Winter East Woods Skate Plaza. Celebrate Eastwood in Your Garden. A Green Thumb Thank You

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1 Winter East Woods Skate Plaza It has been an awesome first season at the East Woods Skate Plaza. It has been populated from dusk to dawn almost every day by a mix of skateboarders and BMX bikers, and on the weekends, by many out-oftown visitors. It has received great media attention, with Syracuse Post Standard photographers capturing the wide range of ages, skills and choice of equipment of the athletes who love it. So far, the only complaint we hear is that the Plaza is too small. This fall, there were two competitions, one organized by skateboarders and the other organized by bikers. In October, skateboarders had a skate jam with prizes donated by BC Surf and Sport. It was followed by a snowboarding movie at the Palace. The other event, organized by BMX bikers with prizes donated by Cranx and Advanced Cyclery, was held in early November. Syracuse Sports Corp is working on organizing a larger competition event for next spring. Thanks to the Eastwood Rotary, a water fountain will be purchased and installed in the spring. Syracuse Parks & Recreation will be reseeding the Plaza when the weather changes. The ENA Skate Plaza committee is working through the process to obtain a legislative grant for picnic tables and a shade structure. Celebrate Eastwood in Your Garden Now you can have your very own customized Eastwood garden flag (or it can also be a door hanger)! For a $20 donation, you can order the Eastwood garden flag with a border color of your choosing. Each flag is 11 x 17, single-sided, sewn all the way around with a 2 pole pocket on top. Place an order or direct questions to: info@eastwoodneighbor.com. A Green Thumb Thank You Thank you to everyone who so generously supported our 9th annual Eastwood-in-Bloom event. Supporters who came to the event on September 27, bought more than 1000 raffle tickets helping us continue our beautification efforts in Eastwood for Congratulations to our lucky raffle winners: Jackie Pavia, Steven Skinner, Steve Kewanski, Tom Bersani, Indira M., Elisabeth Placito and Kristina Trout. Photos courtesy of Gary Walts As always, a big thank you to everyone who volunteers their time and efforts to keep Eastwood green and beautiful: Annelise, Paula & Paul H., Kathy & Tim M., Rachel R., Shelly G., Mary C., Sandy G., Gail T., and Amber & Ben R.

2 Applications Now Available for ENA s Annual Community Scholarship Awards! Attention all high school seniors currently residing in Syracuse s Eastwood neighborhood (13206 zip code): applications for ENA s Annual Community Scholarship Awards are now available online at com or by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: ENA, PO Box 66, Syracuse, NY or at local high school guidance counselor offices. High school seniors can apply for a $1,000 scholarship award to be used at their discretion to help defray costs for their secondary education. Eligible students must live in Eastwood and plan on attending a two or four year college or a trade school for the first time in Student applications will be judged by an impartial panel who will decide the two scholarship winners--who will each receive $1,000. The judges will base their decision largely on the student s written essay on how community involvement and volunteerism has shaped their life. Academics and extracurricular activities will play a part in the decision. The deadline to apply for ENA s Community Scholarship Award is March 1, Both winners will be notified by phone and presented with their awards in May, Additional information is available at com or by ing: info@eastwoodneigbhor.com or calling Mazella Court & Memorial Garden Commemorative Engraved Paver Project You or your loved one can become a permanent part of the Eastwood Neighborhood Association (ENA) s Memorial Garden, leaving a lasting memory for you and future generations to enjoy. Plans to redesign an existing basketball court and build a new memorial garden at Eastwood Heights, on the corner of Avon Road and Mosley Drive are underway through ENA s Memorial Committee. Two brick sizes are available, 4 x 8 bricks for a suggested donation of $50, 8 x 8 bricks for a suggested donation of $100. Engraved brick order form available by ing info@eastwoodneighbor. com, please put Memorial Garden in the subject line. Eastwood Monument Dedication Ceremony This past Veterans Day, our more than 60-year old Eastwood War Veterans monument, located in Greenway Park at the corner of James Street and Grant Boulevard, was re-dedicated in a moving ceremony coordinated by ENA s Minch Lewis. The ceremony unveiled two new monument stones commemorating recent conflicts and highlighted new flag poles, new flags and energy-efficient lighting illuminating the monuments at the gateway to our neighborhood. The re-dedication event was made possible by ENA s Residential Property Conservation Committee with help from American Legion Post 1276 and Eastwood s Common Councilor, Nader Maroun. Funding for the $17,000 monument project was provided by the Gifford Foundation, Syracuse Parks Conservancy, Eastwood s Tomorrow s Neighborhoods Today, POMCO, The East Room, The Eastwood Lions Club and many individuals. The construction was completed by the City of Syracuse. Lutz Monument supplied the new stones and restored the original stone they placed in The flags and poles were provided by Syracuse s Bainbridge Flag Company. The new stones commemorate deployments after the Vietnam War: Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. They are inscribed with two reminders, Freedom is not free, and All gave some; Some gave all.

3 Volunteers Needed! We need you! Help ENA build Phase II of the East Woods Skate Plaza by donating some time working Dome Concessions during SU games! There is a car pool that can take you to and from the Dome and you might even get to watch some of the game! If you think you can donate time for a game or two, please us at: info@eastwoodneighbor.com or call Judy Lewis at (315) Dome Volunteer Schedule Date Team Game Time Carpool Time 12/6 St. Johns 5:15pm 4pm 12/14 Lou. Tech. 4pm 2pm 12/22 Colgate 7pm 5pm 12/28 L.B. State TBA TBA 12/31 Cornell 6pm 4pm 1/11 Fl. State 8pm 6pm 1/13 Wake For. 8pm 6pm 1/20 B.C. 7pm 5pm 1/24 Miami 4pm 2pm 2/3 VA Tech 9pm 7pm 2/14 Duke 6pm 4pm 2/18 Louisville 7pm 5pm 2/21 Pittsburgh Noon 10am 3/2 Virginia 7pm 5pm TBA Mon. Jam TBA TBA TBA NCAA s TBA TBA TBA Lacrosse TBA TBA 8th Annual Eastwood Park-to-Park Run: It seems every year something astounding happens on race day. This year was no exception. On October 26, 2014, at 10am, Councilor Nader Maroun sounded the horn and 231 runners took off from Sunnycrest Park. Just 26 minutes 54 seconds later, 18 year old Zakaria Adam from Utica, crossed the finish line of this 5-mile race. He ran so fast that the police officer who was leading the way had to speed up a bit in her car. We'll have to wait and see how long it takes to break this record. Two other runners clocked in less than 30 minutes: Richard Cohen at 28:57 and Paul Crisafulli at 29:33. The first place female was not far behind: Sascha Scott finished at 30:40. ENA's Vice-President, Aaron Wood finished with a time of 39:52 and board member Eric Valentin at 43:40. Jen Wood, a long-time committee member and well-known local marathoner finished with a time of 33:30. The last runner crossed the finish line in one hour and 21 minutes the key words here being: crossed the finish line. It's a great race we have here in Eastwood, and each and every one of the runners are amazing. Despite the dampness and chilly temperature, there were many dedicated volunteers, too numerous to name here, but who are just as vital to race day as the runners. This event would not be possible without them or our sponsors (see insert). A wonderful surprise, considering the weather, was the number of Eastwoodites standing in front of their homes and on the corners along the race route. Many runners remarked how they love running in neighborhood races, like ours, for that very reason. They enjoy the friendliness of having neighbors wave and cheer for them; and it helps them keep going mile after mile. We're lucky to have such an abundance of welcoming folks here in Eastwood. Even though the number of runners was down this year due to weather and scheduling conflicts, it's difficult to be disappointed when you consider all the other benefits of this great community event. Plans are already underway for Eastwood's 9th Annual Park-to-Park Run. Stay tuned and plan to be a part of it either running or volunteering. You'll be glad you did. [2014 Race Committee: Annelise Bucci, Mary Conte, Bill Fisher, Kris Juliana, Tony Lambert, Joe Liberati, Sue Straub, Gail Tyndall, Meghan Vitale, Eric Valentin, Jennifer Wood, Aaron Wood, Linda Woodrow]

4 Eastwood Neighborhood Association, Inc. PO Box 66, Syracuse, NY RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Health & Wellness Program Thanks to proceeds from the Eastwood Park-to-Park Run, both Tai Chi Chih and Nia classes will again be made available to Eastwood Neighborhood Association Members in Tai Chi Chih will be offered in four, eight week sessions starting in the spring and Nia will be offered for two, eight week sessions, one in the spring and the other in the fall. Celebrate the Holidays in Eastwood The Eastwood Neighborhood Association invites you to Celebrate the Holidays in Eastwood, December 7. A Family Fun Movie Event will be held on December 7 at the Palace. Families are invited to listen to carols, make crafts, watch the Polar Express and take pictures with Santa. The event will begin at noon with the movie beginning at 2:30 p.m. The cost is $5 per family. The Eastwood Christmas tree will be lit following the event. This year, the City of Syracuse will host Breakfast with Santa at Henninger High School on December 7, from 10 11:30 am or 12:30 2 pm. While the Breakfast is free, registration is required. To make reservations and receive your free tickets, please call , ext COMMITTEE CORNER President: Sue Straub Vice President: Aaron Wood Secretary: Kristen Juliana Treasurer: David Greenfield Green Thumb Committee Annelise Bucci, Maintains plantings, plans beautification events. History & Archives Committee info@eastwoodneighbor.com Preserves Eastwood's rich past and current ENA events. Marketing Committee Karen Schroeder, Raises awareness about ENA and life in Eastwood. Membership Committee Sharon Morrison Builds membership and participation. Memorial Committee Amy Rood Honors Eastwood residents through special projects. Residential Property Conservation Minch Lewis, Conserves quality of life, including 5-Star Program for rentals. Safety Committee Sue Straub, Explores ideas to keep Eastwood safe for residents. Skate Park Committee Judy Lewis, Planning and raising funds to build a skate plaza in Eastwood. Special Events Committee Sue Straub, Plans community building activities for Eastwood. Youth Committee info@eastwoodneighbor.com Supports Eastwood youth groups Committee Project Night Everyone Welcome! 3rd Wednesday of every month. Starting at 6pm (check specific committees for different start times). Blessed Sacrament School, Cafeteria The Great Syracuse China Giveaway Continues! The wildly popular Syracuse China $10 Giveaway will continue in the Spring. The event will again take place at the former Syracuse China factory on Court Street sometime in April. Interested folks will be able to take as much dinnerware as their vehicle can hold for only $10 per load. More than 3000 treasure hunters (about 1700 cars) attended the event in early November, with all proceeds benefitting the Eastwood Neighborhood Association and Over the Rainbow Daycare Center at St. Matthew s School. Stay tuned for the announcement of the next (and probably final) dates for the Syracuse China $10 Giveaway.

5 C E L E B R AT E T H E H O L I D A Y S I N E A S T WO O D December 7, 2014 Family Fun Holiday Movie and Pictures with Santa Christmas Carols, Crafts for Kids, The Polar Express & Pictures with Santa Event begins at Noon The Palace Theater 2384 James Street Syracuse, NY $5/family Event starts at noon, movie will begin at 2:30 pm Proceeds from the event benefit the Eastwood Neighborhood Association

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