In August 2008 several Third Street residents appeared before the Liverpool Village Board to complain about skunks inundating the neighborhood.
In April 2011 in two separate incidents, Liverpool Police officers shot and killed two skunks which had been behaving strangely in village yards in broad daylight.
Last summer, two longtime Liverpool residents complained to the mayor and trustees that the odious infestation had become unbearable. Salina’s animal-nuisance wildlife trapper told one resident that he was “overwhelmed” by the extent of the skunk problem across the town and unable to prioritize village properties threatened by the pesky polecats.
As a result, Second Street resident Jim Spadafore said, “I think it’s time for the village of Liverpool to hire their own trapper before a wild animal with rabies attacks a child or a pet.”
No action on trappers
On Aug. 20 last year, Mayor Gary White promised Spadafore, “We’ll definitely consider it.” The village would see what it could do during its budget process in the spring of 2013, White said.
Well, the 2013-14 village budget was passed on April 15, but that spending plan included no provisions to hire trappers.
I asked the mayor about the skunk situation, and he agreed that the residents’ concerns merit attention. He suggested that the village might contract with other municipalities to share services for trappers to handle nuisance wildlife.
“Our arrangement with the town of Salina doesn’t work as well as it might,” White observed.
The mayor instructed Trustee Bob Gaetano to discuss the infestation problem with the village’s superintendent of public works, Bill Asmus.
Meanwhile, the skunks continue to proliferate.
Reed all about it!
The Silverwood Clarinet Choir (SCC), including two Liverpool-area reed players, Steve Mason and Linda Spinella, will extend a warm hand of welcome to its audience on Sunday afternoon in Fayetteville when its opens its concert with a charming new composition showcasing seven families of clarinets.
Penned by British radio producer Luke Whitlock, the tune “Silverwood” was commissioned by the ensemble and now serves as a perfect calling card for the band, a lively introduction to each of its 12 musicians.
As such, “Silverwood” sounds more like a friendly conversation than a cerebral exercise in music theory. Its rippling rhythms give way to declaratory hellos, celebratory huzzahs and a few good-natured chuckles all punctuated by startling stop times.
As the cheerful melody unfolds, each of the clarinets — from the wailing E♭ sopranino to the roaring contrabass — makes a statement attesting to the musicians’ individual talent and enthusiasm.
“Whitlock’s composition is very light, very clever,” says SCC conductor Pam Mastrobattisto. “It does a good job of showing off every one of us.” It also demonstrates an astonishing team spirit that lifts SCC head and shoulders above your run-of-the-mill chamber group.
You can hear it for yourself when the clarinet combo performs at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 27, at the Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., in Fayetteville. Admission is free; fflib.org.
Besides Mason and Spinella, the group’s members include founders Ken and Kathy Freer, along with clarinetists Holly Bossert (who lives in nearby Raddison), Melanie Bulawa, Doug DiGennaro, Paul DiPastena, Terryann Gerber, Therese Matteson, Wally Merriam and Terri Tallman.
“Sunday’s concert will inspire our audience’s imagination,” said Kathy Freer. “They’ll experience a variety of musical styles, and they’ll enjoy seeing and hearing seven different members of the clarinet family. The music will bring forth memories and stir their emotions.”
