A hundred years ago, American women had yet to secure the right to vote. In 1920, Tennessee became the last state needed to ratify the 19th amendment, effectively guaranteeing women access to the ballot box.
Nowadays, thankfully, ladies are not only able to vote — ladies are able to lead.
On July 17, Village of Liverpool Trustee Christina Fadden Fitch was appointed deputy mayor by fifth-term Mayor Gary White. Both White and Fitch are Republicans.
Fadden Fitch first took her seat on the village board after running unopposed in 2015 to replace outgoing Trustee Bob Gaetano and she was re-elected — again running unopposed — this year. Now employed by Brown & Sanford Consulting LLC for Honeywell International, Chris is a former assistant executive director of the New York State Right to Life Committee.
Library trustees
Meanwhile Yvette Hewitt, Dorianne Elitharp Gutierrez and Mary Shapley were sworn in July 12 as trustees at the Liverpool Public Library. A former member of the village planning board, Yvette is also vice president of Historical Association of Greater Liverpool and a member of the Liverpool Is The Place Committee.
Speaking of Liverpool Is The Place, the committee’s chairperson is Colleen Gunnip, who also serves as the town of Salina’s First Ward Councilor representing Liverpool.
County leaders
County Executive Joanie Mahoney visited Liverpool on Wednesday, July 19, holding court at The Retreat that evening with a half-dozen young colleagues gathered around a bar-room table. Mahoney, a Republican, has forged a sometimes controversial alliance with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat.
Meanwhile, Fourth District County Legislator Judy Tassone will apparently run for re-election this November without a challenger.
Tassone unopposed
Salina Town Democratic Committee Chairman Chris Shepherd explains: “Volunteers fell short with the number of petitions to again nominate Patrick Foster in the Fourth District [Liverpool, Galeville, North Syracuse and Lakeland]. Unless an independent candidate files in mid-August, Mrs. Tassone will be unopposed.”
The Democrats stopped short of cross-endorsing the three-term legislator.
In 2011 and ’13, Tassone had turned back challenges by former Legislator David Stott, and soundly defeated Patrick Foster in 2015 by a vote of 2,467 to 1,285.
Legislator Debra Cody now represents the sprawling Fifth District, which includes Pitcher Hill, Mattydale, Lyncourt, western Cicero, part of the village of North Syracuse, the northern tip of DeWitt and part of Syracuse’s North Side. Cody will run against Democrat Bryan Seamans, a former U.S. Marine who works as sales manager at a local Chrysler dealership.
In 2015, Seamans lost to then-incumbent Legislator Kathy Rapp, by a vote of 2,489 to 1,148.
Pamela serves popcorn
Meanwhile, Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter, one of Central NY’s top Democrats, visited the village July 19, volunteering at the Liverpool Is The Place concession stand at the Diamond Someday concert at Johnson Park. Hunter, a strong proponent of public libraries and a supporter of Ophelia’s Place in Liverpool, spoke briefly to the audience at intermission, and served popcorn during the bluegrass concert.
Second Line Syracuse
Free concerts continue under the new roof at Johnson Park at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 26, with Cortland County tunesmith Colleen Kattau, who sings in both English and Spanish with her band, Dos XX.
On Monday, July 31, Syracuse Area Music Award-winning brass band, Second Line Syracuse, fronted by Liverpool native Melissa Gardiner, performs New Orleans-style street tunes. On Wednesday, Aug. 2, Grupo Pagan Lite will entertain at the park. Gracias!
Clambake time
The 79th annual open-to-the-public clambake is scheduled from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 27 at Hinerwadels, 5300 W. Taft Road, in North Syracuse. Admission to the all-you-can-eat affair is $95, sponsored by the Institute for Supply Management; (315) 454-8889.
Contact the columnist at [email protected].
