This is CNY

01/03/2024

A delegation of CNY political and business leaders plan to travel to Taiwan soon to recruit suppliers to serve Micron Technology’s planned semiconductor plant in Clay.

The six-member group, led by Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, will spend several days trying to persuade Taiwanese companies to locate in Central New York.

“We’ll be meeting directly with key supply chain partners to Micron there that are Taiwanese companies, and trying to make the pitch to come to the United States,” said McMahon, who was instrumental in luring Micron to Central New York.

Taiwan, which sits 100 miles off the southeast coast of China, is the chip-making capital of the world. Other public officials heading to Taiwan are Syracuse mayor Ben Walsh and Bob Petrovich, executive director of the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency.

Read Glenn Coin's full story: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/mAmoR6

Micron produces most of its best-selling chips in Taiwan.

29/02/2024

New owners are spending $500,000 to improve a 57-year-old ice cream and food landmark in Skaneateles.

It'll still be the same Skan-Ellus (now Skan Ellus) Drive-In where Central New Yorkers have been enjoying ice cream, shakes and hot dogs each summer and fall since 1967.

“It’s a landmark that people have loved for more than 50 years, and we don’t really want to change anything,” said Vinny Lobdell Jr., one of the three partners who bought the drive-in at the corner of Route 20 and Route 175 last year. “But it needs a facelift and some improvements to keep it going. So we’re going to improve it for the next 50 (years).”

Lobdell and his partners, Todd Ruetsch and David Stewart, are putting about $500,000 into the renovations and expect to unveil the new Skan Ellus on March 15. It will then be open for the season as usual.

Don Cazentre has the scoop:
https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/w_KfxP

Skan Ellus Drive-in is adding a deck, playground and dog park

28/02/2024

You know spring is near in Central New York when Byrne Dairy’s famous Irish mint milk reappears in stores to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. ☘️

The sweet mint milk is made with whole milk, sugar, mint flavoring and green dye.

Among Syracuse’s heavy Irish population, mint milk remains popular as ever. Byrne Dairy & Deli Stores sold around 18,000 gallons of mint milk in 2023.

Katrina Tulloch reports:
https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/u6BvSG

It’s a sure sign of spring in CNY when Byrne Dairy restocks mint milk to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

28/02/2024

Almost 20 years after Hugo Acosta moved to the U.S. from Venezuela, he felt like he lost a sense of his cultural identity and Spanish language skills.

In Central New York, Acosta decided to create a monthly newspaper to highlight the beauty and diversity of Latinos.
He launched the first edition of CNY Latino in February 2004, with the help of Latino community members, a small printing company in Utica, and advice from his mentor Art Zimmer.

Acosta single-handedly delivered the paper to restaurants, laundromats, bus stops and churches in Syracuse, Auburn, Oneida and Fulton.

“It was me, myself, and I,” Acosta said. “Wherever the Latino community was, I was there handing out the paper.”

Full story and photos by Laura Román López: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/1JAVF7

Para leer este artículo en español, presione aquí: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/JelFWT

27/02/2024

Julie LaFave, new interim director of The Great New York State Fair, makes no secret of her fondness for the eternally optimistic character of Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler in “Parks and Recreation.”

This year LaFave transitions from her previous job as the fair's operations director to the top post, one very much in the spotlight. In her new role, LaFave will need to balance the concerns of vendors and fairgoers alike. She’ll also face public scrutiny over issues ranging from ticket prices to the concert lineup.

Addressing that new role with classic Poehler humor, she cited a well-known Leslie Knope quote: “What I hear when I’m being yelled at is people caring loudly at me.”

Don Cazentre has the full interview:
https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/0nMmaf

She's the second interim fair director in the last two years

26/02/2024

Award-winning journalist Natasha Alford, born and raised in Syracuse, has published her new memoir, “American Negra.”

Alford graduated from Nottingham High School and went on to earn a B.A. at Harvard University. Today, Alford is vice president for digital content for The Grio and works as a CNN political analyst. Her writing has been featured in the New York Times, MSNBC, Vogue and O, The Oprah Magazine.

Long before her career success, Natasha S. Alford found it difficult to fit in living in her hometown, as a young woman of Black and Puerto Rican descent.

“At times it was hard growing up in Upstate New York, for people to fully understand, embrace and affirm my racial and ethnic identity,” Alford said. “That is also part of the intention of titling the book. To help people understand a tension that exists, but also there’s a movement that’s happening.”

In her memoir, Alford highlights the importance of being a journalist from Syracuse. Alford wants her hometown readers to pay attention to the inequalities and untapped potential that exist in the city.

Read the full story by Jaden Wilson: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/WwKvVd

Photo provided by Natasha Alford.

26/02/2024

Green Beer Sunday drew thousands of people to the Tipperary Hill neighborhood to celebrate the start of St. Patrick's Day season in Syracuse. 💚

With temperatures in the mid-40s, the day was far warmer than normal for February in CNY, and the crowds soaked up every minute of sunshine.

See photos + full story here: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/ceFkok

24/02/2024

The Red House Arts Center, Inc. opened “Inherit the Wind” on Friday to a sold-out audience, delving into the 1955 classic play based on the famous Scopes Monkey Trial.

A bit of background: John Scopes, a high school science teacher, was accused of violating Tennessee’s Butler Act, which made it illegal for teachers to teach human evolution in any state-funded school. The trial challenged the bill’s constitutionality amid much publicity, drawing legal luminaries Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan to Dayton, Tennessee.

"In the Redhouse production, deftly directed by Ted Lange, Fred Grandy and Sam Freed play those lawyers under different names in a tour de force battle of words," wrote theater critic Tony Curulla. "These dueling minds create riveting accusations seasoned with oft-cutting banter. There isn’t a moment or word wasted."

Full review:
https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/T1OkfX

The 1955 classic play shows suspicions run amok in the Scopes Monkey Trial.

24/02/2024

Geography often sidelines Moro's Table from conversations about the best restaurants in the Syracuse area, but it’s one of those dark horses that merits mention with the qualifier of “If you’re up for a drive to Auburn…”

"If I were to ever open my own restaurant, it would be a Belgian-style mussels and fries place, and my first hires would be whoever is in charge of this part of the menu at Moro’s Table in Auburn," wrote food critic Jared Paventi.

Read Jared Paventi's full dining review of Moro’s Table: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/fEHvm-

23/02/2024

Joy Vincent-Moody dreamed for years about opening her own bed and breakfast. When she first saw this Italianate style home at 124 East Third St. in Oswego, built in 1850, it seemed just right.

“I was awed by its architecture, the beautiful ornate corbels, the columns and the cupola,” Joy said. “The first time I walked through the wooden doors, I felt at home.”

After five years in the B&B business, Joy is now ready to retire. The six-bedroom house will be sold with its furnishings.

Photos by Joshua and Hampton Papworth. Johnathan Croyle has the full story: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/oHTpHh

23/02/2024

Syracuse abolitionist Rev. Jermain Loguen will be honored in March with his own Forever stamp commemorating his contributions to the Underground Railroad.

He aided roughly 1,500 formerly enslaved people passing through Syracuse to freedom, and brazenly published hints of his activities in local newspapers.

He joins nine other brave men and women, including fellow Upstate New York abolitionists Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, for their escape from slavery and/or their efforts to help others become free in the Underground Railroad Forever stamp series, available at the U.S.P.S. online store beginning on March 9.

Born into slavery in Tennessee in 1813, Loguen escaped on a stolen horse to Canada when he was 21. After settling in Syracuse, he and his wife fitted their home at East Genesee and Pine Streets with an apartment and bunks in the basement for others seeking freedom.

Photo provided by Onondaga Historical Association. Johnathan Croyle reports: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/dxJdAu

21/02/2024

Have you heard of the CNY Flyers Sled Hockey team? They're part of CNY Adaptive Sports, a Syracuse organization helping people with disabilities participate in indoor and outdoor athletic activities like wheelchair basketball, kayaking and sled hockey.

“We may be disabled, but we can do as much as you do,” said player Ruby Blount. “We just do it a little differently.”

Story and video by Laura Román López: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/e0cbgb

21/02/2024

Luis Colón Torres, the owner of Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant - Syracuse, is opening a new downtown restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Otro Cinco.

The 809 Lounge & Restaurant will offer a Caribbean menu, with a special emphasis on Puerto Rican cuisine. 🇵🇷 Think empanadas, quesadillas, tacos, mofongo, plus meat (carnes) and seafood (mariscos) entrees. On weekend nights it’ll feature bands as an “upscale lounge.”

The 809 should open in the next few months at 206 S. Warren St. Colón Torres is a trained chef who first learned the restaurant business by managing Burger King franchises in Puerto Rico. He later settled in Syracuse in 2015.

Don Cazentre has the full story: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/NiZIi6

20/02/2024

Workers in the Syracuse metro area enjoy some of the shortest commute times in the nation, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

A total of 69.3% of workers 16 and up in Syracuse who didn’t work from home had a commute time of less than 25 minutes, according to census data.

That ranked in the top 28% among 358 U.S. metro areas with populations of at least 100,000 people. The Syracuse metro area includes Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties.

Kevin Tampone reports: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/vsTW4H

Syracuse's metro area has among the shortest travel times to work in the nation, according to census data.

20/02/2024

The Howlito at XO TACO is no ordinary bean burrito. Far from it. 🌯

The hulking burrito ($15) is stuffed with just about every meatless item in the kitchen: rice, black beans, a Chihuahua and cheddar cheese blend, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, guacamole, cilantro, a couple of t-shirts, some extra menus … well, maybe not the last two.

Food critic Jared Paventi writes: "In my 20s, I could have eaten it in one sitting and been uncomfortably full for the rest of the night. At age 46, I ate half of the Howlito for lunch the next day and needed a nap. That is about as strong of an endorsement as I can offer any meal."

Read Jared's full XO Taco review: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/c_bwIf

19/02/2024

A pair of school districts in Onondaga County topped the list of districts that did the best on the latest round of annual statewide assessments tests in an eight-county region of Central New York.

The Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District ranked first in both English language arts and math, with 75% of its students testing proficient in ELA and 87% testing proficient in math. Skaneateles Schools was No. 2 with 66% proficiency in ELA and 76% in math.

Kevin Tampone reports: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/0UWuNZ

A pair of school districts in Onondaga County topped the list.

14/02/2024

The beer is hazy, but the goal is clear: The new Dolphy Day IPA that debuts nest month is expected to help Le Moyne College generate money for its wellness programming and scholarships. Read more: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/rgHr0H

13/02/2024

New York has six designated Free Fishing Days for 2024. During these days, the state’s fishing license requirement is waived for freshwater fishing.

The Free Fishing Days program began in 1991 to give people the opportunity to fish at no cost. It encourages people to try a new hobby and potentially buy a New York State fishing license which supports conservation. Greta Stuckey reports: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/35qJp1

New York has six designated days during which no license is needed to fish.

12/02/2024

"My love for you is stronger than the Parkway Bridge." 🧡 See our full set of cheeky valentines and pick-up lines on Instagram at . We love you, Central New York!

✍️: Katrina Tulloch

10/02/2024

In a region awash with Italian restaurants, this small restaurant on the northern edge of Onondaga County has a trick up its sleeve: homemade pasta.

Rolled into sheets for lasagna or cut into wide strips for fettuccine, that homemade pasta is one of the many reasons The Cafe Bella Luna begins filling with customers as soon as it opens at 4 p.m. for dinner service.

Thicker than your average supermarket lasagna noodles, the fresh lasagna sheets gave the dish heartiness and structure, wrote food critic Jacob Pucci.

See his full review and more photos here: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/2GDvh7

09/02/2024

Happy National Pizza Day to Elli Darmoyslis, who has been making pizza at Varsity Pizza since 1971. 🍕🍕

At one point, Elli tried to keep track of all the pies she made. “I stopped counting at 3 million,” she said.

Today, we celebrate her delicious career. Go grab a slice from Elli! Read more about her in this 2017 story by Teri Weaver: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/KSRI_K

🍕🎥: Lauren Long, Teri Weaver, Brent Axe

09/02/2024

On Thursday, Syracuse’s newest bagel shop opened its doors to a gaggle of hungry students waiting for breakfast. An hour after opening, the shop was full. By 11 a.m., the line stretched out the door and down the sidewalk.

The NYC guys behind Schoolyard Bagels spent 5 years planning this venture. It finally opened this week in the former Starbucks space at 726 University Ave., across the street from the Syracuse University campus. Reporter Charlie Miller has the [cream cheese] scoop: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/97gB1V

09/02/2024

Students across our region have been preparing for their spring musicals since the beginning of 2024 and now it's time for the curtains to rise.

You can see classic shows like “Guys and Dolls” and “Cinderella,” Disney favorites like “Beauty and the Beast” and “High School Musical,” and exciting shows like “9 to 5 the Musical” – and that’s just this weekend.

Reporter Brenda Duncan compiled a list of schools, shows and dates so you can catch as many as you want: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/O2A_mV

08/02/2024

A hearty congratulations to our very own syracuse.com & This is CNY reporter Charlie Miller, who has been selected as the grand marshal of the popular Green Beer Sunday parade!

A well-deserved honor for a beloved Central New York journalist:
https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/pkUtKD

The parade is Sunday, Feb. 25

08/02/2024

This month, Dr. Jeanette Epps will launch on a SpaceX-Crew 8 mission to the International Space Station.

She will be a mission specialist, one of four astronauts on the Dragon spacecraft, and five astronauts who will be living on the station for six months. Epps will be the second Black woman to live on the space station, and the sixth Black woman to ever fly into space.

Epps is Syracuse’s first astronaut. But at every opportunity she tells Syracuse kids they can be the next one.

“I am Syracuse, born and bred,” Epps said. “I love to tell the little girls, ‘Hey, look, if I’m doing this, there’s absolutely no reason you can’t do this.’”

🌌 Read Marnie Eisenstadt's full story about Dr. Epps: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/0ir47B

07/02/2024

Good morning, CNY! Did anyone else catch that brief but glorious sunrise? It’s been sunny and bright in Syracuse for the past few days. Soak up every second.

🌅📸: Nate Mink of Marcellus, N.Y.

06/02/2024

“I can’t believe I actually found him.”

Max, a German Shepherd puppy, had been lost in the North Country wilderness for 4 days. Drone pilot Chad Tavernia spotted him and called Max's owner, leading to a beautiful rescue.

Tavernia is a recently retired NYS police officer. He started North Country Drone Search & Recovery to help people find their lost pets.

Reporter Steve Featherstone has the story:
https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/rdkxTo

04/02/2024

Noble Cellar, a restaurant best described as approachable fine dining, has officially opened in downtown Syracuse.

This is the first restaurant for Sarah Pelligrini and Rob Zaccaria, two Central New York real estate brokers. They took over the 178-year-old former church that once was a stop on the Underground Railroad.

The iconic red-brick building was previously home to The Mission and Luna Loca restaurants. Read Charlie Miller's full story on Noble Cellar: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/Ss-g1z

03/02/2024

Micron Technology is offering paid summer internships to Central New York college students as it prepares to build a massive semiconductor manufacturing plant in the town of Clay.

The internships will be at the company’s headquarters in Boise, Idaho, and at Micron’s chip-making plant in Manassas, Virginia. Micron pays a stipend and housing and relocation expenses.

Four Onondaga Community College students have already received Micron internships, college spokesman Roger Mirabito said. A Micron Technology representative will be at OCC on Wednesday to conduct interviews and answer questions.

Glenn Coin reports: https://this-is-cny.visitlink.me/ZMIVJF

Micron will also pay for travel and lodging for internships in Virginia and Idaho.