It's Getting Better

Today was definitely the best Thursday I have had in a very long time. My day went unbelievably well. I enjoyed my team and thought we worked very well together. Normally I dread having to find a story for a wrap. However, it was not too bad. In the middle of the night I receive a text message from my producer, Tyler. It said that Governor Eliot Spitzer would be at the Whitman School of Management on Thursday at 9AM. So, I ended up waking up much earlier than I expected and went to Whitman. I got to the building at 8:50AM. I was happy to be early but when I walked in there were only a few people there. I ended up waiting for an hour because Governor Spitzer did not arrive until 10AM. By that time the Grand Hall was packed. Students looked over the balcony on the second floor to see the governor.There were some famous faces in the audience. Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli and Mayor Matt Driscoll were there as well. It was cool to put real faces with the names I hear a lot about each week. Chancellor Nancy Cantor was the first speaker in the event. Then Mayor Driscoll spoke and introduced Governor Spitzer. During the beginning of his speech, the governor was interrupted with a hug by a man named Herman Schatz. The Post Standard calls him "a political groupie of sorts". After the interruption, the governor said, "now my day is complete".


After that, the governor explained his plans for the city of Syracuse. In addition to the $20M for the Connective Corridor, $2.5M is planned to go toward making the parking facility in the Convention Center district bigger. The governor's plan is to get former thriving communities in the city a desirable spot one again. There are plans to revitalize the Near West Side. The state plans to give $2M in funding to make it a community for creative people. The 300 block of S. Salina Street will receive $3M for funding. Franklin Square will also be revitalized. After the governor's speech, Magnarelli ended the event. The entire announcement only took about 30 minutes.