Author: Reid Sullivan

When Family Times first arrived in Central New York, in May 2002, it was the new kid on the block. The magazine grew and changed, and so did its staff. In September 2006, my predecessor, Tina Schwab, left the editor’s post and I took over. (And when I had my second son, in 2008, Tina did me a huge favor and stepped back in for three months so I could take time off.) It’s been a fascinating 13 years as editor. I’ve put my sons on the magazine’s cover—one son once, and one son twice. I’ve put coworkers’ children on…

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The benefits of … nature play are so great and so numerous; our camp families know this and see it for themselves when their kids come home dirty, tired, and smiling at the end of each day. –Tom Meier, BWNC director Dozens of campers fill the 182 acres of Baltimore Woods Nature Center’s preserve in Marcellus every summer weekday. From July 8 through 12, 11 Voyager campers, in grades 5 to 8, explored the woods and learned skills in the week’s Wilderness Survival-themed camp. The counselor for the camp was Jeff Devine, a certified wilderness skills instructor and self-described jack-of-all-trades.…

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If your kid wants to race cars, there’s a local club for that. The Syracuse Microd/Quarter Midget Club holds races weekly on a 1/10 mile paved oval track at the State Fairgrounds near gate 6. A microd is a closed or open wheeled miniature racing vehicle powered by an overhead one-cylinder motor. The Syracuse Microd Club was incorporated in 1955. The same year it built a track on the land that eventually became part of the New York State Fairgrounds. The Quarter Midget Club started sharing the Microd Club’s track about 20 years later, according to a history of the…

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I learned that certain temperatures and textures or consistencies are very important. Because even the smallest thing can affect the food in a big way. – Naomi Turner, Grade 9 Some students at the Syracuse Academy of Science High School have spent the past several months learning to bake once a week after school. The SAS Baking Club began last year. A group of students on a field trip to the library looked at some cookbooks and thought they’d like to start a baking club. Eunice Ray, an English teacher at the charter school and an avid recreational baker, volunteered…

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Ever since she was a first-grader, Emma Streeter has wanted to be a veterinarian. Now 13, she raises animals on a Jamesville hobby farm with her parents. The animals are: three dogs, two rabbits, two horses, two mini pigs, about 30 hens, four roosters, 10 chicks, five turkeys, two ducks, and two geese. Emma and her parents, Katy and Darren, have lived on the 110-acre property for about two years. They started acquiring animals when they still lived in Fayetteville. “When I was about 4, my dad got me some chicks from the local farm store. I really liked it,…

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Please note: Mistakes happen. To confirm event details, call the sponsoring organization’s phone number or visit the website. Friday, May 31 Time for Tots Playgroup. 9:30-10:45 a.m. Education playgroup for children ages 18 months-5 years and their caregiver. Stories, songs, arts and crafts, and more. Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, 8131 Soule Road, Liverpool. $3/family. Registration recommended: (315) 622-2843. NYCrossofChrist.org/Tots. Graphic Novel and Comic Book Club. 4 p.m. Young people ages 12-18 can read Kelly Sue Deconnick’s Captain Marvel Vol. 1 for this session, and discuss other comics and graphic novels. Hazard Branch Library, 1620 W. Genesee St., Syracuse. Free.…

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Please note: Mistakes happen. To confirm event details, call the sponsoring organization’s phone number or visit the website. Saturday, April 27 Family Times’ Kids Expo. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Families can see performances, take part in activities, and shop for products and services for kids. Monster trucks will perform stunts as well! State Fairgrounds, Geddes. Free. (315) 472-4669. familytimescny.com. Be the Scientist. Noon-4 p.m. Explore the activities of an environmental scientist. Museum of Science and Technology (MOST), 500 S. Franklin St., Armory Square, Syracuse. Museum admission: $12/adults; $10/seniors and ages 2-11. (315) 425-9068. Sunday, April 28 Step Up 4 Kids. 8-11…

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Ecology Club Lyncourt School If you’re going to learn about the environment, it pays to get outside. Many of the Ecology Club’s most memorable experiences have occurred far from Lyncourt School — like the time the students crossed a frozen lake in the Adirondacks. The Ecology Club is in its second year. Members are in seventh and eighth grade. The club’s advisers are Donna Fortugno-Erikson, a science teacher, and Heather Tennant, a math teacher. “Our goal is to motivate students to learn as much as they can about the environment so that they understand how they affect it both…

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One Falcon Robotics Club Public Service Leadership Academy at Fowler High School, Syracuse My favorite task was getting to work with peers around my age that had the same interests as me. We had a very optimistic environment as well as some good conversations working with the robot. — Javon Harper, grade 11 Technology teacher Edward Levine didn’t know anything about robotics or drones when he took over as adviser of the robotics club at Public Service Leadership Academy at Fowler High School. But, like his students, he’s learned a lot. “I have learned to emphasize the…

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Please note: Mistakes happen. To confirm event details, call the sponsoring organization’s phone number or visit the website. Friday, March 29 Tigris Shrine Circus. 7 p.m.; through March 31. The spectacle features high-wire acts, bears, camels, and clowns. Toyota Coliseum, State Fairgrounds, Geddes. $15. [email protected]. Saturday, March 30 Tigris Shrine Circus. 10 a.m., 2:30 & 7 p.m.; through March 31. See March 29 listing. Be the Scientist. Noon-4 p.m. Explore the activities of a botanist. Museum of Science and Technology (MOST), 500 S. Franklin St., Armory Square, Syracuse. Museum admission: $12/adults; $10/seniors and ages 2-11. (315) 425-9068. Beauty and the…

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