Lonnie March 20th, 2009
There’s some confusion about the sign that the Planning Commission will be voting on come April 6. Here is my understanding of it (corrections, as always, are welcome in the comment section), as reported by a concerned citizen who visited the zoning office:
The overall dimensions of the proposed ground sign, including the two piers, is about 10 ft. high, by about 13 ft. wide, by 2.5 ft. deep. The piers are 2.5 ft. square, and 10 ft. high. The space between the piers is about 9 ft. wide, where there will be, I believe, a “Walgreens” sign, and the changeable electronic sign of about 8 ft. width.
Just how big is this, really? According to Common Councilor Kathleen Joy, “The entire sign would be about 100 sq ft. …The architect told me that it needs to be big enough to be seen over cars and the Veterans monument. ”
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Lonnie March 9th, 2009
Although we were assured in 2005 that there would be no scrolling LED sign at the Walgreens that now graces the gateway to our “village,” this type of sign is likely to rear its ugly head again. If you care about what kind of “look and feel” our traditional village streetscape has, you may want to attend the public hearing (details below).
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Lonnie July 19th, 2008
I have been incensed ever since a lopsided vote in the Common Council allowed the Kingsley-True House to be slated for demolition, despite the overwhelming public and professional support for preservation. How could this have happened?
This was all explained to us in March in this Post-Standard article. Remember? Six of the Common Councilors voted for historic designation while only three, Michael Heagerty, Patrick Hogan and Ryan McMahon, voted against it. But in our broken system, the resolution required 7 “yes” votes to pass. I have to ask, what was our dear Mike Heagerty thinking? He, of all people, as owner of Eastwood’s beloved Palace Theater, should understand the importance of historic buildings to their communities.
It is vitally important that the perception of an either-or situation be turned around. It is patently false that this city must choose between caring for sick kids and protecting its history. Albany didn’t have to make that choice. Philadelphia didn’t have to make that choice. What is it about Syracuse that leaves us vulnerable to three people who somehow ended up with this much power?
“…(T)he votes of city officials on the Landmark Preservation Board (9-0); the Syracuse Planning Commission (5-0); and the Syracuse Common Council (6-3), the votes of city officials were overwhelmingly in favor of historic designation (20-3).” (Post-Standard article) Continue Reading »
Lonnie April 27th, 2008
We’re avid readers of Anthony Bourdain’s books. Two of them have impacted our family somewhat dramatically. The first was Kitchen Confidential. Aside from being just a great read, it was also the third book our then-early-adolescent son read. He read it cover to cover, but it was at the third chapter that he came running to announce that he wanted to be a chef. Why? He pointed to the title of Chapter 3: “Food is Sex”. That did it. A couple culinary degrees under his belt, he’s now in charge of the mignardises in a restaurant in New York.
But the book that continues to inspire me is A Cook’s Tour, and specifically the chapter, “Where Food Comes From“. Read it, and you’ll understand why he says that where our food comes from is not always pretty. But it’s the larger concept behind that chapter that makes me think a lot and sometimes do strange things.
Strange thing #1: I make coffee in a 70-year-old vacuum coffee pot.
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Lonnie March 31st, 2007
I watched a pretty shocking “20/20″ segment this evening. It showed the results of an error made by a teenage “pharmacy assistant” in a Walgreens in Florida. A mother of three was given ten times the amount of medication she should have had which resulted in a stroke and and end to her chemotherapy. She died before she could testify. According to the ABC article, “As big chain drug stores have rapidly expanded, thousands of pharmacy technicians have been hired…. In a majority of states all that is required is that the student be actively working for a GED or high school diploma.” You can watch the video here. And take a look at this article: U.S. Pharmacy Errors: Unreported Epidemic?
I’ll take my local businesses over the big chains any day. Too bad there are so few local pharmacies left! Local businesses know they have to earn your patronage every day. And that means having trained, experienced people handing you your new blow torch (True Value Hardware), your freshly repaired car (Fehlman Brothers) and even your cup of coffee (Cafe Kubal and Laci’s Cafe at the Palace). Think globally, shop locally. It’s good for the environment and, goodness knows, it’s probably good for you, too!