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Hello!

My name is Francesca Merwin and I am the Engagement Fellow/Communications Coordinator for the Connective . . . → Read More: Mobile Galleries Project for the Connective Corridor]]> It would be great to see some Eastwood art on the Connective Corridor bus!  The following was sent to me today. Jan Cruz was one of the SU professors instrumental in the Art-In-Motion project, which got us Gustav, the 17-foot street puppet.

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Hello!

My name is Francesca Merwin and I am the Engagement Fellow/Communications Coordinator for the Connective Corridor. I was given your email by the lovely Jan Cruz to let you know of an opportunity on the Corridor buses.

Basically, we own and operate the wrapped buses which travel the Corridor route. We have intended to make these buses Mobile Galleries. Please see this link for more information:

Corridor Buses Transform into Mobile Galleries

Currently, we are in the process of identifying art projects. We are looking for projects (be it poetry, art, photos, etc) that either:

A) Represent a social issue pertaining to Syracuse life

B) Represent a collaborative effort of community organizations in Syracuse

We try to switch out the art in the buses every two months. Currently, we are looking for 7 exhibitors in total for the April-May (1), June-July (3) and August-September (3) runs of the project.  This document explains the process in a little more detail. Below you will see some images of what this looks like “in action”. If you are interested and think that your project fits these guidelines, please send me an email or call me at 203-558-1075 so we can discuss this further.

Thank you so much for your time!

-Francesca

Francesca Merwin
Communications Coordinator
Connective Corridor
Office of Community Engagement and Economic Development
(203) 558-1075 ::  ceedfm@syr.edu

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“Syracuse lawmakers vote themselves the power to override the city planning commission” (Syracuse.com, 11/29/2011)

Lonnie posted about it here on November 22nd. Well, this may be late notice but TONIGHT all of us can do something about it!

Apparently, the Common Councilors who voted 6-3, with very little transparency or public input, to amend the . . . → Read More: TONIGHT: Tell Mayor Miner to Stop this Power Grab]]> Remember this back in November:

“Syracuse lawmakers vote themselves the power to override the city planning commission” (Syracuse.com, 11/29/2011)

Lonnie posted about it here on November 22nd. Well, this may be late notice but TONIGHT all of us can do something about it!

Apparently, the Common Councilors who voted 6-3, with very little transparency or public input, to amend the City Charter to be able to inject legislative politics into unanimous City Planning Commission  decisions, didn’t get the message from our letters.

Mayor Stephanie Miner is seeking public comment TONIGHT AT CITY HALL on the Common Council’s decision to amend the City Charter for more authority over Planning Commission decisions. The Mayor wants to hear from the public and listen directly to comments to assist in making a decision to act on the City Charter change. She has already come out against it but needs some support from the public for next steps. The vote on the Common Council was veto-proof, but maybe cooler heads will prevail…

The meeting will be at 5:00 p.m. in Council chambers on the 3rd floor of City Hall, 233 E. Washington Street, Syracuse, 13202.

Word on the street has it that the Common Council usurped their authority under the New York State Constitution by neglecting to send this issue for a public referendum. This is because the action was a City Charter change, which might be considered differently under state  constitutional law than through the normal local legislative process.

We’ll see what happens and update you on this issue. This could have long-term consequences for sustainable, healthy, and smart development decisions in this City. Our view is that this is just wrong! Head on over to City Hall tonight.

More reading from The Post-Standard / Syracuse.com can be found here, here and here. Again, we urge all interested in smart planning and smart development in this city to OPPOSE this action by the Common Council.

The keynote speaker tonight will be Diane Eggert, Executive Director of the Farmers’ Market Federation of New York, who will give a presentation on starting a community farmers’ market. The Eastwood Neighborhood Association is organizing a Steering . . . → Read More: Eat Where You Live – In Eastwood, Of Course!]]> Tonight, December 13, at 7:00 the Eastwood Neighborhood Association (ENA) will hold their quarterly Open House at Blessed Sacrament Church.

The keynote speaker tonight will be Diane Eggert, Executive Director of the Farmers’ Market Federation of New York, who will give a presentation on starting a community farmers’ market. The Eastwood Neighborhood Association is organizing a Steering Committee to study the feasibility of a regular farmers’ market in Eastwood and all neighbors/members are invited to join. This is an effort that will further the aim of a more walkable Eastwood!

From the Farmers’ Market Federation of New York website www.nyfarmersmarket.com:

Our mission is to support and promote the viability of farmers’ markets through innovative services, programs and partnerships that maximize the benefits of markets to sellers, buyers and communities.

Check out the Farmers’ Market Federation publications page for some fascinating information, including a downloadable “Guide to Developing a Community Farmers’ Market” and a summary of “The Value of Farmers’ Markets”.

Tonight’s ENA meeting is Open to the Public.

To become a member of the Eastwood Neighborhood Association and join this effort contact the organization via e-mail at www.eastwoodneighbor.com/contact or donate on the organization’s website at www.eastwoodneighbor.com/donate.

A simple action on your part: Write a letter

1. Watch the video about hydrofracking. Time: 1 minute, 53 seconds.

2. Write your letter from the heart. Or use their cool online letterwriter. Time: 3 minutes, 47 seconds.

3. Phone the governor. Time: 2 minutes, 10 . . . → Read More: You’re one in a million]]> A simple concept: a million letters to Governor Cuomo asking him to prohibit hydrofracking in New York State.

A simple action on your part: Write a letter

1. Watch the video about hydrofracking.
Time: 1 minute, 53 seconds.

2. Write your letter from the heart. Or use their cool online letterwriter.
Time: 3 minutes, 47 seconds.

3. Phone the governor.
Time: 2 minutes, 10 seconds.

Total: 7 minutes, 50 seconds

Time “secret” chemicals damage our aquifers: eons.

Time we have left to stop this madness: weeks, months maybe.

Time before you develop lung cancer from exposure to diesel fumes (thousands of gas wells x 1,000 diesel trucks per well): a few years.

Now do you have 7 minutes and 50 seconds available?

Please go to A Million Fracking Letters . com and at least write the letter. Phoning would be extra effective.

Thank you.

Please go to that page and “Like” it. Read some of the entries, and by all . . . → Read More: A Facebook page for Eastwood!]]> Check it out, folks: Eastwood Neighborhood Planning Council Facebook page. Can’t make it to meetings but want a place where your thoughts on planning issues are valued? What better place than Facebook where plenty of us are hanging out these days?

Please go to that page and “Like” it. Read some of the entries, and by all means, comment on what you see.

Here’s the description you find there:

The only public, democratic, citizen participatory group committed to long-range, healthy, sustainable capacity-building and land use planning for Eastwood. Local residents, businesses and organizations can be a part of the plan for a healthy, sustainable and thriving future in the neighborhood!

Got questions about this?  Go to that page and leave your questions or comments there. You’ll get a quick response.

o   Legislation would give Council the ability to reverse ANY decision made by . . . → Read More: Stop this power grab]]> Common Council attempting to change City Charter to diminish powers of the Planning Commission.

Please write letters to the editor and contact your City Councilors (links below). Tell them to leave our city charter alone!

The Council is making a power grab against our City Planning Commission.

o   Legislation would give Council the ability to reverse ANY decision made by the Planning Commission, even items unanimously denied by them.

o   This would open a Pandora’s Box of the worst kind of planning and development in our city. (See why here.)

o   The reason they give for power grab: city is anti-development. But the mayor and Kinney Drugs are communicating just fine and development is moving forward.

The Council is attempting to avoid public discussion and scrutiny of this legislation.

o   The Council is attempting to sidestep the required public referendum (see below)

o   The Council is trying to ram this through in a lame duck session by scheduling a committee meeting with less than 24 hours notice, and by calling special voting meetings between now and the end of the year so the incoming Councilors have no chance to participate.

Here’s how they’re doing it – watch the timing on all this:

1. The Council couldn’t immediately vote on this item at their regular Monday meeting on November 21 because it’s a local law. But they could vote as soon as seven days later.
2. Normal procedure for local laws is to table them at one meeting – in this case, the November 28 meeting – but not vote, thus giving councilors time to consider all the ramifications. Then they would vote on it at the next regular Council meeting, which would be December 5.
3. However, according to Andrew Maxwell, Director of Planning and Sustainability, in their haste to pass this charter change before the end of the year, the Council intends to hold a special meeting to vote on this item on November 28 – the Monday after Thanksgiving.
4. As the Mayor has 30 days in which to veto any legislation, the latest she could take such action would be December 28.  This would allow the Council to call yet another special meeting just prior to the end of the year to override her veto.

Folks, I don’t know about you, but I well remember when developer Guy Hart used these tactics to try to ram through bad Walgreens designs – holding really important meetings when people were away on vacation and/or distracted by holidays - we in Eastwood thought very ill of him and his scheme. We also packed the planning commission meeting on December 27 so it didn’t work anyway.

What’s the hurry? The Kinney’s project is doing fine. If they’re proud of what they’re doing, they should do it when their constituents aren’t focused on the holidays and their families.

ACT TODAY: Send letters to the editor at the Post-Standard (click here to see how), and contact all of your City Councilors: contact information here. Tell them the Council must leave our city charter alone!

You can copy and paste these email addresses of council members: vrobinson@ci.syracuse.ny.us, ldenno@ci.syracuse.ny.us, phunter@ci.syracuse.ny.us, kjoy@ci.syracuse.ny.us, jkessner@ci.syracuse.ny.us, mrayo@ci.syracuse.ny.us, phogan@ci.syracuse.ny.us, ryanmcmahon@ci.syracuse.ny.us, tseals@ci.syracuse.ny.us, nmaroun@ci.syracuse.ny.us

Green Fashion Closet is located at 3056 Burnet Ave in a little strip mall, next to the cleaners. They’ve been there for at least a couple years, and their . . . → Read More: Great clothing in Eastwood]]> I just bought a new pair of all-leather pumps made in Spain, plus a darling red dress, all silk, and the total came to $10.41. Here in Eastwood.

Green Fashion Closet is located at 3056 Burnet Ave in a little strip mall, next to the cleaners. They’ve been there for at least a couple years, and their offerings continue to be very high quality. While it is advertised on Facebook as a store for African fashions, it really is full of clothing that would appeal to any woman looking for quality clothes.

The proprietor is very pleasant and helpful and the deals can’t be beat. So while we may mourn the loss of our consignment clothing shop on James Street, there is a very good one still in Eastwood.

Phone: 315-373-0723

Mon: 12:00 pm-5:00 pm
Tue – Wed: 10:00 am-7:00 pm
Thu: 11:00 am-8:00 pm
Fri – Sat :10:00 am-7:00 pm