Central New York Magazine - May/June 2023 by CNY Magazine

RAINBOW CONNECTIONS

IT’S ALL FUN AND GAME

ENGAGING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY

PICKLEBALL’S POPULARITY IN CNY SURGES

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

GROUP SEEKS TO PUT KIDS, PARENTS IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

When you’re expecting, expect the best. Crouse Health’s family-centered maternity care goes beyond the expected when you’re expecting, providing around-the-clock care and support throughout all phases of pregnancy — before, during and after delivery. That’s why our diverse team of highly regarded OB/GYN physicians, nurses, midwives and doulas delivers more babies than any other hospital in Central New York. Along with 24-hour in-house OB and anesthesia coverage, Crouse offers the most comprehensive resources and services to make your birth experience special — from an array of pre-birth classes, lactation support and integrative therapies, to personalized post-delivery care for both mom and baby. Thankfully, most births go as planned. Yet it’s reassuring to know the region’s highest level of specialized newborn care is only available in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

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

CROUSE

Kienzle Family Maternity Center S10600310-01

crouse.org/OB

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ON THE COVER

PRESIDENT

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Tim Kennedy

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

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER OF THE GOOD LIFE

Annette Peters 315-282-8527 apeters@advancemediany.com SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Lindsay Marlenga lmarlenga@advancemediany.com CIRCULATION MANAGER

Gerry Bauer 315-470-3118 gbauer@advancelocal.com MAGAZINE/EVENTS SALES MANAGER

ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

Susan Santola ssantola@advancelocal.com JoAnne Walsh jwalsh@advancelocal.com CUSTOMER SERVICE

315-282-8622 SUBSCRIPTIONS

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

A little tree hugger at Sterling Nature Center in Sterling. Photo by Scott Schild. Cover design by Susan Santola. See story page 54.

Contact Jennifer Queri or visit readcnymagazine.com

The Good Life, Central New York Magazine (ISSN 1931-194X) is published six times a year by Advance Media New York, 220 S. Warren St., Syracuse, New York 13202. The Post-Standard © 2023. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic/digital, mechanical photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission. All material submitted to Central New York Magazine becomes the property of Advance Media New York, publishers of The Post-Standard and Central New York Magazine. It will not be returned. Such a submission, to name a few examples, may be a letter to the editor, a cartoon, a picture, a poem and the like. Any such material may be excerpted, edited for length or content, and may be published or used in any other way. For example, on Syracuse.com or in The Post-Standard.

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE

Debbie Feeley 315-282-8573 dfeeley@advancemediany.com

ALL

GOOD HERE!

An annual subscription to Central New York Magazine is the gift of positive and uniquely CNY stories. Celebrate year-round with an award-winning, regional keepsake that highlights CNY dining, attractions, travel, events, arts and more. Visit readCNYmagazine.com to learn more. S10603678-01

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

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THE

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Editor ’s letter As always, we’d love to hear from you about story ideas, thoughts, tips, suggestions, you name it. Drop us a line at info@readcnymagazine.com. And now, a word from our contributors:

elcome to our 17th

recipe incorporating the season’s fresh

anniversary issue!

herbs and veggies, a look at our area’s

The milestone

hot air balloon heritage and a chat with a

may not seem so

prom queen, so to speak. Learn how silly

special, but for

walks can be good for your health, meet

me there is serendipity in this May/June

the couple livening up empty downtown

edition. Seventeen happens to be my

storefronts with art and discover the

favorite number, and 17 years ago, while

insights of playwright Kyle Bass.

“It was interesting to see how a father and daughter from very different generations agreed on using social media to demystify the topic of death, while their empathetic and compassionate approach has remained timeless.” On writing about the Hollis family

Central New York Magazine was being

In our features, a group dedicated to

launched, I was beginning my editorial

spending more time outside encourages

career in New York City. When I moved

families to match screen time with nature

back to the Syracuse area 11 years ago,

time, and MJ courts local pickleball

finding this publication (thank you,

players to find out more about the

mom!) was the career lifeline I needed

increasingly popular sport. The owners of

after worrying that I’d dashed my dreams

three family businesses share the values

by leaving New York. And now, exactly 10

behind their vision, and we highlight

years after my first story appeared in this

four groups creating social outlets and

magazine’s pages, I am writing my first

opportunities for LGBTQ+ Central New

Desi Gillespie

editor’s letter.

Yorkers.

“Understanding someone else’s creative process can be challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding to communicate that process to others. Speaking with Kyle Bass was enlightening on several levels.”

I’m indebted to editors Tim Atseff, Mark

Our magazine is published by a very

Libbon, Linda Bien and MJ Kravec for

small but mighty team I’m proud to be a

leading the magazine to this point and I

part of. I see CNY in the same light, and I

look forward to continuing our mission of

can’t wait to meet more of you who make

sharing positive and uniquely CNY stories

it that way.

with all of you. I’m also extremely grateful to the subscribers, advertisers, retailers

On writing about Syracuse playwright Kyle Bass

and frequent readers whose support makes it possible for us to do this work. I never really believe it’s spring in CNY

Norah Machia

until Mother’s Day (gift ideas, for dads

Amy Bleier Long

too, on p. 26), and we welcome it with a

ableierlong@advancemediany.com

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PHOTOS COURTESY NORAH MACHIA AND DESI GILLESPIE; JUSSARA POTTER

On the edge of seventeen

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Contents

60 Rainbow Connections Local groups create safe, engaging opportunities for LGBTQ+ folks.

High on the Ball

Let’s Head Out

A Legacy of Love

What’s up with the pickleball craze? And how did it get that name?

Outdoor group aims to get kids and parents to connect more with nature.

Family-owned businesses are passing on more than the baton.

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PHOTO BY ANDREA KENNEDY

Departments

11 It’s All Good 11 Ways to embrace the season 14 Positive Vibes: Silly walks 16 Our Town: Fabius & Pompey 19 Market Trends: Springtime style

Good News 31 Mt. Maple Cafe at Carol Watson Greenhouse

PHOTOS BY BRENNA MERRITT/COURTESY SYRACUSE STAGE, VINTAGE JUNEBUG PHOTOGRAPHY, LAURA COOK, ALAINA POTRIKUS BECKETT

32 Downtown Doings: MIDOMA’s pop-up art gallery 36 Caught Doing Good: PGR Foundation 40 The Seen: A pictorial review of CNY’s social gatherings

79 Making Good 79 Food for All: SavorCuse x Food Bank of CNY 80 CNY Scout: Finders Keepers Mining

83 Farm to Table: The Green Gate’s Pork Schnitzel 86 Down to Earth: Syracuse ReStore 88 Art Profile: Playwright Kyle Bass

In every issue 6 Editor's letter 92 Galleries 97 Flashback with OHA: CNY’s history of hot air 98 Last Word with Spybaby Bridal & Prom President Marie Adornato

46 M AY/J U N E

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Don’t wait to get the care you need. When you visit the St. Joseph’s Health Cardiovascular Institute, you can expect the best. They’re rated high-performing in more heart procedures than all other area hospitals.* You’ll be back home and feeling better in no time. *U.S. News & World Report

A H I G H E R L E V E L O F C A R E | sjhsyr.org/cvi

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It ’s all good POSITIVE VIBES • OUR TOWN • MARKET TRENDS

WARM EMBRACE BY M J K RAV EC

That sweet spot between late spring and early summer. It just hits. Your heart. Your mind. Your soul. With fragrant air, blossoms everywhere and the promise of all that lush green beauty to come. Hugs

PHOTO BY LAUREN LONG

all around. Here are 7 ways to savor the season now.

It ’s all good

YO U C A N S TA N D I T

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

MAKE THE CUT

SU M M E R LOV I N ’

Early June is peony time. To keep plants full and lush for next season, cut dead blooms back so your plant doesn’t waste valuable resources. It will look healthier and you’ll save the plant’s energy to put into next year’s flowering.

On June 21, the Summer Solstice marks the first day of summer, the longest day of the year when the earth’s tilt toward the sun is at its maximum in the Northern Hemisphere. Rituals around the world involve gathering around a bonfire, but you can create your own celebration of the day by lighting a firepit and gathering with friends or lighting a candle just for you.

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PHOTOS BY SHUTTERSTOCK

Support climbing plants in the garden with a homemade bean pole from Mother Earth News. Use a garbage can lid to outline a circle around your plant. Insert four-foot bamboo poles or sticks in four equidistant positions at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. Tie the poles together with twine at the top. Encircle the trellis with twine about a foot above the ground and again at three feet above ground to give vines something to cling to.

CLOSE TO HOME Redhouse closes its 2022-2023 season with “The Bridges of Madison County.” This Tony Award-winning Broadway musical set on a farm in Iowa explores the themes of love and possibility when a chance encounter changes two lives. On its website, Redhouse notes “‘Bridges’ captures the lyrical expanse of America’s heartland along with the yearning entangled in the eternal question: ‘What if…?’” Runs May 12-21. Visit theredhouse.org.

TRAIL MIX

S E A S O N ’ S E AT I N G S

PHOTOS BY SHUTTERSTOCK, KATRINA TULLOCH

Get a taste of strawberry season beyond shortcake. Make a light lunch of spinach, sliced strawberries, walnuts and goat cheese. Drizzle with your favorite vinaigrette.

Peruse local artisans’ handicrafts for sale in one of CNY’s most iconic neighborhoods. The 22nd Annual Westcott Art Trail happens 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat. June 17 at Westcott Community Center, Petit Library and yards throughout the Westcott area. Maps will be available the day of the event at the Westcott Community Center and online at westcottcc.org/westcott-art-trail.

RAINBOW BRIGHT The CNY Pride Festival & Parade takes place June 10 at the Syracuse Inner Harbor. Featuring a drag queen showcase, local vendors selling clothing, jewelry, soaps and other creations along with local food and beverage vendors, a DJ and much more TBA. Go to cnypride.org for more.

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

It ’s all good

POSITIVE VIBES

WALK THIS WAY Researchers discover Monty Python’s iconic stride has health benefits — just don’t do it in public

BY M J K RAV EC

Please, do try this at home. And maybe when no one else is around — unless you don’t mind looking ridiculous. In a recent study published in the British Medical Journal, Monty Python’s “silly walks,” made famous by John Cleese’s character Mr. Teabag, were shown to have cardiovascular benefits. Characterized by slightly bent legs, long strides, high kicks and backward hops, the Mr. Teabag style of walking appeared to burn two-and-a-half times more energy than regular walking. Researchers at Arizona State University describe the silly walk as “inefficient walking,” which burns more calories compared to our more natural, “efficient” stride. When subjects walked Monty Python-style for 12 to 19 minutes, they burned roughly 100 calories. To practice: Google it and learn. Or just watch Monty Python’s Flying Circus, series 2, episode 1 entitled “Face own style with high leg lifts, backward steps and long, low strides. Just don’t let the neighbors see you.

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

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ILLUSTRATION BY ADVANCE LOCAL

the Press.” Then take it to the backyard and improvise your

Annual Donor, Major Donor, Legacy Donor Chris Arnold has experienced a parent’s worst nightmare: the loss of a child. And yet, nearly three decades later, his daughter’s legacy lives on in the Central New York community, owing to Chris’ dedication planning and implementing the annual Paige’s Butterfly Run with the assistance of the Upstate Foundation. “The Upstate Foundation has been a great partner to help us promote our mission,” Chris said. “I’m sure we would not be as successful as we are today if it weren’t for the assistance of the Foundation.” That mission is supporting children and their families at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital as they go through their pediatric cancer journeys, and perhaps even preventing future families from going on that journey by supporting local pediatric cancer research. It’s a journey Chris and his then-wife Ellen Yeomans took when Paige was diagnosed with leukemia and succumbed at age 8. “The reason I am making gifts in memory of my daughter – annually through Paige’s Butterfly Run and now personally, through an estate gift – is to help kids and families who are in the same position we were. It breaks my heart when I think of young children and their families who are so deeply affected by cancer, and knowing that, unfortunately, too many of them won't make it. And, of those who do, many will face lifelong deficits created by the treatments that defeated their cancer. Being able to help them through this process and through this difficult time in their lives means a lot to me.” To read Chris Arnold’s complete story, visit www.UpstateFoundation.org/LegacyGiving, or to create your own legacy gift, call Upstate Foundation at 315-464-6490.

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

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It ’s all good

OUR TOWN

Fabius & Pompey BY NICHOLAS COURGI

About 30 minutes southeast of Syracuse, the rural towns of Fabius and Pompey are linked by a well-regarded school district and a quiet lifestyle. Residents appreciate the small hometown feel where everyone looks out for their neighbor. The landscape is dotted with active farms, some of which are open to the public at certain times of the year or for ongoing activities. Boasting the highest elevation in Onondaga County, Pompey is known for its beautiful vistas, sunrises and especially sunsets. Fabius’ treelined Main Street, within the village’s registered historic district, features an art gallery and two shops that offer everything from grocery essentials to vintage finds. GRAB A BITE From hearty breakfast to dessert options, try C.L.N. Mercantile in Fabius. Pick up some Kinsale Beef Farm products for your next dinner. Grab a hot lunch at the Fabius Country Store. For pizza, subs and other to-go food, stop at The Pompey Mall. Experience the smoked barbecue and other locally sourced comfort foods at Heritage Hill Brewhouse. On Friday nights, The Pompey Club is open for public dining, serving up fish dinners and prime rib. Savor a delicious ice cream at Hilltop Ice Cream in Pompey.

HAVE A DRINK

“This is a wonderful community. It is filled with really good people. There is a culture of tremendously proud and genuine people. We are blessed to be a part of it.” Charlene Nicholas, owner of C.L.N. Mercantile

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PHOTO BY MICHAEL GREENLAR

Long-established Knoxie’s Pub is a full-service tavern, with a variety of beers on tap; pair them with wings or a burger and stay for live music. Enjoy the breathtaking views from one of the highest points in the county and a craft beer at Heritage Hill Brewhouse.

SHOP LOCAL Find herbs, edible flowers and microgreens at Fresh Herbs of Fabius. Browse the vintage items and antiques at the C.L.N. Mercantile and The Old Stone Store. For seasonal shopping and one-of-a-kind items, visit the gift shops at Springside Farm or the Whitetail Tree Farm. Buy locally produced eggs and watch them come down the conveyor belt at Smith’s Quality Eggs. When warmer weather hits, pick up locally grown produce at Lelakowski’s Fruit & Vegetable Stand and at Andrews Farm. For gardening and landscaping needs or cut flowers, stop at Green Effects Landscaping and Nursery. Warm up with firewood from Southern Hills Forest Products.

THINGS TO DO Have your next party, wedding or gathering against the scenic backdrops at Skyline Lodge, Camp Brockway, Heritage Hill Brewhouse, Green Effects Landscaping and Nursery or at the Fabius Area Community Center. Take your talents to the stage in the Fabius-Pompey Summer Music Theatre Intensive Program. Play a round of golf at the Pompey Club. At Pompey Rod & Gun Club, brush up on target practice and archery or take a hunter safety course. Be inspired by art — with an emphasis on ceramics — at the Gandee Gallery. Look back into history at the Town of Pompey Historical Society or the Fabius Historical Society. Visit the Brewseum, an Onondaga Historical Association exhibit located at Heritage Hill Brewhouse, to learn about the history of beer making in Central New York. Consider a horseback riding lesson at Highland Forest, Trillium Stables, Hoyt’s Stables or Togg View Farms. Give back to the community through Fabius-Pompey Outreach.

Above, pet the goats at Springside Farm in Fabius. Left, the Empire State Farm Days were held last year at Palladino Farms in Pompey, also the site of Heritage Hill Brewhouse.

PHOTOS BY GARY WALTS, SCOTT SCHILD, MARK DIORIO

ANNUAL EVENTS

Golf course at The Pompey Club.

Knoxie’s Pub hosts a chili cookoff each winter. Do your part at the Town of Pompey Earth Day Event which encourages neighborhood cleanup, provides free scrap metal drop off, a tree seedling giveaway, tire and battery turn-in and paper shredding and has informational tables on green topics. Fabius hosts a Memorial Day Parade plus the day includes a display by the Historical Society at the community center, chicken barbecue at the firehouse, and several vendors along Main Street. Spend a day (or more) at the NYS Empire Farm Days held in August at Palladino Farms. Bring your earplugs and experience a NYS Tractor Pull, showcasing modified and super modified tractors, also in Pompey in early August. Embrace the fall by pumpkin picking or going through the corn maze at Springside Farms. Get in the spirit and attend the annual Town of Pompey Holiday Tree Lighting or get creative with the Town of Pompey’s snowman building contest.

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

It ’s all good

OUR TOWN

GET OUTSIDE

PHOTO BY AMY BLEIER LONG

Take a walk, hike, snowshoe, cross country ski or horseback ride at Highland Forest. Enjoy the natural beauty of the waterfalls at Pratt’s Falls Park or use the archery area. Cut down your own Christmas tree at one of many local spots, including Falls Farm, Page’s Christmas Tree Farm, Springside Farm or Whitetail Tree Farm. Fish, hunt, hike, paddle or check out the abundant wildlife at Labrador Hollow Unique Area, a stateowned conservation area shared by Onondaga and Cortland counties, which includes Labrador Pond and Tinker Falls. The CNY Land Trust manages three preserves at Old Fly Marsh, Indian Hill and Brickyard Falls. In Fabius, you can visit the playground behind the elementary school on Main Street. Find your spot along Fabius Brook, with a mile of public fishing rights just west of the intersection of Route 91 N and Route 80.

Saturday, June 17th 2023 10am - 6pm

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Maps available online and Westcott Community Center the day of the event.

https://westcottcc.org/westcott-art-trail/

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It ’s all good

MARKET TRENDS

ONCE YOU POP Spring Confetti popcorn and Dark Chocolate popcorn, $22.50 each, H. Grey Supply Co., 53 Albany Street, Cazenovia, 315-815-5016, hgreysupplyco.com.

In full bloom BY AMY BLEIER LONG PHOTOS BY AMELIA BEAMISH

Spring is in full swing and seasonal motifs are showing up in home décor and fashion. Enchanting birdsong and early summer berry picking inspired some of our finds. Whether you adopt a little or a lot of this year’s Pantone color of the year, vibrant magenta will brighten your day. And, we know — florals for spring, groundbreaking. (Thank you, Miranda Priestly.) But there’s a reason these cheerful designs come back each year like a perennial. Plus, make a parent or grandparent’s day with some sweet and sassy gifts for Mother’s and Father’s Day.

It ’s all good

MARKET TRENDS

F E E L I N G

F RU I T Y

THE JUICE IS LOOSE Ceramic juicer, $18, Inspired, 7468 Oswego Road, Liverpool, 315-622-3000, inspired-vhd.com. JUST CONCENTRATE Notepad, $12, 20|East, 85 Albany Street, Cazenovia, 315-815-4540, 20-east.com.

LEMON AID Lemon basil melamine serving platter, $42.99, The Gift Box Shoppe, 4317 Fay Road, Syracuse, 315-487-9099, thegiftboxshoppe.com.

CONTAIN YOURSELF Berry bowl with pattern, $13, Synple, 70 Main Street, Camillus, 585-615-3934, shopsynple.com.

SLICE OF LIFE Patterned paring knife, $13, Rhubarb Kitchen and Garden, 59 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-5803.

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ZEST FOR LIFE Twisted headband citrus orange by Made by Lizeth, $13, Wildflowers at the McCarthy Mercantile, 217 S. Salina Street, Syracuse, 315-546-4919, wildflowersarmory.com. WHAT A PEAR 20-inch tall ceramic pear sculpture, $159, Fringed Benefits, 6825 E. Genesee Street, Fayetteville, 315-802-4353, fringedbenefitsdesign.com.

GOURD-GEOUS Strawberry gourd birdhouse by The Garden Mentor, $27, Wildflowers at the McCarthy Mercantile.

PLANT A SEED Earrings, $10, Boutique Joycé, 119 W. Seneca Street, Manlius, 315-692-2122, boutiquejoyce.com.

ONE IN A MELON Potholder by The Cottage Sisters, $13, Salt City Artisans, 226 Hawley Avenue, Syracuse, 315-479-0400, saltcityartisans.com.

BUBBLY PERSONALITY Olipop strawberry vanilla tonic water, $3.50, H. Grey Supply Co.

THAT’S MY JAM Our Farm rhubarb jam, $10.50, The Station 603, 603 E. Seneca Street, Manlius, 315682-8741, thestation603.com.

BERRY CUTE Strawberry appetizer set, $26, Skaneateles 300, 2 W. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-1133, skaneateles300.com.

PICK A WINNER Erin Flett strawberries hand-painted clutch, $42, 20|East.

PRODUCE BAG Baggu strawberry big reusable bag, $18, Drooz + Company, 36 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-920-8888, droozandcompany.com.

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It ’s all good

MARKET TRENDS

GARDEN VARIETY The Violet Femmes bookmarks, $22 for five, Paola Kay Gifts, 105 Brooklea Drive, Fayetteville, 315-632-2192, paolakaygifts.com. MAKE MY DAISY Daisy hat, $24, Hap + Main, 4 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-1105, shopthehap.com.

F R E S H GOT IT COVERED Cork passport cover, $19.95, Two Twisted Sisters, 25 Syracuse Street, Baldwinsville, 315-638-1955, oliveseaterybville.com.

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

F L OW E R S BAND TOGETHER Michelle DaRin leather bracelet, $39, The Wandering Kind, 46 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-291-7177, thewanderingkindshop.com.

GAME TIME Beehive mancala, $19.99, Drooz + Company.

PRETTY PETALS Small bowl, $13.99, The Station 603.

FLORAL REEF Riviera Swim Trunk in Orange Floral, $98, Sea Culture, 11 Jordan Street, Skaneateles, seaculturebrand.com.

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HEAVY PETAL Deon shirt in Sargasso sea, $195, Projex 214, 211 E. Water Street, Syracuse, 315-447-7961, projex214.com.

HOT OFF THE PRESS Gold ornament, $14.50, H. Grey Supply Co.

RING AROUND THE ROSY Silver plated ring by The Cary Shoppe, $13, Salt City Artisans. SOLE MATES Hand-painted traditional heel Blue Malin clogs, $147, Skaneateles 300.

DECO DRINK Iris rocks glass, $15, Skaneateles 300.

GROW, GIRL Floral hoodie, $198, Synple.

BEST BUD Violetta dress, $68, Cella V Boutique, 8395 Oswego Road, Liverpool, 315-430-4093, cellavboutique.com. PRESSING ISSUE Flower press, $20, BeeKind, 118 Milton Avenue, Syracuse, 315-299-6073, beekindsyracuse.com.

GARDEN TOOL Foldable gardening bucket, $19.99, The Gift Box Shoppe.

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

It ’s all good

MARKET TRENDS

MAIL CALL Metal letter holder, $16, Synple.

TRUE BLUE Today’s Bird 6-inch-square rustic mini framed canvas, $32, The Rose Cottage, 214 S. Manlius Street, Fayetteville, 315-637-1330, therosecottageny.com.

IT FIGURES Bird figurine, $15, Inspired.

FLIGHT OF FANCY Michael Aram Love Bird, 4- by 6-inch frame, $95, Paola Kay Gifts.

BIRD IS THE WORD Metal birds on a wire, $72, Colorful Inspirations, 170 Township Boulevard, Camillus, 315-320-4364, colorfulinspirations.com. FLY HIGH Round decoupage plate, $14, Fringed Benefits.

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BEAKY CLEAN White wren cast iron soap dish, $25, The Station 603.

LOVE NEST Wooden sign, $42.99, The Gift Box Shoppe.

SWEET TWEETS Birdsong tea towel, $12.95, Rhubarb Kitchen and Garden. CHAIN GANG Bird tota, $22, The Wren’s Den.

P U T

B I R D

O N

I T

SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT Soup mug by ADK Girl Ceramics, $16.99, Wildflowers at the McCarthy Mercantile. TOUCAN PLAY THAT GAME Summer Garden Skirt, $350, Skaneateles 300.

It ’s all good

MARKET TRENDS

SOCK IT TO ME Socks, $12, Witty Wicks, 190 Township Boulevard, Camillus, 315-672-3110, wittywicks.com.

MOM HAS A BIG HEART Mom 8- by 12-inch pillow, $26, Salt Point Shop, 100 Brooklea Street, Fayetteville, saltpointshop.com. HAT’S OFF TO MOM Mama cap, $30, Pride + Joy, 88 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-7576, skanbaby.com.

M A K E

GOOD ADVICE Cups, $16 for set of 8, Salt Point Shop.

T H E I R

DAY

GRAND GESTURE Grandma and granddaughter bangle bracelet set, $79, Colorful Inspirations. TENTS SITUATION Camping Collection mug, $19.99, Paola Kay Gifts.

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PICTURE THIS Photo frame, $24.99, Colorful Inspirations.

INITIAL IDEA Initial layflat notebooks, $14 each, Emma + James, 25 Jordan Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-2747, shopejclothing.com.

SAFE KEEPING SECRID mini wallet stitch linea, $134.95, First National Gifts, 2 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 855-810-9076, firstnationalgifts.com.

KEY RELATIONSHIP Keychain (comes with wristlet not shown), $18, Cella V Boutique.

CHEW ON THIS Gum, $2.50, Witty Wicks. AIN’T LIFE GRAND Pillow, $48, Boutique Joycé.

FATHER TIME Mug and glass set, $39.98, Colorful Inspirations.

BONDING TIME Books, $7.99 each, Drooz + Company.

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

It ’s all good

MARKET TRENDS

FEELING JADED Dyed jade necklace, $60, Sea Culture.

SUNNY DAYS ARE HERE Goodr Do You Even Pistol, Flamingo sunglasses, $35, J Michael, 173 Marshall Street, Syracuse, 315-471-4237, jmichaelshoes.com.

THINK PINK Pink Lady pointy shoes, $44, Floridella Boutique, 406 S. Franklin, Syracuse, 315-741-7961, shopfloridella.com.

JUMP AROUND Romper/jumper, $51, Apricot Lane Boutique, 6811 E. Genesee Street, Fayetteville, 315-870-9181.

PATCH THINGS UP Shayla magenta fleece shacket, $44, La Veranda, 410 S. Franklin Street, Syracuse, 315-741-7961.

GOING SOFT Silk velvet heart with decorative ribbon, $36, Nest58, 58 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, 315-685-5888, nest58.com.

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

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TURN UP THE HEAT V-neck ruffle dress, $64, Fashion Rescue 911 Boutique, 52 Oswego Street, Baldwinsville, 315-857-6690, fashionrescue911.com.

HOOP THERE IT IS Earrings, $34.99, MallyMae Boutique at The Shoppes at Two Twisted Sisters, 25 Syracuse Street, Baldwinsville, 315-430-7544.

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M AG N I F I C E N T

M AG E N TA

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SAVE IT FOR A RAINY DAY Umbrella, $34.98, First National Gifts.

M AY/J U N E

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

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Good news DOWNTOWN DOINGS • CAUGHT DOING GOOD • THE SEEN

SIMPLE PLEASURES Carol Watson Greenhouse now provides more of a respite than

PHOTO BY AMY BLEIER LONG

before with the opening of Mt. Maple Cafe.

The café features SkyTop Coffee beans and a pared-down menu of regular coffee, espresso, latte, cappuccino, mushroom

Inspired by the English practice of coffee and tea houses

coffee, tea and hot chocolate; the summer months will bring

operating within greenhouses, owner Carol Watson and café

cans of cold brew. Scones, cookies and croissants come from

manager Mary Purcell wanted to extend their welcoming space

Wide Awake Bakery in Trumansburg and Honeycomb Bakery

and fill a void in LaFayette — there are no coffee shops nearby.

in Syracuse. Sit at one of the garden tables scattered among

Customers had been asking for another reason to linger and

the blooming plants, take in the earthy aromas and drink in a

employees pitched in with their varied talents to bring it to life.

moment of peace.

For more information: visit carolwatsongreenhouse.com. M AY/J U N E

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Good news

DOWNTOWN DOINGS

Work by Anthony “Tonewash” Washington, left, and Not Miscellaneous displayed at the Visible Art Show in February.

STREET SMART Pop-up art shows are revitalizing downtown’s empty spaces

Husband and wife Michael Schwarzer and Marianna Ranieri-

The moniker MIDOMA is a combination of their names and

Schwarzer owned and operated MIDOMA, a unique concept

that of Marianna’s father Dominick, who immigrated to Syracuse

blending art gallery, hair artistry salon and fashion boutique,

from Italy and was instrumental in the launch of the business.

in New York City for 20 years. When the pandemic made it

Though the decision to leave New York in July 2020 was pain-

impossible for them to conduct business as usual, they relocated

ful, the Schwarzers moved to Central New York for more space,

to Syracuse to be closer to Marianna’s family. Michael, a hair-

a lower cost of living and the opportunity to spend more time

and fine artist, and Marianna, a performing artist, were surprised

with family. While Marianna’s father passed away in 2016, her

there was not an independent art gallery in downtown Syracuse,

mother and sister served as sources of strength for the couple

despite the vibrant art community that exists here. Feeling the

as they acclimated to life in Syracuse.

pull to contribute to the arts as passionately as they had in New

The couple’s new mission became clearer as they adjusted to

York, the pair reimagined MIDOMA’s mission of providing a

living downtown and pandemic restrictions eased. Doing some-

creative environment where multiple art forms coexist and

thing about the empty storefronts they encountered walking

decided to install pop-up art galleries in downtown Syracuse’s

around the neighborhood was part of their vision. “We are into

empty commercial spaces.

this idea that we should see art everywhere whenever you walk

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

M AY/J U N E

PHOTOS BY AMELIA BEAMISH

B Y B E C C A TA U R I S A N O

through the streets of any city, and so empty storefronts are perfect places to start. We don’t need to occupy the entire space and the streets never close. It is a completely different picture when you see art instead of an empty storefront,” Michael says. After testing the waters at the McCarthy Mercantile — “It was not just a gallery, it was also a boutique with some things from New York City and things we acquired here,” says Marianna — the Schwarzers opened their first pop-up gallery in Armory Square earlier this year. When the space became available, the pair thought it was the perfect fit for a gallery. Michael and Marianna look for minimal architecture, natural light and high ceilings so the artwork can be the highlight. It took a while to find a landlord who shared their vision, but Mike Flynn is an art lover, which the Schwarzers say is helpful when trying to secure gallery space. In January 2023, MIDOMA opened at 222 Walton Street as the only independent art gallery in downtown Syracuse. The pop-up was so successful that it was extended until the end of February. “People walking by could come in and see actual, visible art.” says Michael. “We added a lot to the city.” Local artists Bethany Hemmes, Anthony “Tonewash” Washington, Bronce Bersani and Not Miscellaneous (a pseudonym Michael uses for some of his work) were featured in the pop-up gallery. “People also got oneon-one tours of the space,” says Marianna. “Most contributed to the community wall, where a question was posed and everyone had an opportunity to contribute. The wall itself became a collaborative piece within the community.” At the beginning of March, MIDOMA installed street galleries in the windows of two buildings — 210 Walton Street, the former Eureka Crafts space,

Top, Marianna RanieriSchwarzer and Michael Schwarzer on Walton Street outside one of the street gallery displays. Above left, fashion juxtaposed with paintings. Right, work by Washington.

and 219 Walton Street, now the FlynnStoned Cannabis Company. “The windows at Eureka stood out to me as a black hole on Walton Street. They needed some love,” says Michael. The landlord there, Jeff Appel, also is an artist and art collector and



For more information: follow @midomagallery and @streetgalleryny on Instagram. Artists interested in submitting work or landlords who wish to host MIDOMA in their space may do so by emailing marianna@midoma.com.

some of his pieces are featured in the 210 Walton Street gallery with pieces from Not Miscellaneous. M AY/J U N E

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

A different experience from the pop-up gallery, which allowed patrons to walk among the artwork, street galleries are meant to be viewed through storefront windows. The Schwarzers made the experience as interactive as possible: The concept of the street gallery enables passersby to interact with the installations through QR codes that provide information and are often accompanied by audio tours. “The windows talk,” says Michael. Independent galleries are less restricted than commercial galleries, allowing more room for experimentation and risk taking in the art they show, as well as the freedom to support local artists. Temporary pop-up galleries provide flexibility for MIDOMA’s owners and allow them to do what they love without a long-term commitment. The hope is that more landlords in Syracuse will see the benefit of what MIDOMA is doing for the downtown art scene and want them to occupy their empty spaces in the short-term. Michael and Marianna are very adaptable and their approach is site specific. They work with what they are given and bring creativity to each unique space. The pair hopes to launch an

“

Art for Rent program, where

WE ARE INTO THIS IDEA THAT WE SHOULD SEE ART EVERYWHERE WHENEVER YOU WALK THROUGH THE STREETS OF ANY CITY, AND SO EMPTY STOREFRONTS ARE PERFECT PLACES TO START.” Michael Schwarzer

art lovers can try works in their homes or businesses before they decide to buy or swap out for new pieces. The program would take the frustration out of the art collecting process for buyers and allow artists, who have an inventory of pieces not being shown, to brighten someone’s empty walls. “Artists like to connect the pieces with someone who

Top, rolling panels hold pieces by Not Miscellaneous, Karin Bruckner and Michael Schwarzer. Bottom, paintings by Bethany Hemmes hang on the wall.

loves them. It gives them the sense of continuation,” says Michael. The Schwarzers are committed to making art accessible to downtown Syracuse in an uncomplicated local artists through places like The Gear Factory and Delavan Studios. “When you go without art, it becomes clearer how much we all need it,” Michael says. “That’s why we want to share art with the people that live and work around us to make life more beautiful.”

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

M AY/J U N E

PHOTOS BY AMELIA BEAMISH

way and are always looking to connect with additional

J JO O II N N U US S A AS S

WE PUT LOVE INTO ACTION T TH H II S S S SU UM MM ME ER R !!

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CAUGHT DOING GOOD

Program graduate J’Viona Baker with Debra McClendon-Boddie, founder of PGR Foundation Inc. PGR (Poised, Gifted and Ready) is a mentoring program for girls and young women ages 6 to 18.

POISED FOR SUCCESS

A boy mom’s mission guides young women and girls

BY SUSA N K E N N E DY

If someone needs direction in life, Debra McClendon-Boddie is there to give it with a smile and supportive get-up-and-getShe knows from experience how to guide others with grace.

active and involved,” McClendon-Boddie recalls. “When I started

Ten years ago, the now 64-year-old retiree experienced a

working with girls on etiquette, leadership, philanthropy, even

challenging few years: her three-decades-long marriage ended, her

makeup lessons, I got emotional.” She was surprised to feel a

beloved father passed away, her health was faltering, she retired

deep connection with young women and girls that she hadn’t

after 34 years from a job she loved at Onondaga Community

previously experienced in her male-dominant household. It’s a

College, the son and nephew she raised grew up and moved out

connection she calls sisterhood. “I realized I want these young

on their own and she sold the family home and bought another.

women to have the hard and soft skills to be able to succeed and

Others might crumble under the weight of all that change but

“It’s crazy, right? I raised two boys. I was the sports mom determined to make sure these African American young men were

feel valued in their young lives.”

not McClendon-Boddie. “I just kept my eyes on the prize,” she

The PGR Foundation. Inc. grew out of a now-defunct mentoring

says, smiling broadly. “I focused on controlling what I could,

program for girls that disbanded not long after McClendon-

my health first of all, and then these girls. They saved my life.”

Boddie and a work colleague volunteered to help. “Mentoring,

The girls are members of the PGR (Poised, Gifted and Ready)

even for just that month, brought joy to my heart while everything

Foundation, Inc., a mentoring program for girls and young wom-

was topsy-turvy in my own world.” Enriched by the experience,

en ages 6 to 18, that McClendon-Boddie founded in June 2012

McClendon-Boddie took over the program and reconfigured it.

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

M AY/J U N E

PHOTO BY SUSAN KENNEDY

going energy.

when her life was upside down.

Evelyn Ingram (front row, fourth from left), former president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Iota Nu Omega Chapter, stands with fellow members on the steps of Syracuse University’s Hendricks Chapel.

While I have two biological sisters, my sisterhood also extends to my fellow Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, members. We are intertwined by our shared love of community service, cultivating academic sustainability and growth among young Black women, and most importantly, fostering sisterhood. This motivation led to our chapter creating the Alpha Kappa Alpha Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation. Our fund provides financial aid for young Black women who demonstrate core values of community service, tenacity and dedication to continued learning. The Community Foundation provides both financial oversight as well as administrative support for the scholarship.

CULTIVATING SISTERHOOD AND GROWTH ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA: EVELYN INGRAM

It brings us joy to serve as mentors and role models for these young women in our community and provide them Read or listen to more of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s story at with financial support to help them build their futures. cnycf.org/AKA Our fund allows us to have a direct impact and make a difference in their lives.

315 . 4 22.9538 | CNYC F.O RG S10500875-03

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CAUGHT DOING GOOD

She realized that she learned as an adult how to voice her opinion and find creative solutions to problems. With the help of mentors, she thought girls and young women could learn these, and other valuable life skills, sooner in order to become confident leaders and compassionate philanthropists in their own community. She launched her nonprofit by establishing PGR as a 501(c)(3). She took board training and built a board of directors, took grant-writing classes and applied for and received grants, took business classes, trained her mentors and created a PGR program plan. Now, with the help of seven women mentors, PGR guides 62 members to ensure they are prepared to live in a diverse and global society. There’s the “Cookie Club” for 6- to 9-year-olds, the “Sister Circle” for 10- to 13-year-olds and the “Teens”

Top, PGR members participate in a virtual book club discussion with their Ghanaian counterparts. Left, Ka’Mya Baker watches the live feed.

for those 14 and up. The young women meet, shadow and collaborate with community business leaders, participate in monthly volunteer initiatives, attend social etiquette and public speaking training, engage in a myriad of age-appropriate educational programs and community events and have fun during sister bonding programs — a favorite is baking cupcakes together. “I love trying new things, learning and meeting new people,” says PGR gradued in PGR when she was 8 and recalls the

Boddie. “As a mentor you have to follow

a STEM/drone program funded by PGR,

strength and comfort she felt having fel-

up, stay connected, be there before and

made sandwiches for the hungry at the

low members as big sisters and mentors

after their babysitting jobs.”

Samaritan Center and hosted veterans

as caring maternal figures. “We are all

That same day, PGR girls from all three

for a recognition breakfast. All veterans

age groups joined a virtual internation-

received handmade cards created by the

Every week is filled with PGR member

al book club discussion with Ghanaian

“Cookie Club” girls.

opportunities. In January, one “Sister

students through PACE-Ghana, a Syra-

“They can’t do it by themselves,” says

Circle” group spent a Saturday training to

cuse-based outreach initiative. The girls

McClendon-Boddie. “With a good spirit,

become CPR-certified babysitters through

are fundraising to travel to Ghana and meet

we can guide them and watch them grow.”

the SafeSitter™ program. They learned the

their fellow book club classmates. Yet an-

PGR guidance has certainly fertilized

requisite first-aid and child-care skills,

other PGR group attended the 38th Rev.

Baker’s growth. Inspired to work in women’s

along with life and business skills to aid

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at

healthcare by a woman she met during a

them when screening jobs, discussing fees

Syracuse University and met communi-

PGR careers program, Baker graduated

and greeting employers. “Teaching them

ty leaders, award winners and entertain-

with honors from the Syracuse Academy

is only the first step,” says McClendon-

ers. Other PGR groups continued work on

of Science in 2022 and is studying at

one big family.”

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

M AY/J U N E

PHOTOS BY SUSAN KENNEDY

ate 19-year-old J’Viona Baker. She start-



For more information: visit pgrfoundationinc.org or email pgrfoundationinc@gmail.com.

Left, Jayla Mosley, a “Sister Circle” member, practices feeding a baby during SafeSitter™ training. Above, Jaylah Temple, Patriyah Stewart and MyLove Collins participate in the babysitting training course.

Onondaga Community College to

2023 Schedule

complete the prerequisites needed to apply to a Nurse Practitioner program.

We will be Open: Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

“I’m following my dream,” she says. Inspired, too, by a decade of participating in PGR volunteer programs, Baker has started two philanthropies of her own. One creates Beauty Bundles filled with items such as combs, sanitary napkins, wipes and nail clippers for middle and high school girls to access while in school. The other is a book club for terminally ill area children. Baker recently received grant money for this new project. “I watched Ms. Debra do things for others, now I’m passing it on,” says Baker. “We all have the ability to change the ways of our community, and of ourselves,” says McClendon-Boddie as she walks Baker to the door to prepare for

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the day’s next event. “We just keep plugging along and continue to have a giving heart.”

4386 US Route 11 South  Cortland, NY

607-299-4185  www.cnylivinghistory.org  info@cnylivinghistory.org S10501316-03

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Good news

THE SEEN

MARCH 29

“Will to Win” Premiere An enthusiastic crowd of more than 1,300 celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Syracuse University men’s basketball team capturing the national championship at the debut of Syracuse.com’s documentary chronicling the 2002-03 season. Clapping, laughter and shouts punctuated the screening as the audience at the Landmark Theatre enjoyed the 77-minute film. OneGroup sponsored the premiere, which featured Dome Dogs courtesy of Hofmann Sausage; Upstate Nursing, Howard Hanna and Visual Technologies also sponsored the evening. The film featured new interviews conducted by Hall of Fame sportswriter Mike Waters of every coach and scholarship player, plus several walk-on players from the victorious season. After the film, Waters hosted a brief Q&A session with former coach Jim Boeheim and players Gerry McNamara, Kueth Duany and Josh Pace. A VIP reception, catered by Epicuse, allowed fans to mingle with the coaches and players in attendance.

1. Gerry McNamara, right, poses with longtime SU basketball fan “DJ.” 2. “Will to Win” chronicles SU Men’s Basketball’s rise to the national championship in 2003. 3. More than 1,300 people attended the event. 4. Fans take selfies with lifesize cutouts of Jim Boeheim and Carmelo Anthony.

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

M AY/J U N E

PHOTOS BY DENNIS NETT, MARILU LOPEZ FRETTS

5 5. Coach Jim Boeheim smiles as wife Juli looks on during the “Will to Win” premiere. 6. Members of the 2003 basketball team arrive for the premiere of “Will to Win” at the Landmark Theatre. From left, Gary Hall, Kueth Duany, Jeremy McNeil, coach Troy Weaver, Josh Pace, Tyrone Albright, Matt Gorman, Ronneil Herron and Josh Brooks.

7. Josh Pace and Kueth Duany participate in a Q&A after the film. China Towne Furniture and Mattress provided the furniture for the Q&A. 8. Guests came dressed in orange to watch the film and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the team’s championship season.

M AY/J U N E

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Good news

THE SEEN

FEBRUARY 15

Syracuse Auto Expo Charity Preview The 114th Syracuse Auto Expo, one of the

oldest auto shows in the country, returned to the Oncenter Feb. 16 through Feb. 19. Hosted by the Syracuse Automobile Dealers Association, the event featured hundreds of cars throughout two buildings. The annual charity preview on Feb. 15 raised funds for more than a dozen local not-for-profits: AccessCNY, Crouse Health Foundation, David’s Refuge, Food Bank of Central New York, Hospice of Central New York and Family Centers, LAUNCH, Make-AWish Central New York, Maureen’s Hope Foundation, Meals On Wheels of Syracuse, Silver Fox Senior Social Club, St. Camillus, The Learning Place and YMCA of Central New York.

1. A cherry red Chevrolet Corvette on display at the Syracuse Auto Expo.

PHOTOS BY KATRINA TULLOCH

Hospice of the Finger Lakes, Huntington

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

M AY/J U N E

2. Brian and Lily Rapp, and Britanee and Rich Burritt. Brian Rapp and Rich Burritt were cochairs of the Syracuse Auto Expo. 3. The Charity Preview raised money for more than a dozen local nonprofits.

M AY/J U N E

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Good news

THE SEEN

JANUARY 14

Fashion Show at the Emerson Eleven models walked the runway for the second annual Fashion Show at the Emerson to benefit The Kara Fund. The Kara Fund, founded in 2010 in memory of Kara MacDougall, strives to enhance the quality of life of children with lifethreatening diseases, and their families, by providing material goods and services that offer physical and emotional support. Synple est. 2014 curated winter glam and summer fun looks for each model, and hair and makeup were styled by the GlamSquadSyr while DJ BKIND provided the beats. More than 115 guests took in the show at The Emerson Official salon in Syracuse. Delicious bites were provided by Soul Society (a juice bar and raw café within The Emerson) and Limp Lizard. Guests also enjoyed a 360-degree photobooth hosted by 360 Bros. Nearly $5,600 was raised for The Kara Fund through ticket sales and a silent auction that featured skincare services, wine baskets, custom sneaker art, lottery boards, self-care items, restaurant donations, works by local artists and more.

1. From left, Nicole Cabrey, Abbey Bertram, Ashleigh Simmons and Sandy Liebel took in the Fashion Show at the Emerson.

2. Guests from The Kara Fund enjoy the 360-degree photobooth from 360 Bros. 3. From left, Alissa Soper, Maggie Sayles, Merzenet Ivelize and Alexa Hornstein at The Emerson to support The Kara Fund.

PHOTOS, BY BRIDGET PHOTOGRAPHY

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

M AY/J U N E

5 6. From left, Casey Ratcliff, The Emerson owner Michaela Medici and Kathy Reuter Sportelli. 7. From left, Mary Regin, Lily Hickey and owner Kelly Landau of Synple est. 2014.

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5. Model Tahlia Penix walks the runway.

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HIGH O N T H E BA L L What’s up with the pickleball craze? BY M J K RAV EC PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS BECKETT

PHOTO THIS PAGE COURTESY BROOK BREGMAN, CNY PICKLEBALL

It’s a gray, cold, dismal day, and yet, the people scattered on

Everyone laughs.

the tennis courts at Elevate Fitness in Liverpool are all so sunny.

That is part of the wackiness that can come with pickleball,

At the time of this writing, it’s close to St. Patrick’s Day. Al-

the fastest growing, seemingly most addictive sport in the coun-

most everyone on the courts is wearing something green —

try, and quite possibly, the craziest, friendliest, most welcoming

from sequins to t-shirts bearing a pickle — as they lunge, leap

and most fun sport on the planet. It just happens to look like

and dash for a little plastic ball with holes in it. Linh Daino, of

ping pong played while standing on the table.

Fayetteville, is dressed in a green sequin tie, green tennis skirt

“That’s the way I describe it sometimes,” says USA pickleball

and neon sneakers. She jabs her paddle at a fellow player. “See

ambassador Brook Bregman, a Liverpool resident. Bregman is

this guy? He says his underwear is green.” The guy, John Spen-

an executive committee member of CNY Pickleball — a local re-

cer, of Liverpool, hits back, “Well, do you consider a thong un-

source where players can get up-to-date info on lessons, courts,

derwear? I don’t know.”

events, leagues and weekly emails. Reflecting a trend across the

Sue Daly and Gyata Stormon play pickleball at Magnarelli Community Center at McChesney Park in Syracuse.

M AY/J U N E

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

country, interest and membership in the group is growing by leaps and bounds, Bregman says, noting the group has added

The rules of pickleball are simple. According to pickleballmax.

more than 500 new players since 2021, with several hundred

com, pickleball players or “picklers” play on a badminton court-

people added in the past year alone.

sized area outlined on a tennis court (about one-third the size of

“We get daily emails from people looking to play and I don’t

a tennis court). Players use oversized ping pong paddles to hit a

think a day goes by that I’m not teaching someone new,” she says.

plastic wiffle-like ball. They score points on each other by serv-

Bregman plays competitive pickleball at the amateur level and

ing the ball so that the opponent is unable to hit back. Players

most recently competed at the APP Daytona Beach Open in Feb-

hit the ball back and forth over the net, until one team scores

ruary. She started playing the game two years ago when she saw

11 points. During a volley, they must avoid an area near the net

a sign for it at Elevate Fitness in Liverpool. After a failed attempt

called the kitchen. Only the serving player can score points and,

at racquetball, she decided to try something new.

during a serve, the ball must bounce once before it’s hit. Picklers

“The first time my boyfriend and I played at Elevate, it was

typically play doubles, but singles match-ups are also played.

just… it’s not easy. But there’s a low entry [level] where you feel

Many describe pickleball as a combination of tennis, ping pong

like, even though you’re playing for the first time, it’s something

and badminton with a healthy dose of strategy.

you can do, which you can’t say about a lot of sports,” she says.

“Some people even say it’s like a chess match… it’s thinking

And that’s a big part of pickleball’s appeal.

about the placement of your shots, it’s thinking a few moves

“[In] a sport like basketball, if you weren’t good at it, and you

ahead to create an opportunity for yourself. There’s just a lot of

went to a gym and you wanted to play, people would want to

strategy and thought and those are the things that I love about

get you off the court. In pickleball, there will always be courts

pickleball,” says Bregman.

for people playing at a very low level… With this [sport] you can play at any level and you can have fun.” 48

HOW IT’S PLAYED

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The love is growing. The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) reported that in 2022, more than 8.9 million people

Top, Greg Polhamus and Brook Bregman team up for a round of pickleball at Elevate Fitness in Liverpool. Above, Bregman serves as teammate Judy Cleary anticipates the next shot.

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played pickleball in the United States — that’s a 159 percent increase since 2020.

OK, BOOMER While traditionally popular with the 55-and-up age group, pickleball is becoming increasingly popular with younger people, who now represent the sport’s fastest growth rate. In 2021, SFIA reported about 21 percent of those 4.8 million picklers were 6 to 17 years old, while nearly 30 percent ranged from 18 to 34, 20 percent ranged from 35 to 54 and 30 percent were 55 plus. Susan Henry, of Liverpool, used to associate pickleball with retirement when her husband Scott suggested they take up the sport two years ago. “He said ‘How about pickleball?’ And I go, ‘Pickleball? Pickleball is for old people’ — that’s the common misperception. I said ‘Scott, we’re still young.’ And then we tried it for the first time and got on the court and we loved it. Pickleballers are a lot of fun,” she says. “You’re always meeting new people. It’s easy to find your level. And those old people? They will kick your ass from here to doomsday on the court,” she says. Henry’s husband, Scott, agrees. “There are some 70-year-olds here that can shock you — it can humble you,” he says. Scott Henry is an avid athlete, who races paddleboards and organizes the Liverpool Turkey Trot in November. And while he admits the physicality of the sport isn’t a hardcore workout, it does offer a moderate dose of exercise. Research backs him up: According to a study at Western Colorado University, pickleball helps improve cardiovascular health and good cholesterol while reducing blood pressure when played at least three times a week. For Jack Merulla, of Baldwinsville, pickleball became a new way to stay active when he got bored

B Y T H E WAY, W H AT ’ S U P W I T H T H E N A M E ? According to usapickleball.org, three dads, Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum, created the sport to entertain their bored children in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island in Washington. While some sources claim pickleball was named after Pritchard’s dog, Pickles, others credit Pritchard’s wife, Joan, for the name, which is borrowed from the sport of crew when non-starter rowers from various teams are thrown together in “pickle boats” to compete against each other.

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Left, Anne Messina calls out the score before a game. Opposite page, Linh Daino shares a laugh with her teammates before serving. Below, Daino teams up with her husband, Rob, to play a game of doubles at Elevate Fitness in Liverpool.

Above, Jack Merulla pauses for a photo at Elevate Fitness. Left, Sandy Suppes and Diane Wilson wait for a return shot.

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“We get daily emails from people looking to play and I don’t think a day goes by that I’m not teaching someone new.” Brook Bregman, USA pickleball ambassador

with machine workouts. “I got tired of the gym,” he says. “I was working out and one day I saw these people play pickleball and they asked if I wanted to play and that was it. I never went back to the gym.” Merulla plays five or six days a week. “This game is very addictive.”

AMONG FRIENDS On top of the fun players have, there’s also widespread acceptance among picklers. Bregman notes that players typically embrace newbies looking to get into the sport and recalls the acceptance she felt the first time she set foot on a court. “There was a group of people that were playing [at Elevate] and everybody was welcoming even though it was our first time — everyone just wants to play with everyone. They were just so sweet that it was an easy thing to feel like this is something we should come back to and do all the time.” For Merulla, who’s played at courts at Elevate, Lysander Park and the YMCA, the social aspect

Above, Bregman coaches players at Magnarelli Community Center at McChesney Park last June. Left, Paulette Fenocchi keeps her eye on the ball.

is also a big draw. “It’s the camaraderie,” he says. “I’ve had so many [games]. I’ve probably played with 200 people over the years.”

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For more information: visit cnypickleball.com

PHOTOS THIS PAGE COURTESY BROOK BREGMAN CNY PICKLEBALL

Bregman agrees. “I love that 80 percent of my friendship circle now are these people. I have personally met 2,000 [people] playing pickleball already and I’m communicating with them all the time, traveling with them,” says Bregman. “They are my support system and my best friends and I think it does that for almost everyone who plays. It becomes kind of the center of your life.” Scott Henry sums it up simply, “It pulls people together.”

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100 HOURS Start small! To track your time, color an empty segment of the flower for every hour you spend outside.

Let’s head out Group challenges families to spend 1,000 hours outside each year BY MEGAN PLETE POSTOL

Busy mom Cassandra Wheeler, of Fulton, wanted her kids to

Michigan-based Yurich started the movement more than a

spend more time outdoors, and she wanted to somehow encourage

decade ago as an exasperated mother of three kids under the age

other families to do the same. Inspired by Ginny Yurich and her

of three, on the suggestion of a friend who had become familiar

movement, 1000 Hours Outside, Wheeler started the regional

with teachings popularized by British educator Charlotte Mason.

Facebook group “1000 hours outside New York” in early 2022.

Mason said children should play outside for several hours every

The concept of 1000 Hours Outside is to get kids and families

day the weather allows; she referred to those days as “tolerable”

derstanding that more time outside generates health, wellness and the development of important and useful skills.

weather days. Yurich and her friend launched a small group of moms that met a few times a week to spend time outdoors with their kids.

“A childhood flooded with nature time benefits kids (and

Yurich was amazed at the quick change she saw in her chil-

adults) in untold ways,” Yurich explains on her blog and

dren, who she described as “happier, sleeping better and not

website. “However, the spirit behind the journey is one of

getting sick.”

encouragement, not competition. 1000 Hours Outside is about

Yurich started a blog and website to encourage other families

striving for engaged time outside, and that looks different from

to spend time outdoors, with the ultimate goal of logging 1000

one family to the next.”

hours outside in a calendar year.

At Baltimore Woods in Marcellus, two girls compare their finds while exploring a stream.

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PHOTO BY DAVID LASSMAN

outside more and in various weather conditions, with the un-

PHOTOS BY

- CNY Magazine 1000 hours cayuga nature preserve climbing structure (CREDITS: Jenessa Boothby)

Micro-groups started popping up all over the country, including Wheeler’s New York group. “I started the group so that families from all over the state could learn about places and events happening outdoors so they could explore near or far,” Facebook group administrator Cassandra Wheeler says. “Kids today are in desperate need of free play and especially free play in nature. There has been so much research done on the numerous benefits of nature play for kids and I hope that no matter what a person’s circumstance, they are able to realize the benefits of stepping outside.” Many studies have come to the same conclusion: Spending a significant amount of time regularly in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Health organizations acknowledge the detriments of too much screen time for young people. The Mayo Clinic points to irregular sleep, obesity, impaired academic performance, behavioral problems, violence and less time for play as consequences of too much screen time. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages media use by children younger than two years old and recommends limiting older children’s screen time to no more than one or two hours a day. Yurich summarizes the entire purpose of 1000 Hours Outside as an attempt to match nature time with screen time. “If kids can consume media through screens 1,200 hours a year on average, then the time is there and at least some of it can and should be shifted towards a more productive and healthy outcome,” she states on her website. Wheeler hopes that her group has bridged that gap between the national movement and New York families. “I think locally it has connected like-minded families, given ideas on how to get outside with kids, provided places and events that are outdoors,” she says. “There have even been a few meetups with local families.” One such meetup took place at Onondaga Lake Park in January.

Top, two of Nichole Banks’ children read near a local Little Free Library. Above, 1000 Hours Outside New York member Rita Keihl’s toddler daughter digs in the mud.

York Facebook group and has seen the impact the group has made firsthand. “My children have gained immense confidence from pushing themselves out of their comfort zones and trying new things outdoors that they wouldn’t have the opportunity to do indoors,” Banks says. “Because we have spent so much time outside encountering

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PHOTOS BY NICHOLE BANKS, RITA KEIHL

Nichole Banks, of Richfield Springs, also serves as an administrator for the 1000 Hours Outside New

1,000 HOURS OUTSIDE Ready to challenge yourself? Cut or tear out this page to track your time. Color an empty segment of the mandala for each hour you spend outside.

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Above, during the Summer Nature Camp at Baltimore Woods in Marcellus, a camper gets a close look at a plant known as a false Solomon’s seal. Right, 1000 Hours Outside New York group member Rio Lange’s family walks at Lime Hollow Nature Center in Cortland. Opposite, Lange’s daughter at Mulholland Wildflower Preserve in Ithaca. Bottom, a turtle at Sterling Nature Center.

varying terrain and new experiences, we have all grown. I have

effort to be outdoors in all kinds of weather and have made

fond memories of not only watching my kids climb their first

memories I would never have dreamed of. Spotting rare birds,

tree, but of taking pictures of them on the ground below while

building igloos in the local park, learning animal tracking and

I was 10 feet up a fir tree.”

making friends with like-minded outdoors folks have all had

including the time they were chased by a mother groundhog

lenge,” she says.

(which she describes as both terrifying and hilarious), and

With so many beaches, parks, hiking trails and other green

watching eight white-tailed deer bound across a snowy street

spaces, Central New York is an ideal place for families to spend

at Christmastime.

plenty of low-cost and low-fuss time outdoors close to home or

“It was like watching Santa’s sleigh in real life,” she says. “Be-

within a short drive. For big summer fun on a budget, try one of

ing outdoors provides so many opportunities to experience the

the Department of Environmental Conservation’s parks with a

unexpected and make life-long memories.”

beach, such as Verona Beach State Park, Delta Lake State Park

The benefits of 1000 Hours Outside reach beyond individual families into communities. “Last year in Springfield, we had an outdoor skating rink that received a lot of use from local families and residents,” Banks

or Cayuga Lake State Park. Take a stroll on the 11.3-mile multiuse Oneida Rail Trail in Oneida or dip into local history by visiting Old Erie Canal State Park, which is a 36-mile stretch of the 363-mile Old Erie Canal.

says. “USA Youth Hockey Coach Bobby Amore even came to

There is a big emphasis on keeping it simple and that these

host a clinic for kids. On an everyday basis, families, and even

outdoor adventures need not be fancy or expensive. Last sum-

childless adults, have been encouraged to get out and connect.”

mer, Wheeler noticed a post from another parent about a $20

Banks’ decision to implement the concepts of 1000 Hours

splash pad. She then purchased one for own kids who enjoyed

Outside into her own family has required effort but paid off with a positive impact.

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it all season long. Banks also strives for low-cost, high-reward outside time.

“With my family, for example, we’ve made a concentrated 58

a great impact on us because of this 1000 Hours Outside chal-

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“There are so many ways we can be out of doors that are low

PHOTOS BY DAVID LASSMAN, RIO LANGE

Banks says her family has had fun encountering wildlife,

GET OUTSIDE! Places to visit, recommended by 1000 Hours Outside New York admins and members. » Lime Hollow Nature Center in Cortland » Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville » Rice Creek Field Station in Oswego » Sterling Nature Center in Sterling » Wilderness Park in Deerfield/Utica » Sherrillbrook Park in New Hartford » Baltimore Woods Nature Center in Marcellus » The Wolf Mountain Nature Center in Smyrna » Rome Sand Plains Unique Area in Rome » Trenton Greenbelt Trails in Barneveld » Great Swamp Conservancy in Canastota » Friendship Woods Nature Preserve in Liverpool/Bayberry area » Flat Rock in Ithaca » Ithaca Children’s Garden in Ithaca » Cayuga Nature Center in Ithaca » Mulholland Wildflower Preserve in Ithaca Other resources from 1000 Hours Outside New York group admin Nichole Banks. » The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast » “Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv

effort and high gain,” she says. “Meals or snacks outdoors, strolls around the neighborhood, playing on the patio, even just stepping out for a moment to refresh and rejuvenate. 1000 Hours Outside has encouraged almost 300,000 families and individuals around

» “Balanced and Barefoot” by Angela J. Hanscom » “Outdoor Kids in an Inside World” by Steven Rinella » The 1000 Hours Outside website also has a list of recommended books

the world to reconnect to nature, and the trend picks up steam every year. We are certainly glad to be building a lifestyle of grounding in nature and connection to the great world around us. It’s changed my family for the better, and those changes are here to stay.” Moderating a Facebook group comes with some cons as well, Wheeler and Banks admit. One con is that some people get a little too carried away with the competition mindset. “It’s a challenge,” Wheeler says. “Even if you don’t make the 1,000 hours, you still have won in the sense you’ve made great memories and exposed your family to the outdoors. Any amount is better than none.” “In my estimation, there are far more pros than cons,” Banks says. “In fact, I really can’t think of any cons to being outdoors more. The 19th and early-20th century English educator Charlotte Mason is famously quoted as saying, ‘never be indoors when you can right-

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For more information: search 1000 hours outside New York on Facebook.

ly be without.’ It’s true, the benefits don’t stop at better health from exercising. We can learn to connect with the natural world, building skills like empathy, patience, resilience and temperance by trying to be outdoors whenever possible.” M AY/J U N E

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R A I N B O W

CONNECTIONS CREATING SAFE , ENGAGING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LGBTQ+ FOLKS

For so many queer people, having a community of one’s own — filled with people who not only are like themselves, but understand and identify with the things they say and feel — is one of the greatest assets in life. It is incredibly

BY CM MCCAMBRIDGE

important to be able to have a place among peers, with people who have similar lived experiences and difficulties, who empathize and who help one another navigate through it all. Fortunately for folks living in the Syracuse area, several groups aim to provide community, resources or just a break for queer

COURTESY CAMP BEYOND BINARY

people (and allies) of all kinds.

In the inaugural year of Camp Beyond Binary, LGBTQ+ teens and allies enjoyed traditional summer camp activities, paired with opportunities to develop values such as justice, empathy, leadership, inclusiveness and belonging. M AY/J U N E

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COURTESY CAMP BEYOND BINARY

Camp Beyond Binary is open to youth ages 12 to 17. Campers are free to explore and experiment with their identity and presentation.

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“

THIS CAMP IS SUPER IMPORTANT. YOU CAN REALLY BE WHO YOU ARE AND

TRY ON DIFFERENT SELVES TO SEE WHICH ONE BEST FITS YOU.” Liz Schmidt, director of camps and outdoor engagement for Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways

CAMP BEYOND BINARY Camp Beyond Binary’s (CBB) week-long program,

something that better reflects their identity.

geared toward queer youth and allies ages 12 to 17,

“This camp is super important. You can really

provides its campers with advocacy, resources and

be who you are and try on different selves to see

a space for them to explore their identities and be

which one best fits you,” Schmidt says. “It’s a safe

themselves without any pressure or expectations.

place to be.”

Led by camp director Chris Kukenberger, CBB ran

Camp Beyond Binary also offers financial

its first successful session last summer with more

assistance for attendees who may otherwise be

than 50 campers and will expand into two sessions

unable to or have difficulty attending.

this August. Working closely with the Girl Scouts through

One of the camp’s aspects that Kukenberger is proudest of — and the source of the most positive

Liz Schmidt, director of camps and outdoor

feedback — is its community circle programming,

engagement for Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways,

where small groups of campers and counselors are

CBB has been doing its best to ensure that queer

able to share experiences and resources. Kukenberger

youth across the state have the opportunity for a

says this has helped so many youth understand how

typical summer camp experience.

to navigate situations, develop coping skills and both

Camp Beyond Binary offers a range of the expected activities, such as hiking, swimming and

build and find a community while being honest with one another and themselves.

archery, while also providing valuable experiences

“I had top surgery years ago, and last summer

and education for queer youth, including LGBTQ+

was the first time I went swimming without a shirt

history and social justice curricula. Schmidt and

on since I was a little kid,” Kukenberger says. “The

Kukenberger have cultivated an environment where

second my body got in the water, I just teared up

campers are free to experiment with their identity

from the inclusion and acceptance. I want people

and presentation, even providing a wardrobe

to be free to be themselves and be able to share

for campers to select from if they wish to wear

experiences like this.”

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For more information: visit campbeyondbinary.com.

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SY R ACUS E G AY M E RS The histories of games and queer people in

she says she has felt alienated at some queer events.

America are intrinsically linked — many video

Syracuse Gaymers provides a valuable service

game titles since the medium’s origins have been

for people who don’t feel like they fit in at other

developed heavily by queer individuals — and

events because they don’t drink or may be a bit

that relationship is reflected by Syracuse Gaymers.

shy. Beamish aims to host events where they can

While Amelia Beamish and John Frasier’s group is

socialize comfortably.

still in its infancy, it has been gaining momentum

“I think it’s a little easier to be like, ‘Oh, I’ll go to

over the past year as a way for people of all ages to

this gamer night,’” Beamish says. “I think it’s easi-

come together and make friends with other queer

er for people who aren’t out of the closet. You’re just

people through their shared hobby. Gaymer Nights

playing games with people.”

include free play and competitions in card games, long-form board games and video games.

The group holds multiple events each month, sharing them on its Facebook page. By focusing on

The group has hosted its events in a variety of dif-

creating a space that includes both a sober and a

ferent spaces and is always looking for new settings.

younger crowd, such as teenagers who aren’t able

Events at locations such as The Tasting Room, Skill

to go out to bars or late-night events, Beamish has

Shot Pinball Arcade and The Art Store have each

been filling the gaps she sees in her community in

drawn new attendees eager to support local busi-

order to provide a place for everyone.

nesses and connect with one another. Syracuse Gaymers tries to host events based

“As a closeted kid, I would specifically not go to any LGBT club,” she says. “I would have been more

around activities rather than identities. In

open to this, so I could say that I’m just here for the

Beamish’s own experience as a bisexual woman,

games. In a way, I’m doing this for the ‘baby gay’ me.”

For more information: visit syrgaymers.com.

PHOTOS BY AMELIA BEAMISH

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Syracuse Gaymers events have taken place at venues such as Wunderbar and Skill Shot Pinball Arcade, shown opposite and above. Attendees can enjoy card games, board games, video games and virtual reality while getting to know others with the same hobby in a comfortable setting.

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Michael Sgro, leadership coach and founder of OUT Syracuse, has formed an employee resource group for LGBTQ+ professionals.

LGBTQ EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP Businesses of all sizes often have their own employee

for a year of development, Sgro quickly had more appli-

has worked tirelessly to ensure that members of the local

cants than he could keep in one group. After starting with a

queer community have everything they need in order

cohort of only 10, Sgro is now creating a second session that

to succeed as a marginalized community, both in their

will run concurrently starting this summer. “It’s really a blessing,” says Sgro, who grew up in Syra-

As a leadership coach and founder of the organization

cuse. “If I was a kid now, seeing all this happen, I think it

OUT Syracuse, Sgro began providing for his community

would have transformed my experience. I’m old enough to

more directly with an employee resource group specifically

know that our young people today are seeing something dif-

geared toward queer individuals in the area, with the first

ferent in our community than I saw as a kid here, when you

group starting earlier this year.

couldn’t be out and you could only go to certain bars to be

By providing opportunities for mentorships, community

yourself.” Sgro tries to develop LGBTQ+ employees to not

service and professional development, Sgro has focused

only take on new roles, but to help them be role models and

on ensuring that local businesses can not only retain

visible pillars in their community.

their queer employees but develop them beyond the

Sgro has made a point to advocate for the community

opportunities the companies may be able to provide, such

however he can, by creating a LGBTQ+ business directory,

as training them for management roles and helping them

setting up college scholarships and working with Mayor

acquire new skills.

Ben Walsh to create the Syracuse LGBTQ+ Advisory Board.

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For more information: visit outsyracuse.com.

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PHOTO BY ANA GIL PHOTOGRAPHY

careers and beyond.

With employers sponsoring employees for less than $500

resource groups, but for those who don’t, Michael Sgro

G U E RRI LL A G AY BA R Guerrilla Gay Bar (GGB) has been a staple in the Syracuse community for nearly six years. Originating in late 2017, this monthly event allows members of the local LGBTQ+ community to meet one another, network or just relax in a safe environment. Organizers Kevin Bailey and Ariel Servadio coordinate with local bars and tell group members the date of the next event one month in advance, but don’t divulge its location until the day of the event, in keeping with the impromptu nature of such events. Once the time and location have been revealed, people representing every letter of the LGBTQ+ acronym flood that month’s venue. Events have been hosted predominantly in the city of Syracuse, but the organization is branching out to hold events in the surrounding areas when possible. Bailey originally hosted the series with Tanner Efinger, owner of the Syracuse queer bar and theater Wunderbar, which has frequently hosted GGB nights out; Efinger has since stepped aside from organizing the pop-ups in order to focus on Wunderbar. “It was a group of friends who just got together and saw that folks really weren’t going out to the gay bars on a regular basis,” Bailey says. “So we were trying to figure out what we can do to entice folks to come out.” Bailey took inspiration from many other cities across the country with similar endeavors. The group has also begun hosting Guerrilla Gay Cafe

Guerrilla Gay Bar and Guerrilla Gay Cafe events provide social interaction and visibility at venues throughout Syracuse.

events at area coffee shops — something especially inviting for those in the community who would rather not attend alcohol-focused events. While the events’ original attendees were almost exclusively gay men, Bailey has worked to involve people of every identity by creating a welcoming atmosphere and connecting with every new attendee he meets. In addition to helping bring other queer PHOTOS BY ANDREA KENNEDY

women to the events, Servadio runs much of GGB’s social media. These events aren’t only for the benefit of the

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For more information: search Syracuse Guerrilla Gay Bar on Facebook.

queer community. They are also designed to highlight and support local businesses, such as February’s event at the recently opened Tallman Cocktail Club in Armory Square. M AY/J U N E

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

A LEGACY OF LOVE H A N D I N G D O W N M O R E T H A N A C O M PA N Y For family-owned businesses, the concept of a legacy may be top of mind more often than not. A succession from one generation to the next isn’t always guaranteed or of interest. Some people grow up with the business in their blood, some pursue a different path and later feel a pull and some find themselves at the helm by chance. Bequeathing ownership or leadership isn’t the only aspect of a legacy, though. How many times has a business leader or entrepreneur attributed their work ethic, outlook or approach to a parent or close relative? The chance to build on the different strengths of each family member, to solve problems together in professional settings, to develop and evolve a company mission and to instill the work ethic and approach that exemplifies a family’s values and achievements — these are part

Above left, dol-sot bibimbap at Spoon and Chopsticks in Syracuse. Above right, a parlor at Hollis Funeral Home in Syracuse. Opposite, plant and gift shop Rainbow Cupboard in Clinton.

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

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PHOTOS BY AMELIA BEAMISH, VINTAGE JUNEBUG PHOTOGRAPHY

of a family business’ legacy. Here are three Central New York families and their labors of love.

R AINBOW CUPBOARD AND DREAMY’S CANDY BY KAILA CHAMPOUX

P H O T O S B Y V I N TA G E J U N E B U G P H O T O G R A P H Y

mity Messett aptly refers to herself as a

She recalled the joy that plants had brought to her family. Her

Rainbow Cupboard and Dreamy’s Candy,

father had a room dedicated to plants that her mother made

distinct shops in the village of Clinton

macrame hangers for. “Taking care of something is so cathar-

that are both woman-owned and family-

tic,” she says. Then it came to her. Air plants: easy to ship and

run. The shops offer uncommon goods

easy to care for. They would provide something new for peo-

and tasty treasures and provide an experience that guarantees guests leave feeling a little lighter, with a smile on their face and warmth in their hearts.

ple to learn about and be the perfect therapeutic distraction. The family started an Etsy store and attended farmers markets, where they would sell out of the plants. By October 2020,

Five years ago, Amity resigned from her position as a CEO of a nonprofit child advocacy group and moved to Central New York

needed happiness,” she says.

“Happiness Advocate.” She is the owner of

they opened their store, Rainbow Cupboard, located at 4 College Street.

with her family. Having witnessed hardship and trauma in her

A crew of 11 backs Amity personally and professionally. Her

previous positions, she took time to regroup. She painted, wrote

husband, Tim, who also works full time in aerospace, her el-

and continued to raise her children.

dest two sons, Xian and Brent, and her daughter-in-law Kend-

During the shutdown in 2020, Amity searched for an outlet

ra work at both shops. Each family member possesses a skill-

that could channel her kind, creative soul and allow her and her

set — in shipping logistics, purchasing, organizing, art or plant

family to safely spread joy to others. “The world, more than ever,

care — vital to the business.

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The Messetts’ seven youngest children help out by packing orders for shipment, taking inventory, writing thank you notes and taste-testing new items. These tasks teach them important life skills, like math, writing and responsibility. Amity reminds her children to “Be proud and remember that success is not just measured in numbers. The small things can be life changing. Everyone needs advocacy in their lives and sometimes that can be as simple as a smile.” With her shops, Amity had a vision. “I want to create situations and environments where people immediately feel relieved and happy… we want people to walk in [to the shop] and exhale,” she says. Inside the verdant Rainbow Cupboard, “it’s a good day” is spelled out in repurposed letters on the store’s loft to serve as a reminder that there is always a bit of good to be found in each day. The shop is furnished with bright, thrifted fixtures. Upon opening, there were only five trays of plants, but it didn’t matter: happiness was the goal. Now the shop is bursting at the seams with air plants, cuttings, tissue cultures (both rare and common), fun pots,

Opposite, Rainbow Cupboard, which opened in 2020. Above, Amity Messett, in pink, and her family members who are each part of the businesses. Left, a selection of fine chocolates at Dreamy’s Candy.

crystals, hand-beaded and crocheted items and a curation of other delightful finds. On one wall hangs Amity’s most treasured item, a portrait of her family. To date, Rainbow Cupboard has had 47,800 sales or, as Amity would put it, 47,800 smiles. They have created a place where people can forget about the bad and breathe in the good. The store also features a make-your-own terrarium section where adults and children can play, mixing brightly colored sands or crushed shells in glass containers to create artistic extensions of themselves. “We are all creative entities, and as we age, so many things happen to us… the layers start to get put on. We want to take those layers off people, so the creativity can start to

regular to sugar- and gluten-free, are shipped in and

come out again. Adults deserve to continue to have happy

attractively stacked in the custom candy case, channeling

core memories,” she says.

an old-time candy store. Varieties of colorful candies line

Amity has also been contributing to others’ special mem-

the shelves in clear cubes. The jewel box of a shop features

ories with floral designs for weddings, proms, graduations

a celestial theme, including a mural painted by Amity that

and other events.

is reminiscent of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” Smooth jazz

The Messetts take pride in offering something for every-

and music from the 1940s plays over the shop’s speakers.

one at Rainbow Cupboard, where item prices range from

Amity strives to create traditions for her customers, with

$1 to $80. “Everybody should be able to afford something

simple, special touches throughout her stores that spark

that makes them happy.”

delight. At Rainbow Cupboard, she inscribes “happy” on

While Rainbow Cupboard has the plant niche covered,

the side of the shopping bag before adding colorful tissue

Amity yearned to spread happiness to a larger segment of

and spraying it with the shop’s signature scent. On Sundays,

the community. What better to bring people together than

Dreamy’s offers a “Sweet Dreamy” to go — a homemade

something sweet?

waffle, stuffed with melted chocolate pieces, topped with

On Nov. 11 at 11:11 a.m., at 11 West Park Row, Dreamy’s Candy opened and Amity’s wish was granted. Hundreds of pounds of fresh dark and milk chocolate, ranging from

whipped cream and glitter stars. “We want to create a magical experience,” Amity says. “Experiences are more important than items.” M AY/J U N E

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

SPOON & CHOPSTICKS BY LORNA OPPEDISANO

PHOTOS BY AMELIA BEAMISH

either Sara nor Kevin Ham had originally considered a career in the restaurant industry. Prior to moving to Syracuse nearly 15 years ago, the duo lived completely different

lives in New York City. Sara’s background was in real estate and Kevin worked in computer software. In 2009, the couple moved to Central New York when Sara was pregnant with their first child. “I wanted to give her a better situation than the city, with more family,” Sara says. “Her grandpa and grandma wanted to give her more love.” After they relocated, Kevin’s father, Frank, asked for their assistance at his restaurant, Komachi, on South Crouse Avenue near Syracuse University’s campus. The then-newly opened location on The Hill was busier than its previous spot on Harrison Street. For eight years, Sara and Kevin helped the patriarch run the popular restaurant, until the building was demolished to make room for student housing. Frank took that opportunity to retire from the restaurant industry, giving him more time to stay home and help take care of his grandchildren. Sara and Kevin wanted to stay in the business, but with slightly different menu offerings. Komachi had offered sushi, Japanese and Korean dishes; Kevin focused more on the Korean side of the menu there. “He can make sushi, too, but wanted to do Korean food” moving forward, Sara says. When looking for a new location to house their reinvented concept, the couple knew they did not

want to move far from the university but did want

from other restaurants in the heart of the city with

to find a more convenient place than The Hill, Sara

its authentic Korean cuisine. Kevin and Sara grew

says. That led them to look in the downtown Syra-

up in Korea and the dishes they serve are their own

cuse and Erie Boulevard areas.

recipes, many passed down from Kevin’s parents.

When Spoon & Chopsticks opened in late 2017 at

The menu is filled with Korean specialties, such

753 James Street in Syracuse, many loyal Komachi

as bibimbap (beef, rice and vegetables mixed with

customers followed. The family’s tradition of deli-

spicy or soy sauce), bulkoki (beef with traditional

cious food, along with a convenient location close

Korean sauce), noodles, and fried and grilled en-

to downtown and free parking attracted new cus-

trees. Sara was particularly surprised when the

tomers as well. Spoon & Chopsticks sets itself apart

Korean barbecue chicken proved to be popular;

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

M AY/J U N E

she attributes the demand to pop culture and the shareable nature of the dish. Along with the menu staples, Spoon & Chopsticks offers specials, and is experimenting with make-your-own ddukbokki (spicy sauce with rice cake and fish cake). “If the special is good, we put it on the menu,” Sara says. When they began running the restaurant together, Sara and Kevin faced the struggles one might imagine a couple working together would find. They worked through discussions about business-related topics such as prices and, while it was not always easy at the beginning, Sara says, they figured it out after a few years. “His job and my job are different,” Sara says. “He mostly cooks and I mostly manage staff and customers.” Less than three years after they opened, they dealt with the unforeseen COVID pandemic challenges. As all restaurants were forced to do, Spoon & Chopsticks closed its doors to customers at the beginning of the pandemic. They were forced to work with no staff, so Frank came back to the restaurant to lend a hand and the three of them pivoted to offer only delivery and takeout. “A lot of people came in for delivery,” Sara says. “We were very thankful.” Since then Sara and Kevin have been facing another challenge, this time concerning their location on the ground floor of the Skyline Apartments. The

Opposite, a selection of the most popular dishes at Spoon & Chopsticks. Above, Kevin and Sara Ham. Left, a selection of snacks on display in the restaurant.

building has received negative press coverage for a variety of reasons recently, but Sara stresses that when they initially moved in, none of those issues existed and the space was a good opportunity. While she does think the situation is getting better, she is hopeful that soon a new building owner will be secured and the issues fixed. She says the restaurant is very safe and she hopes people will come in and enjoy the food but understands if customers choose take-out or a delivery service instead. Any support means a great deal to the Hams. For now, the couple has no plans to move to a different location. Sara says they will continue to work together as a family on any issues they might come across. “We solve problems little by little,” Sara says. “With any relationship, we figure it out and make it better, starting with respect for each other first and foremost.” M AY/J U N E

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Charlie Hollis sets chairs in advance of a viewing at Hollis Funeral Home in Syracuse.

HOLLIS FUNER AL HOME BY NORAH MACHIA

PHOTOS BY AMELIA BEAMISH

hen Charlie Hollis purchased a

was the first in his family to enter the profession (his father

funeral home in 1979, he not only

was a dentist).

took over the business, he also

“You have to be perceptive in this business, because people rely

moved his growing family into the

on your guidance,” says Charlie. “They have suffered a great loss,

large Victorian-style house at 1105

and you must always feel empathy and compassion for them.”

W. Genesee Street in Syracuse.

As a funeral director, Charlie needed to be available to griev-

ing families day or night seven days a week. He wanted to find the right balance that would allow him to have enough time for his business, his wife and his children.

Charlie had never pressured any of his children to take over the business. “They had to do what they needed to do,” Charlie says. “This is not a profession everyone goes into.” But he always left that door open, and it was his youngest daughter Eileen who decided to walk through it. “My dad was not

The funeral home, including two viewing areas, an arrange-

shocked about my decision,” she says. “He always thought that if

ment room and an embalming room, occupied the entire first

any of us kids could handle the funeral industry, it would be me.”

floor. Charlie and his wife, Laurie, settled in upstairs, where

Growing up in the funeral home, Eileen had seen deceased

they raised their three children, Andrew, Jillian and Eileen.

people who had been fully prepared in their casket for viewings,

A native of Flushing, Queens, Charlie graduated from the for-

and even had a special hiding place downstairs where she would

mer Simmons School of Mortuary Science, Syracuse, in 1975

sometimes listen to funeral services (although she was never

and became a licensed funeral director the following year. He

allowed in the embalming room). Those experiences helped

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

M AY/J U N E

Eileen to normalize death. The funeral home business is truly a caring profession, and while it’s stressful at times, it’s also rewarding because “you are helping families through the worst part of their lives,” she says. “Death is scary, and you can lose your sense of self when you lose someone close to you,” Eileen says. “It’s important for us to create a safe space for people to grieve and have a service.” Eileen, who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance from SUNY Brockport in 2011, says the funeral home business was always in the back of her mind. “I felt a great love in my heart for dad’s legacy and the spirit of the house,” she says. She earned an associate degree in mortuary science from Hudson Valley Community College in 2016 and became a licensed funeral director the next year. She and her husband, Neil Hueber, were married in 2018. They don’t currently live at the funeral home, but Eileen expects she and her husband will move there when she takes over the business. When Eileen first joined her father, she proposed using social media to demystify the topic of death and educate people about their funeral service options. Charlie, 73, recognized that it was important for Eileen, 33, to have her own unique perspective, so he decided to support her creative visions, even if he wasn’t quite sure what they meant. “People don’t understand our profession,” Charlie recalls saying to his daughter. “That’s because we don’t explain it,” she had answered. Eileen set up Facebook and Instagram pages for the Hollis Funeral Home. “Death is reflected in many ways through art,

Top, Eileen Hollis has a large collection of makeup she uses to prepare deceased people for viewings. Above, Eileen and Charlie Hollis. Left, stones made from cremated remains are an option families can choose for loved ones.

movies and nature,” she says. “I wanted to convey the message that death is a very normal thing.” When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Eileen decided to use the video-sharing app TikTok to better explain her work as a mortician. “People have so many misconceptions about what happens after you die,” she says. “I set this up as a way to answer questions that people were too afraid to ask.” Charlie backed the idea, because in the early days of the pandemic, so many people were traumatized and wanted to talk about the sudden deaths of their loved ones. At first, Eileen used TikTok to share updated COVID-19 infor-

While some videos are filmed inside the funeral home, de-

mation, such as the changing regulations for funeral services.

ceased people are never shown; occasionally Eileen uses a plas-

Then she started creating videos covering a wider range of top-

tic skeleton for demonstration.

ics, including cremation, funeral service options, green burial, the embalming process and mortuary make-up.

The response has been an eye-opener into how many people are curious about the life of a funeral director, says Charlie.

“It has become a resource for people, where they can share

“The greatest part is we get comments from people all over the

their experiences, ask questions, come together and support

world,” who appreciate his daughter’s approachable delivery

each other,” says Eileen, who currently has more than 921,000

style, he says.

TikTok followers. After her videos went viral, Eileen received

“People have always been afraid to ask what would happen af-

international news coverage, including feature articles in People

ter a family member died,” Charlie says. “This has been a great

Magazine and the Daily Mail.

way to educate them.” M AY/J U N E

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

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INVITE OTHERS TO LIVE THE GOOD LIFE We live in an amazing community, with wonderful restaurants, stunning outdoor parks, unique local shops and so many things to do. Our four beautiful seasons offer different adventures year-round. It’s no wonder Micron Technology, Inc., selected Central New York’s White Pine site for its semiconductor manufacturing facility that will

These local companies are working with CenterState CEO and Onondaga County to promote CNY:

» NexGen Power Systems » CPS Recruitment

create 9,000 new, high-paying jobs — the largest private investment

» M&T Bank

made in New York State history.

» Oneida Nation Enterprises, Turning Stone Casino

Central New York is a place with many job opportunities. Like other communities in the U.S., CNY has companies eager to fill open posi-

» National Grid

tions. That’s why CenterState CEO, the region’s business leadership or-

» Rapid Response Monitoring

ganization, Onondaga County and several local companies are working together to make sure more people outside our region know about our

» SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital

low cost of living, easy commutes and the many job opportunities and

» Syracuse University

career paths our area has to offer.

» Thompson & Johnson

CenterState CEO has also partnered with Advance Media New York to create an all-in-one resource for companies to help sell the area. The project includes a multimedia marketing effort and a website that provides potential Central New Yorkers everything they need to know about the region and encourages them to join us in the Good Life. Check it out at goodlifeCNY.com. The site is filled with stunning pho-

» SOS - Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists » Equitable » C&S Companies » Inficon » TTM

tos, videos and enticing stories about our home and the people who are

» VIP Structures

already living their good life. Share it with friends or family who are

» Bristol-Myers Squibb

considering relocating and employers looking for their next new hire.

» Dermody Burke & Brown

Among the website’s many features is a job board for hiring managers and job seekers that pulls open positions from rapidly expanding companies in Central New York. It lets job seekers share information about their experience and career interests, giving participating employers access to a qualified pool of candidates. Access it through the Good Life CNY website at https://careers.goodlifecny.com.

» Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors Join the initiative. Follow @GoodLifeCNY on social media and share your love of CNY by using #goodlifeCNY to highlight the fun and beauty of life in Central New York. Find out more at goodlifecny.com.

#goodlifeCNY

M AY/J U N E

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

TRAVEL GUIDE Your guide to Upstate fun – all year long.

Coming May 14 in The Post-Standard and on Syracuse.com and NYup.com Ideas across Adirondacks, Capital, Catskills, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley, Northern NY, Western NY and Southern Tier regions. S10603680-01

Making good CN Y SC OU T • FA R M T O TA BL E • A RT PROF I L E

ORDER UP! Julia Freeman started her Instagram account @SavorCuse to highlight up-and-coming restaurants in the Syracuse area, but soon began using her passion for food and knowledge of marketing to create something more. She partners with restaurants to create specials or events to draw customers in, and promotes them through her growing channel, taking some of the pressure off the establishments. Recognizing the reach her platform has been gaining — and that not everyone has the ability to dine out — Freeman wanted to do something good. In February, she launched the Food For All series with Food Bank of Central New York. Each month, Freeman and a popular local spot such as Sweet Praxis and Darwin (the first two collaborators) will offer and promote a special dish. Proceeds from the sales of that item will go directly to the Food Bank and support the food-insecure individuals and families the

PHOTO BY @SAVORCUSE

not-for-profit serves.

For more information: visit foodbankcny.org/events

Making good

CNY SCOUT

Visitors use mesh-bottomed trays and water from the sluice to separate gems and fossils from sediment.

This place rocks Finders Keepers Mining lets visitors tap into their inner geologist

BY ALAINA POTRIKUS BECKETT

John Lischak is not a geologist by training; in fact, the life-

of Syracuse and set up a full lapidary shop in their home, allow-

long Marcellus resident began his career as a milkman. But give

ing them to make custom jewelry from rough gemstones they

him a gemstone, mineral or fossil, and he can identify it with-

tumbled themselves.

The owner of Finders Keepers Mining has been sharing his

“I did all the homework I could,” Lischak says with a grin. “I learned as much as I could, as quickly as I could.”

love of prospecting for more than 15 years. His retail and activ-

In 2017, Finders Keepers Mining opened its first rock shop in

ity space, known as a rock shop, is the latest chapter of an en-

downtown Marcellus and quickly became a popular destination

trepreneurial journey that began in 2007, when Lischak and his

for more than just collectors and hobbyists. Families and individ-

wife, Kathi, bought their first 20-foot-long mobile sluice and

uals enjoyed the hands-on experience of panning and learning

traveled to festivals across New York state including the LaFay-

more about the treasures they uncovered. The business moved

ette Apple Festival, Pirate’s Weekend in Sylvan Beach and the

to a larger location last September, after weathering pandemic

Syracuse Crawfish Festival.

challenges with take-home mining kits.

The successful venture prompted Lischak to begin his ed-

At the rock shop, visitors can purchase a bag of rough mining

ucation as an amateur geologist, digging into the science be-

mix and step up to the sluice — a 15-foot-long custom-built

hind the hobby of mining and collecting rocks, minerals and

trough with running water that helps separate gems and fossils

fossils. The couple took classes at the Gem & Mineral Society

from the sediment.

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

M AY/J U N E

PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS BECKETT

out looking at a field guide.

“

IT IS SOMETHING SO SIMPLE — DIRT WATER AND ROCKS...BUT IT IS FASCINATING”

Sift the mix using a mesh-bottomed tray to discover up to 45 samples, including amethyst, rose quartz, citrine, obsidian, jasper and agate, as well as arrowheads, shells and fossils. A mural of a mine hand-painted by Kathi on the wall next to the sluice adds ambiance. Lischak offers help with identi-

John Lischak

fication, patiently explaining the features of different semi-precious stones and their origins. “It is something so simple — some dirt, water and rocks,” he says. “But it is fascinating.” He brings out his collection of dinosaur bones, including a megalodon tooth, and presents a chunk of dolostone (a mix of dolomite and limestone) filled with Herkimer diamonds from a quarry in the Mohawk Valley. Custom equipment helps him crack geodes sourced from Morocco. When split, the hollow rocks reveal sparkling crystal or mineral deposits. Fossil-rich limestone from nearby Skaneateles Lake is also on display, and Lischak points out pieces of garnet, the official gemstone of New York state. The spacious new location has allowed Lischak to curate his own unique market filled with local vendors he met

Geodes, jewelry and gifts in the mercantile. Middle, John Lischak, owner of Finders Keepers Mining.

on the festival circuit. The mercantile features old-fashioned touches, including a checkout counter accented with wagon wheels reminiscent of those seen in historic mining towns. A wall of windows brings natural light into the store, which is also inhabited by a six-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus skeleton. In addition to jewelry, the shelves are filled with a mix of handicrafts such as painted garden stones, colorful soaps, soy and beeswax candles. There’s also a large variety of New York state-made products, including pancake mixes from nearby New Hope Mills, horseradish mustard from Awesome Country Farmhouse in Boonville, spice rubs from Cheffrey’s Pickle Pub in Fulton and syrup from Dutch Hill Maple in Tully. Lischak invites the community into the store at every opportunity. Finders Keepers Mining hosts fundraisers, and birthday parties fill the calendar each weekend, with groups of up to 20 rotating through the mining room to pan for treasures at the sluice, crack geodes and make sand art. A hallway is decorated with a frequently updated gallery of artwork created by students from nearby K.C. Heffernan Elementary School. “That was our goal from the very beginning,” he says.



For more information: Finders Keepers Mining, 8 W. Main Street, Marcellus, 315-494-1074, search Finders Keepers Mining on Facebook.

“We have stayed in this business because it is fun for us and it is fun for families.” M AY/J U N E

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

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Making good

FA R M T O TA B L E

And the beet goes on Root veggie salad adds a seasonal twist to The Green Gate’s Pork Schnitzel BY M J K RAV EC PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS BECKETT

Making good

FA R M T O TA B L E

The Green Gate co-owner Natalia Meyer with sons Alexandre, left, and Michael who are helping out while on college break. The Green Gate is located at 2 Main St. in Camillus.

n the walls of The Green Gate restau-

The menu’s diverse pub-style items include baked escar-

rant in Camillus, a replica painting

got, beef on kimmelweck and 12-inch flatbread pizzas, along

depicts Zaporozhian Cossacks tell-

with daily seasonal specials. Popular items include house-

ing off the Turkish sultan in a strong-

made spaetzles, schnitzels, pierogi, cabbage rolls, Ukrainian

ly worded letter.

borscht and beet salad.

The original oil painting, “Reply of the

Meyer says The Green Gate aims to use locally grown produce

Zaporozhian Cossacks” done in 1891 by

and ingredients whenever possible. For fresh, seasonal items,

Ilya Repin, hangs in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

she frequents the Regional Market in Syracuse, local organic

This one, painted by the father of restaurant co-owner Natalia

growers and her own backyard.

Meyer, serves as a symbol of defiance and pride.

home where we grow specialty produce that we serve through-

says, noting she has family in Ukraine. “[In the painting],

out the restaurant during the growing season. In May and June,

they’re drunk and using swear words…telling the sultan to get

we will start bringing in some fresh lettuce, beets, herbs and

out of Ukraine. The Ukrainians take a lot of pride as Cossacks

radishes. We also grow some sprouts.”

and as fighters.”

For May/June, Meyer shares a pork schnitzel topped with a

There’s a pride of heritage throughout the restaurant’s de-

fresh local egg, lemon-herb spaetzles and a locally sourced beet

cor and its menu. Offering American, German, Ukrainian and

salad. Meyer notes that while many of us have grown tired of

French fare, The Green Gate’s worldly selections reflect the

comfort food by spring, this versatile dish can be adapted to

roots of Natalia and her husband, Philippe, who is co-owner.

incorporate the season’s best offerings.

“We are a small local tavern that offers many housemade

“[We’ll] continue to offer the schnitzel in the spring, but fresh-

items. Philippe is from Alsace in France along the German bor-

en it up with fresh sprouts, sweet earthy baby beets and a zing

der and we lived there before moving back to CNY,” says Meyer,

of citrus and fresh herb in the spaetzle. There is nothing nic-

who grew up in Marcellus. “Our menu is influenced by France,

er than a local farm egg yolk oozing over a nicely tender and

Germany and Ukraine. I grew up as a first-generation Ukrainian,

seasoned pork schnitzel with the soft texture of beet sprouts.”

which explains the Ukrainian influence.” 84

“We are very fortunate to be able to have a beautiful garden at

“It’s kind of interesting with the war going on now,” Meyer

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

M AY/J U N E

A taste rooted in heritage, fresh with the flavors of spring.

Pork Schnitzel with Lemonherb Spaetzles and Beet Salad Serve schnitzel over the sauteed spaetzles. Garnish with fried egg, beet sprouts and arugula, and serve with beet salad.

PORK SCHNITZEL 1 pork tenderloin, ¾-1 lb. 1 cup flour Salt and pepper 1 egg ½ cup milk

1 cup breadcrumbs unseasoned (panko is lighter, regular breadcrumbs more traditional) Olive oil for frying Beet sprouts, arugula and olive oil for garnish

1. Cut tenderloin into four pieces across grain

and lightly salt and pepper each side. 2. Place them grain side down on a cutting board covered with

plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound to 1/8-inch thickness. 3. Next, set up three-part breading; Place flour

in one bowl, whisk egg and milk in another bowl and pour breadcrumbs on plate. 4. Dredge both sides of loin with flour, dip into egg

mixture, then coat both sides with breadcrumbs. 5. Let sit in the refrigerator for 15 mins. 6. Heat a small pan with butter on low to medium heat and

cook egg over easy. Remove from heat, cover and set aside. 7. Toss arugula with a drizzle of olive oil and

sprinkle of salt and pepper. Set aside. 8. Heat pan over medium high heat with olive oil coating

bottom of pan. Cook each side of tenderloin until golden brown, about two minutes. Drain on a paper towel. Keep warm.

SPAETZLES 1 cup flour 1 tsp. kosher salt Ground black pepper to taste ½ tsp. ground nutmeg 2 large eggs

¼ cup milk 2 Tbsp. total minced fresh herbs (chives, parsley and dill ) 1 tsp. lemon zest 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1. Combine flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a bowl. 2. In another bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Add minced herbs

and lemon zest to egg mixture and pour into flour mix. 3. Combine until dough is thick and smooth.

Let it rest for 10 mins. 4. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. 5. To form spaetzles, use a spaetzle maker or hold a colander

BEET SALAD ½ lb. cooked fresh beets cut into ¼-inch cubes 2 Tbsp. chopped onion 2 Tbsp. white vinegar

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

with large holes over simmering water. Put dough in a colander or spaetzle maker and push it through the holes with a wooden spatula into the pot of boiling water. Stir.

What does it pair well with? Pair it with a Thirsty Owl riesling or a Glenora pinot gris.

6. When spaetzles float to the surface, cook for three minutes.

Strain spaetzles into a colander and rinse with cool water. 7. Add spaetzles to a large pan with melted butter over

medium heat and sauté for 2 minutes until spaetzles turn slightly crisp.



For more information: visit facebook.com/GreenGateInn

M AY/J U N E

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Making good

RESTORE 514 W. Genesee Street, Syracuse 315-475-9172 syracuserestore.org

DOWN TO EARTH

The ReStore accepts home building materials, appliances and furnishings. They cannot accept most electronics, dishware, mattresses or other specific items that are listed on their website. Volunteers are welcome at the ReStore. Volunteer work might range from sorting donations, rearranging inventory or even demolishing a house to salvage materials. “I go out of my way to give volunteers something interesting and fun to do,” says manager Nick Barone. He believes you can never have too many volunteers, and he invites people to learn more and visit the store. Between donating, shopping and volunteering, there are plenty of opportunities at the ReStore, and your involvement helps our environment and our local community.

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

M AY/J U N E

Windows salvaged from renovations, ecofriendly latex paint and previously loved art are some of the items in ReStore’s inventory.

A ReStore-ative practice Put the planet first with secondhand items BY ALLISON KENIEN

n the United States, the average person produces nearly 1,800 pounds of trash each year. Despite the dismal numbers, there has also been an uptick in efforts to reuse, refurbish and repair possessions before throwing them away. More than ever, consumers are choosing thrift stores and secondhand goods,

and retailers are shifting away from destroying unsold merchandise in favor of donating it. The endeavor to minimize business and consumer waste has been dubbed “sustainable commerce,” and it’s happening in big ways right here in Central New York. Tucked in the back of the historic building where Syracuse Habitat for Humanity’s office is located, the organization’s ReStore sells new and used building materials that have been donated by local businesses and individuals. If you choose to shop there, 100 percent of the money from your purchase goes to Habitat

Items are sold at a fraction of the retail price, usually 50 per-

for Humanity, a nonprofit that builds and improves homes in

cent off for brand new items and about 70 percent off for used

partnership with people who need safe, affordable housing.

items. For example, a drill that retails for $100 might be sold for

Habitat for Humanity describes their stores as a “DIY dream.” When you explore the space, you can understand why.

“The idea is to have something at a price point for a broad

The Syracuse ReStore received a refresh when it moved from

spectrum of people,” says Nick Barone, manager of the ReStore.

its old location on the West Side of Syracuse to its current home

“That way we bring more people into the store, and we raise

on West Genesee Street. Over the years, the Otisco Street store

more revenue for Habitat.” Barone gives the example of a brand-

had accumulated a mishmash of items that were not selling.

new crystal chandelier with a retail value of $2,000 that was

The new location created space for a more organized layout,

recently donated. The ReStore is selling it for $150 — a hidden

and the management team was able to focus on filling the store

gem waiting for the right shopper.

with nicer items. They are hopeful that these efforts will bring in more customers. At the front of the store, you’ll find wall art and a room bursting with lighting fixtures. Beyond that is a space filled with brand-

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RESTORE AND BY ALLISON KENIEN

$50 if it’s brand new or $30 if used.

“We want anyone from any economic background to come and feel comfortable shopping,” says Barone. Regardless of retail price, ReStore tries to keep all prices low to encourage more sales and a steady flow of customers.

new painting and varnishing materials. Toward the back of

Second-hand shopping is thriving in the United States, accord-

the store, there are two large rooms with hardware, plumbing

ing to a 2022 OfferUp report. The survey found that 82 percent

materials, sinks, cabinets, furniture, washers, dryers and more.

of Americans buy or sell pre-owned merchandise and some re-

The store’s inventory varies depending on donations.

spondents cited environmental concerns as a motivator. Con-

As part of the sustainable commerce movement, businesses

sumers are more conscientious of the environmental impact

are shifting toward donating unsold goods to places like the

of buying new. Shopping for used items decreases the demand

ReStore as an alternative to trashing them. A local hardware store

for and production of new goods, which reduces energy usage,

was rebranded and items with the old logo became unsellable,

shipping emissions and packaging waste.

so the products were donated to the ReStore. Similarly, when

Local residents can support the store by coming in to shop

a high-end lighting store went out of business, their leftover

or donating new and used items. If you’re renovating your

inventory was donated to the nonprofit. Often, the ReStore will

kitchen, instead of throwing out old cabinets and appliances,

have incredible deals on beautiful items, and those treasures get

give them to the ReStore. It’s better for the Earth and better for

posted to Instagram with the hashtag #restorefinds.

our neighbors in need. M AY/J U N E

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Making good

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ART PROFILE

Playing for change Prolific playwright stages the first play he ever wrote, nearly 20 years later BY DESI GILLESPIE

Kyle Bass hears voices. Voices of different times and different places, voices of different races and different genders. These voices belong to characters who begin to fill out the casts of his plays — and Bass tunes their traits and choices toward a complex realism. He calls his writing process “listening,” though he certainly is writing. Bass says his best work comes in a flow state that feels like dictation and, although he is writing fiction, he feels like a conduit for truth. Bass, a playwright born and raised in Central New York, became Syracuse Stage’s first resident playwright in 2021. He had served as the theater’s associate artistic director since 2016. In 2019, Bass also took a position as an assistant professor of theater at Colgate University. “Tender Rain,” a play examining race relations in a small Southern town, premieres May 5 at Syracuse Stage. It is the third production of his residency; the show runs through May 21. The theater has also premiered his “Citizen James, or the Young Man Without a Country” and “salt/city/blues” in addition to “Possessing Harriet,” which Bass wrote while serving as associate artistic director. It’s been a long time since Bass heard the voices that would become “Tender

PHOTO BY BRENNA MERRITT

Rain.” It was the first play he ever wrote, nearly 20 years ago. Bass revised the text for its debut, due to the time that had passed and because plays are typically reworked as they are staged for the first time. Bass was born in Frankfort, just east of Utica. Some parts of his family trace

Kyle Bass on the set of his play “Possessing Harriet” in October 2019.

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

their lineage back 225 years of living free in New

Syracuse Stage artistic director Bob Hupp spoke

York. He grew up on a ranch; his father kept quar-

with Bass last year to determine which of his plays

ter horses as a hobby, and the family had a variety

would best work for the 2022-23 season. Hupp says

of pets, including dogs, cats, hamsters, mice and

“Tender Rain” exhibits Bass’s mastery of his craft. etic, yet is grounded in everyday encounters and

kept him inside more and more. But the influence

everyday experiences,” Hupp says. “The characters

of his upbringing is still present in the way he sees

are so interesting because they are infused with

the world.

Kyle’s devotion to and love of language. They lift

“Living in rural settings with natural vistas makes you observant in a different way than if you were raised in an urban setting,” Bass says. “You look at things in the distance more.” The Basses were the only Black family in their area at the time. As he grew up, he says, Bass be-

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

us out of the ordinary and help us understand the revelation of new truths.” Unlike some playwrights, Bass says, he doesn’t compose with the audience in mind. He writes the play he wants to see, leaving the consideration of the audience to actors and directors.

gan to notice the ways in which white friends made

“I trust that we’re more alike than we are differ-

distinctions between his family, middle-class land-

ent,” Bass says. “I assume my audience is as smart

owners, and urban Black people in Utica.

as I am, and likely much smarter.”

Bass went from kindergarten to graduation with

Bass has an admirer in Bjorn Woldbeck, who

the same class. Because the community knew his

has seen all of his plays at Syracuse Stage since

family, he says, it had no reason to stereotype them.

“Possessing Harriet,” including the virtual, Zoom-

“That’s not to say there weren’t times when it was

“The structure of his language aspires to the po-

Eventually, Bass’s hobbies of music and writing

enabled performance of “Citizen James.”

made very clear to me that I was not, in the end,

The character of Harriet, an enslaved woman

one of them,” he says. “I knew what was going on.”

trying to escape to Canada via Syracuse, had com-

Bass uses these experiences to craft authentic

plex motivations and feelings toward slavery. She

characters like the two central roles in “Tender

wanted to be free, but she had never known any-

Rain” — a white banker and his former nanny.

thing else. These deep, conflicting emotions were

These characters, acting on their desires, bump into

eye-opening for Woldbeck.

each other and spark the flames of larger events.

“His plays give you some insight. They let me see

“More than a playwright or a dramatist, I con-

something in myself that I didn’t realize before,”

sider myself a composer,” Bass says. “I compose

Woldbeck says. “He makes me have certain reali-

for an instrument called an actor.”

zations about my own ingrained opinions and my

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PHOTOS BY BRENNA MERRITT, RUSS ROWLAND

a spider monkey named Linus.

ingrained behaviors.” American plays from the mid-20th century, like Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons” and Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun,” have influenced much of Bass’s work. Their character-driven stories and theatrical language appeal to him in a way similar to the works of Chekhov and Ibsen. The time period also speaks to Bass, who tends to prefer non-contemporary settings. “I like using the past to get at the present,” he says. “It’s like putting a little bit of objective distance between me and my now.” “Tender Rain,” shedding the Central New York environs previously explored in “Possessing Harriet” and “salt/city/blues,” is set in a small Southern town in the mid-1950s. When a white banker’s marriage begins to fall apart, he returns to his former nanny, a Black woman.

Opposite, James Alton in “Citizen James, or The Man Without a Country.” Top, Katya Collazo as Harriet, Gary-Kayi Fletcher as Thomas and Ezra Barnes as Gerrit in “Possessing Harriet” at Franklin Stage Company. Above, Bass, third from right, with “Tender Rain” cast members at a New York City workshop in March.

Their relationship defies simple stereotypes. It’s intimate and familial, and ultimately set against the backdrop of the murder of Emmett Till and the Montgomery bus boycott. “I find that there are things about that time and that place, and the people with whom I’ve pop-

“I like using the past to get at the present.” Kyle Bass, playwright

ulated that time and place, that do speak to our current moment,” Bass says. “And I don’t have to force them to do that. I simply have to listen and tell the truth.” Desi Gillespie is a student in the Goldring Arts Journalism & Communications Program at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications.

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Chromania at Everson. In the wake of Impressionism, 20th century artists developed a range of strategies to explore and employ color. Painter and educator Josef Albers taught that all color is relative, meaning that the appearance of a color can change based on other colors it is surrounded by. Beginning with Albers’ iconic Homage to the Square series, Chromania explores how subsequent generations of artists in the Everson’s collection employ color in ways that are subjective and expressive, as well as scientific and systematic. Through May 7.

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

Ralph Buschbacher: Wood Fire and Light. Cazenovia Artisans announces Ralph as its visiting artist for the month of May. He began his career as a woodworker and turner, and now specializes in the decoration of his pieces. His work incorporates multiple modes of surface enhancement, and he has developed numerous innovative techniques. His signature styles create beautiful and unique heirloom pieces. Artist reception from 2 to 5 p.m. Sat., May 6. Leigh Yardley: The Nature of Things. Leigh is Cazenovia Artisans’ featured member artist for the month of June. “I create work that interacts with a space, moving my perception of landscape from a scenic vista to a larger ecological understanding of place… My connections and understandings of the physical impact of water, its role in the economy and culture is tied to this system of landscape… the watershed. I am beginning to think of the watershed as a metaphor for memory. That we have a collective memory that filters our views and understanding of space.” Artist reception from 2 to 5 p.m., Sat. June 3.

Wood Fire and Light by Ralph Buschbacher at Cazenovia Artisans

Lightwork UVP at Everson

EDGEWOOD GALLERY 216 Tecumseh Road, Syracuse. 315-445-8111, edgewoodartandframe.com. Open 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. TuesdayFriday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday-Monday. Free. Please wear a mask, observe proper social distancing. Hand sanitizer, gloves and masks are available in the gallery.

Artifact Collection. Leslie Green Guilbault will be exhibiting her recent series with a decidedly ancient look and feel: wheel-thrown porcelain vessels with pit-fired smoke finishes, earthtone metallic glazes or carved unglazed surfaces; and mixedmedia wall pieces incorporating natural elements such as antlers, porcupine quills, bone, fur and feathers. Sam Graceffo will be showing his handcrafted sterling silver jewelry. Opening reception 6 to 8 p.m., Fri. May 12. Runs May 12 through June 23. EVERSON MUSEUM OF ART

PHOTOS COURTESY CAZENOVIA ARTISANS, EVERSON, EDGEWOOD GALLERY

401 Harrison St., Syracuse. 315-474-6064, everson.org. Open noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, noon to 8 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday-Tuesday. $5 suggested donation.

Frank Buffalo Hyde: Native Americana. Painter Frank Buffalo Hyde grew up in the Onondaga Nation, where he absorbed much of the pop culture that is still central to his worldview. Throughout his career, Buffalo Hyde has presented “pop” iconography like UFOs, hamburgers and corporate logos in parallel with Native symbology like the bison on the Onondaga Reservation and Indigenous leaders and dancers. Buffalo Hyde’s works grab attention through their bright colors and instantly recognizable iconography but resist easy stereotyping through their embedded messages about the fragmented nature of Native life. Native Americana is a homecoming for Buffalo Hyde, who left Central New York for New Mexico, where he studied at the Santa Fe Fine Arts Institute and the Institute of American Indian Arts. Frank Buffalo Hyde lives in Northfield, Minnesota. His work can be found in the collections of the

Leslie Green Guilbault’s mixed-media wall pieces at Edgewood Gallery

Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, the Hood Museum of Art, the Gilcrease Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum, and of course, the Everson Museum of Art. In addition to large-format paintings, Native Americana will include a variety of interactive and mixed-media installations throughout the Museum. Runs June 10 through Sept. 17. CNY Artist Initiative: Ryan Krueger. Ryan Patrick Krueger is a lens-based artist whose work addresses themes of masculinity and friendship. Their process includes collecting vernacular images and appropriating photographs in order to consider the intersections of LGBTQ+ American history and photography. Krueger holds a BFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon, and currently lives in Syracuse, where they work as Digital Services Coordinator for Light Work, a non-profit artist-run photography organization at Syracuse University. Runs May 6 through June 18.

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Galleries

Stephanie H. Shih at Syracuse University Art Museum

Hoop Dreams: Basketball and Contemporary Art. A multibillion-dollar global industry that began as a recreational activity more than a century ago, the game of basketball is deeply rooted in our society and culture. James Naismith, the physical education teacher who invented the game in 1891, could never have imagined how his basic 13-rule game would grow into an international sensation and cultural agent. Considered the fastest-growing sport in the world, basketball now has hundreds of millions of players and fans across the globe and more than 200 professional leagues. Basketball is more than just a game, however; it is also a vast cultural universe — fashion, music, film and

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electronic media, dance, art and design — where pressing social issues of the times are played out on a world stage. While the athleticism of the game, its personalities and the widespread culture of basketball have served as creative inspiration for artists for decades, there is a new generation of artists approaching the topic from diverse perspectives. Many of these artists grew up immersed in basketball culture, and several even played the game at a collegiate level. Hoop Dreams: Basketball and Contemporary Art brings together a roster of emerging and mid-career artists who, as fans, players or just cultural observers, are adding to the dialogue about basketball’s impact today. Through May 21. Light Work’s Urban Video Project Commission: The First 10 Years. In 2012, Light Work began the Urban Video Project (UVP) commission program, supporting emerging and mid-career artists in experimental media in the creation of new work for projection on the Everson Museum’s north facade. This exhibition presents the first 10 years of commissions. Runs through May 14. 50th Anniversary: Selections from Light Work Collection. Remarkable in its breadth and depth, Light Work’s 50th Anniversary exhibition is a thoughtful composition of photographic works that have come into Light Work’s permanent collection over the past fifty years through the generosity of former artist-in-residence

PHOTO COURTESY SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM

CNY Artist Initiative: Mara Baldwin. Mara Baldwin’s work focuses on the impossible dream of utopia and asks if a perfect life can include the imperfect feelings of failure, loneliness and dissatisfaction. Baldwin’s multidisciplinary and research-based work uses textiles and drawings to create serial and narrative forms. She shares her time between Ithaca and the Hudson Valley where she teaches drawing at Cornell University and Bard College, respectively. She is the recipient of a 2022 New York State Council on the Arts grant and has been awarded residencies at, among others, Wassaic Project, Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency program, Ucross Foundation, Millay Colony for the Arts, Djerassi, and Saltonstall. Runs June 24 through Aug. 6.

Mara Baldwin’s All Together Now at Everson

PHOTOS COURTESY SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM, EVERSON

participants, grant awardees and individual donations. The works on view are a reflective curation from over 4,000 objects and photographic prints from an extensive and diverse archive that maps the trends and developments in contemporary photography. The semi-centennial presents a unique opportunity to share the legacy of support the organization has extended to emerging and under-represented artists working in photography and digital image-making. Highlights in the show include early works from acclaimed photographers Dawoud Bey, Carrie Mae Weems, James Welling and more. Runs through May 14. ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION 321 Montgomery St., Syracuse. 315-428-1864, cnyhistory.org. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Free but donations encouraged. Check their website for updates.

Take Me to the Palace of Love at Syracuse University Art Museum

Come In From The Cold: Winter Clothing from OHA’s Collection. Get the winter fashion without the winter chill! As the weather warms up, you can still view OHA’s Come In From The Cold, featuring exquisite cold weather adult and children’s fashions from the 19th and early 20th centuries: black bear and raccoon fur coats; fur hats and muffs; beautiful children’s outwear and several other items associated with the cold weather. Photographs of the winter landscape augment the display of clothing and accessories. The winter may have melted away from CNY, but this collection will remain on display through the end of 2023.

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Galleries

Hoop Dreams at Everson

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM 1st floor, Shaffer Art Building, museum.syr.edu. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday and until 8 p.m. Thursday. Closed Mondays and University holidays.

Take Me to the Palace of Love. An exhibition of critical artworks by acclaimed artist Rina Banerjee that explores the meaning of home in diasporic communities and invites minority groups in Syracuse to tell their own stories of identity, place and belonging. Runs Jan. 18 through May 14.

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

A Love Supreme. Titled after John Coltrane’s 1964 revolutionary jazz album and spiritual declaration, and best encompasses the breadth of Black American life featured in this exhibition. Showcasing both the Black Power Movement and its cultural counterpart, the Black Arts Movement, as each iteration called for the narrative of 96

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

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A Love Supreme, Special Collections Research Center at SU Libraries

Blackness to be authored by and for Black people, A Love Supreme amplifies the “Say it Loud! I’m Black and I’m Proud” and “Black is Beautiful” ethos that were actively tying together the lived experiences of Black people around the world. This exhibition highlights the dedication of Black writers, leaders, visual artists, and performers of the 1960s and 1970s in cultivating a sense of Black consciousness and racial pride not only in the form of large-scale movements but also highlighted the everyday intimate moments.

PHOTOS COURTESY EVERSON, SU LIBRARIES

Stephanie H. Shih: My Sweetie Has No Pockmarks. The second iteration of The Art Wall Project features the sculptures made by Stephanie H. Shih. Best known for her ceramic groceries, Shih’s work explores ideas of home and nostalgia through the lens of food. Her installation at the museum will feature bags of rice to consider how Asian identity has been flattened through stereotypes and to reclaim this pantry staple as a touchpoint of Asian American identity. Runs through May 14.

Flashback

WITH OHA

UP CNY’s hot air history

BY JORDAN SCOTT

Balloons made headlines earlier this year, capturing the world’s attention with mystery and speculation. Central New York has its own piece of hot air history. As early as 1857, balloons took flight in Onondaga County. The Standard newspaper reported on two aeronauts that year: Professor John H. Steiner and Monsieur Alexander Morat. Morat’s flights were often powered by Syracuse Gas Light Company and launched near Mr. Ritchie’s Grocery Establishment across from the First Baptist Church, which was on the corner of West Genesee and Franklin streets. The Standard described one of Morat’s September 1857 events this way: “The streets were filled with, and the roofs of the buildings, in all parts of the city, covered with people nearly the whole of the afternoon, but the number who went inside the enclosure was comparatively small.” Perhaps the crowd looked similar to the photo at right, which was taken in Clinton Square between the mid-1870s and 1880s. That October, Lavina King rode with Morat and H.A. Barnum. She described her flight to The Standard, “To be seated as eosily [sic] as in an arm-chair, then rise aloft so gently that motion is imperceptible, and float away as gracefully and easily as a bird or

A hot air balloon in Clinton Square, circa 1870-1880.

PHOTO COURTESY OHA

a cloud, produced emotions and sensations which we who enjoyed them could hardly realize, much

High Life Festival, the Salt City Hot Air Balloon

less describe... I was astonished at the distinctness

Festival, Coors Light Balloon Festival and later the

of outline, which all objects presented, even the

Jamesville Balloon Festival at Jamesville Beach

furrows in the ploughed fields and the ties in the

Park. The Jamesville Balloon Festival became a

railroad track being distinguishable.”

COVID casualty in 2020 and has failed to get off the

Onondaga County has been flying balloons in all

ground since, but the colorful images continue to

seasons since the 19th century. But more recently,

float in our collective memory today.

balloons hit the skies starting in 1979 with the Miller

Jordan Scott is assistant archivist at OHA.

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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Last word

WITH

MARIE ADORNATO President, Spybaby Bridal & Prom BY M J K RAV EC

It is officially prom season. So we went to prom queen Marie Adornato, who’s been in the prom (and bridal) business for 27 years. While managing her business, she’s also owner and lead designer of Adornato Couture Bridal, adjunct professor of entrepreneurial studies at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, wife and mom. We wanted to know how she juggles her roles and what keeps her going during the prom season rush. What time do you get up in the morning and how do you take your coffee? As an entrepreneur, I am not on a schedule. Since my factories are in various time zones, I sometimes don’t go to bed. My U.S. customers will sometimes comment how responsive I am, even at 3 a.m.! Typically, I try to work around my children’s schedules to be there for their important activities and special events. My coffee? Always as sweet as I can get it. What’s your favorite spot to enjoy the great outdoors in CNY? Spots around CNY I enjoy are Green Lakes, Skaneateles and Vespa Stables. I’m always looking for an inspirational location for a photoshoot for my gowns. All of these places are peaceful, organically moody, balancing and

Jon Cryer and Molly Ringwald in the 1986 romantic comedy “Pretty in Pink.”

beautiful. are 24/7 and I’m constantly communicating with Favorite season? My favorite season would be late

manufacturers working to get inventory delivered

spring/early summer, symbolic of new growth. My

on time. Dance music is always a must during

favorite flower, the peony, is most healthy during

prom season, allowing me to channel my “Disco

this time.

Marie” title from my high school days. So, it’s pretty fast paced.

What are you binge watching right now? I’m all about binge watching while I’m working on

Do you have a favorite prom movie?

projects at home overnight. Right now, “Shooter,”

Favorite prom movie, of course, is “Pretty in Pink,”

is the action series on Netflix that I am watching.

but [musical comedy] “The Prom” is amazing also.

But I tend to like various genres of series.

What’s a typical day like for you during the prom

of the “Say Yes to the Dress” television show on

dress rush?

TLC. That’s pretty cute.

A typical day during prom for me is consulting

In store, there’s always a TikTok being shot where

with customers on the most suitable styles and

we pull in customers to add to the fun. When a

colors for their specific personality. The phone is

customer finds her gown, she takes a photo with

ringing off the hook, my social media messages

her family with her ‘She Said Yes’ sign.”

CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE

M AY/J U N E

PHOTO COURTESY MARIE ADORNATO

Your boutique has its own social media version

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Salt City Artisans 226 Hawley Avenue, Syracuse

BeeKind 118 Milton Avenue, Syracuse

The Station 603 603 E. Seneca Street, Manlius

Carol Watson Greenhouse 2980 Sentinel Heights Road, LaFayette

Synple 70 Main Street, Camillus

Center Street Market 106 Center Street, Canastota

The Wren’s Den 2756 W. Seneca Turnpike, Marcellus

The Curd Nerd 2800 James Street, Syracuse

Wildflowers Armory 217 S. Salina Street, Syracuse

Drooz + Company 36 E. Genesee Street, Skaneateles Epicuse 334 S. Salina Street, Syracuse Fringed Benefits 6825 E. Genesee Street, Fayetteville Golden Bee Bookshop 324 1st Street, Liverpool H. Grey Supply Co. 53 Albany Street, Cazenovia Olive + Fern 19 North Street, Marcellus Paola Kay Gifts 105 Brooklea Drive, Fayetteville Parthenon Books 333 S. Salina Street, Syracuse The River’s End Bookstore 19 W. Bridge Street, Oswego

The award-winning Central New York Magazine arrives in mailboxes six times a year. www.readcnymagazine.com

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