FREE • EagleStarReview.com
Week of Oct. 4, 2023 Home of The Calabria Family
Proudly serving Liverpool, Salina, North Syracuse, Cicero & Clay
PENNY SAVER: CNY’S BEST BUSINESS SERVICE DIRECTORY INSIDE!
WORK BUY SELL TRADE GET IT DONE
Fall Fest coming to Clay Revisiting the cemetery By Janelle Davis
It’s that time of year, fall, the season when you can break out your comfy sweaters, go apple picking, and look forward to dressing up for Halloween. With a variety of activities to en-
joy, fall festivals are often events many look forward to attending. The Clay Community Fall Fest and Community Fireworks will take place on Saturday, Oct. 7. This is a fun and family-oriented day full of activities for all ages. The
event is free and open to the public. This will mark the festival’s third year. After a short hiatus, the town brought it back in 2021 to get the community and families back together afFall Fest l Page 2
Teacher travels to Kenya, raises awareness By Janelle Davis
Lauren Miter, special education teacher at Elmcrest Elementary, began a journey to Kenya, Africa for the Global Autism Project on Oct. 4. Her time in Kenya will last two weeks where she will collaborate with team members, local educators, families, and children to build programs for children with autism. In special education for 12 years, Miter has been familiar with the Global Autism Project for a long time. Miter was inspired to apply to take part in the project last November when she met her husband in Brazil after he completed Special Operations Jungle Warfare. While sightseeing in the city of Manaus, they often passed the local school and this made Miter think about her students at home. “I was thinking of all of the different needs my students have and how the needs of students in third world countries are not even being close to met,” Miter said. “I realized I had to do something to help.” When the application process opened, Miter applied, interviewed, and was accepted into the program out of thousands of applicants. From the accepted applicants, various teams are formed to travel to different countries. Miter was placed with a team in Kenya based on
Submitted photos
Local special education teacher Lauren Miter will spend two weeks in Kenya as part of the Global Autism Project. her educational ability and background. Miter and her team will be partnered with a local school that serves 21 students. For two weeks, they will be working with the young adults in the school in support of the Global Autism Project’s motto “Do With, Not For.” They will have access to a local kombucha brewery where students can be trained in a workplace and where the brewery staff can learn how to train them, so children with autism can be integrated into their community. Miter explained that, in the Kenyan culture, peo-
ple with autism are seen in a negative light and that something is “wrong” with them. “It’s important to show the people at the brewery and in the community that children with autism are people,” Miter said. “They have just as many skills and purpose as anyone else.” To support the organization’s mission, Miter and the team will be teaching strategies and how to use the resources that they provide the school and the community. There are specific teaching strategies to implement with a student with autism.
The team will be working with the school staff so that they are well trained and know how and when to use best practices. Originally set to go in July, Miter and the team have been productively planning up to their new departure date in October. They met weekly to plan what they will be doing and how they will teach different ideas and strategies. To support Miter consider donating to her Global Autism by visiting the fundraising page at give. globalautismproject.org/ fundraiser/4541279.
Developers miss planning board meeting By Russ Tarby Contributing Writer
The Liverpool village planning board continued a public hearing on Monday, Sept. 25 about a plan to build four two-family residential townhouses at 103 Vine St. When board Chairman Bob Bradt opened that agenda item, however, the developers weren’t there to describe their project nor answer questions. At the board’s August meeting, developer Michael Dougherty of Park & Vine Holdings and Taber Rowlee of the Rowlee Construction Company outlined their plan to construct a quartet of two-story townhouses at the corner of Brow and Vine streets. Each rental unit would include two bedrooms and two bathrooms. A basement garage capable of housing two cars would be located beneath each unit. Dougherty estimated that the rental fee for each apartment would be between $2,600 and $2,800. At the August public hearing several Brow Street neighbors had ex-
pressed doubts about locating eight rental units there. Their concerns ranged from traffic to parking to garbage. Although the developers weren’t there to hear it Sept. 25, Bradt began the discussion by reading from the 2006 village comprehensive plan focusing on the waterfront community just southwest of the business district which includes Brow and Vine. The comprehensive plan warns against adding multi-family units there and advises against projects that would increase traffic. Eight residents from that neighborhood attended the Sept. 25 public hearing and four of them spoke up to reiterate their opposition to the project. Bradt and village Codes Officer Bill Reagan seemed surprised that developers Dougherty and Rowlee chose not to attend the September meeting. “I’m baffled about why they didn’t show up,” Reagan said. And the developers didn’t send someone else – a lawyer or an archi-
tect, for instance – to represent them in front of the planning board. Besides Bradt, the board members are Nathan Holliday, Heidi McElwee, Sam Reppi and Jim Rosier. Bradt reported that he and Reagan had been in contact with the developers since the Aug. 28 meeting, suggesting that they downsize the proposal. “Maybe what they’re proposing is too big for the area,” Bradt said. “Maybe eight apartments is too many, so I emailed them some suggestions for a compromise, but they’re stuck on eight as the number of units they need.” Reppi asked if the developers are withdrawing their application. Bradt said that may be what happens. Whether the project moves forward or not, Bradt said, “The village will change, it will evolve. I’d like to see something get established there [at 103 Vine], but we have to work together.” Directly addressing the absent developers, Bradt pleaded, “Be our neighbor and come talk to us.”
Improvements still in process; volunteers sought for clean-up By Russ Tarby Contributing Writer
For the second time this century, Dr. Michael Romano is chairing the village cemetery committee. He served as chairman of that citizens’ advisory group from 2014 to 2019. In 2015, the committee secured listings for the cemetery on both national and state Registers of Historic Places. Those official designations helped the 177-yearold cemetery qualify for government grants to fund upkeep and renovation. After Romano delivered a Memorial Day speech about the cemetery in 2016 at Johnson Park, Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter – who was on the stage that day – secured a $250,000 state grant to pay for improvements. Village trustees hired a contractor from Hannibal, but the work he did was not well-received by residents. Cemetery visitors complained that the sidewalk installed up the hill in the center of the cemetery is unsightly and difficult to climb. And the low-growing creeping junipers planted on the steep embankments along Tulip Street and Sixth Street looked ugly and in need of maintenance. On Sept. 25, Romano appeared before the village board of trustees to discuss his four-step plan to renovate the cemetery. He’s seeking volunteers to help with gardening the hillsides from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14, as part of step one. “Bring your spades and rakes and get ready to dig in the dirt,” Romano said with a smile. He asked the trustees to support his committee’s suggestions to add benches, lighting and trash receptacles. “And we need a cemetery steward,” he said. “Someone who can tend to whatever’s needed at the cemetery on a daily basis.” New Mayor Stacy Finney thanked Romano for his presentation. “A lot of this is correcting past errors,” she observed. The trustees approved $1,875 to buy plants which Romano had requested. Another $1,875 will be paid next spring when the plants are picked up. Meanwhile, the village is buying metal trash cans this week for the cemetery. “And we are looking into the purchase of granite benches and two additional decorative light poles,” said Village Clerk Mary Ellen Sims. After the cemetery clean-up on the morning of Oct. 14, a newly planted tree at the cemetery will be dedicated at noon to retired Village Historian Dorianne Elitharp Guiterrez.
Big truck fines hiked
Following a public hearing at on Sept. 25 about its plan to increase fines on big trucks, the board – Finney, Melissa Cassidy, Rachel Ciotti, Matt Devendorf and Mike LaMontagne – unanimously approved raising the fines. Several residents spoke in favor of the increased penalties. The new fines will be $1,200 for trucks and their loads totaling between five tons and seven-and-a-half tons. For weights between seven-and-a-half tons and 10 tons the penalty would be $1,700. The fines grow progressively higher for increased weights, with the top fine listed as $4,700 for trucks and their loads weighing 22.5 tons or more. Enforcement of the new ban on big trucks should begin in December, Finney said.
Seven accidents in August
At the village board’s monthly meeting on Sept. 25, Police Chief Jerry Unger reported via memo that his officers made 91 traffic stops and issued 82 citations for violations of the state’s vehicle and traffic laws in August. Three arrests were made of motorists charged with driving while intoxicated. Seven accidents were investigated here last month, and two vehicle owners were issued parking tickets. Officers made 139 residential checks and 64 business checks in August while responding to a total of 462 incidents and calls for service. That number represents an average of 17 calls answered per day. The LPD arrested 20 individuals last month on 29 criminal charges.
Volume 131, Number 40 The Star-Review is published weekly by Eagle News. Office of Publication: 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206. Periodical Postage Paid at Syracuse, NY 13220, USPS 316060. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Star-Review, 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206.
schools: LHS senior named scholarship semifinalist.
PAGE 2
Wake up to the Star Review in your inbox every Wednesday morning! Visit the Eagle Newspaper Facebook page to sign up for our NEW digital edition.
sports: C-NS girls soccer beats F-M, B’ville.
PAGE 13
Calendar ������������ 3,4,13
PennySaver ���������������� 8
Editorial ��������������������� 6
Sports ����������������������� 13
letters ������������������������ 7