WIC provides nutrition program for women, infants and children
Susan Lindsley 09/11/09
You may have seen the signs for WIC in a variety of stores, or gotten in line behind someone who is paying with WIC checks. But what is it? The WIC program is a special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children. When the federally funded program began in 1974, 88,000 people participated. By 2008, it had grown to 8.7 million people. Ten thousand four hundred and forty-eight people in Onondaga County used the program in 2008. Of those, 50 percent were children.
WIC serves low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, as well as infants and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk. Participants must meet income guidelines, a state residency requirement and be individually determined to be at “nutrition risk” by a health professional...
CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: WIC, Bayberry
Military courtesy room celebrates first anniversary
Katie Calzada 09/11/09
Last month, the Gregory J. Harris Military Courtesy Room at Syracuse’s Hancock International Airport marked their first anniversary of operation. The courtesy room has two adjoining rooms to accommodate the troops going through Hancock Airport. The first room welcomes troops, offering individualized and microwaveable snacks and drinks including coffee, soft drinks and bottled water. Next door is the TV/lounge room. There are several comfortable recliners, a large flat-screen TV, a Play Station 2, a laptop computer, DVDs and more. The room is similar to a USO yet is privately funded through donations from businesses, fraternal organizations and individuals. They have no connection to the Department of Defense. The room is named after Cpl. Gregory J...
CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: Military Courtesy Room, Hancock, student reporter
Eagle Scout creates signs for historic park
Dorothy Heller 09/11/09
In January, Olakunle Akinpelu, a member of Boy Scout Troop 203, made a presentation to the Clay Historical Association. His idea was to construct two signs for the Historic Park – an entrance sign and a site map of the park buildings – to earn his Eagle badge by performing a community-wide project to benefit the whole community.
With backing of the group and assistance from Jim Palumbo, his Eagle coach, Kunle, as he is known by his friends, started. He met with the parks commissioner and the planning board for approval and direction. With donations from the community of materials for the signs, he made the association aware of his progress...
CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: Historic Park, signs, Eagle Scout
Candidate profiles: Second district primary
Sarah Hall 09/11/09
David Stewart
Biographical info (age, address, family, education, employer):
34 years old
Residence: 7719 Ensign Circle, Liverpool
Education: SUNY Cortland, BA political science, 1998; Syracuse University College of Law, Juris Doctor, 2001
Employment: AnCor, Inc., General Counsel
Why are you running for county legislator?
Many of us, myself included, go to work, manage our homes and tend to our families. We only notice the government when we interact with it, but in recent months employment is down, taxes are up, and it is increasingly difficult to support our families. It is no longer okay to leave financial decisions for the county in the hands of elected officials, who either by design or default have become career politicians...
CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: Second district, Clay, Dougherty, Stewart, primary
Mixed-use zone being examined by town board at Taft Road site
Sarah Hall 09/11/09
Imagine a place where townhouses, residential homes and parks mingle with businesses like shops, banks and restaurants.
That’s the goal behind Clay’s Planned Development District (PDD) zone, which combines different uses under one zoning code.
“Over the past 10 years or so, we’ve looked at several of our [zoning] ordinances,” said Councilor Naomi Bray, who helped write the code. “A few years ago, we felt that there was the potential to provide in the town some flexibility. Rather than having a parcel here that’s retail, a parcel here that’s office and another parcel here that’s another usage, we would have larger pieces of land – a minimum of 25 acres – with more of a coordinated umbrella usage that would allow flexibility within that specific area...
CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: Clay, PPD, zoning, board
County to help fund CanTeen
Sarah Hall 09/11/09
Thanks to an agreement between Onondaga County and the town of Cicero, teens in the North Syracuse area will still have a place to go after school.
The County Legislature passed a resolution last month authorizing County Executive Joanie Mahoney to enter into an agreement with Cicero to help fund the CanTeen, a teen center on Route 11 that provides a haven for teens in the North Syracuse school district. The center found itself at risk of closing late last year due to state budget cuts and has been fundraising prodigiously ever since.
The CanTeen offers a daily drop-in center with games, homework help and more for kids ages 13 to 19 during non-school hours...
CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: CanTeen, county, funding
Back to School
Sarah Hall 09/11/09
It’s that time of year again – the leaves are starting to change, the days are growing shorter and the temperatures are dropping. It’s the time kids dread and parents cheer: it’s time to go back to school.
So what’s new in your school district this year? Read on to find out.
What’s new in…
Baldwinsville
The Baldwinsville Central School District is looking forward to kicking off another new school year. This year, in addition to new students, the district will welcome 11 new teachers and several new administrators at all levels.
In the district office, Rocco Nalli is now the district’s director of special education. He was previously the assistant director of special education...
CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: Back to school, Baldwinsville, Liverpool, North Syracuse
Hunting Fees on the Rise
Melissa Renahan 07/24/09
Hunting season is fast approaching and with it, the time to purchase or renew licenses. However, residents may be shocked when they arrive at town hall with checkbooks in hand and discover that prices are increasing by a minimum of $10 in every license category. On Aug. 17 licenses for the 2009-2010 season will go on sale and the new prices will go into effect.
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, or DEC, which issues all state sporting licenses, is initiating the first fee raise since 2002 in order to generate more revenue for the Conservation Fund. For the past two years, revenue generated from sporting license sales has been insufficient to maintain the fish and wildlife management and law enforcement that the Conservation Fund requires...
CATEGORY: General Society
Al Stirpe announces third annual Lifesaver’s Party and Health Fair
Al Stirpe 06/26/09
In July, I’ll be hosting my third annual Lifesaver’s Party. After receiving such great attendance in past years, we’ve decided to turn this year’s blood drive into an all-encompassing health fair. Several different groups will be taking part in the fair, including the American Red Cross, the National Kidney Foundation of CNY, NAVAC, the AARP, local hospitals and other organizations. There will also be free refreshments, live music and prizes, including gift certificates to local restaurants, furniture and an iPod Touch.
Assemblyman Stirpe’s third annual Lifesaver’s Party and Health Fair
July 21, noon-7 p.m...
CATEGORY: Charity & Activism
Summer Fun in Onondaga
Sue Lindsley 05/27/09
Summer is here and now is the time to relax and have some fun. Luckily living here means fun is easy to find! Syracuse is getting to be known as the “City of Festivals” and there seems to be one, sometimes two, just about every weekend.
We don’t all have the opportunity to venture around the United States or take dream vacations to exotic island destinations, so if you need something in your own backyard, Clay has got you covered. Did you know about all the town of Clay offers? It has many programs for children and adults alike. You may have gotten the summer program schedule in the mail, or picked one up at the town hall, but if not you can find it on the web at www.townofclay.org. Look under recreation and it will lead you to all the programs that the Clay is offering...
CATEGORY: General Society
Ready...Set...Take a Day Trip!
Christina Lackey 05/27/09
Summer is almost upon us, and with it the season of... well, finding interesting things to do. There are many excellent places to visit from our area that are only an hour or two away and make perfect day trips. Day trips are excellent because there is no hotel bill, they can be planned the day before instead of weeks or months in advance, and there is no need for a dog sitter! The choices for a day trip are almost limitless, but each area seems to have its own specialty and flavor.
Rochester is an excellent choice for a day trip. It is just under 90 miles away, and it takes about an hour and a half travel time each way. Like Syracuse, Rochester is full of things to do and can make for an excellent trip for groups of any age and size...
CATEGORY: General Society
Change is in the Air
Melissa Renahan 05/27/09
Regular readers of the Clay Insider will notice that this month’s edition is printed on a new page size. We have moved away from the 14-inch page that people have come to know, and instead adopted the more traditional 17-inch size, or “long tab” as those in the newspaper industry would say.
The reasons for this change are two-fold.
First, we are trying to make our newspaper a place where Clay businesses and restaurants can place inserts more conveniently. The long tab allows us to insert a 8.5”-by-11” piece without folding it, eliminating additional cost and time for our customers...
CATEGORY: General Society
Flags for the fallen on Memorial Day
Melissa Renahan 05/05/09
Some people forget that Memorial Day is about more than a long weekend to kick off the summer. Clay resident Glenn Sotherden is not one of those people.
Since 1984 he has been putting flags on the graves of close to 1500 veterans at six local cemeteries, including the Pine Plains Cemetery in Clay, off of Henry Clay Blvd.
This year there are 25 new veteran graves that will be marked with flags. In the past few years, the numbers have climbed dramatically due to the WW2 vets aging and dying. The flags, which are distributed by a veterans’ group called the Memorial Association of Syracuse, are limited. This year the allotment was only for 720 flags, but luckily Sotherden has been planning ahead all along...
CATEGORY: General Society
Home buyers are in the driver's seat
Christina Lackey 05/05/09
It's good to be a buyer. Times are few and far between when I find myself telling people that I wish I didn't already own a home, but this is one of them! My belief in home ownership goes far beyond my job as a realtor - it's really how I feel. I love coming home every night to a place that is my own. I love knowing that, good or bad, this is my place and I'm responsible for it. And I love being able to share my story of home buying with my clients, because I want them to know that I understand and remember what it is like to be doing what they are doing now.
So, why do I wish I didn't already own my home? There are a few reasons right now that make it really good to be a buyer, especially a first time buyer...
CATEGORY: Real Estate
