OSWEGO, N.Y. — Beloved “To Kill a Mockingbird” author Harper Lee was laid to rest Saturday afternoon. Lee’s ceremony was small and private, with just her family and close friends present.
Lee’s longtime friend Wayne Flynt gave the eulogy at the ceremony. The eulogy Flynt gave was from the speech he wrote in 2006 when Lee won the Birmingham Pledge Foundation Award for her work with racial justice. Lee requested to Flynt that he read the speech as her eulogy.
Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”, published in 1960, was an American classic dealing with race in a small southern town. A part of Lee’s book was pulled from her childhood. Her book won the Pulitzer Prize.
Many people have been moved by the loss of Lee, including author John Green and Apple’s CEO Tim Cook. Harper Lee was 89-years-old.
Written By: Kirby Socker
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Filmmaker and Environmental activist to headline 11th annual Global Awareness Conference
By Chrissi Galvin
OSWEGO, N.Y.– Fulbright Scholar and TED fellow Shalini Kantayya, a filmmaker and eco-activist will be making a free public keynote presentation at SUNY Oswego. Kantayya, whose film “Catching the Sun” was nominated for the Environmental Media Association Award for Best Documentary, has lectured at universities such as Princeton, Yale, and Stanford.
Kantayya will be presenting at The 2017 Hart Hall Global Awareness Conference. The theme this year will be “A Drop of Life – Water Crisis, Catching the Sun – Renewable Energy & Breakthrough: How Innovations Would Change the World”.
“Catching the Sun” was nominated for the 2016 Environmental Media Association Award for Best Documentary and has been translated in 35 languages.
Kantayya’s film “A Drop of Life” was used as a tool to organize for water rights in 40 villages across Africa, making a real-world impact in the lives of thousands.
The presentation will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, in Sheldon Hall ballroom for the 11th annual Hart Hall Global Awareness Conference.
For more information on the Hart Hall Global Awareness Conference, visit oswego.edu/academics/hart-global-awareness-conference.
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Liverpool man sentenced to 20 years on rape conviction
A man who forcibly raped a woman in the Village of Phoenix in July of 2005 has been convicted. Joseph A. Stefanovich was sentenced to 20 years in state prison by Oswego County Court Judge James Metcalf, for Rape in the First Degree. Stefanovich will also receive five years’ post-release supervision. The conviction pertains to an allegation that Stefanovich grabbed the victim from behind, put her in a chokehold, and dragged her into a wooded area where the offense was committed.
Stefanovich was linked to the case due to a DNA sample from a 2006 case. The DNA was on profile due to a prior sexual offense conviction.
At trial, Stefanovich claimed that his DNA appeared in the rape kit because he had a consensual encounter with the victim on the day of the offense. He told the jury that another person must have raped her later that same day.
The victim testified that she did not know Stefanovich and had never engaged in consensual intercourse with him.
District Attorney Gregory Oakes, the prosecutor of the case, stated that he wanted to commend the victim for having the “strength to come forward and the courage to testify at trial. Our community is now safe from this predator because of her bravery and fortitude. It was an honor to stand up and fight for her in court.”
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Fake ID’s Seized Following joint effort to Combat Underage Drinking
This past weekend, members of the Police Department along with investigators from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, SUNY Oswego police officers and local business owners; worked together to try and combat underage drinking and the use of fake ID’s.
Over 24 people were issued citations for attempting to use fake identification on Friday night. All fake ID’s were confiscated by DMV investigators.
The operation was conducted at three bars on West Bridge Street; Alley Cat’s on 23 W. Bridge Street, The Raven on 39 W. Bridge Street and The Sting on 49 W. Bridge Street.
This initiative is part of Governor Cuomo’s “No Excuses” Campaign which has conducted sweeps called “Operation Prevent” across the state to prevent underage drinking in New York State and keep New York Roadway’s safe.
Mayor Billy Barlow has been outspoken about the efforts made to prevent underage drinking, saying “The collaborative effort between local law enforcement, DMV investigators, local bar owners, SUNY Oswego and the city of Oswego, emphasizes the importance of these types of sweeps in our community.”
