Northside Urban Partnership

Today marks the 50th anniversary of independence for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The event was joyously celebrated in Syracuse with speeches and dancing outside of City Hall where the Congolese refugee community raised their homeland’s flag. The events celebrating their nation’s sovereignty continued in the St. Clare Theater at N. Townsend St. across from the Freedom Garden. The accompanying photograph is of the festivities and flag raising occurring earlier today are courtesy of photographer Danielle Carrick.

In the final words of the first Prime Minister of the D. R. Congo Patrice Lumumba’s speech on this day back in 1960 “Long live independence and African unity! Long live the independent and sovereign Congo!” And, in spite of the political and economic turmoil the country has faced since that time, these fierce words of hope and determination still ring just as strongly today.

WCNY’s George Kilpatrick is interested in how to break boundaries, and to learn more he went right to the source, Betsy Wiggins and Danya Wellmon the co-founders of the local organization Women Transcending Boundaries (WTB). WTB works to serve and educate the Central New York community through an understanding of diverse faiths and cultures. The co-founders appeared on Kilpatrick’s show Central Issues last night on WCNY (channels 11 and 24) and YNN (cable channel 10). WTB is sponsoring a week of volunteering throughout the area during September, for more information click on the link below.

Women Transcending Boundaries
A-OK! Acts of Kindness Weekend
September 11-12, 2010
To Register:
www.wtb.org

The Neighborhood English Language Conversation Group has been underway for several weeks now at White Branch Library, 763 Butternut St. The free drop-in conversation group is designed to give adult English language learners practice speaking in an informal, relaxed atmosphere.  Individuals are welcome to attend whenever they can.  No registration is necessary for this FREE program. For more information contact the library by phone at 435-3519 or check out the county library system’s website (www.onlib.org).

The group meets every Tuesday morning from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm at White Branch Library on Butternut St. (Click here or the image at left to view flyer)

Check out Craft Chemistry on Friday, June 25th from 7-10 PM where there will be an art opening for Detour: which will feature 2 young artists, Dan Mabie, and James Boettger collaborating on one installation; and InTheMind: an organized chaos window design installation by Rachel Trinca. The event will feature live music and as always, fun! So check out the happenings and the amazing work of these 3 artists at Craft Chemistry Friday, it’s sure to be a great time. For more information, click here.

Or, if you’d prefer to enjoy a film this weekend, check out ArtRage Gallery which will host 2 different films on Friday and Saturday, both at 8pm. On Friday, ArtRage will host Every Woman Here: Remnants of Seneca (1982-2006), a documentary film about the Women’s Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice. While, on Saturday, ArtRage will finish up their Saturday Screenings Series for the year with I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987), which depicts the antic mishaps of a gay girl in love with an uppity lady art dealer. For more information, check out the ArtRage Gallery’s website by clicking here.

If you missed the Syracuse celebration of World Refugee Day yesterday, beginning with a march to City Hall and ending with dancing and other festivities in the Assumption Church parking lot, you can view the coverage from News Channel 10 Your News Now by clicking here or the image at left.

TThroughout this weekend, but specifically on Sunday, June 20th several events are being hosted on the Northside to celebrate the 30th United Nations’ World Refugee Day (a full list of the weekend’s events can be seen below or in the flyer image at right). Now, and then, Syracuse serves as a place to call home when the original home place has become unsafe. The United Nation’s World Refugee Day is meant ‘to recognize and applaud the contribution of forcibly displaced people throughout the world’. While it is easy to mark the differences amongst us all, it is also easy to mark, and celebrate, the commonalities. Like so many immigrants before them, today’s refugees and immigrants bring new life and a sense of determination and hope to the Northside, and to Syracuse. It makes their experience, and our own, richly unique.

So, this Sunday, come check out the multicultural fun and festivities!

June 19th:   12 PM – 5 PM Refugee Children’s Art Show Opening  at White Branch Library

June 19th:   11:30 AM  Meet & March — from CYO to City Hall — Followed by guest speaker, Van Robinson President of the city’s Common Council & a flag raising
                    3 PM Festival — 800 North Salina Street, in the parking lot next to Assumption Church — Multicultural fashion show, music, dance

June 20th:   Walk for Water & Wishes at Green Lakes

Just a ten-minute, leisurely walk from St. Joseph’s Health and Rehabilitation Center is an international school that celebrates diverse groups of people from 5 continents.  12 nations, 10 languages and four major religions are present in this unusual Pre-k through Sixth Grade learning environment, supported by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse and Father Champlin’s Guardian Angel Society. Small class size, experienced New York State certified teachers, capable and caring administrative leadership and staff, and community mentors from local professional and educational For the second year, Chinese Mandarin and Spanish is being taught by Le Moyne students and professors.

Register your child and gain new educational experience for the whole family. Call Cathedral Academyat Pompei to visit the school and begin the registration process-422-8548

The following physicians joined St. Joseph’s medical staff as active physicians:

PHYSICIAN NAME                           SPECIALTY                                    RESIDENCE

Dmitri V. Baranov, MD                       Surgery/General Surgery                    New Hartford

David E. Lee, MD                             Radiology                                         Rochester

Myron O. Luthringer, Jr., MD             Obstetrics/Gynecology                       Syracuse

David Waldman, MD                         Radiology                                         Pittsford

St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center (www.sjhsyr.org) is a non-profit, 431-bed hospital and health care network providing services to patients from Onondaga and 15 surrounding counties. Through prevention programs and the latest diagnostic treatment procedures, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center works with patients to achieve optimum long-term health. A nine-time winner of the National Research Corporation Consumer Choice award, St. Joseph’s is designated a Magnet Hospital for Nursing Excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the highest honor bestowed on a hospital for nursing care. Affiliated with Franciscan Management Services, Inc., St. Joseph’s is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis. For more information on St. Joseph’s programs and services, call the Resource Line at 315-703-2138 or 1-888-STJOES1.

Northside residents are trying to put Schiller Park back on the map, literally and figuratively. Nick DeMartino said in an article to the Post-Standard’s Dick Case, “I’m not sure if some of the neighbors know it’s here.” The group DeMartino is involved with, Friends of Schiller Park, have done several clean-ups there and have bigger plans for this city gem including expanding the breathtaking vistas of the city. To read the full article, click here. Schiller Park has great spaces where a variety of activities can take place, from a pool with a slide, to tennis courts and a softball field, as well as several meandering paths for walking and jogging. For more information on Schiller Park check out the city parks website by clicking here.

Cooperative Federal Credit Union has the financial crisis by the horns, according to WRVO news, well, they are at least on the cutting edge of promoting and educating individuals in financial literacy. A major aspect of their financial literacy initiative is having a student run branch in Fowler High School, where even though they are losing money by keeping the branch open the benefits of educating the next generation on savings, investments and interest rates, far outweighs the literal cost to the financial organization. Click here to listen to the feature on WRVO, and see why our local credit unions contribute more to the local community than any national or international banking institution.