedicated many years to coaching cross country and indoor track. He began coaching girls varsity cross country in the fall of 1997. In the winter of 1996-97, he started a student running club that turned into an intramural team in 1997-98 and an interscholastic team in 1998-
99, at which time he became the coach of the combined boys and girls squad. The program has since developed into separate boys and girls teams that average over 40 athletes per squad each winter. Since 2004, Wheeler has led his outdoor track team to nine regular season Onondaga High School League titles (2010,
2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021) and three Section III titles (2010, 2011 and 2012). The team also won the Liberty Division Championship Meet in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021. In 2004 and 2012 respectively, Lakers Heather Stec and 100 wins
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Dead fish in Cazenovia Lake deemed no cause for alarm By kate Hill Staff Writer
Last week, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) received several reports of deceased fish in the north end of Cazenovia Lake. Upon inspection, Dave Miller, president of the Cazenovia Lake Association, determined that there were approximately a hundred dead fish, most of which appeared to be small bluegill and other sunfish/panfish. According to Kerry McElroy, public participation specialist in the DEC Office of Communication Services, observations from DEC’s fisheries experts aligned with reports that the fish were in varying states of decay, the rate of which is typically slowed by cold water temperatures. The DEC determined that the fish likely died due to a winterkill event, “a common occurrence during spring ice melt, which can be observed in waterbodies across the state.” Winterkill is a fish mortality event generally caused by a depletion of dissolved oxygen (DO). According to Thad Yorks, program director of biology and environmental biology at Cazenovia College, low DO levels
On May 2, the Village of Cazenovia Board of Trustees approved the use of the village streets for the traditional Fourth of July Parade and the 49th Annual July 4th Foot Races. Organized by Project CAFÉ, the parade will line up on the Village Green at 12:30 p.m., step off 1 p.m., and proceed along its normal pre-pandemic route. According to Mayor Kurt Wheeler, the 10mile July 4th race will begin at 8 a.m. this year. “We had two or three years in a row where the heat index was a real worry,” he said. “We were not starting that 10-mile until I think 8:45 a.m. and some of the people weren’t finishing until close to 11 a.m., and it was getting pretty darn hot. Starting the 10-mile earlier, they will be able to run in the cooler part of the day. We’ve got it worked out so that while they are on the back side of the lake, the 5K runs and finishes, so that’s done before the 10milers actually come in. [the races] will kind of overlap with each other, but we think it will be a safer environment.” The 5K race will begin at 8:15 a.m. and the Kids Fun Run will start at 8:20 a.m. The board also approved a request from the New York Bass Youth Program to present a junior fishing tournament on Cazenovia Lake on June 25. The competitors, who will range in age from eighth graders down to eight-yearolds, will fish from 7 a.m. to noon accompanied by coaches who will operate the boats. All fish caught will be weighed at the Lakeside Park boat launch and immediately released. Junior Director Michael Lawton, who was present at the meeting, assured the board that the organization is conservation-minded and will do everything it can to keep the fish alive. He also noted that the juniors conduct shoreline cleanups and fundraisers to send teams to national competitions. The program is also working to form high school fishing clubs. “The nice thing about fishing is that everyone can do it; it’s very inclusive,” Lawton said. “We are just trying to get our foot in the door in different communities. . . If you know any kids that like to fish, send them down for the weigh-in at 12:30 p.m. They’ll love it.” According to Wheeler, the village police chief and parks commissioner will both work with the New York Bass Youth Program to coordinate the event and finalize such details as where to park the approximately ten trucks and boats expected at the tournament.
In other news
Dave Miller
Last week, community members observed around a hundred dead panfish floating at the north end of Cazenovia Lake. can result from extended ice coverage, which “short-circuits” the diffusion of O2 from the air into the water, and snow accumulation on top of the ice, which slows in-lake photosynthesis, thereby slowing
the production of DO beneath the ice. If new, freshly dead or dying fish appear, contact DEC’s regional fisheries office at fwfish7@dec.ny.gov or 607-7533095.
Wheeler reported that the next phase of work on Lakeland Park’s historic stone wall — specifically the wall along the swim area — will begin “very soon.” According to the mayor, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation approved the village’s permit application the previous week. Expert Building Services, of Cazenovia, will replace the existing stone wall with a poured concrete wall covered with a historic stone veneer. River Rock Dock, of Chittenango, will provide the cofferdams, which are enclosures built within a body of water to allow the enclosed area to be pumped out to create a dry working environment. “They are already doing the prep work down there, and as soon as River Rock can get in and start with the cofferdams, we will start the first phase,” Wheeler said. “I think Mike [Walker of Expert Building Services] has it planned out in two to three phases to break the swim area into manageable pieces.” The village hopes to complete the sections of the wall that are not near the swim area later this summer.
Volume 213, Number 18 The Cazenovia Republican is published weekly by Eagle News. Office of Publication: 35 Albany St., Second Floor, Cazenovia, NY 13035. Periodical Postage Paid at Cazenovia, NY 13035, USPS 095-260. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Cazenovia Republican, 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206.
community: St. Baldrick’s head-shaving event exceeds fundraising goals.
sports news: Boys lacrosse Lakers take trio of tough defeats.
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Calendar ������������������ 12 Editorial ��������������������� 6 history ������������������������ 7 letters ������������������������ 6
Obituaries ������������������ 5 PennySaver ���������������� 8 Sports ������������������ 13-14
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