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Wheeler named Northeast US Coach of the Year Cazenovia Central School District’s (CSD) former longtime girls’ outdoor track and field coach Kurt Wheeler has been recognized by a national organization as the 202324 New York State and National Section 1 Girls’ Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year. Section 1 includes eight states in the Northeastern region of the United States. “Winning this award wasn’t about personal recognition; it’s always been about the teams and the athletes,” said Wheeler, father of four daughters who all participated in track. “I’m incredibly honored by the award, but I share it with all the dedicated athletes who have maintained their intensity and diligence on the track and in life. Much credit goes to my wife and family for their patience and understanding, for all those track meets and missed dinners.” The National Federation of State
High School Associations (NFHS) recently honored Wheeler, a retired Cazenovia social studies teacher, with the distinction for his exceptional contributions during the 202324 school year. To be considered for the award, coaches must be actively leading their teams during the award year and be nominated by their state association, often in collaboration with the state coaches’ association. Once nominated, coaches must complete a profile form providing detailed information about their coaching experience, professional affiliations, community involvement, and coaching philosophy. This form must be approved by the state athletic association’s executive director to move forward in the selection process. “The Cazenovia CSD extends our heartfelt congratulations to Coach Wheeler on this well-deserved recognition,” said Superintendent Chris
Difulvio. “We are incredibly proud to have him in our school community. This award is a testament to his dedication, his coaching philosophy, and the incredible achievements of his athletes.” Wheeler has been a member of the district’s coaching staff for 28 years, having coached girls’ varsity cross country (XC), indoor track, and outdoor track. It all started in the fall of 1996 when Wheeler founded a winter running club. He said the students wanted to compete year-round, so he started an intramural program that turned into an interscholastic team in 1998. Cazenovia Athletic Administrator Mike Byrnes said Wheeler’s recognition is well deserved. “Mr. Wheeler ran a program based on core values where all athSubmitted photo letes were treated with dignity and Longtime girls’ outdoor track and field coach Kurt Wheeler was rewere all equal members of the team,” cently recognized as the 2023-24 New York State and National SecCoach l Page 8 tion 1 Girls’ Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year.
Nelson Town Justice retires Village mulls dog park project BY KATE HILL STAFF WRITER
Last week, longtime public servant Karin Huntley Marris retired from her role as Nelson Town Justice. Marris held the position from 1995 to 2001 and 2016 to 2024; during the intervening years, she served on the Cazenovia Central School District Board of Education. As town justice, her duties included handling vio-
lations and misdemeanors under the New York State Penal Law, traffic matters under the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law, environmental conservation infractions, and civil matters such as small claims and landlordtenant disputes. “As a practicing attorney, I know the important role a town justice plays in the community they serve,” Marris said when describing her interest in pursuing the Justice l Page 8
By kate Hill Staff Writer
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On Dec. 31, Karin Huntley Marris retired as Nelson Town Justice.
On Jan. 6, the Village of Cazenovia Board of Trustees considered the feasibility and potential pros and cons of creating a public dog park. Mayor Kurt Wheeler began the discussion by saying the town is eager to partner with the village to develop a dog park, and everyone he has informally spoken to about the idea has been very enthusiastic. Last Friday, Wheeler and Cazenovia Town Supervisor Kyle Reger toured multiple local dog parks to look for “common denominators and best practices.”
The mayor reported that almost all the parks they visited used fencing of a similar height, had separate spaces for large and small dogs, and used a two-gate system to prevent dogs from running out of the enclosure. Some features that differed and would require greater study and consideration were the surfaces used, the presence of doggie bag dispensers and receptacles, and drinking water sources. “I’ve been informally polling people and looking for input,” said Wheeler. “So far, the best [location] idea that has come forward is Lakeside Park near the auxiliary parking lot. That corner of the park is Board l Page 9
From Scratch to offer weekly dining experiences at Loka Leaf Tea Lounge BY KATE HILL STAFF WRITER
This winter, Caroline Horvatits and Anna Brummeler of From Scratch Kitchen and Farm are working out of Loka Leaf Tea Lounge to offer the community three smallbatch food service experiences per week. From Scratch is taking over the tea lounge’s kitchen for a walk-in Sunday brunch, a Friday Winter Supper Club, and Thursday “Plates & Pours.” All dishes are made from scratch and developed with health and sustainability in mind. Horvatits and Brummeler tailor each menu to the season and utilize as many locally grown ingredients as possible. Brunch, which returned to Loka Leaf on Dec. 22, is served from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Offerings are prepared in limited quantities and are available on a firstcome, first-served basis. The first From Scratch Supper Club is scheduled for Jan. 10. Dinner service will begin at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $75 per person, plus gratuity and drinks. Supper Club reservations can be made by emailing fromscratch.caz@ gmail.com and should include the desired date, the
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number of people, and any food allergies. “To us, a supper club is reminiscent of a dinner party with home cooking, a relaxed atmosphere, and good conversation,” said Brummeler. “This is how we have designed our Friday evenings to be. People can expect personal touches, surprises, and an overall interactive experience. We want the meals to feel like we’ve invited everyone to our house to eat plenty of good food. We’re selftaught, so we don’t want to pretend to [offer] anything more than good home cooking with lots of attention to detail.” Each Friday event will begin with a wine-tasting inspired by Brummeler and Horvatits’ trip to California this past fall. “[We] had the opportunity to go wine-tasting for the first [time],” said Brummeler. “The interactive experience of picking out flavor profiles and comparing grape varieties inspired us to incorporate wine sampling [when] guests first arrive at the tea lounge. We’ve encouraged our guests to arrive early, find their tables with handwritten name cards, and make their way up to the front counter, where we will be pouring samplings of the wines [chosen] for the meal. As our guests set-
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Caroline Horvatits (left) and Anna Brummeler (right) of From Scratch Kitchen and Farm are operating out of Loka Leaf Tea Lounge three times per week this winter. tle in, we will deliver small tasting boards to their tables that will highlight some seasonal and local flavors.” The January supper club menu features pickled carrots, spiced nuts, crisp watermelon radish, soft whipped goat cheese, honeycomb, and homemade crackers, followed by a multi-course dinner. From Scratch’s Thursday “Plates & Pours” service will be offered from 3 to 9 p.m. starting Jan. 9. “We are kicking off the new year with wine and beer offerings,” said Horvatits. “Plates & Pours is the perfect opportunity for a casual late lunch or dinner. We will have five different grilled cheese sandwiches available for January’s menu. We [will also] have a pumpkin tomato bisque made with storage pumpkins from our garden this past fall. The style of service will follow suit with brunch — firstcome, first-served, no reservations, small batch. Just replace that morning cofMenu l Page 8
cnyspca pet of the week: Febe seems fierce, but she’s just fluffy.
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sports: Cazenovia hockey goes 2-2 in holiday stretch. PAGE 10
Calendar �������������������� 2 Editorial ��������������������� 4 letters ������������������������ 4 history ������������������������ 3
Obituaries ������������������ 3 PennySaver ���������������� 6 Sports ������������������������� 9