Ellen Blalock was featured on the front page of the “CNY” section of the Sunday, June 12, 2011 edition of The Post-Standard.   Ellen was recruited by Light Work and the LGBT Resource Center at Syracuse University to create documentary portraits of LGBT families to create what was titled the “CNY Family Pride Project”, which was exhibited. This year, she agreed to revisit this project and add to the collection of portraits created in 2006-07.   The project recently concluded a critically acclaimed and successful showing at ArtRage Gallery in Syracuse , NY . http://www.lightwork.org/exhibitions/past/cnypridefamilies/ Billye Chabot, executive director of The Seward House Museum was recently featured on WCNY’s Bridge Street .   She talked about Auburn ’s inauguration of a “First Friday” initiative that starts this evening, July 1 from 5-8 PM.   Check out http://www.youtube.com/embed/2-gJrbU2euo Mr. Eli Hernandez Mr. Demetrius Murphy Honorable Mayor ...

aaduna Board of Advisors meeting June 27, 2011 Last night at 6 PM, the aaduna Board convened for their second meeting of the year.  I provided an expedited Publisher's Report since months ago I inadvertently scheduled a same night session with a decade old poetry workshop (Urban Monks, a multi-cultural group dedicated to expanding their creative talents through poetry ) at the Auburn Correctional Facility, and my clearance was approved earlier during the day.  I had to be at the facility by 6:30 PM for check-in, so Lisa Brennan conducted the meeting until an official Chair was elected.  left to right: Pat Clark, Ellen Blalock, Walt Aikman, Eli Hernandez, David Bergan, Billye Chabot, Sheila Applegate The Board approved the following agenda items: March 7 Minutes, the By-Laws as presented with the stipulation that needed changes would occur in the next few weeks for their review and ratification, and officers were elected (Dave Bergan, Chai...

 Jazz Fest Stage June 25, 2011  It may be easier to call this past weekend's jazz festival a music festival since Friday's and last night's acts covered R&B, soul and blues.  Rain and in a few cases thunderstroms dampened (no pun intended) the comfort of sitting in a lawn chair but the music soared.  Held on the campus of Onondaga  Community College in Syracuse, NY, Felix Cavaliere's Rascals, the Average White Band, and the Robert Cray Band headlined the evening.  The set by the Rascals included all their hits and a continuous medley of soul classics.  Not to be outdone, AWB brough fresh approaches to their hits and also borrowed extensively from the soul music portfolio.  Lisa and I did not stay for Robert Cray, who I really wanted to hear.  The crisp evening air and drenched clothes forced an unplanned retreat back to the car and home.  The reviews of Cray's set was what I expected....