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‘Best-kept secret’ Concert committee volunteers run their own shows
By Russ Tarby Contributing writer The 38th annual Liverpool Is The Place Summer Concert Series gets underway on Monday, May 27, and its chairwoman, Gwen McCarroll, wants to clear up a common misunderstanding. “It’s the best-kept secret in Liverpool,” she sighed. “Many concert-goers I speak with assume that we’re financially supported by the village of Liverpool,” McCarroll said. “But that’s not the case. We stage our concerts at Johnson Park, which is owned by the village, so we are pleased to have village support in that way, but we actually pay the bands by raising funds from local businesses which sponsor them.” For instance, McCarroll pointed out that Nichols Supermarket has been one of the longest and most generous sponsors of LITP over the
Week of May 22, 2024 Home of The Kalfass Family
DA calls shooter ‘evil’
Christopher Murphy’s online posts revealed hatred of Blacks, Jews By Russ Tarby Contributing writer
Submitted photo
The Liverpool Is The Place Summer Concert Series Committee (from left) Russ Tarby, Lucretia Hudzinski, Colleen Gunnip, Steve Pierce, Patricia Urquhart,Chairwomen Gwen McCarroll and her husband, Patrick McCarroll. Missing from photo Nick Paro. years. “And this year, Nichols is
not only sponsoring a band – Off the Ground on May 27
– but the store is also partnerConcerts l Page 3
Senior center celebrates new addition By Kathryne Rakowski
A brand new gazebo has arrived at the Clay Senior Center just in time for the warmer weather, and it will be opening up some new opportunities for the seniors registered in the town of Clay to enjoy. A grant from the Onondaga County Department of Adult and Long Term Services made it possible to purchase the ADA accessible gazebo, which includes brand new patio furniture and a coffee bar. James Muscatello, commissioner of recreation, is looking forward to all this will offer to the seniors who utilize the center. “With our added amenities to our senior center, we feel we are able to provide local seniors with an area to enjoy the benefits of being outdoors, in a sheltered environment, inclusive to all seniors who attend our facility,” Muscatello said. Muscatello and his staff were looking for something that would create sensory stimulation, provide a space for seniors to form social connections, and offer life enriching opportunities. “By creating this outdoor recreation space, we have achieved our goal,” he said. The gazebo, located just behind the center, has plenty of space, and will offer the opportunity for both structured program offerings, as well as impromptu social interaction. Seniors can use the gazebo anytime, but there will also be scheduled programs from now until the fall weather comes. Some events to look forward to include Strawberry Shortcake Day, a Summer Barbeque, Theme Parties, and Bonfires. There will also be weekly gatherings on Wednesdays for porch sitting complete with sweet tea and relaxed conversation. One event already on the calendar is a birthday party for the center’s favorite artist, Frida Kahlo on June 26 at 10:30 a.m. Clay senior members are invited to drop
Submitted photo
The Clay Senior Center recently celebrated the addition of a new gazebo that will offer new opportunities for activities this spring and summer. in to enjoy an art show of different mediums, Frida Fun, trinkets and surprises. Guests can bring a birthday gift and in return can receive a birthday gift, and are welcome to wear a floral headpiece or twirly skirt like Kahlo. The gazebo isn’t the only new thing that seniors are talking about. The center is calling all sewers, experienced and novices, for a sewing makers group that begins on June 4. The group will meet on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. with the end time varying based on the weekly project. The classes are free to attend, but participants must bring their own supplies. This is intended to be a relaxed and fun social group, so all levels are welcome. It is also a great opportunity for those who have
been away from sewing for a while to brush up on their skills. Chrissy Clancy, senior coordinator, explained that this group is a spin-off of the successful NoSy Snippers, NoSy standing for North Syracuse, who meet at the center to work on various community projects. “We are delighted to host both the NoSy sewing group as well as this brand new Clay program designed to get beginner sewers started, as well as encourage people to return to the world of making,” Clancy said. To register for the sewing group, contact Chrissy Clancy at cclancy@townofclay.org. For more information on the senior center and other upcoming events, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/townofclayseniors/.
His neighbors in The Meadows never noticed anything particularly aberrant in Chris Murphy. Aside from a few incidents of BBgun squirrel hunts, Murphy was described as a polite, well-mannered boy who graduated from Liverpool High School in 2008. Although he was 33 years old, he still lived with his parents at their house on Darien Drive. He drove his own car – a gray Honda Civic – and had recently secured a job at JMA Wireless which operates a technology center on nearby Henry Clay Boulevard. Murphy came from a typical middleclass family. On the surface, he seemed downright normal. But after investigators scoured his online social media activity, they found that he had a darker side, a secret side in which he pursued racist conspiracy theories and in recent years, he had also begun to hoard firearms. Speaking with reporters last week, Onondaga County District Attornery Bill Fitzpatrick said Murphy’s telephone and computer contained numerous racist images targeting Black and Jewish people augmented by Nazi imagery. Murphy had also downloaded content involving spurious conspiracy theories, including one that claims that Jews were responsible for 9/11. “Turns out that he’s a racist, antisemitic buffoon,” Fitzpatrick said. “A lot of the material that he accessed on his phone, on his social media, had to do with Nazism and anti-Jewish rhetoric…including the usual claptrap about controlling banking and the media.” Sheriff Toby Shelley seconded Fitzpatrick’s observations. “That man’s online presence was full of hateful images,” Shelley said. How do these disturbing revelations about Murphy relate to his actions of April 14 that took the lives of two local law enforcement officers? Investigators have suggested that Murphy harbored a grudge against police following a 2014 arrest for driving while intoxicated. According to Fitzpatrick, his obsession with racist concepts and conspiracy theories does bolster the idea that Murphy harbored unreasonable fears and suspicions. “[Murphy] was completely paranoid,” Fitzpatrick said, “and he thought the cops would come in there to…take his guns away.” After a brief high-speed chase on Hiawatha Boulevard before sunset on April 14, the officers traced Murphy’s license plate to his home address. After they arrived at 4945 Darien Drive shortly before 9 p.m., Murphy opened fire upon them with his Springfield Arms semiautomatic assault rifle affixed with an illegal 40-round clip. While firing dozens of bullets at the officers, Murphy took the lives of Sheriff ’s Lieutenant Michael Hoosock and Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen. Fitzpatrick called Murphy “evil” and characterized him as a “really troubled, foolish, paranoid young man, who wasted his life.”
Volume 131, Number 21 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.
business: Heritage Hill North opens in North Syracuse.
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MEMORIAL DAY
sports: Liverpool, C-NS boys lacrosse both stop B’ville.
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business ��������������������� 2 Editorial ��������������������� 6 letters ������������������������ 6 Obituaries ��������������� 5,7
PennySaver ���������������� 8 Scholars �������������������� 3 Sports ������������������ 12-13