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cazenovia’s Smith top swimmer at sectionals by Phil Blackwell
Once more, Cazenovia High School students have contributed to the swimming success of the Fayetteville-Manlius program that uses Cazenovia College’s pool as a home venue. And in this case, no one in last Wednesday’s Section III Class A championships at Nottingham High School proved better than Cazenovia senior Quinn Smith, who was named the meet’s outstanding swimmer and was joined by junior Max Vidakovic and senior Cooper Hughes. All of them helped F-M take second place in the sectional team standings with 349.5 points, trailing only the 388 put up by Jamesville-DeWitt/ Christian Brothers Academy. Smith entered the sectional meet top-ranked in the 200-yard individual medley, but would improve upon his previous-best time of this winter by more than two seconds. Also, by going one minute, 57.53 seconds, Smith easily surpassed the 2:00.63 he needed to qualify for the March 4-5 New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships at Ithaca College.
Moving to the 100 backstroke, Smith had gone 55.10 seconds this season and was seeded second behind J-D/CBA’s Nathaniel Wales, who best time this winter was 54.94. Each of them would better those times in the sectional final - but it was Smith inching his way in front over the final 50 yards and, in 53.04 seconds, setting a new school record and earning a second state meet berth, with Wales second in 53.64 and also qualifying for the state meet. These performance helped Smith to the outstanding swimmer honors, beating out two other double winners at the Class A meet, Cicero-North Syracuse’s Jacob Griffin (50 and 100 freestyle) and J-D/CBA’s Misha Kabunov (200 and 500 freestyle). When the sectional state qualifier was held two nights later, Smith broke his own 100 backstroke mark, tearing to a time of 52.69 seconds as Wales (54.94) and the field was more than two seconds behind. And though not as quick as he was in the Class A meet, Smith again prevailed in the 200 IM, his 1:58.59 the only time under two minutes as Mexico’s Tyler Warner (2:02.10) was second.
Earlier, Smith and Hughes both took part in the Class A 200 medley relay with Carter Page and Jason Porter, helping F-M post a time of 1:44.43, a close second to J-D/CBA’s 1:43.26. And in the 400 freestyle relay, Smith, Porter, Eli Kligerman and Eddie Elliott made it to third place in 3:24.98. In the 200 medley relay during the state qualifier, F-M would finish third in 1:42.65 and beat J-D/CBA’s 1:42.74, with the Hornets sixth in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:25.81. As for Vidakovic, he was the seventh seed in the Class A 100 butterfly, having gone no faster than 1:00.22 this season, But Vidakovic rose to third place in this race in a season-best 57.94 seconds, trailing only the 55.61 from Liverpool’s Jack Cavallerano and the 57.11 from Cicero-North Syracuse’s Caden Griffin. He then swam 57.84 in the state qualifier to take seventh place. In the Class A 200 IM, Vidakovic finished seventh in a season-beset 2:13.95 behind Smith, while Hughes took ninth in the Class A 100 freestyle in 53.52 seconds and was 12th in the 50 freestyle in 24.25 seconds.
Cazenovia High School senior Quinn Smith was named the oustanding swimmer of last Wednesday’s Section III Class A championships after winning the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke, qualifying for next month’s state championships in both events.
Meier’s Creek parking project Purpose Coffee Co. opens at Common Grounds approved by planning board By kate hill Staff writer On Feb. 14, the Village of Cazenovia Planning Board approved a revised special permit and site plan submitted by Meier’s Creek Brewing Company at 33 Rippleton Road for the construction of an additional paved parking area and a new business identification sign. According to Village Planning Board Chair Richard Huftalen, the February meeting represented the applicant’s third appearance regarding the proposed amendments. The initial application was presented in December 2021 and considered again in January. That same month, the board opened and closed a public hearing. Following three months of public consideration of the proposal, the board approved a draft resolution titled “A Resolution Granting the Application of Meier’s Creek Brewing Co. for Amended Special Permit and Site Plan Approval” by a vote of four to zero. The resolution explains that the applicant plans to add 83 new paved customer/visitor automobile parking spaces to accommodate business traffic that is already frequenting the farm brewery. Therefore, the project, in and of itself, will not increase the intensity of the existing business use. According to Huftalen, parking was added to the site plan along the existing drive between the current patron parking and the employee parking/service entrance. The adopted resolution also states that the new sign will improve the ability of travelers on Route 13 to locate the entrance driveway, thus enhancing traffic safety. Additionally, the document notes that the proposed amount of lot coverage and impervious surface is within the limits of the zoning code guidelines, that the new onsite lighting will be dark skies compliant and meet the requirements of the village code, and that the village engineer reviewed the applicant’s storm water management plan and determined that “the impacts of the new paved parking area can be adequately mitigated on site.” “The board considered the fact that the current parking is sometimes inadequate and [forces] cars to park on the margins of the driveway, often in unpaved areas,” said Huftalen. “The new proposal will provide designated areas further from the road, partially screened with landscaping, with designated pedestrian access to the entrance. We were also very sensitive to the storm water management practices, and the design will mitigate the impact of the changes to impervious surface. The applicant modified their initial proposal substantially based on consultation with and feedback from the village engineer, and the board was pleased with the final outcome for both the applicant and the village.” The planning board meets on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Village Municipal Building, 90 Albany St. For more information, visit villageofcazenovia.com/planning-and-zoning.
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On Valentine’s Day, Cazenovia resident Debbie Tillson officially opened “Purpose Coffee Co.” in the Common Grounds space at 35 Albany St. By kate Hill Staff Writer Earlier this month, Cazenovia resident Debbie Tillson opened “Purpose Coffee Co.,” a full-service coffee house with a mission, in the Common Grounds space at 35 Albany St. The new business sells USDAcertified organic coffee and espresso roasted by Skytop Coffee in Manlius, lattes, made from scratch chai, several “Instagram-worthy” specialty drinks, and baked goods, like cinnamon buns with homemade cream cheese frosting and macarons and cupcakes from The Toast. Tillson also plans to offer a lite menu of breakfast sandwiches, panini, soups, and salads soon. In addition to providing the community with high-quality, locally roasted coffee, Tillson aims to brew it in a setting that fosters inclusion and purpose. “I am dedicated to creating a space where everyone that walks through the door feels welcomed regardless of [their] differences,” Tillson said in Dec. 2021. “The Purpose Coffee Co. mission is simple. We aim to brew inclusion, one cup at a time. You are wanted here; you are welcomed here, and you have purpose.” Prior to opening, Tillson renovated the Common Grounds space in hopes of creating an inviting, fun, and fresh environment while also preserving the
historic character of the space. According to Tillson, all the construction was completed by local contractors and the space turned out even better than she imagined. “It’s just so fun and warm and inviting; there’s a new energy,” she said. “The warm glow of the neon above the fireplace says it all. . . This must be the place. We hope that it truly is ‘the place’ for many, many years to come.” Purpose Coffee Co. officially opened on Feb. 14. “The community response has been so much more than so could have even hoped for,” said Tillson. We have had so many people come in and say, ‘Thank you for doing this, our community needed you here.’ On opening
Volume 213, Number 8 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: Pewter Spoon raises funds to support international humanitarian efforts..
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sports: Lakers hockey team heads to sectional semifinal.
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day, we were showered with flowers and gifts from the community and local business owners. The outpouring of support has filled my heart. We’re so thankful. At one point during opening day, I looked up and had to just pause for a moment. Every seat was filled, there were moms and dads with their little ones, people cozied up by the fire with a book, friends laughing, people of all generations sitting in one space enjoying a good cup of coffee. That right there was my vision.” The coffee house is open daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed on Tuesdays. Updates, specials, and additional information can be found on the Purpose Coffee Co. Instagram page at Purposecoffeecaz.
Calendar �������������������� 9 Editorial ��������������������� 4 history ������������������������ 5 letters ������������������������ 4
Obituaries ������������������ 9 PennySaver ���������������� 6 Sports ������������������ 11,13