Cazenovia Republican digital edition - Oct. 25, 2023

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Caz football undefeated by Phil Blackwell

Another regular season has seen the Cazenovia football team go through it without a blemish. And while there’s plenty of precedence for this feat, two things make it more special for the Lakers. First, it had to do it without a single home game as Buckley-Volo Field’s artificial turf was installed. Second, it came as the Lakers spent much of October parked atop the state Class C rankings, where it would stay again in light of last Friday’s 28-7 victory at Canastota. Even with all this, though, the importance of this game went far beyond what Cazenovia had at stake. Canastota’s head coach, Tom Congden, had experienced his wife developing, and then recovering from, breast cancer. As a tribute to her, the Raiders’ players surprised Congden earlier in the week by revealing that they would wear special pink jerseys for the Cazenovia game to promote breast cancer awareness.

Those new uniforms, combined with the presence of the state no. 1-ranked Lakers, led to a big-time atmosphere in Canastota, but onc e again the Lakers were ready for it. It took the lead in the first quarter when, from near midfield, Bobby Livingston threw deep and found Brayden Weismore, who went the rest of the way for a 45-yard touchdown. Canastota did get on the board in the second period, tying it 7-7, but the Lakers’ defense made the game’s biggest play on the Raiders’ next possession. A pass rush forced a bad throw that Christian Schug intercepted and returned 45 yards for the go-ahead score, Taven Reilley adding the two-point conversion. Then, right before halftime, Cazenovia drove to Canastota’s 24 and had Livingston find Taven Reilley in the end zone, making it 21-7 going into the break. Neither side scored in the third quarter, but the Lakers put it away in the final period with another Football l Page 16

Meet the Fenner Town Board candidates By kate hill Staff writer

The Madison County General Election will be held on Nov. 7, 2023, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. In the Town of Fenner, Town Supervisor Dave Jones, Town Clerk Lisa Dolan, Highway Superintendent Robbie Conklin, and Town Councilors William Wester and Adam Pushlar are all seeking reelection. The candidates, who are all running as Republicans, are unopposed. The town supervisor, highway superintendent, and clerk positions are all two-year terms. Town councilors serve four-year terms. Each of the candidates responded to the same three questions from the Cazenovia Republican. Their responses (max of 300 words total) are printed below. For information on how to vote in the Nov. 7 election, visit madisoncounty.ny.gov/1547/Board-of-Elections.

Dave Jones for town supervisor

Occupation: Crop farmer How will your experience serve you in local government?

I have been on the town board since 1988 and supervisor for the last almost 10 years.

What do you think are the biggest challenges in your community?

The biggest challenge is trying to navigate the renewable energy projects that are being proposed in the Town of Fenner. I have no comment addressing this challenge. We are just gathering information at this time. Shioban Reilley

WINNING THRILL: Cazenovia wide receiver Taven Reilley (1) celebrates a touchdown in last Friday’s game at Canastota, where the state Class C no. 1-ranked Lakers prevailed 28-7 to complete an undefeated regular season.

Caz Life fundraiser to support garden club By kate Hill Staff Writer

Caz Life, a committee of the Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce (GCACC), recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to support the ongoing work of the Cazenovia Garden Club (CGC). For over 70 years, the CGC has worked, often behind the scenes, to beautify the community and bring together people with mutual interests in home gardens and civic improvement. The club, which is a member of the GCACC, contributes thousands of dollars and countless volunteer hours to the community each year by providing flowers, tending gardens, and planting trees throughout the village. All the plants, planters, hanging baskets, wreaths, garlands, and bows used in CGC projects are paid for by the club itself. CGC initiatives are currently funded by membership dues, annual spring and holiday sales, and donations. “We are in a unique position as an events organization with the backing of the Cazenovia Chamber of Commerce,” said GCACC President and Caz Life member Ralph Monforte. “It is not always an exact science, but through our work with businesses, municipalities, and community members, we are better able to see the gaps between organizations. In one of our recent meetings, a community member brought up to us that the garden club was having funding issues [and] that their traditional ways of fundraising were not sufficient going into 2024. We knew that although this issue is a little bit outside of our scope, we couldn’t let this happen. After speaking with the garden club directly, they notified us that with the rising prices of supplies, they would undoubtedly be about $5,000 short.” According to CGC President Glenda Pugh, the club plans to primarily use the donations collected through Caz Life to replace its holiday wreaths, bows, and garlands as needed. “They are an expensive purchase, and

Lisa Dolan for town clerk Occupation: Town clerk

I started working for the Town of Fenner as deputy town clerk in 2015 and eventually became the town clerk. I am seeking re-election to this position because I enjoy serving our community. My family and I have lived in Fenner since 2003. We raised our five children here and are very active in community events. We enjoy the rural lifestyle that Fenner provides. Helping Fenner maintain its rural charm is one of our biggest challenges to date. Working for the town affords me an opportunity to provide our residents with the confidence that their elected officials are listening to what they want. I’m proud to be part of a team that works hard to make sure our community is safe and prioritizes the best interests of our residents.

Robbie Conklin for highway superintendent Occupation: Highway Superintendent How will your experience serve you in local government? Anne Saltman

Caz Life recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to support the ongoing work of the Cazenovia Garden Club. the harsh winter weather takes a toll on them,” said Pugh. On Oct. 18, Monforte reported that the GoFundMe, which was launched in early October, had raised approximately $1,000. “We are aiming to raise $5,000 in full for the garden club,” Monforte said. “However, any money we can put towards community beautification we will consider a success.” To donate to the CGC GoFundMe, visit gofundme.com/f/cazenovia-gardenclub.

Cazenovia Garden Club

The CGC is a non-profit organization that is a member of both the VI District of the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State, Inc. and the Central Atlantic Region of National Garden Clubs, Inc. Founded in 1949 and federated in 1960, the club aims to stimulate interest in horticulture, develop skills in the beautification of home and community, create an awareness of national and local conservation problems, inspire a desire to serve in these areas, and further the goals and objectives of the regional and national organizations to which it belongs. In preparation for the holiday season, the CGC provides lighted wreaths for the lampposts throughout the Historic Business District, decorates hayracks and

window boxes, and coordinates with the village to hang garlands on storefronts and the Village Fountain. It also donates Christmas gifts to the CazCares food pantry and clothing closet. The club provides and maintains plants at the Cazenovia Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps building, Carpenter’s Barn, the Gothic Cottage, Lakeland Park, the post office, and both village welcome signs on Route 20. It also provides and maintains annual plantings in hanging baskets on lampposts, in sidewalk planters, and in window boxes throughout the village. Additionally, the organization funds an annual scholarship for a Cazenovia High School senior to study horticulture; donates pantry items at monthly meetings to CazCares; coordinates an annual cleanup at the south end of Cazenovia Lake; supports the Cazenovia Tree Commission; and plants and maintains gardens at the Cazenovia Public Library, the Veterans Baseball Field, and the Village Fountain. The garden club is welcoming new members. To learn more about getting involved with the organization, visit cazenoviagardenclub.org or contact CGC Membership Chair Kerstin McKay at ​kerstin_ Caz Life l Page 4

My experience as a highway superintendent could bring valuable skills to local government, such as knowledge of infrastructure maintenance, budget management, and project planning. These skills could be beneficial when overseeing local public works projects, road maintenance, and other infrastructure-related responsibilities in a municipal government role.

What do you think are the biggest challenges in your community?

Working in the Town of Fenner has its own unique set of challenges. I am working with limited budgets, limited workforce, aging infrastructure, and seasonal weather variations. Public expectations are still high despite my need to be resourceful, prioritize effectively, and find creative solutions to address these challenges.

What are your ideas for addressing these challenges?

Collaborating with neighboring jurisdictions by sharing resources and equipment can help maximize efficiency and reduce costs. It’s always helpful to implement a proactive maintenance strategy to address issues before they become major issues as well.

William Wester for town councilor

Occupation: I retired in 2015 after forty years with a company called Dairy One, which went to dairy farms and gathered information on the cows each month.

How will your experience serve you in local government?

We’ve lived in Fenner since 1984 on Moraine Road. We know all the neighbors. When we had the snowstorm back in the late 80s, everybody got together and worked to get the driveways plowed out, and this year, we got together and had the speed limit reduced on Moraine Road from 55 to 45 mph. We have a lot of pedestrian traffic, and the road is very winding. The state and the county went along and reduced that, so that shows that the people were work-

Volume 214, Number 43 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.

sports: Cazenovia volleyball gives Ellithorpe 400th win.

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events: Walk Among the Spirits returns.

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Fenner l Page 15 A&E �������������������������������� 3

letters ���������������� 6,7,14

events ������������������������� 2

PennySaver ���������������� 8

history ������������������������ 4

Sports ������������������ 16-17


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