This webinar presentation and discussion will be held via GoTo Meeting from noon to 1:30 p.m.  Friday, March 26. The focus is air pollution. Ambient air pollution accounts for an estimated 4.2 million deaths per year due to stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. These deaths disproportionately impact minority, lower income and lower education individuals. Speakers include: Terrance Valdez, Americorp Intern, Onondaga Earth Corps;  Greg Michel, executive director, Onondaga Earth Corp; Amy Samuels, Onondaga Environmental Institute, and Professor Jaime Mirowsky, SUNY ESF. Join to learn about their work on air pollution in Syracuse.  A discussion of how this relates to the removal of the elevated portion of I-81 and the community grid will follow.

 These Green Bag Lunches are FREE, but those interested in attending must register to receive a link for the meeting, which will be sent out a few days prior to the event. To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/ew47pmpy

This online panel presentation and public discussion about housing, redevelopment, social justice and the replacement of I-81 will be held virtually from 5:30 to 7 p.m. April 1.

The replacement of the I-81 viaduct in Syracuse provides new housing and economic opportunities for the neighborhoods adjacent to the highway. This symposium, “Charting Renewal,” will focus on urban design and issues of social and economic justice. This conversation will consider critical questions as the city confronts what comes next: What makes a good community? What is the relationship between public space and private development? How does good design contribute to the success of neighborhoods and the people who live there? What can we learn from successful housing models elsewhere?

Patricia Clark, Ph.D., will focus on the uses, abuses and cultural appropriations of the N-word and other contestable language and stereotypes in U.S. culture from the 19th century to present day. Dr. Clark is an associate professor of English and African and African-American Studies at the State University of New York at Oswego.

Onondaga Votes!, comprised of numerous groups interested in increasing voter turnout, has been active in the South Side since 2017. Meetings are open to all and residents are encouraged to attend to help brainstorm ways of communicating and supporting greater civic engagement in the upcoming primary elections and general elections. The next meeting will be held from 11:40 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, April 8, via Zoom. Leave
your email or contact information at: onondagavotes@gmail.com if you wish to
be part of the Zoom call.

The 2021 Financial Empowerment Summit will be held virtually due to the ongoing pandemic and vaccination rollout. Sessions will be pre-recorded, and a digital conference booklet will be provided.
The VIP Reception sponsored by M&T Bank will be held “live” virtually beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 9.

The Greater Syracuse Land Bank Virtual Buyers' Workshop will begin 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 14, virtually. Attendees will learn about the Land Bank buying process and how to use its property website. This workshop is intended for all levels -- first-time homebuyers to investors. 

In order to stay safe during this difficult time, Thursday Morning Roundtable will continue to be held in a virtual format over Zoom. Syracuse City Schools Superintendent Jaime Alicea will speak about his work with the school district and how it has adapted to meet changing public health guidelines. This session is a collaboration with FOCUS Greater Syracuse. Following presenters, a facilitated Q&A will be held. All attendees are required to pre-register. After registering, a confirmation email will be sent containing information about joining the virtual meeting.

Onondaga County Office for Aging will offer a class presented by Morgan R. Thurston, Esq., for those who currently care for older or disabled persons or may become caregivers in the future. This live, video presentation is open to the public and will cover the major changes in Medicaid taking place in 2021. Basic questions answered include: How is Medicaid different from Medicare? Am I, or my loved one, eligible for Medicaid? Community or Chronic Care Medicaid: What are the big differences? and How do I apply for Medicaid? To register, visit http://www.ongov.net/aging/caregiver.html or contact Kimberly Connell, caregiver support specialist, at (315) 435-2362 ext. 4693 or kconnell@cnyservices.org.

This two-day conversation will discuss issues of race, disability and justice in the policing of bodies in communities and schools. Presented by The Lender Center for Social Justice, The Center on Disability and Inclusion and The Landscape of Urban Education Lecture Series, this event brings together national experts, community activists and local stakeholders, this event centers transformational, citizen-led reform of policing and public safety through critical dialogue and practice.

Friday's keynote will feature Monique W. Morris, an award-winning author and social justice scholar with three decades of experience in the areas of education, civil rights, juvenile and social justice.

Several additional sessions are also offered. These sessions are free and open to the public; registration required. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) live captioning and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided. If you have additional accommodation requests, email asdevoe@syr.edu.

To register, visit https://soe.syr.edu/event/policed-bodies/

Joined Artists, Musicians & Singers, Inc. (JAMS) is organizing a cleanup around the 1400 block of South Avenue April 17. This area was specifically chosen because many of JAMS’ members have participated in Southwest Showcase Sundays, an annual summertime concert series held at the Spirit of Jubilee Park located amid the blocks. Organizer of the event Hollis Mathis, JAMS vice president who is also a singer and lives nearby, is a known advocate for keeping the neighborhood clean and can often be seen doing it on his own.

JAMS will meet at The Spirit of Jubilee Park starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 17. Organizers encourage other community members to participate. Anyone who is interested needs only to show up at that time. The trash bags, gloves and pickers will be handed out along with bottled water and other tokens of appreciation.

In addition to being an effort to clean and beautify the neighborhood, JAMS also intends to use the event as a platform to help raise awareness about its intent to build a permanent performance stage at the park.