At the end of each year, we bring you a roundup of the events that made headlines during the previous 12 months. Read on and remember with us.
Time well spent in your community
January
For the better part of the last six months in 2008, some members of the public have been calling for change at the top in the Liverpool Central School District. Superintendent Janice H. Matousek announced Jan. 7 that she would be retiring effective, July 31, 2009. Matousek said she decided over the holidays that she wants to spend more time with her aging parents and young daughter living at home; she also has two daughters in college.
Army Reserve Spec. Charles M. Iavarone has been mobilized and activated for deployment overseas to a forward operating base in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Iavarone served as supervisor of the town of Salina from 2006 to 2008. The specialist is a 2001 graduate of Cicero-North Syracuse High School.
Effective Jan. 1, legislation co-sponsored by State Sen. John A. DeFrancisco mandated that the state commissioner of health establish a program for early screening of children for autism spectrum disorders. Autism is a developmental disability whose cause is unknown; it impacts development in areas of social interaction and communication skills. It falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Development Disorders, characterized by “severe and permanent impairment in several areas of development.” About one in 150 children is diagnosed with autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control – that’s about 1.5 million Americans.
Cicero’s town board voted 4-1 to approve a motion allowing Cicero Supervisor Chet Dudzinski to begin formal talks with Salina Supervisor Mark Nicotra about merging the offices. The vote took place at a special meeting Thursday morning at Cicero Town Hall, with Councilor Charlotte Tarwacki as the lone dissenting vote. The towns have been considering the merger for the last few months, but Thursday’s vote marks the first formal step in initiating the process.
February
Residents of House at 807 in the village of Liverpool, an independent living facility for people 65 and older, shared their appreciation for the place they call home. The non-smoking, handicapped-accessible facility in a fully restored Victorian home is staffed by a live-in house manager and a full- time cook who provide meals and activities for the residents.
Ophelia’s Place held its second annual “Revolutionizing the Runway” fashion show Sunday afternoon at Liverpool Community Church. The show, part of the center’s continuing effort to give survivors of eating disorders hope for tomorrow, focused on redefining standards of beauty in Central New York and beyond.
It was a banner year for the town of Salina. In 2009, the town celebrated 200 years in existence. In order to commemorate the occasion, the town formed a committee to plan events that will mark the bicentennial and the town’s history.
March
The Brewerton community hosted a benefit for 16-year-old Erin Beitz, who was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma. The Brewerton native is athletic; a softball and volleyball player at Paul V. Moore High School in Central Square.
For more than 15 years, Ray Rinaldi’s North Area Athletic and Education Center has been providing at-risk youth with programs from boxing to art classes. However, in March of 2009, the club faced fears of closing its doors for good because of a scarcity in funding and grants.
April
The Liverpool Public Library’s Liverpool Legends DVD series kicked off 2009 with a presentation dedicated to the memory of Sharon R. Fulmer. Arriving at one year after her untimely death at age 66, Fulmer is the first posthumous Liverpool Legend. Fulmer is a former editor of the Liverpool Review.
Residents of the Plymouth Meeting apartment complex in Clay were shocked by the latest news, their neighbor, Alex D. Martinez, had admitted murdering his wife, Angela Harris, on Saturday morning April 17 at their apartment, No. 24, at 5 Grampian Road.
After years of transforming his talents from live theater to film and then to cable television, Larsen Jay, 34, found his common ground within the realm of putting “great stories into film.” Jay graduated from Cicero-North Syracuse High School in the early ‘90s and returned to the area for the Syracuse Film Festival to promote a movie he produced, “That Evening Sun.”
May
Olympic swimmer Mark Gangloff visited the Liverpool Jets Swim Club to give the kids a few pointers in the pool. The Olympic medallist signed autographs and posed for pictures with all the club members.
Tom Stack, the independent candidate for mayor of Liverpool, pledged to slice his own salary in half if he is elected. Stack faced six-term Trustee Gary White, who won nominations for mayor from both the Republican and Conservative party village caucuses in April.
Thanks to six months of long, hard work, Thomas B. Mafrici, 45, and Elizabeth A. August, 44, brought us pictures that depict the rich history of the town of Cicero when the book “Cicero” was released April 27.
Foster mother Mary Hudgins, of North Syracuse, shared her experiences of caring for 26-plus children over the last 17 years during National Foster/Adoptive Parent Month.
June
Mike Hennigan, of Liverpool, was one of nine candidates in the Syracuse community that worked to raise money during the 2009 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s fundraising campaign. Hennigan was named “Man of the Year” for his over-the-top campaign success.
Eagle Newspapers introduced the merger of the Liverpool Review and the Cicero-North Syracuse Star-News. Your community paper has been known as the Eagle Star-Review since its first edition release June 10, 2009.
After three years as chairman of the village of Liverpool Zoning Board of Appeals, Richard “Ace” Ward announced he would step down as of June 30, 2009. Ward is the husband of Mayor Marlene Ward who — after four terms as mayor and seven years as a trustee — will also leave village government one week later, on July 6.
Republican and Conservative candidate Gary White won the Liverpool mayoral election and now serves the village.
July
One year ago the Clay Police Department disbanded, merging with the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department. Spurred by promises of tax savings and guarantees of the same service, residents overwhelmingly approved the measure by a vote of 4,160 to 1,865 in a referendum last June.
Following the conclusion of a national search, the Liverpool Public Library Board of Trustees is announced the appointment of Jean Armour Polly as director of Liverpool Public Library. Since February, she has served as interim director.
Two 20-year-old Liverpool men were arrested June 26 in connection with 17 thefts from vehicles in the village. Among the victims were Mayor Marlene Ward and her husband, Richard, who live at 309 Fourth St., between Tulip and Tamarack streets.
The town of Salina faced fox troubles after several residents spotted the critters disturbing their property and animals. The problem? The town of Salina has a law on the books that prohibits the discharge of a firearm within town limits unless life or property is threatened. In addition, the state of New York prohibits the discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of a residence unless the homeowner consents to it.
August
Longtime County Legislator Bernie Kraft, who served the second district for 26 years, has died. Kraft, 71, had been battling heart problems for a number of years. A recent cellulitis infection in his leg landed him in the hospital, where his condition continued to deteriorate. He knew his “death [was] imminent,” he told the Star-Review two weeks ago, but he chose to focus on a more positive thought: that he had led a good life. County Executive Joanie Mahoney appointed former Clay Supervisor Mark Rupprecht to fulfill the term of Second District County Legislator Bernie Kraft, who died July 30.
Voters in 12 Onondaga County towns will use a new voting system for their local elections this November. Clay was one of the towns to incorporate the new system in their 2009 elections.
The town of Salina, in enforcing a law on cats it passed in 2005, has been rounding up cats in response to complaints and dropping them off at the SPCA. Some are feral cats, either running free or in colonies managed by area rescuers, but others are residents’ pets.
September
J. Mark Lawson, former president of the Liverpool Central School District Board of Education, stepped down after he announced his resignation at the board’s Aug. 25 meeting. Lawson noted that the Aug. 25 meeting was the first he’d been able to attend since the new fiscal year began July 1. He said “other personal and professional obligations” meant that he could not dedicate as much time to the board as it required.
Construction of the new athletic complex at Liverpool High School, approved by voters in February, began Sept. 9. The old field was installed in 1998. Due to problems with the drainage beneath the field, it had to be shut down. The turf field has been offline since late 2007, and athletes haven’t been able to use the track since 2006. The $5.8 million project is expected to be completed by next fall.
Sept. 27 was the date of Heather’s Teal Ribbon Walk.
Liverpool native Heather Weeks was employed as an Executive Assistant at the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund in New York City when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. At the age of 23 her dream of a life as a professional dancer turned into a mission to spread the word about the serious danger of ovarian cancer. She wanted to use every available communications method to get the word out to all women.
October
Chris Olson, a captain in the department, was killed in an ATV accident Sept. 18 in the town of Martinsburg. Fellow volunteer Lieutenant Pete Fabianek sustained a serious head injury in the same accident.
“You’re going in every day to the place where everybody else is trying to get out of,” said Dan Ford, chief of the Clay Volunteer Fire Department, where Olson was a volunteer for seven years. “It’s got to be in your blood. That’s how Chris was.” Olson, a captain in the department, was killed in an ATV accident Sept. 18 in the town of Martinsburg. Fellow volunteer Lieutenant Pete Fabianek sustained a serious head injury in the same accident.
Renovations on one of Liverpool’s most historic buildings are set to begin next month. JGB Properties LLC, which owns the 146-year-old brick structure at 401-403 First Street, partnered with the village of Liverpool to qualify for an $883,302 state grant to support the rehabilitation project.
Reva Electric Car Co., an Indian company that manufactures electric cars, is coming to Central New York. At a news conference, officials for Reva and licensing agent Bannon Automotive confirmed that they want to build a manufacturing plant in Onondaga County.
November
The hamlet of Brewerton has moved into the next phase of its revitalization project this week, as survey crews begin work in downtown Brewerton. Cicero Supervisor Chet Dudzinski made the announcement at a press conference Tuesday Oct. 27 on the sidewalk in front of Dailey’s Bar, across the street from Brewerton Pharmacy in Brewerton. Approximately 25 local residents were in attendance.
Former editor Sarah Hall released her final edition Nov. 11 while Farah Jadran Pike permanently assumed the position once again.
Since the doors first opened in January of 1960, Fran’s Flowers has always been a family-owned business. Even now that Frances “Fran” Van Epps, the founder of the Brewerton-based shop, has passed away, the family is dedicated to continue the “family legacy.” The family will celebrate 50 years in the flower business in January of 2010. Their neon sign on at 9517 Brewerton Road is a landmark that shows that not everything has changed in the many years of Fran’s Flowers.
There may have only been 13 residents present at the village of North Syracuse Board meeting Thursday Nov. 12, but the people that spoke during the “citizen’s voice” portion of the meeting came with an agenda. Mayor John Heindorf was absent from the board meeting, as was true of October’s meeting. Deputy mayor Diane Browning said his new work schedule has him working from 3 to 11 p.m., which hinders him from attending. Village fireman and past fire chief Paul Linnertz brought his concerns to the board’s attention. Linnertz said the recent situation Connelly and Heindorf troubled him. He referred to the incident as a “shouting match that ended up in a pushing match.” Linnertz talked about Chief Connelly’s record, his service on the New York State Police force and his time as chief thus far. He said it seems the mayor is “hiding.” “If he [the mayor] was here tonight, I would ask him to resign,” Linnertz said during the meeting.
After the Liverpool Central School District’s Board of Education Nov. 16 meeting, much concern hung in the air throughout the community and among district board members. A special meeting was called a week after, on Monday Nov. 23 to discuss renegotiations for the 2009-12 United Liverpool Faculty Association contract proposal. A 3.65 percent salary increase was passed before the conclusion of the Nov. 23 meeting with an 8-1 vote.
December
As the 20th celebration of Lights on the Lake was under way with its annual stroll Monday Nov. 23, community members were gearing up for the chance to bring their best pooch to Onondaga Lake Park for the first ever Verizon Lights on the Lake Dog Walk. Hundreds of paws took the path beginning at 5 p.m. Nov. 24. The event, sponsored in part by Canines Unleashed, ran until 9 p.m. Many attendants raved about the event and how much they want to see it return in 2010.
Long Branch Elementary teacher Bonnie Carroll-Marsh released her first published children’s book, “Elves on Vacation, Having a Blast!” with the inspiration from her second-grade students.
Ed Zaluski, a member of the Cicero VFW No. 7290, who flew B24 Liberator Bombers with the U.S. Air Corps 11th Bombardment Group, visited St. Camillus Health and Rehabilitation Center in Geddes in the afternoon Friday Dec. 11. The war veteran talked about his experiences and swapped stories with the St. Camillus Veterans Club members.
Recent concerns from constituents were brought to the North Syracuse Village Board’s attention, which lead the board to turn matters over to the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office. The unanimous decision was made two weeks ago, according to Deputy Mayor Diane Browning. Browning said the village board received information from more than one village constituent regarding financial activity conducted by the North Syracuse mayor’s wife, Patricia Heindorf.
Former professional wrestler and Liverpool High School graduate Marc Mero dropped the puck at the high school face-off between Liverpool and West Genesee Dec. 15 at the New York State Fairgrounds. Mero is the founder of Champion of Choices, a non-profit organization based in Florida that motivates people to make positive choices in life.
