It’s Not Too Cold for Ice Cream

he ice cream cone cutout has disappeared from the Not My Dad’s sign for the winter and the benches are stacked up in front of Trimmer’s, but Cayuga Lake Creamery in Interlaken still has its doors open for those seeking ice cream.

The creamery, which opened five years ago this April, has shortened hours and is closed a few days a week during the winter but remains open all year long. Judy Gonroff, owner, said things definitely slow down during the colder months but people still come in, especially on sunny days. Local wineries help by sending people who are looking for food to the creamery, she said.

“Even though it’s not tourist time they still come,” Gonroff said. “On the weekend Route 89 is still fairly busy.”

Cayuga, Seneca Wine Trail Host Winter Party

Events where people can hop from one winery on the Cayuga Wine Trail to the next for a day or weekend aren’t out of the ordinary. But an event that doesn’t require a ticket and includes wineries on the Cayuga Trail, the Seneca Wine Trail and vineyards not affiliated with either trail only happens once a year. The seventh annual Between the Lakes Winter Wine Party will be held from 11 am until 5 pm on January 10.

The party is partly the brainchild of Kip Kalfs, manager of the tasting room at Sheldrake Point Vineyard, and isn’t an official Cayuga Wine Trail event.

“It started about seven years ago when me and the former manager at Knapp Winery were talking and saying that there’s nothing [in the winter] to let the people know that we’re still open and the wineries still exist,” he said.

The party now features 31 wineries along Cayuga and Seneca Lakes. Kalfs said every winery between Ventosa Vineyards and Atwater Estate Vineyards on the Seneca Trail and between Montezuma Winery and Americana Vineyards on Cayuga is participating this year.

South Seneca Seeks Substitute Teachers

In early October the South Seneca Central School Board of Education raised its daily wage for substitute teachers. The district, like many areas, has been having issues getting enough subs to fill openings.

South Seneca uses the substitute assignment system at Tompkins Seneca Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). The computerized system, called Sub Finder, is accessible to substitutes and teachers in the entire BOCES region, said Heather Sheridan-Thomas, BOCES assistant superintendent.

“The teachers all have a password to get into the system and if they have an absence they record it in the system, and if they need a sub and for how much of the day,” she said.

Janie Nusser, superintendent of South Seneca Central School District, said a large part of why the district has trouble attracting substitutes is because of its distance from BOCES. Ovid is 30 miles from Ithaca, the regional headquarters of BOCES.

“If [subs] can make the same or more money in a district that’s closer to home they’re going to do that,” Nusser said. “Maybe we’re going to see a lessening of this now that the gas is going down.”

Steeple Chasers Run for Homemade Trophies

About six years ago the Interlaken Reformed Church was looking for fundraising ideas to replace its steeple. Laura Voorhees’ husband leaned over to her in the pew and jokingly said the church should hold a “Steeple Chase.” Voorhees took the idea to heart and has been running the annual event ever since. Saturday, November 8 marks the sixth running of the 5K.

The church’s steeple has long since been repaired, and the church received a new coat of paint to make it look similar to old photos but there is still plenty of work to do, Voorhees said.

“Projects still need to happen. The parsonage needs new siding,” she said. “Structures never improve with age.”

Mystery Dismissal

Former Seneca County Undersheriff Wayne Brewer is consulting an attorney and reviewing his rights regarding his recent termination from the sheriffs office.

Brewer was relieved of his position on October 17 by Sheriff Jack Stenberg. In an email Brewer said he was not expecting the action and was unaware there was even a problem with his work.

“I was told by the sheriff, as recently as this month, that I was doing a great job,” he said in the e-mail.

Stenberg said issues leading to the dismissal had been addressed before Friday.

“Some of the issues had been discussed for some period of time,” he said. “The actual termination was not discussed seriously prior to last week.”

South Seneca Awards Bids

At the October 22 meeting of the South Seneca Central School, Stuard Mattey noted the district had secured funding for its capital project. In a special meeting on October 27, contractor bids were approved. The school will now move forward with the capital project.

Money for the project will come from the Dormitory Authority, Mattey said. The interest rate has not been secured yet but the loan will cost taxpayers approximately $38,000 over 15 years, he said.

The board met on Monday, October 27 to approve bids. The board award five contracts for its capital project at a special meeting on Monday, October 27. The largest bid approved is for $9,380,000 awarded to Fahs Construction for general construction. Edgar Enterprises was selected for the project’s site work after submitting a bid of $2,069,220. HMI Mechanicals will do the Heating-Ventilation-Air Condition (HVAC) work for $2,501,000 and Billitier Electric, Inc. was chosen for the electrical work with a bid of $3,305,250. The contract with the lowest price tag was awarded to Unified Mechanical Contractors for plumbing work at $876,076.

All contracts were awarded unanimously and were the overall lowest bids in their categories. The contracts bids came in lower than the district originally anticipated, enabling the board to accept all five bids with the optional alternatives. Overall, $27,981,000 of voter approved money for the capital project was awarded.

Board Sits on Contract Awards

South Seneca Central School opened contract bidding for its capital project on October 2 with the intention of awarding contracts at the Wednesday, October 8 Board of Education meeting. However, the board did not award any contracts at the meeting because it is unclear whether or not the district will be able to secure finances for the project with the current global economic situation.

Stuart Mattey, business administrator, told the board that he had spoken to the district’s financial advisor, Bernie Donogan, who recommended not awarding contracts at this time. Bids are in and by law contractors must hold to those prices for 45 days. Donogan recommended waiting to see what happens to the financial markets during that 45-day window, Mattey told the board.

Mattey said that few banks are willing to lend money to anyone except the most stable investments and even if loans are granted, interest rates are becoming unreasonable.

“It’s what we’ve been hearing but it’s sort of been out there,” he said. “Now it’s hitting close to home, in the small school district of Ovid, NY.”

Freshman Academy Helps Students Stay Focused

Freshmen at South Seneca High School are experiencing increased class bonding and a heightened sense of responsibility thanks to the school’s new Ninth Grade Academy.

The program was designed to give students the opportunity to help each other and form a sense of class identity, High School Principal Robert Waller told the South Seneca Central School Board of Education at its September 10 meeting. The mission statement for the Ninth Grade Academy said the program intends to “support ninth grade students academically, socially and emotionally as they transition to high school standards and expectations.”

“We’re having a hard time transitioning from middle school to high school and the kids really buying into it, and homework every night,” said Lisa Chalifoux, one of the teachers who run the program.

More Culture, Less Parking

A number of changes and improvements will take place at the school this year, including classes in Arabic. The ongoing construction will not disrupt classes but will put students in a dilemma for where to park.

South Seneca is also adding new high school courses and new elementary school fitness initiatives.
A desktop publishing class ¬- which is a mix of art and business – is intended to make students “media savvy.” The high school is also offering an E-commerce class and is adding an Advanced Placement version of American History for seniors.

Chinese is no longer being offered at the high school because the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) Chinese instructor left the area said Superintendent Janie Nusser. As a replacement, the district is offering Arabic as a one credit elective. The class, taught by a BOCES instructor, will combine cultural lessons with a basic understanding of the language.

“We’re pretty proud of [the Arabic] for a rural district,” Nusser said.