Candidates Chat Parks and Re-Creation

The Syracuse New Times partnered with the
Sunnycrest Park Association to stage the event, and Republican
candidates Otis Jennings and Steve Kimatian along with Democratic
hopefuls Stephanie Miner, Joe Nicoletti, Carmen Harlow and Alphonso
Davis all outlined their course of action for cohesive citywide parks
reform. Syracuse New Times columnist and senior writer Ed
Griffin-Nolan acted as moderator for the evening, questioning the
candidates’ stances on such issues as the formation of a Parks
Conservancy, and if the current Department of Parks, Recreation and
Youth Programs should splinter the current triumvirate-title of the
organization.

Otis Jennings, Alphonso Davis (left to right)

Joe Nicoletti, Stephanie Miner, Carmen Harlow, Otis Jennings

Otis Jennings makes a point.

Steve Kimatian, Joe Nicoletti, Stephanie Miner, Carmen Harlow

Steve Kimatian, Joe Nicoletti

Joe Nicoletti, Stephanie Miner, Carmen Harlow

As a former Syracuse parks commissioner, Jennings had the
most impassioned “absolutely not” response to the latter question. “I
was responsible for changing the name under Roy Bernardi back in 1994,”
he said. He also believes the Parks Department is severely underfunded,
and noted that he got himself into a little trouble fighting that issue
for years.

Claiming that a lot of housing is located within city
parks, Jennings believes the two go hand in hand and that revitalizing
the city’s parks will ultimately result in the rejuvenation of
neighborhoods while at the same time bringing them closer together.

This past April, the Onondaga County Republicans
Committee designated Jennings as candidate for mayor, and he seems
poised to make the parks of Syracuse a key part of his administration
should he get elected—citing the recent crumbling of the walls around
Upper Onondaga Park’s Hiawatha Lake, claiming he proposed a plan to
restore them 10 years ago that was not approved.

Stephanie Miner overwhelmingly won the Democratic
designation for mayor back in May, receiving more than 73 percent of
the vote, and clearly appeared ready to live up to the nomination. Her
strongest advocacy for the parks was the formation of Parks
Conservancy, which she claimed would allow “a group of advocates for
the parks that could meet with the city Parks Department and talk about
planning, funding and strategy. And from that group and partnership and
obviously being led by the mayor, come up with a strategy to fund the
parks.”

She gave an example about approaching SUNY College of
Environmental Science and Forestry about sponsoring a nature trail at
Eastwood’s Sunnycrest Park, and believes collaborations among parks and
enterprises within the city are key to urban redevelopment.

As Nicoletti recounted a story of having a Goodyear Blimp
pilot tell him that he had seen the most green space ever while flying
over Syracuse, all six candidates agreed that not losing focus on the
importance of the parks is a key to the revitalization of the city.

To listen to the entire mayoral forum.

–Tom Kahley