Syracuse Experiencing Rebirth

Young Professionals and Suburbanites Move Back Downtown

Melissa J. Hipolit NCC News Syracuse Reporting

March 24, 2008

(Syracuse) Downtown Syracuse is but a whisper of what it was fifty years ago. Real Estate broker Ann Clifford remembers a time when everybody went downtown for everything. “When I was a child, you would walk down Salina Street and there would be four groups of people walking this way, and four this way…I mean, it was crowded,” said Clifford. But it might surprise some folks to find out things ARE picking up.

Young Professionals

Among the city’s five hottest neighborhoods, Armory Square and Little Italy are seeing some of the most growth, especially among young professionals. “There’s a lot of single professional people that live downtown,” said Clifford.
Jay Dietershagen just purchased a condo in Centre Armory for 220 thousand dollars. The 28-year-old works as a bartender in Armory Square. He moved downtown after living in the suburbs, and he likes the convenience. “I walk to work, I walk to lunch, I walk home, I take a nap, I take a shower…you know, I don’t need to leave downtown,” said Dietershagen.

Downtown Living

Clifford estimates the average monthly tax and mortgage payment on a condo downtown is 1250 dollars. She says rents for nicer apartments range from 1000 to 2200 hundred dollars. “When people buy downtown, they pay more per square foot than if you buy in the suburbs, but you buy a lifestyle…they don’t have to drive everywhere…they can go out to dinner, they can go out to music,” said Clifford. Dietershagen bought into that lifestyle when he moved downtown. “I like to have a drink after work…or two, or three…all the good restaurants are within walking distance for me,” said Dietershagen.

Other Residents

Many of the new living spaces downtown are in rehabbed historic buildings, and young people aren’t the only ones buying in. Rick Albright’s permanent home is in Canandaigua, but his business is in Syracuse. He used to own a second home in the city, but now owns a condo in the Loew’s building on W. Jefferson Street. “I put a lot of hours in at work, so the fact that I don’t have to come home and deal with cutting the lawn, or takin’ out the trash…or the usual things that go with owning a home,” said Albright. His twenty-five year-old son also lives downtown in Centre Armory. “I spent a lot of time down here with him and enjoyed it myself…so I decided to move here also,” said Albright.

Jefferson Clinton Commons

The two will soon be moving just around the block to the new Jefferson Clinton Commons. Albright and his son each bought a condo in the soon to be constructed building. Condos there are selling for up to 450,000 dollars.

Drawbacks to Living Downtown

There are some drawbacks to living downtown. Groceries are hard to come by, like those found at the C-L Evers gourmet market in the Amos building. The store carries the basics, but it’s pricey. “That’s probably the biggest drawback…there is no grocery shopping that’s walk to or easy to to get to…you have to go out in the suburbs pretty much to do your grocery shoppin’,” said Albright. For a store like Wegmans or P and C to open downtown, experts say the number of residents living there will have to nearly double. Another problem is the lack of parking downtown. Many of the new apartments don’t provide parking spaces for residents. Dietershagen would like more entertainment options. “If we had a movie theater down here…and, like a concert venue…a better live music venue,” said Dietershagen.

Little Italy

In spite of these obstacles, some experts say the Little Italy neighborhood could be the next Armory Square, especially since the city made streetscape improvements. Developer Cosimo Zavaglia says it was the right time for him to invest in a property there. “I was willing to take the chance. I think it’s gonna be up from now—more people invest money to improve the property,” said Zavaglia. He was one of the first developers to remodel a building downtown into upscale apartments. His new rehab project, 466 N. Salina Street, involves converting a 75-year old one-time bowling alley into upscale apartments. “Nobody can afford to build a place like this—12 foot ceilings—you know…would be so costly,” said Zavaglia. Zavaglia is also proud of his hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops as being nice. The condition of the neighborhood is another matter. The view from a bedroom in one of his apartments is of a dilapidated building and yard overrun with weeds. “Salina is really rough still,” said Clifford.

Rebirth

But for someone like Clifford, who has been working for over 10 years to revitalize her city, it’s projects like these that give her hope. “It’s wonderful to see it come alive again…some lights on at night, and so on—it’s great,” said Clifford. She knows the city will never be what it was in her youth, but the new residences show promise that it will one day regain some of the old hustle and bustle.

Youth Boxing in Syracuse

Boxing Gets Kids Off Streets

Central New York Gym Offers Teenagers a Refuge from Violence

By Anala Tuenge, NCC News

Syracuse-- March 28, 2008

Teenagers in Syracuse's run-down neighborhoods often get into trouble, but there is a place they can go that will give their life focus and direction. Coaches at the North Area Athletic Club's boxing gym have been reaching out and pulling kids in off the street for more than 50 years. It was and still is Ray Rinaldi's idea. "We don't make boxers out of these kids. We make good citizens out of them," Rinaldi said.


A Life-Changing Commitment


Ken Layton, a Liverpool High School junior, said he has become a better person since joining the club six months ago. "I'm more outgoing. I feel better about myself physically," Layton said.


Damien Rinaldi, Ray Rinaldi's grandson, is one of the head boxing coaches. He said the kids' commitment to the program extends beyond the gym. "Outside here, you can't go out and drink and smoke dope with your friends," Rinaldi said.



And it's not just about the boxing. Trainers here want to make sure students hit the books as hard as they hit the heavy bag. They're building three classrooms at the West Side gym, and they require the kids to bring in their report cards so they can monitor their academic progress.

"It's great to see the progress, especially in their grades and their attendance in school. Everything just seems to go up," Damien Rinaldi said.

A Success

Frankie Alagna is one of the program's success stories. He boxed in Ray Rinaldi's gym after serving time in a reform school ten years ago. With his new skills in the ring, Alagna joined the Army, boxed three years on the military team, and finally went to college. He said kids relate to him because he was one of them. "I know what they're coming from. I know what they're thinking. When they look at me, they see a reflection of themselves," Alagna said.

Alagna said the kids have an agressive nature, but he insists boxing doesn't encourage violence but rather shows t here is a time and a place to fight. "If someone on the street wants to fight them, they know it's the wrong place," Alagna said. "We've taught them the only time it's right to fight is in that ring."

Alagna hopes in the years ahead to pass down the lessons of this neighbhorhood gym to his three month old son, what has been for generations of young boxers a pathway off the streets and a chance at a bright future.

Economic Woes Strengthen a Town's Hope for Change

By Andrea Berry, NCC News

(FULTON) The sound of bustling machinery and the scent of chocolate would normally fill the air over Fulton, New York this time of year. But like a lot of small towns across the U.S., Fulton is struggling from an economic downturn which residents hope will turn around with the next President.

In the last decade, Fulton's industrial market thrived. But when Nestle, Sunoco and Miller Brewing Company left town five years ago, so did the jobs. According to Fulton Mayor Ronald Woodward, Sr., Nestle's payroll alone contributed $22 million a year to the community. Today the unemployment rate is 9.2% and with the population roughly 12,000, the situation is dire. "We lost all our industry, our taxes are real high, we need to do something to draw industry back into New York State" said Fulton city worker Jerry Schremp just after voting for Hillary Clinton in the New York primaries.

Promises Promises

What is a campaign without a handful of promises? Apparently, dialogue. Back in 2000 during her run in New York State for the U.S. Senate, democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton visited small towns across the upstate New York, including Fulton. With her visit came the promise to bring 200,000 jobs back to the towns that suffered the most -- A promise that helped her win, but wasn't kept. In fact, the region saw a net loss of nearly 27,000 jobs in her first term. During a Presidential primary debate, moderator Tim Russert of NBC's Meet the Press

brought the issue to the forefront. Clinton blamed the republican win in the White House for tying her hands. In her Presidential campaign, Clinton is promising 5 million jobs nation wide. Candidate Barack Obama proposes a plan to re-tool old industry in order to remain globally competitive and a tax cut for middle class Americans. Candidate John McCain admits some blue-collar jobs won’t be coming back to harder hit towns and proposes instead a re-training program for the unemployed to prepare them for a changing job market.

Hot Coffee and Conversation

Residents gather at Mimi's Drive-In to grab a bite and catch up on the talk of the town. The economy often comes up in conversation. In this election year, townspeople debate which presidential candidate will best help Fulton get back on it's feet. "I'm more satisfied with Obama than Clinton for a lot of reasons...but I think we need somebody new in there to start a new direction and I don't think we can [do that] with another person with the same Rolodex thats been in there forever" said retired SUNY Oswego philosophy professor, Robert Carnes. "But I don't see any of them talking specifics" he added.

A New Hope

With the presidential election a mere eight months away and the democratic race heating up, candidates are in a pinch to please the remaining primary voters. But for Fulton, more is needed than dialogue and empty promises. In November, residents here will hope for a president who will bring back jobs to a town hungry for industry.

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.