NEWS RELEASE from Cairo-Durham Central School District
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 16, 2024
Mustang Pride Hall of Fame Class of 2024 Inductees Announced
CAIRO, NY – The Cairo-Durham Central School District is proud to announce Bridget "Bunny" Agostinoni, Emily Brunner, Patricia Gibson, and Caroline Benton Pfleger as the inductees of the Mustang Pride Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
“The four inductees all exemplify passion for the Cairo-Durham Central School District in their own ways and contributions,” said Superintendent Michael Wetherbee. “Their extensive service to the District in the field of academics, athletics, coaching, teaching, administration, employment, volunteerism and/or community service have left an incredible impact on our students, staff and school community.”
Bridget “Bunny” Agostinoni, nominated by Nyrelle Colon and Barbara Agostinoni, is a Cairo-Durham High School Class of 1970 alumni and a retired staff member with over 30 years of experience working for the District. After retiring in 2022, “Bunny” continues to be a friendly face to the District serving in multiple roles.
“She (“Bunny”) started as an aide and retired as the Superintendent's Secretary and Board of Education Clerk. Beyond her employee duties, she became the advisor to the Class of 2023 when they were freshmen and continued in that commitment even though she retired in 2022,” said Barbara Agostinoni. “She also served on several school and board committees. Bunny chaperoned for various sports, and still does, and participated in many school functions, such as the staff for basketball games, the school play, building the set and chaperoning school trips including the Senior Class trip in her retirement. She is currently on the substitute teacher/aide list for all the buildings.”
Emily Brunner, a longtime nurse at Cairo-Durham High School from 1975-1991, was known for many fun facts such as living in the Athens lighthouse at age 6, graduating from Syracuse University in 1953 and being named an “Outstanding Contributor” by Greene County officials for her work with senior citizens and volunteerism with the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary.
Coming to Cairo-Durham High School from Catskill High School, Brunner brought a willingness to be involved in all aspects of everyday school life. She could often be seen assisting with attendance and providing advice to students and staff alike.
“She (Brunner) was the definition of a Jack-of-all-trades,” said Mustang Pride Hall of Fame Committee Member Tom Karnes. “Everyone knew her by one name: ‘’nurse’. She was our only nurse. She was great with both students and staff. Back then, healthcare wasn’t great in the world. But we knew that we, students and staff, were in good hands when it came to Nurse Brunner.”
Known for her devotion to and time as President of the Rip VanWinkle Soccer Club of our area, Patricia “Patty” Gibson has been actively involved in and around the Cairo-Durham Central School District community for a great number of years.
A former Cairo-Durham High School coach in the sports of soccer and basketball, Gibson was a key member in securing funding for the Rip VanWinkle Soccer Club’s home field near Angelo Canna park. Gibson was described to be “constantly in motion making our greater community a better place”, as on average 130-150 children of all ages are involved each year-round soccer season.
“Patty is in the truest sense of the word, a community-minded person,” said Cairo-Durham High School Student Services Counselor Justin Karker. “She gives of herself selflessly and without pause. The countless number of children she has impacted by just being who she is by helping, caring and doing is a marvel to anyone who has come into contact with her.”
Caroline Benton Pfleger, nominated for her professionalism and positive attitude, served as the Chairperson of the Cairo-Durham High School Math department from 1982 until her retirement in 2002. Her time in the District would leave a profound impact on everyone she interacted with.
Overseeing the grading of New York State Regents exams, developing and implementing various math courses and strategies for students, introducing a computer program to the District for students and staff and assisting with the hiring and orientation of math teachers, Pfleger was instrumental in the growth of both students and staff in the District.
“She (Pfleger) has helped to improve educational quality by working to draw capable students into the teaching profession through her leadership and determined efforts to improve teaching conditions,” said nominator and Mustang Pride Hall of Fame member Richard Uzzilia. “My daughter, Jenn Sitts, has been teaching math at Oneonta High School for about 30 years. She commented one day about a number of ‘strong, female teachers at Cairo-Durham who had inspired her’ and particularly highlighted Caroline Pfleger as an inspiration to enter the teaching profession and to teach math. My son, Jeffrey Uzzilia, was commenting about his son taking a calculus class in college and said that his own experience with Mrs. Pfleger was that her ability and methods were equal to or superior than college-level instruction he had experienced.”
The Mustang Pride Hall of Fame Class of 2024 induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at the Shamrock House in East Durham at 5 p.m. To purchase tickets to the event, please contact Tom Karnes, committee member, by email at tkarnes17@aol.com or phone, 518-821-0616. The cost for each ticket is $40. No tickets will be sold at the door and must be ordered by April 12, 2024.
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For further information, please contact:
Austin Crosier
Communications Technician/Specialist
Phone: 518-622-8534, ext. 25010 | Email: acrosier@cairodurham.org