Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - In this Your Stories Q&A, the concert series that went away. 

What in the world happened to "World in the Square?"

Not all, but some good things, must come to an end, and for "World in the Square," it has ended -- for lack of funding.

For years, Syracuse's historic Hanover Square has hosted the midday weekday concert series weekly through July and August.  

For many years, M&T Bank was the sponsor, followed by Bank of America, and then, state grant money from Senator John DeFrancisco paid for the World in the Square music, and the city parks department put it on. 

Parks Commissioner Pat Driscoll tells us that state funding dried up, and no other money was available, and so, the lunchtime crowd lost its weekly music.

Driscoll says the Hanover Square Association, the private merchants’ group, has increased its weekend programming.  But those weekday concerts are gone, at least for this summer.

If you've got a story to share, or a question to ask, call the Your Stories line at 446-9900, or e-mail yourstories@9wsyr.com.

Cicero (WSYR-TV) - What's in Store in Cicero?  Another new motel, right off Route 81 near Gander Mountain. 

In this Your Stories Q&A, a company best known for indoor paintball and the Quaker Steak and Lube diner is ready to build a fourth new motel.

The Action Companies broke ground Wednesday for a new Holiday Inn Express in Cicero. It'll go up at Routes 11 and 31 in Cicero, right next to Gander Mountain.

It'll be a 71-room motel, with a fitness center, indoor pool and business center, and it's within a stone's throw of the company's new Comfort Suites, also at Gander Mountain.  The firm says it expects to open the new Holiday Inn Express in the first quarter of next year. 

It'll be a sister motel to one off Bridge Street in DeWitt that will open later this summer.

If you'd like to know What's in Store in your neighborhood -- a new store, a new restaurant, a new motel, maybe, whatever they're breaking ground on -- call us at 446-9900, or e-mail us at yourstories@9wsyr.com.

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - The Fourth of July holiday is still 10 days away, but we are already getting calls to our Your Stories line about fireworks displays.

They actually get underway this Friday night, with events at Syracuse Jazz Fest at Onondaga Community College and the Syracuse Inner Harbor.

CLICK HERE for a complete list of holiday fireworks from Tompkins to Oneida Counties. If you know of one that's not listed, there is a link in the story where you can send us all the information.    

Got something you'd like the Your Stories team to check out? Give us a call at 446-9900, or email us at yourstories@9wsyr.com.

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – This Your Stories Q&A is for folks signing up for cable.  With the switch to digital television last week, some of you are starting new accounts with Time Warner, and you're wondering why the company is asking for some personal information to do it. 

When people call Time Warner to set up a new account, they’re asked for their Social Security number or credit card in order to activate it.

The folks at Time Warner tell us a Social Security number is needed so they can check their records to see if you've had an account with them in the past.

It also ensures that someone else isn't attempting to sign up for new service under your name.

To keep your Social Security number safe, Time Warner encrypts it once it's in the system; customer service reps can only see the last few digits of your number.

A Time Warner spokesman says their system is secure, and to his knowledge, they have never had a case of identity theft in central New York.

If you still feel unsure about giving them your Social Security number, you can use a credit card instead. If you choose to take that route, you'll need to signup for service in person, and bring your driver's license or passport with you.

Got something you'd like the Your Stories team to check out? Give us a call at 446-9900, or email us at yourstories@9wsyr.com.

Oswego (WSYR-TV) - So the power goes out in your house – and just your house. All the neighbors have still got electricity; it's a problem with your service.

The question becomes: Who's responsible to pay for the repairs?  In this one of Your Stories, an Oswego man was surprised to find out the answer.

It was about two weeks ago, at 4:00 a.m. at a home on Oswego's east side.  

“We lost power to half the house.  In the living room, the power went out.  But it was just certain sections of the house where it went out,” says homeowner Robin Emond.

No breakers had tripped, so out went the call to the power company.

National Grid came right away and immediately they discovered, the electricity was good when it reached Robin's property.  But from this point, the underground service to Robin's house, had failed somewhere underground, and that was Robin's problem.

“They tested the line coming in, they said their end was good.  We had what they call a ‘bad leg’ coming to the house,” says Emond.

Somewhere, between the manhole outside and the meter on the house, the underground line needed fixing.

“I had talked to [National Grid] about doing it,” Emond says. “They said, ‘no we don't do that.  You have to do it and you're responsible for it.’ That, you own the line going into the house, up to the meter.”

Sure enough, on the utility's website, it says "National Grid will repair overhead electrical lines that run from the utility pole to your residence.  We will also maintain the electric meter ... you must make repairs to other parts of your electrical system."

“They said ‘we just don't do the underground lines,’ says Emond.
 
Robin told NewsChannel 9 because he knew an electrician who did him a favor; the underground fix only cost about $300 and two days of work. Otherwise, it would've been a $1,200 job.

CLICK HERE to visit a National Grid webpage with full details on your responsibilities when it comes to power lines.

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – This Your Stories Q&A is about some cell phone service problems from over the weekend. We've heard from some Verizon wireless customers who said their cell phones weren't working, and they wanted to know what was going on.

A Verizon spokesman tells us customers who recently activated their phones between June 15th and June 21st were affected by the problem.

The company was updating their voicemail platform in the Syracuse area, and in the process, some of the new customers were removed from the company database, and their service was cut.

Verizon found out about the problem Sunday, and at this point, service should be restored to most, if not all customers. 

Verizon has not said whether the company will reimburse affected customers for their lost service.

If you have a story you'd like us to check out, give the Your Stories line a call at 446-9900, or e mail yourstories@9wsyr.com.

Syracuse (WSYR TV) - In this Your Stories Q&A, we're getting the first look at a compromise sign design that could mean the end of a simmering dispute between Walgreens and Syracuse city planners -- and one of the busiest Dunkin Donuts in central New York is about to reopen. 

We thank Mike Hayes and others who've e-mailed us about this. The city planning commission has rejected one sign the store wanted to put up.  The developer is now proposing a different sign design, in hopes of striking a compromise and getting the store open.

Other than the sign dispute, the brand new store appears ready for the shelves to be stocked and the doors to open at the corner of James Street and Grant Boulevard.   The planning commission said "no" to a monument sign with a LED message board. 

Developer Guy Hart Junior tells us Walgreens is now proposing a "blade" sign.  It would still have the electronic messages, but this sign would be attached perpendicular to the building, on James Street. It would be four feet tall and five feet, nine inches wide.  Now, the ball is back in the planning commission’s court.

And while we wait for Walgreen's in Eastwood to open, we shouldn't have to wait much longer for a busy Dunkin Donuts to re-open. It's been closed this week for an interior, mostly cosmetic, facelift. We talked to the franchise owner on Route 290 in East Syracuse, next to Staples. He says he's keeping his fingers crossed for a reopening Saturday, right on schedule. 

It's one of the highest-volume Dunkin Donut locations in Central New York.

What's in Store in your neighborhood?  We'll try to find out for you. Give the Your Stories line a call at 446-9900, or e-mail us: yourstories@9wsyr.com.

Clay (WSYR-TV) – This Your Stories Q&A zeroes in on some prime real estate in a busy section in the Town of Clay, where neighbors wonder why there's been no sign of progress -- just a sign. 

The planned development is along Taft Road, right across from the Wegmans.  The name could be changing, but for now, it's called Woodside Runne.

All you see right now is the sign that says it was coming in the spring of '09.  Well, it's still coming, Mike Bragman tells us Thursday. 

He's developing the site -- or wants to -- but needs the Town of Clay’s approval for a zone change.  

The town board and Bragman are looking at a unique planned development district, the first ever in Clay.  There would be commercial property along Taft Road, and 80 upscale town homes in back of that. 

A lot of people who live in the adjacent Jewel Manor development turned out at a public hearing this week, objecting to Woodside Runne.  They're concerned about drainage problems.  Bragman says if anything, his development would improve the drainage.  

Town supervisor Damian Ulatowski says the Bragman project fits the definition of a planned development district, and Ulatowski believes the neighbors’ concerns can be satisfied. 

On July 20, there will be a second public hearing; a town board vote could come as soon as August.  

If you've got a question or concern, call the Your Stories line at 446-9900, or e-mail us at yourstories@9wsyr.com.

Cicero (WSYR-TV) - We hit the road for this Your Stories Q&A. Jack and Kristen have asked us about the latest information on a pair of highway construction projects in the northern suburbs.

The new roadwork you've been asking about this week is in Cicero.  One job is underway right now.  The other, much bigger project will happen next year. 

First is the work at Route 11 and Circle Drive. This is what the State Transportation Department calls a "small safety project."  The goal is to improve the sight distance at that intersection by reconstructing the angle and replacing the traffic signal. 

DOT tells us one ramp from Circle Drive to Route 11 North will be closed for about two weeks, and the entire project will be completed by the end of summer.

Now, the bigger job, scheduled for next year, which will take place along a mile and a half of Thompson Road from Route 31 to Northern Boulevard. 

Upwards of 5,000 cars a day use this stretch of Thompson.  Mark Primo of the County Transportation Department tells us they'll be adding turning lanes where needed to cut congestion and delays, and widening Thompson Road itself to include full eight-foot shoulders.

But again, while you'll see some markings for utility work that must be done first, the Thompson Road job is set for 2010.

If you've got something for us to check out, call us at 446-9900, or e-mail us at yourstories@9wsyr.com.

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - So What's in Store where a thriving shopping center once stood?

We've taken more than a few e-mails and phone calls on the Your Stories about this, from Robert Taylor and others: What's to become of the old Tri-County Mall property in Baldwinsville? 

The plan, we’re told today, is for a mix of medical offices and new retail.  The main holdup is financing.

Paul Anderson of Anderson Barney Real Estate Management tells us the investors who own the site have already put a couple million of their own dollars into the project, but until the economy bounces back, the lending to make it go, remains dried up.

What they're looking for is a primary care doctor to anchor the medical part of the project, with medical offices and retail to fill out the site. 

Anderson says he was on the phone Tuesday with one national tenant. There could also be traffic issues here; entrances to the site could change, after a traffic study is finished along Downer Street, the Route 31 corridor.  But Anderson says village and town planners have already given the approvals needed for the project.

Owners have spent thousands to mothball the site, including water line protection.  Anderson says vandalism has been a problem at the old mall, so the sooner they get financing, the better.

If you've got a question about What's in Store in your neighborhood, town, or village, or city, give us a call at 446-9900 or e-mail yourstories@9wsyr.com.

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – This Your Stories Q&A features answers to a couple of your questions about What's in Store. 

In both cases, the developments are delayed, but for different reasons.

One viewer asks, “What's to become of the old Media Play store location at Northern Lights?”  It's been empty for some time, and leaves a gaping hole in the Mattydale shopping center. 

On Monday, we talked with the New Jersey owner of Northern Lights, Reisman Property Interests, and we were told, "the market is what it is," which is very slow, making it very difficult to lease the space. 

But, the owner says they've also vacated the stores on either side of the old Media Play, making it more attractive, they hope, for a retailer who needs a lot of floor space. 

So far, there haven’t been any deals.

To the east, along Burdick Street, across from the Towne Center in Fayetteville, a combination commercial-residential project is still in the works, but Manlius Town Supervisor Mark Tetley tells us on Monday the developer is being delayed by complex drainage and stormwater issues on the 25-acre site. 

State and federal agencies are taking a close look at the drainage challenges posed by nearby Limestone Creek.  Tetley says a second subdivision plan is now being submitted to the Manlius Town Planning Board.

If you'd like to know What's in Store for your neighborhood or town, give the Your Stories line a call at 446-9900, or e-mail us at yourstories@9wsyr.com.

Cicero (WSYR-TV) - An age old device is gaining new found attention, thanks to tax credits from the government. As a result, more people are turning to windmills to provide power to their home.

But one Cicero man is finding the going tough, in his attempts to have a windmill constructed on his property.

In this one of Your Stories, Keith Kobland takes a closer look at the growing pains facing homeowners and town leaders, when it comes to this wind harnessing device.

“If I put it anywhere on this property, there's buildings going down here, so there is no where to put it,” says Gary Thompson.

Thompson has a dilemma.  He wants to put a windmill on his property in back of his Route 11 business - Parties, Picnics, and Promotion.  He's done his homework, and says it's a prime spot too.

“There is always a breeze through here - I wanted to take advantage of it and I thought the windmill would be the best way,” Thompson says.

But he has been denied by the town, because the site would be located too close to other buildings he plans to construct.

This all comes at a time when an increasing number of homeowners, looking to take advantage of hefty tax credits, are filing permits to build windmills. 

Last year, Cicero placed a six-month moratorium on applications for windmills, and other towns are also taking a closer at what’s reasonable -- and while companies that build them haven't had much issue, Gary is finding, in his case, little luck.

“You want to go green … I don't think they’re ready to go green,” Thompson says.

In the meantime, windmill sales have been brisk, with one salesman telling us he's not hurting for business. 

The cost for installation of a windmill can run in the tens of thousands of dollars. One of the Parade of Homes houses under construction in the Town of Onondaga will feature a windmill this year.

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - This Your Stories Q&A is straight from the headlines -- and this one may have popped into your head, too.

As you ponder the fate of bankrupt carmakers and dealers desperate to sell, who owns all those unsold cars on the lot and in the showroom? 

Tanya e-mailed us this question, and once upon a time, the answer to this one was routine, and unchanging.  Now, it's a major part of the shifting sands for car dealers everywhere, struggling for survival.

The short answer, still, is this: the dealers own the new, unsold cars.

For decades, they've used a form of financing called "floorplan" funding.  It allows them to buy cars from the manufacturer on credit, and pay back the debt only after the cars are sold.

But with capital hard to come by and dealer finances under severe pressure, the lenders behind those "floorplans" are clamping down, enforcing rules they haven't enforced for years. 

The Chicago Tribune gave one example: If a car sits on a lot too long, the lender is allowed to collect as much as 10 percent of a car's value every month. 

The other part of Tanya's question: Does the manufacturer ever buy back unsold vehicles?  The answer there is no.

One silver lining for dealers: This spring, the Federal Reserve agreed to support floorplan financing as part of its $1 trillion term asset-backed securities loan facility that may eventually give lenders some breathing room, and let them lend more.

If you’ve got a question for the Your Stories team, give us a call at 446-9900, or email us at yourstories@9wsyr.com.

Salina (WSYR-TV) – This Your Stories Q&A comes from a Salina neighborhood, concerned about the pace of a cleanup at a scrap metal recycling company.  

The business is Coast Transportation and Recycling.

There's a new owner, who tells us Wednesday afternoon he's cleaning up a mess left behind by Rusty’s Truck Service, the previous business at 15 Dippold Avenue, just off Le Moyne Avenue. 

Owner Mike Jones says his firm has already cleaned up much of the site, including the removal of 6,000 tires. 

Within the next week or two, new fences will go up where Coast Recycling borders a residential neighborhood, and underground oil tanks left behind by the previous owner will also be removed.

By late summer, new construction should be underway there, to continue the cleanup and to modernize the scrap metal recycling operation. 

The DEC was on site last week for an inspection.  Jones tells us Coast has engineers on board to fully comply with DEC's orders to complete the cleanup at the site.

If you have a question, or see something you'd like to ask the Your Stories team, call us any time at 446-9900, or send an e-mail to yourstories@9wsyr.com.