Come January, residents of the 53rd State Senate District — which includes Liverpool — will have a new state senator.

Seven-term incumbent Dave Valesky of Oneida has decided against running on minor-party lines after he was narrowly beaten by challenger Rachel May in the Sept. 13 Democratic Party Primary, 8,013 to 7,407.

During the campaign, May, who works as coordinator of sustainability education at Syracuse University, criticized Valesky for his seven years with the Independent Democratic Conference, which frequently caucused with Senate Republicans.  May said the IDC essentially blocked progressive legislation from making it to the floor for a vote.

The 53rd District

May will face Republican Janet Berl Burman in the Nov. 6 general election. Burman is the former chair of the Syracuse Republican Committee, and is an economist and writer. Burman faces an uphill battle in a district that has nearly 71,000 enrolled Democrats compared to 47,000 Republicans. More than 42,000 district voters are not enrolled in any party.

The 53rd includes the city of Syracuse and stretches northward to Cicero and eastward to Hamilton, Oneida, Clinton and Morrisville.

Both candidates’ names will also appear on minor-party lines, May with Working Families Party and Burman with the Conservative Party

The 50th District

The nearby 50th District will also elect a brand-new state senator.

Republican Bob Antonacci is hoping to fill the 50th District State Senate seat recently vacated by John DeFrancisco, also a Republican. Antonacci, who is the Onondaga County comptroller, is opposed by Democrat John Mannion, a biology teacher at West Genesee High School in Camillus.

The 50th District essentially circles the city of Syracuse, and runs south to Tully, north to Baldwinsville, east to Chittenango and west to the city of Auburn.

State senators earn annual salaries of $79,500, plus per diem payments.

‘Camp Road’

Versatile artist Mario Romano, who lives in Liverpool, will mount an exhibit of recent paintings, Oct. 18 through Nov. 10, at the Cayuga Museum, 203 Genesee St., in Auburn.

Mario, who teaches art at SUNY Oswego, has titled this exhibit “Camp Road.” The reception is slated for 5 to 7:30 p.m. Admission costs $5.

Mario’s show is part of the museum’s ongoing CNY Emerging Artist Project; (315) 253-8051 or cayugamuseum.org.

Lake cleanup closeup

Open house sessions at the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center are from noon to 4:30 p.m. Fridays, April through November. This Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, the Visitor Center staff has invited families to explore the lake’s restored wetlands.

To date, more than 17,000 community members have toured the center to learn about the lake cleanup firsthand.

To access the visitors center from points west: Take I-690 East to Exit 7, turn left onto State Fair Boulevard, take the first left passing under I-690, drive straight toward the lake and follow signs to the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center. From points east: Take I-690 West to Exit 7, turn right at the off ramp and follow signs to the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center.

For info on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, visit lakecleanup.com.

Reduced to rubble!

A sad sight greets motorists along Old Liverpool Road as the old Le Moyne Manor has been thoroughly reduced to rubble by Ritter & Paratore Contracting Inc., a demolition crew hired by owners Dave and Louis Muraco of Empire Management Co.

The Muracos plan to redevelop the historic property with a mix of retail stores and upscale apartments.

From the late 1940s until his retirement in 1992, the late Frank Montanaro turned the Le Moyne Manor into the area’s premiere banquet facility and entertainment venue. He must be turning over in his grave!