Photo 101: Putting big in a new daily scale

The big daily was a constant in my life for 29 years, five months. Yes, my nickname for my former place of employment and the paper that got tossed on the steps of the Little Bitty shared by my dear wife Karen and I here in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood crossed my mind…

Photo 101: A State Street runs through Syracuse

Assignment No. 2 in Photo 101 is titled Street. It’s a challenge to our perspective. My Tuesday life took me from my dear wife Karen and I’s Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood to a half-business, half-pleasure trip that ended on State Street, a busy thoroughfare in downtown Syracuse. After I’d filled…

I can still hang out with KP and Tater and talk about golf

It may take awhile until the golf courses of Syracuse are green enough and dry enough to accept these first spring steps. And I’ll pretty much play in the brown muck to get out there for initial swings with my longtime golf buddies KP and Tater. This February, though, has crushed our spirit in cold…

A party to celebrate 2 years of spreading Syracuse music

Mark Turley and Nicholas Oliver have a passion for the Syracuse music scene that comes from making art their own way. Do It Yourself, or DIY, as the acronymists of the world like to say. For almost 20 years, Turley has played in bands and Oliver has taken pictures, created art and collected vinyl albums.…

A little bit of Elvis aura to celebrate what would have been his 80th birthday

I saw a band from Albany play the songs of Elvis Presley at a bar in Syracuse last week. The Lustre Kings were on tour to celebrate what would have been the King’s 80th birthday. The rockabilly band led by guitarist and singer Mark Gamsjager had a fun time entertaining the fans at the Dinosaur…

The Hotel Syracuse remembers the old as it faces the new

They called this “Suite Stories Ghostwalk,” and indeed the Hotel Syracuse had some stories to tell. But it wasn’t the kind of ghosts of folks who famously die and hang around these old buildings of ours. No, when I signed up as a “back guide” on the last Saturday of 2014 and walked the grounds…

Happy New Year’s Eve from Syracuse, N.Y.

Are you ready for the ball to drop for 2015? Do you feel you dropped the ball in 2014 or handled life pretty well? Today’s the day to tie up any loose ends for this year. Better hurry. And tonight’s the night to welcome in the new year with great hopes, big plans, newfound inspiration,…

The War Memorial part of the Syracuse arena is impressive

Last week I brought you the hockey report from our visit to the Onondaga County War Memorial to see the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. My dear wife Karen went back Friday night, just six days later, so I decided to make the historic, 61-year-old building in downtown Syracuse the star of the work on…

Clark’s beef on ‘wick was worth the wait

I pressed my face to the window waiting for Clark’s Ale House to open with this August post telling of its history in another location in downtown Syracuse and licking my lips to reacquaint myself with owner Ray Clark’s famous roast beef sandwiches. My dear wife Karen and I went back a month ago for…

It looks like all-skate to me

The famous 30 Rock isn’t the only downtown outdoor center that’s got it going on. I thought I might find a deserted core Saturday in the heart of Syracuse, N.Y., when I had my dear wife Karen stop the car off on our way to a holiday party so I could see if there was…