By Jason Emerson
Editor
The Cazenovia Board of Education said goodbye to two of its members during its June 26 regular monthly meeting. Members Lou Orbach and Mark Goris attended their final board meeting before the newly elected members are sworn-in to office on July 1.
Orbach was elected to the board in 2015 and chose not to seek reelection this year. Superintendent Matt Reilly praised Orbach for his “great contributions” to the board over the past three years, especially his excellent questions that “forced us [the administration] to challenge the assumptions we make.”
The rest of the board also thanked Orbach for his service, to which Orbach replied, “Thank you.”
Goris was appointed to the board in October 2017 to temporarily fill the seat of board member Kathy Hahn who resigned. Goris also chose not to seek election to the board in the May 2018 election. Reilly thanked Goris for stepping in to fill Hahn’s seat, and said he could think of no one better to have filled that position during the past eight months. He called Goris “an outstanding pinch hitter,” for the board.
Board President Jan Woodworth also thanked Goris, and said, “We really appreciate you stepping up and being willing to do this.”
“It was my pleasure,” Goris said.
Reilly also gave the two men parting gifts in honor of their board service. Orbach was given a Cazenovia CSD blanket — to suit on while he watches sports games at Fenner Fields — and Goris was given a miniature wooden baseball bat, made by the high school shop class, engraved with his name and the words “outstanding pinch hitter.”
On July 1, the four newly elected members will officially join the board of education. Incumbents David Mehlbaum and Jennifer Parmalee will return to their seats, while newcomers Ron Luteran and JoAnn Race replace Orbach and Goris.
The next meeting of the board will be its annual reorganizational meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 5, in the board meeting room in the district office.
