SU alumnus carves out his own niche in the Halloween business
By Nick DeSantis
October 27, 2012 - 9:40am
Ryan Wickstrand's Zombie Pumpkins celebrates a decade of pumpkin carving concepts.

Some people are completely content with carving the same old triangle-eyed, toothless grinning face into their Halloween pumpkin year after year. Others, however, are up for something a little more challenging.

“By the time I entered my teens, I started to do more advanced carvings with the patterns you find in store-bought kits,” said Zombie Pumpkins owner and lifelong Halloween enthusiast Ryan Wickstrand. “It didn't take long for me to get the urge to design my own, and I never looked back.”

Onondaga Lake cleanup project begins after 15 years of planning
By Gwendolyn Craig
October 16, 2012 - 5:44am
Syracuse companies begin four year process of dredging toxic waste from Onondaga Lake.

Before the dredging on Onondaga Lake began this past summer, Monday nights were bocce nights at the lake’s park. There was gossip, laughter and the clicks of metal hitting metal.  As soon as the wind blew, however, the air became pungent, giving the lake away. 

The stench made the bocce players’ noses wrinkle, but they kept playing. 

Far across on the west and southwest shores, the waters began to stir.

Local film festival shines spotlight on socially conscious films
By Nick DeSantis
October 10, 2012 - 12:54am
Preview: The Syracuse International Film Festival to screen local and international films in various city locations.

Featuring the central New York premiere of a variety of films from all around the world, the ninth annual Syracuse International Film Festival will deliver four days of cinema bliss for casual movie lovers and film aficionados alike.

Syracuse alumni hit the road to find "American Dreamers"
By Ellie Wilkinson
September 25, 2012 - 1:00pm
Pete Wayner and Leah Stacy, two Newhouse alumni, and their friend Kevin Kennedy, are traveling the country to capture various perspectives of the “American Dream,” the first mission of their startup, The Bly Project.

Three college friends, including two Syracuse alumni, are living out their dreams—by writing about those of others.

Westcott Fair's 21st year celebrates diversity in Syracuse
By Megan Paolone
September 24, 2012 - 11:10am
Just a mile off campus, Westcott Street came alive on Sunday as the neighborhood's annual cultural fair ushered in artists, performers, restaurants and visitors from the surrounding area.

The 21st annual Westcott Street Cultural Fair awakened the surrounding neighborhood on Sunday, welcoming thousands of people of various ages and ethnicities to celebrate Westcott's diversity. 

The fair is a volunteer-driven effort organized by the Westcott Area Cultural Coalition, and the planning, “never stops,” Sharon Sherman, chair and treasurer of WACC, said. “It’s to celebrate this neighborhood,” she said. “I just like to see people happy, and with the fair, you see people from different walks of life coming together that I wouldn’t expect.”

Pagan community leader organizes local festival, promotes tolerance
By Megan Paolone
September 17, 2012 - 12:31pm
Local software developer and pagan Kurt Hohmann coordinates the Central New York Pagan Pride Festival each year to educate the community about the faith.

The phrase “Born Again Pagan” steered Kurt Hohmann on to a new path in his life’s journey about 20 years ago.

After seeing the words emblazoned on a bumper sticker in Salem, Mass. on a trip with his wife, Hohmann decided to do a little exploring.

“I’d obviously heard the term ‘pagan’ before, but I was like, ‘Who would put that on their car and why?’” Hohmann, now 48 and the local coordinator of the Central New York Pagan Pride Festival, said.

Syracuse chef brings unique, fresh taste to Central New York with 'Steve’s Street Eats' food truck
By Ellie Wilkinson
August 22, 2012 - 4:32pm
Chef Steve LeClair brings popular food truck craze to Syracuse with his trailer-turned-kitchen

On the first day chef Steve LeClair planned to serve food from his trailer-turned-kitchen, he hopped into his truck and drove down the driveway—pulling out the plug that had been powering the trailer’s refrigerator in anticipation of the grand opening of “Steve’s Street Eats.”

Profiled: Voices of black men in Syracuse
By Eva McKend
June 18, 2012 - 5:22am
In the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting, Syracuse students and residents describe how it feels to be racially profiled.

The death of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed teenager who was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch captain in Sanford, Fla., sparked a national conversation about race and justice in America.

Syracuse artist travels through time in 3-D
By Drew Roberts
May 24, 2012 - 4:34am
New public art project on East Genesee Street puts history into 3-D perspective.

When artist Colleen Woolpert stands in front of the fountain at Forman Park, she’s transported to the year 1878. She doesn’t see the fountain in front of her; she sees the one that was there at the turn of the century — and she sees it in 3-D. Thanks to Woolpert's latest installation, so can we.

Syracuse celebrates Earth Day 2012
By Chris Baker
April 22, 2012 - 9:56pm
Bad weather is no match for Sunday's environmental celebration.

Despite gray skies, Thornden Park was shrouded in green Sunday afternoon for an all-day celebration of Earth Day 2012. The late-day rain held off just long enough for five-hour celebration starting at noon.