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Weather: Will rain put a damper on the rest of spring break, official start to garage sale season?

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Rain is in the forecast.

Syracuse, NY -- The start of spring break for some Central New Yorkers couldn't have been better Monday. Temperatures reached 77 degrees and there wasn't a drop of rain in the sky. But that's about to change.

Rain is in the forecast on and off throughout the rest of the week.

This weekend also is the official start to the garage sale season, but the 50 to 60 percent chance of rain likely won't stop some die-hard bargain-hunters.

Your forecast

  • Today: Rain, 90 percent chance. Winds, 9 to 11 mph. High near 59.
  • Tonight: Chance of showers, mainly before 8 p.m. Winds 11 to 15 mph. Low around 36.
  • Wednesday:Chance of showers, mainly before noon. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny. Breezy, with 18 to 21 mph winds. Clear at night. High near 50. Low around 31.
  • Thursday: Sunny during the day; partly cloudy at night. High near 54. Low 38.
  • Friday: Showers likely, 60 percent chance. Mostly cloudy. High near 63. Low around 46.
  • The weekend

    • Saturday: Chance of showers, 50 percent chance of new precipitation. Partly sunny. High near 55. Low 38.
    • Sunday: Chance of showers. Partly sunny. High near 53. Low around 38.

    You can also follow us on Facebook or visit http://www.syracuse.com/weather/ for more on the weather.

    To send in weather info, or especially photos: Use the Twitter or Instagram hashtag: #cnyweather Also, please let us know where the images are located.


    A liberal candidate could draw votes away from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, poll finds

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    Twenty-four percent of those polled said they would support a Working Families Party candidate in New York's gubernatorial race.

    SYRACUSE, N.Y. - About one quarter of New York voters would vote for a liberal, union-backed candidate over Gov. Andrew Cuomo in this fall's election, according to a new poll out from Siena College Research Institute.

    Cuomo, a Democrat expected to run for a second term, still holds a 2-to-1 lead over Republican challenger Rob Astorino, the Siena poll found.

    But if a Working Families Party candidate enters the race, 24 percent of voters polled said they'd back the third-party candidate over the current governor.

    "While Cuomo continues to hold a dominant position in a head-to-head matchup against Astorino, his lead is cut in half when a WFP candidate perceived to be more liberal or progressive than Cuomo is added to the mix," said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg.

    Cuomo would get 58 percent of the vote over Astorino, the current Westchester County executive. But if a Working Families Party candidate entered the race, then just 39 percent of those polled said they would back Cuomo, with 24 percent each backing Astorino and an unnamed WFP candidate, the poll found.

    "Cuomo's dilemma with a challenge from the left can be at least partly explained by the fact that Democrats see Cuomo as not liberal enough," Greenberg said in a news release. "More than twice as many Democrats describe Cuomo as moderate rather than liberal. By better than two-to-one, they want to see him be more of a liberal."

    Cuomo has taken a tough stance with unions. He negotiated no salary increases for portions of the multi-year contracts with the state's large unions while insisting they take on more health care costs. That stern approach wavered last week, when the governor settled a contract with union workers at the Metropolitan Transit Authority that included 1 percent increases retroactively over two previous years.

    A progressive candidate who belongs to a union already has entered the gubernatorial race. Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins, a Teamster from Syracuse, is in the race. He has said he is open to talking to the Working Families Party about a cross-endorsement, but has doubts that party really wants to challenge the governor.

    The survey polled 772 registered voters from April 12 to 17. It has an overall margin of plus-or-minus 3.5 percentage points.

    SNY0414 Crosstabs

    Contact Teri Weaver at tweaver@syracuse.com, 315-470-2274 or on Twitter at @TeriKWeaver.

    NY Minute: Are Cuomo staffers abandoning ship?

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    Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli questions accounting in New York's state budget, voters are unhappy Gov. Andrew Cuomo shuttered the Moreland Commission, and a look at consolidation talk in Lake Placid.

    SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Get out the wellies and slickers. Monday's beautiful weather is gone (again) for a while.

    Some key aides to Gov. Andrew Cuomo are leaving his administration this year, fed up with micromanaging and "professional purgatory," one former (and unnamed) staffer told the New York Post.

    The story prompted Cuomo's current (and former) press aides to respond on Twitter:


    When simply keeping your thoughts (and anything else) to yourself won't do: The New York State Assembly will pay a law firm $80,000 to develop a new policy to combat sexual harassment.

    A poll out this morning shows a liberal candidate could draw support away from Cuomo this fall.

    The same survey from Siena College Research Institute found most voters were unhappy that Cuomo pulled the plug on his Moreland Commission, an investigatory panel set up to look into the state's weak campaign finance laws.

    Yeah. About that $2 billion surplus. Overall, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's annual analysis of the state budget was positive, but he criticized the governor and legislature's reliance on one-shots and sweeps -- fiscal talk for one-time revenue sources and sweeping money from dedicated funds to pay for general expenses.

    Cuomo's campaign announced a number of new hires, which include people who worked on his 2010 election bid.

    A clarification on Cuomo's hiring of the Dante-ad creator: the governor hired the same media team, but not the specific person responsible for the iconic ad that helped Bill de Blasio become New York City mayor.

    Thirty school districts statewide have tried -- and failed -- to merge since 2010 because the public fights the plans.

    The village of Lake Placid (the heart of one of Cuomo's favorite vacation spots) is starting to talk consolidation.

    Remember all that talk about the property tax freeze? Well, here's a breakdown of how it works.

    National Grid proposes spending $4.2 million in utility relief to qualified customers to make up for steep winter bills.

    Buffalo is in the midst of a hotel boom, with 26 going up in the region.

    Cuomo takes aim at Clingy Darts.


    Tweet of the Day


    Contact Teri Weaver at tweaver@syracuse.com, 315-470-2274 or on Twitter at @TeriKWeaver.

    Five interesting things from Siena's poll, starting with this: NYers like the IDC-GOP Senate

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    Do you know who your attorney general is? The Republican candidate for governor?

    SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The April poll from Siena College covered a range of political topics, from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's job performance to his decision to dismantle an anti-corruption investigatory panel.

    Here's a look at five more things voters said in the poll:

    GOP+IDC = So far, so good

    A large majority of voters wants to see a coalition of Democrats and Republicans continue to control the New York State Senate next year, according to a poll of registered voters out this morning.

    By the numbers: 16 percent want a GOP-controlled Senate, 22 percent want a Democratic-controlled Senate. And 58 percent like the Goldilocks option - the current coalition of Republicans and the Independent Democratic Conference. Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida, is a founding member of the IDC.

    Can you say their names again?

    Few voters know who their attorney general and state comptroller are. For the record, it's Eric Schneiderman (53 percent of those polled had no opinion of the AG) and Thomas DiNapoli (54 percent with no opinion of the comptroller). Both are Democrats, and both are running for re-election this year.

    Fuzzy Common Core math

    More than half of those polled - 55 percent - say they aren't confident that the Common Core will prepare students for college and careers. More than one-third of those polled, however, say the tests are too demanding.

    Doesn't look good from here

    Only 22 percent of those polled think New York is in good or excellent fiscal shape. Among Upstate voters polled? Just 16 percent rank the state's fiscal status as good or excellent.

    Rob who?
    Two-thirds of voters still have no opinion on or no idea who Rob Astorino is. Astorino is the Republican challenging Cuomo this fall.

    The survey polled 772 registered voters from April 12 to 17. It has an overall margin of plus-or-minus 3.5 percentage points.

    Contact Teri Weaver at tweaver@syracuse.com, 315-470-2274 or on Twitter at @TeriKWeaver.

    Powdered alcohol--'Palcohol'--headed to U.S. liquor stores

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    Update 10:42 am: The TTB is now saying that the approval was issued in error. Read the full update from The Associated Press. Powdered alcohol has been approved for sale in the United States, and is expected to be available starting this fall. The Phoenix, Arizona based company Palcohol has developed the substance, which can be mixed with water or...

    Update 10:42 am: The TTB is now saying that the approval was issued in error. Read the full update from The Associated Press.

    Powdered alcohol has been approved for sale in the United States, and is expected to be available starting this fall.

    The Phoenix, Arizona based company Palcohol has developed the substance, which can be mixed with water or other liquids to create an instant alcoholic beverage.

    The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved seven versions of the product, according to Lehrman Beverage Law: two rum-flavored, two vodka-flavored, one Cosmopolitan-flavored, one Lemon Drop-flavored, and one Margarita-flavored.

    Previously, Palcohol was touting its newly approved product as a way to sneak alcohol into venues where you would otherwise have to pay "pay $10, $15, $20 for a mixed drink with tax and tip," Huffington Post reported.

    Lehrman Beverage Law noted the large number of legal issues that could be raised by promoting the product in such a way, and Palcohol now presents the substance as "a great convenience for the person on the go."

    Palcohol also responded to the idea that their substance could be snorted as part of the lengthy post on the front page of the company's website:

    "We have seen comments about goofballs wanting to snort it. Don't do it! It is not a responsible or smart way to use the product. To take precautions against this action, we've added volume to the powder so it would take more than a half of a cup of powder to get the equivalent of one drink up your nose. You would feel a lot of pain for very little gain. Just use it the right way."

    National Public Radio noted that each state will have to set its own regulations for selling powdered alcohol which could take some states a long time.

    NPR also said that the substance could be dissolved in too small an amount of water, creating a beverage with dangerously high concentrations of alcohol.

    "The Palcohol company had better get some really, really good liability insurance," writes Lehrman Beverage Law.

    Will you try powdered alcohol? Leave a comment below.

    NY State Fair Belgian waffles' legacy began at 1964 World's Fair

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    Maurice and Rose Vermersch's waffles are still remembered 50 years after the 1964 World's Fair.

    NEW YORK (AP) -- The notion of introducing a new food to the American public is almost inconceivable in an era of TV chefs, global cuisine and foodie websites.

    But that's what happened 50 years ago at the 1964 New York World's Fair in Queens, N.Y., when a family from Belgium introduced Belgian waffles, topped with fresh whipped cream, powdered sugar and sliced strawberries.

    Once Maurice and Rose Vermersch and their daughter MariePaule began serving the delicacy, there was no turning back the crowds.

    "From the moment we opened there was a line. We couldn't see the end," recalled MariePaule Vermersch, 66, who helped her parents serve an average of 2,500 waffles a day during the fair, which opened 50 years ago on April 22, 1964. "It was wild."

    They were supposed to be called Brussels waffles -- named for the Belgian capital, where they were a specialty -- but her mother soon realized many Americans didn't know where Brussels was.

    The Vermersches first served the treat two years earlier at the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle, and for years after they made the waffles at the annual New York State Fair in Syracuse. But it was at the 1964 event in New York City that the waffles became a sensation.

    Compared to American waffles, the Belgian treat was light, crispy and fluffy. To this day, baby boomers fondly recall the memory of enjoying them at the fair.

    Vermersch said that for years she ran a coffee shop, MariePaule's Authentic Belgian Waffles, in her current home of Albuquerque, New Mexico, that featured a picture of the 1964 World's Fair.

    "People would look at the name and see the picture and say, 'I ate those waffles at the World's Fair,' and they'd pick up the phone and call their parents," said Vermersch, who is in New York to attend the fair's 50th anniversary celebration this month, and also to care for her 95-year-old mother, who lives in Queens. "I couldn't believe how often that would happen."

    What made the waffles so good? Vermersch cited a special cast-iron pan that heats up to 500 degrees. "As soon as the batter touches the grill, it gets crispy on the outside and soft on the inside," she said. "You don't want to put anything syrupy on it or it will turn it into a sponge."

    They served the waffles with whipped cream, adding hand-sliced strawberries for color.

    Waffles in the United States date back to the Pilgrims, who were familiar with them from time spent in the Netherlands, which has a similar waffle culture. And during the latter part of the 18th century, "waffle parties" were all the rage. Today, a version of the Belgian waffle can be found in diners and restaurants across the country.

    Vermersch said she vowed never to create an instant mix because the recipe requires fresh, carefully prepped ingredients: pure vanilla, fresh yeast or self-rising flour, melted but cooled sweet butter, and eggs at room temperature, with egg whites added at the end.

    But that's as much information as she'll divulge. About 12 years ago, she sold the Maurice Authentic Belgian Waffle recipe to a Syracuse family on condition that it be served only at the New York State Fair. The exact recipe, she says, is a secret.

    Gallery preview 

    How polluted is your nearby lake or river? EPA website will tell you

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    Some information is missing, and some is highly technical.

    Washington, D.C. -- Want to know how much pollution is in your local lake, river or creek? An updated website from the Environmental Protection Agency will tell you -- with some limitations.

    "How's My Waterway?" lists streams, rivers and lakes across the country. You can pick a location and search any waterways in that area. The links contain technical reports and other information.

    You can also search by clicking an interactive map.

    Each waterway is listed as polluted, not polluted or not assessed. Not surprisingly, Onondaga Lake and its tributaries are all listed as polluted.

    polluted waterways 04 22 14.JPGView full sizeOnondaga Lake and its tributaries are all listed by the EPA as polluted. 

    A few caveats:

    -- Some information is outdated. Onondaga Lake was last assessed in 2010, for example, although Onondaga County and Honeywell officials say they've made significant progress in the cleanup in the past few years.

    -- Some reports are highly technical. For example, the report on amending the maximum amount of ammonia that can be put into Onondaga Lake lake is dense with technical terms and acronyms.

    -- Much of the information is missing or incomplete. Click on the link for mercury in Onondaga Lake, for example, and you get a couple of technical reports that don't tell you how much mercury is in Onondaga Lake.

    To learn more about how to use the site, you can register for a webinair that runs 1 to 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday.

    Let us know in the comment section below what you found out about your favorite waterway.

    Contact Glenn Coin at gcoin@syracuse.com or 315-470-3251. Follow him on Twitter @glenncoin

    Powdered alcohol not actually legal; approval was an error, say feds

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    The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau said powdered alcohol was approved in error.

    NEW YORK (AP) -- Don't expect powdered alcohol to hit store shelves anytime soon.

    A product called "Palcohol" gained widespread attention online in recent days after it was reported that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved the powdered alcohol, including vodka and rum varieties. But a representative for the federal bureau, Tom Hogue, said in an email to The Associated Press late Monday that the approvals were issued in error.

    Hogue did not immediately respond to requests for further details, including how the error occurred. In an email message, Palcohol's parent company Lipsmark said "there seemed to be a discrepancy on our fill level, how much powder is in the bag." It said it will resubmit the labels for approval.

    According to the website for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, multiple varieties of Palcohol received "label approval" on April 8. Palcohol said in an email at around 5 p.m. EDT that it agreed to surrender the approvals "a few hours ago."

    The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is a part of the Treasury Department.

    Earlier in the day, Palcohol said in an email that its founder Mark Phillips was traveling and unavailable for an interview. It said it wasn't releasing any information on distribution or pricing, and the company's website doesn't provide details on how it makes powdered alcohol.

    Robert Lehrman, who runs a beverage law website that initially reported on the product, noted that Palcohol had to have gone through an extensive process before reaching the label approval stage.

    "An oversight of this nature does not ring true to me," Lehrman said in a phone interview. He suggested that the bureau may have heard back from lawmakers wanting more information on the powdered alcohols.

    The concept of a powdered alcohol isn't new. John Coupland, a professor of food science at Penn State University, noted that there have been multiple patents filed on powdered alcohols over the years. One by General Foods Corp. in the 1970s says the product is made by absorbing the ethanol onto some sort of carbohydrate powder.

    On its website, Palcohol says it plans to offer six varieties of powdered alcohol, including vodka, rum and four cocktails -- Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Powderita and Lemon Drop. The site says that a package weighs about an ounce and can fit into any pocket. It warns people that the powder should not be snorted.

    According to the site, Phillips came up with the idea because he is an "active guy" and wanted a way to enjoy an adult beverage after long hours hiking, biking or camping without having to carry around heavy bottles.


    "Boston Strong" co-creator and CNY native: "Marathon day filled with emotion"

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    The "Boston Strong" campaign raised another $5,000 on race day.

    Boston Strong co-creator and Fayetteville-Manlius High School graduate Lane Brenner spent the day at the Boston Marathon cheering on about a dozen friends who ran the race.

    Brenner, who is responsible along with two others for the Boston Strong T-shirt campaign, said she felt she'd come full circle, watching at the finish line last year and the starting line this year.

    Brenner, 23, and her partners Nicholas Reynolds and Chris Dobens were interviewed at the starting line by CNN, capping off a flurry of media interviews including the Today show, MTV and Fox news.

    The trio sold another $5,000 worth of T-shirts on Boston Marathon Day, making their total $1,069,369 on Tuesday morning. The three will continue selling the shirts online until April 27.

    "There was a lot of emotion at the Boston Marathon,'' Brenner said. "It was incredibly amazing to say everyone being so positive. We could see every wave of runners from where we stood, and it was amazing to hear people screaming out 'Boston Strong.'

    "We stayed at the starting line until about 2 pm. and then moved along to cheer them on,'' she said. "We then celebrated at Sweetwater tavern, and then moved onto Rock Bottom for dinner with about 15 people who ran the race."

    Brenner said she doesn't know any of the victims personally, but is happy to have helped raise money for them through the campaign.

    "We are just so happy to have been a part of this effort," she said.

    Liverpool school district to honor memory of Lori Bresnahan at inaugural book award ceremony

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    The public is invited to join the district for the ceremony.

    Lori Bresnahan.JPGLori Bresnahan 

    Liverpool, NY -- The Liverpool Central School District and its library media specialists will celebrate the life of beloved librarian Lori Bresnahan during a special event May 2.

    Bresnahan was murdered in March 2013. Police said Bresnahan, 47, was leaving a gymnastics class at Great Northern Mall in Clay around 9 p.m. March 14., when David J. Renz, of Cicero, attacked her in the parking lot. Renz drove her to nearby Verplank Road where she was fatally stabbed.

    The school district is using Bresnahan's love of literature to honor her memory.

    The district asked all students from kindergarten to sixth grade to participate in a special award contest. The district selected 10 books from the list of finalists for the New York State Reading Association's Charlotte Award. Students were asked to read each book or have the books read to them. Then the students were asked to vote on their favorite book.

    The book that receives the most votes will win the "Bresnahan Award."

    The Charlotte Award was Bresnahan's favorite book award because children voted for the winner, said Steven Garraffo, Liverpool's executive director for elementary education.

    colorlogocreatingfuture.JPG 

    "Lori taught in many of the LCSD schools and was known for her love of literature and her joy of sharing books with children," said Kay Budmen, Soule Road Elementary library media specialist. "This award was created by the district librarians to honor her and her work."

    In addition to the involvement of elementary students, middle school students contributed to the award's design and high school students helped create the online voting system.

    The public is invited to join the district and its library media specialists for the ceremony and to see the winner unveiled. The event will include Liverpool school district celebrities reading each of the 10 nominees and several guest speakers. The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. May 2 at the Barnes & Noble on Route 31 in Liverpool.

    Barnes & Noble also will host a book fair with proceeds going toward building a
    "Lori's Bookshelf" in each Liverpool school.

    "I close my eyes and imagine seeing a shelf in the library with Lori's photo and Lori's biography with Bresnahan Award-winning books displayed," Garraffo said. "It gives me chills."

    Sarah Moses covers the northern suburbs of Onondaga County and Oswego County. Contact Sarah at smoses@syracuse.com or 470-2298. Follow @SarahMoses315

    Lockheed Martin profits surge 23% as company boosts outlook for 2014

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    Profits surge despite sales decline of 4 percent to $10.65 billion.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. --Lockheed Martin Corp. today reported a 23 percent surge in first-quarter profits to $933 million, and increased the outlook for its 2014 operating profit and earnings per share.

    The world's largest defense contractor, flush with $2.1 billion in cash from operations in the quarter, said it bought back 7 million shares of stock during the quarter for $1.1 billion.

    Lockheed Martin is Onondaga County's largest for-profit employer, with a workforce of about 1,600 at Electronics Park in Salina. The suburban Syracuse plant designs and builds radar, sonar and other sensors used by the military.

    The surge in profits came as Lockheed moved forward with plans to close four of its plants across the United States, eliminating 4,000 jobs as part of a restructuring to be completed by mid-2015.

    Lockheed's suburban Syracuse plant had been among those on the closing list announced in November, according to internal Lockheed documents reviewed by syracuse.com. But Lockheed abandoned that plan after U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., contacted Lockheed President and CEO Marillyn Hewson.

    Hewson said in a statement today that the company's bottom line benefited from the focus on costs as first-quarter sales declined almost 4 percent to $10.65 billion, from $11.1 billion in the first quarter of 2013.

    "The strong earnings and operating cash delivered in the first quarter are a result of our continued focus on program performance, affordability and meeting commitments to our customers," Hewson said. "Our diverse portfolio of products and services, investment in future innovations and dedicated workforce give me confidence that we'll continue to deliver outstanding results for our customers and return value for our shareholders."

    In 2013, Lockheed reported sales of $45.4 billion, a decline of about 3.9 percent from $47.2 billion in 2012. But Lockheed managed to grow profit by 8.6 percent to about $3 billion for the year as it cut costs and improved efficiency.

    Contact Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWeinerDC

    Netflix opposes Comcast-Time Warner Cable deal, Comcast boldly fires back

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    Netflix argued the cable companies' merger would be anti-competitive.

    In addition to announcing plans to raise prices for new subscribers, Netflix took a shot at what will soon be the United States' largest Internet and cable TV provider by far.

    Comcast Corp. argued earlier this month that its $45 billion takeover of Time Warner Cable Inc. would benefit customers, improve video-on-demand service and broaden the company's commitment to "Net neutrality." Comcast also disputed concerns the merger would create a monopoly, stating that it does not currently compete with TWC in any markets.

    Netflix disagreed, however, in its first quarter letter sent to shareholders Monday.

    "Comcast is already dominant enough to be able to capture unprecedented fees from transit providers and services as Netflix," the online streaming company said, according to The Washington Post. "The combined company would possess even more anti-competitive leverage to charge arbitrary interconnection tolls for access to their customers. For this reason, Netflix opposes this merger."

    Netflix, which boasts more than 33 million subscribers, reportedly accounts for one third of all Internet traffic during peak times. In February, Netflix reached a multi-year deal with Comcast to ensure smoother video streaming to its Internet service customers.

    Comcast responded sharply Monday to Netflix's comments with a lengthy statement about "the facts."

    According to Tech Crunch, Comcast said its agreement with Netflix is similar to deals between Yahoo, Google and other other companies with Verizon, AT&T and other ISPs (Internet service providers). The cable giant also said Netflix first pursued the deal with Comcast, and that Netflix's complaint had nothing to do with the merger and how it might affect the cable industry.

    "If Netflix did not like the terms of our agreement, or if they do not like the terms Comcast provides at any time in the future, Netflix can work with any of the multiplicity of partners that connect with Comcast," Comcast's statement said. "There was and is no need for Netflix or any other Internet content provider to work directly with us or any other specific ISP."

    Deadline reports Comcast also accused Netflix of "wanting to unfairly shift its costs from its customers to all Internet customers, regardless of whether they subscribe to Netflix or not."

    Tech Crunch explains that "traditional" net neutrality -- allowing all Internet content to be equally accessible -- might be an unfair advantage to Netflix, which eats up the majority of bandwidths at times. As a result, Comcast's deal with Netflix could help it shift the ISP's increasing costs to Netflix.

    What do you think? Is Netflix right to oppose the merger, or is Comcast right that Netflix's complaints aren't about the merger itself?

    Faced with thousands of potholes, Syracuse officials ask for help to locate them all

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    It's the worst pothole season in recent memory. Watch video

    SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Calling this the worst pothole season in recent memory, Syracuse officials are urging residents to report the annoying holes and craters to help public works crews get them all fixed.

    Pothole sitings can be called in to 448-2489, emailed to potholes@syrgov.net, or entered directly on the city web site. Tweets to @Syracuse1848 or Facebook messages are also encouraged.

    Mayor Stephanie Miner said the city's goal is to fill potholes within 24 hours of receiving a report, although they may fall short at times. In the past three weeks, the city has filled more than 2,000 potholes -- but there are many, many more, thanks to the severe winter.

    Pete O'Connor, the public works commissioner, said there are twice as many potholes as normal this spring.

     

    "They are definitely bigger and deeper than I've ever seen,'' O'Connor said. "We've had people working here 35 years working in this department and they're saying the same thing.''

    DPW Foreman Kevin Hunter, who stands well over six feet tall, said he filled a pothole yesterday on Hawley Avenue that was big enough for him to lie down in. The city's Dura Patcher truck, which fills potholes with a mix of stone and emulsified asphalt, fills a normal pothole in about 30 seconds. The crater on Hawley took nine minutes to fill, Hunter said. "In 15 years working here, this is the worst I've seen,'' Hunter said.

    The city has two Dura Patcher trucks on the road, plus three crews that use less-durable hot patch asphalt to fill holes. Dura Patcher repairs last at least five years, O'Connor said, but hot patch only stands up for about a year.

    Next week, city crews will begin milling and paving operations to repair whole sections of beat-up streets, O'Connor said.

    Contact Tim Knauss at tknauss@syracuse.com or 315-470-3023 or follow on Twitter @TimKnauss.

    Boston Marathon 2014 results: See, search official times for New York runners

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    Find official times for Boston Marathon runners from New York state, Central New York.

    More than 1,500 people from New York state competed in this year's Boston Marathon.

    The top runners from New York state were:

    Male: Chip Ohara, 33, Auburn: 02:24:35 (Placed 50 overall)
    Female: Sarah Cummings, 25, New York: 02:34:57 (Placed 176 overall)


    Central New York runners well-represented at Boston Marathon

    We have taken the times for all the runners from New York state (1,536) and created a database so you can look up competitors by name or town. We have also created a ranking for the New York runners. (Times are courtesy the Boston Athletic Association & Boston Marathon, the race organizers.)

    Online Database by Caspio



    Click here to load this Caspio Online Database.

    Note: If we missed a Central New York runner let us know.

    City responds: Arbitrator had no right to rule that firefighter with diabetes should return to work

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    John Williams is fighting the city to get his job back as firefighter. Watch video

    Syracuse, NY -- An arbitrator who ruled that Syracuse should bring back a fired firefighter with lifelong diabetes acted beyond his powers, a city lawyer argued in court today.

    John Williams, with the backing of the city's fire union, has sued to get his job back with back pay after being removed from service in August 2011. That was a day after he admitted feeling light-headed at a fire scene due to low blood sugar.

    Williams argued that his firing was "arbitrary and capricious" because the city and county did not follow civil service law -- including giving him the right to challenge his removal.

    Original coverage: Syracuse firefighter with diabetes says 'life has been hell' since he was forced off the job

    The complex legal case has ramifications for anyone struggling to control a chronic disability in a dangerous line of work. Fire union president Paul Motondo and Fire Chief Paul Linnertz both attended today's hearing in the old County Courthouse.

    After listening to doctors, a non-binding arbitrator ruled last year that Williams was doing a better job of controlling his diabetes and should be returned to work.

    But Assistant Corporation Counsel Romana Rabeler said in state Supreme Court today that the arbitrator wasn't asked to decide that question. He was only to decide whether or not the city appropriately removed Williams in 2011 and officially suspended him in 2012.

    "There's no question he needed to be out on medical leave," Rabeler said. She pointed to an episode in January 2008 in which Williams crashed his own car into a fire station after work.

    "I don' think there's a question something had to be done at that point," agreed Judge Walter Hafner Jr.

    Williams' lawyer, Nathaniel Lambright, noted that episode happened more than three years before the firefighter was suspended, and could never be proven to be diabetes-related. Williams' own doctor cited the flu.

     

    Lambright argued that Williams was never given the right to contest his removal in 2011 and the city did not have enough current medical information to officially fire him early this year.

    The arbitrator, Ira Lobel, ruled that the city was wrong in not getting Williams a proper medical exam after his 2011 removal. The judge noted today it took eight months for the city to provide a rationale for Williams' involuntary leave. (The city said it was in settlement talks with Williams during the delay.)

    The proper doctor didn't examine Williams until nearly a year after his removal.

    Hafner noted that the arbitrator found sufficient evidence that Williams should have been removed in 2011. But the judge questioned why the city hadn't followed the arbitrator's 2013 findings that Williams was fit for duty then.

    "That wasn't what the hearing was about," Rabeler responded. She pointed to the arbitrator's ruling that three unexplained episodes and one diabetes-related episode were enough cause for concern to remove Williams in 2011.

    She also suggested that the city considered "other evidence" in firing Williams. She did not elaborate.

    An Onondaga County attorney, Tom Kutzer, said that the county's civil service officer, Peter Troiano, also determined Williams was not fit for duty based on evidence from the months after his removal.

    Kutzer also argued that the arbitrator was not allowed to decide whether Williams should be returned to work now.

    Lambright asked the judge to order the case be taken up by an appeals court. That would leave the decision up to a panel of five judges, instead of a single state Supreme Court judge.

    Even if Hafner decides to hear the case, the losing side could appeal the case to the higher court, anyway.

    The judge said he would issue a written decision.


    Syracuse area unemployment down, but fewer people are working

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    Central New York unemployment is down, but so is job growth and the labor force.

    The Syracuse area's unemployment rate dropped in March to 7.1 percent. That's down from 8.2 percent a year ago.

    But the unemployment rate only tells part of the story for the Syracuse area, which includes Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties.

    The region's labor force continued to shrink, along with the total of number of people who are working. The number of people employed dropped by 1,400 people -- from 292,900 people in March 2013 to 291,500 last month, according to numbers from the state Department of Labor.

    The labor force shrank, too. It was 319,000 in March 2013. Last month, it was 313,700.
    The number of people unemployed went from 26,100 to 22,200. It's likely that some of the improvement in that number was because people stopped looking for work and were no longer counted.

    The unemployment number comes from a monthly telephone survey. (Not the number of people collecting unemployment insurance). To be counted as unemployed, a person has to be actively looking for work.

    Central New York is also aging faster that the rest of the country, and is likely losing some its labor force to retirement.

    The region's job growth picture showed a similar loss. There were 254,100 private sector jobs in the region last month, compared with 255,300 a year ago, according to state numbers.

    Unemployment in Cayuga County was 7.2 percent. The state average was 7.3 percent and the U.S. average was 6.8 percent.

    Contact Marnie Eisenstadt at meisenstadt@syracuse.com or 315-470-2246.

    Green Lakes to get $5.2 million in repairs this year

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    The work includes improvements to camping areas, trails and a new park office.

    SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Green Lakes State Park in Manlius will get $5.2 million in repairs and improvements this summer, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today.

    The work includes improvements to camping areas, new showers, the golf course clubhouse and a new park office.

    The projects are part of $90 million the state will spend on sprucing up parks this year.

    At Green Lakes, the work includes:

    • $2.9 million for the park's entrances, including a new park office, Park Police building and better traffic flow.

    • $1.1 million to rehabilitate the Pine Wood Campground,including building a new shower and bathroom facility, upgrading electrical service and improving the playground.

    • $900,000 to improve the golf course's clubhouse and pro shop.

    • $200,000 to improve the park's sewage treatment system.

    • $100,000 to improve park trails.

    Contact Teri Weaver at tweaver@syracuse.com, 315-470-2274 or on Twitter at @TeriKWeaver.

    Anchorage airport police lose track of explosive, find it attached to rental car

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    Police at the Anchorage airport lost track of a small quantity of explosives used for training bomb-sniffing dogs.

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Police at the Anchorage airport lost track of a small quantity of explosives used for training bomb-sniffing dogs.

    The explosive was attached to a rental car that a customer drove away Monday at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.

    Airport Police and Fire Chief Jesse Davis tells KTUU the explosive was recovered Monday afternoon in the Anchorage area.

    He says the amount of explosives in the vehicle was small and didn't pose a threat to the driver or the public.

    The department is reviewing policies to make sure officers don't lose track of explosives again.

    Rep. Dan Maffei will hold town hall meeting next month in Auburn

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    Public invited May 13 to Cayuga Community College.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei plans to hold a town hall meeting next month at Cayuga Community College in Auburn.

    The public meeting will be 6 to 7 p.m. May 13 in the college's Bisgrove Theatre, 197 Franklin St.

    Maffei has regularly held meetings open to the public since he won back the 24th Congressional District seat in November 2012, but only one of those has included a traditional town hall meeting as its format.

    About 70 people showed up in September at Maffei's town hall meeting at Onondaga Community College.

    Maffei has been criticized by his opponents for not holding more traditional town hall meetings. Instead, he has preferred to meet with the public in small groups at open house events called "Discuss it with Dan." He also hosted a series of public roundtable meetings and forums.

    Like the September meeting, the theme of the Auburn meeting will be "Strengthening the Middle Class," according to Maffei's office.

    Due to security concerns, no signs or banners will be permitted in Bisgrove Theatre, Maffei's office said. Accessible seating will be available for those who need assistance.

    Contact Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWeinerDC

    Marcellus town councilor resigns to take job with district attorney

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    Councilor Peter Hakes, who is a lawyer, has resigned his seat on the Marcellus town council to take a new job.

    Marcellus, NY -Marcellus Town Councilor Peter Hakes has resigned from the board to take a position with the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office.

    Hakes is a lawyer who had his own practice.

    2011-06-13-ShaolinMoore-EMB.JPGPeter Hakes 

    Under New York law, he must resign from his elected position to take the job at the district attorney's office, Hakes said in a note on the town's website.

    The board is accepting applications for Hakes' position, which pays $6,120 annually.So far two people have expressed an interest in Hake's position, said Supervisor Mary Jo Paul.

    The board will appoint someone to fill Hakes' term through the end of this year. A special election will be held this fall to fill the one year remaining in Hakes' term.

    Anyone interested in the position should send a letter of interest to the Marcellus Town Board , 24 E. Main St.., Marcellus, NY 13108.

    Contact Charley Hannagan by voice or text at 315-470-2161, by email at channagan@syracuse.com, on Facebook at Neighbors West or on Twitter @charleypost.

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