Contributed by Anyela’s Vineyards

Anyela’s Vineyards 2006 Pinot Gris is the featured wine this week. It’s a lighter style Pinot Gris that is crisp and clean with hints of green apple. Pair with lighter foods such as poultry, or try with hot and spicy food.

• 100% tank fermented
• Aged in tank for 6 months
• 100% finger Lakes
• 135 cases bottled March 2007
• .3% RS (residual sugar)
• 12.5% alcohol
• $13.95 per bottle

Anyela’s Vineyards wines embody the perfect blend of land and climate with three generations of viticultural expertise. The winery, overlooking the picturesque village of Skaneateles and the pure waters of the lake bearing the same name, awaits for you to experience the best the Finger Lakes have to offer. Read the story of Anyela’s Vineyards at their website here.

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Excerpted from Skaneateles Journal / Staff Report

A former Skaneateles High School teacher will spend six months in a county jail for having sex with a student. William Milham also will spend 10 years on probation. The 37-year-old pleaded guilty in March to committing a felony sex act in October 2002. [...] As part of a plea deal, Milham surrendered his state teaching certificate. He was suspended with pay since his September arrest at the annual salary rate of $54,250, but agreed to resign last month as a condition of the plea agreement. The district officials accepted a letter of resignation from Milham after he pleaded guilty in Onondaga County Court in April to charges of third-degree criminal sexual act related to an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl. Read the full article at the Skaneateles Journal website.

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Contributed by Lori Ruhlman

Image: As they gather in the courtyard, visitors marvel at the gardens. Sitting on a bench are Elizabeth Shoenfelt, current Environmental Club president, and Elli Krause, an active member of the club.

The sounds of the Skaneateles Madrigal Choir filled the courtyard at Skaneateles High School on Tuesday evening as a crowd gathered to celebrate three years of work that turned the gravel hole between buildings into a place of beauty.

Principal Georgette Hoskins said the courtyard represents vision, persistence and collaboration. She said it is a tribute to the students who had the vision, used persistence and collaborated with staff and community members to make their dream come true. “It is also a beautiful tribute to those who were once a part of our school community, from students whose lives ended prematurely to staff who dedicated themselves to students,” she said.

Superintendent Phil D’Angelo Jr. said the amazing effort that went into making the courtyard a reality is the type of thing that makes him very proud to be a part of the Skaneateles community.

Patience Brewster attributed much of the success of the student-led project to Rick Garrett, teacher and Environmental Club adviser. She called him a “magical person” whose quiet guidance made others join in and work hard. (more…)

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Contributed by Erika Davis / Creekside Books & Coffee

Creekside Books & Coffee, an independent bookstore and coffeehouse in Skaneateles, Welcomes Robert Molinari, author of Joyce’s Ark: On it’s Journey to the Rainbow Bridge Saturday May 31 at 1pm.

“Joyce’s Ark is a truly remarkable story of not only love for animals, but one of dedication and deep commitment guided through faith and love,” says Erika Davis, owner of Creekside Books and Coffee. “This book is a wise selection for animal lovers, and those who do not necessarily see themselves as animal lovers.”

About the author

Robert Molinari is a retired development and public relations director for several major non-profit organizations, one of which was a zoo society. He is a nationally known development workshop trainer and motivational speaker who has lived with his wife, Joyce, on a 17-acre farm in upstate New York for the past 25 years. She is a retired middle school English teacher. For the past 35 years they have been the owners and caregivers for many animals and are currently very busy taking care of their present pets: three horses, two dogs, and a new kitten.

(more…)

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Contributed by Tom Seeley

If you haven’t been to Ascioti’s Meat Market recently (or ever), you are missing out on one of Central New York’s true treasures.

Ascioti’s is on Milton Ave just west of the Village center. The little shop in Solvay is a butcher shop like the one your mom used to take you to when you were little, on what seemed like an endless parade of errands where you hoped you’d be provided a penny for the little gum ball machine near the exit.

By way of Dick Case at The Post Standard, I gather the shop has been there and run by the same family for close to 100 years.

My boss has sworn by the meatball mix there for years and I finally made my way to try it out last week. The mix is phenomenal. I’ve also heard the pan sausage is excellent. I didn’t try the latter, but I was able to purchase a slab of bacon (unsliced), which I highly recommend. The quality destroys supermarket bacon and you can slice it nice and thick for extra flavor.

If you are worried about price in a small shop like that, you shouldn’t. I paid about the same per pound for the meatball mix as I paid at a local supermarket recently for a pound of ground beef! If you go, make sure to bring a checkbook or cash because the store does not accept credit cards.

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Contributed by Tom Seeley / Skaneateles Sunrise Rotary

UPCOMING EVENTS, INFORMATION AND OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST

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By Christine Briel / Skaneateles Design

I know I’ve blogged about how much I love Twitter before, but I really do pick up some cool stuff on there. I follow the Post Standard on Twitter (which just means that they post excerpts of articles on Twitter to entice people to click over to Syracuse.com and I read them). Last week they posted a Tweet about the State Tower in Syracuse, NY and the USA Datanet Falcon Cam. Apparently there have been a couple of Peregrine Falcons nesting atop the State Tower building for 3 years now. This year they have birthed 4 baby Peregrine Falcons and you can watch them in their nest. You have to hit the refresh button on your web browser to see them move (not sure why the Cam isn’t “live”) but it is very cool to see the babies pop their heads up and down and move around in the nest. I haven’t seen the parents in the nest yet, but if you are in Syracuse and look up at the State Tower building you will frequently see one of the parents flying back and forth.

Very cool!! Click here to see the babies.

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By: Cary Briel / Skaneateles Design

FOX news recently broadcast a segment that included FOX News contributor Liz Trotta suggesting and laughing about the the possibility of Barack Obama being assassinated. Many have suggested that FOX should sack her for the comment. There are also news reports suggesting that she may be under investigation by the Secret Service for the comment. Click here to watch the the segment of the FOX interview, and also sign the petition asking FOX to sack her. I personally don’t understand how this could be a humorous subject, whether or not she supports Obama. First Clinton carelessly referencing the topic, and now Trotta.

UPDATE: Check here for an article relating to how much attention this issue is getting on youtube.

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Contributed by Erika Davis / Creekside Books & Coffee

Creekside Books & Coffee, an independent bookstore and coffeehouse in Skaneateles, welcomes Thomas Cobb author of Shavetail, Acts of Contrition and Crazy Heart on Sunday June 1 at 1pm.

“Our events coordinator works diligently behind the scenes to bring a variety of events to the bookstore. We look to line up authors with great talent and interesting subject matter. Mr. Cobb’s books will engage, entertain and educate the reader,” says Erika Davis, owner of Creekside Books and Coffee.

About the author

Thomas Cobb was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in Tucson, Arizona. He is the author of novels Crazy Heart and Shavetail, and a collection of short stories Acts of Contrition, that won the 2002 George Garrett Fiction Prize. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife. (more…)

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By Christine Briel / Skaneateles Design

My parents took a bike ride on their new motorcycle this afternoon and gave us a surprise visit. It was nice to see them and a gorgeous day so we went into town for a bit to eat. Our one daughter was working her waitressing job at Bluewater Grill and the Manager, Chad, was nice enough to fit us right in at a table in her section. It was really busy, seemed like everyone was having a late lunch. We finished up with a little ice cream at Sweetwater and headed down West Lake Road for a ride. I can’t say it enough, what a gorgeous day!

As we were driving I remembered the buzz around town about Anyela’s Vineyards so we decided to stop when we saw the roadside sign. What a gorgeous building and lovely atmosphere inside and out! We looked around a little and then decided to do a wine tasting. Here’s an awesome value for your buck - pick 5 wines from a list of 9 and you get to taste each one of them while a lady behind the counter gives you an intimate description of each wine. Here’s the best part - $2. I chose the 2006 Pinot Gris, 2006 Reisling, 2006 Cayuga White, 2006 Rose of Pinot Noir and 2005 Petite Noir. The Rose Pinot Noir was really good with delicious berry flavors. We ended up buying a bottle of the 2005 Overlay (one of the one’s my husband had on his list - I also tasted most of his).

Patti and James Nocek are the owners of Anyela’s Vineyards and Patti’s Mom (Lucy) greets you when you walk through the door. They are really nice people and I’m sure they will do great in this new endeavor! They offer tours and tastings daily, Mon - Sat 10AM - 5PM and Sun noon - 5PM. They are located at 2433 West Lake Road, Skaneateles, NY 13152. If you would like more information you can call 315.685.3797 or e-mail events@anyelasvineyards.com or visit their website here.

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