By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
The year 2020 brought new and unexpected challenges to Cazenovia and the world at large, changing the way we live and connect to one another.
While marked by the economic turmoil, loss of life and anxiety brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as by racial unrest, climate disasters, and a highly contentious presidential election, 2020 was also defined by the people who stepped up to address the needs in their communities and beyond.
The Cazenovia area witnessed countless efforts by groups and individuals to help support those in need and to restore some sense of normalcy to the community during unprecedented times.
Here is a selection of those efforts:
Community launches CazCOVIDResponse
In March, a number of Cazenovia area agencies teamed up to create CazCOVIDResponse.
Based out of the Community Resources for Independent Seniors (CRIS) office at St. Peter’s Church, the initiative was launched to communicate local updates and information on available services to the public via a centralized website (sites.google.com/view/cazcovidresponse), email address ([email protected]), and phone line (315-655-9063 or 315-655-5743 for CRIS).
According to the website, the goal is to “maintain a central hub that local residents can contact for assistance with needs such as transportation, nutrition, emergency child care, shopping/errand assistance or other factors created by the state of emergency declared in New York. Volunteers at the office will seek to match those needs with resources available from municipal agencies, local non-profits, individual donors, and area volunteers.”
The Village of Cazenovia spearheaded the effort in partnership with CRIS, CazCares and St. Peter’s Church, along with the Cazenovia, Fenner and Nelson town governments, Cazenovia Central School District (CCSD), Cazenovia College, the Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce (GCACC), and other local businesses, churches, non-profits and volunteers.
“[It] is truly a spontaneous outcome from people in a small community wanting to help one another,” said Village of Cazenovia Mayor Kurt Wheeler in March. “It started with Reverend Jeanne Hansknecht emailing the village and school to offer the support of St Peter’s. I called her and we began to brainstorm how we might focus people’s natural desire to help out. That led to a discussion/partnership with CRIS who was already providing similar services to seniors from their office at St Peter’s. The next day we met with CazCares and it just grew from there. Dozens of people have already signed up on the site to help in various ways and we are trying to add more information and ideas for services daily.”
‘Restart Cazenovia’
As COVID-19 restrictions started to be lifted in the spring, the “Restart Cazenovia” advisory group began meeting to proactively plan ways to support the business community and re-energize the local economy.
The committee includes representatives from the GCACC, the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Cazenovia College, and local businesses.
“A core principle is that we have to buy local to support our neighbors’ livelihoods whenever we can,” said Wheeler on April 30. “It is very easy to click that ‘add to my cart’ button online, but that retailer is not paying local taxes or helping local causes like our area businesses do. Shop here in the Cazenovia area whenever you can.”
Cazenovia Public Library continues to serve
During the initial COVID-19 shutdown, the Cazenovia Public Library (CPL) staff worked diligently to continue serving the community.
While the building was closed, staff members regularly posted content to Instagram, Facebook, and a new Pinterest account featuring boards with a variety of resources.
CPL also redesigned its website homepage to include a blog space designed to keep the community informed of library business, digital services and new offerings.
Story time was moved online with weekly “Stories from Home.” Each Friday, the blog featured a new video of a CPL staff member reading a children’s story from their home.
The LEGO My Library program series also continued with at-home editions.
In October, CPL partnered with Stone Quarry Hill Art Park (SQHAP) to present a take-home version of Art for Kids. The program — which focused on SQHAP founder Dorothy Riester and her love of sculpture — featured a Zoom portion and a take-home kit, including art supplies, project instructions, and information on the artist.
Art for Kids snow globe kits were sent home in December.
Although the CPL-sponsored Story Room at CazCares closed to the public, the library continued to provide children’s books for CazCares clients to take home with their groceries.
During the shutdown, CPL’s in-person, one-on-one adult tutoring transitioned to online learning whenever possible. All students who were matched with volunteer tutors to improve their ESL skills or prepare for the TASC exam (formerly GED) had books at home for self-study. Tutors checked in with their students on a weekly basis.
On May 5, CPL teamed up with CCSD to provide students with free books during the school meal pickup.
“The library’s goal is to get more books into children’s homes, and the school meal program is the perfect vehicle to accomplish this,” said CPL Director Betsy Kennedy in May. “Superintendent Matt Reilly and the school principals were very open to our suggestion of distributing books to families and assisted in facilitating the project.”
Through the “Books with Lunches” initiative, the library offered a wide selection of books to students once a week throughout the mandated school closure.
On June 15, the library began offering curbside pickup, which has continued throughout the pandemic. Orders may be called in, emailed, or sent via social media along with an anticipated pickup time. Patrons can also place a hold/request through the online Mid York Catalog.
In addition to traditionally available items (e.g., books, DVDs, audiobooks, etc.), the library also started loaning more unusual materials, like “Grandma Sally’s Book Bags,” nature kits, agriculture kits, croquet sets, and fishing rods.
On July 15, CPL reopened for limited patron use.
Visitors are currently allowed 40 minutes inside the building Monday through Friday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Saturday (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) to browse circulated materials, use the copier, and access the computers. Limited museum entry and a limited number of quiet independent workspace tables are also available. Curbside pickup continues to be offered as well.
Books are available for sale at Carriage Barn Books on Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sundays 12 to 4 p.m.
Run by the Friends of the Library and community volunteers, Carriage Barn Books is a like-new bookstore operated out of the barn adjacent to library.
CPL in the classroom
In the fall, CPL Museum Educators Pat Hill and Julia Shotzberger entered the schools, despite COVID-19, to present adapted versions of the Second and Seventh Grade Museum Programs.
Designed to supplement the Burton Street Elementary School and Cazenovia Middle School social studies curricula, the multi-part programs use artifacts from library’s collection to explore local history.
In a typical year, the second grade program explores pre- and post-contact Haudenosaunee culture, John Lincklaen and the founding of Cazenovia, and the history of the Cazenovia Public Library and Museum. The program concludes with a field trip to the library to explore the museum collection.
In October and November, the educators presented the first two sessions on the Haudenosaunee to each second grade class. Remote learners were provided with videos of the presentations.
“Our second grade team is so impressed with Pat and Julia’s flexibility in continuing to provide these historical lessons despite COVID-19 constraints,” said second grade teacher Julia Bliss. “They have worked to create more individualized activities with visual presentations to support students’ understanding. The museum program is so valuable to our curriculum as it opens the children’s’ eyes to the foundation of our community’s history.”
On Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, the educators visited all of the seventh grade social studies classes to present on both pre- and post-contact Haudenosaunee. Remote learners received a separate video filmed by Cazenovia College graduate Connor Yorks. The video featured Hill and Shotzberger highlighting a variety of artifacts and covering similar material.
“The supplemental museum program has been a welcomed addition to my instruction for several years,” said seventh grade teacher Mark Tugaw “Having my students see actual local artifacts really helps make history come alive. We have all had to adapt in many ways this year. The library museum educators really knocked it out of the park with the newly adapted program. They provided in-person instruction to my students at school and created a movie quality presentation for my remote learners. The feedback from my students has all been positive.”
Future seventh grade presentations will focus on the Haudenosaunee in the American Revolution, the history of Cazenovia, and the Erie Canal.
Community supports CazCares
CazCares, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides food and clothing to low-income families in Cazenovia and surrounding areas of Madison County. CazCares also offers educational and literacy programming, health and wellness information and referral services to help support its clients.
Due to safety concerns, CazCares is closed to the public; however, the food pantry has maintained its regular hours of operation, offering free curbside food pick-up from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings and from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday afternoons.
“CazCares has been doing a stellar job meeting the increased need for nutrition caused by job losses,” said Mayor Wheeler on April 26.
CazCares has received support from a number of organizations, businesses and individuals throughout the pandemic.
Enel North America
On April 15, Fenner Wind Farm operator Enel North America announced its commitment of $10,000 to CazCares to help meet food security needs during the pandemic.
“[The company] reached out to us recently to see if there were any organizations that they could help during these difficult times,” said Fenner Town Supervisor Dave Jones. “As a town, we gave them several names of different groups. We did not know until recently that CazCares was the organization they chose. I believe we all know the tremendous job that CazCares does for our area. We are very grateful to Enel for their generous donation to a very deserving organization.”
Holiday gift drives and donations
The outpouring of support for CazCares was particularly apparent during the holiday season.
Each December, the organization offers a Christmas gift giveaway for its clients.
“This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts, CazCares is acutely aware of the expanded needs of our clients, especially around the holidays,” said Erin Kelly, coordinator of the giveaway.
At the start of the season, “Giving trees” positioned at 13 participating retailers throughout the Cazenovia business district featured ornaments labeled with gift requests from children of all ages.
Customers were encouraged to select an ornament, purchase the listed item, and drop it off at Community Bank or AmeriCU Credit Union.
All donated items were delivered to CazCares for distribution.
On Dec. 5, the Cazenovia Fire Department hosted a toy drive for the CazCares giveaway.
Fire Captain Michael Wood has been organizing and running the annual toy drive for several years.
“Growing up we never really had Christmas,” Wood said. “We never even put a Christmas tree up because there was nothing to put under it. Then I met my wife and she pulled me up by my boot strings . . . We moved to Caz and I decided that if I could help at least one kid to not have to deal with what I went through, [it would be worth it].”
In December, student leaders from the Cazenovia High School Class of 2023 presented a check for $504 to CazCares Director Gigi Redmond. The sophomores raised the funds through their successful “Turkey Trot” virtual run, organized in cooperation with the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation (CPF).
Sophomore volunteers also raised money for the organization through the Salvation Army bell ringing at Kinney Drugs on Albany Street and Tops.
As a safety precaution, there was also an option to donate via a QR Code for contactless giving.
Friendship Inn helps feed the community
In November, the Cazenovia Friendship Inn returned to the Methodist/Summit Church at 21 Lincklaen St.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the initiative is providing free take-out meals to community members on Monday nights from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
“Anyone who can get to the Methodist/Summit Church building can receive these free meals,” said Friendship Inn Supervisor Duane Moore. “They are served on a first-come, first-served basis. We have always fed all who came previously.”
The Haven at Skanda cares for animals and people in need
Located at 4000 Mosley Rd. in Cazenovia, The Haven at Skanda is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for rescued farm animals and offering educational and preventative programs to the public.
In immediate response to the pandemic, Skanda acquired a temporary license from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services to provide emergency weekday childcare for parents who are essential personnel, highly stressed, or in need of relief. Care was also provided to children who were identified as high risk for abuse at home during the initial extended quarantine.
Skanda is currently running two children’s programs.
“We have a boys support group and a co-ed children’s program that runs after school and on weekend mornings to give kids an experience of freedom, joy and connection with the animals to soothe the stress they have been under this year,” said Beckerman.
The organization is also offering businesses, organizations and families the opportunity to invite farm animals to make appearances on their live video meetings through several “Zoom-topia” options.
Skanda’s volunteer program remains open to students, individuals and families.
Activities include feeding the animals, cleaning their living spaces, and grooming and socializing with them. Volunteers also help with special events, land maintenance, repairs, fundraising and administration.
“Our volunteers often comment that coming to Skanda is their little bubble of relaxation and joy in the midst of the pandemic and all the stress we are all feeling in our daily lives now,” said Beckerman.
Currently, the sanctuary is caring for around 150 animals, including horses, miniature donkeys, pigs, goats, chickens and ducks.
In December, Skanda launched a fundraising campaign to assist the sanctuary in making up a $50,000 funding shortfall due to COVID-19 cutbacks.
According to Skanda’s fundraising appeal letter, the pandemic caused the corporate community to withdraw all funding for 2020, leaving Skanda in a “precarious spot” as winter approaches.
Donations can be made on Facebook at “The Haven at Skanda’s fundraiser” and on Skanda’s secure website at thehavenatskanda.org/give.
CRIS supports seniors
For the past 10 years, CRIS has provided information, referrals and services to seniors in the Cazenovia, Fenner and Nelson areas.
CRIS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and coordinating supportive services that help individuals 55 and older to preserve their independence, remain active and engaged in the community, and live safely and comfortably in their homes for as long as possible.
In response to the pandemic, CRIS made a number of adjustments to meet the needs of the community’s most vulnerable population.
“For CRIS, transitioning into the current COVID situation was just about shifting our focus,” said Executive Director Karisha A. Solomon in May. “ . . . We are living our mission [of] providing supportive services, just with a new focus on providing COVID information and focusing more on the long term effects on our seniors, like fresh food, medication, healthcare, isolation and depression . . . The hardest part of all of this is not being able to see our seniors.”
According to Solomon, CRIS responded to COVID-19 in the following ways:
By teaming up with local government officials, businesses and other organizations to meet the new needs of the community.
By continuing to offer information and referral services through a phone line (315-655-5743) that provides responses within 24 hours.
By creating a COVID-19 webpage (cris-caz.com/covid) dedicated to providing accurate, up-to-date information for seniors.
By continuing to offer medical transportation to seniors with critical needs through CRIS-CAT (Cazenovia Area Transportation).
By providing masks to vulnerable seniors. CRIS received a donation of 100 masks from CazGear for distribution. Volunteers are also making masks for any senior who needs them.
By adjusting the CRIS TimeBank program to incorporate social distancing protocols. TimeBank is a volunteer-based network that helps foster a strong, supportive community through the exchange of skills and services. Members are now served remotely or at a safe distance.
By making washable isolation gowns for the employees of the Morrisville nursing home and by teaming up with the girl scouts to provide cookies to the staff. According to Solomon, CRIS purchased a case of cookies and the girl scouts donated another case to the nursing home as a show of appreciation.
By purchasing materials, like thread and ribbon, to assist in the production of personal protective equipment (PPE).
By continuing to provide “5 Wishes” documents and by helping seniors to prepare for what happens if they get sick and want their wishes followed.
Common Grounds spreads hope
In December, Common Grounds announced “A Contest for Hope,” a community initiative that will provide 12 awards of $250 each to non-profits in the Cazenovia area.
Community members were invited to respond to the question “What is your greatest hope?” by submitting a drawing, picture, phrase, poem, or anything else that expresses the hope.
Winners will be announced in January. Each winner will be given the opportunity to handpick a non-profit to receive a $250 donation. Winners will also have their entries reproduced as greeting cards and receive boxes of stationary and envelopes from the Cazenovia College Copy Shop to share their hope.
“We can benefit from listening to what people of all ages are hoping for; it can make a difference in all of our lives,” said Common Grounds founder Bob Hood. “A young child might respond that they were hoping for a puppy dog, [but] can you imagine how our community and our world would change if we all hoped for and practiced unconditional love?”
The contest was presented in conjunction with Common Grounds LIVE, a new live-streaming resource designed to provide the community with a platform for difficult conversations on controversial topics. The conversations are live-streamed on the “Caz Common Grounds Live” YouTube channel.
Common Grounds Live also functions as a platform for local musicians, entrepreneurs, artists, and anyone else interested in sharing their unique perspective.
Stone Quarry Hill Art Park fosters connection
In October, SQHAP introduced “Filipendulous,” an interactive sculpture that represents personal connection during times of isolation.
Created by high school students Skylar Dannan, Meseret Stevens and Morgan Schaffer, the work featured six wooden posts connected by nylon rope. The posts were positioned six feet apart to represent the current social distancing standards, and each one was decorated to represent a different quarantine coping mechanism.
The installation invited people to connect with each other by adding to the sculpture using the available notecards, writing utensils, and hanging clips.
Visitors were asked to inscribe a notecard with a message, a quarantine story, something about themselves, a drawing, a quote, a link to a playlist, or even their name, phone number, email, or social media information. Notecards were then placed into a Ziplock bag and clipped onto the rope.
The word “filipendulous” means hanging precariously, usually by a single thread.
According to the artists’ statement on the SQHAP website, the sculpture’s title not only references the hanging notecards, but it also evokes the deeper theme of confusion in modern society and a global pandemic.
“It can often feel like we are hanging by a thread, but our hope is that small projects like ours can help people, even just a little bit, to feel more connected and grounded, bringing light to this situation through art and community,” the statement says.
Schaffer said she hoped the sculpture would encourage people to interact, share stories, and possibly meet new friends in a safe way.
Filipendulous represented the conclusion of SQHAP’s summer-long exhibition titled “Personal Programs.”
Unlike typical Art Park events, which are scheduled for set dates and times, these programs were experienced by visitors independently, either in person or online.
Cazenovia Preservation Foundation promotes outdoor recreation
In the spring, CPF partnered with several agencies to provide individuals and families with ways to engage with Cazenovia’s natural and historical resources in safe ways.
“Spring and summer are typically CPF’s busiest seasons in terms of engagement with the community through outdoor events,” said Jennifer Wong, CPF ‘s director of outreach & communications. “ . . . [We recognize] the need for members of our community to have access to nature and to outdoor recreation and we are fortunate to have so many opportunities for that here in Cazenovia. Equally important is the desire for individuals to engage with others in the community safely while social distancing protocols remain in place.”
CPF partnered with CPL, SQHAP and Lorenzo State Historic Site to launch #HashtagThroughHistory:Cazenovia.
Each organization prepared one or more signs depicting a historic image of their site, which was juxtaposed with the present-day view that visitors see in real life.
CPF also teamed up with the library and local poet E.J. Evans to introduce “Poetry on the Trail.”
The project involves eight interpretive signs along the first mile of the Gorge Trail.
Each sign features a poem, artwork or photography, and one or more prompts to help engage children with the poem or their surroundings.
The signs also invite the public to submit their own original poetry to CPF for publication on the organization’s website and/or social media platforms.
In place of the Saturday cleanups originally scheduled for May, and in celebration of National Trails Day on June 6, CPF launched “Family Trail Projects.”
CPF Conservation Manager Judy Gianforte prepared a list of several projects of varying degrees of complexity that families could complete independently.
Families were provided with a description of the task, a map and/or digital photos showing the specific work to be completed, a list of required tools, and an estimate of the time needed to complete the job.
Marquardt helps save lives
On April 3, Marquardt Switches announced that it would be using its tool room and machining capabilities to supply Ford Motor Company with on/off switches for the automaker’s life-saving ventilators.
“In response to the worldwide shortage for medical equipment, we discovered that we can use our [capabilities] to quickly provide components for medical machinery,” said Kirk Wardell, general manager of Marquardt Cazenovia. “We are looking at these opportunities and asking, ‘what else can we do?’ We are fortunate to operate in a close-knit community where everyone is stepping up to help, and it’s incredibly inspiring. We are all in this together, and Marquardt is eager to contribute.”
On March 31, Marquardt also announced its plans to supply and donate hose connectors for personal protection equipment (PPE) to a local CNY hospital.
The PPE suits provide safe air to medical workers on the front lines of the pandemic.
Within 24 hours of receiving the first drawings, Marquardt had produced a connector.
Caz reimagines holiday traditions
Memorial Day
On May 25, Cazenovia’s American Legion Post 88 live-streamed its Memorial Day ceremony, including the annual reading of the names of local veterans who lost their lives in the past year. Following the ceremony, residents observed the holiday outside their own homes.
Independence Day
This year’s July 4th parade — consisting primarily of vehicles and floats — was conducted over an extended two-mile route to allow for social distancing.
In lieu of the traditional July 4th 1 mile, 5K and 10 mile races, the village presented a virtual “Independence Run” from July 1-7 on the same routes.
Halloween
On Oct. 31, the Historic Cazenovia Business District conducted a safe “mini-Halloween” trick-or-treating event for families who were not comfortable going door-to-door in residential neighborhoods this year.
Local businesses, non-profits and other organizations were stationed along Albany Street to safely distribute candy to trick-or-treaters.
While some villagers opted out of distributing candy this year, a number of Lincklaen Street residents came up with safe, creative ways to continue the tradition.
Thanksgiving
Each fall, Cazenovia typically hosts both the “Pumpkin Run 5K” fundraiser, sponsored by Cazenovia High School classes, and the Thanksgiving morning “Turkey Trot,” presented by the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation (CPF).
In lieu of these races, the Cazenovia High School sophomore class organized the Cazenovia Turkey Trot 2020 Virtual Run/Walk to raise money for the Class of 2023, whose usual fundraisers for events like the Junior Prom and Senior Ball have been canceled.
Ten percent of the proceeds from the event were donated to CazCares.
Completed anytime Nov. 25-29, the race began and ended along the Village Green in front of the high school and wound through the village, passing numerous historical, cultural and natural sites along the way.
After the race, participants had the opportunity to electronically submit a quiz based on the landmarks they passed to become eligible for prizes.
Christmas
Plans for the 42nd Annual Cazenovia Christmas Walk and Village Tree Lighting were altered to adhere to avoid crowding.
The village Christmas tree was lit on Dec. 4. In lieu of the traditional tree lighting gathering and festivities, the GCACC streamed the proceedings on Facebook-live and the GCACC website.
Following the lighting, Santa toured the village with the Cazenovia Fire Department on the back of rescue ATV.
Earlier that day, Santa made his first appearance in Cazenovia at Pushlar Farm on Fenner Road. Sara Pushlar of Amore Miniature Donkeys invited families to drive or stop by her front pasture to wave to Santa, his elves, Mrs. Claus, and a number of animals. The elves delivered candy to cars while wearing masks, and children had the opportunity to approach the fence and pet the donkeys while social distancing.
“With COVID and everything going on right now, I just thought it would be fun for the kids,” Pushlar said. “I want to try to make their Christmases as magical as I can.”
On Dec. 5, Santa sat in the front of Community Bank so young passersby could wave at him through the window, drop off their letters to Santa, and enter a Rotary Club raffle for a huge teddy bear.
Traditionally, Lorenzo State Historic Site closes out each year with the annual Friends of Lorenzo (FOL) Member-Guest Christmas Preview Party and a holiday celebration featuring guided tours of the decorated mansion, seasonal refreshments, live music, and sleigh rides.
This year, with support from the FOL, Lorenzo moved its holiday festivities outdoors.
Staff and volunteers lit and decorated 14 new evergreens in the “Dark Aisle” — a historic grove of trees surrounding Lorenzo’s formal garden.
Visitors were invited to independently walk through the Dark Aisle, free of charge, anytime from Dec. 12 through Dec. 27.
“Even though we couldn’t have our typical Christmas event during this difficult time, we wanted to offer something so that folks could continue their holiday tradition of visiting Lorenzo,” said Jackie Roshia, Lorenzo’s interpretive programs assistant. “We know that our Christmas event is one of our most popular with the community and thought that moving it outside would be a safe alternative while still bringing some holiday cheer and maintaining a bit of normalcy. With so many events being canceled during 2020, we’re happy to be able to offer an outdoor alternative to our holiday event.”
Friends safely celebrate birthdays
In April, Cazenovia resident Elizabeth Koennecke, wife of Village Trustee Fritz Koennecke, celebrated her birthday with friends while social distancing.
“I baked two cakes and Fritz delivered slices to friends [while] complying with social distancing rules,” said Koennecke. “Then we had a Zoom party; I dressed appropriately for my station in an evening gown, crown and sash, and they sang happy birthday to me . . . We just bought ‘Delma’ (our RV) this year, and now we have nowhere to go. So on my birthday eve — which is a thing — we took out [Brewster Inn] fish fry and parked by the lake.”
That same month, a group of friends joined together to form a socially distanced birthday caravan in celebration of Gina Raleigh, a Cazenovia resident and teacher in the DeRuyter Central School District.
The parade featured more than 50 cars, many of which were decorated with balloons and signs. Following the parade, a birthday cake was delivered to Raleigh’s home.
On May 21, Cazenovia native Ina Cramer turned 100 years old.
Born to George and Betty Blodgett, Cramer was raised on Cazenovia Lake. Her father served as the caretaker of the Kennard Estate on East Lake Road and her mother was a seamstress.
Cramer currently resides in an apartment at Noyes Manor in Sherrill.
In celebration of her birthday, Cramer’s family organized a socially distanced parade led by a Sherrill fire truck and police car.
On Nov. 2, seven local women safely gathered to celebrate the 100th birthday of Cazenovia resident Helen Stacy. The women stood outside Stacy’s home to present her with balloons, cards and flowers, and to sing “Happy Birthday.”
Neighborhood supports InclusiveU graduate
On May 2, more than 70 cars and a fire truck paraded down Chenango Street to celebrate Harry Dydo’s graduation from Syracuse University’s InclusiveU program.
Dydo, who was born with Down syndrome, is beloved throughout his hometown and beyond for his big personality and exuberant spirit.
A lifelong Orange fan, Dydo had dreamed of attending Syracuse University (SU) for years.
Thanks to InclusiveU, his dream became a reality.
Housed in SU’s Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education, InclusiveU is an initiative that offers students with intellectual disabilities a comprehensive college experience, including individualized coursework, person-centered planning, professional internships, and social and extracurricular activities.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dydo’s final year on campus was cut short.
Although he was unable to graduate alongside his classmates on the SU campus, the Cazenovia community was eager to acknowledge his accomplishments.
According to Dydo’s parents, the turnout for the neighborhood parade exceeded all expectations.
Individuals make a big impact
Kerstin and Megan McKay
Early in the pandemic, Mayor Wheeler identified Cazenovia residents Kerstin and Megan McKay as particularly instrumental in the success of the CazCOVIDResponse initiative.
“[They] have been at the very heart of the team serving our area for the past five weeks,” Wheeler said on April 26. “Both of them have volunteered dozens of hours each week, answering calls and responding to emails from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, five days a week. Many of the great ideas that have helped us to respond more effectively were also thought up and organized by them. Megan is the ‘poster person’ of a selfless response to the pandemic. A waitress at Dave’s Diner, she was laid off due to the state’s emergency rules. Rather than dwell on the negative, she immediately stepped up to volunteer full time and play a critical role in helping others. Kerstin, in addition to her effort at the response center, has organized numerous [locals] to make masks for Upstate and other local caregivers in need.”
Bill Hall
Cazenovia resident Bill Hall taught himself to sew on a 1938 sewing machine in order to help his neighbor sew masks for Upstate University Hospital.
“I decided I needed something to do and figured if I could make fishing rods using thread, I should be able to make masks using thread,” Hall said in late April. “All I needed to do was learn how to sew. I remembered my wife, Nancy, had an old sewing machine that she had bought when she was in high school . . . I checked the manual and it is a 1938 Featherweight Singer Sewing Machine. That just happened to be the year I was born. I sure was glad there was an instruction manual since I had to learn how to fill a bobbin, thread the machine, run it forwards and backwards, etc. They say you learn from your mistakes. I must admit I definitely made every mistake possible trying to learn how to sew.”
According to Hall, his first attempt at a mask took nearly all day and was an utter disaster.
“I just couldn’t understand the instructions provided by Upstate,” he said. “It was a foreign language to me. I had no idea what a top stitch was, nor turning the material inside out, etc. . . It was a struggle, but I was determined to make a few more masks . . .”
After figuring out the machine and instructions and dealing with a jammed bobbin, Hall went on to contribute significantly to Kerstin McKay’s goal of providing 500 masks to Upstate.
Carolyn Ahern
Cazenovia resident Carolyn Ahern has been making masks since the start of the pandemic. She charges $10 per mask and donates 100 percent to the Cazenovia Fire Department. As of Dec. 15, she had raised over $22,000.
“We have been proud to carry them, and we donate 100 percent to the fire department as well,” said McKenzie Houseman, owner of 20|EAST on Albany Street.
Char Grimes and Wendy Marshall
Throughout the mandated school closure, Char Grimes and Wendy Marshall worked tirelessly to feed the students of the Cazenovia Central School District.
By May 27, Grimes, who is the district’s food services director, and Marshall had already prepared 29,102 school meals for distribution to families via pick-up and delivery.
“The last ten weeks have been challenging,” said Grimes. “I miss the students . . . At first it was stressful and overwhelming, but [since] Wendy and I finally got into a routine it has gone a lot smoother . . . Right now it truly is hard not to see the students everyday and talk with them as they come through the lunch line or just stop in first thing in the morning and say hi to us . . . Wendy and I have talked [a lot] about the seniors. This is the first year that we are unable to say bye and good luck. I for one will miss all of them.”
When the women first started preparing and distributing school meals back in March, they had two assistants. By May, however, both helpers had left for personal reasons.
“We cannot say that it hasn’t been a little stressful at times, but we don’t let it get to us,” Grimes said. “We just remind each other that the children need our help . . . No child should go without food. [For] some children [their] only food source is when they are in school.”
To honor the women and their hard work, The Haven at Skanda organized a community fundraiser to send Grimes and Marshall on a spa day once the pandemic is over.
Beverly Thorp
On Nov. 17, the New York State Office for the Aging named Cazenovia resident Beverly Thorp the winner of “The New York State Senate’s Outstanding Contribution by an Older New Yorker” award. On Nov. 24, Senator Rachel May presented Thorp with a proclamation from the senate recognizing her as “Older New Yorker of the Year.”
Thorp, 84, has been working to improve the Cazenovia community for almost half a century, and she did not stop during the pandemic.
“She has been a giver her entire life,” said Theresa Richardson, Thorp’s daughter. “[She started] at a young age delivering food to the poor that was harvested from her family’s farm . . . Mom is a wonderful support to her entire family and a role model in so many ways: love, kindness, giving, sharing.”
Thorp is a member of the CRIS Board of Directors, a member of the Cazenovia Area Senior Association (CASA), a charter and lifetime member of the Cazenovia Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps (CAVAC), treasurer of the local chapter of Philanthropic Educational Opportunities, and a lector, usher, money counter, and funeral committee member at St. James Catholic Church. She also conducts a prayer service at the Crouse Community Adult Day Care Center in Cazenovia.
“Over the years she has served on many committees at St. James,” said Richardson. “Since Covid-19 started she has been sending cards and letters to the shut-in parishioners. She also makes and sends over 500 greeting cards a year for birthdays, anniversaries, get well, sympathy or just a note to brighten someone’s day.”
Additionally, Thorp is an RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) Bone Builders facilitator at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.
Pre-pandemic, Thorp and a friend distributed unsellable flower bouquets donated by Tops in Cazenovia. The pair separated the flowers into smaller bouquets and delivered them to the Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing Home in Chittenango while visiting with residents.
