Keeping Busy

Weather and Competitions: I am no meteorologist, but I am thinking that the rain over the weekend brought us much closer to ending the drought from the summer. The weather provided for some crummy conditions for sports and the Marching Band; which for the first time in three years, actually had to compete indoors.

Probably the most exciting competition of the week was the girls varsity soccer game versus Fayetteville-Manlius last Thursday night. Neither team gave up as the rain came down. Through four overtimes and two rounds of penalty kicks, our girls came up just short; but what a display of pride, effort, and grit!

If you are a fan of tennis then you understand how tough it is to get a good doubles team. The pair have to really connect to know where to be and when, and how to stick to the plan even when down. Our girls varsity doubles team of Mikayla Mannara (9th grade) and Katie Viau (7th grade; yes, you read that correctly) dug deep to qualify for the state competition. How cool is that? Congratulations to them and be on the lookout for sectional schedules for cross country and volleyball; both have the potential to compete deep into the fall.

By the time you read my next blog, the Marching Band will have competed for the New York State Field Band Conference Championship. They have been working really hard to take back the top spot, and I am hopeful that they are able to accomplish their goals.

Update on Coalition: Speaking of goals, our Substance Abuse Coalition met last week. We have many new members, including elected officials from the assembly level through congressional level, area physicians, and more community members than last year.

We established goals of providing another NARCAN training, holding another resource night, and finding ways to help adults in our community to stay on the recovery trail. I am continuing to lead that group and have also joined the Onondaga County Drug Task Force as a member. The goals for the group are:

• providing more education for youth regarding the dangers of drugs, 
• providing channels for addicts to get help, and 
• lobbying for harsher penalties for dealers. 

It was great to hear from Camillus Police Chief, Tom Winn, that from the time our coalition began until last week, the number of local overdoses are down 19% and the number of fatalities from overdoses are down 50%. Awesome, with the understanding that we have more work to do.

Upcoming Events: I would like to personally invite you to two events that are being held at the high school this week. The first is the annual Harvest Dinner that is put on by the senior class. This longstanding tradition features full table service in our cafeteria with roast beef as the star with all the fixings. For dessert, the students made pies that are absolutely delicious. If you can't dine in with them on Wednesday from 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m., please consider take out.

If you have younger children and are looking for a very safe and fun trick or treat experience, please consider taking them to the high school this Thursday from 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. The Respect and Responsibility Club does a great job with the kids and many local businesses, as well as the Camillus Police Department and Fairmount Fire Department help to provide goodies and activities. This event was VERY well attended last year and received excellent reviews.

Thanks for taking the time to read all of this and enjoy the week!

Chris