Kettlebell:LaFayette world record
Auburn’s
Tim Fox
Born
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We are growing and have exciting career opportunities in the health care industry.
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available positions.
To join our talented, professional team, please visit one of our care facilities career pages for available positions.
We are growing and have exciting career opportunities in the health care industry.
Life in balance.
We are growing and have exciting career opportunities in the health care industry.
A company philosophy that speaks to a continual process of individual and collective development to improve our well-being, quality of life and personal relationships.
Life in balance.
To join our talented, professional team, please visit one of our care facilities career pages for available positions.
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To provide people in our community with healthcare, customer services, support & employment to achieve their individual best quality of life.
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quality of life and personal relationships.
A company philosophy that speaks to a continual process of individual and collective development to improve our well-being, quality of life and personal relationships.
A company philosophy that speaks to a continual process of individual and collective development to improve our well-being, quality of life and personal relationships.
To redefine skilled nursing care through successful team development, use of technology, progressive service and being a strong community partner.
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To provide people in our community with healthcare, customer services, support & employment to achieve their individual best quality of life.
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To provide people in our community with healthcare, customer services, support & employment to achieve their individual best quality of life. Our Vision.
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17 Sunrise Drive Oswego, NY 13126 315-342-4790 | www.morningstarcares.com
RESIDENTIAL CARE CENTER
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220 Tower Street, Waterville, NY 13480 315-841-4156 | www.watervillecares.com
To redefine skilled nursing care through successful team development, use of technology, progressive service and being
Registered Nurses
To join our talented, professional team, please visit one of our care facilities career pages for available positions. 17 Sunrise Drive Oswego, NY 13126 315-342-4790 | www.morningstarcares.com 220 Tower Street, Waterville, NY 13480 315-841-4156 | www.watervillecares.com
RESIDENTIAL CARE CENTER
132 Ellen Street, Oswego, NY 13126 315-343-0880 | www.thegardensbymorningstar.com A ssist ed Living Community
To redefine skilled nursing care through successful team development, use of technology, progressive service and being a strong community partner.
Licensed Nurses
To redefine skilled nursing care through successful team development, use of technology, progressive service and being a strong community partner.
220 Tower Street, Waterville, NY 13480 315-841-4156 | www.watervillecares.com
Speech Therapists
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100 St. Camillus Way, Fairport, NY 14450 585-377-4000 | www.aaronmanor.com
Ellen Street, Oswego, NY 13126 315-343-0880 | www.thegardensbymorningstar.com
Weight Loss Surgery
It’s about more than just weight loss. It’s about reducing your risk for serious conditions like heart disease and diabetes — and regaining the stamina, mobility and confidence to take on every day.
Crouse’s bariatric surgery program offers a dedicated team of physicians and providers, as well as psychological and nutritional counseling — all with the expertise to support you every step of the way.
Begin the process from home by viewing our online informational video. Then consult with our bariatric team via telemedicine visits to start your journey. It’s time — and now easier than ever.
devoted to inspiring high school girls to consider careers in
•
• Route 5 & 20:
• Tap into your
•
• Karyl Sargent of LaFayette, mom of two and grandmother of three, sets new records in kettlebell
• Tim Fox: Born to tell stories … created ‘Bridge Street’ on NewsChannel 9 WSYR, which is celebrating 20 years this year
• Get moving, have fun — and
• Melina Carnicelli: Auburn’s first
The
• Grandma just graduated from college. What’s next?
• Joy of teaching continues to bubble up for retired Oswego educator.
• Comfortable retirement? You’ll need $1.46 million
• Glad we started collecting at 62
• Retired NYS trooper happy with new career:
• A chef and a doctor join forces to help the homeless
Tim Fox on the set of “Bridge Street” on Channel 9 WSYR June 26. Photo by Chuck Wainwright.
UPSTATE CARDIOLOGY CONTINUES TO GROW
Get The Upstate Advantage for your heart. Our united expertise brings you advanced technology and streamlined care. As the Upstate Cardiovascular Group, we provide connections to research and surgical care.
OUR UPSTATE CARDIOLOGY TEAM CONTINUES TO GROW.
P H YS I C I A N S F RO M TO P L E F T:
Larry S. Charlamb, MD
Mark J. Charlamb, MD
Jorge Davidenko, MD
Christopher A. Nardone, MD
Michael Fischi, MD
Charles Perla, MD
Theresa Waters, DO
Andrew M. Weinberg, DO
Timothy D. Ford, MD
Robert L. Carhart, Jr., MD
Debanik Chaudhuri, MD
Hani Kozman, MD
Sakti Pada Mookherjee, MD
Amy Tucker, MD
Daniel Villarreal, MD
Kiran Devaraj, MD
Srikanth Yandrapalli, MD, FACC
Courtney Maxey-Jones, MD
Msavvy senior
By Jim Miller
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
oney is a common problem for the nearly 2.4 million U.S. grandparents who are raising their grandchildren today. To help with the day-to-day expenses, there are a wide variety of programs and tax benefits that can make a big difference in stretching a budget. Here’s where to look for help. n Financial Assistance — For starters, find out whether your family qualifies for NYS Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program which may include cash assistance, food benefits, utility bill assistance and free or low-cost daycare. Or, if your household income is too high to qualify as a family, ask about the “child-only grant” for just the grandkids’ support alone.
Also, check to see if you’re eligible for foster care payments as a relative caregiver, or if the state offers any additional programs like guardianship subsidies, non parent grants or kinship care. Adoption assistance payments are also available to adopted grandchildren with special needs.
To inquire about these programs, contact https://otda.ny.gov.
You also need to see if your grandkids are eligible for Social Security, including benefits for dependent children, survivor benefits or SSI — visit SSA.gov or call 800-7721213. And find out if they’re eligible for free or low-cost health or dental coverage through NYS Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program InsureKidsNow.gov or 877-543-7669.
You can also use Benefits.gov, the official benefits website of the U.S. government that has a screening tool to help you identify the programs that you and your grandchildren may be eligible for and will direct you to the appropriate agency to apply. n Tax Benefits — In addition to the financial assistance programs, there are also a range of tax benefits that you
may qualify for too like the Earned Income Tax Credit or EITC, which is available to those with moderate to low incomes, and the Child Tax Credit, which is worth $2,000 per dependent child under age 17.
If you’re working, and are incurring childcare expenses in order to work, there’s a Child and Dependent Care Credit that can help. And, if you’ve legally adopted your grandkids, there’s an Adoption Tax Credit that provides a federal tax credit of up to $16,810 in 2024.
You can also deduct medical and dental expenses if you and your dependent grandchildren’s healthcare costs exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income for the year. And there’s even education-related tax credits that can help your grandkids go to college, like the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit.
In addition to the tax credits and deductions, if you’re unmarried you may qualify for head of household status when you file your tax return, which has a higher standard deduction and a lower tax rate than you would filing as a single.
n Legal Help — If you haven’t already done so, you should also talk to an attorney to discuss the pros and cons of obtaining legal guardianship, custody or adoption. Without some sort of legal custody, you may not be eligible for many of the previously listed financial assistance programs, and there can be problems with basic things like enrolling your grandkids in school or giving a doctor permission to treat them.
For help locating affordable or free legal assistance, visit FindLegalHelp. org, or call the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 for referrals. Also see GrandFamilies.org, a clearinghouse resource that offers information on financial assistance, adoption, foster care and more.
Editor and Publisher
Wagner Dotto
Associate Editor
Stefan Yablonski
Writers & Contributors
Deborah J. Sergeant
Mary Beth Roach, Joe Sarnicola,
Margaret McCormick
Edd and Cynthia Staton
Tom and Jerry Caraccioli
Tim Bennett
Columnists
Marilyn Pinsky, Jim Sollecito
Marvin Druger, Michelle Reed, Jim Miller, Julie McMahon
Advertising
Amy Gagliano
Pamela Roe
Tom Bachman
Office Manager
Allison Lockwood
Layout & Design
Angel Campos-Toro
Cover Photo
Chuck Wainwright
We’re in your corner in the fight against breast cancer
“I love that I’m having an impact on breast cancer patients’ lives right here in CNY.”
Through the Livestrong at the YMCA program, Laura Clary helps achieve the physical and mental wellness goals of individuals who have received a cancer diagnosis. With annual grants from Saint Agatha Foundation, she is also able to reduce the strains and stresses of unmet financial needs oftentimes experienced by local breast cancer patients, in particular. If your medical or nonmedical organization would like to provide financial support to CNY breast cancer patients – so they can focus on their fight, and not their finances – visit saintagathafoundation.org/for-providers to learn more and watch Laura’s complete interview. New provider partners are always welcome!
saintagathafoundation.org
Laura Clary, Health & Wellness Director YCMA, Auburn NY
If your furry friend has a calm, friendly temperament and gets along well with other dogs, he or she may have the potential to join our team.
Upstate’s pet therapy dogs provide comfort and emotional support to our patients, and help destress and encourage our sta . Brightening one’s day and aiding in recovery, pet therapy dogs are life changing.
To learn more about how your pup can become a certified therapy dog, visit Upstate.edu/volunteers (pet therapy tab)
Come “heel” with us!
Supported by the JBoss Puppy Power Fund in memory of Jeremy Bossert
Learn about our Founder ’s inspirational fight with breast cancer
By Jim Sollecito
gardening Planting Golden Memories
My 92-year-old mother, Louise, passed away April 26. She was quite happy her last months at St. Camillus Nursing Home wheeling her chair through the hallways.
They referred to her as The Mayor. She made the same new friends every day and started to recognize that her dinnertime and bedtime were becoming dangerously close to each other.
When she knew it was her time — and she really did — she gave away her favorite window plant to a nurse, pushed in the clutch and coasted home. My sister and I were right there with her and escorted her through.
In her own way she was a force of nature, a gardener through and through. She was born Feb. 2, 1932 on the kitchen table at her family farm in Delanson, near Schenectady, because the doctor couldn’t make it through the snowstorm.
Things started out tough and never really got easier until the end. In her lifetime she endured the death of her husband, daughter and granddaughter. Tough rows to hoe but she persevered.
Growing up she enjoyed her weekly bath after milking the cows, conserving water from a well that should have been deeper. She was class valedictorian, class president, voted
most likely to succeed. Her college career began at Albany State where she received her MRS. via my father, Bill.
Like many of us, she had hopes and plans when marrying and giving birth to her children. I just hope enough of them came true to balance those that did not.
It is a strange trip to go through her possessions. Photographs that I had never seen. Certificates of her accomplishments stacked on a shelf in a closet that once had been a room I shared with my brother. Secrets that would remain that way forever. Things to be donated, things to be kept, things thrown away. Her belongings that she had personally, carefully, thoughtfully stowed, now touched and sorted by someone else’s hands.
Recognizing her own maturity, witnessing her friends aging, admitting her own body wearing out, my mom was still young on the inside. Definitely the most stubborn person I ever met, probably in a good way most of the time.
To the end, she propagated and planted and gave away her geraniums and coleus with a purpose. They were the good parts of her that she shared. She taught me as a boy how to read leaves of plants to anticipate their needs. When I took over watering them for her, I counted 57 plants she was tending, plus all of her perennials outside in the ground. Nurturing her plants was her fountain of youth.
I dug up some of her favorite perennials from her extensive garden. I believe some even came from her own mother. They now reside with Megan and me.
A living tribute is among the greatest ways to honor someone. Optimism. Faith in the future. It allows us to think of them in a positive light as we preserve their memory.
I encourage you to do the same and now is an excellent time to do just that.
Jim Sollecito is the first lifetime senior certified landscape professional in New York State. He operates Sollecito Landscaping Nursery in Syracuse. Contact him at 315-468-1142 or jim@sollecito.com.
Remember your roots. Plant in memory. Grow for the future.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Q.: Do members of Congress have to pay into Social Security?
A.: Yes, they do. Members of Congress, the president and vice president, federal judges, and most political appointees, have paid taxes into the Social Security program since January 1984. They pay into the system just like everyone else, no matter how long they have been in office. Learn more about Social Security benefits at www.ssa.gov.
Q.: I’m trying to figure out how much I need to save for my retirement. Does the government offer any help with financial education?
A.: Yes. For starters, you may want to find out what you can expect from Social Security with a visit to Social Security’s Retirement Estimator at www.ssa.gov/estimator. The Financial Literacy and Education Commission has a website that can help you with the basics of financial education: www.mymoney.gov. Finally, you’ll want to check out the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which offers educational information on a number of financial matters, including mortgages, credit cards, retirement, and other big decisions. Visit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at www.consumerfinance.gov.
Q.: I worked for the last 10 years and I now have my 40 credits. Does this mean that I get the maximum Social Security retirement benefit?
A.: Probably not. The 40 credits are the minimum number you need to qualify for retirement benefits. However, we do not base your benefit amount on those credits; it’s based on your earnings over a lifetime of work. To learn more about how you earn Social Security credits and how they work, read or listen to our publication How You Earn Credits, available at www.ssa.gov/pubs.
51 YEARS
Dining Out - RESTAURANT GUIDE
VIEW, FARE AT YARDS GRILLE SHINE AMONG GREEN LAKES
By Julie McMahon
One of Central New York’s crown gems is Green Lakes State Park – and nestled in the hill south of Green Lake itself is Yards Grille, a restaurant that helps make the whole place sparkle.
Yards Grille has one of the best views around, and the whole dining experience from the food to the drinks to the service helps make this a spot you want to visit. The restaurant can be found at the park’s golf course entrance, where you can avoid paying the park entrance fee.
It’s worth noting that for $10 a car, you can purchase a day pass and proceed further into the state park, home to two glacial lakes with hiking trails, playgrounds and a beach for swimming. The park is beautiful and the green-blue color of the lakes is
spectacular, a must-see for anyone living in or visiting the area.
The restaurant offers a different, but also spectacular view of Green Lake. Get there at the right time and you’ll be seated outside on the edge of the terrace overlooking the lake. We happened to be seated a bit further away outdoors but still enjoyed peaking over at the lake and taking in the scenery before and after dinner. The restaurant also offers indoor seating.
We started the meal off with drinks: a Blue Lemonade ($9.75), tart and strong, made with blueberry syrup and Platinum 7X vodka, and a Bloody Mulligan ($13), served with pickleonion-salami garnish, and lime and celery seed salted rim.
The Bloody Mulligan, made with
housemade Bloody Mary mix, was one of many drinks named with a nod to the neighboring golf course, and a reminder that Yards Grille is open for breakfast every day. The restaurant offers a breakfast sandwich on the menu for dinner as well.
To start, our server recommended Brussels sprouts for an appetizer, and we went for it.
These were not your grandmother’s Brussels. They were greasy, saucy and somehow also crispy. Somehow the giant sprouts were larger than any I’d encountered before, and altogether the serving size was massive. Each bite was a salty, gooey and crunchy delight.
The appetizer was delivered very fast, and overall, the service was good, very speedy. There were lots of servers from the hostess station at the front of
1. Scallops at Yards Grill: Perfectly cooked, served with a salad dressed with preserved orange peel.
2. Strawberry shortcake ($14): This was your grandmother’s strawberry shortcake.
3. Outside patio at Yards Grille. Depending on the weather, the restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner.
the restaurant to the bus staff. All the servers were attentive and willing to check in if we needed something or finished a plate.
The ambience was wonderful, with the view of course being the highlight. Beyond some mild chatter, we were able to enjoy the serene setting. The restaurant itself is a stone building with nature as its backdrop.
The scallops were perfectly cooked. They were served with a salad dressed with preserved orange peel, a nice light and summery touch that blended well with the orange-ginger beurre blanc it was served with.
3
Either way, the strawberry shortcake was excellent, and topped off a very good meal, for about $100, in an even better setting. 2
As we prepared to order and chatted with our server, she noted Yards Grille was known for its burgers and Waldorf chicken salad. We opted for a Juicy Lucy burger ($15) and the Seared Scallops entrée ($32), which both arrived before we’d finished the appetizer.
The Juicy Lucy was made of two smash burgers, so they were well done, thoroughly cooked patties. The restaurant’s special sauce was mustardy — and with every bite you got a taste of the sauce, cheddar, pickles and bacon. The cheese formed a crust around the burger that gave it extra texture. The burger was served with simple potato chips and was overall what you’d expect or better from a pub-grill setting.
Our server noted the menu changed recently so even for those who have been before, there might be something seasonal to try.
The scallops were delicious, a typical-sized serving, enough to fill you up with an appetizer and for us, dessert.
We couldn’t pass up the strawberry shortcake ($14) on the menu, especially after we saw a generous helping delivered to another table. (We also saw a serving of the chocolate cake and were almost swayed into getting two desserts but we stuck to the one.)
The shortcake was scrumptious — this was your grandmother’s strawberry shortcake. It was made up of a large housemade biscuit sliced in half, a massive heap of mascarpone mousse whipped topping and of course, fresh cut strawberries.
Everything was great about this dessert, though we noted there could
have been a bit more moisture, perhaps by the basil oil advertised on the menu (which we didn’t detect much of on the plate), or even by mashing the berries up a bit and letting the juices settle.
Yards Grille
315-632-6015
www.yardsgrille.com
Lunch: Seven days a week from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Dinner: Monday - Thursday: 4-8 p.m.; 8-9 p.m. (tavern menu); Friday - Saturday: 4-9 p.m.; Sunday: 4-8 p.m.
Green Lakes State Park. 5648 Green Lakes Park Drive, Fayetteville, NY 13066
Staircase at Everson Museum in Syracuse. The museum holds thousands of paintings, ceramics, sculpture, videos, photographs, works on paper and decorative arts.
Staycation Ideas
Why pay for lodging when you have great things to do in your own backyard?
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Take your vacation right from your house. There’s plenty to do in the Central New York area.
Time with the grandkids (Or for kids at heart)
Enjoy go-kart fun at RPM Raceway in Syracuse, along with a break in the on-site arcade. The RPM Raceway provides Italian-style go-karts on a European track.
• www.rpmraceway.com/syracuse-ny
Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse offers special exhibits and events. Check the website to see what’s coming up. The zoo’s snack shops and restaurants can help you make it an all-day affair. Or plan to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy. Snap a few photos to
participate in the photo contest.
• www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org
The MOST — formally, the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology in Syracuse displays in its 35,000 square feet numerous hands-on exhibits for science enthusiasts or the generally curious to experience.
• www.most.org
Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in Lafayette isn’t joking when it calls the farm a “campus,” as its numerous buildings provide plenty to do if you want to spend the day. Plan your trip for a fall weekend for pick-yourown apples. Take the grandkids to explore the farm store, apple barn, café and bakery (don’t miss the apple cider doughnuts and apple fritters!), climbing rocks and kids’ treehouse.
Or if the grandkids are at home, plan to attend a summer concert, imbibe at the 1911 tasting room and take home some hard cider.
• https://beakandskiff.com
Oswego Tours provides Food & History tours, History Tours and Haunted Oswego Tours. Wear good walking shoes, as you’ll be on your feet for a total of 90 minutes each.
• https://oswegotours.com
History and Culture Seekers
The Everson in Syracuse offers ever-changing exhibits of modern and contemporary American art, including 11,000 paintings, ceramics, sculpture, videos, photographs, works on paper and decorative arts.
• https://everson.org
The H. Lee White Museum in Oswego offers both a maritime museum and, with a reservation, a boat tour to the Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse between mid-June and September.
• https://hlwmm.org
The Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse chronicles how “Clinton’s Ditch” came to be, shaped the center of New York’s commerce and still augments its recreation to this day. The museum’s home, the 1850 National Register Weighlock Building, represents the last remaining structure of its kind.
• https://eriecanalmuseum.org
The Salt Museum in Liverpool relates Syracuse’s salt industry contributed to the area’s economy and how important the commodity was to everyday life in the 1800s. The free museum is at Onondaga Lake Park, so bring a long
a picnic to enjoy the view and take a stroll along the waterfront.
• https://onondagacountyparks.com/ parks/onondaga-lake-park/salt-museum
The Stickley Museum in Fayetteville is on the second floor of the Fayetteville Free Library, originally the L. & J.G. Stickley factory. The 8,000 square feet exhibits furniture and accessories from Stickley’s past through the present.
• www.stickleymuseum.com
On the Water
Mid-Lakes Navigation in Skaneateles offers guided tours on Skaneateles Lake. Book lunch or dinner cruises or sightseeing tours.
• www.midlakesnavigation.com
Cruising on Onondaga Lake , Syracuse Boat Tours provides themed boat tours, group tours and open seating tours.
• https://syracuseboattours.com
Anglers should check out Hotliner Sportfishing Charters out of Oswego Harbor, which provides all the gear, a guide and tips on where to fish for what.
• www.hotlinercharters.com
While staycationing, break away from the chain businesses you could see anywhere and patronize small businesses along the way, such as unique shops, local restaurants and farm stands. These businesses often rely on tourism dollars to thrive and their unusual offerings will make your staycation feel more like a far-flung getaway.
The Salt Museum in Liverpool shows how the salt industry contributed to the area’s economy.
People follow a movie at IMAX Omnitheater located at MOST in downtown Syracuse.
The Ultimate Road Trip ROUTE 5 & 20
This route is dotted with tons of points of interest — from Avon all the way to Skaneateales
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
For about 75 miles, state Route 5 and U.S. Route 20 merge, beginning in Avon in the west and winding through Canandaigua, Geneva, Waterloo and Seneca Falls before culminating in Auburn in the east, then Skaneateles. It’s one of the most scenic roads in Central and Western New York. Here are some of the highlights of the area.
Avon
Catch a flick at Vintage Drive-In (www.vintagedrivin.com), boasting four screens of entertainment at the retro-style drive-in. Hike the Erie Attica Trail, whose western trailhead lies in Avon and extends all the way to Rochester. Dining choices include the ever-popular Tom Wahl’s, Mortalis
Brewing Company, Avon Village Restaurant, Fratelli’s Restaurant, Avon Inn, Avondale Pub and Duffy’s Tavern.
Canandaigua
History and horticulture buffs should plan to tour Sonnenberg Gardens (www.sonnenberg.org) and Granger Homestead (www.grangerhomestead.org). Sonnenberg is a well-preserved, 50-acre Victorian estate with period furnishings and nine formal gardens in various themes. It is also home to the Finger Lakes Wine Center. Along with an 1816 Federal style home, Granger features a sizable horse-drawn vehicle collection. Roseland Waterpark (www.roselandwaterpark.com) offers 56 acres of splashing good times, from a sizable kiddie play area to ride-us-if-
you-dare water rides and the Roseland Wake Park. If you prefer to enjoy water more contemplatively, take a stroll down Canandaigua City Pier on Lakeshore Drive adjacent to Kershaw Park. Book a dinner cruise or tour on Canandaigua Lady (www.cdgalady.com), a replica 19th century paddlewheel steamboat. Both CMAC (www.cmacevents.com) and Lincoln Hill Farms (www. lincolnhillfarms.com) offer outdoor public concerts. Although outside of Canandaigua and officially in Stanley, Carriage Factory Antiques is right on 5 & 20 and is worthy of a stop to peruse its eclectic mix of antique, vintage and mid-century furnishings. Before leaving Canandaigua, get a bite to eat at New York Kitchen, Rio Tomatlan, Flavors Indian Restaurant, Eric’s Office Restaurant, Rheinblick German Restau-
AVON
CANANDAIGUA
SKANEATELES
rant, or The Green Front. Sweeten your stop with a treat from Cheshire Farms Creamery. Wine and beer enthusiasts can choose from Naked Dove Brewing, Twisted Rail Brewing, Peacemaker Brewing, and Young Lion Brewing. New York Kitchen offers both a tasting room and opportunities to learn about culinary arts.
Geneva
Soak up some sun at Seneca Lake State Park (http://.parks.ny.gov/ parks/125), which features the children’s Sprayground, an adjacent playground and swimming beach, marinas, large picnicking park and ball fields. Rose Hill Mansion (http://historicgeneva.org/visit/rose-hill-mansion), a National Historic Landmark, is an 1839
Greek Revival house open for touring. The Smith Center for the Arts (www.thesmith.org) is also a historic site, formerly the Smith Opera House, circa 1894. The Romanesque-style venue hosts films, live events, and more. Belhurst Castle (www.belhurst.com) offers rich history, lodging, a luxurious spa and dining and sipping experiences. Dine at Ports Café, FLX Table (reservations required), Geneva on the Lake, Hasley’s, Cosentino’s Ristorante or Ciccino’s. Treat yourself to a cone at Long Pier, right on Seneca Lake. There’s also a playground nearby for the kids to enjoy. If you care to imbibe, stop by WeBe Brewing, Lake Drum Brewing, Ventosa Vineyards, or Raymor Estate Cellars.
Waterloo
Birthplace of Memorial Day, Waterloo is home to the National Memorial Day Museum (www.wlhs-ny.com). Take a walk through downtown to view plenty of well-preserved historic architecture. Not far from the center of the village, Muranda Cheese Company (www.murandacheese.com) offers cheese tastings in a late 1800s rustic barn that includes a cheese cave in the cellar, all a stone’s throw from the herd. Unless you’re too full of cheese, dine at Connie’s Diner or Mac’s Drive-In. You can also nab cones at Peppy’s.
Seneca Falls
The women’s rights movement
GENEVA
SENECA FALLS
AUBURN
WATERLOO
Strawberry Fields, between Auburn and Skaneateles.
finds its roots in Seneca Falls, which is home to the National Women’s Hall of Fame (www.womentofthehall.org). The hall offers displays honoring history-making women in its displays and programming. On the grounds, visit the Women’s Rights National Historical Park commemorates the first Women’s Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, along with the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Wesleyan Chapel. Celebrate a Christmastime classic film at the It’s a Wonderful Life Museum (www. wonderfullifemusum.com), as Seneca Falls has been identified as the “real Bedford Falls” from the movie. Get in touch with nature with a birding or hiking adventure at Montezuma National
Wildlife Refuge (www.fws.gov/refuge/ montezuma), a 7,000-acre preserve on Cayuga Lake’s north end. Dine at Café 19, Gould Hotel, El Bajo Mexican Grill & Bar, Parker’s Grille, Wolffy’s Grill & Marina, or Penny’s Place. The wineries include Montezuma Winery & Hidden Marsh Distillery and Izzo’s White Barn Winery.
Auburn
As Harriet Tubman’s chosen hometown, Auburn provides a few historic points worth a stop, including the Harriet Tubman Home (www.harriettubmanhome.com), a museum dedicated to the fearless freedom-seeker and liberator;
Willard Memorial Chapel (www.willard-chapel.com), a circa 1892 chapel; Seward House Museum (www.sewardhouse.org), the 19th century home of statesman William Henry Seward; and the Ward W. O’Hara Agricultural Museum (http://wardwoharaagriculturalmuseum.org), a museum showcasing farming history and country living. Enjoy the outdoors at Owasco Lake, Emerson Park (swim, play disc golf, fish and enjoy the playgrounds. Plus, Emerson hosts free summer concerts), Auburn Doubledays’ Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League games (www.milb. com/auburn), and Finger Lakes Drive-In (www.fingerlakesdrivein.com). The REV Theatre Co. (www.therevtheatre.com)
Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua.
and Public Theater (www.publictheater.org) offer a variety of entertaining shows. In Auburn, try Auburn Diner, Lasca’s, Kosta’s Bar & Grill, Pavlos’ Restaurant, or Ichiban Sushi & Hibachi Japanese Restaurant. Wineries and breweries include Next Chapter Brew Pub, Good Shepherds Brewing, Prison City Pub and Brewery, CJS Vineyard & Aurelius Winery (open by appointment for tastings and sales).
Between Auburn and Skaneateles, stop at Strawberry Fields (www. facebook.com/strawberryfields4240), a hydroponic farm where you can pick strawberries without bending or stooping, as they grow in pots on poles from June through October. The gift shop is
worth a stop as it brims with unusual finds from all over CNY—not mass-produced mementos. Strawberry Fields also operates a full-service floral shop on site.
Skaneateles
The unique shops lining Skaneateles’s downtown have earned acclaim for their variety and quality; however, Skaneateles Lake also attracts many visitors. Thayer Park or Clift Park are charming spots to picnic or just watch the boats glide by. Mid-Lakes Navigation (www.midlakesnavigation. com) offers guided boat cruises, dinner cruises and mailboat tours that involve
delivering mail to the camps around the lake (tip: this is the longest tour!). Mirbeau Spa (www.skaneateles.mirbeau. com/spa) offers lovely ambiance as part of the pampering with Monet-inspired art and French décor influences.
The dining options seem nearly innumerable in Skaneateles, but a few stand-out options include Sherwood Inn, Doug’s Fish Fry, Elderberry Pond, Joelle’s French Bistro, The Elephant and the Dove, Rosalie’s Cucina, Gilda’s, and The Krebs Restaurant. And pick up baked treats at Heart ‘N Hand, The Patisserie and Skaneateles Bakery.
Breweries and wineries include Anyela’s Vineyards and Skaneateles Brewing.
Harriet Tubman’s home in Auburn.
on the farm
MFarm Stays in the CNY Area
Tap into your inner farm boy or girl with a stay at one of these farm sites
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
ost people are at least two or three generations removed from agriculture. But a farm stay may help you appreciate your farming heritage a little more.
The Houses at Beak & Skiff in Lafayette overlook Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards and include amenities like floor-toceiling windows, a grand fireplace, outdoor heated pool, jetted tub and (depending on the lodging) walking distance to the Apple Campus. Some can accommodate larger groups, so check out each listing to find which of the houses suits your need.
https://thehouses.beakandskiff.com
• Country Cousins Farm in Evans Mills provides private cabins for lodging. Enjoy the ambiance of the pastured animals, 50 dairy cows, 40 head of young stock and flock of chickens — and if desired, help out with chores like milking and feeding. The farm also offers hayrides, bonfires, birdwatching and farm-to-table dining. www.countrycousinsfarm.com
• Estate at Fly Creek in Cooperstown includes a 335-acre property boasting pastures, horse paddocks, woods and a lake. The farm is home to chickens, alpacas and horses. The lodging includes an indoor heated pool and steam room and eight bedrooms
with private bathrooms and views of the farm. Kayak, paddleboard, swim or fish on the private lake and relax by the firepit. There’s also tennis and basketball courts and (with reservations) horseback riding. https://estateatflycreek.com
• Apple Country Retreat in Tully offers a luxury resort getaway with a country twist. Far from roughing it, each place of lodging includes amenities like air conditioning, wifi, robes and more. On the grounds are Hard Cider Tavern, public dining space, a sun porch, pools, private patio, hot tub, the One Bad Apple outdoor bar and children’s area. The lodging
varieties include The Hideaway, a converted silo and multi-family guest suites. Though not a working farm, the bucolic countryside around Apple Country Retreat offers a farm-like ambiance.
https://applecountryretreat.com
• Becker Farms in Gasport offers lodgers the choice of staying in the farmhouse, luxurious private cabins and space for glamping or camping in an RV or tent. Explore the playground and petting zoo, shop the bakery and farm market and imbibe at Becker Farms Brewing Company from the farm’s selections of cider, wine and beer crafted from ingredients grown
on the farm. Check the farm’s website for special events.
www.beckerfarms.com
• Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen rescues farm animals. The farm offers furnished tiny home suites and cabins as lodging. Guests receive 90-minute private farm tours after breakfast each morning and may take self-guided tours on the grounds as well. Some of the farm’s accommodations are dog friendly. The farm isn’t far from Watkins Glen State Park for extensive hiking opportunities in the gorge and along the park’s woodland trails.
www.farmsanctuary.org/ accommodations
Many farm stay properties are working farms. Expect different sights, sounds and smells than you would experience at a typical B&B or campsite. Farms can have inherently dangerous conditions. Follow any farm rules to significantly lower those risks. It’s recommended to wear practical clothing, especially closed-toe footwear. Farm lodging may not have ideal wifi or cell phone reception or lack cable television. Take this as your opportunity to slow down and enjoy your time away from distractions.
Apple Country Retreat in Tully
aging
By Marilyn L. Pinsky
Now Is the Time to Start Planning
A pitch for another activity to add into our packed agenda: planning our next move
It’s interesting to take a step back and see how our thinking changes about where we want to live as life moves on.
If we’re lucky, the stage we are in now is retired and relatively healthy, though doctor’s visits for many happen often enough that they’re almost considered an activity, in the same category as exercise or a social engagement.
You ask someone what they’re doing this week and it’s “well, Monday I have yoga in the morning, then my podiatrist in the afternoon. Tuesday I have a morning weight lifting class, then my cardiologist in the afternoon. Wednesday it’s Zumba, then the dermatologist … but I’m free for lunch on Thursday.”
I’m going to make a pitch for another activity to add into that packed agenda: planning our next move.
About 10 years ago I wrote an article about where people were choosing to live in their retirement years. At that point the people I interviewed were in their late 60s or early 70s and were either pulling up roots and moving south or finding a second home in a warm climate.
houses in the north are either selling them and downsizing or rehabbing them to be livable for the long haul.
• Third, people who have children are moving to be near them wherever they live.
• Fourth, is moving into independent living sooner rather than later.
And that is the plan-ahead phase. We all need to
living choices are working for them. Even though it’s not as much fun to think about this next step as it was our first retirement move, I’d rather plan in advance and be the one to make the decision for myself of where I want to be. Even then, where we’d like to go might not be available when we need to go there, but at least if we look at all available options, when we are at the point of having to make a choice, often within a short timeframe, at least we’ll be making a more informed decision. And we won’t have to do the running around and looking when we’re in a stressed state.
Toward that end, what my friends and I are doing now is educating ourselves about what our options will be depending on our physical and mental circumstances.
Though we are healthy now, we’re not spring chickens, so we can guess at the future. We are first looking at all the options that are in the geographical areas we’d consider. We’ve found that there are so many different financial setups and levels of care, that just gathering the information takes a lot of time, let alone analyzing it and putting it into dollars and cents to see which are realistic options or not.
As this cohort is getting older, I’m seeing four different trends.
• First, after having spent 10 or so years of ‘six months here and six months there,’ managing two living situations with the twice a year packing and unpacking that involves, they just want to live in one place yearround, either north or south.
• Second, people who kept their
figure out sooner rather than later where we want to spend the rest of our lives. The choices are aging in place, meaning staying at home with help when it’s needed and is hopefully available and affordable, or finding a good living situation that will provide us the care that’s likely to be needed.
Life happens. Partners don’t all age at the same rate and it’s amazing how many different things can do us in. So even though your living situation works for now, we have to think ahead a few years by looking at slightly older friends and seeing what they’re dealing with and how their
We have made a social event out of visiting different living places. We check out the physical layout, ask the residents about the food, do a lot of sniffing and look over the activities calendar. Activities can include a gym, pickleball, tennis, wheelchair bocci ball, book clubs, chess, rehab. We’re also discovering that it’s not too early to make a move as a number of people we met made the decision to move into independent living in their 70s and love the carefree existence. (Also, I’m going to learn to play Canasta this year so I’ll hopefully have a ready-made group to slide into as everyone’s always looking for a fourth.)
A last thought, but an important question to ask is, “what happens if your needs change while you’re a resident there? Will they keep you or do you have to move again? And if so, to where?”
OK, that’s my cheery article for this month. After all, my column is called Aging.
A biking group poses on a 13-seat bike provided by Syracuse Pedal Tours. “It’s a great way to celebrate and see the city in a way you don’t get to when you’re walking around,” said Philip Szal, owner of the company.
exploring Syracuse Pedal Tours
See the Salt City from a different angle
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
If you want to tour Syracuse or party with friends in a way you’ve likely never tried before, get to know
Syracuse Pedal Tours.
“It’s a great way to celebrate and see the city in a way you don’t get to when you’re walking around,” said Philip Szal, owner of the company. “You pay attention to your driving when you’re in your car. That’s what makes a fun tour even more fun. You get to look around more.”
He founded Rochester Pedal Tours eight years ago and the separate company in Syracuse seven years ago.
The Syracuse company operates two 13-seat bikes in downtown Syracuse, beginning and ending the tours in Clinton Square. The touring groups can comprise up to 12 guests with the tour guide driver representing the 13th person for the two-hour tours.
Mostly adults take the tours. However, the company’s family tours can even accommodate an adult holding a baby on the back bench. Typically, the bench offers a rest area where riders can alternate when they need a break.
Tours typically make two stops
at the restaurants or bars of the tour members’ choice. The company also provides history tours, including Syracuse City Hall, Columbus Monument and Clinton Square.
“They listen to their own music and when they stop, the driver pauses the music to tell them what they’re seeing,” Szal said. “They can get off the bike to look around and take photos and then progress to the next place.
“It’s a cool event for multiple generations to do together because older generations can share memories they had of the downtown area with their entire family.”
You’d think that Syracuse Pedal Cars would be a tourist magnet, but Szal said that it’s mostly locals who want to cycle around the city. Some people book a pedal car for a bachelorette or birthday party. The cost is about $35 per person, depending upon the day of the week.
Szal got the idea to open a pedal car touring company while in vacation in Austin, Texas. A similar pedal car craft careened by the bar he was patronizing and seeing the unique craft led him to take a tour and eventually
turn this into a career.
“Because the bike is bigger, it’s safer to be on,” Szal said. “The way the seating is arranged, it’s easier to talk and communicate rather than in a big group of bicycles. You have someone ahead and adjacent. It’s good for conversating.”
The awning overhead provides shelter, but riders are advised to bring along a hoodie in case of rain. The bikes operate year-round. The pedal bikes accommodate people 5’3” and taller.
Because the bike has only one gear, it may seem challenging to pedal. However, the group effort makes it easier. Each tour must have a minimum of six guests to make it work. Guests must reserve the entire bike to go on a tour, meaning that you can’t show up and pedal with strangers.
Guests are permitted to bring their own food and their own beer or wine as long as it’s in cans and not glass. Liquor is not allowed.
For more information, visit www. syracusepedaltours.com
Karyl Sargent displays some of her awards
sports
BREAKING RECORDS IN THE WORLD OF KETTLEBELL
Karyl Sargent of LaFayette, mom of two and grandmother of three, sets new records abroad
By Mary Beth Roach
Karyl Sargent has made a name for herself in road-running circles for about 16 years.
Over the past few years, she has become renowned in the world of kettlebell — quite literally.
Just this past May in Denmark, the 60-year-old LaFayette resident — mother of two sons (one in the Navy and one with the Syracuse Police Department) and grandmother of three — accomplished two of her goals by setting two new world records at the International Kettlebell Marathon Foundation world championship for half-marathon.
In 30 minutes, she did 365 reps in the one-arm long cycle with a 16 kg. (35 pounds) kettlebell and in the same timeframe, she did 467 reps in halfsnatch with a 14-kg. kettlebell (nearly 31 pounds).
As if that wasn’t enough, she brought home two golds in the Veteran 3 category, which is for those aged 60 to 69; and a bronze in the open division.
Doing the one-arm long cycle, Sargent moves the kettlebell between her legs, then back in front of her and upward, while bending her knees. She holds the kettlebell in the crook of her bent elbow for a second before thrusting it over her head, while bending her knees. She then, again with knees bent, she brings the kettlebell to the crook in her bent elbow and brings it back to the starting position.
To perform the half-snatch, Sargent begins in a hip-wide stance
with the kettlebell between her feet. She hinges at the hips, bends her knees, grabs the kettlebell handle with an overhand grip. She moves the kettlebell back through her legs and then moves it back in front of her and propels it upward, bending her elbow and bringing her arm close to her ear. Once the kettlebell is overhead, she brings it back down to shoulder level and repeats.
In short, she lifted a 35-pound kettlebell overhead more than 360 times in 30 minutes without any breaks or stops. She would be allowed to switch from one arm to another. However, if she put the kettlebell down on the ground, she would earn a DNF or did not finish.
These most recent feats are just two in a long list that she has accomplished since she began kettlebell lifting about eight years ago. Her first world competition was in Spain five years ago.
When her gym, The Strength Yard in East Syracuse, hosted qualifiers for the world championship in March, Sargent did 368 reps in 30 minutes, qualifying her for that event in Denmark in May.
In November in 2023, at IKMF marathon competition in Hungary, she set a world record for the one-armed long cycle, lifting a 16 kg. (35 pounds) 630 times in 60 minutes. In 2019, at the world championship in Poland, she also set a new world record for one-arm jerk, lifting 12 kg. 838 times in 60 minutes.
Prior, Sargent has taken part in five world championship competitions as part of the U.S. team and has earned 10 medals — two gold each in Spain, Poland, France and Belgium, one in Hungary and one silver in Hungary.
“Basically, it’s a hobby you can win medals at,” she said.
Since there are not many competitors in the 55-and-over category, Sargent said she will often compete against younger lifters. Competitions are based on age and are judged on the repetitions with a certain weight a lifter can perform in a 10-, 30- or 60-minute set, non-stop.
“I have more endurance than speed, so I do better at the longer ones than the 10-minute ones,” Sargent said.
But these achievements and endurance come about through Sargent’s commitment to an arduous training schedule, her inherent determination and a competitive spirit.
While she enjoys the wins, she likes the sport for the challenge of it.
“It’s the inner challenge. A lot of us compete against nobody but ourselves” she said.
Her aggressive training schedule also sounds very challenging.
She works out six days a week, with each session lasting about 90 minutes and includes warm-ups, training and conditioning. On Saturdays, when training for worlds, she lifts for a couple of hours and then runs for an hour after that. Every two weeks, she has a private session with trainer Brent Morehouse, who also owns The
Strength Yard.
And she balances the training and the competitions with her career at Labcorp as a cytotechnologist, studying cell samples for cancer.
Ironically, it was about eight years ago, while recovering from and doing therapy for a running injury, that Sargent took up kettlebell lifting.
The kettlebell is a very versatile piece of equipment and can be calibrated or scaled to any ability level, according to Morehouse. It can be used as a piece of sporting or fitness equipment or a rehabilitation tool. It can be picked up and carried; lifted or used for squats, for example. Morehouse added that he has used it to help rehab a lower back and strengthen hips.
A Syracuse Track Club member, Sargent estimated that she’s been running for about 16 years and in that time, 15 marathons, including the Boston Marathon three times and two ultras — one was 100K (a little more than 62 miles) and the second one was 54 miles. She doesn’t keep track of the 5Ks. Her best time in a marathon, 3:37, was in Alaska when she and her husband, Jeffrey, were visiting the state for their 25th wedding anniversary. She said that she told her husband that since they were in that state, she wanted to run a marathon.
And while she enjoys challenging herself, she admits to being a bit competitive with others.
When running, “everyone in front of me has a bullseye on their back,” she said, laughing.
But she was quick to add that once the kettlebell competitions are over and the races done, there is great camaraderie among the competitors.
And while she has just accomplished one set of goals, she’s already come up with a few more.
She is planning to run a marathon this September in the hopes of qualifying to run the Boston Marathon again next April. Her next major kettlebell goal, she said, will be to qualify for U.S. team for the IKMF Marathon World Championship next fall and some local kettlebell competitions.
The Strength Yard is again hosting the U.S. team qualifiers in September for the World Championships this November in kettlebell pentathlon and 60-mininute marathon.
TOP: Karyl Sargent works out at The Strength Yard in East Syracuse. The gym usually hosts qualifiers for the world championship in kettlebell.
BOTTOM: Sargent works with trainer Brent Morehouse, owner of The Strength Yard in East Syracuse.
The Cazenovia Area Community Development Association initiated an Art Trail Program to support and encourage the arts in the greater Cazenovia area. Now in its 12th year the Cazenovia Art Trail self-guided tour of artists studios and art hubs is free and open to the public.
ATTENTION ALL PEDAL PUSHERS: We invite you to Bike The Art Trail, with several routes for all abilities.
28TH AND 29 &
SEPTEMBER
Visit art-trail.org/bike or scan here for more information
Frank Guido couldn’t be happier he had a choice for treating his prostate cancer!
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Photo by Chuck Wainwright
TIM FOX
Born to tell stories … created ‘Bridge Street’ show on NewsChannel 9 WSYR, which is celebrating 20 years this year
By Mary Beth Roach
He said he was a born storyteller.
And for more than 40 years, Tim Fox has been engaging Central New Yorkers with his stories on NewsChannel 9 WSYR.
Whether it’s through his news reports, the “Tell Me Something Good” weekly segments; the “Bridge Street” program he helped develop 20 years ago; special projects and telethons on the station; the book he co-authored about local television; his work with local community theater groups; as a host for “Teen Talk” program in the mid-2000s; as a voice actor for audio books with worldwide distribution; or as an adjunct professor at two area colleges in the 1990s and for about nine years in the mid-2000s.
Fox’s birth 66 years ago in Cortland is a story itself.
His parents, Bob and Mary Ann Fox, were living over The Treat Shop in Cortland. His mother was pregnant with Tim, their first-born. As Fox recounted the story, his mom’s doctor, a family friend, stopped by the apartment on his way home from work one evening to check on them and everything was fine. A few hours later, his mother informed his dad that it was time to get to the hospital. The first-time father thought they had some time. He wanted to finish his coffee. Apparently, Tim had other ideas.
Mary Ann went into labor and Bob started to carry her down the stairs to take her to the hospital. However, it became obvious they weren’t going to make it. So he got Mary Ann back
upstairs, laid her on the couch and went to look for the newspaper. Fox said that his dad had heard newsprint was sterile — so he assumed he could wrap a newborn in it.
It would seem that Fox was fated to go into news and storytelling.
As a kid, Fox said he always “wanted to make TV” and among his local role models were Mike Price, aka Baron Daemon; Jean Daugherty, who played The Play Lady on The Magic Toy Shop; Bud Hedinger, a news anchor and local TV show emcee; weather forecaster “Stormy” Meredith; and Phil Markert, who hosted a radio show before moving over to television. His “The Markert Place” show, a local talk and entertainment program, was one of the first shows broadcast when NewsChannel 9 WSYR signed on in 1962 as WNYS. And it would be the show that Fox modeled when developing the current “Bridge Street” program.
Following his graduation from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School in 1980 and a one-year stint at a radio station in Cortland, Fox was hired in 1982 at NewsChannel 9 WSYR (then WIXT) and has remained there for 42 years, making him the longestserving staffer.
He attributes his longevity at the station to several factors.
First, the station and its various owners over the years have always treated him well.
Recalling those earlier days, Fox said that he had a good memory for reporters’ stories, which gave
him the ability to navigate the video archives. In addition, he joked, that being a Central New York native, “I could say Salina Street, Skaneateles and Schroeppel.” (New local anchors who aren’t Central New Yorkers, will often mispronounce the names of these regional spots.) And of course, his writing skills have always been strong, evidenced by the number of awards he has garnered over the years.
Moreover, he said he has always enjoyed being in his hometown market with family nearby.
“The lifestyle, the Central New York lifestyle appealed to me,” he said. And for more than four decades, Fox has been involved in nearly every aspect of getting programming on the air at NewsChannel 9 WSYR — from reporting to anchoring to producing.
Versatility
Today, his chief roles include that of executive producer of “Bridge Street,” a local show which airs for an hour on weekdays, hosted by Steve Infanti and Iris St. Meran. He helped create the program in 2004 and has been executive producer for more than 12 years of its run.
Lifestyle shows, like “Bridge Street,” had all but gone away in the 1980s, Fox explained, because it was more economical for stations to rent syndicated shows than produce local programming. However, they started making a return about 20 years ago and as Fox said, “I think we came back on the leading edge of a movement
across the country. There are more and more lifestyle shows like this that exist.”
Part of the reason, he noted, was that they offer sales and marketing opportunities that stations can’t do in newscasts.
As executive producer of the show, Fox oversees the staff, books and pitches segment ideas and will fill in as host or reporter, if needed. As he put it, he sees his role as “backing up everybody to get the show on the air and make everybody look good.”
His “Tell Me Something Good” segments, which have been airing for about three to four years, are the stories he most enjoys telling. The segments are part of Friday evenings’ newscasts at 5:25 and spotlight the people and events around the Central New York area.
“I think it’s my favorite assignment in 40 years. I think it’s the best work I’ve done in 40 years. It’s really what I wanted to do from the start,” he said. “I think everybody wants to hear something good about their
community. And there’s a lot here to talk about. I’ve met some tremendous people. Everybody has a story.”
Moreover, as he said, “I continue to learn something new with every story, every week.”
For Fox, “Tell Me Something Good” is also a complete opposite from some of the stories he has had as a reporter.
“I’ve had shotguns aimed at me. I’ve had people come after me with pipe wrenches and very big dogs. I got to the point where I was really sick of sticking my face where people didn’t want to see it,” he said. “A reporter’s job gets harder and harder every day.”
In addition to his reporting and executive producer duties, he has been director of new media at the station; sales marketing manager; and a host or producer for various special projects, like the station’s coverage of Syracuse St. Patrick’s Parade and telethons to benefit such organizations as the Alzheimer’s Association, Muscular Dystrophy; Landmark Theatre. The Red Cross’ Telethon he helped with
— held three days after the September 11th tragedy — raised $1 million in one night.
One of the most recent special projects he did was a tribute for Markert, one of his childhood idols who died in late May.
His skill set, flexibility, versatility and the ability to do something at the last minute have proven to be beneficial to the station. He recalled that he once received a call at 5:30 a.m. to fill in at the 6 a.m. show. Living in East Syracuse, he was close enough to the station to be able to answer that call.
It’s that versatility that former Channel 9 anchor and friend, Dan Cummings, calls truly amazing.
Cummings and Fox have known each other for about 40 years, their paths having crossed covering news in the Central New York area when Cummings was with a local radio station. When he started with Channel 9 in 1984, he said of Fox in an email, “he’s been a mentor and a trusted friend since the day I first walked in to
LEFT: Cover of “Images of Images of America – Syracuse Television,” a book written by Tim Fox and his colleagues, Christie Casciano Burns and Lou Gulino. It was published in 2013.
RIGHT: Tim Fox stands behind the cameras in the control room of the Bridge Street set. He helped create the program in 2004 and has been executive producer for more than 12 years of its run.
the TV station as the rookie assignment editor.”
According to Cummings, “He’s done everything! Sports reporting and anchoring, news reporting and anchoring and creating and producing — often from scratch — and hosting much of the special programming on Channel 9 for more than four decades! Telethons, parades, ‘Bridge Street,’ news specials, you name it, he’s done it and done it superbly well.”
Cummings added that Fox knows what makes “good television. He’s always ready and willing to share what he knows with others…to make the rest of us look better!”
Calling Fox an “Anam Cara,” (Celtic for soul friend), Cummings shared a personal story. Cummings’ daughter, Anna, was born on the same day as Fox’s son, Ryan. As a gift to Anna, Fox created a time capsule of that day, with newspaper headlines and other artifacts from that day.
Technology
in covering news
One big change at the station since Fox first started has been the technology and it’s been a welcome change for him for the most part.
As he explained, today, one can pull out a phone and do a story as it is happening, instead of having to go back to the station, get gear, head back to the site and hope the story is still there.
He also recounted how, back in the earlier days at the station, when typing out a story, they had multi-part carbon packets, with copies going to the anchor, the director, the producer, graphics.
But the technology has made everything faster, and that can be challenging.
“There’s a deadline every minute,” he said. “Now you can’t hold anything.” But, he added, the station has the principle that the stories be accurate and confirmed before they go on the air.
In recognition of his work
His work has earned him numerous awards over the years, including those from the Syracuse Press Club, the Oswego Press Club, the Vermont International Film Festival and the NYS Broadcasters. He has received a nomination from the NY Emmys; he’s
Fox interviews blues musician Colin Aberdeen for a “Tell Me Something Good segment.” The segments are part of Friday evenings’ newscasts at 5:25 and spotlight the people and events around the Central New York area.
been a Telly Awards finalist; and he was inducted into the Syracuse Area Music Awards (SAMMYS) Hall of Fame in 2020.
Founder of the SAMMYS and president of Syracuse Jazz Fest, Frank Malfitano, said that Fox is the best friend the community ever had.
In an email statement, Malfitano wrote, “The list of things Tim has contributed his talents to for the past several decades is unparalleled and his numbers and accomplishments constitute the resume and stats of a major league all-star. Literally, everything the guy touches is a success because he’s the ultimate professional and gives it everything he has every time he steps up to the plate. Safe to say none of the things I’ve been involved with over the course of my career would have ever gone anywhere without his help and assistance and guidance. He’s a player-coach who makes everyone around him better and the guy you want next to you in a foxhole.”
Away from the station
Fox has been able to blend his love of storytelling and his interest in the community in work that goes beyond NewsChannel 9 WSYR.
That kid who wanted to make television wrote a book about local TV, with colleagues Christie Casciano and Lou Gulino.
“Images of Images of America — Syracuse Television” was published in 2013 and Fox said that the timing was perfect for him and his co-authors. He felt that they were the right people to write the book since they had met or worked with many of those who pioneered local television, like news anchors Fred Hillegas and Ron Curtis. They received a lot of support from the local broadcasting community and the Onondaga Historical Association, he added.
“I think we did a really credible job documenting television up to that point. It was great fun,” he said.
He has also honed his storytelling skills with performances with Syracuse Stage, the Syracuse Symphony, Syracuse Opera, Landmark Theatre, Redhouse, Cortland Repertory Theatre and with various community theater
groups.
And some of these shows has had him sharing the stage with such notable television celebrities as Loretta Swit (aka “Hot Lips” Houlinhan on “M*A*S*H” and more recently with Fred Grandy and Ted Lange, who played Gopher and the bartender Isaac Washington, respectively, on “Love Boat.”
Because of previous interviews Fox had done with Grandy when the latter appeared in local productions, the actor had Fox’s contact information. Last fall, Fox said he got an email from the actor, asking him if he’d be interested in doing a role as a radio announcer in “Inherit the Wind” at the Redhouse in downtown Syracuse. Grandy was starring in the production and Lange was the director.
Between his work at the station and the play, Fox had to put in some long days — some at least 16 hours from January through March of this past year. But Fox saw it as a wonderful opportunity.
“It was like a master class, working with the two of them and some of the finest local actors from Central New
York. It was fascinating to watch the process,” he said.
But, ever humble, he said that to say that he is an actor is a bit of a stretch.
“I was at the right place at the right time,” he said.
Maybe it’s being at the right place at the right time, maybe it’s being prepared to open that door when opportunity knocks or maybe, as he said, he can’t say no.
To make the most of such breaks is something that Fox has tried to instill in the interns that have worked at the station and the students he has had in classes he’s taught at both Syracuse University’s Newhouse School and Cazenovia College.
He taught at his alma mater from 1991 to 1999 after a reporter at NewsChannel 9 WSYR who had been teaching a newswriting class as an adjunct professor, got a new job and relocated.
He began at Cazenovia College in 2014 and ended in 2023, when the college closed. For that job, he explained that he got a call at the station from Cazenovia asking him
LEFT: “Fox with Bridge Street” hosts Steve Infanti and Iris St. Meran. The daytime talk show airs at 10 a.m. on weekdays.
RIGHT: Photo taken in the winter of 1982, shortly after Tim Fox was hired by the station. In front, news director Andy Brigham; seated from left: Tim Fox, John Butler, Rod Wood, Marc Levenson.; standing: Paul Farmer, Jim Rose, Dave Cohen, Bud Hedinger, Nancy Duffy, George Banks.
if he knew of anyone interested in teaching. He took that opportunity, too.
The students at the two colleges approached Fox’s classes with different goals, he explained, so his approach had to be different.
Because SU students were hoping to have a career in broadcast journalism and those at Cazenovia had more of a liberal arts background, he explained that he structured differently, teaching them how to write press releases, should they ever find themselves needing that skill, or giving them interviewing skills, should they ever be interviewed, representing an organization in their community.
He found that the students over the last 10 years have changed tremendously and he had to find ways to engage them in the classroom. He said that he doesn’t think that students watch TV so much these days, as much as they stream or get everything on the web.
“When we were growing up,” he said, “we had a shared pool of knowledge with our parents, our grandparents, the rest of the
community. They don’t have that as much. It doesn’t go back as far. It makes it harder to connect,” he said.
But it’s been easy for him to connect to the community over the past 40 years, involving himself in a cross-section of groups, including the United Way of Central New York; Syracuse Chiefs; Bishop Grimes Junior-Senior High School’s marketing committee; the Syracuse University Orange Television Network Advisory Committee; the Museum of Science and Technology’s marketing committee; Empire State Games, 25th Anniversary Committee; American Heart Association Heart Walk Committee; Cayuga Community College’s TV/ Radio Advisory Board; Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; and Project LEGAL.
Frank Lazarski was president of the United Way of Central New York from 2003 to 2107 and headed the agency when Fox came onto its board of directors about 2012. On the board, Fox led its marketing and community committee and as Lazarski noted, he guided the discussions about media strategies, campaign themes, collateral materials and public relations.
“When I describe what a highperforming board director would look like, I think of Tim Fox,” Lazarski said in an email statement. He noted “his willingness to share his professional knowledge, skills and expertise; his good nature and kind personality; his helpful attitude. Tim Fox was a rock star for United Way and we were extremely fortunate to have him in service to our organization.”
His level of involvement requires motivation and without a moment’s hesitation, he acknowledged his wife, Cheryl, and son, Ryan, for their support. And the community overall.
“I think people keep you motivated. You don’t think about making a grandstand. You just try to help boost everybody else up a little bit. It’s my way of paying back for the opportunities I’ve had,” he said. “I was brought up to be involved.”
Paraphrasing a scouting quote, he said, “Always leave the woods better than when you came in.”
And good news for viewers, Fox isn’t leaving television right away. He said that he has talked with the station about taking on a more part-time role and continuing to do community projects and his “Tell Me Something Good” stories.
fitness GET MOVING, HAVE FUN — AND GET HEALTHIER
By Margaret McCormick
Shortly after her feet hit the floor in the morning, Karen Brown begins part of her daily exercise regimen.
While her husband prepares breakfast, she puts on some music and moves to the groove, doing some light cardio and piecing together possible steps for her upcoming fitness videos.
Movement comes naturally to Brown after a lifetime of it. She inspires other women and men “of a certain age’’ to fit in some fitness every day — especially if they’re out of practice or never exercised and lead a sedentary life.
Brown, 67, who lives in Deer Lake, Newfoundland, Canada, is the founder of “Easy Fitness Over 50,” an exercise, health and wellbeing brand with a presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
Her easy-to-follow videos and relatable approach to exercise have earned her more than a million followers on Facebook alone (and nearly half a million on Instagram). Her motto: “If it’s fun you’ll get it done.’’
Getting in the habit of exercising when you’re in your 50s or older can feel daunting to some or even intimidating or pointless. But studies show that the benefits of exercise for
older adults are many. Exercise can reduce muscle loss, improve joint and bone function and better our mental health and outlook on life. Movement might not add years to our life, but it can add life to our years: Regular exercise can help us navigate stairs, get on the floor with the grandkids, work outside in the yard and maintain functional mobility and independence.
Exercise using social media? Why not? Back in the day, people turned on the TV to get moving along with Jack LaLanne and sweat to the oldies with Richard Simmons. Exact figures aren’t available on the number of online fitness instructors, but these days, anyone with a smartphone and social media account can attempt to become a fitness influencer.
There’s a huge audience to attempt to reach: Meta (the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, etc.) estimates that more than 190 million people follow fitness accounts on Facebook. And more than 140 million people do the same on Instagram.
Brown comes to the space with silver hair, an engaging and encouraging approach and impressive credentials: 45 years of experience as a certified fitness instructor and health coach. If her videos look more professional than others, it’s because
they are. She and her husband, Brian Chaulk, are the founders of a video production company. For years, they’ve been helping small businesses with advertising, marketing and social media.
Brown previously worked as a paralegal in a law office and for years taught as many as eight fitness classes a week. In recent years she embraced a new role: teaching fitness classes for seniors. She is in the same age set, after all, and found she connected well with class attendees — and they with her. She also found she needed to “restructure’’ her workouts.
“I used to teach these classes that were so difficult I could barely do them,’’ Brown said. “I’m not that person anymore. … We’re not supposed to be doing hard exercise. It can cause inflammation. Gentle activity is much better for people our age.’’
When COVID-19 hit in 2020 and brought about lockdown in many places, gyms and fitness venues were forced to close their doors. People looked online for alternatives and Brown shifted gears. She and her husband took a marketing course that suggested it was prime time for individuals and businesses to get on board with TikTok, a social network
that focuses on short videos, to build brands and following.
“So, I started on TikTok and I was doing well. I had about 45,00046,000 followers and then it sort of plateaued,’’ Brown recalled. “Since we were going to the trouble of ‘lights, camera, action,’ I decided I would post each video on Facebook and in our Facebook group and on Instagram, put it on all of them every day.
“In November 2022, Facebook started to explode. I went from 10,000 to one million followers in a year. I think it’s because that’s where my audience is. I’ve got a real sense of my audience now. A lot of people tell me they’re not on Instagram and not on TikTok. A lot of my audience is 65. I’ve got 85-year-olds who love what I’m doing and 55-year-olds who love what I’m doing.’’
Brown emphasizes that there is no “one size fits all’’ when it comes to exercise and that people should consult a medical professional before beginning any program. Her strategy: Everyone has a couple minutes a day for exercise, or, even better, a couple minutes a couple times a day. If you sit a lot, stand up every 30 minutes. Get moving. And turn up the music.
On social media, consistency is key. Brown posts three- to five-minute
“Reels” about five times a week and mixes up her content, often adding something new.
One video might feature four exercises for leg strength and balance, another might show Brown sitting in a chair and then standing to demonstrate beneficial moves for the glutes, thighs and lower back. Another might feature Brown with a broomstick raised to her chest and above her head, to give the pectoral muscles and shoulders a gentle workout.
She loves dance — it’s what got her interested in exercise — and frequently works in dance moves to increase circulation and build coordination and balance.
Most videos are shot at her home. She frequently sets up in her kitchen and makes use of the countertop to demonstrate stability. You’ll also find videos that show Brown in the beautiful Newfoundland countryside, on the swings at a playground, shooting a basketball and getting in some yoga on the dock at a lake. “Have fun, everyone,’’ she said.
A good deal of Brown’s time, on Facebook especially, is devoted to staying in touch with followers who leave comments, ask questions and send messages, via her page and the “Easy Fitness Over 50” private group.
Over time, people started requesting longer videos. Those videos are available for purchase on her website.
“The key is to get moving and do it gradually,’’ Brown said. “Take two minutes and do something you love. Do some reaching. Do some movements. Forget about exercise as daunting. Feel the sense of accomplishment. Think about how you want to feel better. Don’t get overwhelmed with the big picture. Everyone can do two or three minutes.’’
Karen Brown of Deer Lake, Newfoundland, Canada, is the founder of “Easy Fitness Over 50” videos, which have garnered over a million viewers.
Brown frequently sets up in her kitchen and makes use of the countertop to demonstrate stability.
Some of the girls stand in front of the statue of Harriet Tubman at the Equal Rights Heritage Center in Auburn.
advocacy
Melina Carnicelli: First Amendment/First Vote
Auburn first female mayor devoted to inspiring high school girls to consider careers in government
By Joe Sarnicola
Melina Carnicelli, the first and only woman to serve as mayor of Auburn, has channeled her passion for education and community service to create a program that inspires high school girls to consider careers in government or other leadership positions.
The program — First Amendment/ First Vote or 1A1V — was founded in the 2017-18 school year, but the idea for it developed in response to the results of the 2016 presidential election.
“I planned to go to the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2017, but I changed my mind. I thought we should do something local,” Carnicelli said,
After contacting people that she believed would be interested and able to help, the first Women’s March in Seneca Falls was held on the same day as the DC event. Fifteen thousand people showed up, including many young women and teenaged girls.
Carnicelli said this was the first time the Seneca Falls area had been used for a grassroots movement. Inspired by the huge turnout, she had an idea for a new concept.
“I wanted to develop a program to promote women’s rights,” she said. “That’s how First Amendment/First Vote came to be. In 2017 we did a pilot program in Seneca Falls at the Gould Hotel. There were 49 students from seven high schools. This year there
were 153 students from 19 schools.”
Carnicelli is more than just the creator of this program. She is a role model for the girls who attend the 1A1V conferences.
In 1990, while on hiatus from her position as a public school teacher, she founded Treble Associates with Gwen Weber-McLeod and Bevan Angier as a workplace consulting firm that specialized in leadership and organizational development. She was also involved in the creation of Tomatofest of CNY, the Harriet Tubman Freedom Park and Leadership Cayuga County.
In 1995 Carnicelli was elected to the Auburn City Council followed by her becoming elected as the mayor of Auburn for a four-year term that began in 2000.
“Unfortunately,” she said, “I am still the only woman who has been nominated by any party for mayor of Auburn. That is unacceptable.”
She has also received awards and other recognition for her service.
She is a recipient of the Central New York National Organization of Women’s Unsung Heroine Award and the Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes’ Sharing the Light Award. She was appointed to a term on the board of trustees of Cayuga Community College and she was the first recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major Award for founding the mayor’s Social Justice Task Force in Auburn.
Drawing on her experience and the important social and political connections she has made over the years, Carnicelli is able to recruit a diverse group of speakers and presenters for the two-day leadership action summits, which are part of the 1A1V program.
The 2024 event was held this past March at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn. Speakers included Auburn’s mayor Jimmy Giannettino; Shakera C Tems, interim director of woman’s affairs, office of Gov. Kathy Hochul; Tamica Barnett, president of the Syracuse City Board of Education;
and Sheri Dozier-Owens, senior adviser, office of the New York State Comptroller.
Topics of discussion ranged from campaigning and how to get elected to local office to governing and how to develop an action plan.
In order for girls to be eligible for the program they must have demonstrated leadership in their school or community and they must represent the values their schools want to be known for. The schools must select a mentor who will meet and work with the candidates prior to the summit.
“Every school district knows we require a diverse cohort of students, not just academics or athletes, but those with varied world views. Every fall each region has an all-day seminar. There is an incredible mix of observable and non observable differences,” Carnicelli said.
According to materials provided by Carnicelli, the students will imagine themselves as government leaders,
ABOVE: A group of students from 19 Cayuga County schools gather to attend the 2024 Leadership Action Summit in Auburn, part of the First Amendment/First Vote or 1A1V program. OPPOSITE PAGE: Former Auburn Mayor Melina Carnicelli.
engage in discussions with women who are in or have been in elected offices or government positions, they will become familiar with the first and 19th amendments to the Constitution and they will learn how to articulate a vision for gender parity in local, state and national elected offices.
The program covers topics that are part of the NYS Department of Education Social Studies Standards such as “Foundations of American Democracy,” “Civil Rights and Liberties” and “Public Policy.” The summit closes with an optional visit to the Equal Rights Heritage Museum in Auburn.
As part of the Leadership Action Summit the students break up into groups, select a member of their group to be a candidate for a local office and create a simulated campaign, complete with slogans and posters, followed by a stump speech delivered by their candidate. Then all of the girls conduct a simulated vote based on what they have seen and heard.
After the summit the girls are expected to implement a project in their home school or community based
on an action plan developed at the summit, which they must present to their respective boards of education for approval.
As examples of the programs the girls develop and implement, Auburn students created “Tubman’s Table,” an honor system pantry of snacks, school supplies and other items because they recognized that some students needed these products. They also raise money to buy what they need to stock the pantry. Southern Cayuga Junior-Senior High School students created “Hermanas,” a safe-space club where girls can talk about hygiene, schoolwork, time management and friend/relationship issues, with girls from 1A1V facilitating the discussions.
More Information
For more information about First Amendment/First Vote, visit: 1sta1stv. org In order for the program to continue, funds are necessary and the website provides opportunities for small donations or corporate sponsorships. All contributions are tax-deductible.
pickleball
Pickleball Maven
Maureen Wagner
The trendy sport helps keep this Cicero retiree active
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
When Maureen Wagner, 64, retired in 2015, she had been playing softball, but a friend invited her to play pickleball at the YMCA the following year.
“I got hooked; it didn’t take long,” Wagner said. “I like the competitiveness of it and I don’t like traditional exercise.”
Who wants to run on a treadmill solo when engaging in a team sport like pickleball can help foster friendships? Certainly not Wagner.
“I’ve met so many people playing pickleball those friendships have led to travel, movies and so many other activities,” she said.
Not long after beginning pickleball, she found herself regularly playing.
When she wasn’t playing, she was thinking about the next time she would be playing.
Wagner now serves on the board as co-treasurer of CNY Pickleball, an organization that offers free information on pickleball in the area and organizes matches at Skyway Park in Cicero.
Staying social helps Wagner stay
Maureen Wagner (left) and her friend Donna O’Neil.
certified in family and adult health.
Internal Medicine Associates of Auburn rates in the top-tier among primary care medical groups in Upstate New York based on their quality performance scores year over year, and is also an IPRO Quality Award Honoree which recognizes outstanding performance by healthcare providers and stakeholders throughout New York State.
The IPRO Quality Award earned by the practice was specifically in recognition of organization-wide commitment to quality improvement and exemplary performance in the practice’s ongoing transition to value-based care.
Launched in October 1999, In Good Health features locally focused news and articles about important healthcare topics, health care services, and
bring popular columns written by professionals on a wide range of healthcare topics including ”Ask Your Doctor”, “Smart Bites”, and “Savvy Seniors” as well as health tips, news from local hospitals, calendar of events, interviews with local physicians, and much more.
Brian Bennett, MD
Mary Price, MD C. Patrick Karpinski, FNP
William Childres, MD
Amelia LeGrett, FNP Jeffrey Legrett, MD
Elizabeth Mizro, ANP
Stephanie Coglitore, FNP
Stephanie Coon, FNP
busy and engaged — important for retirees.
When she first retired, she wasn’t sure what to do with her time. She considered taking a part-time job — until pickleball came along. Now she plays five or six times weekly. Some players join in recreationally, as a family activity or to compete. Wagner likes that the social aspect connects people to others.
Wagner also likes pickleball’s physical aspects. She can stay active without aggravating her “bum knee” as long as she wears her supportive knee brace. Similar activities like tennis challenge players as the court is larger and the sport requires more physically.
CNY Pickleball raises funds to help promote the sport through assisting municipalities in establishing pickleball courts.
“It’s a very welcoming group,” Wagner said. “That’s another thing that struck me about it: how willing people are to help you with the game. They’re always willing to show you how to improve and what to do. Otherwise, it can be a little scary when you join a group where people are already connected.”
She added that CNY Pickleball
Maureen Wagner (left) plays pickleball with a friend.
schedules group events to help newer players improve their skills.
In addition, CNY Pickleball hosts fundraisers for nonprofit organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Association.
Wagner worked at Syracuse Developmental Center, retiring in 2015 from her role as a habilitation specialist working with people with developmental disabilities. When she’s not playing pickleball, she enjoys golf. The North Syracuse resident is married and has two grown children and one granddaughter.
“My family is very supportive of me playing pickleball,” Wagner said. “When I’m gone and they’re trying to reach me on the phone, it’s always, ‘Let me guess: you’re at pickleball.’”
When pickleball indoor courts closed during the pandemic, Wagner even set up a net to play in the driveway so she could stay active.
CNY Pickleball in Syracuse (https://cnypickleball.com) offers lists of more than 100 places to learn and play pickleball throughout CNY, including community centers, youth centers, YMCAs, public parks and clubs. The list includes indoor and outdoor courts.
What’s Next?
Grandmother celebrates milestone graduation – at 82
By Mary Beth Roach
When Mary Anne Winfield walked across the stage during LeMoyne College’s graduation ceremonies this past May, she made history. At the age of 82, she became the oldest person to graduate from the college — cum laude, no less.
She said that initially she hadn’t wanted to walk across the stage, but her family convinced her otherwise. And she’s so glad they did.
At the conclusion of the ceremonies, there was a video of LeMoyne grad and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps, currently on a space mission, delivering a message that ended with the phrase, “’Phins Up,” referring to the college nickname, the Dolphins.
Winfield, a grandmother of five, joked during a recent interview, that she has grandchildren who are older than almost everyone in her class.
And while some classmates thought, at first, she was a professor or was there to help them, Winfield said she was learning right along with them. Always a writer, Winfield took a lot of notes, whereas her classmates “are sitting with their Chromebooks or their computer. I’m in the wrong era here,” she said, laughing.
Now, with her degree, she said that one of her grandsons asked her if she now plans to get a job, to which she responded that she wasn’t going to get a job, that she’s already had several.
She’s had several jobs, started college, raised a family, started two businesses and has served on a wide variety of community organizations.
She started college back in the 1960s, but she left for Michigan with her husband, Don, who was doing graduate work there.
She had their first daughter, Jennifer, while in Michigan; moved back to Syracuse and had two more daughters, Julie and Megan.
She would go on to start two businesses and hold down a few other jobs as well. Always a writer, she started the Syracuse Magazine with a friend in 1977; sold it in the early 1980s; went to work for the chamber of commerce; and in 1985, began a marketing and communications business called Winfield Ink., which she ran until retiring in 2023.
Photo courtesy of Mary Anne Winfield
Her community work has included serving on LeMoyne’s Board of Regents, United Way, Onondaga Citizen’s League, St. Camillus Foundation, past president of Loretto Foundation and U.S. Small Business Administration.
She currently is on the board of the Elmcrest Children’s Center.
Her degree in religious studies was prompted by her time teaching religion through the Release Time program. She was also involved with a committee the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, aimed at improving the religious education that junior high students, who Winfield called “restless believers,” received. The committee set up a program that brought in Jesuits from some of the leading Jesuit colleges in the country.
“That sparked my interest in Jesuit education,” she said. This, together with her work on LeMoyne’s Board of Regents, cemented her desire to take more classes with the Jesuits.
She began “in earnest” as she called it, in 2019, working toward a degree in religious studies, on a parttime basis, taking classes both online from her Skaneateles home and on campus.
“Mary Anne’s story is the epitome of perseverance, and we are thrilled that she was finally able to graduate nearly 60 years after she took her first class at Le Moyne,” according to Joseph Della Posta, director of communications at LeMoyne. “I’ve heard from several professors who had Mary Anne in class in recent years and they said she was engaged, curious and a wonderful student. We are so proud of her for achieving this milestone.”
And while she may not be pursuing a job, as she told her grandson, she hopes to continue her creative writing. Aside from articles for her magazine and various press releases and such for her clients at Winfield Ink., she has written poetry, which she enjoys, and has been published in Salamander, LeMoyne’s student literary magazine.
And while she doesn’t know if she’ll ever get anything more published, for someone who earned her college degree at the age of 82, isn’t anything possible?
Tom Altman, a retired physics, science and technology teacher, creates bubbles in front of his home in
Meet the Bubble Man
Joy of teaching continues to bubble up for retired educator. His videos on Tik Tok have generated over five million views
By Stefan Yablonski
Blowing bubbles is more than just a hobby for Tom Altman — it’s a teaching tool. Altman taught physics, science and technology at Oswego High School for 35 years, from 1981 to 2016.
During that time he also managed to invent a new technique for making holograms that is used around the world, create a laser optics kit used by thousands of students and make personal appearances at all the major science teacher conventions for more
than a decade.
A couple years ago, he published a book that focuses on the STEM behind the structures of bubbles and their interactions. The book, “Bubble Construction Kit: Build Amazing Bubble Structures,” is intended to teach readers and even street performers how to construct bubbles and problemsolve on their own, he said.
“During the pandemic, I became busy writing textbooks. That involved quite a bit of research; so when I would take a break from writing, I
would create bubbles and bubble art — building geometric structures and coming up with new techniques to show the kids. I built a bubble construction kit and put together a book on how to use it. There’s a lot of science and research that goes into that, too,” Altman explained.
He said he has always been interested in bubbles, their light and colors and everything. After he retired, he got commissioned by a company out of Boston to write text books — hired to write four of the textbooks.
Oswego
It’s hard; textbook research is grueling, he said.
“You can’t write a paragraph without checking to make sure you’re in line with the most recent research and the most recent findings; things change. You have to cross reference and in my research I was going through a lot of journals,” he said. “When you’re doing research like that, it’s mentally exhausting. I would take a break and come out and create bubbles.”
Armed with soap, polymer, water and dozens of homemade bubble wands and gadgets, Altman recently explained how bubbles are created, change color and eventually disappear.
“A soap bubble cycles through four different stages. You’ll see that it starts off as a purple hue, then transitions to red, goes to a golden color and then it becomes clear and disappears,” Altman explained.
He has created a TikTok page, @ thomasaltman42, with videos that have generated more than five million views.
A lot of bubble performers come from performance clowns, street magicians, he said.
The most famous performer in the bubble universe, Tom Noddy, responded to one of Altman’s Facebook posts and encouraged him to continue his bubble work.
Noddy is “the father of the entire realm of indoor bubble tricks,” Altman said.
And then Altman got deeper into the bubble world.
“What I discovered was these guys are amazing performers,” he said.
Some didn’t really understand the science of bubbles. They were explaining it to a class; they were using words that they heard other people
use, but didn’t really understand how it worked, he said.
“So after I finished my fourth book, I was still in the book writing mentality. I went ahead and wrote about the science of bubbles. It was something kind of for my nieces and nephews to use during the pandemic. So that is how I got involved initially,” he said.
“I’ve been doing this probably a full three years now. There was some overlap of me experimenting on my own and then toward mid- to late-2021 I was getting involved in the global community and I came up with some new things. I watched what everybody else did and I got some new ideas, came up with some innovations.”
He makes and sells wands.
“I have different things that I have created. And people said, ‘oh that’s nice. Will you make one for me?’ I’ve
made a dozen or so wands; I came up with some innovative styles,” he said. “Performers who charge $400, $500 to do a birthday party; they want stuff that looks professional. They don’t to use little plastic wands that kids have in their toy boxes. They want to come in with fancy equipment.”
Some of the wands he’s created sell for $200.
He describes himself as the bubble influencer.
The bubble cube is the standard of all bubble artists, he said. It was created by Tom Noddy in the late ‘70s and has been performed all over the planet. Consisting of six surrounding bubbles, a seventh one, in the middle, experiences pressure on six sides, resulting in a cubic shape. The vapor is water and glycerin that is heated in a small unit similar to a vape pen.
Some performers do a trick where they create a huge bubble over a child.
“I don’t do kid in a bubble; that’s just for photo ops and it’s not fun for the kid in the bubble,” Altman said. “I don’t use kids as props.”
Recently, some are putting fire inside their bubbles (with butane). They light it and it’s very spectacular, a big ball of flame, Altman said.
“But I don’t do that. I’ve done some pretty cool stuff, but I don’t do that for kids,” he added. “My whole idea is to show them how they can do stuff themselves — fire bubbles is not one of the things I want to show them how to do!”
Altman is a member of the Association of International Bubble Artists. He is a bubble performer, but there is also a scientific and creative aspect to his performances.
“There are some of us in the organization that just make tools. There is a group known for their props, a group known for their giant stage shows and a lot of performers,” he said.
All over Europe there are thousands of people doing bubble performances.
“There’s just a handful here in Central New York,” he added.
People go to Walmart and see a
wall dedicated to bubbles — they think why hire someone when you can go to Walmart and get bubble stuff?
“Because they don’t know what can be done. It’s not just, ‘I got a bucket of water and I’ll pour some dish soup in there and make bubbles’,” Altman pointed out. “The chemistry is way more complex. But to be fair, you can take water and Dawn and you can add a fruit abdicative, a thickener — it’s a polymer — to make bubbles. Performers will have five different recipes to make their bubbles.”
“Several thousand dollars have been invested in materials for building the wands and the bubble mixes and many hundreds of hours have been spent in research and development in attempts to create the ‘perfect mix’ and the most creative wands. All of this to insure a unique experience for participants of the Altman Science Bubble Experience,” he continued.
“Retired, but not retired. I am having a lot of fun. I come out here and make bubbles and try to come up with new ideas.”
LEFT: Armed with soap, polymer, water and dozens of homemade bubble wands and gadgets, Tom Altman demonstrates how bubbles are created, change color and eventually disappear.
RIGHT: Altman experiments with bubble creation in his garage.
nest egg
New Number for Your Retirement: $1.46 Million
Americans’ “magic number” for retirement is surging to an all-time high — rising much faster than the rate of inflation while swelling more than 50% since the onset of the pandemic.
These are the latest top-level findings from Northwestern Mutual’s 2024 Planning & Progress Study, the company’s proprietary research series that explores Americans’ attitudes, behaviors and perspectives across a broad set of issues impacting their long-term financial security.
U.S. adults believe they will need $1.46 million to retire comfortably, a 15% increase over the $1.27 million reported last year, far outpacing today’s inflation rate which currently hovers between 2% and 3%. Over a five-year span, people’s ‘magic number’ has jumped a whopping 53% from the $951,000 target Americans reported in 2020.
By generation, both Generation Z and millennials expect to need more than $1.6 million to retire comfortably. Highnet-worth individuals — people with more than $1 million in investable assets — say they’ll need nearly $4 million.
Meanwhile, the average amount that U.S. adults have saved for retirement dropped modestly from $89,300 in 2023 to $88,400 today, but is more than $10,000 off its five-year peak of $98,800 in 2021.
“In 2023, the soaring cost of eggs in the grocery store symbolized inflation in America. In 2024, it’s nest eggs,” said Aditi Javeri Gokhale, chief strategy officer, president of retail investments and head of institutional investments at Northwestern Mutual. “People’s magic number to retire comfortably has exploded to an all-time high, and the gap between their goals and progress has never been wider. Inflation is expanding our expectations for retirement savings, and putting the pressure on to plan and stay disciplined. Making a magic number appear isn’t about waving a wand; it’s about using time-tested techniques and learning from a skilled adviser.”
Across all segments, there are large gaps between what people think they’ll need to retire and what they’ve saved to date.
The ‘Silver Tsunami’ is here
In 2024, more than four million Americans will turn 65. That’s an average of 11,000 Americans per day, and it will continue through 2027. It’s the largest surge of Americans hitting the traditional retirement age in history.
The 2024 Planning & Progress Study found that among generations closest to retirement, just half of boomers (49%) and
Gen Xers (48%) believe they will be financially prepared when the time comes. On average, Gen X believes there is a 42% chance they could outlive their savings, while boomers put the probability at 37%.
Across both generations, more than a third (37% and 38%, respectively) have not taken any steps to address the possibility of outliving their savings.
“The ‘Silver Tsunami’ is here,” said Gokhale. “While younger generations are focused on building wealth and protecting what they’ve already built, Gen X and boomers have an additional important task: paying themselves first in retirement. Where they have savings can be just as important as how much they have saved. Done well, a comprehensive financial plan can preserve thousands of hard-earned dollars to fund these golden years. For anyone who is not sure how to streamline and preserve every penny, an expert financial adviser can be a great resource.”
When digging into some of the most pressing challenges associated with retirement planning, the research shows that boomers and Gen Xers don’t have markedly strong confidence in their preparedness.
social security
Edd and Cynthia Staton: “We both started receiving Social Security at age 62 ... when the Great Recession of 2008 swept away our careers and much of our net worth.”
Glad We Started Collecting Social Security Benefits at 62
‘In making our decision, we ran all the numbers, including the most valuable number of all: time’
By Edd and Cynthia Staton
As retirement approaches you must face the question, “What is the best age for me to claim Social Security?”
Experts declare that you should avoid taking reduced payments at 62 unless you need the money immediately or have health issues that may shorten your lifespan.
They almost unanimously advise waiting until full retirement age (66 and 6 months in 2024) to receive 100% of benefits earned. Postponing until the maximum payout at age 70 is even better, since 8% is added to your monthly check for each year you delay.
A Missing Term in the Equation
From a purely financial perspective, the logic is irrefutable. But there is another asset often ignored. One that could be considered even more valuable than money because it is constantly being spent and can never be saved.
Time.
We both started receiving Social Security at age 62, and it has turned out to be one of the best decisions we have ever made. Well, actually the choice was made for us when the Great Recession of 2008 swept away our careers and much of our net worth.
Had what seemed at the time like a calamity not happened, we would have most likely followed conventional wisdom and kept working to save more money. Instead we took a leap of faith, moved abroad to a lower cost of living
and found ourselves staring at a blank canvas titled “Our Future” far sooner than planned.
It is said there are three phases of retirement — Go-Go (age 60 to 70), Slow-Go (70 to 80) and No-Go (80 and up). We hit the ground running at the beginning of our Go-Go period, and what an unexpected blessing those extra years have turned out to be in the following important aspects of life.
Improved Health
It is estimated that seven out of 10 Americans aged 65 and older will need some form of costly long-term care. The most proactive way to be among the 30% who avoid this expense is by optimizing your health.
Full-time workers have trouble finding enough hours in their schedule for fitness and healthy food preparation. A recent study reveals only 25% of American adults meet CDC exercise standards, while another indicates a paltry 10% eat enough vegetables.
Early retirement provides an opportunity to jump start improving one’s health. In addition to our pedestrian lifestyle (we haven’t owned a car for 14 years), devoting time each week to strength training, yoga and cardiovascular exercise keeps us in outstanding physical condition. Creating nutritious meals filled with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables is a fun activity instead of a chore.
Less Stress
According to the American Psychological Association, stress is at an all-time high in the United States. At the same time, research from Age Wave and Merrill Lynch reveals that retirement is the happiest and most content period of our lives.
Our experience certainly mirrors those findings. Leaving behind financial worries and the daily grind by retiring early has rewarded us with bonus years to expand our social network and pursue long-postponed activities and new interests.
More Time with Grandchildren
Before moving to Ecuador we lived three time zones from our family. That travel distance combined with limited vacation days made visits shorter and less frequent than we desired.
Now, even though our residence is on a different continent, we have been fortunate to spend weeks at a time each year being with our grandchildren as they’ve grown from infants to pre-teens. This level of connection would have been difficult with only occasional long weekend trips.
Active Travel
We can share from a travel perspective that the Go, Slow and No-Go periods are accurately described. During the first decade of early retirement we flew back to the States multiple times each year as our four grandchildren were born. Between visits we explored Ecuador, cruised around the tip of South America, and spoke at conferences throughout Latin America.
Post-COVID, we recently concluded
a full-time travel adventure of 2.5 years to Mexico, Europe, Colombia, Argentina and locations within the United States. Now squarely in the Slow-Go years, we are acutely aware that the level of activity we sustained for over a decade is no longer possible despite being in excellent health.
Our bank balance would without a doubt be higher if we could have waited until age 67 or 70 to begin collecting Social Security. Yet looking back, how thankful we are to have retired early and been able to share so many priceless memories during those initial retirement years.
How Long You Live vs. How Much
As you contemplate when to begin receiving Social Security benefits, carefully envision your ideal retirement. What do you want to accomplish, see and do? If you intend to work until the maximum retirement age of 70, keep in mind that the Social Security Administration estimates that American men who reach that age are likely to live another 13.5 years, on average; American women, almost another 16 years.
Keeping this information in mind, be realistic about your physical capabilities when making plans.
Do you really want to spend the most active years you have left in the office and your entire, extended retirement in your Slow-Go and No-Go years?
How unfortunate it would be to devote your Go-Go years to the workplace, only to find yourself having to use the extra income to pay for health issues instead of enjoying those activities you’ve looked forward to.
It is tempting to fear you can never accumulate sufficient assets to retire comfortably. Instead, consider asking yourself, “How can I manifest the future I’ve dreamed of with what I have?”
Discovering ways to make more money in retirement is possible. But you can never create another minute of precious time.
Edd and Cynthia Staton write about retirement, expat living and health and wellness. They are authors of three best-selling books and creators of Retirement Reimagined!, an online program to help people considering the retirement option of moving abroad. Visit them at www.eddandcynthia.com. Story republished with permission from www. nextavenue.org.
second act
Former NYS Trooper Happy with New Career: Musician
By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli
At the height of Beatlemania in 1966, Karen and Michelle Kunzwiler found out they were going to become big sisters.
Their parents, former Oswego City
Chief of Police Floyd, and wife, Joan, told the girls they would let them name their yet-to-be-born baby brother.
It wasn’t hard for the 11-year-old and 8-year-old sisters to narrow it down to just four names.
“I was the unplanned baby to come along in 1966 when all the young
girls were in love with the Beatles,” explained Paul Kunzwiler, former New York State Trooper and current proprietor of “Clean Check” Hockey Pro Shop in Oswego. “They were able to name me, so they gave me the name Paul after Paul McCartney, the coolest and cutest Beatle they ever knew.”
Paul Kunzwiler, former New York state trooper and current proprietor of “Clean Check” Hockey Pro Shop in Oswego leads his band, PK and the ‘88s.
After a 20-year law enforcement career as a member of Troop D in New York state in which danger and stress were a part of Kunzwiler’s everyday life, including time spent helping in New York City following the 9/11 attacks, he retired from police work in 2008. Kunzwiler then opened “Clean Check” Hockey Pro Shop. The idea of music never entered his mind. But eventually a new, fun path his father always knew was in him began to strike a chord in his life.
“My father had a banjo that I used
“At one point, knowing that my dad had musical talent after playing the banjo and harmonica, my best friend said to me, ‘You should get a guitar. You would be good at it.’ I was 49 years old and I said, ‘What are you talking about?’
to fool around playing,” Kunzwiler said. “But I never took a lesson, never learned how to play it. I played some chords that he would show me, but I didn’t really ever think anything of it. I could play a two-chord, three-chord song but that was it.”
It wasn’t until his best friend, Bill Cahill, cajoled him into thinking about playing the guitar.
“At one point, knowing that my dad had musical talent after playing the banjo and harmonica, my best friend said to me, ‘You should get a guitar. You would be good at it.’ I was 49 years old and I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ He reminded me how I use to play my dad’s banjo. One year my wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I told her — ‘You’re not going to believe this, but I want a guitar.’”
While his pro shop business was keeping him busy it also afforded him time. In between providing youngsters and adults in Oswego with sharp skates, helmets, gloves, sticks, jerseys, pants and other equipment to play hockey, Kunzwiler scoured YouTube and began practicing his guitar.
“I had the perfect job for it,” Kunzwiler explained. “I came down to the shop and actually learned how to play through the internet. I listened to a lot of music on YouTube, music that I liked and thought I could maybe sing and play at the same time. I’m not
a great guitar player but I can pick my way through it. I’m more entertainer than musician.”
It took almost 50 years before Kunzwiler’s “in-name only” musical talent surfaced in public, but “The PK Experience” was born.
In the beginning, The PK Experience was affectionately dubbed “The PK Experiment” by his close friends.
“As I was learning, I took the opportunity of going to play after someone else had played,” Kunzwiler remembered. “I would follow my cousin, John Kunzwiler (aka Johnny Rooster), who has a band — The Eldorado Kings. One night, he was playing at The Raven and I had the chance to play. Some of my friends came and I was awful. But everyone loved it.”
These days, friends who were there that night have told him he’s gotten much better.
“When I first started people were calling me ‘The PK Experiment.’ I think people came to those first few gigs because they wanted to see a train wreck and what this was all about,” he said.
Currently, The PK Experience, as well as his band, “PK and The ‘88s,” comprised of hockey friends who graduated from Oswego High School in 1988 — Tom Roman, Pat Galvin and Pete Sweeney — play about 18 gigs together in the summer. The former trooper and Oswego businessman also plays another 40 times solo including regular gigs at Canale’s, Gibbys, Steamers and other Central New York venues.
With business at “Clean Check” slowing down during the spring and summer months, Kunzwiler has more time to channel his inner McCartney.
“I’m pretty busy with it. We play in Oswego, Fulton, Fair Haven and we’re starting to get into playing church bazaars. We’ve had ups and downs but we’re still going strong and having fun,” he said.
Tom and Jerry Caraccioli have co-authored two books – Striking Silver: The Untold Story of America’s Forgotten Hockey Team and BOYCOTT: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Also, they currently write a monthly column for USA HOCKEY Magazine – “In the Corners.”
generosity
Running the show at My Father’s Kitchen, from left, are Leigh-Ann Tumino, John Tumino, Mia RuizSalvador, and physician David Lehmann.
My Father’s Kitchen A
chef and a doctor join forces to help the homeless
By Tim Bennett
“The measure of a society is how it treats its weakest members,” is a quote attributed to a number of people including Thomas Jefferson and Mahatma Ghandi.
Local residents of Central New York, Chef John Tumino and physician David Lehmann enrich the community’s reputation by doing something very few people do — reach out to the homeless in Syracuse fulltime with their gifts and talents.
Yet, both of them came to this decision in different ways.
In 2011, Tumino had been working as a chef in his family-owned Italian restaurant, Asti, on the north side of Syracuse, with his parents and brothers for nine years. Although the restaurant was doing well, he sensed an inner prompting telling him to use his culinary skills as an outreach to the needy, full-time. As a Christian for many years, Tumino knew it was important to take those leads
seriously. Initially, he thought, he was headed with his family to Costa Rico, a country he had visited several times. When the Costa Rico plan got a red light, however, he felt confused and frustrated.
It wasn’t long, however, before things became crystal clear.
Tumino explained: “I got off an exit in downtown Syracuse one day and next to the off ramp was a man carrying a cardboard sign. Nobody was giving him eye contact. So I parked my car and walked over to him, introduced myself to him and said, ‘I have a lunch here if you’d like it.’ He said, ‘Yes, I’m starving.’ So I handed it to him and said, ‘You’re not invisible. I see you and God sees you and He wanted me to give this to you.’ He took the food and said, ‘I feel like nobody sees me,’ and he began to unpack his whole life to me in 20 minutes. After that encounter, I knew this is what I was supposed to do.”
Subsequently, Tumino formed a nonprofit organization with his wife, Leigh-Ann, called In My Father’s Kitchen.
“Our goal is to find these individuals who were broken and thought they were invisible, feed them, clothe them and help them get out of that situation,” Tumino said. “IMFK’s team mission statement is: ‘consistency over time showing them dignity and value.”
Tumino believes part of that dignity involves giving homeless people quality food, which he likes to prepare himself as a former chef, like lasagna and chicken wraps.
In 2018, Lehmann, a teacher at Upstate Medical University since 1994 and a general internist and doctor of pharmacy, had been working in the ER and seeing patients in the hospital — in addition to teaching medical students — when he, like Tumino, felt compelled to help the homeless.
Lehmann described it this way: “I was working at the hospital taking care of patients and I would see a revolving door of folks coming in suffering from abscesses, blood pressure issues and strokes — things that could have been prevented if intervention was placed earlier, but they didn’t have a doctor. All of these guys coming through, most of them had health insurance through Medicaid. They just didn’t have a doctor to prescribe them medicine. So I got frustrated and a saying from Saint Augustine came to me about hope having two beautiful daughters, the first one being anger at the way things are and the second being the courage to change things. I decided to go ahead and forget that part of my salary that comes from critical care and transform my patients to people on the street and in the shelters.”
In February of 2018, Lehmann cofounded HouseCalls for the Homeless with Mia Ruiz-Salvador, who is the
program coordinator.
Tumino explained how he met the doctor and what transpired.
“Six years ago doc and I were at the same meetings and he had a desire to come out to the streets. We had a mechanism in place to reach the group of people he wanted to reach and it was like a no-brainer to get him on the van. I said, ‘C’mon out’ and he came with his little black bag and never left,” he said.
Both Lehmann and Tumino hit the streets on Tuesdays and Thursdays in their new 2022 Mercedes van, which was given to them by the city of Syracuse in 2023 from leftover federal funds allotted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the names of both organizations emblazoned on the sides and rear panel. As a tenured faculty member of the SUNY system, Lehmann said he always makes sure there are medical students with him when they go out.
“I like to have the first- and secondyear medical students. I like to get them young and get them exposed to compassionate care and meeting people where they’re at,” he said.
Lehmann said that 95% of the homeless people they meet have addiction problems or mental health issues like anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. For the addicts, Lehmann gives them suboxone, which treats cravings and stops withdrawal symptoms. He also treats skin conditions because often addicts use dirty syringes, which invite infections. For those with mental health problems, he said, he can usually get them the meds they need if they have been diagnosed by a doctor.
When asked why homeless people don’t go to places like the Rescue Mission and Salvation Army shelters, Tumino said, “One of the things that we’ve learned over the last 12 years is, first of all, there are rules in these
Volunteer George Edwards (bald gentleman) and other volunteers at My Father’s Kitchen.
places and if you have addictive problems, or if you are dealing with anxiety or depression, you try to avoid those situations. Also, if you are someone who uses drugs actively you might know someone at the shelter who also uses drugs, with whom you may have a problem and you don’t want to be bullied or beaten up, so you feel unsafe to go there. If you are a woman, you feel especially vulnerable in that environment because it is male - dominated.”
Since 2011, In My Father’s Kitchen has blossomed and now implements new programs and employs 15 people. A new program called ‘Hire Ground’ gives nine homeless people, Monday through Thursday, an opportunity to work doing menial jobs around the city such as picking up litter, cleaning up at the fairgrounds or raking leaves,
instead of panhandling.
“As long as they do not make scenes, even in the middle of their addictions, they can participate,” Tumino said.
Three IMFK employees supervise this program. For their efforts the homeless workers receive breakfast and lunch as well as $50. Another new program is Life Home, which is a place where women who have been trafficked can come for healing and counseling over a 16-month period to help them transition back to society.
Another critical service IMFK provides in conjunction with HouseCalls for the Homeless is transportation to medical appointments and connecting them to other city agencies, which are part of the Housing and Homeless Coalition of Central New York. When a homeless
person does find lodging, IMFK is committed to stay in touch with them for six months providing emotional support, household items and filling their fridge when they first move in.
Since its inception, IMFK have helped 343 people get off the streets.
Lehmann said one of the most dramatic turnarounds he has witnessed on the streets was with a young man in his 30s who was using alcohol due to a bad anxiety disorder. The man also had recurrent staph infections with boils.
Unfortunately, Lehmann said, this person was stigmatized by the medical system because to them, as someone with staph infections and being homeless, he was a heroin addict.
“But that wasn’t him,” Lehmann said. “He comes into our van and asks me, ‘What do you do?’ I said, ‘I provide medical care.’ He said, ‘But I stink and I’m bad.’ We got him cleaned up, lanced his boils and I gave him antibiotics. After the treatment he broke down in my arms and said, ‘You see me.’ We got him on meds for his anxiety and now he’s housed and employed.”
In terms of where the homeless of Syracuse come from, Tumino said that 95% of them were born and raised in Onondaga County. Tumino said he feels a daily urgency to reach the homeless in the community.
“Since we started, 74 homeless people have died. Three were hit by vehicles, two were murdered living in homelessness and the majority overdosed. Three guys died in an abandoned house fire trying to stay warm,” he said. “The statistics show that the average amount of time people survive living on the streets is only 2.7 years.”
Tumino and Lehman currently visit 35 homeless people regularly. Last summer, Tumino said, there was a big uptick and the number of people living on the streets ballooned to 75 people.
In preparation for another busy summer and for annual weekly supplies and expenses, My Father’s Kitchen and HouseCalls for the Homeless will have a fundraiser April 11 at The Palace Theater at 5:30 p.m. Mayor Ben Walsh will be speaking.
For more information on the two organizations, go to www. https://inmyfatherskitchen.org/ and https://www.upstatefoundation.org/ HouseCalls
Volunteers at My Father’s Kitchen hit the streets on Tuesdays and Thursdays in their new 2022 Mercedes van, which was given to them by the city of Syracuse in 2023 from leftover federal funds allotted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oyour health
By Eva Briggs, M.D.
Swollen Legs Can Be a Sign of Troubles
ne of many possible effects of heat is ankle swelling. So I thought I’d revisit ankle swelling, an article that I wrote back in 2008.
Your feet swell. You go to the doctor and get some water pills. It’s as simple as that, right?
Wrong. There are many causes of peripheral edema — swelling due to fluid retention in the tissues of the feet, ankles, legs and sometimes all the way up to the abdomen.
Without some detective work to discover the underlying problem, it’s not possible to select the correct treatment.
The most common cause of edema is venous disease. Older leg veins often don’t work as well as they did when they were brand-new. Varicose veins, injuries and damage from previous blood clots can increase the oncotic pressure in the tiniest blood vessels of the legs, called capillaries. Fluid then leaks through the capillary walls into the surrounding tissues. Water pills don’t work very well to treat this kind of edema.
Better treatments include special compression stockings and leg elevation. Exercise helps because active leg muscles squeeze the capillaries and helps return blood to the heart rather than permitting it to pool and leak.
Mild edema caused by leg vein problems may be uncomfortable or cosmetically unattractive, but it usually doesn’t indicate any serious underlying condition. But if edema starts suddenly and affects only one leg, it’s important to rule out a blood clot (deep venous thrombosis). Blood clots aren’t always painful, but they’re potentially life threatening because a piece may break loose and travel to the lungs.
When swelling caused by venous disease is severe, it can damage the
leg tissues sufficiently that the skin breaks down and becomes ulcerated or infected.
So if your doctor recommends that you keep your legs elevated to combat swelling, do it!
A host of medical conditions can lead to peripheral edema. These include cardiovascular problems (high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, abnormal heart rhythms), liver, disease (such as cirrhosis from any source) and kidney disease. Your doctor will also ask about symptoms of pulmonary edema or fluid in the lungs. These symptoms can include shortness of breath with activity or at rest, or difficulty breathing that occurs when lying flat. There may be associated chest pain.
After your doctor reviews your history, he or she will probably order some tests to help pin down the cause of the edema. A chest X-ray looks for heart enlargement and fluid in the lungs. An EKG provides information about heart rhythm and heart muscle size and function. Blood tests look for low protein levels, kidney and liver function, electrolyte balance and anemia.
The treatment depends on which
underlying cause turns up. Water pills, or diuretics, do have a place in the treatment of pedal edema caused by heart failure or liver disease. Many people assume that everyone who takes a water pill must also eat extra bananas for potassium. In reality there are three classes of diuretics: thiazide, loop and potassium sparing. While the first two classes may indeed lower potassium, the effect varies among individuals and is influenced by other medical conditions and medications. The amount of potassium contained in a banana is approximately 10 milliequivalents (10 mEq). But many patients on loop and thiazide diuretics require 20 or 40 mEq of potassium per day. If you require the higher dose, would you really want to eat four bananas every single day?
Potassium sparing diuretics often raise potassium levels; extra potassium is potentially dangerous for patients taking these drugs.
So if your feet swell, don’t expect your doctor to simply hand out water pills. They will want to look for the reason for your symptoms and choose the most effective treatment based on the underlying cause.
life after 55
By Michele Bazan Reed Email: bazanreed@hotmail.com
Oh, That New Crayon Smell
It’s one of my favorite times of the year. Maybe it’s yours, too. I know I’m joined by summerweary parents and retailers anticipating throngs of shoppers buying seasonal necessities.
I’m talking, of course, about backto-school season.
Now, why would a septuagenarian with no school-age kids or grandchildren look forward to backto-school time? In a word: crayons.
Well, actually all the new and familiar products on deep discounts at local office supply stores make me smile.
I revel in the smell of a freshly opened box of crayons, the sight of row upon row of colorful notebook covers and the feel of new, shiny folders to stow those permission slips and teacher reports.
Yellow No. 2 pencils, pink erasers and markers in every variety imaginable: bright or pastel colors, glitter markers and scented markers. I’m sure the nuns back at St. Stanislaus in the 1950s would have been baffled if we all spent art class smelling our tangerine orange, lime-scented green and licorice- fragranced markers.
In my profession as a writer, I have plenty of excuses for splurging at the stationery store on my own behalf.
I wrote in this space not too long ago about my passion for fine fountain pens and the colorful inks available for them, and it’s true that I can’t resist those special writing instruments. And I often plunk down the cash needed to buy elegant journals with leather covers and silky ribbons to mark your place.
But the truth of the matter is, that’s not where the real work of being a writer comes in. Those fancy inks can’t be erased. The journals are a work of art that, for me, tend to be a bit intimidating. They’re so permanent — you can’t rip out their sewn-in pages
and crossing out whole paragraphs just seems wrong when the page will last as long as the journal is intact.
No, give me a spiral-bound school notebook, 70 pages, wide ruled with a nice wide left margin. Don’t like how a story is going? Rip it out, and all that remains are the usual spiral-notebook confetti.
The notebooks are perfect for brainstorming, writing down random thoughts and images in the hopes of sparking a new story or column. Cross them out, draw arrows to connect thoughts, doodle little picturesthe sky’s the limit. Better yet, the unused lists can hang around in their cheap cardboard covers, waiting for inspiration to strike.
They’re inexpensive enough this time of year that I can have a separate book for each major writing project, or categories like this column, mystery stories or haiku poetry. And not so precious I won’t scrawl the project title across the front using a permanent marker.
And the medium of composition?
No. 2 wooden pencils, the old-fashioned kind, with an extra big, pink eraser perched on top. They can be sharpened to perfection with those little handheld plastic pencil sharpeners that catch the curly, wood shavings and are on sale during August and September. I buy several so I can replace them when the sharpener blades grow dull along about January.
Cheap pocket folders hold my research notes, finished stories and publishing contracts.
And then there’s the sticky notes. I use them for everything from flagging information to look up, holes that need to be filled and marking places in writing books. I love to find the latest colors and use them to color coordinate notes and mark different categories of events: writing deadlines, doctor appointments and friends’ and family birthdays (as you may recall from a recent column, I love sending cards.)
As I said above, I may not have grandkids, but there’s always a school supply drive or two to further justify my obsession with shopping for school
supplies. Case in point, the United Way Stuff-A-Bus campaign.
Stuff-A-Bus was begun by the Oswego County United Way’s Success by 6 program in 2003 to help families to provide their children with the supplies necessary for learning. Their website tells us the program was created to fulfill two goals: to provide necessary supplies and to give community members a day to volunteer and give back.
As an employee at SUNY Oswego, I was involved during Success by 6’s early years, and Stuff-A-Bus is dear to my heart. I’ve tried to donate to StuffA-Bus in every year since.
They work with all nine school districts in the county and serve students at the elementary, middle school and high school levels.
According to United Way Executive Director Patrick Dewine, the program distributed 38,829 supplies to 1,652 students in 2023, equipping them for the chance of success in the academic year.
Any leftover supplies are boxed up and sent to each school building, where teachers can distribute them to students who may have just moved into the district or changed schools or otherwise missed the original distribution. So the numbers of kids helped are actually higher than that statistic.
The program has lists of necessary supplies, donation drop-off points and distribution locations on the United Way of Oswego County website: oswegounitedway.org.
Newly added to the wishlist are water bottles, snacks and headsets.
Buses will be set up for stuffing at various locations Wednesday, August 21. Several local grocery stores and pharmacies have bins to drop off donations for students whose families are struggling to get the tools kids for academic success.
Other local areas have their own versions of the school supplies drive, or if not, you can check with your own district office to see if you can drop off donations there.
So whether you are shopping for your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, yourself or worthwhile programs like the United Way’s StuffA-Bus, I hope you enjoy back-to-school shopping season and savor that new crayon smell.
Volunteers sort the donations from the 2023 Stuff-A-Bus campaign, and ready them for distribution to school districts.
Volunteers help to stuff buses with school supplies at various sites Aug. 21. Bins at local stores also accept donations from the public.
By Marvin Druger Email: mdruger@syr.edu
TA Course in Adventures in Life
he mission of a teacher of any subject at any level should be to “provide meaningful, motivational experiences that enrich the lives of the students and help them identify and nurture their unique traits and discover where they fit in life.”
Information can be useful, but we forget information. We remember experiences. Even trivial experiences can have a long-term impact.
I recall my second-grade teacher who often grabbed me by the chin and said, “Marvin, be a good boy!” I told my wife, “That’s why my chin looks like this.” She replied, “How do you explain your nose?”
In my long teaching career of more than 60 years, I taught more than 50,000 students, mostly in the introductory biology course at Syracuse University. I had the opportunity and the
privilege to design this introductory college course to fit my philosophy of teaching. Although the two-semester course was listed in the catalogs as “Biology 121-123,” it really should have been listed as “Adventures in Life.” I tried to provide unique, motivational experiences that would influence students for the rest of their lives.
My course involved interactive, radio-style audio tapes (later CDs), one live lecture per week and a small recitation class taught by graduate teaching assistants. Because of the large class size, usually about 900 students, I had to repeat the same lecture (with different jokes) to smaller groups a few times per week. Students would spend as much time as needed (usually four to six hours) per week listening to the interactive audio tapes and doing associated lab work. Labs were
open seven days a week, including evenings. Students could spend as much time as they needed with the audio tapes. A graduate teaching assistant was always available to help students.
There were many special features built into the course that were consistent with course objectives. Some of the special features of the course included:
1. Helpful Hints: Helpful hints was a document that described every aspect of the course, including objectives, course policies and grading procedures. Attendance at course components was required. Students were expected to attend all regular class activities and participate fully or they would receive an F for the course, regardless of their grades on the exams. Students were taking the course for the experiences, not just
the information, and if they didn’t attend, they missed the experiences and essentially failed the course.
One delinquent senior didn’t attend class, but minimally passed the exams. In accordance with my policy, I gave him an “F” in the course. He complained to me, “You can’t do this to me. I’m a senior.” I replied, “This policy is stated on page two of the Helpful Hints.” He responded, “I never turned the page.” We compromised and he ended up with a “D” in the course (poor but passing).
Another student complained, “But if I’m experiencing your class, then I’m missing another experience.” True, but if that other experience was doing the laundry, that could wait. Students had to set priorities.
2. Bionews and Bioviews: A weekly, one-page, course newsletter that included relevant gossip and biological information. The column on the upper right of the page announced, “What’s Going On?” This column stated what was happening in the course during the forthcoming week.
3. Bio-Creativity Project: This project was an attempt to foster creativity among students. They were asked to create something original about “life.” The prize for good work was a photo of me riding a mule on campus. Few students did a project. Then I decided to offer 10 points added to the final grade if a project showed originality and effort. Many students then completed projects, including poems, short stories, photographs, posters, models and a variety of creative items. My favorite student project was a water color drawing of a pig in heaven with the announcement from its mouth, “Dissect frogs!”
4. Special Topics Sections in Bio 123: Students who earned a B or better in Bio 121 were eligible to enroll in a special topics section for two extra credits along with Bio 123. This supplementary course focused on specific areas in biology, such as molecular genetics, cell biology, ecology and even exobiology.
Students who received a poor but passing grade in Bio 121 could enroll in an “Enrichment Section” in Bio 123. These sections were taught by experienced teaching assistants and met additional times each week to offer extra help.
5. Special Presentations: There were many different lecture series
In my long teaching career of more than 60 years, I taught more than 50,000 students, mostly in the introductory biology course at Syracuse University.
presented as optional enrichments to the main course. The “Frontiers of Science” lectures were presented by different researchers in the Syracuse area. Cookies and refreshments were funded by donations from different science departments on campus.
Another lecture series was the “Pathways to Knowledge” series. This series involved presentations by Ph.D. students. This series provided the Ph.D. students with the opportunity to present their research to a nonthreatening audience and practice their forthcoming dissertation defense. This series also allowed my biology course students to gain some insights about graduate study for a Ph.D.
Usually, not many students would attend such optional events. Hundreds of my students and others attended these lectures. The motivation was freshly baked cookies and “benefitof-the-doubt credit.” I kept track of attendance and if students attended these lectures, they would receive “benefit-of-the-doubt credit.” This was used to make final grade decisions and boost final grades in the course.
I even offered midnight lectures to enrich the course content. As I grew older, the midnight lecture was shifted to 8 p.m., since I couldn’t stay awake that late.
I also gave review sessions before the three major exams in the course. I reviewed past exams and made them available in the library to give students some idea about the nature of my major exams.
6. Special Research Projects: During Bio 123, students were required
to be part of a full-semester team research project of their own design. The students worked in teams of four to six students and reports were evaluated at the end of the semester. Thus, every Bio 123 student had team involvement and a real research experience.
7. Fetal Pig Dissection: Doing dissections in class was controversial, but I wanted my students to get firsthand experience in mammalian anatomy and physiology. Students purchased a preserved fetal pig in a shoebox and a dissecting kit from the Syracuse University Bookstore and carried out a dissection. Conscientious objectors were allowed an alternative assignment, using a pictorial dissection guidebook.
8. Exams and Grading: I gave three major, multiple-choice exams during the semester. The exams were given on Monday evenings and students could take as much time as necessary to complete an exam. The panic-provoking, old phrase, “Time is up. Pencils down!” did not apply. Because of the large class size, my major exams were multiple choice. However, I didn’t want students to think biology was multiple choice. So, teaching assistants were required to give essay exams and focus on discussions in recitation sessions.
The night before major exams, students were encouraged to call me at home on the “bio-phone” from 8 to 11 p.m. to answer last-minute questions or to get psychological reassurance.
The grading in the course was based upon a point system. 90% of the points earned an A; 80% resulted in a B, etc. Below 50% of the points resulted in an F, to indicate that the student didn’t obtain the minimal knowledge required and should take the course again.
I met with each teaching assistant at the end of the semester for a grading interview. Teaching assistants had to compile a tentative grade for a student and we discussed each student individually and assigned a final grade. The process was time-consuming, but very fair and each student received special, personal attention. We rarely had any complaints about final grades. If everyone in the course earned 90% of the points, that resulted in an A, regardless of how many A’s there were. It wasn’t the student’s fault if the course was too easy. It never
happened and we usually had a broad distribution of grades.
Students who earned an A in the course were sent a letter of congratulations and a wallet-sized certificate of accomplishment.
9. Bio-Lunches: The coach of my old man’s intramural basketball team (the Geriatrics) was the director of the residence halls and food services. He gave me free lunch tickets and I had bio-lunches with five or six of my students about twice each week. Students would drop names and phone numbers into a suggestion box and I would call the students to make arrangements. Thus, I was able to personalize the course and get student reactions.
10. Answer Keys: Students were assigned to different rooms on campus for major exams. I wanted students to check their answers immediately after an exam when they could learn from the experience. So, students were handed an answer key as they left the exam room. Then I discovered that there was some cheating. Students would pick up several answer keys as they left the room and then they would return with such comments as, “Oh, I left something in the room,” and drop an answer key on another student’s desk. So, I then required that students would have to appear outside the biology office on the second floor of Sims Hall and I would personally hand out answer keys.
I prepared multiple copies of answer keys and was about to walk down the steps to hand them out. However, the staircase was packed with students and I couldn’t get down the steps. So, I went to the window and threw one answer key out of the window. Someone yelled, “Hey, he’s throwing them out the window!” Students emptied the staircase and I walked downstairs to give out answer keys and answer questions.
Throwing answer keys out of the window after exams then became a regular event. The process occurred for several years. One student made a video called “The Druger Drop.” It has been on You Tube for many years and is still available for viewing.
Then, tragedy struck. I threw the answer keys out of the window and an ambulance suddenly appeared on the scene. I received phone calls saying that someone had been injured. It turned out that there was some
I am very gratified to have been able to make a difference in peoples’ lives. That’s what teachers do for a living.
recent landscaping and a student stumbled and fell off a large boulder and sprained her ankle. Since I didn’t want anyone to get hurt by the Druger Drop, I stopped doing this event.
What now?
I then turned to closed circuit television to give out the answers immediately after an exam. At that time, students conducted a TV station called University Union TV (UUTV). I started doing “the Bio-Answer Show.” Each show started with a Saturdaynight-type skit that I created, followed by going over the answers to the exam and culminating in the award of Dollar Store prizes to students. All student names were put in a fishbowl and I had a student help me select names at random to receive prizes. Several prizes were donated by local businesses on Marshall Street, such as a hot fudge sundae from BaskinRobbins or a piece of jewelry from Sam Hammer’s jewelry store or a free haircut by the owner of the Orange Tonsorial, names that old-timers will remember.
Thus, students could sit in the lounge of their resident hall and review exam answers on TV and have some fun. The show was very popular among the UUTV staff and they all wanted to be part of the Bio-Answer Show crew.
This show was presented for several years, but then I was told that some TV cable was accidentally cut during construction and the show couldn’t be transmitted to
the residence halls. So, I returned to throwing answer keys out of the window for the next few years, until my retirement in 2009.
There were many other special features of Bio 121-123. I can’t discuss them all or I’d be taking up too much space in 55 Plus magazine.
11. Perceptions by Colleagues: When asked about Druger’s general biology course, faculty colleagues might say, “Oh, he’s an entertainer and a clown. He just does crazy things in his class.” Not true. Every component of my course had an educational purpose. Content was never sacrificed for fun. We focused on meaningful experiences that could have long-term impact on students’ lives.
I have received many emails from former students that indicate that Bio 121-123 had an important influence on their lives and careers. I recently received a confirming email from a former student who became an awardwinning teacher.
He wrote, “What I learned from you influenced what I did over the 20 years I spent in the classroom, as well as the years that have followed… Thank you Dr. Druger for the path you shared with me. It helped shape my own life, as well as the lives of the several thousand students I touched.”
What a nice commentary!
I am very gratified to have been able to make a difference in peoples’ lives. That’s what teachers do for a living.
By Mary Beth Roach
Stan Gosek, 74
For the love of music
As he prepares for another summer of sunset concerts in Oswego County and Harborfest, for which he serves on the entertainment committee, Stan Gosek, 74, chats with us about his long career in the music industry; and how the one-time chair of the SUNY Oswego Music Department is carrying on the legend of his musical mentors Weldon Grose and Hugh Burritt with the concert series that Grose began in the 1930s.
The series continues at Breitbeck on July 31 and Aug. 1 at Fair Haven, and then on Aug. 21 at Breitbeck and Aug. 22 at Fair Haven. The shows are at 7 p.m. and are free.
Q: You’ve said that you knew from the youngest age that you were going to be a musician. How did you know?
A: Neither of my parents were quote, unquote musicians. They were both fine church singers and that’s where I got connected to the church and that led to my organ career. My parents loved music. They just wanted
all of us [Stan and his siblings] to be involved, to have that emotional experience of doing music. They bought me my first drum set when I was 4. When I took accordion, I was 5 years old. Virtually all the rest of the students were adults. From age 13, I’ve been a keyboard player. I’ve trained on pipe organ, piano, electronic keyboard and on accordion.
Q: You are well-versed in a number of instruments. What is your instrument of choice?
A: I’m a pianist. I’ve played 100s of classical events — recitals, concerts — and I’ve played 100s of jazz events. The two groups at the college that I directed — Solid State and the State Singers — over the course of my career, they did 700 performances with me. We used to do 20 to 25 performances a year for 25 years.
Q: Why did you opt to stay in education?
A: That’s what I’ve been most proud of — the thousands of students I taught and affected. I’ve always
loved teaching, especially with music. Teaching in any academic course you have testing; you have ways of measuring students’ success. That’s all good, but it’s not the same as a performance. That connectivity. There’s no second chances. When I say ‘Play,’ it’s time to play. Are you going to do your best? Will you be perfect? No. You’re going to make mistakes. I can deal with that, IF you prepared yourself and you’re going to do your best. The overall event is predicated on your energy. What is the one thing that people say when we perform? ‘You guys are having so much fun.’ We are too — the joy that the band feels within itself. It’s about the energy. Do you bring the joy to it that the audience can palpably feel and see? These things are all connected.
Q: You’ve been composer, a performer, an educator. Is there something still in the music industry you want to do?
A: I’m going to say no because I’m still doing all these things. In the first concert (in this summer concert series), we’re doing a new piece I just wrote. I’m always writing. Since I’ve retired, how many new big band charts have I written? 17-18. I’ve written 300 in my career. From ‘72 to the present, there’s never a year that I don’t write. I also have my own big band, the Freefall orchestra that does all of my original material. It predominantly does festivals.
Q: This is your 35th season leading the Summer Stage Band. Why is it important to you to continue the legacy?
A: As I introduce the tunes, I don’t just say, “We’re going to play ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’ by Benny Goodman. Let’s go.’ I give a little intro to every tune. I’m educating in a way. We have 300400 people for every show. You can’t believe how many people will come up to me afterward. Older folks say. ‘I remember that.’ But then younger people — 30, 40 years old — will say, ‘That was fascinating. I didn’t know any of that. That’s so cool.’ I’ve always felt an allegiance and an importance towards jazz as a jazz musician and I want to make sure that the legacy continues.
WHEN
SHOULD YOU GO TO THE EMERGENCY R OOM ?
Here are the conditions professionals say should always be directed to the ER.
Upstate has a dedicated senior emergency room at its Community Hospital and the area's first Comprehensive Stroke Center at its Upstate University Hospital.
This list is a guide only and is not individual medical advice. For any life-threatening concerns, call 911. If you are not certain you are experiencing a medical emergency, you can be assessed at any emergency room.
VISIT THE EMERGENCY ROOM
• Abuse (domestic, child, elderly)
• Allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock)
• Breathing problems:
severe respiratory distress
• Bleeding you can’t stop
• Burns: severe or smoke inhalation
• Choking
• Drowning or near drowning
• Electric shocks
• Eye Injuries
• Head trauma with loss of consciousness
• Heart attack, chest pain, or chest pressure
• Losing consciousness
• Suicidal thoughts or severe psychiatric complaints
• Seizure
• Severe cuts (lacerations)
• Severe pain
• Sexual assault
• Stroke symptoms
• Trauma with significant injury
VISIT URGENT OR PRIMARY CARE
• Burns: minor
• Ear infections
• Colds
• Coughs
• Diarrhea
• Flu, Cold or mild COVID symptoms
• Insect bites
• Minor cuts or lacerations that require stitches or glue
• Rashes
• Skin infection
• Sore throats
• Sprains and strains
• STD (sexually transmitted disease) treatment
• Vomiting
OVER 50? DISCOVER OASIS
Stay healthy, active and engaged — join Oasis, a community learning center for adults 50+. Enjoy in-person classes in the arts, history, languages, science, health and fitness, technology, travel and more!
Explore something new in a friendly environment. Oasis also offers online classes for those with health or transportation issues. Start anytime.
