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sept. 23, 2019 high 78°, low 56°
t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r a c u s e , n e w yor k |
P • Culture curb
N • Lowering costs
dailyorange.com
The Westcott Street Cultural Fair welcomed vendors and fairgoers to celebrate its 28th year. People came to try the food and shop from local artisans. Pages 6-7
Student Association will vote Monday on a proposal to subsidize a Syracuse bike-share program. If passed, the Assembly would provide $30,000. Page 3
S • Dual threat
Syracuse tight end Aaron Hackett reshaped his body and refined his route-running to become a top option for Tommy DeVito and a key blocker in the run game. Page 12
city
Lead law may affect Syracuse children By Emma Folts
asst. news editor
Climate strike More than 200 Syracuse community members participated in Syracuse’s 2019 Global Climate Strike on Friday. The climate protest began at 11:30 a.m. on the Quad, and later moved to Forman Park on East Genesee Street. Members of the CNY chapter of Sunrise Movement and the New York Public Research Interest Group worked to organized the protest. sarah lee contributing photographer
city
DPS to add security cameras in Euclid area Alex Rouhandeh staff writer
The Department of Public Safety plans to install 11 security cameras in the area surrounding Euclid Avenue. The cameras are part of a series of new safety initiatives launched by DPS this year. Syracuse University has also expanded the DPS Walking Escort program and campus shuttle services. By spring 2020, DPS plans to employ 24-hour safety officers at residence halls. Nine cameras are already installed in the Euclid area. DPS and Syracuse Police Department are working together to purchase the 11 new cameras which are expected to be up by midOctober, DPS Chief Bobby Maldonado told The Daily Orange. The SPD will be responsible for monitoring the cameras and will work with DPS to patrol the area, SPD spokesperson Sgt. Matthew Malinowski said. The main purpose
of the cameras will be to assist in ongoing investigations, he said. “They’re not there to spy on people,” Malinowski said. “They’re there to solve crime and make sure if anyone’s a victim we’re able to solve it better.” While there has been property crime reported in the Euclid area, Maldonado said it is not a place of major concern. The area is instead being focused on due to the large number of students who live there, he said. “That surrounding area around Euclid, like Clarendon, areas like that are almost choke points to where students live,” Maldonado said. “If there was some sort of crime committed, we’d be able to observe more than we currently do.” Jake Shiptenko, a senior film major and Euclid area resident, said the area feels like a safe place to live, but he welcomes the additional protection. “I usually feel pretty safe,” Shiptenko said. “But if that kind of
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thing is a problem, I think it’s good that we’re getting the cameras.” Along with the camera installations, DPS hired five safety escorts for its Walking Escort program. The hired escorts are stationed along Euclid Avenue and Marshall Street, as well as at Walnut Park. Escorts will be wearing bright orange jackets
or vests. DPS plans to hire 90 full-time residential community safety officers to be stationed at each residential hall for 24/7 security. Officers will check the identification of people entering the building and those who are signing in other guests. For emergencies, the officers see cameras page 4
More Syracuse children may be considered to have elevated lead levels under New York state regulations taking effect next week. The regulations lower the standard for elevated lead levels in children’s blood from 10 to 5 micrograms per deciliter. The policy shift will require the county to inspect the house of any child whose blood lead levels are above the threshold. The stricter standard will greatly increase the amount of inspections conducted in the community, said Debra Lewis, program coordinator of the Onondaga County Health Department’s lead poisoning prevention program. Under the new law, all children with a blood lead level above the lower threshold are required to receive the exact same level of care, she said. “We will be responsible for a larger pool of children for all required services instead of restricting the most intensive services to children at the highest level,” Lewis said. There is no “normal” level for lead in blood, said Howard Weinberger, a pediatrician at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Weinberger is also the medical director at the state’s lead poisoning prevention center for central and Eastern New York. “Now we know even levels as low as five affect some children with their learning, with their executive skills, with a whole variety of subtle changes,” Weinberger said. The federal government banned consumer use of paints containing lead in 1978. About 91% of homes in Syracuse were built prior to 1980, according to Syracuse.com. When old homes with lead paint deteriorate, the paint peels and chips, Weinberger said. Young children can become exposed to lead if they ingest the paint chips, which taste sweet. Long-term studies have revealed that children with elevated lead levels have lower IQs and perform poorly in school compared to their peers, Weinberger said. Every child is different, and some are seemingly unaffected by their elevated blood lead levels. When Weinberger began his pediatric career in 1964, there were hundreds of children who needed treatment for lead exposure, with many hospitalized. Now, more children are being exposed to lead, but fewer children are becoming lessseverely sick, he said. Though lead is a “universal toxin” that can affect anyone, Weinberger see lead page 4