Another SCOREZ 4 SYRACUSE POST – “we are MADE IN CNY” – Shop LOCAL, Made LOCAL

I am always on the look out for American made products and when they are made right here in Central New York, even better! That is why I got so excited to read an article by Kevin Tampone on Syracuse.com about a  store in Shoppingtown Mall  sells locally made items. The store is fittingly named “we are MADE IN CNY” and has been in the mall since November as a place for owner, Susann Panek, to sell her wares. If you shop at the Regional Market, you may know of Panek from her   pies-in-a-jar. While she thought she was creating a space for herself and a few other friends/vendors from the Regional Market, she was approached by others looking to sell their locally made items and now hosts almost 60 vendors, all selling locally made products. They are located in a slot across from Dougherty’s Masquerade. It was formerly occupied by Regis Salon.

The shop is set up in four sections and allows vendors to market their wares separately, with one room exclusively for food made in CNY. If you are looking for something that you would see in a big box store this may not be the place for you, but if you want something uniquely form CNY you may find it here.  It is a fun shop with great products and designed to support our local talent and community, so become a part of making this a self sustaining community by supporting local entrepreneurs and shop at “we are MADE IN CNY”!

Want to know more about this fabulous local business? Check out their Facebook page here.

You can always buy local and support our community and the environment by looking at the Syracuse First directory of local offerings. Central New York has so much to offer and we owe it to our neighbors, our friends and our environment to give these amazing products a try. If you know of an amazing and unique local business that should receive some recognition, let me know with a comment or an email and I will look into sharing it with others.

Happy Trails!

What Is In A Color? For Your Logo, It Matters!

I love Twitter! Whenever I check-in to see what is going on in the world, I am pleasantly surprised by nugget of useful information that I feel the need to share. This morning it was provided by DR4WARD. He shared this infograghic (BTW – I love infograghics) that shares the impact of colors and how to choose the right colors for your company’s logo. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

The impact of colour in your logo design infographic by British Design Experts

Looking for YOUR Scorez 4 Syracuse!!

Hello Syracuse!

I have been sharing some of the places I have found that are fun and interesting in Syracuse. If you have had a chance to visit one of the places I mentioned please feel free to go back to the blog post and comment on your experience there. I am curious to know what others think of the places. I hope I have shared something of value to you and now I welcome you to share places that you enjoy with me. I am looking for new adventures and some off the beaten path type of places. What suggestions do you have?

With Spring finally upon us and summer swiftly approaching, we will all be ready to head out of the house again for some new adventures. To encourage you share you comments, I am offering a special prize to the top three people that give me some new places to explore and I will publicly thank you on my blog. So put on your thinking caps and make a few suggestions! Here are some topics I would  be interested in:

• restaurants
• outdoor activities/recreation
• Family fun
• bicycle and hiking trails
• camping areas
• Nature trails
• desserts
• clothing shops (consignment shops)
• Bed and Breakfasts

These are just suggestions so lets see what you can come up with!

There is no genre specific places I am looking for but they must be within the greater Syracuse area and must be a LOCAL business as I am shifting to promote only local brands. I believe in LOCAL!

Thanks for you help!

Scorez 4 Syracuse – Matilda Joslyn Gage – A Piece of Missing History

Do you know the name Matilda Joslyn Gage? If not, you are not alone. This amazing woman played a huge role in the suffrage movement alongside the like of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony. Both of these names are very familiar to you, no doubt. So why is it that this women from Fayetteville, NY is not mentioned along side them? The answers to that question is too long for this post but find the answer for yourself at the foundation website or look at the timeline of her life here.

The Gage Foundation has acquired the actual home of Matilda Joslyn Gage and created a museum as a memorial to her and her work as an abolitionist allowing her home to be a stop on the Underground Railroad and working with the like of Fredrick Douglas, an activist for women’s suffrage writing numerous speeches, working on the History of Women Suffrage with Susan B. Anthony while using her own newspaper to disseminate information for the cause, and a friend to the Haudenosaunee people that taught her how to live a life of respect and fairness for all people. (It was this inspiration that helped to drive her dream of equality for women in America.) It was these causes that drove her and motivated her to create change for the future of all people.

Gage also inspired another well know local folk hero, L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of OZ. Baum was the son-in-law of Gage and found great encouragement from her support. The family shared time together in the parlor to encourage each other and share the work they were doing.  This room of the house/ museum, the family parlor is dedicated to him and his works. (Don’t miss seeing it!)

The reason for this post is share with you an event that I attended at the Gage Foundation Museum, (located at 210 E Genesee St., Fayetteville, NY 13066)

While the museum is host to many events and celebrations, I had taken the opportunity to take part in a celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th. The event draw a crowd large enough o fill the room for an unveiling of  a painting by Patrick Fiore in the Women’s Rights Room and a celebration of International Women’s Day. The painting will be a nice complement to the Gage collection.

The celebration also included a performance by a young women as Matilda sharing her her words of wisdom, in addition to two young Girl Ambassadors that were taking part in a collaboration with Girl Ambassadors from Chile. The girls reported that were in contact with the Chilean girls via Skype and have been planning a visit with them here in the US. The program also include Girl Ambassadors from Sri Lanka. Image Matilda’ delight at this interaction of young minds!

Girl Ambassadors

As the Gage Foundation continues to grow and educate, I am certain that Matilda Joslyn Gage will become more well known and finally take her place in history at the side of  Stanton and Anthony. It is a curious thing, how history is recorded and reported. It prompts us to look at how history is chosen to “make the books” and who does the choosing. It comes down to an adage that is well known – “To the victor goes the spoils”.

If you are looking for some local history, are interested in Women’s history, the Haudenosaunee, abolitionist history, the Underground Railroad,  or want to know more about Matilda, please visit the museum and take to write on the walls, sit at Matilda’s desk and write her a message, or play the piano that she once enjoyed. That’s right folks, this is not your average museum. This is a very special interactive experience that you will enjoy. Don’t take my word for it, find out for yourself at the Matilda Joslyn Gage  Foundation Museum in Fayetteville.

Related articles

• Matilda Joslyn Gage: Radical Feminist (tbchick2011.wordpress.com)
• Commentary: The not so great and powerful Oz (syracuse.com)

Your Next Big Scorez 4 Syarcuse – Opti-Golf at DestinyUSA

Attention CNY Golfers –

The season is not over!

That’s right folks, don’t put those clubs away yet. I have another one of those great Scorez 4 Syracuse to share with you. Indoor golf at Opti Golf in Destiny USA. It is a virtual golf experience that allows you to use your own clubs and balls.

You choose from 96 courses with levels from beginner to pro. It is certainly an experience worth having. Drive you ball from the tee onto a long, green fairway. there may even be an occasional bird flying over! Hopefully, you hit the sweet spot on your club and landed on the fairway, if not you could end up in the rough or a sand trap. That’s right, these courses simulate the real thing. There is even an opportunity to putt your way in for a birdie (or a bogey, for 3 putters like me).

I have frequently dreamed of the day I get to play St. Andrews in Scotland. Well, that day has come! That’s right, I played that course right here in Syracuse! It was a bit tricky getting used to the virtual experience but the course was an amazing experience. (Can’t wait to play the real thing!)

Perhaps you are more of a Myrtle beach golfer, or Big Sur, or maybe Augusta. If so, they have courses for you too.

There are courses from all places and all levels:

• Championship
• European
• Middle Eastern
• US
• and even some Fictional courses

Take a look at all the courses they have to offer and I am confident you will be intrigued enough to try it out.  You can’t go wrong! I mean, we talking Pebble Beach, here.

You will feel like you are out on the back nine with the sun on your back and chance for that elusive “hole in one”. Bring your pals, your co-workers or even your kids. This is a great out for any group. But wait – there is more! They even have Pros to give you a lesson and a caddy will carry your bag to the 3rd floor (don’t forget to tip them).  This is the next best thing to really being out on the links.

Of course this trip would not be complete without a trip to the 19th Hole. That’s right, they even have a bar that serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. They will even serve you at your “green”. Enjoy a couple of cold ones while competing or relaxing with a good game of golf.

If you are wondering what it will be like I have included a short video below to share the actual experience with you.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Dust off those clubs and wash up the ball. It is time to go golfing, my friend!! Please come here and share your experience with us. I am curious to know what you all think!

What the Heck Are Those Funny Little Boxes I see Everywhere? Answer – QR Codes

This is a Quick Response Code (QR Code)

QR Code  is the trademark for a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside the industry due to its fast readability and large storage capacity compared to standard UPC barcodes. The code consists of black modules (square dots) arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be made up of four standardized kinds (“modes”) of data (numeric, alphanumeric, byte/binary, Kanji), or through supported extensions, virtually any kind of data. (Also known as: qr-code, qr,2d-code, mobile barcode) (Mashable.com)

The QR Code was invented in Japan   in 1994 to track vehicles during the manufacturing process, and was originally designed to allow components to be scanned at high speed. It has since become one of the most popular types of two-dimensional barcodes.

What can we do with these funny looking boxes? Amazing things! Everywhere you look you will find QR Codes. Check out some of the funny places they show up here. They are swiftly becoming a tool you can’t be without in the world of technology driven media.

To actually use the QR codes, you will need a reader so here are a couple of links but not the only ones: Android (yes I am an Android lover!)  and NON-Android. So down load the reader and look at the world in a different way as you start to use QR codes. CAUTION – They may become addictive!

50 Back Beer Company

Their motto – “Buy a Soldier a Beer”

Look at how this beer company used QR codes to increase business.

You can create your own QR Code for just about anything! There are various websites to assist you with the process. Do you have an organization with a website you want to promote? Or maybe an upcoming event? What ever you want to publicize QR codes can help you do it.

Here are a few sites that generate QR Codes for you with just some basic information:

• Color QR Codes
• B/W codes
• Check out 708Media for a larger list

Those of you that are technically challenged, I hope this enlightened you a bit. Just sharing what I find on the web!

Feel free to share anything cool that you find interesting with me and maybe I’ll blog about it.

Related articles

• Malicious QR codes pop up on traffic-heavy locations (net-security.org)
• That square QR barcode on the poster? Check it’s not a sticker (theregister.co.uk)
• What Are QR Codes and How Useful They Are (orlintomov.wordpress.com)
• 75 Curious QR Code Integrations – From QR Code Fashion to Scanable Corn Fields (TrendHunter.com) (trendhunter.com)

Scorez 4 Syracuse – Sparky Town

Hey folks, I have another one of those great scorez for you in Syracuse. If you like cozy little places with great coffee and cold beer or wine with your meal, you’re going to love this place.

SPARKY TOWN

   

Sparky Town is a friendly neighborhood kind of place that was the brainchild of Linda (Sparky) Mortimer. Sparky had a vision to create a place of community where everyone was welcome and opened “Sparky Town” in 2008. Her passion to feed the masses, create community and share the arts was the driving force to create what is now Sparkytown. Located at the corner of Burnet Ave. and Catherine St., it is a great place for lunch in the downtown area or for dinner with friends or that someone special. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming.

One of the things that makes a trip to Sparky Town a memorable experience is a welcoming atmosphere when you enter the restaurant. They may not know your name, but Sparky would greet everyone with a smile and genuinely warm welcome. Sparky specialized in sandwiches, soups and more with an emphasis on local sourcing and healthy  food. She had a true love affair with food and nourishing others.

Linda “Sparky” Mortimer

Sparky died suddenly in her sleep in November of 2011. She was only 57, and the restaurant she opened three years ago was becoming a Syracuse “hotspot”. Known as “the funky place to meet and eat,” serving “fresh, healthy comfort food,” Sparky Town has a devoted following. people who have found this “gem in the city” are quick to share its charm with friends.

Sparky was a generous person and donated much of her talents with pro bono cooking and other thoughtful gestures to pay forward her love for the city,  local produce and merchants, her neighborhood and in particular, Syracuse’s gay and lesbian community. The love and sense of community that nourishes the soul continues on even after her parting. Her business partner, Lauen Bristol has carried on with the same loving, compassionate environment and quality of food.

Lauren Bristol

Sparky Town is a great place for food, but also for art and live music. Local artists display and sell their wares with the Art Expo, displaying new art from up-coming artists every five weeks. Are you looking for something out of the ordinary as a gift? Take a peek at work by local artists for the truly special and unique gift! Currently, the Fiber Art of Carol Boyer, Goddesses: Text to Textiles is on display.

The music takes on a life of its own in this small, cozy and perfectly light cafe. Experience a variety of music from jazz, to folk, to reggae and a lot in between. Local musicians share their gift of music with the community.

                

I would be remiss if I did not mention Sparky Town coffee and desserts. To all coffee lovers – You cannot truly enjoy the full experience of Sparky Town if you miss the coffee! They have their own special blend that is created by Coffee Mania and is lovingly prepared by the Barista extraordinaire – Jay. One of my personal favorites in local roast coffee! And to go with that delicious coffee, they have a plethora of sweet samplings. A great way to sit back and enjoy the music.

As if this was not enough reason to visit Sparky Town, let me share one more thing – Sparky Town offers space to community programs like the Children’s Consortium. Just before last Christmas, Sparky Town allowed space for the children’s consortium of Syracuse to do gift wrapping as a fundraiser for the organization. Let me tell you, it was great to drop off my gifts and have lunch while someone else did the wrapping. I felt great about supporting the charity and a local business, all while feeding myself and drinking GREAT coffee! It doesn’t get any better that that!

Children’s Consortium Wrappers

If you like food and you love art and music go to Facebook and “like” Sparky Town! And then go to

Sparky Town

324 Burnet Ave., Syracuse, NY

Located at the corner of Burnet and Catherine.

Related articles

• Scorez 4 Syracuse (scorez4life.wordpress.com)
• Scorez4Life and Apple (scorez4life.wordpress.com)

Scorez 4 Syracuse – Parisa’s Restaurant

So, you think you know Syracuse… I have been 10 years and I am still discovering new places and cool venues. I decided to share them with you, just in case you are feeling bored or maybe looking for a new adventure. Each week I will highlight some of the little known gems of our fair city. As I learn more about the amazing place that Syracuse really is, I will share this great adventure in pictures and words.

My first Scorez 4 Syracuse hit is a restaurant that you may or may not be familiar with – Parisa’s. I love small local restaurants with their charm and lively back stories. I also believe in supporting local business.

PARISA’S

 317 Montgomery St.      Syracuse, NY      315-565-5118

Parisa’s  is a short walk from City Hall’s front doors in downtown Syracuse. (They are located next to the Onondaga Historical Society.) The food is amazing! The smells coming from the kitchen make your mouth water as try to decide which offering is best for you.  One of my personal favorites on the lunch menu is  Curried chicken salad wrap with grapes, slivered almonds & homemade curry spice, YUM! They have something for everyone there.  Check out the lunch menu and the dinner menu. Everything is so fresh and each order is prepared by executive chef and partner Chance Bear, formerly at the helm of Francesca’s.

BUT, the real story behind Parisa is what drew me in. Peyman Pourpezeshk opened this restaurant in March 2011, to honor his daughter, Parisa, who died at  16 of brain cancer on October 28, 2009. Peyman wanted to pay tribute to his beautiful angel of a daughter. The first foods that went on the menu were Parisa’s favorites.

Parisa Pourpezeshk at Barry Park. Photo supplied by her mother, Cindy Stultz.

I had the joy and honor to meet Parisa. She was an amazing young girl filled with an unbelievable ability to make people smile. She was so loving and kind to everyone she met. Her passion for giving of herself was unmistakable. The evidence of her far reaching impact on our community could be seen by the hundreds of people who waited in line to give condolences to the family and pay their last respects to Parisa. As you dine in the restaurant named after her, you can feel that love filling the air and taste it in the delicious food you eat. Peyman has created a great tribute to Parisa. (Read more here.)

Peyman and Chance

Beyond the story behind the name, the food is amazing! Another thing Parisa’s has going for it is Chef Chance Bear. You can read the reviews yourself, here. Chance Bear is an award winning chef.  At Parisa, he will join the eatery’s founder, Peyman Pourpezeshk, and create an eclectic menu Bear calls “Persian-American fusion.” This is truly unique. DON”T MISS THIS ONE!

Peyman has also brought local history into the restaurant. He shares, “When I saw the space, I immediately loved the exposed brick and architectural details. I also loved that the Onondaga Historical Association museum is right next door. Gregg Tripoli [executive director of the OHA] helped us get a lot of the artifacts you see in here.”

Hours/Contact:

Lunches include a variety of salads and sandwiches… from our fresh grilled farmers market grilled cheese to our delicious curry chicken wrap and grilled cheese and tomato sandwich (all sandwiches served with our homemade chips, made daily!) We also feature daily lunch specials and homemade soup!

Dinner includes our chef’s own special dishes with several classic American dishes with a little bit of a twist. Stop in, you’re sure to enjoy your time!!

Mon: 11:30am-3:00pm

Tue – Thu: 11:30am-3:00pm/4:00pm-9:00pm

Fri: 11:30 am-3:00pm/4:00pm-10:00pm

Sat: 4:00pm-10:00pm

Sun: 9:00am-2:00pm

email: parisarestaurant@gmail.com
phone: 315-565-5118
address: 317 Montgomery St.
Syracuse, NY
13202

Here is a link to make a reservation – Parisa Restaurant

Cozy setting with a picture of Parisa hanging on the wall.

Related articles

• New Blogging Trends on the Horizon (scorez4life.wordpress.com)
• Consider this: Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome is going green (syracuse.com)
• Scorez 4 Blog Growth – Statistics Are Key (scorez4life.wordpress.com)

Internal Sales Team – Welcome to LOV – Let the Selling Begin!

To our new sales team WELCOME! We are excited to have you with us. Sara and Vito are looking forward to seeing your creativity on sales and promotions. (I even heard they may initiate you with a stomp in the grapes.) I have been told you are all geniuses and that I get to be a part of this creative team as well. (Maybe I will get to do the grape stomp with you, sweet!) So, lets get started.

1. Sara and Gilberta thought it would be a great idea to follow up on the wine pairing that we have been sharing with our community. Here is the pairing chat. Some suggestions they had :

• Contact local stores and vendors to participate in our “Keep It Local” promotional venture each saturday here at LOV. They may rent a table space for sampling of thier products and Gilberta will pair the perfect wine with each one.
• With guidance from Sara, create a list of local businesses to work with regarding promotions of pairing their products with our wine in thier stores when possible or set diplays of pairings.
• Promote wine pairing for “Valentines Day in May” along with the traditional February V-day. Pairing wines and pairing people seems like a natural.
• Offer premier space for advertising for bbusinesses on our website that displays a finely paired match of wine for their foods.

2. Direct sells: look for outlets to distrubute our wine with other online venues. Be creative with it!

• Cross-merchandising has been around a long time in retail. Let’s use this premise to create sales.
• Sara will provide you with a list of vendors we use. Think of ways to engage them with helping us sell. We already have a relationship with them, so utilize their connections as well.

3. Tell our story – create a sales strategy for our new merchandise. Make them see it, want it, buy it!

• “We LOV Wine” motto on t-shirts, cloth bags and jackets
• Copies of Gilbert Uva sampling wines Circa 1902
• Glassware with our logo on it
• Picnic set that includes: a bottle of wine, 2 glasses and 2 cloth napkins

4. Create an On-line wine lovers community on our website.

• Create  dialog and open discussions about wine and cooking with wine.
• Create links to everything wine, pull out the corks.
• Keep our branding and products in the forefront, but be open to the interests and range of interactivity of the customers’  too.

5. Vito would like to coordinate an on-site Dutch festival. (Go figure. Good job, Vito!)

His idea is to have a festival on site that includes the Dutch Bakery in Solvay, the Dutch Butcher from the North side of the city and several other Dutch owned businesses. Each business could bring samples of thier own specialties and Gilberta will do wine pairings with each. He envisions culutural music and dancing, as well.  (Vito does LOV to party!)

Vito is also going to offer a gift package to the best dancer that includes a bottle of wine, a cheese sampling and our new cork trivet kit.

6. Do some research to come up with suggestions of places for us to advertise on-line.

• Decide is banner ads makes sense for us
• Check for affilate opportunities on exsisting sites
• Vito LOVs to make videos – let’s look for effective locations to place video ads
• Come up with a killer contest to create more interaction with our on-line community

7. Find creative ways to promote our unique grape stomping experience.

• Make it family friendly
• Offer birthday parties, bridal parties and any party you can think of
• Vito is happy to make a video for this (of course)
• Create a You Tube and Vimeo account
• Get Facebook page up to date and use for fun stuff
• Use Pinterest to post pictures from LOV

These are some suggestions but we value your input and ideas as well. this is an open and creative working environment. Feel free to express your ideas. We could talk over a game of pool or ping-pong in the employee lounge if you like. I am also a huge coffee fan, so I would be willing to share my secret stash with you if you prefer to talk over a nice cup o’ joe.

This is your mission should you choose to accept it. If you succede you will be heros! (and Vito may want to have a party that includes grape stomping, just saying) Let’s get busy selling LOV!

Lake Onondaga Vineyards Wishes to Apologize!

Hello to all of our community and beyond. We at Lake Onondaga Vineyards are tasting sour grapes.  Our CEO, Vito Antone, was interviewed by a Syracuse based  newspaper for the launch of our newest wine. During this interview, Mr. Antone made a remark that  was offensive and was in very bad taste. His remark was directed toward Dutch people and he had stated “I don’t really like the Dutch. Never met a nice Dutch person in my life.” WOW!

Vito Antone feels very badly about this and how poorly he acted. He made this statement to the interviewer, whom is of Dutch decent, as an  attempt at humor. He did not realize that the interviewer had not recognized this as humor. Reflecting upon his statements, Vito has this to say – “I am deeply ashamed that I made a comment that was  so obviously offensive. I am a man of humor but I now recognize how wrong I was to make such a statement. I wish to apologize to the entire community and especially to the Dutch people. I truly hold no ill feelings towards any group of people.”  (Read his full apology here.)

Vito Antone will be submitting his written apology to the Syracuse newspaper for publication and creating a link to it on the company website. He will also be reaching out to the Dutch community by providing natural, unsweetened grape juice to the Dutch Community Center Daycare program for 1 year.

We at Lake Onondaga Vineyards are sincerely saddened at any offense that was created by Mr. Antone. He has asked that anyone who wishes to speak to him directly may  call his office at 555-555-5555. We understand that this comment cannot be taken back, but we are sure that this has been a painful lesson for Vito. Antone

Again, we wish to apologize for any offense that was created by this unfortunate lack of judgement on the part of Vito Antone and Lake Onondaga Vineyards.