Food Prices Are On The Rise

Consumers Aren't The Only Ones Making Changes






Joyce Ogirri
NCC News Reporter

Syracuse, NY



American grocery shoppers are paying more than ever for the basic staples like milk, bread, and cereal. Food prices increased more in the past year than at any time since the early 90s.

Joan Rohe lives on a diary farm and knows first hand what struggles farmer go through.

“The price of milk doesn’t scare me. It should go up to help the farmers out. You have to raise the milk prices,” said Shopper Joan Rohe.

In the last year, the average price of flour is up 40%, eggs are up 33%, and even beer has increased. Local grocers are looking for ways to cut back.

“We are price sensitive to everything that we but that comes in our door. We try to keep our margins consistently tight with the industry,” said Leah’s Big M owner Dan Hodgins.

The reason for increases economists say its higher energy process and transportation costs.

“Consumers have to retrench and kind of reallocate their budgets and see what they can afford,” said Economist Don Dutkowsky.

This is not just happening at the grocery store. Restaurants, taverns, and bakeries all over Syracuse are raising their prices, passing along their own higher cost of business.

At Empire Brewing Company in Armory Square, a pint of beer will cost you an extra 50 cents. Owners blame it on the rising cost of hops and malt, beer’s two main ingredients.

“We’re not going to gauge you, we’re just going to recover what we need to in order to make our business profitable,” said Brew Master Tim Butler.

On the city’s north side, family owned Columbus Bakery is coping with the soaring price of flour, which doubled what it was a year ago.

“It trickles down to the consumer and I have to raise my prices. I’m the bad guy, I don’t want to be,” said Owner Jimmy Retzos.

The restaurants are especially sensitive to higher food prices. Kevin Gentile serves up eclectic Italian cuisine at his little family owned restaurant on Burnet Avenue. He changes his complete menu four times a year.

“I’ve been in the restaurant business for 22 years. I have noticed more fluctuation in commodity items and prices of vegetables in the last two years than I’ve ever seen in my life, said Owner Kevin Gentile.

With a recession on the horizon, both consumers and business owners have to pay closer attention to their budget.

Analog to Digital Switch: Less Confusing Then You Think

On February 17, 2009, the FCC is requiring local broadcaster to send out a digital signal rather than an over-the-air analog signal. The changeover from analog to digital is presenting a lot of confusion among the many Central New Yorker and the almost 100 million TV viewers in America.

CONFUSION

Around 14.5 million people still own an antenna-powered television. These are the people that are still confused as to what to do. Many of them are senior citizens according to Time Warner Cable Spokesperson Jeff Unaitis.

“I think at this point there’s still a lot of confusion we’re hearing from a lot of elderly customers that they think they need to buy a new TV set, let along sign up for cable or get a digital tuner.”

Tiffany Lentz, a student at Syracuse University, said “I don't have a TV prepared for it, but I'm prepared, if that makes any sense.”

Confusion shouldn’t be on the agenda because there is a simple solution. The website dtv2009.org is offering coupons for anyone still with analog TV’s for a converter box. The converter box connects to the back of the TV and to your old antenna and you should be good to go. If you have digital cable or satellite, your fine.

Most of the people confused over weather to get a TV or not are the older citizens though. At the Circuit City at Carousel Center, Manager Todd McNeil said, “I think it is the older crowd that has the hardest time understanding why they're the one's that kinda get upset over it. Most of the younger generation just doesn’t worry about it and just buys a new TV."

Some senior citizens at the Ida Benderson Senior Center are both unaware about the switch and are confused about what will happen to their TV. Some said that they will not have the ability to purchase cable. “Can't afford to get any more than what I have as that's what I'm concerned being an older person on a fixed income."

ECONOMIC LOSSES

The FCC requiring the local broadcast stations to switch over to an all digital output is costing some stations in Syracuse lots of money. “Well the initial outlay was in the order of millions of dollars as it was for every other station in the area as when we begin broadcasting that,” said Kevin Wright, chief engineer of WTVH 5 in Syracuse. The FCC may approve legislation requiring broadcast stations to run four 30-minute ads daily in the hope to inform the public about the switch.

Others that stand to not gain much from the digital to analog switch are the recycling companies. The County Resource Recovery Agency hopes that people try to keep their TV’s away for the moment. “People don't have to panic and buy a new set. We can kind of keep that tsunami of old waste down to maybe just a little ripple if we all just work together,” said Tom Rhodes, Executive Director of OCRRA.

Another local business that can’t do anything with the TV’s is Jim Moltion at the Northeast Supply Company. He stands to gain nothing out of the television except for some money from the old cooper wires and the steel from the old bunny ears. “All these tubes contain about 40 percent lead and its an integral part of the glass. It's a crisis, but nobody gives.”

INFO TO KNOW

All TV’s manufactured after March 1st will be required to come with a digital signal. The FCC will send agents to senior centers. Congress has ordered the switch to digital television to free up public airwaves for police and fire departments and the analog airwaves will be auctioned off for commercial services.

Teeth Whitening Dangers

Many people feel having bright, white teeth is essential to their image and with lots of over-the-counter products available these days to help them achieve their goal, some are using too much of them, exposing themselves to potential dental problems.


"You're smiling," Sonja Vigneux, of Syracuse, said. "They got nice bright white teeth and, just their whole face glows and shines and makes you want to approach them."


Americans love white teeth. And nowadays, they don't have to go to the dentist to get those pearly whites. Americans can just walk to the nearest pharmacy. This year, consumers will spend more than 1.5 billion dollars on over-the-counter teeth whitening products.


But Dentists say consumers need to be aware that, at the end of the day, they're putting chemicals in their mouth that could cause problems when consumers use too many of these products. Katrina Devis is a graduate student at Syracuse University. She says she tried an over-the-counter whitening product once and says it made her teeth hurt.


"It was horrible," Devis said. "I mean, it made my teeth white but at the same time it made my teeth very sensitive so that wasn't something I thought was a good investment after a while."


Every over-the-counter teeth whitening product has a warning label, reminding people of serious side effects. Devis says she followed the instructions, but not everyone does.

The Dangers

Use too much of an over-the-counter whitening product and you could experience gum irritation, teeth sensitivity, and the rare but irreversible, teeth translucency. Dr. Lynwood Bennerson, a Syracuse dentist, says people need to realize the damage they can cause to their teeth. "The most common side-effect would be hyper sensitivity which is your teeth becoming very sensitive to hot or cold," he said. "It can be extreme, it can be very slight depending on the enamel makeup of the persons teeth."


Dr. Bennerson offers professional bleaching in his practice, which is more intense and expensive than an over-the-counter product. He says despite their best efforts, people can only get so much improvement using the products they bought in a store.


"Those products are self limiting," he said. "They're probably not going to let you go any further than a certain point for liability reasons to the company."

Why Are People Doing This?

But why are some people willing to risk the long-term health of their teeth just so they can have some pearly whites for a period of time? In an msnbc.com article last year, people said the perfect teeth of Hollywood stars make them feel theirs are inadequate. Some also reported to feeling addicted to the products because they feel their teeth could always be whiter.

"People who have very white teeth, get so many compliments that they want to have it even whiter," Tibor Palfai, a professor of psychology at Syracuse University, said.

But lots of Hollywood stars have porcelain veneers, which are layers of tooth-colored material, and it's impossible to get regular teeth as white as clean snow. But Dr. Bennerson says, if used correctly, over-the-counter teeth whitening products do work and won't cause any damage.

What you need to know about the switch to digital

In one year from now the way you’ve always watched television is going to change. But you might not even notice a difference. On February 17, 2009 analog television broadcasting is going to switch over the digital.

Customers are confused about what the switch is going to mean for them. Robert Dunton of Volney said he is not sure what is going to do. “So for me the option is throw all the TV sets away and don’t even use them or maybe go digital. But I’m really angry about digital.” He said he is most frustrated about not knowing who is responsible. “If I knew who was responsible I would like to mount a campaign to vote them all out of office.”

Estimates have been as high as 21 million households with analog television. But recent estimates put the number at 13 million. There are about 55,000 households that get analog signal in Syracuse.

Television repair stores have been receiving lots of phone calls from people who think they will lose their television signal. Television repairman Anthony Palmisano said he is trying to ease people’s concern. “I had a lady the other week, she’s almost crying. My TVs not going to work. I said do you have cable. Yes. We’ll it’s going to work. You made my whole day. That’s what I’m getting at.”

People are mainly confused about who is affected. If you have cable or satellite the switch over will not affect you. But for those who get their television through rabbit ears or antenna will need to make changes. These changes could include purchasing a converter box, upgrading to satellite or cable or a digital television with a built in tuner. The government is providing vouchers for converter boxes. Each household can file for two vouchers, each valued at $40. They cannot be combined in purchasing a converter box and expire after 3 months.

The biggest beneficiaries of the switch should be television retailers and the cable companies. Bill Alsip works at best buy and he said customers with analog television sets are coming in to buy new television. “And many of them are using this as an excuse to buy a new television.”

Time Warner Cable is also expecting new customers because of the switch over.

More information about the switch is available at dtvanswers.com.

The Switch to digital

Syracuse, NY: If you think you will need to buy a brand new TV in order to watch TV next year, you’re wrong. With TV set to be broadcast solely in digital come next February, most people won’t even notice the change.

The switch to digital means people who receive television programming from their rooftop antennas or rabbit ears will need to buy a converter box or else their picture will disappear. Those with cable or satellite won’t have to do a thing.

Nick Palmisano is a TV repairman in Syracuse, and he said that he gets several calls a week from confused customers.

[“I had a lady come in here yesterday almost in tears. She said ‘My TV won’t work anymore.’ And I said ‘Do you have cable?’ And she said ‘Yes.’ And I said ‘It’ll work.’ And she said, ‘You made my day.’”] Nick Palmisano

One company benefiting from the switch is Time Warner Cable. They say the switch to digital gives them the opportunity to attract new customers. But they say it doesn’t mean they’ll be extending their service to not currently serviced.

[“State law requires us to provide cable where there are 35 homes per square mile, and that’s not going to change.”] Jeff Unaitis- Time Warner Cable

That’s bad news for Robert Denton, who lives outside of the village of Volney. Denton cannot get cable, and refuses to install a satellite dish. He is just one resident who is not happy about the switch to digital.

For Denton the switch to digital could get kind of pricey. He owns five television sets. All would need a converter box.

“For me the options are to throw out my TV’s and don’t even use them, or go digital. So I’m really angry about digital.” [Robert Denton]

And it’s that kind of throwaway mentality that has the government nervous... It is estimated that nationwide 21 million households still receive their TV from an antenna. In Central New York that translates into about 55 thousand homes. That means thousand of old TV’s could soon flood the landfills.

Jim Moltion owns Northeast Supplies and Materials, and he is very concerned about the switch to digital. He said the government needs to mandate what to do with the old TV’s, or else it could do harm to the environment. There are more than 75 old TV sets just sitting in his warehouse. He has no plans of taking them apart.

The Onondaga County Recovery and Recycling Agency (OCRRA) is trying to help. They have arranged a TV drop off day at Alliance Bank Stadium on April 19^th. They hope this will discourage residents from throwing their TV’s in the trash.

For those opting to keep their old TV’s, people wanting to watch TV thru their antenna will need to buy a converter box. The government is offering two $40 coupons (per household) toward the purchase of the converter boxes. If you have more questions about the switch to digital, or want to apply for the coupons, visit the DTV transition website.

A Suffering Horse Economy

It’s a crisis that’s sweeping across the nation. Among the estimated two million horse owners- many especially here in upstate New York- are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of hay, grain, and straw.
In a sign of hard economic times, unwanted horses are now being abandon and left for death. And families are being forced into bankruptcy.

A labor of love
Cathie Hallett of Fairport New York has owned a stable for nearly ten years. She says this has been the worst year she has ever seen.
“Almost everything has doubled in two years, so it’s putting a very big financial hardship on being able to maintain, not even improve, the value of horses lives.”
Not even four years ago, a bag of grain was being sold for about six dollars. Today, that same size bag costs Cathie about fifteen dollars.
“That doesn’t even feed five horses a day” says Cathie.
Recently Cathie was forced into selling three of her horses due to financial reasons. Now down to twenty-two horses, Cathie is worried she may have to down-size yet again.
“To have to choose which ones need to go is just heart wrenching… you don’t sleep well at night, knowing that this decision has to be made and where your friend has to go.”
While Cathie says the horses are more like family then pets, she must remember that this is a business. If a horse is not bringing any profits to the stable through lessons or competitions, then it must go.

What is causing this problem?
According to the American Horse Council, Americans own more than nine million horses today. Up from about six million horses in the mid 1990’s.
A growing horse population mixed with rising gas, hay, and grain prices are making it difficult for owners to afford the horses.
The over-population is also making it difficult to sell a horse. The market value of horse is constantly decreasing. A horse that may be worth ten-thousand dollars is now being sold for as little as 1 dollar.
Not even being able to sell the horse, owners are having no choice but to desert or release their horses.

Help is hard to find
Horse owners aren’t the only ones suffering. Rescues like the Humane Society are having to turn down more and more people as their stables fill up.
“I’ve had about twenty calls this past month from families who don’t know what to do” says Joanna Dychton of the Lollypop Humane Society in Fairport New York.
Joanna says a responsible rescue has to know when to stop and say no. Taking a sick horse or an old horse is not very adoptable and a big expense.

Hoping for the best
If prices keep rising it will be difficult for people like Cathie Hallett to keep up.
This year is critical.
“We made a promise that when we bring them in to do no harm...so if we go without than that’s what we need to do. There is only so long you can continue to do that…and I give us a year. If next year we’re in the same situation...most of the farms around here will have to file for bankruptcy and will have to shut down.”

Instant Access of Movies

The Instant Gratification of Home Movie Watching

Going to the movies was once a part of American culture. Families piled in the car to go to the local drive-ins and dates headed off to the theater to watch a flick on the big screen. Syracuse University professor Robert Thompson says the idea that you go out to eat and then go to a movie was a common American activity. “People outside the big cities don’t have much to do. Going to the movies is one of the major things people do," Thompson added.

But many people today enjoy watching a movie within comforts of their home. According to the Washington Post, this makes the gratification of watching movies instantaneous, and while this has become a more popular trend, businesses are taking advantage of this by allowing people to choose movies at home with just a click of a button.

The Kinsey family in Dewitt is one of many families who frequently watch movies On Demand through their cable provider. “We don’t really go to the movies too often, usually when there’s something that’s advertised on TV that catches our eye, we discuss it and see if we want to take a peak at it," Darlene Kinsey said. The On Demand feature provided by Time Warner allows customers to choose from the newest releases as well as movies arranged into categories.

Syracuse University student Rohan Mascarenhas says whenever he has time he prefers to watch movies at home on his laptop. He says because Netflix allows him to receive movies in the mail or download them from, he watches about three movies a week. “Their selection is a huge draw because Netflix has foreign movies, old movies, classics and new stuff, and you get it all from your laptop, you don’t have to go anywhere," Mascarenhas added.

While this instant access to movies at home would appear to threaten theater’s business, the Washington Post says theatergoers are not completely gone. The Washington Post states that while theater numbers dropped in 2006, they now seem to be leveling off. Thompson attributes this to theaters' ability to bounce back from new technology threats. “Weekly attendance at the theaters has never gone back to pre-television numbers, but by raising the price of tickets, Hollywood continued along just fine," Thompson said.

Continuing along is what local theaters like the Manlius Cinema are doing. Manlius Cinema owner Nat Tobin says he personally welcomes customers to each show to keep them coming back. “We try to provide them with an atmosphere in which they feel more at home, where they don’t feel processed in and out of an institution," Tobin said.

Although Tobin says there’s nothing like watching a movie on the big screen, companies like Netflix, CinemaNow and Apple will continue to market products to this generation of home moviewatchers.