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Jordan woman turns 100
Lillian VanFleet has lived on Hamilton Road for 99 years
Community Development could face drastic cuts Grant funding for local projects hangs in the balance
Collecting bottles for senior ball
By Ned Campbell
family for her unending devotion to teaching life skills and life lessons and her family wish to thank her for her loyalty to them and the community over the years,” DeLorenzo read. Lillian did not know that her daughter, Mary Catherine, would be waiting for her down-
Robert DeMore, director of Onondaga County CDBG, recently asked Marcellus Mayor John Curtin to write a letter of support to Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle, though DeMore says the congresswoman has expressed support for the program. “[Community Development] is one of the few sources of revenue that remains for the villages and towns in Onondaga County to fund projects that are of such scale that it becomes almost impossible for local residents to finance in their entirety,” Curtin wrote in a letter to Buerkle’s office dated March 10. Congress proposed a 63 percent cut to federal funding for the Community Development Block Grant program for 2011 in February; the Senate defeated the measure March 9. Congress is now deciding just how much funding to cut from the program, as it works toward a compromise with the Senate.
See Lillian, page 5
See CDBG, page 3
Marcellus High School seniors collected bottles and cans to raise money for the After the Ball party. ...See page 6
Schools Ned Campbell
Father DeLorenzo helps Lillian VanFleet cut into her birthday cake during a celebration held March 26 at St. Patrick’s Church in Jordan. By Ned Campbell editor@eagle-observer.com
Super Seniors West Genesee High School names ‘Seniors of the Month’ for March.
...See page 7
Calendar �������������������2 Classifieds �������������� 14 Editorial ��������������������4 Obituaries ������������������9 Public notices �������� 13 School news ������6, 12
EAGLE
Lillian Crofut VanFleet, of Jordan, turns 100 today, March 30. St. Patrick’s Church, where she is a lifetime member, threw her a celebration following last Sunday’s 10 a.m. service. “If thery’re gonna do this for
me, I’ll live another 100,” Lillian said. Father John DeLorenzo read a birthday proclamation made by the village of Jordan, where Mayor Dick Platten congratulated Lillian and named March 30, 2011, “Lillian Crofut VanFleet ‘Lil’ Day.” “’Lil’ is dearly loved by her
Mayors move meals: Local officials deliver meals for ECHO By Ned Campbell You might not know it, but ECHO Meals on Wheels is a staple in the western suburbs of Syracuse. Last year, 192 ECHO volunteers delivered 40,000 meals to 250 residents of Geddes, Camillus, Lakeland, Fairmount, Warners, Solvay, Onondaga, Marcellus, Elbridge and Westvale. “A lot of people don’t know about us, or what we do, or have misconceptions,” said ECHO board President and volunteer Lori Gulgert. “They think you have to qualify in some way, by income, by age or whatever,
and you do not.” For those in need, all it takes to have low-priced meals delivered to your home is a phone call to the ECHO Meals on Wheels office at 4600 W. Genesee St. ECHO (Ecumenical Community Helping Others) delivers to the chronically ill; those temporarily indisposed due to accident, illness or surgery; homebound residents who wish to improve their diet; senior citizens whose live-in relatives are away or at work; and those people that otherwise would not have an adequate meal. See Meals, page 19
Your Community, Your News,
Ned Campbell
Marcellus Mayor John Curtin, left, Camillus Town Supervisor Mary Ann Coogan and Geddes Town Supervisor Manny Falcone prepare to deliver meals to residents.
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