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🌱 Patch AM: See how Pre-K artists are transforming empty South Salina storefronts

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Saturday December 20th Patch AM
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Good morning Syracuse! We're back in your inbox this morning to keep you in the loop with what's happening in and around town. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • See how Pre-K artists are transforming empty South Salina storefronts
  • How a $5M grant could change Eastwood’s drinking water safety
  • Syracuse Diocese prepares to say goodbye to a key spiritual leader

Also on today's calendar: NYE Bash.

Find out what's happening in Syracusefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: Last night I had a dream. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Syracusefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Saturday: Cloudy and cooler, with a high of 41 and low of 31 degrees.
  • Sunday: A little snow in the p.m., temps: high: 36, low: 19. ⛄️ Brr!
  • Monday: Breezy in the morning, with a high of 32 and low of 29 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Student artwork brightens vacant storefronts in downtown Syracuse (cnycentral.com) — Vacant storefronts on South Salina Street in downtown Syracuse now showcase colorful artwork from local Pre-K students, turning empty windows into a holiday-season gallery. The Downtown Committee of Syracuse hopes the displays, up through January, will brighten downtown, draw families to visit, and give young artists a proud public moment.
   

2. State funding invests $5M in project to replace Eastwood lead pipes (localsyr.com) — Syracuse is getting $5 million in state funding to replace old water mains and check for lead in Eastwood, where about 9.6% of local children have elevated blood lead levels. The Mosley Pump Station project, already underway, will upgrade pipes serving roughly 120 homes and is expected to wrap up by the end of 2026.
   

3. More work to be done (thecatholicsun.com) — After nearly 24 years of leadership in the Syracuse Catholic Diocese, Sister Laura Bufano is preparing to leave for a new role with her religious community in St. Louis. Local colleagues praise her collaborative, faith-filled style and say Syracuse ministries will need to work harder to maintain the spirit of unity and inclusion she fostered across the diocese.
   

4. 36 New Yorkers become U.S. citizens after naturalization chaos (cnycentral.com) — Thirty-six immigrants took the oath of citizenship in Syracuse after a brief federal order halting naturalization ceremonies created confusion and anxiety. New citizens from countries including Ukraine and China described both fear and relief, and are now preparing to update Social Security records, register to vote, and potentially sponsor relatives abroad.
   

5. Syracuse professor recalls Brown University shooter as intelligent, socially awkward and often volatile (syracuse.com) — A Syracuse University physics professor is sharing his memories of the former classmate now accused of killing two Brown University students and an MIT professor, describing him as brilliant but socially awkward and volatile. While the shootings and manhunt unfolded in New England, the story is deeply personal for Syracuse, where the professor now teaches and reflects on troubling warning signs from their graduate school days.
   

📸 Around Syracuse

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Syracuse

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Other local events
    Saturday December 20
  • HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
    Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater , 421 Montgomery St. , Syracuse
    7:30 pm
    • Wednesday December 31
  • NYE Bash
    3 Destiny USA Dr , Syracuse
    4:00 pm

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Two French bulldog puppies got out of my fenced in yard that blew open from the wind in the Milford and James st area.
    We found the mother puppies still missing...Choppa and Palace...3159072070... (Nextdoor Arlington, Eastwood)
  • My camera only records 10 seconds, but it caught someone letting their dog walk up my stairs and eat the cat food I put out for neighborhood cats.
    I’m not mad, just baffled why they would let their dog eat off someone else’s porch? What if it had been something dangerous, like rat poison? Then I… (Nextdoor Eastwood North)
  • Healthcare Services Group posted a job opening for Housekeeper in Syracuse. Apply here.
  • Price Rite posted a job opening for Price Rite - Night Crew Clerk - Full Time (PRRC) Salary Range $17.50 - $25.00/hr in Syracuse. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Syracuse here.

Ok Syracuse! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I dreamed I was swimming in a pool of orange soda, but it was just a Fanta-sea.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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