Power

A stack of circumstances forced our Sunday man Paul to miss a week. But he’s back, as powerful as ever, as I gather his email, edit his copy and post his guest column while sitting at the airport in Orlando, Fla., waiting to jet back home to Syracuse, N.Y. Take it away, Paul Curran. Welcome…

Tim catches a swallowtail butterfly … with his camera

My dear wife Karen and I have been waiting patiently for a butterfly spotting in our backyard garden in the cherished Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood. I have more hope now than ever. Good Neighbor Tim sent me two great photos from just his side of our shared fence. He did…

Where’s Mark amid the Diamondback crew?

Yes, my two years toiling for the University of Maryland’s campus daily The Diamondback surely helped shape my career. As much as what I learned in the academic buildings, yes. More? Probably. I wrote hundreds of stories covering the soccer, women’s basketball and lacrosse teams as my primary beats, with coverage about football and men’s…

Behold the Northern Flicker

Good Neighbor Tim is always on the lookout in our Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood. It’s one of the things I love about having him and his wonderful wife Lorraine next door to the Little Bitty. His latest discovery was … I’ll let him tell it, from his email. “Another creature you might appreciate is…

Back on course at last

From May to September. That’s how long it took me to return to the golf course with my pals this summer. Busy for all of us, yes. In fact, that’s how long it took me to get back on the golf course at all, what with this great new job at the Liverpool Public Library…

Let the fireworks dazzle over and in CitiField

When our hometown Syracuse Chiefs set off their post game fireworks, the pretty pyro takes place from behind the center-field fence. Which I always thought was good and proper as my dear wife Karen and wonderful daughter Elisabeth and fantastic significant George Three have enjoyed many Triple-A fireworks displays and left NBT Bank Stadium very…

Young love in Ireland? Just add music, and Sing Street grows strong

Remember when you were lost, swimming in teen angst, and when you put on a record that black spinning vinyl acted like an oval orange lifesaver? John Carney surely does. The writer and director of Sing Street sweetly shares those tumultuous feelings with a 1-hour, 46-minute treat that’s part drama, part comedy, part musical and…

A win for the Mets, and the comeback continues

In the National League East, my New York Mets and the Washington Nationals have a rivalry going. My dear wife Karen and I were glad it was the team from our nation’s capital that would be in the other dugout when we drove down from Syracuse with terrific daughter Elisabeth and outstanding significant George Three…

Shore enough, Jersey Boys rolls along at the Landmark Theatre

In what could be argued as the pivotal point in a life full of swing moments for these four kids from Jersey, Frankie, Tommy and Nick set eyes on new kid Bob for the first time when plucky talent pusher Joey Fish – yeah, the kid turn out to be Joe Pesci, we find out…

Shine on, almost Harvest Moon

I was hit with this startling sight in downtown Syracuse when my dear wife Karen and I stepped out of the Landmark Theatre after seeing Jersey Boys Friday night. I believe we were one night past the official Harvest Moon here in the Northern Hemisphere. I know it was a beautiful nearly full moon over…