Online at urbancny.com
Syracuse Mayoral Candidate Juanita Perez Williams
Creating a System of Expectations By Ken Jackson Born and raised in San Diego, California Juanita Perez Williams is a MexicanAmerican whose grandparents migrated from Guanajuato, Mexico. As a child Juanita participated in one of the first Head Start Programs and attended college with the assistance of the Educational Opportunity Program. In 1986 she received her undergraduate degree and went on to obtain her law degree. She entered the military serving 5 years attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
ready, ‘these are the things that I’ve done, this is how I lead, this is how I come up with solutions.’ We’re going to continue to go into this spiral of depending on government to take care of us, hoping for a trickle-down effect. Or at the very least, praying we can maintain the status quo in the downtown areas. “ Missed Opportunities
lenges face the next Mayor, “You have to be someone who has demonstrated leadership. We’re at a critical moment in the In 2008 Ms. Williams was appointed by history of our city and some of the peothen Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo ple lined up to do this have no underto serve as an Assistant Attorney General, standing how difficult this job is going to investigating labor violations and Fraud. be. Not that being mayor is easy, but now In 2010 Juanita was selected to lead the more than ever this is going to be difficity’s legal office as Corporation Counsel. cult.” In her position with the City of Syracuse, Ms. Williams negotiated high profile legal Ms. Williams then zeroed in on some of issues including the HUD project that the critical issues that will greet the new involved the purchase of nine multimayor on the first day in office. “This is a family buildings and the 10-year sales tax critical point for our next leader whether agreement with Onondaga County. it’s defending it (Syracuse), and maintaining its status in the region and not being Why Are You Running for Mayor? swallowed up by a county. Whether, it’s “I’m running for Mayor because I see the focusing on high concentrations of poverty that continues to grow. Whether, potential of this city every day, going back and forth from my neighborhood to it’s focusing on the fact that we continue to have more and more people who lack downtown and back. That People are looking for opportunity. They are looking the skills to get into the workforce, and for someone who will be there for them that jobs being offered are not in any way tailored to meet the needs of people that will support them. I’m running for with these skills. mayor to make sure that the people of this city, which has the ability to take us to a place of the top 25, have that opportunity, and have that voice. And I’m going to be one who doesn’t lead from the top, but serves from the bottom, to make sure those voices are being heard.” Regarding the electoral contest, Ms. Williams pulls no punches about what chal-
The First Earth Day
Williams raises her voice and states with certitude, “We’re asking them to take up the burden of a dilapidated city on the outskirts of downtown that continues to become more and more violent, and more filled with crime. My point is that, if we don’t have someone who can step up to the plate, who has demonstrated al-
“We had an opportunity, I believe, during the first 2 years of this administration to get some things done. The recession hit in 2007/08 and we had an opportunity to work with a federal administration that was trying very hard to focus on workforce development, to focus on neighborhood revitalization, to focus on the quality of life for people. And we were not taking advantage of it. I saw that and I tried hard as Corporation Counsel to get us more involved in neighborhoods. Because everything is data driven, unless you’re in the neighborhoods and you’re able to assess what’s happening, so you can use it for opportunities from public grants, and non-profit grants.” Williams describes how Mayor Matt Driscoll created Syrastat, “so they were collecting data, that’s what that was. That was an opportunity for the city to start to show where it needed to put its resources. Mayor Miner discontinued the data collection program.” According to Williams, the City of Syracuse has not been focused on the collection of data that if utilized properly could improve the quality of life. “Rochester has done this and everyone would tell you that Rochester has established the standard of responding to challenges driven by the data. In Rochester they (Continued on page 2)
“Women of Motown” Motown the Musical May 16-21 Landmark Theater Syracuse
Deathtrap at Syracuse Stage
Urban CNY Wins Syracuse Press Club Honors
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have a coordinated data collection system that ties into the delivery of services. This is something needed in the City of Syracuse.” Williams takes a holistic approach to government, where every department is coordinated towards the same goal. She claims when you have a system where there’s a coordination of efforts and data, then Code Enforcement and DPW can help you fight crime. How would a Juanita Perez Williams Administration be different? Ms. Williams gives us an example of the kinds of changes that she’s looking at. “The pilot project of all projects was from Oakland, California. Oakland decided they were done with it (Code Enforcement). As crazy as it sounds, they started hiring, unskilled, untrained, grandmothers, 18 year olds; you name it, from the neighborhoods. This is all they said, ‘This is how much we’re going to pay you, and this is what you’re responsible for. These five blocks; you’re in charge of the absentee level of kids in school. You make sure these kids get to school. You’re in charge of issues, of any type of housing, including people who are complaining about a landlord.’ And they literally put them in charge. It became competitive, because the better you did the more you got. The more your neighborhood got, the more you got.” Williams clarifies that city officials would still do the major work, but having local people identify problems in the neighborhoods, the neighborhoods will improved. “When a person has an issue they can go to a neighbor, who will then alert the proper authorities.” Williams seems to be inspired by the work of Lovely Warren of Rochester. Finds role model in Rochester’s First AfricanAmerican Female Mayor
Speaking in glowing terms about Rochester’s Chief Executive, “She had no support from the Democratic Party or members of City Hall. But she went to the people and asked them what they wanted. By the time she presented her platform, it was the people’s platform. According to Williams, Syracuse is divided by old labels such as East Side, South Side, etc. 8 years ago people in neighborhoods approached the city and wanted to create neighborhoods identities that would get rid of the stigma attached to some parts of our city. For example, “the South Side” “I’ve been studying this map and this was the way the South Side was supposed to be set up. That’s what the people asked of her. We’re not the south side; we’re the Kirk Park Ward or the Townsend Street Ward” Ms. Williams talks about what she calls a, “Navigator System”, this is a system where our city personnel on the street become the navigators of the well-being of the city, of their communities, the neighborhoods that they live in, they work in and they’re accountable for.” Military Background “All of that training is why I feel most prepared to do this; it comes from my time in the military. That’s what we did, that’s how we led with the most diverse workforce in the country. There was a system of unifying people, a structure that everyone knows about, and is accountable for, and an expectation. When the people around you have the same expectations, that’s when you move forward. That’s when people think things are going to be different now.”
In the Navy, Williams served in the military as a JAGC, (Judge Advocate General Corp.) an elite legal wing of officers trained as lawyers who investigate, prosecute and defend those accused of crimes in the military, including murder, treason and terrorism. Juanita’s Vision Williams states she’s preparing a plan, the first “You’re going to see exactly what I’m talking about day by day, how we’re going to create this machine, that everyone, by the first year of this administration will know how it works, and how they can be a part of it. And if they chose not to, they are going to fall behind. It’s going to be your choice. Things are going to change, so whether it’s the Police, whether it’s Codes, whether it’s DPW, whether it’s the Parks. It will be part of the system that carries our streets, carries our neighborhoods and the community will know and utilize it. It will be a system of Expectations. You won’t be able to say you didn’t know, you won’t be able to say, you ‘couldn’t get a hold of someone’. It will be an outreach that has never been done in this city, it will shake up the way people have seen government respond.” Juanita is the mother of 4 adult children and a grandmother. She sits on several Central New York Boards including Onondaga Catholic Charities, La Liga (Spanish Action League), Clear Path for Veterans, a new local chamber of commerce (UMEA), and is a proud member of the Valley American Legion.
Katko Votes Against Republican Bill to Repeal and Replace ObamaCare Since I came to Congress, I have maintained that any repeal bill must be accompanied by a full replacement. While I commend my colleagues and the President for working to address the significant problems created by Obamacare, the measure before the House today fails to control costs and would impose a major tax burden on New Yorkers. This measure now moves to the Senate, where policy changes are expected. I will remain a constructive part of that process and urge my colleagues in the Senate to continue working towards viable, market-based solutions to Obamacare.
Published monthly online by: URBAN CNY Kenneth Jackson Editor and Publisher 315-807-9022 Walt Shepperd Senior Editor Urban CNY 105 Rann Ave. Syracuse, NY 13204 For advertising and editorial: 315-807-9022 kjackson@urbancny.com Online at urbancny.com
April 22, 1970 was a special day for our neighborhood. Suddenly, from Syracuse University scores of students gathered at the corner of Madison Street and South Crouse Ave. It was a vacant lot and the students started to dig through weeds and cleared the entire lot of debris. As the day progressed, so did work on the once vacant lot. Small trees were planted and at the center of it all was a pond. They assembled rocks into a formation as they dug out the base. Soon a pond began to emerge, as the rocks settled water was added, filling the pond making this vacant lot a pop-up city park. It was called the “People’s Park” and at the age of 13, I was witnessing a change in American political engagement, the environmental movement was born.
As I delivered newspapers, I remember stopping at the last house on my route and the CBS Evening News was on showing scenes from a Civil Rights protest, similar to events that unfolded in 1965 on the Edmond Pettis Bridge, where Black protestors were fire hosed and attacked by police canine units. The students immediately grabbed their newspaper from my hand and blocked the TV screen and said, “You don’t need to see any of this.” I lived two doors down; I ran home and caught the rest of the news.
dated destruction ended. But it gave me a front seat to some of the most chaotic and festive times in American History. What a year! It was 1970 change was occurring as we witnessed mounting protests against the Vietnam War, the African-American Football Players strike against Syracuse University, where 8 Black players were suspended for boycotting spring practice and the birth of Earth Day. The groups of student volunteers transformed a vacant lot into a park complete with a pond and trees. At the age of 13 you think, “This is going to last forever.” However, the park was short lived. Not too long after our little park was built the entire block was bulldozed to make way for the coming changes. Today, you wouldn’t recognize the area; it’s now the Parking lot for McCarthy Manor. Most of what we grew up seeing is now completely gone, the neighborhood, its houses, the people, and the relationships, all bulldozed.
I witnessed many things while living on Harrison Street; I could view the Syracuse University, Chancellor’s Mansion from our front porch. Countless candle light processions from campus to the Onondaga County War Memorial, in protest of the I was a boy in the Syracuse University bubble, isolated But the legacy of that day 47 years ago, in the eyes of Vietnam War. Growing up in a university neighbora 13 year old, set the stage for what we’re celebrating from the community decimated by Urban Renewal. hood, living on Harrison Street during the tumultuous Our house was two blocks from where the city manon April 22nd 2017 as Earth Day. 1960’s and 70’s was a rolling American civics lesson.
County Executive Mahoney Announces Save The Rain Green Improvement Fund 2017
ment of green infrastructure to manage stormwater on private property. The GIF program is a vital component of the Save the Rain Program, Onondaga County’s comprehensive stormwater management program to reduce pollution to Onondaga Lake and its tributaries.
GIF grant funding offers assistance to applicants installing green infrastructure technologies as an aspect of the development, redevelopment, in specific geographical locations within the Clinton, Harbor Brook and Midland Combined Sewersheds (CSS), as outlined in the Green Improvement Fund Program Boundary Map, and located in select areas within the City of Commercial, Business, and Syracuse. Eligible commercial, business, and nonprofit Nonprofit Property Owners property owners are invited to apply for grant funding in Eligible Locations Invited to support the installation of green Infrastructure technologies, including, but not limited to, rain garto Apply for Funding to Install Green Infrastructure to dens, green roofs, porous pavement, cisterns, underManage Stormwater Runoff ground infiltration systems, added green space, and tree plantings. ONONDAGA COUNTY– OnSince its inception, Onondaga County has provided ondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney announced nearly $10 million in GIF funding to local green infrastructure projects on private property. The 88 protoday that the Save the jects completed to date capture more than 43 million Rain Green Improvement Fund (GIF) is now accepting gallons of stormwater runoff annually throughout the new applications for green City of Syracuse. infrastructure projects on The 2017 GIF program description, application, fundeligible private property. ing calculator, and eligibility map are available on the GIF supports the developSave the Rain website, www.SaveTheRain.us.
Application Period Is Now Open
The Syracuse Press Club Announces Award Winners urbancny.com Wins First Place in Online Journalism Categories Dupras, “End of Genius: As Scott Keane drank himself to death, friends refused to let go” BREAKING NEWS 1.
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2007 Second Place Internet Blog urbancny.com
cnycentral, Staff, “The search for Baby Maddox”
2008 Second Place Internet Public Service.
The entries were judged by volunteers from press clubs around the country, who spent more than a month poring over the best journalism Central New York had to offer in order to select the winners. The Syracuse Press Club held their awards banquet on Saturday, May 6, at Drumlins Country Club. At the dinner they also celebrated SPC “Club Award” winners: Best Newcomer, Professional Standards, Best News Source and Scholarship winner, as well as the latest addition to their Wall of Distinction. ONLINE JOURNALISM CATEGORY MULTIMEDIA STORY 1.
cnycentral.com, Matt Mulcahy and Matt Landers, “Metro Fence investigation”
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syracuse,com, Marnie Eisenstadt and Mike
2008 First Place Non-Daily Column, Urban CNY
2009 First Place Internet News Blog, urbancny.com, “Ken’s Blog”
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auburnpub.com, Robert Harding and staff
2009 Second Place Non- Daily Column, City Eagle.
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TWCnews.com, Tim Robertson
2010 First Place Non-Daily Column, Urban CNY 2010 Second Place Internet News Blog, urbancny.com
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The Syracuse Press Club has announced the recipients of this year's Syracuse Press Club Professional Recognition Awards. Attached is a list of the winners in the Online Journalism category.
2007 Second Place Internet Public Service, urbancny.com
urbancny.com, Kenneth Jackson, “Onondaga County Executive Mahoney Has Had Enough of Syracuse Mayor Miner”
NEWS WEBSITE
Kenneth Jackson, Publisher
2006 Second Place Non-Daily Column, Urban CNY News
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urbancny.com, Kenneth Jackson, “Ken's Blog "The Hall Monitor”
2011 Second Place Front Page Design Urban CNY
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auburnpub.com, Robert Harding, “Eye on NY”
2012 Second Place Internet News Blog, urbancny.com
The Syracuse Press Club has announced the recipients of this year's Syracuse Press Club Professional Recognition Awards. For a full list of nominees and winners for to Syracuse Press Club Recognition Awards
2012 Second Place Non- Daily Column, Urban CNY 2012 First Place Non- Daily Sports Story (Walt Shepperd) 2013 First Place Internet News Blog 2013 Second Place Non-Daily Sports (Russ Tarby) Urban CNY 2014 Second Place Online Journalism – Internet News Blog
Professional Journalism Awards 2004 Best Column, New York Press Association
Syracuse Press Club Professional Recognition Awards including: 2005 Best Non-Daily Column, City Eagle 2006 Second Place Web Site urbancny.com
2015 Second Place Online Journalism Best News Website 2015 Second Place Online Journalism – Internet News Blog 2016 First Place Breaking News 2016 First Place Online Journalism - Internet News Blog
Farm Fresh Mobile Markets May 2017 Schedule The Farm Fresh Mobile Market brings fresh produce to locations where people live, work, and play! The goal of the FFMM is to increase access to healthy foods in high need area. The Farm Fresh Mobile Market offers healthy vegetables and fruits as well as education, samples, and food demonstrations at select sites.
Green Mayoral Candidate Howie Hawkins to Run for a Sustainable Syracuse and reliable, and improving living standards and the economy by lowering the cost of living and doing business in the city. Community policing and neighborhood safety programs are reducing shootings and crime overall and improving community-police relations. The formerly incarcerated have the support they need to reintegrate productively into neighborhoods. Drug abuse and addiction is treated as a health problem rather than a criminal problem and drug treatment is available to all who need it.
Declaration of Candidacy by Howie Hawkins, Green Party candidate for Mayor of Syracuse A mayoral candidate ought to provide voters with a Strategic Vision for where he or she wants Syracuse to move during his or her administration and an Action Plan for getting there. Strategic Vision My strategic vision for Syracuse is a Sustainable Syracuse that uplifts its poor and working-class people and retains and attracts middle-class residents and businesses. The city is becoming sustainable fiscally, economically, and ecologically. The city enjoys an ecologically and economically sustainable prosperity that is building a safe, healthy, and lively urban environment thanks to city support for community-owned enterprises, neighborhoodbased planning, and increased environmental and cultural amenities. The city is fiscally sustainable. Progressive tax reform has increased revenues so that city budgets can provide the services, infrastructure, utilities, and law enforcement to support a sustainable prosperity. Education, housing, employment, and business opportunities are fair, equal, and desegregating by race and class because the city is enforcing equal employment, minority contracting, fair housing, inclusionary zoning, and other anti-discrimination and desegregation laws and policies. Worker- and community-owned businesses are growing to provide living wages and wealth accumulation for working class and middle class residents. Infrastructure and utilities – including energy, broadband, public transportation, city planning, and sidewalks – are publicly-owned, modernized, affordable,
empowerment, and safe, healthy, and lively neighborhoods that will uplift poor and workingclass people and retain and attract middleclass residents and businesses. With sufficient fiscal resources, our city can make significant progress. Without sufficient resources, the city will continue to struggle to address its persistent problems.
Among the progressive tax reforms I will pursue to increase city revenues and make the tax burden more fair and progressive are: Voting and civic engagement of all sorts by city resi• a City Income Tax on residents and comdents has grown significantly as people participate in muters alike; neighborhood assemblies, participatory budgeting, • Increased State Revenue Sharing to pay for and reformed elections that feature proportional rep- unfunded state mandates; resentation for common council and the school • Land Value Taxation to tax the market valboard, ranked-choice voting for mayor and auditor, ue of land parcels but not their built improvements in and public campaign finance. order to encourage home improvement and business development and discourage the holding Persistent Problems of vacant land and empty buildings for speculative purposes; Syracuse city government has been in a reactive mode • metro-wide Property Tax Sharing so all mufor too long. Instead of its own initiatives to set its nicipalities benefit from development instead of comown direction, it has been reacting to crises and the peting with each other for it; actions of others. • renewal of the current Sales Tax Sharing agreement with the county when it expires in 2020; As a result, the city suffers from persistent and grow• the New York Health Act to provide a single ing problems, including: -payer public health insurance and take health insur• chronic structural fiscal deficits that yield ance costs off of the city budget; austerity budgets year after year; • Property Tax Relief as progressive tax re• growing poverty, segregation, and inequali- forms increase revenue. ty; • a labor market that largely relegates the 2. Equal Opportunities in Schools, Housing, Jobs, and city's working class to low-wage, no-benefit, dead-end City Contracts jobs; • economic stagnation; I will improve and enforce equal opportunity and anti• aging infrastructure; discrimination policies in order to open up better op• overpriced utilities; portunities to low-income and minority residents. • fraught community-police relations amidst persistent crime and violence; These policies will include inclusionary zoning in hous• “struggling” public schools facing state re- ing, desegregation in schooling, a community hiring ceivership and privatization; hall, and strong enforcement of equal employment, minority contracting, and fair housing laws. • city planning by private developers for upscale projects at the expense of affordable housing, 3. Living-Wage Jobs and Community-Owned Enterneighborhood improvement, and environmenprises tal sustainability; and • growing voter alienation, abstention, and The fastest way to get good jobs to city residents is to disempowerment. make sure they get their fair share of city-funded jobs. It's time for new proactive approaches. We cannot afford to continue the same old policies. I will establish a city-certified Community Hiring Hall to serve as a primary source for hiring for city and cityAction Plan contractor jobs in order to meet affirmative action My action plan to address these problems and achieve goals for city resident and minority hiring in equal my strategic vision is built around six themes. employment opportunity, minority contracting, and community benefit agreement programs. 1. Progressive Tax Reform Progressive Tax Reform to make taxes fairer and inThe best longer term strategy to create living-wage crease city revenues is essential for the city to provide jobs is to build community-owned enterprises that the good schools, economic opportunities, political (Continued on page 10)
Thriller-comedy ‘Deathtrap’ brings mystery and fun to Syracuse Stage .SYRACUSE, NY – Syracuse Stage presents “Deathtrap,” a comedythriller guaranteed to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Written by award-winning playwright and novelist Ira Levin, “Deathtrap” has all the right ingredients for the perfect murder mystery with a delightful twist. There are thrills and surprises around every corner. This captivating murder mystery opens on Friday, May 12 in the Archbold Theatre at the Syracuse Stage/SU Drama Complex, 820 E. Genesee St. There will be preview performances on Wednesday, May 10 and Thursday, May 11. After the play’s Broadway debut in 1978, it received an Edgar Award (named after Edgar Allen Poe) for Best Play from the Mystery Writers of America. The show later earned a Tony nomination for Best Play and was called “an absolute knockout of suspense melodrama” by New York Times reviewer Walter Kerr. “Deathtrap” is the longest-running comedythriller on Broadway, with a four-year run of 1,793 performances at the Music Box Theatre.
the murder,” said Barnes. “Murder mysteries provide a great way for people to think or experience something they might not know about. It brings me satisfaction knowing that it gets people theorizing and comparing notes with one another.” “Deathtrap” was originally scheduled to close the 16/17 Syracuse Stage season before the addition of “Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash” (June 7 – 25). Associate artistic director Kyle Bass said “Deathtrap” was included for this season because it is a play full of excitement and fun. “In bringing this kind of thrill to Syracuse Stage, ‘Deathtrap’ wraps up our subscription season on a high note,” said Bass. Tickets are available at www.SyracuseStage.org, by phone at 315.443.3275 and in person at the Box Office.
Special Events
Ira Levin is best known for successful thriller novels such as “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Stepford Wives”. “Deathtrap” centers on a once successful playwright, Sidney Bruhl, who finds himself in desperate need of May 12 Opening Night a hit. While brooding over the failure of his most reParty (free for ticket cent plays, Bruhl receives a manuscript from a former holders) student, a young man named Clifford. Instantly, Bruhl recognizes the play’s potential to be the hit he so badly needs and conspires with his wife, Myra, to Join the cast for a post“separate” the young writer from the as yet unshow celebration with published and unproduced work. Considered a “play live music, food by Pure within a play”, “Deathtrap” mixes comedy with tongue-in-cheek references to the theatre. Levin also Catering, drinks and live music by Kitestring, an acoustic rock band playing Americana, blues and soul. honors the tradition of the mystery genre with sly and subtle allusions to older thrillers like “Dial M for Murder” and “Sleuth”. May 14 Prologue at 1 p.m. (free for ticket holdDirector Paul Barnes, known for his past work on Sy- ers) racuse Stage’s “The Miracle Worker,” “Irving Berlin's An intimate, pre-show discussion with the actors one hour prior to curtain. Bring your questions. White Christmas” and “Peter Pan,” is a long-time “Deathtrap” fan. Barnes saw the original Broadway Actor Talkback (free for ticket holders) production, and he hopes to evoke in Syracuse Stage A Q&A session with the actors following the 7 p.m. audiences the same vicarious thrill he experienced. “People love a good murder mystery because you get to experience danger without risking life or limb,” said Barnes. “I hope our work fulfills the thrills and chills Ira Levin so cleverly intended when he wrote the play, ‘Deathtrap’ provides audiences with that roller-coaster ride sense of risk and surprise, from which everyone emerges safe, sound and in one piece at journey’s end.” “Deathtrap” is a thriller in two acts, with one set and five characters. Barnes intends to stay true to the show’s pre-computer, pre-cell phone, 1970s world. Barnes has directed other mysteries and says he enjoys the speculation they generate among audience members. “It’s always interesting to eavesdrop on conversations and listen to who people thought had actually done
performance. May 18 Murder Mystery Happy Hour at 6 p.m. (free for ticket holders) Enjoy complimentary appetizers from Dolce Vita and half-priced drinks as you and your friends solve your own murder mystery, hosted by Happenings CNY, for the chance to win a prize pack from Visit Syracuse.
May 19 New! Craft Beer Tasting ($50, includes beer tasting and show admission) Enjoy beers from local breweries and hors d’ oeuvres before the show. May 20 Prologue at 2 p.m. (free for ticket holders) An intimate, 20-minute pre-show discussion with the actors one hour prior to curtain. Bring your questions. ASL Interpreted Performance at 3 p.m. for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Audio Described Performance at 3 p.m. for patrons who are blind or visually impaired. May 24 Wednesday @ 1 Lecture (free for ticket holders) Barbara Block, Syracuse-based author of the Robin Light mystery series, will give a lecture at 1 p.m. in the Sutton Pavilion before the 2 p.m. performance. Open Captioning at 2 p.m. Performance for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Dinner & Show ($45, includes dinner and show admission) Enjoy a buffet dinner with fellow theatre lovers in the Sutton Pavilion before the 7:30 performance. Seasonal fare prepared by Phoebe’s Restaurant followed by great theatre. May 25 Prologue at 6:30 p.m. (free for ticket holders) An intimate, 20-minute pre-show discussion with the actors one hour prior to curtain. Bring your questions. May 28 Open Captioning at 2 p.m. Performance for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Women of Motown They were two diminutive dynamos, one a couple of shades under five feet tall, the other a shade over. But what they lacked in size they made up for in stature. Smart and wise, tough and tender, super confident and super competent, Esther Gordy Edwards and Maxine Powell were two towering figures in the history of Motown.
They brought sophistication and considerable entrepreneurial skill to a variety of roles when Motown was getting off the ground. But it was the remarkable Esther Gordy Edwards (1920-2011) who had the greatest impact of all the sisters. Edwards, who had attended Howard University and Wayne State University – the first of the eight Gordy children to go to college – was involved in virtually every aspect of Motown and served for many years as senior vice president and director of international operations, negotiating deals with EMI to distribute Motown records in Europe and the Far East. “She had a head for business,” says her granddaughter, Robin Terry, Chairwoman of the Motown Museum. “She understood how to grow a business, how to be smart in business, and how to protect a business.”
Berry Gordy was, of course, the visionary leader and driving force behind Motown. As Motown the Musical indicates, Gordy methodically plotted Motown’s course, and one of his great skills was choosing the right people to help him build a company that would ultimately break down barriers and achieve Esther Gordy Edwards mass market success. That several of the key players were women was unusual: In fact, she had doubts that her brother, Berry, was a Motown took off in the early ’60s, a time when womgood risk when he asked for an $800 loan from the en were largely invisible in the business world unless family’s co-op to start a record company. “She was they were secretaries. the voice of reason,” says Allen Rawls, the museum’s In the beginning, Gordy employed all four of his sisinterim CEO. “She was a savvy, professional woman, ters. On the surface that might seem like nepotism he was a dreamer, and dreams didn’t always come run amok, but it wasn’t. At the time that Motown true.” As Motown the Musical illustrates, it was Edwas founded, Esther, Anna, Loucye, and Gwen were wards who insisted her brother sign an IOU, “and it all far more accomplished than their younger brother. had to be paid back with six percent interest.” The promissory note is on display at the museum.
the board of both the Detroit Bank of the Commonwealth and the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce. Politically aware and involved – her husband was a Michigan state representative – she traveled to Washington, DC with Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams to urge John F. Kennedy to run for president. Perhaps her greatest legacy is the Motown Museum, which she founded in the Hitsville USA house that served as the original studio and company headquarters. Without knowing why, Edwards had saved all sorts of documents and memorabilia from the earliest days of Motown. “She somehow knew that what she had was unique and important,” says Terry.
When Motown made the move to Los Angeles, Edwards stayed put – Terry says she was “a fierce Detroiter” – and one day in 1981 she looked out the window and saw dozens and dozens of British sailors on Maxine Powell the Hitsville lawn. Terry says her grandmoth“It was at that er referred to herself as point that the meaning behind all that she had saved Motown’s “Gal Friday,” became clear. This was actually something people because when she initially wanted to see.” The museum was established four joined the company she did years later. whatever was needed. As Motown evolved, her reThe artists of Motown were known not just for their sponsibilities grew more talent, but for the classy and professional way they specific. She managed and presented themselves on- and offstage. This was very mentored many of Momuch part of Berry Gordy’s strategy. He decided that town’s young artists and, Motown should have a finishing school – something together with Maxine Pow- no other record company has ever done – and his ell, served as chaperone sister Gwen suggested he hire Maxine Powell (1915when her underage charges 2013) to supply the finish. Known for her elegance went on tour. “She got a lot and class, she had established the very successful of fulfillment from person- Maxine Powell Finishing and Modeling School in ally managing artists be1951, and counted Gwen and Anna among her stucause she loved them,” says dents. Through Powell’s efforts, Gwen became the Terry. “She was responsible first African-American model at the Detroit auto for getting Stevie Wonder show. accepted into the Michigan Powell closed her school and joined the Motown School of the Blind. She set team in 1964, teaching what she called “personal up his trust fund and got development and growth.” Says Terry, “One word him a tutor. She and Stevie you never used in conjunction with Maxine Powell had a very special bond; he was ‘etiquette.’ It would ruffle her feathers. Even truly considered her a secthough what she taught had to do with how you ond mother.” walked and how you sat, she was teaching people Edwards was a force not how to just be. She believed that if you worked on just in Motown, but in De- what’s on the inside, it would show up on the outtroit and beyond. She was side, and that made you more dignified, more gracethe first woman elected to (Continued on page 11)
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Money
Can’t Pay Your Tax Debt in Full? Take Advantage of Convenient Payment Options More than 19,000 taxpayers have paid back $94 opportunities to make a simple one-time payment million in tax debt so far this year through Install- online or arrange a payment plan. ment Payment Agreements The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today reminded taxpayers unable to pay their tax debt in full to consider requesting an Installment Payment Agreement (IPA). “We want to make it as easy as possible for taxpayers to pay what they owe,” said Acting Commissioner Nonie Manion. “We’ll work with taxpayers to find a convenient payment solution, one beneficial to them and New York State.” The Tax Department understands that circumstances can arise that prevent individuals and businesses from paying in full or on time. That’s why it offers
Taxpayers who can’t pay their tax debt in full can request an IPA. Since the beginning of 2017, more than 19,000 taxpayers have taken advantage of this option, paying back a total of more than $94.2 million in tax debt. Individuals also have a new option—Quick Pay—that allows them to pay a bill or tax debt directly from their bank accounts. The app can be accessed from home computers as well as a smartphone or mobile device. In addition, taxpayers can use Tax Department Online Services accounts to make payments from their bank account or via credit card, check balances, respond to notices, update their information and more. Visit www.tax.ny.gov to set up an account or log in to an existing account.
hoods and elect officers to implement the policies the people adopt. They would be organized in the build community wealth. city's natural social and culture neighborhoods, the neighborhoods that their residents identify as It is time to stop giving so many tax breaks to private their neighborhood, which are closer to the city's 25 developers and start investing in community-owned planning neighborhoods than the eight TNT sectors, enterprises where we own our own jobs and which are too big in most cases. The city the wealth created is anchored to our community would allocate a budget to each of the neighborhood by democratic ownership structures. I will fight for a community grid to replace the I-81 assemblies. This neighborhood-directing planning and viaduct, where the freeway is replaced with an exem- participatory budgeting would give residents real By community-owned enterprises I include ownerplary mixed-income, mixed-use, ecologically-designed power and motivation to participate and operated small businesses, consumer cooperatives, residential and commercial neighborhood. take responsibility for improving their neighborhoods public enterprises providing such utilities as powand thereby the whole city. er, broadband, and sidewalks, and especially work5. Police Reform and Public Safety er cooperatives. The complete failure to realize the goals of the 1980 I want to purse metropolitan government because – if federal consent decree for diversifying to the police property structured - it is the only way we can desegI will establish a Municipal Development Bank for force is simply unacceptable 37 years later. It regate by race and class, end the connected problems planning, financing, and technically assisting new is symptomatic of a culture of policing in Syracuse that of suburban sprawl and inner city decay, and expand community-owned enterprises, especially new worker must change. Thus the hiring the next chief of police democracy and civic participation. cooperatives that pay living wages and build workwill be one of the next mayor's most imers' wealth. portant decisions. The recommendations in the Consensus Commission's report for any economic efficiencies and improved I will a pursue a partnership with the city's medical I will draw on the Richmond Model of community performance that might be had by sharing services and educational anchor institutions on University Hill policing and neighborhood safety, where a Green and infrastructure should be explored. to provide markets, financing, and expertise for new Mayor, Gayle McLaughlin, was able during her 2006worker co-ops. This initiative will draw on 2013 term in office to hire a new police chief who was But I oppose the Consensus Commission's proposed the Cleveland Model of the Evergreen Cooperatives, committed to extensive community policing, an inde- metro government structure. It disempowers city resiwhere hospitals and universities in University Cirpendent police disciplinary office, and a neighborhood dents. By failing to address growing school cle supported the creation worker cooperatives in the safety program that partnered the police with comand housing segregation in the metropolitan area, surrounding low-income, predominantly Afrimunity organizations to help gang members it consolidates segregation. By continuing the winnercan American neighborhood, including an industrimove into productive lives. The result was a 75% cut take-all election system, it entrenches and centralizal laundry, an urban greenhouse farm, and a solar in homicides and a diversified the police force with es the existing powers-that-be and disempowers popanel manufacturer and installer. much improved community relations litical and ethnic minorities. (Continued from page 5)
I will aggressively pursue state and federal funding to rebuild and modernize our aging water, sewer, and transportation infrastructure. But I will reject so-called “public-private partnership schemes” that raise the interest costs of building, privatize the income streams, and end democratic public control.
4. Public Enterprise for a Sustainable Prosperity Public infrastructure and utilities are the public avenues for private commerce.
I want to create incentives to increase the number of police who live among us in the city from its current dismal 8%. Like Richmond, one incentive should be free housing in public housing for police officers. FaPublicly-owned infrastructure and utilities lower the vorable home financing and property tax breaks for costs of living and doing business. They provide incen- police officers should also be considered. tives for private economic development and for retaining and growing the city's population. I will pursue a change in state law to require our police, firefighters, and sanitation workers to live in our They also give the city's residents more democratic city. power to plan for an ecologically and economically sustainable prosperity. I want to expand programs for youth jobs and recreation and programs for helping people returning from I will work to create city-owned power and broadband incarceration to re-enter the community successfully. utilities that will significantly lower the costs of living and doing business in Syracuse. 6. More Democracy and Civic Engagement Low voter turnout in the city is an indication of wideThe free market I seek locally is not a market free spread alienation from government and civic engagefrom regulation, but a market free from the unearned ment. When the people are disengaged, they income that is taken from our residents are disempowered and the special interests prevail and businesses out of our community by monopolisover the public interest. tic rent-extracting private companies like National Grid, Spectrum, and Verizon. I want to encourage and institutionalize grassroots and inclusive civic and political participation with a I want Syracuse to have a public power system so it number of reforms to the structure of our municican plan a rapid transition to 100% clean renewable pal government: energy by the city, with the system's distributed solar, • Neighborhood Assemblies for neighborwind, and geothermal energy sources, storage, and hood-based planning and participatory budgeting; users linked by an interactive smart grid. • Proportional Representation on common council; I want Syracuse to have a community-owned broad• Ranked-Choice Instant Runoff Voting for band system that insures that all residents and busiexecutive offices; nesses have affordable, reliable, and first-rate digi• Public Campaign Finance for local elections; tal connectivity. • A Metropolitan Government based on Federalism and Proportional Representation. I want Syracuse to municipalize responsibility for its The Neighborhood Assemblies would be neighborsidewalks so that the Department of Public Works hood governments structured like New England Town does sidewalk maintenance and snow removal as Meetings where all residents meet to considit does for city streets. er planning, projects, and budgets for their neighbor-
A metro government based on federalism and proportional representation would be a federation of existing local municipal governments, including new neighborhood governments in the city, with the metro legislature elected by proportional representation and its executive officers elected by rankedchoice instant-runoff voting. The Plan for Winning the Election Our plan for winning this election is a grassroots strategy. It is focused on talking to the voters on their doorsteps, on the phone, and in community meetings, by the candidate and a lot of volunteers. We believe that as voters come to know the candidate and the policy platform, they will be motivated to come out and vote for the Sustainable Syracuse vision and action plan – and a good number will want to volunteer to work on the campaign. We will fund the campaign with lots of small contributions for regular people. We will not take money from for-profit businesses. We want to represent and be accountable the people, not corporate special interests. We will do many of the traditional campaign activities, including yard signs, social media, paid media ads, and direct mail. We believe these will reinforce the contacts we make talking to the voters. But it is the grassroots campaign of talking to the voters that will make the difference and enable us to win the election.
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ful, more beautiful, more natural.” Most of Motown’s artists came from humble beginnings, and Powell saw them as diamonds in the rough that needed polishing. “Some of them were from the projects, some were using street language, some were rude and crude,” she said in an interview. “With me, it’s not where you come from, it’s where you’re going.” Powell mentored her charges in social graces and comportment, and worked closely with choreographer Cholly Atkins when he created dance routines. “She made sure the routines for the women were ladylike,” says Rawls. “She’d say, ‘Young women dance with their feet and not with their buttocks.’ She told the artists she was preparing them to perform before kings and queens. The response from many of them was, ‘We don’t care about that. All we want is a hit record.’ But the proof is in the pudding, when you see a picture of the Supremes being presented to the Queen Mum. So I think all of them, to a person, appreciated the mentorship that they got from her.” Powell was instrumental in improving the showmanship of a resistant Marvin Gaye, who tended to sing with his eyes closed. “It looked like he was into himself as opposed to the audience,” says Rawls. “He was a handsome guy with a great voice, but she recognized that there was something missing from his stage presentation, something that could take him to the next level. It took some convincing, because
Marvin was a stubborn person. But if you look at clips up, and they were introduced at the end of the proof him, you can see that he got it.” duction,” he says. “Then they introduced Maxine Powell, and she got a standing ovation. She’d become Powell left Motown in 1969 and went on to teach a legend.” courses in personal development at Wayne County Community College for almost 15 years, More recent- Terry says that to this day she hears from people, esly, she worked part pecially women, whose lives were impacted by her time as an assistant grandmother. “Very influential women, CEOs, come to Martha Reeves, up to me and tell me how my grandmother helped one of her former them or mentored them,” she says. “Black, white, it Motown students, didn’t matter. They credit her with helping them naviwhen the one-time gate uncharted waters. She was a true pioneer.” lead singer of the Vandellas served on the Detroit City Council. Until the end, Terry says, “Professor Powell never stopped teaching.” Both Powell and Edwards left behind countless numbers who benefited from their tutelage and wisdom. A few years ago, Rawls and his wife escorted Powell to a show about the early days of Motown called Now That I Can Dance. “About a dozen Motown alumni showed