Tug Hill Commission reveals 2023 Class of Sages while celebrating 50th anniversary during annual dinner
OSWEGO COUNTY- New York’s Tug Hill Commission recognized its 2023 class of Sages while celebrating their 50th anniversary during their annual dinner.
During the gathering, the Commission received proclamations from Senator Walczyk and Senator Mannion, and well-wishes from the remainder of the Tug Hill legislative delegation, including Senator Griffo, and Assemblymembers Barclay, Blankenbush, Buttenschon, Gray, and Smullen.
“One very special thing about the Tug Hill Commission, and what has contributed to the commission’s longevity and success in serving Tug Hill communities and the State of New York, is that over 50 years, the organization has been led by just four executive directors,” officials said in a statement.
The list of 2023 Sages are as follows:
Art Baderman is a lifelong resident and dairy farmer in the town of Rodman, and continues to live on part of his family farm. Art has served his community of Rodman for over 50 years, by serving on the town board, planning board, zoning board and the Rodman Fire Department. He is retiring from the Rodman Town Board at the end of this year. He has also served as an EMT with the South Jeff Rescue Squad, and worked with Cornell Cooperative Extension for many years, delivering agricultural programs throughout Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.
Richard “Rip” Colesante, a native of Watertown, NY, has lived and worked along the North Shore of Oneida Lake for 50 years. Rip has served his community of Constantia in multiple ways, including: serving as a councilman on the town board and leading the charge to form two water districts and a sewer district in this capacity; chairing the parks and recreation commission for over 35 years, and chairing the North Shore Council of Governments for over ten years. Rip’s professional life was spent working for DEC as an aquatic biologist with an expertise in walleye, helping to rebuild the Oneida Fish Cultural Station. He has been an active member of the Oneida Lake Association Board of Directors since 1986.
Wayne Kwasniewski was born in Constableville and has spent his entire life on Tug Hill, save for two years at Paul Smith’s College. He has worked in the forestry industry since age 12, and at 17 harvested timber on the Gould Paper Company/Georgia Pacific Tract on Tug Hill. His career in forestry has been varied, from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to J&C Lumber Company at their sawmill in Swancott Mill, to his own contracting business with his father and as a consultant forester for LandVest. He has a lifetime of hunting, fishing, trapping and logging experience on Tug Hill. He has also served the town of Lewis as past vice chairman of the planning board, past councilman, and past assessor. He is a member of the Point Rock Fish & Game Club and the Atlantic Salmon Fish Creek Club.
Loretta Lepkowski is a lifelong Tug Hill and Lewis County resident. She was raised on the family farm and went on to a career in social work and education. She developed an interest and talent in art, and with the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust (THTLT), began a traveling art shows in 2010 that featured “Celebrating Family Farms of Tug Hill.” In 2017, she partnered with Traditional Arts of Upstate NY (TAUNY), THTLT, and the commission to produce and present the “Venerable Folks of Tug Hill” multi-media exhibit that has traveled the Hill and beyond. It has been displayed in at least 26 locations and has served to increase awareness of the special place that Tug Hill is. She was awarded the Evergreen Award at TAUNY in recognition of her contributions as an artist and community scholar. Loretta is committed to preserving the heritage, history, and stories of Tug Hill.
Wayne McIlroy is a lifelong resident of the Carthage/West Carthage area. Most of his life has been spent serving the Carthage community, most notably over 30 years on the village of Carthage board as trustee and president. He represented the village on boards too numerous to list, but closest to the commission as chair of the River Area Council of Governments from its inception in 2002, until his retirement from the village board in 2022. In his free time, he has volunteer for the fire department, for some time as chief; the St. James Catholic Church, and the Carthage Area Hospital Auxiliary. Now in his retirement, he and his son built a camp in Osceola, where they enjoy the land through four-wheelers, walking trails, and hunting.
Robert “Bob” Quinn has dedicated his life to the preservation, protection, and marketing of the Tug Hill region. His experience includes serving on the Tug Hill Commission as a natural resources specialist from 1986 to 1993, and as executive director from 1993 to 2004. He is the past chairman and current member of the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust board of directors. Bob firmly believes that the citizens of Tug Hill must shape their own future.
After dinner, current Tug Hill Sages were recognized:
Bob Sauer, Class of 2003 – Bob worked for many years as a forester and buyer for Harden Furniture and continues his work in retirement as a consulting forester. Bob is a former trustee and mayor of Camden, founding member of THRIFT, former board member of THTLT and continues to serve as chairman of NOCCOG.
Francis Yerdon, Class of 2012 – Fran is a life-long resident of the Redfield/Osceola area, and was actively involved in the effort to introduce land use planning in the original nine towns in the heart of Tug Hill in the early 1970’s. Fran is an avid hunter, trapper, fisherman and recreationalist, and is also the current Osceola Town Supervisor, stepping down from the board at the end of this year.
Benjamin Coe, Class of 2015 – The Tug Hill Commission’s first executive director, he set the course and tone through the first two decades of the commission’s existence.
New York’s Tug Hill Commission image: Wayne McIlroy, Bob Quinn, Ben Coe, Loretta Lepkowski, Wayne Kwasniewski, Art Baderman, Rip Colesante, Fran Yerdon. *Not pictured, Bob Sauer.
