By Sarah Hall
Editor
As we move toward a new year, let’s take a moment and review the most notable stories of the last year.
Marlene Ward passes away
Marlene Ward, the first woman to be elected mayor of the village of Liverpool, died Jan. 8 after suffering a stroke. She was 80 years old.
Ward served on the Johnson Park improvement committee in the early 1980s and helped establish the Liverpool is The Place Summer Concert Series there. For eight years she clerked for the village justice court and worked part-time in the town of Salina tax department. She also served on the Liverpool Public Library Board of Trustees for more than 25 years.
After serving four terms as a village trustee from 1994 to 2000, Ward, a Republican, became mayor after defeating Democratic candidate and former Mayor Jon Zappola by a vote of 389 to 172 on June 20, 2001. She ran three more times, each time unopposed, and left office in 2009.
“She was my mentor,” said current Mayor Gary White, who succeeded her. “I’m going to miss her. Over the years, I’ve often reached out to Marlene for advice and to pick her memory. I’m going to miss her as a resource, but I’ll also miss her as a friend.”
Under her leadership, the village undertook several major projects, including replacement of a 77-year-old sanitary sewer system, business-district streetscaping and significant improvements at Washington Park, including the construction of an “Amish Country” gazebo in 2006.
During Ward’s administration, playground equipment was purchased and installed in smaller parks and the Tamarack Street-area drainage improvement project was completed.
Less visible but no less important was Ward’s helming of the Village Comprehensive Plan 2025, finally adopted in 2007 after more than five years of study by a committee led by Planning Board Chairman Nick Kochan. The plan encourages officials to nurture a “pedestrian-friendly” village by working to calm traffic, reduce signage and clarify zoning issues all to preserve the area’s quality of life.
Ward was survived by her husband of more than 63 years, Richard “Ace” Ward, their children, Margie and Rick, and three grandchildren, Rachel, David and Christopher.
Former CNYSPCA director files suit against board
Former CNYSPCA Executive Director Kerrin Conklin filed suit against the organization’s board of directors and its medical director for wrongful termination, defamation and breach of contract on July 31 in New York State Supreme Court.
Conklin’s suit seeks $4.1 million in damages against CNYSPCA board members Carole Marsh, Nicholas Pirro, Patricia Romano, Kevin Fallis, Jack Yoffa, Sandra Bennett, Harold Brown III, Greg Herlihy, Merrissa Butz, Tracey McLean, Nicholas Jacobson, Danielle Cunningham-Tarantino, Robin Watkins and Monica Williams, as well as Dr. Stacy Laxen, a Cicero-based veterinarian who has provided services to the shelter.
“The conduct of each defendant named above was so extreme and outrageous so as to go beyond the bounds of common decency,” the complaint reads, “and that was such that the conduct can be considered utterly intolerable as it was performed for the purpose of causing harm to the plaintiff and insulating the defendants from financial harm and utterly disregarding her reputation and emotional wellbeing.”
Conklin’s accusations go back to the time before she became the shelter’s director, when she volunteered at the SPCA from August 2013 to November of 2015. During that period, the complaint alleges “many of the animals were being neglected or ignored,” receiving insufficient veterinary care, being euthanized for “little reason,” being fed inadequate provisions and living in poor building conditions. While those conditions can be blamed on the mismanagement of former Executive Director Paul Morgan, who plead guilty in March to embezzling more than $500,000 from the shelter, Conklin asserts that the culture of unprofessionalism and unaccountability created during his tenure lasted well after his departure.
In particular, Conklin blames the perpetuation of that culture on Pirro, who served as treasurer of the board during Morgan’s tenure then took over as interim director after Morgan’s removal. She also blames Laxen specifically for her termination.
Republican judges square off in Salina
The judicial election in Salina this year was an odd one, to say the least. It started with the two Republican candidates, Village of Liverpool Justice Tony LaValle and incumbent Salina Town Judge Andy Piraino, competing against each other in a Democratic primary.
“Judge LaValle interviewed with the [town] Democratic Committee at the end of May,” said Salina Democratic Committee Chairman Chris Shepherd. “We felt very comfortable with his experience in village court and his significant professional accomplishments. We’re helping him obtain a spot on the ballot as our endorsed candidate.”
Meanwhile, Piraino, already running on the Republican, Conservative and Independence party lines, also circulated petitions, according to Salina Town GOP Chairman Bill Tassone. “Andy is a very popular guy, and one of the best judges in the county, so he’s always had plenty of Democrats who support him,” Tassone said. “He collected 460 signatures, which I understand was about 80 more than LaValle collected.”
Ultimately, LaValle won the Democratic line. Then things got ugly. Shepard and the Democratic Committee sent out a mailer “reminding” Salina Democrats in September that Piraino had been charged in 2011 with violating judicial rules nearly 800 times by overcharging for some traffic fines and undercharging for others, according to the State Judicial Commission. A month later, Salina Republican Committee Chairman Bill Tassone filed an official complaint with the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct alleging that LaValle “has unethically increased fines and surcharges I order to eliminate the court’s operating deficit.” He also complained to the commission about LaValle sending out a campaign ad picturing himself in his judicial robes standing in the village courtroom, saying it violated the commission’s “Opinion 05-101, dated Sept. 8, 2005.”
Thus far, nothing has come of the ethics complaint, but Piraino held onto his seat on Election Night.
“I’ve been in office for 24 years,” Piraino noted, “and today the voters gave me the chance to represent them again, and I’m grateful.”
Clay: Bray ousted; first non-Republican since 1995 elected
Historically, the Clay Town Board has been dominated by Republicans. The last Democrat who held a seat on the town board was Don McLaughlin, who served from 1976 to 1995.
Come January, the board will no longer be made up of just one party. Independent Kevin Meaker, a real estate agent, was one of the top vote-getters on Nov. 7, earning a spot on the town council alongside seven Republicans. He ran with the co-endorsement of the Clay Democratic Party.
Meaker earned the right to run after an Independence Party primary in September, also a rare occurrence in Clay’s political history.
“It has been several years since there’s been a primary in Clay,” said Rand Allgaier, chair of the Clay Republican Committee. “We’ve had candidates against us, just not on the primary basis. It’s just a second election that you need to prepare for.”
Meaker’s his running mates, Democrats Maureen Patterson, a retired administrator for the Liverpool Central School District, and attorney Andrea Ferro, lost their bids for town board, as did the Democratic candidates for supervisor, Beth LaPoint, and town clerk, Denise Baker. In those cases, the seats went to Republicans: on the town board, winners were Deputy Onondaga County Clerk Brian Hall and FEMA contractor Ryan Pleskach, while incumbent Supervisor Damian Ulatowski, a financial professional, and incumbent Town Clerk Jill Hageman-Clark held onto their seats.
In a surprising turn of events, longtime Republican board member Naomi Bray’s tenure came to an end on Nov. 7. Bray served as a town councilor since 1994.
“It was an incredibly unusual Election Day. The numbers were just surprising. There were fewer than a thousand votes that separated the six people that were running for town board,” Bray said. “I think, unfortunately, the town government got caught up in an election year where the circumstances reached far beyond the government of the town.”
Bray said the issue of the state Constitutional Convention may have drawn voters to the polls who might usually skip a non-presidential election. These voters likely cast their ballots along party lines.
“That’s great,” Bray said of the increased voter turnout, but she added, “I just regret that there were circumstances that did not give the focus on the town achievements that the town deserved.”
Oswego County SPCA, neighbors raise concerns about neglect at Liverpool woman’s animal rescue
The Oswego County SPCA is looking into allegations of neglect on a purported animal rescue farm in the town of Palermo run by Mari Lorini of Liverpool.
The SPCA, along with the town of Palermo, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and neighbors of the farm have raised concerns about the apparent lack of shelter, water and proper care of the animals.
“They do not appear to be in good shape,” said Oswego County SPCA President Tanya Semchenko. “We know the alpacas have not been sheared. The sheep have not been sheared. That does provide mobility concerns for those animals, as well as their health and well-being.”
Semchenko and Palermo Town Supervisor Patty Redhead visited the farm July 25. Despite not being allowed inside the property, the two observed the animals from the outside.
“The horse is so thin I can see [her] ribs, and the sheep’s wool is so thick it can barely walk,” Redhead said in a statement provided by HSUS. “The alpaca never stood up while I was there. I saw his ears move, so he’s still alive, but I question his health. There are two dog kennels full of ducks, and they didn’t seem to have a source of water.”
Back in July, Brocious and Lorini told the Star-Review that the farm indeed lacks a water source, so Lorini hauls water in buckets and cat litter jugs. Lorini said she cannot afford to drill a well on the property.
“It’s about $13,000 and I just don’t have that right now,” she said.
As for the well-being of her animals, Lorini said the allegations of neglect are unfounded.
“I spend more time there than I do with my own family, my own kids,” she said. “The animals are well-taken care of, well-fed.”
North Syracuse police chief takes top job in Manlius
North Syracuse Police Mike Crowell left the top cop’s job in the village and took his oath of office as the Manlius Police Department chief Oct. 16.
Crowell is returning to his roots, as he spent 17 years of his law enforcement career in Manlius.
“As much as I’ve loved working for North Syracuse my heart’s always been here,” Crowell said.
Crowell began his career in law enforcement with the village of East Syracuse in 1989, and transferred to the Manlius PD in 1995. In 2012 Crowell left to become chief in North Syracuse.
During his five years with the North Syracuse PD, Crowell updated the agency’s written directive system, improved training and led the agency to state accreditation.
Former Camillus Police Captain Steve Rotunno has taken over as North Syracuse’s chief.
Fred Fergerson passes away
North Syracuse Deputy Mayor Fred Fergerson, 69, passed away unexpectedly Friday, Nov. 17. He leaves behind his wife of 40 years, Pat, and their adult children, Bill Fergerson and Victoria Smith.
His colleagues remembered him as a jokester who was obsessed with the latest technological gadgets. The president of Fergerson Funeral Home built his business’s website and introduced live streaming of calling hours and funerals to his clients. Just weeks before his death, according to his colleagues, Fergerson had been showing off his brand-new iPhone.
“He was a techie,” Butterfield recalled. “He had the latest and greatest of everything when it came to electronics.”
According to the Fergerson Funeral Home website, Fred Fergerson was a sixth-generation “Pioneering Fergerson.” His family, who originated in Scotland, settled in North Syracuse in 1826. Today, the Fergerson home and business sit on the very same land their ancestors settled.
“They’re a fixture of the village,” Butterfield said.
In 1977, Fred Fergerson took on his father’s funeral home business, which began in 1948. A graduate of North Syracuse High School, Fergerson went on to earn degrees from Onondaga Community College, SUNY Oswego and Simmons School of Mortuary Science.
Fergerson’s activities spread far beyond his business and his involvement in village government. A certified solo, rescue and master scuba diver, Fergerson was also a senior officer in the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary.
In 2011, he published “His Footsteps are Still Warm,” a book about his 1994 travels to Egypt and the Middle East. There, Fergerson climbed the pyramids in Cairo and retraced the footprints of Jesus. He was a communicant and Eucharistic minister of St. Rose of Lima Church, where he also served on the liturgy committee. Fergerson was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Masons and numerous other organizations.
Cicero, city sign agreement to share grant writer
On Nov. 28, city of Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner and Cicero Town Supervisor Mark Venesky signed an agreement that will allow the two municipalities to share grant writing services.
Under the agreement, the city will assign an employee of its Bureau of Research, Ryan Gillett, to work with the town to research grant opportunities. Doing so will allow the town to work with a professional grant writer at a significantly lower cost than hiring one on their own, availing Cicero of numerous federal, state and private grant opportunities, while the city can save money by loaning out those employees.
The town of Cicero will pay the city up to $6,000, or an hourly rate of $28.28 plus benefit costs.
Venesky said he’s asking all of his department heads, including the fire departments, to start researching possible grant opportunities.
“I really believe this is a win-win for Syracuse and for the town of Cicero,” he said. “I have a meeting here Monday at 11 a.m. in the auditorium with Ryan Gillett. And my staff will be here to talk to him and introduce themselves and kind of give him an idea of projects that would be of interest to us and to the taxpayers.”
The agreement with the city of Syracuse isn’t the only shared services agreement in which the town of Cicero is involved; the town shares animal control services with Clay as well as several with the county.
The agreement is for a period of one year with the option for annual renewals.
Ashley M. Casey, Russ Tarby and Hayleigh Gowans contributed to the writing of this story.
