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Village election, school budget Forum planned for village board candidates re-vote both set for June 18 By kate Hill Staff Writer
During the June 3 Village of Cazenovia Board of Trustees meeting, Mayor Kurt Wheeler announced that the Cazenovia community has two separate votes scheduled for Tuesday, June 18. The village election will be held at the Cazenovia American Legion from noon to 9 p.m. Two seats on the village board are open this year. The candidates are incumbent Katherine Hahn, Democratic; Kelly Ryan Vidakovic, Republican, Your Neighborhood Voice; Jennifer Lutter, Caz Forward; and Colton Mennig, Democratic, Strong Community. The Cazenovia League of Women Voters will host a village candidate forum
at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12 in the Community Room of the Cazenovia Public Library. All are welcome to attend and ask questions. The second vote on June 18 is the Cazenovia Central School District budget re-vote. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the middle school auxiliary gymnasium, 31 Emory Ave. On May 21, voters rejected the district’s proposed $38,826,826 spending plan for the 2024-25 school year. On June 18, district residents will be asked to cast their votes on a revised budget proposal. “Just coincidentally that’s the date [the district] picked,” said Wheeler. “I think that’s probably driven by state parameters of when they have to do it. Ours
is the standard date for villages in the state that conduct June elections. [It’s] ironic that they are the same time, but we just have to make sure people understand that. . . . Anything we can do to make sure people exercise their right [to vote] in both elections would be good.”
Fiscal year recap
Wheeler provided a recap of fiscal year 2023-2024, which ended on May 31, 2024. He described the year as “tumultuous,” explaining that the village was dealing with financial pressures associated with very high inflation, the closing out of a major project at Lakeland Park, and expenses associated with planning for the future of the former Cazenovia College campus. Election l Page 12
Inaugural Lavender Festival planned
Katherine Hahn
Jennifer Lutter
Colton Mennig
Kelly Ryan Vidakovic
Submitted Photos
The Lavender Festival will be held on July 6 at Farmstead 1868. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
By kate hill Staff writer This summer, the historic Farmstead 1868 will celebrate its blooming lavender fields by hosting Cazenovia’s first Lavender Festival on July 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Festival l Page 12
The Cazenovia League of Women Voters will host a village candidate forum at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday June 12 in the community room of the Cazenovia Library. All are welcome to attend and ask questions to the candidates. What follows is submitted information from each candidate Kelly Ryan Vidakovic is running for village trustee as a Republican. “I love this village and want it to be the best it can be, for all of us who call it home,” she said. “I believe in the power of effective communication, careful spending, and strong collaboration to support our community. I will be a voice for the people, by fostering open and transparent communication. I will ensure the concerns of residents are heard and addressed and any ideas, no matter how small, will be heard and brought to the board. Open communication between the village board and the people who trust us to govern is very important to me. Also, my aim is to improve our village by advocating for careful spending during these fiscally challenging times. By having a voice in our financial decisions, I aim to prioritize long-term financial health to ensure we are investing in our future responsibly. Collaboration is the key to our success, which is why I will be working alongside organizations such as CazLife, CACDA and CPF. I will also work alongside current and future business owners in Forum l Page 14
Madison County Distillery founder inducted into NYS Veterans Hall of Fame By kate Hill Staff Writer
Michael Basla, a retired United States Air Force lieutenant general and co-founder of Cazenovia’s Madison County Distillery, was recently selected as a 2024 New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame inductee by Sen. Joseph Griffo. Basla, who grew up in Syracuse and graduated from Bishop Grimes High School, served on active duty for nearly 36 years. He received his commission in 1979 as a distinguished graduate of officer training school. After serving multiple assignments, he retired in 2014 as Chief, Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force in the Pentagon. Basla and the other 2024 Veterans Hall of Fame inductees were honored during a ceremony at the NYS Capitol Building in Albany on May 28. “I was very humbled to be inducted into the New York State Veterans Hall of Fame,” Basla said on May 30. “I deeply appreciate Senator Joe Griffo and all the New York State Senators for extending this spe-
cial honor to me. Serving our nation as an Air Force officer was my great privilege, and to be recognized like this was totally unexpected. My time in uniform was never about accolades but rather about doing my small part in helping to protect the freedom we have been blessed with as Americans. Finally, I must extend a heartfelt thanks to my family, community, and nation for unparalleled support during my almost 36year career. I could not have accomplished what I did without them.” Basla’s military career spanned the last half of the Cold War and many years of the Global War on Terrorism. According to a biography included in the Veterans Hall of Fame 2024 Ceremony Program, Basla was assigned in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell and was stationed at the Pentagon on 9/11. “He began his career as a communications officer and broadened his expertise into command and control, computer systems, and space and cyberspace operations,” the biography states. “Mr. Basla served in five operational communications units and has extensive joint experience, including a tour as Director for C4 Systems, Joint Task Force Southwest Asia in Saudi Arabia
in support of the United Nations security resolution against Iraq. He served twice on the joint staff and held key positions. Mr. Basla also served as Vice Commander of Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, where he assisted the commander in organizing, equipping, training, and maintaining mission-ready nuclear, space, and cyberspace forces and capabilities for North Aerospace Defense Command, US Strategic Command, and other functional and geographical combatant commands. . . . [In his final assignment], he led four directorates supporting 77,000 cyber operations and support personnel across the globe, with a portfolio valued at $17 billion.” Basla has received several major awards and decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and the Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster. An oak leaf cluster is worn to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. In 2021, Basla was inducted into the Air Force Cyberspace and Support Hall of Fame. Distillelry l Page 2
Volume 214, Number 23 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: Caz boys tennis again reaches state final four.
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NOW HIRING
schools: Caz High School students, Nelson Creamery develop ice cream flavor.
Submitted photo
On May 28, Cazenovia resident Michael Basla was honored as a 2024 Veterans Hall of Fame inductee during a ceremony at the NYS Capitol Building in Albany. Basla served in the US Air Force for nearly 36 years and retired as lieutenant general.
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