Serving Upstate urban communities since 1989. In partnership with: EAGLE NEWSPAPERS The City Scuffle Finally bi-partisanship: Opposing Paladino See page 7 Will security cameras in the West Side be helpful or harmful? ...see page 5 The Hall Monitor Trouble at the plantation County Sheriff Deputy Joe Price is facing allegations of racism in a heated political race. See page 6 Cameras in the Courtyard CNY urban FREE Celebrating urban life since 1989 October 2010 ● urbancny.com The Constitution
Transcript
Serving Upstate urban communities since 1989.
In partnership with:
EaglENEwspapErs
The City Scu� e
Finally bi-partisanship: Opposing Paladino
See page 7
Will security cameras in the West Side be helpful or harmful? ...see page 5
The Hall Monitor
Trouble at the plantationCounty Sheri� Deputy Joe Price is facing allegations of racism in a heated political race. See page 6
Cameras in the Courtyard
CNYurbanFREE
Celebrating urban life since 1989 October 2010 ● urbancny.com
The Constitution
Finally bi-partisanship: Opposing Paladino
Samadee and Stella pledged eternal friendship, then didn’t see each other for
a year, ex-cept at Pas-ta Steve’s spontane-ous me-m o r i a l schmooz, t he Me-dia Unit’s
Movin’ on Up, where she sang with the Ho� mann family band, and the Arts & Cra� s Festival Monster Book Sale where she needed a box. � ey hadn’t taken a critical cookery clamber since Sparky Town, but the reactivation of the space formerly occupied by Brick Alley Grille House resuscitated their culinary curiosity — and a sentimental twinge for Samadee, who had breakfasted regularly through the incarnations of J Nic’s, Brown Baggers, and Checkers, before Rob and Maggie gave him the early morning sense of sitting in a New Yorker cover.
Stella recounted a year of hair cutting school, bartending and stints of catering for � lm location shoots in New York City. Samadee had spent most of the time trying to convince people he hadn’t retired.
� ey started their mid-morning session at George’s Central Lunch with Creekside co� ee, very good, and cream from a porce-lain cow, cute, but so small the server had to re� ll it for each cup. � ey speculated on the chances that had Senator Ho� mann stayed in the Democratic Party she might be running for Lt. Governor this fall. He had French toast with heated peach jam. She had egg salad on ciabatta. � ey shared potato salad. � e menu promised “ev-erything is homemade except the bread.” A� erward, there were compliments to the chef all around.
So who’s laughing? “Who’s this guy from Bu� alo?” Stella
asked, re� ecting on the Republican guber-natorial primary.
Carl Paladino had been the object of a quick study for Samadee. Following politics closely for 50 years, he was never surprised by anything electoral. He had, however, been shocked by the Tea Party terror-ist—he claims he will storm Albany with a baseball bat—stomping of Rick Lazio.
Earlier that week he had been invited to a gathering at the Chess Club on South Avenue, a gathering of activists and clergy representing the communities of color to denounce Paladino for racial insensitivity. � ey distributed printouts of e-mailed im-ages attributed to Paladino, one of a scant-ily clothed African villager dancing while others sat stirring a communal pot labeled “Obama Inauguration Rehearsal”, another of a line of chimpanzees, with “Proof the Irish discovered Africa” � lling the space for subject.
� e text of a YouTube transmission read, “to me its just humor. i’m not sensitive to ethnic humor. dago, spic, polack whatever we hear the humor everyday.”
� e Chess Club gathering issued a state-ment maintaining, “No major party candi-date in recent memory has represented a greater threat to New York’s longstanding commitment to tolerance and equality than Mr. Paladino. Mr. Paladino has e� ectively declared war on communities of color.”
� ey also distributed copies of a state-ment indicating an incident of bi-partisan-ship, rare for politics in the state. Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, a Republican, and former State Comptroller H. Carl Mc-Call and former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, both Democrats had combined for an Open Letter to New Yorkers. “Anger overcame reason and enabled a fringe ele-ment to choose the Republican nominee,” it re� ected on the GOP primary. “� e end result was the selection of Mr. Paladino, a divisive � gure simply not � t to lead this great state.”
He could cut spending now Paladino has declared he will spend
$10 million of his own money in the race against Democrat Andrew Cuomo (Cuomo has $24 million in his campaign chest). But Paladino could save the expense and achieve one of his platform planks—cutting state spending—without even running. Daily News columnist Michael Daly notes that Paladino collects an annual $5,251,415 in rent on 28 leases with 17 state agen-cies, most of which were formerly housed rent free in Bu� alo’s Donovan State O� ce Building, which, in 2000, Paladino lobbied to be demolished. � e state sold the build-
Walt Shepperd
Cityscu� e
Trouble at the plantationPolitics as they apply to the black
community has never been based on anything other than getting “them” to the
polls to get those black votes. It is well known that African-Americans vote overwhelming for Democrats
– or not at all. � erefore developments in the Deputy
Joe Price vs. incumbent Kevin Walsh race for sheri� are not a surprise to me -- in fact it appears to be business as usual.
� e Democratic Party designee for On-ondaga County Sheri� Deputy Joe Price will face long-time incumbent Republican Kevin Walsh. In recent weeks published reports have linked Deputy Price to 60
postings that had sexist, homophobic and racist “overtones.” � ese postings in ques-tion were under his Syracuse.com user name modman97.
Deputy Price has denied these allega-tions which had surfaced prior to his being endorsed by Onondaga County Democrats.
� e Democrats, upon hearing this story, bust open like a pair of fat mans’ britches, feigning anger. Not unlike an old Southern antebellum Scarlet O’Hara as she gingerly � ips open her fan, “I de-clair, we don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no racist in our paaaarty, we loves everybody.”
Meanwhile back on the Democratic Plantation, committee chairperson Diane Dwire said in a statement, “� e Demo-cratic Party has always been based on inclusiveness, equality and respect for all. � e o� ce of sheri� deserves credibility and integrity.”
Earlier this year Democratic o� cials were warned about the character of the man they were about to nominate for public o� ce.
As far as “always being based on inclu-siveness, equality and respect for all,” ask “Common Councilor” Paulette Johnson, Marge White, Shirley Moody and Calvin Corridors -- these are just a few members of the African-American community that have served in some capacity as both Democrats and Republicans who’ve ascended to o� ce via the Commissioner of Education route. � is model hasn’t worked for black Democrats
Over the last 20 years you can watch the movement of young white men and women through the system, though many when they arrived in Syracuse didn’t know their way to the Carrier Dome.
Ask “Mayor” Charles Anderson who, instead of becoming council president, was “dissed” by the party a� er being used as the emissary for liberal causes.
Like workers on an old Southern plan-tation, black Democrats get no respect until it’s time for the leaders to depend on those programmed-vote, Democratic-all-the-time votes.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: African-American Democrats would vote for a Ku Klux Klan member in full cos-tume as long as he’s a Democrat. � is No-vember we’ll have that chance but instead of “sporting” a hood this alleged racist, sexist, homophobe wears an Onondaga County Sheri� Deputies Uniform.
Ken Jackson
The Hall Monitor
See Paladino, page 6
2 Oct. 2010 CNYurbanEaglENEwspapErs
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Ken Jackson
The Hall Monitor
DeFrancisco responds to last month’s Urban CNYTo the editor:
Walt Shep-perd’s article in last month’s issue (“Race Card Mis-played on De-Francisco”) was factual and accu-rate, as usual.
STATE SEN. JOHN
DEFRANCISCO
P.S. � e photo was fabulous
A bridge too far � e recent accident on Onondaga Lake
Parkway brings to light the hazards of the bridge, which a Megabus rammed into, killing four people and injuring others. � e tragedy was seen on cable news programs
around the country as Central New Yorkers scratched their collective
heads and said why? It’s time to take action so that this never happens again.
It’s time to close the Parkway. While it may be a New York State road the parkway cuts right through Onondaga Lake Park. Close the parkway to tra� c and incor-porate the newly acquired land into the heavily used walking and riding trails in the park.
On many sunny summer days you can
see hundreds of people jockeying for a spot on the trail, circumventing a dog on a leash or dodging the Tram. It’s getting congested.
For those who insist that this road is vital to getting to Liverpool, take Old Liv-erpool Road. � ere are already a series of tra� c lights that would slow the tra� c that usually speeds right through one of our most scenic venues.
� e only way to stop these tragedies is to focus on some of the rotten low bridges we have it this area. Look at the bridge at West Genesee Street and Erie Blvd West: It’s a regular occurrence to see a truck stuck or crushed a� er meeting the ancient railroad bridge structure.
A phrase once reserved for the Erie Canal can now be resurrected to describe a truck or large bus navigating around On-ondaga County and the city of Syracuse.
The Mom ThingBy Tere Paniagua
A poet friend wrote me a little story. Not much of a plot, or purpose, or rational se-quence of events, just a beautiful life story, full of ambiguity and mystery, and mother-hood. It seems to go nowhere with its faint images, no names, no future; all unknown. But a tiny detail of the setting caught my imagination, an abandoned garden in the landscape, like my own faded memory of so many dreams, great loves, talents, even truths that I once gave up on, but inexpli-cably and steadily, without me sweating all over them, continue to blossom on their own, weeds and all.
A month ago, my children and I moved into a pretty cottage on a cul de sac, just o� the Syracuse University campus. A beauti-ful garden grows wild with purple aster and pink buttercups outside our door, by a white trellis. Don’t know the names of some of these � owers, but the one that raises above all others, I found out, is a white Japanese Anemone. It’s about my height, not much to boast about, but for � owers, I guess that’s pretty tall. And I am in love
with these hovering, delicate sisters of the buttercup. I learned that their name comes from the Greek anemone, which means “daughter of the wind.”
I imagine this patch of wild habitat being planted and cared for with loving hands, in-fused by the energy of a free spirit. � ere are weeds in its midst now, of course, but that doesn’t diminish one bit the splendor and magic of the plot. I begin to think that my hopes and dreams, and even my children, come to life in much the same way.
We, moms, o� en see ourselves as ad-ministrators of everything and everyone, especially our own feelings and desires, much too o� en put away in drawers, neatly folded in piles with the weekly laundry. I had given up writing. Couldn’t even jot down a shopping list. I was ailing, unbal-anced, physically and emotionally. Had to quit doing some things because I wasn’t getting enough sleep as I strived to do it all, maintain control. Superwoman! � ree jobs to barely make ends meet; three kids, the house, a boyfriend… I was always placing someone else’s needs ahead of me. And sure
See Mom, page 6 0978
4
Oct. 2010 3CNYurbanEaglENEwspapErs
Opinion
Going GreenCharles L. Green to provide business planning service
By Ken JacksonCharles L. Green, who has provid-
ed business planning and accounting services in Toronto, Canada, is bring-ing his expertise to Syracuse. Urban CNY discussed his business model and his plans for provid-ing assistance to small businesses in Central New York.
Green has worked with businesses and provided guidance that many small busi-nesses lack he de-scribes his approach to looking at the Syra-cuse area.
Green explains, “Look at how small businesses operate how they interact with the banks and how they structure themselves to bring them into the fold so that they can access money through the banks. And I � nd that most people take out personal loans as opposed to business loans most people burden themselves with personal loans so that’s something to look at and whether the banks will cooperate. “
He talks about budgets and in-ternal controls, things that make a usually low-key accountant animated with details about projections and planning for a three-year period.
“Everybody operates ad hoc when a situation rises and, ‘I need money where do I get the money, my credit is bad so I have to go to family and friends,’ so how can we help this per-son clean up their credit and at the same time talk to the banks ask them to look at a small business and help move them forward?
“� at’s where a sound good busi-ness plan comes in: where are you go-ing, what are you doing and what type
of service you are o� ering and how you are o� ering that service. � at’s the key: the customer relationship is one of the key things that we talk about but we rarely see. Especially in a lot of small business because everybody is pre-occupied with their current situation whether it be � nancial or something else that impacts the busi-ness that really shouldn’t have a role in the business but we have to be more
service centered.” He has worked
with entrepreneurs developing Business plans and arraign-ing � nancing. While most of his work has been in Toronto, he’s now bringing his ex-pertise to Syracuse.
He suggests that business owners work closely with their ac-countant, � nd one to get advice from and
give them a plan to move forward, and one who’ll work with the client constantly. He sees his role as more than an accountant.
“I can look at a plan that someone else has developed my fee depends on how much work needs to be done,” he says. “It takes a while to � nd out where the person wants to go with their busi-ness. It’s not up to me, it’s up to the client to develop their vision.”
Consultation will be conducted by phone to determine their basic needs and fees will be determined.
“It would be an a� ordable struc-ture with a� ordable fees. In terms of business plans I can look a plan and at what they have from an accountant and I can give them guidance. I don’t necessarily have to develop the plan but I can give them guidance. You can only help with the written formula but it’s up to the business owner.”
Green concludes with a con� dant smile, stating, “I think that Syracuse is a good place for business right now.”
To access Mr. Green’s services con-tact him by phone at 374-3138 or by e-mail at clgreen@ gmail.com.
Charles L. Green
Syracuse chapter of The Links holds annual scholarship bene� t
On Sept. 11, the Syracuse chapter of � e Links held its 6th annual “Men Who Cook & Wine Tasting” bene� t. � e outdoor a� air, held in Manlius, featured entrees and desserts presented by 25 men who are known throughout Central New York for their roles in upli� ing the area.
Attendees sampled wines from vint-ners Glenora Wine Cellars and Zugibe Vineyards while listening to music pro-vided by e.s.p., John Magnante and Matt Vacanti. Hearty savories and lush desserts were consumed while listening to the original poetry and readings presented by Omoni Abdellah, Professor of African American Studies at Syra-cuse University.
Proceeds from the event help to fund the Parthenia Harper Scholarship, given to a high school senior. � e Syracuse chapter also funds the annual David MacDonald and Anne Felton Book Awards. � e event was co-chaired by Lois Davis-Wilson and Sandra L. Holmes and gra-ciously hosted by Lorraine A. Coleman.
� e Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-pro� t corporation established in 1946. The membership consists of approximately 13,000 women of color in 270 chapters located in 42 states, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service
organizations. The Links, Incorporated are committed to enriching, sustain-ing and ensuring the culture and eco-nomic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry.
The Syracuse Chapter, founded in 1949, recently cel-ebrated its Golden Anniversary. The chapter has twice been awarded the Coveted Oberlander Cup by the Syracuse Federation of Women’s Club for out-standing programming in the Arts. Sandra L. Holmes is Chapter President.
The Rev. Eugene Turner
Rosa Clark, left, Lennie Turner and Sandra L. Holmes, president
Community Folk Art Center to host “Dogs in Transition: Pit Bulls & Mill Dogs” by artist Cyrus Mejia
Community Folk Art Center will be hosting the exhibition “Dogs in Transition: Pit Bulls and Mill Dogs” by Cyrus Mejia from Sept. 25 through Dec. 11. “Dogs in Transition” features large-scale paint-ings of dogs from two of Mejia’s series, “Pits and Perception” and “Mill Dogs Revenge.”
CFAC will host related educational program-ming throughout the fall, including:
• Saturday Oct. 2 at noon: Canines & Compan-ions Day – SPCA adoptions, dog tips & tricks from professionals. Leashed dogs welcome to attend.
• Thursday Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.: Film screening – “Through a Dog’s Eyes.” Discussion will follow.
• Saturday Nov. 6 at noon: Animal � gure draw-ing workshop – All ages welcome to attend.
• Thursday Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.: Film screening – “The Puppy Mill” by William Wolfenden.
More info: Kevin Leonardi at 442-2230 or [email protected]. Gallery hours:10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Beginner Latin Ballroom Dance. Fridays 6:30-7:30 p.m., from Oct. 8-Oct. 29. $10/class. 442-2230.
Community Folk Art Center is at 805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse.
4 Oct. 2010 CNYurbanEaglENEwspapErs
Community News
nygearup.syr.eduOctober 2010
The plan:
topRace
to the
By: Quintessah Acevedo
Henninger High School
Syracuse City Schools are known across the country for many different things, but the biggest reasons are the low passing and graduating rates and the large number of students dropping out. In fact, the Syra-cuse City School District has some of the lowest achieving schools in New York, ac-cording to the state Department of Educa-tion. The schools that have most recently made headlines for their low scores are Fowler High School, Delaware Academy, and Hughes Elementary School.
This is no news for residents of Syra-cuse. Most people that have lived in the area for a number of years already know about the problems our schools are facing. The question is how do we fix this reoccur-ring problem?
“There is no quick fix. We, as teachers, are doing all we can to help our students — some teachers have even adopted their students — and with great satisfaction,” said Mr. James Palumbo, Fowler High School principal. A tentative solution, however, is a program known as RTTT, or Race to the Top. Race to the Top is a competitive federal program funded by the American Recov-
ery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Com-petitive means a state must qualify to be in this program and receive the grant money from the federal government. To be con-sidered for this grant the qualifying state must create a detailed plan that reform these four key areas:
Standards and Assessments :Adopting internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and in the workplace.
Data Systems to Support Instruc-tion: Building data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve their practices.
Great Teachers and Leaders:Recruiting, developing, retaining and rewarding effective teachers and princi-pals.
Turning Around the Lowest-Achieving Schools: Turning around, or hiring new teacher, a new principal and making classrooms more interac-tive in, the persistently lowest-achieving schools.
But even after the state has done this, it won’t automatically get the funding
Please see Race, NY GEARUP page 4
�/ NY GEARUP, OctObER �010
The New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) is the state agency that has been designated by the Governor’s office to administer the NY
GEARUP Program. Funding for NY GEA-RUP is provided by a grant from the U.S.
Department of Education. NY GEARUP at Syracuse University re-
ceives $567,000 in funding that is matched 100 percent by in-kind services for a total
funding of $1,340,000.HESC helps people pay for college by
providing a comprehensive range of finan-cial aid services, including the Tuition Assis-tance Program, guaranteeing student loans, and administering the nationally recognized
New York’s College Savings Plan.New York State is a leader in the national financial aid community, providing more
grant money to college students than any other state.
STAFF
What is NY GEARUP?NY GEARUP is based out of Syracuse University’s School of Education. NY GEARUP works in the Syracuse City School District with the class of 2011 at Corcoran, Fowler, Henninger, ITC and Nottingham high schools.
GEARUP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. It’s a national initiative to create innovative programs with the goal of increasing college awareness for students and their families. GEARUP also helps students develop the skills necessary to pursue education after high school.
To achieve its mission, NY GEARUP organizes college visits, tutoring and mentoring, college awareness and exploration activites, and educational planning and workshops.
Interested in Writing?For those students in the NY GEA-
RUP program that are graduating in 2011 and are interested in writing for Eagle Newspaper’s NY GEARUP edi-tion, please contact Caitlin Donnelly at [email protected].
Learn the ins and outs of the college application process. All students and their families in the district are welcome to attend. Corcoran High School, 919 Glenwood Ave. 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Oct. 8Corcoran Open House
Parents: meet the teachers and see what your student’s classes are like. Corcoran High School, 919 Glenwood Ave. 6 to 8 p.m.
Fowler Open House
Parents: meet the teachers and see what your student’s classes are like. 227 Magnolia St. 6 to 8 p.m.
Oct. 9SAT Test at Henninger
Don’t forget your admissions ticket, No. 2 pencils, photo ID and calculator
Oct. 11Schools closed
Oct. 131/2 Day for high schools
Oct. 20Schools closed
Oct. 23ACT Test at OCC, Henninger or Corcoran
Don’t forget your admissions ticket, No. 2 pencils, photo ID and calculator!
Oct. 29 Schools closed
Nov. 11Schools closed
Nov. 121/2 Day for schools
Nov. 13Writing Our LIves Conference
Looking to improve your writing skills? Stumped on your col-lege essays? Head down to Hughes Elementary School., 345 Jamesville Ave. from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the Writing Our Lives Conference. The program is free, and includes breakfast, two writing workshops and lunch. Contact Marcelle Haddix, Writing Our Lives director, at [email protected] for more information and look for registration fliers at school.
Nov. 17Report cards mailed A+
PHOTO bY CAITLIN DONNELLY
NY GEARUP, AUGUst 11, 2010 /�
First Day of School at Henninger
PHOTOS BY CAITLIN DONNELLY
LEFT: Kiara Royal fills out the ‘first day of school index card’ in Mr. Kochan’s English 12 class on Sept. 10. CENTER: Seniors in Mrs. McRobbie’s Room 214 homeroom. Back row, left to right: Thomas Stack, Nicole Spoto, Theresa Stephens, Brittany Stewart, Adam Sniften and Aaron Steinbrecher. Front row: Mary Stapleton and Danielle Steinberg. RIGHT: Pedro Moreira Ramos, an exchange student from Brazil, experiences his first day of American school at Henninger.
‘Say Yes’ to tutoringBy Caitlin Donnelly
Starting October 18, Say Yes to Education, in conjunction with NY GEARUP and the Syracuse City School District, will be offering free tutoring services to students in the five city high schools.
Tutoring will be available in all subjects—math, science, social studies and English—and may be individual or group sessions. The services will be available during Block 5 on Days 1 and 3 in Corco-ran, Fowler, Henninger, ITC and Nottingham high schools. This is the first year tutoring is offered by Say Yes.
The program was created to com-pliment coursework so students are academically prepared for college and eligible for the free college tuition program that Say Yes of-fers to college-bound seniors in the district, said Rachael Gazdick, Say Yes to Education Syracuse execu-tive director.
Each school will have four on-
site supervisors—one for each sub-ject—and twenty undergraduate work-study tutors from Syracuse University. Tutors are hired based on academic standing, knowledge in a particular subject, and ability to work with high school students. The tutors will be assigned to one school for the year, so they become familiar with the teachers and stu-dents, and vice versa. A total of 85 tutors will be trained prior to the Oct. 18 start date.
“We hope relationships between the students and the tutors are eventually built, since this is a key piece of academic success,” said Gazdick. “Its not only about the subject material, it’s about building relationships and trust as well.”
Gazdick noted that the exchanges between the high school and college students may also act as a mentor-ing program, where high school kids can learn about college life and the importance of establishing studying and extra help routines early on from the SU students.
The tutoring services will be
overseen by Doug Wieczorek and Lizzie Muyawa, both graduate as-sistants at Say Yes. Wieczorek, a fourth-year doc-toral student in the Department of Teaching and Leadership in SU’s School of Educa-tion, teaches an inclusive learn-ing course at the university and is familiar with the importance of fa-cilitating extra help in the class-room. Muyawa, a second-year master’s student studying cultural foundations of education in the School of Education and former resident of Malawi, in southeast Africa, will be focusing on African students that may need assistance adjusting to American schooling.
Wieczorek said the tutoring will be offered to those with teacher
recommendations, as well as on a drop-in basis.
“Hopefully the tutoring sessions will become as individualized as possible, and will evolve to fit the students’ needs over time,” he said.
For more information on the tu-toring program, contact the Say Yes to Education office at 443-4260.
CAITLIN DONNELLY
Doug Wieczorek and Lizzie Muyawa, co-coordinators of the Say Yes to Education tutoring program.
�/ NY GEARUP, OctObER 2010
that the government is offering. The state then has to also commit to reforming two other key areas: first, the General Selection Criteria, which is promising that the condi-tions in charter schools and other reform projects will be successful to the education of the students. The other area of focus is the State’s Suc-cess Factors; this clause makes it so that the state cannot just hand the federal government a plan that has not been broadly supported or a plan without past statistics.
While speaking with Mr. Palumbo, I asked him how this plan came along. He said that the federal government had given low-achieving schools four options to reform their schools:
School Closure: This would mean the official closure of the low-achieving schools and sending the students to a different school.
Restart: Turn the school into a charter or private school. These schools do not have to provide ser-vices to special education or inter-national students.
Turnaround Model: This re-places the principal and at least 50% of the staff. The government would then provide new employees from different places.
Transformation Model: A plan that has the principals re-interview the entire staff. If the staff does not want to be interviewed, they transfer to a different school. If interviewed, they can stay at the current school they reside in. The teachers then have to be “retrained” in classroom etiquette. Teachers are taught to make the class fun and try to bring it back to “real life”.
Race to the Top falls under the Transformation Model. Mr. Palumbo
says that this is the only model that really made sense to him, and the district seemed to agree. The district may have chosen the most sensible plan for its schools, but before the choosing, many people were not happy about the options the federal government had given the states.
Upon hearing the options the Syracuse City Schools had been given, Kevin Ahern, the Executive Vice President for Labor Relations of the Syracuse Teachers Association, blogged: “The message from Albany is clear: We don’t have a clue how to deal with the educational problems that plague our urban schools, but we’ll mandate and under-fund ill-conceived ‘reforms’ that make the public think we’re actually trying to solve them.”
When asking Mr. Palumbo if he thought the government could have solved this a better way a resounding, “Yes!” sang in the room. Mr. Palumbo wanted to remind me that the Syra-cuse City School District was trying to fix the problem before the govern-ment stepped in, but he also said that the government isn’t considering the factors of how these kids live.
“Many are immigrants that don’t know how to speak English very well. Some have other responsibilities at home that prevent them from coming to school that day or that week,” said Mr. Palumbo. “We, as an urban area, are very poverty stricken. It is sad to say that the government would never demand this of a school that was in the better neighborhood or on a wealthier side of town. This demand only affects the poverty stricken, and I find that sad.” He also made it a point to say: “This is not going to fix it. We’ve tried for years, and, though
it is a nice gesture, a few million dol-lars is not going to fix a pre-exist-ing problem. And it’s no help that every three years they increase the passing grade. It seems that every time we get our students up to par, par changes, our current par becomes insuffi-cient and we, not only as a school but as a district get sucked back down and become the title ‘ low-achieving.’”
T h r o u g h o u t m y i n t e r v i e w with Mr. Palumbo I felt a sense of pride from him that many principals, teachers, and stu-dents have about the schools they call home. This man was a man dedicated to his work, his co-workers and his “kids.”
James Palumbo wants reform, but not the way the government pre-scribes and demands it. Mr. Palumbo understands that the only way things are going to change is with the com-munity. Mr. Palumbo also made it a point to let me know that the com-munity around Fowler and Delaware hugely supports their schools and the arts. In return, the teachers at Fowler and Delaware very much support the community, but they still need more help, more support. He
says the whole city could use more support from the community, espe-cially the kids.
As of July 27, New York State has officially become one of the 18 states that became finalists to receive more than three billion dollars in fund-ing during the second round of the Race to the Top plan. This plan may fix our schools, but it doesn’t fix the community, and if you think about it, aren’t our communities our schools as well? Is it really a sensible pan or a senseless one? You be the judge: get in touched with the Common Coun-cil, talk to your community about it. As the schools reach out to involve you, get involved with the schools.
Districts receive RTTT funds if plans are approved
States States notified of notified of approval approval
fro phase 2 fro phase 2 of the RTTT of the RTTT
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Jan. 13, 2010
Deadline for Deadline for districts to districts to submit the submit the
Memorandum Memorandum of Agreement of Agreement
with Board and with Board and union support.union support.
States submit States submit applications applications
to U.S. Deto U.S. De--partment of partment of
Education Education
Jan. 19, 2010
States are noti-States are noti-States are notified if they have received RTTT
funding and be-gin an applica-tion process for school districts
Schools submit RTTS application to the state
april 2010 april to July, 2010 July 27 august 2010 Fall 2010
The application process: A timeline
CAITLIN DONNELLY
James Palumbo, Fowler High School principal
Race From NY GEARUP page 1
Cameras in the courtyard
By Walt Shepperd
Signi� cant debate preceded the State Legislature’s decision to conduct a ten-year experiment with cameras in courtrooms. � e purpose agreed upon at the time of passage was creating a means of educat-ing the public about the process involved in the justice system. At decade’s end, the legislature allowed the sun to set on the experiment. The educational purpose, legislators seemed to agree, had not been accomplished.
On Sept. 21, a meeting was held in the Common Council Chambers to solicit pub-lic input for a vote to be taken on a di� er-ent kind of camera placement. � ere were some empty seats, but an SRO atmosphere pervaded as members of the Council’s Public Safety Committee quizzed Police Department o� cials for half an hour on their plan to install nine surveillance cam-eras between South Geddes and Oswego streets on the city’s near West Side.
In the hour that followed, almost three dozen citizens voiced varying views on the issue, but most expressed concern that announcement of the public hearing was the � rst they had heard of the proposed installation. “We are not going to vote [on the issue] until we feel comfortable that every one has had their say,” Committee Chair Bill Ryan said, noting that the issue had been debated during last year’s mayoral campaign.
Ryan asked the police o� cials if tech-nology was outpacing policy, and got a response which posed a target of critique from several of the speakers. Policy, they were told, would not be formulated until af-ter a Council vote approved the installation. Told that $125,000 was available in federal stimulus funds for the project, Councilors also learned there was no timetable estab-lished to determine when the sun should set on the experiment should it be deemed
O� Beat
Gil Scott-Heron: I’m New Here � e � rst time I heard Gil Scott-Heron,
he was preaching from a record player on Syracuse’s West Side. � e air was hu-mid, oppressive—no air conditioner in this shabby apartment—so we stood out on the balcony and watched teenagers send � reworks into the night sky. Parents held children with dirty diapers, no shirts, no shoes, while sitting in their broken down chairs in front of their broken down houses. Loud bursts of explo-sions and laughter punched through the booming baritone of the “Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” We turned the record up and looked out upon the city, another Fourth of July.
� is may sound like the start of a mem-oir, but it happened only a few short months ago. Although I wasn’t around in the 70s and 80s when Scott-Heron was coming up, I imagine that little has changed in Cuse-town, USA or most urban areas around the country. We’re still dealing with recessions and layo� s, our cities are de facto segre-gated by race or economics and the nation’s youth are dying in pro� teers’ wars. Maybe that’s why Scott-Heron’s resurgence makes so much sense.
Scott-Heron spent his career as a funk poet, someone who could look out on the landscape of a changing country and bring all the pieces together into a cohesive mon-tage. He used spoken word, soul, blues and jazz as his pulpit, creating a dialogue about injustice, intolerance and hatred. But he did so in a way which made you understand that identity and community are formed in the face of harsh words, not torn apart because of them. Songs, such as “Angola, Louisiana,” illustrated the connection be-tween locations as varied as the sprawling South and the tight, packed-in streets of New York:
I ain’t never been nowhere near Angola, Louisiana. / It’s down in St. Charles Parrish where the sun won’t go alone. / But injustice is not con� ned to Angola, Louisiana. / It can walk right up in your livin’ room / as long as it surrounds your home.
Scott-Heron had a way zeroing in on one aspect of the cultural � ber and turn-ing it into a blanket statement: “Whitey on the Moon,” “Winter in America” and “Blue Collar.” Most of the time, it was situational,
but with his new record, “I’m New Here,” he turns the spotlight on himself. Instead of hot-blooded youth ruminating about the state of the union, we get a 60-year-old man opening up his life. Scott-Heron takes
us on a journey from a child-hood spent with his grandma in Tennessee in the intro/outro poems to the modern anxieties of urban life in the blues/electronic hybrid “New York is Killing Me.”
True, many of the songs are covers or the creation of other artists, including the title track (Bill Callahan), but
Scott-Heron adds a layer of intimacy that makes them feel oddly like they belong to him. Perhaps these were the tunes to which he listened while sitting up, drinking beer and failing again to write his lost love as in the eerie spoken word piece, “Where Did the Night Go.” � e record also updates his rootsy sound by borrowing from some of the contemporary artists who admire him (Kanye West) and probably have never heard of him (Smog).
� e result is an overtly profound ef-fort that meshes spoken word, minimalist electronic, blues and hip hop. Scott-Heron’s voice is no doubt weathered from years of drug abuse and smoking; however, he still manages to pull o� the soulfulness of his earlier records--the peaks and bends at the end of each vocal line and the depth of register that made him stand out among other singers. He may not be able to carry on as loudly or as clearly as he used to, but his words are closer to the zeitgeist than they’ve ever been.
While Scott-Heron had been viewed as a real poet in the soul circuit of the 70s and 80s and the “grandfather of hip hop” in the underground scene in the 90s, he fell out of touch a� er a few stints in prison in the 00s. � e head of XL Recordings, Richard Russell, found him in this state and helped him to bring “I’m New Here” life. Now that it’s out there and Scott-Heron is gigging again, people of younger generations are starting to discover the magic of an honest voice. Scott-Heron may not be able to claim that he’s never been, but, as the lyrics go, “turnaround, turnaround, turnaround/and you may come full circle/and be new here again.”
unsuccessful. Assertion that the purpose of the camera
installations was to deter crime, Councilors raised concerns about who would have access to the videotape, whether the cam-eras would be able to record activity inside people’s homes, why the West Side was chosen for the installation and whether any other installations were anticipated. � e following day, Chief Frank Fowler asked the Council to vote to accept $84,000 in state funds to install � ve cameras in Pioneer Homes.
Captain Richard Trudell noted that police also hoped to secure a third grant of $160,000 from the federal Urban Area Security Initiative. � e tapes, o� cials in-sisted, would not be archived, and would self-destruct a� er 14 days. While unable to articulate how access to the tapes could be achieved, and by whom, they said they were studying a documentary from the New York Civil Liberties Union for deter-mining policy.
Barrie Gewanter, local NYCLU chapter director, cited a study conducted in San Francisco, that showed similar camera placements reduced minor crimes against property, but failed to deter violent crime. Raising the issue of maintenance, a former Baltimore resident observed that in a simi-lar project launched there, 40 percent of the cameras were broken within a year.
When police o� cials noted that camera locations were based on crime statistics, particularly reports of gun shots, and that the cameras were not covert, but overt, on poles in plain sight, a speaker suggested that placements would just move crime activity to other areas. Another referenced Rochester. “� ey’ve got 140 cameras,” the speaker maintained, “and the crime rate is soaring.”
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Gil Scott-Heron
By Julie Pinsonneault
Oct. 2010 5CNYurbanEaglENEwspapErs
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New Birth Missionary Baptist Church: Bishop Eddie Long Addresses His Congregation
By Boyce Watkins, PhD
I woke up early to go to the website for the New Birth Missionary Baptist church. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew that Bishop Eddie Long would be convincing. Every bit of his charisma and ex-perience would be needed to manage the complex set of allegations against him for sexually abusing some of his members.
I’ll lay out some notable quotes by Bishop Eddie Long this morning and let you judge much of it for yourself. What I can say, though, is that Bishop Long seemed to say a great deal without saying much:
“I’ll be here next week.” Perhaps that means that he’s not going to resign. I look forward
to seeing if he is going to be preaching next Sunday. “[� is is] probably the most di� cult time in my entire life. I want
to talk to you for a moment about how to handle painful and di� cult situations.”
He seemed to want to make this into a teachable moment for his congregation, but he didn’t spend a great deal of time teaching, since his address was only about 15 to 20 minutes long.
“We will not allow the present pain to cause us to abandon our righteous com-mitment and stand.”
� is sounded like he was going to lay down some bad news for the congrega-tion. Perhaps he’s asking the church to stand with him during this difficult time, which they seemed ready and willing to do.
“� ere have been allega-tions and attacks made on me. I have never in my life portrayed myself as a perfect man. But I am not the man that’s being portrayed on the television. � at’s not me.”
� is statement was incredibly vague, implying that he may or may not be guilty of the allegations against him. To say that you are not the man being portrayed in the media doesn’t mean you’re innocent. It
simply means that you may be slightly di� erent from the way the accusers are describing you. Nearly any guilty or innocent person can make this statement.
“By the counsel of my lawyers, they have ad-vised me not to try this case in the media. I will not try this case in the media. It will be tried in the court of justice.”
� is statement was expected. Again, it says nothing about guilt or innocence.
“I’ve been accused, I’m under attack ... but this thing, I’m gonna � ght.”
� is statement means that the situation is far from over. I expect an interesting battle be-hind the scenes as attorneys squabble over the amount of the settlement. I would be surprised to see this get as far as a jury trial, especially if other accusers continue to step forward. � is may open up a Tiger Woods -like can of worms for Bishop Eddie Long in the event that he actu-ally has engaged in wrong-doing.
“I feel like David against Goliath. But I’ll tell you what, I’ve got � ve rocks and I haven’t thrown one yet.”
As you can see, Bishop Eddie Long has made it clear that he’s going to � ght the charges. He does not, however, go in to any detail about his guilt or innocence. So while he must be given credit for addressing his congregation, he can-not be given credit for being innocent of the charges against him. Perhaps the court of law can help us to sort these things out.
enough, among the things I quit, I had to prioritize, so the boyfriend had to go. Not really my choice, but I guess he chose to be part of the problem, rather than the solution. I probably missed my writing more. Had to limit myself to the work that paid bills, the food that my pencil-thin adolescent boys devour each day, the rent, car and gas, schoolbooks, and soccer cleats, and lacrosse gear, and guitar lessons, and snow boots, and so on and so on… Giving up certain things would allevi-ate the pressure, right? Wrong.
No less of a struggle just because I quit some fun stu� . So now, bit by bit, my focus is shi� ing and I want to trust this process that I can’t quite control. Today I begin to write again. It’s a peaceful Sunday morning, quiet, not too bright, I linger in bed… Laundry, food shopping, all done. Crock pot’s working its magic. Let’s � nd my voice. Distant drum roll from the Westcott Street Fest is in the air. In my bedroom I unfold a table that � ts perfectly in front of my window overlooking my untamed garden. I’m creating this little space for my laptop and my thoughts.
Out of words, I search every bend of my soul, like a physician with a stetho-scope. I can’t � nd my voice. It’s been silent and abandoned for so long that I thought it vanished. What to say, how to articulate… But I have begun.
ing for $1 and it’s still standing, Daly reports, currently unoccupied.
Daly suggested that Paladino cut the combined rents by 20 percent, his goal for cutting the state budget, which would leave him with plenty of taxpayer money to campaign with as the candidate who will cut taxes.
A spokesperson for Paladino has told reporters that the candidate ex-pects the state to continue honoring all the leases he holds if he wins.
� e other statewide Republican candidates have refused to endorse their running mate at the top of the ticket.
Mom From page 3
Paladino From page 2
Bishop Eddie Long
1-800-382-HOME (4663)For more information, call
or visit www.housing.ny.gov
The State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) offers first-time homebuyers:
The path to your first home.
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What’s upAfrican-Americans in the news
construction ad
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VILLAGE OF BALDWINSVILLEADVERTISEMENT - NOTICE TO BIDDERS
1. OWNER’S NAMEThe Village of Baldwinsville Clerk invites bids for general construction, and plumbing work connection with thefollowing: Construction of Village Square in the Village of Baldwinsville, New York.
2. RECEIPT OF BIDS:Bids will be received by the office of the Village of Baldwinsville Clerk, 16 West Genesee Street, Baldwinsville, NewYork, 13027 at 2:30 pm local time, Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at which time they will be opened and read aloud.Packages containing the Bids must be sealed, marked and addressed to the Village Clerk, Village ofBaldwinsville, 16 West Genesee Street, Baldwinsville, New York 13027 and marked with the words "Bid forConstruction of Village Square, Contract No. 2010-5."
3. MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWAL OF BID:A bid many not be modified, withdrawn or cancelled by the Bidder for a period of 45 days following the time and datedesignated for receipt of bids.
4. EXAMINATION OF BIDDING DOCUMENTS:Bidding Documents may be examined free of charge at the following locations:Community Development Office421 MontgomerySyracuse, NY 13202
Office of the Village Clerk16 West Genesee StreetBaldwinsville, NY 13027
Syracuse Builders Exchange6563 Ridings RoadSyracuse, NY 13206
Dodge Reports231 Salina Meadows Parkway, Suite 130Syracuse, NY 13212
5. OBTAINING BID DOCUMENTS:Copies of the Bid Documents may be obtained by Bidders and Sub-bidders from either of the following:Timothy C. Baker, P.E., Village Engineer1963 West Genesee Street RoadBaldwinsville, NY 13027Phone: 315-635-9665
Rosemary Johnson, Village Clerk16 West Genesee StreetBaldwinsville, NY 13027Phone: 315-635-3521
6. BID SECURITY:Bid Security in the amount of 5% of the Base Bid plus all Add Alternates must accompany each Bid in accordance withthe instruction to Bidders.
7. PERFORMANCE BOND AND PAYMENT BOND:Guaranty bonds in the form of a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond, each in an amount equal to 100% of theContract Sum, will be required.
8. OTHER REQUIREMENTS:A) This project is funded (in part) by a grant from the Onondaga County Community Development Division.
Approximately $90,000.00 will be financed with federal money.B) Bidders will be required to commit themselves to a goal for minority business participation in the contracts.C) Pursuant to State Law, the Village of Baldwinsville is exempt from payment of sales and compensating use taxes of
the State of New York on all materials, equipment and supplies sole to the Village under this Contract. Also exemptform such taxes are purchases by the contractor and his subcontractors on materials, equipment and supplies sold tothe Village under this Contract, including tangible personal property to be incorporated in any structure, building orreal property forming part of their project. These taxes are not to be included in the Bid.
D) This contract is subject to compliance with Article 8 of the New York State Labor Law regarding prevailing WageRates and Federal Prevailing Wage Rates.
Village of BaldwinsvilleRosemary Johnson, Clerk
Date: September 16, 2010NO
TIC
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O B
IDD
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VILLAGE OF BALDWINSVILLEADVERTISEMENT - NOTICE TO BIDDERS
1. OWNER’S NAMEThe Village of Baldwinsville Clerk invites bids for general construction, and plumbing work connection with thefollowing: Construction of a Public Restroom at Community Park in the Village of Baldwinsville, New York.
2. RECEIPT OF BIDS:Bids will be received by the office of the Village of Baldwinsville Clerk, 16 West Genesee Street, Baldwinsville, NewYork, 13027 at 2:00 pm local time, Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at which time they will be opened and read aloud.Packages containing the Bids must be sealed, marked and addressed to the Village Clerk, Village ofBaldwinsville, 16 West Genesee Street, Baldwinsville, New York 13027 and marked with the words "Bid forConstruction of Public Restroom at Community Park, Contract No. 2010-4."
3. MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWAL OF BID:A bid many not be modified, withdrawn or cancelled by the Bidder for a period of 45 days following the time and datedesignated for receipt of bids.
4. EXAMINATION OF BIDDING DOCUMENTS:Bidding Documents may be examined free of charge at the following locations:Community Development Office421 MontgomerySyracuse, NY 13202
Office of the Village Clerk16 West Genesee StreetBaldwinsville, NY 13027
Syracuse Builders Exchange6563 Ridings RoadSyracuse, NY 13206
Dodge Reports231 Salina Meadows Parkway, Suite 130Syracuse, NY 13212
5. OBTAINING BID DOCUMENTS:Copies of the Bid Documents may be obtained by Bidders and Sub-bidders from either of the following:Timothy C. Baker, P.E., Village Engineer1963 West Genesee Street RoadBaldwinsville, NY 13027Phone: 315-635-9665
Rosemary Johnson, Village Clerk16 West Genesee StreetBaldwinsville, NY 13027Phone: 315-635-3521
6. BID SECURITY:Bid Security in the amount of 5% of the Base Bid plus all Add Alternates must accompany each Bid in accordance withthe instruction to Bidders.
7. PERFORMANCE BOND AND PAYMENT BOND:Guaranty bonds in the form of a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond, each in an amount equal to 100% of theContract Sum, will be required.
8. OTHER REQUIREMENTS:A) This project is funded (in part) by a grant from the Onondaga County Community Development Division.
Approximately $50,000.00 will be financed with federal money.B) Bidders will be required to commit themselves to a goal for minority business participation in the contracts.C) Pursuant to State Law, the Village of Baldwinsville is exempt from payment of sales and compensating use taxes of
the State of New York on all materials, equipment and supplies sole to the Village under this Contract. Also exemptform such taxes are purchases by the contractor and his subcontractors on materials, equipment and supplies sold tothe Village under this Contract, including tangible personal property to be incorporated in any structure, building orreal property forming part of their project. These taxes are not to be included in the Bid.
D) This contract is subject to compliance with Article 8 of the New York State Labor Law regarding prevailing WageRates and Federal Prevailing Wage Rates.
Village of BaldwinsvilleRosemary Johnson, Clerk
Date: September 16, 2010NO
TIC
E T
O B
IDD
ER
S
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Oct. 2010 7CNYurbanEaglENEwspapErs
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