Community Co-Op says ‘Goodbye’ to one of the founders

By Dave Warner

After almost 50 years with the Community Co-Op, Mary DeLuca has decided that it’s time to start the next chapter of her life, so employees, friends, and customers sent her off with a toast on Friday afternoon, her last day at work.

Tony DeLuca talked about the early days and said, “The Co-Op grew to a point where we could afford a secondstory storefront above the bar on Main Street.” At that time, there was a payphone that everyone used, and the rent was about $60 a month.

“It was a joyful experience when you opened the door and saw that the shelves were filled with things you normally had to travel to Syracuse to get,” he said.

DeLuca said that they grew out of that and went to Doc Pianna’s building on Garden St, and then after a few years of success there, the church called. “They said we’re mothballing the church, and we’d like to provide something to the community that is within our mission. We don’t want to sell it to a corporate entity, and we don’t want it to be destroyed.”

DeLuca continued, “They gave us a great deal, and we came in and built this place. Mary’s been a part of that from the beginning. We were able to parlay a lot in order to make this thing work.”

Mary said, “I was in a food-buying co-op in college, and so I knew how that worked, and I had a supplier that we could use here, so the concept kind of came from that.”

She said there were a lot of people in Little Falls that were interested in seeing it happen.

When asked about her fondest memory, she said, “This might be it, right here.”

“This hasn’t been an easy decision for me to make. But I’m looking forward to doing some other things, and the time is right, and Robyn (Safford) is the right person to take my place. It’s all good.”

She plans to spend more time with her grandson and family and travel. “I have lots of projects I haven’t had time to do. I used to make my own bread and do some sewing projects. There are a lot of things I’d like to do.”

Through its partnership with the Food Pantry, the Co-Op serves a wide range of individuals. Tony DeLuca said, “That’s part of the whole picture. Having natural goods here at a reasonable price. Those experiencing food insecurity can go to the Food Pantry and get served whatever we have there.”

He said that it works the other way as well. People who come into the Food Pantry with food allergies can be sent to the Co-Op. “It’s a synergistic service,” he stated.

As hockey season heads into the home stretch for 2022-23, fans in Central New York have a lot to be excited for. Six of the area’s college hockey programs are still playing in their respective postseason tournaments and the two American Hockey League teams that call the region home are neck in neck in the North Division standings as the Utica Comets and Syracuse Crunch continue to battle each other for a chance to play in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

College and professional hockey are not the only levels of the game represented in the Mohawk Valley. The Girl’s High School hockey season reached its conclusion on February 18th at the Nexus Center in Utica, and the Clinton Warriors skated away with the NYS Championship. It is the school’s second state title since 2020.

Here’s a look at where each of the professional and college hockey teams in Central New York stands through the end of February. Please note, all statistics, records, and current statuses are as of February 27th.

American Hockey League

Utica Comets

Record: 25-20-5-2, 57 points - 3rd in the North Division.

Goal Differential: -3.

Goals Per Game: 2.98.

Goals Against Per Game: 3.04.

Head Coach; Kevin Dineen.

The Comets struggled in February, going 3-60-1 and falling from second place in the North Division at the start of the month to third place where they currently are. On the bright side, they are currently on a two-game winning streak that snapped a four-game losing streak. On February 26th, their NHL parent club the New Jersey Devils sent defenseman Nikita Okhotiuk and forward Andreas Johnsson to the San Jose Sharks as part of the Timo Meier trade. With the trade deadline looming in both the NHL and AHL, more moves could be on the way.

For the Utica Comets’ remaining schedule and ticketing information, visit https://uticacomets.com.

Syracuse Crunch

Record: 25-19-4-3, 57 points - 2nd place in the North Division.

Goal Differential: +13.

Goals Per Game: 3.47.

Goals Against Per Game: 3.22.

Head Coach: Ben Groulx.

The Syracuse Crunch played eleven games in February. They started the month by defeating the Comets 4-3 in a shootout but then proceeded to lose five straight games. They got back on track in the last half of the month, however, as they won four of their last five games. Their NHL parent team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, has yet to make a trade that significantly impacts the Crunch heading into the trade deadline.

For the Syracuse Crunch’s remaining schedule and ticketing information, visit https:// syracusecrunch.com.

College - Division I

#3 Colgate Raiders Women’s Hockey

Record: 30-5-2 (overall), 18-3-1 (ECAC).

Goal Differential: +87. Goals Per Game: 4.0. Goals Against Per Game: 1.7.

Head Coach: Greg Fargo.

The Colgate Raiders (ranked third in the nation and the second seed in the ECAC) began their ECAC Tournament play on February 24th with a best-of-three openinground series as the Class of 1965 Arena against the seventhseeded Princeton Tigers. The Tigers shocked the Raiders in game one, defeating them 3-2. They nearly pulled off the sweep the next day, but Raiders Captain Danielle Serdachny scored a thirdperiod goal to give her team a 3-2 victory evening the series. The winner takes all game three was another close one, but Kalty Kaltounková scored a third-period goal to give Colgate a 2-1 win in not only the game but the series.

Colgate now moves on to the ECAC Tournament Semifinals, where they will face the third-seed Quinnipiac Bobcats and Clinton native Mia Lopata. That game is a one-game playoff that will

Colgate Raiders Men’s Hockey

Record: 14-15-5 (overall), 8-5-4 (ECAC).

Goal Differential: +8.

Goals Per game: 2.8.

Goals Against Per Game: 2.6.

Head Coach: Don Vaughan.

The Raiders closed out their regular season on February 25th and will enter the ECAC Tournament as the fifth seed. As the fifth seed, they will host the twelveseed Dartmouth at the Class of 1965 Arena on Friday, March 3rd in a one-game openinground playoff game. If they defeat Dartmouth, they will advance to the best of three games Quarterfinals round.

Syracuse Orange Women’s Hockey

Record: 10-24-2 (overall), 6-10-1 (CHA).

Goal Differential: -34.

Goals Per Game: 2.2.

Goals Against Per Game: 3.2

Head Coach: Britni Smith.

The Orange played the MercyhurstiLakers in the best-of-three Semifinal series of the College Hockey America Tournament on February 24th and 25th. The thirdseeded Orange dropped the first two games to the Lakers and were eliminated from the tournament. The losses ended Syracuse’s season.

College - Division III

#1 Utica Pioneers Men’s Hockey Record: 24-2-1 (overall), 20-0-0 (UCHC).

Goal Differential: +107.

Goals Per Game: 5.8.

Goals Against Per Game: 1.8.

Head Coach: Gary Heenan.

The Pioneers are the number-one team in Division III and the number-one seed in the UCHC postseason tournament. They began their tournament play on February 22nd by defeating the Arcadia Knights 5-2 at the Adirondack Bank Center. The win against Arcadia advanced them to the Semifinals which took place in Utica on February 25th against the Manhattanville Valiants. In that game, the Pioneers dismantled the Valiants 11-0 and advanced to the UCHC

HOCKEY From Page 10

Championship game which they will play at the Adirondack Bank Center on March 4th against the second-seed Nazareth Golden Flyers.

#12 Utica Pioneers

Women’s Hockey

Record: 22-2-3 (overall), 17-1-2 (UCHC).

Goal Differential: +108.

Goals Per Game: 4.9.

Goals Against Per Game: 0.9.

Head Coach: Dave Clausen.

The twelfth-ranked Pioneers entered the UCHC Tournament as the conference’s number two seed and opened their Tournament schedule on February 22nd by defeating Lebanon Valley 4-0 at the Nexus Center. The win over Lebanon Valley advanced the Pioneers to the Semifinals, where they hosted the Manhattanville Valiants on February 25th and dominated the Valiants in a 7-1 win. They will now travel to Rochester to face the number one seed and thirteenthranked Nazareth Golden Flyers on March 4th for the UCHC Tournament Championship game.

#6 Hamilton College Continentals Women’s Hockey

Record: 19-4-2 (overall), 12-3-1 (NESCAC).

Goal Differential: +39.

Goals Per Game: 2.7.

Goals Against Per Game:

1.2.

Head Coach: Emily McNamara.

The sixth-ranked Hamilton College Continentals Women’s Team is the number two seed in the NESCAC Postseason Tournament. They opened their tournament on February 25th at Sage Rink where they defeated the seventh seed Williams Ephs 3-1. They will now play the third seed Colby Mules in the Semifinals on March 3rd at Sage Rink. The Continentals defeated the Mules in both games they played this season by scores of 1-0 and 3-0 respectively.

Hamilton College Continentals Men’s Hockey

Record: 13-10-2 (overall), 11-5-2 (NESCAC).

Goal Differential: +10.

Goals Per Game: 2.7.

Goals Against Per Game: 2.3.

Head Coach Rob Haberbusch.

The fourth-seeded Continentals hosted the fifth-seed Colby Mules in a one-game NESCAC Tournament Quarterfinals matchup on February 25th at Sage Rink. The Continentals lost a heartbreaker dropping a 3-2 decision in overtime to the Mules. With the loss, the Continentals were eliminated from the NESCAC Tournament.

NINA From Page 3

music. “His wife didn’t know anything. Nobody knew,” she said.

Sheppard asked if he’d like her to send the package over because he was now the musician in the family. “I sent him everything. All the sheet music, and I also sent him a song of mine. When Patrick went home, he started talking to his mate Sam and told him that his dad had written all this music.”

At the time, Sam was studying film and wanted to do movies. “He was working for Longtail

Films and told Pat this would make a great documentary.”

Sam then pitched it to his boss, and the rest is history. “The film took two years from the idea to the filming this past November,” stated Sheppard.

“That’s how the movie came about,” she said.

If you’d like to watch the trailer for the film, register for the free event, or purchase raffle tickets, please visit creativeoutpost.org/ events/.

The film will also be livestreamed, but you must register for a unique viewing link.

TO BRING THOSE SONGS TO LIFE

JOIN US FOR WINE, CHEESE AND MUSIC IN A FUN-FILLED EVENING OF HISTORY

STIVALA AND HIS JAZZ TRIO