EARTh DAy clEAnuP sET
The Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps is looking for volunteers to participate in the 6th Annual Earth Day Cleanup on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to noon.
Participants will pick up debris along Onondaga Lake’s southwest shoreline and learn from Audubon NY, Onondaga Audubon, and Parsons staff about the lake’s birds, other wildlife, and the importance of healthy habitats in the Onondaga Lake watershed.
Volunteers should wear shoes or boots, long pants and sleeves, and bring work gloves. Plastic bags will be provided. The event will take place rain or shine.
Volunteers will meet at Honeywell’s Onondaga Lake Visitors Center, 280 Restoration Way in Syracuse, and then drive a short distance to Harbor Brook.
Toppled tree Second Street home damaged by fallen tree
By Russ TARBy Contributing Writer
A tall tree came crashing down on Moe Clayton’s house and outbuildings located at 616 Second St. on Saturday evening, April 5. The aging tall tree that came down was located on next-door property at 612 Second St.
According to Zillow.com.,the home at 612 -- which is currently vacant -- last sold for $105,000 in February 2025, but the new owner remains unidentified.
Liverpool Mayor Stacy Finney, who lives a halfblock away on Birch Street, said Clayton’s buildings sustained significant damage.
“You can see the damage from the Birch Street side of the house and from his backyard,” she said on Sunday.
The mayor had some advice for village residents who may be facing possible damage from trees located in neighbors’ yards.
Visit act.audubon.org/a/onondaga-lake-conservation-corps-earth-day-cleanup-saturdayapril-26-10-a m to register or call 315-365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.or g with questions.
“Onondaga Lake is a conservation success story,” said Chris Lajewski, program director of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps. “The Earth Day Cleanup is a great opportunity for the Central New York community to experience the restored habitats and remove debris that has washed up on the shoreline and wetlands during the winter months. We look forward to working with dozens of volunteers and having a huge impact that will benefit Onondaga Lake’s nesting Bald Eagles, waterfowl and other wildlife.”
The 6th Annual Earth Day Cleanup is sponsored by National Grid. Space is limited and registration is required for the Earth Day Cleanup.
Trustees adopt $4.5 million budget Property taxes to remain flat at $12�95 per thousand
By Russ TARBy Contributing Writer
At their monthly meeting on Thursday, April 10, the Liverpool Village Board of Trustees approved the 2025-2026 village budget totaling $4,551,936. That figure falls just short of a million dollars more than last year’s budget of $3,574,315.
The trustees – Rachel Ciotti, Matt Devendorf, Mike LaMontagne and Mayor Stacy Finney – voted unanimously to approve the annual budget. Trustee Melissa Cassidy was absent on April 10.
Last year’s budget called for a raise of the property tax assessment from $11.95 to $12.95 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This year, there will be no tax increase.
While local budgets are often increased by purchases of vehicles and/ or major capital improvement projects, no such expenditures are foreseen next year.
The single largest budget line in the village is always the police department. Next year, the village will spend $1,294,504.45 for police services, salaries, benefits and expenses. Because recent hiring has lifted the LPD to eight full-time officers and two part-timers, the department’s budget has increased dramatically.
Village taxes had remained flat at $11.95 per $1,000 of assessed value since 2011. Last year, that went up to $12.95 so as an example a village property assessed at $100,000 will receive a tax bill for $1,295. Along with the taxes, village property owners
must also pay a $130 annual sewerfund assessment.
Expenses which were struck from the new budget included a new $58,000 police vehicle, $20,000 in engineering fees and a summer DPW employee who would have earned $7,000.
“We came up with a very lean budget,” Ciotti said.
Taxable values decreased this year by $3,389,495 because exemptions for senior citizen-owner properties increased from 43 to 97, which represents a loss of $43,000 for the village, according to Village Clerk Mary Ellen Sims.
s even DWIs in March
Police Chief Jerry Unger reported via memo that his officers made 357 traffic stops and issued 354 citations for violations of the state’s vehicle and traffic laws in the month of March.
Seven arrests were made for Driving While Intoxicated last month.
Officers stopped 17 tractor trailers in the village in March, and they wrote 13 local law traffic tickets for being overweight, which is three more than February.
Eight accidents were investigated here in last month and six parking tickets were issued. Officers made 22 residential checks and 249 business checks last month, while responding to a total of 823 incidents and calls for service, an average of 26.5 calls per day.
The LPD arrested 97 individuals last month on 112 criminal charges.
“If someone has a neighbor with a tree that is damaged and is in danger of falling on their property, they can have an arborist assess it,” she said.
At a village tree committee meeting on Monday, April 7, the village arborist, Theresa Link of Onondaga County Soil & Water Conservation District, said that the best thing for people to do is contact their insurance company to let them know that a neighbor’s tree appears to be in danger of falling on their property.
“Then their insurance company will arrange something with the tree owner’s insurance,” the mayor said. “Please reach out to the village arborist with any questions.”
Link can be reached by phone at 315-457-0325 or via email at tlink@ocswcd.or g
Liverpool, C-NS boys lacrosse to
meet undefeated
By PhIl BlAckWEll
Though it was only mid-April, the boys lacrosse battle between Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse Tuesday afternoon at Bragman Stadium would really boost the confidence of whichever unbeaten team won it. The Warriors were 3-0 in the wake of last Saturday’s game against Section II’s Bethlehem, where it pushed past the Eagles 12-7 almost entirely on the backs of Brady Michaud and Chris Matott.
Earning six goals for the second consecutive game plus an assist, Michaud could damage Bethlehem because Mattot was next to him, dishing out four assists to go with his four goals. Outside of that duo, only Danny Dunn and Tyler Donahue were able to score, but Dunn helped both Matott and Michaud picking up five assists as Brendan Caraher got two assists. Andrew Gabor finished with 10 saves.
C-NS only played once last week, going to East Syracuse Minoa on Thursday and, making it four victories in a row, rolling past
the Spartans by a score of 13-7.
Again well-balanced in its attack, the Northstars were led by three-goal hat tricks from Quinn Empey and Adrian Sweeney, Empey also getting a pair of assists as goalie Noah Samphier stopped 10 of ESM’s 17 direct shots, equaling what Gabor would do against Bethlehem. Jack Putman scored twice to go with his two assists and Luke Deinhart also managed two assists. Single goals went to Emmit Porter, Karsen Pritchard and Blake Fefee as Dominick Sommers added an assist.
Back on April 5, C-NS defeated Indian River 12-3 with Empey’s four goals a strong follow-up to the six he scored against General Brown two nights earlier. Fefee scored three times, with Deinhart notching two goals. Donovan Chaney had four assists and Sweeney three assists as they both notched single goals, joining Porter.
As if battling C-NS wasn’t enough, Liverpool also had to face West Genesee on Thursday afternoon and Skaneateles on Saturday just as the Northstars traveled south to face Section IV’s Johnson City.
Liverpool flag football earns win
By PhIl BlAckWEll
For more than a week, the Liverpool flag football team waited to get on the field again following its 14-14 tie with Baldwinsville on April 1 where it rallied from a 14-0 second-half deficit. Then the Warriors resumed action last Thursday night at PSLA-Fowler High School Stadium where, remaining confident, it improved on defense, only allowing a single touchdown.
Meanwhile, Liverpool found the end
zone three different times and earned an 18-6 victory in the first of three straight road games that will include trips this week to Sherburne-Earlville and Fayetteville-Manlius.
Cicero-North Syracuse will get a look at F-M first on Tuesday night. This comes before facing another first-year program from Central Square on Thursday in a game made up from last Tuesday night’s postponement due to heavy snow on the Bragman Stadium turf.
greg Craybas
An earth Day cleanup on Onondaga lake is planned for April 26.
lcsD hosts second Annual Autism & neurodiversity night
The Liverpool Central School District recently hosted its second annual Autism & Neurodiversity Night at Liverpool High School.
District families and staff had the opportunity to learn about different resources and programs available, as well as speak with professionals in the field of special education.
There were activities with supervision by LHS students so parents, caregivers and guardians could visit the informational tables.
The event also included big trucks & emergency vehicles, sensory areas, quiet spaces and raffles baskets.
Special thanks to the following organizations that brought big trucks and emergency vehicles to the event:
Northern Onondaga Volunteer Ambulance (NOVA)
Big Red Towing
Camillus Fire Department
Town of Clay
Moyers Corners Fire Department
Onondaga County Department of Emergency Management
Special thanks as well to the organizations and individuals that hosted information tables:
Access CNY
Access CNY - Children’s Services Access CNY - TRIAD
The Gathering Place
Editor’s note: This year the village of North Syracuse celebrates its 100th anniversary.
Plank Road Baptist Conference; North Syracuse Baptist Church; The Gathering Place.
Over the last 175-plus years, this place of worship has gone by many names, but a few things have stayed constant: “The ability to stay true to the foundational elements of the church, following the Lord, and following his work,” Lead Pastor Rob Burns said.
The church was founded as Plank Road Baptist Church in 1847, decades before the village of North Syracuse was incorporated. TGP has its roots in six families who first gathered in Centerville in 1844 to worship. Three years later, the Onondaga Baptist Association recog-
nized a group of 28 charter members as the Plank Road Baptist Conference. In 1897, the congregation became North Syracuse Baptist Church. The church completed construction of its first house of worship in 1854. A new building was constructed in the late 1940s. By 1990, the church had outgrown its sanctuary and began building a vast worship hall that seats 1,500 people.
Throughout its history, TGP has used the technology of the day to reach its flock. Under Pastor Archie A. MacKinney, NSBC held summertime services at the North Drive-in Theater starting in 1952. Three years later, Pastor Ernest Laycock led a radio broadcast of sermons, songs and poems on the WNDR 1260 station. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, parishioners could call the church to hear recorded messages: “Dial-A-Prayer”
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and children’s stories.
North Syracuse Baptist Church broadcast radio sermons in the 1950s. Over the 20th century, NSBC funded missionaries, sponsored new churches like Eastern Hill Bible Church in Manlius, and started groups such as Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) and the Deaf Ministry.
In 2015, North Syracuse Baptist Church rebranded as The Gathering Place at NSBC to reflect its independence and mis-
sion to welcome people of all backgrounds. “The church was never part of a denomination but followed Baptist teachings,” Burns said. “In a lot of ways, that frees people up from preconceived notions of being part of a denomination. We really want people to be welcomed in and feel like they’ve found a home here.”
Dial-a-Prayer and drive-in services have been replaced by social media and livestreaming, especially during COVID19. While technology has changed, Burns observed that the church’s mission has remained constant.
At TGP’s monthly meet-and-greet luncheons, he compares the Plank Road Baptist Conference’s covenant with TGP’s current covenant for newcomers to see side-by-side. The Gathering Place’s name also reflects the church’s expanded role in the community. TGP partners with the Village of North Syracuse Parks and Recreation Department for many of its programs and has completed service projects in the local parks.
“We’re also either the ‘too hot’ or the ‘rainy day’
location for the summer parks program,” Burns said.
When the COVID19 pandemic struck, the church lent its space and audiovisual equipment to the village board so trustees could livestream meetings and maintain social distancing until the North Syracuse Community Center could be reconfigured.
TGP has a safety team that makes sure health protocols are in place and plans for security threats such as shootings, which have occurred at schools and places of worship at an alarming rate over the past few years.
“We’ve really tried to create an environment that is safe,” Burns said.
The church hires an offduty police officer to monitor Sunday services and has a team trained to respond to emergencies. “It’s unfortunately that we have to, but it is the reality of the world that we live in today,” Burns said. In addition to shoring up its safety and security precautions, the church is hoping to improve its facilities to continue serving its flock.
“An interactive wall allows our church family to
have access to our missionaries that we support both internationally and domestically. It increases our ability to encourage regular interactions with those we support through informed prayer and also regular updates,” the church’s anniversary appeal explains.
“The gym renovation allows for increased space for our student ministries, multiple courts for our Upward ministry, and many other uses.”
TGP also hosts Trunk or Treat around Halloween and recently held a backpack drive for Roxboro students in need.
“We really believe that’s what the church is meant to be. Our desire is to be part of the fabric of this community and the communities around us,” Burns said. “Not only does our church care about our village and the people that live here, but we also want to help the neighborhood around us and help the community” improve”
Looking ahead to TGP’s next 175 years, Burns said he hopes the church continues its steadfast tradition of serving the community and worshiping together.
Does the Cup go home at last?
So close, and yet denied. Again. When the Edmonton Oilers left the Sunshine State last June after Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers, they didn’t take that all-important piece of large silverware with them.
Having nearly become the first team in 73 years to erase a 3-0 series deficit and win a championship series was tiny consolation, not worth it if someone else ended up celebrating.
Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid
PURPOSE:
TEXT:
THE FILING OF REVISED RATES TO P.S.C. NO. 219 GAS TARIFFS TO COMPLY WITH THE COMMISSION’S ORDER DATED JANUARY 20, 2022 IN P.S.C. CASE 20-G-0381.
Notice is hereby given that Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid has filed revised rates with the Public Service Commission to comply with the Commission’s order dated January 20, 2022. ese revised rates become effective May 1, 2025.
e tables listed below show a comparison between the Company’s current rates and rates effective May 1, 2025.
OuR vOicE
Protecting kids
According to childwelfare.gov, April is recognized as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
“During April, we recognize National Child Abuse Prevention Month (NCAPM) and the importance of communities working together to support and strengthen families and prevent child maltreatment,” the website says. “Throughout the year, communities are encouraged to increase awareness about child and family well-being and work together to implement effective strategies that support families and prevent child abuse and neglect.”
During the awareness campaign, a focus is put on “…knowledge and understanding of protective factors and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), as well as the social-ecological model, can inform efforts to reduce the risk of maltreatment and prevent the recurrence of abuse or neglect by drawing on family strengths and acknowledging the impact of traumatic events,” according to the website.
The website goes on to detail protective factors as “…conditions or attributes that, when present in families and communities, increase the well-being of children and families and reduce the likelihood of maltreatment. Identifying protective factors ... helps parents find resources, supports, or coping strategies to keep their family strong even when life is challenging…”
Among these protective factors are things like nurturing and attachment, parental resilience, social connection and social and emotional competence in children.
Adverse experiences, which are potentially traumatic according to the website, include things like all types of abuse and neglect and domestic violence, among others.
According to the website, “A landmark study in the 1990s found a significant relationship between the number of ACEs a person experienced and a variety of negative outcomes in adulthood, including poor physical and mental health, substance use, and risky behaviors.
“The more ACEs experienced, the greater the risk for these outcomes. By definition, children served by child welfare have experienced at least one ACE. Understanding the impact of ACEs and how to build resilience in children and families can lead to more trauma-informed interventions that help mitigate negative outcomes.”
Locally a group known as Erin’s Angels of CNY works to raise awareness and to help strengthen laws to protect children.
“Our mission is to strengthen child abuse laws in New York State and close critical loopholes that leave our most vulnerable unprotected,” the organization shared. “We are advocating for the passage of NY State Senate Bill 2009-S1510, also known as Erin’s Law, named in memory of Erin Maxwell, an 11-yearold girl whose life was tragically cut short. Erin’s Law aims to ensure that those who commit heinous acts against children are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to the organization, the theme for this year’s awareness month is, “Building a Hopeful Future: Preventing Child Abuse Together,” and it underscores the importance of community partnerships in creating safe and nurturing environments for all children.
In an effort to keep children in New York state safe, Erin’s Angels, is leading an effort for the passage of NY State Senate Bill 2009-S1510, also known as Erin’s Law.
The bill seeks to establish the class A-I felony of aggravated murder of a child, carrying a sentence of life imprisonment without parole.
“Erin was found fatally injured in her home and later succumbed to her injuries at Universal Hospital.
This law is crucial in addressing cases where children under the age of 14 fall victim to intentional killings during the commission of heinous acts such as rape, criminal sexual acts, aggravated sexual abuse or incest.
“Additionally, it covers instances of depraved indifference or intentional killing of a child under 14 by individuals legally responsible for their care,” stated Sheila Dion, Erin’s Angels founder and executive director.
By repealing provisions of murder in the second degree that mirror certain aspects of aggravated murder of a child, Erin’s Law closes critical loopholes and strengthens the legal framework to protect children from harm.
This legislation increases the penalties for those who commit certain crimes against children, requires better records of calls made alleging child abuse and neglect, enhances the penalties for those who fail to report child abuse or maltreatment on multiple occasions and updates the definition of “neglected child” to better serve the interests of New York State’s most vulnerable children.
For more information about Erin’s Angels of CNY or how to support their mission, visit erinsangels.com
HOW CAN WE HELP?
A REcIPE fOR MEMORIEs
In 1970 the living room in my mother’s new house in Florida had an entire wall full of leather-bound books left by the previous owners. Among them was an entire 1911 edition of the Encyclopedia Brittanica, long touted as one of the finest because of its superior writing and its contributors.
But it was the beauty of the leather-bound tomes that caught my eye. The collection included so many with colored leather covers, several were a soft, aged turquoise, jewels among the library browns. One small book was bright blue and its front cover had a multicolored inlay of other colored leathers depicting a rose.
Bibliophile that I was and am, when my mother said that she didn’t want them, I scooped up as many as I could fit into my suitcase and brought them home to Marcellus. These were old books, written in a style that was, in our modern parlance, awkward, too formal and often too florid to engage long term interest…at least my longterm interest. Those that held poetry were particularly difficult, making obscure references to a culture and
times with which I had no experience. But the books were beautiful and became a part of my décor.
Six of these sit bookishly and elegant on the table behind the loveseat in my living room but receive little attention, save when I dust, except for this morning when I noticed a piece of paper edging out of the pages of one. It was a sepia speckled piece of paper folded in fours that held a hand written recipe for Coconut Kisses with a note “This one I got too late for Xmas. Try though, very good.”
Curious, I opened the book from which this recipe came and found that this large, darkly bound book was a cookbook, not an ordinary cookbook but one of the premier early cookbooks of the 20th century, “The Boston Cooking School” cookbook by Fannie Merrill Farmer. The book’s outer cover had darkened so with age that reading the title was difficult. But inside, on the first page there was a dedication: Mrs. Michael Bollings, from her theatrical friend Alice Esdee Happy Go Lucky Chicago, March 1921. It was a well-used cook-
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book, filled with notations, finger prints from pie dough, drippings and splatters from what ingredients one could only guess.
This cookbook attends to all that is involved in cooking. from shopping to instructions about how to build a fire in your stove, what kind of wood to use and how to bank the fire for different kinds of baking. The chapter on beef includes six detailed pages on how to cook a side of beef, the nutritional composition of different parts of that side of beef and how to store beef. There is a hint that many of those who would have purchased this book did not have modern refrigeration. A chapter on jellies, jam and marmalades instructs the reader to prepare jelly glasses with no mention of water bath canning or using lids but rather tells the reader to use “letter paper” soaked in brandy placed directly on the top of the prepared fruit with an additional covering of paper “cut larger than the glasses and fastened securely over the edge with mucilage”…The author then comments, “ Some prefer to cover jelly with melted paraffin …”
MOchA nEEDs A hOME
By DOnnA nEWMAn
photo by donna neWman
As you can see, Mocha’s getting desperate and she’ll do almost anything to find a home! she’s 11 years old and has been at the shelter for over a year. she’s smart, resilient, and very sweet. Mocha has been a shelter ambassador at several events, and has done great. she’s visited two seventh grade classrooms and was a hit. she’s spent time in a foster home and was a very good house guest. she’s dog-friendly and food-motivated, and would do best with no cats and older kids. If you’re not ready to commit to adoption, we have a foster program you can join. Meet super senior Mocha; you’ll be sure to find a whole “latte” love! In order to adopt, you must fill out an application, pay an adoption fee, and have your pets up to date on their rabies vaccines. All adopted cats and dogs are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and up-to-date on their vaccinations before they go home. for more information about adoption, call 315-454-4479, email frontdesk2@ cnyspca.org, or visit cnyspca.org
Oh, my, I have travelled back a lifetime to the side of my grandmother as she taught me how to make jams and jellies. We never used the brandied paper, but learning how to safely melt and apply the wax continues to be a strong memory. I still have a piece of paraffin in my pantry. My grandmother didn’t have a cookbook. She was a good, sometimes spectacular cook, but all of her knowledge was in her head and she shared that with me with generous gusto.
My mother had a few pamphlets, mostly produced by a particular company, from which she cooked. I have several in my bookcase now. One is from Knox Gelatin entitled “On Camera Recipes” and another is by Carnation Condensed Milk, but it has lost its cover and so its title but contains some excellent recipes.
Cooking and the knowledge that is associated with the preparation of food is a wonderfully complicated compilation of strategies for
Double Cheese hopes to open next month at 407
When he was born 40 year ago, Chris Bily’s family lived in Liverpool.
A couple years later, they moved to the suburbs west of Syracuse. Chris attended West Genesee High School in Camillus, where he played lacrosse. Along the way, he worked as a dishwasher for Fresno’s, and he fell in love with the hospitality industry.
Now his company – FeastCoast Hospitality – operates two successful Syracuse restaurants and is marketing its own Hot Stuff hot sauce in area supermarkets. Bily has developed an enviable track record for serving edgy foods and beverages that appeal to 21st century diners.
The two businesses he runs down city –Original Grain and XO Taco & Tequila Bar – each enjoy an enthusiastic clientele. They dig the salads and smoothies at OG and the burritos and margaritas at XO. Back in 2014, Chris helped launch an offbeat Armory Square restaurant called Modern Malt.
café at 407 rebranded
Now, Chris is hard at work renovating the Tulip Street space formerly housing the Café at 407. He and his business partner, MaryAnn Stella a preparing a smashburger-
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themed bar and bistro called Double Cheese. If all goes well, they hope to open in late-May. “Double Cheese will be a basic, simple operation,” Bily promised. “We’ll serve burgers and fries and probably a few other entrees, and we’ll have a full bar.”
The menu will be topped by high-grade ground beef hamburgers.
“And we’ll offer an array of different toppings, super-unique toppings,” Chris predicted.
Although he can’t quite remember his Liverpool roots, Chris is glad to be back in the village where he hopes to add another chapter to our rich hamburger history. Bluegrass picnic in jeopardy
Bill Knowlton, the bluegrass broadcaster who lives in Liverpool, is appealing for help to continue the annual Bluegrass Ramble Picnic. For more than 50 years the WCNY-FM disc jockey has kept the free event funded via T-shirt sales, raffles and donation jars.
“Well we’ll need more funding for this year’s Picnic,” Knowlton said last week. “Sadly our expenses will be $1,000 more than in the past thanks to rising costs.”
The host of the Sunday-night “Bluegrass Ramble” radio program is requesting
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that old-time music fans to donate to the Central New York Traditional Music Fund.
“That’s where we keep our funds for the sound, insurance, tent and other expenses to keep us ‘honest,’” he said. This summer’s picnic is slated for Sunday, Aug. 3, as usual at Dwyer Memorial Park, home of the Cortland Repertory Theater in Preble from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“It’s the oldest bluegrass event in New York, Pennsylvania and New England, and we want to keep it that way,” Knowlton boasted. “So please contribute what you can; it’s tax deductible.”
Donors can simply Google the Central New York Traditional Music Fund and hit the contribution link at cnycf.org. If you wish to send a tax-deductible check to The Central New York Traditional Music Fund: address it to CNY Community Foundation, 431 East Fayette St, Suite 100, Syracuse. Be sure to mark your check for “Bluegrass Ramble Picnic.”
Please send Bill any suggestions you have about how to raise money at udmacon1@hotmail.com; or call him at 315-4576100.
last word
“Burgers are the perfect canvas for culinary creativity.”
– Rachael Ray
ing to the library too! Every person deserves to have access to books that they can relate to and learn from!! They should not be censored!
nATAlIE cOOk LiverpooL
Livin’ in Liverpool
Ramblings from the empty nest ann Ferro Recipe
Richard frear, 89
Loved the outdoors, horse races
Richard “Dick” Frear, 89, of Liverpool passed away Sunday, April 6, 2025, peacefully at home surrounded by his family. Born in Rotterdam Junction, he was a lifelong resident of Baldwinsville.
Dick began his career with Penn Central Railroad as a brakeman for many years before becoming general chairman of the United Transportation Union.
He had a love for the outdoors, spending time hunting and fishing. He also enjoyed OTB betting on the horse races.
He was predeceased by his loving wife of 60 years, Barbara; and oldest son, William.
Surviving are his children, Debra Eckel of Baldwins -
frear
ville, John of Baldwinsville, Timothy (Jan) of Phoenix, AZ, Rick (Jessica) of Baldwinsville, and Rebecca (Terry) Graham of Rochester; and several grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. There will be no calling hours. Funeral services will be private.
A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, May 18, 2025, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the American Legion, 8529 Smokey Hollow Road, Baldwinsville. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Jo Ann Mets, 94
Talented pianist, organist
With the loss of a wonderful musician, mother and dear friend to many, Jo Ann Baker Mets, 94, also known as “Jody” passed away peacefully on March 31, 2025. She was born June 16, 1930, to Gene and Helen Baker in Pratt, KS, growing up with the golden wheat fields as her backdrop. She met her husband, Edwin Mets, (deceased) in Colorado when attending and graduating from Colorado Women’s College in Denver.
They moved to Pittsfield, MA, where their two children, Lisa and John (deceased,) were born, and then moved to Skaneateles.
Jo Ann was a vital person in the community, being organist for the Skaneateles Methodist Church for years and then for Saint Mary’s Church as well. She was a piano teacher for the young people who loved her for her patience, warm personality and wonderful sense of humor. She was a talented pianist for the middle school theater musicals and accompanist for many other people and organizations. Her musicality, her knowledge of music, her
patience with children and her brilliance in composing endeared her to those fortunate enough to have known her.
In 2004 Jo Ann moved to Chatham, MA, to be closer to her daughter, Lisa, where once again she became ingrained in the musical community of Cape Cod. She became the organist for the First Congregational Church of Chatham and choir and once again immersed herself in many musical organizations and clubs. Jo Ann always said she loved to make music with people, not just to play music. She was also a long time member of P.E.O. Sisterhood (Philanthropic Educational Organization).
Jo Ann has lit up so many people’s lives with her music, humor, wittiness and love. She would follow the lunar phases so not to miss a full moon rise or set over the ocean’s horizon no matter what time of night and loved to finish her day watching the sunset at
the beach. Besides her passion of music and the arts, Cape Cod and the seashore and of course our feathered friends, (she was one of the Birdwatchers General Store’s best customers and a member of Cape Cod Bird Club) it must be said that she had a love for hot dogs and old fashioned cream soda and could be found at Depot Dogs on many summer days.
Jo Ann is survived by her daughter and husband, Lisa and Bob Chiappetta, granddaughter, Devon Chiappetta, grandsons and wives, Dustin and Carrie Chiappetta and Patrick and Melissa Chiappetta, and the three grandchildren, Luca, Giovanni and Ella.
We will all join Jo Ann singing in her angel choir with her directing from her piano.
A celebration of life was held at the First Congregational Church of Chatham, MA on April 14, 2025 at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers please donate to the Cape Cod Symphony or musical group of your choice.
Richard
Jo Ann Mets
Liverpool girls lacrosse earns first wins of season
By PhIl BlAckWEll
Just before the April school break started the Cicero-North Syracuse girls lacrosse team made their way to Massachusetts to test themselves in a pair of games against unfamiliar opposition.
The Northstars did so with more recognition than ever, having risen to no. 3 in the nation in the Inside Lacrosse magazine rankings, the best spot it has ever enjoyed.
And C-NS was victorious in the first of these two games against Notre Dame Academy, which is located in Hingham, near Boston. Strong on defense from start to finish, the Northstars prevailed 8-6 over the Cougars.
Jilly Howell, with her seven saves, an-
chored the defense as, in front of them, Gabby Putman led with two goals and two assists. Elizabeth Smith scored twice, Sophia Nesci adding a goal and two assists as Sophia Graham, Bella Gates and Viviana Beardsley had the other goals.
Then on Saturday facing another Boston-area school, Wellesley, C-NS had a different result, falling to the Raiders 14-9. Again no Northstars player had more than the two goals put up by Nesci and Smith, with Putman getting one goal and one assist. Gates, Graham, Natalie Wilson and Ella Grotto also scored.
Back home, Liverpool recovered quite well from a season-opening April 4 defeat to CBA, getting its first win of the season last Monday night topping Clinton 16-5.
Liverpool softball opens with defeat
By PhIl BlAckWEll
Everyone on the Liverpool softball team understood that replicating its Section III Class AAA title run of 2024 might prove quite difficult.
Most of the starters from 2024 were gone, from top pitcher Mackenzie Frani to catcher Joelle Wike to standouts like Ava Falvo, Katia Flavin, Brooke Tyler and Lauren Ragonese.
Thus, the lineup was close to brand-new when the Warriors opened its season last Monday against Christian Brothers Academy and took a 4-2 defeat to the Brothers.
All through the first four innings Liverpool’s batters struggled against CBA pitcher Gracie Battles, only breaking through in the fifth on run-scoring hits from Maya
Mills and Erica Ryan.
This only cut the Brothers’ 4-0 advantage in half, and Battles blanked the Warriors from there, limiting them to six hits overall. Lexi Goodfellow took the loss despite nine strikeouts as Mari Catherine Giamartino led CBA with a walk, single and double on her way to three RBIs.
Wet weather kept Liverpool from meeting rival Cicero-North Syracuse on Thursday afternoon, and the Northstars could now focus on its spring-break trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
As for Liverpool, it would stay at home, getting to play on all-weather surfaces three times this week, once at Chittenango and then twice at Carrier Park against Webster Schroeder and West Genesee.
The Comets simply couldn’t keep up with the Warriors, especially Gianna Carbone, whose five goals equaled the entire Clinton roster.
Maura Beckwith had three goals and two assists, Lilia Hertweck equaling that point total with two goals and three assists. Maura Woods added a three-goal hat trick as single tallies went to Maya Michaud, Lyric Noel and Sydney Nestor.
Against Indian River two nights later, Liverpool continued to show its improvement, doubling up the Wolves and prevailing 14-7 with three different players recording hat tricks.
Carbone again led the way, scoring four times and tacking on a pair of assists. Noel and Woods both netted three goals, with
By PhIl BlAckWEll
Having pulled out its season opener against Auburn on April 4, the Liverpool baseball team hoped for similar success when it took on Fayetteville-Manlius last Monday afternoon.
However, the Warriors fell 8-6 to the Hornets, pulling off one big comeback but not quite able to do so again.
Five runs in the top of the first inning put F-M in control, but Liverpool countered with two runs in the second and three more in the third to pull even at 5-5.
Then the Hornets used single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to pull in front for good as, trailing 8-5, the Warriors did get a run in the seventh but was stopped from there.
Michaud getting two goals and one assist. Hertweck earned a goal and two assists with Gabrielle Jondle and Laelyn Lashwa earning their first goals of the season.
Then it was Westhill visiting on Saturday afternoon, and it unloaded on Liverpool, prevailing 16-5 led by Kara Rosenberger’s five goals and Aubrey Holowinski’s four goals. Only Noel scored twice for Liverpool, with Carbone held to one goal which Beckwith and Tia Peluso matched. Goalies Isabella DaRin and Ava Eicholzer combined for 11 saves.
Now at 2-2, Liverpool would host C-NS on Tuesday before a Saturday trip to West Genesee as the Northstars have its own test against Westhill on Friday afternoon.
Paolo Munetz was three-for-four, scoring twice and adding an RBI. Colin Avery added two hits and two walks as Nico Leone drove in a pair of runs. RBIs also went to Zach Zingaro and James Kelly. Munetz also pitched 4 2/3 innings in relief of Graham Hope before Chris Monahan worked the last two innings. Brian Tonkovich led F-M with a triple, single and two RBIs.
Liverpool saw last Thursday’s game against Oswego rained out. Weather and field conditions also kept Cicero-North Syracuse from last Wednesday’s rematch of the 2024 sectional Class AAA final against Christian Brothers Academy as the Northstars and Warriors looked ahead to traveling south this week for games in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina during the school break.
