Commission on Downtown Binghamton Development Issues Final Report

Economic Development Incentives Guide is first achievement to spring from commission’s work

BINGHAMTON, NY—The Commission on Downtown Binghamton Development today issued its final report and unveiled the Economic Development Incentive Guide, which emerged from the Commission’s work.

“This report offers promising guideposts for building on downtown’s recent gains,” said Mayor Matt Ryan. “This commission involved development experts and stakeholders from across our community, and their collective expertise surely is greater than the sum of its parts. I thank the commission members for their hard work for more than a year, and I look forward to taking the next steps in seizing downtown’s many development opportunities, starting with the Economic Development Incentive Guide.”

Announced by Mayor Ryan in his 2011 State of the City Address, the Commission on Downtown Binghamton Development sought to coordinate new investments and interest in downtown business, living and recreation. The spark behind the commission was the grand openings of two major student housing projects, Twin River Commons and 20 Hawley Street Luxury Student Apartments.

“This initiative was part of staying proactive in enhancing downtown as a destination,” said Director of Economic Development Merry Harris, who co-chaired the commission with Sean Massey. “The final report showcases a number of priorities that downtown stakeholders can pursue.”

From Rochester Independent Media Center:

“We can have a cynical attitude in the face of the media to say nothing can be done about the dollar power that creates itself in images, words, digital communication, and computer systems that invades not just with an invasion of power, but with a way of seeing that world, of how they think the world should look. We could say, well, ‘that’s the way it is’ and do nothing. Or we can simply assume incredulity: we can say that any communication by the media monopolies is a total lie. We
can ignore it and go about our lives. But there is a third option that is neither conformity, nor skepticism, nor distrust: that is to construct a different way—to show the world what is really happening—to have a critical world view and to become interested in the truth if what happens to people who inhabit every corner of this world.”

The above words were read aloud in a statement by Subcomandante Marcos of the Zapatistas in Chiapas, Mexico. And it is with those words that the independent media center movement began to germinate, eventually springing from the ground in Seattle of 1999 during the World Trade Organization summit. The Rochester Indymedia collective, just past our 10th year of operation, felt inspired to critically reflect on what we’ve produced, how we’ve produced it, and what we hope the next 10 years will bring. With that spirit of critical engagement, we invite you, our communities, our readership, and the public, to join us for Building Our Media: a critical discussion series on independent media.

Tonight, we will discuss Howard Zinn’s Essay: The Use and Abuse of History. (download pdf of article at: http://www.sendspace.com/file/1052l6) Zinn’s piece explains his approach to history and why the concept of objectivity in history writing and journalism is problematic.

November 8th, 7-9PM
Flying Squirrel Community Space
285 Clarissa St.
Rochester, NY

The Series:

First Week (Nov. 1):
give out booklets / watch video clips / have discussion

Second week (Nov. 8):
(Howard Zinn) The use and abuse of history

Third Week (Nov. 15):
What is Free Culture? / Free Culture Manifesto / Know Your Meme

Fourth Week (Nov. 29):
(Kyle Harris) Beyond Authenticity: Aesthetic Strategies and Anarchist Media

Fifth Week (Dec. 6):
(Carlos Fernandez) Movements & Militant Media: Communication Technology and Latin American Grassroots Politics

Sixth Week (Dec. 13):
(Jared Ball) Mixtape Manifesto: emancipatory journalism

Seventh Week (Dec. 20):
What’s next? / general discussion and/or discussion from participant chosen article

Rochester.Indymedia.org

Sick Around the World
At Unitarian Universalist Congregation
183 Riverside Dr
Friday, Oct. 12 – 7 pm, socialize 6:30

In the documentary Sick Around the World, FRONTLINE teams up with veteran Washington Post foreign correspondent T.R. Reid to find out how five other capitalist democracies — the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Taiwan and Switzerland — deliver health care, and what the United States might learn from their successes and their failures. Have things changed since 2008 viewing?

Book As Art
February 2013
Cooperative Gallery 213
Curated by Peg Johnston

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Handmade books are an art form that will be featured at “Book as Art” at the Cooperative Gallery 213 the month of February 2013. In addition to her own work, Peg Johnston will curate a show that includes a wide variety of book art. Eligible are handmade books as well as art made with books.

If you would like to submit to this exhibit please contact PegJohnston sending a jpg of your work. There is no fee. Send to PegJohnstonATstny.rr.com.

Public art just got another boost this last weekend thanks to the efforts of Bruce Grieg and Kady Perry, and the Endicott Boys/Girls Club. Grieg is a recognized muralist from New Zealand who lives in Binghamton part-time; he works with an air brush and captures remarkable emotion in his subjects. Perry has done a number of mural in the Triple Cities area, including on the flood wall honoring flood recovery with a “helping hands” theme.

A small group of artists has posted a 1940’s picture of a young couple on abandoned structures around Binghamton in an effort to replace the depressing blight with visually interesting images. “We are calling this “The Happiness Project,” said one of the artists, who prefers to remain anonymous, “because the image is so fresh and joyous. We believe that neglected areas in Binghamton need an infusion of happiness and hope.” The artists envision a series of posted photographs that capture the same mood of happiness in diverse subjects.

Many cities have created an atmosphere of support and tolerance for public art often with the result of economic stimulation as people flock to see locally generated creativity in the urban landscape. Public art festivals have popped up in several cities bringing in tourism dollars and revitalizing abandoned buildings. The magazine Juxtapoz (May 2012) published an editorial in support of public art pointing out, “Art simply makes communities better, creating pride and thought provoking discourse.”

The Happiness Project artists further comment: “We see these Happiness posters as an improvement to dilapidated buildings and eyesores, not as a defacement of private property. While these structures are a hallmark of poverty and economic downturn, our spirits need not be impoverished. We are especially interested in local, historic images that remind us of our heritage and sense of place. If fellow citizens want to suggest locations for future enhancement or propose images we encourage them to communicate with us through the binghamtonbridge.org site, a progressive community news site that does not log IP addresses. We are not affiliated with any organization or group, but are individuals taking the initiative to make public art in Binghamton.”

Posters have, so far, been spotted on State St., Water St., Clinton St. and Glenwood Ave.

We just wrapped up our Summer Youth Employment Program and have plans to hire a youth assistant during the Fall and Spring. We have begun to erect a smaller hoophouse for storing our transplants and the larger greenhouse will be converted into a more intensive,extended season growing space.
Varick, the portion of land behind Tudor St that we lease from the City of Binghamton, has begun development. Our 2012 summer youth crew built sheet mulched beds and bio-intensive beds that will provide more growing space in the spring.

Our farm stand is growing as well! Every Wednesday from 4-6pm we sell freshly harvested vegetables and get to meet more and more of our neighbors. Some of the produce

A date has been set for a discussion of the book Local Dollars, Local Sense: How to Shift Your Money from Wall Street to Main Street and Achieve Real Prosperity–A Community Resilience Guide by Michael Shuman. Peg Johnston put out a call for people to read this book “because the missing piece for development of Binghamton is often the lack of capital–there has to be ways for ordinary people to invest locally.”

This will be the kickoff for a new community gathering, the Binghamton Cabaret, styled after the Science Cabaret. Topics relating to Binghamton development will be offered for open discussion, regularly on the Third Tuesday of the month (with changes for holidays) at the Lost Dog Cafe Violet Room. David Sloan Wilson of the Binghamton Neighborhood Project and David Currie of BRSC invite the public to the Binghamton Cabaret.

Participants may have dinner at the Lost Dog ahead of the meeting or just attend the meeting at 7:30pm

You can give input to the signage designs for the Rail Trails:

BMTS is in need of your input and opinion in the development of the Greenway Sign Plan and Design Guide. For project details, see “About the Greenway Sign Plan & Design Guide” at the bottom of this email.

We request that you go to the website at https://sites.google.com/site/bmtsgreenway/, click inside the photo above “Design Decisions”, and take just a few minutes to fill out the survey regarding the regional greenway system (RAIL TRAIL) name, sign design, and logo design.

Please complete the survey by Monday, July 16th. That will allow our consultants to provide another draft of logos for comment in advance of our working meeting with them, tentatively scheduled for July 26th.

About the Greenway Sign Plan & Design Guide

BMTS is contracting for professional services to create a Sign Plan and Design Guide for the Greater Binghamton Greenway (GBG) regional walking and biking trail system located within the Binghamton Urban Area. This task is included in the 2012-2013 BMTS Unified Planning Work Program, and will be funded by Federal Highway Administration Metropolitan Planning Program funds.

The overall objective of the project is to have this trail system recognized as a regional, contiguous system, as well as facilitate user access to and circulation throughout the GBG, by creating a uniform design & plan for wayfinding, regulatory, warning, and interpretive signing. The geographic region of the study will include the Binghamton Metropolitan Transportation Study (BMTS) Urban Area Boundary.