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Local military historian to discuss controversial Army officer Billy Mitchell: ‘Father of the US Air Force’ or Zealot? By kate hill Staff writer On Tuesday, Sept. 12, the Cazenovia Public Library & Museum will welcome Frank Stritter, Ph.D. of American Legion Post 88 to the Betsy Kennedy Community Room to present on the military career of William “Billy” Mitchell, a controversial World War I pilot whose name became synonymous with military aviation between the two world wars. An outspoken and untiring advocate of air power, Mitchell was viewed as a gifted visionary by some and an egotist by others. The free lecture begins at 7 p.m. and is titled “William L. ‘Billy’ Mitchell, Colonel, US Army Air Service, 1879 to 1936 – Father of the US Air Force or Zealot?” Stritter, a military historian and a Cazenovia native, said his interest in Mitchell arose from a more general interest in learning about the people responsible for start-
ing each of the US military forces. “For the Air Force, it was Colonel William ‘Billy’ Mitchell,” Stritter said. “The more I read about him, the more I realized that he was a character that I had to talk about. He was controversial. He always seemed to be involved in a disagreement with someone, mostly his superiors in the Army or high-ranking officers in the Navy, but the men in the various units he commanded loved him. At the end of his career, he was court-martialed and then resigned his commission. Notwithstanding this, most historians today say that he deserves to be considered the ‘Father of the Air Force.’” Stritter holds an undergraduate degree from St. Lawrence University, a master’s from Colgate University, and a doctorate in education from Syracuse University. After completing his master’s, he was called up to active duty in the US Army and spent the next two years with the US 7th Army in Germany. “That was in the middle of the Cold War, so there was a lot of high alert time, but no shooting,” he recalled. While earning his Ph.D., Stritter put in five more years of active reserve in the
Army before deciding he had to choose between his academic career and the reserves. “I could not do both, so I resigned my commission as a captain and was very proud of my years of service,” he said. Stritter then joined the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he taught graduate students in the School of Education and faculty and residents in the School of Medicine. In 2003, after 32 years, he retired with the title of professor emeritus. In his retirement, he joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 8866 in North Carolina, where he lives for part of the year, and the American Legion Post 88 in Cazenovia, where he spends his summers. Stritter started speaking to groups about the military at the request of his VFW post commander. “[He] asked me to help develop a curriculum that would tell the public about many of the varied aspects of military life, the good people who were involved in the military, and things the average civilian may not know about the military,” Stritter said. “He also wanted memHistorian l Page 11
Submitted photo
Cazenovia native and military historian Frank Stritter will present a lecture titled “William L. ‘Billy’ Mitchell, Colonel, US Army Air Service, 1879 to 1936 – Father of the US Air Force or Zealot?” on Sept. 12 at the Cazenovia Public Library.
CLA, Madison County purchase new research and education boat
Submitted photos
The Cazenovia Lake Association partnered with Madison County to purchase a new, custom-built electrofishing boat to be used for research and educational purposes on Cazenovia Lake and other lakes within the county. By kate hill Staff writer The Cazenovia Lake Association (CLA) has partnered with Madison County to purchase a new, custom-built electrofishing boat for use on Cazenovia Lake and other lakes within the county. The boat, which was delivered in July, will be used for research purposes and function as a “floating classroom.” An electrofishing boat uses an electric field to temporarily stun fish that can then be collected with long-handled dip nets for identification. Data collected from electrofishing can be used to determine the abundance, density, species composition, and health of fish populations. The CLA is a group of residents, homeowners, business owners, and elected officials that strives to protect the environmental and recreational sustainability of Cazenovia Lake. “[We have] been sampling the lake in order to understand the ecosystem
from the sediment in the bottom all the way up to the fish populations,” said CLA President Dave Miller. “We are looking at the invertebrates in the sediment, the algae in the water, the zooplankton in the water, and the plant life. The missing piece is a good understanding of the fish population and proper tracking of the fish population. Over time if we notice a change in the fish population, [that] is an indicator that something is changing in the lake that we need to be aware of.” In addition to facilitating annual fish surveys, the new boat will serve several other purposes. For example, the vessel will be used for water quality testing multiple times a year, for Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program water sampling, and occasionally for CLA community outreach meetings. According to Miller, the county is reforming the Madison County Federation of Lake Associations, and the new boat will also be utilized for floating meetings and boat tours
with other lake associations. Additionally, the CLA and county are partnering with SUNY Morrisville and SUNY ESF to allow students to get out on the water for educational and data-collection purposes. Miller said that enabling the students to conduct additional research on the lake will help the CLA better understand how to keep the lake healthy. Use of the boat on Cazenovia Lake and other Madison County lakes will be supervised and coordinated by the CLA and
Dr. Thad Yorks, a senior planner with the Madison County Planning Department and an adjunct professor at SUNY Morrisville. Yorks previously served as a professor and the program director of biology and environmental biology at Cazenovia College. Prior to the closing of Cazenovia College, the CLA partnered with the institution to purchase the electrofishing boat. The college received a commitment for a New York State grant that would have covered approximately 90 percent of the cost
of the boat, and the CLA was planning to contribute 10 percent, according to Miller. Once the college closed, however, it could no longer receive the grant and no longer contribute towards the purchase of the boat. The CLA instead teamed up with Madison County to cover the $88,667 purchase and move forward with the acquisition of the boat. The CLA contributed $63,667 with money from its long-term projects fund, which is held by the Central New York Community Foundation,
Volume 214, Number 36 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.
Library news: Trustees vote for Cazenovia Public Library to go fine free.
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sports news: Caz football to play entire 2023 season on the road.
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plus individual contributions directed specifically towards the purchase. The county stepped up to secure a $25,000 grant from the Finger Lakes Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance (FLLOWPA) on behalf of the CLA. “FLLOWPA has grant money from the state that can be used at their discretion for water-related projects,” said Miller. “The county can request money from FLLOWPA if they determine that there is a valuable project. The Boat l Page 11
Calendar ������������������ 14 Editorial ��������������������� 4 history ������������������������ 5 letters ������������������������ 4
Obituaries ������������������ 3 PennySaver ���������������� 6 Sports ����������������������� 13