Syracuse’s Museum of Science and Technology was more than a museum Saturday night; it was filled with lights, live music, and art as the community came together for the Mayor’s Ball.
New Mayor Sharon Owens was joined at the MOST by community leaders, partners, and guests who were celebrating the future of Syracuse. Owens spoke to the crowd with passion at the beginning of the event. “From the music to the artists, to the vendors, to the food, everything is Syracuse homegrown,” Owens said.
Although the night was a celebration, Owens said she’s eager to start her work and shared her goals for what the community members can look forward to in the next six months.
“Monday, the work begins, and the work is about making sure people have affordable housing, the streets are safe, and that businesses can thrive,” Owens said. “We are going to be breaking ground at the development center in the (Tipperary Hill) neighborhood to the roads that are going to be going up there and to begin 250 new houses.”
Other leaders from the community in attendance at the ball said they are excited about what Owens will bring to the city.
Helio Health Foundation CEO Kathleen Gaffney-Babb, whose organization raises funds and awareness for people facing substance abuse, housing difficulties, and mental health, said she is confident that Owens will make an impact in these areas.
“The mayor has a record of bringing people together and letting people know about the services and connecting people to care,” Gaffney-Babb said.
Owen’s brother-in-law, Alexander Petway, was among the attendees and said he can attest to her determination.
“She has many ideas, bright ideas… she is very honest and a straightforward person,” Petway said. “I’ve seen this city at its worst, and I’ve seen it at its best, it's going to take time; it didn’t get in this condition overnight.”
Owens expressed her passion for the city and why she has never left after graduating from Syracuse University, starting a family, living here, and creating a life in Syracuse. She said the people are her incentive.
“I met the people of Syracuse, they are my motivation for why I stayed here,” Owens said. “I’m a Syracuse girl through and through, and everything I do is for the betterment of this city.”
People mingled throughout the museum, dancing to live bands and singers from the community, while many waited in line to get a picture with Syracuse’s first black mayor. Several hundred people, many in formal wear, came together to celebrate the new mayor.