A-Plus Art

Fayetteville-Manlius High art students continue the school’s success at the Scholastic Art Awards

U Down With OCC?

Syracuse’s “other” college marks 50 years with an exhibit, book and numerous special events

Syracuse’s “other” college marks 50 years with an exhibit, book and numerous special events

The Art of Sickness

Tonja Torgerson explores the dynamics and perceptions of being ill in an exhibit at Craft Chemistry

Tonja Torgerson explores the dynamics and perceptions of being ill in an exhibit at Craft Chemistry

January Thaw

Brighten up winter’s monotony with visits to two distinct art exhibits

A Very Good Year

During 2011, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, just outside Cazenovia, hosted an exhibition devoted to Dorothy Riester’s artworks and her contributions to the art park. The Community Folk Art Center celebrated its 40th anniversary by displaying a range of artworks from its permanent collection.

Focus on America

America is a vast place, and capturing it in new and unusual ways is beyond the grasp of many. Photographer Alec Soth gave it a shot (so to speak), and the results are on display at the Everson Museum of Art. From Here to There: Alec Soth’s America presents a large selection of Soth’s photos taken during the past 15 years in various locales: up and down the Mississippi River, near Niagara Falls, in Texas and Minnesota.

Inside Jobs

The death of Steve Jobs on Oct. 5 was mourned from all quarters of a world he made smaller and more interconnected. His role as a continuous driving force behind the computer revolution cannot be denied.

Family Jewels

Szozda Gallery mounts artwork created by a married couple

YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS

Four decades is plenty of time to accumulate some impressive pieces of art. African Diasporan Treasures: 40 Years of Community Folk Art Center presents paintings, sculptures and other works surveying and sampling the permanent collection at the center, 805 E.

Prints of the City

The  changing leaves make it a great time to visit Cazenovia’s Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, with its secret garden, open grassy slopes and wooded paths that wind past hulking sculptures.

Fungus Among Us

Cornell physics professor Paul McEuen’s debut novel Spiral receives critical praise

She Shoots, She Scores!

Since hockey parents are generally awake at 4 a.m. to drive their kids to practice, they have plenty of time in the stands to read, pay bills and chat. “When I became a hockey mom I had a lot of free time in the stands,” says WSYR- Channel 9 morning news anchor Christie Casciano.

String of Pearls

Melville Clark’s multifaceted musical legacy to Syracuse gets star treatment in a new book Harpist Linda Pembroke Kaiser didn’t intend to write a book when she began two decades of research on Syracuse musician Melville A. Clark (1883-1953). But this man of many hats (and many harps)—former head of the 150-year-old family-owned Clark Music Company, inventor of the Clark Irish harp, and the first president of Syracuse’s first symphony orchestra—inspired Kaiser to don a new hat of her own. 

Marvin the Martian

A word of warning to those who plan on attending the upcoming book signings by Marvin Druger: Don’t ask him an open-ended question, or the sessions may run long. Make that very long. A telephone conversation with Druger, the wildly popular but now retired professor of biology at Syracuse University, with wife Pat commenting in the background, sounds like a version of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.

Scenes from a Divorce

Alec Baldwin chronicles his experiences traversing the family court system By Lorraine Smorol Alec Baldwin is one angry dude. You can almost see the steam rising from the pages of his book A Promise to Ourselves: A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce (St. Martin’s Press, New York City; 224 pages; $24.95/hardcover), a documentation of his nasty divorce from actress Kim Basinger, with all the resulting fallout and backlash.

State of the State

A publisher seeking a writer is unusual in the book world, but that’s just what happened to Cleveland, N.Y., resident Meg Schneider. “Voyageur had put out two other similar books, ones about Minnesota and Pennsylvania,” she says. “They wanted to do New York next. The editor asked my agent if she had any writers who could do this. That’s a rare thing when they come to me.” That was last fall, and after an intense, six-week, full-time blitz, which included a five-day trip to New York City (nice work if you can get it!), Schneider turned over her manuscript for New York: Yesterday & Today. This is a perfect coffee-table book: You can easily get through a chapter that focuses on a geographic region of the state, or a city, in one sitting.

Pictures Perfect

Two new coffee-table photo books will put readers in an Empire State of mind By Molly English-Bowers

Memory Lane

Longtime Syracuse radio host Phil Markert used to joke when stuck in traffic on Erie Boulevard East that the road was such a bad idea, “they ought to rip it up and build a canal.” Anyone holding on to that type of nostalgia when the Erie Canal bisected Syracuse might want to take a look at a new photo book compiled by Dennis Connors, curator of the Onondaga Historical Association (OHA).

Screen Gems

Central New York’s bygone cinemas are recalled in Norm Keim’s new book Our Movie Houses By James MacKillop Anyone in town who’s paid attention to the movies over the last two generations knows Norm Keim. Actually, that’s the Rev. Norman O. Keim, a one-time Syracuse University chaplain who ran the Film Forum program there from 1968 to 1980. On three days midweek at SU’s Gifford Auditorium, Film Forum was the city’s premier art house venue, when movies were hot and you could impress a date with words like auteur and mise-en-scène.

Who Dunn It?

It’s no secret that Central New York has produced several successful authors such as L. Frank Baum, Laurie Halse Anderson, Bruce Coville and most recently, Matthew Dunn, whose accomplishments continue to grow. Dunn’s latest novel, Erased (Onondaga Hill Publishing, Syracuse; 304 pages; $15/softcover), about a man’s trouble with identity, was recently awarded a bronze medal from the 12th annual Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards.  The awards honor “the best in independently published novels.” Since the IPPYs received more than 3,000 entries from multiple countries and 65 categories, Dunn’s honor is no small feat. Winning third in the Thriller category was a big confidence boost, Dunn admits, although he’s not sure how the voting process worked.

Better than a Glade Plug-in

Share

Hop On, Hop Off

Tar Fever

Baby Ga Ga

Share

Don't Be a Chicken

Share

Lance Artmstrong Doping Investigation

This Is Over The Line

Share

See You There

Share

Say What?

Share

10% Off!

Share

Filling

Looking for a new way to go gluten-free? So was Jennifer Canter. In June, she opened Yummy Tummy Sweets, a home-based, gluten-free bakery.

Hot Chocolate

Order your Valentine’s Day sweets and treats while they’re still available

Order your Valentine’s Day sweets and treats while they’re still available

Rocking Kitchen Stadium

The inaugural Iron Fork Syracuse proved a culinary success

What the Fork?

Rescue Mission will benefit from Iron Fork, a Food Network-type cooking competition

Filling

Chillin’ in B’Ville Baldwinsville’s Big Chill Weekend returns with two days of foods, wines, a cook-off, live entertainment and a polar bear plunge.

Squash With Panache

The calendar says winter, so break out the oft-neglected, hard-shelled gourds

Fresh Tastes

Three new eateries aim to bring more diners downtownAlthough Syracuse University mascot Otto the Orange cheers from the sidelines these days, the rotund and fuzzy fruit is the latest in a long lin

Morning Joe

Upscale breakfast provides a welcome respite from holiday hustleWonderful as the holidays are, they come with a lot of stress: shopping, decorating the tree, hosting and attending parties, visiting

Small Wonders

Cupcakes are messy, colorful, playful, pretty and everywhere. From Hollywood to Dubai, they have been spotlighted in movies like Bridesmaids and in popular sweets stores like Magnolia Bakery in New York City and Georgetown Cupcake in Washington, D.C.

Oh, Pears

In season through early summer, this fiber-filled fruit provides a welcome respite from apples

Losing Ugly

The future looked as bright as ever six weeks ago. The Syracuse University football team had just beaten West Virginia 49-23 in front of the biggest Carrier Dome crowd in two seasons. Its best player, defensive end Chandler Jones, had just returned from a knee injury.

An Inconsistent Truth

Syracuse got mauled by a team that was previously winless in Big East play on Friday, Nov. 11. It was the third loss in a row, and it was perhaps the ugliest all season. There’s no doubt that the 37-17 loss to South Florida is the low point of a season that makes a Quentin Tarantino movie seem predictable. Since there are two weeks before the next game, let’s look at how many times this year’s outlook has changed.

Can’t Spell Stumble Without SU

When I think Big East, I think of a conference where you can pick the winner out of a hat every Saturday. There is no identity for the conference, and seemingly no identity for many of its members. That’s what happens when there are three first-year coaches, two second-year coaches, and a third-year coach.

Say It Ain’t So

My next-door neighbor growing up went to college at West Virginia. I went to Syracuse University. We’re the same age and still good friends. We made a few road trips to see the Orange and the Mountaineers during our time at school. The night of Friday, Oct.

Best of Luck

In a tied game with just over two minutes left, a stunned Syracuse University Orangemen football team failed to convert a third down during its Oct. 8 game against Tulane at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Three-and-out, and the opponent’s hot offense was ready to come back and go for a monumental upset win.

OT Pays Off

With a 33-30 overtime win over Toledo, the Syracuse University Orange won back-to-back home games against Division 1-A opponents for the first time in five years. The second overtime game this season featured multiple lead changes, rotating quarterbacks, wide receivers throwing passes, and a butchered replay review.

Getting Reel

The Artist and Hugo celebrate the best of old-school moviemakers

The Bite Stuff

Vampires and werewolves collide again in Underworld: Awakening

If you’re not a fan of the Underworld horror-flick franchise, you’ll likely be lost from the get-go when the fourth installment, titled Underworld: Awakening

Hollywood Knight

John LeBold’s collection of classic costumes is part of a celluloid-themed New Year’s blast at Turning Stone.

Dinner At Eight

Owen Shapiro, the fest’s artistic director and a film professor at Syracuse University, and his steadfast spouse—and the fest’s managing director—Christine Fawcett-Shapiro, spent the summer in Bologna, Italy, to coordinate the new SU Abroad program for student filmmakers.

You Can’t Spell Layover Without Love

Considering the acclaim he received for his 2005 documentary 39 Pounds of Love, the awardwinning story of a boy with a rare form of spinal muscular atrophy who ultimately outlived his doctor’s predictions by some 35 years, one might expect Israeli filmmaker Dani Menkin to stick with a winning formula, following up with another slice of real life.

Cinema Paradiso

A funny thing happened on the way to last summer’s Capitolfest, the annual blowout of BOOKS rarely screened movies at Rome’s Capitol Theatre, 220 W. Dominick St.

film

A host of upgrades are new this summer at the Finger Lakes Drive-In (252-3969, www. fingerlakesdrivein.com), about 30-plus miles away from Syracuse, and located for the last 64 summers on Routes 5 and 20 (Clark Street Road, to the locals), about two miles past the Bass Pro Shops drawing card at Fingerlakes Mall in the farming community of Aurelius.

MOD Squad

Manufactured-on-demand DVDs help bridge the gap for die-hard movie collectors

film

Keeping things fresh even as the plotline remains firm, Phillips and co-writers Craig Mazin and Scot Armstrong swap out some elements here and there, such as relegating the original groom, played by Justin Bartha, to the sidelines, and adding Lauren’s teen brother Teddy (Mason Lee), a musical prodigy, to the fourth-wheel slot.

Nerd is the Word

The Geek Pride Celebration offers movies, games and more for the pocket-protector set

Fab Funk Five

Galactic brings the Mardi Gras party northward during next Tuesday’s Westcott Theater show

Galactic brings the Mardi Gras party northward during next Tuesday’s Westcott Theater show

RECORD HOP

Three years ago, local bluegrass musician John Cadley began trading harmonies and guitar licks with the talented—if somewhat less road-tested—singer-guitarist Cathy Wenthen.

CHATTER

The average Hammond B3 organ is about 44 inches tall, weighs more than 400 pounds and, along with its bench, is bulky and awkward to move.

Heartbreak Kid

Mike McKay channels romantic ruptures into song material for his new EP

He’s Got The Beat

David Northrup wants aspiring musicians to follow their drumming dreams

David Northrup wants aspiring musicians to follow their drumming dreams

Rap It Up

Walking into Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome on Feb. 2 for the inaugural “Rock the Dome” concert featuring Ludacris, it was strange to look around the crowd and realize that many in it were probably ages 6 or 7 when Luda first made a splash with his raunchy rap from 2000, “What’s Your Fantasy?”

Hearts in Harmony

Can you feel the love tonight? You could with the help of the Spirit of Syracuse Chorus, which is currently celebrating two decades of four-part barbershop-style harmonizing.

Herd Mentality

Followers of Donna the Buffalo will get their jones during a Saturday show in Utica

A Little Lights Music

Canada’s pop singer-songwriter crossed the border for a Lost Horizon gig

The Cat and the Fiddle

The late local bowmaster Hal Casey takes his final bow

Bad Actor

The ever-versatile Giancarlo Esposito has played countless roles, but most people will recognize him as the ruthless meth kingpin Gus Fring from AMC’s hit series Breaking Bad, as well as

You Gotta Have Art

Great art is underappreciated in its time. Heck, even Van Gogh had to cut off his ear just to get a little attention. That’s why CNY Artists Gallery is presenting The Inner World and Psyche of&

Here and There

The Randy Brecker Sextet, Winterfest, hardcore headbanging? It's all here.

Florence of Moravia

With all the hubbub generated by the new French flick The Artist, which concerns Hollywood’s silent-movie era, the crafty folks at Acme Mystery Company employ the world of pre-talkies Tinseltown

Toby Keith

Maybe the country music kingpin is in Central New York this week to check on the progress of his soon-to-open I Love This Bar restaurant franchise at the Carousel Center-Destiny expansion

An Evening with Martin and Langston

 The gents named in the title of this show are civil-rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King and poet Langston Hughes, and these iconic figures in black history will be played by, respectively, accl

January JAZZfest

 This big-time fundraiser for downtown venue Jazz Central actually takes place across four floors of the Mohegan Manor, 58 Oswego St., Baldwinsville, on Sunday, Jan. 29, noon to 9 p.m.

Southside Johnny and the Poor Fools

Continuing a recent trend that features rockers performing their material in acoustic mode, Asbury Jukes longtime leader John Lyons a.k.a. Southside Johnny will bring in his stripped-down show to the Center for the Arts

Puss in Boots

The recent box-office spinoff hit starring the voice of Antonio Banderas as the swashbuckling cat from the Shrek flicks is currently being presented in a large-format version at the Bristol IMAX

The Coachmen

 The Coachmen will bring music from the 1950s to the 1970s to the dance floor during a fundraiser at St. Ann’s Church, 104 Academy St., Manlius, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 7 to 11 p.m.

Free Will Astrology

ARIES (March 21-April 19) “There’s always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in,” wrote novelist Graham Greene. I’ll add to that: There are at least three moments in adulthood when a new door opens and invites the rest of the future in.

Free Will Astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) In 1967, John McCain was a U.S. Navy pilot fighting in Vietnam. Shot down during a bombing mission, he was captured and jailed in the notorious Hanoi Hilton prison camp, where he was tortured. After being freed in 1973, he returned to the United States and eventually launched a political career.

Cheesecake Recipes

Tiramisu Cheesecake 1 package (12 ounces) vanilla wafers (about 88), divided  5 teaspoons instant coffee, divided  3 tablespoons hot water, divided  4 package (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened  1 cup sugar  1 cup sour cream 4 eggs  1 cup thawed whipped topping 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder  Preheat oven 325 degrees. Line a 13-by-9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Spread half the wafers onto bottom of prepared pan. Add 2 teaspoons coffee granules to 2 tablespoons hot water; stir until dissolved. Brush half onto wafers in pan; reserve remaining dissolved coffee for later use.  Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Remove 3½ cups batter; place in...

Cherry Recipes

Easy as Bing Cherry Pie This recipe is from the California Cherry Advisory Board. Bottom crust: 1 9-inch refrigerated pie crust Pie filling: 5 cups fresh cherries, pitted 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon tapioca flour Crumb topping: ½ cup regular rolled oats ¼ cup white sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon butter, melted ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt Vanilla ice cream (optional)  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Have crust ready. Pit cherries. Combine the pitted cherries in a bowl with sugar and tapioca flour. Mix well and spoon into the prepared pie crust. Combine the remaining ingredients (except for the ice cream) into a small bowl and mix until evenly distributed and crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the filling. Place in the oven and bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes...

Tomato Recipes

Warm Roasted Tomato Bruschetta This third-place winner comes from Nadine VandeWalker of Cicero. 

Strawberry Recipes

Strawberry and Mozzarella Salad This recipe from Ellie Krieger is from www.foodnetwork.com. 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 heart romaine lettuce, torn or cut into bite-size pieces (3 cups lightly packed) One 8-ounce container of strawberries, hulled and sliced 3 ounces of part-skim mozzarella cheese, diced (about 3/4 cups) ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons Whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place the lettuce in a large bowl and toss with half the dressing. Place the lettuce onto 4 salad plates. Toss the strawberries with the remaining dressing and place 1/4 of the berries on top of each mound of lettuce. Top each with cheese and sprinkle with the basil. 

Tempeh Proven?e

Tempeh can be found at local grocery stores as well as the Syracuse Real Food Co-op, 618 Kensington Road (472-1385). ¼ cup olive oil 2 tomatoes, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup canned or bottled artichoke hearts, sliced lengthwise ¼ cup sliced kalamata olives 1 tablespoon capers 1 teaspoon sea salt  ¼ teaspoon black pepper ½ cup white wine 6 tempeh patties, each 2½-3 ounces, sliced thinly and sautéed 4 slices fresh lemon 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the tomatoes and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the artichokes, olives, capers, salt and pepper and sauté another minute. Add the white wine and simmer about 3 minutes. Spoon on top of sliced tempeh. Garnish each serving with a lemon slice and parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Chicken Cacciatore Soup

Here is a recipe from www.foodnetwork.com that uses stewed tomatoes. 1 cup uncooked rotini  3 cans vegetable broth  2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces)  1 (30-ounce) jar of extra chunky spaghetti sauce with mushrooms and diced onions  1 medium onion, chopped  1/2 teaspoon garlic puree  1/3 teaspoon Italian seasoning 3 teaspoons red wine (optional)  1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, cut up in juice 1 medium zucchini sliced  Cook rotini according to package directions, substituting 1 can vegetable broth for part of the water. Cook until done (about 10 minutes). Drain and set aside. Cut chicken breasts into a 1-inch dice. In a large pan, combine spaghetti sauce, 2 cans of vegetable broth, onions, garlic puree, chicken, Italian seasoning, red wine, tomatoes and zucchini. Cook...

Peppermint Cookies

  Peppermint Cookies These are a cool and refreshing cookie and a fabulous addition to your post-Christmas desserts. 1¼ cups crushed peppermint candy 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar, divided ¾ cup butter 2 eggs 1 teaspoon peppermint extract ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract 2½ cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt Grind or crush the peppermint candies in 1/3  cup of the sugar until powdery (a few tiny pieces are OK). Mix flour and salt together in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the butter, eggs and remaining sugar together in a large bowl. Add in vanilla and peppermint extracts. Add the flour mixture 1/3 at a time to the butter mixture. Form the dough into small balls, about an inch wide. Roll the balls of dough in the crushed candy mixture and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for...

Linzertorte Thumbprint Cookies

Hazelnut butter is mighty pricey, so if you’d rather substitute almond butter, that’s fine. But the authors warn the hazelnut flavor will be less intense. 1/3 cup canola oil ½ cup packed brown sugar ½ cup hazelnut butter 1/3 cup non-dairy milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1½ cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking powder ½ cup hazelnuts, finely chopped about 1/3 cup raspberry jam In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix the oil, sugar and hazelnut butter. Mix in the non-dairy milk and vanilla. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking powder and mix well until a stiff dough forms. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Have a small bowl of water handy. Spread the chopped nuts onto a dinner plate. Roll the dough into a walnut-size...

Diamonds Are Forever

Diamonds Are Forever.

Renaissance Men

That Syracuse University tailback Delone Carter rushed for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns in the Orange’s first bowl victory since 2001 was impressive enough. That Carter did it carrying the hopes and fears of a close friend on his back made it the stuff of legend.

Time Killer

These Shining Lives chronicles the real-life tragedies of women workers who painted watch dials with radium

Naval Gazing

Placing Othello in sailor uniforms helps color this revival, buoyed by Tony Brown’s see-worthy lead performance

Lost in Austen

The romantic comedy I Love You Because takes its cues from a Jane Austen classic

The romantic comedy I Love You Because takes its cues from a Jane Austen classic

Maid in America

Syracuse Stage’s Caroline, or Change offers a unique musical perspective on 1960s-era civil rights

Syracuse Stage’s Caroline, or Change offers a unique musical perspective on 1960s-era civil rights

English Channeling

The spirit of poet Ralph Waldo Emerson inhabits a blue-collar joe in the comedy Call Me Waldo

Away in Bombay

Two aging women find themselves during an India trip in the Redhouse’s A Perfect Ganesh

Pillow Talk

Four couples straddle three boudoirs in Not Another Theater Company’s chatty Bedroom Farce

The Players’ Club

We’re not like the rest of the country, thankfully. The National Endowment for the Arts reports that attendance at live theater edged down nearly 1 percent in the last year, but that’s not what happened here. Syracuse Stage reported a strong spring and two hits in the fall.

Holiday Habits

Anyone who has followed Syracuse community theater for the last two decades will immediately recognize that Nuncrackers is another chapter in Dan Goggin’s ever-popular Nunsense franchise. Actually, it’s the third sequel IF IT’S THE THIRD, THAT WOULD MAKE IT THE SECOND SEQUEL; JUST SAYIN’ out of six, dating from around 1998. The title signals that there will be a partial spoof of the ballet The Nutcracker, and sure enough, that fills the frenzied 20 minutes before the first act’s curtain, although there are other musical parodies ranging from the Andrews Sisters to the Village People. And even though it does not contain holly, crèche figures, Scrooge or Santa, we know going in this is a Nunsense Christmas show. It’s also the holiday show from Encore Presentations at Jamesville’s Glen Loch restaurant.

Dial Smiles

Vaudeville comic Jimmy Durante used to howl, “Everybody wants to get into the act!” When that act is produced by the Appleseed Productions’ steering committee, just about everybody does get some moments on the boards.

Bulb Breaker

With new federal regulations in place, now is the time to look at your lighting options

During the winter it seems the lights are on at home way more t

Hate That Dirty Water

The pollutant in that deicer is ethylene glycol, the same ingredient in antifreeze. In July 1993, the state Department of Environmental Conservation issued a permit to the city to study the chemicals that run off of airport property, including into the creek.

GREEN WEEK

The three middle school boys laugh as they slip and slide, their waders filling with water from Bear Trap Creek. They measure the width of the stream before each, in turn, drops a tennis ball into the water at different points downstream, while an adult times how long it takes each ball to travel 10 feet.

Green Jeans

As soon as you spot the mannequin dressed as a mermaid in EcoChic Consignment Boutique’s window display, you know the store will be full of surprises. Once you step through both doors, you aren’t disappointed. The top of every wall is decorated with a full outfit displayed on a hanger.

Permaculture Club

Green is the new black. Recycling bins, compostable product packaging and wind/solar energy are just a few of the new and hottest trends. But hidden within many American cities is a larger-than-you-think population of people who dub themselves urban homesteaders; they aren’t just going green, they’ve been green. Now others seem to be catching on.

Downtown Goes Green

But what Kermit doesn’t know about is the Blue Rain ECOfest, a three-day event designed by the folks at Jazz Central to bring attainable sustainability to Central New York. “The Blue Rain ECOfest is a familyoriented sustainability fest, the first one for Central New York,” says Martin Walls, communications director of Jazz Central.

Dirt, Cheap

A locally sourced food waste composting facility cost-effectively optimizes recycling and reuse opportunities in Onondaga County.

Green Means Go

In the carpe-diem world of retailing, add to the list of items worth questioning those wearing a “green” label, and we don’t mean the color. Marketers have coopted the environmental sensibilities that are all the rage these days and in doing so, are preying on the good intentions of consumers willing to do their part to save the planet.

Act Naturally

First you should understand the difference between “being green” and “being sustainable.” The former often has little to do with the latter. Being green is an advertiser’s dream and a way to make money off the latest craze.

Meet the Green Team

Andrew Picco formed the SUN Group in October 2009 to educate its members on the benefits of being sustainable, such as saving energy, protecting the environment, reducing landfill waste, improving indoor air quality, while ultimately saving money.

Cold Feet, Warm Heart

Outdoor exercisers shouldn’t let falling temperatures move them inside

Outdoor exercisers shouldn’t let falling temperatures move them inside

Punch Line

Combining boxing with pilates, piloxing raises fitness levels to new heights

From OM to IM

Offered locally, classes in Integrative Medicine recognize that alternative approaches have a place in health care

Do Good, Feel Good

“Around the holidays, many of us feel the need to give back to our communities. It’s the time of year when our philanthropic energy skyrockets,” says Justin Lynch, regional volunteer coordinator for the United Way of Central New York. “Whether we volunteer at soup kitchens, wrap gifts at the mall for local charities, or give our time collecting goods for those in need, an act of selflessness can help spread cheer throughout the season.”

GIVE STRESS A HOLIDAY

Just when you want to enjoy good times with family and friends, you may also feel the negative effects of stress, showing up in bouts of depression, sickness or fatigue. The stressors in our lives—difficult situations, illness, loss of a loved one, strained relationships or financial woes—are still present during the holidays.

Radon Screen

The second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States has nothing to do with smoking but it has everything to do with prevention. Starting on Monday, Oct. 17, through Oct. 24 is Federal Radon Action Week, according to U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin.

Trail Mix

A new book lists the 40 most scenic hikes in the Adirondack Mountains.

wellness

Warm weather is here and it’s time to get the garden going. Gardening is good for you on many levels—from the mental health boost you get from doing something relaxing to the physical benefits of exercise, time outdoors and adding fresh vegetables to your diet.

Tick Tock

Kristin Schofield wasn’t sure what to expect when she decided to start a support group for those affected by Lyme disease. She only knew that there were others like her, others who needed someone to talk to and maybe some advice on how to proceed.

Troubled Water

Vitamin-enhanced beverages aren’t the healthy alternative they are touted to be By Elizabeth Wimer With New Year’s resolutions still fresh in your mind you may be planning to live up to a goal of healthy living by reaching for a vitamin-packed super beverage taking over the shelves at your local grocery store. But before you pop the top and drink your vitamins for the day, consider how healthy your sips really are.