Quantcast
Channel: Central NY News: Top News
Viewing all 44833 articles
Browse latest View live

Syracuse snow season begins today

0
0

We have crossed a meteorological Rubicon.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Today we turn the corner toward snow season in Syracuse.

Oct. 1 is the first date of fall on which snow has ever been recorded in Syracuse. On this date in 1946, 0.6 inches of snow fell.

There is no record of measurable snow falling in Syracuse during September going back to 1902, according to the Northeastern Regional Climate Center. (Or June, July and August, for that matter.)

October isn't particularly snowy, of course. We've never gotten more than 1.4 inches on any day through Oct. 20. The snowiest October day ever was Halloween 1906, when 3.7 inches fell.

And last year we had no measurable snowfall in October at all.

For the record, there is no forecast for snow anytime soon. But here's the point: We have crossed the meteorological Rubicon between the months that have no snow to those that do.

So despite this glorious early fall we've been having, it's almost time to find those wool coats and winter boots tucked away in the basement. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Dates of first measurable (at least 0.1 inches) snowfall in Upstate cities:

Syracuse: Oct. 1 (1946)
Watertown: Oct. 1 (1946)
Oswego: Oct. 2 (1974)
Buffalo: Oct. 6 (1991)
Rochester: Oct. 12 (1906)

Contact Glenn Coin: Email | Twitter | Google + | (315) 470-3251


Maffei questions Katko's plea deal for disgraced Oswego mayor's sex offense (video)

0
0

John Katko says U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei's new ad is part of a "smear campaign" that is "sinking even lower into the political gutter."

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei today questioned the judgment of his opponent, John Katko, over the handling of a 2006 sex case against the former mayor of Oswego.

Katko, a former federal prosecutor, agreed as part of a plea deal to drop a charge of soliciting sex from a 14-year-old against former Oswego Mayor John Gosek.

State police had wiretapped Gosek's phone in 2004 after an Oswego High School monitor told them the mayor was asking her to find young girls for sex.

As part of the plea deal, Gosek pleaded guilty to a separate felony charge of using his city cell phone to solicit sex with two other girls he believed were 15 years old. That case was part of a sting operation run by the FBI.

Instead of receiving a mandatory minimum five-year sentence in the case of the 15-year-old girls, Gosek was sentenced to 37 months in prison.

Katko asked U.S. District Judge Thomas McAvoy to make an exception and cut two years from the sentence because he said Gosek cooperated with federal prosecutors. At the time, Katko cited Gosek's "substantial assistance" to prosecutors on unidentified issues.

Details of what Gosek told investigators were removed from a sentencing memorandum filed by Katko, who at the time said only that his office was investigating other "possible wrongdoing in Oswego."

Maffei, D-Syracuse, suggests in a new TV ad today that the deal was politically motivated, and that "Katko put politics ahead of our safety." The ad notes that Katko, a Republican, asked the Republican-appointed judge in the case for a more lenient sentence against Gosek, a Republican mayor.

"A Republican mayor faced thirty years in prison for soliciting children," a narrator says in the 30-second commercial. "But Katko stepped in -- and persuaded the Republican judge to give the mayor a shorter sentence. John Katko puts politics ahead of us."

The Katko campaign said today there was nothing unusual about how the Gosek case was handled. In fact, Katko received a commendation from the FBI director for his work on the case.

Katko, in a statement, said Maffei's campaign was "sinking even lower into the political gutter" and running a "smear campaign."

"Dan Maffei's campaign has become an embarrassment to democracy," Katko said.
"I expected more from a self-described intellectual policy wonk with three Ivy League degrees. Dan Maffei's campaign is deceitful, deceptive, and desperate. He sees the sun setting on his career as a politician."

Maffei repeated his charges against Katko at a news conference this morning in Syracuse's Clinton Square, where he was joined by a group of Central New York mothers and community activists.

When Maffei's campaign manager was asked later if he had evidence that Gosek received special treatment because of his political affiliation, he responded with a statement that did not answer the question.

"The fact is that John Katko put politics ahead of community safety, seeking a plea deal with a known child sexual predator," Maffei campaign manager Kane Miller said. "A mayor who had a long history of soliciting children faced 30 years in prison. Katko dropped one of the charges, and persuaded a Republican judge to give the mayor a shorter sentence putting our community at risk."

The FBI obtained eavesdropping warrants to tap Gosek's phones in 2005, but the applications for those warrants and other related documents remain sealed from the public nearly 10 years later.

The Post-Standard tried twice without success to have a judge order the documents unsealed. But McAvoy, the judge in the case, agreed with Katko's argument that unsealing the documents would severely jeopardize ongoing investigations into Gosek and others.

Maffei new ad replaces one that began airing Thursday on Syracuse TV stations, criticizing Katko for how he handled a gun that was stolen and used in a robbery that left two people dead.

The attack ads started airing as two polls -- one independent and one from Katko -- showed the race for the 24th District seat has become increasingly competitive.

Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751

Rep. Dan Maffei's new ad

Brooklyn teacher allegedly victimized 7 students, traded good grades for sex

0
0

Sean Shaynak allegedly sexually abused female students between the ages of 13 and 19 for three years.

A teacher at a prestigious Brooklyn high school has been accused of sexually abusing at least seven students between 2011 and 2014.

Sean Shaynak, a 44-year-old teacher at Brooklyn Technical High School, pleaded not guilty to a new 36-count indictment on Tuesday, The Associated Press reported. He was previously facing charges for sending an indecent photo to a female student, and the new charges add six new students to his list of victims.

The charges include kidnapping, forcible touching, sexual abuse and criminal sexual act.

Brooklyn prosecutor Joseph Mancino told Justice Martin P. Murphy that Shaynak "looked to groom these students," The New York Times reported. He is accused of sending thousands of text messages to the girls, taking them on trips, and giving them alcohol and cigarettes.

Mancino said he would also "routinely give [one teen] 100s in his class even though she turned in work with no answers," according to The New York Post.

Shaynak's alleged abuses didn't stop there. Investigators discovered text messages, photos and videos on his phone and computer that detailed sexual abuses with teens aged 13 to 19.

When the girl he gave perfect grades to refused to perform a certain sex act, he forced himself on her, Mancino said.

He allegedly took another teen on a "terror ride" from Queens to Brooklyn, which ended with her running from him to hide in some bushes while he "screamed and banged on the car." He brought that same student to a sex club in another state.

During one incident, he told a 15-year-old girl that they were going to pick up school supplies, and instead brought her to a nude beach in New Jersey, The New York Daily News reported. He plied her with hard liquor until she passed out. He is accused of encouraging that same student to have a sexual relationship with another female student.

Before the new indictment, Shaynak, who lives in Flatbush, was accused of sending a photo of his genitals to one 16-year-old student. He had pleaded not guilty to those charges as well.

Now, he faces up to 25 years in prison on the top charge, The AP reported.

"These alleged actions are completely unacceptable and have no place in, or outside of, our schools," City Department of Education spokeswoman Devora Kaye said after Shaynak's original arrest in August. "The DOE took swift action to immediately reassign Mr. Shaynak following his initial arrest. He is not, and will not be, in contact with students. Student safety remains our top priority."

Shaynak has been removed from the classroom, but will continue to collect his salary of $52,744. He is currently in custody, with bail set at $1 million.

Brooklyn Technical High School is a highly selective school which counts Mayor Bill de Blasio's son, Dante, among its students.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

8-year-old makes $1.3 million a year from posting toy reviews on YouTube

0
0

8-year-old Evan is making over a million dollars a year by posting toy and video games reviews on YouTube.

Meet Evan--an 8-year-old who goes to school, does his homework, hangs out with friends, attends karate class, and makes over a million dollars a year playing with toys.

For the past three years, Evan has reviewed toys and video games that his dad, Jared, records on video, Newsweek reports. The videos often include Evan introducing the toy, opening the packing and demonstrating how to use it. Evan's sister and mom sometimes make an appearance. Jared, who runs a photography and video production company, then adds special effects and edits the videos before posting them on the YouTube channel EvanTubeHD.

With his channel having over 835,000 subscribers, Evan rakes in an astounding $1.3 million a year from his toy reviews on YouTube, Business Insider reports.

But Evan's family doesn't spend money. Instead, they save it for the kids, Jared told Newsweek last year. "All the proceeds from our YouTube channels go directly into savings and investment accounts for the kids' futures. We figure that by the time they are of college age, these accounts will have accumulated to a nice sum."

The channel started three years ago when Evan and Jared started making Angry Birds stop-motion clay videos "When we started, we were making about a video per month as a fun little project," Jared said. "It was interesting to see who was tuning in. But it wasn't until our original clay model video hit 1 million views that we began to realize how huge this was getting."

Evan was soon getting requests to talk about toys. "By doing toy reviews that are a bit 'out of the box,' we try to provide information about the product as well as have that creative flare," Jared told Newsweek.

With the increasing number of views, a demand for advertising increased as well. Jared told Newsweek they have a sales team that sells and negotiates ads and deals with brands and businesses. "These include both ads that appear in and around each video as well as products actually featured in our videos. The majority of the revenue is generated by the ads placed on the video itself," Jared said. "Outside of the networks, YouTube/Google handles all ad placement within the site. Content creators have a few options regarding the format of ads they would like to allow on their videos. But the actual ads are chosen by some higher power."

Some of Evan's videos in the past month include reviews of Skylanders Trap Team Nintento 3DS game, Anki Drive Battle Grand Prix and The Simpsons LEGO mini figures. Evan's most popular video--a review of the Angry Birds Softee Dough--has been viewed more than 52 million times. "Sorry if I'm talking a little funny today because I just lost my tooth," Evan says during the video before smiling and pointing to the gap in his teeth.

After Evan plays with the toys, the family often donates them to charity, ABC News reports.

Though their son might just be the most popular 8-year-old on the Internet, the family still tries to maintain a sense of privacy for their life. They do not give out Evan's last name during interviews nor do they share any personal information on their YouTube channel.

Evan isn't even aware of his popularity, Jared told Newsweek: "As the channel has grown, he has been recognized on several occasions...I don't think he realizes the magnitude of the channel's popularity."

 

Prosecutor: Rural Onondaga man shot unarmed neighbor through fence

0
0

Timothy Joyce, 60, is facing assault charges in the shooting of his neighbor on Cole Road, in southern town of Onondaga.

Timothy Joyce.JPGView full sizeTimothy Joyce 

Onondaga, NY -- When deputies arrived to a shooting at a rural address in the town of Onondaga, they found one man bleeding in the street and his neighbor towering over him.

The deputy ordered that Timothy Joyce, 60, show his hands. Then Deputy Bradley Baker asked Joyce what happened, according to a police report.

"He came on my property, so I shot him," Joyce told the deputy.

When asked where the gun was, Joyce replied: "I put it inside."

That exchange led to Joyce's arrest on charges of assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

The Sept. 9 episode started when Marc Seward walked over to Joyce's property at 4448 Cole Road to talk to him about an ongoing dispute, said prosecutor Michael Manfredi.

From inside his fenced property, Joyce pulled a handgun and fired at Seward in the street, striking the victim in the left arm, Manfredi said. Seward was not armed and had not reached Joyce's front door, the prosecutor said.

 
Onondaga Town Justice J. Craig Kerr said this wasn't the first time Joyce had been involved in a dispute with one of his neighbors. But like most neighborly disputes, none of the previous conflicts ended with criminal charges.

"This gentleman has had a problem with several people in the past," Kerr said. But nothing had devolved to the level of a shooting.

Manfredi agreed. "There is a history of bad blood with this particular neighbor, as well as with other neighbors on the street," the prosecutor said, though he stressed that Joyce's issues with other neighbors wouldn't play a role in the shooting prosecution.

But Joyce's previous problems concerned the judge enough that he ordered a mental exam to determine whether Joyce was competent enough to proceed with criminal charges.

"It is because that kind of history and what the (accusations are) that I ordered the mental exam," the judge said.

Manfredi said he wasn't sure exactly what sparked the feud between the two neighbors. Neighbors have told him theories, but the prosecutor isn't 100 percent sure what is accurate. By the time he got involved, both parties had gripes against each other.

"I don't think that Mr. Seward acted in any way that would justify him being shot by defendant," the prosecutor said. "There have been no complaints filed by Mr. Joyce against Mr. Seward."

Joyce's lawyer, Terry Hoffmann, said in court Tuesday that Seward had threatened Joyce and he was defending himself. He also pointed to an earlier incident in which Joyce accused Seward of threatening him with a hammer. But Manfredi said no complaint was filed and he knew nothing of that incident.

Joyce's case has been heard by a grand jury and an indictment will be coming soon, Manfredi said. He remains in jail on $250,000 bail.

A woman who answered the phone at Seward's house this morning did not comment, other than to say that Seward, 59, was struggling to recover from the injuries.

 

Police: Ambush suspect Eric Frein is making errors as manhunt continues

0
0

Eric Frein is leaving a trail in the woods as police narrow in on his whereabouts.

BLOOMING GROVE, Pa. -- The discovery of two powerful pipe bombs during a manhunt in the Pennsylvania woods indicates the fugitive wanted in an ambush on state troopers is stressed out and making mistakes, authorities said as they repeated a call for him to surrender.

The explosives were not deployed, but they were fully functional and capable of causing significant damage, state police Lt. Col. George Bivens said Tuesday.

Officials are convinced the weapons belonged to 31-year-old Eric Frein, a self-taught survivalist who has been on the run since Sept. 12. He's charged with killing one trooper and seriously wounding another outside their barracks in Blooming Grove.

The bombs were among several items that Bivens described as being "hastily discarded" by Frein at a campsite in the rugged terrain of the Pocono Mountains. He declined to identify the other objects but said Frein abandoned them "under pressure" from the dragnet.

Bivens then addressed the suspect directly during a news conference: "You are clearly stressed. You are making significant mistakes."

The disclosure about the bombs comes as deer hunters prepare for bow hunting season to open this weekend. Pennsylvania Game Commission spokesman Travis Lau said Wednesday that hunting and trapping on public and private lands will be banned in seven townships in the area of the search, which is teeming with hundreds of heavily armed law enforcement officers. Parts of three state game lands will be closed to the public altogether.

The bombs' discovery prompted "more of a push for us to keep hunters out of the woods and ensure their safety, and ensure that hunters and trappers don't hinder the potential apprehension of Frein," Lau said.

Hunters have already been asked to keep an eye out for cabins or other structures that look like they've been tampered with or used by Frein.

Officers have found several structures where they think the suspect has stayed, Bivens said, and police also know what Frein is eating and drinking. He noted there had been at least one credible sighting of Frein this week - from between 75 yards and 100 yards away, and through thick woods.

This probably wasn't Frein's original getaway plan, Bivens said, although he believes the suspect "had prepared to some degree for this possibility." Frein's car was found submerged in a swamp several miles from the barracks a few days after the shooting.

"I think things went wrong with his plan," Bivens said. "I think he at least believed he would have another opportunity to prepare before he went off into the woods, and he didn't get that opportunity."

Authorities say Frein has a vendetta against law enforcement and ambushed two troopers during a shift change. Cpl. Bryon Dickson was killed and Trooper Alex Douglass remains hospitalized with unspecified injuries. Douglass has a long road to recovery, Bivens said.

Dickson wasn't even supposed to work the night of the attack, according to Bivens, but was filling in for another trooper. He said there's no evidence to suggest Frein deliberately targeted the troopers he shot.

Pompey dog control officer charged with cruelty: "It's been my worst nightmare"

0
0

Susan Snavlin said she loves every one of the dogs she had, and made sure they were safe and well-fed.

A Pompey dog control officer charged with animal cruelty said she kept more than 150 dogs at her Tully home because she thought she could provide them "with a better life" than they'd have at a shelter.

"Here they had sunshine and they are in the country,'' Susan Snavlin said. "I put them in kennels when I left the house to make sure they were safe. That way they couldn't run into the road."

Snavlin spoke in an exclusive interview with Syracuse.com Wednesday, saying she loves every one of the dogs she had and "would never, ever hurt an animal."

Snavlin, a 61-year-old grandmother, broke down several times as she talked about the seizure of her 150 dogs and 50 cats on her property.

The reason she had so many dogs she said is that she couldn't bear to give them up.

"I just couldn't bring myself to give even one away,'' she said. "I have seen too much bad stuff as a dog control officer."

Snavlin was charged Monday with animal cruelty. She has resigned as town dog control officer, a job she's had since 2003. She will face charges in Tully town court.

SPCA Executive Director Paul Morgan said the agency spent Monday night and Tuesday removing the dogs and cats from the Tully Farms Road dairy farm. Many of the animals were filthy, and were covered in feces and urine, he said. They also desperately needed grooming, he said.

Snavlin, who said she's been battling migraines since the incident and can't sleep at night, said she's received some terrifying threatening phone calls from people who heard about the dogs. Some people who know her have called offering support, but Snavln said the past few days have "been my worst nightmare.'

All of the dogs and cats Snavlin kept were well-fed, she said.

"Not one was malnourished,'' she said, often crying as she talked. "I spent tons of money feeding them all. I didn't take any donations to feed them. I worked all day, and I bought dog food every day.

"We live on a dairy farm and I fed them milk morning and night, " she said. "The day before this happened, I spent $120 on dog food at the store. I spent nearly all my money to feed them. I took care of them to the detriment of taking care of myself. "

Snavlin said she works a day job along with her dog control officer duties, but declined to say where she works.

Snavlin said she never took a dog from anyone or kept a stray dog she picked up. The dogs she has are all her own - and most of them had puppies which she then kept. That is how she ended up with so many dogs, she said.

If she found a stray working as the dog control officer, she said she would turn it over to the SPCA or work to find its owner.

"I would never take someone's dog,'' she said. "I never stole a dog, as some people have been saying."

Snavlin said she has never sold a dog either.

"I just hate to take puppies away from their mother, so I would keep them all," she said. "I had names for all of them."

Why didn't she ever ask for help? Her husband, Richard, often scolded her for having too many dogs, but she thought she could do it all herself, she said.

"They were my responsibility and mine alone,'' she said. "I don't ask anyone for help."

She said regrets not grooming some of the smaller dogs whose fur SPCA officials said was matted and overgrown.

"The dogs wouldn't let me near them to clip them, so I couldn't do it,'' she said. "I know that was not good."

The SPCA officials who came to take her dogs were very nice to her, she said. Snavlin helped round up the animals, but she said broke down when they left.

"It kills me to see them gone,'' she said. "They depend on me, they know me and they trust me. And there is one border collie I've had for years, and they took her.

"I love them," she said. "They are my babies. I am brokenhearted."

New website aims to debunk rumors before they spread online

0
0

Launched last week, Emergent uses a combination of human and algorithmic processing to verify online rumors.

Some unusual stuff happened in September. "ESPN planned a domestic violence panel that didn't include any women," "Batmobile was stolen," and "Florida woman got a third breast" were all headlines that made their way across the Internet via social media. Though all the stories were intriguing and riveting, none of them turned out to be true.

Emergent debunks online rumors.pngThe home page for Emergent.info lists recent rumors circulating online and labels their accuracy. 
"It's no surprise that interesting and unusual claims are often the most widely circulated articles on social media," Dartmouth political science professor Brendan Nyhan writes. "Who wants to share boring stuff?"

But how does a reader decipher whether a story that seems legitimate is in fact factually accurate? A new online tool that launched last week after two months of testing is here to help.

Craig Silverman, a journalist and fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, has developed Emergent, a tool that tracks the spreading of rumors online, The New York Times reports.

The Atlantic outlines how the site operates:

"Emergent.info works through a combination of human and algorithmic processing. Silverman and a research assistant find rumors that are being reported in the mainstream media--most often, stories that bubble up through social media and get spotted by one outlet ... and then, from there, picked up by other outlets. Then they search Google News, which aggregates various news outlets' take on the story. They gather those stories and enter them into their database, classifying them according to the outlet and to how each of the outlets is reporting them."

The website lists popular rumors and labels them as "confirmed true," "confirmed false" or "unverified." For each individual rumor, the website tracks date of origin, number of sources and number of shares online. For the claim that the White House fence-jumper made it inside the main floor, Emergent labeled The Washington Post as the top source but also tracked reporting from ABC News, The New York Times, CNN and others.

Though Emergent's work is laudable, some say the site can't prevent the false information from initially spreading. For the story about the three-breasted woman, initial reports circulating on social media garnered a total of 188,000 shares, according to Emergent's data that was reported by The Atlantic. Though the story was quickly debunked, articles reporting that it was false didn't garner even one-third as many shares as the initial false reports. Concentrating on BuzzFeed's coverage of the story, The Atlantic found the initial story got more than 30,000 shares while the story discrediting the myth got just over 1,000.

"News organizations often have very little incentive--direct, commercial incentive, at least--to put their time and energy into them (new posts that discredit previous stories)," Megan Garber of The Atlantic writes.

Dartmouth professor Nyhan agrees and adds that rumors are often much more interesting than the truth: "The challenge for fact-checkers, it seems, is to make the facts as fun to share as the myths they seek to replace."


Sandy Hook school evacuated after bomb threat

0
0

The school was dismissed early and students moved to a nearby school to be picked up by their parents.

MONROE, Conn. (AP) -- A bomb threat has led to the evacuation of the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

Monroe Police Lt. Brian McCauley says the threat was called in to the school at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday and the evacuation was ordered as a precaution. He says the school building and grounds were checked and no evidence of danger was found.

Nancy Bartosik of the Monroe superintendent's office says the school was dismissed early and students moved to a nearby school to be picked up by their parents.

A gunman killed 20 first-grade students and six educators at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown in December 2012. The students resumed classes in a school in the neighboring town of Monroe, also called Sandy Hook Elementary School. The original school was torn down last year.

Sister: US Ebola patient said he was from Liberia during first visit to hospital

0
0

Hospital officials sent an Ebola patient home despite the patient telling doctors he had just traveled from Liberia.

DALLAS (AP) -- The sister of the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the United States says he told relatives he notified officials the first time he went to the hospital that he was visiting from Liberia.

Mai Wureh says her brother, Thomas Eric Duncan, went to a Dallas emergency room on Friday and they sent him home with antibiotics. She says he said hospital officials asked for his Social Security number and he said that he didn't have one because he was visiting from Liberia.

Duncan arrived in the U.S. on Sept. 20 to be with relatives in Dallas. He began to develop symptoms last Wednesday and sought care two days later. He was released and returned to the hospital and was admitted Sunday.

White woman sues Chicago sperm bank for sending vials from black donor

0
0

Ohio woman says while she and her same-sex partner love their mixed-race daughter, they worry about raising her in an "intolerant" community.

A white Ohio woman is suing a sperm bank in Chicago after the company mistakenly sent her and her same-sex partner vials from a black donor, The Chicago Tribune reports.

Jennifer Cramblett, of Uniontown, Ohio, gave birth to a mixed-race baby girl two years ago, but the suit claims it's been difficult for the parents to raise their daughter in a small, "intolerant" all-white community. Cramblett filed the suit in Cook County Court Monday.

After searching through pages of donors in September 2011, Cramblett and her domestic partner, Amanda Zinkon, ordered vials from donor No. 380, who, like the couple, was white. The lawsuit alleges that Midwestern Sperm Bank sent the couple's doctor in Ohio a vial from donor No. 330, who is African-American.

Cramblett learned of the mistake seven months later when she was pregnant and ordered more vials. Cramblett and Zinkon intended to have another child with sperm from the same donor.

Cramblett is suing the sperm bank for wrongful birth and breach of warranty, citing the emotional and economic losses she has suffered, the Tribune reports.

"On August 21, 2012, Jennifer gave birth to Payton, a beautiful, obviously mixed-race baby girl," the lawsuit states. "Jennifer bonded with Payton easily and she and Amanda love her very much. Even so, Jennifer lives each day with fears, anxieties and uncertainty about her future and Payton's future."

The couple's fears stem from the prejudice they've experienced from raising their mixed-race daughter in their all-white community that is already critical of their same-sex relationship. Cramblett was raised around stereotypical attitudes toward non-white people and didn't know any African-Americans until she attended college at the University of Akron.

"Because of this background and upbringing, Jennifer acknowledges her limited cultural competency relative to African-Americans and steep learning curve, particularly in small, homogenous Uniontown, which she regards as too racially intolerant," the lawsuit states.

Cramblett's therapists have advised the couple to relocate their family to a racially diverse community with good schools for the psychological well-being of their daughter, the Tribune reports. The lawsuit claims the sperm bank keeps handwritten records instead of electronic one, which allowed the donor numbers to be misread.

A month after Cramblett learned of the mistake, the sperm bank sent her a typed letter of apology and a refund check for the six vials of sperm they sent her in September 2011, the lawsuit says. Attempts by WGN to contact the Midwest Sperm Bank and Cramblett's attorney were unsuccessful.

One CNY school makes 2014 National Blue Ribbon list

0
0

One elementary school in Central New York made the list of National Blue Ribbon Schools this year.

One school in Central New York - Enders Road Elementary School in Manlius - has earned a 2014 National Blue Ribbon School designation

The elementary school, in the Fayetteville-Manlius school district, is one of 337 schools in the U.S and 18 in New York to make this year's list. The K-4 school has about 535 students.

Blue Ribbon schools are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education because they have achieved high levels of academic success or they have made significant improvement in closing achievement gaps.

Enders Road Elementary has been designated as an "Exemplary High Performing School." The school was nominated for the award by the New York State Department of Education based on the school's academic success.

"This recognition confirms progress towards our motto to be a school 'Where everyone says I Can!'," Enders Road Elementary Principal Deborah Capri said.

On state exams, Enders Road students scored well above most: 79 percent of the students met or exceeded state standards in math (vs. 35 percent statewide) and 61 percent in English (vs. 31 percent statewide).

Some 7,500 schools, including several in Central New York, have received the designation since the program began in 1982. Cherry Road Elementary School in the Westhill school district earned the honor in 2013.

Former US Secretary of Education Terrell Bell created the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program in 1982 to award academic excellence and achievements.

Gun range owner's 'Muslim free zone' sparks outrage

0
0

Jan Morgan wrote that the Koran contains 109 verses "commanding hate, murder and terror" against non-Muslims.

Jan_Morgan_make_my_day.jpgPromotional Image from Jan Morgan's website. 

A gun range owner in Arkansas caused outrage this week after declaring her business a "Muslim free zone."

In a post on her blog on Sunday, Jan Morgan, owner of the Gun Cave Indoor Shooting Range in Hot Springs, Ark., wrote "The Gun Cave Indoor Shooting Range is now a a MUSLIM FREE ZONE," followed by a lengthy explanation of why she would not allow followers of Islam to shoot at her range.

"This is a live fire indoor shooting range. People come here to buy, rent, and shoot lethal weapons," wrote Morgan. "In the range, people are shooting guns in close proximity to each other, so my patrons depend on me and my discretion regarding who I allow to shoot beside them. One mistake in judgement on my part could cost innocent people their lives."

She wrote that the Koran contains 109 verses "commanding hate, murder and terror" against non-Muslims.

"Why would I want to rent or sell a gun and hand ammunition to someone who aligns himself with a religion that commands him to kill me?"

She cited the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center buildings, the Boston Marathon bombing, the Fort Hood shooting and the recent beheading of a woman in Oklahoma as examples of violent acts committed by Muslims.

"This is more than enough loss of life on my home soil at the hands of Muslims to substantiate my position that Muslims can and will follow the directives in their Koran and kill here at home," she wrote.

Morgan said she is aware that not all Muslims are terrorists, but wrote, "Since I have no way of discerning which Muslims will or will not kill in the name of their religion and the commands in their Koran...I choose to err on the side of caution for the safety of my patrons."

Morgan describes herself as a "Nationally Recognized 2nd Amendment Advocate/Speaker." She frequently posts about 2nd Amendment news, but also writes anti-Islam posts, including one recently which described the religion as "evil."

The backlash to her proclamation on social media was widespread.

"You are a racist and deserve to have your business shut down," wrote one user on Morgan's Facebook page.

"Your hateful views is what extremists use as a recruiting tool. You're only hurting the cause not helping!" said another poster.

Morgan has also faced death threats, which she claims to get on a regular basis when she posts about Muslims.

Morgan does have her fair share of supporters who call her a "hero" and encourage her to "stand her ground." However, the backlash was apparently fierce enough to prompt her to take down the post from her blog. A webcached version is still available.

She concluded the post by writing, "I will do whatever is necessary to provide a safe environment for my customers, even at the cost of the increased threats and legal problems this decision will likely provoke."

Rita Sklar, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Arkansas told Business Insider that the ban is "unconstitutional."

"It's a violation of the right to religious liberty," said Sklar.

But Morgan wrote that she doesn't think of Islam as a religion:

"I view Islam as a theocracy, not a religion. Islam is the union of political, legal, and religious ideologies...The US Constitution does not protect a theocracy."

Morgan has not yet responded to requests for comment from Business Insider, but wrote recently on Facebook that she is facing a flood of emails and phone messages, and will try to respond to them all.

After Syracuse couple spends $1,000 on new driveway, city requires a new $4,500 sidewalk

0
0

Sidewalk regulations often confound homeowners.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - If Ed and Laura Kinlock had not fixed their beat-up driveway, they would not have been forced by city hall to pay for a costly sidewalk repair.

But the Kinlocks decided to spend $1,000 to repave their driveway with a fresh layer of asphalt. Their contractor also repaved their sidewalk, which was already asphalt.

IMG_4519.JPGThis is the sidewalk and driveway next door to the residence of Ed and Laura Kinlock, of Syracuse. Although asphalt is no longer permitted as a sidewalk material, city officials have not condemned this sidewalk because no recent work has been done on it. The Kinlocks were required to install a new concrete sidewalk after they repaved their asphalt driveway and sidewalk. 

Laura Kinlock said she was very pleased with the result - until the city condemned it, tore up their driveway and charged them $4,500 to install a new concrete sidewalk that goes through the driveway.

The Kinlocks, who moved to the East Side of Syracuse in 2012 from the sidewalk-free Radisson development in suburban Lysander, were stunned. They pleaded with city officials to leave the repaving job intact, saying all they had done was to improve the appearance and condition of an existing asphalt driveway and sidewalk.

They are not the first Syracuse residents to be confounded by the city's sidewalk rules, which demand costly perfection from some homeowners while ignoring shattered, upended or missing sidewalks elsewhere.

"It's just so capricious,'' Laura Kinlock said. "If you walked around the block, you would have said I had one of the nicer sidewalks.''

But it turns out that any driveway paving job that covers the sidewalk - even if it's just the portion of the sidewalk that crosses the driveway - provides grounds for the city to order a new concrete sidewalk to be built. The Kinlocks, who live on Nottingham Road in the Meadowbrook Drive neighborhood, now have a 5 foot-wide concrete sidewalk built by the city, which they will pay for on their taxes for the next 10 years.

The new sidewalk ends at the Kinlocks' property line, where it meets a pitted, 4 foot-wide asphalt sidewalk owned by their next-door neighbor. The neighbor's sidewalk has not been condemned.

The Syracuse Common Council has begun a review of sidewalk policies in hopes of creating a system that is more consistent and efficient at maintaining sidewalks, especially along major corridors with heavy pedestrian traffic. Councilors are reviewing a wide range of issues, including how sidewalks are paid for and how to make sure snow gets removed in the winter. In the meantime, here are a few lessons drawn from the Kinlocks' experience:

Lesson One: If you pave your driveway, you have to leave a concrete sidewalk across it.

Since 2003, the city has required all new sidewalks to be concrete, not asphalt. And the concrete must extend across blacktop driveways.

NYSYR-20141001-121117-LEGAL.JPGThis is how a legal sidewalk should look as it crosses a driveway. Syracuse no longer allows driveway blacktop to cover the concrete. This is a 4 foot-wide walk; the city recently started to require 5 foot-wide sidewalks.  

Many miles of asphalt sidewalk remain in Syracuse, within and outside of driveways, because the 2003 ordinance has only been enforced for new sidewalks. The city generally has not required homeowners to replace pre-existing asphalt with concrete unless the asphalt creates a trip hazard and someone reports it.

But if you repave your driveway, including the portion where the sidewalk crosses it, all bets are off. The new work creates a violation of the concrete-only rule. Matthew Jackson, the engineering project coordinator in charge of sidewalk maintenance at the Syracuse public works department, said he has no choice but to condemn the sidewalk if he learns it has been newly paved over.

"I can't just walk away,'' Jackson said. "It's been that way since 2003 that asphalt is no longer acceptable. It's a tough thing. I can't just not obey the (city) charter and say, 'Well, okay, you didn't know.' ''

Lesson Two: Make your paving contractor get a city permit.

Simple driveway sealing does not require a permit, but a permit is necessary for repaving. Sidewalk repair also requires a permit. City officials say homeowners should require their contractors to pull a permit before starting work.

On the back of the contract the Kinlocks signed with Superior Seal & Paving Inc., of Fayetteville, is this sentence: "If building or other permits are required, they shall be obtained and paid for by the home/business owner.''

Laura Kinlock said she did not notice that sentence before she signed. Nobody from Superior asked to see a permit, and none was obtained for the paving job, she said. She contacted the city water and sewer departments to have them raise the drain caps in the driveway before new asphalt was applied. Neither department mentioned the need for a permit.

IMG_4393.JPGLaura Kinlock, of Syracuse, said she asked the owner of this recently paved driveway for a recommendation of a paving contractor. The asphalt on this driveway covers the concrete sidewalk, which is no longer legal in Syracuse. 

If a permit had been pulled, it would have specified the need for a concrete sidewalk, Jackson said.

Although Superior's contract puts the onus on the property owner to obtain a permit, "that's bogus,'' said Pete O'Connor, Syracuse commissioner of public works.

Homeowners should require their contractors to pull permits, he said, because the contractors have to supply proof of insurance and because contractors are better equipped to understand technical building specifications.

Greg Rinaldi, president of Superior Seal & Paving, said he requires customers to pull any necessary permits because they may be required to supply a property survey or other information the paving company does not have. Rinaldi said he sympathizes with the Kinlocks, but his company only did what the customers asked them to do - repave a sidewalk that was already asphalt.

"I wasn't the original guy who paved over that sidewalk,'' he said. "All I did was pave over what was existing.''

However, Rinaldi said today that he plans to refund the Kinlocks' money, because of the
extra expense they incurred from the city.

Lesson Three: City officials have no recourse against contractors who pave over sidewalks.

DPW officials estimate that dozens of Syracuse driveways get repaved each year, and very few of the contractors obtain permits or install concrete walks. But the city has no legal grounds to hold contractors responsible, and can only require the property owner to correct the situation, O'Connor said.

"How do I penalize (contractors) now? I don't have any mechanism,'' O'Connor said.

That could change. O'Connor said he is working with city councilors on legislation that would require certain types of contractors, including snowplow drivers and paving companies, to obtain licenses to work in the city. That would give city officials more leverage to make sure contractors perform work that complies with city regulations, he said.

Contact Tim Knauss anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3023

Robin Katko to women voters: Rep. Dan Maffei is lying about my husband

0
0

Maffei's campaign says women voters should know Katko opposes bipartisan Paycheck Fairness Act.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Republican John Katko today turned to his wife, Robin, in a new effort to improve his standing among women voters in his race for Congress against Rep. Dan Maffei.

In a new 30-second ad that will begin airing tonight on Syracuse broadcast and cable TV stations, Robin Katko accuses Maffei of lying to voters about her husband's position on women's issues.

Maffei, D-Syracuse, has attempted to draw sharp contrasts between himself and John Katko on issues such as equal pay for women, abortion and access to contraception.

"I've been married to John Katko for 27 years," Robin Katko says in the ad, due to air for up to two weeks.

"We were college sweethearts," she said. "We've raised three sons together. I know him better than anyone. I'm also a nurse, working in women's health care. So when I see deceiving ads claiming John is opposed to equal pay and contraception, I know they're lying."

She added, "I'm offended that Dan Maffei wants to deceive women on these issues...just to save his job. Because to me, it's personal."

The TV commercials come as two new polls show Katko suffers from a gender gap with women in his campaign against Maffei.

A mid-September poll by Syracuse.com/The Post-Standard and Siena College found Maffei led Katko by 8 percentage points among likely voters. But women favored Maffei by 20 percentage points, 56 percent to 36 percent.

Katko's own poll last week showed Maffei with an overall lead of 3 percentage points. Among white women voters, Maffei had a 9-point lead, 47 percent to 38 percent.

Maffei's first TV ads in the campaign emphasized his support for the Paycheck Fairness Act and equal pay for women. The bill in Congress would require employers, if challenged, to demonstrate that wage differences among employees are based on factors other than gender.

Katko has said he does not oppose equal pay for women, but he does oppose the legislation in Congress. The former federal prosecutor from Camillus said the legislation could impose costly new regulations for businesses and be a "boon to trial lawyers, eager to profit from huge class-action lawsuits."

Maffei's campaign manager, Kane Miller, responded to the new Katko ads today by suggesting he is trying to sugarcoat his record on women's issues.

"Here's the truth: John Katko is on the record opposing the bipartisan Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill cosponsored by Republican Chris Gibson from Upstate New York, that ensures equal pay for equal work," Miller said.

Miller added, "Katko is also on the record supporting the Supreme Court's radical Hobby Lobby decision, which allows for-profit companies to deny their female employees health care coverage."

Katko said in a statement that he was proud of his wife for speaking publicly about his beliefs. "The difference in our campaigns is clear," Katko said. "Mine is based on fact and what's best for Central New York. Dan Maffei's is based on deception and distortion. That's sad and desperate."

Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751

See Robin Katko in new TV ad


FedEx delivery truck driver killed in Granby crash remembered fondly by customers

0
0

Kevin Frank was "more than just a delivery man," according to one customer. "He was part of our family."

Kevin J. Frank obituaryFrank 

GRANBY, NY -- The FedEx delivery truck driver killed in a head-on crash in Granby Monday afternoon was remembered fondly by customers.

Kevin Frank, of Liverpool, was headed east on state Route 3, between county Route 8 and Rathburn Road, around 4:33 p.m. when for an unknown reason he crossed into the westbound lane and struck a 2013 Honda Civic head-on. The Civic was driven by Victoria Tully, of Syracuse. Tully and Frank were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Tully's passenger and daughter, Elizabeth M. Tully, 20, was critically injured in the accident. A prayer service for the Tully family was held Tuesday night. Hundreds gathered to mourn and pray. The group also prayed for Frank.

Frank was employed at FedEx Ground for six years as a driver for the Fulton/Oswego area. Frank's customers said, in messages left in Frank's guestbook on the New Comer Funeral Home website, that Frank touched their lives with his smile and personality every day. Frank was "more than just a delivery man," according to one customer. "He was part of our family."

Here's a look as some of the comments:

"It was always a bright moment of our day to see Kevin pull up, his fondness for conversation and of our shop dog Sackett always kept a smile on our faces and Kevin's. Kevin made a point every time of asking us how we were and spoiling Sackett with love and affection. There was nothing but sincere, honest goodness there. We are so sorry to hear of this tragedy, and our thoughts and hearts go out to everyone.

Sending peace,
Universal Metal Works"

"Our deepest condolences to Kevin's life love & family.
Our friendship with Kevin began years ago when he first started with Fed Ex, then onto DHL & back with Fed Ex. He always offered a smiling face & kind words. You are in our thoughts & prayers as you grieve such a sudden & tragic loss.

Staff of Canalview Travel, Fulton"

"Always enjoyed the "quick visits" with Kevin as he picked up or delivered
packages in our office. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during
this difficult time.

Dr. Ansari, Pam & Carole"

"So sorry to hear about your loss. We will always remember Kevin coming to bring our deliveries, especially Maci, the black lab. He always had a special treat for her. God Bless you and your family.

WD Malone Trucking & Excavating, Hannibal"

"Kevin has delivered to us daily at Fulton Savings Bank for quite some time. He was always bubbly and friendly and we could always count on him for our weather updates. All of us in the customer service area will miss him greatly. Our deepest sympathy to all of his family; you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Jason, Ann, Carrie, MaryAnn, Debbie, Darsie"

"With a heavy heart and tear filled eyes, CTS Telecommunications would like to send Kevin's family prayers for peace and strength during this difficult time.
Please know, he was more than just a delivery man, he was part of our family and we all, including our dogs, Miah and Cody, looked forward to see him weekly
.

CTS Telecommunications, Fulton"

New bistro opens in DeWitt next to winery

0
0

The bistro at the Greenwood Winery is now open.

The new bistro next to the Greenwood Winery in DeWitt is now open for dinner, and will expand into serving lunch later this month.

Owner Tom Greenwood said the bistro is open from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and serves dinner until 9:30 p.m.

The bistro will begin serving lunch starting Oct. 28, Greenwood said.

The bistro, which adjoins the Greenwood Winery at 6475 Collamer Road in DeWitt, seats 102 diners, and has room for 24 seats outside.

"We are really excited, and the response has been great already,'' Greenwood said.

The bistro opened Monday. The wine tasting room, which features Greenwood's own wines, has been open since July.

The winery, the first in DeWitt, also has an outdoor pavilion which features live music and has a fire pit. Greenwood said he plans to construct another building on the property for indoor events such as live music and parties.

After announcing his plans in August 2012, Greenwood has moved quickly to get the winery up and running. Next to his small vineyard, Greenwood has torn down an old barn and constructed a 2,800-square-foot wine-processing facility, along with the bistro.

The Manlius entrepreneur, who has been president of Greenwood Real Estate since 1978, says the winery has been a dream of his since he was a high school student at Jamesville-DeWitt.

79-year-old Hancock drone protester sentenced to 90 days in jail

0
0

Jack Gilroy, 79, was sentenced to 90 days incarceration in jail and three years probation in Broome County where he resides. He was also fined $1,000.

DEWITT, N.Y. -- A man convicted on several charges resulting from a drone protest last year was sentenced in DeWitt Town Court Wednesday evening.

Jack Gilroy, 79, was sentenced by Justice Robert L. Jokl Jr. to 90 days incarceration in the Onondaga County jail and three years probation in Broome County, where he resides. Jokl also fined Gilroy $1,000.

Gilroy could have faced a year in jail.

A six-person jury had previously found Gilroy guilty of of obstructing governmental administration, a misdemeanor, and trespass, a violation, during an April 2013 protest outside Hancock Air National Guard Base.

During a passionate, lengthy address to Jokl before sentencing, Gilroy thanked his supporters in the courtroom, brought up constitutional issues and criticized the death caused by the U.S. government's widespread use of drones in war.

"I came to Hancock actually to deliver a message of hope," he said. "It's time to allow the messengers their constitutional right to be heard and stop the killing."

Gilroy, who said he was honorably discharged from both the Army and Navy, claimed that the military has killed thousands of innocent people with remotely piloted drones, all in search of terrorists.

"War is not the answer and drones are making war easier," he said.

Jokl, hands folded and head tilted to the side, spoke in a muted tone and appeared uninterested as he listened to Gilroy.

Standing at a podium a few paces from Jokl, Gilroy criticized the judge for not letting his sole witness, a political science professor, testify. Then he launched into a lesson on the history of human rights and international law before transitioning to recent examples of U.S. human rights violations.

"I forgive you for whatever penalty you give me," Gilroy said to Jokl before encouraging the judge and all people to treat others as they would like to be treated.

When Gilroy finished, about 40 supporters in the courtroom cheered and applauded.

Assistant District Attorney Timothy Frateschi argued before Jokl that the issue at hand had nothing to do with drones and everything to do with Gilroy's choices.

"He chose to protest and he chose to assemble, so this isn't about constitutional issues," he said.

Frateschi said Gilroy had turned down several plea offers and chose a two-day jury trial because he wanted to be where he was. Gilroy stepped over a line, literally and figuratively, Frateschi said. He noted that many other people at the protest Gilroy was arrested at had exercised their rights without being arrested.

At trial, Gilroy argued that the boundaries of the base were unclear and unmarked at the time.

"Frankly I just don't think he gets it," he said. "He doesn't recognize he did anything wrong."

The District Attorney's Office asked Jokl to sentence Gilroy to 12 months in jail.

Frateschi said he recognized that Gilroy was a veteran and former teacher who believed deeply in his cause, but that he had shown no remorse and was likely to re-offend if given the chance.

"The people take no great pride in prosecuting Mr. Gilroy," he said.

"This is not about drones, it's about state law."

After Gilroy was sentenced, sheriff's deputies placed him in handcuffs and chains and led him out of the courtroom through a side door. His lawyer gave notice that he planned to appeal.

Near the end of sentencing, one of Gilroy's supporters in the audience was escorted out by DeWitt police officers for having a cell phone and refusing to hand it over. The public was not allowed to bring electronic devices into the courtroom.

Almost immediately after Gilroy was sentenced, supporters in the audience stood and several DeWitt officers stood at the front of the courtroom and ordered everyone out.

Gilroy's supporters began singing "Amazing Grace" and slowly filed out.

Several more trials for other protesters are scheduled in DeWitt through next July stemming from the April 2013 protest.

3 Afghan military officers who fled say they can't go home

0
0

Three Afghan military officers who sought refuge in Canada after leaving a military training exercise in Massachusetts said they were escaping Taliban violence.

BATAVIA, N.Y. (AP) -- Three Afghan military officers who sought refuge in Canada after taking off from a military training exercise in Massachusetts said Wednesday they were trying to escape Taliban violence at home but now face the wrath of their own government as well.

"Now that we've decided to seek asylum, the danger has multiplied," said Maj. Jan Mohammad Arash, who along with Capt. Noorullah Aminyar and Capt. Mohammed Nasir Askarzada traveled more than 500 miles by taxi from a Wal-Mart on Cape Cod to Niagara Falls.

The three walked across the Rainbow Bridge connecting New York to Ontario, Canada, to claim refugee status on Sept. 22 and were turned over to U.S. authorities, who charged them with immigration violations and began removal proceedings.

"Our pictures are in the newspapers in Afghanistan, Pakistan and all around the world. Now our government has turned against us," Arash, 49, said inside the federal detention facility outside Buffalo, where they are being held.

All said they feared they would be killed or imprisoned and tortured if returned to Afghanistan.

In interviews with The Associated Press, the three described feeling elated as they took their $1,600 cab ride toward the U.S.-Canadian border, never expecting they would be turned away and handed over to the United States under a U.S.-Canada agreement that requires asylum seekers to apply in the first country they land in.

"I felt like I was reborn again and I had become free and alive," Askarzada, 28, said of the trip through Massachusetts and into New York. He and Arash answered questions in Farsi, which was translated by their attorney, Matthew Borowski. Aminyar spoke in English.

Askarzada said he has an uncle in Canada and that the three planned to seek him out for help in eventually bringing their families there as well. All are married and have children. Askarzada said his wife is pregnant.

Aminyar said he had been targeted by the Taliban in his village of Khowgni because of his work with U.S. soldiers in killing and capturing Taliban fighters. A platoon leader and company commander, the 30-year-old said he was marked for death after taking part in military training in the United States in 2012 and again in September.

While he was participating last month in a U.S. Central Command Regional Cooperation training exercise at Joint Base Cape Cod, Aminyar said, Taliban fighters went to his Afghanistan home intending to kill him, leading to a frantic phone conversation with his father.

"He told me: 'Your life is in danger. There is no chance for you to live in Afghanistan,'" Aminyar said, sitting at a stainless steel table inside a cinder block interview room. "I talked with my wife. She told me I should not return. I have to go to Canada."

He and Askarzada decided to use the Wal-Mart excursion to make their way to the border, joined by Arash, who also had gone to the store.

"I was feeling like I got my freedom. I was happy with my decision. I felt like I made a good decision to save my life," Aminyar said.

"We never thought that we would be brought here to a prison," Arash said, motioning to his bright blue detention center jumpsuit, "because we didn't do anything harmful."

At an initial court appearance Wednesday, Borowski was given until Oct. 8 to review the government's case and prepare a bail request.

"My goal is to secure the release from immigration custody of these Afghani service members as soon as possible," Borowski said. "They pose no threat. These guys are just seeking somewhere where they won't be threatened and persecuted."

The exercises in which they were participating have been held annually since 2004 to promote cooperation and interoperability among forces, build functional capacity, practice peacekeeping operations and enhance readiness.

U.S. authorities have said they do not believe the men posed any danger to the public.

Researchers create iPad app to teach kindergartners computer coding

0
0

Researchers in Massachusetts test a basic computer coding app that they say is the first designed specifically for children as young as 5.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) -- This computer programming app is so easy to use that even a kindergartener can do it.

Researchers in Massachusetts have created a basic computer coding app that they say is the first designed specifically for children as young as 5. Kids who haven't yet learned to read can use the app to craft their own interactive stories and games.

With ScratchJr, children can snap together graphical programming blocks to make characters and other elements in their project move, jump, talk and change size. Users can modify various elements in the paint editor, add their own voices and sounds, and even insert their own photos.

"When many people think of computer programming, they think of something very sophisticated," says co-developer Mitchel Resnick of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "But we don't think it has to be that way."

Marina Umaschi Bers, his co-developer from Tufts University, cites research that shows children start to form convictions by fourth grade about how good or bad they are in math, science and technology.

"So most programs that introduce coding in fourth grade and up, it's great, but they are coming kind of late to the party," she says.

The project was funded by a $1.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to help children learn to think creatively and reason systematically.

The free app is already being used in kindergarten classrooms at the Eliot-Pearson Children's School in Medford.

"I learned to concentrate and use the imagination a lot," 7-year-old Talia Levitt says. "You can do, like, almost anything on it."

Her classmate, 7-year-old Aiden Crott, adds, "I like making the background and then making the program and make the guy move around everywhere."

ScratchJr was inspired by the popular Scratch programming language for older kids. Developers say they redesigned the interface and programming language to make it appropriate for younger children.

The app was launched in July on the iPad platform, and developers are working on versions for the Web and Android devices.

"We don't want necessarily every young child to become a computer scientist or to work as an engineer, but we want every young child to be exposed to these new ways of thinking that coding makes possible," Bers said.

Claire Caine, a teacher at the Jewish Community Day School in Watertown, said she likes the app because it encourages kids to explore and figure out solutions to problems.

"Give it to them young enough, and they start doing it, and it just becomes like brushing teeth," Caine said. "Nobody says they are not good at brushing teeth or they can't brush their teeth."

Viewing all 44833 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images