Cazenovia — It was another big year in Cazenovia in 2015, with major headlines in the areas of community news, crime, business and sports that made us rejoice, lament, commiserate and, at times, shake our heads in utter consternation and confusion. Whatever the adjective used to characterize what has happened these past 12 months, taken all together, it has all been the story of Cazenovia.

Thinking back over the past year, and looking through the past 52 issues of the Cazenovia Republican, some of the “top stories” of the year were pretty obvious: the arrest of five Cazenovia teens for placing two homemade bombs at the house of their teacher, the Lakers football team winning the state championship, the groundbreaking ceremonies for the upcoming Hampton Inn and Suites Hotel on Route 20 and for the Empire Farmstead Brewery on Route 13, the continued recurrence of blue-green algae blooms in Cazenovia Lake and the sudden death of local entrepreneur Tim Hughes and the vast support provided to his family by community members.

On the social media side of the Cazenovia Republican, while many of the above stories were among the most-viewed and most-shared stories on the Republican Facebook page (which currently has 2,207 followers or “likes”), many other stories also had huge responses.

The stories that received the most online views were not only the stories mentioned above, but also included: Cazenovia Central School District being named the third best school district of the 431 in the state, as decided by Buffalo’s Business First magazine (12,000 views); local high school sophomore and actress Siobhan Kiernan breaking into television and movie roles (10,400 views); The news that former Cazenovia restaurant Circa plans to reopen in a new historic building in Nelson Corners in 2016 (9,900 views); and the opening of Michael E. Brown Funeral Services, LLC, at the location of the former Tait Funeral Home on Fenner Road in Cazenovia (8,500 views).

continued — The two most-read stories of the year on our Facebook page was 1) The Dec. 6 death of Tim Hughes, owner of Cazenovia Cut Block, and the subsequent community response to help his family and his business, was definitely our most popular social media story of the year, receiving more than 25,000 views on our Facebook page; 2) the June story of the wedding of Neal Powless and Michelle Schenandoah, the children of prominent families of two different Iroquois tribes that bridged a centuries-old tribal rift. The love story was also was reminiscent of other star-crossed lovers from nearly 200 years ago from the same tribes, who died in Cazenovia Lake while trying to run away together, and whose death has been the basis of legend ever since. The Powless-Schenandoah story received nearly 13,000 views on Facebook.

The most shocking story of the year clearly was the teens who attempted to “bomb” their teacher’s home in February and were subsequently arrested. The most ridiculous story this past year had to be the report to police that a Bengal tiger was loose in the village. One of the most interesting stories of the year was the repopulation of the endangered Chittenango ovate amber snail at Chittenango Falls State Park in October.

So many stories occurred this past year to uplift and depress us; so many to enjoy revisiting, and some that we wish to never read again.

Looking back over the events of a year reminds us of our humanity, and brings into focus why it is important that we are — and that we remain — a thoughtful, caring and neighborly community.

Below are the top 10 stories of the year 2015, printed chronologically by original publication:

Five teens arrested for placing homemade bombs at teacher’s house

The arrest of three Cazenovia teenagers in April in connection to a February incident in which a Cazenovia High School teacher found two homemade bombs outside of her house and had her mailbox vandalized caused a sensation in the Cazenovia community. Three Cazenovia boys, ages 17, 18 and 18, were arrested on charges of criminal mischief in the fourth degree, disorderly conduct and trespass. A few weeks later, two teen girls, ages 17 and 18 and also from Cazenovia, also were arrested in connection to the incident. One was charged with disorderly conduct and the other with trespassing.

continued — District Attorney William Gabor, who prosecuted the cases, said all five teens were given youthful offender status, which means the court proceedings for all five were sealed. The cases have all been concluded by the district attorney’s office, but the outcomes could not be announced due to the suspects’ youthful offender statuses, Gabor said.

“Their cases have been resolved taking into account the facts of the case, their ages, their criminal records, what happened [as punishment] in school and their future plans after high school,” Gabor said.

In mid-March, the Cazenovia Central School District Board of Education and administration resolved the issue by taking disciplinary actions against the students involved, although those actions could not be specified due to privacy laws, said Superintendent Matt Reilly.

According to individuals inside the district with knowledge of the cases, all five students were stripped of their participation in all extracurricular activities in school.

All five suspects were seniors at Cazenovia High School, and all five graduated as part of the Class of 2015 on June 27.

Hampton Inn and Suites Hotel and Empire Farmstead Brewery break ground

Within a two-week span this past May, two major economic development projects that will have vast local and regional impacts broke ground in Cazenovia —an 80-room hotel and a 28,000-square-foot farmstead brewery.

On Friday, May 8, at least 50 people — local residents and guests, Empire Brewing Company employees and local, regional and state officials — attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Empire Farmstead Brewery Site at 33 Rippleton Road.

“This is a very happy day for me and my family,” said David Katleski, founder and president of Empire Brewing Company, as he choked up with emotion. His two sons, Aiden and Lincoln, were on hand with their father to mark the occasion.

Katleski, a Cazenovia resident as well as founder and president of the New York State Brewers Association, initially announced plans for the brewery in 2012, and the site plan was approved by the village in September 2013.

continued — Once it is completed, the Empire Farmstead Brewery will boast a 60-barrel brewing system and a 28,000-square-foot facility. The property will grow hops, lavender, vegetables, herbs and fruits for use in the brewing process and to support the needs of Empire Brewing Company, which also has a restaurant in Armory Square in Syracuse. An apiary is being developed on the west end of the property to produce hop and lavender honey, which will also be used in the brewing process.

The facility, in addition to beer production, will also offer some sort of restaurant menu and be used for educational purposes. Empire has partnered with SUNY Morrisville, whose students will work directly with Empire through the college’s new Brewing Studies program to help manage the facility and receive first-hand practical business experience in production brewing.

Situated on 22 acres of farm land, Empire will be the largest New York State Farmstead Brewery of its kind.

One week later, on Friday morning, May 15, in the Village Edge South area across from the Town and Country plaza on Route 20, was the official dedication ceremony for the new 80-room Hampton Inn and Suites hotel and conference center being built by Cazenovia Hospitality LLC. The event was attended by local, regional and state officials, local business owners and community members.

“I’m excited after years of planning,” said Dan Kuper, president of Cazenovia Hospitality LLC and owner of The Lincklaen House. “We look forward to getting started.”

The four-story hotel, which was in the works for five years before getting final village approval, will have 80 rooms and a one-story conference facility for 300 people. There will be a pool but no restaurant in the hotel.

The hotel will be “the single greatest economic engine for this part of the county going forward,” said Cazenovia Mayor Kurt Wheeler.

continued — Both projects are scheduled to be completed in spring 2016.

A story of love and healing: Native American tribes bond over Cazenovia wedding

When Neal Powless and Michelle Schenandoah first met as young teenagers, they did not know they would fall in love or that, 27 years later, the deep historical connections between the Oneida and Onondaga Nations would be tied to their love affair.

The children of prominent families of two different Iroquois tribes, their story is reminiscent of other star-crossed lovers from nearly 200 years ago from the same tribes, who died in the lake trying to run away together, and whose death has been the basis of legend ever since.

The Powless-Schenandoah wedding and attendant ceremonies consecrated on the shores of Cazenovia Lake have bridged this centuries-old tribal rift.

Powless, of the Eel Clan and Onondaga Nation, is the son of the eldest living Onondaga Chief, Irving Powless, Jr., and the grandson of Onondaga Chief Irving Powless, Sr.

Shenandoah, of the Wolf Clan and Oneida Nation, is the daughter of Oneida Faithkeeper Diane Schenandoah and granddaughter of Oneida Clan Mother Maisie Shenandoah.

While dating, Schenandoah and Powless started to research a piece of history that took place between the Oneida and Onondaga Nations during the late 1770s that had a special resonance for them, Powless said. At that time, the middle of the American Revolution, the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign was mounted — the largest expedition ever before undertaken against the native North Americans, and one that specifically targeted the Iroquois Six Nations Confederacy to push them out of their lands, Michelle Schenandoah said.

During the war, the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois, had declared themselves neutral, but the Oneidas, part of the confederation, sided with the Americans.

According to legend, a man from a prominent Oneida family and a woman from a prominent Onondaga family were married during the time of the tensions between the Oneida and Onondaga Nations, Schenandoah said. Since the Onondaga Nation had felt betrayed by the Oneida Nation, the marriage caused great controversy and many people were angry about their relationship, she said. The couple had to flee into Cazenovia Lake in a wooden canoe, but the canoe capsized and the couple died, Schenandoahsaid. The canoe was left in the lake.

continued — The history of this story connects to the relationship between Schenandoah and Powless, not only because their family members in past generations were involved but because Schenandoa his from a prominent Oneida family and Powless is from a prominent Onondaga family, she said.

The marriage between Schenandoah and Powless had two ceremonies, but before either of them, the family gathered Saturday morning, June 6, at Cazenovia Lake for a healing ceremony of the historical canoe event. At the event, the family was dressed in full ceremonial regalia and gave an offering of tobacco, Schenandoah said.

After the healing ceremony was the traditional Native American wedding ceremony in the Onondaga longhouse, where Powless and Schenandoah first met. The next day, the couple had a traditional American wedding at The Brewster Inn.

Blue-green algae blooms make repeated appearances in Cazenovia Lake

Due to the presence of blue-green algae (BGA) blooms within the bathing beach areas of both Lakeland Park and Willow Bank Yacht Club, the Cazenovia Lake beaches were closed for swimming multiple times throughout July and August in 2015. Residents and visitors were advised by the county department of health to avoid swimming in the water, to keep their pets out of the water and not to drink lake water.

Blue-green algae, technically known as cyanobacteria, are naturally present in lakes and streams in low numbers, but harmful blooms may be triggered by a combination of water and environmental conditions.

According to the DEC, blue-green harmful algae blooms may look like parallel streaks, usually green, on the water surface; like green dots in the water, or green globs on the water surface; like blue, green or white spilled paint on the water surface; or they may make the water look like pea soup. Symptoms from contact with harmful blue-green algae blooms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, skin or throat irritation, allergic reactions or breathing difficulties. Blue-green algae can also produce toxins that affect the liver and nervous systems when water is consumed in sufficient quantities.

continued — Staff from the Madison County Health Department verified the algae blooms in Cazenovia Lake on multiple occasions in 2015, and the public beaches were closed for wading, swimming and any water contact activities.

This was the third consecutive year that portions of the lake were due to the presence of blue-green algae blooms. This problem, however, is not an issue limited to or centered on Cazenovia Lake, but has been occurring at lakes across the state, Scott Kishbaugh, chief of the lake monitoring and assessment section of the state DEC division of water, said during the annual Cazenovia Lake Watershed Summit on Dec. 5.

Cazenovia businessman indicted and charged with $1.6 million scheme to defraud

James P. Griffin, Cazenovia businessman and CEO of 54Freedom Companies, was indicted in July on a $1.6 million scheme to defraud investors since 2009. Griffin was charged with eight counts of wire fraud, five counts of mail fraud and five counts of money laundering by the United States Federal Court.

The indictment was filed on July 22 by U.S. Assistant Attorney Edward Bronton and states that since 2009, Griffin has secured donors to purchase “54 Freedom Charitable Gift Annuities” under the false pretenses that the annuities from the investment would provide guaranteed lifetime income for the donor.

The indictment goes on to say Griffin “devised and intended to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud person by soliciting investments under a false pretense and concealing, disguising and failing to disclose material information and obtain money and property by means of material false and fraudulent pretenses.”

Donors of the annuity received intermittent payments until January 2013, said the indictment, but no payments have been issued since. A total of $1.6 million is alleged to have been kept from investors.

One week after Griffin’s indictment by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he was also charged by the federal Securities and Exchange Commission for defrauding investors, many of them upstate New York residents, who purchased the companies’ securities and so-called “charitable gift annuities.” According to the SEC’s complaint filed in U.S. district court in Syracuse, the alleged scheme raised at least $8 million from 125 or more investors in shares and promissory notes issued by the companies over more than seven years, starting in 2007.

continued — The complaint names Griffin, the founder and CEO of 54Freedom Inc., both of Cazenovia, and James Wolle, 54Freedom’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Six other Cazenovia-based firms also were named in the complaint: 54Freedom Securities Inc., MoneyIns Inc., 54Freedom Foundation Inc., 5 Ledyard Ave. LLC, 5 Ledyard Corp., IICNet LLC, and Miami-based 54FreedomTele Inc.

The SEC’s complaint alleges that Griffin and Wolle repeatedly misled prospective investors regarding the companies’ prospects, for instance, falsely claiming that they had an exclusive relationship with Lloyd’s of London and that they would publish a soccer book affiliated with the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series.

In addition, Griffin is alleged to have sold purported “charitable gift annuities” that he falsely claimed were backed by reputable insurance companies and to have diverted at least $1.2 million of investor funds to pay for corporate and personal expenses, including a large boat, luxury cars, expensive clothing and jewelry, country club memberships and trips he and his wife took to Hawaii and New Zealand, according to the complaint.

The SEC’s complaint charges Griffin, Wolle and the eight companies with violations of the antifraud and registration provisions of the securities laws. It also names Griffin’s wife, Chary Griffin, as a relief defendant for the purpose of recovering allegedly misappropriated investor funds. A relief defendant is a person or entity who has received ill-gotten funds or assets as a result of the illegal acts of the other named defendants

Hume Laidman places second in CNY ‘everyday champion’ competition

After more than 17,000 votes were cast online by the public during the month of August to choose the Today’s Options Competition Grand Champion and send that champion home with a $10,000 prize for the charity of their choice, finalist and Cazenovia resident Hume Laidman placed second.

And while Laidman may not have brought the grand prize home to Cazenovia Resources for Independent Seniors (CRIS) this week, he did return with a $1,000 donation, exposure for the organization, more professional and personal connections and, above all, vast amounts of goodwill.

continued — Laidman was one of five finalists for the competition, which was created by insurance provider Today’s Options to honor individuals who help seniors in the Central New York community to live happier, healthier lives. Along with Laidman, the finalists, named July 30 at a special ceremony at NBT Bank Stadium, were: Bob Graves, of Liverpool, board of trustees president of North Area Meals on Wheels, Jen Coman of Syracuse, director of Sarah’s Guest house; Mike Gasapo of Syracuse, director of operations at Honor Flight Syracuse; Hume Laidman of Cazenovia, who helped found Community Resources for Independent Seniors; and Lennie Tucker of Syracuse, a volunteer at Rescue Mission’s Crossroads Adult Home.

The winner was chosen by popular vote, allowed daily throughout the month of August at Today’s Options website, with the money being given to the charity with which the winner was associated.

For Laidman and CRIS, that exposure has included not only media publicity, but also support on social media outlets, signs on front yards throughout the village of Cazenovia and even bookmarks given away at the Cazenovia Public Library to remind people to “vote for Hume.”

“The Cazenovia community has been of tremendous support and help in our campaign. ‘Win or lose,’ I am so proud of being a member of this community and to have participated in this effort,” Laidman wrote in a letter to the editor.

Near-extinct snails repopulated at Chittenango Falls

Scientists from SUNY ESF made history in October after releasing into the wild at Chittenango Falls State Park 200 endangered Chittenango ovate amber snails that were bred and grown in captivity. These rare, delicate snails, that measure about 1 millimeter in length when first hatched and grow up to 20 millimeters in length as adults, can be found in only one place on Earth — alongside this Central New York waterfall.

continued — “This is a pretty exciting event — it’s pretty rare in the scientific world to get to reintroduce snails into the wild,” said Dr. Rebecca Rundell, a SUNY ESF professor who has been working on this project for many years.

Rundell, her graduate student Cody Gilbertson who has been taking a lead on the snail project, and officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation trekked into Chittenango Falls State Park on Thursday evening, Oct. 1, to release these lab-grown snails back into nature. The snails thrive in the spray zone of the waterfall, a moist and mild environment, and they feed on microscopic fungi and detritus on the nearby rocks and vegetation. The species, discovered in 1905, is named for its home and its opaque, egg-shaped, amber-colored shell.

There is only an estimated population of 300 Chittenango ovate amber snails currently living in the wild near Chittenango Falls, which has led to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to classify them as an “endangered” species, while the federal DEC lists them as “threatened.”

Biologists have feared that a single catastrophic event could wipe out the entire population. In fact, the estimated population size fell in 2006 after a rockslide occurred in the snails’ habitat. The goal for these efforts is to boost the population.

To address this threat, Gilbertson has worked to establish a captive breeding population in an ESF laboratory for the past five years. There are now more than 600 baby snails that have been hatched in the SUNY ESF lab.

In addition to releasing these 200 into the wild, Gilbertson said SUNY ESF will continue to keep a colony of snails in their laboratory, while both the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse and the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester have agreed to take on some snail colonies as well, all in an effort to keep the population of this rare creature steady and viable.

continued — Lakers win state Class B football championship

Though the Cazenovia football program has known plenty of moments of greatness in years and decades past, what it got on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 29, at the Carrier Dome tops them all. Cazenovia beat Schuylerville, 22-19, for the state Class B championship title.

“Just playing in a state final is something beyond belief,” said Jake Shaffner, named the game’s MVP for his contributions on both sides of the ball. “For it to end in a victory is amazing.”

Jay Steinhorst, the Lakers’ first-year head coach, echoed those sentiments.

“I feel like I’m living in a dream,” said Steinhorst. “It’s remarkable.”

This was a long time coming. For 25 years, head coach Tom Neidl and his staff built a powerhouse in Cazenovia, constantly earning league and sectional crowns, but never able to even reach the state final, much less win it.

Ironically, the breakthrough came a year after Neidl stepped down and handed the reins to his long-time assistant, Steinhorst.

What followed was a perfect 13-0 campaign. From offensive stars like Jake Shaffner, T.J. Connellan, Anthony Vechiarelli and Paul McLaughlin to defensive standouts like Kevin Frega, Brenden Whalen and Dustin Hammond, to Cole Willard handling the kicking duties, everything clicked as the Lakers tore through the regular season and sectional playoffs.

Even when Connellan went down for the season with a knee injury, and even when it got pushed to overtime by Waverly in the regional round, Cazenovia kept going, moving on to rout Cheektowaga in the state semifinals before the title-game victory against Schuylerville.

And as the trophies and honors were collected, Steinhorst reflected on the long road taken by the Lakers to glory, one paved by so many figures, players and coaches alike, especially Neidl.

“This one was for Tom,” said Steinhorst.

continued — Schumejda pleads guilty to manslaughter

Stephen Schumejda, 32, the man charged with killing Cazenovia native Amy Bradstreet, 44, at their East Lake Road residence on Labor Day 2014 pleaded guilty in December to first-degree manslaughter and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, both felonies, and will spend more than 25 years in state prison.

Schumejda appeared in Madison County Court on Dec. 10, during which he admitted to killing Bradstreet but said he did not know it was her at the time. He admitted in court that after stabbing what he thought was an intruder in his home multiple times, he gathered the couple’s two children, ages 2 and 4 at the time, and drove Bradstreet’s car to his mother’s home in Delaware County, where he was later arrested.

Bradstreet’s violent death was one of the most shocking crimes in Cazenovia history, and the conclusion of the case more than one year after the incident occurred was welcome news for Cazenovia residents.

Schumejda’s admission of his crime in open court was part of an agreed-upon plea deal with the Madison County District Attorney’s Office, said Madison County District Attorney Bill Gabor. The conviction on manslaughter in the first degree carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in state prison plus five years post-release supervision, while the conviction for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle carries a sentence of 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 years to be served consecutively.

“So in essence he will receive 26 1/2 to 29 1/2 years in state prison, followed by post-release supervision,” said Gabor. “We sought the [motor vehicle] charge simply to increase his time.”

An order of protection was filed against Schumejda in the names of his two children, and he waived his right to appeal the convictions, Gabor said.

Community supports Hughes family in time of grief

continued — The news of Tim Hughes’ death in early December shocked the Cazenovia community, not only because so many in town knew Tim either as an individual or as the owner of Cazenovia Cut Block, but also because he was only 39 years old. And, as is typical of the Cazenovia community, residents came out in droves to help the Hughes family get through this trying time both personally and professionally by giving the family meals, helping to finish renovations on their house and working in the Cazenovia Cut Block wood shop to finish store items for the holidays.

“It’s overwhelming; it’s humbling; it just makes you realize why you live here — this community just wraps you in their arms,” said McKenzie Hughes Houseman, Tim’s sister, who helps run the family business, Cazenovia Cut Block. “We don’t know how to possibly thank everyone and repay everyone for what they are giving to us, we just can’t; we hope they all know.”

Tim Hughes died suddenly on Sunday, Dec. 6, at University Hospital. He was a lifelong resident of Cazenovia and graduated from Cazenovia High School in 1995. He worked for his parents’ company, P.J. Hughes Distributors, before starting Cazenovia Cut Block in 2009.

Word of Tim’s death quickly spread throughout the Cazenovia community, and by Tuesday, Dec. 8, the Cazenovia Cut Block Facebook page was deluged with comments and commiseration, community members and family neighbors were offering to help the Hughes family in any way they could, vast numbers of people (who knew Tim or had only met him once) answered the Hughes’ family Facebook call to come to the Cut Block shop to “share stories or give us a hug” and volunteers were showing up at the Cut Block workshop (attached to the Hughes home on East Lake Road) to help make Cut Block products in any way they could.