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Party with a purpose Caz Pride, Meier’s Creek partner to present event By kate Hill Staff Writer On Saturday, April 6, Cazenovia Pride, H. Grey Supply Co., and Meier’s Creek Brewing Co. will present “The Pink Party,” a silent disco event aimed at fostering community and celebrating love, diversity, acceptance, and joy. The event will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Meier’s Creek Brewing Co. Cellar. All ticket proceeds will benefit Cazenovia Pride, a community organization committed to showing local youth that no matter who they are, where they come from, or how they identify, they are seen and valued. At a silent disco, guests are provided with special wireless headphones to listen to music transmitted by a DJ. Attendees can switch between three channels to select their preferred music genre and volume level, creating a personalized and immersive experience. The event will be hosted by Cazenovia Pride President and H. Grey Supply Co. Co-owner Travis Barr, who will be appearing as his professional drag persona, Anita Buffem. Attendees are encouraged to embrace the spirit of unity by wearing their favorite pink, black, or greyscale attire. Cazenovia Pride is also encouraging people to honor LGBTQ+ community members, past and present, starting on April 1 by sharing photos on social media of inspiring LGBTQ+ friends, family, and icons. Use the hashtag #CazPridePinkParty and tag @CazenoviaPride to help foster a sense of community and celebration leading up to the big event. In addition to music and dancing, ticket holders will also be treated to light bites from the brewery’s kitchen and a Meier’s Creek draft beer ticket.
Meier’s Creek’s full menu will be available upstairs in the dining room, and there will be a full cash bar. “The Pink Party: Silent Disco transcends being just an event; it’s a celebration of unity and a commitment to creating a brighter future for Cazenovia Pride,” said Barr. “We invite everyone to join us in spreading love, acceptance, and joy while making a positive impact on the Cazenovia community,” Barr said. “Every dollar raised goes towards this year’s Pride Fest, making it bigger and better than ever before.” The theme of the 2024 Cazenovia Pride Fest is “Love Out Loud!” “As LGBTQ+ people, it is exhausting having to constantly monitor your surroundings to gauge the level of safety,” Barr explained. “Love Out Loud! is about being authentically you and not apologizing or hiding it,” Barr said. “Be you. Love who you love and be proud of who you are.” One of Cazenovia Pride’s priorities, according to Barr, is raising awareness of the “rising crisis of human trafficking” in this area. He noted that during a 2016 conference on human trafficking, former Madison County Youth Bureau Director Joanne Eddy stated that the potential for human trafficking is a reality in this area because it is in the center of the state between two large cities, Syracuse and Utica. It is also near the thruway and it is near a large casino. According to Barr, events like those held by Cazenovia Pride play a critical role in encouraging vulnerable youths to connect with the community and with one another in a safe, positive, loving, and celebratory environment. Barr also referred to the Rescue MisParty l Page 4 Cazenovia Pride, H. Grey Supply Co., and Meier’s Creek Brewing Co. are partnering to present “The Pink Party” silent disco on Saturday, April 6. All ticket proceeds will go towards the 2024 Cazenovia Pride Fest. Submitted photo
Caz food co-op explored By kate Hill Staff Writer
Recently, local resident Tom Lampros has been leading an effort to explore bringing healthy local foods to the Cazenovia community marketplace through the establishment of a Cazenovia food cooperative. A food cooperative, or co-op for short, is a business that is owned and democratically operated by its members. According to Lampros, members are residents of the immediate community and surrounding communities, and they can be anyone from students and senior citizens to the farmers who provide their products.
Members often pay either an annual or lifetime fee and they each get a say in the decisions the co-op makes regarding its structure, products, management, and operations. “Much is yet to be decided by the membership at large, but the way I’ve seen it work at other stores is that one need not be a member to shop at the co-op, but being a member qualifies [a shopper] for a discount on prices as marked, typically around 5 percent,” said Lampros. “From the consumer side, it’s just like shopping in a corporate grocery store. At checkout, members show their card, and the discount is applied.” Lampros presented an informational/organizational meeting
on the possible establishment of a Cazenovia food co-op on Feb. 17 at the Cazenovia Public Library. “I’ve had a 60-year relationship with Cazenovia,” Lampros said. “I’ve moved in and out of Caz over four phases of my life. In between, I’ve lived in larger cities and towns smaller than Cazenovia, and in nearly all those places, there have been food co-ops available. I’ve always enjoyed the artisanal cheeses and breads, the organic fruits and veggies, and the reduced costs of bulk items available in coops. As a retiring solar engineer, I returned to Caz in 2020 with my partner, and we have been working to establish a homestead and market farm.” Co-op l Page 12
Volume 214, Number 9 The Cazenovia Republican is published weekly by Eagle News. Office of Publication: 35 Albany St., Second Floor, Cazenovia, NY 13035. Periodical Postage Paid at Cazenovia, NY 13035, USPS 095-260. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Cazenovia Republican, 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206.
A&E: Caz Artisans hosting the work of Michelle Roberts.
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Submitted photo
Tom Lampros and other interested community members are currently exploring the possibility of establishing a Cazenovia food co-op. An online survey can be accessed via this QR code.
sports: Cazenovia’s Enders wrestles at state meet.
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calendar ������������������ 11 Editorial ��������������������� 6 history ������������������������ 2 letters ������������������������ 7
Obituaries ���������������� 13 PennySaver ���������������� 8 Sports ����������������������� 12
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