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Now P l ay i n g

by BRIAN MILLER

NOW

TABLE

PLAY

ING

HOPP

ING

As the COVID crisis continues to force folks to stay indoors, Hollywood, like the rest of the world, has been forced to adapt. As I mentioned last month with ONWARD, many studios are making the proactive approach of sending theatrical releases straight to video on demand. As a result, Dreamworks made the decision to release one of their most anticipated family films of the year, TROLLS WORLD TOUR, in this manner on April 10.

I was just as surprised as anyone when the original TROLLS was released, and it wasn’t terrible. After the shocking success of THE

LEGO MOVIE, a movie that, when first announced, convinced me that creativity had officially died, I should have learned to stop doubting the Hollywood machine. THE LEGO MOVIE was one of the best animated movies of the decade, launching spin-offs on both the big and small screen. But, with TROLLS, it was tough for me to get on board. We’re talking about a movie based on toys that I didn’t even really like as a kid, and were best suited for bingo bragging rights. How could things possibly turn out well?

Somehow, once again, they did. With bright colors, buoyant use of music, likable characters, and a playful ensemble cast, it surpassed the expectations of most by not being awful. In fact, it was a family film that was crowd-pleasing by any inconceivable measure. When all was said and done, it grossed $346 million worldwide, and spawned the jovial sequel, WORLD TOUR.

If TIGER KING was a perfect form of escapism for adults during the quarantine, TROLLS WORLD TOUR provides that same type of relief for kids. As it turns out, the world we were introduced to in the first film isn’t the only realm of Trolls that exist. There are others out there that represent different genres of music. While Poppy (Anna Kendrick), Branch (Justin Timberlake) and the rest of their pals live in the pop world, the lands of

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Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom) intent on taking over every troll land for herself

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techno, country, funk, classical, and rock are all uniquely different. Though most are oblivious to the existence of the others, the rock group, led by Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom) intend to take over all of the other lands, converting everyone into rock zombies.

As was the case in their first adventure, Dreamworks did a bang up job of creating another visually stunning world the key to the success full of color and texture of TROLLS lies not in the ability to tell a story, but to engage its audience with splendid, bursting color, clever animation, and a bunch of catchy tunes. While I would have preferred to see in the theaters, there is something to be said for the ability to watch it in crystal-clear 4K. It really allowed me to focus on the unique world that unfurled before my eyes. The utilization of different textures and fabrics to craft a dazzlingly splendid universe is an aspect that I admittedly didn’t TROLLS WORLD TOUR appreciate fully the first time around. In WORLD TOUR, however, it is abundantly RATED: PG clear that directors Walt Dohrn and David P. Smith went to great lengths to ensure RUN TIME: 1h 30min that there was always something beautiful to see on the screen.

GENRE: Animation, Adventure,

While I prefer my animation with a bit more heft (ONWARD, for example) Comedy STARRING: Anna Kendrick, Justin there is no denying that the target audience for WORLD TOUR will surely adore it.

Timberlake, Rachel Bloom Lively, funny, and spirited, it is the type of inoffensive, mindless entertainment that many kids need right now. Couple that with the fact that it expounds on the impor- DIRECTORS: Walt Dohrn, David P. Smith tance of tolerance, acceptance, and friendship, it becomes pretty difficult to fault it WRITERS: Jonathan Aibel, in any significant way. While it may not prove to be the most memorable movie for Glenn Berger you, I’m confident that your children will find it far more impactful.

GRADE: BTROLLS WORLD TOUR: B-

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Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake), our heros from the first film, happy and completely oblivious to the other Troll lands that exist.

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Sounds Of Syracuse

by CHUCK SCHIELE

Diana Jacobs Talks About the Soul of her Music As a winner at the 2018 and 2020 SAMMY (Syracuse Area Music) Awards, Diana Jacobs is a versatile vocalist, pianist, percussionist, songwriter, and producer who throws a knockout punch of funk... while soothing your soul with a sweet groove. Diana explores her love of many genres through a variety of collaborations. Along with her husband, Mettis Jacobs (bassist/guitarist), Diana founded the Diana Jacobs Band, a high-energy funk, soul, R&B horn band comprised of stellar players from all over CNY. Their all-original album, Good Metticine, earned them the 2018 SAMMY Award for Best R&B Recording.

Diana’s blues collaboration brings together some of Syracuse’s finest blues players to present a unique mix of blues and jazz. She released an album with this project that recently received the 2020 SAMMY award for Best Blues Recording. This all-original album, What She Needs, also features a performance by Grammy-winning trumpeter/ flugelhornist, Randy Brecker!

With these groups, Diana has performed at some of the biggest festivals in CNY including The Great NYS Fair, Oswego Harborfest, and Alexandria Bay’s Blues in the Bay Festival. Diana has also been a part of several regional shows as a backing vocalist and as a lead vocalist, most notably the 2019 Rochester Hall of Fame Show (singing behind Gary Wright, John Hall of Orleans, and Al Jardine of The Beach Boys), the 2019 Lou Reed

Bikers e! m Welco

Sammy award winning vocalist, pianist, percussionist, songwriter and producer, Diana Jacobs.

Tribute Show at the Syracuse Area Music Awards Ceremony (original members of his late 70’s band), Paulie Cerra’s Hometown Showdown 2017 and 2018, and The Great Salt City Blues Show 4. Additionally, she has recorded backing vocals in the studio for various projects including the SAMMY-nominated Chris Terra album, Lady Luck, as well as studio tracks for Little Georgie & the Shuffling Hungarians. And Diana brings it all down to a low simmer when in more intimate settings with her duo or her jazz trio.

Let’s meet this special lady!

Chuck Schiele: First things first: Congratulations on your recent win at the SAMMYs! Diana Jacobs: Thank you, Chuck.

CS: Tell me a bit about the album.... how it came together... the story....

DJ: Well… my full band, Diana Jacobs Band, had evolved over the course of several years from playing a pretty balanced mix of blues and R&B to focusing more on funk, soul, and R&B… which I love! It is very much the right genre for our band as a whole, and it has been exciting to watch our musical personalities grow together into what we are as a collective entity ORDER ONLINE NOW! today. I can’t say enough about how much I love 315-343-2671 OR 315-343-1247 being part of DJB. But that transition left me missing playing and singing the blues. Also, as my husband, Mettis and I did a lot of casual jamming at open mics and private jam sessions over several years, we gained some dear friends who are stellar musicians. I saw a blues/jazz recording project as a chance to work with some of these players. But it wasn’t until our friend, Irv Lyons Jr, said to me, “I want to write a song with you” that the ball really got rolling. He had come up with a great hook and a chord progression for the tune, “Your Love Is All I Need,” and he kind of let me take it from there. We jumped into the studio with Edgar Pagan, Richie Melito and Nate Felty, who was in town from Nashville at the time, and we recorded three tunes at More Sound Studios. It was magic. I know that sounds silly, but that was how it felt for me. Something happened that was really beautiful and What She Needs was born as much by happenstance as by design. Other musicians (the list is long) were willing to join in as I added songs, while

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THE DIANA JACOBS BAND the rhythm section (Edgar Pagan and Nate Felty) remained constant throughout the album.

CS: So, how long have you been playing? How did it all begin?

DJ: I can’t really remember not playing some kind of instrument and singing. First was harmonica. Then I got my Sears Silvertone acoustic guitar at seven-years-old and started lessons at the YMCA, shifted to piano at 11, and learned to play drums in my late teens. I started my first band when I was 14 after winning a contest through WSEN radio station.

The prize was a one-hour, in-studio concert at the station. We killed it. Ha! I’m not even sure how many bands I’ve played in since then. A lot. I started college as a music major (light opera and classical voice) at University of Alaska in Fairbanks, but after hearing the back-up plan speech one too many times from my family, I decided to change my major to something more sensible. I enjoyed a wonderful career in education… over 30 years.

Throughout those years, I continued to play gigs part time until recently making the plunge into full-time music. My timing was impeccable.

CS: What or who influences you and your music?

DJ: My goodness, the influences are endless. Vocalists who inspired me most during my formative years include Linda Ronstadt, Aretha Franklin, Ann Wilson, Bonnie Rait and CeCe Winans. I learned everything they ever recorded. But there have been many others.

Stevie Wonder, Carole King, and Al Green, for instance, have been inspirations for me as a songwriter. Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald helped me fall in love with jazz.

When I was 19, I met my husband, Mettis, who took me to church, literally and figuratively. I received a powerful introduction to gospel music and, consequently, to the blues.This became the foundation for virtually all of my musical life after that.

CS: Aside from the recent SAMMY win, what other career highlights do you recall?

DJ: Hands down, having Grammy-winning trumpeter and flugelhornist, Randy Brecker, play on “Sway” was the most mind-blowing. Still can’t believe that happened… many thanks to Edgar Pagan. My dream gig has always been to be a part of a backing vocal trio for a kick-ass band, so when I was given the opportunity to sing behind Gary Wright, John Hall (Orleans) and Al Jardine (Beach Boys) with the amazing band that backed them at the Rochester Hall of Fame Show in 2018, I felt like I got pretty close to achieving that dream. Big thanks to the incomparable Jimmy Richmond for that opportunity. Singing backing vocals with my regular singing partner and bandmate, Sue Ferlenda, for both of

continued on pg 6

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VOLUME 42 NO. 5

NOW PLAYING by Brian Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 SOUNDS OF SYRACUSE by Chuck Schiele. . . . . . . 4 SPORTS TAKE by Mike Lindsley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 GOLF by D. Johnston. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 HOME IMPROVEMENT by David Provance. . . . . . 15 COMPUTERS by Nancy Roberts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 EXERCISE & FITNESS by Jennifer Nastasi Guzelak. . 20 BREW TIME by Kristin Merritt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 STREAMING FLICKS by Brian Miller. . . . . . . . . . . 22 MY MIND TO YOURS by Debra Merryweather . . . 28 TALES FROM THE VINE by Steven Lay. . . . . . . . . . . 32 WORD ON THE STREET by Bill McClellan. . . . . . . 34

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Diana Jacobs Talks About the Soul of her Musicc continued from pg 5 Paulie Cerra’s Hometown Showdown concerts, as well as the Lou Reed Tribute performance at last year’s SAMMYs show were also highlights for me. We have George Rossi to thank for all of that. There’s always someone to thank. I don’t have many accolades, but I’ve been given many opportunities to collaborate with those who do, and I appreciate every one.

CS: What would you tell a person at the beginning stages of their musical journey?

DJ: Music has saved my life. It has been the place I go to make myself healthy again when the world has worn down my spirit. It’s a beautiful gift. A musician should never forget the true value of music. If choosing music as a career, I think it’s important to define what you want your music career to look like. It can take so many forms in the modern world. Then, I wouldn’t say have a “back-up plan,” but I would say it’s necessary to educate yourself in every facet of that career. If you want to make great albums, learn how to market and sell great albums. If you want to share your music on a virtual platform, learn the technology. If you want to play gigs/concerts, learn how to network and put bodies in the seats. When it’s a career, just knowing music isn’t enough… unfortunately.

CS: Tell us your thoughts on the Central New York music community?

DJ: It’s a love and less-than-love relationship for me. Over the last decade it has felt like a mini renaissance is happening for live music in this area. I have enjoyed, until recently of course, being able to catch a band just about any night of the week at a variety of really cool venues, and I get to play regularly with my full horn band as well as with my duo. With the music that is being written and produced in the world-class recording studios here, Central New York has become a hub of creativity. These are all wonderful things, but we have developed a culture here that gives music away for free. In most cities that have an active music scene, there is either a cover charge for bands or there is a tip expectation established. A band can play for tips because people actually tip.

Speaking as a bandleader, I have to say that our current system makes it very difficult for me to pay my players a fair wage. I do, but I often have to turn down work in places I love to play because what they are paying just won’t work. I don’t blame club owners.

They have bills to pay too. The current system hurts club owners and musicians: two significant parts of the live-music equation. If our music scene is to continue to thrive, something needs to change.

CS: I don’t want this article to be COVID related but, alas it has to be. The relevant next question being what are you doing with your music under the influence of the Covid-19 situation?

DJ: At first, I needed a break from music, so I embraced the opportunity to shut down for a while. I had been working through a bit of writer’s block while in the thick of recording a new album with DJB. Writer’s block is the worst. In the last couple of weeks, though, I’ve been listening to the tracks we’ve already recorded and I’m falling in love with the songs we’ve written all over again. The musical ideas are flowing again. The lyr-

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ics are coming again. This new album is going to be better than our last. The time now to dive in and be creative is priceless, but I miss my band terribly. We inspire each other in a way that I have never experienced before. I can’t wait to just rehearse, write, and arrange together again. Being in the same room making music with other humans better not be a thing of the past.

CS: I sure do hope to see you out there, soon, Diana. How can we stay in touch with you and your music until the bright day comes along?

DJ: Please visit my website at dianajacobs.net, view the calendar, and sign up for my email list. Also, check out the facebook pages for Diana Jacobs Band and my blues project. Hopefully, I’ll be catching one of your shows too, Chuck. Very soon. Thanks so much for including me among your interviewees, and for all you do for CNY musicians.

-Chuck Schiele 858 663 9612 “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” ~Albert Einstein

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Sports Take

by MIKE LINDSLEY

I Miss Sports.

First and foremost, thank you to the front lines during COVID-19. The doctors and nurses and service workers everywhere trying to keep us safe. We appreciate you. You deserve a party after this is done. You put yourself and your families at risk every day and sacrifice everything. THANK YOU. We know that’s the most important thing. There are bigger things going on than a LeBron James dunk or an Alexander Ovechkin slapper from the high point on the power-play or an extra inning blast from Mookie Betts.

Unidentified bodies are being buried in New York City. People in their 30’s and 40’s are dying with sons and daughters and wives and husbands left behind. Far more important than Yankees-Red Sox or a Masters Sunday or a horse starting its quest for a Triple Crown at Churchill Downs.

Carrier Dome Still, I miss sports. You miss sports. We all miss sports. And you know what? That’s ok.

It’s ok to miss sports because they matter. They fill our hearts with emotion and bring out the “fan” in fanatic. They bring us together. We want to predict what Tiger Woods will do as a Masters repeat champion as he approaches his mid-40’s because we love golf. And then we all want to go play golf. We want to fill out our NCAA Tournament brackets because we have done it for years. The Stanley Cup Playoffs represent grit and heart and blood and sweat and tears and it very well may be the best playoff in all of sports. Hockey fans love it and it’s a part of their lives. Sports give us something every day. They give us something to look forward to. They make us feel good or bad depending on who wins and loses, but we always buckle-up for another ride. It provides

continued on pg 8

our passion. It provides us with a diversion.

And man do we need a diversion. Many are taking issue with the NFL Draft going on as planned as of this writing. Not this guy. Technology has never been better and running the Draft as scheduled checks a lot of boxes. It follows the protocol of COVID-19, maximizes our technology, gives us a diversion and allows the “business as usual” approach that this country is so good at. Maybe this will actually get people in the right frame of mind for, who knows, six days?

For the record, I am hoping for the best and expecting the worst when it comes to sports coming back in 2020. I have already said they are not returning and of course I hope I am wrong. There are just too many layers. It’s not simple and easy just dumping Major League Baseball in Arizona, creating a biodome from outer space and social distancing players in the stands before at-bats. They all touch the same ball, they stand

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I Miss Sports continued from pg 7 next to each other at all bases. You need people to work at hotels and elsewhere, there is travel involved and on and on it goes. No fans at NHL or NBA arenas? There is still spit and sweat flying between competitors. Golf? Tennis? Horse racing? Same as baseball in many cases. NFL and college football? There’s equipment and protection, but still contact, and what about post-game when the players are all together in a locker room sweating and showering and closer than the six feet we are all still supposed to be keeping?

And then we have the four extra factors. 1. The possible return of the virus in the Fall.

2. Every state working at a different pace with different rules. 3. People being inconsistent in following the rules. 4. Someone, anyone, getting it once we think we have fully “flattened the curve” at a sporting event. Could you imagine pulling everything back at a game and starting over with this thing?

We have a long way to go. This has been called the invisible enemy and unprecedented and all the other things you have heard on TV or podcast shows and have read in article after article. Our peak as of this writing hasn’t even arrived. New York City is a mess. Somehow, we can still fly on an airplane. Somehow, public golf courses are closed in New York State, but people can flood into Wal-Mart and Wegman’s for mustard and potato chips and break every rule in the COVID-19 handbook.

Nothing is consistent. Nothing makes sense. Nothing seems right. Nothing seems

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2018: Washington Capitals winning the Stanley Cup positive. Nothing seems normal.

And nothing is more abnormal in the United States of America than not having sports. We love our teams and players and venues and match-ups.

I miss seeing a Tiger Woods putt drop from 15 feet with the crowd roaring. I miss Steph’s 3’s and Federer’s serve. I miss the #1-ranked Syracuse men’s lacrosse team and I missed my St. Bonaventure Bonnies in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. I missed all of college basketball’s tournaments and the Big Dance itself. I miss high school athletes going for state titles. I miss my New York Yankees. I miss Mike Trout’s bombs to the outfield seats. I miss Jacob deGrom’s fastball. I miss Francisco Lindor’s smile and Juan Soto’s swing. I miss baseball every single damn day.

And if there’s no sports until 2021? I am going to miss my beloved Buffalo Bills who are on the rise and Derek Jeter getting inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

I am going to miss Auburn-Alabama and the first bit of the next seasons of the NBA, NHL, college football and basketball, MLB in October, Saratoga Race Course, tennis’ Grand Slams, golf’s majors and the Ryder Cup and everything in-between.

I miss sports. I will continue to miss sports. I’m in sports media. It’s my livelihood.

It’s my passion. It’s my hobby. It’s what I do. It’s what I talk about. And I’m a fan too, which is where it all started, just like you. And I won’t apologize for missing sports due to COVID-19.

And neither should you.

PAGE 9 • May 2020

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The Write Stuff

by NANCY ROBERTS

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs Published: 2011 Yes, I’m coming very late to the “Miss Peregrine” party. I discovered the book on an early-virus-stockup trip to BJ’s, and was intrigued by the cover (a little girl, in an Art Deco crown that reminded me of the illustrations in my mother’s 100-year-old copy of “Dorothy and The Wizard in Oz,” floating in the air). It was sufficiently strange, as was the choice of font for the title and, naturally, the name of the book.

Along with the name of the author: Ransom Riggs. I also admit to trying to find out of the author’s name is real, but all the public information I can discover about him reads almost identically, and gives no clues except that, as a child who attended a school for gifted children, he probably based some of his story biographically. Which, of course, is not to say his real life could possibly have been as odd, off, and more than slightly scary as is his novel. Still, the name “Ransom” carries with it the hero of C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy, a payment made to rescue someone, and the sacrifice of self for the good of

others. So it makes you wonder.

Young adult fiction, I’m convinced, is really written for those adults - like me who never entirely grew up as readers. We still love to dwell in fantastical worlds, where heroes win, magic is real, and things go bump in the night. Nevertheless, the book is classified “young adult,” and here I would caution parents of young readers to read along with your impressionable kids.

When the Harry Potter series came out, I wrote a group review of novels over an approximately 80 year span that dealt with magical children who save the world. It’s a theme that has been worked, and reworked, many times, yet never grows old.

While there are nail-biting elements in these stories, they essentially are goodagainst-evil tales, where we’re rooting for the good

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continued on pg 12

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Dining Out

by Kerilyn E. Micale

It seems like everything has changed these days and you may be searching for anything that reminds you of what life used to be. I am happy to report that one thing that you can still count on is that Avicolli’s is still making delicious food and proudly serving hungry Central New Yorkers! Whether you are looking for amazing pizza and wings or an Italian feast, Avicolli’s has got you covered! Avicolli’s Restaurant is conveniently located at 7839 Oswego Rd. in Liverpool and due to COVID-19 they are open for car side take out or delivery only. The current hours are Monday through Thursday from 4 pm until 9 pm, on Friday and Saturday from 11 am until 10 pm, and on Sunday from 11 am until 9 pm. Place your order online through their website at www. myavicollis.com, or by phone at 315-622-5100.

Avicolli’s has been a shining example of amazing Italian cuisine for decades. One of the things that makes a meal at Avicolli’s so amazing is that in 1972 when the Avicolli Family migrated to the United States from Isernia, Italy, they brought with them old family recipes that they continue to prepare for hungry customers to this day! They have

Bruschetta, a scrumptious helping of charred ciabatta crostini topped with marinated grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil finished with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze.

truly mastered the balance of using the traditional recipes while bringing in a modern twist on these classic flavors. When it comes to entrée selections you absolutely cannot go wrong with any of the mouthwatering options. Avicolli’s regulars swear that the eggplant is the best in town. Choose from the Melanzane Parmigiana (with layers of battered and fried eggplant baked in a house made tomato sauce, topped with mozzarella and finished perfectly in the oven) or Melanzane Rolatine (battered and fried eggplant rolled and stuffed with seasoned ricotta and cream cheese with house made tomato sauce topped with mozzarella cheese and finished in the oven). If you are a seafood lover you’ve got to try the Lobster Ravioli (tender ravioli stuffed with claw and knuckle, simmered in a garlic cream finished with spinach) or the Gamberetti E Aspargi (loaded with extra large shrimp and asparagus sautéed with olive oil, garlic and Italian seasonings tossed with farfalle pasta.) They have an amazing selection of chicken and veal dishes including parmigiana, franciase, marasala and scallopini. For something super cheesy and melty choose the Baked Combo Italiano (two shells, one manicotti and three ravioli in house made tomato sauce with romano and mozzarella cheeses) from the pasta al forno section. No matter what you choose, rest assured that there is no bad choice on the entire menu!

I don’t know about you but it is starting to feel like “Ground Hog’s Day.” Wake up, work online from home, walk the dog, make dinner, go to bed; rinse and repeat! On a sunny Saturday my husband and I decided to do something to break the cycle, and what better

What’s one of the best dishes in Upstate NY? Utica greens! Greens sautéed with pancetta, hot peppers, and our special blend of seasoned cracker crumbs.

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way to do that than “dining out” (while dining in!) at one of our favorite restaurants in town. So, we called up Avicolli’s and made an unusual request; I said “we love everything on your menu so make a few selections and tell me when to pick it up!” Let me just say this was a fun and absolutely scrumptious surprise meal! We told them what type of vehicle we’d be in and upon our arrival we were greeted by the super friendly staff and sent on our way home! Once we got home, we unpacked our brown bag of deliciousness and split everything! The first was an appetizer, Bruschetta, a scrumptious helping of charred ciabatta crostini topped with marinated grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil Cracked pepper steak pasta finished with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze. This dish was light and flavorful and made me think of summer!

We also had an appetizer that is the ultimate CNY appetizer, Utica Style Greens; beautiful greens sautéed with pancetta, hot peppers, and their special blend of seasoned cracker crumbs; always a favorite and a perfect complement to eat with Avicolli’s awesome garlic

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knots! We moved on to the fresh and crisp garden salad with Italian balsamic and a generous portion of crumbly blue! For entrees we split a new favorite, Cracked Pepper Steak Pasta, with a generous portion of tender cracked pepper beef sirloin, onions, mushrooms and red peppers in a red wine tomato sauce and topped with blue cheese crumbles, all served over rigatoni. I had never even thought to order this before but I most certainly will order it again! Our last dish was another fantastic CNY classic, Chicken Riggies Alla Vodka, with plump pieces of chicken breast perfectly sautéed with red onions and hot cherry peppers with vodka sauce, tossed with mezza rigatoni and finished with asiago cheese. Even though sports have been cancelled I can affirmatively say that this meal was an absolute home run!

Don’t forget that Avicolli’s also has some of the best pizza in town. Their NY Style Pizza comes in 10” Personal, 14” Medium, 16” Large, 16” Deep Dish, 32 Slice Sheet Pizza and Sicilian Thick Crust. Be sure to try one of their specialty pizzas like the Utica Greens Pizza (a square pan style topped with mozzarella & their own special blend of sauce, grated cheese, herbs, and extra virgin olive oil) and Chicken Broccoli (tender pieces of chicken, broccoli, fresh tomatoes, Romano, mozzarella, & extra virgin olive oil on a garlic base).

Even if you aren’t in the mood for takeout these days you can still purchase Avicolli’s gift cards to use once this is all over! Be sure check out Avicolli’s Facebook and Instagram pages to keep up to date with specials and news! And treat yourself to a great meal at Avicolli’s today!

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Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children continued from pg 9 and the good wins.

This book is more along the lines of The Wizard of Oz and its ilk: there is magic, there are strange and even disturbing or frightening characters (flying monkeys, chained baby dragons, and invisible bears, for example), and our hero or heroine isn’t tasked

The cast of peculiar children from the film

with saving the world so much as saving him or herself, and a group of friends and allies.

One of the delights of this book is the inclusion of strategically placed photographs throughout the book. An integral part of the story, both artistically and plot-wise, the photos are themselves strange and unusual (if you remember a similar line from a movie, it’s another piece of fiction I’d put in the same category, but with added humor).

Some of them are even disturbing, as they depict mostly children who are - peculiar.

I can’t help but wonder if the author lingered over the name of the children, or if it was the idea of the name that birthed the book. Peculiar isn’t a word we use often these days, and it carries with it not just a tang of “old-fashioned,” but brings to mind carnival side-shows, certain artists, and behavior that’s not quite right somehow. And indeed, the children in the story are peculiar, though not because of anything they choose to do,

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just because of what they are.

Our hero starts out as just another early teen who happens to be gifted, from a wealthy and slightly dysfunctional family, and who is thrown into a quest to discover the truth about his grandfather when the old man dies suddenly and rather horribly.

His quest takes him to a remote island off Wales where he finds out he is more than the odd kid at school, and that there are others like himself. And because he continues to walk between two worlds - his “normal” life and the one of the other peculiars at Miss Peregrine’s Home - he not only is poised to battle their mortal enemy, but he’s also faced with a choice: to continue to live in the world he’s always known, or forsake it and embrace his unusual fate.

As with many young adult category books, once the characters have been introduced, neither the writer nor we want to abandon them until their story has played out completely - so Riggs has made Jacob’s story a series. Not only that, but a 2016 film of the story is available for streaming; ideal for socially-distanced entertainment!

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Golf

by D. Johnston

Power Moves: Your Innate Swing Unleashed How would you describe a perfect shot? Every golfer can relate to the indescribable feeling of hitting the “sweetspot”.

Golf is often referred to as the ultimate game of feel, yet the majority of instruction focuses on technical perfection. Do you believe that poor shots are the result of a neglected fundamental; lifting the head or bending the left elbow or dipping the shoulder or...

Your innate sense of feel isn’t based on how much you can remember, but rather on your ability to forget all the technical imperatives for one-and-a-half seconds and just hit the damn ball!

If you’ve ever hit a perfect shot then you have the ability. The key to re-creating those shots is developing a physical trigger that short-circuits the analytical process and allows you to swing freely.

Sounds complicated doesn’t it?

Regardless of skill level, any golfer can develop a unique trigger that allows you to consistently play to the best of your ability.

The routine can be as simple as tapping the ground once (Brandt Snedeker) or twirling the club (Phil Mickelson) or hitching the pants (Jim Furyk). Any action that a continued on pg 14

Overlooking Beautiful Otisco Lake For the devout golfer, the essence of the game is discovering the recipe to consistently re-create that effortless feeling. The biggest misconception for the average golfer is believing the evanescent feeling is a by-product of proper technique.

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Power Moves: Your Innate Swing Unleashed continued from pg 13 player repeats consistently is their unique power move or switch to transition from thinking to feeling.

While every player is unique, there are three common elements in every effective trigger: (1) the player’s posture becomes upright. In other words, the trigger reminds them to stand tall. (2) The player keeps moving until he/she feels ready. Motion is the pathway to feeling. (3) A trigger typically lasts between three and five seconds. For most golfers, this is the optimum time frame to start the swing.

How do you discover your trigger?

Close your eyes and recall your last perfect shot. Can you see the target? Rewind the memory and watch yourself selecting the club and preparing to hit the shot. Focus on the feeling as you address the ball. Did you know the shot was going to be good? Repeat the memory until you can consciously re-create the optimum feel.

Every round has at least one perfect shot. It might be a two-hundred-and-fifty- yard drive or a four-foot putt.Whenever you hit a perfect shot, hang onto the feeling as long as possible. Have you ever seen a tour Professional hold their finish position? Ever wonder what they’re waiting for?

Now you know.

I look forward to helping you discover the innate ability every golfer has when they learn how to move beyond swing mechanics.

nt & Loun a r u a t ge Res

Thanks for reading!

Dave Johnston, B.A., Psychology, is a retired member of the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association and Director of Instruction at Bloomington Downs Golf Centre in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. He has taught over eleven-thousand lessons during a thirty-two- year career. He currently teaches private lessons three days a week. Dave is a self-published, award-winning author focused on helping “average” golfers break through common misconceptions in traditional instruction. For simple lessons in various formats, please visit: http://www.davejohnstongolf.com.

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Home Improvement

by DAVID PROVANCE

Six Steps to a Low Maintenance Landscape When you decide to have your property undergo landscaping, you should consider not only the final appearance and the total project cost of the project, but also how demanding the maintenance will be. And this is not something that you should put as your second priority. You no doubt are a busy homeowner and time is always of the • Vinyl • Aluminum essence, thus you need a landscape design that does not demand that you pay more time than you have. You need low-maintenance landscape • design plan!Link • Stockade • aPressure Treated Chain Here•are six tips to help you plan a low-maintenance landscape design.

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1. Buy Long-Lasting Landscape Materials • High-Quality, Hardware • Bagged Concrete

If you are trying to limit your budget, you may end up purchasing cheap landscape materials. Inexpensive is okay as long as they are of high-quality and long lasting. But in most cases, you get what you pay for. And if you purchase cheap landscape material, you may end up spending more in the long run. Buy high-quality and long-lasting landscape materials right from the beginning - those that do not require frequent replacement. Fences, sidewalks, seating structures, furniture, steps, decks, patios, trellises, and gazebos should be sturdy and durable.

A beautiful example of densly planted flowers and having less lawn by putting down a stunning walkway.

A good low-maintenance alternative to lawn is moss. Moss can adapt to areas where grass refuses to grow. Another low-maintenance grass alternative is clover. Clovers are a cost-effective, insect-resistant, and drought-tolerant ground cover and an excellent alternative for grass. continued on pg 18

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2. Keep Your Lawn Area to a Minimum

Landscaped yards with lawns are beautiful. But lawns can be expensive and high-maintenance. Raking and edging consumes an incredible amount of money and time, not to mention the regular liming, fertilizing, mowing, watering, rolling, thatching, and application of pesticides just to keep a lawn well maintained. Use plants, ground covers, shrubs, and easy-to-care-for trees to substitute for the excessive open lawn space.

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Business of Interest

by NANCY ROBERTS

Boom Boom Mex Mex Once upon a time, in the early 2000s, a couple, Tom and Lupe Bryan, opened a Mexican restaurant in Camillus, New York. Before long, they had an enthusiastic and loyal following - Central New Yorkers are nothing if not loyal fans. They served carefully crafted, authentic Mexican foods - burritos, tacos, quesadillas, taco salads, homemade salsas, and heaping Nachos. Many people enjoyed coming to the colorful restaurant, but just as many enjoyed picking up an order to go sometimes more than once or twice a week!

And then the owners and creators of the restaurant, known by its cheer of a name - Boom Boom Mex Mex - who had traditionally been open from spring to fall and Owners Sean Lavin and his father then traveled to Mexico for the Bob Lavin winter - decided to retire. Their fans were dismayed.

But fortunately for Central New York, this story continues - happily. When the Bryans retired, the business was taken up by a restaurant owner from Utica, who remained open under the same name for 2 years.

Deciding to concentrate on just one location, he decided to close Boom Boom Mex Mex once again forcing Tom to put the building up for sale. Sean and Bob Lavin, looking for

investment properties, knew the spot - for one very good reason. They were huge fans of the food! But they also r ealized that if the business were to reopen as Boom Boom Mex Mex, it simply had to be Boom Booms. So a family council was called, and everyone agreed to pitch in.

Today, Sean Lavin is in charge of day to day operations for the restaurant (while continuing to conduct business as an investment analyst). His father Bob, after finishing his day at National Grid, comes out to put in a shift. Bob’s wife, Marybeth, a pharmacist during the day, along with their other son Chris, also with National Grid, pitches in as well. Even Bob’s mother Rose Anne helps with the cleaning of the restaurant. It’s labor, certainly, but a labor of love.

And while the family is meticulous about maintaining the recipes that made Boom Boom Mex Mex such a popular stop, Sean - an analyst, after

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all - is constantly looking for ways to improve without changing what people love. “During the summer we’ll go through 200 pounds of chicken a day,” he said. “When we realized it took several employees hours a day just to cut up the chicken, we invested in a chicken dicing machine.

Now all that work can be done in about an hour. That allows us to expand our hours and bring back lunches this year”.

Since none of the family had been in the restaurant business before, I wanted to know what was their biggest surprise. “When we opened the door that first day and there was a line wrapped around the front, waiting to get in!”

Their biggest fear? “Not being able to make the recipes exactly right. So we made sure they were perfect before we opened.”

Their biggest reward? “Having people tell us they’re so glad Boom Boom Mex Mex is back, and it’s just the way they remembered it!”

With customers coming back who enjoyed the food and the atmosphere for almost two decades, some of them as many as 5-6 times a week, Sean says they rely on not just the taste-tested recipes, but on large portions, plenty of extras like free guacamole with platters, and the fact that a family of four can eat - well - for under $40.

As the restaurant was gearing up for its second year, the virus shut-down that’s impacted so many, presented an additional challenge. “We still plan to open on May 2nd,” Sean says. “But we’re taking every precaution. Our employees are all trained, we’re following all the rules to the letter, and of course we’re already well-known for our take-out business, so we’re sure we can handle that for our customers. We’re looking forward to opening, seeing all our regulars, meeting some new customers, and making sure that Boom Booms is here for them this summer.”

“It’s about the community,” adds Bob. “We love our fans, they love Boom Booms, and we all love the food. It’s about love of the food.”

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Huge portions, time tested favorites, a love for the business and an amazing community.

Come check out Boom Booms for yourself on their facebook page!

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Six Steps to a Low Maintenance Landscape continued from pg 15

3. Avoid High-Maintenance or Problem Plants

Live oak, red maple, butterfly bushes, Virginia willow, dwarf bamboo, sedum, gardenias, rain lilies - these are some of the hard-to-maintain trees, shrubs, perennials, and ground covers you’ll want avoid. Instead, look for landscape plants that can adapt to extreme temperature; are more tolerant to dry or wet periods; more resistant to fungal problems, disease, and insects; and more adaptive to poor soil conditions.

4. Consider a Rock Garden

Using moss as a cover for less maintenance

5. Place Plants in Masses

Instead of using greens, why not use grays? A rock garden is an ideal Using rocks to take up space in a unique way substitute for high-maintenance plants, shrubs, lawns, and even trees.

Rock gardens do not require regular trimming, mowing, watering, etc.

Planting in masses not only assures that the plants grow densely and consistently but also makes mowing and trimming edges easier. These plant groupings can also obscure less-than-lovely fences, views of neighbors, or bins.

6. Place the Right Size Plants in the Right Places

Tall trees or large plants placed underneath electrical and utility lines, sheds, home windows, and doorway entries often need constant pruning to prevent them from exceeding the desired height and thickness. The problem is, during the planning, this is not thought about because any tree or plant is yet to be seen as a problem. Nonetheless, it is important to know the characteristics of the plants that you are planning to use in your landscape design. Ask the nursery owner for plants that grow within your desired height.

Get more gardening tips at our blog, On the Patio. And be sure to visit The Adirondack Market for more tips, tricks, and solutions to creating your luxury cabin lifestyle.

By supporting a small business you help support a dream, a family and so much more. Your purchase from our local businesses during this time is truly appreciated!

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Computers & the Web

by NANCY ROBERTS

Meet You Online?

The “lock-down” state of the country - the world - has put a tremendous burden on computer technology, and, as is usually the case, also created tremendous opportunity.

The entertainment and communication factor aside, businesses have been strained to continue in business while unable to work, other than in skeleton crew size, from the office.

Email, while a tool of immense value (you only have to imagine an isolating experience like this without it), isn’t always sufficient. Teams sometimes simply need to talk as a team.

Teleconferences are great, but as anyone who has used the voice-only technology knows, lacking visual cues can make for talking over one another, background noise from participants, and awkward pauses.

Enter online video conferencing.

Again, this isn’t new technology - but until recently, had been limited to very specific groups and particularly to presentation style meetings. GoToMeeting, for example, is an application that’s been used extensively in business for meetings and presentations since 2004. Originally just for computer, the system is now available in mobile and tablet apps, and a single meeting can be held for 1-1000 participants (price dependent). The application was most frequently used for one-to-many webinars, with chat and questions available in a chat window. Meetings could be recorded for further dissemination.

Some of the focus today has - of necessity - shifted to small team meetings, with or without a shared screen option. They’re being used heavily today for “socially distanced” weekly or even daily team meetings, with every user able to log in on a smart phone or computer, and the video windows of either a speaker or the entire team available, some of these applications are free or very inexpensive, and allow people to chat (one-to-one or one-to-many), and hold a meeting or discussion online. Zoom has made a big name for itself if for no other reason than so many video recordings (it will record and even transcribe a meeting depending on how much you want to spend, from free to somewhat pricey) of people either pretending to be, or actually in a Zoom meeting that, usually because the users are unfamiliar with the technology, went horribly wrong. That said, the Zoom option is actually quite user-friendly, and does facilitate an office group getting together to stay connected and conduct business remotely.

Google Hangouts was rolled out quite a while ago, and was generally used for a free online chat or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), and while it did have business adherents,

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was most often used the way texts are, but within the desktop/laptop environment. Now known as Hangouts Meet, the application has gained some traction in business, and can be used for 25 (free) up to 100 (for GSuite users), with recording available at the GSuite level.

Skype began as an online “phone call,” that enabled free (or low cost) calling anywhere in the world, as well as video calling. FaceTime made inroads into the face-to-face call market, and Skype for Business added enterprise calling for up to 10,000 for a webinar (one-tomany), as well as larger multi-participant meetings. Skype is now also being used for meetings, and will allow for recording.

There are as many as 50 commercially available applications available, ranging from a video chat between two people to a several thousand participant webinar, and we haven’t even touched on webcasts with chat support, which can reach tens of thousands with a live stream (and global reach).

Two conclusions are clear: if your business was caught without a meeting application before the virus altered the landscape, you are either searching for one now, and will no doubt have a selection in place either before, or soon after, business returns to business.

And, given that work-from-home-office was an increasingly popular option where on-site time wasn’t absolutely necessary, it’s likely that “the office” will have changed permanently when the lockdown is lifted. With more businesses adopting dial-in meetings, and getting used to that option as a means of getting together periodically, while online meetings can never replace a commercial presence altogether, the world will undoubtedly look at least somewhat different when we emerge on the other side.

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Exercise & Fitness

by JENNIFER NASTASI GUZELAK

Covid-19 and Your Mental Health Stress is a normal psychological and physical reaction to the demands of life. Everyone reacts differently to difficult situations, and it’s normal to feel stress and worry during a crisis. However, multiple challenges daily, such as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, can push you beyond your ability to cope.

We are a nation in crisis and many of us are struggling because of it. Worries and anxiety about COVID-19 and its impact can be overwhelming. It has likely brought many changes to how you live your life, and with it uncertainty, altered daily routines, financial pressures and social isolation. You may worry about getting sick, how long the pandemic will last and what the future will bring. Information overload, rumors and misinformation can make your life feel out of control and make it unclear what to do.

Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself feeling helpless, sad, angry, irritable, hopeless, anxious or afraid.

You may have trouble concentrating on typical tasks. You may have changes in appetite, body aches and pains, difficulty sleeping and struggle to complete your daily routine chores. This is a time to help one another and stay connected! Here are a few self-care strategies to help you and your loved one’s cope.

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Take Care of Your Body

• Get enough sleep. Even if you are self-quarantined, do your best to stick to your normal routine. Go to bed and get up at the same times each day.

• Exercise daily. Research indicates that even modest amounts of exercise can help relieve depression, anxiety and stress. Exercise includes a wide range of activities.

Even if it’s a 20-minute walk, any physical activity that gets you off the couch and moving counts.

• Make healthy food choices. It’s easy to turn to junk food and refined sugar at a time like this. Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live! Limit caffeine as it can aggravate stress and anxiety.

• Avoid excessive amounts of alcohol and tobacco use. Covid-19 affects the lungs, so if you smoke tobacco or vape, your risk increases even more. Although alcohol can be a source of stress release for many, using it to try to cope can make matters worse.

• Limit TV time. Make a conscious effort to spend less time in front of the television. Try doing a puzzle, reading continued on pg 24

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Brew Time

by KRISTIN MERRITT

QuaranBEERing Well folks, we’re in the thick of it, stuck at home or deemed an essential worker on the front-lines. Caring directly for COVID patients or homeschooling the kiddos. Revamping our small businesses to keep up with the current changes or looking for a new job altogether. Creating new recipes in our kitchens, wondering when toilet paper will be fully stocked on grocery store shelves, and getting used to wearing facemasks everywhere. Times are strange and social distancing has us missing our friends, our favorite bartenders, and simply the freedom to live our lives unhindered. So, what’s a craft beer lover to do? The good news is that you can still enjoy your favorite breweries, brews and find new ways to socialize, even if it isn’t within your favorite establishment.

Curb-side pickup, it’s not just for restaurants anymore!

Many of your favorite local breweries are adjusting their hours and have created a system so that they are able to bring beer right out to your vehicle when you pull up.

Talking Cursive Brewing Company (301 Erie Blvd West, Syracuse/ Creekwalk Commons) has an option (via their Facebook page) to order beer “now” or schedule a pick up time for later in the day.

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You can choose from a variety of options including canned beer, bottled beer, and draft beer freshly canned into a 32 oz. Crowler; add a few options to your cart and check out by entering your information, paying with a credit card (or a gift card if you have one to use – and don’t forget to leave a tip if you’re feeling generous!) and then driving on over to the brewery. When you get there, use your cell to call the brewery and they’ll deliver it right to you, without you ever even having to leave the comfort of your heated seats.

In some cases, breweries have even developed a way to deliver beer to you at your home! IBU Brewery (3703B Brewerton Rd, Syracuse) not only has a website to order beer for curb-side pickup, but will also deliver within a 15-mile radius to your house! (www. beermeibu.com) For pick-up they’ll fill your growler on their tap lines (see what’s available online) or you can choose from a variety of cans available. Just honk your

Call for Takeout or Curbside Pickup

See our new menu every Wed on Facebook & Instagram

Thursday - Saturday 4-7pm

continued on pg 26

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Streaming Flicks by MILLER byBRIAN DEBRA MERRYWEATHER

Better Call Saul

By all accounts, BREAKING BAD is generally regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time. Taut, exciting, and wonderfully acted, every season was magnificent, and most of the characters were extremely memorable. One of these, Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) even got the green light for his own spin-off series. Saul was easily one of my favorites on BREAKING BAD, and though I was looking forward to seeing where they could go with him, I never thought for a second that it could rival its predecessor in terms of quality.

The finale of the penultimate season of BETTER CALL SAUL aired on April 20, wrapping up another run of 10 episodes that further proved that the series no longer lives amidst the shadows of its forbearer. Creator Vince Gilligan and Odenkirk, alongside Jonathan Banks, Giancarlo Esposito, Rhea Seehorn and Michael Mando, have delivered a saga that may not achieve same level of jaw-dropping fireworks as BREAKING BAD did, but was equally tremendous in vastly different ways. It is a magnificent, slow burn fusion of crime, drama, thrills, and comedy whose inevitable conclusion is largely known, yet still finds a way to keep its viewers guessing.

In BREAKING BAD, Goodman was just the smooth-talking, unscrupulous lawyer

Bob Odenkirk and Derek Blakeney (2015) that would do anything so long as it lead to a large payday. Throughout the duration of BETTER CALL SAUL, however, we learn that before he was Saul, he was the ambitious Jimmy McGill. In the previous seasons, he was not only attempting to emerge from the shadow of his incredibly illustrious brother Chuck (Michael McKean) but prove that his intelligence and ingenuity could lead to great things. By season five, however, Jimmy has changed his name to Saul Goodman, and truly begins forging the path that would lead him to become the sketchy solicitor who was more than happy to help Walter White

Letter from the editor: On behalf of all of the local restaurants and businesses, we Thank You for each and every purchase.

Every time you make a purchase from one of our local businesses, you help a single Mom pay a light bill, a stay at home Mom pay for dance lessons, hard working parents pay mortgages, college students pay for books.

You signifigantly impact the bottom line of REAL FAMILIES. God Bless, Stay Safe, and your local businesses look forward to welcoming you back better than ever in the future!

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PAGE 23 • May 2020

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launder a fortune worth of meth amphetamine.

The most remarkable thing about SAUL (and, believe me, there are many remarkable things about it) is the evolution of the characters.

Odenkirk gives such a brilliant, nuanced performance, that I would easily say that he has become one of the most compelling television characters I have ever seen. Smart, boisterous, driven, and intuitive, we are invested in his Jonathan Banks descent, even though we know where it leads.

Despite the multitude of questionable decisions he makes on an episode-by-episode basis, some of which lead to the downfall or even death of others, he somehow remains this lovable guy whose success we are completely invested in. Though Odenkirk has yet to win an Emmy for the series (a streak I truly believe will end this year) it’s not mere hyperbole to proclaim that it may stand as one of the all-time great performances in the history of the medium.

The thing is, it’s not just Odenkirk who dazzles. The evolution of Seehorn’s Kim Wexler is almost as profound as that of Jimmy. As Jimmy and Kim have become entwined together, we have witnessed as she has grown from supporting player, to catalyst for Saul’s evolution. With season five in particular, she has proven that she is not just blindly floating alongside her man and adapting to Jimmy’s whims, but that she is a strong, equally ambitious, and completely willing participant whose belief system and methods line up cohesively with Jimmy’s.

BREAKING BAD favorites Gus Fring (Esposito) and Mike Ehrmantraut (Banks) have exhibited great growth as well, adding depth and introspect to their beloved characters. In season five, they are now working together, and their motivations and actions in BAD come into clearer focus with each passing episode. Providing heavy doses of intensity and savagery with trademark placidity, they are the same frightening and ruthless entities who entertained us all the first time around.

Whereas BREAKING BAD seemed tailor-made for about five seasons, and admittedly had started to run its course (though every episode, including the finale was superb), I’m already saddened by the fact that BETTER CALL SAUL has only a handful of episodes left. Season six will be its last, yet I feel like there is so much more to tell. Perhaps it’s because it doesn’t rely so heavily on the aforementioned fireworks of BREAKING BAD, but exudes unnerving drama far more effectively. I’m invested in the stories of these characters, including newcomer Tony Dalton who was electric as the BETTER CALL SAUL dangerous, yet gleeful Lalo Salamanca.

RATED: TV-MA The minute season five ended, I RUN TIME: 46 min desperately wanted more, and am GENRE: Crime, Drama dreading the time it will take to get to season six. Even when we finally arrive STARRING: Bob Odenkirk, Rhea there, however, I’ll still be slightly Seehorn, Jonathan Banks disappointed, as I feel there is so much CREATORS: Vince Gilligan, Peter more to tell before and after the events of Gould BREAKING BAD. That is not a GRADE: A+ condemnation on the decision of Gilligan, but a testament to the greatness of BETTER CALL SAUL.

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Covid-19 and Your Mental Health continued from pg 20 a book, or playing a card or board game. These types of activities will keep your mind engaged.

• Relax and recharge. Set aside time each day for yourself. Many people benefit from practices such as deep breathing, tai chi, yoga or meditation. Take a bath, listen to music or read a book.

Take Care of Your Mind

• Stay on Schedule. Maintaining a regular schedule is important to your mental health. Keep consistent times for meals, showering, getting dressed, work and exercise. This can help you feel more in control.

• Limit exposure to news media. Constant news about COVID-19 from all types of media sources can heighten fears about the disease. Keep yourself informed, but limit social media that may expose you to rumors and false information.

• Stay busy. Any distraction that can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression is welcome. Use this time to enjoy hobbies that you can do at home. Identify a new project, paint, garden or clean out that closet you never got around to. Doing something positive to manage anxiety is a healthy coping strategy.

• Stay Positive. Focus on the positive things in your life, instead of dwelling on the negative. Keep problems in perspective and do your best to accept changes as they arise. avoid social isolation. Find time each day to make virtual connections by email, texts, • Set goals. Set reasonable goals each day and outline steps you can take to reach phone or FaceTime. If you’re working remotely from home, stay connected with them. Pat yourself on the back for every achievement, no matter how small and co-workers and share coping tips. recognize that some days will be better than others.

• Do something for others. Find purpose in helping the people around you.

Seek Support and Strengthen Relationships Email, text or call to check on friends, family members and neighbors - especially those • Stay connected. If you need to stay at home and distance yourself from others, who are elderly. If you know someone who can’t get out, ask if there’s something they need, such as groceries or a prescription picked up.

Get Help When Needed

Hoping mental health problems such as anxiety or depression will go away on their own can lead to worsening symptoms. If you have concerns, ask for help when you need it and be upfront about how you’re doing. To get help you may want to: • Call or use social media to contact a close friend or loved one.

• Contact a minister, spiritual leader or someone in your faith community.

• Call your primary care provider or mental health professional to ask about appointment options to talk about your anxiety or depression and get advice and guidance. Some may provide the option of phone, video or online appointments.

• Contact organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for help and guidance.

If you’re feeling suicidal or thinking of hurting yourself, seek help. Contact your primary care provider or a mental health professional. Or call a suicide hotline. In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or use its webchat at suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat.

In Conclusion: Self-care strategies are good for your mental and physical health and can help you stay in control both physically and mentally.

Some days will be better than others, but you’ve got this. We’ve got this! Remember, we’re all in this together. Do your best to keep your mind, body and soul in sync and you will not only feel more positive about yourself, you will be more hopeful for the future.

“Hope is a belief in a better tomorrow.” - Lailah Gifty Akita I have been a personal trainer for over eighteen years and I absolutely love what I do.

I honestly feel that I have one of the best jobs out there! The most rewarding part of my profession is helping one of my clients succeed at reaching their personal fitness goals.

Making a difference in someone’s life makes it all worthwhile. I am currently certified by the National Sports Conditioning Association, Apex Fitness Group, and the International Sports Science Association.

PAGE 25 • May 2020

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QuaranBEERing continued from pg 21 horn when you arrive at the brewery so they know you’re there. Delivery is available for a ZERO-dollar fee for cans or growler fills (with a purchase of an IBU growler). Enter your info and address upon check out, enter your phone number for text updates of your order status, pay via credit/debit card (again, you have the option to tip here!), and wait for your order to arrive on your doorstep.

Speaking of doorsteps… some fun that you can have with friends and family during this quarantine would be to drop a “porch bomb!” A porch bomb is when you leave a package or make a delivery of an assortment of beer at someone’s house as a surprise! It can be a fun way to make someone smile and pay-it-forward in this crazy time we’re living in. As well, it could also be a neat way to trade amongst friends and look forward to having something new to drink.

Another way to interact with others is to do “beer trade” with someone who’s not local. We’re all looking for a way to ‘get away’ and ‘vacation’ and a beer trade is a great way to accomplish this. While I can’t officially condone sending beer via USPS, UPS or FedEx, it’s something that is done more often than you think and you can even find online groups to find a beer pen-pal to trade with! The key is to making sure your box is sturdy and your beers well-protected with bubble-wrap, etc. Bottles are also not recommended, as they’re more prone to breakage.

I’ve completed two trades with a friend (whom I’ve never met!) in Colorado. It’s a really fun way to try craft brews from places you might never get to visit, and perhaps even make new friends in the process!

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A fun way to see friends during quarantine is to host a Zoom, Facetime, or Facebook Messenger Happy Hour since we all can’t meet at the bar. Plus, it gives everyone an excuse to pull themselves away from work at home, kids, or talking to themselves on a regular basis, in order to maintain some sort of socializing with the adults you call friends. Sure, it’s not the same, but it’s still SOMETHING to keep ourselves sane.

Breweries are hosting online social activities too – Currently, my day job, when I’m not writing Brew Time articles, is an RN on travel assignment to Rochester, NY. Prior to quarantine, I started to become active in the Rochester Craft Beer Ladies group and met my now-friend Rachel. We became brewery-hoppers in crime and had big plans for my 13-week stint until COVID descended and forced our shenanigans to a screeching halt. Rachel, being the social butterfly she is, found us some online activities that local breweries were hosting. For example, Irondequoit Beer Company (765 Titus Ave, Irondequoit NY) is currently hosting a weekly online BINGO game via Facebook Live on Wednesdays and we partook in their opening night this past Wednesday. …IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!! I never knew how bad I was missing some social interaction until that evening, plus, it was free with a chance to win a gift certificate and a crowler! (No, I didn’t win, but came close!) & I can’t wait to do it again next week.

In conclusion, there’s no reason why we can’t still have some fun, drink some great beer, and “see” our friends during our quarantining … or as I like to call it, quaranBEERing. Cheers! (& wash your hands!!!)

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PAGE 27 • May 2020

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PAGE 28 • May 2020

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My Mind To Yours

by DEBRA MERRYWEATHER

Just the Facts Please By the time anyone reads this, our Chief Executive’s April 23 Coronavirus Task Force Briefing remarks/questions/ suggestions to Dr. Deborah Birx and the Department of Homeland Security scientist William N. Bryan concerning the possibility of injecting chemical disinfectants and UV lighting into the bodies of COVID 19 patients might be old news. The President’s “what if” questions followed Mr. Bryan’s presentation of data showing the effects of heat, humidity, sunlight, and disinfectant on COVID 19 on hard surfaces. I found Mr. Bryan’s presentation interesting. What I found more interesting was Mr. Bryan’s and Dr. Birx’s reactions to the President’s questions. They did not answer the questions directly.

Children and adults forced to function in unstable environments where substance overuse, (the American Psychiatric Association’s latest diagnostic label for substance and alcohol abuse), emotional abuse and raging behavior, often avoid conflict by giving indirect answers, trying to change the subject, or just going along to get along.

Unfortunately, rage and bullying can feel powerful both to the bully, and to onlookers who vicariously feel the power displayed by the bullies they like.

Good decisions require good information.

Since the daily briefings began, I have watched Governor Cuomo in the morning, Onondaga County executive Ryan McMahon in the afternoon, and, in the evening, the

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President’s task force. When I watch the Whitehouse briefings, I watch them on FOX News because FOX News provides uninterrupted coverage even when the briefings morph into non-COVID related campaign rally-like opinionating complete with personal attacks on individual reporters. I listen not because I like what I hear; I just want to hear for myself what the President says and how he says it.

Back in 2004, I completed a FEMA course: “ Emergency Program Manager – An Orientation to the Position.” I did not complete the 40+ individual modules that followed, but I do remember learning that, in any emergency, effective emergency program management involves maintaining good communication from and to crisis areas to ensure adequate help and supplies get to where they are needed. Floods and fires create immediate visible results. Pandemics commencing with silent animal to human transmission in China, and then to Europe and then to everywhere else is a little trickier to spot. Early on, COVID19 looked like a bad flu.

In one of his early task force broadcasts, a presentation given from a long executive table, the President asked Task Force leader Dr. Anthony Fauci if a flu vaccine could help.

Dr. Fauci said no. The President followed up by asking if perhaps a “solid” vaccine might help. Dr. Fauci said no. Dr. Fauci was not present on April 23 to say “no” when the President asked about injecting disinfectants into the body. No one said “no.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci’s life work includes involvement with HIV and AIDS treatments, Ebola and H1N1. A couple of articles that I read mentioned that, in 2016, Dr. Fauci warned that open air, wet meat markets with their bloodletting and guano dripping were disasters waiting to happen. While there are some international COVID conspiracy theories floating around, most science reporting suggests that COVID 19 originated in Chinese horseshoe bats.

I thought about titling this piece “Year of the Bat.” Bats are interesting mammals. Bats pollinate. Bats eat mosquitos. In the USA and NYS, humans endanger bats by carrying fungi on their shoes while spelunking. The fungi cover the bats’ noses somehow signaling them to awaken from seasonal hibernation before nature is ready to sustain them and the bats then starve. Sometimes, humans love nature to death. Like many species, bats suffer loss of habitat due to human encroachment. Bats hibernate in familiar places, sometimes in groups, sometimes alone. Bats can carry rabies. Bats avoid human contact if they can.

While bats are not the enemy, bats carry many of the viruses most feared by epidemiologists. Some scientists believe that bats might be the only mammals who can live with hideously dangerous viral loads because, perhaps via high body temperature, perhaps because they can fly, bats seem able to control inflammation.

In humans, immobility, lower social status, economic uncertainty, lack of autonomy, poor diet, poor air quality, and emotionally volatile environments create stress.

Unrelieved stress can lead to physical inflammation. Inflammation, left unabated, depresses the immune system. Depressed immune systems leave people vulnerable to illness. Going forward, it might be a good time to reduce personal stress by changing how we interact within our individual spans of control.

Locally, in one of his daily briefings, County Executive Ryan McMahon reported that he knew social distancing could prevent COVID19’s spread because, in the days and weeks following Onondaga County’s implementation of social distancing, the county’s rates of Influenza A and B had notably decreased.

Can we agree accurate information is good for us?

Let us not shake on it though.

PAGE 29 • May 2020

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Preventive Medicine

by DR. BARRY

Same as it ever was...

I was hoping to be able to write about something other than coronavirus this month, hoping that the situation would be substantially behind us, but as I prepare this column that is clearly not the case. Of course I have recommended vitamin D, vitamin C and zinc, all of which are pretty obvious, generally available, extraordinarily safe supplements you can take to try and minimize your likelihood of infection and/or minimize the degree of infection if you get it.

Hopefully, by the time this article is published we will have the antibody testing available for everyone who wants it. We will finally start to get a handle on who had a trivial infection and have a better sense of the real death rate, etc. I sent a reference to a video in an email to all of my private patients but I feel it’s important enough to share with you as well. This video was one done by dr. Paul Masson and it’s entitled “How to Survive The Coronavirus; The Effect Of Diet Part 1”. The link is here https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=4lJPjsuftmQ .

On my radio show I have talked about the possible role of high dose intravenous vitamin C, the role of ultraviolet light and the role of ozone in the treatment of viral infections, but this is something that requires medical intervention. You can’t do any of these on your own. Doctor Mason’s video is about what YOU can do to improve your health and immune system. He focuses on the diet which is music to my ears. He aslso elaborates on diabetes, obesity , hypertension and heart disease, all of which increase

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your risk of ending up in the ICU. Age is a risk factor but seems to be really related to the underlying illness not just the age. Healthy old people have less risk than sick young people or so the data shows so far. Dr Mason reviews the issues of metabolic syndrome... high waist circumference, hypertension, high triglycerides, low hdl cholesterol and fasting glucose over 100. Statistically speaking only 12% of adults in America have none of the risk factors for metabolic syndrome. Insulin resistance , a hallmark of metabolic syndrome, clearly impairs the immune system in multiple ways. Even the cytokine storm is related to insulin resistance. Of course you can be insulin resistant for years before your blood glucose goes up so your doctor must check your insulin not your blood glucose to find out if you are insulin resistant. Most doctors just don’t run this test. It’s cheap, easy to order and it’s easy to interpret.

Luckily you can change your insulin resistance very rapidly by changing your diet and removing the bulk of carbohydrates in your diet.

Lose the sugar and regain your health. Yes, I know you are addicted to sugar...we all are. But study after study shows that low carb diets improve health...resolve insulin resistance...promote weight loss, etc.

Dr Mason also reviews cholesterol and how high cholesterol is protective against infection. That’s right, high hdl cholesterol continued on pg 31

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LOCAL MUSIC & EVENTS Events

Green Jelly MJ’s Music Bar

Saturday, May 2

Sunday, May 3

Global Cannabis March Valley Blues House 2020 International Female Ride Day The Nest Tavern, Apulia Station

Jeff Stockham Finger Lakes on Tap Tim Burns Lock 1 Distilling, Phoenix

Monday, May 4

Saturday, May 9

Saturday, May 16

Sunday, May 10

May the 4th 20 Be With You Valley Blues House

Rewired MJ’s Music Bar

Del Lago

Sally Ramirez Duo Finger Lakes on Tap

Thursday, May 28

Friday, May 15

Napoleon Dynamite Live Riley Green Turning Stone

Saturday, May 30

The Uncle Louie Variety Show Landmark Theatre, Syracuse Food Truck Wars NYS Fairgrouds

Friday, June 5

The Rocket Man Show Turning Stone

Tuesday, June 9

“The C Word” Documentary

Landmark Theatre, Syracuse

Friday, June 19 Michael Carbonaro Del Lago

John Spillett Jazz / Pop Duo Wegmans, Fayettville 12 - 2pm John Spillett Jazz / Pop Duo Bistro Elephant, Syracuse 7-10pm

Saturday, May 16 Crazy Neighbours MJ’s Music Bar

Sunday, May 17

ESP Finger Lakes on Tap John Spillett Jazz / Pop Duo Blue Water Grill, Skaneateles

Thursday, May 21 Underwater Bosses Funk ‘n Waffles

Friday, May 22

Good Time Summer BBQ Mickey’s Goodtime Saloon

John Spillett Jazz / Pop Duo Bistro Elephant, Syracuse Mike Powell 443 Social Club, Syracuse

Thursday, July 16

Saturday, May 23

Sunday, June 21

Ronnie Milsap Turning Stone

Music Friday, May 1

Steve Maclean MJ’s Music Bar The Intention 443 Social Club, Syracuse John Spillett Jazz / Pop Trio Anyelas Vineyards, Skaneateles

Anthony Saturno & Jamie Cunningham Lock 1 Distilling, Phoenix Nash Rob 443 Social Club, Syracuse

Sunday, May 24

Saturday, May 2

Wednesday, May 27

Mix Tapes Trio Lock 1 Distilling, Phoenix

Ronnie Leigh Finger Lakes on Tap John Spillett Jazz / Pop Duo Blue Water Grill, Skaneateles Nancy Kelly 443 Social Club, Syracuse

Thursday, May 28

Andy Fransco & the U.N. Funk ‘n Waffles

Friday, May 29

John Spillett Jazz / Pop Duo Bistro Elephant, Syracuse Sara Evans Del Lago, Waterloo Chris Trapper 443 Social Club, Syracuse

Saturday, May 30

Kickin’ Up Dust MJ’s Music Bar Victory for Vets Sharkey’s, Liverpool Damdog Lock 1 Distilling, Phoenix

Sunday, May 31

John Spillett Jazz / Pop Duo Blue Water Grill, Skaneateles Los Blancos 443 Social Club, Syracuse

Monday, June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Pearly Bakers Best Funk ‘n Waffles

Saturday, June 6 Almost ABBA Sharkey’s, Liverpool

Tuesday, June 9 Producer Showcase Funk ‘n Waffles

Wednesday, June 10

Big River Cortland Repertory Theatre

Thursday, June 11

Gordon Lightfoot The Stanley Theatre, Utica

Friday, June12

Jontavious Willis Auburn Public Theatre Dave Hanlon Trio 443 Social Club, Syracuse

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TP’s Tavern, Baldwinsville Michael Carbonaro Del Lago Syr Acoustic Guitar Project Nelson Odeon, Nelson

Saturday, June 20

Jeff Paul MJ’s Music Bar Sirsy Unplugged 443 Social Club, Syracuse Freakshow Showcase Funk ‘n Waffle Warrant, Cherry Pie Tour Sharkey’s, Liverpool

Wednesday, June 24 Nancy Kelly 443 Social Club, Syracuse

Sunday, June 28

Los Blancos 443 Social Club, Syracuse

Comedy Friday, May 8 - Sunday, May 10 John Morgan Funny Bone, Syracuse

Wednesday, May 13 Corey Holcolm Funny Bone, Syracuse

Sunday, June 7

Queer Queens of Comedy Funny Bone, Syracuse

Wednesday, July 8 Jeff Allen Funny Bone, Syracuse

Arts/Theater Friday, June12 Jontavious Willis

Auburn Public Theatre

Gaelic Storm Auburn Public Theatre Los Blancos 443 Social Club, Syracuse

Tuesday, June 9

Friday, June 19

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Same as it ever was... continued from pg 29 makes you less likely to get infection and less likely to become septic if you do get infected. In his video he reviews major papers that completely disprove the cholesterol hypothesis that your cardiologist clings to… Cholesterol bad...must lower the number.

Dr Mason uses important published research to completely shred the idea that it’s good to lower your cholesterol and that saturated fats are bad for you.

Bring this article to your doctor and your cardiologist and ask them to watch it and refute anything he is saying and they will be unable to. Of course most of them will not even watch it because they have been trained to believe cholesterol is evil and that’s that. Again, high cholesterol is protective against infection and sepsis which all cause mortality. The evidence is real, convincing and overwhelming if you just look at the research. Need another reference? Try Dr Malcolm Kendricks great book The Cholesterol Con. So we are giving seniors the flu shot which demonstrably does not work to prevent death and hospitalization and according to published research this year increases the risk of getting ill with the coronavirus. On top of that we are giving statins to every senior we can convince to take them so it’s not surprising that this group has the highest rate of mortality with infections.

My profession has much to answer for and it disturbs me that so many of my colleagues see this research and just shrug it off and can’t open their minds to the idea we have been making the wrong recommendations regarding your health.

Dr Masons video is a must see. He talks about treating patients on the ventilator. Often because we were taught it was important, if patients are on the vent for any length of time , we feed them with tube feeds.

This is a bad idea. The typical tube feeds are not healthy for you...I know ,I know they have been approved by the nutritionists / dieticians / intensivists etc but they contain unhealthy oils and sugars that do not, in any way, promote health and recovery. It was demonstrated decades ago that starvation and fasting stimulate the immune system. High fat low carb feedings have been shown to cut down time on the ventilator. So what are the local hospitals using?

Next , Dr Mason takes on hypertension as the last component of the metabolic

PAGE 31 • May 2020

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syndrome. Hypertension is associated with increased mortality in the coronavirus infection. He shows that hypertension is not a problem of eating too much salt..it’s due to too much insulin and its effects on the kidney. Lower your insulin and lower your blood pressure. Table salt is not the problem. Stop looking for low sodium foods and get off the high carb diet. Dr Mason recommends you get a continuous glucose monitor even if you are not an obvious diabetic and once you keep your sugars down your pressure should follow. Now Dr Mason eschews all oils, including my beloved olive oil , and he might be right but I don’t see lard making a comeback in the near future.

Finally , Dr Mason goes over the extensive data that reviewed saturated fat and diet and how saturated fat is good for you ...the opposite of what you are being told today but the evidence is overwhelming.

Unfortunately, health professionals today are way too organ focused..This doctor takes care of your bones, this one takes care of your heart, this one your kidney etc..What every doctor has learned in medical school but quickly forgot because we focus on pills and procedures is that we are all bags of electrochemical activity and if the individual cells of any organ are happy the organ will be happy. What you fuel your body with will determine your health. Stop the cereal, stop the soda, ask your doctor to measure your insulin and you can begin today to improve your health and your immune system.

PAGE 32 • May 2020

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Tales from the Vine

by STEVEN CASSANDRA LAY HARRINGTON

Corks Can Live Long After the Wine is Gone Being an ecologically minded consumer just isn’t about the vineyard. It seems that the wine industry is betting on consumers wanting and appreciating grapes grown in a prescribed manner that allows for designations such as: sustainable, Biodynamic, green, organic or natural.

As if grapes aren’t the only component of winemaking to come under the long arm of the “wine police”, the winery gets special attention in such things as their use of renewable energy (wind and solar), recycling water, fermentation additives and closures; yes closures.

Have you ever thought: What is the after-life of a cork? Well there is one. There is a whole new industry that has cropped up in America that recycles, repurposes and otherwise disposes of used cork. You thought you were helping the planet by throwing your used corks in that glass jar only to occasionally look through them to remember that special wine.

Cork re-purposing is bucking a recycling trend. In an article re-published in “Salon”, au-

Is there an after life for a cork? Yes, yes there is! thor Anna Sanford writes that recycling in California is down approximately 5 percentage points and recycling centers are closing primarily since recycled materials such as plastic bottles are less valuable due to the price of oil--plastic is a derivative of oil. But recycled cork is booming. One organization that is focused on repurposing cork for the good of the planet is a non-profit forestry organization-Cork Forest Conservation Alliance, (CFCA) which operates Cork ReHarvest.

Cork is an interesting product because a tree is never cut down for the cork. Corks are made from the bark, which is hand harvested, every 9-11 years. The trees can be harvested for up to 150 years, with no harm to the tree. The cork tree is from the oak family, (Quercus suber) so the cork will impart some of the same characteristics as does an oak barrel. From an environmental viewpoint, the carbon footprint to produce a cork is significantly less than that to produce a metal screw caps or plastic plug closure for wine. With convenient recycling methods for the consumer, the carbon footprint for re-purposing used wine corks, through the Cork ReHarvest program is virtually zero.

Also, there are no active recycling programs for screw caps or plastic plugs in the U.S. There are 13 billion wine corks produced each year, with 51% of the wine corks coming from Portugal and 30% coming from Spain. Cork is natural, non-toxic, biodegradable and is a totally renewable product for the wine industry.

The same cannot be said for aluminum screw caps and plastic closures. In making a cork for a bottle of wine there are approximately 26 steps and in an environmental study by “The Academic Wino”, cork is the hands down best closure from an ecological perspective. Life Cycle Assessment, (LCA) studies show that each cork sequesters 9g of CO2.

According to Wikipedia, a carbon footprint study concluded that cork is the most environmentally friendly wine stopper in comparison to metal or plastic. The Corticeira Amorim study, (“Analysis of the life cycle of Cork, Aluminum and Plastic Wine Closures”), was developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers, following ISO 14040 standards. Results

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concluded, relative to the emission of greenhouse gases, each plastic stopper released 10 times more CO2, while an aluminum screw cap releases 26 times more CO2 than does a cork stopper in the manufacturing process. The 26 steps, in analyzing the carbon footprint, pertains to the manufacture of cork and includes getting it to the winery.

As alluded to earlier, there are two major players in the relative new industry of repurposing cork-Cork ReHarvest which is a non-profit 501c3 and ReCork. I came across Cork ReHarvest while at a Whole Foods store and saw a used cork collection box. I called The Cork Quality Council in Sonoma, CA to find out what this was all about. The Executive Director of the organization is Peter Weber. Peter confirmed there are two large groups that are active in aggregating used corks through relationships with various retail, hospitality and winery locations. “There are probably a dozen or so smaller organizations that collect used corks for various specialty applications,” Peter commented.

Cork ReHarvest being a non-profit uses the used corks they collect for educational

Cork is an interesting product because a tree is never cut down for the cork. Corks are made from the bark, which is hand harvested, every 9-11 years. programs to build awareness of the cork forests, to promote cork applications (wine closures) and to explain the ecological benefits of cork-wine being one application. The recycling of cork happens rather quickly. ReHarvest reports, approximately 98% of wine bought is consumed within 48 hours. That means corks can come back into the recycled system quickly.

Cork ReHarvest partners with approximately 1,500 collection centers. “In addition to Whole Foods, there are major restaurants such as Emeril Lagasse, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Caesars Palace who support our recycling program along with major wineries

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who send used corks to us for recycling; we prefer to call it repurposing,” says Patrick Spencer of Cork ReHarvest whose offices are in Salem, Oregon. “We sell collected corks to 6 recycling partners in the U.S. who then distribute them to customers only in the U.S.” To a winemaker, a grade “Triple A” cork can cost $1.00 to $1.50 each. A recycler will sell these used corks for approximately $0.09 each in 1,000 quantities.

The question remaining: Cork tree bark What are used corks good for? Some recycled cork finds its way into concrete due to its insulation properties. The recycled paper industry uses ground-up cork combined with reconstituted paper to make packing material. The sports and fishing industry uses reprocessed cork for bobbers and grips, dart boards and household items such as trivets. The building industry uses recycled cork for floor underpayments. Even those sandals you like might have a cork sole liner.

Four times each year the non-profit Cork Forest Conservation Alliance conducts eco-tours to 3 of Spain’s cork forest regions to give travelers a total emersion in the culture, food, wine and forestry of these remarkable forests, http://www.frombarktobottle.org Cork is the environment friendly gift that keeps on giving; it has a life after the wine is gone.

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Special Forces, I was in an EM (Enlisted Mans) club with a group of soldiers that had recently returned from Viet Nam. I did not go. In the discussion a First Sergeant asked the men if they knew the most revered word in the United States Military. The men knew. Simultaneously the men raised their voices and said “MEDIC”.

Word on the Street

THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC

by BILL MCCLELLAN

The Spirit of America Medical Personnel “Let the Hero Born of Women, crush the Serpent with its heel.” I want to raise your Spirits by recognizing the finest of who we are. The Civil War Was the deadliest in our history leaving 700,000 dead. From the ashes of this horror Julia Ward Howe, using the music from “John Browns Body” composed a Hymn which to this day inspires men and women in battle. It is a Hymn that demonstrates greatness in the finest way that can be. It has a religious bent yet it has words and phrases and rhythm that inspire the very finest in our hearts and souls. Wherever you see a reference to God, (or His) please also apply “AMERICA” and our civilian soldiers today “MEDICAL PERSONNEL”. If you are not religious think of the two latter. If you do this attentively the Spirit of America will emerge. Hold it close and dear as this spirit is the true value of humankind.

I want you to read slowly in a way that you are most attentive and absorb and feel what it is like to be in the Medical profession today. What it is like to be on the battlefield. To be in grave danger, trying to survive and at the same time protect your fellow man. To show with deed the truth of this land of Human Hope, the home of the American Spirit”. Feel your country. Feel the greatness that is there when we are needed by our land and move together with the hallowed greatness of America.

One time at a place called Smoke Bomb Hill at Fort Bragg, N.C., the home of the

Bill Young

was our Lucky Winner for the

Night on the Town Contest!

He chose SANTANGELO’S for dinner!

WITH CENTRAL NEW YORK

Photo does not represent actual winners.

“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword; His truth is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps; They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps; I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps, His day is marching on.

I have read His fiery gospel writ in rows of burnished steel!

“As ye deal with my condemners, so with you My grace shall deal!

Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel, “ Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat; Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him; be jubilant, my feet!

Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me; As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free!

While God is marching on.”

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

His truth is marching on.

Whenever you see a Doctor or a Nurse or a room cleaner or anyone of their support staff; say Thank You…and think to yourself “His truth is marching on”. Remember who we are and be proud and shiver with inspiration. Walking tall, brave, caring, loving, with compassion, firmly believing in the equality of all, in equal justice for all and the very best that has taken place in the human heart since our beginning. No profession exemplifies this as does the Medical Profession. “E pluribus unum” All for One, One for All. When you seek Medical help, that is where you are, in the bosom of the American heart at her finest never tarnished since our founding. They set the example that reminds us of who we really are.

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Absorb the beauty and the power and the strength of their example and you will walk away inspired, ready to take on this virus with the spirit and hope of our Founders as this land was intended to be.

The Medical Profession is honoring the crimson sacrifice of every young man and woman that gave their all for this land. They represent the human decency and the beauty of equal pursuit that they died for. For them the battle is every day. They are performing in the finest traditions of the intent of this land and they show us with clear example that even when we veer, the heartbeat of America is alive and well and the future will hold that greatness.

When you see a nurse on television asking for equipment with a tear in her eye you are seeing a soldier unequipped on the battlefield among the dead, fighting to stay alive to keep others alive. There are 39,000 dead in the U.S. as of April 19th, 2020. There are now over 724,000 corona virus infected in the U.S. There are 2.3 million cases worldwide with 161,000 deaths. The numbers eerily climb each day. 100’s of these dead and 1000’s of infected are Medical Professionals fighting to keep the rest of us alive.

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• 3/4 to 1 pound center-cut fresh salmon with skin (center-cut is easier to cut uniform fillets that cook evenly) • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper STRAWBERRY RELISH: • 1 cup (4.5 ounces weight) finely chopped fresh strawberries • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh shallot or red onion • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Prep 20 min

Our leadership has completely failed our front-line fighters and our people. The worst contributor to this death is the inept thinking of Trump. We have allowed our infrastructure to deteriorate to where we cannot manufacture Test Kits, Masks, Gowns, or Eye Gear. Worse yet Trump has not reasonably tried to use the resources available.

Only the most foolish among us do not see his lack of empathy now and before the pandemic. With weak leadership throughout Washington, we are dependent on other lands that use their stockpiles for themselves. We are not equipped for disease, famine or war within our borders. Lessons must be taken from this horrible crisis lest the future hold more unspeakable nightmares that may take generations to recover from. Bring home every factory we need to protect us. There are too many evils that lie ahead. We are a land without leadership, without vision, that does not prepare. We must learn to create the deeds that cause remedy. We must learn “deed”, rhetoric is garbage.

As our Medical Profession, our heroes born of woman crush the serpent with their heals, our leaders in a land that once turned out daily, Aircraft Carriers, Battle Ships, Submarines, Tanks, Fighter Jets, Jeeps, Trucks, Bazookas, Gas Masks, Machine Guns, Rifles, Rations and every logistical item imaginable, today, cannot provide face masks and not even hand sanitizer for our citizens. If that is not a lesson we are doomed. Our leaders have forsaken their duty. Us. We are a great people floundering in the midst of an advanced systemic leadership crisis that may well be the undoing of our great pursuit.

The vast majority of our people have hearts that embrace the truthful equal intent of our Founders. They devised a guide for us to be the finest that humans can be. The distortion of the clear intent of that guide has altered our course. We want America. We want equality and inclusivity. In no place is this exemplified with such clarity and bravery as in our Medical Profession. We owe them so much. We owe them far more than the confusion and failures they are experiencing to keep the rest of us alive.

They are our finest example of those that have not broken faith with those who died.

They are walking tall in the presence of great personal danger. E-Pluribus-Unum.

Thank You each and every one….

•

Cook Servings 15 min 2

Calories 440

• Cut the salmon into 2 equal-sized fillets, 6 to 8 ounces each. Pat the fillets dry with paper towels.

• Place the fillets skin-side down, and season 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper over them and spread over all flesh sides. Let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to let the salt penetrate while you prepare the relish ingredients.

• In a bowl, add all relish ingredients and stir together.

Set aside.

• In a nonstick pan wide enough to hold both fillets side-by-side, evenly sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper over the bottom of the pan.

• Place the salmon fillets on the cold pan, skin side down.

• Place the pan over medium-high heat. Don’t move the fillets while they’re cooking. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the bottom 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the fillets are cooked (they will turn opaque) and the skin is charred, then flip each fillet using tongs.

• Continue cooking the fillets without moving them. Once they’re cooked through (125 F with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part) and have developed a nice browned crust on the bottom, 6 to 8 minutes, immediately transfer them to serving plates with the skin side down.

• Spoon relish over the tops of the salmon fillets, and serve.

TECHNIQUES FOR PAN SEARING SALMON • I use some of the techniques taught by America’s Test Kitchen for cooking perfect salmon. The pan is sprinkled with salt and pepper, which will elevate the fillets to prevent them from sticking to the pan. The fillets go on the pan while it’s cold, cooking them more gently and evenly.

• The salmon skins play more than one role. First, they produce some fat while cooking, so no oil is required. Second, they protect the flesh from drying out while it cooks. You can easily separate the skin after they’re cooked; the flesh is so tender that it’ll slide right off the skin with almost no effort.

SERVING IDEAS • Salmon pairs well with almost any appetizer or side dish, such as fresh leafy greens or cooked vegetables like roasted mushrooms, creamed spinach, and artichokes.

• You can also use the pan seared salmon in a salad. Cut it in 1 to 2 inch chunks, removing the skin, and top it in a salad to add some delicious protein.

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