Country Stores offer charm from days gone by

For a literal stroll down memory lane, head to any number of country stores that dot the region. Once known as the general store, these nostalgic markets force browsers to take their time and remember the days of penny candy, homemade jellies, Radio Flyer wagons and 10-ounce bottles of Coca-Cola.

Explore this week's edition of the paper as it was printed (almost). Flip pages, zoom in and out, and click on hot links all online. To get the full experience, scroll down below the image and click on "Enlarge this document in new window."

A roundup of Central New York spots to get your fireworks kicks

Kenny G put out an extended-play note during the 2009 Syracuse Jazz Fest

A wailing siren alarmingly pierced the chilly night air of last Saturday’s Syracuse Jazz Fest on the Onondaga Community College campus. It wasn’t an ambulance but rather soprano saxophonist Kenny “G” Gorelick, who surprised a blowout audience by kicking off his set in the middle of the crowd. Welded to the spot, Gorelick let loose with a single, blasting pitch that clocked in at about 60 seconds.

Whether this writer’s May 2, 2001, cover story, “Monumental Stupidity,” had anything to do with it or not, it’s refreshing to see that the city has decided to reclaim its wealth of monuments and historic plaques, and return them to their former glory. The latest monument to receive restorer Sharon BuMann’s Midas touch stands, once nearly forgotten, in Washington Square Park, the northernmost greenspace within city limits. In its restored state, it is an amazing piece of work.