The switch over from analog to digital television

by: Justin D. Udo

WHAT IS THIS SWITCH OVER?
America is getting ready for the biggest change in television, well..... since television.
For the last decade television stations have been working on the way they give and we
receive broadcast signals. In February 2009 that is closer than you may think, there is a big change coming. Localbroadcasters will turn off their analog transmitters and start broadcasting exclusively
in digital.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ME?
a local tv channel can offer you several programs at the same time. In addition to the main
feed coming from the network, you might see a weather channel and radar on another
channel. Some broadcasters are sending four channels at the same time.
Contrary to what many people may think, you do not need to get a new television.
If you do not have digital cable, satellite or a high definition television you will need to get a
converter box. These boxes will cost between 40 and 80 dollars. Every household is
eligible for two 40 dollar coupons. These boxes will be sold by local retailers.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BROADCASTERS?
This switch is mandated by the government and is costing stations hundreds of thousands
of dollars."A lot of stations around the country haven't yet made this update," says Kevin Wright the chief engineer at CBS 5 in Syracuse."what most of our stations are still facing is that we need to upgrade our own internal systems to devote to a totally digital plan."
THE BOTTOM LINE!
To make sure you won't be left behind remember, you can connect your TV to a analog to digital converter box,
buy a digital television with a built-in digital tuner or subscribe to a paid TV service. If you take one of these steps you won't be left behind in the analog age.

Organic Dairy

A Growing Trend

By: Tracy Kracker, NCC News

In New York state, the number one agricultural product is diary. With the popular trend toward organic, some local farmers are converting to organic dairy.

Local Farmers

Since he was a little boy, Ed Scheffler has lived and worked on his 300 acre dairy farm near Groton, New York. It keeps his wife Eileen and him very busy, he says, but they enjoy it. On their farm, they do things a little differently. Five years ago, the Schefflers finished their transition to organic. "We just feel it's a more natural way of producing food," Ed says.

Now, his fifty dairy cows eat only chemical-free organic feed and grass grown right at the farm. The cows are in the pasture from May to November, but during the cold Upstate winters, the cows are kept inside a warm barn. Instead of antibiotic injections for growth hormones, the Schefflers found a more natural way to care for their cows. "We use biological treatments," Ed says, "we use a lot of garlic, aloe, things which strengthen a cow's immune system, and we try to use good animal husbandry."

Organic Retail

The Schefflers help supply America's fast-growing pipeline of organic diary products, more popular than ever among health conscious consumers. Art Zimmer buys organic whenever possible. "My life and my health are worth a few extra pennies a week," he said.

Organic milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt are a big part of an industry marketing hundreds of organic food products, from meat to macaroni. Bud Kennedy, store manager at Green Hills Farm Stand in Syracuse, says he has seen organic sales go up a lot at his store over the past year.

With organic milk sales up 25% from a year ago, Central New York's Byrne Dairy has taken the lead in processing milk for Organic Valley, a farmer-owned cooperative. William Byrne, the chairman of Byrne Dairy, says the company felt that the growth of organic milk was something it couldn't ignore anymore.

Health Benefits

After all is said and done, and the milk makes it into the stores, some experts say organic milk is not much better for the consumers than conventional milk. Bobbie Harrison from the Onondaga County Cornell Cooperative Extension says the claim with organic milk is that it has no antibiotics, but that's the same for conventional milk as well. "In the dairy industry, cows that are milking every day do not have any antibiotics in them either," she says.

Nutritionists also caution that the organic label is no guarantee the milk is healthier. Registered dietitian Ruth Sullivan says there are no health differences between organic and conventional milk.

Local organic dairy farmer Ed Scheffler is not convinced that's entirely true. He says people choose organic because they are more concerned about health problems. "And if you want a product that's as close to as nature intended, then that's what we're trying to produce," he says, "I think that's what our bodies are built for."

Valentines Day for Spenders

By Westbrook Shortell

Sweets For Your Sweet?

With Macy's laying off close to 2000 workers in the month of January, national retaliers are feeling the effect of a slowing economy. Central New York Businesses are hoping for everything to comes up roses for them this February 14th. Valentines day is a time to get sweets for your sweet, but would a slowing economy make this year's chocolate go bad? Stores in Central New York say lower consumer spending is not a problem this year.
Michele Michele Hicks, President of Something Different, builds custom baskets for any occasion. She's more worried about the Central New York weather slowing people down than state of the economy. "We don't anticipate the economy to affect us at all , in fact we worry more about the weather affecting us and our deliveries and people coming to our store than the economy."

Winter Weather Worries

As Michele said, its actually the Winter weather that has people worried. Dino Centra is the manager of Westcott florist and he says when its horrible outside, its harder to make deliveries and if its harder to make deliveries a business can't make money. Last year, a huge snow storm accompanied the beating of Cupids wings, making it extra difficult to make flower deliveries. Centra counts on those deliveries to people's work to bring in a lot of money. People want to get that big reaction of, "Oh look at the size of the flowers they have." But he is expecting really good business with orders coming in by the numbers.

Pizza With The Works Takes On A Whole New Meaning.

The Chocolate Pizza Company in Marcellus specializes in a sweeter version of pizza and wings that get sent all over the world. Bonnie Hanyak has been running the company for the past twenty years. She has been featured on the Food Network numerous times and makes chocolate pizza and wings that go all over the world. Hanyak said "Our pizzas have gone to every state, they've gone to Japan, France, DenmarkOur pizzas have gone to every state, they've gone to Japan, France, Denmark." And like the other business owners, its not a slowing economy that may slow her business, its the shipping. With her products made of chocolate, she can only overnight deliver pizza and wings, or else they'll melt. Like Centra, Hankyak said she has been working overtime. She has been receiving orders for Valentine's Day since Christmas. She can make close to 200 pizzas a day, but with a heart shape for V-day.

Struck By Cupids Arrow?

Overall, Central New York Businesses seem to be doing just fine. According to the National Retail Federation's survey, the average consumer will spend close to 123 dollars this year, up from last year's 120 dollars. Centra, Hicks and Hanyak all said people are willing to spend whatever it takes on Valentine's day, to show their significant other how much they care.

Economic Slump & Valentine's Day Spending in Central New York

By: Ginger Whitaker, NCC News.

Tightening belts

Earlier in February, the Macy's department store chain let go of some 2,000 employees, stating that their January sales dropped 7%. With consumers tightening their belts and the threat of economic recession looming, Central New York businesses could face lower-than-average revenues around the Valentine's holiday. Instead, many business-owners are saying the economy has little effect on Valentine's gift giving.

Bucking the trend

Michele Hicks, President of Something Different, a company in Syracuse making customized gift baskets to be sent all over the country. The store offers many products that are different from traditional Valentine's Day gifts. "A lot of the time people think just about chocolates and flowers. Chocolates - we have, but flowers - we don't...unless you want a chocolate rose," said Michele. Back in December, Michele says she expected the economic slump to affect the store's sales, but it turned out to be the biggest holiday yet. The reason? "People want the people in their lives to know that they love them, and I don't think the economy is going to change that," she said.

Problematic weather

According to Michelle, around Valentine's Day, the weather is more of a problem for Something Different than the economy: "We don't anticipate the economy to affect us at all, in fact, we worry more about the weather affecting us and our deliveries and those coming to the store than the economy."

The weather is a problem for other local businesses, such as Westcott Florist, this Valentine's Day. Dino Centra is the manager of the shop. He says almost all his customers want flowers delivered on Valentine's Day. "The main thing that people really like is to have the flowers delivered to the person's office while people are at work," said Dino. Similar to Something Different, Dino says Westcott Florist is not threatened by economic decline. He says sales are consistent with last year's, but online flower delievery services are posing a significant threat. "Online businesses promote Spring-type arrangements because they're cheaper...we try to cover everyone's budgets," said Dino. In an effort to compete with online businesses, his store also offers gifts other than flowers, such as candy bouquets and stuffed animals.

Traditional gifts

According to many Syracuse store owners, traditional Valentine's Day gifts remain the most popular. Shelly Mahoney is the owner of Annie's Hallmark store on West Genessee Street. She says talking plush animals have been their most popular Valentine's Day gift. The dog version sold out before Valentine's Day. On February 14, the store was full of people spending their money. Shelly says the store has not been affected by decreased consumer spending: "...not really here have we noticed that there's any downturn in the economy and actually we looked at numbers this morning and we're up for the month." She says Valentine's Day is the store's #1 holiday, and it's a nice break from the sometimes drab winter. "It's an uplifting day, we see a lot of people we don't normally see and they're happy."

Less-Traditional gifts

If sales at the Chocolate Pizza Company in Marcellus are any indication, Central New York is not the only region unaffected by a declining economy. The Company has shipped all over the U.S. and even overseas in preparation for Valentine's Day. "Our pizzas have gone to every state, they've gone to Japan, France, Denmark...," said Bonnie Hanyak, owner of the Chocolate Pizza Company in Marcellus. She says the shop has been working hard to get ready for the holiday, sometimes churning out 200 chocolate pizzas in a single day. Even though each gourmet pizza is somewhat pricey, Bonnie says there's no shortage of customers. "We just have a quality product, use quality ingredients and I think that no matter what the economy is, people are always going to treat themselves, especially at certain times of the year," said Bonnie. And Valentine's Day in Central New York seems to be no exception this year.

Organic Dairy

An Alternative to Conventional Dairy

By: Anala Tuenge, NCC News, Syracuse

Organic Dairy is a growing trend across the country, and there are several organic dairy farms in Central New York. According to the Organic Trade Association, organic dairy sales have increased 25% in the last year and are continuing to rise.

Organic Dairy Production

For most of his life, Ed Scheffler has lived and worked on an Upstate New York dairy farm near Groton. But in 2003, Ed and his wife, Eileen, converted their 300-acre dairy farm to organic. Ed said he made the change after he noticed an increase in diseases like cancer and autism. He said he wasn't sure if the pesticides and antibiotics used during the processing of conventional milk caused some of the health problems prevalent in American society today, but it made sense to him that they might. Going all-organic was a long and expensive process, but the Schefflers were willing to go through it. "It's worth it," Ed said. "We enjoy it."

Organic dairy is dairy that is produced according to the USDA's organic standards. The cows must be put out to pasture during the grazing season, and they are fed only organic feed grown on the farm. They are never given growth hormones or antibiotics, and if they are sick, they are given more natural treatments to strengthen their immune system, like aloe and garlic.

Growing Popularity of Organic Dairy

Even companies that traditionally produce conventional milk are expanding to include organic dairy. Byrne Dairy in Syracuse is just one. Bill Byrne, the chairman of Byrne Dairy, said his company could no longer ignore the growth of organic dairy.

For a little more than a year, Byrne Dairy has been pasturizing and bottling milk for Organic Valley Farms, one of the largest organic food producers in the nation. Organic dairy costs about 50% more than conventional dair with the price of growing organic feed and treating cows with natural products being passed on to the consumer. But despite the higher price tag, organic dairy continues to grow in popularity, and now organic versions of virtually every dairy product, from butter to cheese, are available.

Benefits of Organic Dairy

Art Zimmer is willing to pay the extra price because he feels organic milk is healthier. "My life and my health are worth a few extra pennnies a week.

But nutritional experts say there is no scientific difference between organic milk and conventional milk. According to Bobbie Harrison of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, there is no nutritional difference between organic milk and conventional milk. Organic milk contains the same amount of protein, the same amount of calcium, the same amount of sugar, and the same amount of butter fat. Ruth Sullivan, a registered dietitian, says that those who consume organic products should not expect better health as a result.

Orgnaic dairy may not provide any health benefits, it does offer an option for those concerned about the environment or the humane treatment of animals. According to Bobbie Harrison, the processing of organic milk is better for the environment and easier on the cows.

Growing Number of Young Professionals Making Syracuse their Home, Hope for Syracuse Economy Afterall

By: Chelsea Pizzi, NCC News, Syracuse

The constant talk of "brain drain" and Central New York's failing economy has to pose the question, who would want to live in Syracuse?

Well, Kyle Corea would, as well as Merike Treier and Lindsay Wickham, but Doc Good is a hard sell.

"The taxes are too high, and the cost of living is too high. For what you get, for the energy you put into it, we're getting short-changed," said Good, owner of Doc's Little Gem Diner.

While that might be the common consensus among many locals, there are young professionals who are investing a little more in Syracuse than just their faith.

What to do?

"It's almost like a blank slate here," Corea said,"there's a lot of room for innovation."

Corea is the co-owner of Funk -N- Waffles, and a Rochester native. After he and his partner, Adam Gold of New Jersey, placed in an annual business plan competition through the Whitman School of Management, at Syracuse University, they decided to make Syracuse their permanent home.

"You have to stay positive, and you have to take a risk and invest in Syracuse," said Corea.

Treier works with the Downtown Committee of Syracuse and also decided to relocate here from Rochester.

"We have so much more happening here in Downtown Syracuse, it's just not publicisized," said Treier, "between 1990 and 2000 census data, downtown showed a 46 percent increase, which is unheard of."

With more than half of the Syracuse population under the age of 35, investing for a younger crowd is money well spent.

Investments

According to the Downtown Committee, there are plans to invest about 200 million dollars in renovations to entice more young professionals to stay in Salt City.

"Within the past 18 months, there have been over 200 apartments built actually in downtown and a lot of people don't see that because its taking place within existing buildings," said Treier.

The rehabilitations to the Wilson Building, Mizpah Towers and the recently completed Amos Building are just some of the new investments.

Another local program dedicated to energizing the Syracuse community is 40 Below. It's a group of young professionals that gets people involved with community projects. Recently, by volunteering man power, 40 Below helped Syracuse save approximately 70 thousand dollars in building renovations.

Future Plans

Lindsay Wickham is the Events Coordinator for the Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprise Department at SU. She has lived in Syracuse her entire life, and plans to continue working here.

"If people want to make the region economically sufficient and they want to stay in Syracuse, then they'll find a way and they'll do it through entrepreneurship," said Wickham.

While the distant future is still unpredictable, the Greater Syracuse Economic Growth Council estimates the population will stabilize within the next five years.

A New Winter Phenomenon

By: Josh Pick, NCC News, Syracuse, NY


POPULARITY

During the long upstate winters, a new generation of people are discovering the outdoors...on snowshoes...dating back some 6,000 years, it's a winter sport that now rivals cross country skiing in popularity: "It's a lot like play--getting out and kicking up fresh powder," said Mort Nace, the director of a recent snowshoe race in Rochester. Justin Pedersen is a runner from Gilbertsville, NY who sees snowshoeing as a release: "Just getting out here--the peace and quiet--a nice escape from life sometimes."


SALES

Matt Belknap is the owner of Action Sports in Cortland. He says in a good winter, he sells between eighty and one hundred pairs: "It's the most popular thing I sell in the winter, compared to cross-country skis. More people are doing snowshoeing--it's a little easier."

EASE

Outdoor industry surveys show nearly 6,000,000 people will take to the woods on snowshoes this year...nearly double the number from a decade ago...the appeal, some say, is the simplicity:
"Oh, it's very easy! It's like wearing big shoes. It's nothing that takes more than five minutes to get comfortable on," said Alex Huff of Binghamton. Belknap agrees: "If you know how to walk, you can snowshoe."


AFFORDABILITY

The older style snowshoes have now become obsolete. Newer models are lighter and more durable, but they remain affordable for customers like Pedersen: "Skiing gets a little expensive, but snowshoes--you pick up a decent pair, get a little snow, you're set."



HEALTH & FITNESS

Health and fitness are for many enthusiasts, the number one attraction. A University of Vermont study says snowshoeing burns between 400 and 1000 calories per hour...that's 45% more than if you were walking or running at the same speed: "The health benefits are--you know--just great on the snowshoes. It's taking like walking or running and just multiplying that," said Pedersen. But, it's not just burning calories that makes snowshoeing so good health-wise: "The great thing about snowshoeing is that it's such a low-impact sport. It's pretty similar to running, but the one difference is the impact--because you're on the snow, it's not as great," explains Abby McQueeney Penamonte, a registered dietitian at Rochester Athletic Club.


RACING

For those looking for a little more, snowshoe races like the Mountain Top 6K are an option. Zach Rivers, 17, is a high school Senior, a member of the U.S. Junior National Snowshoe Team, and winner of that race. He plans to run cross-country for Syracuse University next year: "It works your legs a lot harder, works your lungs a lot harder. It's just much better than running."



When you add the health benefits to the affordability and relative ease of snowshoeing, you can see why it's becoming so popular.