Central New York Magazine - May/June 2022

When you’re expecting, expect the best.

Crouse Health’s family-centered maternity care goes beyond the expected when you’re expecting, providing around-the-clock care and support throughout all phases of pregnancy — before, during and after delivery. That’s why our diverse team of highly regarded OB/GYN physicians, nurses, midwives and doulas delivers more babies than any other hospital in Central New York.

Along with 24-hour in-house OB and anesthesia coverage, Crouse offers the most comprehensive resources and services to make your birth experience special — from an array of pre-birth classes, lactation support and integrative therapies, to personalized post-delivery care for both mom and baby.

Thankfully, most births go as planned. Yet it’s reassuring to know the region’s highest level of specialized newborn care is only available in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

For the health of you and your baby, choose a provider who delivers at Crouse.

CROUSE Kienzle Family Maternity Center

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

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

Thomas H. Brown 315-470-2053 tbrown@acssyr.com

MAGAZINE/EVENTS SALES MANAGER

Jennifer K. Queri 315-282-8622 jqueri@advancemediany.com

EDITOR

MJ Kravec 315-766-7833 mkravec@advancemediany.com

CONTENT EDITOR

Amy Bleier Long 315-282-8553 ableierlong@advancemediany.com

DESIGNERS

Chris Boehke cboehke@advancelocal.com Susan Santola ssantola@advancelocal.com

CUSTOMER SERVICE 315-282-8622

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Contact Jennifer Queri or visit readcnymagazine.com

ON THE COVER

Bailey stops to smell the roses, well, geraniums at Carol Watson Greenhouse. See story page 54.

Photo by Alaina Potrikus. Design by Susan Santola.

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 © 2022. 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.

UNPLUG TO UNLEASH.

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Spell bound T

he backyard I grew up in on Sunridge Avenue in Camillus will always be the epitome of springtime. Probably because my father planted a fruit tree for each of his kids, two plums and two cherries for my brothers and sisters and a peach tree for me. In May, the backyard branches blossomed pink and white over green grass like velvet and a swing set where you could fly up into a periwinkle sky and back down to earth, again and again. An ordinary backyard was a magical place to be in spring. As CNY comes back to life in bloom and buzz, doesn’t it feel as if someone waved a magic wand? And doesn’t it also feel like everyone is under the same spell, connected and caught up in all this super natural-ness?

It’s a good feeling.

In our May/June issue, we hope to bring you more good vibes as we highlight area stylists who put a decadent spin on picnicking, visit area shops and the friendly fur babies that delight customers (and

non-customers) alike, feature six local organizations that offer emotional support to area kids and find fresh looks for spring from CNY boutiques.

In other departments, Our Town spotlights the village of North Syracuse, Downtown Doings checks in with two new beverage lounges offering space for comfort and community, Caught Doing Good catches up with Agape Lounge, an afterschool program for middle and high school-age children on Syracuse’s South Side and Down to Earth offers tips for sustainable spring fashion. In Farm to Table, you’ll find a recipe for French-style Quiche from The Sweet Praxis and Art Profile examines Syracuse Opera’s new collaboration with its counterpart in Binghamton.

Finally, in Last Word, we sit down with Sycamore Hill Gardens owner Karen Hanford to find out what it takes to maintain those beautiful garden spaces and who does all her weeding.

All good things to make the most of CNY’s most blooming-est season. Cheers.

mkravec@advancemediany.com 315-766-7833

Want more?

Check out our website at readcnymagazine.com for seasonal features, stories, recipes, past issues and more. And don’t forget to drop us a line at info@ readcnymagazine.com.

And now, a word from our contributors:

“I love talking with women who are courageous risktakers. Hearing about how they went from an idea to a brick-and-mortar business with no prior entrepreneurial experience is inspiring.”

On writing about two new women-owned businesses, 210 Teas and Nectar Espresso Bar & Vintages.

Interviewing folks from the opera world was an absolute pleasure. I didn’t know much about opera previously, but their passion for the art form was electric and infectious.

On writing about Syracuse Opera’s collaboration with Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton.

Nicole Moss Underwood

Ellen E. Mintzer

Blanket Statement

and

Family Ties

Nursing.

This is your next step.

At St. Joseph’s Health, we know that nurses are exceptional people. Whether your path keeps you close to patients at the bedside or steers you to leadership, education or expansion of your skill set, we provide the collaboration, resources and support to guide and grow your career. We’re looking for passionate, driven nurses to join our Magnet® designated team. To become part of the team providing Central New York with a higher level of care, apply now. To apply, text 41411 to SJNURSE or call 833.SJNURSE.

A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE jobs.sjhsyr.org

© 2022 St. Joseph’s Health. © 2022 Trinity Health. All rights reserved.

It ’s all good

POSITIVE VIBES • OUR TOWN • MARKET TRENDS

JUNE BUGGIN’

BY MJ KRAVEC

May and June are to summer what Thursday nights are to the weekend. Picture yourself with a glass of wine as the sun melts orange and pink and the spring peepers tweet their last song of the day. Here are our fave ways to soak in summer’s preview now.

It ’s all good

LILAC IT LIKE THAT

Make lilac-infused honey by picking individual flowers from lilacs and placing them in a small jar. Pour honey over petals and allow to infuse overnight. Flowers are edible, so there’s no need to strain. Savor in tea or on toast.

HOT BOT

Use plastic soda bottles to protect tender young garden plants from the elements. Simply cut the bottom of a bottle off and place in soil over plants.

MARKET BELL

Downtown Farmers Market starts 8 a.m. June 14 in Clinton Square and runs every Tuesday until Oct. 11. Featuring dozens of farmers and produce dealers, fresh seasonal fruits and veggies, baked goods, flowers, plants and more.

YOUR SECRET GARDEN

Be one with the blossoms and take a self-guided tour at Sycamore Hill Gardens in Marcellus. Picnics are encouraged, so pack a blanket and light brunch or lunch. Visits are by appointment only. For more information, email owner Karen Hanford (and see our Last Word on page 99) at karen@sycamorehillgardens.com.

PHOTOS BY STEPHEN D. CANNERELLI, DENNIS NETT, SHUTTERSTOCK

YOU’RE SO CUKE

This time of year calls for light and dainty fare like cucumber sandwiches. To make, spread a thin layer of butter or cream cheese on white bread with the crusts cut off. Place peeled, thinly sliced English cucumbers on bread and sprinkle with salt and pepper and fresh herbs such as dill, chives or mint. Slice diagonally and serve.

CROWN GLORY

YUM AND FUN

Taste of Syracuse returns to areas in and around Clinton Square after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. This year’s event will be held 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 3-4 and features food from more than 40 vendors, $1 food samples and music by more than 30 bands, including a headlining concert by Everclear. Admission is free. Visit tasteofsyracuse.com

Celebrate Midsummer (June 24) the longest day of light like Scandinavia. Make a flower crown by braiding floral stems into a circle and tie ends together. Wear it to Wegmans we dare you.

WHIFFING IT

BY MJ KRAVEC

Unless you’re a regular practitioner of yoga, you probably don’t often think about your breathing. But research says that paying a little extra attention to our breath can have significant health benefits.

When we’re stressed, we tend to take rapid, shallow breaths through the mouth. The downside? Mouth breathing is linked to periodontal disease, bad breath and snoring, among other health concerns.

According to healthline.com, nasal breathing improves the quality of air taken into the body in three ways. First, nose hairs filter dust, pollen and other foreign substances, preventing them from being taken into the lungs. Second, air taken in through the nose is humidified and warmed before it en-

ters the lungs making it easier for the body to use. Third, nasal breathing increases production of nitric oxide, a molecule that opens blood vessels and helps to improve oxygen circulation throughout the body.

The benefits of better air intake? Reduced stress and anxiety, better oxygen uptake and improved sleep.

To practice: Try this diaphragm breathing exercise from Harvard Medical School. While sitting upright or lying down, place one hand on your stomach, the other on your chest. Inhale through your nose and focus on drawing breath down toward your stomach. Try keeping your chest level, while feeling your stomach expand as you inhale. Slowly exhale while feeling your stomach retract as air leaves your body. Repeat.

Breathing through your nose has some immediate health benefits

It ’s all good POSITIVE VIBES

A gift for the Golisano Center for Special

For Iris Buczkowski, whose oldest daughter is autistic, the new Golisano Center for Special at Upstate Medical University was a life changer.

So much so, in fact, Iris and her family decided to leave a legacy gift to the center through Upstate Foundation.

A special gift for the Golisano Center for Special Needs

“My daughter utilized services at the center for a rather extensive period of time,” said Iris, is a business owner in Rome, NY, where she also lives and is raising her family. “After successfully completing an intense therapy program, she became herself once again and was back to child we knew we had.”

For Iris Buczkowski, whose oldest daughter is autistic, the new Golisano Center for Special Needs at Upstate Medical University was a life changer.

So much so, in fact, Iris and her family decided to leave a legacy gift to the center through the Upstate Foundation.

Grateful for the extraordinary care her daughter received at the center – and a nancial advisor experienced with estate planning and philanthropy – Iris wished to “create something in perpetuity that was going to bene t other families like ours.” She donated a permanent life insurance the Upstate Foundation that will create an endowment supporting the Golisano Center for Needs for future generations.

“My daughter utilized services at the center for a rather extensive period of time,” said Iris, who is a business owner in Rome, NY, where she also lives and is raising her family. “After successfully completing an intense therapy program, she became herself once again and was back to the happy child we knew we had.”

Grateful for the extraordinary care her daughter received at the center – and a nancial advisor experienced with estate planning and philanthropy – Iris wished to “create something in perpetuity that was going to bene t other families like ours.” She donated a permanent life insurance policy to the Upstate Foundation that will create an endowment supporting the Golisano Center for Special Needs for future generations.

“The Upstate Foundation made giving very, very easy. I would encourage anybody who wants to make a charitable gift to have that conversation.”

“The Upstate Foundation made giving very, very easy. I would encourage anybody who wants to make a charitable gift to have that conversation.”

To read Iris‘ complete story, visit www.UpstateFoundation.org/LegacyGiving

To read Iris‘ complete story, visit www.UpstateFoundation.org/LegacyGiving

To create your own legacy gift, call Upstate Foundation at 315-464-6490.

To create your own legacy gift, call Upstate Foundation at 315-464-6490.

Our mission: Impacting patient care, education, research, and community health and well-being through charitable giving.

It ’s all good

North Syracuse

BY CHRISTINE DUNNE

Formerly a settlement known as Podunk, the village of North Syracuse has come a long way — with its 20-plus restaurants, activity-filled parks and other community spaces for creating memories and fostering connection. Measuring four square miles, the village boasts good walkability, seasonal events for all ages and an interesting history as a stop along the route to Salina’s salt blocks from the North Country on the nation’s first plank road.

GRAB A BITE

There are plenty of pizza and Italian options in or just outside the village, including Twin Trees III, Toss & Fire Wood-Fired Pizza, Nestico’s, Utica Pizza Company, Basil Leaf Ristorante, The Pies Guys, and Vince’s Gourmet Imports — which in addition to sandwiches and meals, features a rich array of Italian imported goods. Grotto is a great choice for dinner and date nights, with its trattoria-like ambiance and farm-to-table cuisine. The village has plenty of other selections as well, including the popular Vietnamese Noodle House, Ling Ling Buffet, China Wok, Limp Lizard Roadside Cantina and fried chicken spot 3-1-Fried currently under the same roof, The Fish Cove, The Clam Bar, Gino’s Original Cheese Steaks, and Just 1 Bite Too — a hot spot for breakfast and diner fare. For dessert, procure some goodies from Mario’s Bakery, Geddes Bakery, or Corso’s Cookies, or swing by Big Dip or Plank Road Ice Cream

“It feels like a small community right here in the village. You get to know [the customers] on a first-name basis – which is incredible.”

Sam Mondello, owner of Vince’s Gourmet Imports

Just at the southern border of the village is Sweetheart Corner with its iconic sign, above. Right, enjoy a brew at Full Boar Craft Brewery or a hot cup of coffee at Café Kubal.

SHOP LOCAL

Find the perfect gift at The Curious Rose Floral Designs, Welch & Co. Jewelers or the Mystic Side Gift & Book Store Mother Earth Health Foods is also worth a browse, between its organic snacks and teas, beeswax candles and natural beauty products. Need some furniture? Check out Fireside Unfinished Furniture, Stickley Warehouse & Factory Outlet, Serendipity: Antiques, Artwork & Goodies or even the Thrifty Shopper If you’re shopping for a canine or feline friend, Dog Daze Pet Shop offers a diversity of food, treats and accessories. When it comes to wedding and bridesmaid dress shopping, you won’t want to miss New York Bride & Co. — whose selection of designers and styles attracts customers from all over the state. And outdoor enthusiasts can prepare for upcoming excursions by visiting Mickey’s Live Bait & Tackle Shop as well as the Bike Loft

HAVE A DRINK

Sample an assortment of craft beer at Full Boar Craft Brewery and Tap Room, which lets you bring your own food. Head over to Mugshotz Tavern for an adult beverage and a game of darts. Savor some handcrafted tea or coffee while exploring the Earthbound Metaphysical Shoppe, which also sells, herbs, crystals and other items for your spiritual side. Pick up a bottle of wine from Peter’s Discount Liquors for a relaxing night at home. Quench your thirst with a juice or soda from N. Main Street Deli & Convenience. Get a cup of joe just south of the village at Café Kubal’s Sweetheart Corner location.

THINGS TO DO

Find a good read at the Northern Onondaga Public Library, Collectibles Galore comic bookstore or Comix Zone. Join a league at Bowling Green Lanes, try a dance class at All for the Love of Dancing or Celebrations Dance Center, or host a party at the North Syracuse Community Center, located in a former trolley station/powerhouse. If you need some pampering or a new look, there are a variety of establishments to help you out, including Encore Salon & Day Spa, Lavish Salon, Miracles 2 Hair Studio, Nick’s Barber Shop, Concepts in Hair, Shear Envy, Skin Oasis by Alexis, Star Nails & Spa, Nu Nails & Spa, Origins in Ink tattoo shop, and Glory Days Tattoo

It ’s all good OUR

The annual Memorial Day Parade is just one of several community events in North Syracuse.

ANNUAL EVENTS

The Memorial Day Parade brings the community together, as does the Bunny Breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt, Earth Day Clean Up (which rewards participants with complimentary pizza, hot dogs, chips and soda) and Halloween Trunk or Treat. And in May, the Family Festival blends food, crafts and entertainment including face painting, classic cars, inflatables, a dunk tank and raffles. Residents can also keep busy with yearly senior citizen bus trips, the youth summer camp program and summer swim lessons. Bundle up for the Annual Holiday Parade/Celebration, which includes a tree lighting ceremony, pictures with Santa and wagon rides.

GET OUTSIDE

Walk, bike or drive to Kennedy Park for some swimming or pickup volleyball. Nearby is Sleeth Park, a good spot for a hike with its wooded nature trails and observation deck. Heritage Park offers disc golf year-round; other activities include basketball, tennis and pup socializing at the dog park. Weekly concerts at Lonergan Park are the place to be in the summer; in the winter, bring your sleds on over to Centerville Park a popular destination for families. The parks also offer playgrounds and pavilions. Other places to visit include Veterans Memorial Park, Memorial Park, Toll Road Park and Goettel Park, whose clock is programmed to play 1,353 different songs and sounds.

PHOTOS BY DENNIS NETT, GLENN COIN

It ’s all good

HOT LOOKS FOR WARMER WEATHER

Welcome the sunny season with fresh looks from local boutiques.

BY AMY BLEIER LONG PHOTOS BY AMELIA BEAMISH

BEACH BOUND

Aloha Bottle Tee, $40, Quarry + Cloud Coastline shorts, $80, Sitka Harbor jacket, $170, Sperry CVO II sneakers in cream, $67, Fishing + Charter hat in hunter green, $36, Apolis x Sea Culture market bag, $50. Sea Culture, 11 Jordan Street, Skaneateles, seaculturebrand.com.

Model: Jared Rogers of Syracuse. Shot on location at Sea Culture.

WATERCOLOR MEMORIES

Isle by Melis Kozan dress, $189, Zenzii necklace, $49, Zenzii bracelet $32, Sandra Roberts blush handbag with bamboo handle, $119, sterling silver ring dipped in 18-karat gold, $44. Shoes, model’s own. Floridella Boutique, 406 S. Franklin, Syracuse, 315-7417961, shopfloridella.com.

Model: Carey Ringwood of Fayetteville. Shot on location at Adopted Roots, Syracuse.

CASUAL COOL

Dynamic tank top, $15, DL1961 Mara jeans, $179, Patagonia Sky Sail jacket in Tiger Lily Orange, $169, On Cloud sneakers in denim & white, $129.99, RayBan aviator sunglasses, $165, Haute Shore Blake Crossbody Playa, $90, Josslyn necklace, $28, Hoop earrings, $18, stackable rings, $10 each. J Michael, 173 Marshall Street, Syracuse, 315471-4237, jmichaelshoes. com. Model: Mya Martin of Syracuse. Shot on location at Salt City Coffee on The Hill, Syracuse.

WHITE HOT

BB Dakota Nobody’s Baby top, $79, BB Dakota Farmer’s Market pant, $79, Articles of Society The Taylor jacket, $94, Musse + Cloud, McMartita sandal, $85, Like Dreams Blossom Straw Crossbody, $35, Mure + Grand Delancey Sunnies, $26, Electric

Picks Malibu bracelet and Python bracelet, $68 each.

Emma + James, 25 Jordan Street, Skaneateles, 315685-2747, shopejclothing.

com. Model: Claire Raddant of Skaneateles. Shot on location at Skaneateles Bakery, Skaneateles.

EASY BREEZY

Free People

Jamie Embroidered Maxi Dress, $188, Enewton Clarity gold stud earrings, $62, 41inch infinity chic necklace, $135, Worthy pattern 4mm bracelet, $28, Sincerity pattern 3mm bracelet, $38, Classic 7mm bracelet, $110, Classic 6mm bracelet, $78, faux peony bundle, $48. Shoes, model’s own. Synple, 70 Main Street, Camillus, 585-615-3934, shopsynple.com. Model: Shelby Taylor of Camillus. Hair: Shelby Taylor, The Emerson. Makeup: MiKayla Hawkinson, The Glam Squad. Shot on location at Sugar Rush, Camillus.

PATCH THINGS UP

Alex Mill striped top, $139, Amo jeans, $267, Love the Label patchwork coat, $304, Dolce Vita slides, $106, earrings, $58. Skaneateles 300, 2. W. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-6851133, skaneateles300.com.

Model: Francesca Faiola of Auburn. Shot on location at Elephant and The Dove, Skaneateles.

FROM DAY TO NIGHTLIFE

Raffi button shirt, $145, Bugatti four-way stretch pants, $275, Circolo stretch sport coat, $595, OnRunning sneakers, $189, Projex 214, 211 E. Water Street, Syracuse, 315447-7961, projex214.com.

Model: Daniel Lozada of Syracuse. Shot on location at The Evergreen, Syracuse.

ACID REIGN

Elan acid wash ruffle shoulder button top, $74, Elan acid wash joggers with ruffle waist, $79, Consuela Sling Blue Jag three-way bag, $235, Kinsey Armelle stack bracelets: silver quartz bracelet, $47.99, silver smoky bracelet, $41.99, frost silver bracelet, $41.99. Shoes, model’s own.

Model: Jaycelle Palermo of Fair Haven, TMT Models. Shot on location at Bee You Nutrition, Baldwinsville.

i s i t r e a d c n y m a g a z i n e . c o m t o s u b s c r i b e

Good news

DOWNTOWN DOINGS • CAUGHT DOING GOOD • THE SEEN

A GUIDE WITH PRIDE

Known for her ability to write tight prose, Linda Lowen took on the challenge of researching and writing the first printed guidebook about Syracuse. “100 Things to Do in Syracuse Before You Die” highlights the deeper stories of our community and its people in 130word bites and features images by local photographer Sandy Roe.

The title belies well over 200 recommendations and itineraries across five categories set by publisher Reedy Press: food and drink, music and entertainment, sports and recreation, culture and history and shopping and fashion. From century-old establishments founded by immigrants to events developed by the hustling new guard, visitors and long-time residents alike will find entries covering the well-known and oft-overlooked.

“These are absolute treasures of Syracuse very much rooted in our community,” she says. Lowen emphasizes that it is not a “best of” round-up, but an exploration of experiences you can only have in the Syracuse area.

For more information and to find your copy: visit 100thingssyracuse.com.

BY NICOLE MOSS UNDERWOOD

It all started in her grandmother’s kitchen on the east side of Syracuse, with a pitcher of iced, sweetened Lipton’s tea. It was always on the counter ready to welcome visitors. Now, Kahssia Hills is extending that hospitality to Central New York with her own version of her grandmother’s kitchen, 210 Teas. The shop and gathering space offers loose-leaf tea blends from around the world and is named after Hills’ grandmother’s address.

“I want it to be a place where people can come together and exist as they are, bond over tea and have a sense of community that’s not forced, not exclusive in any way,” Hills says.

To occupy her free time during the pandemic, Hills started an online business selling loose-leaf tea blends. Less than two years later, 210 Teas has evolved into a brick-and-mortar location on East Washington St. that opened in February with help from WISE Women’s Business Center and local entrepreneur Tykemia Carman of Crave Dessert Studio.

“It wasn’t easy,” says Hills, who works as a full-time technology analyst for a large online payment processing company and in her spare time learned “tips and tricks” for how to build her business.

Kahssia Hills opened 210 Teas at 108 East Washington St. in Syracuse.

Opening her own tea shop was a bucket list item, something she thought she might do “someday.” But then her online business started booming and the space formerly occupied by Roji Tea Lounge became available. Hills saw it as an opportunity to “fill the gap.”

“Tea is a popular beverage,” Hills says. “It’s the second most-consumed beverage after water globally, and there is definitely a community demand for it,” she says.

Hills’ love for tea comes through in the time, attention and sentiment that go into selecting sourced blends from online suppliers and creating her own tea blends; she names them based on feelings the flavors elicit.

“I think about how it makes me feel and then relate that to a common experience, a song that I like, or some piece of culture that is relevant to a large group of people,” Hills says. “I have a blend called House Coat that is wintery, herbal and warming that makes me feel like a house coat or walking in a robe.”

For Hills, tea is about comfort, love, warmth and connection — in short, her grandmother.

She also sources unique experiences, such as the flowering tea, an edible bulb from the Yunnan province that blossoms in your cup when you pour hot water over it.

Hills hopes 210 Teas will expand into a space for small community events, like benefits, clothing drives or a poetry night, and be “something that gathers people together for the overall good of the community.”

A few blocks away in the McCarthy Mercantile underneath Wildflowers Armory, the eclectic European-style coffee shop Nectar Espresso Bar & Vintages features vintage decor that is available for purchase.

“Everything is for sale,” says co-owner Nicole Guindon, who combined her love for

“I want it to be a place where people can come together and exist as they are, bond over tea and have a sense of community that’s not forced, not exclusive in any way.”

Kahssia Hills, owner of 210 Teas

Works by local artists, mugs and teapots for sale at 210 Teas.

coffee and thrift shopping to create Nectar with her sister, Kayla. The two go on vintage treasure hunts together and Kayla masterminds the experimental coffee flavors, like their hot honey and ginger latte.

“It’s like grandmother’s house,” Nicole Guindon says, when you’re surrounded by vintage things, sipping coffee from a vintage glass mug. “A lot of what we are selling is ambiance. It’s so comfy, sometimes people ask if they can sit on the couch and we’re like, of course!”

Nectar’s vintage furniture beckons guests to sit and gives them the feeling of hanging out at the home of a friend — a friend whose house is Victorian-themed and who has a thrift shopping addiction, says Guindon.

Nicole and Kayla had been working in Philadelphia’s hospitality industry when they were furloughed due to the pandemic. When the Syracuse natives returned home, they decided to take a chance on opening a coffee shop — something Nicole had always wanted to do.

“That’s something positive that came out of the pandemic,” Guindon says. “I was like, I should just do it. Who knows what will happen?”

Initially, the pair had planned to open a witchthemed coffee shop called Hex that served alcohol and featured potions and crystals, but they decided Nectar would be a more viable option. With assistance from WISE Women’s Business Center and guidance from local mentor Caeresa Richardson, who owns Ecodessa, the Guindon sisters opened Nectar in September 2021.

The feedback has been positive, Guindon says. Regulars come to Nectar for date night, a weekly yarn club, a monthly fantasy-fiction book club and more. Guests at Nectar’s Coffee & Comics event, which features Funky Town Comics, get a free comic book with the purchase of a cup of Nectar’s coffee.

But it’s not just any coffee. For a “Venom” movie event “our special was a Venom Latte made with mocha because [the main character] loved chocolate in the movie and we added cayenne spice,” Guindon says. They also served a coffee spritzer called a Carnage Selzer made with sparkling water, a cranberry-black cherry juice mix and espresso. “We had it layered so it looked like blood,” Guindon says. “You gotta go all out.”

For more information: visit 210 Teas, 108 E. Washington Street, Syracuse, 210teas.com, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; Nectar Espresso Bar & Vintages, 217 S. Salina Street in the McCarthy Mercantile, Syracuse, nectarespressobar. squarespace.com, open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Nectar Espresso Bar & Vintages sells vegan baked goods from Fatcat Baking and gluten-free sweet treats from Sugar Bee of Syracuse.

We pride ourselves on aiding charitable, educational and welfare work while cultivating the minds and interests of women. Just as our founding Corinthians did, we thrive on flourishing intellectual stimulation and philanthropy for women in Central New York.

Since the establishment of the Syracuse Corinthian Club in 1949, we have hosted countless fundraisers, donated thousands of books and established a senior center. When it made sense to dissolve, we moved our remaining assets into the Syracuse Corinthian Club Fund at the Community Foundation.

Our fund will continue our club’s legacy, which began with an “army of womanpower,” through annual support for a Le Moyne College scholarship and The Women’s Fund of Central New York. Even without our formal club structure, we will continue both our friendships and tradition of generosity for many years to come.

Former members an past presi ents of the Syracuse Corinthian Club gathere at the CNY Philanthropy Center.

BY SUSAN KENNEDY

Agape Lounge is the house that love built. Founder and President Cassaundra Richardson should know: The afterschool program she created for middle and high school-age children on Syracuse’s South Side is housed in her childhood home where friends, cousins and neighborhood kids have gathered since Richardson was a little girl. “They could just feel the love,” recalls Richardson. “This home has always been a judgment-free zone.”

Growing up, Richardson’s mother welcomed all to her home with a pot of goulash and acceptance. A generation later, the kids keep coming, now with Richardson opening the door. “I wanted to take my mother’s warm welcome a step further,” she says. As a behavioral specialist in the Syracuse City School District’s Webster Elementary School, Richardson hatched a plan early in the pandemic. “The students were already here with me after school, hanging out, so I decided to create something

with more structure for them.” She wanted a safe space where youths could develop self-advocacy, leadership and life skills; a well-supervised and inclusive environment where neighborhood kids could establish relationships with positive role models.

She asked the students what they wanted to learn. They needed a salon to learn hair and nail styling. A music studio to create poetry and rap music. A game room in which to play. A renovated kitchen to learn to cook. Tutors and a study room filled with desks and computers. But where could Richardson find a building to house this dream of hers? She prayed and realized she was living in it — her childhood home.

In December 2020, she secured a loan and bought her mother’s house, created a bedroom for herself in the garage and went to work renovating every room to create the salon, the studio and more. On July 17, 2021, Richardson welcomed 30 neighborhood

Cassaundra Richardson, center, created Agape Lounge, a safe space where youths could develop life skills, leadership and self-advocacy in a supervised and inclusive environment.

A WELCOME HOME

youths to her home, her Agape Lounge. “My reality is better than my dream,” smiles Richardson.

The center is a dream come true for area teens like Nottingham High School sophomore Pierreonna Cosby. “You gotta love her,” smiles Cosby, watching Richardson — who they call Nene — play basketball with the kids. “See? You don’t gotta feel left out. You don’t have to worry about what’s coming. It’s just safe here.” Cosby comes to Agape Lounge after school each day. “It feels like home.”

In Christianity, agape is the highest form of love: unconditional love. It’s a fitting name for a place to engage young city residents who might not have access to childcare, programs or camps after school and during the summer. Richardson’s mother, aunt, best friend and a number of colleagues volunteer to teach the students, run the finances and help her supervise the 15 teens who now come regularly to the Lounge. There is no cost to the families.

In addition to the mentoring, financial and literacy programs, and activities such as gardening, music lessons and sewing, Agape provides hot meals, hygiene supplies and a washer and dryer for their laundry needs.

To learn more about Agape Lounge, or to donate to help sustain the program, go to agapelounge.org. 

Kids make the most of the music studio and salon spaces at Agape Lounge.

In less than a year, Richardson has seen a change in the kids who attend. “I see progress reports with improved grades and behavior. Their mentality is shifting. Kids are making better decisions.” At the Lounge, the kids take out the trash, help make the snacks and shovel snow to clear the basketball court out back. They take responsibility. “I see them now in the neighborhood picking up trash! Those are the little things that make me go ‘wow,’” says Richardson. “We are really making a difference.”

Richardson also strives to teach empathy and grace. “Some youth don’t have a family like you and I have,” says Richardson, and others have parents who are working two jobs and can’t get home to put dinner on the table. “You have to help the kids have a heart for their adults, too!”

They certainly have a heart for Richardson. “When I started working on this house one of the kids is like, ‘Is your landlord okay with you doing this?’ And I’m like ‘Baby, I don’t have a landlord! This is my home! I purchased this!’” The kids squealed in surprise. “That was a teachable moment,” says Richardson. She discussed working on their credit, going to a bank with a plan to ask to borrow money and securing a mortgage. “To be a person of color. To be a young woman, not even 30 yet, to have my own home, and they see it. It gives them hope.”

Richardson goes door to door to recruit teens and pre-teens who could otherwise be tempted to pass the time in less productive ways. She hopes to one day create Agape Lounges in other area neighborhoods. “Once you get these teenagers off the street, you can change Syracuse; you can change the world!”

“

I SEE PROGRESS REPORTS WITH IMPROVED GRADES AND BEHAVIOR. THEIR MENTALITY IS SHIFTING. KIDS ARE MAKING BETTER DECISIONS.”

Cassaundra Richardson

Syracuse Fashion Week Spring Fling

Syracuse Fashion Week kicked off its first night at the Aloft Inner Harbor Hotel. Models walked the runway in spring fashions and accessories from local shops and brands. The event also featured a pet runway as dogs displayed pet accessories by Walking Miss Daisy. During an intermission, organizers accepted donations for The Food Bank of Central New York. A collection of $287 from the audience went to fund more than 800 meals for local families. Fashion Week has donated $12,000 and provided 40,000 meals to local families since 2014. Closing the event, jewelry and clothing designer Michelle DaRin featured children of Ukrainian heritage wearing yellow and blue and carrying Ukrainian flags in solidarity with the Ukrainian community in Syracuse and around the world. The night kicked off three shows held at venues around CNY that featured nearly two dozen designers and more than 120 models.

Special Olympics New York: Winter Games

An opening ceremony and VIP experience at the Oncenter in Syracuse kicked off the 2022 Special Olympics New York: Winter Games. Nearly 300 athletes from across the state contended for medals in six sports. Athletes train for two months and compete regionally to qualify for State Games. Special Olympics New York is the largest state chapter in the country — there are nine regions in the state — serving more than 51,000 athletes across New York with year-round sports training, athletic competition and health screenings. Events included alpine skiing and snowboarding hosted at Greek Peak Mountain Resort in Cortland, figure skating at the War Memorial, floor hockey at the Oncenter and cross-country skiing and snowshoe racing at Jamesville Beach Park. A closing ceremony and victory dance party back at the Oncenter capped off the fun. The athletes were thrilled to return to in-person competition after a virtual event last year. The Winter Games will return to Syracuse in 2023 and 2024.

1. Rory Palms performs her ice skating routine at the Oncenter.

2. A cross-country skier crosses the finish line winning his heat of the 100M.

3. Brandy Bush of Southern Tier gets a gold medal for crosscountry skiing.

4. Esther Dygert celebrates her victory in the snowshoe preliminary race.

St. Patrick’s Parade

It was 21 degrees when Syracuse’s St. Patrick’s Parade kicked off after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Hundreds braved the wind and cold to attend, bringing blankets, green attire and plenty of cheer. Appropriately, a city plow truck led the way down the parade route, blasting horns all the way.

PHOTO BY SCOTT SCHILD

Learn to play, take lessons!

SYRACUSE STORE

102 Lawrence Road East North S racuse NY 13212 (315) 454-3823

ROCHESTER STORE 3450 Winton Place Rochester, NY 14623 (585) 427-2280

S10251880-01

NC

JAMES THOMSON

POTRIKUS

“Amongthechangingmonths,Maystandsconfest thesweetest,andinfairestcolorsdressed.”

PHOTO BY ALAINA

BLANKET STATEMENT

Local picnic stylists put a luxurious spin on open air gatherings

BY ALAINA POTRIKUS

In the past year, Toby Jacobs-Mijolovic has styled luxury picnics for elevated date nights, bridal showers and bachelorette parties, birthday brunches and rehearsal dinners.

The intimate celebrations are a swoonworthy Instagram image come to life, staged in scenic locations across Central New York.

Her business, Picnique 315, grew from her need for a creative outlet during the early days of the pandemic.

“I kept redecorating every room in my

house,” says Jacobs-Mijolovic, a family and consumer science teacher from New Hartford. “I needed to do something.”

Inspired by viral social media videos of luxury picnics on exotic beaches, she started making a list of scenic landscapes in Central New York that mirrored the picture-perfect backdrops.

She launched her business last spring. One year later, her Instagram page has close to 2,000 followers and her calendar has bookings through the end of 2022.

PHOTO BY ALAINA POTRIKUS

The name Picnique is a play on words, alluding to her promise that each picnic is curated specifically for each client.

“No two picnics are alike,” she says. “I don’t want it to be cookie cutter. I love to pair new patterns and textures together.”

Her style trends toward bohemian, but with a collected, vintage vibe and a sprinkle of eclectic whimsy.

She begins by layering vintage rugs beneath low-profile tables and chairs. A styled mix of pillows, poufs and throw blankets add texture to the scene. She builds each table setting with chargers, plates and cutlery, vintage glassware and linens. Sparkling water chills in an ice bucket, tall taper candles, lanterns and twinkling lights set the mood.

A lace teepee adds height to the scene, while bouquets of pampas grass flutter in the wind.

Clients can add charcuterie, s’mores, gourmet chocolates or custom cupcakes to their package, or bring their own food and alcohol to enjoy.

In case of inclement weather, Jacobs-Mijolovic turns to trusted indoor venues, like a rustic barn, a historic mansion or a country

club. A bubble tent serves as a clear cocoon in colder months.

“I feel like I can cater to anyone’s interests and taste,” she says.

She carefully arranges each scene before clients arrive and takes care of cleanup as well a service that clients rave is “like magic.” The majority of her inventory was collected secondhand from thrift stores, garage and estate sales.

“Maybe someone doesn’t have use for a particular item anymore, but I can use it to make something gorgeous,” she says. “It is part of the fun.”

Her favorite project: curating a proposal picnic.

“I just couldn’t believe that someone wanted this for such a big moment in their life,” she says.

This year, she expanded into stylish slumber parties, pairing playful tents with individual mattresses and plush pillows for each guest.

“When I’m not styling a picnic, I’m thinking about how to incorporate new trends, try new ideas,” she says.

“There are so many aspects that are beautiful to me,” she says. “I have to pinch myself, that this is happening. It is exhilarating.”

PICNIQUE 315

MORE INFO: @picnique315, picnique315.com

STYLE: Whimsical, posh and eclectic.

FAVORITE ELEMENT TO INCORPORATE: Custom place settings using vintage dishes, flatware and glassware, topped with luxury linens.

COST: Base prices range from $175 to $350.

“There was a need to get people together after being stuck inside for months.”

Kifflyn Moore

LOVELY LITTLE PICNICS NY

Corning-based salon owner Kifflyn Moore discovered luxury picnics on social media during the early pandemic shutdowns; she launched her own pop-up picnic business last April on National Picnic Day.

“There was a need to get people together after being stuck inside for months,” she says.

Her Instagram page is filled with special moments she has designed for clients: anniversaries, graduations, bridal showers — even a proposal. A chic bubble tent draped in globe lights is available in case of inclement weather.

Her newest offering: “Lovely Little Glampers,” with bedding, mattresses and teepees to accommodate sleepovers for up to 10 guests.

MORE INFO: @lovelylittlepicnicsny, lovelylittlepicnicsny.com

STYLE: Choose from boho, blush and English garden themes.

FAVORITE ELEMENTS TO INCORPORATE: Rich fabrics, oversized pillows, globe lights and fresh flowers.

COST: $45 per person for 2 hours, up to 24 people. Pricing does not include catering.

PARTY + PICNIC co.

Making spaces feel special has always been a passion for Holly Stehle — from redecorating her own room as a child to running a DIY and home decor blog, Update My Cape, as an adult. While recovering from knee surgery last spring, Stehle started brainstorming her next creative pursuit. She launched PARTY + PICNIC co., which offers full-service styling for parties, event decor rentals as well as luxury picnics.

Recent Instagram-worthy setups include a bachelorette dinner party for 12 in the Finger Lakes, a rainyday indoor anniversary picnic, a bridal brunch and a Galentine’s Day gathering.

Her favorite event? A surprise picnic at Thompson Park in Watertown after a courthouse wedding. “The weather was perfect and the couple celebrated their vows under a pavilion while the sun set behind them,” Stehle says.

MORE INFORMATION: @partyandpicnicco, partyandpicnicco.com

STYLE: Intimate and boho-inspired.

FAVORITE ELEMENT TO INCORPORATE: Vintage glassware.

COST: Base pricing for a picnic for two is $225, additional guests $30 per person.

PAWS-ITIVE ENERGY

Meet the friendly, four-legged greeters of CNY shops

BY MJ KRAVEC PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS

They sleep on the job. Stare out the window. Lie around in a sunny spot on the floor. And they’re on Instagram a lot. A human could never get away with such shenanigans at work. But the dogs and cats in area shops sure can. These fur babies are simply doing their job. They work their tails off (mostly) to bring comfort, connection and companionship to the visitors that stop by the stores. Good cheer guaranteed. No purchase necessary.

ELLA, SANCHEZ AND CO. AT LOCAL 315 BREWING CO.

At Local 315 Brewing Company in Warners, whose motto is appropriately Drink. Sit. Stay., people come for freshly brewed beer, food trucks, live music during the summer and Ella, a nearly 6-year-old Labrador-and-Pit Bull mix owned by brewer Josh Mersfelder. Ella might greet visitors showing her teeth, but there’s nothing to fear. “That’s her smile,” says Local 315 owner Dan Mathews.

Two weeks after losing his 15-year-old dog Nicki, Mersfelder rescued Ella from an abusive owner when she was four months old. He’s been bringing her with him to work ever since. “She spent the whole first day here between the refrigerators because it was warm,” he says. Now, Ella happily mingles with the guests — two- and four-legged kinds has a thing for riding around on golf carts and in Mersfelder’s truck and loves her grains.

“She loves it when we get deliveries,” Mersfelder says. “She’ll jump right on top of the grain delivery.”

The farm brewery’s Instagram page is filled with Ella photos riding around in a golf cart with her ears flying back, standing atop a pile of grain and sleeping by the bar. “She loves just hanging out underneath the bar, even though she’s got the office upstairs, this bed, the yard… She runs the show,” Mersfelder says.

Open year-round, Local 315 welcomes visitors’ pets, which are featured on the brewery’s Instagram page making friends with Ella. Mersfelder says guests regularly check in to see Ella. “People get mad at me if she’s not here.”

Local 315 is also home to six to eight chickens, an emu, eight goats and a rescue donkey named Sanchez. “Sanchez is a protector,” says Mathews. “He will protect [the goats] from coyotes.”

Local 315 Brewing Company is home to a donkey named Sanchez, Lab-and-Pit Bull mix Ella and an emu.

BARLEY AT BRANCHING OUT BOTTLE SHOP

Branching Out Bottle Shop in Camillus sells craft beer and cider, mead and nonalcoholic and gluten-free alternatives, but people who don’t drink beer come by just to visit shop dog Barley.

“We have a woman that shops at Costco [nearby]. She doesn’t come in, she just opens the door and bowls in a treat [for Barley],” says owner Carissa Monahan.

Adopted from Helping Hounds, the 9-year-old mixed breed has been coming to work regularly at the shop in Township 5. “He’s taken two sick days in four-and-a-half years,” Monahan says. His role at the shop? “Air traffic controller” she says. Barley has a habit of sitting behind the counter looking into the air in

front of him while customers check out. It’s such a noticeable habit that Monahan posted a sign on the counter that asks “What is Barley (the dog) looking for?” Customers write their own thoughts, some of which include “sky raisins, ghosts, floaters, dust, spirits, his own fur, fuzzies and fairies.” Originally from Texas, Barley is “addicted” to snow, says Monahan. “He’ll do backflips when snow is thrown from a shovel — you have to throw it high,” she says. Monahan gave him his own hashtag, #backflipbarley, on social media.

“He’s a Texas boy, but he’s addicted to snow. It doesn’t make any sense,” Monahan says.

MONGO AND LUNA AT SALT POINT SHOP

Drop into Salt Point Shop in Fayetteville for apparel, home goods, candles, accessories for pets and more and look out for French Bulldogs Mongo and Luna, aka Tuna and Tutu. “They really are like my children,” says owner Nicole Potocki.

The shop’s Instagram page shows pictures of 10-year-old Mongo and 8-year-old Luna snoozing peacefully on the floor and sofa in the shop — but don’t let that sleepiness fool you. They greet

a CNY Magazine writer and photographer running at top speed, tongues out and, seemingly, smiling. “They’re always excited to come into the store,” Potocki says. “Mongo is a people person and Tutu has short back legs; she waddles, she’s adorable.”

The dogs share a bed set close to the window where they can people watch. “In summer we’ll leave the doors open so the neighborhood dogs will come in and say hello,” says Potocki.

ELSA AT DOG DAZE PET SHOP

Stop in at Dog Daze Pet Shop in North Syracuse to meet the shop’s resident greeter, Elsa. The 7-year-old Pit Bull was adopted by shop owner Ruth Sturgis from Recycle-a-Bull Bully Breed Rescue. Frequently featured in the shop’s Facebook posts and on the packaging of house-made dog treats and other displays throughout the store, Elsa also works as a therapy dog for Cuse Pit Crew. “She’s a phenomenal dog. This is the Pit Bull ambassador,” says Sturgis. “She’s an Eeyore [donkey from Winnie the Pooh] trapped in a pit bull’s body.”

Sturgis says Elsa is very popular with the community and a favorite at Mets games during Bark at the Park at NBT Bank Stadium.

Anytime Sturgis is in the store, customers will find Elsa watching traffic pass by the store window or curled up under blankets in her bed behind the counter. Sturgis says Elsa loves blankets in any season and likes to be covered up, which is consistent with her role as a comforter. She has an affinity for younger kids and whenever in the presence of someone who needs a little consolation, Elsa will zero in on them, says Sturgis. “She works her magic … She’s shown me so much. There’s nothing like a nonjudgmental dog she doesn’t look at you with her eyes, but with her heart.”

BAILEY AT CAROL WATSON GREENHOUSE

Wander through the foliage and flowers at Carol Watson Greenhouse in LaFayette and you’re bound to meet Bailey, an 8-month-old Pit Bull mix that Watson adopted from Helping Hounds. “In the morning, she can’t wait to get over here — she’s like a sled dog [the way she pulls me],” says Watson. “She likes to be out with the customers.”

Bailey stays at Watson’s side most of the time but has been known to follow customers around the store. One little boy

in the greenhouse was initially afraid of Bailey, but her sweet nature won him over and he followed her everywhere, Watson recalls. Dogs are welcome at the greenhouse and Watson enjoys watching Bailey make new friends, often posting these encounters on social media.

When she’s not mixing it up with visiting dogs, Bailey likes to prop her front paws on the counter and greet customers. “She’ll go to the front door and look out the window,” says Watson.

SKIPPY AND ROCCO AT TRINITY SALON & SPA

On North Clinton Street, not far from Syracuse’s Inner Harbor, Trinity Salon & Spa treats clients to hair, nail and makeup services, skin treatments, massage and the charms of Rocco, an 11-year-old Pomeranian, and Skippy (aka Skip Skootz) a 9-yearold Maltese Yorkshire terrier mix. Salon co-owners Candie Beebe Lalomia and Cher Stark bring their sidekicks to the salon whenever they’re working. The dogs in turn keep an eye out for clients whenever the salon doorbell rings. And with pet beds set up near working stations and plenty of treats, the dogs make themselves right at home.

“Rocco insists on having cut up red pepper every morning for his treats,” says Beebe Lalomia. “He’s loved red pepper ever since he was a puppy.”

Posts on the salon’s Instagram feed feature Rocco seated in front of a shelf filled with hair products inviting customers to “Stock up on Moroccan Oil or just come to see me.” Rocco spends most of his time snuggled up in his bed at Beebe Lalomia’s workstation, while Skippy is vocal and more outgoing with the salon’s clients.

“He likes to ‘talk’ to people. He likes to sit with them on the couch while they’re waiting,” she says.

LOLA AT PAUL KARAZ SHOES

Wearing a hot pink harness and pink bows in her snow-white hair, Lola is a much more than the shop’s window decoration at Paul Karaz Shoes. Instagram posts invite customers to “come snuggle with Lola while you shop” and show Lola dressed in angel wings for Halloween, poking her head out of a Metro dog carrier and looking adorably bored while “watching her momma take ‘shoe of the day’ pics.”

Nearly 13, the Maltese Shih Tzu likes her “Chewy Vuitton” handbag toy, watching passersby from her “bedroom window” at the front of the store and trying to get the attention of larger dogs as they pass by the shop.

“She likes to see out the window. She loves people,” says owner Paige Karaz. “She gets a laugh out of people when she barks at the big dogs.”

Lola also has a thing for the mailman who doles out treats daily. “She stays right by the front door and waits for him,” says Karaz.

Customers are just as smitten and love to shower Lola with their affection, which Lola showers back. “If you’re petting her, she’ll pet back. She’ll put her paw on your hand to tell you to continue,” says Karaz.

MATTY AT ENJOY

Amid the plush pillows, hand towels and home décor at Enjoy in Fayetteville, a sleeping pug with his tongue slightly out, snores softly in a sunny window. Customers don’t mind having to step over owner Joy Cerio’s 14-year-old sleeping dog and letting him lie. “They all know him. They’ll come in and see him plopped down in front of the pillows and say ‘I’m so sorry’ and they’ll just step right over him,” says Cerio. “He’s become so much a part of the shop.”

After the shop’s previous pug, Max, died, Cerio’s husband stopped by Helping Hounds every Sunday looking for a pug to adopt. “We’re pug people,” she says. Then one day, seven years ago while on their way to a dinner party, they saw someone walking a pug outside the building. They went in and adopted Matty that day. “It was meant to be,” says Cerio. They brought Matty to the dinner party where he sat quietly in a crate. “That was a Sunday night. He came to work Monday morning,” Cerio says. And despite his being blind and diabetic, “He never misses a day,” she says.

Neighborhood families come into the shop looking for Matty, who spends most of his time softly snoring in his store bed, while customers chat about the love they have for their own pets.

“So many people tell me their stories about their older dogs,” says Cerio.

CARLTON AT WREN’S DEN

At Wren’s Den in Marcellus, Mary Carlic’s 6-year-old tabby cat Carlton follows customers around the store as they browse the shop’s décor, candles and handcrafted soaps. Carlic adopted Carlton as a stray. “He came to us basically feral,” she says. Not that you could tell. During a brief visit from a CNY Magazine writer, the cat jumps on top of the counter, rolls onto his back and paws to be petted. “People come in just to see him… They just want to pet him. A lot of people want to take him home, but

he’s the store cat. He lives here,” says Carlic.

Carlton likes to walk through the shop’s home accents and can do so nimbly without knocking anything over. He also welcomes plenty of petting. “He’ll swat at you when you’re leaving to try and keep you petting,” says Carlic.

Even visitors not looking for anything in particular come by, just to see Carlton’s friendly, furry face. “A lot of people come in and the first thing they say is ‘Where is the cat?’”

ELLIOT AND CREW AT CRAZY DAISIES

Not far from Wren’s Den at Crazy Daisies Flowers & Garden Cafe, resident animals try to mingle with guests. The Crazy crew includes Elliot, an 11-year-old Newfoundland mix, Styles, a 2-year-old Saint Bernard, PP, a 1-year-old Dachshund, Baby Kitty, a 5-year-old calico cat and Pineapple, a 1-year-old calico cat.

“We’re a farm so besides being our pets, the cats keep the critter population down, the dogs keep the predators from going after our chickens and generally keep them away just by patrolling the premises,” says owner Jennifer Cox. “Farms and animals go hand in hand in our mind. We feel that if you don’t like the animals maybe we’re not a good fit for you. We do try to keep them all away for the most part during business hours, but Elliot and the cats are pretty savvy about getting over here to visit.”

Most guests enjoy Elliot and crew at Crazy Daisies and Styles is featured on Crazy Daisies’ t-shirts and stickers.

“Baby Kitty and Pineapple have been known to jump on people’s tables… They will climb up the posts on the porch, basically do whatever they darn well please… Elliot hides under tables and begs from absolutely everyone — we’re working on that!” says Cox. “I tell everyone that Ellie is our hostess. She loves to be out here.”

Crazy Daisies’ crew of pets include, clockwise from upper left, Baby Kitty, Elliot, Styles and Pineapple.

INSIDE AND OUT

INCLUSIVE WELLNESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR KIDS AND TEENS

BY BECCA TAURISANO

The mental, social and emotional health of our school-age children has long been a concern for parents. and the events of the past two years have only exacerbated these worries. This school year has been challenging for many young people, due to time lost developing socially and emotionally and the process of reacclimating into school, sports and activities. Parents and guardians are eager for ways to help and strategies to support the development of healthy behaviors. We recognized the demand, so we looked for resources in our area that promote physical, mental, social and emotional wellness for all ages and abilities.

Left, a Yoga for Kids of Central New York camper explores a creek during the outdoor portion of a summer camp session. Above, participants work together to overcome obstacles at Team Adventure’s facility in Liverpool.

YOGA FOR KIDS OF CENTRAL NEW YORK

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

Julie Daniel and her husband, Kevin King, enjoy the practice of yoga and its mind-body connection. They found it especially beneficial as a method of self-care during their former careers as a speech and language pathologist and a clinical social worker, respectively. Daniel became a certified yoga teacher in 2006, and now the couple brings mindfulness and joy to young people through Yoga for Kids of Central New York.

One of the core principles of Yoga for Kids classes is “we meet you where you are, but we don’t leave you there,” says Daniel. “We really know how to find what interests them and what they are able to do.” The couple strive to make classes inclusive and will modify poses so everyone can benefit. “It’s huge for the kids to have that body awareness,” says King.

Classes incorporate affirmations, breathwork, vinyasas and poses. There is a playful atmosphere as the children enjoy partner poses, games and sharing about their lives. Classes always include time for self-reflection including meditation, journaling and a final relaxation. Some students are dealing with anxiety, depression or ADHD as well as the everyday stresses of school

and a changing world. “We want them to feel empowered that they can have control and be okay,” King says. This was particularly important as yoga classes were held remotely during the pandemic, and together they worked through the isolation the children were feeling. “We felt like it was our job to help them be resilient and figure out how yoga can serve them,” says Daniel.

Yoga for Kids offers classes for 2 ½- to 6-year-olds to take with their parents, and classes for older children to take independently separated by age group. Classes are held at Willow Health & Wellness in Baldwinsville and May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society in Syracuse.

This summer, Daniel and King will host their ninth Yoga and Nature summer camp at May Memorial for ages 8-14, with their colleague Julia Maum. The half-day camp will run August 8-12 and will include yoga, arts and crafts and storytelling, in addition to time spent outside playing games, cleaning up an adjacent creek and studying the water and its inhabitants.

For more information: contact Julie Daniel, jdanielyoga@gmail.com, or visit yogaforkidsofcny.com.

Left, Yoga for Kids of Central New York offers a summer camp that combines the benefits of indoor yoga exercises and time spent outside learning about and appreciating nature. Above, Mommy and Me classes are a popular offering.

FROM THE GROUND UP THERAPEUTIC HORSEMANSHIP, INC.

TULLY

Andrea Colella, executive director of From The Ground Up Therapeutic Horsemanship, Inc., grew up loving horses and studied equine science. When her son struggled with ADHD as a child he began therapeutic riding, which improved his ability to concentrate. This inspired Colella to launch her own organization in 2002 offering equine-assisted activities and therapies to children and adults of all abilities, including people using wheelchairs. The nonprofit, which has 12 horses, is the only local facility to offer a therapy called EquiLateral — Equine Assisted EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing).

On staff are two PATH International-certified instructors (considered an industry gold standard), an occupational therapist and a mental health professional. The occupational therapist works with children as young as 18 months. Benefits from being on horseback include building core strength, helping with sensory issues and providing support with mental health challenges. “The horse is a great healer and teacher,” Colella says. Therapeutic and adaptive riding lessons utilize horse leaders and sidewalkers who support the rider until their experience and confidence increases.

The nature of horses as prey and herd animals makes them particularly observant and sensitive to their environment, she says. “In the moment, horses give us immediate feedback. We can’t

get that kind of feedback from each other, but horses need that information in order to survive.” Riders also help with groundwork like grooming and tacking, which builds trust. The organization got its name from the concept of forming a relationship with the horse before a rider ever sits in the saddle.

Costs for programs vary: a 30-minute session of occupational therapy with equine movement is $60; a 60-minute therapeutic or adaptive riding session is $70. Inclusive group lessons for riders of all abilities cost $45 per hour. Equine-assisted psychotherapy with a mental health professional follows a sliding scale. Fourday summer camps are offered in July and August for $200 per session. Campers will start with the basics and an emphasis on safety regardless of prior experience.

For eligible children ages 4-15 who lack funding or health insurance, From The Ground Up offers a scholarship program. Colella hopes this will reach underserved individuals in need of mental health services. “We are definitely seeing an increase in children and teens with mental health issues” says Colella. “Hopefully this scholarship will help families get the services they desperately need.”

For more information: visit ftguhorses.org or like From The Ground Up Therapeutic Horsemanship, Inc. on Facebook.

Horses graze on the property at From the Ground Up. Twelve equines assist with activities and therapies for adults and children of all abilities.

Above, riders utilize a hand cycle and recumbent bike at the 2021 TRAID on the Trails event in partnership with the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. Right, kids launch objects with a parachute at Mystical Acres.

PHOTOS BY CALL OF THE LOON PRODUCTIONS, COURTESY OF MYSTICAL ACRES

MOVE ALONG, INC. MULTIPLE

LOCATIONS

Move Along, Inc. provides adaptive sports and recreational opportunities and adaptive equipment for Central New Yorkers of all abilities. The organization began in 1979 as the Syracuse Flyers wheelchair basketball club and has since expanded to offer adaptive cycling, kayaking and paddling, wheelchair tennis and sled hockey. All programs and rentals are available at little to no cost to the participants.

President Eddie Zaremba says Move Along changes people’s ideas about disability. “Having a disability doesn’t mean you can’t engage in the life you want to live,” he says. Partnerships with municipalities and parks and recreation departments help get the equipment out into the community and spread the word about the opportunities Move Along provides, especially to underserved populations who do not have resources to access adaptive sports. Events throughout the year showcase the possibilities: a wheelchair basketball tournament at the New York State Fair, pop-up events with adaptive cycles and a wintertime sled hockey demonstration at Sunnycrest Ice Rink. Equipment available through Move Along includes water wheelchairs, hand cycles for riders who do not have the use of their lower body, adaptive kayaks, and tandem bikes for people with vision impairment or intellectual disabilities to ride with a

MYSTICAL ACRES

POMPEY

Dr. Barbara Mettelman is a licensed psychologist with over 20 years’ experience working with adolescents. For the past 10 years, she has offered social skills programs at her farm, Mystical Acres, as an extension of her private practice. The 14-acre farm in Pompey serves as the perfect environment for kids who attend her summer programs. “It’s a calm setting and not at all restricting. It allows us to do group therapy in a fun way,” says Mettelman.

Mettelman and co-therapist, Paul Ciras, work with children who have ADHD, anxiety, are on the autism spectrum or just need help coping with stress and frustration. Each social skills session consists of three half-days centering around a theme. This summer’s sessions are Handling Frustration and Negative Emotions (July 13-15), Building Executive Functioning Skills (August 10-12) and Coping Skills and Promoting Positive SelfEsteem (August 17-19). The programs are geared for children ages 7 to 16 and she limits each group to about 15 participants. Children don’t have to have a diagnosis to attend. The therapists work to increase communication skills

companion. Zaremba encourages anyone who needs equipment to contact them. “A lot of people with disabilities are told they have functional limitations, or they can’t do something. If you want to do an activity, how can we make it happen? We have the tools to help you achieve that.”

Move Along board member Peyton Sefick, who has represented Team USA in Power Wheelchair Soccer at the World Cup, felt stuck on the sidelines before finding power soccer at age 12. “One of the big reasons we push sports on kids is teamwork, and kids with disabilities can often be left out.” Move Along’s mission to provide free or low-cost access to adaptive equipment can change the trajectory of a person’s life, says Sefick.

Move Along is planning a new sled hockey squad for ages 4-15 during the winter. No experience is needed, and ablebodied kids are welcome. Zaremba hopes for a future where all sports are adaptive and kids with and without disabilities can participate in activities together, creating empathy for each other and a greater sense of community. “You don’t have to be disabled to play adaptive sports,” he says. “Everybody can enjoy playing together with the right tools in place.”

For more information: visit movealonginc.org or like Move Along’s Facebook page.

and encourage the kids to share things about themselves. “It’s important for them to meet other kids having the same experience as they are,” says Mettelman. “It allows them to see they aren’t the only ones having that issue.” She is seeing an increase in stress and anxiety in kids due to the lack of time spent developing relationships with each other. “It’s partly due to overreliance on technology like social media and video gaming, but also the inability of kids to connect with each other for fear of getting sick, due to COVID,” she says.

The farm features a stocked fishing pond, horses and a donkey to feed and pet, kite flying, art projects and a slack line to keep kids engaged. If a child has higher needs, parents can stay for the entire time. “The goal is to make kids feel better about themselves at the end of the session,” says Mettelman. Mystical Acres will host an Open House on June 11 from 12-4 p.m. for families to learn about the summer programs, as well as enjoy wagon rides and a magician. For more information: like Mystical Acres’ Facebook page or call Dr. Mettelman, 315-559-1319.

TEAM ADVENTURE

LIVERPOOL

Team Adventure uses adventure education to bring people together and overcome challenges in a fun, creative way. The organization was founded in 2001 by Tom Gardner, who wanted to continue working with youth after he retired from teaching science. Nicolas Salibrici, program director and lead facilitator, is a former student of Gardner’s and always had an interest in the outdoors and working with people.

By focusing on building self-confidence through a variety of physical and mental challenges, Team Adventure helps younger participants learn they are capable of anything. Their Adventure Center in Liverpool has a low ropes course where participants go through eight different challenges including ropes, boards, cables and platforms set off the ground. Salibrici explains that the challenges are inclusive and emphasize teamwork as the group looks for a solution to the problem. Participants conquer challenges physically and afterwards reflect on the experience to identify what skills they can bring back to their communities

Facilitators are flexible, often bringing their initiatives offsite to schools, businesses or camps and can coordinate field activities with few to no props. Pricing varies by group size and what clients are looking for from the challenges, running anywhere

from $25-$35 per person. Facilitators have experience working with sports teams, schools, corporations and churches. “We can work with any group to help them better themselves and strengthen their relationships,” says Salibrici.

Most of the staff at Team Adventure has a background in education or counseling. The challenges help young people learn they can overcome difficulties, a much-needed skill for children and teens as they adjust to life after COVID. “We want them to know everything is okay and we are going to get through this,” says Salibrici. “Our programs offer them an outlet to get those feelings out.”

For groups that may lack funding for adventure education, there are opportunities through the Adventure Leadership Foundation, the fundraising arm of Team Adventure. Salibrici encourages everyone to reach out to them to discuss what their organization’s needs are and how Team Adventure can help. “Everybody plays no matter what walk of life you come from,” says Salibrici. “We use that spirit of play for people to realize their value and what they bring to any community they are part of.” For more information: visit teamadventurecny.com or contact Tom Gardner, 315-415-4323, or Nicolas Salibrici, 315-748-1428.

A group participates in an indoor challenge at Le Moyne College.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TEAM ADVENTURE

CENTER OF GRACE MANLIUS

Renee McLain opened Center of Grace in 2017 after going through a health crisis. Dissatisfied with traditional medicine, she began to explore alternative methods for healing and wanted to share what she learned and provide another perspective. Center of Grace offers integrative wellness services for people seeking healing from trauma. More recently, McLain began offering workshops to teach parents how to help their children process emotions through breathwork.

“Anything that has been suppressed, ignored and shamed is stored in the body and one of the only ways to access that trauma is through the breath,” says McLain. She uses Somato Respiratory Integration (SRI) in individual sessions and classes. The demand for therapists exploded during COVID and McLain says more people sought her out to help their children. She designed the parent workshops due to the increased need for emotional support for young people.

Center of Grace hosts three-hour breathwork workshops for parents ($50) every other month. The parents who attend find relief knowing there are other families dealing with the same issues. Older kids, who will not get restless during the workshop, are welcome to attend. The workshops give teens a safe place to reveal what they are feeling and the skills to find peace, says McLain.

Past workshop participant Kathy Jones is training to offer breathwork to others. She says breathwork is a simple, yet incredibly powerful tool to use with children because it empowers them to pause and process the emotion. When emotions aren’t addressed, disease, anxiety and disorders manifest, she says. Jones uses breathwork with her own children and it has brought them closer. A survivor of childhood trauma, Jones says she wishes she had breathwork as part of her coping skills growing up. “You don’t have to go outside of yourself to seek comfort with food, social media or drugs and alcohol,” she says, “you can go inside yourself instead.”

Additionally, Center of Grace offers eating disorder therapy, biofeedback, heartmath, infrared sauna, reiki, massage and more. McLain urges parents to call to discuss what their needs are and determine which services would be best for them. McLain says it is becoming more socially acceptable to seek integrative wellness. “There is a shift happening and it’s so exciting,” she says.

For more information: go to centerofgraceny.com or follow @centerofgraceny on Facebook and Instagram.

Holistic Family Wellness

Melissa Carman, Ph.D., stresses that family dynamics are hugely impactful on a child’s wellbeing, particularly if parents are struggling themselves. “Wellness is a systemic framework that the whole family lives in,” she says. Parents have to be aware about what they need and recalibrate when something is missing. Carman recommends starting with a physical foundation — sufficient sleep, adequate water, good nutrition and exercise. From there, assess your emotional wellness and determine steps to improve it. “It’s a matter of being intentional enough to value yourself to come back into being grounded,” Carman says. “If we are not taking care of ourselves, we will be more impatient, more critical. That trickles down to our kids and the ripple effects are huge.”

Dr. Melissa Carman, Ph.D., LMHC is the owner and clinical director of CNY Mental Health Counseling in Manlius with over 20 years of experience counseling a variety of individuals, including children and teens. In 2018, she became a Registered Yoga Teacher.

Carman notes that while useful, therapy alone won’t fix everything. Connecting with your child is very important and when your kids want to play or do an activity with you, you should engage with them. Doing simple things together to connect like going on a bike ride or reading a book will teach kids how to take care of themselves, Carman says. “They will learn they are worth the attention and the time spent.” For parents of teenagers, Carman recommends checking in regularly, even if teens initially resist. Some parents think if things seem okay, then everything is fine, but that’s not always the case, she says. Having a conversation in the car on the way to sports practice, a five-minute check-in before bed or gathering after dinner to play a game together can make all the difference.

A variety of healing classes and workshops take place at Center of Grace in Manlius.

FAMILY TIES

Family-controlled businesses prove to be ‘Hard work, but rewarding’

BY KENNETH STURTZ

From generations-old firms to recent startups, family businesses are part of the lifeblood of Central New York. The decision to start a business can stem from an immigrant’s journey to build a new life or out of necessity for a certain type of product. Four families behind local businesses share their stories.

Clockwise from top left, Neal Purcell and Todd Halbig; Kyle Moore, Fantasia Dunton and their daughters Patience and Promise; Emily Essi and Derrick and Julie Tennant. Opposite, supplies at Purcell’s Wallpaper & Paint Co.

Julie’s Cool Shirts

Julie Tennant has Down Syndrome, which is caused by an extra chromosome. Her family calls it the “Love Chromosome,” says her brother Derrick Tennant, because her default is love. She’s constantly thinking about other people first, he says.

Brother and sister are motivational speakers, traveling together to speak at events around the world. Their motivational speaking led to a business selling a line of fun and inspirational T-shirts designed by Julie.

Derrick suffered an injury when he was 14 that left him paralyzed on his left side. Over the years people would occasionally ask him to share his story and he gradually began to combine comedy with his message encouraging people to view obstacles as opportunities and to live simply and love wastefully. Julie happened to be visiting her brother when he had an event in 2001. He asked if he could bring her along and the audience loved them together. Derrick and Julie loved it, too.

“Then I started figuring out how to make it work with the two of us,” he says.

He eventually sold a recreational sports league he owned and began touring full time. He still tours solo, but he and his sister average about one to three shows a month together. He says it’s a balancing act for her. On one hand, she misses the routine of being at home in Syracuse; on the other hand, she enjoys the excitement of traveling and speaking.

Julie worked part time for more than a decade at a bakery. When it closed, she struggled to find another job. During her search, her brother encouraged her to draw her thoughts, such as what she thought the Love Chromosome looks like. She drew two stick figures, her and her brother, playing catch and wrote “I love my life.”

Derrick saw the potential of the design and printed it on shirts they began selling at their events. Julie came up with other designs and they sold those, too.

“There’d be a line to buy her shirt and then a line to get Julie’s autograph, and she’ll tell you there was no line to get my autograph,” he says.

He created a website and began selling the merchandise online. People love the shirts, but the best part is the handwrit-

ten note from Julie that comes with each package, Derrick says. The shirts proved popular enough that they’re in the process of redoing the website, restructuring how they fill orders and promoting the shirt line outside their events.

Derrick says the business has been a happy accident. The more important outcome has been the impact his sister has had on people with the notes she sends and the shirts she created.

“That starts conversations and makes people feel good,” he says. “So, the power that we were sitting on to impact people positively is awesome.”

Derrick and Julie Tennant are motivational speakers and inspire with their messages and the shirts that Julie has designed.

Purcell’s Wallpaper & Paint Co.

For as long as he can remember, Neal Purcell has been a part of his family’s paint business. He even has a photo of himself as a toddler banging on paint cans with a couple stir sticks as if it were a drum set.

Today he’s the second generation to own Purcell’s Wallpaper & Paint Co. The 45-year-old business includes locations in DeWitt and Liverpool, a warehouse and two-dozen employees, five of whom are family.

The business traces its origin to the late 1970s when Neal Purcell’s uncle, Rich Purcell, bought an existing store in the Valley area of Syracuse. He partnered with his brothers John, Steve and Tom Purcell. They had little experience in the paint business and their first location was a modest two-story house. The basement became the warehouse, and the first floor was the retail area for customers. The second floor served as office space.

Together the brothers grew the business and moved into a bigger building. They later expanded to the business’s two current locations. Neal’s father, John, the youngest of the siblings, eventually bought his brothers out and brought in a partner, Todd Halbig.

Purcell’s provides paint for residential and commercial customers. The typical sale can run the gamut from someone needing a gallon of paint for their living room to a contractor ordering several pallets for an entire building.

In addition to paint, wallpaper and accessories, they sell stains and a full line of industrial coatings for steel fabricators and metal shops. One of the more popular services is custom stain matching. During the pandemic Purcell’s experienced a spike in residential paint sales and dealt with ongoing inventory issues.

When John Purcell thought about retiring, his son was the obvious choice to replace him. As a child Neal had been responsible for cleaning up there was literally a broom with his name on it and doing odd jobs. Later he worked in the warehouse, filling orders and stocking shelves.

His parents hadn’t tried to force him into the family business, but in high school his father asked if he was interested in making a career of it. Neal was reluctant. He didn’t know much about the business and the jobs he’d done hadn’t been particularly fun.

“When you’re just sweeping the warehouse, it doesn’t sound very interesting,” he says. “But as the responsibilities grew and I started to learn more about how it operates, it became all the more intriguing.”

Neal went off to college, but still worked at his family’s business each summer. A few years in, he had a change of heart and switched from studying special education to business. After graduating he began working with his family full time. When his father stepped away from the day-to-day operations in 2021, Neal became co-owner with Halbig.

“I’ve been supremely blessed to have stepped into a good situation,” he says.

PHOTOS BY AMELIA BEAMISH

Top, Neal Purcell and Todd Halbig at Purcell’s Bridge Street location. Above, paint swatch cards on display.

Patience Promises Love

Fantasia Dunton and Kyle Moore’s youngest daughter, Patience, was born with a congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which required two open heart surgeries. She spent 157 days in the hospital after her birth.

Due to her condition, she has sensitive skin so Dunton and Moore, who are engaged, were careful to use natural products on her.

“The entire family went to only natural and organic products,” Dunton says.

“And when we decided to do that, we decided to open up a business,” Moore says.

It was 2020 and with the pandemic keeping people at home, the couple decided to sell the skincare products they developed. They named the business Patience Promises Love after daughters Patience and Promise.

They began researching the best oils and substances for the skin. They experimented with different scents and ingredients. Eventually, the pair developed a line of products that includes everything from soaps, body washes and shea body butters, to salt and sugar scrubs, shimmering oils and beard balms.

Dunton and Moore make everything by hand in small batches in their Syracuse home. Some items, like the salt and sugar scrubs, are easier to produce. For a salt scrub, Moore puts Dead Sea salt into a mixing bowl and adds in the particular oils, perhaps grapeseed and avocado oils. Next, he chooses a scent and mixes. Then all he has to do is package the product. Other products, such as body butters and bars of soap, take longer to make. They involve mixing, melting and waiting.

The couple sell their skincare products at pop-up shops around Syracuse and online. Their products have sold so well that they’re constantly making new batches because they usually sell out each time they do a pop-up shop. They keep a small inventory on hand for their web sales.

Moore says the business has grown to the point that he and Dunton are considering opening a brick-and-mortar store or renting space within an existing shop. But expanding poses challenges.

Dunton is a stay-at-home mom and is going to school full time. In addition to making and selling products at events, she handles the website, promotions and product photographs. Moore

works full time in sales at Gander RV of Cicero. He has heart issues himself and will need a transplant at some point; their daughter will need one more surgery in the future.

“And we still have an immunocompromised child and a 5-yearold who’s not running out of energy,” Moore says. “It’s a lot of moving parts that go on in the Moore household.”

But he says the pair are determined to move forward with the business. They’re also in the process of creating a charitable foundation to help those who’ve dealt with heart conditions.

“We’re reaching out to give back,” Moore says.

Left, Kyle Moore, Fantasia Dunton and their daughters Patience and Promise. Above, jars of their scented body butters, a shea butter scrub (rear) and a whipped sugar soap scrub.

Essi Family

Over the years, the Essi family has become a fixture of Syracuse’s tight-knit Westcott neighborhood. Four generations have worked in the family businesses, which today include Munjed’s Mediterranean Restaurant and Lounge, owned by Sammer and Deborah Essi, his mother Maha Essi, and their family; Mom’s Diner, owned by Eva Essi; Salon 515, owned by Mirvat Essi Sande; and Taps Bar, owned by Munjed Essi.

It started when family patriarch, Afif Essi, retired from the Jordanian army in the late 1960s and moved from Jordan with his wife, Nadia, and their 10 children. The family settled in the Westcott neighborhood and has been there since. Afif opened three small grocery stores in Syracuse and through entrepreneurship, he and Nadia instilled in their children the importance of hard work and family. The siblings enjoyed helping at the stores, though it was never required; their parents valued education greatly and encouraged that path first and foremost. Son Midhat Essi says they had a firsthand understanding of what their parents endured so their children could have a better life.

Mirvat Essi Sande says in the early 1980s several siblings, including her brother Munjed, worked for Acropolis Pizza, but were interested in starting their own venture. Munjed didn’t want to go into business against his former employer, so his mother suggested Middle Eastern food since there were only two other such restaurants in Syracuse at the time.

Munjed, his wife Jane, and his sister Majida Essi Kiefer opened Munjed’s in an empty storefront in 1984 with Nadia’s help and recipes. The business started off modestly: There was a small sign, a little counter and a few tables. They bought an all-inone fryer and grill from Arby’s at an auction. The restaurant became a success.

Their siblings opened their respective businesses in the years that followed. Sammer, Munjed’s nephew, acquired the restaurant in 1992, a year after Munjed opened Taps. The restaurant later expanded and, in 2014, relocated to a space with a full bar and banquet area.

While working in the businesses remains an option for any family member interested in those fields, Afif and Nadia’s children have encouraged subsequent generations to further their edu-

cations. Some went to college and pursued careers outside hospitality. Others came back to work in the family businesses, and some work on Westcott Street part-time while attending college.

Doing business during the pandemic was challenging, but customers eventually returned and with a lot of hard work they weathered the storm, Mirvat says. Mirvat and most of her siblings still live in the Westcott area. “It’s been a wonderful opportunity for us,” she says. “We love giving to the community we live in.”

Midhat says they’ve been blessed with loyal customers and an amazing neighborhood. He also understands why so many in the Essi family have remained in the family’s businesses.

“It’s rewarding,” he says. “Hard work but rewarding.”

Top, Munjed’s Mediterranean Retaurant and Lounge. Above, Salon 515. Right, members of the Essi family include from left, Maha, Emily, Isabella, Sammer Sr., Mirvat and Sammer Jr.

said Cannon Pools co-founder and CEO Clii Malzman.

linked to Cannon's success are my fire ”

#goodlifeCNY

We live in an amazing community, with unique restaurants with their own menus of special foods, stunning outdoor parks and trails and so many things to do. Our four beautiful seasons bring different adventures and influence how we dress, eat, travel, shop, exercise, gather and celebrate.

LIFE IN CNY IS A BEAUTIFUL THING – WE NEED TO MAKE SURE MORE PEOPLE KNOW IT

It’s also a place with many job opportunities. Like other communities in the U.S., CNY has companies struggling to fill open positions. That’s why CenterState CEO, along with Onondaga County and several local companies, are working together to make sure more people outside our region know about what makes CNY a great place to build a life, career and family.

CenterState CEO has partnered to market our community, showcasing its low cost of living, easy commutes, all its attributes and the many job opportunities and career paths our local companies have to offer. We need to make sure people outside Central New York know what a great place it is to live their best lives.

CenterState CEO, the region’s business leadership organization, is leading several initiatives to help address Central New York’s growing shortage of available workers. They’ve partnered with Onondaga County and several other companies to underwrite a campaign to market Central New York to candidates who live outside the area. They have also partnered with Advance Media New York to create an all-in-one resource for those companies to help sell the area.

The project includes a multimedia marketing effort and a website that provides potential new Central New Yorkers everything they need to know about the region and to entice them to join us in the Good Life. Check out the website at www.goodlifeCNY.com. It’s filled with

stunning videos, photos and enticing stories about our home. Share it with friends or family who are considering relocating, and employers looking for their next new hire.

Advance Media New York is telling the CNY story through a multimedia marketing campaign, illustrating the beauty of our area, its abundance of jobs, easy commutes and countless entertainment and recreational options in a central location.

Among the website’s many features is a job board for hiring managers and job seekers that pulls jobs from rapidly expanding companies in Central New York. It lets job seekers share information about their experience and career interests, giving participating employers access to a qualified pool of candidates interested in finding employment in the region. It can be accessed from the Good Life CNY site or by linking directly at https://careers.goodlifecny.com.

In February, SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital and SOS Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists joined the marketing initiative, so we can market CNY to healthcare professionals across the Northeast. These local companies are working together with CenterState CEO and Onondaga County to support this initiative and promote CNY to grow our community:

» CPS Recruitment

» M&T Bank

» Oneida Nation Enterprises, Turning Stone Casino

» National Grid

» Rapid Response Monitoring

» SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital

» Syracuse University

» SOS - Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists

» Equitable

» C&S Companies

» Inficon

» TTM

» VIP Structures

» Bristol-Myers Squibb

» Dermody Burke & Brown

» Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors

Join the initiative. Use #goodlifeCNY to highlight the fun and beauty of life in CNY. Follow GoodLifeCNY on social media and share your love of CNY. Find out more at goodlifecny.com.

Making good

CNY SCOUT • FARM TO TABLE • ART PROFILE

I’VE GOT DESIGNS ON YOU

Cheer up sleepy jean jackets with handpainted designs by Custom Jean Jax. Kelly Vann started her side business after reprioritizing amid the pandemic. Vann — who lives in Jordan and is a big football fan — was inspired to put her art degree to use after seeing a customized jacket on a player’s wife. When she wore her first design to Sunday Funday at the bars, she began getting requests.

Customers have given Vann carte blanche to create jackets highlighting a variety of professional sports teams, local schools, brides’ new last names and “feel good designs.” She prefers painting on pre-loved jackets from eBay, Poshmark or thrift stores for environmental reasons and for the ability to give a garment new life. Embellishments such as paint splatter, sourced or custom-made patches, fringe and chains add to the look.

Personalized jackets for women, men and kids start at $125, with a discount if a customer provides the denim themselves. Ten percent of all Vann’s sales benefit Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; she is also considering some local beneficiaries.

For more information: visit @customjeanjax on Facebook or Instagram.

PHOTO BY AMELIA BEAMISH

Making good CNY SCOUT

Design and refresh

Studio celebrates 10 years and a new location

STORY AND PHOTOS BY KATIE HOPSICKER

As you walk through the door of Michele Graham’s interior design studio and boutique, your eye catches accents of blue, white and green peeking around white shelves and earth-toned tables. Fluffy pillows stack a shelf to the ceiling, green ferns stand stoically next to tall vases and candlestick holders and painted plates and abstract clocks ornament the space.

In the corner, a hanging rack of rug samples towers over a counter where Michele Graham flips through a design book. The newly opened shop is immaculate, and Graham is in her element.

The Liverpool space is now home to M Graham Interiors and À la Maison Home and Lifestyle, LLC. The boutique features home decor, furniture, lifestyle products and more. Graham also offers in-home design services.

The new space is fitting, as Graham is celebrating 10 years of her interior design business.

“It was something I always was drawn to,” says Graham. She started interior design by working on her own house and houses for her parents, friends and co-workers. She said her business

Michele Graham’s interior design studio and boutique in Liverpool, M Graham Interiors and À la Maison Home and Lifestyle, LLC, features home decor, furniture, lifestyle products, in-home design services and more. “It was something I always was drawn to,” says Graham.

grew commercially from there.

After working with a local builder, she realized she loved the retail side of the industry as well. Graham opened À la Maison Home and Lifestyle, LLC to be the retail counterpart to her styling and interior design talents. She designed projects from her home studio and maintained her retail business at a boutique in Baldwinsville.

Now, following the move to Liverpool, Graham can both style a home and retail merchandise from the same place.

Graham offers in-home design services, such as styling with wallpapers, rugs, furniture, fabrics and window treatments. She also does bathroom and kitchen refreshes and works with MWG Custom Homes on new home construction projects and renovations. She says customers are really focused on home right now especially after staying home throughout the pandemic and many are ready to refresh their homes with a new look.

“There are so many wonderfully built homes here in Central New York,” she says. “They’re built to last a long time, a lifetime, and you don’t need to move always. You can just refresh what you have and be thrilled.”

Syracuse is important to Graham and her business. The CNY native designs with products from local companies like Stickley Furniture, Roma Tile & Marble, Best Tile, Koster’s Flooring and Busch Products, to name a few. And in the boutique she sells gourmet items from Syracuse Salt Co, Borsari, BR Cohn and other American-made products ranging from textiles and light fixtures to design accents.

Each year Graham works in collaboration with MWG Custom Homes to produce a home for the annual Parade of Homes. She said it’s her favorite project to work on. But what makes each design job truly special are her clients.

“Working with them to fulfill a dream and create a space that is unique and special for their family is so gratifying,” she says. Graham is there for her clients to rely on from start to finish, and sometimes begins designing and working with a family before construction even begins.

“Michele takes the time to really get to know her clients and helps them make their dream rooms come to life,” wrote Christen DeMario, one of Graham’s clients. And Graham tries to do just that.

She credits this value to her project management background. “Design work is 20% design and 80% project management and communication,” she says, noting how important it is to her to listen to clients and bring them a fresh look that allows their personality to shine through.

Graham’s aesthetic leans toward traditional design, with a mixture of neutral colors and natural elements like stone, wood and greenery. Her goal is to create a warm, casual and inviting feel for each home and family.

“I think design is important because people want their home to be their home with their stamp on it,” she says. “So no matter where you live, you want it to be special. You want it to be your haven when you come home.”

M Graham Interiors and À la Maison Home and Lifestyle, LLC, 309 Vine St. Suite 3, Liverpool, 315-401-2100, mgrahaminteriors.com.

Graham’s aesthetic leans towards traditional design, with a mixture of neutral colors and natural elements like stone, wood and greenery.

Making good

Egging ‘em on

BY MJ KRAVEC | PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS

French-style Quiche from The Sweet Praxis combines spring veggies, heavy cream and farm-fresh eggs

Making good

he vintage beater is lit — literally — at The Sweet Praxis in downtown Syracuse. In the dining area, which features a sky-blue wall with the bake shop’s signature backlit beater, cloud lighting created with paper lanterns and fiber fill by owners Natalie Evans and Jennifer Walls adds a light, airy, almost heavenly touch. But that’s to be expected. The scratch-made bake lab has a reputation for divinely tasting, unique flavor combinations and made-from-scratch offerings that include vegan and gluten-free options, among others. They’re also inspired by the seasons, says Evans.

“Spring at the bakery usually begins with the softer flavors of maple, tea and florals. As the ground warms and we start to see the earliest local produce, we get excited by bright flavors like local rhubarb paired with fresh ginger or citrus to usher in early summer. As we enter June, sweet local strawberries are featured in the mix.”

Scratch-made baked goods include croissants, donuts, scones, muffins, cookies, bars, hand pies, French macarons, cream puffs, truffles, cheesecakes, tarts, cakes and more. Evans says The Sweet Praxis uses local staples year-round that include chocolate, eggs, milk, flour and maple syrup. When it comes to seasonal ingredients (like berries, stone fruits, lavender, apples and squash), Evans and Walls try to develop offerings to showcase each time of year. Come spring, savory items feature the earliest local vegetables like ramps, asparagus, fiddleheads, mushrooms, garlic scapes and kale.

Popular items include vegan brioche donuts with flavors that change weekly, French macarons, vegan and traditional butter croissants, gluten-free and vegan Sunrise muffins (zucchini, carrot, maple, pecan), peanut butter buckeyes (gluten free and vegan), cake varieties including the Queen Bee cake (almond, pistachio, rosewater and local honey) and vegan and regular breakfast sandwiches served on choice of house-made focaccia, croissant, biscuit or sourdough bread.

“We also serve a variety of savory breakfast and lunch items such as quiche, breakfast sandwiches, open-face tartines and a full tea, coffee and espresso menu. Our menu always welcomes folks with diverse dietary needs including those requiring vegan and gluten-free options,” says Evans.

For our May/June issue, Evans and Walls chose a French-style Quiche made with local eggs, heavy cream, cheese, early spring veggies and herbs.

“The custard filling in a French-style quiche is more decadent similar to how velvety a pumpkin pie custard can be,” says Walls. “It’s one of our top-selling weekend items. There’s just something so inviting about sitting down with a nice, warm slice of quiche.”

Above, Jennifer Walls and Natalie Evans are co-owners of The Sweet Praxis at 203 E. Water St., Syracuse, 315-216-7797, thesweetpraxis.com.

SPRING VEGETABLE FRENCH-STYLE QUICHE

Note: Quiche contains a custard filling so after baking, be sure to allow it to cool in the fridge for at least 6 hours (ideally overnight) before slicing, heating and serving.

Custard Ingredients

3 cups heavy cream

6 whole eggs

1 tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp dried thyme ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ¼ tsp cayenne pepper powder ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Other Ingredients

Your favorite pie crust, refrigerated (rolled to 14-16-inch diameter, depending on pie pan)

1 ¾ cups assorted seasonal veggies, chopped (asparagus, spring onions or ramps)

¼ cup crumbled chevre goat cheese

1∕3 cup shredded asiago cheese

PAIR IT WITH

Beverages and sides with higher acidity will complement the buttery richness of the quiche. Think beverages with bright or fruity characteristics like a cup of light-roast coffee served black or a brunch classic — the mimosa. A side of fresh mixed berries or a simple salad of mixed baby greens or arugula and garden herbs with citrus vinaigrette will do the same.

ANY SPECIAL PREPARATION TIPS?

The quiche custard is simple and straightforward. Add any combination of veggies, cheese or meat you are inspired by. When adding veggies, be sure to sauté them in advance and strain them to remove any extra liquid that will alter the chemistry of the custard. A buttery, flaky crust is key to a killer quiche. Make your own and be sure to not over-mix the butter. Keep in mind that you can see veins of butter in the perfect crust prior to blind-baking!

» The day before serving, press your favorite pie crust into a well-greased 10-inch-diameter deep pie or tart pan and place the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes. (Keeping the crust really cold will prevent the edges from slumping during baking).

» Pre-heat oven to 425˚F. To parbake (or partially bake) the crust, place a large coffee filter (or parchment paper) into the cold formed crust and fill it with pie-weights. You can also use two cups of uncooked rice or beans for weight. Parbake in your pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, until the edges are set and beginning to golden.

» While crust is baking, cook the asparagus and ramps over medium heat in a sauté pan with a little oil and pinch of salt until veggies turn bright green. Drain any excess liquid.

» Remove crust from the oven. Once crust is cool enough to touch, remove weighted coffee filter. Lower oven temperature to 350˚F.

» While the crust cools completely, make the custard by whisking together the heavy cream, eggs, salt, thyme, nutmeg, cayenne and black pepper until completely combined. Set aside.

» Spread asparagus, spring onions or ramps and chevre goat cheese evenly into the bottom of the parbaked crust.

» Place quiche pan (containing crust and fillings) on a parchmentlined baking sheet and slowly pour the custard mix into the crust over the fillings, stopping ¼-inch from the top edge. Sprinkle top of custard with shredded asiago cheese.

» Bake the quiche at 350˚F for 45 minutes until the center of the quiche reaches a temperature of 170˚F (if you have a probe thermometer). The quiche is finished when the edges are puffed slightly and the center is no longer liquid but still jiggly when the pan is moved. Note: Be careful not to overbake as the custard can separate — any cracks signal it’s beginning to overbake.

» Allow quiche to cool at room temperature for about 45 minutes. Transfer to a refrigerator for at least six hours, preferably overnight.

» To serve: Remove quiche from refrigerator and, using a sharp serrated knife, gently slice the quiche taking care at the flaky crust edges. To reheat, cut cold quiche into slices before placing the pan back into the oven, or place individual slices onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 350˚F oven for 12-20 minutes, depending on how many slices are on the pan. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Making good

A green spring

BY CAERESA RICHARDSON

As Central New Yorkers, we always look to spring with an air of hope. We look forward to warmer weather, blooming gardens and the extra boost of vitamin D that comes with longer days. As this air of hope pulls us into forward thinking, it is only natural that we go through a process of shedding. You might even adopt an “out with the old, in with the floral” mindset.

During the height of the pandemic, many of us took our stan-

dard “spring cleaning” practices to new heights with a deep decluttering of our homes and closets. In doing so, we also started asking questions and began considering a more conscious lifestyle. Many looking to refresh their wardrobes for spring want to do so in an eco-friendly, sustainable way. And while there are many ways to approach a “green” wardrobe this year, some of the most well-known tips are much simpler than you might assume.

Above, model Angelica Smith in Flora Jeans and Floral Farm Blouse. Opposite page, clockwise from top, Caeresa Richardson in the Meredith Dress from Mata Traders, Angelica Smith in the Dara Dress from Tonlé and model in jeans from People Tree UK.

WEAR FASHIONS MADE OF DEADSTOCK FABRICS

The equivalent of one garbage truck full of textiles is discarded into landfills or burned every second of every day. Ethical fashion brands are tackling this global challenge of textile waste by choosing deadstock fabrics — an unfortunate result of the garment-making process in fast fashion. For many reasons, fabric is over-produced, over-cut or otherwise discarded. Many ethical brands are repurposing deadstock fabric to breathe life into new designs. One brand, Tonlé, has made it its mission to only use deadstock fabrics rescued from what other manufacturers consider waste. Their motto “every scrap of fabric has a purpose” is respected in the industry and Tonlé is considered a pioneer of the zero waste and circular fashion industry. Tonlé’s Dara dress (shown this page, lower right) is a perfect complement to the shifting spring weather and a great addition to any wardrobe.

OPT FOR PLANT-BASED ORGANIC FABRICS

Fabrics like Tencel, hemp, bamboo, linen and organic cotton are revered in the ethical fashion industry because of their low environmental and human impact, namely on workers in the garment industry. Organic cotton uses less water and pesticides than traditional cotton. Organizations such as the Global Organic Textile Standard certify that materials are made with the highest standards of environmental and ethical production. People Tree, a UK-based brand, ranks high in its use of organic materials. Using only the highest-quality organic fabrics known in the industry, People Tree has been a pioneer of sustainable fashion for over 19 years. People Tree’s cream denim pants (shown this page, lower left) are made with an on-trend high waist and wide-leg silhouette and pair well with a lightweight floral top or an on-trend cropped top in warmer weather.

ENJOY BLOCK-PRINTED FASHIONS

Block printing is an ancient practice with roots in Asia. Wooden blocks are intricately hand carved by artisans and then submersed in a bath of plant-based dyes before being applied to a run of fabric in a repeating pattern. To achieve the elaborate finished patterns, multiple blocks are often required to create each component of the patterns. One brand celebrating this style of print work is Mata Traders. There are many block-printed styles to choose from, but the Meredith dress (shown this page, top) stands out as a perfect example of this style.

Caeresa Richardson is owner of Ecodessa, a sustainable fashion boutique. Visit ecodessa.com and follow @shopecodessa on social media.

Making good ART PROFILE

Opera-tunity came knocking

Syracuse and Tri-Cities operas merge in a co-production years in the making

BY ELLEN E. MINTZER

The Syracuse Opera stage at the Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater looks out onto three tiers of red velvet seats. The overhead lights are a hexagon of shimmering white bulbs. Shout, and you’ll hear your voice reverberate back to you through the stillness. Even weeks before rehearsals start for the company’s next production, there’s a frisson of excitement in the air. It’s easy to imagine the seats filled with chattering audience members, the swoop of the rising curtains.

Meanwhile, 73 miles south at Tri-Cities Opera’s production facility in Binghamton, there are rooms filled with bits and pieces of scenery, or racks of costumes in every color and from every era. A mid-century stove and refrigerator. A fuchsia skirt blossoming off its hanger.

The two small regional opera companies came together for a co-production years in the making: Rossini’s classic opera “Cinderella,” or “La Cenerentola” in the original Italian. Tri-Cities Opera staged the production in April, and Syracuse Opera presented it on May 1 with the same sets, the same costumes and the majority of the same cast.

John Rozzoni, general director of Tri-Cities Opera and executive management consultant with Syracuse Opera, said the Italian subtitle of the opera is “goodness triumphs,” a message he feels everyone needs to hear right now. He and Christian Capocaccia, the general and artistic director of Syracuse Opera, had been discussing a potential partnership for nearly a decade.

The two men often finish each other’s sentences and answer questions together, but without talking over each other. When Rozzoni talks about the synergy of their partnership, he knits his fingers together, tight like the laces of a corset, in an unconscious gesture.

Syracuse Opera, housed at the Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater, opposite page and above, teams up with Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton for a co-production of “Cinderella.”

Making good ART PROFILE

Although Rozzoni brings an administrative perspective and Capocaccia brings a more artistic one, the two men are not in conflict.

“I do a certain kind of fireworks, and he does a certain kind of his own fireworks, and so altogether, we compound each other,” says Capocaccia, who conducted “Cinderella” in Syracuse. Each man is part dreamer and part realist, and both have musical backgrounds: Rozzoni was an opera singer, while Capocaccia was a violinist in his home country of Italy before getting a master’s degree in conducting in the United States.

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down arts organizations just over two years ago, Rozzoni had to fire everyone who worked for him; it was one of the worst days of his life. Fortunately, with the help of the Paycheck Protection Program, he was able to eventually bring everyone back. Tri-Cities Opera put out some virtual programming during its hiatus, but it was not financially viable.

“There was no money in it, to be frank,” says Rozzoni. “We did stuff to be artistically relevant and keep people excited, but it was all at a loss.”

Despite the undeniable challenges caused by the COVID shutdowns, they also offered an opportunity to reset. Rozzoni believes that the opera industry model for the past 20 or so years has been unsustainable; operas are extremely expensive to produce, and smaller companies don’t have the resources to reimagine the classics in extravagant ways that will intrigue modern audiences.

“[The shutdown] gave us a chance to reassess,” says Capocaccia. “And we probably would not be here today as a team.”

“What’s cool about working together,” Rozzoni adds, “is that we can explore these new stories and these new projects. But also, the resources of the companies and the efficiency that we can create by collaborating allows us to tell even the old stories in big, exciting ways that neither company could really afford.”

While the opera “Cinderella” is more than 200 years old, it’s still an accessible and familiar story. Rozzoni emphasized that it’s a timeless tale of love and he wants the production values to feel updated. The co-production, as conceived by director David Lefkowitz (who directed Rozzoni as a student at Ithaca College in his first opera), will be set in the 1950s and will have the comedic flair of a sitcom alongside the swooning romanticism of the story. Lefkowitz was not available for comment, but Rozzoni described the director’s vision as “a ‘Cinderella’ once upon a time, but not so far in the distance.” Cinderella’s ball gown was inspired by an Audrey Hepburn frock, with a sprinkle of Marilyn Monroe.

The production found its Cinderella in mezzo-soprano Camille Sherman. On a Saturday afternoon in early March, she was in Pensacola, Florida, in rehearsals for a “Barber of Seville” that was using sets built by Tri-Cities Opera. (The company’s produc-

tion facility rents out the sets it builds around the country.) With her wavy brown hair loose around her shoulders and honeyed rays of sunlight filtering through a window behind her, Sherman was effervescent in her delight at taking on the role. “I grew up watching Disney movies, so if I had told my 5-year-old self that I was going to play Cinderella someday, I would have had an absolute meltdown of excitement,” she laughs.

Sherman profoundly missed performing live during the COVID shutdowns. “When it all comes together, and the performers are doing their thing and the audience is with you, the energy in that theater is irreplaceable,” she says. While Sherman acknowledged that a career as a professional opera singer is far from easy, she simply can’t imagine doing anything else.

Singing the part of Don Ramiro opposite Sherman in Binghamton was 23-year-old tenor Aaron Crouch. (He had another contract during the Syracuse run.) Crouch is a rising star in the

Christian Capocaccia, the general and artistic director of Syracuse Opera

Left, Annapolis Opera rehearses “Cinderella,” a shared production traveling throughout the Northeast using the same sets, costumes and in some cases, performers. Above, John Rozzoni, general director of Tri-Cities Opera and executive management consultant with Syracuse Opera, and Christian Capocaccia, general and artistic director of Syracuse Opera, have been discussing a potential partnership for nearly a decade.

opera world; he originated the role of The Son in Jeanine Tesori’s opera “Blue” at Cooperstown’s Glimmerglass Festival in 2019. He echoed Sherman’s sentiments about the experience of performing for a live audience. “The exchange of energy that happens in a performance is unlike anything else,” he says.

Capocaccia spoke to that same sensation from a conductor’s perspective. He says he soaks in the audience’s reactions, changing the tempo or dynamics based on what he receives.

Like the relationship between artist and audience, Rozzoni and Capocaccia feel that Syracuse Opera and Tri-Cities Opera are enriched by their relationship with one another. Collaboration necessarily requires compromise, but neither man views that as a negative. After discussions with the boards of each company, they decided on a model where each company retains its autonomy but makes plans together and shares staff and performers.

The duo has high hopes for the future of opera in Central New York. While their ambitions come with no small degree of pressure, Rozzoni and Capocaccia are nevertheless facing the process with a determination to take it one step at a time and a readiness to adjust and adapt when necessary. “I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be,” says Rozzoni. He pauses, contemplative. “Life can be good and hard at the same time.”

Rozzoni thinks that the fear of the unknown presents a challenge with this or any new venture, but he and Capocaccia are careful about how they tell the story of the collaboration.

“It’s very hard sometimes to make people understand that by sharing, they don’t lose themselves,” Capocaccia says. “They get more of themselves than they were before.”

Ellen E. Mintzer is a graduate student in the Goldring Arts Journalism and Communications Program at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications.

“[The shutdown] gave us a chance to reassess. And we probably would not be here today as a team.”

ARTRAGE GALLERY, THE NORTON PUTTER

GALLERY

505 Hawley Avenue, Syracuse, artragegallery.org. Open 2 to 6 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and by appointment for groups. Reservations required.

From Where We Stand: Photographs from The Stand’s Annual South Side Photo Walk. The South Side Newspaper Project, a collaboration of neighborhood residents and Syracuse University, has given voice to the South Side community of Syracuse since its founding in 2010. The annual summer Photo Walk is its largest annual community event, bringing together photographers of all skills. Through May 14.

Gabriel García Román: Queer Icons. Born in Zacatecas, Mexico and raised in Chicago, New York City-based artist Gabriel García Román began his ongoing ‘Queer Icons’ series in 2011. This portrait series honors members of the Queer Trans community of Color, specifically activists, community organizers, poets and artists. Runs June 4 through July 8.

CAZENOVIA ARTISANS

39 Albany Street, Cazenovia. 315 655-2225, info@cazenoviaartisans.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Growing Colors: Mixed Media Collages by Julie Gratien. In Julie’s newest work, the combination of her interest in the complex designs of the natural world and her constant exploration of “what if?” come together to create tactile surfaces with both visual and actual dimension. Starting with fibrous paper, she chooses colors and textures to build a close up and personal view of her subject. May 2-31. Opening reception 2 to 5 p.m. May 7.

20 YEARS. Celebrating 20 years of Bringing Regional Fine Art & Craft to Central New York. In recognition of Cazenovia Artisans’ 20th anniversary, works of former members will be on display alongside those of our current members. All former members and the public are invited to join the gallery for a celebratory reception 2 to 5 p.m., June 4. Runs June 1-31.

EDGEWOOD GALLERY

216 Tecumseh Road, Syracuse. 315-445-8111, edgewoodartandframe. com. Open 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. Recent Journeys. Acrylic and oil paintings of landscapes and cityscapes by John Thompson; wood turned vessels by John Volcko; jewelry made with natural stone and materials by Esperanza Tielbaard and Adirondack “pools” by Tom Slocum. Reception TBD depending on COVID circumstances. Please wear masks in the gallery. Runs May 13 through June 24.

EVERSON MUSEUM OF ART

401 Harrison St., Syracuse. 315-474-6064, everson.org. Open 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.

Sharif Bey: Facets. Over the past two decades, artist and educator Sharif Bey has created a body of work in ceramics and glass that explores the visual heritage of Africa and Oceania. Since accepting a teaching position at Syracuse University in 2009, he has become a vital part of Syracuse’s social fabric. Coming on the heels of an exhibition at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, where he was born and raised, the Everson presents a survey of Bey’s work, starting with the functional pottery that has served as a touchstone throughout his career, and continuing through his most recent body of large-scale figurative sculptures in clay. Through Aug. 14.

Sekou Cooke: 15-81. 15-81 presents architect and urban designer Sekou Cooke’s project We Outchea: Hip-Hop Fabrications and Public Space alongside documents relating

to the 15th Ward in Syracuse. Commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art in 2021 as part of their exhibition “Reconstructions: Architecture and Blackness in America,” We Outchea focuses on the legacy of placement and displacement of Black residents in Syracuse and considers various events in the city’s history — the razing of the historic 15th Ward, the building of multiple public housing projects and the construction of Interstate 81 — while simultaneously critiquing recent proposals to replace low-income communities with mixed-income housing. By contextualizing the We Outchea project with photographs and ephemera that tell the story of the once-vibrant 15th Ward, Cooke points to a post I-81 Syracuse future of entrepreneurship and innovation. Through Aug. 21.

Kite: Fever Dream. Fever Dream is an interactive multimedia installation by Kite, an Oglala Lakota performance artist, visual artist and composer, and Devin Ronneberg, a multidisciplinary artist of Kanaka Maoli/Okinawan descent working primarily in sculpture, sound, image making and computational media. The work combines their mutual interests in the implications of emergent technologies and artificial intelligence, information control and collection, Indigenous ontologies and bodily interfaces. In response to a visitor’s proximity in the gallery, a large projection flips between channels algorithmically tuned in to scraped footage of conspiracy theories, paranormal and extraterrestrial sightings and recent news broadcasts. The work plumbs the depths of the settler colonial psyche and the ways in which settler conspiracies are often founded on a denial of Indigenous agency, such as the belief that “ancient aliens” are responsible for the building of Indigenous earthworks and monuments. Through Aug. 7.

Growing Colors: Mixed Media Collages by Julie Gratien at Cazenovia Artisans.

Above: Recent Journeys: Acrylic and oil paintings of landscapes and cityscapes by John Thompson at Edgewood Gallery. Left, Student Voices in Print at Syracuse University Libraries.

CNY Artist Initiative: Kenny Harris and Achala Wali. Kenny Harris creates works that examine the cultural and psychological connectivity of mythology through whimsical, graphic and figurative forms. This exhibition features works from Harris’s Imagimenagerie series, which explores the universality of belief systems around the world. May 7 through June 19. Achala Wali draws inspiration from the natural world, Indian art and temples, ancient art and Western modernism to create abstract works in graphite, ink and mixed media that pulse with energy and movement. June 25 through Aug. 7.

ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

321 Montgomery St., Syracuse. 315-428-1864, cnyhistory.org. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Free but donations encouraged. Check their website for updates. The Colors of Keck. Henry Keck was an accomplished stained-glass designer, lending his artistic vision to residential windows and Gothic revival churches across the country. He apprenticed with Louis Comfort Tiffany and went on to open his own stained-glass business in Syracuse in 1913. The pieces on display in this exhibit are from the era of Keck’s own company, which produced windows until it closed in 1974. Keck’s Arts and Crafts-style designs set them apart from traditional stained glass. This made him a perfect fit for 1913 Syracuse, where furniture designer Gustav Stickley and architect Ward Wellington Ward’s influence had solidified the city as the center of the American Arts and Crafts movement. On display in the second-floor gallery until summer of 2022.

A Pocket Full of Progress: A Retrospective Look at the Machines Found in our Smartphones. Even in his wildest dreams, Alexander Graham Bell never imagined that in the not-too-far distant future, billions of people would be carrying his invention in their pockets. Pocket Full of Progress illustrates the march of technology by exhibiting a wide range of machines from the last 150 years, many of which were built right here in Syracuse.

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

222 Waverly Avenue, Syracuse, library.syr.edu. Open to the public 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 6th Floor is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and until 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Forever is Composed of Nows. Whether artists respond to history or look to the future, creativity exists in the moment. Drawn from the Everson’s permanent collection, Forever is Composed of Nows examines a multitude of snapshots of the present moment, grouped by theme, image or idea across different time periods and media. By examining how artists spanning three centuries have approached their present — their now — using similar topics and motifs, this exhibition is a visual exploration of how values, societal customs and art subjects have evolved over time. Through Dec. 31.

Curious Vessels: The Rosenfield Collection. Louise Rosenfield is among the most avid pottery collectors in the United States. Over the past 30 years, she has amassed a collection of more than 4,000 pieces of functional pottery from artists across the globe. Her ambition for the collection has always been clear — instead of donating work to a museum, she would rather donate it to a restaurant, where patrons could enjoy the work as originally intended. Curious Vessels is a celebration of both Rosenfield’s eclectic taste and her unrivaled generosity. Museum visitors will be able to touch many of the pieces in this exhibition while watching videos of Rosenfield and notable potters from the collection pointing out details of the work. After viewing the exhibition, viewers are invited to become participants and collaborators by eating a meal in the Everson’s innovative new restaurant, Louise, which will be entirely stocked with functional pots from the Rosenfield Collection. Through Oct. 23.

Student Voices in Print. Syracuse University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) spring exhibition, Student Voices in Print, will be on display on the sixth floor of Bird Library. The new exhibition features Syracuse University’s rich history and variety of student voices and student publications, which have been part of the fabric of the campus since its early days. Curated by University Archivist Meg Mason, the exhibition will include articles, poetry, fiction and other writings as well as illustrations, cover art and cartoons. Newspapers, magazines, newsletters and other publications, all from the University Archives, will offer a glimpse into the history of Syracuse University’s student voices, expressing humor, art and class solidarity as well as documenting student activism, campus news, student organizations and the voices of underrepresented communities on campus. The exhibition is open to the public during regular SCRC hours. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., throughout the spring semester.

Flashback WITH OHA

Ukrainians find a home in Syracuse IN GLORY

BY CHRIS MELFI

Syracuse has been home to Ukrainian-Americans since the late 1800s and The Ukrainian National Home (UNH) at 1317 West Fayette St. has been a fixture of the Tipperary Hill neighborhood on Syracuse’s westside since 1933. The UNH is near the city’s first Ukrainian Catholic Church, erected in 1903. The beautiful Saint John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church at 207 Tompkins St. was completed in 1913 when Ukrainian immigration into Syracuse peaked. A statue of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko is located just across the street and bears an inscription naming Shevchenko the “bard of freedom.” Saint John The Baptist Church served as the cultural hub of the community and was used for dances, schooling, language and citizenship lessons and more.

But the growing population needed a larger, specialized facility. Two organizations, the Ukrainian Sich Society (Ukrainian National Association Club, Branch 282) and the Rusky-Ukrainian Club, had purchased homes that they converted into meeting spaces. In 1929, the wooden building owned by the RuskyUkrainian Club was demolished and the three-story brick structure that stands at 1317 West Fayette St. today was erected. In its current form, the building is 13,600 square feet and houses five meeting rooms, a dining hall, a bar, a dance hall and a full kitchen, and is home to groups like the Women’s Association for the Defense of Four Freedoms for

Ukraine, Odesa Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, Ukrainian-American Youth Association and many others.

Approaching 100 years since its completion, the UNH has served the Ukrainian community through triumphs and duress. The community of 30,000 Ukrainian-Americans in Onondaga County saw their home country declare independence from Bolshevik Russia in 1918, then witnessed Lenin declare war on the Ukrainian National Republic just a few years later. As the U.S.S.R. shattered in 1991, the leader of the Soviet Republic of Ukraine declared independence from Moscow again an event celebrated in Syracuse by the raising of the Ukrainian flag at City Hall and a banquet at the UNH. By 2014, Russianbacked President Viktor Yanukovich turned away from the European Union in favor of a relationship with Moscow, and the Ukrainian region of Crimea was taken by Russia, leading to the Russian invasion of Ukraine we see today.

There has been an outpouring of support for the Ukrainian people here in Syracuse and abroad. The UNH, naturally, has led the local effort to gather donations of food, first aid supplies and other necessities. On March 1, the UNH had sold all their Ukrainian flags and by March 9 had to temporarily stop accepting donations when they ran out of storage space. This is an unsurprising act of unity and love from a city with a history like Syracuse, but one that hopefully

A statue of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko is located just across the street from Saint John The Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church at 207 Tompkins St.

Chris Melfi is support services administrator at OHA.

WITH Owner, Sycamore Hill Gardens

KAREN HANFORD

BY MJ KRAVEC

A quote from Robin Williams “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘let’s party’” sums up this time of year perfectly. We can’t think of a better party place than Sycamore Hill Gardens, the home of George and Karen Hanford where nearly 40 acres of trees, shrubs and perennials mix with stonework, a formal garden, a hedge maze and expansive views. We caught up with Karen to find out what to bring on a late spring picnic, who does all her weeding and why her husband invented a weedwacking lawn mower.

What time do you get up in the morning and how do you take your coffee? I get up when the birds do, early in the summer, later in the winter. But in either case, first thing it’s French press, double dark roast, very hot coffee with maple syrup and heated whole milk. It’s a once-a-day production that gets me off to a multisensory start.

What’s your favorite season in CNY? I’m a lifelong resident of Onondaga County and my favorite attribute of our area is the weather. Any day the weather is 74 degrees or below is my favorite day!

More specifically, what’s your favorite time of year at Sycamore Hill? For me, because I live in a garden, picking a favorite time of year is as inconceivable as choosing between my four children. Spring, summer, fall, winter are all distinctly different and each brings its own special moments of wonder and joy just like our kids and grandkids.

How would you describe what happens in the spring at SH? First, a hint of green [appears] as the buds on every tree, shrub and flower begin to swell, and soon the gardens fill with the sounds of birds, breezes and rushing water. Then the rustle of leaves returns, the windchimes move back outside and their magical tones fill the air. The light changes, clouds and rain come and go, jackets off, jackets on throughout the day. Dogs watch kids jump in puddles and dig holes that fill with water. The days are longer, the air softer. We rake, we shovel, we discover that our boots leak. And once again find ourselves lost in time, just as enchanted by the beauty of renewal this year as we were by all the ones before.

On Sycamore Hill’s website, we spotted an image of George trimming the hedges with a weedwacker attached to the top of his lawn mower? That’s quite an invention! Only the Red Green TV Show, which we actually watched being taped in Toronto courtesy of a PBS auction, could inspire something that amazing.

Who does all your weeding? Oh, man! We all do. It’s never ending, but the earlier the better saves tons — literally, in a garden this size — of work.

Any suggestions for how to best enjoy a picnic? I’m big on high tea crossed with charcuterie or [a] cheese board. Put your veggies in those high tea, soft white bread, crustless sandwiches... I know all about baguettes, but picnic time is not the time for excessive chewing. It’s time for decadent relaxing. And those cold beverages. Don’t bring anything that needs a corkscrew or bottle opener to your picnic. Just way too much work! Finally, you may have a cooler, but in hot weather the traditional butter, rather than mayonnaise, on those crustless sandwiches is still a good choice. Note, if luxury is what you’re after, well, that Foie gras will warm up in no time after you pop it out of the cooler and so will those wonderful cheeses you love. And baguettes and cornichons do have their place.

It’s party time at Sycamore Hill Gardens in Marcellus.

Create without compromise.

Whatever your inspiration, our experienced Wood-Mode design professionals will help you create the exact look you desire, for any room in your home.

Modern Kitchens of Syracuse

5801 Court Street Rd. at Military Circle Syracuse, NY • 315.437.1511 www.modernkitchens.com