LIVERPOOL — Back in the 1950s and ’60s one of the best known businesses in the village was Foley’s Rexall store at the corner of Oswego and Tulip streets.
Frank Foley ran the pharmacy and the soda fountain counter, and also sold vinyl records, paperback novels, magazines, candy and comic books. Needless to say, as a kid I frittered away countless hours at Foley’s, drinking phosphates, sucking on rock candy and browsing Batman and Classic Illustrated comic books.
Foley’s is long gone, of course, and we’re sorry to report that the location’s most recent business has pulled up stakes after two years.
Moments Enchanted are over
The ambitiously named day spa Moments Enchanted by RJL opened at 612 Oswego St. in March 2019 and called it a day last month.
Moments Enchanted aimed to eliminate stress and tension for its clients because such relief “is critical for the improvement and maintenance of overall well-being.” Holistic treatments delivered there included massage therapy, esthetics and beauty enhancement.
Rachel LaMay, a NYS licensed massage therapist, esthetician and cosmetologist with more than 20 years of experience, co-owned Moments Enchanted along with hair stylists Joni Brown and Lisa Bernardelli. Makeup man Mark Stewart and eyelash expert Stacey Berardi also worked there and are now continuing as solo artistes.
LaMay told the Star-Review that the business closed due to ongoing issues with the building.
Local Dems flex muscles
Town of Salina Democrats are enjoying a fruitful growing season, having nominated a full slate of candidates for all six offices on the town ballot this fall for the first time in a decade.
Local Dems also plan to seek election to all 17 seats on the Onondaga County Legislature. “First time we’ve done that since back to the Mike Bragman era,” commented Salina Democratic Party Chairman Christopher Shepherd.
The candidate for Salina Town Board in the First Ward – which includes the village of Liverpool – is Aaron Buchta. He was nominated after 2019 Dem candidate Joan Royle declined to run again.
Aaron and his wife have lived in the village for about five years, Shepherd wrote in a recent email. An alumni of SUNY Morrisville, he has volunteered with Liverpool Community Gardeners.
“Aaron has also been a guest speaker at Liverpool Public Library programs,” Shepherd wrote, “and has been a Democratic Committee member for several years.”
The First Ward seat is currently held by Nick Paro, who will run for the town supervisor in November, thus leaving the First Ward an open seat. The Republican candidate is Jason Recor, who presently serves as a village trustee.
In the Salina’s Fourth Ward, Democrat Duane Maine has been nominated to challenge incumbent Republican Councilor David Carnie, who is seeking his first full term on the town board.
Maine is a 20-year-plus resident of Lyncourt where he an active parishioner at St. Daniel’s Church. He teaches several senior fitness classes at Elevate, and is retired from Syracuse Community Health Center. He successfully completed this year’s CNY Political Leadership program.
Shepherd’s understandably proud of the number of nominations. “This is the first time in 10 years that Salina Democrats have nominated a full slate of eight Democratic candidates for local and county offices,” he wrote.
Dems eye village comeback
The Democrats have failed to field any candidate for village office in Liverpool since 2001 and have not conducted a caucus since that year. But Shepherd predicts that will change.
“We have begun the preliminaries in the village of Liverpool,” he wrote. “I was sad, but a decision was made not to overextend our limited resources and will not be contesting the village positions in June this year.”
Incumbent Mayor Gary White, Trustee Christina Fadden and former Trustee Dennis Hebert are running for village board as Republicans.
“I’m pretty confident this will be the last [year] of our drought in the village of Liverpool,” Shepherd hinted.
The Democrats certainly have incentive to make a move in the village. For the past several years voter enrollment figures show that Democrats actually outnumber registered Republicans in the village, and another batch of village voters consider themselves independent or non-enrolled, and such voters historically tend to vote for Democrats. Village population stands at just about 2,300.
Last word
“Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.”
–Cornel West, American philosopher and political commentator.
Contact the columnist at [email protected].
