Family legacy lumbers on

Bob Ellis/staff photographer
Matt Gutchess, left, and his father, Gary Gutchess, stand Wednesday at the Gutchess Lumber Company on
McLean Road in Cortlandville. Matt Gutchess has been named president of the company, taking over from his
father, who will remain as chairman of the board of directors.
Family legacy lumbers on
Fifth-generation son taking over as head of Gutchess
By TYRONE L. HEPPARD
Staff Reporter
[email protected]
CORTLANDVILLE — One of the
town’s oldest businesses is in the midst
of a transition as Matt Gutchess takes
over as fifth-generation president of
Gutchess Lumber Co., succeeding his
father, Gary Gutchess, who is stepping
down to chair the board of directors.
As the great-great grandson of
George Gutchess, who founded the
company in Lapeer in 1904, Matt
Gutchess, 41, is moving up from
the post of vice president to run the
company.
From the company’s headquarters at
890 McLean Road, Gary Gutchess, 67,
said Wednesday, he has been president
of the lumber company since 2010, but
has worked there in some capacity on
and off since 1968.
He said he is proud of the advances
Gutchess Lumber has made over the
last few years and said he is sure the
company will continue to grow under
his son’s leadership.
“Some people overstay their welcome (and) I want to go out when we’re
winning,” Gary Gutchess joked. “I just
think it’s time for Matt. He’s very well
prepared for the job he’s stepping into.
I’m convinced he’s going to do a good
job.”
Cortlandville Town Supervisor
Dick Tupper said this morning the
Gutchess Lumber Co. is important
to the town and the Cortland County
community.
Recently, the lumber company
agreed to a land swap deal with the
town which could potentially lead
to a newer, larger Citizens’ Park for
residents.
Tupper said having been introduced
to Matt Gutchess before, he thinks he
will make a good president.
“He seems like a very, very intelligent young man,” Tupper said. “I think
it’ll be good for the company.”
Matt Gutchess said Wednesday in
the time between finishing high school
and studying history at Cornell University, he learned the intricacies of how
the company works and is prepared to
oversee Gutchess Lumber.
“I’ve focused more on the operational side of the business,” he said.
“Harvesting timber right through to
saw-milling logs ... (and) selling the
lumber domestically and overseas.”
The company has a meeting scheduled for Friday morning with guests
from China, one of the company’s
largest customers and Matt Gutchess
See FAMILY, page 2
2 — Cortland Standard, Thursday, August 13, 2015
JAIL
Obituaries
Elissa “Elsie” Sciaruto Fabrizio
Mrs. Elissa “Elsie” Sciaruto Fabrizio, 93,
of Cortland, N.Y., passed away on Tuesday,
Aug. 11, 2015, at Cortland Regional Medical
Center after a brief illness.
Born in Roccacasale, Italy, Elsie came to
the United States in 1931.
She was a communicant of St. Anthony
of Padua Roman Catholic Church and was
formerly employed at Smith-Corona and
worked with her brother, Pietro Sciaruto, at
Bari Importing in Cortland for many years.
Elsie loved doing many different crafts and enjoyed working
in her flower garden. But most of all she loved all her family
and the times they spent together. Her other enjoyment was
going to her various club meetings, the Stella D’Oro Lodge, Altar Society and volunteering with RSVP. Additionally, she was
a life member of the Women of The Moose.
Survivors include her son, James (Irene) Berardi of Winterville, N.C.; her daughter, Maryann Berardi Murphy of Pinellas
Park, Fla.; a stepson, Alfred “Corky” (Mary) Fabrizio of Fairport; stepdaughter, Colleen (Chris) Lawhorne of Tampa, Fla.;
sisters-in-law, Francesca Sciaruto, Antoinette Weinerth and
Bella, Esther and Eva Fabrizio; 10 grandchildren, Lori, Patti,
Matthew, Marc, Elizabeth, Amanda, Nicole, Beth, Amy and
Kelli; 16 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren;
and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Elsie was preceded in death by her parents, Mariano and
Domenica Liberatore Sciaruto; brother, Pietro Sciaruto; and
her husbands, Nicholas Berardi and Menotti Alfred Fabrizio.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Anthony’s Church with the Rev. Joseph Zareski
serving as celebrant. Prayers of committal will follow in St.
Mary’s Catholic Cemetery.
The family will be present to receive friends from 1 to 4 p.m.
Friday in St. Anthony’s Church, Pomeroy Street, Cortland.
Arrangements are under the direction of Riccardi Funeral
Home, Cortland. Condolences may be sent to the family by
visiting www.riccardifuneralhome.com.
David Mark Rawson
David Mark Rawson 52, of Cortland, N.Y.,
passed away Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015, in
Syracuse.
Born Nov. 6, 1962, in Cortland, David
was the son of the late Donald and Beatrice
Chapman Rawson.
He had been employed at the JM Murray
Center. He was an avid fisherman, enjoyed
listening to classic rock and roll, country and
AC/DC.
David is survived by his wife, Debra; son,
Robert, of Cortland; brothers, Ricky (Brenda) Rawson of Homer and Wayne Jones of Georgia; and several nieces, nephews
and cousins.
In addition to his parents, David was predeceased by brothers, Donald, Lester and Robert; and niece, Tabitha Rawson.
Memorial services will be held 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the
United Presbyterian Church, 25 Church St. Cortland.
Friends are invited to call from 10 to 11:30 a.m. prior to the
service at the church.
To offer online condolences, visit www.wright-beard.com.
Deaths
FABRIZIO — Elissa “Elsie” Sciaruto Fabrizio, 93, of Cortland,
N.Y., died Aug. 11, 2015, at Cortland Regional Medical Center. Services will be 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Anthony’s Church.
Prayers of committal will follow in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery.
Calling hours will be 1 to 4 p.m. Friday in St. Anthony’s Church,
Pomeroy Street, Cortland.
RAWSON — David Mark Rawson 52, of Cortland, N.Y., died Aug. 11,
2015, in Syracuse. Services will be 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the
United Presbyterian Church, 25 Church St. Cortland. Calling
hours will be 10 to 11:30 a.m. prior to the service at the church.
Police/Fire Log
Man arrested for DWI in a go-kart
CINCINNATUS — State police stopped a Cincinnatus man on
Tuesday for driving an unregistered motor vehicle on Route 26.
Brian W. Fairweather, 34, was driving his 2000 Silver Fox go-kart
on the road when state police stopped him.
During his stop, Fairweather was suspected of being intoxicated
with a blood-alcohol content of 0.10 percent and had an open container of beer in his vehicle, according to state police.
Fairweather was arrested at 6:02 p.m. and charged with driving
while intoxicated, a misdemeanor; driving with a suspended license,
having an open container in a motor vehicle and driving an unregistered motor vehicle, traffic infractions. Fairweather was given tickets for all of the charges, according to state trooper Nathan Riegal.
He was arraigned in Solon Town Court and sent to the Cortland
County Jail with bail set at $500 cash. He is set to appear Wednesday
in Cincinnatus Town Court.
Lottery Winners
ALBANY (AP) — Here are the winning numbers selected
Wednesday in the New York State Lottery:
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continued from page 1
2016 budget process without the
Legislature committing to Phase
1,” the report states. “The county will be forced to budget for
failing infrastructure versus a
sustainable long-term solution.”
Rigg, also a member of the
advisory group, said the report
outlines alternatives that would
only put another temporary fix
on the problem, such as last
year’s conversion of the gymnasium for space for 30 additional
beds.
Alternatives the group considered include adding a second
story to the existing jail, portable pod units stationed in the
parking lot to house inmates,
purchasing surrounding properties to expand on the existing jail, and using a regional
facility.
These options were proven
to be ineffective, according to
the group’s report, because of
high overtime and transportation costs and increased maintenance of an already deteriorating
facility.
FRENZY
continued from page 1
for president are scheduled take
their turn on the soapbox, among
them Republicans Jeb Bush,
Scott Walker and Marco Rubio.
Democrats Bernie Sanders and
Martin O’Malley will, too.
Will Hillary Rodham Clinton? She’s coming to the fair,
but hasn’t yet said if she’ll take a
turn on the box.
Iowa is already a place where
even the most cautious-minded
and carefully managed political candidate can have unexpected, intimate and sometimes
just plain weird moments with
the public. At campaign stops
in recent months, Bush held
hands and prayed with a flowerladen man in a top hat, Walker
embraced a sobbing homeless
military veteran and Clinton
graciously accepted garlic pills
from a supporter concerned for
her health.
The fair only amplifies the
Iowa experience. Will Rogers,
GOP chairman of Polk County, called it “the Iowa culture
crammed into 10 days.”
For Republicans, the cancellation of the traditional Iowa Straw
FAMILY
continued from page 1
explained there is a high demand
for the North American hardwood it processes in places like
Southeast Asia and the Middle
East.
But despite heading a company which processes timber from
roughly 300,000 acres of forest
a year and exports about 50 percent of its product, Matt Gutchess
said he is not resting on his laurels and aims to keep innovating
as president of the company.
“It’s good to to have that demand for the product,” he said.
“Of course, we have many competitors who want to do a better
job than we do. There’s always a
challenge.”
Gutchess Lumber employs over
400 people and operates under an
employee stock ownership plan,
or an ESOP, meaning employees
are literally invested in the success of the company. These are
the people Matt Gutchess will
rely on going forward.
“They’re revved up,” Gary
Gutchess added. “They’re excited about doing a good job and
how they can do it better and how
the company can do better. That’s
necessary. You just have to have
a strong team.”
Gary Gutchess also said each
the jail to be inefficient.
According to the advisory
group report, the continuous
need to board out inmates is
costly for the county and presents a fiscal constraint for the
department’s budget each year.
The county spent $2.2 million
in boarding out inmates from
2010 until July 2015. Last year,
$456,372 was spent on those
costs.
Last year, the state Commis-
sion of Corrections approved a
30-bed addition contingent upon
the county pursuing a new facility. The county also had to hire
four additional full-time corrections officers for the addition.
“We’re pretty serious and
we’re trying to cover all the bases,” Rigg said. “There’s going to
be a little bit of a shock factor
because, unfortunately, jails and
public safety complexes are not
cheap.”
Rigg said the group has considered some sites for the new
public safety complex but he
would not identify them.
Other advisory group members include Capt. Rob Derksen of the Sheriff’s Department;
Scott Roman, county director of
Emergency Response and Communications; county Director
of Budget and Finance Peggy
Mousaw; Legislature Chair Don
Boyden (R-Preble, Scott and
Homer); Legislators Dick Bushnell (D-LD4) and Kevin Whitney (R-Cortlandville); Jeremy
Boylan, clerk of the Legislature,
and County Attorney Karen
Howe.
By CLAIRE GALOFARO
Associated Press
MOREHEAD, Ky. — A Kentucky clerk’s office turned away
two gay couples seeking marriage licenses today, defying a
federal judge’s order that dismissed her argument involving
religious freedom.
Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis’ office rejected the couples’
bid for licenses just hours after
the judge ruled she must do the
opposite and wrote that the refusal “likely violated the constitutional rights of her constituents.”
Deputy clerk Nathan Davis
says the office was advised by its
attorneys with the Christian law
firm Liberty Counsel to continue
refusing same-sex couples as it
appeals the ruling to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
James Yates and William Smith
Jr., a couple for nearly a decade,
were the second pair turned away
today. They also were turned
away a month ago.
Today, they described a disconnect between the office’s actions
and their experience in the community of Morehead, a college
town where they say has long
been open and accepting. They
held hands as they walked into
the clerk’s office, and gay rights
activists shouted “Good luck!”
from the street, holding signs
reading “clerk not clergy” and
“obey the law.”
But they ultimately were denied a license.
Clerk Kim Davis has argued
that her deeply held Christian beliefs prevent her from issuing licenses to same-sex couples. After
the U.S. Supreme Court ruled gay
marriage bans unconstitutional,
Davis stopped issuing licenses to
any couple, gay or straight.
Five couples sued her, and U.S.
District Judge David L. Bunning
on Wednesday ordered her to
comply with the Supreme Court’s
ruling.
In Kentucky, county clerks issue marriage licenses, but someone else must “solemnize” the
marriage before the license can
be filed with the county clerk.
Davis argued that issuing a samesex marriage license that contains
her signature is the same as her
approving the marriage, which
she said violates her Christian
beliefs. But Bunning rejected
that argument, saying Davis has
likely violated the U.S. Constitution’s ban on the government establishing a religion by “openly
adopting a policy that promotes
her own religious convictions at
the expenses of others.”
“Davis remains free to practice her Apostolic Christian beliefs. She may continue to attend
church twice a week, participate
in Bible Study and minister to
female inmates at the Rowan
County Jail. She is even free to
believe that marriage is a union
between one man and one woman, as many Americans do,” Bunning wrote. “However, her religious convictions cannot excuse
her from performing the duties
that she took an oath to perform
as Rowan County Clerk.”
Laura Landenwich, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the 28page ruling reveals that the judge
combed through each of Davis’
legal arguments and rejected
each. Bunning said that although
couples could get marriage licenses elsewhere, “why should
they be required to?” He noted
the surrounding counties require
30 minutes or one hour of travel
and there are many “in this rural
region of the state who simply do
not have the physical, financial or
practical means to travel.”
Bunning said state law does not
allow the county judge-executive
to issue marriage licenses unless
Davis is absent from her job, and
Bunning refused to deem Davis
absent because she has a religious
objection. And Bunning said issuing a marriage license does not
constitute speech, saying the marriage license form “does not require the county clerk to condone
or endorse same-sex marriage on
religious or moral grounds.”
Bob Ellis/staff photographer
The bunk area of the Cortland County jail is seen April 2014.
“We’re looking at every option and everything comes back
to a new public safety complex,” Rigg said. “We’re going
to try and consolidate as many
services as we can for the long
haul.”
The report details the background of the jail, citing the
problem of overcrowding which
has been studied since 2004,
including a state comptroller’s
report, also in 2004, that found
Poll makes the fair an even more
important destination. The poll
had been a mainstay of the GOP
presidential primary since 1979,
raising money for the state party
and culling the field of candidates. It was a weak predictor of
candidate success in Iowa’s caucuses, however, and some major
candidates skipped it. The Iowa
GOP decided in June to drop the
poll.
“Not all candidates are going
to appear natural and comfortable at a state fair. There is an
element here of being able to
interact with an average person
on a hot August day,” said Jeff
Kaufmann, chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa.
A cheerleader for all things
Iowa, Republican Gov. Terry
Branstad waxed poetic about
the benefit of a good fair appearance, remembering his trip to the
event last year with Joni Ernst,
then a state senator, now a U.S.
senator.
“I can tell you, she really connected,” Branstad said. “People
were coming up to Joni and hugging her. I think that was a precursor to what happened in the
election.”
generation has to “remake the business,” meaning they have to take
the changing times into account.
Matt Gutchess said given
the company is in the business
of selling natural resources, he
wants to examine maximizing its
resources, citing waste sawdust
as an example.
About 20 years ago, sawmills
viewed sawdust as a waste product, he said. Today, those in the
wood industry are realizing there
is a market for it.
“We’ve seen that more and
more,” he said. “That what we’ve
considered byproducts of our
process historically have become
... revenue drivers. I think this is
a good area for focus.”
Over the past few years,
Gutchess Lumber has built a
new sawmill and integrated
Preble-based Paul Bunyan Wood
Products — formerly owned
by Gary Gutchess’ cousin Paul
Gutchess — into the company
after Gutchess Lumber acquired
it just over a year ago.
As demand increases and the
company continues to expand,
both Gary and Matt Gutchess
say as long as they stay innovative, the company is likely to be
around for another 100 years.
“The future is potentially very
bright,” Gary Gutchess said.
Making it Right
The Cortland Standard will print corrections and clarifications of
news articles in this space. If you find mistakes or omissions, call
the managing editor at 607-756-5665 x 129.
Clerk’s office defies order
on same-sex marriage
US jobless claims at 15-year low
WASHINGTON (AP) — More
people sought U.S. unemployment
aid last week, but the average for
the past month fell to the lowest
level in 15 years, a sign that few
employers are cutting jobs.
The Labor Department said today that applications for jobless
benefits rose 5,000 to a seasonally
adjusted 274,000 last week. Yet the
four-week average, a less volatile
measure, dropped 1,750 to 266,250,
the lowest since April 15, 2000.
The figures indicate that six
years after the Great Recession
forced 8.5 million layoffs, Americans are enjoying solid job secu-
rity. Economists note that when
adjusted for population growth,
the current level of applications
is likely at all-time lows.
Applications are a proxy for layoffs. The low readings also suggest
that employers are confident about
the economy’s health and see little
need to shed workers.
The number of Americans
receiving aid rose 15,000 to
2.27 million. That figure has
fallen 10.7 percent in the past
12 months. Some of those former recipients have likely gotten
jobs, but many others used up all
the benefits available to them.