News

In 1944, under the direction of President Franklin Roosevelt, nearly 1,000 war refugees from countries across Europe were brought to Fort Ontario in Oswego. The Oct. 4 session of the Institute for Retired People (IRP) will feature Elizabeth Ann Kahl, a former member of the Safe Haven Board of Directors. She will discuss how the president’s decision altered the lives of those refugees and the small community that gave them shelter and hope.

Kahl was raised in Muncie, Ind., where she attended Ball State Teachers College and Marian College, earning a bachelor’s degree in English. She moved to the Syracuse area in 1970 and taught English in various schools in the area until 1982.

Kahl received a master’s degree from SUNY Oswego in 1982 and became a computer program developer in education for federal grants. She began her advanced studies at Syracuse University and remained at SU as a computer consultant for faculty for 20 years. She served on the Safe Haven Board of Directors from 1999– 2010, was elected vice president in 2003 and board president in 2005.

The IRP program runs from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., and is free and open to the public. IRP sessions are held at the First Baptist Church of Syracuse, 5833 E. Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville.

 The Oct. 4 session of Thursday Morning Roundtable will feature Andy Mager, project coordinator for the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign, and Jack Edwards, member of the Onondaga Nation Council of Chiefs.

The pair will discuss the partnership between the Onondaga Nation and Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON) that is developing a major statewide educational campaign to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first treaty between the Haudenosaunee and European settlers. The Haudenosaunee retain the Two Row Wampum Belt on which this treaty was originally recorded.

Mager has worked as an activist for more than 30 years in the peace, environmental and social justice movements. He served on the staff of the Syracuse Peace Council for the past 10 years and coordinates the work of NOON. Mager’s work with people of the Onondaga Nation began in 1982, when he coordinated the development and implementation of two highly acclaimed collaborative yearlong educational series.

Edwards works on a variety of environmental issues and is actively involved in the organizing of the Symbolic Enactment as part of the Two Row Wampum Campaign.

TMR meets from 8:15-9:15 a.m. at Drumlins, 800 Nottingham Rd.

 For further information, contact Sandra Barrett, director of community programs, 315-443-4846 or visit http://www.uc.syr.edu/community/tmr. The TMR program is broadcast on WCNY-FM, 91.3 on Sundays at 8 p.m. and at www.wcny.org/radio/thursday-morning-roundtable.

The Onondaga Citizens League (OCL), a nonpartisan civic organization focused on increasing understanding of issues facing Central New York, is soliciting suggestions for its 2013 study topic. OCL is a citizen-led group that studies a different community issue each year, generating research and recommendations to increase awareness and promote change.

The suggested issue should be important to the community, generate interest among the general public, and be timely and relevant. The issue should also lend itself to immediate or long-term solutions, be of manageable size and have the potential for OCL to make a difference. The final product is a report generated for distribution to legislators, community leaders and interested citizens.

To suggest a topic, visit OCL’s website at onondagacitizensleague.org. Click on “Studies” and “Suggest a Study Topic.” The deadline for submissions is Oct. 9.

Previous studies are available on the website. For more information, call 315-443-4846 or email OCL@uc.syr.edu.

The Sept. 27 session of Thursday Morning Roundtable will feature Joanne Mahoney, Onondaga County executive. Mahoney will discuss the county budget. TMR meets from 8:15-9:15 a.m. at Drumlins, 800 Nottingham Rd.

Elected in November 2007, Mahoney is the first woman to serve as county executive for Onondaga County. She attended the Whitman School, where she received a bachelor of science, and completed law school at SU’s College of Law.

After spending time in private practice, Mahoney accepted a position with the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, where she worked for five years as a criminal prosecutor. In 1999, she was elected councilor-at-large in the City of Syracuse, where she served a four-year term.

For further information, contact Sandra Barrett, director of community programs, 315- 443-4846 or visit www.uc.syr.edu/community/tmr. The TMR program is broadcast on WCNY-FM, 91.3 on Sundays at 8 p.m. and at www.wcny.org/radio/thursday-morning-roundtable.

At the Sept. 20 session of the Institute for Retired People (IRP), Gregg A. Tripoli, executive director of the Onondaga Historical Association (OHA), will talk about the renovation of the building and other projects currently taking place. He will also discuss plans for 2013, as OHA celebrates its 150-year history.

Tripoli received a B.A. from Hamilton College and an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh. He served as the special assistant to the minister of economic affairs in Italy for the Republic of San Marino. For the next 20 years, Tripoli traveled the world as a management consultant for a group of multinational companies headquartered in Kuwait. He has been the executive director of the Onondaga Historical Association since February 2008. Tripoli is also vice president of Cathedral Square Development Corp., a member of the Arts and Cultural Leadership Alliance, and the Cathedral Square Neighborhood Association. He serves on the board of directors of the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, the advisory board of Art-In-Motion and several committees for Syracuse University’s South Side Initiative and the Connective Corridor.

The IRP program runs from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., and is free and open to the public. IRP sessions are held at the First Baptist Church of Syracuse, 5833 East Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville.