Comments for Still Racing In The Street

Comment on So Much For My Delusions Of Grandeur by organizer

organizer — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:45:56 +0000

Mayor-Elect Miner had a family activity come up. One of her assistants called SUN, but the voice mail was left at 5:45 PM for a
6:30 PM meeting–I was already at the hall setting things up (heating up the chili!, in fact). Mayor-Elect Miner sent an apology via e-mail this morning. Stuff happens, so it was actually a good opportunity to sit down and take stock of what really is important–and it was a nice party. My mom’s not around anymore so I don’t have anyone warning me about not taking myself so seriously.

The chili was polished off last night–the last bits shared between me and my three doggies as a midnight snack.

Turkey Chili:

In medium size soup pot: Saute 1 big yellow onion, a couple of green peppers and 2-3 large cloves garlic (minced) in olive oil until golden. Add ground turkey (2 lbs), stirring and breaking bits up so it doesn’t clump, until mostly brown.

Add 1 large can crushed tomatoes (Even though they are out of season and taste like cardboard, I also like to throw in a couple cut up/diced “fresh” tomatoes just for texture.) Add 2 cans beans–white, kidney, garbanzo, black, pinto–whatever you like.

Add 8-12 oz bottled salsa verde (Wegman’s has great selection) and 1-2 tablespoons chili powder (I’m guessing on amounts as I usually just shake both out of their bottles)

simmer over medium heat (low boil) for about an hour.

Comment on So Much For My Delusions Of Grandeur by sean

sean — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:10:57 +0000

two questions:

how do i get some of that turkey chili?

have you heard yet what happened?

sean

Comment on Hope And Despair In The American City by Stephen Harris

Stephen Harris — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:12:37 +0000

I too wanted to attend this session. My children attend city schools. I predict they will graduate from Nottingham. However, I watch their peer group drift away with the first wave in grade 1 through 3 and then the more predictable proactive move before 7th grade. It is a painful reality. The feedback i hear is lack of academic rigor and that the highest performers in the city school systems are not accomodated for. I can hear vociferous rejections of this claims from my counterparts in the City schools but I can see where those who flee are coming from.

However, I am conflicted about Jerry Grant’s suggestions. Do we really want to bus our kids all over the place? Is it politically feasible to do so? Maybe so though I am not feeling it.

I would like to see us come up with a smart way to make City schools more attractive to people that want to live in the city – such as create a science curriculum that is ultra-competitive say through environmental service learning that connects schools to the green infrastructure the city is about to partake in. Research documents how hands on experience accerlates learning. And many children have nature deficit disorder.

It is tragic to our entire region that your zip code determines the quality of our childrens school experience. No one wins from the annual production of under-educated yout

Comment on Lost In Transition by Steve Balogh

Steve Balogh — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:27:50 +0000

Congratulations. If “we’re” getting invited up to the treehouse. We must be doing something right (or “they” must be getting desperate).

Comment on Lost In Transition by Tom Buckel

Tom Buckel — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:13:02 +0000

Phil- a good choice by the mayor; and I’m happy that you accepted. I’d love to kick around some observations I’ve made about the Northside, especially in the residential and business sections bounded by Park, Butternut, Grant blvd…

Tom

Comment on Lost In Transition by Phil

Phil — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:24:39 +0000

Ellen: no, I’m not on the list–but I’m certainly going to get a closer look at some of those folks that will be there. I’ve been thinking about that list and the more I think, the more I believe that there will not be a load of govt. types outside of Joanie and Stephanie.

A little nervous about entering what is, looking at the names on the list, The Treehouse.

Comment on Lost In Transition by NYCO

NYCO — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:51:31 +0000

Congrats Phil! Does this make you one of Syracuse’s 50 most powerful people?

Comment on Lost In Transition by Phil

Phil — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:47:10 +0000

Hey Barb: congratulations to you too! I wish you were on my committee, but I guess we should spread the activists around!

Comment on Lost In Transition by Barbara Humphery

Barbara Humphery — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:35:24 +0000

well said, Phil. I, too, was awed when asked to serve (not as chair but as member of Public Safety) and after saying “why me” a few times, accepted in order to seize the opportunity. I believe Stephanie’s election is also a watershed event for bringing progressive policing (not an oxymoron I hope) to Syracuse. My friends at Law Enforcement Against Prohibition are looking forward to this opportunity to talk through me about how federal drug policies are destroying not only individuals and families, but also neighborhoods. I am reaching out to friends and colleagues throughout the city to ask–what is working, what isn’t working, what could work. I was thrilled to see you chairing Community Development because I know that your head and your heart are in the right place and as an activist, those of us not at the table will have a voice.

Comment on Hope And Despair In The American City by Phil

Phil — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:33:58 +0000

Thanks for the nice comments about the blog. I agree that we need to find a way to attract excellent students to the system: look at the great public schools in NYC: Stuyvesant, Bronx Science–that have rigorous competitive exams to qualify for admission. Poor families and rich alike know that they are passports to admission to great colleges–without the private school admission tag.

We need to attend to both ends of the student spectrum–the gifted and those looking for more technical/vocational training. Neither group should have to share attention and resources–each should have their own facility.