"The Dish" This Week

The Dish will be delivering this week on Wednesday the 30th and Thursday the 31st.  Please place your orders 24hrs. in advance thru the site www.dishesbytrish.com, or 723-9865.

Sweet potato soup is on the menu.

Calling Writers and Artists

Just in from The Other Side at Cafe Domenico in South Utica:

Calling all writers, poets, artists:  our old  journal of local culture and ideas, Doubly Mad, is being started up again, this time with Will Welch, a Utica College graduate with a BA in English, at the helm, and an enthusiastic, mostly young, crew around him to help turn the dream into a reality.  They are seeking for submissions, deadline for which is May 1.  Look for the posters around the Cafe Domenico and other places with details.

Broken-Down Dept.: Voted Sad City (Again)

The old Utica City Hall   Today I'm quoting at length from an article in the Utica Daily News, because surveys and news such as this are fairly frequent and one of the reasons a blog focused on Utica interested me.    What is it about this place? That is my question. How do we always place so low? Even if common sense tells us such surveys can't be entirely accurate, the consistency of the results carries its own accuracy. I ask again, what is it about this city? What have our elected officials and leading citizens done over the years to create such a terrible score?   When I see articles like the one I am quoting below, I feel shame. They are shaming. Family members and friends living out of state, or out of Utica anyway, don't even laugh anymore; they smile patiently. It's like, d'uh. And clearly, the mayor and other officials feel shame because they immediately go around telling everybody that it isn't true, we are a great city, look at the Boilermaker, etc.      The Boilermaker does not a great, or even a good, city make!   Over half of the news and events that I have been posting about on this blog are good. Of course, there are wonderful, creative people living and working in Utica. But overall, we are behind the times, struggling to keep up. Anyone who travels to other cities and towns, whether they be close by like Syracuse, or further away--Boston, Hartford, Stockbridge, Keene, Portland--is immediately struck by the wealth of choices in restaurants, shops, parks, walkways, businesses, etc. Not to mention beauty. Who isn't drawn to a beautiful building or a pretty street? Who would want to stroll down much of Genesee Street, look in the empty or third rate shop windows, or nod hello to our citizens as they pass by in their t-shirts, uncombed hair and jeans?   The answer is always the same, especially in these economic times. No one knows how to bring the brains, the money, the ideas, the business into this city. No one knows how to replace what was torn down by short-sighted common council members, such as the old city hall. Our leaders only seem to know how to put up exaggerated signs declaring our greatness and towers pointing to nothing. UTICA-ROME, March 21, 2011 -- Utica finds itself in the negative national spotlight once again as it’s rated one of the top 10 saddest cities in the county. According to a Gallup survey conducted recently, in a list of 188 cities, Utica- Rome ranked 179, the bottom end of the happy-city spectrum. Nationally, CBS Money Watch took a look into the list.   “This is a ridiculous survey,” said Utica Mayor David Roefaro Monday afternoon after reading the report. “I don’t know who they polled, but they must have been some sad people. Utica was just rated one of the top cities to buy a house in, because Utica is doing so well. And to be ranked 179 out of 188 cities, well, we’re not doing so bad, are we?”   Results are based on telephone interviews conducted as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey, with a random sample of 245,817 adults, aged 18 and older, living in reportable metropolitan statistical areas in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, selected using random-digit-dial sampling. Top 10 overall well-being: Boulder, CO Lincoln, NE Fort Collins-Loveland, CO Provo-Orem, UT Honolulu, HI Madison, WI Cedar Rapids, IA Gainesville, FL Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV The bottom ten lowest-rated were (Utica being 179, Huntington being 188): Utica-Rome, NY Prescott, AZ Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ Spartanburg, SC Hickory-Lenoir- Morganton, NC Fort Smith, AR-OK Redding, CA Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX Youngstown-Warren- Boardman, OH-PA Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH   The survey used six categories to divvy up its questions to those who chose to participate in the interviews:  life evaluation, physical health, healthy behavior, emotional, work, and basic access.   "Based upon what they’ve evaluated the way they’ve asked the questions, it looks like a very valid process, so you can’t discredit that,” said Frank Elias, president of the Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce. “But in looking at some of those things you can see why as a whole the greater Utica area came out ranking where it did. That’s not to say there are not bright spots or people who would answer these questions very differently. I think I would answer them much differently than the people who were asked to part in the survey. But my circumstances are probably different than theirs.”   Elias said while he agreed with the survey’s stats based on the questions asked, he didn’t wholly agree with the survey itself.   “Each of us as citizens are responsible for our own health, well-being, behavior and work circumstances,” he said. “So for someone to say, Life sucks here and I’m not happy; I say, Look in the mirror, because that seems to be your own issue. I’m sorry to be insensitive, but … if you’re not happy, go out and get an education, if you’re not healthy, go join the gym. That’s my choice -- I did it, and I’m not subjugated to someone telling me my day should be bad. Not me!”   Elias said questions about things like someone’s personal life evaluation, emotions, or their content or discontent with work, aim low – at the possible root of some people’s overall happiness. And those are conscious decisions that don’t completely have to do with the city you’re in, he said. “Choose to make your own happiness,” Elias said, “and don’t have it subjugated upon you.” Elias also said the survey looked at things like weather and access to activities – kind of another unfair jab at the small cities of Central New York.   “If I was on the island of Owahu in Hawaii, yeah, the weather’s really nice and I could see where it ranks number one (in the categories of life evaluation and emotional),” he said. “And isn’t Boulder, Colorado, the home of the U.S. Olympic Center, and known for being very physically healthy city? I see why it’s there at number one (for physical health).”   This isn’t the first time that the greater Utica area fell in negative spotlight. In May of 2010, Forbes magazine proclaimed Utica one of the worst cities in America to do business in.   “Upstate can be especially tough,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente at the time. “There are things we can do and are doing to make strides, but I don't think it's fair to single-out Utica when the whole region has been struggling.”   Utica ranked high with a low cost of living and a low crime rate, but got poor marks in most other categories, scoring lowest in projected economic and job growth.   Rome Mayor James Brown said the survey couldn't have come at a worse time for Central New York. Not only did he feel it was a low blow to the area, given the small sampling of nationwide cities, but during a time of economic struggle, surveys like this at a national level could easily deter businesses, tourists and potential homeowners from bringing money to the community.   "That survey right now is not fair to this region. Gas prices across the country… food prices going up and even the cost of cotton -- we have a situation that could be applied right across the United States. This is unacceptable to me and it does nothing for us."   When a similar survey came out several years ago by the Brookings Institution, Brown said he wrote a letter of complaint. He's considering yet another, given Gallup's survey results.   "It's something we don’t need right now in our region," he said. "We're trying to come back. I have a problem with it -- the harm these things do is hard to quantify because so many people read about it. How are we going to go out and market and bring businesses in here when we have negative press like that?"

"The Dish" This Week

Chicken Vegetable Quinoa and Broccoli Strawberry Salad top the menu for dinner this week at "The Dish," a new local business that delivers healthy meals to your door. The Dish will deliver this week Wednesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th. The web site will reflect this weeks menu.

Any questions please call 723 9865.  Email or call your orders in 24 hours in advance, please. www.dishesbytrish.com

Slow Food Mohawk Valley Events This Month

Slow Food Mohawk Valley (http://www.slowfoodmohawkvalley.com/), a movement to educate people in preparing and eating healthy, nutritious, delicious, locally grown (when possible) food, is sponsoring the following events in March and April:

Friday, March 25, 8:00 a.m. Coffee Klatch @Cafe Domenico. A casual conversation on "Eating Locally In the Mohawk Valley.with Celeste Friend.  To know more, email Celeste at celestefriend@gmail.com

Sunday, March 27, 11:00 a.m.  Breadmaking 101 returns, back by popular demand.  To know more, contact slowfoodjoe@yahoo.com.  Only 10 spaces are available, so reserve right away if you are interested.

Sunday, April 10, 4:00 p.m. Slow Food Potluck at McKwen Hall, Hamilton College.  For more information about these and other Slow Food projects, or to become a member, contact Debra, drichardson111165@hotmail.com or Joe, slowfoodjoe@yahoo.com.

Lunch Hour Performances at Utica College

Writer Shawn Goodman

For many years, Utica College has sponsored the Professors Harry & Mary Jackson Lunch Hour Series, a series of performances and lectures on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. (lunch hour) in DePerno Hall. Writers and musicians, both local and national, have presented their work there, as well as professors and experts in various fields--this past year including poet Don Bogen, musician Monk Rowe, an African mask exhibit presented byWilliam Gotwald, Emeritus Professor of biology, and the Utica College Choir.

This week young adult writer, Shawn Goodman, an advocate for juvenile justice reform, will read from his work at MacFarlane Auditorium in DePerno Hall.

To find out more about the series go to: http://www.utica.edu/academic/as/culture/jackson/fall2010.cfm

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The Greening of Utica: Check out R2G!

 

Rust to Green Utica, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Resource Center for Independent Living and the City of Utica have created the state’s first local Food Policy Council and have received a $100,000 grant via the United States Department of Agriculture’s “Hunger Free Communities” program.

The program is one of a series of new initiatives aimed at helping communities increase food access by promoting coordination and partnerships between public, private and non-profit partners.
Other specific tasks of the Food Policy Council will include:

• Supporting and developing community gardens, food cooperatives and farmers’ markets.
• Coordinating food services with parks and recreation programs to broaden access.
• Creating nutrition education programs to enhance food-purchasing and food preparation skills and to heighten awareness of the connection between diet and health.
• Supporting and developing sustainable networks for distributing food.
• Providing outreach and assistance to increase participation in existing nutrition programs.
• Conducting surveys, research and data collection activities to assess the extent and causes of hunger in the community.
• Resource mapping to identify available assets and gaps in resources necessary to end hunger in the community.
• Developing tools to assess hunger on a one-time or continual basis.
• Support existing agencies in their efforts to identify resources, partners and funding.
• Planning activities.

The grant will support a comprehensive food system assessment, which will identify priority areas for policy and program recommendations; educate and engage the public about the food system; leverage external resources for food system improvements; contribute to economic development; and strengthen links among existing food system components. From this research, the council will develop recommendations, projects and action steps to support a healthier local community, economy and environment.

And what is R2G Utica?  http://www.rust2green.org/

Rust to Green Utica is a local effort seeded by the R2G New York State Initiative. R2G Utica will soon be housed downtown, in the Green Century Building at 253 Genesee Street. R2G Utica has been identified within an immediate action step set forth by the goals of Utica’s new Master Plan.

R2G Utica will be engaged in identifying and advancing strategies and projects particularly related to greater urban livability, sustainability and resilience.

R2G Utica aims to widen local participation, involvement and inclusion in shaping and guiding Utica’s transition from rust to green.

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Broken-down Dept.: Smokin' Upstate

According to Blue Cross Blue Shield, the number of adult smokers in Upstate New York increased in the last year! We have higher rates of smoking than state and national averages! See article in O-D: http://www.uticaod.com/archive/x256213206/Number-of-smokers-upstate-increases

What does this mean?

Does it mean we have a death wish? Or that we are in a time warp along with Ronald Reagan? Are we bored and don't know what else to do with our hands? Are we trying to look cool like Charlie Sheen? It can't be possible that our addicted, disenfranchised, criminal, fringe population is greater than New York City's. (Health, like justice, as we all know, is for those who can afford it.)

I read somewhere that Mississippians were the most overweight citizens in America. Maybe Upstate New Yorkers are the smokin'est! Who puts these statistics together anyway?