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‘Christmas at Lorenzo’ turns 50
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The Lorenzo State Historic Site will celebrate “50 Years of Christmas at Lorenzo” from Dec. 10-15. By kate Hill Staff Writer Lorenzo State Historic Site is inviting the community to join in its celebration of “50 years of Christmas at Lorenzo” from Dec. 10-15. With support from the Friends of Lorenzo (FOL), the holiday event will
include tours of the bedecked mansion, live music, refreshments, horse-drawn sleigh/wagon rides, and more. The mansion’s dedicated decorators are honoring Christmas at Lorenzo’s history by putting new spins on past event themes, including “O Christmas Tree,” “Birds of a Feather,” “Images of St. Nick,” and “Dreaming of a White
Christmas.” “Our volunteer decorators have outdone themselves, recreating a different past theme in each room,” Lorenzo Interpretive Programs Assistant Jacqueline Roshia said on Nov. 20. “This week, Monday through Friday, is decorating week. Our volunteers are hard at work, and everything is looking won-
derful. Every room of the mansion will be decorated, plus the visitor center, Rippleton Schoolhouse, and gift shop. There are 15 past Christmas themes represented, and a couple more may still be added. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for a sneak preview of some of the rooms.” Lorenzo l Page 11
Lions continue to serve community Village mayor provides Cazenovia College campus update
By kate Hill Staff Writer
L
eading up to the holiday season, Cazenovia Lion’s Club (CLC) members have been working hard to further the organization’s mission of serving the Cazenovia community. On Nov. 23, Lion Deb Amidon helped assemble Christmas lights for the Village of Cazenovia tree. According to CLC Vice President Marjorie Wason Tormey, volunteers were requested through a post on the CazLife website, and Amidon answered the call. The tree will be lit during the 47th Annual Cazenovia Christmas Walk on Dec. 6. CLC secretary and long-time member Fred Agerter is one of the event’s key coordinators. On Nov. 18 and 25, Amidon and fellow Lions Paul Amidon and Cindy Hirt helped prepare and administer vision screenings for Burton Street Elementary School students. CLC President Mike Basla joined the team of volunteers at the school on Nov. 25. “[They worked] alongside Renee Fuller, the nurse at Burton Street Elementary School, screening Pre-K, kindergarten, second graders, and fourth graders, all with parent permission,” said Tormey. “Cazenovia Lions Club is involved with vision screenings [because] one of the missions of Lions Club International [is] to provide vision support for youth.” According to Tormey, the CLC collected over 700 pairs of used eyeglasses this year through its eyeglass recycling efforts. Lions l Page 12
By kate Hill Staff Writer
Submitted photos
The Cazenovia Lions Club members have been active leading up to the holiday season.
During the Dec. 2 Village of Cazenovia Board of Trustees meeting, Mayor Kurt Wheeler provided an update on the future of the former Cazenovia College campus. He reported that a local team of investors called 9 Fresh has submitted a successful purchase offer or “letter of interest” for all the Cazenovia College-owned properties, including the main campus, Jephson/South Campus, theater, equestrian center, and athletic facilities. According to the group’s website, 9fresh.co, its vision is to “turn a once-vibrant academic institution into an equally as vibrant, reimagined district for innovation, business growth, and impact that not only strongly serves our community, but provides powerful global connections and influence . . .” “They have basically put in a proposal to purchase the campus that has been accepted by the bondholders,” said Wheeler. “The bondholders got a lot more interested in negotiating and interacting with potential bidders when they learned that the state police would not be renewing their lease. They are in their due diligence phase right now, checking out buildings and calculating costs to convert [them] to different types of uses.” According to Wheeler, all parties hope to close by the first of the year. “It’s a very aggressive and ambitious timeline considering the complexity of the deal,” he said. “[I] think a lot of us in the room have been engaged with this and concerned about it [since] the college first made their announcement that they would be closing. What we sought way back then and what this deal gives us is something we see as the best path forward: local control of the campus.” Wheeler noted that all team members are from Cazenovia except for one partner from Fayetteville. Therefore, they all care about the community and have its best interests at heart. “They want to see a good outcome, and they are not going to do something detrimental for a quick buck,” he said. According to the mayor, the village board will work with the team members to approve new zoning for the Campus l Page 12
Volume 214, Number 49 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.
A&E: Ink & Paper hosts signing with local children’s book author.
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sports: Senior student-athletes announce college plans.
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A&E �������������������������������� 2 Editorial ��������������������� 4 history ������������������������ 5 letters ������������������������ 4
Obituaries ������������������ 9 PennySaver ���������������� 6 Schools �������������������� 10 Sports ����������������������� 10