By Russ Tarby

Contributing Writer

Former Liverpool Trustee Jim Rosier was voted out of office on June 21, but he’s keeping his hand in village government.

At the July 18 organizational meeting of the reconstituted Liverpool Village Board, Mayor Gary White and the trustees appointed Rosier to the village planning board.

Rosier has served seven two-year terms on the Village Board. For many years he acted as the board’s liaison with the Department of Public Works and more recently as liaison with the police and codes departments.

In June’s village election, political newcomers Matt Devendorf and Bradley Young won trustee seats with 328 and 293 votes, respectively. Rosier drew 236 votes.

Chaired by Joe Ostuni Jr., the planning board now includes Rosier, John Eallonardo, Michael LaMontagne and Peter Osborne. Jim Taft and Tom Tartaglia will serve as alternates.

ZBA appointments
At its July 18 organizational meeting, the village board re-appointed Dr. Mike Romano as chairman of the Village Zoning Board of Appeals. This year ZBA members will include Pam Carey, Dave Derouchie, Jonathan Miles, Jason Recor and alternate Melissa Cassidy.

High lonesome sound
By almost any measure, 44 years is a long time. Considering that bluegrass music itself has been ringing out for 70 years, four-and-a-half decades of Bill Knowlton’s annual Bluegrass Ramble Picnic takes on added significance.

Not only does Bill, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who lives in Liverpool, celebrate the high lonesome mountain music of Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs and Ralph Stanley. He also promotes local old-timey musicians such as the Salmon River Boys from Pulaski, the Delaney Brothers from Cortland and the bluegrass band Diamond Someday showcasing Liverpool songwriter Shirley Stevens.

All of those bands and several others will appear at Bill’s 44th annual picnic on Sunday, Aug. 7, under a massive tent erected at Dwyer Memorial Park, in Little York, south of Syracuse.

The picnic is the longest-running bluegrass and old-time country music event in New York state and New England, starting up in August 1973, in Hannibal.

L’pool musicians
This year’s lineup includes Liverpool residents Rich and Jean Fuhrmann performing a gospel set at 10 a.m. Other acts include Boots N’ Shorts, The Cadleys, the Easy Ramblers, Slewfoot and the Atkinson Family, a refreshingly authentic old-time family band from the North Country.

After arriving in Syracuse as an Air Force public affairs officer in the late-1960s, Bill started the “Bluegrass Ramble” on WCNY-FM in January 1973. He was named Broadcast Personality of 1997 by the International Bluegrass Music Association. The radio show still runs every week, from 9 to midnight Sunday, on 91.3 FM and wcny.org.

For more picnic info, email Bill at [email protected].

Free festival
The Bluegrass Ramble Picnic is free, and runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. One of the best things about Bill’s bashes is the way musicians and audience members gather in the parking lot — or under a lonely oak — for spontaneous jam sessions.

You’ll find Dwyer Memorial Park easily enough. It’s located is south of Preble Exit 13 off I-81; then head south down Route 281 to Little York.

And don’t forget your lawn chair!

LHS Class of ’66
Liverpool High School Class of 1966 was the last class to graduate from what is now the unoccupied Zogg building at Fourth and Birch streets. The classmates plan to celebrate their 50th High School Reunion on Sept. 16 and 17.

To make reservations and get information about the Class of ’66 Classmate Directory contact either Lorraine Church Bailey at [email protected] or Kathy Silva Hafner at [email protected].

Beatles tribute Monday
Speaking of 1966, music by The Beatles will be performed at a free concert by Studio Two at 7 p.m. Johnson Park on Monday, Aug. 8, at Johnson Park, as part of the 31st annual Liverpool is The Place Summer Concert Series. Several of The Beatles biggest hits were released in ’66 including “Michelle,” “Nowhere Man” and “Paperback Writer.”

Based in Boston, Studio Two pays tribute to the Fab Four by recreating their look and sound from their earliest performances in Liverpool and Hamburg; liverpoolistheplace.com.

The columnist can be contacted at [email protected].