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by e-mail to citynews@syracuse.com
Second school union
rejects pay freeze
A union representing ad-
ministrators in the Liver-
pool Central School District
has declined to take a wage
freeze for the 2011-2012
school year. Instead, mem-
bers will get a previously
negotiated 4 percent raise.
The Liverpool Adminis-
trators Association repre-
sents about 33 principals
and administrative staffers
in the district.
Superintendent Richard
N. Johns asked all district
employees to take a pay
freeze to save the district
about $1.4 million. The
United Liverpool Faculty
Association, which repre-
sents about 1,000 employ-
ees, also declined to take a
wage freeze. The teachers
union made its announce-
ment last week.
The administrators union
president, Jeanne Brown,
could not be reached for
comment.
Walks put spotlight
on needs of homeless
The Rescue Mission will
hold walks today in Syra-
cuse, Auburn and Bingham-
ton to bring attention to the
needs of the homeless and
to raise money for the mis-
sion.
The Walk a Mile in My
Shoes events begin at 10
a.m. Syracuse’s walk starts
and ends in Clinton Square
with a hot beverage and
snack break in between at
the Rescue Mission on Gif-
ford Street. Auburn’s walk
starts and ends at Genesee
Center, 100 Genesee St.,
followed by a similar break
at its conclusion.
Those interested in par-
ticipating can register at
www.rmwalk.org or in
person an hour before the
walk. Registration fees are
$25 for adults and $10 for
children 12 and under and
include a T-shirt.
Participants will carry
‘‘Walking for Homeless’’
signs, and each site will
award prizes for the largest
team and top individual
fundraiser.
Look for review
of opera on Sunday
Syracuse Opera’s pro-
duction of Mozart’s ‘‘Don
Giovanni’’ opened Friday
night. Look for a review by
Linda Loomis and James O.
Welsch in The Post-Stan-
dard on Sunday.
‘‘Don Giovanni,’’ based
on the Spanish story of leg-
endary womanizer Don
Juan, has one more per-
formance, at 2 p.m. Sunday
in the Crouse-Hinds The-
ater of the John H. Mulroy
Civic Center in Syracuse.
For tickets, go to www.
syracuseopera.com.
Camillus ski group
seeks donations
The Camillus Ski Asso-
ciation today will host an
evening of adults-only free
skiing, encouraging dona-
tions for the upkeep of its
community-run skiing and
snowboarding lodge.
According to Joe Militi,
a volunteer with the associ-
ation, the main goal for the
donations is to replace the
tow ropes.
‘‘We’re looking to raise
10 grand,’’ said Militi.
Apart from donations,
the CSA is looking for fin-
ancial support from state
and local government and
local businesses.
The event is scheduled
for 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The
concession stand will be
open.
— Staff reports
Corrections
4 The Weekend events cal-
endar mistakenly reported
that Bobby Perry/Terry Mul-
hauser, a blues band, would
perform Sunday at Alvord
House Restaurant in Marcel-
lus. That performance is not
scheduled.
4 The home address for Larry
B. Robinson Jr., 31, who was
accused of multiple charges
after a car chase in Syracuse,
was incorrect in a Feb. 5 story
and this week in Neighbors.
The correct address is 335 W.
Colvin St., according to the
Onondaga County Justice
Center.
Saturday, February 12, 2011 THE POST-STANDARD PAGE A-3
LOC AL INSIDE
People seeking the reopening of
St. Mary Roman Catholic Church
pray Friday night. A-5
Juror: Doubt foiled DA’s execution claim
State failed to make its prosecution, said one of the ju- second-degree criminal pos- Inside
rors who acquitted Jeffrey Pe- session of a weapon. Go to the version
case against Jeffrey terson this week of murder in What started the events that In 1991, Shaheen Bean’s of this story on
mother watched as a woman
Peterson, panelist says. the fatal shooting of Shaheen led to Bean’s death on June 26
accused of killing her father
www.syracuse.com
Bean. was never in doubt: Bean to hear audio of
was acquitted. A-4 witness Debbie
By Jim O’Hara ‘‘There was doubt in almost touched off the shooting when
Staff writer everything they presented,’’ he rushed at Peterson with a Kinsey’s call to 911.
Blood-splatter patterns that said the juror, who agreed to gun as Peterson and his wife gued that Bean, incapacitated
didn’t make sense, a stray bul- talk if not identified. arrived home about 4:40 a.m. by the leg injury and lying face from a robber with a gun. Bean
let lodged in the porch, and the That doubt was the reason it Peterson shot Bean in the leg down on the ground, was exe- was killed, Menkin said, dur-
sole independent witness who took the jury of nine men and during a struggle for the gun. cuted by Peterson, who shot ing the struggle for the gun.
failed to convince the jury of three women about two hours, But the prosecution — handled Bean in the back of the head.
what she saw in the darkness including time for lunch, to by Chief Assistant District At- Defense attorney Edward But the jury never got to
of early morning. reach its verdict Tuesday, ac- torney Christine Garvey and Menkin said Peterson acted in discussing self-defense, said
Reasonable doubt seeped quitting Peterson, of Syracuse, Assistant District Attorney self-defense, he was defending the juror.
into the case presented by the of second-degree murder and Melinda McGunnigle — ar- his home, his wife and himself DA, PAGE A-4
Fake $100
bills pass
through
CNY
The U.S. Secret Service
says the counterfeit money
comes from Peru via NYC.
By Robert A. Baker
Staff writer
At least 35 counterfeit $100
bills have been successfully
passed since the middle of Jan-
uary in Central New York.
The ring passing the bills is
targeting big-box stores along
Interstate 81 and the New
York State Thruway, said Tim-
othy Kirk, agent in charge of
the local U.S. Secret Service
office.
Members of the ring are
John Berry / The Post-Standard buying high-end electronics,
U.S. SEN. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., speaks Friday about the employment future of military veterans during a such as iPods and laptops, in
round-table discussion held at the South Side Innovation Center in Syracuse. cash with the phony $100 bills.
Veterans of Unemployment
After the purchase, they go
down the highway to another
store in the same chain as the
first and return the items for a
refund, Kirk said.
Normally, someone with a
counterfeit bill will buy some-
thing cheap with the bill and
Gillibrand wants to match former service members with employers
just keep the change, Kirk
said.
By Charley Hannagan ‘‘They’re getting a little
Staff writer greedy,’’ Kirk said.
The fake bills are of a very
Concerned about the higher-than-
average unemployment rates among
high quality, he said.
‘‘They can fool anybody,
veterans, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand even police,’’ Kirk said.
Friday hosted a meeting in Syracuse to The bills are so good, they
find ways to match unemployed vets
are usually caught only when
with employers. the bills go through an
If you want to help the 900 unem- electronic counter, which de-
ployed veterans in eight Central New tects the bad bills. However,
York counties, Brian O’Shaughnessy that usually happens about 10
told the senator, change federal trade days after the bills are passed,
policies to allow U.S. companies to which means a cold trail, Kirk
compete better around the world. said.
‘‘That’s what we need to address. The Secret Service has
Anything you can do to create an envi- traced the source to counter-
ronment that allows us to grow is a feiters in Peru, he said. The
good thing,’’ said O’Shaughnessy, the counterfeit trade often mirrors
chairman, chief executive officer and the drug trade, with smuggling
president of Revere Copper Products, and high-, middle- and low-
in Rome. John Berry / The Post-Standard level dealers of the bills.
About 70 people turned out for the BERNIE McDONALD, of Syracuse, listens to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand speak For example, a person buys
event at the South Side Innovation during a round-table discussion about the employment future of military $10,000 in fake $100 bills for
Center that drew business leaders, vet-
erans’ advocacy groups and veterans
veterans. McDonald served in the Army and the reserves for a total of 23 a price of $20 a bill, or $2,000,
years, beginning in 1978. he said.
who own businesses. ‘‘The low end is the person
The national unemployment rate who passes it,’’ Kirk said.
was 9 percent in January. It was 8.3 ployment is that much greater,’’ said
Gillibrand, D-N.Y. For a gallery of photos Secret Service agents be-
percent in the Syracuse metropolitan lieve there are six people in the
area of Madison, Onondaga and Oswe- The senator is working with Senate from U.S. Sen. Kirsten
Veterans Committee Chairwoman Gillibrand’s meeting with ring. Two suspected members
go counties in December, the latest of the ring were recently
Patty Murray, D-Wash., to introduce veterans, go to
local available statistic.
the Veterans Employment Act. syracuse.com/photos. To caught in Ulster County, Kirk
Among veterans nationally, the rate see a video, go to said. The ring is not made up
is 15 percent overall and 20 percent for If the act becomes law, the Small
syracuse.com/video. of Central New Yorkers but is
younger veterans who’ve served less Business Administration would create
a Veterans Business Center Program thought to be people from the
than five years, Gillibrand said. New York City area, he said.
‘‘For the men and women who liter- to provide training and counseling to The act would also create pilot pro-
veterans who want to own their own grams to find ways to help service The chance of a fake $100
ally risked their lives, giving every- being passed to the public is
thing of themselves to defend our businesses, Gillibrand said. The pro- members to use the skills they’ve
learned in the military in the civilian small, because the $100 bill is
country and our freedom, I think going gram would be similar to ones the the largest denomination and is
that extra mile really does matter. And SBA already offers to women and mi- work force.
not given out as change in
I think we should because their unem- nority business owners. AGENCIES, PAGE A-6
most purchases, Kirk said.
Pens used by merchants to
detect phony bills are getting
false positive readings when
Flu rears its aching head in Onondaga County used, Kirk said.
‘‘Those pens are worthless
on these bills,’’ Kirk said.
Contagious virus is about 40 cases the week be- good match for this year’s flu Look back to 2008-2009 in
fore. strains. So if you were vacci- Onondaga County for a typical
widespread in New York ‘‘For the last several weeks, nated, you should be protected. flu season. ‘‘We peaked in Bogus vs. real
and 36 other states. we’ve had significant increases If you have not been vaccinat- March, which is a little bit late. Timothy Kirk, agent in
every week,’’ she said. ‘‘I sus- ed, it’s not too late. If you We typically peak in Febru- charge of the local Secret
By Amber Smith pect we’ll see more.’’ were immunized today, the ary,’’ Morrow said. This year, Service office, recommends
Health & Fitness editor New York is among 37 protection would kick in with- ‘‘we’re in a very similar pat- taking a known genuine bill
states where the flu was wide- in two weeks. tern.’’ in one hand and a suspect
The incidence of influenza
is starting to pick up in Onon- spread for the week ending Morrow said we can’t fairly She said the vast majority of bill in the other and
daga County, and the conta- Feb. 5, according to the federal compare this year’s flu season flu cases in New York are in- comparing the two.
gious viral infection is consid- Centers for Disease Control with last year’s H1N1 pan- fluenza A, but there are some On a genuine bill, the
‘‘100’’ in the lower right-
ered ‘‘widespread’’ throughout and Prevention. The propor- demic, the first global out- cases of H1N1 and other
hand side of the note is
the state. tion of deaths attributed to break of disease caused by a strains. From the patient’s per- printed with ‘‘optically
Onondaga County Health pneumonia and influenza also new flu virus in more than 40 spective, any flu strain creates varying ink,’’ he said. The
Commissioner Dr. Cynthia increased from last week and years. Health experts expect the same miserable symptoms
color changes from green to
Morrow said 65 cases of influ- is at a higher level than ex- the so-called swine flu to con- — cough, sore throat, fatigue, black and black to green
enza were confirmed in county pected for this time of year. tinue to spread, along with sea- body aches and possibly fever. when tilted, but not on the
residents during the week that The good news is, this sonal viruses during flu sea- Contact Amber Smith at fakes, he said.
ended Feb. 5. There were year’s vaccine seems to be a son. asmith@syracuse.com or 470-2188.