Pictured are Jenni Larchar, Mason McDowell and Carl Pickett who will perform music from the 40s to the 60s at The Palace Theater Feb. 4.

(Hamilton, NY – Feb. 2012) The Palace Players announce an impromptu cabaret filled with nostalgic songs that celebrate musical favorites of the past. Flashback—Celebrate Music of the 40’s – 60’s is Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7pm. Three musicians come together for this rare treat: Jenni Larchar (Sherburne) is the lead vocalist, Mason McDowell (Lebanon) will tickle the 88’s on his electric piano, and Carl Pickett (Earlville) brings the sound home with his stand-up bass.

Jenni, Mason, and Carl are excited to perform together for Flashback and invite all of you to 70 plus minutes of entertainment. Enjoy tunes such as I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Star Dust, Georgia On My Mind, Someone to Watch Over Me, Blue Moon Taking a Chance on Love, and other timeless favorites.

The Colgate Inn will provide light drinks at a cash bar. Tickets are $10 and available at the door, but reservations are welcome. Seating is general admission, cabaret style (tables and chairs) and first come-first served. Doors open at 6:30pm.

The Palace Theater is located at 19 Utica St.

For more information, visit palacetheater.org.

(Lebanon, NY – Jan. 21, 2012) The State Police in New Woodstock responded to a Personal Injury Auto Accident in the Town of Lebanon on Jan. 21.

The collision occurred around 10:48 p.m. when a Red 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis, operated by Andrew M. Ashton, 21, of Earlville was southbound on State Route 12B when his vehicle exited the roadway and drove across the front lawn of a residence at 1343 State Route 12B, striking a tree.

The driver and the passenger, Deonna L. Stoddard, 20, of Eaton received minor facial injuries; both refused medical treatment at the scene.

Investigation at the scene revealed that Ashton was intoxicated and was traveling to fast for the road conditions. Ashton was placed under Arrest for DWI, processed and released to a third party.

Ashton is scheduled to re-appear at the Town of Lebanon Court on Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. to answer the charges.

The investigation was conducted by Trooper Michael Greenwood of the SP New Woodstock barracks.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation can contact Trooper Greenwood, SP New Woodstock at 315-662-3111.

Monday, January 23, 2012

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Meeting of November 15

3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.: Town of Sullivan Board Meeting of November 15

3:23 p.m. and 8:23 p.m.: Oneida Rotary Club Meeting of November 15

3:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.: Madison County Board of Supervisors Meeting of November 29

4:05 p.m. and 9:05 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Budget Meeting of November 29

Tuesday, January 24

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: City of Oneida and Madison County Inductions of January 1

2:14 p.m. and 7:14 p.m.: Town of Vernon Officer Inductions of  January 1

2:18 p.m. and 7:18 p.m.: Town of Vernon Board Meeting of January 2

3:56 p.m. and 8:56 p.m.: City of Sherrill Officer Inductions of January 2

4:04 p.m. and 9:04 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Meeting of January 3

Wednesday, January 25

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Madison County State of the County Address of January 3

3:15 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.: Town of Sullivan Board Meeting of January 4

3:47 p.m. and 8:47 p.m.:  City of Sherrill Commission Meeting of January 9

4:01 p.m. and 9:01 p.m.: Town of Lebanon Board Meeting of January 9

5:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.: Congressman Bill Owens’ Town Hall Meeting of January 9

Thursday, January 26

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Oneida rotary Club Meeting of November 29

2:20 p.m. and 7:20 p.m.: Canastota Schools Board Meeting of January 10

3:02 p.m. and 8:02 p.m.: Oneida Rotary Club Meeting of January 10

3:36 p.m. and 8:36 p.m.: Oneidas Club Meeting with PSC Doug Lippert, January 12

Monday, January 16, 2012

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Town of Vernon Board Meeting of December 5

3:12 p.m. and 8:12 p.m.: Assembly Calendar with Claudia Tenney

3:27 p.m. and 8:27 p.m.: Oneida Rotary Club Meeting of December 6

3:52 p.m. and 8:52 p.m.: Madison County Board of Supervisors Meeting of December 6

4:24 p.m. and 9:24 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Meeting of December 6

Tuesday, January 17

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Town of Sullivan Board Meeting of December 7

2:40 p.m. and 7:40 p.m.: Oneidas Club Meeting with William Cesare, December 8

3:01 p.m. and 8:01 p.m.: Share a Caring Christmas, Part I

4:33 p.m. and 9:33 p.m.: Share a Caring Christmas, Part II

6:21 p.m. and 11:21p.m.: Sherrill City Commission Meeting of December 12

Wednesday, January 18

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Vernon Village Board Meeting of December 12

2:42 p.m. and 7:42 p.m.: Canastota Schools Board of Education Meeting of December 13

3:20 p.m. and 8:20 p.m.:  Oneida Common Council Meeting of December 13

3:37 p.m. and 8:37 p.m.: Madison-Cortland ARC Christmas Concert, December 13

4:24 p.m. and 9:24 p.m.: Capital Notebook with Brian Kolb

Thursday, January 19

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: OPL Players present:  Christmas by Injunction

3:08 p.m. and 8:08 p.m.: Oneida Rotary Club with Joe DiGeorgio:”Watson Wagon”

3:32 p.m. and 8:32 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Meeting of December 20

3:44 p.m. and 8:44 p.m.: Oneida Rotary Club Meeting of December 27

3:57 p.m. and 8:57 p.m.: Madison County Board of Supervisors Meeting of December 28

Friday, January 20

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Sherrill City Commission Meeting of December 28

2:17 p.m. and 7:17 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Meeting of December 29

2:24 p.m. and 7:24 p.m.: Are Kids Ready to be On-Line, A Forum

3:26 p.m. and 8:26 p.m.: Sherrill City Commission Meeting of November 14

3:42 p.m. and 8:42 p.m.: Town of Lebanon Board Meeting of November 14

Think Local

By Chris Hoffman

(Sherburne, NY – Jan. 2012) I stopped at Price Chopper on New Year’s Day, not to shop, but because I was on a mission. I wanted to know how much it would cost to buy a quantity of produce that typically comprises a week’s share of vegetables from a local CSA.

Here’s the list I made:

2 cucumbers – $4

3 green peppers – $3

1 red pepper – $2

1 bunch radishes (about 7) – $1.49

1 bunch parsley – $1.49

1 bunch white chard and 1 bunch red chard (about 2 lbs.) – $5.98

1 lb. broccoli – $2.49

1 lb. sugar snap peas $4.99

1 lb. eggplant (2 small ones) – $3.99

1 lb. zucchini (2 small ones) – $1.99

1 head cauliflower – $3.99

2 lb. bag carrots – $1.99

1 pkg. tomatoes (8 small ones) – $2

1 bunch lettuce – $2.99

1 head of garlic – $.66

1 Vidalia onion – $1.49

2 lb. bag yellow onions – $2.49

1 lb. Brussels sprouts – $2.99

5 lb. bag red potatoes – $4.99

Depending on the size of your family, you could easily consume most of this produce within a week, and your total cost would be $55.

However, if you purchased a membership in a local CSA farm, your cost per week would range from $21 to $27 per week, depending on the kind of share you bought.  I split a three-quarter share with a friend, so my cost per week is about $11, and I always have more than enough produce for the week.  The season typically runs from the beginning of June through mid-November, a total of about 24 weeks.

Buying your produce from a local CSA means no pesticides, no herbicides, no genetically-modified seed, no soil depletion, higher nutrition, better flavor, less fossil fuels consumed between farm and consumer, no packaging to dispose of, and your dollars support the local farmers so that they can make a living and keep producing food for us.

When you buy produce at the grocery store, most of your money leaves the local economy, and almost all of the produce you’re buying comes from thousands of miles away.  You have no idea whether it was grown with GMO seed, and virtually everything is grown with pesticides.  The growing methods used by megafarms owned by corporations deplete the soil, pollute the environment, and contribute to the continuing demise of honeybees.  Store produce has little flavor and little nutritional value compared to field- and vine-ripened produce grown locally and harvested at the proper time.

A better idea for 2012:  join a CSA.  Alambria Springs Farm still has shares available.  To join, go to http://alambriafarm.com/.  Pickup days on the farm in Lebanon are on Tuesdays 2-7 p.m. and Saturdays 10-3 p.m., and they also deliver to pickup points in Cazenovia, Morrisville, and Norwich.  You can also buy a work share that reimburses you at the end of the season in exchange for hours of work during the entire season. Work is varied, depending on your skills and abilities.

It’s not overwhelming, and it’s lots of fun!  So far, only four people have signed up for Alambria work shares this year, despite dozens of people indicating that they would do so over the summer.  If a full share is too much for your family, invite a friend or neighbor to split a share with you and share the responsibility of going to the farm to pick up the week’s produce.  There’s so much produce in a weekly share that you could easily split a share three ways and still have more than enough for each of you.

I’ve read recently that Iran is threatening to shut down the Strait of Hormuz in order to block oil shipments to the West.  Believe what you will about the viability of this threat, but sooner or later something like this is bound to occur.  What do you think will happen to the price of food once gasoline that keeps the trucks running cross country doubles or triples in price?

If we invest now in our local farms and CSAs, we won’t have to worry about paying $8 for a head of lettuce, or, worse, encountering empty shelves because the trucks have quit running.  If we think now about what kind of future we want for CNY, we will choose to support all things local, especially our food supplies.  By making these decisions now, everyone wins – the environment, our farmers, and all of us who live here.  Food, and how we choose to feed ourselves, requires that we think about these issues. Seriously.

Chris Hoffman lives in the village of Sherburne in her 150+ year-old house where she caters to the demands of her four cats, attempts to grow heirloom tomatoes and herbs and reads voraciously. She passionately pursues various avenues with like-minded friends to preserve and protect a sustainable rural lifestyle for everyone in Central New York. 

By Gary Will

(Town of Lebanon, NY – Dec. 2011) Recently, the Lebanon Town Board appointed interested residents to develop the Town of Lebanon Comprehensive Plan. Chairing this committee is Judi Clippinger, who lives on Craine Lake.

Other members include Jim McDowall, Susan Galbraith, Thomas Hoe, Penny Hughes, David Loop, Jeff Manley, Patty Matson, Jim Mulligan, Brian Musican, Chadwick Nower, Matt Powrie and Gary Will.

It is estimated it will take a couple of years to complete. The committee is starting with data collection concerning the natural resources of the town, the town’s history, a list of demographics, industry, transportation and road network, climate, water resources and aquifers, gas development, government, public and private land ownership and agricultural preservation.

This planning endeavor, although new to Lebanon, is not new to Madison County or surrounding towns. In order to draft a comprehensive plan, the community will engage in an open, deliberative process, a process which asks who we are, where we have been and where are we going.

The goal of this plan will help to preserve what is valuable to the community, while providing guidance as to how we can encourage the kinds of growth and development, which are vital to preserving the town.

In the coming months, the committee will prepare descriptive statements concerning the previously mentioned list of topics. A questionnaire will be developed and sent to all residents and landowners.

Clippinger said residents must take an active role in determining the town’s future, and this is one way of doing it.

The planning process will include a review by the town’s planning board, as well as the town board. This document will not in and of itself regulate, but will serve as a guide for residents and local officials to draw upon when making decisions, maximizing benefits and minimizing risks.

According to another committee member, it is important to preserve and protect what is seemingly valuable to the community and at the same time give thought as to how we can encourage reasonable growth.

Residents interested in joining the committee or who have questions are asked to contact Judi Clippinger at (315) 691-3415 or judi@clippinger.org. The next meeting of the whole committee will be March 6 at the town offices.

Monday, December 5

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Village of Vernon Board Meeting of November 21

2:46 p.m. and 7:46 p.m.: Town of Lebanon Board Meeting of November 14

3:36 p.m. and 8:36 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Budget Workshop of November 29

Tuesday, December 6

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Oneida Rotary Club Meeting of November 29

2:20 p.m. and 7:20 p.m.: Oneida Rotary Club Meeting of November 15

2:42 p.m. and 7:42 p.m.: Sherrill City Commission Meeting of November 14

2:58 p.m. and 7:58 p.m.: Are Kids Ready to be On Line Panel discussion of November 3

Wednesday, December 7

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Sherrill City Commission Meeting of November 28

2:07 p.m. and 7:07 p.m.: NAHOF:  Frederick Douglass – Pioneer Reformer

2:54 p.m. and 7:54 p.m.:  Town of Sullivan Board Meeting of November 15

Thursday, December 8

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Tomorrow’s World

2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: Heaven Bless the Little Ones with Thom O’Connor

3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.: Madison County Board of Supervisors Meeting of November 29

Friday, December 9

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Meeting of November 15

Several of the programs this week are being re-run, due to technical difficulties last week.

Tuesday, Nov. 29

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Village of Vernon Board Meeting of November 21

2:46 p.m. and 7:46 p.m.: Town of Lebanon Board Meeting of November 14

Wednesday, Nov. 30

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Are Kids Ready to be on Line:  A Panel Discussion

3:02 p.m. and 8:02 p.m.: Sherrill City Commission Meeting of November 14

3:18 p.m. and 8:18 p.m.:  Oneida Rotary Club Meeting of November 15

3:40 p.m. and 8:40 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Meeting of November 15

Thursday, Dec. 1

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Tomorrow’s World

2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: Heaven Bless the Little Ones with Thom O’Connor

3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.: NAHOF:  Frederick Douglass:  Pioneering Reformer

3:41 p.m. and 8:41 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Budget: Police, Fire and Planning

Friday, Dec. 2

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Town of Sullivan Board Meeting of November 15

2:23 p.m. and 7:23 p.m.: Oneidas Club Meeting of November 17 with John Ready

(Town of Lebanon, NY – Nov. 14, 2011) Lebanon town board members adopted a final 2012 town budget that will lower the town tax levy $2,100 or .6 percent.

The town council also authorized Supervisor Jim Goldstein and Highway Superintendent Alex Hodge to sign an agreement to finalize road repair issues with Norse Energy, Inc. concerning $82,500 in repairs for Vosburgh Road that is expected to be completed next spring.

The final budget will have a tax rate of $4.353 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, but the overall tax levy will be reduced from $358,490 in 2011 to $356,334 in 2012. The tax rate represents about a 2-percent increase over the 2011 tax rate of $4.266, due to a drop of $2.2 million in assessed valuation tied principally to natural gas production.

Town officials cited higher-than-anticipated sales tax proceeds as the primary reason they were able to accomplish the tax rate reduction. Town officials also cited good management of town reserves as a key to having funds available to apply against the proposed budget and to reduce debt on new machinery acquisitions.

The overall town spending increased about 4 percent from $467,490 to $487,334, due to higher state retirement costs, health insurance, Workers Compensation and related highway inputs, but sales tax proceeds increased from $110,000 to $131,000, helping to offset costs. This was especially helpful given low the interest rate is now on reserve funds that have historically been a crucial part of revenue used to offset budget increases by town officials.

This development allowed town officials to fund the Comprehensive Planning Committee activities for 2012, grant pay increases to Hodge, Town Clerk/Tax Collector Nicole Viera and bookkeeper Elaina Morgan for their efforts in assisting the town with vigorous efforts toward FEMA road repairs and reimbursements, developing the town website townoflebanon.org, improved records organization and to plan for anticipated building improvements and equipment repairs.

The state currently assesses natural gas, a commodity, as real property and uses estimates rather than actual sales in determining the value of the gas, Goldstein said, which also runs about two years behind the actual sales by the industry.

Town board members approved a resolution and were close to finalizing an agreement with Norse Energy that would have Town Attorney Steven Jones hold in escrow the $82,500 in repairs proposed by Vestal Asphalt that the town has had a quote for since May 3 of this year.

The agreement, which will need to be signed by Norse, would transfer the funds to Jones until Vestal had satisfactorily completed the repairs. Town officials are expecting Norse to turn over a check to Jones no later than Nov. 30.

Town officials also approved a snow and ice removal agreement with Madison County for 24.47 miles of county roads in the township including Armstrong Road, Nower Road, River Road, Rodman Road, Reservoir Road, Campbell Road, Lebanon Road and South Lebanon Road.

The Town Board meets again Dec. 12 at the Town Office, 1210 Bradley Brook Road in the hamlet for its end-of-year meeting.

(Madison County, NY – Nov. 2011) The Madison County Landfill Operation (all sites) and the ARC MRF Recycling Center will be closed on Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, November 24.

The Landfill Office on Buyea Road in the Town of Lincoln will be closed on Friday, November 25.