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Syracuse songwriter, Cortland composer GOP nominations LaValle tapped for town judge; FadColleen Kattau perform Sunday den for First Ward councilor
Photos courtesy of Colleen Kattau/Isreal Hagan
Award-winning songwriter Isreal Hagan and Bilingual songwriter Colleen Kattau will perform Sunday. By Russ Tarby Contributing writer
Two local songwriters strongly committed to shaking up the status quo – soul man Isreal Hagan and social activist Colleen Kattau – will perform their original material at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9, at the library’s Carman Community Room, 310 Tulip St. Admission is free.
Colleen Kattau
Kattau straps on her six-string and sings, she does so with purpose and passion. A fervent anti-war activist who teaches Spanish at SUNY Cortland, she has often appeared at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia, in support of the movement to close the School of the Americas. As a bilingual singer and activist, Kattau’s original material often deals with issues ranging from immigration to hydrofracking to women’s rights. On her newest recording – “This Hen’s Gonna Crow” – she pays tribute to both Angela Davis with “Go Ask Angela” and Audrey Shenandoah on “The Root.” Eleven of the 13 tracks on the record are original Kattau compositions. The disc’s title track, “This Hen’s Gonna Crow,” is a romping a feminist barn dance, while the closer, “The Calendar for Peace,” promotes the work of the Syracuse Cultural Workers. Produced at the artist’s own WindLight Studio, the album is Kattau’s eighth since 2003. Its music is ably propelled by agile accompanists such as multi-instrumentalist Rich DePaolo, drummer Bill King and violinist Claire Byrne.
Isreal Hagan
Born and raised in Syracuse, Hagan’s initial musical influences were his parents, Sylvester and Bertha Hagan.
“They immersed me in music from birth,” Hagan said. In third grade, he started singing. At age 9, he picked up his first guitar soon followed by the electric bass. And he began writing songs at age 14. Blessed with a four-octave range, Hagan’s singing voice possesses an unforgettable crystalline tone. As the leader of an R&B quartet called Stroke, Hagan and his band reeled in a total of nine Syracuse Area Music Awards over the years. Stroke’s best-known songs include “The Real Deal,” “Accept No Substitutes,” “Stay Together” and “Bedroom Funk.” In 1994 Isreal branched out as a solo performer, just himself and his acoustic guitar entertaining at coffeehouses and festivals across the Empire State. His 2011 CD, “Balance,” features tunes such as “Feeling the Effects,” “Soul Thing,” “Pleasure and Pain” and “I Always Think about You.” Sunday’s concert – a collaboration of Liverpool Public Library and the Liverpool Is The Place Concert Committee – is made possible thanks to generous support from the NY State Council on the Arts administered by CNY Arts. Next month the Syracuse songwriters series continues March 9 with veteran tunesmiths Bob Halligan Jr. and Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers; followed by a tribute to local jazz composers performed on April 10 by the Frank Grosso Quartet; lpl.org; 315-457-0310.
C-NS bowler Arnold puts up another 300 game by Phil Blackwell
If the point was to earn collective honors and build up plenty of confidence for the upcoming Section III championships, the Cicero-North Syracuse boys bowling team succeeded. Yet what made the Northstars’ 7-0 shutout of West Genesee last Monday at Strike-N-Spare Lanes more than routine was seeing Garrett Arnold get to perfection again. Arnold, who never shot a 300 game before doing so in a match against East Syracuse Minoa in December, pulled it off again in the second of two games against the Wildcats, putting all 12 shots in the pocket and seeing them turn into strikes. He also had a 300 in a separate tournament in between these other two gems. All of this was part of a match where no C-NS bowler competed in more than two games. Still, there was time for Jay-
son Gilchrist to earn a 268 prior to Arnold’s 300, with Hunter Baciuska adding games of 224 and 202. Cameron Miller and Nehemiah Bachmann had matching opening games of 209. Liverpool had quite a lead-up to the sectional tournament with three matches, two of them against rival Baldwinsville – one of them at B’ville Sports Bowl, the other at Flamingo Bowl. The Bees needed to win both matches to catch C-NS atop the standings in the SCAC Metro division or the Northstars would earn the outright title. In last Tuesday’s 7-0 defeat at B’ville, Liverpool saw Mykey Hatherill impress with games of 212, 234 and 231 for a 677 series. Carter Thomas had 188, 203 and 215 for a three-game total of 606 as Kaden Lake got a 566 series (high game 197) and Tanner Gist a 510 series. However, the Bees got a
703 series (high game 257) from Zenon Gasiorowski and a 10-strike 276 opening game by Scott Ritcey on his way to a 679 series which edged out the 676 set from teammate Wes Lell. Jordan Sevigny added a three-game total of 661. Meanwhile, the Liverpool girls got the best individual series from Sara Conover as her 246 second game augmented a 189 and 205 during a 640 set. Still, LHS lost 7-0 to B’ville,who had more depth as Sam Hass shot a 606 series and Lizzy Hildreth added a 596 set. Liverpool’s boys would handle Fayetteville-Manlius in another 7-0 match Thursday at Flamingo led by Gist shooting 235, 233 and 214 for a 682 series which beat his previous season mark by 51 pins. Kyle Lake closed with a 10-strike 278 to finish with a 666 total that included an opening 212. Thomas added a 574 series with his own 212 game as
Chris Harding shot 204 in his lone game. Kaden Lake and Peter DiRubbo had matching high games of 194. Even with Conover shooting 187, 157 and 212 in her 556 series, Liverpool’s girls took a 7-0 defeat to F-M who had a well-balanced effort of six bowlers recording series of 438 or better led by Lillian Squire’s 497 set. Both Liverpool sides lost to B’ville again on Friday at Flamingo Bowl but the 5-2 defeat for the boys included several outstanding performances for the hosts. Leading all individuals, Kyle Lake shot a 650 series with games of 245 and 226. Gist closed with a 246 in his 604 series as Hatherill opened with a 226 in his 566 series and Chris Harding stepped up with a 215 game during his 518 series. Four Bees shot series of 580 or higher led by the 635 set from Ricey that included a 258 game.
By Russ Tarby Contributing Writer Village of Liverpool Judge Anthony LaValle has twice challenged incumbent Town of Salina Judge Andrew Piraino and lost both times. LaValle ran on the Democratic Party line. Piraino, like LaValle, is a lifelong Republican. This year Piraino is retiring, and the Town of Salina Republican Committee has nominated LaValle for town judge. He has served on the bench in Liverpool for 18 years, and he continues to work for New York State as a court attorney referee. The GOP committee also nominated incumbent Town Supervisor Nick Paro to run for a third term, and nominated former Liverpool Deputy Mayor Christina Fadden to run for First Ward town councilor. Republican committee Chairman Matt Cushing said that the following nominations were made on Tuesday evening, Jan. 28: - Town Supervisor: Nick Paro - Town Judge: Anthony LaValle - 1st Ward Councilor: Chris Fadden - 2nd Ward Councilor: Aaron Henry - 3rd Ward Councilor: Evan Buschbascher - 4th Ward Councilor: Mike Brigandi.
Townhomes get nod
Planning board approves Park & Vine Holdings’ proposed 8-unit project By Russ Tarby Contributing writer At its Jan. 27 meeting, the village planning board approved a developer’s plan for eight upscale apartments inside two row house-style townhomes to be built at 103 Vine St. on the corner of Brow Street. The vote was 4 to 1. Only board member Sam Reppi, opposed the approval. Voting in favor of the project were Chairman Bob Bradt and board members Nathan Holliday, Heidi McElwee and Jim Rosier. For the past several months, the board had been questioning the developer and its representatives as they outlined their plans and presented artist’s renderings. Owner-developer Michael Dougherty, his daughter, Lily Dougherty, both of Park & Vine Holdings, and Taber Rowlee of the Rowlee Construction Company made repeated appearances before the board. While they had designed the two-building project to be compatible with the village’s comprehensive plan and its community-design handbook, their neighbors along Brow Street have their doubts, citing traffic, density and drainage as concerns. In mid-December Brow Street resident Lisa Desimone presented the village board of trustees with a petition signed by 110 villagers calling for a moratorium on the construction of any building more than three families. The trustees declined to act on the moratorium. The planning board’s public hearing on the project at 103 Vine was opened in September and continued for four more months. A single Brow Street resident, Henry Brettschneider, spoke at the Jan. 27 meeting before the public hearing was closed to make way for the vote. Brettschneider warned that the land on which they’re building is a flood plain. At earlier public hearings, other Brow Street residents expressed concerns about density and traffic. Brow Street is one of the narrowest roadways in the village. Reppi said he opposed the project because it’s too big. “It’s too cramped,” he said. “My view is that it needs to be reduced to four units.” “Given the scarcity of available land for development within the village,” Reppi continued, “we need to make sensible decisions. Make no mistake, that small patch of land will be overdeveloped with eight tightly-positioned side-by-side units, tarvia will dominate landscape and the elevation will be significant. To pare this project back to four units is reasonable and still economically feasible for the developer.” The four board members who voted in favor of the project approval each made statements supporting their stances. Holliday said the townhomes will “enhance the village.” McElwee said the project is “in line with our comprehensive plan.” Rosier said the board has done its “due diligence” while examining the project for nearly two years. Bradt said he lives next door to the Marina Apartments which has 16 units on Sycamore Street. “And all those people, they’re my neighbors too,” he said. Each rental unit at 103 Vine St. will include two or three bedrooms. A basement garage for a single vehicle will be located beneath each unit and each tenant will have access to two additional parking spaces. Dougherty estimated that the monthly rental fee for each townhome would be between $3,500 and $4,000
Volume 132, Number 6 The Star-Review is published weekly by Eagle News. Office of Publication: 2501 James St., Suite 108, Syracuse, NY 13206. Periodical Postage Paid at Syracuse, NY 13220, USPS 316060. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Star-Review, 2501 James St., Suite 108, Syracuse, NY 13206.
milestones: Wallace/ Gottwald exchange vows.
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sports: Liverpool, C-NS girls basketball both win big.
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death notices ����������� 3 Editorial ��������������������� 4 history ��������������������� 2,5 letters ������������������������ 5
Obituaries ������������������ 3 PennySaver ���������������� 6 Sports ������������������������� 9