Electronic Blackout encourages families to put down their devices and open a book Every day after school, Monique Bloomfield’s three children turn off the television, put away their video games and crack open a book. “From pre-K, we’ve had that rule: no watching TV during the week, except on Fridays when they come home,” Bloomfield said. She has two children …

When one thinks about hunger the first thing that comes to one’s mind isn’t usually mapping. But that was exactly what the precursors of Syracuse Community Geography (SCG) did to study the demand for food pantry supplies in the city at the request of the Samaritan Center, a soup kitchen in the downtown area. When the study, titled the Syracuse Hunger Project, was conducted, in 2003, Lucas …

The nicer weather of spring and summer brings along an increased risk for childhood lead poisoning. The most common source of lead poisoning is lead paint and/or lead dust. Childhood lead poisoning remains a concern for families living in older homes.  Lead dust is created when lead paint becomes damaged, starts to chip or peel, or during home repairs. You …

A senior-lead cast at Corcoran High School put on their final musical with “Bye Bye Birdie” Friday and Saturday night in the Corcoran Auditorium. Anywhere from 100 to 150 people were in attendance opening night according to Mrs. Liles, the ticket keeper. “Bye Bye Birdie”is a 1960 musical that circulates around a famous musical sensation, Conrad Birdie, who is drafted …

Author Flowers speaks on latest book from Indian publisher Mesmerizing beats resonating throughout Shemin Auditorium kept the audience enthralled for an extended timespan. The eclectic sounds of “Rickydoc Trickmaster, Hoodoo Lord of the Mississippi Delta” cast a spell that drew spectators closer to the edges of their seats. A performer channeled the Lord by blowing a lambi – a Creole conch shell -, shaking bells and plucking an African kalimba – a traditional thumb …

Barbara Savage speaks at the 31st Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Public Affairs Lecture In 1988, a twenty-something community organizer in Chicago named Barack Obama stumbled into Trinity United Church of Christ and fell to his knees beneath an old rugged cross, according to his memoir “Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance.” Had this event not …

Anthony Williams bought his first conga drum 44 years ago, paying all of $5 for it. At the time, he wanted the drum because he saw the way girls flocked to his brother, who played in a band. Williams, now 62, has been playing ever since. On Syracuse’s South Side, he has played with dozens of drummers in many groups. …

Syracuse native Yvonne Greene operates Band Aid Personal Care Service Yvonne Greene does not like down time. So much so that she works three jobs. Greene, a 49-year-old Syracuse native, owns Band Aid Personal Care Service, a transportation service that includes curb-to-curb, door-to-door, door-through-door, one-way and round-trip options. The South Side resident also works part time with the NYS Justice …

Former Black Panther Party Chapter founder speaks at Fountain of Life Church The ’60s and the new millennium. The West Coast and the East Coast. Seattle and Syracuse. All these came together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle when a former Black Panther roared on Syracuse’s South Side on Feb. 23.

March is National Reading Month, thus we encourage everyone on the South Side to read more. To start, dive into our March issue when it comes out March 1 or download the pdf here. And in celebration of National Reading Month, send us titles of your favorite books and quotes on Twitter @MySouthSide and tag them with #SSReads. My favorite …