Family Times - November 2014

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ART START Young performers get a hand

Snack time? Consider the beet A trauma nurse puts safety first

2014

Holiday Gift

Guide

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Exhibit is madE possiblE, in part, by funding from thE county of onondaga, administErEd by cny arts

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family times • November 2014

4 • Editor’s Note 6 • Letter

More about NYC

8 • Family Faces 6

A pediatric trauma nurse shows how families can prevent accidents.

10 • Recipe Doctor

You can’t beat beets for healthful snacking.

12 • Because I Said So Exceeding the Common Core.

10 Susy O’Rourke of Syracuse sent in photos of a project she did with her son Alex, age 4. They 1) placed painter’s tape on paper, 2) mixed acrylic paint into various colors (other types of paint would work also), 3) painted across the shapes, and 4) slowly peeled the tape off when the paint was somewhat, but not completely, dry. Alex enjoyed helping peel the tape.

14 • Arts Cheerleader

TV anchor Carrie Lazarus brings recognition and funds to young performing artists.

20 • Holiday Gift Guide

Award-winning toys, games, books, music, apps and more.

24 • Family Fun Calendar of Events Advertiser Index

Artwork Wanted!

We welcome reader submissions, whether photos of your kids or their artwork. Send high-resolution photos (jpg format saved at 3inches-by-5-inches or larger) or color artwork to editorial@familytimes.biz. Please include the child’s first name, age, hometown, and information about what’s going on in the photo (or the art), as well as the parent or guardian’s full name and daytime phone number, for verification.

Party.......................................................... 11 Learn......................................................... 13 Backpack Directory.................................35

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family times The Parenting

Guide of Central New York

November 2014

An Artful Effect

C

issue No. 151

PUBLISHER/OWNER Bill Brod Editor in chief Reid Sullivan editorial@familytimes.biz VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Michelle Bowers (Ext. 114) MBowers@syracusenewtimes.com MANAGING EDITOR Bill DeLapp

arrie Lazarus started thinking about the disparity between support for young athletes and that for performing artists a few years ago.

With a local fund through the Central New York Community Foundation and an occasional focus on performers in a WSYR-TV NewsChannel 9 program, she created a CNY cheering section for musicians, singers and dancers. To learn about the talented young people the fund has helped, see the story on page 14.

The annual live show to benefit the fund takes place on Nov. 16; for details, see the calendar.

November is a fall month, and every season has its hazards. Cathleen Caltabiano, a nurse at Upstate Medical University’s Pediatric Surgery Clinic, is on a mission to prevent children’s injuries. For more about her efforts, see the story on page 8.

As the winter holidays approach, many parents’ thoughts turn to shopping. Suggestions for worthwhile gifts for kids and families are on pages 20 through 23. You’ll find toys, books, music, apps, games and other products that have been selected based on their durability, entertainment potential and bang for the buck.

Meanwhile, Chris “Recipe Doctor” Xaver recognizes that the beginning of the holiday season also commences unhealthy snacking season, and she has a suggestion: beets. Beets? Yes, beets! See page 10.

However you are marking November, we hope it is filled with fun, family and friends.

Photography editor Michael Davis OFFICE COORDINATOR/CIRCULATION MANAGER Lacey Martino (Ext. 110) creative services manager Caitlin O’Donnell DESIGNER Meaghan Arbital DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER Ty Marshal (ext. 144) Contributors Deborah Cavanagh,Tammy DiDomenico, Aaron Gifford, Eileen Gilligan, Emma Kress, Linda Lowen, Cary Rector, Tonja Rector, Maggie Lamond Simone, Laura Livingston Snyder, Chris Xaver ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Advertising Sales Manager Jessica Luisi (ext. 139) JLuisi@syracusenewtimes.com Lesli Mitchell (ext. 140) LMitchell@syracusenewtimes.com Lija Spoor (ext. 111) LijaSpoor@syracusenewtimes.com Joseph Taranto (ext. 115) JTaranto@syracusenewtimes.com

Reid Sullivan Editor in Chief

On the cover: Theresa Szafranski, age 12, poses at her studio, Dance Centre North, in Mattydale.

Inside: Theresa and her mother, Dixie, talk about the life of a dancer in the story about young performers on page 14.

Michael Davis photos Caitlin O’Donnell design

COMPTROLLER Deana Vigliotti (ext. 118) CLASSIFIED SALES Lija Spoor (ext. 111)

Subscribe to Family Times by mail and receive 12 issues for only $20.

Call (315) 472-4669 to order.

Family Times 1415 W. Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY 13204 (315) 472-4669 fax (315) 422-1721 www.familytimes.biz

PARENTING MEDIA ASSOCIATION

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2014 Bronze 2014 Silver Award Winner Award Winner Editorial Awards Competition

Design Awards Competition

Advertising deadline for December is Nov 13. Calendar deadline for December is Nov 7.

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Be a knight. Be a princess.

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Produced by The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in cooperation with LEGO Systems, Inc. LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of the LEGO Group. © 2014 The LEGO Group. All rights reserved.

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Syracuse Family Times 1/2 page color 7.75” wide x 4.9” high Nov14_1-23.indd 5 Pub date: 11/01/14

Family Times November 2014 5 10/7/14 2:41 PM

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Paul Gorbould/Flickr

Amazing Performances for the whole family!

Carnival Nov. 1 at 11am Robin Hood Nov. 8 at 11am Amahl and the Night Visitors December 5-20 Bring a show to your school!

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For the full schedule, visit www.openhandtheater.org

o the Editor: I really enjoyed your article “From CNY to NYC” (July 2014). It contained a minor error, which actually gives rise to the addition of another attraction.

The Frick Collection art museum (and not the Metropolitan Museum of Art) is located at Fifth Avenue and 70th Street. Along with stunning exhibits, the mansion itself is worth a visit. One’s imagination turns back to early New York City, when such mansions were prolific in this residential area. Most mansions have fallen to accommodate tall, posh residential and academic buildings. See more at: www.frick.org.

A short, beautiful walk northward will take you to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, located at Fifth and 82nd Street. One of my fondest memories of “The Met” is a trip I made with two favorite 12-year-olds. I had to bribe them into going to the museum with the promise of a trip to Old Navy’s flagship store. Upon arrival, we went to the temporary exhibit of famous rock stars’ costumes. I couldn’t get them to leave! We saw the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band outfits, Debbie Harry’s razor blade dress, Elvis’ many suits and more. The exhibit was sponsored by Tommy Hilfiger.

All in all, this was a great example of never knowing what surprises await you in NYC. Don’t wait, go now.

—Jane LaSure, Cazenovia

What do you think? Send your letters about parenting, education or other family matters to editorial@familytimes.biz.

Letters must include the writer’s first and last name and town.

Submissions should be no more than 600 words long and may be edited for clarity.

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FACES Michael Davis Photo

“A lot of these accidents are truly preventable,” says Cathleen Caltabiano, a nurse at Upstate Medical University’s Pediatric Surgery Clinic.

Safe and Sound

Teaching parents to keep kids out of harm’s way | By Tammy DiDomenico

C

athleen Caltabiano sees the world differently from most parents.

“You know that movie where Haley Joel Osment says, ‘I see dead people’?” she says during a break from her duties as a nurse practitioner at Upstate Medical University’s Pediatric Surgery Clinic. “Well, I see trauma.”

A nursing professional since 2003, Caltabiano has seen a multitude of trauma injuries. Her experiences have influenced her parenting, and have inspired her to go to events and educate people about preventing accidents. “I’ve been going out into the community to health fairs, school, and things like that—talking about trauma.”

The move toward public education was a natural one. “What I like about nursing

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is being able to make an impact on patients and their families,” Caltabiano, 38, says. “A lot of times when patients come in, it’s for things that they didn’t expect to happen. They are accidents, but a lot of these accidents are truly preventable.

People don’t know how to prevent them, or they don’t know things are dangerous.”

Certain injuries are more common in some counties than others. Caltabiano’s office, the Division of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Trauma, keeps track of that data. “The more rural counties, like Oswego County, have more ATV accidents,” she says. “Whereas in Onondaga County we have more pedestrian accidents.”

With this information, Caltabiano and her colleagues can prepare more precise information and programming for parents and first responders, so people know

what to look out for. “In Syracuse, it may be pedestrian safety. We may talk to kids about looking both ways, encouraging parents to be looking when their children are outside.”

Despite efforts at the state and national levels to legislate safety measures over the past 30 years (think bike helmets and seatbelts), Caltabiano—herself a survivor of a serious childhood head injury—says the need for this kind of information might be greater than ever before.

“There are new concerns that were not here when we were little,” she says.

“Did we even have ATVs? No. Was there the distraction of texting and things like that—texting and driving? No. Speed limits have changed. And we have learned a lot from the injuries we saw in the past.

We can do things more safely now, like

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Michael Davis Photo

with car seats. We can make them safer, we can position them safer.”

That babies are now required to face backward in their car seats is one example of a change prompted by accident data. Doctors documented evidence that children in rear-facing car seats suffered less-severe injuries in accidents than those facing forward.

Caltabiano recognized the need for more public education early in her career. At one point, half of the children in Upstate’s pediatric trauma unit were injured in a mishap with a lawnmower. “People seem to think that lawnmowers are not that big a deal, but they really are. A child can lose part of a foot or an arm. On a riding mower, they can hit a rock and fall off.”

These days, “distracted parenting” is a frequent topic in Caltabiano’s discussions. Electronic devices are too often diverting parents’ attention.

“If you’re going to take your child to a pool, or a playground, those are the times when the phone needs to be put away,” she says. “Monitor your child.”

Trauma is the No. 1 cause of death nationwide for children ages 1 to 18.

“One child dies every hour from a pediatric trauma,” she says. “People tend to think, ‘Oh, they bump their head, they’ll go home and be fine.’

But it’s bigger than that. There are lots of kids who get head injuries and die or are disabled from their injury.

Those are the kinds of things we want to prevent.”

Caltabiano’s job has made her a more vigilant parent to her children— Michael, 9 and Emma, 2. She and her husband, William, live in Eastwood, and they are the kind of parents who always stay for the parties (“I don’t care how many adults are there.”).

And she doesn’t allow trampolines (“There’s no way, ever.”).

“There are things they want to do that they know are just off the plate.

Trampolines are one of them. With other things, we do them, but do them in a way that’s safe. For example, my daughter is 2 and she has never been on her tricycle without a helmet. They don’t question it.”

Ultimately, Caltabiano believes

her children are learning important life skills. Her son went with her to an event on bike helmets, and he felt proud to share life-saving information with other kids. “He likes that part of it. He doesn’t like the ‘We’re not getting a trampoline’ part,” she says with a laugh.

Can parents be too traumaphobic? “That’s a tough balance because I want my child to be able to go out and safely make decisions on their own. But then again, I want to make sure I’m watching for things that could happen injury-wise. So, I look for other ways to teach responsibility.”

And not every danger is foreseeable. “Accidents happen,” Caltabiano says. “Kids are going to run through the yard, trip and fall. You can’t prevent that. But there are certain things you can prevent. That’s what we’re trying to focus on.”

If an accident does happen, Caltabiano and her colleagues are prepared to give the best care possible.

Upstate was recently verified as a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons.

As such, it is considered a comprehensive, regional resource capable of addressing every aspect of trauma care.

“We want the community to see us as a source of information, not just the place you go when you’re hurt,” Caltabiano says. Upstate will soon launch a pediatric trauma web page, enabling organizations and individuals free access to safety information.

Groups can also request presentations from Caltabiano and others in her office.

“We are trying to get this information out to local pediatricians, police departments and fire departments so that they can better gear their education to families,” she says.

Her division looks at the trends in how children are getting hurt and spreads the word. The message: “This is what we’re seeing. We want to help you. So, what can we do together to help prevent some of these injuries?”

Award-winning writer Tammy DiDomenico lives in DeWitt with her husband and two sons.

Hazards by Season As seasons change, the injuries that health care practitioners see in children change, too, says Cathleen Caltabiano, nurse practitioner with Upstate Medical University’s Division of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Trauma.

“As soon as spring hits, we prepare for the children who are going to fall out of windows.

People open their windows after being cooped up all winter, and they don’t think to check their screens,” she says. “The nice weather brings more bike and pool accidents. With toddlers, we see a lot of things with carrier car seats. They can fall out of them. Those things we see all year.”

In the fall, back-to-school means more playground incidents and bus-stop mishaps. “The monkey bars are huge,” she says. “Kids fall off of them. And a lot of people don’t realize that kids don’t really have the physical strength to get across them.”

Halloween is another busy time for the pediatric trauma department. “Kids are outside in the dark, everybody’s dressed in a costume, they can’t see well. The most common injury results from kids being out in the dark and (drivers) can’t see them, so they get hit (by cars).”

Fall also means the start of two of the most aggressive scholastic sports: football and soccer.

Local doctors and coaches have gotten more detailed, useful information to parents and students about concussions and head trauma recovery, Caltabiano says. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has taken the lead in educating players, parents, physicians and coaches on the symptoms, and the importance of an individualized “return to play” plan for those who have suffered head trauma on the field.

Many patients Caltabiano sees are eager to get back on the field—often too eager. Having a specific plan helps prevent a reoccurrence. “We give them guidelines for going back to all those things they want to do, and how to do it safely,” she says.

Winter brings skiing and sledding accidents.

“It’s not always the person on the sleds or skis,” she says. “Children get hurt when they are hit by other kids sledding, too.”

Caltabiano hopes to work with some local ski centers this winter on educating kids and parents about the importance of winter sport helmets.

Upstate supports proposed legislation to make helmets mandatory for skiers under age 14.

“More ski centers are offering helmets as part of their rental packages, but not all,” Caltabiano says. “And ski helmets are not like bike helmets: You don’t just run into Target and buy one for $15. Parents need more information.”

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chris xaver photo

Every Bite Counts So make some of those bites beets | By Chris Xaver

A

nd so begins the season of overindulging. Yet how do we not fall in love with all of the season’s bounty? The food is incredible! Heck, isn’t that why we celebrate Thanksgiving—to express gratitude for the harvest?

For too many years I tried to “eat today” and pay tomorrow. Here’s what I’ve learned: It doesn’t work. I can’t have cheat days. I can’t eat it now and tell myself I’ll exercise it off later, because life happens and I often can’t squeeze in the extra 30 minutes in the pool I told myself would neutralize the extra indulgence. So, I tend look at every bite as if it were the very nuts and bolts that hold my frame together.

Winter red beets are glorious and so good for you. That is if we don’t muck them up with toppings. The trick is getting the kids to eat them, too. On any given weekend from three to seven young people, ages 3 to 28 years old, visit my house. My tried-and-true way to get the kids to eat what I’m serving is let them 10

help me make it. My grandkids will get so excited about what they’ve made, when their parents walk in the door they’ll run over and beg them to taste.

If that doesn’t work, you can tap into the “gross factor.” When we made beet chips, they loved the red stain on their hands. Loved the color as they baked.

Loved the idea they were making chips.

But then when I asked them to taste they held back. Until I told them if they ate enough beets, it would turn their pee red.

Now the race was on! I don’t even want to tell you the reports back the following morning. They were hooked. The next time we went to the market, they asked if we could buy more beets. Don’t you just love that! (Not everyone sees the red-pee effect, but that seems to entice the kids more.)

Beets contain incredible antioxidants.

And the betalains, which give beets their color, combine with manganese and vitamin C to assist our eye health in ways carrots only dream of. Adding a beet to your diet each week will support not only

eye health but could lessen inflammation that contributes to heart disease, vascular disease and other conditions.

Bottom line: The whole family can benefit from nibbling on some beet chips.

And for a protein boost, dip your chip in a nut or seed butter. Protein coupled with the nutrients and fiber in this winter vegetable makes for a power-packed snack.

A couple of other thoughts: • If you’re looking for a little more to help you eat less during the holidays, wear fitted pants. Seriously. If you wear a fitted waistline, you’ll be less likely to eat more as you’re more conscious of your size as you nibble.

• Take that leftover Halloween candy into work. Pass it off onto others who haven’t read my column and aren’t quite as snack savvy as you are!

Chris Xaver, Ph.D., is a local TV and radio personality with three children and five grandchildren.

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chris xaver photo

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THINKSTOCK

because I SAID SO

Diving Deep

Students need opportunities to explore their passions | By Scott Wiggins

O

ur entire educational system has gone through such enormous change and turmoil in recent years that significant concerns abound for parents and teachers alike. And in a metropolitan environment like Syracuse, these concerns create their own set of special challenges.

New York, and it’s an issue that millions of Americans face across the country.

A major focus of this concern is the debate over the Common Core.

Part of the solution is ensuring we diversify our educational options. As noted

by Daniel Coyle, the author of the 2009 New York Times bestseller The Talent Code, there are three essential elements that lead to cultivating greatness in any field: time, passion and feedback. We need to apply those three elements to our children’s education, and diversifying their education enables us to do that.

The goals of the Common Core are admirable: to help ensure that students graduate with the skills and knowledge that they need to be successful in the 21st century. However, the implementation of the Common Core has become a lightning rod for controversy.

Everyone from lawmakers to administrators, teachers and parents have pushed back, pushed away and protested against curriculums and tests that are supposed to support the Common Core—saying that they are too focused on trying to create test takers and not focused enough on trying to get our kids ready for their future in the world after graduation.

That’s the issue that we face in Central 12

There are many ways to address this issue. And while there is no single solution, there are multiple solutions that can coexist in a way that provides our children with an education that prepares them for life.

Independent, public, parochial and charter schools complement each other, as education is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

In an independent school, for example, students are able to take deep dives into subjects and explore their own passions.

The switch to an independent school may not be possible for every family. But there are complementary educational options offered by independent schools and other organizations through summer and after school programs, serving as additional components for preparing children to succeed on more than just standardized tests.

The success of our children’s future starts with decisions that we make very early in their lives. Our children must learn as early as possible—in pre-K and kindergarten—how to take control of their own learning, and do so at a rate that is suited for the best possible outcome.

When there are students who have a metaphorical “academic rocket” strapped to their backs, it’s devastating if there are no resources to help them take off and realize their full potential. We need to give students the ability to light those fuses, provide educational opportunities that transcend teaching to a test, and take advantage of everything our teachers have to offer.

Syracuse is a stronger community for having such diverse educational options.

Scott Wiggins is head of school at Manlius Pebble Hill.

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14-Feature

Theresa Szafranski takes ballet class at Dance Centre North in Mattydale.

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Three Cheers for Artists A fund and TV program support young performers Story by Aaron Gifford Photographs by Michael Davis

W

henever Carrie Lazarus heard reports about yet another local ballplayer accepting a college scholarship, she couldn’t help but think of the young singers, dancers or musicians who would not be trumpeted by the newspapers, interviewed by reporters or raved about at office water coolers on Monday mornings.

Instead of getting angry and criticizing the local media for lacking arts coverage, the WSYR-Channel 9 news anchor created a spotlight for young performers and developed a program to give some of them the chance to learn from the best in their fields.

“I think our culture doesn’t value the arts like it values sports,” Lazarus says. “Ask a seventh-grader who his heroes are? What do you think he’d say?

That’s our culture today. I really saw a need for this.”

Lazarus created a television segment called “Extraordinary People and Places of Central New York,” which sometimes featured local students who were involved in the performing arts. A year later, in 2013, she established the Extraordinary Talent

Fund. So far, the program has awarded $23,820 to 11 local students, according to the Central New York Community Foundation, which helps administer the program. The grants were used to partially or fully cover tuition costs of training programs, seminars or instructional camps in the recipient’s respective art.

Lazarus, who is also involved in reviewing the grant applications, will continue to lead fundraising efforts to help the program grow.

Manlius-Pebble Hill graduate Tevin Johnson, the program’s first recipient, was awarded a grant last year to attend a competitive summer intensive program at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. He successfully auditioned for the

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Rebecca Flanagan liked Irish dance immediately “because it was something I really had to work hard at.” She takes classes at the Johnston School of Irish Dance in Syracuse.

program the previous summer but didn’t have the $5,000 for tuition, room and board.

“I felt that wasn’t right,” says Lazarus, who featured Johnson on her television segment. His situation inspired her to create the fund. In December, Johnson performed at the “Extraordinary Live” event at the Landmark Theatre to help raise money for the fund. He attended Alvin Ailey’s summer program again this year and is currently enrolled as a dance major at Montclair State University in New Jersey, which awarded him a scholarship.

Not bad for a kid who didn’t start formal training until he was a teenager and learned how to dance by watching So You Think You Can Dance.

At the summer program, Johnson learned how to dance as a member of a company, not just as a soloist. His mother, Tonya Johnson, says baseball, gymnastics and other sports came easily to her son. He would get bored with one sport and move on to another. Dance, she says, was the only activity he didn’t tire of after a few months. “It was the only time that he had his stuff on and was waiting by the door telling me to hurry up.”

“I felt like dance was the one thing I could not complete,” Tevin Johnson says. “Wherever you are now, you can always get better. But unlike sports, you can actually see where you, as an individual, are headed. And you know right away what you need to work on.”

Lucas Button, 20, of Syracuse, a cellist, was awarded a $9,000 grant to attend an eight-week training program this past summer at the Aspen Music Festival and School in Colorado. Some of the other participants were already professional musicians. Button was coached by some of the top conductors and music professors in the nation and enjoyed performing for a group of Rhodes scholars.

What he’ll remember the most about the program is the deep love for music shared by everyone there. “The level was very high, but it wasn’t an intimidating environment,” Button says.

“Everyone is able to look past the differences in levels of musicianship and focus on making this beautiful music.”

His mother, Ilze Brink-Button, and her husband, Steven Button, are music teachers, but they tried not to push performing arts on their son too much when he took up the instrument at age 7. After attending music camps around the time he was in middle school, Brink-Button says, “He got the bug.”

“Little old Syracuse is producing kids in the arts,” she says.

“The arts are not dying.”

Button completed high school at Interlochen Arts Academy, a boarding school in Michigan, before continuing his education at Rice University in Houston, where he recently began his junior year as a music major.

He called the Aspen program “unbelievable and inspiring” and says it was also a great networking experience for graduate school. His career dream is to become a member of a touring and recording string quartet.

“There’s just something about the say that you have in a group of only four people,” he says.

Dixie Szafranski says her 12-year-old daughter, Theresa Szafranski, was awarded about $1,200 to attend a two-week program at the American Ballet Theatre in New York

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“I think our culture doesn’t value the arts like it values sports.”

—Carrie Lazarus

City. The faculty there included professional dancers from France, Russia and New Zealand. It has been the highlight of a dance career so far that started at age 2 in Baton Rouge, La., and continued in rural Wisconsin and then on Wellesley Island, near Watertown. For an entire year, her parents made the three-plushour round trip to Dance Centre North in Mattydale four times a week before they moved to DeWitt in 2013.

Szafranski says her daughter was very focused on dance at a young age, but it also helped that she had a dancer’s body: three toes that are the same size (peasant’s feet), a long neck and a small head.

Theresa previously performed for the New York City Ballet during a summer program last year at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Szafranski was already searching for grants to send Theresa to the American Ballet Theatre when she heard about Lazarus’ fund. Szafranski insisted on paying half because her oldest daughter, Abigail, lives in Queens and could provide her little sister lodging and transportation to the program.

“I didn’t want to be greedy,” Szafranski says. “I know they are trying to help a lot of young performers.”

Theresa said she especially enjoyed how the professional dancers’ techniques varied by the nations they represented. She was most inspired by the Russians.

“They are very strict and very dedicated,” Theresa says.

A few weeks after returning from the American Ballet Theatre, Theresa successfully auditioned for the role of Clara in the Albany Berkshire Ballet Company’s production of The Nutcracker.

“It has been a dream of hers to be Clara since she was young,” Szafranski says.

Rebecca Flanagan, 16, a student at Cicero-North Syracuse High School, won a grant for about $2,000 to attend the nineday Studio2Stage intensive Irish dance workshop in August at New Jersey’s Kean University. She began as a tap and ballet dancer at 3 years old and moved on to Irish dancing at age 7.

She currently attends classes at the Johnston School of Irish Dance in Syracuse five days a week, with each one lasting up to three hours.

“I liked it right away because it was something I really had to work hard at,” she says.

Irish dance is typically centered on competitions—and Flanagan has a bedroom full of medals, including ones from previous world-level competitions in Belfast and Dublin. But the performance side of the art has become increasingly popular in the United States since the debut of Riverdance and other touring shows. At Studio2Stage, Rebecca got a taste of what it’s like to rehearse for a major production and then perform in a show where she wasn’t competing with other dancers.

“The biggest thing for us was to get used to loosening up more and being able to move around more”—without the movements and stances being judged on a fine degree of precision, she says.

“I love to compete, but based on this experience I really love shows now.”

Some of Rebecca’s friends from the Johnston School traveled to New Jersey to watch the performance. One of the things she

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The “Extraordinary Live” show to raise money for the artist grants is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 16, 3 p.m., at the Landmark Theatre, 362 S. Salina St. Tickets are $10. For more information about the Carrie Lazarus Fund for Extraordinary Talent, visit cnycf.org/ extraordinary.

loves about Irish dance is the camaraderie she shares from her studio as well as with dancers she’s faced from other nations. They continue to stay in touch after the competitions.

Her mother, Laurel Flanagan, was “blown away” at how professional the Studio2Stage production was, despite the relatively short time that the young dancers had to prepare for it.

“The energy was even more than what I saw at Riverdance,” Flanagan says.

Rebecca aspires to join a major performing company some day. She isn’t ruling out college, although as far as she knows there are no competitive Irish dance programs at the collegiate level. “Dance,” she says, “is the biggest thing in my life.”

Her mother believes that the popularity of Riverdance and similar productions will help the art continue to grow in the United States.

“In the mid-1980s, only Irish communities or families that were really into their Irish heritage knew about it,” Flanagan says. “In Ireland, it’s such a big part of their culture everywhere.

Everyone either has someone in their family that competes or knows someone who does

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really well. But North America has burst onto the scene and is holding its own.”

The Extraordinary Talent Fund is one of about 600 funds administered by the Central New York Community Fund. Last year, the organization provided about $200,000 to various arts organizations, not counting Lazarus’ program, which is specific to the performing arts.

Organizations can apply for funds annually, says Olive Sephuma, director of community grant making. She added that grants have been awarded to cover start-up costs for new organizations, or to help organizations that have incurred unexpected emergencies. For example, the Community Fund helped to rebuild a ballet studio that was damaged by fire.

Monica Merante, donor relations officer, said Lazarus’ program is unique in that it benefits individuals instead of organizations.

“It’s a major helping hand to young people who have a passion for performing arts,” Merante says.

Aaron Gifford is an award-winning writer who lives in Cazenovia with his wife and two children.

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Holiday finds for everyone’s wish list Each year, the National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) enlists the help of expert judges and families to play with, test and evaluate hundreds of new children’s products. Here are the gems they honored with gold awards this year. All proved high in quality, entertainment and educational value, and – of course – in fun.

See the entire list of gold, silver and honors winners at NAPPAawards.com or download the app from Cozi – the online family calendar and organizer – and view all the winners on your phone.

Toys

Air Storm Firetek Bow Zing, $29.97, www.firetekbow.com.

Ages: 8+.

Gyrobot

Thames and Kosmos, $44.95, thamesandkosmos.com.

Ages: 6+.

The World Of Eric Carle Learning Table and Chair Creative Baby Inc., $49.99, creativebabyinc.com. Ages: 3+.

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Bunzi

Chillafish $49.99, Chillafish.com. Ages: 1 to 3.

KOR Geomag Tazoo Paco Geomag, $45, geomagworld.com.

Ages: 5+.

Razor USA, $169.99, razor.com. Ages: 8+.

at Facebook.com/NAP for your chance to win PAawards of award winning toysa collection , books and games.

Get Out Play Kit Waboba, $24.99, waboba.com.

Ages: 5+.

Make Your Own Washi Tape Stickers Scholastic Corporation/Klutz, $16.99, klutz.com. Ages: 8+.

Wikki Stix One-of-a-Kind Piggy Bank

Razor E100 Glow

ENTER THE NAPPA SWEEPSTAKES

Omnicor, Inc./The Wikki Stix Company, $24.95, wikkistix.com.

Ages: 5 to 8.

Gravity Maze

ThinkFun, Inc., $29.99, thinkfun.com.

Ages: 8 to Adult.

Paint Your Own Porcelain Party Kit

MindWare, $39.95, mindware.com. Ages: 8+.

YOXObug Flye

Play from Scratch, $24.99, yoxo.com. Ages: 7+.

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Games Balance Boat-Endangered Animal Edition

BeginAgain, $35, beginagaintoys.com.

Fun for the entire family.

Doodle Quest

Blue Orange Games, $24.99, blueorangegames.com. Ages: 6+.

MimiQ

Face To Face Card Game for Kids Edition

Harvest Time, $11.99, harvesttimepartners.com. Ages: 7+.

GameBrotherZ, $7.99, gamebrotherz.com.

Fun for the entire family.

Seek-a-Boo

Moustache Smash Spin Master, $15.99, spinmaster.com.

Ages: 7+.

Shark Mania

Spin Master, $19.99, spinmaster.com.

Ages: 6+.

MindWare, $19.99, mindware.com.

Ages: 1 to 3.

Staxis

MindWare, $29.95, mindware.com.

Fun for the entire family.

Spot it! Fire & Ice

Blue Orange Games, $19.99, blueorangegames.com. Ages: 8+.

Sunny Day Pond

Peaceable Kingdom, $15.99, peaceablekingdom.com. Ages: 3+.

Books

A Home for Mr. Emerson

by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham Scholastic Corporation/Scholastic Press, 2014, $18.99, scholastic.com.

Ages: 8 to 12.

A Perfectly Messed-Up Story

by Patrick McDonnell Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2014, $17, hachettebookgroup.com.

Ages: 3 to 6.

Dash

Alice from Dallas

by Marilyn Sadler, illustrated by Ard Hoyt Abrams Books, 2014, $16.95, abramsbooks.com. Ages: 4 to 8.

by Kirby Larson Scholastic Corporation/ Scholastic Press, 2014, $16.99, scholastic.com.

Ages: 8 to 12.

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Books (cont’d.)

Junior Builder: Rescue Vehicles

Silver Dolphin Books, 2014, $16.95, silverdolphinbooks.com.

Ages: 5+.

Here I Am

by Patty Kim Capstone Young Readers, 2014, $14.95, capstoneyoungreaders.com.

Ages: 5 to 10.

Hot Dog, Cold Dog

by Frann Preston-Gannon POW!/powerHouse Books, 2014, $12.95, powkidsbooks.com. Fun for the entire family.

Sisters

by Raina Telgemeier Scholastic Corporation/Graphix, 2014, $10.99, scholastic.com.

Ages: 8 to 12.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Reality Shock!

Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, 2014, $28.95, ripleybooks.com. Ages: 13+.

The Cat, the Dog, Little Red, the Exploding Eggs, the Wolf, and Grandma

The End (Almost)

by Diane Fox, illustrated by Christyan Fox, Scholastic Corporation/Scholastic Press, 2014, $16.99, scholastic.com.

Ages: 4 to 8.

by Jim Benton Scholastic Corporation/ Scholastic Press, 2014, $16.99, scholastic.com.

Ages: 3 to 5.

What’s New? The Zoo!

by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Marcellus Hall, Scholastic Corporation/Arthur A. Levine Books, 2014, $17.99, scholastic.com. Ages: 4 to 8.

Music Just Say Hi! – Brady Rymer

Brady Rymer and the Little Band that Could, 2014, $15, bradyrymer.com.

Ages: 2 to 7.

Absolutely Positively Getting Along –

Various Artists

Cool Beans Music, East Coast Recording Company & Robinsong Studio, 2013, $15, absolutelypositivelygettingalong.com.

Ages: 5 to 10.

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Jam on Rye – Randy Kaplan

Yellow Thing Records & Books, 2014, $14.99, randykaplan.com. Fun for the entire family.

Simply Fantastic: An Introduction to Classical Music

The Secret Mountain, 2014, $16.95, thesecretmountain.com. Ages: 4+.

‘Til The Morning: Lullabies and Songs of Comfort – Through the Woods –

The Okee Dokee Brothers The Okee Dokee Brothers, 2014, $19.95, okeedokee.org.

Fun for the entire family.

Edie Carey & Sarah Sample

Edie Carey & Sarah Sample, 2014, $15, ediecarey.com and sarahsample.com.

Fun for the entire family.

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Virtual & Apps MiP

WowWee, $99.99, wowwee.com.

Fun for the entire family.

National Geographic Kids Magazine iPad App

Dr. Panda’s Restaurant 2

National Geographic Society, Free, itunes.apple.com. Ages: 6 to 14.

Fun for the entire family.

TribePlay Limited, $2.99, drpandagames.com. Ages: 3 to 7.

Star Wars Scene Maker Skylanders Trap Team

Activision, $74.99 for starter pack, skylanders.com. Fun for the entire family.

Disney Publishing Worldwide, Free w/ in-app purchase, disneystories.com.

Ages: 6 to 8.

Tiggly Shapes

Tiggly - Kidtellect Inc., $29.95, get.tiggly.com/shapes.

Ages: 18 months to 4 years.

DVDs Dino Dan: Tyrannosaurus Trek

NCircle Entertainment, 2014, $12.99, NCircleEntertainment.com.

Ages: 2 to 4.

The Snowman

NCircle Entertainment, 2014, $9.99, NCircleEntertainment.com.

Fun for the entire family.

Cat in the Hat: Space is the Place!

NCircle Entertainment, 2014, $10.99, NCircleEntertainment.com.

Ages: 2 to 6.

Octonauts: Calling All Sharks!

Pocoyo: Season Set Volume 1

NCircle Entertainment, 2014, $22.99, NCircleEntertainment.com.

Ages: 2 to 4.

NCircle Entertainment, 2014, $12.99, NCircleEntertainment.com.

Ages: 2 to 4.

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baltimore woods nature center photo

Calendar

November 2014 Family Fun Events

Wild Bird Feeders and Wintering Birds, Nov. 15 Please note: Mistakes happen. To confirm event details, call the sponsoring organization’s phone number or visit the website.

Friday, Oct. 31 HALLOWEEN National Fossil Days Exhibit Opening. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; daily, through Dec. 31. Learn about the Mesozoic Era and the Age of Reptiles. Pick up an activity booklet and adopt a fossil to take home. Great Swamp Conservancy Museum of Natural and Local History, 8375 N. Main St. Canastota. Free. 697-2950.

Syracuse Crunch. 7 p.m. The American Hockey League team faces the Rochester Americans.

War Memorial, 800 S. State St., Syracuse. $16$20, plus applicable processing fees. 473-4444.

Saturday, Nov. 1 Craft Fair and Harvest Fun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Craft vendors; bake sale; and children’s crafts, games and activities. Baldwinsville Christian Academy, 7312 Van Buren Road, Baldwinsville.

638-1069.

NYS Model Train Fair. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; also Nov. 2. One of the Northeast’s premier model train shows, with more than 100 vendors and over 30 operating layouts. Exhibit Center, State Fairgrounds, Geddes. $8/age 16 & older; free/age 15 and under. 451-6551. www.modeltrainfair.com.

Family Literacy Day Celebration. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Happenings at various locations in the mall—DeWitt Community Library, the food court, Community Wing and JC Penney court— include storytelling, a magician, face painting, learning activities and more. Shoppingtown Mall, 3649 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt. Free. 559-4795.

Reading with Rover. 11 a.m.-noon. Children ages 6-11 can read to a dog from Paws of CNY for 10 minutes. Onondaga Free Library, 4840 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse. Free. Registration required: 254-8286.

A World of Puppets. 11 a.m. Dan Butterworth’s marionettes and shadow puppets per-

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form “Carnival for Halloween.” Children as young as 3 and parents can come for an up-close look at the performance at 10 a.m. for an additional $5. International Mask and Puppet Museum, 518 Prospect Ave., Syracuse. $10/adults; $6/children.

Reserve: 476-0466.

Styles & Sweets for Scholars. 1-3:30 p.m.

Benefit features fashions and desserts. Raises funds for Syracuse Zonta Foundation grants, awards and scholarships. Best Western Plus Carrier Circle, 6555 Old Collamer Road S., East Syracuse. $20. Reserve: www.stylesandsweets forscholars.com.

Little Red Riding Hood. 12:30 p.m. The Magic Circle Children’s Theatre presents an original version of the fairy tale, in which children in the audience help Little Red and Grandma bring the Wolf to trial, then become judge and jury.

Children can dress up as fairy tale characters to enhance their fun. Spaghetti Warehouse, 689 N. Clinton St., Syracuse. $5. 449-3823.

Day of the Dead Party. 2 p.m. Young people ages 8-18 can celebrate the Dia de los Muertos and learn about this Mexican holiday by enjoying traditional food and making crafts such as sugar skulls. DeWitt Community Library, Shoppingtown Mall (below food court), 3649 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt. Free. Registration required: 446-3578.

Artful Tales. 1-2 p.m. Children age 3 and up and caregivers can explore the galleries and hear stories that connect picture books and the art in the museum. Everson Museum of Art, 401 Harrison St., Syracuse. Free. 474-6064. Register: kgriffiths@everson.org.

Lightapalooza. 2 p.m.; also Nov. 16. High school students demonstrate optical illusions, bending light and making sound waves visible.

Sciencenter. 601 First St., Ithaca. Admission: $8/ adults; $7/seniors; $6/ages 3-17; free/under 3.

(607) 272-0600. www.sciencenter.org.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Party. 2 p.m. Celebrate the Nov. 4 release of the latest Wimpy Kid book with crafts, games and snacks. DeWitt Community Library, Shoppingtown Mall (below food court), 3649 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt. Free. Registration required: 446-3578.

Monday, Nov. 3

Sciencenter Showtime. 2 p.m.; Saturdays.

Every Saturday, see an interactive presentation on a different aspect of science. This month’s topics include plant adaptations, animal architects and the prototype toys. Sciencenter. 601 First St., Ithaca.

Admission: $8/adults; $7/seniors; $6/ages 3-17; free/under 3. (607) 272-0600. www.sciencenter.org.

Sunday, Nov. 2 DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS Squishing of the Squash. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Watch as animals throughout the zoo chomp and stomp pumpkins of various sizes. Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park, 1 Conservation Place, Syracuse. Admission: $8/adults; $5/senior citizens; $4/ children; free/age 2 and younger. 435-8511.

NYS Model Train Fair. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. See Nov. 2 listing.

Yoga for Everyone. 6-7 p.m.; also Nov. 10, 17 & 24. Gentle yoga class. Betts Branch Library, 4862 S. Salina St., Syracuse. Free. Registration required: 435-1940.

Tuesday, Nov. 4 ELECTION DAY Craftastic Critters. 4:30-5:30 p.m.; also Nov. 18 & 25. Kids ages 5-10 can drop in to make a different craft each week. Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville. Free. 637-6374.

Wednesday, Nov. 5 Teen Time. 3:30-4:30 p.m.; also Nov. 12, 19 & 26. Children ages 11-17 can do projects and crafts, and play games. Solvay Public Library, 615 Woods Road, Solvay. Free. Reservations preferred: 468-2441. www.solvaylibrary.org.

Creation Club Junior. 4-5:30 p.m.; also Nov. 19. School-aged children will learn introductory skills for making their own videos, podcasts and

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baltimore woods nature center photo

Pajama Storytime. 6-6:30 p.m. Children ages 2-5, with a caregiver, can wear pajamas, bring a stuffed toy, and hear stories, songs and rhymes suitable for nighttime. Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool. Free.

457-0310. lpl.org.

Teen Geeks. 6-8 p.m.; also Nov. 19. Kids in grades 7-12 can hang out, play games, eat snacks and create. Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool. Free. 457-0310. lpl.org.

Multiple Moms Mingle. 6:30 p.m. Monthly meeting of mothers and expectant mothers of multiples. Ruby Tuesday, 3220 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt.

Reserve if you wish to attend: multiplemomsmingle@gmail.com. www. multiplemomsmingle.com.

Mission Lego. 7 p.m.; also Nov. 12 & 19. Children ages 10-18 work in groups of four to design and program a Lego robot and complete a mission challenge. Onondaga Free Library, 4840 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse.

Free. Registration required: 254-8286.

Calendar

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3D models. This month build bridges, have a strongest bridge challenge and learn about marshmallow engineering. Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville. Free. Registration required: 637-6374. www.fflib.org.

Christmas Trees

Open Nov. 28th 1850 Rte. 91, between Rt. 80 & 20 Pompey, NY • Cut your own and precut trees • Beautiful Fraser and Canaan Firs to 12 feet • $5 per foot, $25 minimum. Over 10 ft. $6/ft.

• Fresh wreaths, roping & tree stands • Free wagon ride • Free baling & drilling • Farm store: Ornaments, gifts, alpaca clothing & socks, local honey, maple syrup, local artisans Fridays: 1-5pm • Weekends: 9-5pm Weekdays by appointment 315-683-5860 www.springsidefarm.net

Memories that will last a lifetime!

Thursday, Nov. 6 Storytime. 10:30 a.m.; also Nov. 13 & 20. Preschoolers and caregivers can take part in a program with stories, songs and rhymes. Betts Branch Library, 4862 S. Salina St., Syracuse. Free. 435-1940.

Yoga Storytime. 4:15-5 p.m.; also Nov. 13. Kids ages 6-10 and parents can have a full-body experience that builds early literacy skills and healthy bodies at the same time. Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville.

Free. Registration required: 637-6374. www.fflib.org.

Hunger Games Discussion. 7 p.m. Fans of the Suzanne Collins series can join a discussion of the books and movies. Barnes & Noble, 3454 Erie Blvd.

E., DeWitt. Free. Reservations required: 449-2948.

Friday, Nov. 7 Friday Crafts. 3:30-4:30 p.m.; also Nov. 14, 21 & 28. Kids age 5 and older can make crafts (with provided materials) and take them home. Solvay Public Library, 615 Woods Road, Solvay. Free. Reservations requested: 4682441. www.solvaylibrary.org.

Pediatric Associates, LLP Caring for CNY children for more than 40 years. www.PediatricAssociatesNY.com

LIVERPOOL 8086 Oswego Rd. • 652-1070 CAMILLUS 601 North Way • 487-1541

FREE PRENATAL CONSULTATION STAFF ON CALL 24 HRS. A DAY

Do You Want to Meet a Snowman? 5-8 p.m. Meet Olaf and take silly pictures with props; play games; sing songs and make crafts. For children age 8 and under. KidzClub Indoor Play and Party Place, Three Rivers Plaza, 219 Route 57, Phoenix. $12/child. Prepaid tickets required: 695-2211. www. kidzclubfun.com.

Teen Murder Mystery. 6-7:30 p.m. Sleuths ages 10-18 can follow clues and discover who is killed in the library and why. Refreshments served.

DeWitt Community Library, Shoppingtown Mall (below food court), 3649 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt. Free. Registration required: 446-3578.

Cookie Mouse Visits Storytime. 7 p.m. Kids can wear pajamas and join a storytime that features Laura Numeroff’s classic story. Don’t forget your camera! Barnes & Noble, 3454 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt. Free. 449-2948.

Syracuse Crunch. 7 p.m. Vs. Norfolk Admirals. See Oct. 31 listing.

Frank Cammuso Talk and Signing. 7:30 p.m. The cartoonist and graphic novelist talks and signs copies of his latest book in the Misadventures of Salem Hyde series. Barnes & Noble, 3454 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt. Free.

449-2948.

Tune in Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 9:15 a.m., for columnist Maggie Simone’s preview of what’s in the next edition of Family Times!

on the air with

Ted & Amy in the Morning on Family Times November 2014

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Calendar

28-Calendar

Saturday, Nov. 8 CNY Bridges Build ’Em & Bust ’Em. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Teams of students in grades four through 12 can build bridges out of balsa wood and see them broken to test the bridges’ strength.

Museum of Science and Technology (MOST), 500 S. Franklin St., Armory Square, Syracuse. Free/student participants. Spectators must pay admission: $10/adults; $8/ages 2-11 and seniors age 65 and older. 925-9068.

Girls Made With Code Party. 10 a.m.-noon. Girls ages 12-18 can learn about how code and computer science touch their lives and how to write a few lines of code. Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville. Free. 637-6374. www. fflib.org.

Sensory Friendly Storytime. 10:30 a.m. Children with sensory integration issues or other special needs, accompanied by a caregiver, can take part in a program combining books, songs and activities that promote learning and play at the preschool developmental level. Soule Branch Library, 101 Springfield Road, Syracuse. Free. Registration required: 435-5320 or 435-3395.

KATHE HARRINGTON PHOTO

Craft Show Extravaganza. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Craft show, direct sales companies and other attractions, including MaxMan Reptile Rescue, face painters and more. Elbridge Elementary School, 130 E. Main St., Elbridge. Free admission. 558-3408.

A World of Puppets. 11 a.m. Brad Shur’s handmade puppets perform “Robin Hood.” Children as young as 3 and parents can come for an up-close look at the performance at 10 a.m. for an additional $5. International Mask and Puppet Museum, 518 Prospect Ave., Syracuse. $10/adults; $6/children. Reserve: 476-0466.

National Toy Hall of Fame Celebration. 11 a.m.-4 p.m; also Nov. 9. Take part in revelry in connection with the induction of the 2014 class of toys into the hall (revealed Nov. 6), with special attention on previous inductees the cardboard box and the jigsaw puzzle. Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Square, Rochester. Admission: $13.50/general; free/younger than 2. (585) 263-2700.

Little Red Riding Hood, Saturdays throughout November

After school care that’s

fun and productive!

• K – 6th grade • Open snow days, half days, holidays Busing from , City East-area ric ts, and superintendent days dist J-D & F-M e schools. ivat • Enrichment classes available and ar ea pr r child’s spot • Homework room available u yo Reser ve Monday – Thursday today!

Green Lakes Music Together now owns Bluebird Music Together!

Classes available in: Fayetteville, DeWitt, Syracuse, Clay, Skaneateles, Camillus & Auburn

Register NOW for Winter session starting in January.

Mixed Age Music & Movement classes for babies – age five & the grownups who love them Call 446-1017 for a free sample class!

JCC of Syracuse 5655 Thompson Rd., DeWitt • 315-445-2360 • www.jccsyr.org

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Visit greenlakesmusictogether.com for more information.

Family Times November 2014

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Little Red Riding Hood. 12:30 p.m. See Nov. 1 listing.

KATHE HARRINGTON PHOTO

Thanksgiving Craft. 1-3 p.m. All ages of kids can make a cute holiday turkey that can serve as a Thanksgiving decoration. Onondaga Free Library, 4840 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse. Free. Registration preferred: 254-8286.

Funtastic Saturdays. 2-3 p.m.; also Nov. 22.

Children age 5 and up can take part in craft projects, storytime and other activities. Solvay Public Library, 615 Woods Road, Solvay. Free. Reservations preferred: 468-2441. www.solvaylibrary.org.

Choir Got Talent. 7 p.m. An evening of music, including songs and acts by members of the Syracuse Community Choir children and teen choirs.

601 Allen St., Syracuse. $10. 428-8151.

Syracuse Crunch. 7 p.m. Vs. Norfolk Admirals.

See Oct. 31 listing.

Sunday, Nov. 9 Disney Live: Mickey’s Musical Festival. 1, 4 & 7 p.m. Mickey Mouse and friends perform hits from blockbuster movies, remixed to rock, reggae, hip-hop and other jams. Crouse Hinds Theatre, Oncenter, 800 S. State St., Syracuse. $30-$90. 435-2121. www.ticketmaster.com.

National Toy Hall of Fame Celebration. 1-4 p.m. See Nov. 8 listing.

Chemsations. 2 p.m.; also Nov. 23. High school students demonstrate chemical reactions with color changes, bubbles and light. Sciencenter. 601 First St., Ithaca. Admission: $8/adults; $7/seniors; $6/ages 3-17; free/under 3. (607) 272-0600. www. sciencenter.org.

Monday, Nov. 10 American Girl. 6 p.m.; also Nov. 17. Explore the historical time period of Addy, one of the original American Girls, through crafts, games and food. For ages 8-12. Onondaga Free Library, 4840 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse. Free. Registration required: 254-8286.

Tuesday, Nov. 11 VETERANS DAY Drop in for Crafts. 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Children from preschool age to grade 6 with a caregiver can make seasonal crafts; all materials provided.

Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool.

Free. 457-0310. lpl.org.

MOMS Club of Syracuse-East. 10 a.m. Gathering for local kids and moms. Manlius United Methodist Church, 111 Wesley St., Manlius. Free.

466-6033. http://momsclubofcuseeast.webs.com/.

Veterans Day at Sciencenter. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Free admission for active duty military personnel, veterans and their immediate family members; valid military ID required. Sciencenter, 601 First St., Ithaca. Admission: $8/adults; $7/seniors; $6/ ages 3-17; free/under 3. (607) 272-0600. www. sciencenter.org.

Calendar

Dawn Eddy Storytime and Signing. 11:30 a.m. Dawn Eddy reads from her book A Good Knight and an Ordinary Day, about a boy who wants to be a knight. Barnes & Noble, 3454 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt. Free. 449-2948.

Writing Retreat for Young People. 10:1510:45 a.m. Young people ages 9 to 18 can talk about how to improve their writing. Potential topics include: three-act structure, how to write faster and character development. Bring questions. Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool. Free. 457-0310. lpl.org.

Play with Your Food. Noon, 12:30, 1 & 1:30 p.m. Kids age 6 and up can make marshmallow sculptures, do a soda experiment, have fun with cornstarch and create magic pepper. Onondaga Free Library, 4840 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse.

Free. Registration required: 254-8286.

Tween Baking. 2-3 p.m. Kids ages 9-12 can prepare no-bake pies. Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool. Free. Registration required: 457-0310. lpl.org.

Teen MOPS. 4-6 p.m.; also Nov. 25. Young mothers, ages 13-21, with children under 6 enjoy a faith-based program with fun, food and activities while their children are cared for by the childcare program. Liverpool First United Methodist Church, 604 Oswego St., Liverpool.

Free. 569-2542.

Wednesday, Nov. 12 Lego Brainstorm. 3:30-5 p.m. Students in grades 3-5 can learn about Lego robotic programming and take part in a team mission challenge. Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville. Free. Registration required: 6376374. www.fflib.org.

Lights on the Lake Stroll. 5-9 p.m. Special two-mile walking preview of annual wonderland of illuminated holiday scenes at Onondaga Lake

The fun, affordable solution for birthday parties and other celebrations • Arcade • Indoor Bounce House • Homemade pizzas (made in house!)

• Moonwalk Bouncers • Giant Ball Pit • Slides (Did we mention?

Our inflatables are adult friendly!)

See our website for current specials! surfcityfamilyfuncenter.com

(315)-214-8129 • 7380 Thompson Road, North Syracuse Family Times November 2014

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Syracuse Crunch. 7 p.m. Vs. Hershey Bears.

See Oct. 31 listing.

Admission: $13.50/general; free/younger than 2.

(585) 263-2700.

Saturday, Nov. 15

Little Red Riding Hood. 12:30 p.m. See Nov. 1 listing.

Anime Night. 6-8 p.m. Teens can watch anime on the large screen, take part in drawing and trivia contests, and more. Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool. Free. 457-0310. lpl.org.

Junior Café Scientifique. 9:30-11 a.m. At this month’s meeting of the discussion series for middle school students and parents, Linda Ivany of Syracuse University gives a talk called “What Killed the Dinosaurs and How Do We Know?”.

Presented by the Technology Alliance of Central New York. Museum of Science and Technology (MOST), 500 S. Franklin St., Armory Square, Syracuse. Reservations requested: jrcafe@tacny.org.

Dan the Snakeman. 2 p.m. Adults and children can look at, touch and ask questions about a variety of reptiles. Paine Branch Library, 113 Nichols Ave., Syracuse. Free. 435-5442.

Thursday, Nov. 13 Smart Play. 10:30 a.m.-noon. Children age 5 and under can explore a free-play environment that promotes discovery, creativity and the development of early literacy skills. Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville. Free.

637-6374. www.fflib.org.

Yoga Storytime. 4:15-5 p.m. See Nov. 6 listing.

Lights on the Lake Dog Walk. 5-9 p.m. Dogs are welcome for this special walking preview of annual illuminated holiday wonderland. Refreshments for humans and dogs available for sale.

Onondaga Lake Park, Onondaga Lake Parkway, Liverpool. Donations benefit the Humane Association. Parking at Griffin Visitor Center, Salt Museum or Willow Bay lots. $2/donation. 453-6712.

Friday, Nov. 14 Opening Night Lights on the Lake. 5-10 p.m., daily; through Jan. 4. Drive through the annual light extravaganza featuring two miles of life-size displays, themed sections, animated scenes and the memorable grand finale. Onondaga Lake Park, Onondaga Lake Parkway, Liverpool. $10/car, Monday-Thursday; $15/car, Friday-Sunday. 453-6712.

Sensory Friendly Time. 5:30-7:30 p.m. MOST staffers turn down the noise, turn off the flashing lights and shut off the air compressors so people with sensory issues can enjoy the museum. Museum of Science and Technology (MOST), 500 S. Franklin St., Armory Square, Syracuse. Cost: $5.

425-9068, Ext. 2143.

Dino Day. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. In conjunction with the Dinomania exhibit, take part in special activities: Check out dinosaur fossils, dig for a “dinosaur egg” or color dinosaur pages. MOST, 500 S. Franklin St., Armory Square, Syracuse. Free/student participants. Admission: $10/adults; $8/ages 2-11 and seniors age 65 and older. 925-9068.

Sunday, Nov. 16 Precious Preemie Fashion Show. 11 a.m.

Event celebrates the lives and honors the memories of children born prematurely. Presented by the March of Dimes. Double Tree Hotel, 6301 Route 298, East Syracuse. $15/adults; $7.50/ages 5-12; free/age 4 & under. Reservations required: 463-0700.

Wild Bird Feeders and Wintering Birds. 11 a.m.-noon. Learn to make a backyard feeder and how to identify common birds. Baltimore Woods Nature Center, 4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus. $8/person. Register: 673-1350.

MPH Open House. 1-3 p.m. Take a campus tour and see the new buildings. Talk to current students, teachers and administrators about the pre-K through 12th grade school’s academic program. Manlius Pebble Hill School, 5300 Jamesville Road, DeWitt. 446-2452, Ext. 117.

Highland Forest Open House. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Meet the staff, buy season tickets, find out about outdoor clubs or enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides and refreshments. Highland Forest Park, County Road 128, Fabius. Free. 683-5550.

In Another Galaxy Weekend. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; also Nov. 16. Dress as your favorite science fiction character and journey to another universe during this special weekend. Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Square, Rochester.

CHILD CARE SOLUTIONS

In Another Galaxy Weekend. 1-4 p.m. See Nov. 15 listing.

Montessori Open House. 2-4 p.m. Families can learn about the preschool and elementary

Your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency, serving Onondaga County since 1975 & Cayuga County since 2009.

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Toll Free: 888 • 729 • 7290 ext. 303

Web: www.childcaresolutionscny.org Email: parenthelp@childcaresolutionscny.org 6724 Thompson Rd • Syracuse, NY • M-F • 8:30-4:30 34 Wright Ave • Auburn, NY • 13021 • T-F • 8:30-4:00

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Park, Onondaga Lake Parkway, Liverpool, before it opens to vehicles only. Visitors may stroll some or all of the trail. Parking at Griffin Visitor Center, Salt Museum or Willow Bay lots. $2/donation for adults. 453-6712.

Michael Davis photo

Carrie Lazarus Presents Extraordinary Live. 3 p.m. Young performing artists from Central New York sing, dance and play music.

Show raises money for the Carrie Lazarus Fund for Extraordinary Talent, which gives financial assistance to young CNY performing artists.

Landmark Theatre, 362 S. Salina St., Syracuse. $10. 475-7980. https://cnycf.org/extraordinary.

Tween Techtorials. 5-6 p.m. Kids ages 8-12 can learn basic code language to help make their own video games, solve logic puzzles and more.

Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool.

Free. Registration required: 457-0310. lpl.org.

Wednesday, Nov. 19 Drop in for Legos. 2-7 p.m. The library provides Legos (and Duplos for younger kids) for children to build with. Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool. Free. 457-0310. lpl.org.

Monday, Nov. 17

Thursday, Nov. 20

Signing Storytime. 10-10:40 a.m. Children ages 2-3 (but siblings are welcome) can learn 6-7 signs that correspond to the week’s story. Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville. Free.

Registration required: 637-6374. www.fflib.org.

Tinker Tots. 11-11:35 a.m. Children ages 3-6 will have hands-on opportunities to learn, explore and invent. Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville. Free. 637-6374.

Star Party. 8-10 p.m. See the Leonid meteor shower and views of Uranus and Neptune through astronomer Bob Piekiel’s telescopes.

Bring a blanket or lawn chair to sit back and watch the meteors. (Backup date: Nov. 18.) Baltimore Woods Nature Center, 4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus. $8/person. Register: 673-1350.

Tuesday, Nov. 18 Yoga Storytime. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Kids ages 3-6 and parents can have a full-body experience that builds early literacy skills and healthy bodies at the same time. Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville. Free. Registration required: 637-6374. www.fflib.org.

Calendar

school, for ages 3-12, which educates children based on the Montessori philosophy and methods. Montessori School of Syracuse, 155 Waldorf Parkway, Syracuse. 449-9033.

Lights on the Lake; see Ongoing Events

Friday, Nov. 21 First Day Erie Canal Museum Gingerbread Gallery. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; through Jan. 4.

Street scene from the 1800s features more than 40 gingerbread houses made by amateurs and professionals. Erie Canal Museum, 318 Erie Blvd.

E., Syracuse. $5/adults; $4/seniors; $2/age 12 & under. 471-0593.

Toddler Dance Party. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Kids ages 18 months-5 years old, with caregivers, can dance with their friends. There will be musical instruments, bubbles and more. DeWitt Community Library, Shoppingtown Mall (below food court), 3649 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt. Free.

446-3578.

Presents A PuPPet workshoP About

Autism For more information: The Margaret L. Williams Developmental Evaluation Center 315.472.4404 KohlsAutism.com

Free

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Art Gone Wild Reception. 6-8 p.m. Art created by animals at the zoo—with trunks, paws, feet, hooves, skin, and more—will be auctioned off to support local zoo keepers. Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park, 1 Conservation Place, Syracuse. Admission: $5/person; free/age 6 and under. 435-8511.

Saturday, Nov. 22 Sensory Friendly Storytime. 10:30 a.m.

Children with sensory integration issues or other special needs, accompanied by a caregiver, can take part in a program combining books, songs and activities that promote learning and play at the preschool developmental level. Beauchamp Branch Library, 2111 S. Salina St., Syracuse. Free.

Registration required: 435-5320 or 435-3395.

Little Red Riding Hood. 12:30 p.m. See Nov. 1 listing.

Sunday, Nov. 23 See Ongoing Events

Monday, Nov. 24 See Ongoing Events

Tuesday, Nov. 25 See Ongoing Events

Wednesday, Nov. 26 Lego Mystery Build. 12:30-1:30 p.m. All ages of kids can bring their own Legos, learn the theme of the day and get building. DeWitt Community Library, Shoppingtown Mall (below food court), 3649 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt. Free. 446-3578.

Young Poets’ Spoken Word. 3:30 p.m. Performers under 18 can give a performance (under seven minutes) in spoken word, poetry, slam or another style. Audience members (of all ages) will vote for their favorite poems. Petit Branch Library, 105 Victoria Place, Syracuse. Free. 4353636. Performers must register: lgluck@onlib. org.

Thursday, Nov. 27

The Frozen Dome Classic. 7 p.m. The Syracuse Crunch take on the Utica Comets at the Carrier Dome in the first professional hockey game to take place in that stadium. Carrier Dome, 900 Irving Ave., Syracuse. $29.05-$61.90.

473-4444. www.ticketmaster.com.

Dickens’ Christmas in Skaneateles. Noon-4 p.m.; also Saturdays & Sundays through Dec. 21.

Lakeside village fills with Victorian characters, horse-and-carriage rides, carolers, live music, roasted chestnuts and more merriment inspired

by English author Charles Dickens. More than 50 characters, including the author of A Christmas Carol himself, fill the Village of Skaneateles, Route 20. Free. 685-0552.

THANKSGIVING

Clinton Square Tree Lighting Ceremony. 6:30 p.m. The annual lighting of the 50-foot-plus Norway spruce takes place after an evening of music by the Brownskin Band and an appearance by Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. Afterward, there’s a City Hall open house with special treats. Downtown Syracuse.

Free. 473-4330. www.syracuse.ny.us.

Syracuse Crunch. 7 p.m. Vs. Binghamton Senators. See Oct. 31 listing.

Hairspray. 8 p.m.; through Jan. 4. Musical of the John Waters movie features 1960s-era singing, dancing, big hair, and a spunky message about integration and acceptance. (Some mildly suggestive language.) Syracuse Stage, 820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse. $30-$39/adult; $20/age 12 and under.

443-3275. syracusestage.org.

Saturday, Nov. 29 Dickens’ Christmas in Skaneateles. Noon-4 p.m.; Saturdays & Sundays through Dec. 21. See Nov. 28 listing.

Little Red Riding Hood. 12:30 p.m. See Nov. 1 listing.

See Ongoing Events

Friday, Nov. 28

Polar Express Pajama Party. 5:30-9 p.m.

Children, who are invited to wear PJs, can take part in movie-themed activities, including a visit with Santa Claus. Then they can see The Polar Express in the six-story IMAX theater. Museum of Science and Technology (MOST), 500 S. Franklin St., Armory Square, Syracuse. $4/person for party, in addition to movie tickets: $10/adults; $8/ ages 2-17 and seniors age 65 and up. Reservations recommended: 425-9068, Ext. 2132.

Hairspray. 8 p.m.; through Jan. 4. See Nov. 28 listing.

Join us for our Admissions Open House

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Fayetteville Free Library Storytimes. (Excluding holidays.) First Steps: (Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m.) for children up to age 2. Pre-K Storytime: (Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.) for ages 3-6. Cuddletime: (Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.) for babies not yet walking and an adult. Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville. Free. 637-6374.

Dickens’ Christmas in Skaneateles. Noon-4 p.m.; Saturdays & Sundays through Dec. 21. See Nov. 28 listing.

ONGOING EVENTS Lights on the Lake. 5-10 p.m., daily; Nov. 14Jan. 4. Drive through the annual light extravaganza featuring two miles of life-size displays, themed sections, animated scenes and the memorable grand finale. Onondaga Lake Park, Onondaga Lake Parkway, Liverpool. $10/car, Monday-Thursday; $15/car, Friday-Sunday. 453-6712.

Erie Canal Museum Gingerbread Gallery.

Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Nov. 21-Jan. 4. (Closed Nov. 27, Dec. 25 & Jan. 1.) Street scene from the 1800s features more than 40 gingerbread houses made by amateurs and professionals. Erie Canal Museum, 318 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse. $5/adults; $4/ seniors; $2/age 12 & under. 471-0593.

Weekend Walks With a Naturalist. Saturdays and Sundays, 2 p.m. Nature discovery hike with different topics each weekend. Beaver Lake Nature Center, Route 370, Baldwinsville. Admission: $4 per vehicle. 638-2519.

Great Swamp Conservancy Nature Trails.

Daily, dawn to dusk. National Fossil Days exhibit, Oct. 31-Dec. 31, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Learn about the Mesozoic Era and the Age of Reptiles. Throughout the year, visitors can grab their walking shoes (or snowshoes) and explore 4.5 miles of well-groomed, flat trails. Trails feature a 900-foot boardwalk, osprey nesting platform, and wetland and grassland restoration areas. The area is a

Calendar

Sunday, Nov. 30

A World of Puppets, Nov. 1 and 8

stop for many migratory waterfowl and songbirds; other wildlife include muskrats and beavers.

Great Swamp Conservancy, 3.5 miles off I-90, Exit 34, 8375 N. Main St. Canastota. Free. 697-2950.

Baltimore Woods Nature Center. Hiking trails and parking are free and open every day from dawn to dusk. Little Naturalist backpack program allows preschoolers and their families to explore the center through activity-based backpacks available for sign out at the Interpretive Center. Interpretive Center open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; closed Sundays. Snowshoe rental: $5/day. 4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus. 673-1350.

Maxwell Library Storytimes. Storytimes and book groups for all ages. Call for dates and times. Maxwell Memorial Library, 14 Genesee St., Camillus. Free. 672-3661.

Northeast Community Center Library Storytimes. Preschool storytimes with rhymes and occasional games; youngsters learn group listening and participation skills. Call for times.

Northeast Community Center Library, 716 Hawley Ave., Syracuse. Free. 472-6343, Ext. 208.

Petit Branch Library Storytimes. Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. Toddler and preschooler storytime for children ages 18 months-5 years and caregivers.

Includes stories, rhymes, finger plays and songs.

Petit Branch Library, 105 Victoria Place, Syracuse.

435-3636.

Regional Market Farmers’ Market. Saturdays, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (year-round); Thursdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (May through November only).

Shop seasonal produce, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, specialty foods and more on display throughout covered sheds; heated shops of Regional Market Commons feature gift and unique items including jewelry, paintings and home decor. Also, flea market, Sundays, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. 2100 Park St., Syracuse. 422-8647.

ATTRACTIONS Corning Museum of Glass. 1 Corning Glass Center, Corning. Daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $14/adults; free/age 19 and under. (607) 937-5371. Ongoing: You Design It, We Make It: Glassblowers choose from among designs submitted by young visitors and create that work on the spot.

Erie Canal Museum. 318 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; closed holidays. Free. 471-0593.

Interactive exhibit: Work the Weighlock. The Stonecutters: Exhibit reveals the fascinating world

Syracuse City Ballet presents:

The

Nutcracker Saturday, December 6th 2pm and 7pm

Sunday, December 7th 2pm

The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater Tickets available now at www.ticketmaster.com Family Times November 2014

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of the stonecutters and quarrymen who built the 83 locks and 18 aqueducts along the 363-mile Erie Canal.

Everson Museum of Art. 401 Harrison St. Tuesday-Friday, Sunday, noon- 5p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $5 donation. 474-6064. World-class museum includes Children’s Interactive Gallery designed to acquaint beginning art viewers with basic art principles, with areas dedicated to portraiture, hands-on activities, and a classroom.

H. Lee White Museum and Maritime Center. W. First St., Oswego. Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $7/adult; $3/teen; free/age 12 & under. 342-0480. Exhibits highlight more than 400 years of maritime history. Vessels on display include: New York State Derrick Boat 8 from the Canal System, schooner Ontario and Eleanor D, the last U.S. commercial fishing vessel to work Lake Ontario.

Museum of Science and Technology (MOST). 500 S. Franklin St., Armory Square, Syracuse. Wednesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Museum admission: $10/adults; $8/seniors and ages 2-11. IMAX admission only: $10/adults; $8/ children and senior citizens; (473-IMAX). Planetarium (only available with museum admission): $2. 425-9068. Through end of November: Dinomania, Kokoro Exhibits’ animatronic dinosaurs on display. Hands-on science center features the Bristol Omnitheater, Science Playhouse, Earth Science Discovery Cave, Technotown, and Flight and Space Exhibit. Silverman Planetarium shows “Zoo in the Sky,” for kids under age 8, Saturdays, Sundays and school holidays, 11:15 a.m.; “Seasonal Sky” Saturdays, Sundays and school holidays, 3:15 p.m.

Onondaga Historical Association Museum.

321 Montgomery St., Syracuse. Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Donation. 428-1864. Syracuse’s only comprehensive local history museum, with exhibits on architecture, local industries, transportation and more.

Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park. 1 Conservation Place, Syracuse. Daily, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. $8/adults; $5/senior citizens; $4/children; free/age 2 and younger. 435-8511. Ongoing attractions include Humboldt penguins. Through Nov. 21: Art Gone Wild, an exhibit of art works created by animals, with imprints of trunks, paws, feet, hooves, and even brushes.

Sciencenter. 601 First St., Ithaca. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Admission: $8/adults; $7/seniors; $6/ages 3-17; free/ under 3. Eighteen-hole mini-golf course, open through Nov. 30 (weather permitting): $6; free/

under 4. (607) 272-0600. www.sciencenter.org.

Inspires people of all ages to discover the excitement of science through exhibits and programs.

WonderWorks. 9090 Destiny USA Drive, Syracuse. Monday-Thursday 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Experience more than 100 hands-on exhibits, compete in a game of lazer-tag and take part in the Canyon Climb Adventure. Suspended 70ft in the air it’s the World’s largest indoor ropes challenge course. General admission: $24.99 (plus tax)/adults $16.99+/children (4-12) and seniors (55 plus);. Add lazer tag: $3+. Add the Canyon Climb: $10+. Canyon Climb only: $14.99+. Sky Tykes only (48 inches tall and under): $7.99+ (Included in general admission for children 48 inches tall and under). Lazer tag only: $6.99+ (replays $2.99+). Children age 3 and under are free. 4667700. Wonderworksdestiny.com.

Calendar listings are free!

Send information about your family-friendly event to: Family Times calendar, 1415 W. Genesee St., Syracuse; Fax to 422-1721; or email to editorial@familytimes.biz.

Include date and time of event, location with numbered street address and town, price, and phone number for publication. We give priority to low- or no-cost events aimed at parents, kids, or parents accompanied by kids. For consideration, listings are due by Nov. 7 for the December issue. a narrated ballet

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A narrated ballet

produced by CNY Arts

Dec. 13, 2014 at 11am Crouse Hinds Theater at the Civic Center

Visit cnyarts.org/ dasher for information on how you can help support Dasher’s Magical Gift through our Indiegogo campaign

411 Montgomery Street, Syracuse To order tickets by phone: (315) 435-2154 • Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Online: www.cnyarts.org In person: Syracuse Opera Box Office Mon-Wed, 11am-2pm Purchase 4 or more and receive a $1 discount per ticket

sign interpreted

315-472-7737 www.btitravel.com

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BACK PACK CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY To advertise call 472-4669 and press 2.

December Issue Deadline: November 14, 2014

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Birthday Parties Samurai Action Class Focus, fitness and fun for ages 4-10!

Taught by Jonathan Reid, MS Pediatric OT 2550 Erie Blvd.,449-2332, aikidoofcny.com

Body Recognition Class movement. music. instruments. imagination.

We will explore the motions of our bodies with dance. For children 8 mos.-5 yrs old.

Birthday parties available. Call Tamar @ 446-2750 or www.toddlerstango.com

What’s in our Backpack Giveaway?

4 Tickets to the Syracuse City Ballet performance of The Nutcracker Dec. 6 - 7, 2014 To enter: Send all contact information to promotions@familytimes.biz with “Nutcracker” in the subject line. Entry deadline Nov. 20, 2014

Events CHURCH of the BELLS

Have a LEGO® enthusiast?

Now scheduling LEGO® Birthday Parties featuring motorized model builds, race car factory, minifigure factory, games and more!

315-632-8592 www.bricks4kidz.com/cny

303 Kasson Road, Camillus, NY 13031 ANNUAL HOLIDAY FINE ARTS CRAFT SHOW 11/14 Fri. 4-8pm & 11/15 Sat. 9-3pm Plenty of parking, Handicap accessible FREE Admission !!! HOMEMADE Food !!!

Make a DONATION to our FOOD PANTRY & YOU have the OPPORTUNITY to be CHOSEN for a CRAFTERS GIFT Crafters contact: Betty: bblock@wwdb.org

Educational Services

Health & Wellness

Attend College online

CANADA DRUG CENTER. Safe and affordable medications. Save up to 90% on your medication needs. Call 1-800-734-5139 ($25.00 off your first prescription and free shipping.)

LEGO® Birthday Parties

from home: *Medical, *Business, *Criminal Justice, *Hospitality.

Job placement assistance.

Computer available.

Financial aid if qualified. SHEV Authorized.

800-494-3586 www.CenturaOnline.com

Lessons

Horseback Riding Lessons Bylund Hill Stables Jen Bylund 315-391-7559 www.CazenoviaHorses.com Jen@bylundstables.com

Services

Painting, Remodeling, Flooring, door & window install./plumbing & electrical bathroom, kitchen, basement Retired teacher, 35yrs exp.

Joe Ball 436-9008 (Onondaga County only)

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Syracuse City Ballet Caring professional training and guidance for young dancers. Ballet, jazz, tap, modern, contemporary and body barre. The official dance school of Syracuse City Ballet. balletanddanceofupstateny.com

Pole Position Raceway Indoor, Electric Karting • Adult and Junior Karts • Unique and memorable Birthday or Holiday Party • Gift Certificates available for purchase 9090 Destiny USA Drive, Syracuse 423-7223, PolePositionRaceway.com

Kidz Club Indoor Play & Party Place Pre-paid punch passes make great gifts! 4 visit punch passes for $25 or 10 visit for $60 219 County Route 57 Phoenix, NY 695-2211, Kidzclubfun.com

WonderWorks WonderWorks is an indoor amusement park combining education and entertainment in more than 100 hands-on exhibits.

9090 Destiny USA Drive, Syracuse NY 466-7700, wonderworksdestiny.com Sciencecenter Surprise them with the gift of a discovery that lasts all year long. Sciencenter membership includes free admission to over 325 science museums worldwide. Purchase a gift membership online at sciencenter.org.

601 1st St., Ithaca (607) 272-0600, sciencenter.org

Games, Grills, ETC Olhausen shuffleboards, billiards and game tables are made to fit in any room of your home or office. Custom legs, finishes and graphics can be selected to match any décor.

3780 Rippleton Road Cazenovia NY, 655-2032 games-grills-etc.com 34

Surf City Family Fun Center The fun, affordable solution for any celebration or event.

Surf City Family Fun Center 214-8129 • 7380 Thompson Road, North Syracuse surfcityfamilyfuncenter.com

Bricks4kids Shoppingtown Location Opening December 2014!

Birthday Parties * After School Classes * Preschool Enrichment* Camps * Kidz Night Out Booking birthday parties now!

Shoppingtown Mall, Dewitt 632-8592, bricks4kidz.com/cny

Green Lakes Music Together The Gift of Music! Consider giving a gift certificate for a Music Together session to the special children in your life.

446-1017 greenlakesmusictogether.com

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Polka Tot Consignment Sale Stretch your holiday budget at the Polka Tot Children’s Holiday Consignment Sale. Incredible children’s items (newborn to preteen) at incredible prices.

Nov. 21-23, Wegmans Plaza, Taft Rd. Liverpool 884-5063, polkatotsale.com

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Holy Family School Forming the Whole Child Academically, Socially and Spiritually.

Nursery - Gr. 6 130 Chapel Dr. Syracuse, NY 487-8515

holyfamilyschoolsyr.org

The MOST A gift that keeps on giving, 260 days a year: Membership to the MOST. Gift cards can be used in Science Shop, too. 500 S. Franklin St. Syracuse, NY, 425.9068, most.org

Eastview Mall Step into a Higher Form of Shopping this holiday season! Just a short trip down I-90 to Exit 45 in Victor.

Download our app to your Droid or iPhone for exclusive sale information and an interactive mall map.

Victor, NY, eastviewmall.com BTI Travel Consultants SANDALS, DISNEY, CLUB MED BTI YOUR SOURCE FOR THE PERFECT VACATION EXPERIENCE! BTI “The Travel Consultants” 124 East Jefferson Street Syracuse, NY, 472-7737 www.btitravel.com

Canterbury Stables Do you love horses? If so, join our after school enrichment program Mon. – Fri. 3pm-6pm.. Spend hands on time with horses, learn horse care, fun arts & crafts and more.

4786 Roberts Rd., Cazenovia, NY 440-2244, Canterburystablesny.com

Rothschild Early Childhood Center The RECC offers quality childcare for ages 6 weeks through 12 years. It’s a year-round program, with an exciting summer program – Camp Rothschild.

Address: 450 Kimber Road, Syracuse, 445 - 0049 Flamingo Bowl Have your next event at Flamingo Bowl! • Company Parties Rehearsal Dinners • Birthday Parties Fundraisers • Corporate Events 7239 Oswego Road (Route 57) Liverpool, 457-7470

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Wish List To be included in the December Family Times wish list, contact your sales representative for details or call Michelle Bowers at 422-7011 ext. 114 or email mbowers@syracusenewtimes.com

rothschildearlychildhoodcenter.org Family Times November 2014

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