As we’ve said more than once this week, the Syracuse New Times has been around the block more than a few times and riled up its fair share of politicians. With quick-witted political cartoons — some all the way from an underground bunker in Albania — to some iconic New York government faces, our lens has captured much of the goings on in the world of Big Brother. Here’s some of the highlights:
Author: Staff
Now safely ensconced as the third wheel to co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb on NBC-TV’s The Today Show, there was a time when Al Roker hailed from our neck of the woods, back during the early 1970s when he was attending school at SUNY Oswego and as a weather forecaster on WTVH-Channel 5. And for a very short time, Roker also put pen to paper as a Syracuse New Times cartoonist for the comic strip “Salt and Pepper,” which debuted in the Oct. 3, 1976, issue. “I want the strip to reflect Syracuse,” noted Roker. “You know, a good time.” With that, Roker married “Doonesbury”-style drollness to the Salt City scene, as…
The National Casket Company, the Borscht Belt singles scene, the MONY weather star and numerous interviews with iconic baby boom celebrities, most of whom you’ve never heard of if you were born after the first moon landing: They all served as a launch pad for my 45-year writing career. I was a freelance writer for the Syracuse New Times in the early 1970s while attending Syracuse University’s Newhouse full time as an undergrad. It was my proving ground, my source for press clips that I knew would someday land a writing job. My thick clipbook worked like a charm: A New York public relations agency hired me on the spot for…
It goes without saying that the Syracuse New Times would not have been nearly as much fun without our expansive coverage of the local and national music scene across the decades. The many acts included the Masters of Reality from the late 1980s; the Electric Chick Magnets from April 1997; Hamell on Trial from May 1993; George Rossi from August 1993; banjo impresario Tony Trischka from May 1994; and many, many more. But the New Times was not alone in local musicians and showmen on the map. We’re also dedicating this page to the slew of Syracuse-area radio disc jockeys who…
Alternative newsweeklies such as the Syracuse New Times began in the midst of a technological revolution. Offset printing and phototypesetting made publishing cheaper, enabling these print publications to start on a shoestring, proliferate and sometimes even prosper. Fifty years later, another technological revolution hastens their decline, hand-in-hand with the demise of the daily newspapers to which these brash newcomers had been alternatives. While digital and mobile advances have turned nearly everyone into a potential reporter or opinion leader, the internet provides little in the way of standards or filters. The internet has many voices, but few editors. There’s lots of bad grammar, bad spelling, bad ideas, factual errors, excessive use of explanation marks…
Ken Simon’s reflections on Fat Igor, the paper’s memorable mascot: “He thought he was very hip and cool but he wasn’t really, and that’s kind of what I liked. He’s kind of brash, he’s kind of aggressive and you like that in a person. He’s harmless, he’s a womanizer. We just started using it and people responded to it. I even posed for a photo dressed like Fat Igor. I don’t know how long Fat Igor lasted. He was a cool mascot. “Can you dig it?”When Syracuse New Times creator Ken Simon visited our 1415 W. Genesee St. office on March…
The Syracuse New Times’ origin story starts at the defunct Waldorf Diner on Erie Boulevard in the fall of 1968. Over a hottle of tea and a shared plate of home fries, I was discussing with my college pal Jack Myers what we were going to do once we graduated from Newhouse that June. Neither of us were eager to take a corporate job. We had an idea: We knew that free all-advertising tabloids called pennysavers were distributed in stores throughout Syracuse. We figured that if we blanketed the Syracuse University campus with a similar publication we could attract advertisers who coveted the student market but who weren’t advertising in the…
Welcome to the Syracuse New Times’ 50th-anniversary celebration! This retrospective issue is something of a bittersweet triumph, however. Although we’ve made it this far (as you can tell by examining the many mastheads that have adorned the paper through the decades), this is the final free edition of The New Times. The April 24, 2019, issue begins a new journey as a paid newspaper, right alongside The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and other bastions of journalism. But they don’t cover the Salt City beat, which is why the Syracuse New Times will remain your favorite local source for community journalism as Central New York’s…
The 2019 Syracuse Area Music Awards saw a medley of local musicians and music-scene supporters once again honored for their dedication and service to the Central New York arts community. More than 600 people attended the annual, gala-like awards ceremony on March 8 at Eastwood’s Palace Theatre to see who would take home the coveted black obelisk this year. Related: Soaring SAMMYS: Syracuse area musicians recognized at 2019 ceremony Nominees were whittled down from about 111 submissions, and the SAMMYS committee announced their final decisions this weekend. See the full list of winners below: Best Pop Forgottensong, Forgottensong Vol. 1…
Every year, when the snow begins to fall in Central New York, we at the Syracuse New Times put out a special issue: Winter Times. In it, we recap all the need-to-know information for surviving the winter season. From the latest snow report to ways to stay warm indoors, Winter Times should be your go-to source for seeing what’s-what in the Greater Syracuse area. Don’t forget to check our exclusive, hand-curated events calendar to keep abreast of all the goings on over the next few months! The ski season is still in flux, yet snowmaking helps cover region’s slopes Toddy Language:…
State Sen. John A. DeFrancisco pens a satiric speculation on what Central New Yorkers could expect if the I-81 viaduct is replaced with a community grid.
The nominations have been tallied for the 14th annual Syracuse New Times Syracuse Area Live Theater (SALT) Awards, which honor performances and behind-the-scenes work by area professional, regional and community theater companies. The SALT winners will be announced during a ceremony to be held Sunday, Nov. 11, 6:30 p.m., at the Redhouse Arts Center, 400 S. Salina St. The show’s presenting sponsor is Empower Federal Credit Union. This year’s co-hosts will be WSYR-Channel 9’s Bridge Street personality TeNesha Murphy and actress (and former Rockette) Bradley Benjamin. Cocktails and light fare will be available. Discounted pre-sale tickets are available for $22…
Best of Syracuse is a reader-generated poll trademarked by the Syracuse New Times. Since its 1997 inception we have asked our readers to nominate in a number of categories. For the 22nd anniversary edition, the categories include: Sports and Recreation; Love and Romance; Family; Beauty and Pampering; Animal Lovers; Professional and Civic Services; Booze, Bars and Wine; Local Personalities; Food; Health and Wellness; Specialty Foods and Best Spots; and Arts, Music and Entertainment. Your nominations are tallied, and the results bring out the top five in each category. We then turn it all over to you again for the final…
Check out these fall activities, events and goings-on. This is just a small list, so make sure to check our online community calendar for daily information.
Central New Yorkers have their pick of frightening fare, from tamer events suited for all-ages to full-on adults- and teens-only horror shows.