Central New York Magazine - November/December 2020

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SET THE TONE FOR THE SEASON O U R A N N U A L H O L I D AY G I F T G U I D E

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LO CAL S OVERCOMING CHALLENGE S , INSPIRING OTHERS

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Thank You E STR US

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To our physicians, providers and employees

USE SA

Thank you for your resilience, dedication and teamwork as we have worked together to keep patients, visitors, staff and our community safe and healthy during this challenging time. You are true superheroes.

To our community We extend sincere appreciation to the individuals, businesses and organizations across Central New York that have generously donated financial contributions, personal protective equipment/ supplies, food, electronic devices and other items in support of Crouse Health and our fight against COVID-19.

crouse.org/covidthanks

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PRESIDENT Tim Kennedy ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

OF THE GOOD LIFE Annette Peters 315-282-8527 apeters@advancemediany.com SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Lindsay Marlenga lmarlenga@advancemediany.com

EDITOR MJ Kravec 315-766-7833 mkravec@advancemediany.com ASSISTANT CONTENT EDITOR Amy Bleier Long 315-282-8553 ableierlong@advancemediany.com

MAGAZINE/EVENTS SALES MANAGER Jennifer K. Queri 315-282-8622 jqueri@advancemediany.com DESIGNERS Sean McKeown-Young Susan Santola

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Thomas H. Brown 315-470-2053 tbrown@acssyr.com CUSTOMER SERVICE 315-470-6397

The Good Life, Central New York Magazine (ISSN 1931-194X) is published six times a year by Advance Media New York, 220 S. Warren St., Syracuse, New York 13202. The Post-Standard © 2020/All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic/digital, mechanical photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission.

All material submitted to Central New York Magazine becomes the property of Advance Media New York, publishers of The Post-Standard and Central New York Magazine. It will not be returned. Such a submission, to name a few examples, may be a letter to the editor, a cartoon, a picture, a poem and the like. Any such material may be excerpted, edited for length or content, and may be published or used in any other way. For example, on Syracuse.com or in The Post-Standard.

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Editor’s Letter

After all AT Y E A R ’ S E N D , I T ’ S A G O O D T I M E T O R E F L E C T A N D L O O K F O R T H E G O O D

to our readers: Next year we’ll celebrate 15 years of The Good Life in Central New York. To deliver the best local reading experience we can, we need your input. We’d love to hear from you about what you like best about the magazine.

What do you like least?

Be honest. You won’t hurt our feelings — well, maybe a little.

Take our survey at:

create beautiful DIY centerpieces and make your

of a year. A pandemic, tragedies in our cit-

gifts more memorable with creative wrappings.

ies, heartbreaks, reflections, elections, re-

In other features, we spotlight how Speach Fam-

mote work and school have all taken their

ily Candy Shoppe celebrated 100 years in busi-

toll on our efforts to see the good.

ness by partnering with local charities, check in

But it’s there.

with the new downtown shop Gypsy Freedom,

So ponder this quote from Elizabeth Kubler-

visit recently opened Three Lives arcade bar, get

Ross: “The most beautiful people I’ve known are

a seasonal and cozy-ing recipe from Mamma

those who have known trials, have known strug-

Hai at Salt City Market, look at how local galler-

gles, have known loss, and have found their way

ies have dealt with the pandemic and talk with

out of the depths.” It’s a fitting description for

Debbie Dennis, coordinator for one of CNY’s most

those of us who’ve experienced difficult times,

popular holiday traditions, Lights on the Lake.

including the four people in this issue who over-

All good things that showcase the warmth,

came difficulties and turned them into some-

spirit and strength of CNY — struggles and all.

thing good. We think it is an appropriate way to

Here’s to a bright, new season.

end a challenging year. We hope it inspires you

Correction

Cheers,

to carry on in a more hopeful manner.

Also in this issue, start shopping locally for the

6

ones you love with Central New York’s biggest

MJ

and most beautiful (we think) annual buy-local

mkravec@advancemediany.com

gift guide; get ideas from area artisans on how to

315-766-7833

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

And drop us a line anytime at cnymag@ advancemediany.com.

In our last issue, we misstated the number of rose bushes at E.M. Mills Rose Garden.

It is 3,000, not 300.

We regret the error.

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK

I

t’s been one heck (or should we say hell)

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Contents Features

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Holiday Presence

A holistic approach to gifting, with finds from local shops.

48

Playing Center

Set the holiday table with these creative ideas for an eye-catching display.

60

Wrap Song

Make a gift even more memorable with stylish presentation.

65

On a Mission

Meet four Central New Yorkers who turned personal heartbreak into hope and healing for others.

35 8

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

Departments

60

6 Editor’s Letter 11 It’s All Good

What to savor in CNY now...

A Good Feeling, Downtown Doings, Caught Doing Good.

24 The Seen

A pictorial review of Central New York’s socially distanced gatherings.

76 Our Town Live like a local in Onondaga.

78 CNY Scout

New downtown Syracuse bar is a game changer.

81 Farm to Table

Salt City Market’s Mamma Hai shares a recipe for a comforting stew.

84 Art Profile

How local galleries adapted to the pandemic.

88 Galleries

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What’s on display in the art world.

90 Flashback

Presidential visits to Onondaga County.

91 Last Word

With Lights on the Lake Coordinator Debbie Dennis.

48 65

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

9

We’ve Got What It Takes to Keep You Safe.

At St. Joseph’s Health, we’ve watched these past few months bring out the best in our community. And we continue to work every day to keep you healthy as we emerge from this crisis.

Here are some of the measures we’ve got in place to bring you a higher level of safety and care.

Screening

Enhanced Cleaning

We’ve got temperature and symptom screening for everyone who enters our facilities.

We’ve got increased frequency and intensity of cleaning — using robust disinfecting processes.

Required Masking

COVID-Free Zones

We’ve got masks, and we require that staff and visitors wear them at all times.

We’ve got COVID-Free Zones in many of our facilities where we provide care only for people known to not have COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms.

Separate Staff We’ve got separate staff to treat patients in each zone — so you won’t be treated by doctors and nurses who are treating patients with COVID-19.

A H I G H E R L E V E L O F C A R E | WeveGotThisSJH.org © 2020 St. Joseph’s Health. © 2020 Trinity Health. All rights reserved.

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It’s All Good

Season of lights

Fill a basket or bowl with pinecones gathered from a walk outside. Add a string of battery-operated fairy lights and set anywhere for a naturally festive look that carries all through winter.

Raise your spirits (and a glass) with holiday goings on and picks of the season.

BY M J K R AV EC

It’s All Good

RING A ROUND Create rosemary wreaths to attach to presents, use as napkin holders or hang in windows. Snip branches of rosemary and secure with a twine bow for a simple and fragrant holiday detail.

POM WONDER Make use of the abundance of pomegranates in grocery stores with this holiday tradition from Brazil. To ensure prosperity and wealth in the new year, Brazilians eat seven pomegranate seeds on New Year’s Eve. Can’t hurt.

JUST BEAK-AUSE Show the birds some love this winter with homemade birdseed ornaments. Use holiday cookie cutters to cut out shapes from sandwich bread. Allow to dry out for a day. Using a straw or wooden skewer, poke a hole in the bread for hanging. Spread shapes with peanut butter on both sides and dredge in bird seed. Insert twine into holes and hang from trees.

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

BERRY GOOD Make a madras cocktail with flavors of the season. Combine 1 ½ oz. of vodka, 3 oz. cranberry juice and 1 oz. of orange juice. Stir to combine. Pour over ice into a highball glass and garnish with an orange or lime slice.

ALL THE LIGHT The tree lighting might be canceled, but there’s plenty of light this season at Lights on the Lake at Onondaga Lake Park in Liverpool. Open nightly from 5 to 10 p.m., Nov. 18 to Jan. 10, 2021, this local tradition is a two-mile drive through lights and music and just enough escape from a challenging year. Go to lightsonthelake.com.

PHOTOS BY SHUTTERSTOCK, SCOTT SCHILD

AND WINTER CAME Celebrate the first snowfall with a snow bath. Gather clean snow in a bowl, fill the tub and add an essential oil like rosemary, mint or eucalyptus. Step into the water and add the snow to your bath. Envision yourself embracing this quiet season of contemplation.

H O L I D AY I N Symphoria’s Holiday Pops concert features guest vocalist Ronnie Leigh and other local favorites. Performances are offered via livestream or in person at Crouse Hinds Concert Theater. 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., Dec. 18 and 19. Sean O’Loughlin conducts. For tickets go to experiencesymphoria.org.

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

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It’s All Good A G O OD F E E L I NG

Sending good vibes SOUND THERAPY EASES PAIN, CREATES CALM AND SOOTHES THE SOUL

BY M J K R AV EC

For thousands of years, different cultures have used the sounds from certain instruments to heal the body, ease pain and promote feelings of well-being. Lucky for us, versions of that therapy are still in use today and often accessible in the form of classes or even a Google search.

“From the bells, gongs and bowls of Tibetan and Nepalese cultures, to the didgeridoo of the Aborigines, to the drums and rattles of the Native Americans, sound has been used, and continues to be used, to bring people from distressed states to a relaxed, aware presence,” says Mary Riposo, PhD, co-owner and wellness director of the Infinite Light Center for Yoga & Wellness in Jamesville.

Riposo has 25 years of experience in complementary and alternative therapy and is a Sound Healing practitioner.

listened to Tibetan singing bowls, crystal

At Infinite Light, sound therapy sessions

bowls and other sound therapy instruments

use sound vibrations to promote healing us-

for one hour experienced lower levels of ten-

ing different tones and pitches chosen specif-

sion, anxiety, fatigue, anger and depression.

ically for the individual being treated. Prac-

Practitioners believe sound therapy’s ef-

titioners use Tibetan bowls, crystal bowls,

fectiveness is linked to the body’s makeup

chimes and other instruments to promote

and how that treatment is delivered to it.

deep relaxation and healing through vibra-

“Sound therapy is very effective, partly be-

tions that are not only heard but felt. Riposo

cause we don’t just perceive sound through

says that for some, the experience feels like

our ears, but rather through our entire bod-

“a sonic massage,” which results in pain re-

ies. Our bodies are up to 70 percent water,

duction and deep relaxation.

so our ears, skin, bones and all the water in

“Research has found sound therapy to effec-

us conduct sound waves, and sound thera-

tively reduce stress, which is a major contrib-

py provides that in an enjoyable, non-inva-

utor to all illness and disease,” Riposo says.

sive way,” says Riposo.

How to: Search Tibetan singing bowls on Google to sample sounds. Or try a session offered locally. Riposo says sound therapy sessions can be done in-person or remotely. For more information, visit infinitelightcenter.com.

In a study from the Journal of Evidence

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK

Based Integrative Medicine, subjects who

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“Research has found sound therapy to effectively reduce stress, which is a major contributor to all illness and disease.”

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

MARY RIPOSO, PHD, CO-OWNER AND WELLNESS DIRECTOR OF INFINITE LIGHT CENTER FOR YOGA & WELLNESS

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

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It’s All Good D OW N T OW N D OI NG S

Free style NEW DOWNTOWN BOUTIQUE GYPSY FREEDOM CELEBRATES FAIR-TRADE FASHION AS ART

BY NICOLE MOSS UNDERWOOD PHOTOS BY ALEXIS EMM

For self-proclaimed boss babe and owner of the new social-

Buffalo behind city hall with a single mom who had five chil-

ly conscious downtown boutique, Gypsy Freedom, it took a

dren. It was a modest upbringing, and my focus wasn’t on do-

hard-driving career in corporate America to show her what

ing what I loved. It was on making a good living.”

truths she embodied, what values she wanted to represent and Now, after working for 15 years as a mechanical engineer, Cae-

spent years working for Eaton, and then later for National Grid,

resa Richardson is not only living her dream of being a part of

leading projects, managing product lines, improving produc-

the fashion industry, she is also living her values — and help-

tion facilities, even selling electrical equipment to contractors.

ing others do other same — by providing wearable art from sus-

Richardson was good at what she did and she was continuously

tainable brands.

promoted, but something was missing — and then she got sick.

It all started when Richardson was studying to be an engineer at Syracuse University. She also minored in fashion, which was something she had always been interested in, but she didn’t think she could have a lucrative career in it.

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After she graduated from college in 2007, Richardson was hired into Eaton’s leadership development program for engineers. She

how to get there.

Last year, she took a leave of absence to recover from a stress-related illness and, in that time, she got clarity.

“For years, I knew I didn’t belong in corporate America, but I forced myself to be in that setting because the income was great.

“Like every little girl from the inner city, my mind was set on

Financially, it got to a point where it sounded ridiculous to leave

getting a good job,” Richardson says. “I grew up in downtown

engineering to do something in fashion,” Richardson says, “but

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

when I got sick, it gave me time to think, and I knew I couldn’t go back.”

She left National Grid in December and immediately dove into bringing Gypsy Freedom to fruition. The idea had become a consuming passion, “like a nagging voice in your ear,” Richardson says.

Last December, Richardson did her first Gypsy Freedom pop-up boutique at Original Grain and opened online. She continued doing pop-ups in restaurants and boutiques into March. When the pandemic hit, she started experimenting with what she calls “virtual sipand-shops” where she would go live on Instagram and Facebook with models wearing her products. It grew into a huge production.

“I had clients requesting store pick-up,” Richardson says. “I literally had people coming to my home, asking to come in and look at my products, and I didn’t have a choice. My customers demanded that they had some place

Gypsy Freedom carries sustainable clothing, accessories and shoes, as well as personal care items.

The Airy, feminine brick-and-mortar shop opened in the Pike Block in August.

to go for that Gypsy Freedom feel.”

In August, just eight months after she had tried her first pop-up, Richardson opened her brick-and-mortar boutique on Salina Street.

The store has a steady stream of customers visiting the showroom not only to shop, but to attend private events, fashion shows and experience personalized one-on-one consultations with Gypsy Freedom’s stylist. It’s all part of an elevated boutique experience that celebrates fashion as art.

“It’s not just a retail space,” Richardson says.

“I’m developing a community by educating people through our events.”

So, what’s behind the name Gypsy Freedom?

“Gypsy Freedom is this persona I’ve been developing, and hiding, over the years,” Richardson says. “We all have her. She’s a woman who lives free-spirited without hindrance.”

While Gypsy Freedom does offer some of the more Bohemian-style, free-flowing products that you might associate with a “gypsy,” it’s the spirit of the gypsy, that sense of not fitting into a box, that drives her clothing selection.

“Who says that someone who feels like a gypsy can’t feel that way in a suit?” she says.

“You can come in here and find garments that are modern, but still embody your values.”

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Many of Richardson’s vendors are certified by the World Fair Trade Organization, such as Tonlé, a woman-owned global company whose fair-trade factory uses all recycled materials.

This became important to Richardson when she was an engineer interacting with various manufacturing companies. “It wasn’t just one particular company or practice,” Richardson says. “In general, manufacturing has negative impacts on our environment, and when I was an engineer I started learning about ways I could personally reduce my impact on the environment.”

She started out with little things, like buying produce from the farmers market, and it blossomed into finding ways to introduce sustainability into her wardrobe. Everything, for Richardson, seemed to come back to fashion. But, she was having a hard time finding sustainable brands for her own closet.

“That gave me the idea to enter the fashion industry in a way that would not contribute to issues, such as textile waste, water pollution and the inhumane treatment of garment workers,” Richardson says. “I wanted to do it in line with my values.”

“Gypsy Freedom is this persona I’ve been developing, and hiding, over the years. We all have her. She’s a woman who lives free-spirited without hindrance.”

CAERESA RICHARDSON

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

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It’s All Good C AUGH T D OI NG G O OD

The Sweetest Thing SPEACH FAMILY CANDY SHOPPE CELEBRATES ITS 100TH YEAR BY PARTNERING WITH LOCAL NONPROFITS

“We try to have as much fun as possible here every day,” says Michael Speach Jr., with his sister Connie Speach at the Speach Family Candy Shoppe. The store has remained open during the pandemic.

Below, a vintage photo from the Speach family archives.

BY SUSAN KENNEDY

With a workspace full of chocolate-covered potato chips, raspberry truffles, French toast brittle and other sugary delights, it’s no wonder Michael Speach Jr. is called “The Candyman.”

This year, Speach — fourth-generation owner of the Speach Family Candy Shoppe on Lodi Street in Syracuse — and his team are honoring the company’s 100th anniversary. Speach’s Italian-immigrant great-grandfather started selling his handmade cream peanut clusters and ribbon candy here in 1920.

“This is a milestone that very few small businesses achieve,” says Speach.

Philanthropy joins candy making as a family tradition: Instead of throwing a party for themselves, the Speaches thanked their loyal customers with a 10 Decades of Giving program. “We have an amazing number of nonprofits who literally make our community what it is,” says Speach. “We want to support [Central New Yorkers] as they’ve supported us through our ups and downs.”

Inspired by a college ethics class that studied how 10 good deeds a day can change the world, the shoppe partnered with 10 area nonprofits for 10 months, to honor the 10 decades it’s been in business. Each nonprofit received a percentage of total candy sales during their designated month and 100 percent of the profits of an exclusive treat made especially for them and available for purchase all year. (Great holiday gift idea!) Customers nominated nonprofit NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

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21

Left, truffles made and sold by the Speach family.

In honor of the centennial, the shoppe recreated some of their past confections and developed new ones. Below, candy making from the family’s archives. recipients; beneficiaries included Front Row Players Inc., Father Champlin’s Guardian Angel Society and Misfits Animal Rescue & Sanctuary.

Carolyn Hendrickson, senior philanthropy officer of the Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse, says the program raised funds “but more importantly, got exposure for our new shelter for runaway and homeless LGBTQ youth.” The shelter will house ten youths between ages 12-17 and is set to open in mid-2021. “Michael felt a passion for this project.

The awareness created on his social media and instore has been invaluable. To figure out a way to run a small business, during a pandemic, and to he’s grown the product line and expanded into digital

character,” she says.

Speach gets hundreds of requests to sweeten gift

sales and collaborations with Amazon, 1-800-Flow-

baskets and dessert tables at area events and do-

ers, Recess Coffee and other partnerships for candy

nates in candy a percentage of the previous year’s

and fresh fruit arrangements. “We are constantly

sales. He says, “My accountant said at first I did

looking at ways to adjust with the times.”

more in donations than in revenue!”

With the pandemic keeping people home, delivery of treats has boomed and he’s hired extra help.

While his sister Connie manages daily operations,

And because of those adjustments, Speach says, “We’ve been able to continue building relationships and giving back, and that’s the best thing.”

Sweet.

To get your own sweets or fruit, contact the Speach Family Candy Shoppe, 2400 Lodi Street, Syracuse, 315-478-3100, speachfamilycandy.com.

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SPEACH FAMILY CANDY SHOPPE

find a way to help a charity, it speaks to Michael’s

Left: Nick Renzi outside his home in Cortland.

Above: Nick and Agnes Renzi stand together atop Mount Marcy.

As I look back on my childhood in the Bronx, I was impressed with my parents’ gestures of giving.

When my job at Pall Corporation brought me to Cortland, my late wife, Agnes, and I often visited and volunteered with local organizations before making our giving decisions together.

GIVING BACK FOR COMMUNITY: NICK RENZI

After retirement, I used the stock accumulated from my time working at Pall to set-up a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation. Now, I support many charitable causes primarily in Central New York with a focus in Cortland County.

The Nicholas and Agnes Renzi Charitable Fund allows me to easily facilitate my yearly giving to the causes that are important to both Agnes and me.

Our legacies and wishes for supporting nonprofits will be stewarded through our fund for generations.

Read more of Nick’s story at Renzi.5forCNY.org

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315 . 4 2 2 .9 5 3 8 | C N YC F. O R G

The Seen GOAT YOGA 09.05 Purpose Farm, an animal rescue that offers free youth mentorship programs, holds goat yoga sessions to raise money. The farm works with youth ages 6-18 who have emotional trauma from neglect, abuse or bullying or have trouble adapting socially. After class, yoga participants can visit the farm’s horses,

PHOTOS BY SCOTT SCHILD

donkeys, alpacas, pigs, peafowl, chickens and turkeys.

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“THE BINGE” WORLD PREMIERE 08.27 “The Binge,” starring Vince Vaughn, Skyler Gisondo, Dexter Darden and Eduardo Franco, debuted its world premiere at the New York State Fair Drive-in. Several hundred people attended the free screening in the NYS Fair’s Orange Lot. Movie theaters were closed in New York State due to the coronavirus, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo allowed drive-ins to operate as an exception. The Hulu original movie, which was filmed in Syracuse last year, premiered on the streaming service Aug. 28. “Set in a time where all drugs and alcohol are illegal, the only day anyone can participate in the ‘fun’ is on Binge day.” The movie follows three friends in the near future (the year 2032) as they turn 18 and are eligible to participate in the Big Binge Party for the first time. More than 2,000 extras and 50-60 local crew

PHOTOS BY KATRINA TULLOCH

members worked on the movie.

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

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98% APPROVAL RATING

OVER 98% OF RETURNING GUESTS FELT SAFE WITH OUR EXTRA CARE PROGRAM AND WILL RETURN AGAIN. TAKE IT FROM THEM: “I have been there since you opened. I felt safe and it looked clean.”

“I felt safer there than in the grocery store.”

“I appreciate that your employees are doing a great job.”

“You all have it covered. GOOD JOB!”

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXTRA CARE PROGRAM, VISIT DELLAGORESORT.COM/EXTRA-CARE

Must be 21 or older. For help with problem gambling call 877.8.HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369).

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The Seen CORTLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

SU GAME DAY 09.26

Telling Your Stories Since 1925

The Syracuse University football team celebrated after beating Georgia

James Suggett House Museum Kellogg Memorial Research Center Gift Shop

Tech 37-20 in the first game played in the upgraded Carrier Dome. The school debuted the $118 million renovations without fans, making it a rath-

Your hometown source for genealogy and local history research!

er strange day of celebration. This was the most extensive renovation work in the Dome’s 40-year history.

Temporarily Closed We are providing remote research services.

25 Homer Ave. Cortland, NY 13045 (607) 756-6071 cortlandhistory.org info@cortlandhistory.org

1

S9737520-01 tories Since 1925

A Hidden Gem in Central New York Come walk through history with us!

Brockway Trucks  Local History Trains  Military Memorabilia Agricultural History Vintage Tractors and More!

Three Unique Museums ~ One Price!

We offer a Spacious and Clean Family Friendly Facility!

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Planning a Function?

Ask about our Rental Spaces & Rates Groups Welcome Anytime with Prior Arrangements

defensive back Robert Hanna (19) takes flight after an interception.

good life

PHOTOS BY DENNIS NETT

the

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Last Admission 4:00  Masks Required Days and Hours Subject to Change

Halfway between Syracuse & Binghamton 1/2 mile off I-81, exit 12 - Route 11 South

central new york

goodlifecny.com S9737984-01

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Orange football team celebrated after they won over Georgia Tech.

2 . Syracuse Orange

OPEN: Thursday - Saturday 10:00 - 5:00

4386 US Route 11  Cortland, NY 607-299-4185 www.cnylivinghistory.org

1 . The Syracuse

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

3. The renovated Carrier

3

Dome features a new roof and scoreboard.

The Orange took on the Yellow Jackets on Sept. 26 in a mostly empty Dome.

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The Seen

ST. SOPHIA’S DRIVE-THRU GREEK FOOD FEST 10.03 St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church changed its festival format due to COVID-19. The annual gathering with dancing and music was shelved in favor of a weekend-long drive-thru event. The parking lot was staged for big crowds and the menu included gyros, dolmades (rice-stuffed grape leaves) and loukoumades (honey puffs).

1 2

3

4

1 . Workers at the event prepared food in the

basement of St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church.

2 . Marissia Potamianos takes an order

in the parking lot at the festival.

3. Nick Kousmanidis prepares a gyro.

4. Loukoumades were one of three items on

the menu during the Greek Food Fest.

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A gift they’ll enjoy every day!

HOLIDAY

arty IDEAS

Craftsmanship that fuels exceptional taste.

Brunch & Be Merry

Our passion for everything culinary is what inspires us, ignites the flame of imagination, and transcends the ordinary—so you’re empowered to create unforgettable experiences in the kitchen and beyond.

Head to Downtown Syracuse to get into the holiday spirit! Gather with the family for brunch and then visit the tree in Clinton Square!

Holly Jolly Happy Hour Get the team out of the office or reunite them after months of virtual meetings. Social distance mingling, gift exchanges, & festivities galore!

Festive Feasts

Family is home for the holidays and they're hungry! Let us feed you, your children, your children's children, and your great aunt Ruth.

Thermador ® Appliances at:

5775 Bridge Street

The Holiday Spirits

Rt 690 to Exit 17 on the Corner of Erie Blvd

Cocktail party in style and safety with socially distanced lounge areas, table service, and individually plated hors d'oeuvres. Cheers!

BOOKwith us

www.anythingbutbeer.com/catering S9737267-01

E. Syracuse, NY 13057 Mon. – Sat. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

APPLIANCES

(Masks are required in-store for the safety of our customers and employees. Thank you!)

Call/Text: (315) 414-2200 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

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The Seen

MAKER’S MARK TASTING DINNER AT LACI’S TAPAS BAR 10.07 A small group of bourbon aficionados enjoyed an evening at Laci’s Tapas Bar for a Maker’s Mark Tasting Dinner. The five-course dinner was paired with five expressions of Makers Mark bourbon. The evening started with Laci’s Blackberry Jammer, a specialty cocktail made of Maker’s Mark, homemade blackberry jam and ginger beer, garnished with fresh blackberries. Laura Serway, owner of Laci’s, led the tasting with stories and details of each blend. Bottles of Maker’s Mark and a VIP tour for six at the Maker’s Mark Distillery in Kentucky were auctioned. All proceeds went to Vera House, which focuses on ending domestic and sexual violence and other forms of abuse.

Laci’s owner Laura Serway, center, leads a videoconference chat with Maker’s Mark Chairman Bill Samuels Jr.

CRAFTED UNDERGROUND

10.10-11

The Crafted Underground indie market kicked off Oct. 10-11 in the newly opened McCarthy Mercantile, a multi-level retail space in downtown Syracuse. Indie shops, artists and juried vendors offer a selection of original homegrown products, handmade goods and curated curiosities; local musicians perform live in the afternoon and evening. The event is adhering to COVID-19 safety guidelines. The Crafted Underground series will run through December, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays

PHOTOS BY AMY BLEIER LONG, LACI’S

and Sundays.

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Members’ Council Presents

Festival of Trees & Light November 27 – December 5 This year it’s both traditional and virtual!

Featuring beautiful displays, entertainment, and a virtual auction!

EVERSON MUSEUM OF ART

Festival of Trees & Light

Visit everson.org/FOTL20 for more info!

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Private dining rooms to host your next dinner or event!

2 0 2 0

G I F T

BY AMY BLEIER LONG

G U I D E

|

PHOTOS BY AMELIA BEAMISH

THIS YEAR, WE DON’T WANT TO GIVE OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY GIFTS JUST FOR GIFTING’S SAKE. WE WANT TO ENTERTAIN, UPLIFT AND COMFORT. HERE ARE OUR PICKS FOR PRESENTS TO NOURISH THE MIND, BODY AND SOUL. Naughty/Nice gift tag, $3.50 for four tags, Pig mini canvas, $16, both The Rose Cottage, 214 S. Manlius Street, Fayetteville, 315-637-1330, therosecottageny.com.

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PROTECTIVE PENDANT

Hamsa necklace

by Michelle DaRin, $135, Synple, 70 Main Street, Camillus, 585-615-3934, shopsynple.com.

GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

Silver peace sculpture, $28, Paola Kay Gifts, 105 Brooklea Drive, Fayetteville, 315-632-2192, paolakaygifts.com.

KEEP IT REAL

Wooden keepsake box, $42, Mixed Methods, 215 E. Water Street Rear, Syracuse, 315-399-1766, letsgetmixed.com.

ALIGN TIME UP TO MY NECK

Felted Merino Wool scarf by Nurit, $80, Gallery 54, 54 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-5470, gallery54cny.com.

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Chakras stone plaque, $45, 20 East, 85 Albany Street, Cazenovia, 315-815-4540, 20-east.com.

TIE DYE FOR YOU

Hand-dyed Zip hoodie, $186, and sweatpants, $152, Skaneateles 300, 2. W. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-1133.

THAT MAKES SCENTS

Petite Reed Diffuser in balsam, $20, Emma + James, 25 Jordan Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-2747, shopejclothing. com.

DREAM CREAM

HEART HANDS

TIPS AND TRICKS

Vanilla + Lavender handcrafted body cream, $18, Witty Wicks, 190 Township Boulevard, Camillus, 315-672-3110, wittywicks.com.

Love Ya candle, $20, Fringed Benefits, 6825 E. Genesee Street, Fayetteville, 315-802-4353, fringedbenefits design.com.

“The Little Book of Life Hacks,” $19.99, The Local Branch, 4 Jordan Street, Skaneateles, thelocalbranch.co.

DO ME A SOLID

Solid cologne, $52, Emma + James.

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LADY IN RED

Red cowl neck swing coat, $159, Love Lola by Boom Babies, Love Lola by Boom Babies, 425 S. Warren Street, Syracuse, 315378-4911, boombabies.biz.

PIZZA MY HEART

RAISING THE BAR

Toddler organic bamboo pizza-print pajamas, $40, Lillie Bean, 57 Albany Street, Cazenovia, 315-655-0677.

Bark Bars cookie bars for dogs, $3 each, Aristocats & Dogs, 62 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-4849.

BABY SHARK

Sammy Shark shaped bamboo dinner set, $35, Nest58, 58 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-5888, nest58.com.

HANDY HYGIENE

Tooletries Toothbrush and Razor Holder, $18, Witty Wicks.

LADIES’ NIGHT

Inspirational Women Trivia Game, $8, Witty Wicks.

MIDLIFE MENTOR

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

Jungle Bingo, $19.99, Chloe’s Closet, 107 Brooklea Drive, Fayetteville, 315-637-2513, facebook.com/chloesclosetny.

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“So What are the Guys Doing?” $16, Pomodoro, 61 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-0085.

PIECE OF PERSPECTIVE

Wooden sign, $16.95, Enjoy, 419 E. Genesee Street, Fayetteville, 315-637-3450.

TREAT YOURSELF

Chocolate Brownie Skillet cast iron kit, $22, Dazzle, 119 W. Seneca Street, Manlius, 315682-7499, thedazzlestore.com.

SIMPLE PLEASURES

“14,000 Things to be Happy About,” $9.95, Drooz + Company, 36 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-920-8888, droozandcompany.com.

TAKE MY WORD

A GOOD RIBBING

FLEUR THING

Appetizer plates, $8 each, The Gift Box Shoppe, 4317 Fay Road, Syracuse, 315-487-9099, thegiftboxshoppe.com.

Patrick Assaraf textured merino crew, $195, Mr. Shop, 259 W. Fayette Street, 315-478-3938, mrshopsyracuse.com.

Lily lacquered iron-andcrystal bookends set, $189, Fringed Benefits.

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WOOD MOVE

Wooden Chess Board by Hanley’s Wooden Creations, $300 (includes playing pieces), Wildflowers at the McCarthy Mercantile, 217 S. Salina Street, Syracuse, 315-546-4919, wildflowersarmory.com.

CREATIVE CONTROL

“I Want to be Creative,” $11.99, Skaneateles 300.

IT’S ELECTRIC

Circuit Clay project kit, $25, Drooz + Company.

DOC WORKER

Unisex Dr. Martens 1460 Greasy leather lace-up boots, $150, J Michael, 173 Marshall Street, Syracuse, 315-471-4237, jmichaelshoes.com.

POP STAR

CHECK IT OUT

You Glow Girl Bath Bomb Confetti Push Pop, $8.99, The White Sleigh Ltd., 24 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-8414.

Buffalo check backpack, $69.99, The Rose Cottage.

CHARMED I’M SURE

Stella Valle New Modern Charm bracelets with initial, $39 each, New Modern Charm bracelet with birthstone, $45, Colorful Inspirations, 170 Township Boulevard, Camillus, 315-320-4364, colorfulinspirations.com.

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TO LIFE

Chai necklace, $18, Dazzle.

TEMP JOB

Inked by Dani Temporary Tattoos Self Love pack and Retro Littles pack, $12.99 each, Paola Kay Gifts.

MIND GAMES

Trivia Challenge Playing Cards, $7.98, First National Gifts, 2 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 855-810-9076, firstnational gifts.com.

GET A CLUE

Mysterium game, $39.99, The Sound Garden, 310 W. Jefferson, Syracuse, 315-473-4343, sgrecordshop.com.

SWEET TEA

Hot Cinnamon Spice tea, $8 for 20 sachets, locally produced Queen Helen Homestead Wildflower Honey, $6 for 12 ounces, Honey, I’m Home kitchen towel, $6, all The Wren’s Den, 2756 W. Seneca Turnpike, Marcellus, 315-952-5954.

STUCK ON A WORD

Scrabble Fridge Magnets, $11, Witty Wicks.

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GROW YOUR LOVE

Gather Live Well Gift Set, $36, Colorful Inspirations.

BATH TIME

She’Lymon custom scented candle, $24, and Body Melk hydrating moisturizer, $48, Gypsy Freedom, 321 S. Salina Street, Syracuse, 315-802-2762, shopgypsy freedom.com.

PRIDE OF PLACE

Upstate of Mind adult sweatshirt, $58, Scholars & Champs, 310 S. Salina Street, Syracuse, 315-560-7430, scholarsandchamps.com.

Upstate children’s sweatshirt, $35, Pride + Joy, 88 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-7576, skanbaby.com.

ARTSY ANKLES

Hot Sox Famous Artist Series socks, $8, J Michael.

BOTTLE SERVICE

Wheel-thrown Cosmos Wine Set by Ayla Mullen, $250, Mixed Methods.

HOT AND COLD

Winter Cocktails, $22.95, and Glass Freeze Whiskey Cooling Glasses, $39 for two, Drooz + Company.

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KEEP CALM

“Stress Relief in a Pinch,” $12.99, 20|East, 85 Albany Street, Cazenovia, 315-815-4540, 20-east.com.

GET SMART

Shakespeare Word Puzzle and Newton Gravity Defying Puzzle, $7.98 each, First National Gifts.

SORRY, NOT SORRY

Plans With my Dog dishtowel, $13, Lucky Dogs, 22 Jordan Street, Skaneateles, 315-6635579, luckydogsservices.com PLAID WORLD

Glen Plaid Pant, $158, Showoffs Boutique, 216 W. Genesee Street, Syracuse, 315-439-8908.

LIFE GOALS

Quote wall art, $280 for 25 square-inch size, Nest58.

STRINGING ALONG

Mindful String Games, $14.95, Drooz + Company.

BOWL ME OVER

Biba Boston bowling-style leather bag, $172, Boutique Joycé, 119 W. Seneca Street, Manlius, 315-692-2122, boutiquejoyce.com.

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SOFT TOUCH

Z Supply Kacey Feather hoodie, $95, and Ava Floral Jogger pants, $56, Fashion Rescue 911 Boutique, 52 Oswego Street, Baldwinsville, 315-857-6690, fashion rescue911.com.

HEART OF THE MATTER

The Heart of Syracuse tee, $30, Wildflowers at the McCarthy Mercantile.

SEEDY NEIGHBORHOOD

All Season Cottage bird feeder, $14.99, The Station 603, 603 E. Seneca Street, Manlius, 315-682-8741.

MINI MESSAGE

Trinket dish, $22, Synple.

KEY NOTE

She Inspires linenand-copper wrist strap and keychain, $21.95, Two Twisted Sisters, 25 Syracuse Street, Baldwinsville, 315-6381955, oliveseaterybville.com.

PHOTOGRAPHS AND MEMORIES

Photo frame box with journal gift set, $24.99, Metro Home Style, 689 N. Clinton Street, Syracuse, 315-420-2335, metrohomestyle.net.

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STRIKE A POSE

“Let’s Make Yoga Magic” interactive book, $14.99, Pride + Joy. WINGING IT

Wing wall hanging by The Half-Baked Potter, $28, Salt City Artisans, 226 Hawley Avenue, Syracuse, 315479-0400, saltcityartisans.com.

MOOD BOOSTER

Essential oil bracelet and oil in tangerine, $12 each, Dazzle.

BREATHE EASY

Clear My Head Herbal Inhalation, $22, Lillie Bean.

SKIN SO SOFT

Old Whaling Co salt scrub, $14, Skaneateles 300.

A PINCH OF THIS

Wood and marble mini bowls, $28 for set of four, Scottie D’s Pop Up, 216 W. Genesee Street, Syracuse, 315-439-8908.

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STYLISH SLACKS

GET DOWN

Men’s Easy Leisure Pants, $149, Projex 214, 211 E. Water Street, Syracuse, 315-447-7961, projex214.com.

Canada Goose Shelbourne Down Parka, $995, J Michael.

GOURMET GIFTING

From left, Brumate Hopsulator Slim, $20, Smoked Mussels in olive oil, $6.89, Tuscan Crisps, $4.79, Natural Olive Mix, $10.89, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, $13.99, Glaze with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, $13.99, all Epicuse, 334 S. Salina Street, Syracuse, 315960-1920, epicuse.net.

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LIKE BUTTER

Butter tank lounge jumpsuit, $188, Paul Karaz Shoes, 414 E. Genesee Street, Fayetteville, 315-663-0200, paulkarazshoes.com.

REASSURING READ

“You Belong Here” children’s book, $19.98, Pomodoro.

SKETCH SHOW

The Home Design Doodle Book, $10, Inspired, 7468 Oswego Road, Liverpool, 315-380-7171, inspired-vhd.com.

FAMILY MATTERS

Affirmators! Family affirmation cards, $14, Lillie Bean.

RISE AND KIND

THE HEAT IS ON

Colombian clay Chamba bakeware/serving dish, $55, J.D. Hunter Home, 55 Albany Street, Cazenovia, 315-815-4123, jdhunterhome.com.

Cuisinart Conical Burr Grinder, $99.95, Rhubarb Kitchen and Garden, 59 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-5803.

Good Morning Neighbor mug, $19.99, and “Life’s Journeys According to Mister Rogers,” $17, both Paola Kay Gifts.

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Set the holiday table with these creative ideas for an eye-catching display.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS

With twinkling lights or rustic dried florals, vintage linens or seasonal blooms arranged by hand, a tablescape adds a special touch when celebrating the holidays or connecting with guests. We asked five Central New York artists to create a centerpiece that beginning DIYers could replicate at home.

S EASONAL BLESSINGS THE ARTIST: Cheryl Heller, owner of the Savvy She Shed INSPIRATION: Heller paired traditional orange pumpkins with berries, grasses and grains, but she

encouraged DIYers to choose their own scheme. “You can change it up to whatever look you’d prefer,” she says. “You don’t have to be perfect — it will look more natural.” Wooden blessing beads are a symbol of good wishes, healing and luck, and can be draped on decor to add sentiment to a space.

FOR MORE: Visit the Savvy She Shed in downtown Baldwinsville or at facebook.com/TheSavvySheShedBville

Book stack Shown on previous page MATERIALS:

Books, paint, brushes, stencils, stamps or markers DIRECTIONS:

1. Paint books, including the entire outside, spine and edges of the pages. Heller said she used chalk paint, but acrylic or leftover interior wall paint would work as well.

2. Add words to the spines using stencils, stamps or markers.

3. Tie stack with a ribbon.

Floral pumpkin Shown on previous page MATERIALS:

Two small faux pumpkins, one block of floral foam, small bunches of assorted fall faux florals, wire cutters to cut floral stems DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut out the top of one faux pumpkin as if you were carving a real one, making a hole about 2-3 inches in diameter. The bigger the hole, the more floral stems you’ll need to fill it.

2. Cut a piece of the floral foam and place it inside the pumpkin at the bottom. Use hot glue to attach the foam to the bottom of the pumpkin for more stability.

3. Use wire cutters to size the stems of faux florals and begin to fill in the pumpkin, inserting the stems into the foam at the bottom.

Pro tip: Place taller stems in the middle and shorter stems and heavier blossoms around the base of the opening.

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Blessing beads MATERIALS :

Painted or dyed wooden beads, twine or jute, scissors DIRECTIONS:

1. Make your first tassel by wrapping the jute around four of your fingers about eight times, with cut ends on the same side.

2. Tie off your tassel with a small piece of twine on the opposite side of the cut ends. Cut a piece of twine 6-8 inches long and begin wrapping around the tied part of the tassel, using scissors to tuck the loose end up under the tie.

Cut the bottom loops of the tassel.

Fray the tassel by unwinding the pieces of twine to give it a fluffier look.

3. Cut a long piece of twine the desired length of your garland plus a little extra.

Pinch the top of the tassel and thread the end of the garland twine through the topmost loop. Make a knot to secure.

Thread your beads on in a pattern.

Pro tip: Taping the end of the twine makes threading easier.

Finish by adding a second tassel and threading the end of the garland through the topmost loop of the new tassel and back through the last bead.

B OTTLING THE SEASON THE ARTIST: Claire McKenney,

Right Mind Syracuse INSPIRATION: The outdoors. “My favorite

place to be is getting lost in the woods somewhere,” McKenney says. “I think it’s important to spend time outside, device free ­— it really helps me relax and stay creative!”

FOR MORE: Right Mind Syracuse hosts pop-up events at local restaurants and breweries where guests make and take their own Instagramworthy project — like macramé earrings, air plant hangers, painted wine glasses or mugs.

“Everyone is creative, and we found that a lot of people just don’t know where to start,” McKenney says. “You just have to discover that inner artist, and we are here to help!”

Visit @rightmindsyracuse on Instagram.

Wine bottle centerpiece MATERIALS:

Wine bottles, cork string light set, multi-surface, enamel or acrylic paint, paintbrush, holiday flair (berries, pinecones, ornaments, snowflakes, ribbon, twine … anything you’d like!)

DIRECTIONS:

Use multi-surface, enamel or acrylic paint to create your scene.

McKenney started with lines of white paint to create birch trees, adding horizontal black lines and gray to shade the side of tree. Dab white paint to create fluffy piles of snow; use red for cardinals, and the end of a toothpick for a beak. Add some white dots for snowflakes.

Pro tip: McKenney suggested using the tip of the paintbrush handle to make snowflakes — it makes perfect circles every time.

Place the cork lights inside the bottle and add your holiday flair to the outside.

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A N UPSCALE KIDS’ TABLE THE ARTIST: Marissa Perkins, Creative Roots CNY INSPIRATION: The kids’ table ­— and gravy, a favorite

Thanksgiving tradition for her family. A vintage gravy boat serves as the vessel for the centerpiece, brass candlesticks with sage tapers add some ambiance and vintage linens (right) incorporate something from the family’s past. Perkins crafted her centerpiece using items found on a nature walk with her family.

“Dried seed pods, wheat, thistle and some beautiful eucalyptus from a friend’s farm; we also collected little things from our own little backyard farm — straw flowers, loose chicken feathers and some tiny gourds,” she says.

The place setting was inspired by her children and her love of vintage photography. “Silhouettes were one of the earliest ways to capture someone’s image,” Perkins says.

“You can create one for everyone at the children’s table!”

FOR MORE: On Instagram, find her at @creativeroots_co; handmade silhouettes can be ordered through her Etsy shop.

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Gravy boat centerpiece MATERIALS:

Gravy boat or oval-shaped vessel, pumpkin or gourd, dried flowers DIRECTIONS:

1. Use sturdy tape to create a grid across the top of the gravy boat, creating squares to insert your stems and hold them in place.

2. Balance a small pumpkin or gourd on the tape and fill in the grid around it with dried flowers.

Silhouette place setting MATERIALS:

Black paint or paper, cardstock, dried flowers DIRECTIONS:

1. Turn the lights down and place a light on the side of the subject’s face.

2. Tape the cardstock or black paper to the wall behind the subject and trace the outline of their shadow onto it.

3. Cut the shape out of black paper and glue to cardstock or paint the silhouette image.

4. Decorate with dried flowers.

PAPER PETALS AND PUMPKINS THE ARTIST: Kara Daviau INSPIRATION: This Thanksgiving centerpiece is made from pages of

the book, “Leading Facts of American History.” “I have always had a fascination with vintage books — I wonder who has owned them and how often they were read,” Daviau says. “The pages are usually much thicker than modern-day books and most have illustrations inside. I am a painter and often use these pages as textures within my works.”

FOR MORE: Daviau’s book-page roses and wreaths, along with her mixed media paintings, are for sale at Wildflowers at the McCarthy Mercantile in downtown Syracuse. Find a video of her method on TikTok and Instagram, @createdbykaradise.

Book-page pumpkins MATERIALS:

Vintage book, craft pumpkin, Mod Podge craft glue, foam or paint brush and water DIRECTIONS:

1. Tear book pages into pieces.

2. Brush Mod Podge onto the back of one of the pieces and stick to a section of the pumpkin you’d like to cover.

3. Brush Mod Podge on top once it’s in place. Repeat with more pieces until the section is covered.

4. Continue to cover every other section of the pumpkin.

5. Let dry 24 hours.

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Book-page roses

56

MATERIALS:

DIRECTIONS:

Vintage book, scissors, hot glue and glue gun, skewer sticks, vintage jug or vessel with a small neck

1. Cut book pages into squares. You will need about three pages per flower.

3. You will now have a right triangle.

Cut off two of the corners in a rounded cut so you are left with what looks like an ice cream cone.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 so you have three pages cut.

7. Roll each individual section and secure the edges together using the hot glue gun.

8. Use a skewer to curl the edges of the petals to open the rose.

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

5. Open your pages and you will have a flower shape with 8 petals.

9. Starting with the single petal, glue it inside the double petal piece. Then glue that piece inside the triple petal and so on.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

2. Starting with one square page, fold in half to make a triangle. Fold in half again to make a smaller triangle, and then a third time.

6. Cut the flower so you have one petal-, two petal-, three petal-, four petal- and six petal-sections.

10. If you find you have any empty spots to fill in, you can always add a couple extra petals here and there.

Once dry (about one minute), cut small slit into bottom and insert pointed part of skewer for stem.

11. Bonus: Using scraps, cut out a leaf shape and glue to mid-section of skewer or base of the flower.

12. Repeat steps for a full bouquet of a dozen roses.

“I have always had a fascination with vintage books — I wonder who has owned them and how often they were read.”

KARA DAVIAU

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A ROUND THE TABLE THE ARTIST: Jai Reese, Thasred Decor & Design INSPIRATION: Reese’s handmade custom home decor combines an Afrocentric

bohemian and modern farmhouse aesthetic. Her DIY turntable allows dinner guests to access salt and pepper shakers or gravy from any seat. “I like the idea of having fun toppings on a table that you can turn to access without having to get up,” she says.

FOR MORE: Find Reese on Instagram at @thasred.

Inspirational turntable MATERIALS:

18-inch diameter round board, 6-inch square Lazy Susan turntable hardware, ½-inch wood screws, two 5 ½-inch galvanized boat cleats, stain (Reese used Varathane in English Chestnut and polyurethane), white paint marker DIRECTIONS :

1. Stain wood turntable and let it dry for the recommended time.

2. Coat the turntable with clear polyurethane to protect the wood.

3. Attach the lazy susan hardware to the bottom with screws.

Pro tip: Reese added a piece of scrap wood to the bottom to make it sit higher.

4. Flip over and add boat cleats.

5. Use a paint marker to script an inspirational word or phrase or use a stencil.

Add decorative objects to style.

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G I F T I N G G E T S E X T R A S P E C I A L W I T H C R E AT I V E P R E S E N TAT I O N STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS

Gift wrap can be sleek and modern or full of festive flair. But the choice of ribbons, wrapping paper, bows or baubles can make the perfect present even more special. We asked several local artists and gift shop owners to dress up a box to showcase their signature style.

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Reuse and repurpose In keeping with her sustainable aesthetic, artist Lilyan Minicozzi of LilacSun used fabric and greenery instead of store-bought ribbons and bows, and carved a stamp from a potato to embellish her grocery-bag wrapping paper.

“Plastic takes too long to break down to use for something that will later be thrown away and sit in a landfill,” she says. “Plants can add a beautiful touch to a gift that is simply unmatched by any manmade product.”

For more: Minicozzi upcycles bags and garments with custom embroidery and creates hats and other accessories from recycled fabric. You can find LilacSun items at Wildflowers at the McCarthy Mercantile, 217 S. Salina St., Syracuse.

Instagram: @_lilacsun_

“Plants can add a beautiful touch to a gift that is simply unmatched by any manmade product.”

A red reminder The cardinal atop the festive gold and red package could be a way to remember a lost loved one. The auspicious bird has become a spiritual symbol connected to the saying, “When a cardinal appears, loved ones are near.”

For more: The Gift Box, 4317 Fay Rd., Syracuse.

Instagram: @thegiftboxshoppe

LILYAN MINICOZZI, LILACSUN

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Mix and match There are countless combinations for the reversible striped wrapping paper that Diane Smith plans to use this holiday. She combines the bold black-and-white stripe with bunches of holly and red ribbon, and uses a complementary paper with sprigs of the festive plant for a perfectly coordinated array of gifts under the tree.

For more: Colorful Inspirations, 170 Township Blvd., Camillus.

Instagram: @colorfulinspirations_by_diane

Part of the present The velvet-and-leather bags used at Metro Home Style are created by a local artisan and can be reused to store small items for travel. The bags are also perfect to wrap oddly shaped items.

For more: Metro Home Style, 689 N. Clinton St., Syracuse.

Instagram: @metrohomestyle

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Use words Share a lyric from your favorite Christmas carol or a line from your favorite holiday movie. It will create even more holiday spirit for the gift’s recipient.

For more: Nest 58, 58 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles.

Instagram: @nest58_skaneateles

Choose neutrals Winter whites or other neutral color schemes make a lovely holiday statement. A cream hatbox is set off with coordinating ribbon and topped with a feather.

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It’s ornamental Bring your wrapping scheme together by coordinating your paper choice with a complementary holiday ornament. Here, the green Wellington boots are a nod to the tones of the vintage poster paper.

For more: Drooz & Company, 36 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles.

Instagram: @droozandcompany

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ON A MISSION

BY JEANNE ALBANESE

The pain … Of hunger.

Of losing a child.

Of fighting an addiction.

Of slowly going blind.

MEET FOUR CENTRAL NEW YORKERS WHO TURNED THEIR HARDSHIPS INTO PERSONAL MISSIONS TO HELP OTHERS.

“People don’t believe I went through what I did. That makes me feel so good because the hard work over the years of building myself back to the person I want to be is working.”

Al-amin Almost every Saturday for the last five years, Al-amin Muhammad has shared snippets of his story with a room full of volunteers.

How he survived gangs and gun violence. How he sold and became addicted to drugs. How he spent ten years living on the street. How the kindness of one man saved his life.

Those nuggets became inspiration for the work of Sandwich Saturday — assembly lines of volunteers making sandwiches and stuffing lunch bags, and then handing them out on the street to Syracuse’s homeless. In that time, through his nonprofit We Rise Above the Streets, Muhammad and helpers have handed out more than 80,000 sandwiches. His motto, “If We Eat, They Eat,” has become well-known 66

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around town.

But then COVID-19 shut down much of his work in mid-March, and for the first time, he couldn’t serve on Saturdays. Used to working six days a week to bring food, clothing and dignity to the city’s homeless and working poor population, he started getting antsy and out-of-sorts.

Frustrated that he couldn’t share his story out loud, he instead pulled out some writing he had started when he was in prison and he began writing a book.

It was a project he figured he wouldn’t have time for

Through his nonprofit We Rise Above the Streets, Al-amin Muhammad and helpers have handed out more than 80,000 sandwiches.

until retirement.

“People don’t believe I went through what I did,” says Muhammad, 48. “That makes me feel so good because the hard work over the years of building myself back to the person I want to be is working.”

Muhammad’s papers survived in his backpack during the 10 years he was homeless. He sometimes went into libraries to rewrite pages that faded, and librarians helped him transfer some onto disc. He hadn’t touched his work in years, but two years ago after an incident with a homeless man at a local Dunkin’, he started writing again. After every Sandwich Saturday, his girlfriend would set out a pen and a notebook for him to write.

When COVID-19 hit, he wrote from March through June, while managing a food pantry he had recently started.

This fall, his book, “My Purpose of Life: One man’s tale inspires a wave of humanity,” is scheduled to be released in honor of the 18th anniversary of his sobriety.

His book, he says, will be shocking.

“I’m addressing a lot of stuff people never heard about,” he says. “There’s going to be sadness, crying, there’s going to be happiness.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AL-AMIN MUHAMMAD

Muhammad has returned to Sandwich Saturdays with new restrictions, and he hands out food once a week at the pantry, but has so much more in store for himself, and for Syracuse. He’s currently working on a children’s book, as well as opening a restaurant where he plans to bring in struggling families one day a week to eat for free.

“My message to a lot of people is that actions speak louder than words,” he says. “You don’t need to say nothing. Just be quiet and just make your actions louder.”

To learn more, go to instagram.com/we_rise_above_the_streets_ inc; to order the book, call 315-491-7164.

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“I have to do what my son would want.

He would want me to push. He would want me to save others.”

Rasheada Rasheada Caldwell knew her son was good, but she didn’t know just how good until after he died, when strangers called with stories of his generosity and kindness.

How he gave food, clothing or rides to families in need. How he played dolls with little girls in need of a friend at his job at the Boys and Girls Club, where he worked as a youth mentor.

Rasheed Baker had beaten the odds stacked against young Black men in the city.

He had recently graduated college, and had never even been in a fist fight, all of which made his murder that much harder to understand.

Baker was 21 years old and had started his first professional job the day he was shot and killed outside his mother’s home in 2017. To this day, his killer has not been caught.

“He was just an amazing kid,” Caldwell, 45, says. “He still is an amazing kid be68

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cause he lives within me every day.”

His death made Caldwell bitter, angry and mistrustful.

But she knew Rasheed wouldn’t want her to sit home and stew.

“I have to do what my son would want,” says Caldwell, who worked for PEACE, Inc. for 14 years. “He would want me to push. He would want me to save others.”

That’s when she turned a common phrase he used to say to her into her purpose: Let me be great. And since that day, she has set out to remind youth across the city that they are loved and that they, too, are great. She holds giveaways and cookouts, speaks out against gun violence and holds programs geared to bring young people confidence and life skills.

“I want people to realize that they are great,” Caldwell says, “and that if you walk in greatness and talk in greatness, even when times are bad, if you tell yourself you are great, you start feeling that.”

She has turned the anniversary of Rasheed’s death on June 5 into Let Me Be Great Day. This year, due to COVID-19, she couldn’t hold an event, so she rented an ice cream truck and gave away ice cream across the city.

In the past few summers, with the help of several grants, she has run two programs, one for high school girls called “I’m A Lady: Let Me Be Great,” and one for middle school students called, “Let Me Be Great #44: Dunk Your Junk.”

Both focus on building self-esteem, and the girls’ program teaches leadership, financial literacy, health and wellness and college-readiness. The Dunk Your Junk program teaches the importance of the environment, ecosystems and recycling. Participants in both programs received a stipend and many opened their first bank accounts.

Baker loved helping people and doing the same in his name helps Caldwell and her daughter, Alexius, 15, continue to heal.

“People are struggling in this world and people are look-

PHOTOS BY DENNIS NETT, NOLAN WEIDNER

ing for help,” says Caldwell, who recently started working for the Allyn Foundation. “... Rasheed would have said, ‘Ma, you’ve got to stand up and fight. You have to stand up for yourself, you have to stand up and fight for Lexi, you’ve got to stand up and fight for other kids. You’ve got to

Top, Rasheada Caldwell high fives a young man during her ice cream giveaway event last summer. Middle, Rasheada in a “Let Me be Great” walk for justice in 2017.

fight, Ma.’ If you knew Rasheed, that’s what he would say.”

To learn more, send a friend request to Rasheed Baker (Let Me Be Great) on Facebook.

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“The wholeness I was searching for at the bottom of a Jack and Coke, I found in God.”

Jacqueline Jacqueline Colello stuck her fingers in some paint in her mother’s basement one night eight years ago and swirled them onto a canvas.

She became mesmerized by the colors as they dripped and collided. Then she wrote the word “Be *you* tiful” over them. With that, she cemented her recovery from drug and alcohol abuse, and though she didn’t know it at the time, found her purpose, her passion and what would blossom into a successful career as an artist.

At first, her painting was purely therapeutic and simple; swirls of color with inspiring words over them. She started posting her work and story on Instagram. Then to her surprise, someone bought one of her paintings. And her followers connected with her story of struggle and recovery.

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Now, 36, Colello just celebrated nine years of sobriety and her business, Colello Creations, is booming. Since the COVID-19 shut down in March, her business has morphed into full-time commission work, painting pieces for people’s homes and murals for local businesses, including Laci’s Tapas Bar, Jessica Elizabeth Skin Care in Armory Square and Eva’s Polish Restaurant. She shares her story through occasional speaking engagements and donates all admission proceeds from her art shows to charity. She recently painted lockers for her church, Abundant Life Christian Center.

“I get a high off creating paintings,” she says. “When they’re done, that’s the same rush I used to get from going out.”

Colello had struggled with alcohol abuse since she was a teenager. Two stints in rehab and three DWIs did nothing to deter her. Neither did waking up in jail or in the hospital, or the broken bones in her face from her last DWI. That night, her car ping-ponged between guardrails seven times and she almost died. She split open her eyebrow and broke her nose and jawbone. The day she got the splints taken off her nose, she went out and got drunk.

“I was in such hard denial.”

That’s when her family sent her to Teen Challenge in California, a year-long, faith-based rehabilitation program. It was there, she says, that she discovered God. “The wholeness I was searching for at the bottom of a Jack and Coke, I found in God,” she says.

Jacqueline Colello’s art, from top, includes “Amber,” “Rosa” and “Mariposa.”

She also discovered her ability to lead and help heal others.

“I wasn’t on this mission to help people, I just always did the next right thing,” she says. “I wasn’t on a mission to become an artist. I was just naturally painting. Always trying to do the next right thing is my thing.”

After a few years of teaching herself how to paint, she leapt into it full time. She describes her work as fine art with a twist of street art that’s infused with hope.

PHOTOS BY J.MAIRE PHOTOGRAPHY

“I needed to jump and just do it and push myself through the highs and lows or I was always going to wonder,” she says. “There comes a time and a place where you either do it or it never takes off.”

To learn more, go to colellocreations.com or follow #colellocreations on Instagram.

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“There’s no reason I can’t do everything I wanted to do. I might do it differently but I’m still going to do it.

Going blind made me realize I really can do everything I want.”

David David Mariano kept running, even as his eyesight continued to worsen.

He’d run a familiar route around his neighborhood, but still stumble over a lump of grass or a grate in the road. He’d trip over mile markers at races. None of that stopped him.

“I’m of the mindset that you don’t know your limits until you push them,” Mariano says.

He didn’t always think that way. Instead, he lived in denial for almost ten years, believing that his degenerative eye disease would one day rob him of not just his sight, but of the life he had envisioned.

“I just didn’t want to face it,” he says.

Mariano, 31, had been slowly losing his vision since college, when doctors gave him a preliminary diagnosis that could only be confirmed with genetic testing.

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Two years ago, he finally did the test, which confirmed retinitis pigmentosa, a rare eye disease characterized by peripheral vision loss and decreased night vision. Mariano is also losing his central vision and has lost 60 percent of his field of vision.

He will one day be completely blind.

The diagnosis was a blow. Mariano had to surrender his license and change departments at work because he couldn’t drive. He felt like his life was out of his control.

He broke down to his wife, Kaitlyn, one day after a run and then had what he calls an opposite epiphany.

“There’s no reason I can’t do everything I wanted to do,” he says. “I might do it differently but I’m still going to do it. Going blind made me realize I really can do everything I want.”

And with that, he decided to work toward his master’s degree and to get more in touch with the visually impaired running community. He discovered another local athlete with the same eye disease and they got a few people together to run some races with guides.

Then Mariano made it official and launched Eye Got This, a nonprofit dedicated to the awareness, empowerment and safety of blind and visually impaired athletes. Eye Got This pairs local runners with guides and provides sets of high-visibility vests, for runners and their guides, for free to athletes across the country.

He held his first event, the Blind as a Bat Virtual 10K, in October during Blindness Awareness Month.

COVID-19 actually helped his efforts toward his first event, since a virtual event is much easier to

David Mariano launched Eye Got This, a nonprofit dedicated to the awareness, empowerment and safety of blind and visually impaired athletes.

plan. Mariano hopes to one day expand services to include sports like tandem kayaking and cycling.

Once Mariano accepted his own diagnosis, using

need to make sure it’s bettering the world we are

“I know whatever I am dedicating my time to, I need to make sure it’s bettering the world we are in.”

in,” he says. “If I am helping these people out and

DAVID MARIANO

it to help others was never in doubt. He’s worked in human services since he graduated from Le Moyne PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID MARIANO

College in 2011.

“I know whatever I am dedicating my time to, I

it makes them feel more inspired, that’s the point.

I’m hoping their world is a little better and then they’re going to go forward and be happier and hopefully help someone else out.”

To learn more, go to eyegotthis.org or follow #eyegotthisinc on Instagram.

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The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, Business Insider all cite an exodus of young people from bigger cities like New York, San Francisco, Houston and others to midsize cities. A 2019 U.S. Census Bureau report found that about 27,000 people between the ages of 25 and 38 left bigger cities for

CNY IS THE GOOD LIFE – AND PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO NOTICE

less-populated areas, looking for better housing costs,

Now others are starting to notice.

low cost of living.

Central New York is a great place to live. We’ve known that all along.

lower cost of living, shorter commutes, better schools, less stress and better access to nature and a lower population density.

CenterState CEO is making sure they know about what a great place Central New York is to live, to work and to raise a family.

There’s an initiative to help companies recruit candidates from outside the area and to help tell the CNY story about how great the area is to live and how many jobs are available.

This is just one CenterState CEO initiative to help address the needs of employers for available workers.

For this one — The Good Life CNY — they’ve partnered with Advance Media New York to create an all-in-one resource for Central New York companies to sell the area to job candidates and to brand the area across the Northeast US. The project includes a multimedia marketing effort and a new website — www.goodlifeCNY.com — that provides potential Central New Yorkers everything they need to know about the region to entice them to join us in The Good Life. And it’s filled with photos and stories about our lush parks, amazing local businesses, thriving job market, rich cultural lifestyle and

Just last month, Zillow named Syracuse in the top twelve Up and

Among its many features is a job board for hiring

Coming Mid-Size markets in the country based on real estate variables:

managers and job seekers that can be accessed from

#9. Syracuse, New York – Typical home value: $154,596

The Good Life CNY site or by linking directly at www.

As some homeowners seek to exit the congestion of New York City

goodlifeCNY.com/careers.

for more spacious areas, Syracuse might be one city they flock to, with

Check out the website and share it with friends or

its varied downtown neighborhoods and proximity to nature trails and

family that are considering relocating, and employ-

lakes. Home values increased 6.8% since last year, and Zillow antici-

ers looking for their next new hire. More than 100,000

pates those may rise 4% within the next year.

people outside Central New York have checked out the

Additionally, Business Insider recently ranked Syracuse as the No. 3 place to live in the Northeast U.S., post pandemic.

site since it went live in November 2019.

We hope you join the initiative. Please promote our

More and more stories are in the news about people wanting to leave

hometown. Act as an ambassador for Central New York

big cities for less crowded areas, lower costs of living and shorter com-

and help us spread the good word. Share the website

mutes, but with a rich lifestyle.

with friends or family interested in making a move.

Thank these forward-thinking companies that are working together to underwrite the effort to push our community forward.

LEADERSHIP SPONSORS CPS Recruitment INFICON, Inc. M&T Bank National Grid Pathfinder Bank Rapid Response Monitoring Services, Inc. Saab Syracuse University Turning Stone Resort & Casino

MARQUEE SPONSORS Bristol-Myers Squibb Onondaga County SyracuseCoE SRC Inc.

SUPPORTING SPONSORS Anaren AXA C&S Companies Fust Charles Chambers LLP Le Moyne College Thompson & Johnson Co., Inc. Share the job opportunities listed across high-level sectors like defense, engineering, health care and more.

#goodlifeCNY Use #goodlifeCNY to highlight the fun and beauty of your life in CNY. Follow GoodLifeCNY on social media and post and share your love of CNY. Help us move our community forward and share The Good Life. We love you.

Our Town

Onondaga

BY AMY BLEIER LONG

The Town of Onondaga offers a relaxed lifestyle for those who want to be close to downtown Syracuse and other retail areas but enjoy a more suburban or rural setting. Several hamlets (including Onondaga Hill) comprise the vast town; miles of farmland and orchards in the southern areas provide agricultural bounty and agritourism. Onondaga Community College is part of the landscape and residents are served by six school districts.

Grab a bite Start your day at Finally Ours, Sweetgrass Diner or Crazy Daisies’ Garden Café. Fill up on Pita Pita on the Hill’s pitas and wraps. Gemelli’s Pizzeria has a large selection of specialty pies. Chow down on Original Italian Pizza’s chargrilled wings. Sardo’s Pizza and Fish Fry serves a haddock dinner. Try a chicken tender sub at Velasko Pizzeria and Deli or J-D Pizza and Grill’s quesadillas and burgers. Stop at Lorenzo’s Cash ‘n Carry for fresh seafood and specialty items. Find authentic Mexican at Boom Boom Mex Mex Taqueria, Caribbean comfort food at Jamaican Lick Finger Restaurant and Chinese favorites at Dragon China. Enjoy fine dining at The Cider Mill, School and Vine Kitchen & Bar and Inn of the Seasons. Chelsea’s Restaurant & Bar is now open. Treat yourself to Abbott’s Frozen Custard, Bailey’s Dairy Treat and Gannon’s Isle Ice Cream.

Beers and a growler at Red Hawk Brewing Co., which specializes in Belgian-style ales.

Have a drink Red Hawk Brewing specializes in Old World and Belgian styles. At Beak & Skiff’s 1911 Established Distillery, the hard ciders, spirits and wine are made with their own locally grown apples. Shady Brook Liquors features more than 100

Chicken Supreme at Chelsea’s Restaurant & Bar on Onondaga Hill.

Watch the game and have a cold one at Burdick’s Tavern and DannO’s.

Shop local The Gift Box Shoppe highlights several local artisans. Explore Rummage Heaven Antiques & Vintage for furniture and decorative accessories. The Fabric Mill’s offerings go well beyond fabric and window coverings. Pick up fresh local produce, gifts and décor at Silver Spring Farm Market. Participate in Stone’s Throw Farm’s CSA. Enhance your home with supplies and expert advice from Marcellus Nursery and Sollecito Landscaping Nursery. Crazy Daisies has expanded beyond its greenhouse to become a day-out destination. Delaney Farms is known for its sweet corn. Sweeten the deal at Cedarvale Maple Syrup Co. Stock up on meatball mix and sausage at Cummo’s Meat Market. Make Green Hills Farms your grocery and get their famous donuts.

Get equipped for boating season at Brinson Marine. Find the perfect tree at Syracuse Christmas Tree Farm.

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PHOTOS BY CHARLIE MILLER, DON CAZENTRE

pre-chilled wines and champagnes.

Get outside Anthony J. Santaro Memorial Park offers sports fields, tennis courts and in-line skate and bike area. Howlett Hill Park features softball and soccer fields and a basketball court. Kelley Brothers Memorial Park has a tennis court and a beach volleyball court. King Memorial Park provides athletic courts and fields. All four parks have pavilions for rent, grills and playgrounds. The Parks & Recreation department runs adult softball and pickleball leagues and several youth programs. The Central New York Land Trust’s Bigsby Drumlin Preserve provides a panoramic view of Syracuse and has well-maintained trails.

Young dancers perform at the St. Elias Middle Eastern Cultural Festival.

Annual events

Super Sunday with holiday shopping. Southwood FD

“We love this area and the warm, welcoming community who have supported us throughout the years. We are proud to be a part of such a historical town!”

invites all for Breakfast with Santa.

JAN CONSTAS, OWNER OF THE GIFT BOX SHOPPE

Celebrate Arabic and Macedonian culture through music, dance, and food at St. Elias Orthodox Church’s Middle Eastern Cultural Festival and St. George Macedonian Orthodox Church’s Syracuse Macedonian Festival, respectively. Howlett Hill Fire Department hosts an Easter Bunny Brunch, Mother’s Day Chicken BBQ, King’s Feast and Halloween Party. Taunton FD puts on a Reno Night.

Navarino FD holds a Memorial Day Chicken BBQ. South Onondaga FD has a Beef BBQ and celebrates Santa

Things to do Visit the country store and u-pick at Burrell’s Navarino Orchard. Named the #1 Orchard in America by USA Today 10Best, Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards is an area attraction. For fall fun, head to The Pumpkin Hollow and Rohe Farms. Onondaga Free Library PHOTO BY MICHAEL GREENLAR

enhances the community. The Onondaga Senior Center includes a dance studio and billiards room. Visit the Town of Onondaga Historical Society Museum at Town Hall for displays, including Onondaga Nation culture and arts. Learn to ride at Denise Vespa Stables or take a guided horseback ride at Route 80 Quarry Ridge Stables. Get healthy at Trufitness Health Club. Dancers of all ages can learn at the McDonald School of Irish Dance. Get a reciprocating membership at public courses Orchard Vali Golf Club or Tanner Valley Golf Course. From the links to social activities, joining Bellevue Country Club will keep you busy. Special functions take place at SRC Arena and Events Center. Experience two spots on the Haunted History Trail of New York State: the “13 Curves” of Cedarvale Road, a scenic road said to be haunted, and hike or bike around Split Rock Quarry’s stone crusher and underground tunnel.

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CNY Scout

Play on, player

Three Lives, an esports bar on South

DeSantis. They each bring a different set

Clinton Street in Armory Square, is creat-

of skills: Nicole Page, a history of manag-

ing a community IRL (in real life) around

ing operations at startup restaurants and

an activity based on virtual interaction —

food-based businesses; Cavallo, years of

and taking a night out to the next level.

catering and casual dining experience;

Esports is competitive video gaming

and DeSantis, cocktail program development and bar management.

peted at the national level. He also has a

The menu is influenced by snack foods,

background in the culinary industry and

but elevated. “It just takes that memory

solidified his fine dining chops at Mir-

from when you [were] a kid and gives it

beau and The Krebs. In 2018, Page was

this high-end spin,” says Cavallo, refer-

ready to strike out on his own. As he de-

encing the Dorito dust incorporated into

veloped his business plan, he sought to

some dishes and a Mountain Dew simple

build a social spot for people like him, a

syrup for cocktails. Smashburgers and

self-described introvert with extrovert

sausage heroes are the focus; all meat is

tendencies. “This is an alternative night

ground in-house and veggies are pick-

life,” he says.

led by Cavallo. The menu notes vegan

Joining Page on his quest are his sister,

options and burgers can be substituted

investor and COO Nicole Page, Executive

with vegan alternatives. There is a dedi-

Chef Zach Cavallo and Bar Manager Josh

cated gluten-free fryer, too.

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

Above top, from left, Jon Page, Nicole Page, Zach Cavallo and Josh DeSantis with a DeLorean in front of the bar.

Above, Cocktails such as the Potions are just one of the ways Three Lives creatively expresses their theme.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THREE LIVES

and Three Lives owner Jon Page com-

78

BY AMY BLEIER LONG

The bar features mainstream and craft beers, including the on-brand Otter Creek Bonus Stage IPA with video game graphics on the can. DeSantis’ alcoholic Potions and mocktail Power Ups keep thirsts quenched. Each month, a suggested dish-and-drink pairing incorporating a common ingredient is themed around a specific game and featured as a Mortal Kombo.

Three Lives is gamifying the restaurant experience with interactive ways to engage with the bar: Roll a large-scale 20-sided dice to randomly select a shot. Find secret menu items or participate in taste tests by joining the bar’s Discord server.

A selection of 15 coin-operated arcade cabinets will rotate on and off the floor; Street Fighter II, Ms. Pac-Man and Contra are among the classic titles offered. Customers interested in console games can rent Xbox or PlayStation controllers at the bar, find their favorite titles and play alone, together or online. They plan to get the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 so gamers can try out the latest tech. Esports tournaments will also be broadcast so fans can watch their favorite players.

Jon Page hopes Three Lives will foster connection among the local gaming community. Three Lives has a presence on Twitch and Discord, which are primarily content streaming and communication platforms, respectively. Through those, he affiliates the bar with local streamers and shares their content on the bar’s TVs so customers build recognition of each other. Future events include LAN (local area network) parties, in-house game tournaments, Discord Nights where people can chat with each other on-site and a streaming Twitch network to bring food, drinks and gaming onto one channel.

Opening a high-touch business in 2020 has not been easy: The day of the bar’s grand opening (August 19), the State LiPHOTOS COURTESY OF THREE LIVES, DON CAZENTRE, ANTHONY TRINGALE

quor Authority pressed pause on their ability to allow game play. In response, Three Lives successfully shifted to a sitdown restaurant. It is currently open Wednesday to Sunday, 4 p.m. to midnight; the under-21 crowd is welcome until 9 p.m. The team acknowledges a silver lining: the pandemic

From top, a Pac Man Lemon-tini, the 1-Up Burger, retro-style arcade games, the exterior of the bar on S. Clinton Street. Three Lives is the first esports/arcade bar in our area.

let them build their brand, develop a following and reflect on how to create a casual place where customers really feel taken care of.

The Three Lives team wants visitors to find a place of connection and healing, whether they play video games or not.

“It bridges that social gap that exists between different groups of people. I think especially during this time…we need that more than anything,” says Nicole Page. Her brother agrees: “We’re going to refill your heart meters so you can leave happy.”

For more information, visit Three Lives at 316 S. Clinton Street, Syracuse, 315-218-5001, threelivesbar.com or follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Discord.

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No Orange season has more questions.

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Farm to Table

Cinnamon it A VIETNAMESE BEEF STEW FROM MAMMA HAI IN SALT CITY MARKET SERVES UP COMFORT FOOD IN ONE AROMATIC BOWL OF COZINESS.

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Farm to Table

Left, Ngoc Huynh in the kitchen.

Below, Huynh’s mother Hoa Nguyen and aunt Thuy Nguyen.

Come November, we’re craving a little comfort from the cold. This flavorful stew of lemongrass, ginger, bay leaf, star anise and cinnamon from Mamma Hai in downtown’s soon-to-be-open Salt City Market proves to be just the thing to keep you cozy while infusing the house with comforting aromas.

Mamma Hai brings homestyle Vietnamese cuisine to Syracuse. On its website, the restaurant explains its name as “a person who cooks for you when you’re hungry or gives you a place to stay when you’re stranded.” Owner/chef Ngoc Huynh, who was born in Vietnam, escaped to Japan, and raised in Nebraska, learned to cook from her mom and aunts by doing prep work and taste testing at the family’s billiards and café business. “I knew what went into a dish and how things should taste,” says Huynh.

Now, as the owner of Mamma Hai, Huynh serves Vietnamese food using recipes from her family.

“Our recipes are from my grandma, ma and aunts who are from Tra Vinh, a city in the Mekong Delta region of Southern Vietnam. The area is diverse with a melting pot of cultures from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, China and India. Hence, our style of cooking is very unique,” she says.

Here, Huynh offers bò kho, a classic Vietnamese dish influenced by French colonialism. It’s a beef stew like French pot-au-feu, says Huynh.

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“In our family, it’s a common dish for fall and winter because it warms up the belly and is very satisfying. As it cooks, the herbs and spices make the house fragrant adding another level of comfort and coziness,” she says.

While her kitchen uses many Asian herbs and veggies that aren’t always available at the farmers market, Huynh tries to use fresh seasonal produce such as garlic, green beans, onions, potatoes, beets, leeks and brussels sprouts. This recipe makes good use of garlic, carrots and potatoes — all still available locally.

PHOTO BY MICHELLE GABEL, FAMILY PHOTO COURTESY NGOC HUYNH

BY M J K R AV EC

Bò kho SERVES SIX Ingredients 1.5 lbs of beef shank, cut in 2-inch chunks 1 lb beef chuck or oxtail, cut in 2-inch chunks 3 carrots, cut into 1 ½-inch chunks 4 potatoes, cut into 1 ½- inch chunks 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised (press flat side of chef’s knife into stalks to release flavor) 8 cloves of garlic, minced (use half for marinade, other half for frying) 4 shallots, minced 1 Tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. five spice 2 tsp. Madras curry 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. of black pepper 4 Tbsp. fish sauce (use half for marinade, half for frying)

Directions 1-inch knob ginger, cut in thick slices 1 stick of cinnamon 3 star anise 2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce 4 Tbsp. tomato paste 2 cups coconut water 12 cups water (use 10 cups for parboiling, 2 cups for broth) 1 bay leaf 1 tsp. annatto seeds 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 large onion (Half cut into 2-inch chunks, while other half cut in thin slices) 1 lime, cut into wedges Loaf of French bread or rice noodles Handful of basil for garnish

 Wash the beef with salt and water, pat dry, and cut into large chunks. Pour 10 cups of water in pot, bring to a boil. Add two slices of ginger and one star anise. Parboil the beef in rapidly boiling water until you see impurities rise to top. Rinse the beef in cold water and squeeze out the liquids. Pat dry with paper towel.  Marinate the beef using minced garlic and shallots, sugar, salt, fish sauce, five spice, and Madras curry. Massage them into the meat thoroughly and let it sit for about an hour while you cut the onion, carrots and potatoes.  Heat the oil and annatto seeds in a saucepan over low heat for about two or three minutes. Be careful because the heat can cause seeds to pop. As the temperature increases, the annatto seeds will release their red color. Turn the heat off when you notice most of the seeds getting darker. Let the pan cool, then strain, discard seeds and put oil aside.  Put the remaining star anise and cinnamon stick in a small pan over medium-low heat. Toast until fragrant. Set aside.  Heat half the annatto oil in a pot, pan fry the beef on each side until brown, and place on a plate.  Add remainder of the annatto oil in the same pot, fry the slices of onion and garlic.

When onion browns, add the tomato paste, dark soy sauce and fish sauce. Then add the toasted cinnamon, star anise, coconut water, water, bruised lemongrass and the bay leaf.

Any preparation tips?

Don’t rush. You need to marinade the meat for a couple of hours, and when you are cooking, take your time with the flame and increase gradually.

What food/wine pairings do you suggest?

Bò kho is served with French bread or rice noodles. For wine, my favorite local pairing is Silver Thread Vineyard’s Blackbird Red Wine.

“My mom and aunt Thuy were instrumental in making the food business successful when our family owned a billiards/café during my childhood.”

NGOC HUYNH

 Turn the heat up to medium high, and skim off any foam that rises to top. Once the broth looks clear, lower the heat and let it simmer for about two hours. Remove the lemongrass, ginger, cinnamon and star anise from the pot.

Add carrots and potatoes and cook for another 20 minutes, then add the chunks of onion. Taste and add more fish sauce or sugar if necessary.  Serve with French bread or rice noodles with a squeeze of lime and some basil.

Note: If in a hurry, you can do this recipe with an Instant Pot, pressure cooker, or crock pot. Same directions through browning the meat and frying the tomato paste. Then, pour it in with all your liquids in the pot. Add the vegetables towards the end of cooking so they don’t wilt. Enjoy!

Please send pictures of your results to mammahaicatering@gmail.com so they can feature them in their social media.

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Art Profile

G OI NG W I T H T H E F LOW

B Y K AT H E R I N E R U S H W O R T H

The impact of COVID-19 on the museum world has been dev-

We recently sat down with directors of three diverse Syracuse

astating. Forced to close their doors to visitors in the middle of

city museums and galleries to discuss the impact the closings

March, many did not reopen until mid-July or early August.

had on their organizations and how the on-going pandemic is

Months passed when admission fees could not be collected,

altering their business models. We spoke with Elizabeth Dun-

fundraising events had to be cancelled or postponed and in-

bar, director and CEO of the Everson Museum of Art, Tanisha

structional classes were either forced to go online or were can-

Jackson, executive director of the Community Folk Art Cen-

celled altogether.

ter and Cheryl Chappell, owner of the Edgewood Gallery. As a

The situation facing the museums and galleries in Syracuse was, and is, no different.

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group they represent the diversity of our arts community, but they share a common experience.

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Elizabeth Dunbar Director and CEO of the Everson Museum of Art Dunbar says the Everson saw a 30 percent loss

“We made connections far beyond the Syracuse

stopped. Onondaga County funding was cut in

community with this,” Dunbar says of the webi-

half. The Annual Summer Picnic, the organiza-

nars. “We had curators from the Met, the Brook-

tion’s largest fundraiser, was canceled. The Sum-

lyn Museum and Ulysses Dietz from the Newark

mer Art Camps were also canceled. Outside orga-

Museum watching.”

nizations that scheduled events in the museum pulled out of their commitments. These were all revenue generators for the museum.

PHOTO COURTESY EVERSON MUSEUM OF ART

and it was a hit.

in income during the shutdown. Admission fees

She expects these webinars to continue, but with less frequency.

The education staff developed Creativity Kits for

Going forward, Dunbar says exhibition dates will

sale that provided a fully outfitted, self-contained

be extended and instead of working with national

art activity for kids. It helped fill the void created

artists, curators will be relying more on the Ever-

when the Summer Art Camps were canceled. The

son’s permanent collection to develop shows and

kits sold well and will continue to be available.

cut expenses. There were also plans to open the

Dunbar says she is most proud of being able

much-anticipated museum café this fall, but that

to keep all the museum’s full-time employees

date has been pushed out to the summer of 2021.

throughout the shutdown. She credits that to the

“There’s no rush to finish it [the café], if people can’t use it,” Dunbar says.

When the Everson shut down on March 15, the staff had to act quickly. Dunbar says the education and curatorial staffs pivoted on a dime.

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

So, life goes on at the Everson Museum of Art with vestiges of the past married to aspects of a new normal.

Is this a sustainable model?

Garth Johnson, the curator of ceramics, set up a

“No. It’s not sustainable,” Dunbar says. “Some

weekly online seminar during which he provid-

parts are sustainable and it’s great to have the on-

ed a detailed discussion about one of the ceram-

line components, but we have to get people back

ic objects in the museum’s collection. It was free

in the building.”

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Tanisha Jackson Executive Director, Community Folk Art Center

The Community Folk Art Center (CFAC) was forced to close its doors on March 16 and did not reopen until July 17. That reopening was restricted to only Syracuse University faculty, staff and students as a way to mitigate the exposure to COVID-19 between SU and metro-Syracuse communities. Tanisha Jackson, CFAC’s executive director, says being a unit of Syracuse University’s Department

also took a five percent cut.

of African American Studies is part of the organization’s function,

But that didn’t mean there still wasn’t work to be done.

but they are also an independent 501(c)(3), which allows them to

Jackson took the downtime as an opportunity to revamp

reach beyond the university’s walls into the broader community.

CFAC’s online presence. So, in addition to the organiza-

“That was the biggest impact on us as an organization,” Jackson

tion’s home page (communityfolkartcenter.org), which

says about the closure and restricted reopening. “We are a bridge

lists events and programs, there is now a new virtual gal-

between the community and SU, but that bridge right now is a little

lery (cfacgallery.com) that invites visitors to take an on-

one-sided. We don’t have any community foot traffic.”

line tour of past and present exhibitions.

CFAC weathered the COVID-19 storm fairly well since they had the extensive resources of SU to back them up.

“Our overhead and general operating budget is through SU,” Jackson says. “That’s what keeps us operating and sustainable. Without SU we wouldn’t be sustainable.”

While no staff were let go during the shutdown, two key positions that Jackson was about to fill had to be put on hold due to the financial pressures the university was also experiencing. CFAC’s budget

“We now have exhibitions in perpetuity,” Jackson says.

She also began developing and hosting a podcast, titled “Black Art Speaks” and like the Everson, CFAC initiated plans to shift art instruction online.

“Online art instruction, the virtual gallery, the podcast series are ways in which we will respond to COVID19,” Jackson says.

So, while the nature of CFAC’s day-to-day functions have changed due to COVID-19, the organization does not have to live with degree of uncertainty felt at other arts organizations. It helps to have the backing and re“This has been a time for us to be innovative,” Jackson says. “Yes, COVID-19 is a terrible thing, but it has allowed us to not just sustain our organization, it has made us think about how we can do things differently.”

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PHOTOS COURTESY COMMUNITY FOLK ART CENTER

sources of Syracuse University.

Cheryl Chappell Owner, Edgewood Gallery

When the Edgewood Gallery closed its doors on March 19, owner Cheryl Chappell got a new job description.

“My job became battling the unemployment system and trying to get a PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loan,” Chappell says.

“That became my job. That’s what I was doing for eight hours a day for the first few weeks we were shut down.”

The New York State unemployment system was not prepared for the deluge of applications following the state-wide shutdown. Persistence and patience were key to breaking through the uninten-

“When I reopened, I had a very good three weeks of

tional, but very real barriers. Chappell worked through KeyBank for

people coming in,” she says. “I was really busy in June

the PPP loan, which was designed to keep employees on the payroll

and July. People were so excited to be out and they were

even though they aren’t necessarily working full time for the orga-

buying like crazy.”

nization. The loan would be fully forgiven if the funds were used to

While Chappell’s gallery is small in scale, she must still

cover payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. Chap-

operate within the state-mandated COVID-19 protocols.

pell used the PPP funds to cover her payroll (she is the sole employ-

She allows a maximum of only four people in the gallery

ee) and rent. So, she’s in good shape.

at a time. There’s a Plexiglas cover, which she can sani-

“Everything worked out for me and I am so grateful,” she says.

“Without PPP I would have been hurt.”

tize, over the counter where she works with customers to choose frame and mat options. She repeatedly wipes

The gallery reopened on June 2 and Chappell says she was imme-

down doorknobs with sanitized wipes and she keeps the

diately busy. People had spent 10-12 weeks in their homes ventur-

air conditioner running while the front door to the gal-

ing out only for necessities or an occasional walk.

lery remains open for better ventilation. She says virtually everybody who has come into the gallery has worn a mask. No problem.

She credits the COVID-19 shutdown with people realizing the importance of a comfortable home that reflects who they are. That’s why she was so busy after she reopened.

PHOTOS COURTESY EDGEWOOD GALLERY

“Art is the soul of the house,” Chappell says. “People were shut in and needed to add to their homes. It was the treat they were giving to themselves.”

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Galleries ArtRage Gallery, The Norton Putter Gallery 505 Hawley Avenue, Syracuse, artragegallery.org. 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Free. Check their website for updates.

Joe Guerriero: Waiting for Normal — Cuba and the United States. People feel an undeniable attraction to Cuba after visiting even once. It’s mostly about the people — their warmth and friendliness, their art, music and culture. However, it is almost impossible to photograph or create art in Cuba without capturing the effects of the embargo. Photographer Joe Guerriero’s photography and film work does just that, reflecting more than 20 years of spending time with the Cuban people and experiencing firsthand the effects of the United States’ continuing embargo of the island. He shows how the embargo affects the lives not only of Cubans but of those Cuban Americans who still have relatives in Cuba. Through Dec. 20.

Edgewood Gallery 216 Tecumseh Road, Syracuse. 315-445-8111, edgewoodartandframe.com.

9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday- Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday-Monday. Free. Please wear a mask, observe proper social distancing.

Hand sanitizer, gloves and masks are available in the gallery.

Linda Bigness at Edgewood Gallery.

Holiday Exhibit and Sale. Crystal Vision: Linda Bigness’ small encaustic paintings and larger oil paintings expressing layered abstract imagery, with the unique ceramic forms and finishes of Vartan Poghosian and enamel jewelry

by Karen Convertino. Nov. 20 through Jan. 8, 2021. Due to COVID-19, there will be no opening reception

Everson Museum of Art 401 Harrison St., Syracuse. 315-474-6064, everson.org. Noon to 5 p.m.

Wednesday and Friday, noon to 8 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday-Tuesday. $5 suggested donation.

PHOTOS COURTESY EDGEWOOD GALLERY, EVERSON MUSEUM OF ART

Portal: The Window in American Photography.

Empty openings or panes of glass in houses, vehicles, skyscrapers, or storefronts, windows are portals to and from other worlds. Drawn from the Everson’s collection, this exhibition examines the formal and symbolic potential of a simple aperture. Through Jan. 24, 2021.

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The Floating Bridge: Postmodern and Contemporary Japanese Ceramics. The Everson began collecting contemporary Japanese ceramics in earnest in the mid-1970s, an experimental period when artists were applying geometric forms and conceptual strategies to traditional materials and forms. The exhibition highlights this under-recognized generation of artists who are now credited with laying the groundwork for today’s contemporary ceramic movement in Japan. Nov. 7 through May 9, 2021.

Lacey McKinney: Reconfiguration. Using portraiture as her point of departure, Lacey McKinney examines themes of identity and embodiment through the human face and figure. Painting with acrylic and oil, McKinney merges multiple faces into one composition—blurring together moments in time. Calling attention to the fallacy that humans maintain a singular fixed identity and challenging the history of genre portraiture, McKinney questions how much information can be gleaned from a single portrait. Nov. 14 through Jan. 24, 2021.

From Domestic to Divine: Andean Ceramics from the Permanent Collection. The ancient Andean civilizations of South America were strikingly diverse in their religious beliefs and material cultures, but each developed complex ceramics for both domestic and ritual use. This exhibition features key pieces from the Museum’s collection, including

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Lacey McKinney at Everson Museum of art.

several recent acquisitions from the Nazca, Paracas, Moche, Chimú and Chavin cultures. Through Feb. 7, 2021.

A Legacy of Firsts: The Everson Collects. In 1911, the Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts (known today as the Everson) made history as the first museum in the country to declare that it would focus on collecting works made by American artists. This decision, implemented by Museum Director Fernando Carter, was the first of many made by directors that ultimately defined the Everson’s collection as it exists today. This exhibition examines over 100 years of the Museum’s collecting priorities, from its earliest acquisitions in 1911 to work acquired in 2019. Through Jan. 3, 2021.

Galleries Onondaga Historical Association 321 Montgomery St., Syracuse. 315-428-1864, cnyhistory.org. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. WednesdayFriday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Free but donations encouraged. Check their website for updates.

Freedom Bound: Syracuse & The Underground Railroad. Dedicated to the history of anti-slavery and Underground Railroad activity in Onondaga County, Freedom Bound personalizes the story of the Underground Railroad while educating visitors about slavery, abolitionism, tolerance and the meaning of freedom through a highly immersive experience. OHA has recreated the story of how slaves had to make the decision to escape, leaving behind family and the only world they knew, for a chance at freedom.

Woman’s Perspective: 120 Years of Female Artists. Since the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, women have worked hard to gain equality, opportunity and recognition in the traditionally male-dominated art world. “A Woman’s Perspective,” highlights artwork from the OHA collections created by women since 1900. These women have documented the landscape and people of Onondaga County for the past 120 years.

Strolling Down Salina Street: 19401980. So many Central New Yorkers have fond memories of coming to Syracuse and taking in the shops, the sights and the sounds of Salina Street, the heart of Downtown. This exhibit re-creates Salina Street in our large first-floor gallery, using photographs and artifacts from the many shops, so that visitors to our downtown museum can “stroll” down the grand old street once again.

SU Art Galleries First floor of Shaffer Art Building, Syracuse University, Syracuse. 315 443-4097, museum. syr.edu 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, closed Monday. Free.

Check their website for updates. Find virtual exhibitions at galleries.syr.edu/exhibition/ virtual-exhibitions/

Being Human: Portraits from the Permanent Collection. Through portraiture, this exhibition brings art together from vastly different time periods and cultures, including many works that have never been on view and a number that are recent museum purchases. In place of a traditional display organizing these works chronologically or geographically, artwork is juxtaposed to disrupt traditional interpretations and encourage new dialogues. Through Nov. 18.

The Power to Make Ordinary, Extraordinary.

Help bring the next level of memory care to our community Being able to provide advanced dementia care for all levels of need means continuing to invest in new state-of-the-art facilities, like the new Borer Memory Life Community opening this Fall on The Nottingham campus. Another way, with the help of The Foundation, Loretto is leading the region in helping those with dementia thrive until there’s a cure.

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lorettocny.org/Donate NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

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Flashback

Hail to the Chief!

PRESID EN TIA L VISITS TO O N O N DAG A C O U N T Y

BY THOMAS HUNTER

November 2020 is a national election month and Syracuse and Onondaga County have hosted some sitting U.S. presidents throughout the past 200 years. The first was Martin Van Buren on Sept. 10, 1839. The most recent was Barack Obama on Aug. 22, 2013. In between, Millard Fillmore, Grover Cleveland (who spent his boyhood living in Fayetteville), Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton also came.

President Lyndon Baines Johnson visited Syracuse twice — on Aug. 5, 1964 and again on Aug. 19, 1966. LBJ first came to the Salt City to dedicate the new $15 million S.I. Newhouse Communications Center at Syracuse University. S.U. bestowed on Johnson an honorary Doctor of Laws degree and invited him to give the dedication speech. On Aug. 2, a confrontation occurred between the USS Maddox and North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. At the last minute, a solemn Johnson changed his dedication speech to address the incident and “rap North Viet ‘aggression.’” After his momentous Gulf of Tonkin speech, LBJ and Mrs. Johnson, along with the Newhouse family, cut four orange ribbons to open the communications center.

During Johnson’s second visit, he spoke from the steps of the Onondaga County Courthouse about his Great Society domestic programs aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice. He resolved to make American cities “better places in which to live, work and play,” frequently citing Syracuse’s achievements and aspirations.

The 25,000 listening to Johnson’s impassioned speech in Columbus Circle repeatedly applauded him. When finished, LBJ shook the hands of numerous onlookers who pressed against the barricades. Once the president left, street sweepers cleaned the area, as if to bolster LBJ’s dream.

Onondaga Historical Association owns a coffee cup made by Syracuse China that features a pair of cowboy boots with spurs and the initials LBJ in a light brown airbrushed design. U.S. Representative James Wright Jr. of Texas bought a set of cups and saucers and presented them to President Johnson in 1964.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OHA

THOMAS HUNTER IS CURATOR OF COLLECTIONS AT ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.

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President Lyndon Baines Johnson shakes hands with supporters at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport on Aug. 19, 1966. Later that day, he would speak about the Great Society from the steps of the Onondaga County Courthouse.

The Last Word

With Debbie Dennis S E N I O R R EC R E AT I O N L E A D E R AT O N O N DAG A L A K E PA R K , C O O R D I N ATO R L I G H T S O N T H E L A K E .

What better way to close the year than to chat with the coordinator of one of CNY’s most popular holiday traditions? Debbie Dennis is senior recreation leader at Onondaga Lake Park and coordinator for Lights on the Lake, an event featuring more than 300 displays, 600,000 light bulbs and an average of more than 41,000 vehicle visits per year.

How long have you been with the program? This will be my 15th season coordinating Lights on the Lake. The program is in its 31st year.

Tell us a little about day-to-day operations. Lights on the Lake is essentially a year-round program, with set up beginning just after Labor Day each year. Budget, purchasing new displays, rehab, extension cords, tools and bulbs, helping to plan infrastructure improvements and scheduling are some of the main things I do as a coordinator.

What time do you get up in the morning and how do you take your coffee? I get up at 6 a.m. during the week. Weekends are another story. Coffee with cream any time of day works for me.

Tell us about the first time you went through Lights on the Lake… The first time I drove through Lights on the Lake was actually the first year I worked on the program. We turn the entire show on before we open to the public… It was exciting for me to finally see how everything came together after months of work. The program truly is a team effort and I know how proud we all are of our work.

What’s the electric bill like? Lights on the Lake is 100 percent LED, so converting to that over time has made a significant impact on the amount of power we use.

Do you have a favorite holiday song for Lights on the Lake drive-thru? Sunny 102.1 is the official radio station for Lights on the Lake. They play holiday music throughout the show. One of my personal favorite holiday songs is “Little LIGHTS ON THE LAKE PHOTO BY SCOTT SCHILD

Drummer Boy.” My kids love “Dominick the Donkey.”

We have to ask (because we’re holiday movie geeks): Ever get that feeling like the moment in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when Clark Griswold plugs in his outdoor lights and nothing happens? Haha, no. Several of our displays are actually on timers, and we have 22 breakers that need to be turned on each day to illuminate the displays. That’s one of the reasons why we test everything out before we open to the public. But when the lights do come on and you can see how everything fits together, it’s truly a magical moment.

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T H E B E AU T Y OF POSSIBI LITY

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