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sweet saranac Cazenovia canine gets attention in national competition By Jason Gabak Editor
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here is a lot to be said about what pets bring to our lives. Pets can bring companionship and a feeling of love and being loved, but studies have even shown that pets can have benefits on our mental and physical health. This connection between pets and their human companions can be intangible, but when it clicks, there is something special about it that just feels right. When Phillip and Audrey Hamilton met their dog Saranac, Audrey said the connection was just there and everything felt just right and they were ready to bring Saranac into their home. “We acquired Saranac when she was nine weeks old from a breeder in Syracuse,” Audrey said. “I have grown up with German Shepherds and really wanted one to join our family. When we saw how smart Saranac was, we knew she was the one for us. She was also adorable with the exact coloring I wanted.” The puppy that the Hamiltons brought home at nine weeks is now 18 months and the Hamiltons have only come to love her all the more. Currently the Hamiltons are seeing that many others love Saranac almost as much as they do. Saranac is among the dogs competing across the country in the online contest to find America’s Favor-
ite Pet, held through PAWS.org. PAWS.org is a charitable, non profit entity that raises money and profiles the plight of rescue animals and the shelters that house them. Given the love the Hamiltons have for Saranac they decided to enter her in the contest and see what would happen. “The contest was online, and we thought it would be a great way to support our local pet shelter, Wanders Rest, in the event that Saranac wins,” Audrey said. “We plan on donating the prize to this charity. Even though our puppy is a pure-bred German Shepherd; my husband and I wholeheartedly support pet adoptions.” And while the Hamiltons know how special their dog is, they weren’t sure what to expect going into this contest. “I didn’t know what to expect, however, it seems to be going well and Saranac has been consistently first or second up to now,” Audrey said. “She has made it to the quarterfinals, and it is feeling more challenging.” Audrey said this achievement feels good, but she said admits it is unexpected. This success has come from votes across the country, but Saranac has also received a great deal of local support to earn a spot in the quarterfinals. “This means she is in the top 1% of the animals who entered this contest nationally,” Phillip wrote. “Over
Submitted photos
Saranac, a German Shepherd belonging to Audrey and Phillip Hamilton of Cazenovia, has been doing well in PAWS.org’s America’s Favorite Pet contest. the past month or so, we have consistently solicited community support and received it plenty. In fact, it is doubtful that Saranac would have lasted in the contest this far with the considerable Cazenovia community support she has received, both in the form of daily votes and philanthropic financial giving.” Audrey said the Hamiltons have worked to draw attention to Saranac in this competition, using social media and reaching out friends and family to garner support. Seeing this support has meant a lot to the Hamiltons. “We are very appreciative of all the local support and that of our families and friends,” Audrey said. “We have emailed friends and made posts daily on Facebook. Our community seems to find Saranac as beautiful as we do.” If Saranac should win, as the
Hamiltons noted, they plan to show their support for Wanders Rest, an organizations they believe is well worth supporting. The prize for wining the competition is $5,000. “Wander’s Rest is a local humane society and we know what an important asset it is for the community,” Audrey said. “My husband and I have always had a pet growing up and know that there are many pets out there that need love and a forever home. We have two kitties which
are from humane societies and love them so much.” Voting will continue until March 23. Voting is free through Facebook and voters can also pay $1 which goes as a donation to PAWS.org. To vote visit m.facebook.com/ story.php?story_fbid=4911989965 37451&id=100069420655364&mi bextid=kdkkhi or americasfavpet. com/2023/saranac
Cazenovia College announces Village board updated on post-college planning process commencement speaker
Cazenovia College recently announced Dr. John Robert Greene as the keynote speaker for its 198th commencement on Saturday, May 13. This will be the last commencement for the college which announced it would be closing prior to the start of the fall 2023 semester. Greene served as the Paul J. Schupf Professor of History and Humanities at Cazenovia College prior to his retirement this January. Greene was known as “the national face of Cazenovia College,” exemplifying its ideals, goals, and mission. For alumni, he represents a fixture of their time at the college as a supportive but challenging professor. Greene marked his 42nd year of teaching at the college in 2022. He began at Cazenovia as a part-time instructor in September 1979 while also serving as manager of the campus radio station. He became a full-time faculty member in 1984, was tenured in 1987, and was named Distinguished Faculty Member in 1993. He was awarded the college’s first endowed chair, the Paul J. Schupf Chair in History and Humanities, in 2000 and a Distinguished Service Award in 2021. Upon his retirement in
January, Greene was awarded the title of professor emeritus. Aside from his teaching, Greene fulfilled several additional roles at the college. He was the program director of the history program, co-directed the dual major program in History and Social Science, and served several terms as chair of the social and behavioral sciences division. Greene was also director of the Wheler Conference on World Affairs and director of the Washburn Junior Research and Teaching Fellowship Programs. He was the advisor to the Alpha Chi Honor Society and the college archivist, publishing the book, “Generations of Excellence: An Illustrated Biography of Cazenovia College” in 2000. Known nationally as a leading scholar of the American presidency, Greene has edited or written 20 books. They include works on Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. He is a sought-after subject matter expert for national and local print and broadcast media outlets and appeared for 17 years as a regular faculty panelist on WCNYTV’s “The Ivory Tower” political
By kate Hill Staff Writer
Dr. John Robert Greene and public affairs talk show. “Dr. Greene has been a teacher and mentor to students as well as colleagues,” College President Dr. David Bergh said. “He encompasses so much of what Cazenovia College has stood for and his dedication to the college made it most fitting that he be the one to address the college and our graduates in the last commencement ceremony.” The commencement ceremony will be held on the Cazenovia College campus quad on Saturday, May 13 starting at 10:30 a.m. Further details, including an alumni speaker, will be provided at a later date.
During the March 6 Village of Cazenovia Board of Trustees meeting, Mayor Kurt Wheeler and Lauren Lines, executive director of the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA), provided an update on the community’s ongoing planning for the future of the Cazenovia College campus. On Dec. 7, 2022, Cazenovia College announced its decision to permanently close following the spring 2023 semester due to financial difficulties. Within days of the announcement, a team of local leaders/stakeholders began meeting to analyze the challenge facing the community and to discuss potential paths forward for the campus. According to Wheeler, the group aims to identify and pursue a holistic future use for the majority of the campus that will recreate the substantial economic and cultural impact of the college on the community. Wheeler began his update by reporting that the college, at the behest of the bondholders, has engaged a broker, A&G Real Estate Partners. The mayor said he and Lines recently met with two representatives of the national real estate firm while they were in town familiarizing themselves with the college property.
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“It was a very positive engagement,” Wheeler said. “We offered our help to them. . . At this point, it’s a team effort to get the best possible buyer for any part of the college property or, we hope, a big chunk of it all at once. They were very receptive to that. It was not an adversarial meeting at all. It was very positive, very collegial, and cooperative, I thought.” On Feb. 6, the village board authorized the hiring of commercial realtor Joshua Podkaminer, of JWP Commercial, to serve as a consultant to the village and the broader community during the post-college planning process and the transition of the college’s real estate assets to new uses. According to Wheeler, Podkaminer has been an “outstanding” advisor so far. Lines stated that Podkaminer was a valuable addition to a recent working group session. “We had a variety of expertise around the table, but not necessarily in real estate,” she said. “He mostly sat back and listened but knew when to inject a creative idea or think about things a little differently from a real estate perspective. He was really, really helpful.” Lines then announced that CACDA has launched a new website, futureofcazenovia.org, to create a place for sharing news, information, and ideas about the Village l Page 12
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