Liverpool — It seems to be something about the bleak mid-winter. Maybe it’s seasonal affective disorder, which is sad in more ways than one. February was one rough month, and I’m not talking about the weather.

The entire area was saddened and angered by the senseless murder of a baby girl. The same day that crime was solved, a Liverpool man lost a leg in a train accident.

Earlier in the month, a young man took his own life while his Toyota Prius was parked near the Park Rangers Office, off Lake Drive at Onondaga Lake Park.

A gunshot rang out there shortly before 2 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11. Liverpool Police Officer David Sturtz discovered the body of a 29-year-old man slumped over in the Prius, which was parked and running. The man was dead from a single shot to the head.

Since the incident occurred on county property, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office took over the investigation.

The victim was identified as David Metoxen, a member of the Oneida Nation from Green Bay, Wisc.

Sheriff’s Det. Jon Seeber said that Metoxen had no known connections to Central New York. “But apparently, he was looking to move here,” Seeber said, “possibly because of his [Oneida] nationality.”

Deputies under the direction of Det. Tom Czyz canvassed the neighborhood on Feb. 11, but turned up no suspicious circumstances or foul play. The manner of death was ruled suicide. Metoxen killed himself with a semi-automatic handgun, Seeber said.

Metoxen’s obituary listed his hobbies as making hand drums, woodcarving burning, learning his Oneida culture, making people laugh and enjoying the outdoors. “He was very creative and always eager to learn,” it said.

continued — Too bad he won’t be around to see his three sons grow into men.

Instead, after private services, he’ll be laid to rest in the Oneida Homelands, near Chittenango Falls.

Shenandoah seeks liver transplant

Central New York-based Grammy Award-winner Joanne Shenandoah needs a liver transplant. She has received more Native American Music Awards — 14 to date — than any other Native artist. Over her 28-year career, she has received more than 40 music awards.

This past summer, Joanne contacted a serious abdominal infection that spread to her liver and resulted in its gradual failure. She has endured four long hospital stays and was in an induced coma for two weeks. She has been placed on the New York state liver transplant list. Meanwhile, if funds can be raised in a timely fashion, she may go to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. The cost for transplant surgery there, including a two month recovery stay is $450,000; gofundme.com/joanneshenandoah.

Joanne’s most recent record is titled “Lifegivers.”

Trombone troubadour

Trombonist Melissa Gardiner is a Liverpool High School alumna who went on to study at the University of Michigan and The Juilliard School in Manhattan, where she studied with Steve Turre. Gardiner now leads the house band at a weekly jazz and gospel jam session from 3 to 5 p.m. every Sunday, at Funk ‘N Waffles, located down city, at 313 S. Clinton St. The combo includes Gardiner, Matt Vacanti on bass, Josh Dekaney on the drums and Jeff Martin on guitar. Admission is free; 474-1060.

Melissa is one busy lady. She leads her own trio as well as a brass band, Second Line Syracuse, and a Latin dance band, Salsa son Timba.

She’s a member of the CNY Jazz Orchestra and R&B soul band The Blacklites and frequently joins Sophistafunk, E.S.P., and the Rochester-based group Paradigm Shift, with whom she performed at Liverpool Public Library last fall.

Faculty recital Sunday

Some of Melissa Gardiner’s former teachers will show off their own musical talents at the Liverpool Central School District music faculty recital presented by Vision in the Arts at Liverpool, at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 6 at Liverpool Public Library.

The event is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted, and all money collected will provide scholarships through the Dollars for Scholars program for selected LHS grads going on to study music in college; 453-1500, ext. 4026.

The columnist can be contacted at [email protected].