Over the course of two hours last month, the Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse came to a final decision out of three proposed ideas on where to invest their time and energy — in establishing conflict resolution training in the South Side. Widely known by its acronym ACTS, the attendees deliberated over three possible topics: police-community relationships, quality and quantity …

Thousands of Syracuse City School District students lined up in the hot sun on the corner of South Salina Street and Wood Avenue Saturday morning for one reason. The students were to receive backpacks and other school supplies from the 14th annual Mary Nelson Back to School Barbeque and School Supply Giveaway. The event was presented by the Mary Nelson …

Policy Push

The almost century-old Nojaim Brothers Supermarket to close this month Nojaim Brothers Supermarket, a fixture on Gifford Street for nearly a century, will close on the Near Westside this month. Paul Nojaim broke the ground-shaking news in a letter he sent to his employees in mid-September. He blamed the decision on financial hardship. The store, which opened in 1919, offered …

Scores of photographs providing a visual retrospective of African-American life in Central New York, titled, “Black Syracuse & Beyond,” will be on display to the public at Syracuse University’s Schine Student Center through March 3. The pictures, taken by South Side resident Richard Breland, illustrate the people, businesses and community life of the city’s African-American neighborhoods, including the long-defunct 15th …