It’s hard to imagine a bigger turning point for Syracuse than the complete redemption of Onondaga Lake, so an entire State Fair exhibit on it was an inspired concept.
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What was once an impossible dream has been brought to life. A $1 billion clean-up project is underway, multi-use trails are being extended along its shoreline, and there’s a visitors center on reclaimed land practically across I-690 from the Fairgrounds.

Of course, not everybody is happy. Among the doubters are the Onondagas, who have raised questions about the state’s methods, the Camillus neighbors on the receiving end of the sludge sucked from the lake bottom and anyone who questioned the clear-cutting of countless trees to make way for the inner harbor piece of the project.

It’s a stretch to credit that monstrosity shopping mall on Hiawatha Boulevard and its shady fat cats with an assist here and if memory serves, Honeywell, now painted as one of the heroes in this saga, was, along with its predecessors, partially responsible for the fouling of the lake to begin with. It’s probably wise to hold off on the cheering for COR Development at least until we see how the harbor neighborhood comes out.

Since there are no negative views represented in the exhibit, we’re getting the Disney version of the clean-up. Some elements on display have nothing to do with Onondaga Lake, although one of those disharmonious notes is a terrific scale model of the Wild Walk, set to open in 2015 near the Wild Center in Tupper Lake. It’s a long way from here, but what an exciting attraction. A pedestrian walkway is being built that will allow visitors to hike a web of ramps winding through the treetops and observe the forest below.

There’s plenty positive to take away and the storyboards, video screens and models on display fuel the feeling that we’re actually making major progress. It’s a handsome exhibit with such live actors as an eagle in a cage, a few game fish in a tank and growing plants including tomatoes. It’s not always easy to see where the displays fit in when it comes to the lake project as it includes something called the Strive Program, photos of the rebuilt World Trade Center, a model of a suspension bridge, and contributions from the Clayton Hotel and the Computer Chip Commercialization Center.

With staff on hand to answer questions, this free exhibit is definitely worth a look. An update on the project for the 2014 New York State Fair would be even better.