Severe Thunderstorm Disrupts Businesses

Businesses Around Westcott Theater Area Disrupted by Storm, Blackouts Across Central New York Counties***

Jacob Donnelly (NCC News)

August 10, 2009

SYRACUSE, N.Y.-- A severe thunderstorm rolled through Syracuse late Sunday night and through the early hours of Monday morning. There was a violent stretch of thunder and lightning that lasted about two hours from just a little after ten until finally settling down right after midnight.

Businesses Feeling The Storm

Lightning strikes were visible about every five seconds for the better half of two hours last night. The ferocity of the storm brought late-shift workers on Westcott Street out of their businesses to watch the impressive storm.

A good deal of the action happened near the Westcott Theater. First Cambridge street lost power, then Victoria Street lost power, "One of our workers lives right there and he's like 'the power went out' so he came over here. And our power went out for like 30 seconds over on Westcott," said Dorian Gourmet Pizza & Deli worker Symeon Petkopoulos.

Bouncer James Sayko of the Taps Bar & Restaurant was flushed from outside the bar and ran to shelter across the street. "Half of our bar has power, the other half doesn't...(I) Got a chance to step outside, the sky was lit up for about a half hour...It's pretty cool to look at, but also kinda dangerous in the back of your mind saying, 'don't cross the street too many times,'" said Sayko.

The same thunder clap that forced Sayko from out under the canopy at Taps and "shook the (entire) building" also set off an alarm at the Abdo's Grocery shop on South Beech Street. The owner arrived on the scene around a quarter past midnight. He did not know why the alarm was going off and was in no mood to answer questions as he was woken up from his sleep to respond to the alarm.

Forecast

The rain stopped for a short period Monday morning and through the lunch hour, but the people of Syracuse were greeted with the sound of thunder at around three o'clock in the afternoon. The rain remained constant through the rest of Monday. More thunderstorms are expected for Tuesday before the people of Syracuse should be given a respite with the weather getting better the rest of the week.

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Syracuse Housing Market Remains Steady

Julu 28, 2009--The U.S. Commerce Department reported housing sales went up 11 percent in June, but Mary Thompson of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Central New York says local home sales have remained steady.

Thompson is still optimistic of the housing market in Syracuse. She says the professionals in the field and low costs in the area make real estate in Syracuse a good investment.

"We have very great old housing stock." she said. "We have a lot of wonderful professionals for new home construction and I think that that mixture really offers a lot."

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Food Stamps are Growing Popular the Downtown Syracuse Farmer's Market

7/14/2009

Syracuse, N.Y. - The Downtown Syracuse Farmer's Market food stamp program is becoming more and more popular says Chuck McFadden, the Market Manager. People using food stamps are able to swipe their Electronic Benefits Transfer, also known as an E.B.T. card, and receive an equal amount in tokens that can be spent at the Farmer's Market. The program was started last year with help from the Farmer's Market Federation of New York, who purchased the card terminal for the market. McFadden says the program’s popularity grows weekly "it climbs every week, last week I went through 1000 tokens so that’s an extra $1000 that was spent down here at the market last week that wouldn't be here if it wasn't for E.B.T.,” said McFadden. He also says, the program has been beneficial for the farmers as well. Vic Walters, a farmer from Walker, says the tokens add up to "quite a bit." The Downtown Syracuse Farmer's Market can be found every Tuesday until October, between 7 A.M. and 4 P.M., at the corner of S. Salina and W. Washington Streets.