Week of April 24, 2024
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Big loss for Moyers Corners Voters to choose village of Liverpool
Slain sheriff’s lieutenant was an incredibly versatile first responder By Russ Tarby Contributing writer One of the two law enforcement officers shot to death on Darien Drive on Sunday night, April 14, in the town of Salina – sheriff ’s Lt. Michael Hoosock – was a longtime volunteer with the Moyers Corners Fire Department. Also slain that day was Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen, who was 29 years old. Jensen and his fellow officers at the scene returned fire and killed the shooter, Christopher R. Murphy, who lived at 4945 Darien Drive. Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley said that Hoosock, 37, was ambushed by Murphy in a neighbor’s backyard while Jensen was shot in the front of the Murphy household. Investigators found that Murphy had been firing a Springfield Armory AR 15 semi-automatic rifle with an illegal 40-round magazine. Hoosock was a resident of the town of Clay where he lived with his wife and three children. The family attended St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in North Syracuse. He grew up in the town of Salina, specifically Lyncourt. Jensen, who had served just twoand-a-half years with the SPD, was a native of Rome, N.Y. In Syracuse, he resided on Tipperary Hill. Hoosock was known at Moyers Corners by his nickname, “Hootch.” He was a former deputy chief of the department. He was also the commander of the sheriff ’s office bomb squad. Last month Hoosock led a bomb squad team to Liverpool where they removed a live grenade that had been discovered at the village historian’s office at the Gleason Mansion. Hoosock’s sudden death shook his fellow firefighters in Clay. “I can’t tell you the amount of emotions that went through my head at the time,” said Moyers Corners Fire Chief Mike Brown. “Disbelief, shock, heartbreaking. It was very emotional.” Hoosock was a versatile first responder. He was also employed as a paramedic with Rural Metro Syracuse, and its successor, AMR of Central New York, as well as with the Manlius Fire Department. With Moyers Corners, Hootch served as a lieutenant and captain out of Station 2 from 2010-2015, chief of the second sattalion from 2015-2017, and concluded his stint in the chief ’s
Referendum on election date, overweight truck fines proposed By Russ Tarby Contributing Writer
At its April 15 meeting, the Village of Liverpool Board of Trustees – Mayor Stacy Finney and trustees Melissa Cassidy, Rachel Ciotti and Matt Devendorf – voted 3 to 1 to conduct a referendum in which voters could switch the village election date from June to November. While Democrats Finney, Ciotti and Cassidy voted in favor of placing the referendum on the upcoming June 18 village election ballot, Republican Devendorf voted against it. The board’s other Republican, Mike LaMontagne, was absent on April 15. Although the board wasn’t conducting an official public hearing, Finney welcomed comments from the handful of residents in attendance. Several of them opposed the idea of changing the village election date. Joe Ostuni Jr. – who is chairman of the village Republican Party – said that moving the election to the same day as the general election in November threatens the village’s identity. Resident Susan Wilson said she prefers June because of its warmer weather. Christina Fadden, a Republican who ran an unsuccessful campaign for mayor last year, said that the referendum could fuel divisiveness among villagers. If the date is moved to November, Fadden said village elections would be overshadowed by state and federal races. Mark Spadafore, a prominent Democrat and union leader, supports the referendum because it gives village voters a chance to make the decision. Other villages which have scheduled their elections in November have seen an increase in voter turnout, Spadafore added. Finney emphasized that any date change would be in the hands of the voters. “We’re not making the change,” Finney said. “We’re just putting it on the ballot.” Cassidy explained how the referendum was inspired. When the Democrats were going door-to-door during last year’s campaign, they found that changing the election date was one of the top two issues concerning village residents. “The idea came from knocking on your neighbor’s doors,” Cassidy said. The referendum, she added, “is empowering our residents, allowing them to choose the date.”
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The late sheriff’s Deputy Lt. Michael Hoosock, who was a resident of the town of Clay. office as the second deputy chief in 2018. Brown described Hoosock as “one of the guys that would give you the shirt off his back if you asked. You could call him anytime day or night, he’d come out and give you a hand.” Over his 16 years with the sheriff ’s office, Hoosock filled many roles. He started as a road deputy, was promoted to patrol sergeant, and finally a watch commander as a lieutenant while also working on special assignments including the bomb squad, SWAT, AIR-1 and with the warrants squad. Former sheriff ’s Lt. Jon Anderson admired Hoosock. “He was very well-liked and re-
Truck fines reduced
Christopher R. Murphy, 33, who investigators say shot and killed two law enforcement officers on Darien Drive on April 14. spected by his subordinate officers, peers, colleagues and supervisory officers,” Anderson said. “He had such potential.”
Arbor Day to be celebrated in N. Syracuse The village of North Syracuse will be celebrating Arbor Day in Heritage Park (Lee Terrace entrance) at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 26. A white pine tree will
be dedicated in recognition of 99 years of the Village of North Syracuse. There will be Proclamation read by Mayor Butterfield. Music will be played by Lee Turner. The Tree City presentation will be by the DEC forester Matt Swayze and Erik Imperato of Bartlett Tree will be giving away seedlings. All are welcome. This is the kickoff ceremony to the 100th anniversary celebration.
After conducting a public hearing about a new local law designed to “streamline” the enforcement of the village’s new ban on overweight trucks, on April 15 the board voted unanimously to adopt the new law which decreases fines for overweight trucks. Last July, the trustees passed a local law prohibiting the operation of trucks weighing more than five tons within the village. In mid-January, Liverpool Police began warning drivers of heavyweight vehicles, and by the end of that month officers began ticketing alleged offenders. The new fines were established as $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. The new law sets fine of not more than $300 for first offenders. A second conviction within 18 months could draw a fine of not more than $600. And a third conviction within 18 months could draw a fine of not more than $1,200. Finney said the new law was needed because “the only way to weigh the trucks” would be to build a weight station in the village. “And that’s not feasible,” she said. Devendorf said the new law makes it “much easier for the police to enforce it.”
Eight accidents in February
At the village board’s monthly meeting on April 15, Police Chief Jerry Unger reported via memo that his officers made 188 traffic stops and issued 155 citations for violations of the state’s vehicle and traffic laws in the month of March. Eight accidents were investigated here last month, and three parking tickets were issued. Officers made 139 residential checks and 259 business checks in March, while responding to a total of 728 incidents and calls for service. That number of monthly calls represents an average of 23.5 calls answered per day. The LPD arrested 35 individuals last month on 53 criminal charges.
Volume 131, Number 17 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.
achievers: C-NS, OCC grad to be honored.
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sports: Liverpool boys lacrosse topples C-NS, 13-10.
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PennySaver ���������������� 6
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scholars �������������������� 2
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