Blodgett School's Future Threatened

Wednesday November 12, 2008

It wasn’t on the agenda, but Blodgett School supporters packed the Syracuse Board of Education meeting tonight trying to save the school. Parents, students and staff waved signs and made speeches urging renovation. Blodgett (above) was one of several Syracuse schools being considered for repair, but now it is in danger of being left out. “It’s disheartening,” said Kerry Read, an English as a Second Language teacher at Blodgett.

Blodgett School was built in 1915 and serves grades K-8 on the Near West Side. It was the number one priority on a list for a renovations project created by the Syracuse City School District in 2001. But this year, project manager Gilbane Construction Company advised the Joint Schools Construction Board it would cost less to build a new school than to renovate it.

The possible abandonment of Blodgett caused anger in its district, which serves some of the city’s poorest students. About a dozen supporters spoke at the meeting in defense of the school. Others waved signs that asked, “How many times can we be forgotten?”

“It’s 46 million dollars (to rebuild) and we only have about 20 million dollars to do it,” Schools Superintendent Dan Lowengard said after the meeting. “That’s why I made the recommendation to get a new school rather than renovate the old one.” Lowengard heads the JSCB along with Mayor Matt Driscoll.

Although board members pointed to the lack of funds needed to renovate, the school board said that no conclusions have been made.

“It’s too early to make a recommendation,” Board President Laurie Menkin said.

Blodgett rally draws hundreds

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The obvious stood out as hundreds of people gathered outside the Blodgett School on Syracuse's Near West Side Tuesday evening to advocate for renovations for the school. The "u" in A. Burr Blodgett J nior High School was missing from the block letters which loom large over the school's front doors, underlining the need for a minimum of $46 million in renovations.

"This neighborhood and this community have waited far too long," said Rev. John R. Carter of Abundant Life Christian Center to the crowd. "In saving this school we save this community.”

The Joint Schools Construction Board is supposed to vote Thursday whether Blodgett will receive money in the first phase of a district wide renovation effort. With the economy in a downward spiral, the district's budget has been hurt as a result. With less money and many schools needing renovations, the high price Blodgett would demand could leave the school, in its current state, out of luck.

"There must be a way to care about other schools without casting this school aside," Carter said.

Syracuse Common Council President Bea Gonzalez gave Blodgett three different fates when speaking to the crowd: renovate Blodgett, build a new school or close Blodgett. The crowd chanted for renovations. When asked after the rally what she thought would be the result, Gonzalez said she had no idea.

"None of us should be proud of the Blodgett of today," she said to the crowd. "What we need to be proud of is the Blodgett of tomorrow, whatever it is."

November 17, 2008

Students, teachers, parents and faculty from Blodgett School filled the Syracuse Board of Education meeting room tonight, carrying signs protesting the potential demolition of their school on the West Side. Blodgett, a school that used to be at the top of the renovation list, is now nowhere to be seen.

The Joint Schools Construction Board proposed a four-phase renovation plan. Phase one addresses schools in desperate need for repair.  Blodgett was one of seven schools proposed for the phase one renovations.

Gilbane Building Company, the project manager, estimated Blodgett needs at least $46 million to renovate and only $20 to $25 million to knock down and rebuild a new school.

Daniel Lowengard, the District Superintendent and a member of the Joint Schools Construction Board, said the district has money to build a new school but not to renovate.

Members of the Board of Education, sympathized with Blodgett, but recognize renovating is something the district cannot afford.

"There is a fiscal reality to everything we're talking about tonight," said Commissioner Calvin Corriders.

But, the district's facilities and construction director, Nick DiBello, said a new school would cost more than $30 million. "I say renovate it," an emotional and frustrated DiBello told the board.

Ten more parents, students, and faculty from Blodgett spoke to the board. 

"I can speak for a lot of kids who want to keep it open," said Yoonaybe Ferman, a 6th grade student at Blodgett.

Ferman’s mother, Liz Rivera says she will do anything to make sure Blodgett stands. “I think it’s worth it. I’m not giving up,” Rivera told student reporters.

Lowengard will hold a meeting Tuesday, November 18 for parents, students, faculty and staff to talk about the future of Blodgett.

The Joint Schools Construction Board is scheduled to vote on Thursday, November 20 on a phase one compromise.

Right now, it looks like Blodgett will not make the cut.

Future of Blodgett School Left Undetermined

November 17, 2008

"How many times can we be forgotten?" read Blodgett School supporters' posters at the Syracuse City School District meeting tonight.
Their sentiment was carried into the meeting where emotional parents, staff and students advocated for the historic building's renovation."It's not just about the building,” said Commissioner Cynthia Kirby on the school's significance. “It's about a community dedicated to children.”

The Blodgett School, built in 1915, on Syracuse's low-income Near West Side was atop SCSD renovation lists since 2000 but recently rejected after no longer being "top priority. " The building is so neglected that SCSD superintendent Daniel Lowengard said SCSD Board of Education president, Laurie Menkin, cried on a tour of the school.

The construction company contracted by the Joint School Construction Board for renovations, Gilbane Building Co., only told SCSD about its recommendation to reject Blodgett a few weeks ago. It told SCSD a $46 million renovation cost was too costly for it’s budget but a new building for $20 million could be more feasible.

Sympathetic commissioners could not give a definitive answer about Blodgett's fate as supporters pleaded for its renovation. The school, which has a special needs program, is the heart of the neighborhood. A tearful parent, Tanya Seeley said she loves its centrality, "The police station is just a block away, so I know my kids are safe."

The JSCB plans to meet tomorrow morning for further discussion. But the area's residents can't wait much longer. "Six, seven years for you, a lifetime for these people," said Near West Side Initiative head, Paul Nojaim. "Let's advocate on behalf of them."

Dollars and Sense

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The Blodgett school issue came down to the bottom line at the Syracuse Board of Education’s monthly business meeting tonight.

The tight budget of a city school reconstruction plan has some school board members suggesting a new building be built instead of the more expensive solution of renovation. Rev. Joe Coudriet, whose Abundant Life Christian Center donated a library to Blodgett, couldn’t disagree more. “This is a historical landmark,” he said in a speech to the board. “There’s got to be another way to skin the cat - these families deserve it.”

Superintendent Dan Lowengard’s $180 million Building the Future Together Plan was drawn up in 2006 to renovate seven city schools. Blodgett was priority number one.

The Gilbane Building Co., which heads the project’s construction, estimated early on that Blodgett’s renovation would cost $46 million. For Lowengard, that slice of the pie seems too big.

“We’re trying to protect the public’s money,” he said after the meeting. “Oftentimes, this school board spends a lot more than it needs to."

Luz Rivera, the mother of a Blodgett student, doesn't see a problem. “They’re playing Ring Around the Rosie,” she said. “They have the money.”

Lowengard and the school board planned on making a recommendation to the Joint School Construction Board tomorrow morning. But not having a final estimate from the Gilbane Company has slowed them down.

“Until we get that information we can’t make any decisions,” said Commissioner Calvin Corriders, a member of the school board. “We’re in favor of what makes the most sense.”

Hundreds Rally for Blodgett

November 17, 2008

The cold didn't seem to faze activists for Blodgett School Tuesday evening. More than 500 people rallied outside the school on the West Side of Syracuse before meeting with City School Superintendent Daniel Lowengard. The protestors demanded renovation promises after years of neglect. "Blodgett will not be forgotten!," they chanted.

Blodgett has been deteriorating for decades, which originally put it as a top priority in a district-wide school construction project. But a recent estimate put its renovation at more than $46 million, more expensive than building a new school. Schools will be divided into priority groups for the project, and this cut Blodgett from schools considered for the "first phase."

'The crowd of protestors packed into Blodgett's cafeteria, holding signs saying "Save Blodgett."

"Tonight's topic- renovate or rebuild?" Lowengard told the group, assuring that Blodgett wouldn't just be abandoned.

But many doubted Blodgett would ever be fixed if not considered a priority of the construction project. "The concern is that it could be ten more years before they get past phase one," said Rev. John Carter after the meeting. Carter is president of the Abundant Life Christian Center in East Syracuse, which organized the rally and donated a $400,000 library to Blodgett in 2001.

Board of Education President Laurie Menkin, stepped up to the microphone to personally promise Blodgett changes. "I'll be on the school board for three more years and I will not leave until this happens," she said.

The Joint Schools Construction Board votes Thursday on which schools will be included in the first phase of renovations.

Commisioners are confused about state of technical highschool

Wednesday November 12, 2008



They all agreed that Syracuse is in desperate need of a technical high school, but what the school board commissioners couldn't agree upon tonight was how to make it happen.

"You can't just take that program and stick it on the end of a high school," Vice-president Cynthia Kirby said at the Board of Education meeting.

"Our district needs a technical high school, we need a downtown facility but the question is where?"

The Syracuse City School District has the fewest high schools compared to its Big Five counterparts, Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers and New York City and is the only one without a technical high school.

Commissioner Ned Deuel said after the meeting that the reason for the lack is “because we have let that slide and not do anything.”

In August, the board planned a full renovation and addition to the Greystone Building and the building behind it which currently houses the 500 students enrolled in the city’s part-time technical school.

Three months later, commissioners have realized that their original plans are no longer an option.

“We can’t do the Greystone Building” Deuel said after the meeting.

“Since there are no students in it we can’t get state aid on it... [but] there’s another building behind it, that we’re recommending…once we finish the renovations we are going to connect the two buildings then the state will see it as one building and we’d be able to get $30 million dollars to do the Greystone Building”

If built, Lowengard said, the full time technical high school would take three years to complete and would cost approximately $60-million.

The End of Blodgett School?

November 12, 2008

Tanya Sealy says her children missed the West Side of Syracuse so much that she moved back from Florida – just so her children could return to Blodgett School.
"My kids love Blodgett a lot," Sealy said at the Syracuse Board of Education meeting Wednesday night. "It's a perfect location, and the police station is only a block away."
Since 1915, Blodgett School has been an important part of its surrounding community. But due to a lack of funding and poor building conditions, such as leaking roofs and crumbling walls, Board of Education members are now questioning how much longer the historical landmark will be open.
"We don't have the money to renovate all our schools," Commissioner Ned Deuel said. "The first step is to see what happens to the Blodgett building, and then we'll look after its staff and kids."
Since 2000, Blodgett had been at the top of the school district’s renovation list. The Joint Schools Construction Board, led by Mayor Matt Driscoll, is considering removing Blodgett in the first phase of its renovation plan.
The JSCB project manager Gilbane Building Company says renovating Blodgett would cost $46-million, leaving not enough money for other schools that need work badly. Superintendent Dan Lowengard says he hopes to convince the state to build a new school, which would be much cheaper.
Abundant Life Christian Center provided signs that Blodgett supporters held during the meeting.
"The school closed down many years ago, and everyone was devastated,” said Pastor Joe Coudriet of Abundant Life Christian Center, who helped raise money to build a library at Blodgett. “Now we should all help these kids and families by keeping it open."

Uncertain Future for Blodgett School

November 12, 2008

"I've always said a tornado could come and Blodgett would still be
there," said Kerry Read at tonight's Syracuse Board of Education
meeting. For the first time this teacher said she is unsure.

Blodgett was a top priority for renovation eight years ago. After the
Joint Schools Construction Board evaluated the renovation's costs
about three weeks ago, it removed Blodgett from the list.

The decision created controversy in the Near West Side of Syracuse and
brought people who live there tonight’s meeting.

The board's response in effect: We'll see.

Board President Laurie Menkin said she is waiting on figures from the
program manager before she decides about Blodgett.

Superintendent Daniel Lowengard estimated $46 million for renovating
Blodgett's 89-year-old building. "We can't do Blodgett," he said, and
suggested building a new facility that he said would cost $20 million.

Facilities Director Nick DiBello had a different estimate for a new
building at $35 million. "I say renovate," he said to cheers and
applause from the audience.

Blodgett supporters took turns at the microphone and asked for
renovations.


"I can speak for a lot of kids that want to keep it open," said sixth grader Yoonaybe Ferman.

But the board made no promises.

"There's a fiscal reality to everything we're talking about tonight,"
said Commissioner Calvin Corriders.

"As eloquent as people were tonight, I could have six other
communities come in and say, 'Now you're doing Blodgett but you're
cutting out six other projects,'" said Lowengard after the meeting.
"It's a balancing act."

Lowengard plans to continue discussions and meet at Blodgett next Tuesday.

Blodgett School- Is it a Yes or a No?

Marlei Martinez
Wednesday November 12, 2008

With its crumbling walls and grimy bathrooms, Blodgett School is in serious need of repair. This West Side Syracuse elementary school is ranked as one of the most run-down schools in the entire country said Nicholas DiBello, district facilities chief. So with the school's undeniable need for repair, Blodgett parents, students and faculty members who attended the Syracuse Board of Education meeting Wednesday evening are confused about how their school "went from top of the priority list to completely off of it" said Reverend Joseph Coudriet III of the Abundant Life Christian Center. Abundant Life in East Syracuse helped raise money to build a library for Blodgett School.

“Blodgett School was originally issue number one on the list,” Commissioner Calvin Corriders said. “But we had to take it off because the district cannot afford the $46 million cost.”

During the meeting, District Superintendent Daniel Lowengard said the board cannot develop a plan until “we have the numbers.”

But considering that project manager Gilbane, Inc. just provided the school board with its estimated $46 million calculation, those who attended tonight’s meeting are confused about what numbers Lowengard is waiting for.

“We’re still confused about what they’re going to do with the school,” school counselor Mark Mason said after the meeting.

By the end of the night, the big question still remained- Will anything be done to fix Blodgett School?

“Unfortunately this is one of those things with that come up because of fiscal reality,” Commissioner Kim Rohadfox-Ceaser said. “And reality is harsh.”

This was the closest answer to a yes or no heard all night. And it sounded like a “no.”

Blodgett parents, students and faculty are still waiting for a definitive answer.

“I’m a man of faith,” Rev. Coudriet said at the end of the meeting. “Of course I believe Blodgett will be fixed.”

At the end of tonight’s meeting, Lowengard said the board is planning to hold a meeting at Blodgett School on Tuesday, November 18th at 3PM for faculty and 6PM for parents, students and other people in the community to further discuss this issue.

Supporters wonder, Hope for Blodgett?

Wednesday November 12, 2008

“I’m a kid and the future. Not a piece of furniture easily moved,” Gerald Green, 6, a first grader at Blodgett School slowly read his sign aloud. Men, women and children holding signs handed out by members of Abundant Life Christian Center tried to convince the Syracuse Board of Education tonight to renovate Blodgett instead of closing it.  

Since 2000, the board of education had proposed the Blodgett school renovation. Now the project manager, Gilbane Construction has cut it from the list because it would be too expensive. 

“I can speak for a lot of kids who want to keep it open, because I want to keep it open,” sixth grader Yoonaybe Fermin told the board. Board President Laurie Menkin recognized Fermin as the guide who pointed out the hole in the gym ceiling during her recent tour. 

After the meeting, Commissioner Kim Rohadfox-Ceaser told reporters there’s still uncertainty about what will happen.

 

“It was never our intention to abandon the Blodgett community,” she said, “but we try to do the best we can with the money available.”

Reverend Joe Coudriet is Director of Outreach Programs at Abundant Life Christian Center in East Syracuse. The church is an advocate for Blodgett. In 2002, it helped construct a new library for the school. 

“Today I hear the kind of thing that I think the community wants to hear out of the board of education, that the answers aren’t there yet,” he told board members.

By the end of the night, supporters gained some hope, but the question on one supporter’s sign remains, “How many times will we be forgotten?”

Syracuse City Schools-11/12/08

When Daniel Lowengard was introduced as the Superintendent of the Syracuse City School District in 2006 his "Building the Future Together" plan promised to renovate every city school within the decade. Three years later, Blodgett School is in danger of closing down as it has taken it off the lists of schools to be renovated.
At tonight's Board of Education meeting nine people from the West Side spoke on behalf of saving Blodgett. Although Lowengard's original plan was to renovate every school, he said budget cuts have forced the school board to cut back.
"There are problems with any bureaucracy," Lowengard said after the meeting. "There has been some tension with the mayor and the common council."
Lowengard is referring to the Joint Schools Construction Board, a committee that includes the mayor, the superintendent, and representatives from the common council and school board. The Joint Schools Construction Board has the final decision in deciding what to do about Blodgett. The school was removed from the list because the JSCB has concerns about the cost of renovation.
"The bottom line is $46 million to renovate Blodgett." Lowengard said. "That's without adding academic programs so it would be north of $46 million."
After the meeting though, Lowengard sounded optimistic about the chances of renovating Blodgett. He said he would take what he heard from the speakers and present it to the JSCB at the next meeting on November 20th.
"Buffalo is a good model," Lowengard said. "They're in their third phase so we know it can be done."

Help at the Polls

Marlei Martinez

Tuesday November 4, 2008

Volunteers were busy setting up shop for Election Day as the first rays of sunlight hit the treetops of Syracuse. Eight polling inspectors shuffled around Syracuse University’s Bird Library at 5:30 in the morning to prepare the 16th District polling place. Polling inspector, Chifra Sorbello, 65, Camillus, said she had no trouble getting up at four this morning.

“Everyone thinks, ‘Oh my goodness, you need to be there at 5:30 in the morning until 10 or 11 at night!’” Sorbello said. “But college kids party longer than that.”

Sorbello has three jobs- running her own business, teaching computer software and managing a real estate agency. This is her first time being a polling inspector and she said she enjoys it.

“It’s for the money, but it’s more for the excitement,” she said as she energetically handed a registration form to a student sporting pajamas and a bedhead.

Sorbello helped the first voter of the day fill out his registration form. A gold pendant dangled from her necklace as she leaned over the table to inspect the form. She said the pendant is a chai, which are two Hebrew letters meaning “life.” She said the necklace reminds her to live a long and purposeful life.

“I’ve never done this and there are a lot of things I’m checking off my list before I die,” she said.

Being a polling inspector is “a civic duty” according to Sorbello, a duty that she can now check off her of list of life goals.

Midnight Demonstration on the Quad

Marlei Martinez

Tuesday November 4, 2008

Partying on the Syracuse University campus usually does not begin until Thursday night. But at 11:37 last night, hundreds of students ran to the Quad screaming, jumping and blowing horns in celebration of the announcement of our new president, Barack H. Obama.

Two Department of Public Safety squad cars monitored the mob of students as they threw friends on top of their shoulders and ran into each other in celebration.

“Yes we can! Yes we can!” the students chanted.

“I can’t believe it….We really did it!” said Jessie Mehlhoff, a Syracuse University student and Obama supporter.

Students began celebrating around 11:30 in the evening and the cheers finally died down around one in the morning. The demonstration then moved down the hill onto Marshall Street, where those students who were ‘of age’ hit the bars.

The Quad was cleared by one-o-clock and DPS did not have any issues.

The midnight demonstration on the Quad was the first of its kind for this generation of college students. In the past, demonstrating college students were known for protesting against events like the Vietnam War. But last night, Syracuse students joined arms to demonstrate support for their nation and their hope for the future.

Help is Help- No Matter the Age

Marlei Martinez

Tuesday November 4, 2008

People both young and old volunteered at Cathedral Academy at Pompei's 59th Annual Spaghetti Supper. Alexandria Parsons, 11, Syracuse, was one of the younger helpers cleaning up trays around the lunchroom.

“I work here because I want to, not because I need to,” Parsons said. “I like to volunteer.”

Parsons’ dad is part of the Spaghetti Supper cleanup crew and her mom helps out with everything. For 6th-grader Alexandria, this is her second year volunteering for the Spaghetti Supper.

“Last year I helped make the lemonade and coffee,” she said.

Parsons said that the entire student body got the day off today because of the Spaghetti Supper. Unlike most students who would rather lounge around on a day off, Parsons says she’d rather help.

“This beats being at my grandpa’s,” Parsons said. “I’d just be watching TV if I was there.”

A Melting Pot of People and Spaghetti Sauce

Marlei Martinez
Tuesday November 4, 2008

Thousands of people chowed down on spaghetti and meatballs in a local school cafeteria today as America voted in its first African American president. Two immigrant volunteers stood out from the crowd as one happily cleaned trays and the other sang.

Flowra Plane moved to Syracuse from Sudan five years ago. She works at the Haven Dining Hall at Syracuse University. But today, she volunteered to clean trays at the 59th Annual Election Day Spaghetti Supper at Cathedral Academy at Pompei.

“My sons go to school here so I wanted to help,” Plane said. “I am shy because of my accent, but I like it here.”

She then dumped leftover meatballs into a trashcan and hugged a reporter before returning to the kitchen.

Augusto Collacchi moved to DeWitt from Italy almost two decades ago. Unlike Plane, Collacchi flaunts his non-American accent by singing for the Spaghetti Supper.

“Do I got an accent? No!” Collacchi jokingly said in his thick Italian accent.

Collacchi says he has been singing for the supper for 15 years. He says he does it for the people.

“If you find dancing people, then I play dancing music,” Augusto said. “It makes for happy people.”

He then started singing his favorite Neopolitan song and tried to get a reporter to dance along.

Plane and Collacchi were unique in the crowd of mostly white senior citizens at the Spaghetti Supper. Each had distinctly different accents and cultural backgrounds, making them ingredients in the Cathedral Academy at Pompei’s melting pot of people and spaghetti sauce.

Spaghetti and Politicians: A Humbling Effect?

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Local politicians put party differences aside and mingled with community members today at the 59th Annual Spaghetti Supper at the Cathedral Academy of Pompeii, gaining last minute votes and unwinding after stressful campaigning on Election Day.
"After a hard fought campaign, all of the politicians just come here to relax," said County Executive Joanie Mahoney at the event on the North Side of Syracuse this afternoon.

For Mahoney the supper has great significance." The first time I came here was in 1977," she said. Her father, Bernie Mahoney, was then running for Common Council. "The event has changed very little, except for maybe the paint on the wall."

The event started by the Women's Parent Club for local politicians has now become a Syracuse tradition. Lucy Paris, chairwoman of the event, expected 2, 500 people to attend. "A lot of people want to be a part of the tradition and camaraderie," she said. Paris said the event allows for candidates to meet on neutral territory.

25th Congressional opponents Dan Maffei and Dale Sweetland met on that territory. The candidates talked and rubbed shoulders with community residents. “We see if we can gather a few last minute votes,” Republican Dale Sweetland said. The two opponents separately discussed Election night plans and shook hands.

Joanie Mahoney, who endorsed Sweetland for Congress, has rarely missed the supper in the last 30 years because of what it represents. For her, it is important because it allows politicians to be seen as real people. "It gives people a lot of opportunity to just be themselves."

First Time Voters Flock to Bird Library

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

Syracuse University junior Katherine Abikarram ran out of a voting booth after voting, yelling, "I just voted!"? Her friend, Jenna Jabinsky, eagerly waited in line. Abikarram and Jabinsky were two of an expected 1,000 voters who turned out at Syracuse University's Bird Library Tuesday to vote in the 2008 presidential election. Many of the Syracuse University students who turned out were first time voters with strong political views, like Abikarram."I just want Obama to win," she said. "I want change.”

Twelve polling inspectors worked from 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM, assisting voters. Elections inspector Gloria Paul said that a lot of first time voters who did not register within in Onondaga County wrongly assumed they could vote. "They show up not registered in the county with their ID in their hand, thinking that's enough to vote because that's what their mothers told them," she said. The students were given affidavits or turned away.

Many student voters were looking ahead to Election Night. After voting, three African-American freshmen women discussed their plans as well as their reactions if Obama won. All three agreed that if Obama won they would celebrate but still go to class. Krystal Hardy was the most emotional and overcome with pride. "I'll finally walk with my head high," she said.

Cazenovia College seniors Jessica Addison and Autumn College volunteered as poll workers, monitoring voting booths. They had no party affiliation but said they voted for Barack Obama. "There's bigger turnout among college students because it's change," Addison said. "He's the guy reaching out to all ages and ethnicities."

The Sauce Men

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Their job is to put the finishing touches on 640 pounds of spaghetti and 7,000 meatballs to serve approximately 2,500 people in a day. Without them, the meal would be bare. Pasta sauce is needed and they have 350 gallons at their disposal. They are known as the sauce men.

Joe Losurdo and Tino Porrino were on a simple mission today at the 59th annual spaghetti supper at the Cathedral Academy at Pompei on Syracuse's North Side: make sure the customers get their sauce, and plenty of it. The supper is an election day tradition in Onondaga County with people coming to enjoy an Italian meal and to socialize with the politicians who attend.

At 1:30 p.m., Porrino stepped away from one of the two giants bowls of sauce.

"Take a guess how hot it gets in here," he said as he wiped his brow.

"Very hot," a reporter offered. Porrino laughed.

Simply put, the job is a messy one. Losurdo wears a once-white cooking apron with the Italian flag on the front that is now splattered with sauce. Porrino's red shirt and red apron hides the mess better than Losurdo's outfit.

"We throw our clothes away at the end of the day," Losurdo said.

And the day is a long one. Losurdo and Porrino arrived in the kitchen at 5:30 a.m. and won't leave until the supper ends almost fourteen hours later.

The tiring day is worth it, though, they said.

"The best part is seeing all of our friends come through and (enjoying the food)," Losurdo said.

Inside the Polling Place

November 4, 2008--At the Drumlins County Club polling place in Syracuse one voting machine broke, voters complained about the long lines, and polling inspectors remarked about the impressive voter turnout--all before the sun came up this morning. 

Polling inspectors such as Justin McVey, 25, of Syracuse, arrived at the polling place just after 5 a.m. to set up voting machines and paperwork. "We arrive early to make sure every vote counts," he said. 

Anticipating a large voter turnout this year, polling inspectors set up an additional voting machine for the district where Syracuse University students live. 

They were right about one thing--voters were lined up in the cold before the doors opened. But the extra machine to accommodate them was a useless booth five votes into the morning when the lever became stuck. 

With one machine down, the lines became longer and moved slower, as voters turned to one another and expressed some frustration. 

"I thought they would have had better machines this year," Keenyn Wald, 36, of Syracuse said after hearing about the broken machine. 

Despite the frustrations at the polling place, Wald said he felt an energy at the polling place because of the buzz around Presidential Candidate Barack Obama. "There's a lot of young people this year," he said. "It's exciting." 

While Wald said the interest in this year's election was because of the politicians, McVey said he was involved for a different reason. "I went to school to be a musician and I don't even like politics," he said. "I'm here because it's my duty to my country."

Hollywood Star Speaks on Diversity - November 15, 2008

Kalpen Modi dreamed of making it big in Hollywood. After a successful drama career in high school and college, he struggled to land the acting gig he was looking for. Rather than giving up, he researched ways to market himself better. So he created the stage name Kal Penn.
“My name is easier to pronounce,” Penn said to more than 800 attendees Saturday night at Syracuse University’s Goldstein Auditorium. “My uncle said a seven letter name would match my stars according to Hindu numerology.”
The successful actor from the show House and the Harold and Kumar films delivered a lecture on current issues in the media. He stressed the fundamental question of the media’s role: is it to entertain or represent reality? The answer is debatable, but one goal has remained uniform: executives want to make money.
“Compared to the 90’s, there are now qualified people of color in media, and more people who make important decisions are younger and open-minded,” Penn said. “We’re almost at a point where this question will be irrelevant.”
Penn has degrees in film and sociology from UCLA and applies both fields to his research on diversity. Last year, he taught a course at the University of Pennsylvania titled “Images of Asian Americans in the Media.”
The most laughs did not come from Penn’s jokes. Freshman Amrita Mainthia asked Penn during the Q&A if he would marry her sister. Penn declined comment but did tell her to add him on MySpace.
“He came off as very intelligent,” anthropology student Anne Magellan said. “I thought it was too theoretical though because I’m not a communications major.”

November 4, 2008

At Our Lady of Pompei School and Parish, politicians focus less on politics and more on the community. Paying seven dollars at the door, family, friends, and politicians sit down on Election Day and share an Italian feast with plenty of spaghetti and conversation.

"There is no Democrat and no Republican here, its all one, we're all Pompeians," said the pastor, Father Paul Angelicchio.

It takes about 100 volunteers to make this supper happen each year and the De Martino family carries its own weight.

"I've been helping out for a couple years," said Liz De Martino, a 6th grader at Our Lady of Pompei. "I'm carrying trays this year, my mom is  working taking out, my grandparents are coming to eat and my brother is coming to help us later.”

“Head chefs”, Joe Losurdo and Tino Porrino, hand rolled 7,000 meatballs, made 350 gallons of red spaghetti sauce, and boiled 640 pounds of pasta for the 2,500 meals.

Losurdo and Porrino stand over hot pots of meatballs and spaghetti from five o’clock this morning to about nine o’clock tonight.

“We get free lunch, and lots of spaghetti,” they joked.

Mark Stanczyk and Kathleen Rapp, the Democratic and Republican floor leaders of the Onondaga County Legislature, sat side-by-side talking and eating.

A few tables away, County Executive, Joanie Mahoney says that the spaghetti supper is about the community and not the politics.

“This is when everybody comes together and we realize why we are all doing it. It’s just about the community,” said County Executive, Joanie Mahoney looking up from her plate. 

Party Lines Blurred by Spaghetti Supper

November 4, 2008

It turns out a hot plate of food can do more than satisfy an empty stomach. The usual political tension of Election Day seemed subdued at the Cathedral Academy of Pompei where local politicians came together at the 59th annual Spaghetti Supper. “It’s one of the few times Democrats and Republicans will shake hands and wish each other luck,” said County Legislator Mark Stanczyk, D-Syracuse, who sat across from his Republican counterpart Kathleen Rapp, R-Liverpool.

Fifty years ago, the supper started as a parents’ club fundraiser that raised money for students. Six decades later, thousands of people are attending the event and politicians are shaking a few more hands.

“If you’re running for office, it’s the last time to put your face in front of a big crowd of voters,” said Mike Vavonese, a parishioner at Our Lady of Pompei Church.

For 25^th District Democratic Congressional candidate Dan Maffei, the hearty meal was a reprieve from the stress of Election Day.

“It’s been a long and difficult campaign,” said Michael Whyland, communications director for the Maffei team. “It’s relaxing to just sit down and enjoy some good food for a change.”

Republican candidate Dale Sweetland is just happy to get away from the cutthroat environment of politics.

“It makes you feel good,” he said. “Everyone wishes you good luck. There’s nothing partisan about this.”

7,000 meatballs, 6,400 pounds of pasta and 300 gallons of tomato sauce can have that affect on people.

“Nobody’s a Republican or a Democrat here,” said Father Paul Angelicchio. “You’re a Pompeian.”

Pasta and Politics in Syracuse

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

It's often difficult to get politicians from different parties to agree, but on Election Day, those from the Syracuse area came together over large helpings of spaghetti and meatballs. Politicians of all allegiances mingled with the public today at the Cathedral Academy of Pompei's spaghetti dinner. "What makes it such a neat tradition is that everybody comes to this, from every part of the city and every branch of politics," said Dan Maffei, 25th Congressional District Democratic candidate (at right).

An Election Day tradition in its 59th year, the event benefits the Academy and Our Lady of Pompei Church on Syracuse's North Side.

Maffei and his Republican opponent Dale Sweetland joined thousands that filled the school’s basement, but they didn’t spend much time together. “This is the place to come for lunch on Election Day,” Sweetland said. 

One man responsible for making that lunch is Joe Losurdo. In his 18^th year working at the event, he knows what keeps people coming. “It’s just the camaraderie and the election,” Losurdo said, his apron covered in sauce. “It’s not favored to Republican or Democrat. It’s not even brought up.” 

It may not be brought up, but it certainly wasn’t ignored. Maffei and Sweetland fought a hard campaign, and the past didn’t disappear with some pasta. Once outside, both talked to reporters, but in separate corners of the playground.

“I think a lot of it is the meatballs,” Maffei said when asked about the reliable attendance. At least the two agreed on one thing.

“The meatballs are good,” Sweetland said.

Election Day Spaghetti Supper

Tuesday November 4, 2008

Cathedral Academy at Pompei hosted the 59th Spaghetti Supper, where people were chowing down on spaghetti in the crowded, unusually warm school cafeteria. They come for different reasons: some people come to interact with the politicians, others come to support the school and sometimes a combination of both.

The supper is about common ground, for "Republicans and Democrats to come together, shake hands and break bread," said Lucy Paris, supper Chairman.

“I was the first one to vote at 6:00 this morning,” Louis Galvin said proudly. Galvin returned to her polling station around ten to confirm that turnout is up, she said. 

Galvin, a resident of Syracuse for 54 years, attends the supper every year to see the politicians and support the school, she said.This year, longtime friend, Floyd Brennan joined her. Brennan lived in Syracuse for 60 years before moving to Florida in 1994, he said. 

Meanwhile, Bob Smith and Trisha Chittenden sat together enjoying their spaghetti. They say seeing the politicians is the reason they come. 

“It’s a tradition to go and see all the politicians, kind of superficial but it’s nice to see,” Smith said. 

Mkod Mo sat eating spaghetti with his daughter, Abod, quietly watching people. Mo came to Syracuse from Sudan. His three children attend Cathedral Academy. Mo came for the school and his children, he said.

Whatever the reason for coming, people can look forward to another year of spaghetti; plans are already being made for a special 60th celebration next year, Paris said. 

Dishing Up Election Day Tradition

November 4, 2008

It's Election Day, but many local candidates are taking part of the afternoon off from last minute campaigning. Politicians met with all kinds of people today on the North Side of Syracuse for a homestyle Italian meal. The "Spaghetti Supper" at the Cathedral Academy at Pompei is an Election Day tradition that has been around since 1949.

Dale Sweetland, Republican candidate for the 25th Congressional District of New York, has been going to the event for 15 years. "We've done a lot of hard work campaigning, and this is a time to relax and celebrate," he said.

Back in the kitchen, a man with a sauce-stained apron wiped streams of sweat from his forehead as he stirred an enormous pot of tomato sauce. "We've made 640 pounds of noodles, 350 gallons of sauce, and get this, 7,000 hand-rolled meatballs," said Tino Porrino of Liverpool. Porrino grew up in Syracuse's North Side and volunteers for the supper every year because he says the event is important to the community. "Locals and politicians come back year after year because it's nice to have a friendly, non-partisan gathering on Election Day," he said.

The "Spaghetti Supper" is also a significant fundraiser for the Cathedral Academy at Pompei. Meal tickets cost seven dollars per person, and each supper typically raises 15,000 dollars for the academy. But this year, Carmen Cesta from the "Spaghetti Supper" planning committee, said this number will be much higher. "This is the best turnout we've ever had," he said. "This election is historic and is really bringing people out."