Look What I Got, Mom!

• Sheriff’s Office to be first
agency in Chenango County
to use body cameras
www.evesun.com
Published by The Evening Sun
‘Look what I got, Mom!’
Ashley Babbitt Photos
The three above photos were taken at the first ever ‘Shop with a Sheriff’ event.
BY ASHLEY BABBITT
SUN MANAGING EDITOR
ababbitt@evesun.com
CHENANGO COUNTY –
Many changes are on tap in
2016 for the Chenango
County Sheriff’s Office following a steady year of work
in 2015.
• One of the most noteworthy events the Chenango
County Sheriff’s Office
(CCSO) participated in was
the December 2015 event
‘Shop with a Sheriff.’
Children from throughout
the county were paired with a
member of the CCSO for the
‘Shop with a Sheriff’ event,
hosted by the Chenango
County Law Enforcement
Association (CCLEA).
Road patrol deputies took
more than a dozen children
Christmas shopping at the
Norwich Walmart. The children selected for shopping at
the event were selected by
each school district from
Chenango County.
Once paired with their
deputies, they took to the
aisles of the store, where each
child was permitted to spend
$100 on themselves and $50
on their family members for
the holidays.
“Can we look for stuff for
my grandpa first?” said one
participating child to his
deputy. “I really don’t need
much for me right now.”
One deputy said that his
child wanted to head directly
to the clothing department for
a coat and warm clothes.
Other deputies later said the
clothing department was a
popular section for their chosen children as well.
“I’m so happy we get to do
this,” said CCSO Deputy
Max Loiselle. “It would have
made my day when I was little. Having kids recognize us
as friends is awesome.”
Deputy Dustin Smietana
said at near the checkout line,
“Just the looks on their faces
is priceless. They’re so appreciative and so selfless. I’m so
glad this turned out so well.”
Smietana added that he is
excited the children will have
some nice things for the holidays that they were able to
select themselves.
A child in the sporting
goods section said, “Do I
have enough left for this ball?
If not, that’s okay, I can put it
back.” His paired deputy did
some quick math and let his
child know that he had plenty
of money left to get the ball
for himself.
A participating detective
said the most popular shopping sections seemed to be
the clothing section.
Other popular areas of the
store included the toys section, sporting goods and
housewares for pillows or
fluffy blankets.
Chenango Sheriff Ernest R.
Cutting Jr. was in attendance,
and received ‘thank yous’ and
handshakes from shoppers in
the store for what the law
enforcement officers were
doing for the children.
Shoppers who witnessed
the event also took to social
media to show their appreciation for the event.
“I just left the Norwich
CONTINUED
ON
PAGE 60
Norwich sees first alleged
hate crime since 2008
Frank Speziale Photo
Above are member of the Norwich Police Department. Pictured are: Officer Brandon
Clarke, Officer Alicia Woodard, Detective-Sergeant Reuben Roach and Officer Daniel
Sheehan. The story appears on page 63.
60
PROGRESS CHENANGO 2016
PUBLISHED
BY
THE EVENING SUN
Drug arrests by the CCSO have been steady –
CONTINUED
FROM
PAGE 59
Walmart in tears,” said
Kobie Decker Natoli. “I want
to recognize and thank the
Chenango County Sheriff's
who were doing Christmas
shopping with children.
Watching the kids pick out
their treasures, asking if they
could have this and that, seeing them running through the
toys and clothes, with the
officers following behind ... It
left me speechless. It simply
tore my heart out. It's things
like this that make me appreciate my roots even more. To
see [deputies] I went to
school with, who have children of their own, taking the
time to make a difference in
the life of a child in need
makes me so proud of my
hometown.”
Shelly Evans took to
Facebook to say, “Their job is
not always pleasant, but I am
so touched to see these men
and women take the time to
make one day out of these
kids lives special. I was there
when everyone was getting
ready to go shopping. I am
not sure who was more excited, the kids or the deputies.
Chenango County is truly
blessed!”
Sheriff Cutting said the
turnout for the event was fantastic and all involved were
truly appreciative.
Deputy Smietana said, “We
hope to do this again next
year, this was a great success.”
Sponsors for the event
included Thomas M. Lindsey
Foundation,
VonBanks’s
Collision and Repair Service
Center, Advanced
Fire
Protection, Norwich Glass,
Dunkin’ Donuts, Paynes
Craines, Inc., Vitanza &
age 27, from the Town of
Greene.
Both men were said to be
responsible for committing
two burglaries in the Town of
Greene as well as another
burglary in the Town of
Oxford. During those burglaries the men made forced
entry into homes or garages
and stole various items.
Several pieces of stolen merchandise were recovered during the investigation. The
New York State Police and
Broome County Sheriff’s
Office assisted with the investigation.
“They personally admitted
to committing two burglaries
per day for months,” said
Cutting. “They would knock
on doors, no one would
answer, and they would go
inside.” Along with recovered
property, it was said that the
CCSO recovered drug paraphernalia, alleging the defendants were committing the
crimes to support their habit.
With regard to drugs,
Submitted Photo
Cutting said that while there
weren’t “huge” heroin busts,
This photo provided by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office shows a quantity of narcotics and a false-bottom can.
arrests have been steady and
DiStefano Attorneys at Law, Sheriff Cutting. “This is just ning for more than two here,” said Cutting. “We try consistent.
Wilson Funeral Home, phenomenal.”
decades.
to have a good rapport with
“There have been several
Skillin’s Jewelers, NBT
“Look at what I got,
“Nationwide, there are neg- the community and do the heroin arrests in Sherburne,
Bank, R.J. Fahy Funeral Mom!” said one child after ative opinions of law enforce- right thing.”
Greene, Norwich and New
Home, Chobani, LLC., checking out with her deputy. ment,” said Cutting. “These
• The CCSO saw some Berlin,” Cutting said. “They
Chenango
Valley “Wait, don’t look too much things bring a balance.”
major cases in 2015, of which were not huge amounts, but
Technologies,
Shaver because there’s something for
With regard to the national were highlighted by the sher- we are continuing our work
Contracting, Bagnall Electric, you.”
focus on law enforcement, iff.
doing it, keeping the arrests
Inc., Guys Auto Repair,
Sheriff Cutting said that the Cutting said law enforcement
The CCSO arrested two steady.”
Natoli & Natoli, LLP., The hopes are to expand the event officers are sometimes forced men responsible for commitThe sheriff said the two
O’Hara family, Joseph and for 2016, with the hopes to to make snap decisions in a ting multiple burglaries in major drugs in the county at
LouAnn McBride, Mrs. T. reach more children and matter of seconds. “Some Chenango County and many this time are heroin and
Maestro and the Deputy bring more smiles.
make poor decisions,” he more
throughout
the methamphetamine (meth).
Sheriffs of Chenango County.
Cutting said another annual said. “They are judged on Southern Tier and Northern
“There are users, addicts,
The CCLEA hopes that this positive of the CCSO is the those decisions and the deci- Pennsylvania.
and dealers,” said Cutting.
event will be held annually, summer camp for children, sion that person made in
Following several investi- “We are not seeing the largegrowing each year.
which is “always a hit, and those few seconds.”
gations, the CCSO arrested scale mainstream dealers as
“Thank you so much for positive thing for children
“Knock on wood, we Nicholas N. Neer, age 28,
what you’re doing for the within the community.” He haven’t faced any challenges from the Town of Port Crane CONTINUED ON PAGE 67
kids,” said a shopper to said the camp has been run- like that of that national level and William M. Polhamus,
&
FREE STATE RETURN*
FREE e-file*
PAY ME WHEN YOU GET REFUND
We Service
What
We Sell
Interest Free
Financing
Available
ACA Questions (Obama Care)
Call us if you want answers
1) Penalty Calculations 2) Exceptions
Scratch & Dent Floor Models
1) Efile
Save Big on These
Famous Brands
44 YEARS • HERE TODAY • HERE TOMORROW
ENTERTAINMENT CENTER
Maytag Dryer
MEDB980BW
• Top of the line
• 7.3 cu. ft. Bravos XL
• Dryer w/ window steam
49999
NOW $
Frigidaire Drop In
• White Only • CoilElect
$
Reg. 899
FFED305LW
54999
GE 5 Burner Griddle NOW $
Gas Range
Reg. $799
HUGE! ONLY ONE!
NOW 599
Reg. $999 SAVE $400
$
99
• 48” Stainless • 6 Burners • Separate Griddle
• Double oven • Convection Commercial Style
• Dual Fuel
LG Pair Washer & Dryer
WT1101CW
DLE1101W
900 For Both
$
Reg. $1800 SAVE $900
French Door
Stainless
Refrigerator
RF26HFENDSR
• 26 cu. ft.
• Twin Cooling
NOW 1199
Reg. $1799 SAVE $600
WFD7300
WTW7000
• 4.8 cu. ft. Washer
• 7.0 cu. ft. Dryer
• Sensordry
2) Pay when you get your refunds
599900
NOW $
Whirlpool 4 Burner & 5 Burner Ranges
NOW $
Reg. $899
699
GE Profile Dishwasher
REG $
99
Top of the Line
Make an Offer
799
399
GE Elect. Dryer NOW $
Reg. $499
Upright Frost $
Free Freezer
450
Only 1
left!
$
LG French Door Refrigerator
2699
• Ice & Water in Door NOW $
• 30 cu. ft.
Only 1 left!
Reg. $3199
Buy Both for
119999
$
Cliff Ketchum’s Tax Service
www.KetchumsTaxService.com
(behind Blue Bird Restaurant)
Hours: M-F 9 am - 8 pm; Sat. 9 am - 3 pm
* When we prepare your return
Year Round Service for Farms, Businesses & Partnerships
Laundry Center
Frigidaire Stack Set
Gas
FFLG1011MW
Reg. $1399
NOW
1099
$
Washer
• Workers’ Comp
• Commercial
• DWI - Traffic Tickets
• Criminal
• Real Estate
WF425200
• 4.5 cu. ft. • Front Load • Steam
Reg. $899
NOW
599
$
Matching Dryer
Reg. $999
NOW
599
$
FGEF3055
Frigidaire Dishwasher
• Stainless Inside GHD2474QB
• 7 Cycles
• Orbit Wash System
NOW 399
Reg. $699 SAVE $300
$
S & S TV & APPLIANCES
Amana Coil Elect. Range
Reg. $389
Now $329
Samsung Elect. Smooth Top
Stainless Steel Ranges
Convection
Save $100
00
3) Bookkeeping
Even if you did a holiday loan with another
tax office we can still do your taxes... No $50
gift card, just lower fees. Best Price in Town!!!
NEED FORMS. CALL US.
HAVE A QUESTION. CALL US.
WANT A SECOND OPINION. CALL US.
INSIST ON LOW FEES. COME TO US.
Reg. $1599 Each
GE MONOGRAM
Reg. $10,99999
• Large Capacity
• Smart Phone Diagnostics
• Easy Reach Front Controls
Whirlpool Caprio
Washer & Dryer
Same Service as before
Frigidaire
Gallery Range
• Stainless
• Convection
• Electric
Reg. $899
$
NOW
599
ON ANY SERVICE CALL expires 2/28/15
1 Main Street West
Smyrna
48 Hale St.
Norwich
607-627-6811
607-336-4657
Fax: (607) 627-6816
Fax: (607) 336-1628
Scott Clippinger
PUBLISHED
BY
61
PROGRESS CHENANGO 2016
THE EVENING SUN
Braiding a sense of pride into the fabric of Chenango
BY MATTHEW WHITE
Sun Staff Writer
mwhite@evesun.com
SOUTH OTSELIC –
Nestled off the beaten path in
the hamlet of South Otselic, a
small manufacturing company has steadily been churning
out its catalogue of high quality braided products for over
a century. Correction: Two
centuries - all right here in
Chenango County.
In 2016 Gladding Braided
Products will have been the
oldest continuously operating
manufacturing facility in
Chenango County, and likewise one of the eldest in the
southern tier of upstate New
York.
With 200 years of internal
development under its belt,
Gladding has found its niche
in the textile (fabric) and wire
(metallic) braided products
industry in 2016. As one
might expect, identifying
those fortes didn't happen
overnight, and years of trial
and error combined with
experience and innovation led
to the success that the company enjoys today.
“We’ve really turned this
company around in the last 10
years,” Christakos remarked,
“when we re-acquired the
property and business there
was a very high turnover rate
due a mismanagement of the
former owners. Accounts we
neglected and, and many of
the employees were under
represented; it was a real
shame to see it in the state
that it was in.”
But one of the keys to
Gladding's continued success
has been its foundation of
quality work force. It's
Gladding's employees that
make the company what is
today, and their pride and
sense of accountability are
infectious according to
Christakos.
Thanks to a dedicated core
team of long-time employees
- many with 40 or more years
of dedicated service to the
rural manufacturer - and the
under the new guidance of
Christakos and his V.P - slash
- right hand man Michael
Radziwon; the Gladding
company would see its underdog story realized.
One can fully understand
the depth of the tight-knit
community spirit that inundates South Otselic when
examining the symbiotic relationship that the Town and
Gladding share. The two entities work tirelessly to work
hand in hand for the good of
the entire community.
“Many of our employees
walk to work, they’re all
extremely local and would
have to travel at least 35
minute in good weather for
work if we weren't here,” said
Christakos; “And that’s a
responsibility that we very
seriously,” he added.
“We’re a very important
part of the town,” explained
Christakos as he looked back
on a local tragedy that took
place in late 2014. “We lost
our [the town’s] historic landmark Cox block to a very
devastating fire. “That was a
big deal for Gladding and it’s
employees - our plant manager, who serves on the Town
board was very active in
assuring the safety of the general public by making sure
that the building was finally
taken down, cleaning up the
site,” said Christakos.
Radziwon and Christakos
shared that Charles Bishop Jr.
-or ‘B.J.’- also had a hand in
persuading the owner of the
small town’s general store to
stay in business at another
location, and did everything
within his power to make it
so. “B.J. went above and
beyond to make sure that the
people of this small town
could hold on to that one
small convenience, and a lot
of it had to do with how
important it was for our
employees to have a place to
buy essentials here in town,”
said Christakos, “We all rely
on each other a great deal.”
But it takes more than just
‘good people’ to write a success story.
Wide business choices and
nimble market navigation are
also a closely held secret
weapon the Christakos and
Radziwon wield with precision.
“We don’t like to talk much
about who and what, but what
we can say is that we’ve spent
a lot of time targeting the
markets that we can compete
best in and trimmed service
to markets that would extend
us beyond our means,” said
Radziwon.
Gladding is a major supplier of a number of specialty
products and has seen great
success through diversification.
Since the early 1800's,
Gladding has braided some of
the world's finest fishing
lines.
Today's
ever-changing
marketplace and advanced
scientific achievements in
raw materials have allowed us
to continually expand our
product and customer base.
Using Spectra, Kevlar, nylon,
and polyester—in filaments
as fine as human hair—and
We Live Here
We Work Here
We Care About Our Community
Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango County
providing professional, compassionate, quality end of life care.
Specialistst in end of life care.
today Gladding now serves
the needs of the medical,
automotive, aeronautics, electronics, and commercial fishing and netting markets.
One of those scientific
achievements exclusive to
Gladding is its implementation of Duravet products.
Dravet is one of Gladding's
strongest cords with multiuse applications. Duravet's
construction has a parallel
core of filament polyester
with a tightly braided polyester cover which produces a
very firm and stiff cord. The
wear resistance, firm construction, mechanical termination capability, lightweight
and non-corrosive nature
makes it suitable for articulated revetment mats and is an
ideal alternative to wire rope.
Servicing the marine industry is yet another demonstration of how the company has
fine-tuned itself to profitable
industry. Glading one of the
United States leading manufacturer of braid-on-braid-or
double-braid, or yacht braidcordage.
Yacht braid is a synthetic
cord made up of a braided
jacket which surrounds a
braided core to provide quality high abrasion resistance
and gripping properties.
The product is unique in
that it is fully spliceable, its
rounded configuration provides maximum surface contact on drums, winches, and
cleats. Available in nylon and
polyester, this braid maintains excellent flexibility,
stores well, and is unaffected
by mildew, rot, or most chemicals. Though its advances in
innovation from market
demand, Gladding found that
by combining the tough fibers
of nylon with their durable
double-braided construction
they could create strong
shock-absorbing line.
That controlled elasticity
CONTINUED
ON
PAGE 62
Please note that you must be an AARP member to enroll in an AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan. If you are not a member, you can join AARP when you enroll.
* From a report prepared for UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company by ORC International, “Substantiation of Advertising Claims Concerning AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans,”
March 2014, www.uhcmedsupstats.com or call 1-800-523-5800 to request a copy of the full report.
AARP endorses the AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans, insured by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company. UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company pays royalty fees to AARP for the
use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. AARP and its affiliates are not insurers.
AARP does not employ or endorse agents, brokers or producers.
Insured by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Horsham, PA (UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, Islandia, NY, for New York residents). Policy Form No. GRP 79171 GPS-1
(G-36000-4). In some states, plans may be available to persons under age 65 who are eligible for Medicare by reason of disability or End-Stage Renal Disease.
Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or the Federal Medicare Program. This is a solicitation of insurance. A licensed insurance agent/producer may contact you.
Call a licensed insurance agent/producer at the number in this advertisement for complete information, including benefits, costs, eligibility requirements, exclusions and limitations. AS2794ST NM
DEER PATH RESTAURANT
AND LOUNGE
Route 8 North, New Berlin • 607-847-9976
Good Food • Good Time • Good Choice
- 12 Noon - 5 pm
Open: Thursday - Saturday 11 am - 9 pm
Thursday Friday
Clams!
Clams!
(607) 334-3556
hospicechenango.org
Clams!
Saturday Sunday
FISH Steaks
FRY
&
FRIDAY
Lunch
&
Dinner
Haddock & Seafood
Other
Specials Specials
Specials
Now Booking
Wedding
Receptions,
Birthday
Parties, and
Corporate
Events
Welcome to
our Sales
Team!
Kelly Smith
Retail Advertising Consultant
29 Lackawanna Ave., Norwich • 337-3023 • FAX 336-7318
e-mail: ksmith@evesun.com
62
PROGRESS CHENANGO 2016
PUBLISHED
BY
THE EVENING SUN
A company with a sense of pride –
Gladding’s line of finely
braided products. And, while
the finished product might
not never carry the household
recognition once enjoyed by
Gladding fishing line, the
company still prides itself on
dutifully exceeding customer
need.
“The diversity of our customers, the precise nature of
their requirements, and the
potential for future growth
provide our company with
enormous, though relatively
anonymous, opportunities,”
said Christakos.
One of the company’s
largest customers in 2015 is
Uncle Sam.
Since World War II,
Gladding has provided cable
harness braiding for aircraft,
automotive, marine, and electrical applications.
Gladding is an approved
vendor of the United States
Department of Defense, passing all of the government's
Matthew White Photo quality control, first-article
inspection
requirements.
Gladding
earned
its reputaGladding has productivity down to a science. A single employee tends to an entire room of braiding machines, resulting in an overtion
for
quality
cordage
all output of more than a million linear feet of braided product daily.
among Yankee clipper ship
sailors who insisted on the
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 61
most dependable and durable
provides consumers with cordage as they sailed to all
excellent
products
for parts of the world.
“We provide ‘sweaters’
anchoring, docking, mooring,
and towing - and is easy to over the most complex harrecognize by Gladding’s dis- ness assemblies; be it with
tinct gold and white color one branch or multi-branched
cables, and materials vary
scheme.
Gladding offers a diverse from synthetic fibers to a
line of products, but is espe- variety of metallic wire reincially proud of the manufac- forcements,” said Christakos.
During World War II, the
turing processes that competitors can’t; such as U.S. and Allied governments
called upon Gladding's
expertise for the manufacture
of parachute cords, tow lines,
bomb lanyards, shroud lines,
survival kit items, and
cordage for many other special needs.
Gladding offers in-house
design and engineering service for all of its customers.
Reinforced hose braiding
ranging in between small
diameter surgical catheter
tubing
and
reinforced
mechanical or fluid transmission hoses several inches in
diameter, they do it all.
But none of Gladding’s triumphs could be realized
without an astute emphasis
on quality control throughout
the entire manufacturing
chain from start to finish,
which is why the Gladding’s
certified and calibrated laboratory's policy is one of continuous product improvement
and development. Constant
monitoring and testing of
incoming raw materials, inprocess
manufacturing
inspections, and final product
specification testing assure
that all components meet and
often surpass government
standards. Gladding’s work
with the military continually
serves to reemphasize, the
significance of quality for its
employees.
Said Christakos, “Not only
do we believe that the stringent standards required by
the government serve to
uphold a high level of quality
throughout our manufacturing process, but it also brings
us together as a company
with a sense of pride.”
How about a new surround sound system... or a home theater!
We do both commercial and residential.
*Proud to be part of this year’s “Take A Shot At Diabetes” Fundraiser
at Canasawacta Country Club on Saturday, April 9th at 5:00 p.m.
Millennia A/V Installations
Terry Potter
(607) 316-2870
Rhett Genung
(607) 316-1491
Success Story
Miller Movers
Founded in 1954, Miller Movers has been a cornerstone of the local community for
over 60 years. We understand that moving can be a busy and stressful time. With all that
you have to worry about, let Miller Movers do the heavy lifting for you. We specialize
in professionally packing, protecting and moving your items into your new home in a
safe and effective manner.
As of August of 2015, Miller Movers has been under new ownership. The new owner,
Ross Tumminia, has been a long time local resident and cares about this community and
it’s residents. In 2014 Ross retired as a Police Sergeant from the Norwich Police
Department. Although he enjoyed his 20 year career of serving the residents of the City
of Norwich, he knew it was time to move on. Ross states “over the years I’ve had a lot
of positive interactions with the public, but also a lot of negative interactions. Through
it all, I always tried to leave people with a positive impression, no matter what they’ve
been through or what kind of day they were having.” Although Police work and running
a moving company are vastly different ventures, the manner in which he conducts business will be the same. Ross’s father, John Tumminia, founded Norwich Plumbing and
Heating in the 1970’s. Ross credits his father’s example for putting the customer first,
as his business model. “He was well liked and did what was right over what was profitable”, said Ross. “If something was wrong, he made it right”.
Although Ross admits that he’s had little moving experience prior to August of 2015,
since then he has worked with his movers who have a combined experience of over 10
years, and has learned a lot from them. “I have a lot of repeat customers who remember
the guys who moved them. They always remember how efficient, pleasant and professional they were.”
Ross states that nothing has changed except for the new ownership. Customers can
expect to see the same movers, the same level of professionalism and the same low rates.
If any changes are made, it will be to make the moving process more efficient and cost
effective for the customer. Miller Movers looks forward to serving Chenango County
and all of central NY in the year 2016 and beyond. Ross knows that the name Miller
Movers has earned a reputation as an honest, fair and dependable local business. He will
strive to maintain or improve on that reputation and make sure you are 100% satisfied
with their service.
Miller Movers can be located on the web at www.millermovers.com, www.millermovers.net, reached by email at mmovers@frontier.com, or contacted at 334-4184.
Also, look for us on facebook!
Bring Us Your Ideas...
TOGETHER WE WILL CREATE YOUR DREAM
BEYOND CLOSETS
KITCHENS & BATHS
Designer Floors
et
arp
C
f
to
ck
men In Sto
p
i
Sh nts
New emna
R
Carpet, Vinyl,
Ceramic Tile, Hardwood &
Laminate, Bamboo,
Carpet Remnants.
Add
Color
to Your
Closet
FREE
“A place for everything and
everything in its place.”
Both located inside Kuntriset Kitchens 607-336-8688
ALSO
Ask About
“Pick A
Premium”
Savings Event
any
40% OFF with
flooring purchase
- granite, marble & concrete
Kuntriset Kitchens & Baths Design Center... Kuntriset Kitchens & Baths Design Center...
!
y
d
e
r
C
c
M
r
o
f
y
d
a
e
R
e
You’r
159-163 So. Broad St., Norwich, NY
607-334-3234 or 607-674-2971
Monday - Friday, 8 am to 6 pm; Saturday 9 am-3 pm or by app’t.
SALES STAFF: Spencer McCredy, Mike McCredy, Tom Morrone, Hank Scudder, Scott Seiler
www.McCredyMotors.com
Kuntriset Kitchens & Baths Design Center... Kuntriset Kitchens & Baths Design Center...
Schedule Your Appointment Today... Free Estimates
Kuntriset Kitchens & Baths Design Center... Kuntriset Kitchens & Baths Design Center...
Kuntriset Kitchens & Baths Design Center... Kuntriset Kitchens & Baths Design Center...
PUBLISHED
BY
63
PROGRESS CHENANGO 2016
THE EVENING SUN
Norwich Police Department sees violent crime, drug
crime, and system upgrades –
BY ASHLEY BABBITT
SUN MANAGING EDITOR
ababbitt@evesun.com
NORWICH – 2015 was a
busy year for the Norwich
Police Department, and a
shooting in July is still on the
minds of many, as the City of
Norwich has been known to
be low on violent crime.
• Norwich Police Chief
Rodney Marsh said the shooting was one of the ‘biggest’
cases the department saw last
year. A man employed with
the
New York
State
Department of Corrections is
now facing hate crime
charges,
among
other
felonies, after he allegedly
shot an unarmed black man in
July of 2015.
Wayne Spratley, of Greene
was charged per grand jury
indictment with attempted
murder in the second degree
as a hate crime, assault in the
first degree as a hate crime,
and criminal use of a firearm
in the first degree as a hate
crime.
These charges are in addition to the original charges of
attempted murder in the second degree; a class A-1
felony, assault in the first
degree; a class B felony, and
criminal use of a firearm in
the first degree; a class B
felony.
“Investigation revealed that
the allegations are that in the
course of an altercation or
argument with a gentleman in
the City of Norwich on the
19th day of July 2015, that
the defendant used racial
slurs to taunt the victim.
During the process of that,
the defendant pulled out his
weapon while continuing to
call the victim racial slurs. As
the argument spilled over into
a parking lot in the City of
Norwich, the defendant
whose weapon was drawn
and pointed at the victim,
pulled the trigger and shot his
weapon, shooting the victim
in the lower left abdomen,”
said District Attorney Joseph
A. McBride.
With regard to the victim,
McBride confirmed that the
victim was in intensive care,
but has since been released
and is with his family, while
no longer being in the immediate area.
McBride officially confirmed the victim was a black
male and the defendant was a
white male. The name of the
victim has still not been
released.
“Allegation is that the
defendant displayed his
weapon and fell to the ground
in front a group of people.
This lead to an argument
between the defendant and
victim in this case,” said
McBride.
A hate crime is generally
defined as a crime committed
or intended to be committed
in whole or in substantial part
because of a belief or perception regarding the race, color,
national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual
orientation of a person.
McBride said that this is
not the first hate crime he will
have prosecuted since being
elected Chenango County’s
District Attorney in 1999. He
cited the prior hate crime that
W
ì h ile heroin is the most
prominent, meth is on the
rise.”
RODNEY MARSH
NORWICH POLICE CHIEF
took place at the Norwich
Jewish Center in 2008.
Spratley was originally
arrested on July 19, 2015 for
the class B felony of attempted murder following a shooting in a parking lot on
Lackawanna Avenue in
Norwich at approximately
3:30 a.m. that Sunday morning.
The day of the shooting
McBride said that the
Norwich Police had interviewed every available lead
and every available witness
with regard to the shooting.
Lead investigator on the
case,
Detective-Sergeant
Reuben Roach said, “It is
alleged that the defendant
was under the influence of
alcohol.”
Spratley was then arraigned
in front of Chenango County
Court Judge Frank B. Revoir
Jr. that same day, and was
remanded to the Chenango
County Correctional Facility
in lieu of $50,000 cash bail or
$100,000 bond.
Spratley has since posted
bond and is no longer in custody.
According to members of
the Corrections Division at
the CCCF, Spratley was
released at 1:35 p.m. on July
21, 2015, just two days following his arrest.
Two
days
following
Spratley’s release from the
CCCF, additional charges
were placed against him,
including the class B felony
of criminal use of a firearm in
the first degree, and the class
B felony of assault in the first
degree. No additional bail
was set when Spratley was
arraigned on these charges.
On the attempted murder
charge alone, McBride said
Spratley could face up to 25
years in state prison.
If found guilty of all prior
charges, plus the new hate
crime charges, Spratley – if
found guilty of what’s alleged
– could serve a much more
substantial sentence in prison.
Marsh said that the
response time to the shooting
was a matter of seconds, as an
officer on duty was right near
the location of the crime.
Marsh added that the investigation was a lot easier than
other cases, as members of
the NPD were there so quickly to begin the investigation.
Additionally, Marsh said
there are zero open homicide
cases in the City of Norwich.
• With regard to the drug
epidemic in the area, Marsh
said – without the exact figures prepared yet – that drug
arrests in 2015 were “down a
little” from 2014. He did say
that there are calls to the station every day regarding dirty
hypodermic needles that have
been located by residents, and
the officers go safely pick
them up and dispose of them.
The chief noted the
Mitchell Street raid in April
2015.
A ‘no knock’ warrant was
executed by The Norwich
Police
Department
on
Mitchell Street in Norwich in
April, resulting in four
arrests. The warrant was
issued after an investigation
into the sale and manufacture
of narcotics that spanned several months. According to the
NPD, the department had
been in contact with
Chenango County District
Attorney Joseph McBride,
and Judge Frank B. Revoir Jr.
signed the warrant. Of the
four arrested, three were
charged with manufacturing
meth.
The Norwich Police reported the confiscated methamphetamine had an estimated
street value of more than
$2,000.
According to police, several ‘one-pot’ meth cooking
containers were located
inside
the
residence.
“Because of the dangerous
chemicals involved with the
manufacturing of methamphetamine, the Norwich
Police requested the assis-
tance of the New York State
Police
–
CCERT
(Contaminated Crime Scene
Emergency Response Team).
The Norwich Police and
NYSP CCERT were on the
scene for several hours while
the chemicals, containers and
evidence were collected,”
read the release.
The New York State Police
– CNET, the Chenango
County District Attorney’s
Office and the Chenango
County Sheriff’s Office
assisted the Norwich Police
Department with this investigation. The Norwich Fire
Department also assisted
NYSP CCERT during their
collection of the chemicals
and containers.
“In recent years there have
been numerous reports
involving the manufacturing
of methamphetamine in
Chenango County as well as
surrounding counties. This
was the first time we’ve
encountered methamphetamine actually being manufactured in the City of Norwich,”
said Norwich Police Chief
Rodney Marsh at the time of
the arrest. “These type of
cases sometimes take long
periods of time to ensure they
are successful. Residents are
encouraged to continue contacting the NPD Tips line
with suspected drug activity.”
“Meth is on the rise,” said
Marsh. “Manufacturing meth
is definitely up, it was not
really inside the City previously.” He stated a one-pot
was recovered on West Main
Street that someone had
CONTINUED
ON
PAGE 64
• Over the River
and Through the Woods
MARCH 4-6, 2016
• South Pacific
A special free concert in the park
MAY 7, 2016
• Singing in the Rain
AUGUST 19-21, 2016
NORWICH TIRE CO.
New season begins in September
“Serving you for over 50 years”
www.norwichtire.com
34 Hale St., Norwich • Phone: 334-4531
Open Monday-Friday 8:00-5:30, Saturday 8 am to noon
“The Best Selection
of Imported and
Domestic Wines,
Spirits and Cordials
For All Occasions”
WINES & LIQUORS
NOW IN OUR 57th YEAR DOING BUSINESS IN
CHENANGO COUNTY
“We’ve aged as well as our finest wines.”
CHENANGO TOWN PLAZA
(Price Chopper Plaza) Rte. 12 South, Norwich
WE ACCEPT ALL MAJOR CREDIT & DEBIT CARDS
Free Delivery
in Norwich Area
607-334-3333
OPEN 7 DAYS! Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9 am-10 pm,
Sunday Noon-7 pm
LIKE US ON
Gift Cards
Available
64
PROGRESS CHENANGO 2016
PUBLISHED
BY
THE EVENING SUN
‘Prescription drug abuse continues to be a
problem not only in Norwich, but the whole county ...’
CONTINUED
FROM
PAGE 63
dumped on the side of the
road. “It’s evidence that it is
being manufactured, but there
was no way to know who
dumped it there.” Marsh
assured that the proper team
was called to ensure the area
was cleaned up.
Marsh additionally said the
use of meth is up among residents.
“While heroin is the most
prominent, meth is on the
rise,” he said.
Marsh said discussions
have taken place regarding a
program similar to what the
Cooperstown
Police
Department has implemented
– allowing addicts to walk
into the station with their
drugs and ask for help.
“It takes a lot of work and
effort from the community,”
said Marsh. “There are a lot
of entities required to make it
a reality.”
Marsh noted a large bust by
the NPD that involved prescription pills, which are
commonly a precursor to
heroin use.
Police pulled over 18-yearold Tiger D. Gould and 19year-old Amiel P. Reynolds,
both of Afton, for a traffic
violation on Columbia Street
with guaranteed
credit approval!
NORWICH DODGE
CHRYSLER - JEEP
HALE STREET EXTENSION - NORWICH, NY
www.norwichdodgechryslerjeep.com
607-336-2277
shortly before 4 a.m. in
September 2015.
Upon investigation, police
claimed more than 400 oxycodone pills from the vehicle
with a street value of more
than $2,200.
Both Gould and Reynolds
were charged with criminal
possession of a controlled
substance in the third degree,
a class B felony.
“Prescription drug abuse
continues to be a problem not
only in Norwich, but the
whole county,” said Marsh.
“The officer did a good job of
turning a traffic stop into a
drug interdiction stop and
was able to get these pills off
the street.”
Another bust was a typical
trespass call-turned drug bust
on 88 East Main St. in
Norwich in late November.
Crack, heroin, marijuana,
hypodermic needles, and
other drug paraphernalia
were recovered by the NPD.
The marijuana charges
allege the subjects did knowingly and unlawfully possess
marijuana with an aggregate
weight of more than 25
grams.
At the time of the incident,
Marsh said, “During the initial contact with the individuals inside the garage, one of
the suspects shoved the officer out of the way and ran
past him. After shoving the
officer, the same suspect
shoved and knocked down a
civilian that was with the officer conducting a ride-along
with the Norwich Police. The
suspect was able to exit the
garage and evade capture.
The
Norwich
Police
Department is continuing its
investigation into the identity
of that seventh individual,
and additional charges are
pending.”
• The NPD has a new officer who graduated the academy in November, Alicia
Woodard. Marsh said one
officer left to go to another
agency. The City of Norwich
is on a hiring freeze, so the
department will remain an
officer down for the time
being.
Marsh additionally said
that the NPD now has one K9
rather than two. K9 Nitro
works with his handler
Officer Thomas Miller.
Marsh said that while the K9
is currently working the day
shift, he can be called in at
any time to assist if needed.
According to records, K9
Nitro has assisted in dozens
of drug investigations in the
past year. Additionally, Nitro
and Miller do demonstrations
at schools, childrens’ wards at
hospitals and churches.
• Marsh said all of the NPD
officers are trained to administer Narcan, in the event that
an officer is the first on the
scene of a potential overdose.
He said it has been administered.
The officers have also gone
through active shooter training in the event that something happen at a workplace,
school, or other public area in
the city. All officers have the
basic active shooter training,
and he said four officers have
advanced shooter training.
“We like to take part in as
much training in as many
areas as we can,” said Marsh.
“There is free training for law
enforcement for various
aspects of the job. It runs year
round, and police and first
responders can work together
in staged training exercises.
The officer training is a great
benefit to the community,”
Marsh said.
• Looking forward to 2016,
Marsh said the NPD is looking into grant opportunities
for equipment upgrades.
When asked about body cameras for the officers, Marsh
said they would be an asset,
yet there isn’t enough money
to pay for the storage
required to save the video at
this time.
“Cameras would be a positive thing,” said Marsh, “It’s
just not something we can do
right now due to constraints.
Marsh said this year he
would also like to finish up
the new network that has
been set up at the station.
“We’re now technology
dependent and are getting
caught up with our software,”
said Marsh. “It’s a work in
progress, but we’re looking to
have it all up to date and up to
speed as soon as possible.”
Open to the public, the Canasawacta Country Club has been a
cornerstone of the Norwich community since 1920. The Carson Family has
owned and operated the club since 1984. We have a proud reputation for
friendly service and a beautifully maintained golf course and facilities.
Our 185 acres includes a fun and challenging 18 hole golf course, indoor
banquet facilities with rooms that hold up to 300 people, an onsite gazebo
for wedding ceremonies, and outdoor pavilion areas. Our restaurant and
lounge are open to the public 7 days / week in season, with a full bar and
open air deck overlooking the golf course.
The Canasawacta Country Club is located at 261 County Rd 44, just
off of Route 12 North of Norwich. It continues to be a favorite spot for major
events, class reunions, golf outings, fundraising events, weddings and
receptions. The Carson family and all their staff take great pride in
providing the area with a place to count on to gather, whether returning to
the area for a short visit, or a weekly or even daily place to relax and enjoy
life.
Chef Todd Park and his staff know that each event, each guest,
expects, deserves and can count on their dedication to consistent quality
food service, a key to the continued success of the club. With the addition
of Heather McShane as restaurant manager and banquet coordinator for
2016 we foresee a busy season. Heather is well known in the area for her
dedication to friendly and professional service. Golf Course Superintendent
Deneen Ziegler takes tremendous pride in the condition of the golf course.
The natural beauty of our layout is greatly enhanced by her attention to
detail throughout the grounds.
The clubhouse and golf course are always being upgraded. The club is
home to over 300 members who enjoy the friendly atmosphere on a regular
basis in leagues and tournaments. A focus on keeping the game of golf fun
for all has increased the growth of golf outings as well as daily play. Golf
outings are all treated to full service, start to finish attention to detail with
an emphasis on a good time for all. The golf course provides the challenge
for the better players and great opportunities for higher handicappers to get
involved as well. We have leagues for women, seniors and all levels of
playing ability.
Every year we receive great compliments like this one; “We simply
cannot thank you enough for the hospitality we receive each year for the
Ken Stewart Memorial. The grounds team had that place in amazing shape.
The teams in the clubhouse and snack bar were amazing to us all weekend
long. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. So many of us look
forward to that weekend every year and for so many reasons, but none
more than the Canasawacta Country Club.” – Matt Fern
Canasawacta Country Club
www.canasawactacc.com • Country Club Rd., Norwich 607-336-9214
PUBLISHED
BY
65
PROGRESS CHENANGO 2016
THE EVENING SUN
For us, it’s impulse and eyeballs
RICHARD SNYDER
President, Snyder Communication
Corp.
In this era when there is so
much digital information and
advertising messages flooding the information world, we
are often asked how is it you
are still successful in what is
supposed to be a digital
world? My answer is simple.
We can provide our advertisers something that nobody in
this region can do. We provide eyeballs and impulse.
Because our publications
have the most circulation and
the largest readership in the
markets we serve we bring
more eyeballs to an advertiser’s message than any other
type of publication. Next is
impulse.
76% of our readers say they
regularly purchase items
advertised in the Pennysaver,
and much of that may be a
result of impulse. How many
times have you seen an ad for
a chain saw, a truck, a pizza,
and even entertainment and
respond to that ad. That’s
impulse and you bring that
potential response to our
advertisers each time you
pick up one of our publications.
As many of you know one
of our successful companies
is Circulars Unlimited which,
over the last 30 plus years,
has become one of the country’s largest producers of
advertising circulars. And
fortunately for us, business
has been very good and growing. How is this happening
when many will offer that
print is dead? Well it’s not,
and the title of an article that
ran during the past year in the
Wall Street Journal called
“Retailers Can’t Shake the
Circular Habit”, may explain
why. This article went on to
quote several retail executives
and research professionals
such as a former CEO of Toys
“R” US who pointed out that
“Retailers are constantly testing alternatives to circulars…
the difficulty is finding something as effective”. Or a quote
from another research executive who stated “Circulars are
like crack…It’s hard for
retailers to walk away from
them, because they are
ingrained in how people
shop.” It appears that digital
is fun but digital alternatives
just cannot do what circulars
and print can do.
For those of you who are
not familiar with Snyder
Communication Corp. we are
deeply rooted in the printing
and publishing industry. Not
only do we produce the paper
you are currently reading,
The Evening Sun, we also
produce the weekly Gazette,
along with the Norwich
Pennysaver and 6 other free
community
publications
stretching from the edges of
Cortland County to Albany
County. All of these products
are printed by another of our
companies known as Sun
Printing Inc. and 2015 was an
important expansion year for
Sun Printing.
Based in Norwich, Sun
Printing Inc. was the recipient
of several large improvements last year. Not only did
we expand from 12 to 16
press units, we greatly
increased the number of
pages we could print in full
We are a full service, family run, family oriented
funeral home. We work with you, making it as
easy as possible.
Proud to be Norwich’s ONLY
locally owned funeral home.
color. These new units and
upgrades have significantly
improved our full color reproduction quality.
A second piece of key
equipment that was added
was a stitching and trimming
machine which has allowed
us to produce stitched booklet
size publications for our use
and for the use of our commercial customers.
Even though we represent
several national companies,
there is nothing more important than what we do locally
to service our local readers
and advertising customers.
To better understand the buy-
ing trends of our reader’s, we
annually hire a private company to do a circulation and
readership audit in all 7 of our
publication market areas.
They gather information
about our delivery system and
gain valuable demographic
insights about our readers. I
always find the results to be
of interest and over the last
few years I have shared the
most recent audit results with
you.
As part of this audit we
asked our readers several
questions including “Which
of the following products or
services do you plan to purchase during the next 12
months”? The audit actually
covers almost 40 categories
but given below is a sample
of some of the major ones. In
what has become the norm
for this article I am going to
show the results within our
Norwich
and
Sidney
Pennysaver Market area and
compare those with answers
given by readers in the
Oneonta & Cooperstown
market area.
To help with the market
identifications I will use N/S
for the Norwich & Sidney
Market areas and O/C for the
Oneonta & Cooperstown
areas.
The question: Which
products and services will
our readers be purchasing
over the next 12 months?
Purchasing a new or used
vehicle: 34% for N/S and
39% for O/C. N/S was down
3% points over last year
while the O/C is up 4% over
last year.
Purchasing Furniture: 42%
for N/S and 40% for O/C.
N/S was up 1% and O/C was
up a surprising 5%.
Carpet and Flooring: 12%
for N/S and 13% for O/C.
Purchasing major appliances: 16% for N/S and 16%
for O/C. Both were up 1%.
Purchasing home improvement items: 30% for N/S and
29% for O/C. A good sign as
both markets were up over
last year.
Lawn & Garden Supplies:
27% for N/S and 32% for
O/C. This is a new category
for this summary.
Purchasing auto parts and
services: 54% for N/S and
61% for O/C. Both markets
were up significantly in this
category.
Purchasing
woman’s
apparel: 69% for N/S and
70% for O/C. Both markets
were down over last year.
Purchasing real estate: 9%
for N/S and 9% for O/C.
Good news in that both markets were up 2% over last
year.
Purchasing tax services:
53% for N/S and 56% for
O/C. N/S up slightly and O/C
was up 4%.
Purchasing dining & entertainment 81% for N/S and
81% for O/C. Obviously we
love to eat and party but both
markets were down about 4%
over last year.
Florists & Gifts: 20% for
N/S and 25% for O/C.
Purchasing TV and electronics: 23% for N/S and
24% for O/C. Both markets
were up 3% over last year.
Purchasing Jewelry: 19%
for N/S and 17% for O/C.
N/S stayed the same but O/C
dropped 2% over last year.
Veterinarian: Both markets
were showing 26% in this
new category.
CONTINUED
ON
PAGE 66
LLC
Wilson Funeral Home, Inc.
South Broad St., Norwich, NY
607-336-3993
Member of the
Pre Plan since 1988.
Doug Wilson - Owner
John Gawronski - Manager
Success Story
Chenango Speech & Hearing
Chenango Speech and Hearing is happy to celebrate its 22nd year as a provider of
excellent hearing health care in our local community and surrounding areas.
On July 1st, 1993 Dr. Horovitz opened the doors of her practice with no patients and
no employees. She quickly gained a loyal client base from far and wide due to her outstanding skills and high patient satisfaction. Her patients come from as far away as
Great Bend, PA and Walton, NY just to see her. Today she has over 1500 patients, and
an amazing office staff. Rebecca Cummings started in August of 2014, and has quickly become an extremely valued employee. She has even started training to become a
hearing care provider herself!
Dr. Horovitz is the only NYS licensed, nationally certified audiologist in Chenango
County. She works with ear nose and throat doctors in Syracuse, Albany, Cooperstown,
Binghamton and Norwich, NY. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology,
as well as a member of the American and New York State Speech, Language and
Hearing Associations.
Dr. Horovitz stated that she never gets tired of seeing the amazement on people’s faces
when they “hear what they’ve been missing”. Communication is so important in our
modern world, and to have the ability to help people hear and understand better is a privilege that no one should miss out on.
Research has shown that untreated hearing loss can lead to cognitive decline, and
Chenango Speech & Hearing is committed to helping people avoid such health effects
by helping them find hearing devices that work best for them. They see both children
and adults and work to find the best possible hearing solutions for any age group.
Last year Chenango Speech & Hearing moved to a bigger office, and has since thrived
in their new surroundings, being able to provide even more service to patients with
newer technology and equipment. They also hold monthly events, and are passionate
about helping people begin their journey to better hearing. Dr. Horovitz’s reputation
continues to grow as a beloved hearing care professional in the area. Come visit us
today!
Visit us on the web at www.chenangospeechandhearing.com.
At the light in Downtown Oxford
PRE-OWNED
VEHICLES
Complete
Mechanical Service
Complete Auto
Collision Service
66
PROGRESS CHENANGO 2016
Snyder
Communications –
CONTINUED
FROM
PAGE 65
I hope you found these figures interesting and another interesting item is that the
Norwich Community is one of only 4 communities in the state that still has an independently owned daily newspaper.
With this in mind I would like to encourage everyone to become a subscriber of
The Evening Sun, and here’s why. If you
are a print subscriber you receive the best
of both worlds as you also get the complete
on-line package at no extra cost.
Evesun.com is great when you are traveling
or if you want to check out that days edition while at work or over a sandwich at
lunch. As an online only or print subscriber, you get to see The Evening Sun’s
on-line “Print” edition presented to you
just the way you are used to reading The
Evening Sun when it’s delivered to your
home. Click on the day that you want to
see and it comes up just as if you were
holding it in your hand. Plus having complete access to all parts of our website gives
you hundreds of photos that we simply
could not fit into our regular editions. As a
paid print or paid on-line only subscriber,
you also have access to daily editions of
The Sun going back many years. Not only
are you rewarded with lots of extra information and features you are also helping to
keep us alive and we sincerely appreciate
it.
Throughout our various companies we
are blessed with an excellent group of
employees and an outstanding management team. Even though she now has her
own company, New Media Retailer, Jeanne
Brightman continues as part of Brightman
Management Services who along with
Rick Brightman provides first-line management for all of our companies. For
almost 39 years, Russ Foote has been our
leader and the “go to guy” for our sales
team. His title is Corporate Sales Manager
and that includes heading up the sales
teams for The Evening Sun and our 7 free
community papers. Dan Hayward leads
the graphics and typesetting team that produces 100% of the ad content for The
Evening Sun, The Gazette, and all 7 of our
free publications.
Circulars Unlimited benefits from the
excellent support and leadership provided
by General Manager Mona Noble, and
Sales Manager Pam Laughlin. General
Manager Marty Conklin and head pressman Ernie Arduini lead the way at Sun
Printing making sure the paper you are
holding looks great and that our team of
carriers gets it to your door on time. What
is too long to list here are the names of all
of the talented and dedicated employees
who work in our many offices. Norwich,
Sidney, Cobleskill, Richfield Springs, and
Nelliston. To all of them I say thank you
and know that none of our success would
be possible without you.
My sincere appreciation also goes out to
Evening Sun Managing Editor Ashley
Babbitt and to her team of reporters who
each year do an excellent job on the
Progress Edition but also on “The Sun”
throughout the year. My special thanks
also goes to our advertising department,
our press team, our insert staff, our carriers,
and to all of the advertisers who have made
this year’s Progress Edition such a wonderful publication. I see a lot of publications
around the state and the one you are holding in your hand right now is the very best
Progress type edition out there.
As I do each year I want to sincerely urge
you to visit, shop, and support your local
retailers, restaurants, entertainment sources
and service providers. What they add to
our quality of life is irreplaceable and
whenever we lose one of these gems,
unemployment and property taxes go up
and sales tax revenues go down.
5004 Co Rd 32, Norwich
Rates *
as low as
PUBLISHED
BY
THE EVENING SUN
Best of Chenango:
Quality over quantity
BY CAMERON TURNER
Sun Staff Writer
cturner@evesun.com
NORWICH – The Norwich
community has now played
witness to over 20-years of
success when it comes to the
Gus Macker basketball tournament held each summer in
July.
The
Gus
Macker
Tournament encompasses and
encourages everyone interested to get involved as there are
divisions and courts for all
ages and experience.
Gus Macker, now in its 21st
consecutive year of existence
in the Norwich community
was once just an upstart community event, many years
back.
“21-years ago we were just
the second tournament in the
State of New York, and the
furthest east in the United
States. It used to be mainly a
mid-western event back then,”
said James Mullen, CEO and
director of Member Services
at the Norwich YMCA.
Gus Macker was founded in
1987 and since then the basketball tour has expanded significantly, as there is now 972
tournaments with over 2.2
million players nationwide.
Since its upstart beginnings,
through the efforts of many
volunteers, as well as Mullen
and Thomas Revoir, Sports
director of Youth and Adult
Sports at the Norwich YMCA,
the event has seen extraordinary growth and success in a
Norwich community of only
around 7,000 individuals.
“Several years ago we
decided to cap the maximum
teams, it is now capped at
400-teams so around 2,000
players,” said Mullen. “The
largest year ever we had about
550 teams. I think we could
have grown the event to no lie,
like 1,000 teams with courts
all the way to the fairgrounds
and even cross over and go up
past the library. We had
visions of this happening at
one time.”
The cutback and cap of
teams allowed to participate
in Gus Macker each year, was
a proactive move in an
attempt to perfect the tournament for all involved.
“We felt we overworked the
volunteers back then. So we
had a choice, to go for quality
or go for quantity, and we
chose quality,” said Mullen.
Mullen explained that by
cutting the number of teams
back to 400, it let the staff and
volunteers plan ahead for
each year, as they had a set
number of how many shirts,
port-o-johns, vendors, volunteers, basketball courts, etc.
that would be needed to run
the event smoothly.
“We have a pretty good idea
budget wise what it will cost
to run the event every single
year now,” said Mullen.
Gus Macker will see no
major changes in 2016, as
their system seems to have
been working for the past two
decades with much success.
Despite having no major
changes scheduled, Mullen
did allege that Gus Macker is
looking to potentially partner
with Mathews-Ford for a possible addition to the basketball weekend.
“We are looking at partnering with Mathews Auto body,
for their mustang rally. They
contacted us and asked if we
would be receptive to them
having the rally the same
weekend as Gus Macker,”
said Mullen. “We saw no
problem with this, it may even
generate some more interest
down on their end, but in
doing so Saturday evening
they always have a fireworks
show. So this a possibility of
what may be to come, nothing
is set in stone yet.”
Most recently, Mullen and
Revoir traveled to Grand
Rapids, Michigan, for a presentation in early January,
2016.
“We were asked to be presenters to their annual conference. I think when you have
done it for as long as we have,
well we have mastered some
ways of doing things in a
small community,” said
Mullen. “They wanted us to
present to other communities
so they can learn from us and
why we have been able to do
it for 21-years, when some
larger city cant make it go. It
is going to be easy for us to
report to them because of
such a strong volunteer base
in the community that continues to come back year after
year.”
Volunteer support was a key
aspect Mullen highlighted as
why Gus Macker has had the
successes over its span of
years existing in the local
community, and moved to
thank everyone who has
helped out over the years.
“The city has been graciously supporting us, and
there are around 400-500 volunteers. When we lose volunteers it is noticeable and it
hurts, but the others will pick
up the slack because they
know it is such a significant
event for the community,”
said Mullen.
Gus Macker is always looking for new volunteers, and
anyone interested in helping
out this coming July, 2016,
should contact the Norwich
YMCA at (607) 336-9622 for
more information.
“It is a festival of basketball, it brings families together, and it is a great community event that we are very
proud of,” said Mullen.
334-8542
1.9%
We NEVER buy up!
Great Cars, Fair Prices!
GENERAL
CONTRACTOR
(607) 434-9536
Sales Extension Located at:
6150 St Hwy 12, Norwich - 336-7474
(Across from Arby’s)
New Berlin’s
own social
network...
delivered to
your mailbox
every week.
Call 337-3087 to start
your subscription
today - for as little as
$19.75 a year!
Commercial / Residential
New Homes - Additions - Electrical - Plumbing
Radiant Heat - Kitchens - Baths - Tile - Woodcraft
Concrete Floors & Store Fronts
Excavating & Backhoe Services
FULLY INSURED & FREE ESTIMATES
www.premierconstructioncny.com
(Premierconstructionser@yahoo.com)
Success Story
Enlightened Dentistry
In 2005 , Dr Ray bought Enlightened Dentistry from Dr James and Linda Getchonis.
Chris Bates, Shannon Robinson and Deanna Parsons remain from the original staff. In
2016, Dr Thurber, joins the experienced staff. Dr. Thurber is an oral maxillofacial surgeon who performs general anesthesia and iv sedation,
wisdom teeth extractions, biopsies, implants, facial surgeries, cancer consultations,
and treatment of head pain and trauma.
Besides staff, the office added modern procedures such as non surgical and painless
treatment of periodontal or gum disease. Secondly, crooked teeth can be straightened
with clear aligners or Fastbraces. Thirdly, TMJ and headaches can be treated with computer balancing or a mouth appliance. Broken or cavity stricken teeth can be treated
with metal free fillings or crowns. Finally, the office caters to those choosing holistic or
natural options.
Everyone is welcomed at Enlightened Dentistry . The staff really enjoy what they do
and they are happy to see you. Even if one hasn't been to a dentist in a long time or one
is afraid of the dentist, one will feel comfortable. They give many treatment and payment options. They look forward to helping.
PUBLISHED
BY
67
PROGRESS CHENANGO 2016
THE EVENING SUN
Sheriff’s Office to be first agency in Chenango County to use body cameras –
CONTINUED
FROM
PAGE 60
they have kind of caught on
and only carry what they can
dispose of quickly.”
• The CCSO has zero open
homicide cases at the
moment, which was not the
case last year.
The William H. Danielson
case was wrapped up in 2015
as Danielson entered a plea of
guilty to killing his estranged
significant other, Lucinda
Knoll.
“I think he would have
challenged it in court if he
didn’t see the evidence
against him,” said Cutting.
“The writing was on the
wall.”
Lieutenant Richard Cobb
added that the trial preparation was (and often is) almost
as much work as the original
investigation into a crime of
that nature.
After a jury was selected,
Danielson opted to enter a
guilty plea and was sentenced
to 20 years to life in state
prison.
The sheriff also mentioned
a cold case that has a potential suspect.
The CCSO is continuing its
investigation into the murder
of Thomas Lee Francisco,
age 38. On July 7th, 1999,
Francisco was found dead by
friends at approximately 5:00
p.m. at his residential trailer
located on One Eye Road in
the Town of Pharsalia. An
autopsy
revealed
that
Francisco was shot a number
of times. Investigators are
maintaining a Command Post
at the Sheriff's Office in
Norwich, and there is still a
$5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and
conviction of the person(s)
responsible for the murder.
Cutting said the potential
suspect they have for the case
is currently in state prison,
and Lt. Cobb added that the
CCSO receives approximately two tips per year regarding
the case.
In a more recent case,
Ganesh R. Ramsaran returned
to Chenango County from
state prison for the purpose of
bribery charges against him.
It was alleged that while
being held in the Chenango
County Correctional Facility,
Ramsaran offered Mark
Chesebro,
a
Chenango
County Corrections Officer,
$100,000 to help him escape
from the jail.
Ultimately,
Ramsaran
entered a plea of guilty to the
charge in December 2015. He
is currently serving 25 years
to life in state prison for the
murder of his wife Jennifer.
• With regard to staffing,
the sheriff said that full time
law enforcement is up to staff
at the moment, but there is
one anticipating retirement.
He said a part-time employee
was hired last year, and there
are a few candidates for the
position once the retirement
takes place.
Cutting
said
the
Communications Division is
down three part-time position, and two Corrections
employees recently left the
jail. The Corrections Division
has more than a dozen female
employees on staff.
Cutting said the jail is
down ten full-time employees
and ten part-time employees.
“We brought some on last
week,” Cutting said. “We are
still hiring and the test is
offered in April.” He said it
includes a civil service test
and background check.
The sheriff additionally
added that the CCSO is down
on nursing staff.
“The jail is a tough place to
work,” said Cutting. “The
inmates try to get one over on
the officers, and there are a
lot of challenges, many on the
medical side. There are
inmates going through withdrawals, DTs, and other
dependency issues. Some
have other medical issues.
Some inmates are incorrigible. The last thing they want
is to be told what to do.”
In 2016, Cutting said he
would like to take care of the
challenges in the jail, including fulling staffing the CCSO.
“When we’re down [on staff],
we’re spending a lot in overtime,” he said.
• The most noteworthy
change to the CCSO coming
in 2016 is the implementation
of body cameras for both
patrol and corrections.
54 body cameras have been
purchased and the CCSO is
building the infrastructure to
support the storage of the
recordings.
“We have purchased and
installed a server to support
it,” said Cutting. “The server
and storage is so that we can
search and find specific
videos we may need.”
Cutting said they’re in the
final stages of completely the
policy on how the cameras
will be used.
He explained that the cameras worn by the Corrections
Division employees will not
be permitted to record the
inmate’s cell, shower area, or
bathroom.
With patrol deputies, the
cameras are to remain on
when dealing with the public,
and turned off during certain
times including using the
restroom.
“By the same token, some
inmates have made statements about being abused,”
said Cutting. “A female we
were housing from another
county claimed she was
abused. Her allegations did
not match anything we had on
video from central command.”
“I think the cameras will
help everyone,” Cutting
added. “It goes both ways.
When
someone
knows
recording is taking place,
they will act differently. It
also makes us more transparent and accountable.”
“We can simply never have
enough infrastructure to save
and store every single thing
recorded,” said the sheriff.
“We will have to be selective
in what we save. It will be
policy driven as to how long
we maintain them on the
server.”
Cutting said several different types of body cameras
were tested before a purchase
was made.
“The deputies want the
cameras,” said Cutting. “They
understand the value of it.”
The cameras will be rolled
out within the next 30 days as
the finishing touches are
being made to the server and
infrastructure. Once that’s
finished, the intention is to
get the cameras rolling.
“What it will do for us is
well worth it,” Cutting said.
The cameras run $300 a
piece, and the money was
used from drug seizures for
the patrol side and jail phone
commissions for the corrections side.
“No taxpayer dollars went
into this at all,” said Cutting.
“Taxpayers did not have to
fund this at all. We want to be
proactive and transparent. We
want to be up front, and
found a way to improve
everything that we do.”
The CCSO will be the first
law enforcement agency in
Chenango County to wear
body cameras.
• With Homeland Security
grant funds, the CCSO was
able to obtain active shooter
shields.
“In an active shooter situation, a deputy can pull the
shield out to attempt to stop
the active shooter,” Cutting
said. “Through a similar
grant, were were able to
obtain similar shields and we
distributed them to each
police agency in the county.
Now the rest of the agencies
have something they’ve never
had before.”
The agencies who received
active shooter shields included Sherburne, New Berline,
Bainbridge, Afton, Greene,
Oxford and Norwich.
“There are schools in those
communities, we these are
tools those agencies can use
until backup can arrive,” said
Cutting.
Cutting added that Oxford,
Sherburne-Earlville,
and
BOCES have a School
Resource Officer, a position
he said to be important. He
said there are talks with
Otselic Valley to get a School
Resource Officer in their
school. Cutting said two
deputies are trained as SROs.
“As we go forward, OV is
requesting someone [from
law enforcement] everyday,”
Cutting said. “If something
were to happen, OV is 30
minutes away from the nearest help. They have no law
enforcement outside of the
CCSO and State Police, leaving that school one of the
most vulnerable.”
THORNTON
ELECTRIC
Norwich, NY
607-336-7164
Specializing in
Electric Remodeling,
Residential & Commercial
The Evening Sun
Chenango County’s Hometown Daily Newspaper Since 1891
I’d like to extend my gratitude
to the community as a whole
for being opinionated,
expressing support when they
so choose, and for subscribing
to the newspaper to which I
am proud to say I am the
Managing Editor. I sincerely
hope you enjoy this edition of
Progress Chenango.
www.evesun.com
OFFERING IN HOUSE:
Part Design
Mold Design
Mold Making
Injection Molding
Distribution
3D Printing
Chenango Valley Technologies (CVT) is a
custom injection molding company located
in Sherburne, NY. Key personal include:
Shawn Baker, President ; John Davis, VP
tooling and engineering Norm Wynn,
Production Manager and Cole Williams
Quality Manager.
Injection Molding is a process used
to manufacture plastic parts. The parts
produced at CVT are sold to many
industries including: Medical, Electronics,
Lawn & Garden, Cosmetic, Consumer,
Automotive, Marine and RV. Many of the
customers have been working with CVT for
over 30 years.
CVT began in 1972 as a tool and die
company and has grown to include: Part
design, mold/tool design, mold making and
injection molding. Having all these services
in house allows CVT’s customers a single
source for their plastic parts. The volume
of plastic parts produced range from
hundreds of pieces to millions of pieces per
year. In an average year CVT processes
over 1 million pounds of plastic resin.
2015 was a record year for CVT and
we look to a prosperous 2016. New this
year is a 3D printer for prototypes and
short runs.
“Some students are having
difficult times emotionally,”
said Cutting. “We have
responded, and other agencies have responded to the
schools too. Having a SRO
opens up dialogue and a lot of
students are interested in not
only what they have to say,
but with what they have to
do.”
Cutting said that when the
fire happened in South
Otselic, the CCSO lost its
substation there.
Additionally, Cutting said
he is working with the Town
of Afton to get a substation
set up there, as well as preliminary talks with the
Smyrna Supervisor to get a
substation set up. He said in
Smyrna, the village would
provide the building and electricity, and the CCSO would
pay for their equipment. He
said he will be working with
the town supervisors in the
Northern
portion
of
Chenango County to get a
substation in that area –
Lincklaen or McDonough for
example.
Cutting said a main focus
of the CCSO is for the
employees to “treat everybody like you would treat
your most loved and cherished persons.” He said sometimes force is used, but he
stresses that the least amount
of force should be used as
possible.
“We’re here to protect the
community, and I look forward to continuing to do so
with the improvements we’re
making, and I’m looking forward to moving forward in
2016,” Cutting said.
68
PROGRESS CHENANGO 2016
PUBLISHED
BY
THE EVENING SUN