“We want people in need to call us,” said Janet Polech, Marketing Coordinator for the North Area Meals on Wheels, or NAMOW, located in North Syracuse. “We can help if they have trouble preparing meals or getting to the store.”

Helping is what they have been doing for over 40 years. The volun-teers who work at NAMOW prepare and deliver meals, Monday through Friday, rain or shine. From 8 a.m. to noon the kitchen is bustling and by 11 a.m. the drivers have headed out to deliver for two hours. There are 19 different routes that the volun-teers cover, serving zip codes 13090,

13088, 13041, 13212 and 13039. They deliver approximately 180 meals a day, including a cold meal for lunch and a hot one for dinner. Weekend meals are delivered on Fridays, often making that the busi-est day.

Surprisingly, there are only four paid staff positions with NAMOW; the rest of the work is handled by the close to 250 volunteers. Volun-teers must be 16 years of age or older and are interviewed by Operations Manager Donna Barrett prior to starting. And while they are always happy to have another set of hands helping, there is a need right now for

drivers and not for kitchen help. A big misconception about

NAMOW service is that only senior citizens are eligible to receive meals.

In fact, the service is available to anyone meeting the following criteria: individuals age 60 or older;

We are lucky to live in one of the most boat-friendly areas here in Central New York, and thousands of residents take advantage of that fact each year.

Oneida Lake, right at our back door, is the largest lake located wholly within the borders of New York State. And, thanks to the Erie Canal, a boat can leave Oneida Lake and go all the way to the Florida Keys and beyond.

The boating community is a “live and let live,” friendly group and we’re always looking for new recruits. Maybe this is the year that it’s finally time to give boating a try, but what comes first? What should a boater know?

Getting Started: Buying, Preparing and Launching

There are many things to consider when buying your first boat. A basic rule of thumb is to start with something reasonably sized. Boats are great fun, but there is some stress involved when it comes time to dock and trailer them.

There is no worse day than hitting a rock with a brand new boat, so be sure to choose a size and style that fits your needs. Pontoons are great for casual cruising and short trips, runabouts are good for skiing and tubing, and cabin cruisers provide shade and a head (known to land lovers as a bathroom) for longer excursions. Sailboats are a great green choice as well.

Boating can be an expensive hobby, but it doesn’t have to be. Used boats are widely available and since there are only two main

parts, starting with a used boat can carry less risk than a car. When inspecting a boat, check for an undamaged hull (the bottom and sides of the boat, often made of fiberglass) and a working drive system.

Another decision is whether to trailer the boat or leave it at a dock. Trailering is less expensive, because there is only a small fee to launch each time. Leaving a boat at a dock is more convenient, but costs considerably more. The size of the boat and frequency of use should be factors in deciding which way to try, but many boaters choose to trailer at least for the first year to make sure boating suits them.

Setting Sail: Safety and PrecautionsOnce the boat is purchased and

the life vests are on, what next? There are a few other things to know. First, take the time to go to a checkpoint offered by various police departments to check your safety equipment. All boats need life vests for everyone aboard, flares, an emergency whistle and registration documents. Without these items, should your boat be stopped, you will get an extra ticket. More importantly, though, you want these items on board at all times for safety. There are boater safety courses available and the captain and first mate of every vessel should take the time to attend one if possible. Even seasoned boaters can benefit from brushing up on the basics!

Each boat should have a map

July

200

9

Do you have news? Contact your editor, Melissa Renahan, at news@clayinsider.com

Stirpe Announces Event.........Pg 2

Summer Studying...................Pg 3

School News...........................Pg 5

In Business..............................Pg 9

Sports...................................Pg 10

In Good Faith........................Pg 11

Out to Eat...............................Pg 12

Local Calendar....................Pg 13

Local Accomplishments......Pg 14

Classifieds...........................Pg 15

www.clayinsider.com

IN ThIS ISSuE:

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE PAID

SYRACUSE, NY Permit # 1672

Please see Boating, page 15

Donna Barrett, Dave Morgan, Assemblyman Al Stirpe, Homer Gere and Ed Reilly pose in front of the NAMOW building in April during the Assemblyman’s visit.

Spending time on the lake: boating in CNY

By Christina Lackey

Dollars for Scholars awards students

Please see Scholars story, page 2

Kip Dakota Bell (left) receives his scholarship from sponsor Robert Crabtree. The scholarship is a memorial dedicated to Crabtree’s father and three uncles who enlisted in the US Navy during WWII.

Please see NAMOW, page 12

By Melissa Renahan

Selfless serving North Area Meals on Wheels continues to help where needed

Clay Insider, 2 July 2009

In July, I’ll be hosting my third annual Lifesaver’s Party. After receiving such great attendance in past years, we’ve decided to turn this year’s blood drive into an all-encompassing health fair.

Several different groups will be taking part in the fair, including the American Red Cross, the National Kidney Foundation of CNY, NAVAC, the AARP, local hospitals and other organizations. There will also be free refreshments, live music and prizes, including gift certificates to local restaurants, furniture and an iPod Touch.

My third annual Lifesaver’s Party and Health Fair will be held on July 21, from noon until 7 p.m. at Driver’s Village, 5885 East Circle Road, Cicero

I encourage everyone to come by and give blood and take part in the festivities, whether you’ve donated before or it’s your first time. The donating process is safe and simple and only takes

about 45 minutes. I host this event every summer

because the greatest risk of blood shortages occurs in the summer months when blood donations decrease by 10-15 percent. About every two seconds a blood transfusion is needed to save a life – yet less than five percent of the eligible population donates blood. It’s time to do our part.

With a regular blood donation, donors provide whole blood, which consists of red cells, plasma and platelets. But, with the automated process of double red cell donation, donors can produce two units of just red cells – the component of blood that is in greatest demand. Red cell donation doubles the effectiveness of a donation. There are several other advantages to double red cell donation, including fluid replacement and a smaller needle. I encourage everyone to look into the double red cell donation process.

Research has shown that the number one reason people don’t donate is because they were never asked. That’s why I’m taking this opportunity to ask everyone to come out, donate

blood, have some fun in the process. Donors must:

• be at least 17 years old;

• weight at least 110 pounds;

• have a clean bill of health;

• answer a questionnaire to help ensure all health requirements are met.

To sign up for my Lifesaver’s Party, call my office at 452-1115 or e-mail me at stirpea@assembly.state.ny.us. For more information on donating blood, call the American Red Cross at 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543) or visit www.DonateBloodNow.org. You can also visit www.aabb.org or www.americasblood.org for more information on donating in your area.

I also want to let everyone know about my new district office address. We have moved our office across the street to 5711 South Bay Road in Cicero. I encourage residents to stop by our new office and say hello. My staff and I are always on hand to help out with any issues or concerns citizens may have.

Stirpe announces third annual Lifesaver’s Party and Health FairAssemblyman also has new district office address

By Al Stirpe, 21st District State Assemblyman

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Students receive $60,000 in scholarships

The North Syracuse Dollars for Scholars awards ceremony was held on June 9 in the auditorium of Ci-cero-North Syracuse High School. More than 100 scholarships, total-ing nearly $60,000, were presented to high school seniors living in the North Syracuse Central School District.

Students are selected based on a point score based on a number of criteria including academic stand-ing, extra-curricular activity and employment, submittal of a goal statement, family hardship, volun-teer activity and community in-volvement.

The NS Dollars for Scholars pro-gram was started in 1985 and has grown exponentially every year. They are always looking for new committee members. For more in-formation about the program or to join, contact Robert Crabtree, President NS Dollars for Scholars at 458-2396.

Upcoming Event The Dollars for Scholars Bowl-a-

thon will begin at 9 a.m. on January 18, 2010 at Strike-N-Spare Lanes at 1777 Brewerton Road, Mattydale.

Scholarsfrom page 1

July 2009 Clay Insider, 3

Schools out for the summer…a tune your youngster may be singing and dancing to around the house right about now. Although they are happy about spending their days having fun, it is ten weeks where your student’s skills can become dull. What can a par-ent do about it?

Research shows that students can lose up to 2.6 months of math facts over the summer lag, which translates to al-most 1/4 of the school year. As a result, teachers end up spending about six weeks at the beginning of each school year reviewing from the previous year. Students need to practice skills, espe-cially math, to retain them.

We have all, at one time, memorized a phone number or address of a friend or family member. If you do not use that information on a regular basis, at one point you will have to look it up again. Just think of all the information you’ve forgotten from your school years as a child: parts of speech, historical dates and events, chemical formulas, algebraic equations, etc. It’s because most people do not need to recall this information in their daily job.

So, what are the options for parents looking to keep their child’s skills sharp? There are summer programs around the

area that work on academic skills. You need to check with your own school district to see if there are any available. Syracuse University, LeMoyne College and OCC offer programs for school-age children. There are learning centers around and many private tutors (my-self included) who will work one on one with your child also.

All of these options are great but there are other ways that you, as a parent, can inexpensively help your student prac-tice their skills. It does not need to in-volve long, arduous and painful hours chained to a desk. And, dare I say it, it can be fun for the child as well.

Making practice fun is as simple as asking them math facts while driving them to an event or the babysitter or creating a contest of how fast they can answer the questions, like seeing how many facts they can do before the light turns green. Personally, I grew up with card games. These are great for math. War teaches children greater than, less than. Blackjack, or 21, practices their addition facts. Gin rummy is good for categorizing (3 of a kind, 4 in a row). Rummy 500 helps with adding after each round trying to reach 500 first. My favorite card game is Spit, which I have played with children as young as five.

Not everyone knows how to play it. It is a fast paced game but I start off slow with children. Unfortunately for me they get so good at the game they start beating me. Then I go faster and show no mercy (well, maybe a little bit).

Many board games, such as Uno, Trouble, Sorry, and Connect Four teach strategy. Depending on the age of the children, many games develop skills as they are being played, such as figuring out how much money $200 is as they pass GO in Monopoly or what color they need to win in Can-dyland. Besides developing their skills, these games are classics and a lot of fun. Make a family game night once a week or on those rainy days. They won’t even

know they are learning. There are also numerous websites for

math fact practice. A lot are set up as games for children. Some websites are: funbrain.com, aplusmath.com, cool-math4kids.com, mathisfun.com, and math.com.

There are many suggestions of how to help your child, from learning cen-ters to games of Rummy. Making the time and effort will pay off the most for your children. We all remember sum-mer vacations and the fun we had, but a week is 168 hours long and using 30 minutes about four times a week, still leaves them with 164 hours for every-thing else. Just keeping my math skills sharp! (See? It works!)

By Susan Lindsley

Keeping kids’ skills sharp

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Taking the time to play ‘smart’ with your children can help them when they return to school in September.

Ideas to help your student avoid a backslide over the summer

5901 Firestone Drive Syracuse, NY 13206

Fax 434-8883www.clayinsider.com

Melissa RenahanEditor

news@clayinsider.com434-8889 ext 318

Clay Insider, 4 July 2009

Paul NagleSales Rep

434-8889 ext 308pnagle@cnylink.com

Heidi TylerSales Rep

434-8889 ext 320htyler@cnylink.com

Insider Babysitter ListRachel Shipley 699-6296 or 515-143216 years old, $5/hourAvailable Mon-Fri 3 p.m. - 9 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.- 9 p.m. and Sun 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Elea Barker 935-6492 25 years old and attending Bryant and Stratton.Mon & Wed 3- 9 p.m., Tues & Thurs 11 a.m.- 11 p.m., Fri all day

Denise Sakran 451-8586 Over 18 and Red Cross certified Can care for 2-3 children in my home.

To be on the list you must be at least 14 years of age and Red Cross certified. You may not own a child care business or operate a daycare service. If you are under 18 years of age we recommend that a parent be present when meeting the family looking to hire you. If you are in-terested please send your name, phone number, availability and rates

to news@clayinsider.com. We will publish and add to the list each month. There is no charge for this listing.

The Clay Insider is currently delivered at no cost to the areas of Clay in the

following zip codes: 13041, 13027 and 13090. If you are not in those areas

and would like to receive the Insider, please contact the editor at news@

clayinsider.com.

Announcements & corrections

Attention Residents!There is a Lost & Found box in town hall,

located by the clerk’s desk. All items left behind in the building or during a

town meeting are collected and held. If you have

reason to believe you lost something there, please

stop by and check the box, M-F 8:30am-4:30pm!

Correction:In June’s issue there was an error in the byline of “A look back at Clay history: Back to the beginning”. The article was written by Sue Lindsley, but Dorthy Heller, town histo-rian, was a major contributer and provided most of the ma-terials that were quoted.

We all have our individual quirks. Some have to put their right shoe on before the left, some have to read the last page of a book first and others have to eat at precisely the same time each and every day. My idiosyncrasy is that I have to make lists in order to get any-thing done…as well as to feel that I’ve accomplished something.

I make lists at work, at home, in the car – where ever and when ever. Re-cently though I have been generating enough lists to drive even most Type A personalities over the edge. As I men-tioned in last month’s column, my husband and I will be moving towards the end of the summer. What I did not mention was that we are moving to the other side of the country, back to Washington state. A move always requires some degree of organization, with the distance of the move directly affecting the amount of organiza-tion required. So in other words, the amount of tasks facing me is nothing short of overwhelming. And yet, as I make list after list, it all seems manage-able.

I find that the action of crossing just one item off is enough to motivate me to move onto the next job, to make the next phone call. It is hardly a foolproof plan; things do get left off the list, which unfortunately means they some-

times don’t get done. Overall though I think the habit keeps me from forget-ting about ninety-nine percent of the responsibilities I juggle…and that one percent? If I don’t remember it, chances are no one else does either!

Aside from my desk at the office and the old school written planner that I cannot survive without, the major-ity of my lists reside on the refrigera-tor in the kitchen. At a time like this the array of lists runs the gamut from groceries to a basic things to-do. There is also an assortment of move-related lists about what we need to buy for the new house, what we need to get rid of here and what we are doing during our dwindling Syracuse weekends.

The longest list reflects what we need to do in order to move. This can be as simple as putting Netflix on hold or as involved as getting quotes from, and subsequently hiring, an auto transport

Listless life? Not mine.

By Melissa Renahan

company. There’s also stopping the mail, changing the address on every credit card and magazine, getting medical records…I could go on.

The sad truth is that even if there were no cross-continental move looming, I’d be making lists, albeit a few less. About chores my husband should tackle over the weekend, about things I need to accomplish before week’s end or about what to buy for upcoming birthdays. I remember my mother making daily lists when I was younger and to this day my father is almost neurotic with his attention to detail, so perhaps that explains my penchant for handwritten inventories of everything involved with my life.

No matter the cause, I know this for sure – now I can cross off ‘July

The control center in my house: a refrigerator covered with lists, notes and calendars.

Announcement:Starting with September’s issue, there will be a new edi-tor at the Clay Insider. Sarah Hall will now be editor for both the Insider and the Star-Review.

“I’m a Clay resident, and I’ve covered the town for three years as the edi-tor of The Liverpool Review and North Syra-cuse Star-News. I’m lookingforward to being even more involved in the town through the Clay Insider,” said Hall.

The email for the Insider will remain the same. Please join me in welcoming Sarah to our paper!

- Melissa Renahan, Editor

Editor Sarah Hall

July 2009 Clay Insider, 5

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In this day and age getting your kids to exercise can be a challenge, not to mention, require time you don’t have to spare. Gold’s Gym pro-vides programs where kids can excel in health and fitness, while improving performance and reducing the risk of injuries.

Their new summer Teen Connec-tion program is free for high school students obtaining a “C” average or above. Program goals include reduc-ing the ever increasing number of high school students not participating in any regular exercise; which strongly correlates to rising adolescence obe-sity rates.

Last but not least, Gold’s Gym is proud to help alleviate some of the financial burden on parents during these tough economic times and will be offering this program at a spe-cial rate. Additionally, the program will teach teens the fundamentals of equipment use, nutrition and body composition while in a safe place for teens to play.

If you are or your child are inter-ested, just bring your report card to Gold’s Gyms of Liverpool on Mor-gan Road and sign up for the Teen Connection membership. Want more information? Call Gold’s Gym of Liverpool at 315-451-5050.

New way to keep kids fitThe CNY United FC Elite U16 Boys

Team from Syracuse won the State Cup Championship in late May. The boys now advance to the Regional Championships held in West Virginia over July 4th weekend. The team is currently made up of 11 players from Baldwinsville, three players from Syracuse, one from Fayetteville, one from Skaneateles, one from Hamilton, one from Oswego and one from Red Creek.

The team is ranked sixth in the nation in winning percentage and 13th in the gation in goals scored. In the past year, in 34 matches the boys have compiled a record of 26 wins, six ties and two losses. Goals scored 100, while only giving up 24 goals against.

Top Row: AC-Pete Ramin, Matt Bielski, Dan Kraynak, Stephen Auyer, Jordan Gentile, Andrew Coughlin, Nick Malone, Casey Murphy, Andrew Mcbride, HC-Darren Wynne, Middle Row: Jake Lunduski, Emmanuel Chanelo, Trevor Knox, Sean Coyne, Jun Lee, Ben Ramin, Adam Lauko Front Row: Tim Goldman, Kyle Mulligan, Kevin Keeley, Spencer Parker, Stefan Merchant.

Local soccer club team ranked #1 in New York

On June 15, representatives from the Liverpool Elks Lodge 2348 presented Van Buren Elementary School in Baldwinsville with a $500 Gratitude Grant. The grant will allow the school, with the assistance of the school’s PTA, to purchase a book for each Van Buren student, so that each child may participate in the New York State Assembly’s Summer Reading Challenge.

Left: Barbara Bury and Patricia McKenna, representatives from the Liverpool Elks Lodge 2348, present the grant to students Liam Connery, Jessica Alvarez, Daniel Kline, and Samantha Kline.

Liverpool Elks award grant to B’ville School

By Melissa Renahan

In June, fifth-graders from all 10 Liv-erpool elementary schools have learned about Onondaga Lake’s past, present and future as part of the Liverpool Central School District’s Living Lake Project.

Each school’s fifth-graders spent a day at the lake exploring topics such as its watershed, water quality and en-vironmental issues through hands-on activities. The students participated in nature walks, went fishing, and tested oxygen levels in water samples. They also discovered microscopic organisms and learned about the food chain.

The program is organized each year by LCSD science helping teacher Alex Becerra. Additional program volunteers included OCM BOCES coordina-tor of environmental education Jack Gramlich, Onondaga Environmental Institute environmental educator Rob Griffiths, Donlin Drive Elementary fifth-grade teacher Peter Crump, Soule Road Elementary fifth-grade teacher John Clancy, Willow Field Elementary fifth-grade teacher Kevin Moquin, Long Branch Elementary sixth-grader Rod Radford, Jim Daly from the Anglers Association of Onondaga, Ray Besecker from the Central New York Chapter of

the Izaak Walton League, and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students Kate Hibbard, Amanda Giangiobbe, Brandon Murphy and Fernando Maldonado.

Becerra said the goal of the Living Lake Project is to encourage students to be stewards of the environment and the watershed, as well as learn what a great resource Onondaga Lake is to the

community.This is the first year that all 10

elementary schools participated in the program, he said, and approximately 600 students, teachers and parents had the opportunity to experience the lake in a new way.

“It really opened my eyes that the program can really impact the commu-nity,” Becerra said.

Clay Insider, 6 July 2009

Family, friends and loved ones will be holding a benefit on August 8 at the North Syracuse Christian Church, Brasington Park, 911 Church Street in North Syracuse from 4pm until 9pm.

•A silent auction along with door prizes•50/50 raffles•Raffles for any and all donations provided. •Dinosaur B.B.Q. pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, macaroni salad, hot dogs, hamburgers and soda.

PRESALE tickets are $10, or $15 at the doorChildren 4 and under are free. To purchase, email jamierootynewton@live.com

Kayla Jace is a happy little 9 year old that has been diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis, a disease that causes tumors to appear anywhere throughout the body. She is currently undergoing treatment to at-

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Nolan Miles, a senior at Baker High School in Baldwinsville, has received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He was recognized at Baker’s 35th Annual Moving Up Day awards ceremony on May 22.

B’ville grad to attend West Point

From l to r: Matthew Straub, CNY West Point Admissions officer (West Point ’95) and his parents, Maureen and Kevin (West Point ’85).

Photo credit: Baldwinsville Central School District

Nate Perry Elementary fifth-graders Brandi Howard, left, Alicia Pluff and Sara Love test the oxygen levels in Onondaga Lake during the Liverpool Central School District’s Living Lake Project.

LCSD fifth-graders study Onondaga Lake

At the regular meeting of the North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education in June, several groups of students were recognized for their outstanding achievements during the 2008-09 school year.

The Cicero-North Syracuse (C-NS) High School Dance Ensemble was first recognized for having been named National Pom Champions for the United States. The group competed in New York City in March and was awarded first place in the nation for their pom routine.

The C-NS Cadet Winterguard was recognized as the 2009 Mid-York Color Guard State Champions.

The C-NS Jun ior Vars i ty Winterguard was recognized as 2009 Mid-York Colorguard Circuit Champions and 2009 Northeast Colorguard Circuit Champions.

The C-NS Varsity Winterguard was recognized as 2009 WGI Scholastic A World Champions, 2009 Mid-York Colorguard Circuit Champions, 2009 Northeast Colorguard Circuit

Champions and 2009 Pittsburgh WGI Regional Champions.

Add i t iona l ly, the C-NS Engineering Team was recognized for their achievements as a group and for placing second in the 2009 Shell Eco-Marathon Americas Competition.

Members of the dance ensemble are: Hilary Anderton, Alyssa Ashlaw, Erin Banks, Cara Byrns, Mariah Centolella, Danielle-Nicole Coots, Danielle Dinneen, Nicole Donovan, Ashley Hammond, Paige Kopp, Laura Lax, Mikayla Madigan, Liz McDonald, Ezmira Neshawait, Kylie Nicoletti, Marissa Pauldine, Sarah Protos, Michele Reilly, Kristine Savage, Alicia Taylor and Jordan Taylor.

The C-NS Cadet Winterguard is made up of: Harlie Allen-Rhoads, Brooke Bliss, Samantha Brown, Racheael Buchanan, Cori Buffum, Emma Connors, Bryann Dingle, Elizabeth Fehrman, Sabrina French, Meghan Geary, Carly Guarno, Jessica Hollis, Samantha Holzapfel, Nicole Isgar, Marina Locastro, Angelina Mauro, Shannon Mayfield, Paige McDonald, Rachael Mullen, Kaitlyn Murphy, Melissa Peil, Aliyah Pitre, Melissa Raut, Alexis Shaughnessy, Victoria Sinay, Kathryn Stanek, Megan Stiles, Brittany Wilson and Brittany Zangari.

The C-NS Junior Varsity Winterguard is comprised of: Mia Angeli, Kathryn Angus, Nicole Augunas, Kristin Beehner, Danielle Colavecchio, Brittany Copani, Jenna DeSantis, Gabriella Donadio, Karhryn Graham, Kelsi Grevelding, Allison Hagadorn, Amanda Hollis, Heather Houde, Taylor Maroni, Rachael McKeon, Rachel Pentasuglio, Kelly Phillips, Tiffany Rawson, Kayleigh Sauter, Brianne Studt, Taylor Jones and Alysia Wisniewski.

The C-NS Varsity Winterguard is made up of: Kalie Baker, Brittany Bausinger, Ashley Beehner, Jacquelynne Bowne, Molly Buffa, Elise Chilbert, Caitlin Donaldson, Morgan Kenyon, Jeanette LaCross, Taylor Laris, Vannepha Luangaphay, Corrine Rattray, Jennifer Raut, Elizabeth Sargent, Kayce Taylor, Cameron VanTienhoven, Elizabeth Vinette and Chelsea Zangari.

The names of those in the Student Engineering Club are: Senior, Kyle Berezin; Senior, Stephen Borregine; Sophomore, Alex Julian; Sophomore, Nick Pietricola; Sophomore, Danny Pietricola; Senior, Andrew Raut; Senior, Meghan Ryan; Senior, Chris Therre and Junior, Kevin Thyne.

July 2009 Clay Insider, 7

The Insider is looking for more student writers!

If you live in the LCSD, NSCSD or BCSD and would like to submit a piece about a local event, issues affecting your school or life from a

student’s perspective please email it to news@clayinsider.com.

Finally you’ve found a home that seems perfect and you really love it - the chemistry is there - and the price is right. If you are like many buyers, you start by asking your Agent if the sellers will take less than they are asking.

We never know what the sellers bottom line will be. Sellers often don’t know themselves until they get an offer. In many cases, the price is negotiable, but the only way to test it is to make the sellers a written

REAL ESTATE MATTERSby Donna Rausch

TO BARGAIn OR nOT TO BARGAIn

offer to accept or counter. Attractive, well-priced homes usually sell quickly in any market. If you get involved in offers and counter offers, another buyer could come in with a better offer while you are negotiating back and forth. If you cannot qualify for financing at the asking price and you are willing to risk losing the house, you can make a lower offer. If it will break your heart to lose a home you really love, that you can afford, it may be worth paying the asking price.Donna Rausch is the Branch Manager of the Liverpool office of RealtyUSA. Donna is an Associate Broker, holds the prestigious Certified Residential Specialist designation as well as the Seniors Real Estate designation.

Donna and her 37 experienced associates can be reached at 622-2111 x124 or donnarausch@realtyusa.com for additional information regarding any Real Estate Matter.

The Liverpool High School Foreign Language Department recently recog-nized 29 French and Spanish students during an awards ceremony after school. LHS sophomores, juniors and seniors were chosen by their teachers for the positive attitudes they brought to the classroom and for their dedication and commitment to learning French and Spanish.

LHS French teachers Sharon Vowles and Lynn Kauffman honored senior Erin Squairs, senior William Grome, sopho-more Stephen Schneider, senior Shannon Campbell, senior Katie Bresnahan, senior McKay Walsh, senior Laken DeRycke and junior Tracy Pierce.

“These are the students who brought joy and enthusiasm to their classes throughout the year as they studied not only the language itself, but also about the many cultures and people of the French and Spanish speaking world,” Carrow said. “Each of their classes was made that much brighter by their very presence, and visible joy in learning and in sharing the French and Spanish languages.”

Spanish teachers Nieves Cacho, Amy Pento, Diane Burke, Elizabeth Stacey, Irma Sandoval, Kristine Napolitano and Vicki Carrow recently honored 21 students for their dedication and commitment to learning Spanish. In the front row, from left, are Margaret Pierce, Hardeep Kaur, Libby Nowakowski and Emily Dumas. In the middle row, from left, are Sandoval, Carrow, Yarek Yankannah, Shamichael Flagg, Chloe Salvie-Lombardo, Napolitano, Ashley Johnston, Corey Crockett, Rebecka Ozimek, Jennifer Street and Nicole Ciricillo. In the back row, from left, are Cacho, Brian Walsh, Damien Brown Jr., Daniel Budmen, Sarah Garcia O’Hara, Peter Budmen, Brendan Capria, Emily Bratt, Dan Auber, Alex Baker, Pento, Burke and Stacey.

Chestnut Hill Middle recently hosted its annual Career Day, which focused on entrepreneurship and the trades.

Students chose from 27 sessions and explored careers such as flight attendant, photographer, cos-metologist, engineer, roadie and stagehand, as well as fields such as advertising/public relations, law enforcement and military service. Representatives from Cameo Grooming and Dog Daycare, Husted Dairy and Certapro also were on hand to discuss how to start and maintain a business.

In addition to career discussions, six Liverpool High School seniors, all CHM graduates, returned to the school to talk with students about the transi-tion between middle school and the LHS Annex.

Members of the District’s Operations and Main-tenance staff also were on hand to talk with stu-dents as well, including generalist Neal Candee, horticulturalist Dan Carroll, carpenter Skipp Du-Rocher, electrician Rich Grondin, plumber Paul Gurney, arborist and groundskeeper Paul Hoag, painter Chuck Longeretta, and John Taylor, who maintains the district’s building communications systems.

“These individuals really stepped out of their comfort zone as they each became public speakers and teachers for a day,” said CHM family and con-sumer science teacher Christine Bunn.

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Simone Neivel, a first-grader at Reynolds Elementary School in Baldwinsville, was recently honored by the Pupil Transportation Safety Institute for naming a new book on bus safety.

Her submission of “The Bus Rules” was chosen for the title of a new book geared toward children in kindergarten through second grade. The book is included in the Institute’s new product, a Student School Bus Safety Pack, which is sold to school districts nationwide.

Kathy Furneaux (pictured right with Neivel), the Institute’s executive director, presented Neivel with a plaque and distributed a copy of the new book to all of her classmates.

Baldwinsville pupil names new bus safety book

Photo credit: Pupil Transportation Safety Institute

The next generation ofmemories is waiting.

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“When people hear the name they ask ‘what is that, an insurance agen-cy?’” jokes Leesa Hovey, daughter of the Truax & Hovey’s owner. “That’s why, two years ago, we merged our hearth products division (formerly Truax & Hovey) and our cabinet department (formerly C&R Supply) into a new company called Hearth Cabinets and More LTD.”

Now people at least have a better idea of what their residential products division has to offer in their spacious showroom and offices, located on Buckley Road in Liverpool, by the intersection of Morgan Road.

Hovey, who lives in Baldwinsville, has been around the interior construc-tion business all of her life since it was started by her father over 50 years ago. For many of those years they had an additional showroom in Rochester, but now they operate solely out of the Syracuse area.

Despite the economy, Hovey says that kitchen remodels are still taking place, albeit on more conservative budgets. A possible theory is that because of the real estate market’s downturn, homeowners are spending the money to update one of the most

vital rooms in the house, the kitchen. On average, each of the five design-ers work with three clients a week. Regardless, the remodels are a more drawn-out process than the hearth side of the business, which includes the sale of wood burning and gas stoves and the design of the mantle, etc. Even in June, they still sell three to four units a week.

“The most important thing in a project is the people. We make sure our customers know we are there every step of the way,” Hovey said. That level of personal attention starts from the moment someone enters the showroom and speaks to a designer, from free consultations to actual computer-aided drawings, or CAD plans, that can help the client visual-ize. They also do field measuring, ensuring that everything fits where it should as opposed to the mistakes that can be made when people chose to do it themselves.

“We discuss their “wish list” and at the same time evaluate, or sometimes even create, their budget. There’s no sticker shock at the end of the project here!” Hovey said. They do every-thing but the floors – including appli-

ances, counters, cabinets and fixtures.Designer Liz Mattox likes to gather

information from her clients that can help her create their dream kitchen.

“Bringing even something small to the consultation, like a bowl or a light fixture, can help me envision what they want,” she explained. She also is quick to remind clients that this is not a quick process. An typical kitchen remodel can take up to a month (if all goes according to plan...which is often not the case!) and will most definitely disrupt normal life for a while.

Though Hearth, Cabinets and More staff remain very involved with the project, they do not do any install cabinetry. Outside contractors are used for every job, based either on the

client’s choice or recommendations by the designers.

Aside from guiding people through cabinet and counter top selections, Hovey and her staff also help out local organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, to which they donated a prize for a silent auction, and Habitat for Humanity, to which they routinely donate materials. Last year they also donated their time to assist with the Extreme Home Makeover in Geneva and the Heritage Homes house they worked on in last year’s Parade of Homes won “Best on Show”.

To learn more, or just to fantasize about what your kitchen could look

like, visit hearthcabinetsandmore.com.

July 2009 Clay Insider, 9

in business

By Melissa Renahan

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Clay Insider, 10 June 2009

Olympic hopefuls from LiverpoolFour members of the Liverpool Soccer Academy, a local trav-

eling soccer club, just completed their first year in the Olympic Development Program (ODP). Kenny Slack, Ryan Hinton, Tony Barraco and Bryan Sibble were invited into the program based on performances at the annual try-out.

The goal of ODP is to identify the most talented and passionate youth players at the state level and allow them the opportunities to advance up to National Team camps and become National Team players. To learn more, please visit www.liverpoolsa.com.

The phrase “home sweet home” is bittersweet for Bryan Simer. The former Liverpool star, who gradu-ated in 2000, has recently returned to the area and this time has his eyes set on playing at the next level. Simer is poised to become the next starting quarterback of the Shock, Syracuse’s very own semi-pro foot-ball franchise. The journey was long and the experience was varied, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Playing for Liverpool was defi-nitely an up and down experience for me,” Simer said. During his junior year Liverpool went undefeat-ed in the regular season and ended Rome Free Academy’s 10-year home winning streak. The Warriors went on to play for the sectional cham-pionship and became (at the time) the only team to beat RFA twice in one season. Liverpool moved on to play for state championship, but lost in the semifinals. During his senior season the team was in a transition phase after losing some veteran ex-perience, and would go on to lose in the sectional semifinals.

After high school it was an easy choice where the next step would

be. Simer fielded various offers to continue his promising career, and eventually accepted a scholarship to American International. It was a decision he still stands by today.

“I definitely feel that it was the right choice for me because I knew I wanted to go to and graduate from college because no one else in my family before me really even went to college, so I was the first,” Simer said. After graduation, with no future plans set in stone, Simer was confronted with the option to continue his playing career with the Syracuse Shock.

“I discovered the Shock when a friend of mine from high school asked me if I still wanted to try and play some football,” Simer ex-plained. The team’s starting quar-terback from 2008 decided not to return for another season and Simer was more than eager to sign up for the job.

Before the team’s first game June 20, he had lofty expectations.

“I expect to work hard enough to maintain the starting QB position; I plan to be one of the leaders of this team; I plan on helping us win as

many games as humanly possible; and I plan on us making a trip down to Florida for a national champi-onship…after we win the league championship,” Simer said. The transition to this level of football has been easier on him than it would be for most considering the different systems he’s played in over the years. Even now he is learning things that will only improve his play and make him a better quarterback. Simer has meshed well with the upstart Shock, and asides from a few rookie wise-cracks now and again he has adapted very smoothly.

After the season Simer isn’t quite

sure what his plans are, but he still wants it to include football.

“After the season I plan to con-tinue to workout and train since I believe that I can be an effective, if not great, player in either the arena league or the NFL one day down the road,” he said. Here’s to hoping the local star gets his wish.

The Shock’s season runs from late June to September including the playoffs, and more information on the team can be found on the official website www.SyracuseShock.org.

On June 20, the Shock defeated Watertown 67-0, marking their first victory of Simer’s season.

By Paul Lyboult

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The Liverpool Youth Lacrosse Association (LYLA) is starting a used equipment donation program to help ease the financial stress many families are feeling during these tough economic times. The league is asking that anyone with used boys or girls lacrosse equipment – which many times can run approximately $200 per child when purchased new – donate it to LYLA so children interested in playing the sport can do so without a big investment.

“Children are in to so many sports these days that it is difficult for parents to make a big equipment investment up front when the child may change their mind and play another sport the next season,” said Earl Hall, president of LYLA. “Our goal is to get as many kids as possible interested in and loving lacrosse and this donation program will enable many kids to play with the right equipment and be safe without a big investment from the start.”

Currently, LYLA is set to host its largest season ever with nearly 300 boys and girls from grades Kindergarten through 8th grade registered. LYLA is looking for men’s or women’s lacrosse sticks, helmets, gloves, arm pads, shoulder pads, women’s goggles, goals and lacrosse balls.

Anyone interested in donating equipment can call Jeff Salanger at 481-2570 or email at jsalanger25@gmail.com. Arrangements can be made to have your donation picked up.

LYLA is a part of the Upstate Lacrosse Association (ULA), formerly the Brine Upstate Lacrosse League (BULL), which was founded by Liverpool’s Donlin Drive Elementary School principal John Sardella 15 years ago. ULA and LYLA coaches concentrate on developmental and instructional learning for the players. For more information, please call Stephanie Salanger at 652-9430 or 263-8563.

LYLA urges spring cleaning with launch of lacrosse equipment donation program

Patience Deborah Kisakye was ordained an elder in The United Methodist Church on Thursday, May 28.

The Rev. Dr. Marcus Matthews, Resident Bishop of the New York West Area of The United Methodist Church, officiated over the solemn and celebratory service in Hendricks Chapel on the Syracuse University campus.

Rev. Kisakye is a candidate for a Doctor of Ministry in Practical Theology at the Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. She holds a Masters in Divinity from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, a Masters in Religious Communication from United Theological Seminary, and a diploma in education from National Teacher’s College.

She currently serves Clay, Trinity, NCNY, previously serving Sandy Creek and Parish. Before serving in North Central New York, Rev. Kisakye served in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference.

Rev. Kisakye was ordained a Priest in the Church of Uganda in 1986 and commissioned from Busoga Diocese as an ordained minister to serve under the direction of Africa Evangelistic Enterprise, Kampala. She was recruited from the Anglican Church to assist with evangelism and church planting under the British Methodist Church of Kenya in the Methodist Church and recommended by the Synod and sponsored by WCC for theological education in the United States in January of 1990.

Talking about her call to ministry,

Rev. Kisakye said the following:“ In today ’s inc reas ing ly

interdependent global world, where actions or events in any part of the world have impact on people in other parts of the world, it is necessary to build a network of solidarity and to nurture disciples who can shed light on the gospel mandate in a complex and multifaceted international community.” Rev. Kisakye said.

“The challenge for the church in the United States therefore, is to rethink the way that it organizes itself in its relationship to and with the stranger. Only then, might person on its margins gather ‘the courage to be a part of the larger whole, to stand alone, to accept the fact that we are carried by the creative power in which every creature participates.’”

June 2009 Clay Insider, 11

Worship Listings

Is your church, synagogue or place of worship in Clay missing? Send us the information at news@clayinsider.com and we will include it

next month.

Congregation Ner Tamid5061 West Taft Rd., N. Syracuse315-461-9226 Sabbath services Friday night at 8 p.m.

Trinity Assembly of God4398 Route 31, Clay 315-652-4996Sunday Services: 10:15 a.m. & 6 p.m.

Trinity United Methodist Church8396 Morgan Rd., Clay315-652-9186Sunday Services: 9 and 11 a.m.

Grace Covenant ChurchStearns Rd. and Route 31, ClaySunday Services: 8:30 and 11 a.m.

North Central Assembly of God7463 Buckley Rd., N. Syracuse315-458-0896Sunday Worship: 10 a.m.

Liverpool First United Methodist Church604 Oswego Street, Liverpool315 457-5180Sunday Services: 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m.

Our Lady of Walsingham Parish (Catholic, Western Rite)8573 Van Heusen Rd,. ClaySunday Service: 10 a.m.

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church 904 Vine St., Liverpool315-457-4633Sunday Service: 8:00 a.m. & 10:15 a.m.

Messiah’s Church (Reformed Presbyterian) 8181 Stearns Rd., Clay315-451-2148Sunday Service: 10 a.m.

Calvary Chapel Syracuse103 Grampian Rd., Liverpool315-451-1556Sunday Services: 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.

Wetzel Road Church Of Christ4268 Wetzel Road, Liverpool,315-652-3195Worship is at 8:30 & 11 a.m.

Cross of Christ Evangelical Lutheran ChurchRoute 57 and Soule Rd., Clay315-622-2843Sunday Service: 10:15 a.m.

Northminster Presbyterian Church7444 Buckley Road, North Syracuse315-458-0393Sunday Worship: 10 a.m.

Liverpool 1st Presbyterian Church603 Tulip St., Liverpool315-457-3161Sunday Service: 10:15 a.m.

United Church of Christ in Bayberry215 Blackberry Road, Clay315-652-6789 Sunday Worship: 8:30 & 10:30 a.m.

Community Christian Reformed Church7823 Hicks Rd., Baldwinsville315-638-1664

King of Kings Lutheran Church8278 Oswego Rd., Liverpool315-622-2077Sunday Services: 8:15 & 10:45 a.m. & 6 p.m.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints4889 Bear Rd., LiverpoolSunday Service: 9:30 a.m.

Liverpool Community Church800 4th St., Liverpool 315-701-0857Sunday Services: 9:30 & 11 a.m.

Trinity Evangelical Presbyterian ChurchDriver’s Village Conv. Ctr., E Circle Dr., Clay 315-652-5379Sunday Services: 10 a.m.

Beacon Baptist Church4800 Route 31, Clay315-699-5900

Family Worship Center8480 Morgan Rd., Clay, 315-652-3491Sunday Services: 9 & 11 a.m.

Grace Baptist Church17 Oneida River Rd., Pennellville315-695-2341Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m.

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church4947 Route 31, Clay315-699-7268

Blessed Hope Church8791 Oswego Rd., Clay315-695-6710

in good fAithEach month the Insider will run an article about faith submitted by a Clay resident. It can be about anything related to your faith and is not limited to the religious aspects of faith. If you are interested in submitting an article, please contact the editor at news@clayinsider.com. This month’s article was submitted by Clay resident Dorothy Heller who attends Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Faith is the backbone of the Lu-theran Church for we believe that we are saved by God’s Grace through our faith in Jesus Christ. That doc-trine is the basis of those who call Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church their church home. Imman-uel is the oldest Lutheran Church congregation in Onondaga County and the oldest church in Clay.

Church ancestors trace their heri-tage back to Germany to a place called the Palatinate on the Rhine River in Germany. In the winter of 1708, they were evicted from their homes by the French.

On Dec. 25, 1709, 3,000 people boarded 10 ships bound for Amer-ica as indentured servants of “the crown” under Gov. Robert Hunter. Those that survived settled in camps on the Hudson. They then gradually migrated up the Hudson to Schoha-rie and after the Revolutionary War, west along the Mohawk to Oneida Lake and Oneida River to Clay, be-ginning to arrive in 1812.

Although there were a few families

in Clay, it wasn’t until their arrival that a settlement grew up around the Caughdenoy area, near the Oneida River. Many other relatives and friends followed. They became known as the Dutch Settlement and began worshipping in their homes. It wasn’t until 1823, when their first pastor, the Rev. Senderling, arrived that the first recorded baptisms, births, deaths and marriages were recorded.

They built an edifice on the cor-ner of Caughdenoy and Van Heusen Roads called the Dutch Settlement Church. Later the name changed to Lutheran Church of Clay. In 1915, they decided to move the congrega-tion closer to the “ center of town” near the railroad station and local industries along Route 31. While the construction went on, using most of the materials from the old Church, services were held in the home of Lambert and Mary Sellens Weller next to the railroad tracks. This property was later donated to the church to be used as a parking

lot.Construction was completed

at a cost of $7,500. Dedication of the new church building took place on June 4, 1916 with over 500 clergy and lay persons attend-ing. Along with the other beauti-ful stained glass windows by Keck is the one over the altar of “Jesus blessing the little ones.” The first pastor at the new location was the Rev. J. C. Reichert, who brought in many new members. The two major additions were the Parsonage next door and the Kisselburgh edu-cational wing.

The Rev. John Kisselburgh was the longest serving pastor (1931-1978). When he stepped off the train at Clay Station, his first im-pression of Clay was BLAH. Be-ing from the hills along the Hudson

River, it was unbelievable to him how flat Clay is. But he remained here the rest of his life. Not only was he our beloved Pastor, but an artist, writer (his book is entitled “Shadow of the Half Moon”), out-doorsman and Clay Town Histo-rian.

As for the congregation, it con-tinues to count descendants of the original ancestors of the church and of Clay among its members. They are loaded with memories and the church archives are loaded with ma-terials. Also there are many younger persons with wonderful new ideas. The Holy Spirit is very alive in this Church and it is still known by its description as “The Friendly Little Church by the Side of the Road.” I cannot picture myself belonging to any other congregation.

United Methodist’s new Reverend

The newly ordained Rev. Kisakye is happy to be in Clay.

those who are unable to shop for and/or prepare their own meals; those who are disabled or rehabili-tating at home; those experiencing difficulty with meal preparations; or those whose caregiver is away. No doctor’s note is required, individuals can just call and register.

“We want to get the younger generation involved as their parents and grandparents age,” explained Barrett. “Often our service is un-der-utilized because people don’t understand all that we can do.”

Meals can be tailored to fit spe-cific dietary needs, like for diabetics or those allergic to certain foods. Delivery can also be set up for any length of time on any particular days; there is no minimum num-ber of meals that must be ordered. Moreover, if someone wishes to sample a meal before signing up for deliveries, that can be arranged.

The cost is $6 per day for two full meals per person, which is significantly less than it would cost to buy groceries. All invoices are private-pay, though Barrett is quick to point out that they often just accept any donation and do not deprive their customers of meals. The only people not billed are those

qualified for the Senior Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which is a USDA subsidized program for which people are evaluated based on a social worker’s visit and their own financial standing.

Though there is funding from state and federal sources, NAMOW hosts numerous fundraisers throughout the year in order to cover their operational costs, gas expenses and grocery bills. Their most recent one, Wheel-A-Thon, a ‘walk’ consisting of non-motor-ized wheeled transportation, was held at Onondaga Lake Park and raised over $4,000. Coming up are two golf tournaments that still have room for both golfers and sponsors.

On July 26 the Plank Road Chamber of Commerce will host a tournament at the Greens at Beau-mont Club at 1 p.m. All proceeds from this event will go directly to NAMOW. To register, call 458-6320 before July 15.

Then on Sept. 20, NAMOW will host its own tournament at the Liv-erpool Country Club on Morgan Road. To register for this event, call 447-7658 before Sept. 4.

The 2010 Spring Gala will be held on May 7 and Barrett is still looking for corporate sponsors.

For more information about any of these events, to register for meals or to volunteer, call 452-1402.

Clay Insider, 12 July 2009

We were the only diners as we en-tered Fusion on a recent Tuesday night. This newly created dining and entertainment spot is in the old Critells’a on Route 11 in North Syra-cuse. We were offered a choice of the formally set, but empty, dining room or a table in the bar and we opted for the latter. We were ushered into the burgundy and mahogany bar, bright-ly lit by a large picture window with an unattractive view. The waiter/ host/ bartender turned out to be the owner, Tony, whose fiancée handles the kitchen duties.

If you are strictly a roast and pota-toes person, this may not be the place for you. But if you like to try old fa-vorites in new clothes, we strongly recommend Fusion. What the menu lacks in size, it more than makes up for in interest.

We started with cocktails ($5.50 and $7) as we made our choices. 10 appetizers ($6-9) are offered but we ordered the $13 Fusion Tapaz Plat-ter, a combo of appetizers. We were informed that the fried cauliflower and mozzarella sticks were not avail-able and asked if we would take a substitution of a crab cake. That seemed like a fair trade, and we were richly rewarded with the best crab cake we have ever eaten up North. The accompanying onion rings were deliciously homemade with a hint of curry. Chicken and pork satays with three sauces rounded out the platter.

Nine entrees ($10-19) are offered including strip steak, two chicken dishes and two pork tenderloin, as well as three seafood entrees. He chose the daily special of shrimp in coconut curry sauce, and she or-dered the special crab-stuffed salm-on. Service here is leisurely because everything is cooked to order. Good food takes time. We ordered a beer ($4.25) and a glass of wine ($7). We

looked at the wine list, which was very reasonable and more extensive than we had expected ($18-34). We passed the time in conversation with the owner who told us about the weekly entertainment including Salsa and West Coast Swing instruc-tion and dancing. Daily lunch is also served.

Dinner platters arrived with nice portions of seafood accompanied by sautéed summer squash and Tuscan orzo and rice, which we’d chosen from the offered selection of carbo-hydrates. The salmon was perfectly cooked with a buttery crab and crumb filling. The veggies were a delicious accompaniment and pretty with their red pepper garnish. The shrimp were also perfectly cooked proving the culinary ability of the chef. The sauce was a wonderful smooth, creamy sweet coconut curry. No spice here, but an expert blend of Indonesian flavors. The only low point was the orzo. But when we commented on it, our host was quick to offer a bowl of white rice that he said was more fitting for the curry. Tony was absolutely right and the curry was finished in a hurry!

Desserts are homemade (as is every-thing but the orzo) and we selected a Pecan Raisin Tart ($4.99) and coffee ($2.29). “Wow,” is all we can say. This puff pastry shell filled with cus-tard, raisins and nuts, accompanied by not-too-sweet whip cream was heaven-sent. Best dessert in town.

The bill came to a reasonable $79 before our $25 internet coupon.

Fusion is an undiscovered gem in North Syracuse. Don’t leave it that way. Run, don’t walk, for a leisurely, romantic dinner with an internation-al flavor you won’t soon forget.

- Betty and Richard Wiese live in Clay and spend many of their weekends visiting local eateries.

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NAMOWfrom page 1

upcoming eventsClay Kids History CampLearn from the Clay Historical Associa-tion members in a fun camp that will give your child experiences from the past. Prior camp included making soap, old fashion butter and ice cream, plant-ing crops of the time, playing old time games etc. Theme this year TBA. Held at the Town of Clay Historical Park, 4939 Rte. 31, July 6 thru July 10, from 9 a.m. till noon. Open to kids age seven to 12. Fee is $35. Registration may be done in person at Clay Town Hall - Recreation Office or by phoning the Recre-ation Office at 652-3800, ext. 138. Spaces are limited.

Upward Basketball and Cheerleading CampNorthside Baptist Church, 7965 Oswego Road in Liverpool, will be offering camps open to boys and girls entering kindergarten through eighth grade camp will begun Friday, July 24, and run from 4 to 8 p.m. Followed by an ice cream celebration for all players, cheerleaders and their parents from 8 to 9 p.m. Pizza dinner included for camp participants. On Saturday, July 25 camp runs from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. with lunch included for camp participants. Cost is $35 per person if you register by July 1 and $45 per person after that date. Final day to register is July 10. All campers will receive a camp T-shirt, water bottle and either ball (basketball participants) or poms (cheerleading participants). There will be a registration day on Saturday, June 27, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Northside. Or you may mail or drop off your registration at the church from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday thru Friday. For more information, contact Mike Loucy at 569-5675 or Kathy Jerman at kljerman@twcny.rr.com

CNY SPD Parent ConnectionNext meeting is on Thursday, July 16 at 7 p.m., at the Beacon Baptist Church in Clay. The group serves as a means of support for parents of children with Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD.

Kids’ Bowling ProgramA fun supervised open bowling program to promote healthy exercise, fun and sharpen your bowling skills in a State-of-the-Art Automatic Scoring 40-lane bowling alley. Bumpers available on all lanes. At Flamingo Bowl, 7239 Oswego Road, in Liverpool. 457-7470. Tuesdays, starting June 30 thru Aug. 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Open to ages six through 14. Fee is $7 and includes three fun hours of bowling, bowling shoes and lunch (slice of pizza or hot dog and a drink). Payment direct to Flamingo Bowl. Registration is done onsite Tuesdays with Clay staff each date at Flamingo Bowl.

Chaos for TeensA teen traveling theatre troupe trains for stage productions as well as festival and street theatre performances. Limited space. Meets Tuesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Director permission for entry in troupe. If you are interested, contact Chrissy Clancy at 652-3800 x 137 or email cclancy@townofclay.org.

Adult Golf LessonsAt the Cicero Golf Center, located at 8457 Brewerton Rd. Session II - begins week of Monday, June 1 for five weeks; Session III - begins week of Monday July 13, for five weeks. Limited space! Lessons are an hour long: choose Mon-day-Wednesday 6 or 7 p.m., Thursday 6 p.m, or Sunday 5 or 6 p.m. Call Chuck Jonick at 699-3333.

Pre-K Music and Movement ProgramThe village of North Syracuse is sponsoring a program designed for children between the ages of 2 and 5 to encourage exploration, imagination and play time. Classes will be held from 10 to 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday mornings beginning July 8 through Aug. 19 at the Lonergan Park Gazebo on Route 11. Equipment and activities will be featured to challenge youngsters to participate more freely. Participant will experience singing and playing instruments as well. Registration is limited. The cost is $20 for village residents and $30 for non-village residents. Register through the parks and recreation department by calling 458-8050.

Alzheimer’s Association hosts support group meetingsThe Alzheimer’s Association will host a number of support groups in the Liverpool area. The monthly meetings are open to caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease. A complete list of support groups may be downloaded at alzcny.org. For more information, contact the Alzheimer’s Association, at 800-272-3900. In Liverpool, meetings will be held at Birchwood Health Care Center, second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

Free Concerts in the ParkLiverpool Is The Place Committee is continuing their events in Johnson Park from 7 to 9 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday evening through Aug. 19. For more information visit liverpoolistheplace.com, or call the Greater Liverpool Chamber of Commerce at 457-3895.

July 2009 Clay Insider, 13

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The Tuesday night family con-cert series at Clay Central Park has begun. The park is located on 4821 Wetzel Road in Liverpool and per-formances begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Ernest N. Casale Amphitheatre. Supervisor Damian Ulatowski will present a park bench in the name of ‘Ernie’ on Tuesday, July 21 during a performance of the Toby Frank-lin Band, which includes Ernie’s son Sal as a member.

Ernie Casale was a large influ-ence in the formation of the town government to what it is today. He began his career with the town as Deputy Town Clerk, then a Coun-cilman. Twice he served as the Town Assessor, then Supervisor, as well as Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Under Ernie’s watch, residential development began to extend past Bayberry and commercial develop-ment began to flourish with the building of the Great Northern Mall. It was Ernie’s foresight that kept Clay one of the lowest taxed municipalities in Onondaga Coun-ty. Even after he left town govern-ment, Ernie stayed active in town affairs until his death in 2008. In appreciation for his wisdom and insight, as well as his love and gen-erosity, employees of the town took up a collection to purchase a park bench commemorating his life. ‘Ernest Casale 1926 to 2008’!

We hope that the family of Ernie and the public will come and en-joy the park, the music, the youth games, and the festivities.

The time is here for the Clay senior citizens’ annual trip to a mys-tery destination. Senior Center Coordinator Chrissy Clancy is the only one who knows where the bus will take everyone on Sept. 30, but she promises a good time. There will be minimal walking and no boats..but be sure to dress comfy for the trip!

To register call 652-3800 ext. 137. Registration is limited and will be open until the one bus is filled. Cost is $25 and includes every-thing. Departure will be at 9 a.m. from the old Wegman’s parking lot on Route 57 and the bus will return at 6 p.m.

Clay Insider, 14 July 2009

LocAL AccompLishments

Know someone who has accomplished something outstanding? Send their story and photo to the Clay Insider at news@clayinsider.com for our new “Local Accomplishments” page!

Dunkin’ Donuts, America’s all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, chose Lindsay Piccotti of Clay is one of 12 finalists in Dunkin’ Donuts’ “Create Dunkin’s Next Donut con-test.”

Piccotti’s entry, “Tour de France,” a chocolate cake stick with hazelnut crème glaze, was cho-sen from nearly 130,000 donut contest creations submitted online.

The Ithaca College graduate says the inspira-tion for her creation was a post-graduation trip to France during which she and her friends in-dulged in crepes with Nutella. Piccotti said she enjoys baking and cake decorating and entered the contest for fun, never imagining she would be selected as a finalist.

“I actually forgot about the contest until I got the call,” Piccotti said. “If I were lucky enough to win the competition, I’ll undoubtedly put the money towards paying off my college loans.”

As a finalist, Piccotti won $1,200. She traveled to Dunkin’ Donuts’ headquarters in Canton, Massachusetts for a bake-off before Dunkin’ Do-nuts’ culinary team and company leaders, along with Paul Mullins, author of Glazed America: A History of the Doughnut, and Diane Werner, food director for Taste of Home, the number one

cooking magazine in the country. Finalists were selected based on the following

criteria: use of ingredients in donut combina-tions, donut name, and donut story. To learn more about the inspiration behind each donut, visit dunkindonuts.com/donut.

“We were absolutely amazed at the number of entries into our contest, and the incredible cre-ativity and originality of all of the submissions,” said Frances Allen, Dunkin’ Donuts’ Brand Marketing Officer. “Clearly donuts create pas-sion and delight among Americans, especially in these challenging times when people are seeking small moments of happiness. We salute Piccotti and all of our finalists, as well as everyone who participated in the contest to celebrate the joy and fun of donuts.”

The grand prize winning donut, “Toffee for Your Coffee” - A glazed, sour cream cake donut topped with chopped Heath Bar created by Jeff Hager of Hoover, Ala. was announced on Na-tional Donut Day June 5. Hager then received $12,000 and his donut will be sold at participat-ing Dunkin’ Donuts locations throughout the country. The winning donut was selected based on the vote of the bake-off judging panel, as well as America’s online vote.

The Clay Insider will be mailed each month to 14,535 single-family homes in the town of Clay.

• That’s every single-family home in Clay •

Thousands of copies will be distributed to apartment complexes and businesses throughout Clay.

For advertising information, e-mail news@clayinsider.com

Then you need to be

in the

Do you want your

advertismentin every

single-family home in Clay?

For Clay, being chosen to host the

CNY “Parade of Homes” this year

can only be described as the icing

on the cake. First came the Money

Magazine article that listed Clay

as the 59th best small place to live

in the U.S., then came the positive

press surrounding the controversial

police merger with the sheriff ’s of-

fice, and now this. Clay’s been given

the privilege of hosting an annual

event that could bring as many as

22,000 people onto Caughdenoy

Road and into the town, showing

them what we already know – Clay

is a great place to live.Although it is the 17th largest town

in all of New York State, Clay is

still being built and developed as its

population continues to grow each

year. According to the census from

2000, the population was 58,805;

almost a decade later that number is

sure to have climbed.Despite the expected crowds,

however, the event cannot be mea-

sured monetarily for the town and is

not necessarily viewed as a tourism

boost. What it does do is put the

spotlight on a well-deserving, rapidly

growing town while showcasing the

abilities and talents of many local

builders. Clay Town Supervisor Jim

Rowley’s hopes are more focused on

the long-term benefits gained from

hosting, such as reviving housing de-

velopments that have either slowed

in construction or even completely

stopped.

“One piece of the puzzle for Clay

has always been trying to attract

businesses along the corridors of

Routes 31 and 57,” says Rowley.

The construction of the new Lowe’s

on Route 31 is a big deal to the

town and may indicate that “another

boom” is on the way.

Mary Thompson, Executive

Officer of the Home Builders &

Remodelers of CNY, says that host-

ing the event will give Clay a chance

to “celebrate and sell themselves as

a community.” To further that, the

HBRCNY will be hosting a Com-

munity Night on Wednesday, Sept

10, in order to promote the town

itself as a commodity to potential

homebuyers. Things like the rela-

tively low taxes, nominal crime rates,

good school districts, and solid local

government will be at the forefront

of that presentation. Landowners Group One Devel-

opment spearheaded the site selec-

tion by allocating lots to be used

for the Parade. But it takes more

than that to secure the event – the

HBRCNY actually measures inter-

est and development in the town

by the amount of building permits

filed in the past year. By analyzing

that data, the HBRCNY can assure

builders that there is a market for

their homes in the area. Independent

of that process, the builders (who

must be HBRCNY members in

good standing) submit applications

and are chosen by the association to

Sep

tem

be

r 200

8

Do you have news? Contact

your editor, Melissa Renahan,

at news@clayinsider.com

Inside Town Hall........Page 5Garage Sale Finds........Page 7

In Good Faith............Page 9 Daycations...............Page12

In Business.................Page 13Why Clay?.................Page 16

Local Calendar..........Page 20Classifieds.................Page 23

www.clayinsider.com

In THIS ISSue:

Home Sweet Home here in 13041

Rowley tapped for county job

JMG Custom Homes takes the credit for this 2008 Parade home.

What says “Clay” to you?We’re looking for suggestions

on an icon to use in this space

for upcoming Insider issues.see page 4 details

At a news conference today,

County Executive Joanie Mahoney

announced that she was naming

Clay Supervisor James Rowley

as her pick for the county’s chief

fiscal officer position. The position is being vacated by

Joe Mareane, who has accepted

a job in Tompkins County.

Mahoney said she chose Rowley

for his combination of private

sector experience - he has

been CFO at Polaris Systems in

Liverpool since 2003, possesses

an MBA from Syracuse University

and recently earned his certificate

of school business administration

- and time in public office. She

was especially impressed with

the way he handled the police

merger proposal earlier this

year.“I had known of Jim before,

but I never got to work with him

until January,” Mahoney said. “I

got to see him in action, and I

was very impressed with the way

he handled a very controversial

Please see Parade, page 24Mahoney wants Clay supervisor for CFO position

By Sarah Hall

Please see County, page 3

By Melissa Renahan

Clay woman was finalist in ‘Create Dunkin’ Donuts Next Donut’ contest Generosity. Support.

Grat i f i cat ion. Three qualities Mike Hennigan of Liverpool found to be true about his fellow community members to be true. He was one of nine candidates in the Syracuse community that worked to raise money during the 2009 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s fundraising campaign.

Hennigan, and Lynn Basile of Eastwood, were crowned Man and Woman of the Year by the Western & Central New York Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at its fifth annual Man and Woman of the Year fundraising campaign.

Candidates are judged solely on a philanthropic basis as every dollar raised is counted as one vote. The individuals who raise the most funds during the 10-week campaign will be awarded the title of Man & Woman of the Year. Overall the nine candidates raised a total of $94,000. Of which, $36,000 was generated by

Hennigan and Basile. “The Man & Woman of

the Year 2009 Campaign challenge is a privilege and an opportunity,” Hennigan said. “I hoped to help and honor immediate family members, close friends and neighbors as well as all Central New Yorkers affected by these diseases by participating in this campaign.”

Hennigan is a third g e n e r a t i o n g r o c e r and owner of Nichols Supermarket in the Village of Liverpool. Thanks to a loyal patron of Nichols Supermarket, Hennigan said he was more than convinced to join the campaign. LLS board member and Syracuse University journalism professor Emilie Davis is a regular customer at Nichols and knew that Hennigan would be a good candidate for the fundraiser.

“It was amazing to be a part of the event,” Henn igan sa id . “ I t meant more than just attending.”

Hennigan, ‘Man of the Year’Leukemia and Lymphoma Society crown campaign contributors

203 Luther Avenue | Liverpool, NY 13088 | 315 428 0508Insured • Bonded • Licensed

of the lakes and rivers you intend to be using on board. Because Oneida Lake is shallow in some places, it is important to learn where the shoals are and know the meanings of the various bouys, and then make sure to follow them! Boat insurance is also an often-overlooked consideration. If your boat has a lien on it, boat insurance is required by the bank to protect the investment. If there

is no loan attached to the boat, insurance can still be purchased to provide protection in the event of an accident or loss related to weather. Policies vary by boat type and size, but a few hundred dollars should suffice to cover the bill and provide peace of mind. Boats must also be registered in New York State and are tracked using an identification number. Be sure the paperwork is in order to keep you legal, safe, and ticket-free!

Day TripsOnce the basics are completed,

what can we do? Oneida Lake is recognized widely for being shallow with a sandy bottom, which makes it perfect for skiing, tubing and even just swimming from the boat. There are a variety of places that boats can be seen any weekend day anchored while happy children splash, so join in the fun!

As a beginner, try to stay out of high traffic areas and don’t hesitate to ask for help. All old boaters were once new boaters and we’ll be glad to lend a hand or share some (probably hard-learned) advice with you.

Each end of the lake offers

entertainment as well. Sylvan Beach, at the East End of the lake, is a great destination with restaurants, lots of free docking, a beach, rides and ice cream stands galore. There is no better way to enjoy Sylvan Beach than to arrive by boat.

At the Western End of the lake is the canal and several restaurants. Arriving by boat to have a wonderful meal and return home at dusk is one of the best experiences in the world, so make sure to try it this summer!

July 2009 Clay Insider, 15

Foxfire North Golf & TennisOne Village Blvd.,Baldwinsville 638-2930

Links At Erie Village5900 N. BurdickE. Syracuse 656-4653

Liverpool Golf & Ctry ClubMorgan Road, Liverpool457-7170

Northern Pines GolfRoute 31, Cicero 699-2939

Radisson Community Golf Glacier Road, Baldwinsville638-4450

Riverside Country Club647 Country Route 37,Central Square

676-7714

Rogue’s Roost Golf CourseRt. 31, Bridgeport 633-9406

Seneca Golf CourseState Fair Blvd.,Baldwinsville 635-7571

Skyline Golf & CC9113 Brewerton Road,Brewerton, 699-5338

Turning Stone Golf Courses Oneida Indian Nation1. Atunyote (PGA tour coming Sept. 17-23)2. Kaluhyat3. Shenendoah4. Sandstone Hollow5. Pleasant Knolls877-748-GOLF

Hit the Greens instead of the water!Boatingfrom page 1

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AUTOHOME • BUSINESS

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R. KEVIN JOHNSON, President4921 W. Genesee Street

Camillus, NY 13031-2358kevin@rkjohnsoninsurance.com

Phone 315-468-3062Fax 315-468-3522

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Val’s PavingDriveways, sidewalks, parking lots,

roads, curbing and sealing.Commercial / Residential

Free estimates • Fully insured457-3534, 439-6843 or 391-8920

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NON-MEDIcaL sERVIcEs

Independent@Home provides support for those in need throughout Central New York. We can help in a number of ways, including:• Companionship & TLC• Household management - cleaning, mainte-nance & meal preparation• At-home salon services - hair dressing, mani-cures & pedicures• Shopping & errands

To learn more about how we can help you, or to schedule a free in-home consultation, contact Anita West, Customer Service Coordinator at:

424.37441050 West Genesee StreetSyracuse, New York 13204www.ihcsny.com

We are looking for an experienced, hard working sales professional to sell advertising for the Clay Insider.

You can also sell for our weekly newspaper, the Star-Review.

Summer is here and now is the time to relax and have some fun. Luckily living here means fun is easy to find! Syracuse is getting to be known as the “City of Festivals” and there seems to be one, sometimes two, just about every weekend.

We don’t all have the opportunity to venture around the United States or take dream vacations to exotic island destinations, so if you need something in your own backyard, Clay has got you covered. Did you know about all the town of Clay offers? It has many programs for chil-dren and adults alike. You may have gotten the summer program schedule in the mail, or picked one up at the town hall, but if not you can find it on the web at townofclay.org. Look under recreation and it will lead you to all the programs that the Clay is offering. These include playground programs, youth sports teams, art with clay programs, drama, swim-ming, golf lessons, history camp,

Jun

e 2

009

Do you have news? Contact your editor, Melissa Renahan, at news@clayinsider.com

Easy Day Trips.........................Pg 2

Newspaper Changes.............Pg 4

School News...........................Pg 6

In Business..............................Pg 9

In Good Faith........................Pg 10

Viewpoints...........................Pg 11

Sports...................................Pg 12

Local Calendar....................Pg 13

Dollars & Sense......................Pg 14

Classifieds...........................Pg 15

www.clayinsider.com

IN ThIS ISSuE:

Please see Summer, page 3

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE PAID

SYRACUSE, NY Permit # 1672

By Susan Lindsley

Summer fun in OnondagaLocal and in-town festivals, events and concerts

Pictured are members of the community who helped in making the event such a success. Front – Julie Raddell,Lori Lake-Toms, Marina Maddaloni, Kaci Toms and Marion Lake. Middle - Al Giacchi, Lori Maddaloni, Elena Guida, Lily Silva, Theresa Pratt and Vinny Hollopeter. Back - Steve Vicik, Alayna Schwarz, Bob Brauchle, Sue Jordan, Pam Knoop, Wayne Morris, Brian O’rouke and Roger Lake.

The Raise the Rent benefit for the CanTeen held on Sunday April 26, raised more than $15,000 and ex-ceeded the hopes of those in charge.

All monies raised went directly to the CanTeen in order to help keep the after school program open. Com-munity leaders and CanTeen staff

and attendees have been fundraising for months after the new budget cut most of their funding early in 2009.

“Yes, we will now be open through ‘09!” said Toni’Lyn Brauchle, Co-ordinator of Youth Services for the Cicero Youth Bureau/Parks and Recreation.

CanTeen raises $15,000

The parking lot at Cicero-North Syracuse High School ran out of room May 21 as cars raced for spots closest to the stadium. Late arrivals made due with the grass. From an aerial view, the parking lot might have looked like a twinkling, multi-colored quilt. At 10 a.m., the Special Olympics were due to begin. The passengers of every car, truck and bus hurried toward the high school’s stadium, jockeying to claim the best positions, with the best views.

In 1958, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, President John F. Kennedy’s sister, revealed a long-hidden family secret in a cover story published

in The Saturday Evening Post: their sister Rosemary had an intellectual disability. Soon after the story broke, parents of intellectually disabled children complained to Shriver about the trouble their kids were having getting into summer camps. So, according to specialolympics.org,she started one in her backyard. She then created and opened 40 “Camp Shriver” camps over the next few years. After seeing how much the intellectually disabled children benefited from playing sports at the camps and how much non-disabled children learned from coaching them, Shriver formed the Special Olympics.

Forty years later, children and adults alike crowded onto the

By Samantha House

Special Olympians shine

Please see Olympics, page 8

Athletes, volunteers and chaperones from Smith Road Elementary were among the hundreds who turned out to watch and compete in this year’s Special Olympics, held at C-NS High School.

bleachers at the high school for a local event. Dave Longley, chief meteorologist for News Channel 9, told the crowd to drink lots of water and wear suntan lotion.

Dottie Majerus, a C-NS bus driver for 30 years, said she had

Boating is a great way for a family to spend quality time together!

Another great way to spend the long summer days is out on the gofl course. Fortunately, lakes aren’t the only thing we have a lot of in CNY; there are many courses just outside your door! Below are some that are closest to Clay.