5 Central New York Trends That Need to Be ‘Buried’ This Halloween

An art teacher in Mamaroneck, New York made headlines recently with his homemade "graveyard," in which he laid to rest weary trends that had worn out their welcome in 2017.

Michael Fry used his considerable artistic talents gained while studying sculpture at Syracuse University and working as a prop, costume and puppet manufacturer at the Jim Henson Company to create the fantastic gravestones pictured above.

We thought we'd borrow his idea, apply it to our area, and "bury" a few Central New York trends that need to go six feet under.

1. Unemployment

It's currently running at about 4.3% in New York State, which is roughly the national average. That's about half of what it was a few years ago, following the recession, but, what the heck, let's shoot for zero.

2. Vacant buildings

Let's start with the one which housed the K-Mart that went out of business. And then we can get to work on some of those zombie properties in the city.

3. Syracuse Basketball's 2016-17 campaign

A subpar 19-15 season resulted in a snub by the NCAA Tournament selection committee for the most famous team from Fry's alma mater, and an uneventful outing in the N.I.T. Tournament.

4. Foliage

An above average fall in higher temperatures, especially at night, has caused a lag in the pigmentation of the leaves and a less colorful leaf-peeping season in Central New York.

5. Partisan politics

Maybe this year's extreme behavior at both ends of the political spectrum will bring about a movement toward some more common-sense middle ground.

If you'd like to nominate any other Central New York trends from 2017 that deserve a proper burial, please get in touch.

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