127th National Horse Show comes to Syracuse

Originally reported for NCC News on November 2, 2010.

The National Horse Show Association of America is hosting its 127th National Horse Show as part of the Syracuse Invitational at the OnCenter in downtown Syracuse this week.

Sporthorses valued at six-figures each turned the complex into one of the biggest events for the longest-running horse show in America.

More than 125 horses are here competing for $500-thousand in prize money.

"Well, it's a little bit like the circus," said Leo Conroy, manager of the National Horse Show. "It's worth all the effort that goes into it when the people come out and support it - which Syracuse has been great in doing the last few years."

In its eighth year, the Syracuse Invitational continues to grow and organizers expect attendance to rise as the competition grows heavier throughout the week.

Championships are on Sunday.

Hotel Politics

Jarid Watson, NCC News

Go to a hotel - get a room - and get some rest. Onm most nights, that's all you'd really expect at the Holiday Inn on Electronics Boulevard in Liverpool New York. On the night I stopped by though, the building was playing host to several election night events.

Some came to vote, like Jane Librizzi of Liverpool, who said, "I'm not angry. I'm just here to do my duty." Undoubtedly, she wanted to make it clear she wasn't feeling like some of the people you may have seen on T.V.

As Jan Coombs walked to the side door of the hotel, ready to place her picks, she expressed her feelings about government spending saying, "I mean we do have to pay some taxes for some of the services we use; so, you're never going to have a tax free world. But they should be realistic and fair."

Other folks were there to set up for the Onondaga Democrats' Election Night Party, being held down the hall from the polling area in the Holiday Inn's convention center. Kate Tuttle, an organizer for the night's festivities, said she's looking forward to a break... but not yet, as she reminded me of her "lack of sleep" and "many hours campaigning."

A bartender tells me that once the polls are closed at 9pm, they are expecting three-hundred democrats to show up. Party-goers will most likely be glued to the results as they come in; there are projectors set up in the corners of the convention center already showing local news coverage.

And then maybe, long after boters Jan and Jane head home, and Onondaga Democrats are finally partied out, Kate Tuttle can just head to one of the rooms here - get a room - and get some rest.

Syracuse Invitational

The Oncenter in downtown Syracuse has been host to many events this year. This week The Oncenter arena hosts the 127^th National Horse Show, the oldest horse show in the United States. Horse riders of all ages compete for up to half a million dollars in prize money.

It takes approximately 1 weeks work around the clock to turn the arena into a horse friendly facility. President of the National Horse Show Association of America, Mason Phelps, says the event is difficult to set up but the turn out is always gratifying. The Horse show returned to Syracuse 4 years ago and runs for nearly an entire year. Phelps says, “We always try to make this the most accommodating and best, end of the season horse show that we could possibly create.”

Election Day Party

The polls might of closed at nine o’clock but for some Onondaga County voters the night was just beginning. Members of the Onondaga County Democratic Party gathered at the Liverpool Holiday Inn for a post election party

The partiers ranged in age from high school students to retiree’s. Kate Tuttle, assistant to the Onondaga County Democratic Committee Chairperson Vita DeMarchi expected at least three hundred people to attend and was anxious for a good time after the long arduous campaign

Large televisions were set up in the room, around which the crowds gathered waiting anxiously for the results to start coming in. Although the democrats were not doing as well on the national level, locally there were several wins which the party goers were all to eager to celebrate.

The evening closed with a speech from Congressman hopeful Dan Maffei. At this point his race was still unsure, but he still managed to give a motivating speech assuring the voters he was not giving up.

Spookapalooza - Symphonic Halloween Culture

Halloween festivities kicked off with a song on October 30th 2010 at the Mulroy Civic center in Syracuse, New York. The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra whipped up a ghoulish delight for spooks of all ages at the Spookapalooza.

The Spookapalooza is a way to enjoy Halloween from a culturally fresh perspective, listening to Halloween themed music like Mussorgsky’s Night On Bald Mountain and Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre.

Jeffery Meyer led the orchestra while award winning author Bruce Covill narrated a Halloween story. Students from the Ballet and Dance Center also performed. The event culminated in a costume parade.

One Highlight of the event was an instrument petting zoo, which allowed children to try instruments for the first time. Vicky D'Agostino, Director of Communications for the Syracuse Symphony, said the instrument petting zoo is a wonderful opportunity for children who may never have chance to pick up a flute or a violin, or experiment with an instrument. They can feel it and touch it in a safe environment where it's fun.

The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra provides the community with instrument petting zoos and musical education throughout the year.

New Voting method in New York State

Originally reported for NCC News on November 2, 2010.

Voters across New York State may notice that something has changed when they voted last week during the Mid-term election. The old lever machine is gone, replaced by a new electronic voting machine.

Steve Pierce a volunteer Election Inspector at the Elmcrest Elementary located in the Liverpool school district said, voting this year is an all-new process in the state. Pierce also said the scanners that, " if its not completely filled in or overfilled the optical scanner will reject that and them we just then have to fill it in more or also if its not usable its mark as a soiled your voided, invalid and there given a new one to fill out so that we can get their vote counted. So the new voting sysyem is more detailed in voting.

Some voters we interviewed feel that the new voting system is faster, easier and feels more accurate on who they voted for. Other voters feel that the new process is slower, harder to fill out and less private than the old lever machine. Marion Chalux said "It seems to have taken me a lot longer, it was a lot easier to flip those little switches and pull that arm."

Most voters we talked to all agreed on one thing, that it’s going to take some time to get used to the new voting system.

Fright Nights at the Fair

In the fairgrounds of Syracuse, New York this Halloween, you'll find five haunted houses spread across fifteen-hundred square feet of ground making up "Fright Nights." 

Graziano Zazzara is the owner and operator of Fright Nights. He expressed one of the motivational factors for him is the fact that deep down inside he is still a kid at heart. He takes a lot of pride in what he does and clearly stated that he is not in the business for money. The earnings keep getting reinvested to continue to grow the houses.

Zazzara says "from your sixteen year olds all the way up to your seventy year olds, everybody likes to be scared." So he tries his best to give his customers their moneys worth, if not more.