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Town updates Greenheart seeks local host families for 2025-26 foreign exchange students comprehensive plan draft By kate hill Staff writer
Greenheart Exchange, a non-profit international educational exchange organization, has started seeking Cazenovia area volunteers to host foreign exchange students for the 2025-26 school year. The organization allows students from across the globe to study in public high schools in the United States for a fivemonth semester or ten-month academic year. Single-semester students arrive in January and August/September, while academic-year students arrive in August/September and stay through June. According to Julie Wallace, the new Greenheart coordinator for the Cazenovia area, the beginning of the new year is a great time for community members to start thinking about hosting students in
the fall. “Early planning [for fall 2025] occurs now through March 31, 2025,” Wallace said. “Early planning is great for families to feel well prepared for hosting, particularly first-time host families. However, placements can be arranged later, even through the summer. Students typically arrive about a week before school starts and leave a week or two after school ends. The placement deadline for academic year students is Aug. 31, 2025. The semester student deadlines are Jan. 25,
2025, and Aug. 31, 2025. Wallace, a former host, said she encourages Cazenovians to welcome exchange students into their homes for many reasons. She noted that the experience can be particularly valuable for families with children. “Kids truly enjoy having an exchange sister or brother,” she said. “Often, lifelong friendships are fostered by hosting. If they do not have children or their children have moved out, and they would welcome the opportunity to share their home and life, that would be great too. If
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Hears from Madison County Working Solutions as part of series BY KATE HILL STAFF WRITER
On Jan. 13, the Cazenovia Town Board welcomed Donna Schaefer of the Madison County Working Solutions career center to the Gothic Cottage for the latest installment of a new series promoting Madison County services. Schaefer is the youth outreach coordinator for Madison County Working Solutions. According to Supervisor Kyle Reger, who introduced the speaker, Schaefer has been a middle school special education teacher for 30-plus years, she has been helping people earn their high school equivalency diplomas for over 15 years, and she serves on the board of Literacy Outreach for Madison County. Schaefer described a major goal of Working Solutions as “getting people a career without the college expense.” The career center’s numerous services include job search assistance; helping with resume writing; breaking down barriers to employment, including those related to childcare, transportation, disability, and criminal records; providing access to computers, a fax machine, phones, and a printer; holding free computer training to increase employability; funding training for in-demand occupations such as commercial driver’s license jobs, construction, nursing, and manufacturing; and connecting people with employers for on-the-job training Town l Page 7
Wrestlers engage in season’s busiest stretch by Phil Blackwell
In the days after hosting its 18-team dual meet on Jan. 11, the Cazenovia wrestling team faced two more head-tohead matches, ultimately splitting them. It came just as eighthgrader Gryphon Foster was named Wrestler of the Week by the Friends of Section III Wrestling for his 108-pound victory in the Cazenovia Invitational. Foster got a 15-0 technical fall over Morrisville-Eaton’s Sam Orth in the quarterfinals, then pulled out a 7-5 semifinal decision against APW/ Pulaski/Sandy Creek’s Luke Ackerman. The final pitted Foster against Sherburne-Earlville’s Jackson Moore. Again it proved close, but Foster again showed poise and confidence on his way to a 3-1 victory that moved his season record to 13-3 Foster and the rest of
the Lakers were put to a severe test against a powerful Sherburne-Earlville side last Tuesday night at Buckley Gym and lost by a 59-7 margin. Still, Foster maintained his top form, routing Aiden Shreve 14-3 as he moved up to 116 pounds for this match. Gabriel Sanchez earned the other points at 152 pounds beating Justin Race 8-1 as Cullen Arnold, at 131 pounds, dropped a close 4-1 decision to Noah Ackerman. Far different was the Lakers’ match with Hannibal 24 hours later where Cazenovia rolled to a 50-24 victory in large part because it fielded something close to a full roster, only forfeiting at 101 and 285 pounds. Foster opened the match back at 108 pinning Conner Smith in 21 seconds. This was quickly followed by Isaac Gentner at 116 pounds getting Wrestlers l Page 5
Cazenovia wrestling eighth-grader Gryphon Foster won the 108-pound title in the Jan. 11 Cazenovia Invitational at Buckley Gym, defeating Sherburne-Earlville’s Jackson Moore in the finals as he was named Wrestler of the Week by Friends of Section III Wrestling for his efforts.
Volume 215, Number 4 The Cazenovia Republican is published weekly by Eagle News. Office of Publication: 35 Albany St., Second Floor, Cazenovia, NY 13035. Pe r i o d i ca l Po sta ge Pa i d at Cazenovia, NY 13035, USPS 095-260. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Cazenovia Republican, 2501 James St., Suite 108, Syracuse, NY 13206.
CNYSPCA pet of the week: Rex still has puppy dog eyes.
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sports: Caz girls basketball has 2-2 stretch.
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