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‘Cazenovia 2030 And Beyond’ BOE discusses future of school district’s transportation facility, states’s electric fleet mandates By kate hill Staff writer During the Dec. 19 Cazenovia Central School District Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Christopher DiFulvio and James Bouffard, senior architectural designer at Tetra Tech Architects & Engineers, presented an update on the district’s “Cazenovia 2030 And Beyond” long-range facilities plan and its ongoing capital project development. The focus of the report was the district’s Route 20 transportation facility, which was built around 1976 as a pole barn and later converted into a transportation facility to service vehicles. The current facility, which includes a small addition made around 2000, measures 7,240 square feet. The building is one story with a storage mezzanine, four service bays, one wash bay, and aboveground and in-ground bus lifts. “It has been identified for a while that that building has issues,” said Bouffard. “. . . It’s lived a very useful life, but it started its life as something very different than what it is being used for today.” Bouffard said that when considering the long-term future of the bus garage, the district and Tetra Tech are focused on the facility’s operations, safety and security, and the infrastructure that keeps the
building functional. Another key consideration, according to Bouffard, is New York’s future electric fleet mandates, which state that all new school bus purchases must be zero emission by 2027 and all school buses on the road must be fully electric by 2035. The issues with the bus garage include a leaky roof, poor indoor and outdoor lighting, flooding on the floor due to poor drainage, an in-ground lift and a wash bay that are at about the end of their useful lives, corroding siding, poor ventilation in the shop area, and the fact that drivers currently walk through the mechanic area to get out to their buses and have to watch for falling snow and ice shed from the roof during colder seasons. DiFulvio said the bus garage needs up to $14 million worth of work and pointed out that there are concerns that the current facility might not be able to accommodate the new infrastructure needed for electric buses. The presentation also highlighted that the current bus garage site might not be large enough to meet the needs of a new building with space for buses. If that is the case, the district will need to determine where a new garage would go. DiFulvio and Bouffard emphasized that the facility’s issues have been present and documented for several years. Given the cost of
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During the Dec. 19 Cazenovia Central School District Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Christopher DiFulvio and James Bouffard, senior architectural designer at Tetra Tech Architects & Engineers, presented an update on the ongoing development of a capital project focused on the district’s transportation facility on Route 20.
the repairs that are needed, staterequired building condition surveys from two separate firms have suggested that the building be replaced. “About a year ago, I had a minivan that I eventually got rid of,” said DiFulvio. “Over the course of three months, three different repairs came up; each repair was over $5,000 and the van was worth $8,000. It gets to
a point where you’ve just got to decide, ‘How much more am I going to keep putting into this existing [thing]?’” He added that his concerns about the facility’s current issues are exacerbated by the added consideration that all New York State school districts will be required to start purchasing electric buses in 2027. Bouffard then explained that
the infrastructure work required to meet the needs of an electric bus fleet could be phased in over a few years. He also pointed out that a new bus garage and the electric fleet conversion are on “separate but parallel paths.” “You can do a new transportation facility, if you so choose, at any time,” said Bouffard. “There BOE l Page 4
Cazenovia businesses team up to support LGBTQIA youth By kate Hill Staff Writer
Throughout the months of December and January, two Cazenovia businesses, are selling candles to raise funds for LGBTQIA programs in Madison County. Otis + Matilda New York — a footwear, accessories, and home boutique at 65 Albany St. — and Purpose Coffee Co., a full-service coffee house at 35 Albany St., will donate all the funds raised minus expenses to BRiDGES Madison County initiatives that support LGBTQIA youth. The signature 12-ounce “Pride with Purpose” candles are contained in hand-painted rainbow jars. The coffee & marshmallowscented candles are 100 percent all-natural soy wax with crackling wood wicks with approximately 70 hours of burn time. According to Derek Clark, owner of Otis + Matilda, the name of the candle serves as a reminder that every LGBTQIA child needs to know they have a purpose in life, and they should always be proud of who they are. “This is about seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child and supporting a
community of local kids that don’t always receive the benefits needed from downstate funding,” said Clark in a press release announcing the Pride with Purpose initiative. “Join us in celebrating the holidays at the halfway mark of June Pride and showing these kids they all have purpose. In addition, this is an incredible opportunity for Otis + Matilda to partner with one of their favorite local businesses and BRiDGES Madison County to ‘give back’ to the LGBTQIA community. We are focused on raising awareness and funding with a reminder that everyone’s generosity is needed year-round to keep our LGBTQIA youth, their families, and allies engaged and safe.” The mission of BRiDGES is to be a leader in providing advocacy, resources, and services to the local community, the workforce, families, and individuals through the delivery of prevention and intervention programs that promote change, strengthen families, and build healthy communities. With support from the CNY Community Foundation, BRiDGES formed an LGBTQIA Network in 2017 in Madison County. Housed at BRiDGES, the network is a resource for LGBTQIA
individuals and groups and their allies. The goal of the network is to enhance existing supports and resources, identify gaps and needs for services, and bring together the community to raise awareness, increase support, and reduce isolation. In addition, the network organizes Pride events throughout the county each June and runs a weekly LGBTQIA social group for youth to build safe bonds with their peers. “In 2016, noting the gap in resources and supports for members of the LGBTQIA community and their families in Madison County, BRiDGES began to expand its work and focus in this area,” said BRiDGES Executive Director Maureen Campanie in the press release. “Data from the Trevor Project estimates that at least one LGBTQIA youth between the ages of 1324 attempts suicide every 45 seconds in the United States. LGBTQIA youth who report having at least one accepting adult are 40 percent less likely to attempt suicide over a 12month period. Partnerships like the one between Otis + Matilda, Purpose Coffee Co., and BRiDGES are one way in which organizations in Madison County are coming together to make local changes that support members of
our own community.” The Pride with Purpose candles are $50 and are available at the Otis + Matilda retail store, at Purpose Coffee Co., and online at OtisAndMatilda.com. If either business runs out of candles, they will take special orders and ship them as quickly as possible. Customers who purchase Pride with Purpose candles from either business (including OtisAndMatilda.com) will be entered into a raffle for the chance to win an Otis + Matilda rainbow handbag (retail value $105) or a Purpose Coffee Co. gift basket (retail value $58). Two winners will be chosen, one for each prize. Upon opening in August 2022, Otis + Matilda committed to giving back to two local community organizations a year. Clark, who has been fundraising and mentoring LGBTQIA youth since 2016, said he was eager to support a local LGBTQIA youth organization. He came up with the idea of selling candles based on the success of Otis + Matilda’s candle business. He first reached out to his candle vendor to get them on board and then asked Debbie Tillson, owner of Purpose Coffee Co.
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Throughout the months of December and January, two local businesses — Otis + Matilda New York and Purpose Coffee Co. — are selling “Pride with Purpose” candles to raise funds for LGBTQIA youth programs in Madison County. to join the effort. “I remember thinking about how much I love [Debbie’s] spirit and compassion,” said Clark. “It’s exactly what the LGBTQIA community needs, especially the LGBTQIA youth community. She jumped on board with no resistance.” Clark and Tillson teamed up to choose the name for the candle, the scent, and the organization receiving the donation. “The LGBTQIA youth in Central New York are very fortunate to have the support and resources provided through BRiDGES,” said Tillson. “For Purpose Coffee
Co. to have the opportunity to be a small part in supporting their efforts through our Pride with Purpose campaign is truly a privilege.” Tillson added that she opened her business in February 2022 with two main goals — to provide the best organic, locally roasted coffee available and to brew with purpose. “Each and every person is perfect,” she said. “They have value and purpose exactly how they are.” Clark said he is confident the Pride with Purpose campaign will be a success, due in large part to Cazenovia’s Businesses l Page 4
Volume 213, Number 51 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.
sports news: Cazenovia girls indoor track second at Jensen meet.
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CHURCH NEWS: Caz Presbyterian announces Christmas Eve services.
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Calendar �������������������� 5
Obituaries ������������������ 5
Editorial ��������������������� 6
PennySaver ���������������� 8
letters ������������������������ 6
Sports �������������� 2, 11-13