Mayor Ben Walsh put his mark on history this morning by signing his name in Syracuse’s Mayoral Autograph Book in the Onondaga Historical Association Museum. The signature marks the 52nd to be added since Syracuse’s first mayor, Harvey Baldwin, added his autograph in 1848.
Walsh’s name also sits alongside his grandfather’s, William Walsh, who served as the 48th mayor of Syracuse from 1962 to 1969.
"The past few months have been a whirlwind and there's been so many special moments along the way. This ranks right up there today, not only because as mayor I get to sign a book that every mayor before me has signed, but the fact that my grandfather was one of those mayors does make it just that much more special."
Walsh is continuing a long-standing family tradition of public service in the area. He says that seeing his family’s mark on local history serves as reminder of just how important it is to live up to the standards of his office.
"Whether it's walking into city hall and seeing my grandfather up on the wall or walking into the council chambers and thinking about my dad sitting up front running meetings, it's really special and I really appreciate the history."
The signing of the Mayoral Autograph Book was preceded with a special announcement by Gregg Tripoli, the Executive Director of the OHA. After more than 50 years off-the-market, OHA is bringing back Congress Beer, thanks to a partnership with Willow-Rock-Brewery. Tripoli says the recipe will be based on the wildly popular secret recipe of the original, which was given to OHA by the beer’s brew master after the Haberle-Congress Brewery shut down in 1962.
"Congress Beer will be based on the original recipe but updated for today's taste. The logo will incorporate elements of the historic logos and the marketing will educate consumers about our great brewing history."
Congress Beer is set to launch by the end of July, 2018.