Dharma Kids program at Zen Center of Syracuse open to all Today’s assignment: “Draw what you hear.” As soon as Reijitsu Paul Batkin says these words, the eyes of the children sitting inside the Zen Center of Syracuse light up. These are the kinds of activities they look forward to on Sundays at the Dharma Kids program. The five children …

A place of learning, peace and warmth P.E.A.C.E., Inc. enjoys a prime location off of South Salina Street, yet Reshana Blackshear and her team members say they are still tirelessly trying to make the community aware of the organization’s existence and purpose. “We want to know, how can we better serve you? How can we better serve each other? How …

Syracuse advocacy groups want to ‘Ban the Box’ on job applications Anyone who’s applied for a job is familiar with it: the section of the application inquiring about criminal history. Many pass over this check box quickly, checking “no” and moving on. Yet others dread this box, considering it a death sentence for their chances at a position. “I started …

Pastor leads congregation, revival of business along South Salina Street From the wood-framed window of his office on the second floor, pastor Daren Jaime looks down on the 2300 block of South Salina Street. The cracked pavement that used to bear crack pipes and the trailing footsteps of prostitutes, now paves the way for small business owners with an added …

Returning president of 100 Black Men of Syracuse continues to offer hope Sitting at his desk in the South Side Innovation Center, Vincent B. Love, 59, describes how he isn’t perfect. The Syracuse native — who grew up just down the street in Pioneer Homes — points out that he made some wrong decisions in his earlier years. However, one …

Have you heard the sounds of remodeling in your neighborhood?  Those sounds might be coming from work funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Onondaga County and the City of Syracuse have been awarded funding to reduce lead paint hazards in homes. Lead hazards are often found in homes built before 1978 on windows, doors, wood …

Many leave the neighborhood for their banking needs As Janeka Coker reflects on the struggles of opening up her business on South Salina Street, she laughs and exhales a deep sigh. “So far we’ve put our own money in, and it takes a lot. It’s a little bit of a struggle,” Coker said. Her full-service hair salon, Miraculous Beauty, has …

In the quiet upper auditorium of Beauchamp Branch Library, a little more than a dozen neighbors and a criminal justice class from Onondaga Community College gathered Tuesday, March 26, for an intimate and sensitive dialogue sharing their ties to what has become a common American experience: prison stories. Calmesha Givens, Syracuse native, and Shannon Fernandez, a Syracuse University student from …

A call to action with a little help from Hollywood Mayor Stephanie Miner’s office, along with a number of various organizations including Mother’s Against Gun Violence, held a panel discussion featuring notable Syracuse figures and Hollywood actor Khalil Kain at the historic Landmark Theatre Thursday, March 21. The issue at hand? How to help prevent the rise in gun violence …