M I L I TA RY PH OTOJO UR N A L IS M 2020
DEDICATED DEVOTED TO A CAUSE, IDEAL AND PURPOSE
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DEDICATED Dedication is the soul of persistence, the inspiration of perseverance. It’s what gets die-hard soccer fans, an empty-nesting ice skater, an entrepreneurial baker, on-call firefighters, and a gender-transitioned retirement-home regular out of bed in the morning. These and other stories from the Syracuse, N.Y., area capture the steadfast spirit of its residents as they care for, live for, and spend their days paving the way for others — generations who will ultimately benefit from their commitment. Since 1963, this magazine has been produced annually by the active-duty Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen who report to “Salt City” for the Military Photojournalism Program at Syracuse University. This year, after more than half a century of legacy and tradition under various monikers, the name changes to SALT, an homage to the city reflected in its pages and nicknamed for its abundance of the ubiquitous mineral. Salt preserves. Salt enhances. In much the same way, journalism preserves essential stories and enhances our shared human experience. Although this magazine’s name has changed, its purpose to showcase a community endures. This year’s edition, Dedicated, celebrates the people, places and moments where life and determination meet.
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CONTENTS 6
SALT Issue 1
Ole!
Downtown bar strives to give soccer fans a place to kick it.
14 Life After the Race
Volunteers at Sunshine Horses provide a safe home for rescues.
24 Gaining Momentum
After raising three kids, a mother finds herself through figure skating.
32 A Place to Create
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Syracuse Green
Spaces throughout the city offer people an escape from modern life.
A once-abandoned building is now the center for Syracuse artistry.
56 From Scratch
A traveling baker rises into his career and finds a home.
64 The House Where Justice Lived
This historical mansion was once part of the Underground Railroad.
72 Life Regardless
She lived as a man for 66 years. At 68, Lori refuses to hide anymore.
80 Along North Salina
Taking a walk down Salt City’s oldest street.
90 Living with Dragons
The Correia family dedicates their time to breeding reptiles.
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Heart Sutra for the Soul
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The Zen Center offers meditation to those seeking internal resolutions.
A Serene Escape 102
The season changes at the Old Forge Camping Resort.
A Cycle of Love 116
Parishioners exemplify Biblical teachings through positive action.
Blood, Sweat & Ballet 124
Swollen feet and a demanding lifestyle are the sacrifice of a lifelong art.
A Legacy of Pastimes 134
A long-standing club strengthens the community through athletics.
Nature’s Grace 144
Conservationists safeguard native wildlife for the future.
24/7 156
DeWitt firefighters train, prepare and wait for the dispatcher’s call.
Life After Loss 164
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Everything Queer and Delightfully Strange
Wunderbar brings Syracuse’s queer community together.
A Navy veteran mother heals after the death of her husband.
Tough Rollers 176
In this intense contact sport, women find both inner and outer strength.
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Restoration
A restored Victorian era home provides healing and massage.
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BY MICHAEL LIEBERKNECHT
For years, soccer fans in Syracuse had only two choices to watch their favorite teams — expensive fees for exclusive TV channels or catch an arbitrary game at a local bar. Now, Wolff’s Biergarten is a haven where die-hards converge and celebrate their shared passion.
OLÉ! 6
Kevin Conway, left, Mike Stebbins and Melanie Prasad celebrate a goal scored by their favorite team, Manchester City, at the bar of Wolff’s Biergarten during a Sunday morning game.
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Russell Dombrow finishes his last drink alone at the bar after his favorite team, Liverpool, won its match against Leicester City in a regular season game of the English Premier League.
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occer is the world’s most popular sport, but not in the United States, where emboldened fans often go to great lengths to keep up with their favorite overseas teams, sometimes paying premium rates for exclusive TV channels. In Syracuse, however, Central New York’s most loyal soccer fans cheer, drink beer and crack peanuts in a place just for them. For three boisterous years, Wolff’s Biergarten has been a beacon for locals and expatriates to congregate and celebrate their love of “the beautiful game.” Beginning with an Albany location in 2010 and expanding to Schenectady and Troy, the small franchise eventually built its fourth refuge, in downtown Syracuse, in 2016. Its enthusiasm and passion are boldly stated through its straightforward slogan: Soccer. Bier. Peanuts. Every weekend, fans cluster under flag-draped crossbeams of the German-style pub to share both happiness and dismay as games across the Atlantic kick off. The spirit of a closely shared avocation in the sparsely lit tavern reinforces the passion of already established diehard enthusiasts. Marjorie and Paul Grella have supported Tottenham Hotspur since before they married. On this game day, they sport matching blue-andwhite scarfs with a cockerel atop a soccer ball, their team’s official logo, and grab liter mugs of beer from the bar just before opening ceremonies. “We love the atmosphere, the coziness and the bartenders,” said Paul Grella. “We followed soccer before we started coming here, but have since followed it more closely.” The local Liverpool fan group boasts over 50 members of eclectic devotees who bring a strong presence to Wolff’s on match day and are drawn closer together with each
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Left: Middle school student Oscar Cunningham plays “Happy Birthday” on his saxophone during a birthday party for a friend of his father. Cunningham received donations toward his school band program for his efforts. Below: Discarded peanuts shells covering the ground are swept three nights a week. Pigeons and dogs will often snack on the shells during slow business hours.
Above: A flushing urinal rattles a toy soccer ball and goal in the men’s restroom. The bar’s walls also contain soccer paraphernalia throughout the building.
Left: Tim Pecht grabs the ends of his Liverpool team scarf while anticipating the outcome of a pivotal play during a close game against Leicester City.
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Justin Walters plays table tennis while Chris and Kristen Walters chat and drink on Justin’s side of the table during a busy night.
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game. The team’s official song is “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” exemplifying their dedication to one another, their fans and long-retired players from their storied past. “Even if none of your friends come, you can always feel welcome,” said Tim Pecht, fully clad in red, white and green, typifying himself as a Liverpool fan. “It’s awesome to see random strangers brought together by the love of the sport.” English-league soccer admirers see their regular season come to an end each May, but international competitions invite fans into Wolff’s year-round. Soccer games transpire almost every day at varying times throughout the world, and barroom staff oblige, opening the doors as early as 6 a.m. to encourage the rambunctious atmosphere only made possible by an at-capacity crowd yelling at TVs while chanting songs and stomping around piles of shattered peanut shells. “The support people have for the teams and seeing such a diverse crowd cheering them on is a really cool thing to see,” said general manager Zach Sullivan. Even during tranquil stretches between games or days with lackluster soccer entertainment, Wolff’s Biergarten beckons devotees with above-average amenities provided by other watering holes such as a free 2-liter boot of beer on your birthday, or allowing customers to bring in their own food, creating an inviting and homely atmosphere. “I like how laid back and comfortable it is here,” said Syracuse University student Chris Card, nursing a half-time beer. “It’s more of a hangout than necessarily just another bar.”
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LIFE RACE after the
BY HOSANNAH VICKERY
For 16 years, the volunteers of Sunshine Horses have rescued, rehabilitated and re-homed more than 200 retired racehorses. Surrendered to the farm by owners unable to care for them, or headed to a premature death in a kill pen, the horses now live in a place that values hope, home, connection and a chance for renewed life.
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Baron enjoys the morning sun while volunteers feed and prepare to release the horses into the fields.
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Tito stands quietly, swiveling his ears back and forth to catch the sounds of conversation and activity around him. Two volunteers gently work ointment into his wounds and brush his flanks, where his ribs remain visible. Two months earlier, just after he was rescued from a kill pen in New Jersey, Tito lay lifeless in his stall at Sunshine, refusing to eat the carrots he was offered. Now, he stands on his own, and accepts the food that is fed to him. Many horses at the rescue have stories similar to Tito’s; from victory and defeat on a racetrack to subsequent retirement, the rescue provides an alternative to a cycle of overwork and neglect. Founded in 2003 by Kat Starr, a former racehorse trainer, the farm specializes in retraining and rehoming standardbred racehorses, an American breed commonly
used for harness racing. However, Sunshine accepts any horse in need. At the rescue, which operates as both a refuge and an adoption agency, the horses are ridden and handled in preparation for potential adoption. If a horse does not find a new home, it remains at the farm in the care of volunteers. Early mornings are usually quiet and peaceful on the sprawling 55-acre farm. Volunteers shuttle barrows of hay to and from the barn stalls, preparing and cleaning them. As the day wears on, quiet swells into an organized chaos as volunteers make multiple trips on foot to lead the horses in from faraway fields. They feed, groom and treat injuries, sometimes staying hours beyond their three-to-four hour shifts. Over 90 volunteers work at the farm, with wide-ranging reasons for doing so. For Mary
A barn at Sunshine, one of several that helps to house just over 30 horses, is bathed in morning light.
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Michlovitch, a 17-year-old who has been volunteering since she was 12, the reason is summed up simply as a passion for horses. For Julie Jones, a retired police officer who served for 21 years with the Syracuse police department, the work and community has helped her combat post-traumatic stress by providing her with a new purpose. Jan Lower, the volunteer coordinator, emphasizes that being in a family-like atmosphere while contributing to a worthwhile cause is one of the reasons people are drawn to dedicating their time to the rescue. According to Lower, each regular volunteer averages nine hours per week at the farm. “Our motto is helping horses, helping people,” Lower states, “That draws you in as a person and makes you feel like you’re part of the Sunshine family contributing to something very worthwhile.”
Any person who desires to contribute may be able to sponsor individual horses. On average, each horse requires approximately $200 per month for basic care, not including veterinary expenses. By committing to pledge a monthly donation of any amount, a person can be involved with the care of the horses even if they are not able to dedicate time. “Every horse has someone that loves them,” says Dawn Ellis, a lead trainer who was been involved with Sunshine for seven years. The rescue hosts community events throughout the year to raise awareness for the mission, recruit new volunteers and increase exposure for the farm. The volunteers planned, coordinated and held their first summer camp in 2019 after being awarded a grant from the Jim and Julia Boeheim
Angela Gardner comforts a rescue while Jessica Shurtleff prepares to treat an injury. Upon arrival, each horse is carefully examined.
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Jan Lower calms Caesar during grooming. “I’ve loved horses all my life,” Lower states. “And I want to be around them. So I’m here.”
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Mary Michlovitch, nicknamed “Marvelous Mary” by her fellow volunteers because of her work ethic, cleans a stall.
Foundation. The camp was geared toward children from urban areas where contact with horses may be limited. The children were able to meet, feed and ride the horses. One of the farm’s main annual events, the Equine and Wine Fundraiser, invites people to the farm to meet the horses while providing live music, dinner and wine. In addition, Sunshine works with organizations such as the Camillus
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Town Shop Teen Center, Hutchings Psychiatric Center and the Boy and Girl Scouts of America by giving tours and hands-on experiences. The rescue remains fiercely committed to the care of its horses with its army of passionate volunteers. Sunshine’s motto, “helping horses, helping people,” emphasizes their mission to rescue horses in need while also providing a place for people to connect with horses and each other.
Mary Michlovitch, who is knicknamed “Marvelous Mary� by her fellow volunteers because of her work ethic at the farm, works hard to clean a stall.
A horse nudges Amanda McKenna for another treat. At the end of the day, after the horses are groomed, the volunteers spend time giving treats and showing them love.
A new volunteer, Brittany Kaye, meets Mister Macho. The people at the rescue believe in creating a volunteer family, centered around the love of horses, that values connection and hope.
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Mary Michlovitch pauses for a quiet moment with one of the horses in the midst of a busy shift.
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Gaining Momentum Now that her kids have moved out, 54 year-old Marjorie Wengert works to reclaim her life and figure skate her way to self-love. BY MELEESA GUTIERREZ
After taking time off to prepare for a skating competition, Wengert attends her first ballet class back at the Syracuse School of Dance. She uses dance to improve her posture on the ice.
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he was raising one, pregnant with another, and battling postpartum depression coupled with anxiety. Upholding the social expectation to have a career and a family, she worked full-time as a family law attorney while trying to balance her home life. Twenty years later, her kids are grown, and she is focusing on her mental health. Marjorie Wengert is 54 years old, and lives in Jamesville, New York. She was a teenager in the ’80s and grew up thinking she was required to do it all. “There was this perfume ad back in the day, in exactly that time frame. It had this sexy woman, and she’s singing, ‘I can bring home the bacon. I can fry it up in a pan. I’ll never let you forget you’re a man,’” said Wengert, reflecting on the social standards promoted by the media when she was a young woman. She graduated when the expectations for what women could and should contribute to a home were seemingly increasing. After graduating high school in 1983, Wengert became a bank teller and found the position mind-numbing. Encouraged by her mother, Wengert went back to school to become a paralegal. Within three years, she realized she could do the same job as the lawyers who employed her. So, she applied and was accepted to the Syracuse University College of Law, where she excelled. 26
“I was a family law attorney, and I had to leave that practice because I found it utterly demoralizing and soul-crushing,” said Wengert. She practiced law for over two years, and loved the intellectual challenge of the job, but she hated the conflict. “I’m not a litigious person by nature, and that’s all that [job] is,” Wengert explained. In the beginning of 1999, Wengert stopped working at the law firm after giving birth to her second child, Peter. She realized she could not balance having a full-time career and motherhood. In addition to low self-esteem for not being able to manage both like she thought she should, Wengert suffered from postpartum depression as well as anxiety. Wengert felt ostracized by other parents and believed people thought she was a bad mother because her children often misbehaved. Two of her three children — Rebecca and Peter — are on the autism spectrum and were diagnosed before awareness and understanding became a norm. Wengert felt people were not empathetic to her situation because her kids had ailments that could not be physically seen. At that time, the school staff didn’t know how to handle the sensory issues Wengert’s children had, which led to misinterpretation from parents and faculty. “One spring semester when my daughter was in school, I actually
“ I feel great physically, and I would say emotionally. [Skating] has been and continues to be my therapeutic, personal growth tool.”
Wengert trims an Euonymus alatus, or ‘burning bush,’ at her home. She lives with her husband, John, and their oldest daughter, Rebecca, who returned after college to work for their software engineering business, Roes Softworks Systems.
sat on a couch in the lobby of the elementary school for the school day, each day, because that’s how much they called me,” Wengert described Rebecca’s third grade experience. “I could not possibly have had a paying job. I actually literally had to be there waiting to catch the pieces as they fell.” Although her daughter struggled in school, Wengert did her best to
allow Rebecca to express her feelings, yet it was difficult to find ways for all three of her children to channel their emotions constructively. While the kids were at summer camp, they took an ice skating class and loved it. Soon after, Wengert found a learn-to-skate class at the Cicero Twin Rinks. “That fall we signed up, and then I got so bored watching other people
do stuff,” Wengert said jokingly. “So, I’m like, ‘Okay, while you kids are down there doing your learn-to-skate, I’m going to get my rental skates on, and I’m going to skate too.’” Since her children are now working or in college, Wengert can focus on her happiness and growth. With support from her family and friends, Wengert dedicates her time to figure skating.
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Wengert trains with her coach, Mimi Wacholder, at the Tennity Ice Pavilion on the Syracuse University campus. Wengert usually takes lessons on video chat, but her coach visited from Lake Placid, to give hands-on training.
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“They understand that’s where my passion is, and they give me the space to do it. Because I sacrificed so many, many, many years taking care of other people,” Wengert quieted to a hushed tone, “and now it’s my turn.” Wengert says figure skating provides her an escape from the anxieties of her life because its physical and mental requirements demand her entire focus and do not allow her to think about stressors. She spends an average of six days a week training at the Tennity Ice Pavilion on the Syracuse University’s Campus. “I feel great physically, and I would say, emotionally,” Wengert lowered her voice to discuss her mental health. “It has been and continues to be my therapeutic, personal growth tool. It’s teaching me to trust myself. It’s teaching me to have self-confidence. It’s teaching me to come out of my comfort zone.” Through figure skating, she continues to make strides physically, mentally, and emotionally. In the past, she taught turbo kick, Zumba and yoga, yet she believes skating got her in the best shape of her life. Wengert believes the better a person she can become for herself, the better she can be to others. She sets personal goals for the future: learning a proper sit spin, camel spin, and Top: Wengert strengthens her leg and back muscles to increase the rotation in her right hip, which rotates 20 degrees fewer than her left. Off the ice, Wengert dedicates nearly all her free time to activities that help improve her skating. Middle: After three hours of practice on the ice, Wengert finishes for the day. She uses figure skating to cope with her anxiety. The sport increase her selfesteem, her physical health and taught her to be confident. Bottom: Through physical therapy, Wengert aims to even her hip rotation and muscle strength to improve her ability to land tricks and maintain her form while she trains and competes.
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change foot spin, getting closer to her axel jump, and preparing programs to compete with. In October, Wengert competed in the International Adult Figure Skating Competition 2019 in Lake Placid, and she placed fourth out of ten in the Bronze Level Freestyle III for the Bronze Level Artistic III age bracket. “After my first competition, I was literally shaking in my boots — literally — and it’s really hard to skate well when you’re shaking in your boots,” Wengert laughed. Building up to the competition, Wengert felt a lot of nerves and anxiety. “I’m afraid of skating in front of people, and I’m afraid of people looking at me and judging me. But I am going to do that because I am afraid of it.” With help and support from her coach, Mimi Wacholder, Wengert was able to stay calm and compete. “As I got on the ice and I started skating around for the warm up, I had this heightened sense of awareness of myself but not a heightened sense of awareness of the environment, which was completely new. I was able to self-focus, and I decided ‘you know what, I’m just going to skate the best I can.’ ” This sport has offered Wengert more than entertainment, and has become a huge part of her life. “What I’m learning from skating is that, when opportunities present themselves, perhaps it’s best to be open and see what happens. Because there’s nothing that you can get into in your life that you can’t work your way out of.”
Throughout this session, Wengert drilled back spin techniques and focused on taking off on the outer edge of her blade, but fell several times.
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a place to create BY DANNY GONZALEZ
When he won the bid for an abandoned building at a 2005 auction, Rick Destito rebuilt from the foundation up. After surmounting obstacles and escaping foreclosure, Destito has transformed the Gear Factory into a hub for artists and musicians to collaborate and commune.
A visitor at the REvolution fall art show enters through the main lobby of the Gear Factory as bubbles shot from a machine descend from the upper floors.
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At age 22, Rick Destito thought he had left Central New York for good in 1998 after graduating from the State University of New York at Canton with a bachelor’s degree in construction management. However, in the three years he traveled the nation working odd jobs, he realized he wanted to return to the region his family historically called home. Upon his arrival, an opportune auction would determine the next 15 years of his life. The Gear Factory was an abandoned manufacturing facility in Syracuse which was built in the early 1900s by famed architect Albert Kahn. After its shutdown, the building’s ceiling-to-floor windows were sealed between concrete slabs and the structure deteriorated from disrepair. It loomed over the corner of Lafayette and Geddes and, for decades, remained a drab monument to the instability of the Near Westside neighborhood. In 2005, Destito successfully won the bid for the building at $144,000, and immediately began working on the building while financing the repairs with his own funds. Destito had to balance renovating his household and renting studio space at the Gear Factory to earn money and provide for his growing family. In 2010, the city found the building in violation of compliance codes and boarded the doors, forcing out his tenants and his main source of income. “We were getting close to finishing the house with one daughter and one on the way,” Destito said. “Pretty much all your income disappears … It was the first time I wasn’t able to pay my bills on time.”
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Artists collaborate on a large painting in their communal area. The proximity of the living spaces is designed to encourage residents to interact and collaborate.
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Tate Horan, left, listens to music in his stepbrother Dom Scicchitano’s, studio before a recording session with a local rapper.
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James “Judge” Gazza plays a guitar he’s owned for 40 years. The blues musician rents a studio space where he can work on building cigar box guitars and rehearse for shows.
Adversity wasn’t foreign to Destito; his family has battled it since they first emigrated from Italy in 1908. Despite not knowing the English language and failing numerous times to sustain a restaurant, his great grandparents found success in The Savoy, the now 110-year-old family restaurant where Destito experienced true hardships. During his teenage years, his mother fell ill with an aggressive terminal cancer that her doctors predicted would take her life at the age of 50. Before his own eyes, his mother willed herself to surpass those odds and overcome the disease. 38
In doing so, his mother inspired Destito from an early age to discern what real struggle is. “Understanding that is to know the difference between real problems and good problems,” Destito said. “Your building being shut down for a little while, not finishing your house, having another daughter on the way — those are really good problems compared to real problems.” The Gear Factory opened up months later. Along the way, Destito has been able to secure a grant and a $1.5 million dollar bank loan from Home Headquarters, the same bank that sold him his home for $1.
The building is night and day from when Destito first bought it. Now it sports a new five-flight stairwell, a modern elevator, a sprinkler and fire alarm system, heat and air ventilation, a lawn on the roof, 30 communal living spaces, 22 rehearsal studios, 13 artist studios and the 14foot glass windows Albert Kahn was renown for. “If I had a lot of money to start with that I could just throw at stuff, it would have never been as good as it is or as it will be,” Destito reiterated. “Every time something doesn’t work … you’re learning how to do something in a better way.”
A lenticular photo, an image that shifts based on the angle, sits on a window sill on the second floor of the Gear Factory. The image transitions between a man in a top hat and a skeleton.
Yegor Mikushkin, who paints when he is not designing movie sets at American High film productions, stands next to a self-portrait in his room.
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Construction materials and debris from previous art displays clutter the third floor. Once approved by the city, the open space will be cleared and transformed into work rental studios.
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Clouds loom over the sustainable soil on the roof of the five-story building, an effort funded by the Save the Rain Onondaga County Green Improvement Fund for Roof project.
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Light shines through a window on the first floor from an area leading to the loading zone into the building.
“If I do better, the area does better, if the area does better, then I do better.”
The façade of the Gear Factory is lit up on the corner of Lafayette and Geddes during the fall art show on the first and second floors.
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Rick Destito, owner of the Gear Factory, exits a freight elevator that has existed as long as the century-old-building.
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Every morning, retired professor Jack Manno blends Yoga, push-ups and sit-ups, putting a twist on upperbody training before heading back home to read poetry.
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In an era when information, entertainment and relationships are a swipe away, Americans are finding it difficult to unplug. As disconnected as people may be from the natural world, they continue to use green spaces to reconnect with nature and one another.
BY DAMON KASBERG
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yracuse is like most cities — a landscape of human creations. Buildings, roads and lights engulf people from all directions, but nestled among the concrete and metal, pockets of green spaces reside, dedicated to the public. It is here where residents, students and tourists can escape the modern world. From all walks of life, people gather in these open spaces, each for their own reasons. Joggers traverse miles of paths, children laugh and scream as they chase each other and people walk their canine companions. The city, with a population of 143,396, contains approximately 1,000 acres of parks, playgrounds and trails of diverse terrain and features. On the city’s Southside, what was once the old Water Co. reservoir is now the man-made Hiawatha Lake, a popular attraction that has drawn people and animals to Upper Onondaga Park since 1898. A few miles to the east, Barry Park brims with athletic fields and courts from one end to the other. On any given day — but especially on weekends, men, women and children pack this area to play soccer, basketball and baseball. Thornden Park, one of the largest in the city, is across the street from Syracuse University, spanning six blocks of Ostrom Avenue. It is here, on an empty field of grass near a lily pond, that retired professor Dr. Jack Manno performs his morning routine of stretches, calisthenics and breathing exercises.
Children play tag as they wait for soccer games to finish at Barry Park. From one end to the other the 15.13-acre park is made up of fields for soccer, lacrosse, baseball and other sports.
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“I find peace here,” said Manno, who started this regiment 30 years ago after a camping trip to Ontario, now making it part of his daily ritual. “I can appreciate the sound of the water, animals and silence.” Nearby, on a worn-down tennis court slowly being overrun by weeds, grass and vines, friends and strangers from India and Pakistan gather with bats, balls and other equipment to play cricket, a game enjoyed by many in their home countries. “When I first came here, my friend said that there’s a group in WhatsApp where people get to meet and decide whether to play or not,” said Arun Polamand. “They added me to that group. From there, we all will decide if we have a good number of players.” To the southeast, beyond a shaded outdoor amphitheater surrounded by pine trees, lies a hill that looks over the park and the city. Throughout the day, visitors travel up a windy road to enjoy the view, but sunset seems to be the most popular time to visit. Sitting on a blanket, lifelong Syracuse residents Mario Melendez and Annie Nguyen watch the sun go down behind the city with a dazzling orange hue and rolling deep blue clouds covering the sky. “Growing up, a lot of kids would go to the park, including my friends and me,” Melendez said. “I still go to these parks today. They’re really convenient to have in the neighborhood, and I created some fun memories in several of these parks that I’ll never forget.”
The heat from the morning sun melts the frost off trees and grass to create a mist. Meadowbrook Detention Basin is home to a variety of vegetation and wildlife.
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Syracuse residents Mario Melendez and Annie Nguyen scroll through random videos on Tik Tok after watching the sunset over the city.
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FROM SCRATCH The rise of baker Corey Bruce BY KYLE HAFER
A culinary creator returns to Syracuse after traveling across the country and brings with him a dog and refined baking recipes to start his business, Scratch Bake House.
Bruce exits his bakery with supplies for the local farmers market, where he spends every Saturday selling his baked goods.
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oaming the country in pursuit of refining his passion testifies to Corey Bruce’s determination. Along the way, the tenacious, 25-year-old baker found a companion, a profession and a new direction in life. Upon returning home from his travels he started his own baking company, Scratch Bake House, in Syracuse. Now, Bruce can be found behind the scenes working 12 hoursa-day, six-days-a-week, creating artisan breads, pastries and pizza that he considers to be the epitome of quality and taste. 58
The bench scraper is used to cut dough into portions and scrape leftovers off surfaces.
“I worked with grains from as many different stone mills as I could,” said Bruce. “Some people are confused with the way the way the bread looks, but nine times out of 10, people try it, love it, and they come back for more.” Considering everything they make is made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients, the name of the bakery advertises the effort put into each product. “All our flour comes from an organic stone mill operating in Trumansburg, New York. Because it is stone ground, it retains all the nutrients, nuances, aroma and flavor that
should be there. We get local eggs, butter, polenta, honey, tomatoes for the pizza sauce, and seasonal fruits and veggies, anything local, as much as possible.” Before deciding to pursue baking Bruce aspired to become a doctor, but became disheartened by the cost of the education. Yearning for a new career, he found passion in organic, handmade food. “At 22 years old, I kind of took an exercise with escapism. I tried to run away from responsibility while at the same time explore some of the things other than holding a nine-to-five job and paying for bills
Male smaller, Move , add selling photos and more of his product photos Bread on this spread
With almost 80-hour work weeks, Bruce looks for moments of peace where he can.
— namely making music, reading poetry and creation. So after fixing up a van and loading it with beans and rice, I set out.” With a bed in the back of the van, Bruce set off across the country. During his travels, he generally slept in his van or on his friend’s couches, until eventually he found a stray dog in the woods of Texas at one of the campgrounds at which he was staying. While working in Colorado, Bruce’s dog, Maxwell, fell ill, forcing them to stay longer than anticipated. “I worked at a baking company for a couple of months to save up and get Maxwell medical attention.
That was my first experience with baking at an industrial capacity.” After saving enough to help Maxwell, Bruce and his dog moved back to Central New York in the spring of 2017. Upon settling in Bruce set up shop an old house and quickly began to sell his breads. Seeing a higher demand for his products, Bruce expanded his operation and converted a full six-bedroom forest cabin, just south of Ithaca, into a bakery. With the larger work space he began to make hundreds of loaves of bread and pastries to sell at farmer’s markets and wholesale outlets, donating any leftovers to homeless shelters.
“It’s no surprise that if you go around just any corner past Southside of Syracuse, you’re going to find people that are asking for help. I was one of those people. I would play music on the street corner or offer car washes while I was living in a van. So, I try to give back — whether it’s sandwiches that didn’t sell or a couple-day-old pizza or couple-dayold cookies. There is nothing I would have liked more than this quality of baked goods for free.” Bruce, with his healthy companion Maxwell, has since left the cabin and transitioned into a more professional setting with near perfected recipes. 59
Bruce uses flour, water, salt and patience to create his traditional artisanal bread while also looking for ways to improve his methods with every batch.
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Due to high demand and devotion to his craft, Bruce keeps himself working late into the night.
“I’m humbled and honored to be able to offer this service to my community. I hope to continue on my pursuit of discovering and learning, harnessing inspiration, cultivating creativity, and sharing this passion for as many years as I’m lucky enough to have.” 62
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Worn mahogany wood and a patinaed brass handle preview the nearly two centuries of stories just behind these doors into the Barnes-Hiscock Mansion.
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In the mid-1850s, George and Rebecca Barnes were dedicated abolitionists who eventually opened their Syracuse mansion to the Underground Railroad. Now, the nationally-registered historic home is a time capsule of the family’s legacy and a space for the Central New York community to create, exchange and ponder.
the House where Justice L ived
BY ALVIN REEVES, JR.
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tHe 1851 mansiOn’s
grand mahogany double doors are flanked by contrasting ornate white columns and a manicured lawn that lead into a home rich with decades of stories and celebrated family memories. The stateliness of the Italianate villa is simplified by the coziness of the white linens awaiting in the guest room, the inviting floral-patterned fabric seats throughout the home and gently aging family photos capturing the home’s previous inhabitants. Five years of unlocking brass door locks and replacing burned-out bulbs in the antique chandeliers has made the mansion feel like a second home for Roxanne Dawson, the mansion’s supervisor and office manager for
the Barnes Foundation. The steward organization was created in their name to honor their commitment to the people of Syracuse, preserve their legacy and share, in part, a narrative of Central New York’s history. Docent Dawson’s detailed tours and special public events are organized with pride, each recounting Barnes family moments and historical occasions in the home. Every room is affixed with a family member’s portrait, each sharing in the history. Dawson starts her guided tour on the first floor, chronicling the biographies of the original owners. George Barnes was a British lawyer who moved to Syracuse with a progressive theology that compelled him to comfort the oppressed.
Rebecca Heermans was a devout philanthropist for the city’s orphans. Together, they were committed abolitionists who represented a minority in a stubbornly transforming America, setting precedence for the Barnes’ legacy. They joined two of their neighbors to collectively become part of the Underground Railroad and often petitioned the community to regard acts of oppression as contest against America’s founding principles. Dawson’s tour moves to the second floor: the living quarters. Here, relics such as children’s toys, an original wedding gown and family heirloom china memorialize generations past, commemorate tragedies — like the loss of two of their children — and families joined by matrimony.
Visitors to the mansion get to explore each room and discover what life might have been like for the Barnes and Hiscock families.
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Renown Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind is thought to have stayed with the Barnes’ family during her Central New York performance that filled a large music hall and drew another 5,000 listeners standing outside for the show.
Every room in the home has a door leading to the one next to it so that servants and guests-in-hiding could move about without being seen in the main corridors.
Judge Frank Hiscock, husband to Bessie Barnes, adorned his bedroom with family photos and ornate trinkets from his travels.
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Adventure seekers converge into the mansion for annual ghost tours and learn more of the home’s history. Courtney Burney shines his cellphone light onto the wedding portrait of Rebecca Barnes, the original owner.
Mary E. “Bessie” Barnes, daughter of the original owners, married Frank H. Hiscock — a future chief justice of the New York Court of Appeals — whose reputation of fairness blended well with that of the Barnes family. With the families’ tradition of gallantry, the now-named Barnes-Hiscock home became synonymous with hope. The mansion’s second-floor guest room accommodated the Hiscock’s list of prominent friends, including women’s suffrage movement pioneer Elizabeth Cady Stanton and former president William Taft. As the sole surviving child, Bessie Hiscock inherited the mansion and eventually added a third story, where Docent Dawson continues the tour.
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Here, the Hiscock children would expend their energy playing in the ballroom as their parents hosted business meetings and held discussions with other abolitionists on the lower levels. That same ballroom once housed offices and classes for Syracuse’s Le Moyne College during its first full year and now hosts monthly dance classes. Today, the mansion also hosts hundreds of civic-minded organizations, community-focused social activities and private events, as it did nearly 150 years ago. Organizations such as the George & Rebecca Barnes Foundation, the Syracuse Corinthian Club — a private women’s association — and the Preservation Association of Central
New York are based here. Other patrons rent this historic place as the setting for myriad occasions, including weddings and dinner receptions. As mentioned in the book, “Architecture Worth Saving,” James Street was once known as the state’s “most handsome residential street” because of the many stately mansions lining the street. The Barnes-Hiscock home is now the last standing downtown mansion on that street. When laughter fills the halls during the annual children’s trickor-treat party or as families toast to newlyweds on the grand staircase for a wedding reception, Dawson says she gets a sense of what it’s like to be Rebecca Barnes and Bessie Hiscock.
Goth-themed decorations accent a portrait of Rebecca Hiscock in the mansion’s library prior to a wedding.
This antique crystal chandelier is one of several throughout the mansion. It hangs over the original entryway and has created warm welcomes to guests, friends and family alike over the centuries.
The mansion’s elevator was added with the construction of the third floor and is Central New York’s oldest, operating residential lift.
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“I fell in love with the Barnes-Hiscock mansion. I fell in love with the things we do here.” Roxanne Dawson
Sarah Darleen-Carlson (above) dresses for her Goth-themed wedding in one of the mansion’s bedrooms while her mother and sister help make final adjustments. The mansion’s intricate details, like the parlor’s ceiling (right), are what draw the community to have public and private events here.
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Life regardless BY JANIQUA P. ROBINSON
After nearly a decade of actively seeking death and death eluding her, Lori Freiburger is determined to thrive and love herself for the rest of her life.
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Lori drinks coffee in her home on Saturday afternoon. She has survived depression, stints in a psych ward, a suicide attempt that left her in a coma for three days, cancer and the rejection of her new identity by her ex-wife and daughters.
Lori believed she was a girl before the age of five and spent 66 years hiding her feelings from everyone in her life. She told her siblings via text message and is often intentionally mis-gendered by people who knew her before her transition.
She
was a man ... physically. Unfortunately, she began battling gender dysphoria in the 1960s before most of the world knew what it was and when some of the first gender reassignment surgery recipients made headlines. Through the depression, mental illness diagnoses and medicinal changes, she persisted and was determined to live a ‘normal’ life. “My life was difficult,” Loras ‘Lori’ Freiburger recounted while explaining how she lived as a man for 66 years. “When I entered puberty, I made the decision that I had to be male, and I developed a male persona. He [Loras] was 74
in charge of hiding me so that we could have a ‘normal’ life.” This life included becoming a successful computer systems technician, marrying a woman and having children. “I loved her. We had children together,” Lori explained as she reflected on her previous lifestyle. “I would act like everything was fine at work, but at home everything was horrible. I had good times, but there was no true happiness in my life until Loras said Lori could come out.” Lori was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer in September of 2011 and was given six to nine months to live. She refused treatment until 2013 when the pain became unbearable. She started
Previous page: As a transgender woman, Lori still has a prostate. For years it has been swelling, causing frequent and weak urination. Before her gender confirmation surgery, her doctor explained that he couldn’t fix the prostate issue and also perform the gender surgery. Recently, doctors approached Lori with a new technique, and Lori is now the first transgender woman in history to undergo Prostatic Artery Embolization. Right: Lori drinks coffee in her home on a Saturday afternoon. She has survived depression, being held in a psychiatric ward, a suicide attempt that left her in a coma for three days, cancer and the rejection of her new identity by her exwife and daughters.
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Top: Bobby and Lori hold hands in her apartment. The couple intended to watch a Syracuse University football game, as they are both fans, but could not figure out how to stream it. They watched the history channel instead. Bottom: Lori leans in to kiss her boyfriend Bobby, whom she’s been with for about three months. Bobby and Lori spend most of their weekends together and enjoy cooking, and watching football.
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chemo in February 2014 and was in remission by September. “I was supposed to be really happy, but instead, I was hoping that all of this wouldn’t be working,” Lori clarified matter-offactly. “I wanted to die.” In December of 2014, she took enough painkillers left over from the cancer treatment to kill herself. Lori and her wife had slept in different
bedrooms for nearly 10 years, and Lori planned to die in her room on Friday while her wife was at work. Lori was so depressed and distracted she didn’t realize it was Saturday, which meant her wife would be home. Lori’s wife found her in the afternoon and called the ambulance. After three days in a coma, Lori woke up with no complications or brain damage.
“It was a real wake up call for me,” Lori recalled. “Somebody somewhere was trying to tell me that trying to escape my life was the wrong thing to do, and what I should do is embrace my life and be who I am.” At 65 years old, she came out to her wife of 40 years and two daughters as transgender, and by 66 she fully transitioned. Although
she didn’t wish to divorce, her wife insisted on it. She is on speaking terms with her ex-wife, but has no contact with her daughters. “They shun me because they can’t deal with their friends and other people knowing that about their dad, and I respect that,” Lori explained thoughtfully. “For 66-years, I hid who I was. I have to be who I am, and I want people to know me and
Above: Lori says goodbye after lunch at ‘The Euclid’ restaurant in Clay, N.Y. Lori met with her friend, Mimi Foxmorton, who is the director of the Clay senior center. Before this lunch, the last time Lori was at this restaurant was more than 20 years ago with her ex-wife and daughters.
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decide whether they like me or not based on who I am, not who I can pretend to be.” Even with all of the hardships and pain, Lori wouldn’t change any of it. She decided to hide who she was so she could have a successful career, make enough money to provide for her family, and not have to worry about being harmed or found out. At 68, Lori is retired, bisexual, has an on and off-again boyfriend, and is open to polyamory. She would love to have multiple intimate relationships with all parties in agreeance, but specifically she wants a boyfriend and a girlfriend concurrently. “I’ve always been a very sexual person,” said Lori. “I enjoyed sex with [my] male body, and that hasn’t changed with my transition. People would ask if I was looking for a man or a woman, and I’d say I was looking for a person.” Lori frequents the Cicero and Clay Senior Centers to meet people and participate in the daily activities and parties that take place there. In 2018, she befriended an older couple and even brought her mother to their house for Thanksgiving. There, she met their son, Bobby, who repeatedly throughout the night referred to Lori as “the dude in the skirt.” Lori has faced a reoccurring theme of initial rejection of her identity and then unconditional acceptance because of her personality. In spite of the complications of her new life, Lori plans to be free in her skin and live her life to the fullest. “I want people to know that I’m happy,” Lori emphasized. “You have to believe in yourself and be yourself out in the world no matter how people respond. It can hurt terribly; but, that’s ok because you are who you are, and that’s all that matters.”
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Lori is bisexual and open to the idea of polyamory. She has many suitors who come in and out of her life, as well as a few women she’s interested in. Lori used to frequent the Karaoke bar “David’s Hideaway” but hadn’t been there since April. When she arrived, many people were excited to see her again.
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A bus passes The Laundry Room, a resource for the community surroundinng North Salina Street, located on the corner of North Salina and Catawba Street.
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ALONG NORTH SALINA BY REYMUNDO A. VILLEGAS III
Syracuse began at the intersection of two dirt roads populated by German homes and businesses. Today, one of those roads is known as North Salina and thrives with diversity.
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It’s not uncommon to see moderate foot traffic on North Salina. Pedestrians can often be seen traveling solo or with their families.
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When most people hear, “New York,” the first thing that comes to mind is the hustle and bustle of New York City; however, approximately 250 miles away from the Big Apple is a lesser known side of New York – the Salt City. Syracuse received its flavorful name from the salt springs that once fueled its prosperous salt industry, but before the boiling process enriched the economy and formed the “Salt City,” one prominent settlement became what is known today as North Salina Street. “You can find everything you need on this street,” said Lida Amin, a stylist at Life On The Edge, a barbershop located on North Salina. “The businesses on this street try to support each other to continue to help this community stay alive and thrive.” At the start of the 19th century, German immigrants’ residences and a vast amount
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shops, shops that specialize in wooden barrels and caskets, populated the street; today North Salina is teeming with diversity with a wide array of establishments, some adorned with street art, ranging from bungalows and barbershops to synagogues and strip clubs to clothing stores and cafés. Life On The Edge is one of 11 shops on North Salina Street that provides self-care services to its patrons. The shops’ services cater to people of all ages and genders from many ethnic and racial backgrounds. Clientele can change or maintain their look by altering their hairstyles or by tending to their hands and feet with manicures and pedicures. On either side of the chair, professional or clientele, after a service is complete, either party can satisfy their hunger by stopping at many of the eateries on the street. American, Caribbean, Chinese, Ethiopian, Italian or Vietnamese, North
A cellular shop on North Salina Street displays flyers in it’s window of various calling cards that were once offered.
An exotic dancer at The Bunny Club begins her night. The Bunny club is one of three gentlemen’s clubs located on North Salina.
A garage door on the side of an antique store is decorated with street art. Street art is a visual characteristic common on North Salina.
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Lida Amin, a barber at Life on The Edge, grooms a client’s goatee. The lounge has over 10 stylists and provides a variety of hair styling services.
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“ The businesses on this street try to support each other to continue to help stay alive and thrive.
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this community
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A statue of the Virgin Mary sets in the courtyard of St. Francis College and Convent on North Salina Street.
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A cat peers through the window of Bear St. Books & Music. The bookstore is temporarily closed until January 2020.
Salina Street has a little something for everyone’s palate. With a variety of restaurants, anyone who visits the street, whether local or stranger, will be sure to get a taste of the cultures that Syracuse is comprised of. With multiple clothing boutiques on the street, who needs to go to the mall? Fashionistas can purchase clothing to fit their individual style for some of the street’s various night-life scenes, such as The Bunny Club, a night club with exotic dancers, or Franklin’s Bar and Grill. In addition to the physical, North Salina Street offers Buddhist, Christian and Islamic religious
establishments with services for people to refuel their spirit and to show love to one another. The Franciscan Church of the Assumption has a food pantry, open Monday through Friday, that assists households in the region and a soup kitchen, open Monday through Sunday, that is open to everyone. “The church is so awesome for what they do,” said Shelly Weber, a community local. “I know that if I’m ever in trouble or need, I always have a place to go.” As it did from the 18th century, the street continues to evolve. With it’s current growth and decline, three centuries from now this street could be entirely different.
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A mother puts her bedding in the washer at The Laundry Room on North Salina. The laundromat is decorated with flags from multiple nations as an effort to welcome the diverse community of Syracuse.
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Living Dragons with
BY ZARAH MYERS
The Correia family home is crawling with a prehistoric passion: breeding domesticated bearded dragons.
Tyra ‘the Tyrant’, an adult female bearded dragon, poses for a portrait in the living room of Jess and Joe Correia for their business, Central NY Dragons.
Joe and Jess Correia have always had a love for reptiles, so four years ago they married their mutual passion and launched Central NY Dragons. “A lot of time goes into taking care of these dragons,” said Joe. Jess takes care of the dragons from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. because Joe works a full-time job during the week. Jess says one dragon, Spike, has helped her autistic daughter, Jaelyn Belk, through cuddling sessions, which have been unexpectedly therapeutic. According to Jess, bearded dragons can be the perfect new addition to a family because they are quiet and hypoallergenic. After a sideways glance at each other about having their own kids together, Joe and Jess both agreed. “Our kids are these dragons. Each one of them has a place in our heart.”
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Joe, in his favorite chair, strokes the throat of Spike, an adult male bearded dragon, during a cuddle session which helps reptiles connect and destress with their human owners.
Dinner time is at 5 p.m. for both the Correia family and their 16 adult bearded dragons. Each enclosure maintains a consistent temperature — 90 to 93 degrees. With all the heat from the infrared lamps, they rarely turn on the house’s heater.
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Joe checks their baby bearded dragon’s growth spurts in the Nursery, basement, of their Central New York home.
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Japanese teacups and cookies are presented in front of participants as part of a weekly ceremony to meditate and discuss the events of the week. Andy Hassinger prepares tea and snacks for guests and students.
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HEART SUTRA for the Soul BY MICHAEL DOAN
The Zen Center of Syracuse offers community members a chance to embark on an internal adventure through the practice of meditation. Syracuse Zen Center Tibetan Buddhist service leader Andy Hassinger stops before entering the meditation hall. He bows reverently toward the central altar, and again to his students before taking his seat. The room is scented with incense, meant to help calm the mind, sharpen focus, and serve as a sacred offering. This ritual occurs before each of his hourlong meditation sessions without fail.
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The room is silent, save for the occasional rustling of someone re-adjusting themselves into their kneeling meditation pose. A cushion is set out for each participant, and books containing chants of the Heart Sutra rest on every cushion. The Heart Sutra is a manuscript of Buddhist teachings. It dates back to the 7th century and is believed to have originated from China. The sutra lays out the fundamental teachings of the Four Noble Truths, a cornerstone work of Buddhist literature. The Heart Sutra is an analysis of form and meaning. The internationally recognized Buddhist community in Syracuse began in the 70s as a group of students who casually meditated together once a week. Public interest in this group increased after Syracuse University’s Religion Department Professor, Richard Pilgrim, invited a Buddhist abbot Eido Tai Shimano Roshi to speak in 1972. The group received official recognition the following year when Eido Roshi returned to lecture again. Roshi established an official location within the university for the group to meet, naming it Hoen Zendo. In the years that followed, Hoen Zendo gatherings changed locations throughout Syracuse until the founding of the Zen Center of Syracuse in 1996. Hoen Zendo found its permanent home at last, the historic Joshua Forman house. Hassinger opens his book and motions for everyone to begin their chant in unison. Tradition and wisdom exist behind the
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Brian Miller, co-lead for the Tibetan Zen services, leads the chanting of sutras during a group session inside the meditation hall while holding the Anjali mudra pose.
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phrases they recite; words selected and strung together to enhance relaxation and introspective thought. The goal of the Heart Sutra is to remove the sense of self from thought process; to become a truly neutral observer of your life, your surroundings, and your world. Controlled breathing exercises are one of the main tools that guided meditation uses to achieve levels of focus. Following Hassingers instructions, each exhale will gradually become smoother and deeper than the last. His students allow instinctual animal awareness of their surroundings to dissipate, replaced instead with a spider’s web of introspective observation to navigate. The soothing mantras of Hassinger echo softly in the meditation hall. The chanted repetitions guide the students along their inner journey like quiet footsteps in the dark. The Zen Center’s meditation procedure requests absolute silence inside the meditation hall. It also requests that controllable distraction factors such as tight clothes, flashy jewelry, and strong scents, such as cologne or perfume, be avoided. “Our minds are always grasping at every idea or distraction,” said Brian Miller, coleader of Tibetan services. “The Sutras are made to list the distractions of thought. They help set aside stress and earthly burdens to focus entirely on the act of intimate self-reflection.” Although the atmosphere and noise levels inside Zen Center are controlled, the
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Participants gather to chant Heart Sutra mantras lead by Andy Hassinger. This action is one of the foundational practices of Tibetan Zen Buddhism.
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building itself not in an isolated location. The Joshua Forman house sits along a busy street, and as such, the sounds of the city easily penetrate its walls. Loudly speeding cars and occasional emergency sirens provide an additional test of focus for the students to overcome on their internal journeys. On the topic of street noise during meditation sessions, Hassinger said, “Life is filled with many distractions, and time spent meditating is no exception. There is no need to confront these distractions; that will only make it more difficult to calm and relax your mind. Do not treat external disruptions as a foreign being entering you. Instead, acknowledge them as you would a passing acquaintance; simply wave them hello, and wave them goodbye.” The Zen Center offers not only Tibetan Zen services, but Japanese Zen services as well, led by Shinge Roshi Roko Sherry Chayat, the Abbot of the Zen Center. It is open to all who wish to experience meditation for either curiosity or spiritual reasons. Regardless of denomination, typical meditation sessions occur seated inside the meditation hall, other activities involve standing, stretching, or walking during times of reflection on the meditation trail, open to their students as well as the public. “We provide opportunities to anyone for the cultivation of mindfulness,” said Hassinger. “Our mission is to provide the simple practice of meditation and help make our community a more compassionate and caring place.”
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Brian Miller reverently bows toward the altar as he leaves the main hall. This is performed as gesture of respect each time someone enters or leaves the main hall.
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A Serene Escape As dry leaves rustle in the wind among aging trees, campers make a temporary home under a canopy of color at the Old Forge Camping Resort. BY AARON S. PATTERSON 102 102
A golden retriever basks in the glimmer of morning sunlight.
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A forest aged by autum yields myriad colors.
A camper peacefully interacts with a mallard.
Autumn litters the spaces where campers dwell.
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Campers lie under a blanket of stars far from the light of cities.
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Everything
& Strange Queer
Delightfully
BY J. KEITH WILSON
A transgender woman tends the bar; drag queens paint their faces upstairs; lesbians engage in a flirtatious exchange in the lounge while they await the show, which never seems to start on time. Wunderbar Queer Bar and Theatre prides itself as a hub for the LGBTQ community and friends.
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Mother Superior performs for an audience of about 25 people during the “Glory and Gore� drag show, which celebrated comically macabre themes on the night of Friday the 13th.
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Drag performer Trevor Miller, known onstage as Lizanga, applies liquid lipstick backstage before her “Glory and Gore� show. The show preceded Halloween, using fake blood and horror-related props to add a spooky twist to comedic lip-synch performances.
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Charles Haislah, playing The Caregiver, wraps her leg around Cameron Walker’s, or The Innocent’s, waist during the Weimar Republic of 1930s Berlin-themed “Pansy Craze” show. “Tonight was a wild, crazy, and very queer ride,” said Walker.
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he door swings open, and the steady rhythm of high heels click on approach to the bar. A glance higher reveals a muscular calf, adorned in black mesh and lit a dim orange by the Edison bulbs that float above the bar. Someone walks in wearing a beautiful dress. They could be a man or a woman, gay or straight, trans or cis-gendered, a patron or an employee, or even the owner of the bar. After all, Tanner Efinger does have a knack for dressing in flamboyant and feminine attire when the night calls for such things. “My husband and I moved to Syracuse a couple of years ago,” said Efinger, owner of Wunderbar Queer Bar and Theatre in downtown. “One of our goals when we moved here was to befriend other queer people, but there just didn’t seem to be a great place to do that. It wasn’t until I was out and about in town [that], along with a friend, we sort of came up with this idea that we call Guerilla Gay Bar.” Named for a style of hit-and-run warfare and coordinated by Efinger and a few others, the monthly networking event, invites queer people to meet and socialize. “The venue changes every time, and no one knows where exactly we are going to meet up until noon on the day of the event.” For Efinger, the event was just as much about socializing as it was about creating visibility for the queer community. Still, he saw the need for a central, permanent location dedicated to all people under the LGBTQ umbrella. “There was this theater in town called the Redhouse . . . that was getting ready to move,” said Efinger. “We first called the landlords as sort of a joke, but when we found out that we might be able to take over
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“Pansy Craze,” an original play written by Breadcrumbs Productions, completely sold-out for its two-day debut. Hundreds of people attended, exploring several intertwined character plots that spanned all three floors of Wunderbar’s performance area.
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Kyle Weaver and Jamie Santos socialize under a wall of burlesque art, adorned with photos of local queer people. Weaver and Santos are show producers themselves who create theater experiences based on classic fairy-tales but with queer themes.
the location, my husband and I really started brainstorming to develop the idea of creating a queer-centric theater and bar. A lot of planning went into it, and we opened up in April of 2019.” Wunderbar has a distinct aesthetic. The decor of the bar area is inspired by its counterparts of pre-WWII Berlin, a time and place in which a revolution of queer culture and art contrasted with the atrocities and oppression of the Nazi regime. “We wanted to mimic the idea that this was a place where you could come in and leave your worries at the door,” said Efinger. “We welcome artists of all walks, but we encourage people to explore art and theater that is on the fringe 112
of society: shows with a riskier or bolder edge, like burlesque, cabaret or drag performances.” Many of the shows at Wunderbar are written and put on through its in-house theatrical company, Breadcrumbs Productions. The theater itself occupies a room surrounded with blackpainted walls, which allows for selective lighting. The layout varies depending on the needs of the event, accommodating performances as well as dance nights. On occasion, the second and third floors are decorated, allowing guests to travel with actors through different performances. “So much goes into putting on a show,” said Isaac Betters, a
26-year-old who uses his bachelor’s degree in theater production and master’s degree in liberal arts to assist with musical composition, lighting, writing and acting for the company’s productions. “There are times when we will be working together and putting in hundreds of hours preparing a show from conception to reality, and after that it turns into finding performers and rehearsals. It can be exhausting, but it’s ultimately a rewarding experience.” The intent behind the Wunderbar theater was to establish an environment that didn’t restrict itself to one kind of show, so the performances are all-embracing.
Top: Romance and community bring patrons together during the “Got Mail? LGBTQ+” singles night event. The activity involves writing notes of admiration to anonymous participants known only by the number on their chest. Left: Charles Haislah drinks during the “Pansy Craze” immersive theater experience. An Opportunity to Create Grant was awarded to Breadcrumbs Productions, the creators of “Pansy Craze,” by the 2019 Creative Opportunity Fund.
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“First and foremost, we do what we can to support local artists,” said Betters. “Many of our shows have a queer focus, but that isn’t always the case. At our baseline, we want to empower underserved communities. This includes the LGBTQ community, but it also includes, for example, people of color. Some of our shows have had entirely female production team and cast members.” Although the goal is to help all of the unsung communities in Syracuse, most shows do have a queer focus. Syracuse is home to almost 145,000 people, and according to a study by the Williams Institute School of Law at UCLA, approximately 3.8% of the global population is LGBTQ. This means there is a potential for more than 5,500 queer Syracuse locals. Traditionally, queer bars tend to cater to a specific queer subgroup, such as only gay men or only lesbian women. “We invite everyone in the community to come and join us for our shows or our dances,” said Efinger. “It’s all about celebration. Gay bars used to be a place that were based around this idea: ‘Thank god, I’ve finally met another one.’ The more we became accepted as a community, we finally started to focus more on visibility. “That is what Wunderbar is all about,” said Efinger. “It is a place that encourages visibility – where we can be out and proud.”
Isaac Betters DJs at a weekly dance party in the theater room. “The actual DJ didn’t show up this evening, so I had to fill in.” Typically, Betters works as a show coordinator for Wunderbar.
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Love a cycle of BY FELICIA JAGDATT
Exchanging their abundant love through good works with the community is the overarching purpose of the people at The Church of St. Mark the Evangelist. To them, having a positive impact is more important than filling the pews.
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Jaylynn Abear receives her Paschal candle, which represents the risen Christ, in honor of her baptism. Traditionally, the same candle is lit during momentous events throughout a worshiper’s life and is retired after their funeral.
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Senior church warden Gary Neddo hands the parish’s oldest member Robert Kraushaar, a 92-year-old WWII veteran, sacramental bread during communion.
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athering Sunday mornings, a parish of approximately 50 worshipers greet one another like family in the welcoming house of their God. The gothic, barn-style building at 1612 West Genesee St. thrives among modern businesses, such as the Brooklyn Pickle and a Honda dealership, and offers more than a place for worship. The Church of St. Mark the Evangelist was established in 1996 after four of seven episcopal churches, which belonged to a local “urban cluster,” merged into one. Even though the name of the present church is only two decades old, the building itself has had its humble church doors open since 1885; and the parish ultimately chose St. Mark the Evangelist as their residence of devotion. “I believe this is where God was calling us,” said Jim Miller, a church board member who was present at the time of the merge. Miller said the church’s role in the community developed through its good works, which led to partnerships with a library across the street and two local elementary schools. To him, the importance and reason for serving the area is to show their embodiment of Christ’s teachings. Embodiment is a principle that reappears in the faith repeatedly. In an episcopal book, “Faith Rules: The Episcopal Manual,” one rule is to “remember, it’s all about the love project.” The ultimate example of love, according to Gary Neddo, senior church warden and lay leader of the parish, is to remember God’s promise and to live like he did. 118
“He gave us the promise of eternal life through his resurrection,” expounded Neddo. “That’s why our lust for life is spreading that word out there in the community and sharing that word within this building.” Neddo explains that love is a cycle. “It starts with God to Jesus, Jesus to us, us to the neighborhood. Lastly, it comes back to us. We can’t do it without the people of Syracuse, and we wouldn’t want to.” Aside from Sunday morning services, the church offers programs to reduce the area’s physical needs.
Customers rummage through racks in the church’s Clothes Closet. The program encourages a 25-cent donation per item in exchange for bread, books and apparel.
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At no cost, guests choose three breakfast staples and one beverage through the church’s Green Cafe. The church also conducts a free monthly dinner and opens the food pantry twice a week. In conjunction and out of many basement rooms, the Clothes Closet houses used adult and youth clothing and accessories for a donation of 25 cents apiece. Bread is also exchanged there for the same amount. These programs are the direct result of the church actively seeking out the community’s needs, says Neddo. For example, when asked by the church which necessities they may lack, a resident mentioned their need for bread. Additionally, there is no financial or demographic requirement for participation. They are available to all — even those who may not be able to pay. “At least once an event, a person doesn’t have the money,” said Neddo. “It’s not about the money, so we give it to them. These programs are about building dignity. We aren’t in the business of taking away someone’s self-respect over 25 cents.” The money serves two purposes. “We’re not getting rich off of it, but it helps to support our ministry,” Neddo continued. “People want to be able to carry their own weight, so they offer us the quarter. They feel good about it, and they’re helping the program all at once.” For Neddo and his fellow parish members, bread and clothing are not enough to fulfill their “love project.” To put full meals on tables, they sponsor another program, Food $en$e, which through partnership with the Food Bank of Central New York creates packages for $20.50, including several main dishes, a few side items, at least one dessert and fresh produce. Customers can also buy items individually. Neddo truly believes: “The church provides for people every day that we will never see directly. We are exchanging our love through actions thus expanding the relationship with God.” “The purpose, our purpose, is to have positive impact in the community,” said Miller.
Robert Kraushaar, who relies on his walker to manuever, waits patiently for a church leader to bring communion to him and others who can no longer kneel at the altar.
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A local boy and his grandmother attend the Green Cafe, which offers free food and a place to relax. She listens as he tries to pronounce the words in the book, giving helpful nudges when needed.
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How Leopoldino carries herself outside the ballet studio also impacts her performance as a dancer. She is constantly on her toes.
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Blood, Sweat Ballet
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BY AARON S. PATTERSON
Brazilian Manoela Leopoldino perseveres through the trials of an art defined by precision and extreme physicality.
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Minor wounds such as blisters and bunions often develop from the constant friction and stress of being on her toes so often.
Manoela Leopoldino
has been practicing ballet for as long as she can remember. She began her journey as a child in Brazil, and in 2015, her parents sent her to the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. Here she refined her skills. Alone in an unfamiliar world, 15-year-old Leopoldino was forced to work through the struggles of learning a new language and converting currency when her parents sent to her, on occasion, to pay for ballet lessons. After graduating, Leopoldino moved to Syracuse and joined Syracuse City Ballet, Inc., the only professional ballet company in the Central New York community. Nearly five years later, the soft-spoken 20-year-old continues to pursue her passion even though it insists she sacrifice comfort. Every day revolves around a variation of stretching, rolling, and footcare. Replacing the bandages on her feet often reveals blisters and bruises, the most common of many inconveniences Leopoldino endures. “When I fell out of a jump and twisted my ankle, I was devastated.� Leopoldino said, reflecting on a practice routine from 2016. “My uncle, who used to live in New
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Leopoldino’s ballet shoes are fastened a specific way to ensure they do not fall off or give out during a performance and cause injury.
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Leopoldino leads dancers from the Syracuse City Ballet company during a rehearsal for “The Nutcracker.�
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Pointe shoes are worn so that she can perform pointe work. These shoes were made so that ballerinas may appear weightless and dance on nothing but their toes.
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Leopoldino rehearses with other dancers from the Syracuse City Ballet company prior to the Nutcracker Christmas show at the OnCenter Crouse Hinds Theater in Syracuse, New York.
York City, took me to urgent care where they took an x-ray. They couldn’t find anything, so I had to take anti-inflammatory medication and told me to take a week off.” During that week, Leopoldino was bedridden, unable to join her classmates who moved on with their daily lessons. “It was the most depressing week ever,” lamented the ballerina. “I used to see my roommates go to school every day and come back to tell me how their days were going, and there I was – stuck in bed.” The following week, the hospital instructed the Brazilian dancer to make her way back into the studio with a still bruised and swollen foot. Continuing to have difficulty performing pointe techniques, she went back to urgent care to undergo an MRI. Leopoldino’s insurance couldn’t cover the costs in the U.S., so her parents convinced her to return home to recover. It wasn’t until she went back to Brazil, that she could finally afford the MRI, which
revealed four micro-fractures and a sprained tendon. The hospital instructed her to sit out an additional 45 days – the rest of the semester. Leopoldino’s career in ballet requires a lifetime of physical challenges, but other difficulties may cause emotional turbulence for those who are committed. During the fall and winter seasons, finances are manageable because she trains six to eight hours a day, and performs holiday shows at theaters, but during the offseason, though, she only makes half as much. Leopoldino manages by taking up a second job as an instructor for children going through their own introduction to ballet. Finances aren’t Leopoldino’s only burden; she also sacrifices comfort for the sake of nutrition. Because Leopoldino’s routine involves being lifted and thrown into the air, she must remain petite while maintaining enough energy to persevere during her rigorous routine. Her diet is strict with small, yet frequent meals consuming only fruit and protein bars. often 131
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For dinner, she often cooks rice, meats and a salad. If she gains enough weight to ruin her bantam status or hinder her performance, she would run the risk of suspension or even being fired from the studio. “It was very hard for me to adapt to the lifestyle of skipping lunch or having a snack instead of a full meal,” Leopoldino said. Despite the daily maintenance, the pain and hardship, and her love for ballet outweighs it all. “I love it. I love going to the studio and giving it my all. I want to transmit this beautiful art form that I love to everyone who watches me,” Leopoldino said of her indomitable passion for ballet. “Dancers are entertainers; it is our job to pass the beauty of this art to our audience and I think that is why it’s worth it.”
“We are constantly under pressure, trying to achieve the perfection that does not exist.”
Leopoldino dreams of one day dancing for Belgium dance company, Ballet Vlaanderen.
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A Legacy of Pastimes It is one of the oldest athletic organizations in the country. One hundred and twenty-seven years and counting, a community gathers for relaxation and recreation in one building. BY COREY HOOK
Just 12 years after the invention of basketball, Pastime’s team won the New York championship in 1902 and remained undefeated for three consecutive seasons.
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Gavin Ajayi jumps near his coach, Joseph Stray, at the club. Stray started his business, Syracuse Boxing Club, in 2012 and relocated to Pastime in 2017. In 2013, Stray organized the first boxing match at Syracuse University since 1957.
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A bowling wall showcases members with the highest scores at the club. The alley is intact with original old wood flooring that dates back to the 1920’s and mechanical lifts that date to the 1950s.
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lub members cheer as Syracuse University prepares for an extra point. The football game is airing live at the bar. Lifelong relationships continue to blossom in the chipped long-standing red brick building with rusted bars on the windows. The inside is full of laughter and chatter. Most of the members share a bond strengthened over many years. This historic place of 127 years and counting is Pastime Athletic Club, a place for community, a place where members socialize. It’s a place of the past. In its early years, the club moved two times due to an increase in members but settled into its present location on North Salina Street between Turtle Street and Court Street in 1927. The walls are full of club memorabilia, including awards, group photos and trophies. A glass award cabinet in the entrance showcases a group photo
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Members can reserve any of the three banquet rooms located inside the club. One of the banquet rooms was used for a film starring Jeff Goldblum.
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A locker room is available for members throughout the day in the basement near weights, treadmills, boxing bags, a sauna and two indoor golf driving ranges.
and trophy of the legendary 1902 Pastime Athletic Club basketball team who won the Central New York Championship and remained undefeated for 44 consecutive games in the Amateur Athletic Association League. Basketball isn’t the only sport celebrated within the club. Golf, boxing, and baseball teams have formed, trained and competed in state and city leagues since before the first World War. The older leagues don’t exist anymore, but competition continues at the club. Nowadays, competitors play table tennis throughout the week along with karate, boxing, basketball and bowling. Event rooms are rented on occasion for local business banquets and community fundraising. The sports bar offers food and drinks daily. Pastime is unique and the third oldest club of its kind in the United States. Even still, membership has declined due to the likeness of newer modern gyms with cheaper fees. “This place had a ton of members in the 1980’s, and 140
“Hopefully, I’m able to come here until I die. If not, I’ll just keep paying my dues until it closes.”
A youth basketball team practices with Lenny Rauch as coach. Rauch, who has been coaching at the club for 19 years, is a well known in the Syracuse area for his effective training style.
membership applications were on hold because we were at capacity, but now we stay fluid with around 500 members,” said Ted Ackerman, longtime member and former club president. Lenny Rauch coaches a youth basketball team at the club on Saturdays. A dark wood covers the full-size court and a small scoreboard hanging above buzzes at the quarters end. Lenny blows a whistle every 60 seconds during warm up exercises and drills. Some of the children sweat in Pastime Athletic Club jerseys that have most likely been passed on by a father or family member. Ackerman remembers being coached when he was a child by Rauch and says the coach instills discipline with his stern teaching style. On Monday nights, 20 men or so play pickup basketball games. Some chat on the bench while awaiting playtime, and after about 2 hours of competition, they move to the bar to watch sports highlights and have beer.
The club started accepting women as club members in 2014. Ackerman, president at the time, helped make it happen. “The club is old and a lot of our members are from a different era. So although we had some no votes, we just knew we needed to move forward with the times and accept woman as members. It was time to make it happen,” said Ackerman. Buildings, dues and policies have changed since the club’s inception, but many of the faces are the same. Some older club members meet up in the morning to drink coffee. Circled around a table, each one fights for the last word of every argument. Eighty-six-year-old Red Long has been a club regular for 68 years. Butch O’Brien has been a member for 50. Longtime members Jake Mayer, Neil Wilcox and Bobby Levine sit in their usual seats accompanied by Long and O’Brien. O’Brien said, “This place has played a big part in my life, and, hopefully, I’m able to come here until I die. If not, I’ll just keep paying my dues until it closes.” 141
A club member leaves after his routine workout. According to the club, in order to be accepted as a member, a person needs to be 18 years or older and have good moral character.
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Nature’s Grace BY DON HUDSON
Wet, muddy and covered with insects — the perfect home for hundreds of thousands of migrating and local animals, each drawn to the rich and murky wetlands of Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Teeming with life, this unassuming 10,008-acre oasis is preserved and enjoyed by people dedicated to the land and its creatures.
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he sun rises over the marsh as the wildlife of the night settles into the shadows of day, and biologist Linda Ziemba drives to work at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, nestled between Rochester and Syracuse, New York. As a steward of the refuge, Ziemba works to preserve natural ecosystems by managing wildlife population numbers and water levels to ensure the right environment for the right number of animals and eradicating invasive species, which take over territory and push out native species. Hampered to create and maintain the refuge, a staff of four do all they can with the inadequate funds and personnel for the ever-growing refuge. The full-time staff include a deputy refuge manager, wildlife biologist, visitor services manager, and maintenance manager, as well as two non-permanent biological science technicians. The refuge needs additional paid positions, such as a facilities manager or additional biologists, but the staff take on additional responsibilities to save money, nature and keep the refuge running smoothly. Although funding is tight, money from the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation stamps and Land and Water Conservation Fund allows the
Previous Page: Chris Laverack (left), and his son Ethan, strategically place decoys in Tschache Pool before the sun rises in preparation for the annual youth duck hunt.
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Primary biologist Linda Ziemba takes note of water levels and to better judge and predict the future impacts on the wetland.
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Pond debris floats on the water of the 454-acre Sandhill Crane Unit, which was restored in 2010 to make a new habitat for marsh birds, birds of prey and waterfowl.
refuge to buy nearby agricultural land when it becomes available. “Even if we don’t have the hands to bring a piece of land back to its natural state now, we can easily put up a fence, and the land can sit for 20 years just fine,” said Ziemba. “We can get to it when we have the time, money and people. The main goal is to get it into our hands for safe keeping.” Because it can take years for a parcel to reach the desired natural state, the staff and volunteers work hard daily to maintain what they have created and restore native habitats. Success is measured in small victories over long periods of time, and must be meticulously observed to ensure natural balances and cycles occur. From the air, the man-made habitats of the refuge look like a patchwork quilt of swamps, forests and grasslands. Each acre must be carefully monitored to keep the right ratio of plants and open 148
water to support migratory birds and small mammals. Inside the small office space on the refuge, Ziemba, with the help of biological science technician’s like Nick Vermeulen, assesses previous seasons’ data to determine the steps to take for the next year. By looking at the water levels and the state of plant and animal populations from October 2014 to 2017, the biologists can better determine what the water level should be for the upcoming year. The refuge also relies on about 60 dedicated volunteers throughout the year. Programs like the Montezuma Alliance for the Restoration of Species and Habitats, aka MARSH, also provides between 10 and 30 additional volunteers for each event. In the spring, summer and fall, these helping hands assist refuge staff with big projects including: harvesting native plant seeds to transplant in
State University New York Morrisville student, Jake Cassel, picks native seeds during a volunteer event for transplantation into areas that lack native species.
Cattail, bulrushes, water lilies, and pondweeds are the main sources of food for muskrats and other animals on the refuge. The diversity and density of these plants is important to the ecosystem’s stability.
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Chris Laverack (left), and Ethan, paddle across Tschache Pool after the annual youth hunt at the refuge.
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Ethan Laverack, 14, removes a motorized decoy duck after hunting; the refuge allows limited hunting in order to control specific wildlife populations.
other areas of the refuge lacking native diversity, pulling non-native plants to make room for native species, and counting migrating and local wildlife populations. “We are able to do the things the staff just don’t have the time to do,” said Jackie Bakker, a committed volunteer of 10 years who collects data on birds and works in the refuge visitors center three days a week. “We get to do the fun work in the field while they do the hard work analyzing data and drafting conservation plans. It’s purposeful work in an amazing place and with amazing people. It’s like our own National Geographic show every day.” The addition or lack of native plants to specific areas has a ripple effect throughout the entire ecosystem. For instance, a boom in muskrats might prevent 152
certain plants — their food source — from bearing seeds. The next year, migrating waterfowl may not have enough food to nourish them for their annual journey. While cycles occur naturally in the wild, in the manmade refuge, biologists make sure cycles occur in a natural and healthy way for the ecosystem. Because of the labor by the volunteers and staff, the refuge provides a safe future for the 242 species of birds, 43 species of mammals, 15 species of reptiles and 16 species of amphibians. Although the refuge is a place for animals, visitors are welcome to explore designated areas and observe wildlife in their natural habitat. Visitors can hike, cross-country ski, snowshoe, birdwatch, boat, fish, and hunt with permits. “It is an amazing place that seems to call to me and pull me into it,” said Bakker.
Each year tens of thousands of ducks visit the refuge during the migration seasons, leaving when the waters freeze and returning once the waters thaw.
Leaves cover the grounds of the one-mile loop Seneca River Trail that takes visitors through a forested area along the banks of the Seneca River.
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Ziemba leads a group of State University New York Morrisville students and volunteers into the refuge.
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24/7
Day and night, DeWitt firefighters train, prepare and wait for the inevitable dispatcher call. BY ZARAH MYERS
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Part-time firefighter emergency medical technician Jason Ormsby rests inside the apparatus bay after responding to an hourlong medical emergency call earlier that morning.
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Ormsby, left, and full-time firefighter paramedic Connor DuPree organize hose sockets for Engine 14 during a routine check.
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he smell of the building is distinct. A tinge of gasoline fumes seeps from the five resting fire trucks as sunlight illuminates the bay, setting a soft yellow tone while firefighters arrive for the day shift. Like every crew before them for the past 87 years, the DeWitt Fire Department firefighters know an emergency call can come at any moment, even while they’re eating, sleeping or training. But the 16 fulltimers, five part-timers and handful of volunteers stay alert and continue to risk their own lives for the people they protect. “Regardless of how my day goes, or [what] emotional roller coaster I might be on with calls, tours or lack of calls, I’ll walk through those doors and feel a sense of belonging,” said full-time firefighter paramedic Connor DuPree, a third-generation DeWitt fireman, in the machinery room as he polishes a Halligan bar used to open doors. “I really feel a sense of self-worth just doing what I do, both on calls for the public and for just what I do here for the department.” When the call comes, strides lengthen and quicken without hesitation and fire engines roar, leaving behind a hollow building. With every passing minute, there is a potential difference between life and death that makes many firefighters’ blood rush with adrenaline. “You could be relaxing in bed, drifting off to sleep, and all of a sudden — BAM! — the bell rings,” said firefighter and U.S. Navy veteran Mark Fedorov while sitting in the lounge area, natural light filtering through one of its large windows. “Your heart is immediately going 1,000 miles an hour. You learn to use it to your advantage and become more alert.” Fedorov explained that when he runs to the apparatus bay after the bell, he visualizes the approaching scene and the decisions he may need to make.
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DuPree’s helmet lays behind the driver’s seat inside Engine-14 on the ride toward a call. The leather embroidered design originated between 1821 and 1836.
DuPree checks emergency bags to confirm they hold all of the required medical tools and medicine inside Engine-14.
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Full-time firefighter paramedic Mark Fedorov waves his hand in the wind outside the window of Engine-14 after an emergency medical call.
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Ormsby, left, and full-time lieutenant Scott Kehoe assess an 86-year-old man during a medical call at the Nottingham Nursing Home where they calculate that the man is possibly septic.
Between calls, firefighters share duties and living spaces during their 10-to-14-hour shifts. One person will make a hearty meal, another will clean the fire trucks, while another files the reports required after every call. These critical duties are considered to be as important as emergency response obligations because they help maintain the crew’s mental and physical well-being, which ensures they’re ready 24/7. According to the National Fire Protection Association, nationwide, there were about 1.3 million fire calls, 23.5 million medical calls and 2.9 million false alarms in 2018. Fires are occurring less often based on NFPA’s statistics, 162
which makes the majority of calls medical aid requests. The DeWitt Fire Department’s call volume is roughly 70% emergency medical service and 30% fire-related, which required the department to facilitate training inside their station to stay current with medical knowledge requirements. “I think the best part of the day is just the unknown part of it,” said Fedorov. “I come into work, and I never know what I’m going to be doing. It could be a slow day where we don’t really do much of anything, or we could get a fire call or a really bad medical service call where we actually save someone.”
After a full day of calls, Dupree reads the Strategic and Tactical Considerations on the Fireground manual in a shared dormitory on the second level of the station. The red lighting overhead preserves a firefighter’s night vision when they receive a night call.
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Life After Loss BY KIMIKO DUGAN
How this veteran mother found life for herself and her son after her husband’s death by learning the art of massage therapy.
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Sarah Johnston’s husband died December 25, 2011, leaving her to raise their son, Connor. Today, Sarah and Connor live in Syracuse, New York, minutes from many of her family members.
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On Christmas Day 2011, families across the globe woke up together, opened presents and breakfasted together in warm family homes. On this same day in Fort Worth, Texas, Sarah Johnston lost her husband, and their son, Connor, lost his father, Chris Johnston. “I begged him to put the gun down,” said Sarah Johnston. “I was holding our son, telling [him] I loved him. He wouldn’t [put it down].” Chris suffered an undiagnosed mental illness that emerged shortly after he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy. “He started getting paranoid,” said Sarah Johnston. “He would disappear for days at a time. He was spending our money and lying about going to work and missing work. We didn’t know what was going on.” According to the Congressional Research Service, more than 16,000 active duty service members have died from 2006–2018, leaving spouses, parents, children and other family members behind. “When we lose someone close to us, we have to rebalance and find a new sense of hope and purpose,” said Sarah Johnston. “For me, it is my son. He is my source of strength and my life has taken direction from providing the best possible life that I can provide for him.” Today, Sarah is a massage therapist at The Art of Massage: Spa at 500, but prior to her work in the field, she also served her country in the U.S. Navy. “I joined the Navy to find direction and get my life on track,” said Sarah. 166
“I hadn’t really been doing anything in terms of a long-term career – in short, I joined out of pure boredom.” After graduating boot camp, Sarah Johnston worked as an aviation boatswains mate handling technician, and reported to her first duty station at Newport, Va., where she met her husband, Chris. “I was working on the USS Carl Vinson while it was up for a complete
overhaul,” said Sarah. “Before I knew it, along came this lanky, pale, sarcastic and funny man. During the next few months, we dated, got to know each other and clicked on every level. A few months later, we were married by a justice of the peace.” In the next few months, Sarah and Chris Johnston maintained their relationship from opposite coasts – Sarah serving at her duty station in
Virginia, and Chris in his work in San Diego, Calif. “I moved to San Diego after I was honorably discharged so I could be closer to Chris,” said Sarah. “After his time was up and he got out of the Navy, we headed back to Texas with our [baby boy] and lived a few streets over from his parents.” Life after the military was tough for Chris and their newly-established
household. Chris began to notice signs of addiction and paranoia, according to Sarah Johnston. When she reached out to her mother-in-law and fatherin-law, they assured her that it was a phase of life that would pass. “He was showing signs of mental illness; he was paranoid and clearly suffering something more than just what was on the surface,” Sarah said. “After the incident, I actually
Sarah, a Navy veteran, prepares lunch before beginning her shift at The Spa at 500, where she practices massage therapy and is the spa’s coordinator the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare.
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Sarah enjoys a quiet moment with her son before he leaves for school. Each day, the two await the school bus together, discussing plans, school projects and activities.
found out that he had reached out to his mother for help, and she had said, ‘Let’s just make it through the holidays.’ Had I known that, everything could be different. Connor might still have a father, and I might still have a husband.” On the eve of the Christmas Day that would change everything, Sarah and Chris wrapped presents on what would seem to have been a normal holiday together. “Something in his head just snapped,” said Sarah. “He broke all the windows, he tore up the presents and he disappeared. He didn’t show up until the next day. When he saw what he had done he was [distraught.] I begged him to get help and told him that we could fix everything and he wouldn’t listen
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to me. He started destroying what was left in our house, he smashed my phone so I couldn’t call anyone and he grabbed his gun out of the trunk of his car.” Chris Johnston returned to the house and forced Sarah out onto the front lawn. “He held the gun to my head and said that he wasn’t leaving without me,” said Sarah. “I begged him to stop, and told him we could get him help and that I was not leaving our son. Then he held the gun to his own head.” A nearby neighbor called the police, and when they arrived, they deemed Chris a danger to himself and the others in the neighborhood. “In the end, he couldn’t kill himself, and he didn’t kill me,” said
Sarah. “He still had the gun, so the police shot him on the front lawn on Christmas Day while I held my son in my arms.” In 2012, Sarah moved to Syracuse, New York, to be closer to her family and to begin a new chapter of life. After re-establishing herself in her hometown, Sarah began studying massage therapy and bodywork and discovered the practice to be a form of self-healing. Her work in the industry began at The Art of Massage: Spa at 500 in downtown Syracuse. “When I am in a massage session, everything else in my life goes away,” said Johnston. “I am in my own little world with my client. My energy is focused toward healing the other person and I heal a little, too. It is so
During a mother-son photoshoot and interview, Sarah coaches Connor on how to salute for a portrait made in memory of his father's naval service.
rewarding to feel their body relax and know that I have helped them take a step toward healing in body and mind." In addition to beginning a new chapter of life, moving to Syracuse has been a way of keeping Connor connected to his family. “Most of my family lives nearby,” said Sarah. “Connor spends time with his grandparents and my sister, and he plays with his cousins. He’s a really bright kid, and he stays upbeat most of the time.” Connor Johnston spends his free time playing sports such as soccer and basketball and enjoys spending time with his family. “My husband is still with me in [the form of] my son,” said Sarah. “Sometimes, it’s like he’s speaking through him. He will bring up some
deep thoughts beyond what you would ever expect from a nine-yearold, and I find myself lost in it." In her spare time, Sarah attends Connor’s extracurricular events, which include basketball, soccer, and math and science programs. “My mom is basically my best friend,” said Connor. “We do everything together when she’s not at work and I'm not at school.” In addition to her work as a massage therapist and manager at the spa, Sarah has helped bolster the relationship between the spa and the Veterans Administration healthcare network. “One of my favorite things about my job is working with veterans,” said Sarah Johnston. “There is a bond between veterans that can’t really
be [quantified], but the feeling of knowing I have helped them take a step toward better physical and mental health is priceless. It’s the other ‘why’ behind what I do. Second only to Connor.” For the past few years, Sarah Johnston has studied and practiced massage therapy under a limited permit. In October, she earned full licensure as a bodywork therapist and has taken on a management position at the spa where she works. “Sarah has been working so hard in the time I’ve known her and long before,” said Ed Griffin-Nolan, a massage therapist and owner of the Spa at 500 and the building that houses the practice. “The world had better get out of the way, [because] there is no stopping her.”
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Sarah and Connor relax while choosing a movie to watch on a Sunday night. The two spend the weekend playing games, watching movies and spending time with family in the area.
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Now that Sarah has earned her full licensure as a bodywork therapist, Griffin-Nolan has expressed interest in her furthering her career. “Ed is trying to get me to buy the practice,” said Sarah. “I keep feeling myself hesitating. I want to do the best I possibly can for my son and for myself, but the fear of failure hangs around me. I just want to make sure I am building the best possible life for Connor. It means a lot of hard work and it’s exhausting, [day after day] but seeing the young man he is becoming is a true reward. I know his dad would be so incredibly proud.” Sarah Johnston plans to remain in Syracuse and keeps her husband present in her and Connor’s life through mementos and tokens of his memory, such as a memory quilt made of their favorite clothes. “If I could tell my dad anything, I would tell him that I have a good life,” said Connor. “I have a dog and a cat and Mom and I are taking care of each other. She doesn’t always tell me, but she misses him. She’s doing so [well] though. She doesn’t let anything stop her. She’s my buddy, best friend and, obviously, my mom.” Johnston hopes to use massage therapy to continue to improve the lives of people seeking to better their physical and mental health. “Life scares me,” said Sarah. “It’s all big, scary, ugly and dangerous … but it is also complicated and beautiful and rewarding. My hope is that anyone who has the opportunity to help another person takes it. I look at my career and what I do now and all I can think is, ‘If I knew what I knew now, maybe I would still have a husband. Connor would still have a father.’ My hope is that if someone needs help, that people would turn right around and help them before their life and the lives of their loved ones are changed forever.”
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Restoration BY KIMIKO DUGAN
The renovation of a Victorian era home, which houses The Spa at 500, sparked business development in one Syracuse neighborhood and brought massage therapy, fitness classes and holistic healing to its residential blocks.
Kyle Yang, a third-year broadcast journalism student at Syracuse University enjoys a meditative moment at the Spa at 500.
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Abigail Montgomery, a bodywork therapist with the Spa at 500, prepares a heated bed before administering massage to a client.
A warm towel enveloping the body. The glide of warm hands providing a massage in a quiet room. Cleansing breaths in a sauna. The Art of Massage: Spa at 500 has taken these experiences, which are widely regarded as luxuries, and made them a community staple. Within the walls of its 1890’s brick exterior, the spa luxuriates in original hardwood construction and interior architecture unique to its time, while hosting myriad wellness services — both modern and traditional. According to Ed Griffin-Nolan, a Syracuse native and owner of the spa, repurposing the family home revitalized the local economy and allowed them to offer relaxation services from within one of Syracuse’s poorest neighborhoods. 174
“I bought the building around Christmas of 2006,” said GriffinNolan. “It was an old mansion with good bones that had some minor modernizations in the interior. Because it was structurally sound and had some beautiful original woodwork, we did our best to preserve [them.]” Setting his practice up in the house and making renovations helped maintain history through architecture and keep up thneighborhood aesthetic, Griffin-Nolan added. “There were a few plans for this building when it went up for sale,” said Griffin-Nolan. “It was going to become an office building or an individual apartment building. I bought it because it was old and beautiful and needed to stay that way. I wanted to preserve these
features inside and out and keep beauty in this neighborhood.” For more than a year, Griffin-Nolan and his business partner worked together to operate the massage therapy practice and build in necessary upgrades to infrastructure to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and zoning standards for plumbing and electric wiring. “By day I was a massage therapist and by night I was my own contractor,” said Griffin-Nolan. “We had some help, but it was mostly us grinding it out day after day. We cleaned inside and outside, put in new carpet, and planted trees.” Today, the spa amenities include a community exercise room, five massage therapy rooms, a jacuzzi spa, a sauna and a hair salon.
Kyle Yang relaxes during a student promotional massage event at the spa.
A lantern dangles in an overhang outside the spa, illuminating the path to the entrance.
According to Griffin-Nolan, a goal during renovation was to preserve the original beauty of the woodwork in the house.
A client relaxes during a massage after a soak in the spa’s jacuzzi lounge, one of the spa’s many amenities.
The spa’s presence in the community is one of the many small businesses improving the local economy and job market. “This spa’s location has allowed people who live nearby to take care of themselves and cut out travel distances, which makes it more feasible for the lower-income families to practice self-care,” said GriffinNolan. “Having businesses on this street has helped keep the area clean and cut environmental waste. These little companies pick up trash and repurpose buildings, so there is less air pollution and waste.” In addition to planting trees and cleaning spa’s grounds, GriffinNolan’s practice and presence in the community has improved rapport between local businesses and residents.
“This neighborhood houses a large population of [Spanish-speakers] which is part of why this location was key in our decision to open up our practice here,” said Griffin-Nolan. “Before practicing massage therapy, I was a refugee advocate at the border in the Salvadorian Civil War. Being fluent in Spanish, it was also my hope to reach this community.” Through the years, GriffinNolan’s practice and community presence has provided liaison with the Spanish-speaking community and the Department of Veterans Affairs and continued to make wellness services available to as many income brackets and demographics as possible. In addition to its emphasis on providing wellness services to the community, the spa also hopes to
continue to provide local employment opportunities within Syracuse. “We are always looking for new ways to offer beneficial services to the community, and the people who work here facilitate that,” said Griffin-Nolan. “We have provided employment to yoga instructors and Zumba instructors, and we also host a group that facilitates a special needs yoga class.” In the coming years, Griffin-Nolan hopes to continue growing his practice and expanding the range of services available at the spa. “In the future, I would love to have a chiropractor and physical therapist and more aesthetic services,” said Griffin-Nolan. “I hope that someday this place can be a true destination for relaxation and renewal.” 175
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TOUGH ROLLERS FINDING STRENGTH THROUGH DERBY BY ARECA T. WILSON
The Salt City Roller Derby league attracts women of many shapes and sizes, providing a safe space to gain strength and find community.
From left, Salt City Roller Derby skaters, Jeanne “Jean Cena” Celso, Sydney “Katpiss Neverclean” Schwab and Olivia “Ariel Wildfire” Bosies, practice blocking and jamming techniques in their training space.
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Jammer Marie “Prymal Instynct” Martini partakes in a braking drill to improve her skills.
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n the depths of the deserted Shoppingtown Mall is The Vault. A pack of fierce women zip past on a regulation-size track, which measures 108 feet long by 75 feet wide. Under dim lights, women dressed in leggings, padding, helmets, and skates, gather each Tuesday and Thursday to methodically practice their blocking, jamming, hip whips and explosive stops to improve their chances of winning. In this sport, practice not only makes perfect, but also ensures their safety.
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Along with increased strength, players receive support from a community that encourages individualism and self-expression. “Derby is like a really big family,” said Monica “Luna Sea” Hastedt, who became interested in roller derby after watching the 2009 movie “Whip It.” “It feels like I joined like the most supportive girl-gang in the world. I love the team. There’s this positive energy that even if you’re not feeling super positive, once you’re done with practice, you’re like, man, I did it.” According to the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, modern
“A Squad” co-captain and blocker Crys “Tough Buck” Eldridge, discusses her team’s game plan during practice.
women’s roller derby got its start in the early 2000s in Austin, Texas, where new leagues formed as businesses run by the athletes themselves. The sport gained popularity because it is easier to mark the flat track on flat surfaces, as opposed to the previous version of the sport, which required assembly and storage of an angled track. Throughout two 30-minute halves, two teams field five skaters to score the most points in 2-minute periods, known as “jams.” Skaters are prohibited from using their heads, elbows, forearms, hands, knees, lower
legs, or feet to make contact with opponents. They block with their chest, hips, shoulders and can target the opponent’s side and front from the upper thigh to shoulders. Roller derby is an intense contact sport that can provide thrill-seekers a rush of adrenaline, but for some Salt City Roller Derby skaters, the game offers much more. “I think, weirdly, derby comes in people’s lives when they might be at the lowest point,” reflected Sydney “Katpiss Neverclean” Schwab, 22, who has been playing since age 13. “A lot of people will say it teaches
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Roller Derby athletes risk obtaining minor and major damage, such as bumps, bruises, broken bones, concussions and brain injuries, from falls and collisions during matches and practices.
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Team gatherings offer Salt City Roller Derby members the chance to bond and improve their skills in an environment free of harassment, abuse and discrimination.
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Roc City Roller Derby transfer Gwen “Celeste Steel” Mendoza prepares for her first season with Salt City Roller Derby by listening to feedback during practice.
“I’M STARTING TO GET STRONG AGAIN, SO IT’S KIND OF ONE OF THOSE YOU BREAK-YOUR-BODYTO-SAVE-YOUR-SOUL TYPE THINGS.”
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Salt City Roller Derby is a nonprofit organization and the only women’s flat-track roller derby league or team in Syracuse.
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Guest skater Emily “Bunny N Clyde” Cummings and Salt City Roller Derby member Charlotte “Hitten Kitten” Visser don their skates and gear, including helmets and pads, for their protection before practice.
“IT’S KIND OF A SAFE HAVEN FOR PEOPLE TO BE THEMSELVES, STRETCH THEIR WINGS AND TRY SOMETHING NEW.” 186
them to think about themselves and sort of care for themselves in order to have motivation to get stronger and feel better.” Schwab’s theory could not ring truer for five-year roller derby veteran Stacey Walton. “I was struggling with some personal things, and I knew roller derby would help,” Walton explained. “One of the things I’ve been battling as a mother of two is identity issues, and I feel like it’s giving me my identity back. [I also have] body image issues, and I feel like I’m starting to get strong again, so it’s kind of one of those you break-yourbody-to-save-your-soul type things.” Although roller derby has served as an avenue for members to rebuild themselves emotionally, it also invites those who may not think they have an “athlete’s body.” Specific body types are often associated with certain sports, such as in gymnastics or swimming. Roller derby defies this trend and welcomes any member regardless of their shape. “It takes all sizes. There’s a place for you anywhere on the team, which is kind of awesome, and not something I experienced anywhere else,” said Hastedt, who’s been playing the sport for almost two years. “It’s also super inclusive. If you’re non-binary, binary or femaleidentifying, come join roller derby. I would recommend it to anybody because it’s kind of a safe-haven for people to be themselves, stretch their wings and try something new.”
The Salt City Roller Derby skater’s, who own and operate the league, display their reasons for participating in the sport at The Vault.
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CONTRIBUTORS
Michael
Danny
Meleesa
U.S. Navy
DUGAN
U.S. Marine Corps
GONZALEZ
GUTIERREZ
Don
Felicia
Damon
Zarah
DOAN
U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Army
HUDSON
JAGDATT
KASBERG
MYERS
Alvin
Janiqua
Hosannah
Rey
U.S. Air Force
REEVES
U.S. Army
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Kimiko
U.S. Army
ROBINSON U.S. Air Force
U.S. Air Force
VICKERY U.S. Army
U.S. Navy
VILLEGAS U.S. Navy
Staff Design Editors
Damon Kasberg Don Hudson
Copy Editors Kyle
HAFER U.S. Navy
Corey
HOOK
U.S. Air Force
J. Keith Wilson Janiqua Robinson
Cover Photo
Areca T. Wilson
Magazine Intro
Michael Lieberknecht
Contents Page Zarah Myers
Contributors Page Aaron
PATTERSON
U.S. Marine Corps
Areca T.
WILSON
U.S. Air Force
Michael
LIEBERKNECHT U.S. Navy
J. Keith
WILSON U.S. Navy
Rey Villegas
Advisors Amy Toensing Bruce Strong Claudia Strong Gregory Heisler Harry Nelson Nancy Austin Paula Nelson Rafael Concepcion Sherri Taylor 189
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