Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

David Wright got on base five times, scored three times and drove in the go-ahead run as the Mets earned a split of their two game series with Reds, coming from behind for a 9-4 win at Citi Field on Thursday afternoon.

Wright raised his average to .411, by going 2 for 2 at the plate including an RBI double in the eight innings that put the Mets on top 5-4, after trailing 4-0. Wright also walked three times.

Ronny Cedeno tacked on with a three-run homer, his first of the year.

Bobby Parnell was the benificary, moving to 1-0.

Cincinnati’s Logan Ondrusek (3-1) entered a tie game in the eight before allowing five runs on four hits and a walk.

New York rallied to tie earlier in the game with with a two-RBI double from Lucas Duda in the fifth inning, ands sacrifice flies from Justin Turner and Mike Baxter in the sixth and seventh.

The Reds scored their runs on Joey Votto’s solo-home run (6th), and RBI hits from Ryan Hanigan and Matt Latos. Hanigan also scored on run on Mike Nickeas’ pass ball.

R.A. Dickey got the start for New York, striking out eight, but giving up four runs in in six innings.

The Mets (21-17) open an interleague series at the Rogers Centre in Tornto on Friday night.

an Rwalked three times and collected two more hits, raising his average .411.

Getty Images

Utica, NY (WIBX) - The debate on using more ethanol in gasoline is back in the news with a newly released report from a non-profit research group. At issue is whether or not to change the standard gasoline option from E10 to E15.

The testing done by Coordinating Research Council, found that E15 could harm car and truck engines. Regional Director for AAA Central Region, Ed Welsh, is a local car and oil industry expert who says consumers should have a choice. “Perhaps the consumer with the brand new car may choose the E15, and somebody with the older vehicle can then choose the E10 for example. That to me would a much smarter way to go about this than force wide spread use of E15 and not give the consumer the choice that they should have,” he said.

Welsh does say that higher levels of ethanol fuel reduces a cars gas mileage and has been proven to be corrosive to certain engines. “So, if you increase the amount of ethanol, what do you think happens to your gas mileage? Well, it goes down even more,” he said. He adds that a lot of environmental questions remain to be answered before adopting E15 as the standard fuel.

“There are some flex fuel vehicles being built that can burn this fuel safely, make no mistake about that. The question becomes: Is the efficiency laws and the cost of food prices going up and the other things affected by the fuel itself, is the off-set worth it or not.” He says the environmental concern is whether or not E15 contributes to air population. He says the study tries to put a “dagger” into the heart of E15 and adds, “I think the jury’s still out whether all the premises of the study are correct or not.”

The EPA and the Obama administration support the move to E15, pointing to the Environmental Protection Agency’s own 2-year study outcome. Also, The Department of Energy calls the study flawed in this released statement: “The study claims mechanical damage and suggests degraded engine performance, emissions and durability on conventional vehicles from the use of E15 or E20 fuel. We believe the study is significantly flawed. The CRC failed to establish a proper control group, a standard component of scientific, data-driven testing and a necessity to determine statistical significance for any results.” In the meantime the debate on the use of ethanol fuel continues, as the nation’s leaders look for ways to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Welsh shares this Editorial piece published in the Observer Dispatch in 2011.

Is Corn Ethanol still a good Idea?

By Ed Welsh

If we examine how the federal government mandates certain products we would find that it occurs in one of three ways. In no particular order, the first is to subsidize it , the second is to protect it from competition and third is to require its use. Corn Ethanol as used in our gasoline has the remarkable distinction as perhaps the only product that enjoys all three.

Ask yourself, who would purposely buy fuel that’s more costly, gets worse mileage and increases carbon emissions? Due to government mandate, the answer is: All of us!

Since MTBE was outlawed as an oxygenator in our gasoline, E10 or 10% Corn Ethanol was introduced as its replacement. Corn Ethanol supporters touted the product as home grown using our vast agricultural infrastructure, being better for the environment and a first step towards energy independence.

Under a recent EPA ruling, E15 or 15% Ethanol may be coming very soon. Of course, we would not be buying it except by the force of law. So, how did we get here? The first place to look is to the 2007 Congressional edict mandating our country to use 36 billion gallons of ethanol by the year 2022.

We currently use about 11 billion gallons of ethanol per year with little room for growth. The state of the economy and better MPG from newer vehicles has flattened gasoline usage. With stunted gasoline growth, added to a glut of ethanol, the ethanol business has too many gallons of ethanol chasing too few gallons of gasoline. The second place to look is at the very powerful corn lobby in Washington. They along with ethanol producers have a tight grip on the Midwestern congressional delegation.

Corn Ethanol is an energy loser. According to research, it takes about 1.2 BTU’s of energy to create 1 BTU of corn ethanol. At a recent green energy business conference in Athens Greece, environmental advocate and former Vice President Al Gore said that our current corn based ethanol policy was not a good one. I am glad Al is finally warming to the idea (albeit late) that burning your food in the gas tank is not a good idea. In 2010, US Ethanol production is using about 40% of our total corn crop. No wonder corn prices are soaring.

Currently, the EPA has approved E15 for use in 2007 or newer cars and trucks. They have not yet approved it for older vehicles or small engines. It could be disastrous if the E15 mandate is made across the board. As an oxygenator, Ethanol introduces more oxygen into the fuel, making engines run leaner. This means hotter combustion temperatures for older vehicles and equipment that was not designed for such temperatures. On the automotive side the problems could range from increased emissions to reduced catalytic converter life to catastrophic engine failure. The same holds true for recreational and other small engines found in boats, snowmobiles and yard maintenance equipment.

Please note that car and truck engines built from 2007 and newer will run fine on E15. It’s all our older vehicles and equipment that would suffer from E15 use.

On the drawing board is second generation ethanol using cellulosic technologies or enzymes to extract sugar from wood fiber or waste wood or grass. This is a much better choice to help curb our use of oil. If Cellulostic or enzymatic technology proves viable and is introduced properly, the second coming of Ethanol could produce the desired results without government subsidies or heavy handed policy. Energy independence is in our nation’s best interest. Destroying our vehicles and equipment to get there is not.

Ed Welsh is the Central Region General Manager for AAA New York in Utica, an Oneida County Legislator and the host of Autotalk heard every Saturday morning on WIBX AM 950 Radio.

Paramount Pictures

With more than a century of history to its credit, baseball has inspired many movies. Few are as funny as ‘Major League,’ our Sports Movie of the Week.

In the 1989 film, the owner of the Cleveland Indians dies and leaves the perennially terrible franchise to his new bride, Rachel Phelps (Margaret Whitton), a former exotic dancer with little interest in baseball or Cleveland. Phelps conjures a plan to stock the Indians’ roster with terrible players who will lose enough games to allow her to move the team to Miami.

Phelps adds aging catcher Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger), middling prospects Ricky Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) and Willie Mays Hayes (Wesley Snipes) and power-hitting enigma Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert) to the other Cleveland players already under the direction of manager Lou Brown (James Gammon) with the hope they’ll finish last. The team struggles to play well at first, but once they discover Phelps’ motives they rally together to make baseball magic.

Five Reasons to Watch ‘Major League’

1. Every 10 minutes of screen time you’ll hear at least one line of dialogue that is still used for a laugh by present-day baseball fans, announcers and pundits nearly 25 years after the film’s original release.

2. Real life play-by-play guy Bob Uecker is cast as Indians’ announcer Harry Doyle, a caricatured version of himself and legendary Chicago Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray. While it’s not a stretch of his acting ability, Uecker’s delivery helps land some of the film’s biggest laughs.

3. To fans who may best know him from his role as President David Palmer on the Fox show ’24,’ Dennis Haysbert is nearly unrecognizable as slugging Pedro Cerrano, thanks to a goatee and a shaved head.

4. The Indians’ home game scenes were filmed at Milwaukee’s County Stadium, which has since been demolished. At the time the film was made, Cleveland played at Municipal Stadium, which has also since been razed.

5. Charlie Sheen was capable of throwing more than 85 miles per hour. He has since admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs to prepare for his role as a fast-throwing relief pitcher.

Click the play button to watch the original trailer of the film below:

Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images

Golfer of the Day:

Thursday 5/17 – Ben Curtis

WIBX 950 is once again giving away a new set of Wilson Staff irons on Sports Watch for our Fairway to Heaven!

All you need to do is check wibx950.com daily to find the ‘Golfer of the Day’.

Listen to Sports Watch weeknights from 6-7 p.m. and listen to your que to call. The fifth caller who can correctly name the Golfer of the Day will win a round of golf, with a sleeve of balls, and an entry into the grand prize drawing – a new set of Wilson Staff irons from Golf Unlimited in The Commons at New Hartford Shopping Center.

Check out our great Fairway to Heaven golf courses:

Kristine Bellino, WIBX

Utica, NY (WIBX) – Downtown Utica is bragging about its Baggs.

The Oneida Public Market opens for business in the Railway Express Agency, “REA,” Wing of Union Station on Bagg’s Square.

With a nod of recognition to the recent unpopular coverage of Utica by a non-local news agency, County Executive Anthony Picente opened with a good-natured dig directed at the “Albany Times Union.” When the laughter subsided it was all business.

The County has invested about $312,000 to renovate the facility and Oneida County Tourism President Kelly Blazosky said the money was well-spent, pointing to the potential for bring together agriculture and tourism.

Market Manager Beth Irons says that there are just under thirty vendors who have signed on so far, some for the entire year, as plans to make the market year-round grow in popularity.

The market will be open Saturdays beginning June 16,2012 from 9:00am to 1:00pm. For rules, maps, and a vendor fee schedule visit: www.oneidacountymarket.com.

Photo provided by RACC.

Rome, NY (WIBX) – The Rome Art and Community Center is hoping to increase its exposure by shedding a little light on its gallery.

New light pole banners have been installed at the RACC, lining the entrance to the building and highlighting several programs the facility hosts, including art classes, exhibits, summer camps and community events.

According to Executive Director, Lauren Marie Gatek, the new light banners are already gaining attention from passersby, and create a bigger presence in the city.

The Center will soon display new banners commemorating New York State Museum Week, which starts May 31st.

restlessglobetrotter, Flickr

A man in the UK who was upset with his accountant chose a rather unusual way to express his irritation: he paid off his $1,200 bill for services rendered in coins. But the accountant got the last laugh by taking his client to court.

Robert Fitzpatrick apparently didn’t like the job done by Philip Lawrence’s firm, so he dumped five crates of coins on Lawrence’s front lawn. And while the amount he owed was technically paid in full, it violated a local law stating coins can’t be used for large payments — so Lawrence sued.

“Incredulous is really the only word,” Lawrence said of the weighty payment method. “I was not at home when the boxes were delivered and did not sign for them. My partner phoned me to ask if I was expecting a delivery and when I told her that I wasn’t, she opened the boxes only to find all these coins.”

Lawrence sued for the original amount owed plus another $500 for the daily cost of storing all that metal. He prevailed in court, but didn’t get the storage fees. He said once he’s paid, he’ll return the coins to his former client.

Fitzpatrick is fine with the ruling, saying, “Of course it’s unusual but it depends how annoyed you are with someone. I’m not bothered. Mr. Lawrence had sought more but didn’t get it.”

[The Telegraph]

Gino Geruntino, WIBX

Utica, NY (WIBX) – The fight to keep the Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center open continues to heat up.

City Councilman Jim Zecca, and Oneida County Legislator Harmony Speciale, spoke this morning at the State Office Building on Genesee Street. The pair, flanked by employees from the facility and citizen advocate, Tim Trent, addressed the closure of the MVPC and the $19 million needed to renovate Hutchings Psychiatric Center in Syracuse.

The lawmakers also gave copies of two petitions to Albany politicians, including Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi and representatives for State Senator Joe Griffo and Governor Andrew Cuomo. One petition was signed by 3,300 Utica residents, the other was a memorial petition signed by the entire County Legislature.

During the event, Zecca concluded that there is no reason to close down an up-to-date facility and lose 139 jobs,  while simultaneously pouring money into an “obsolete” facility away from the areas needing assistance.

“We have to be heard,” Zecca said. “We may not have the political clout, but we do have people that are concerned, you saw that today. We have people from the Chamber of Commerce all the way to the people of Occupy Utica representing.”

MVPC employees also spoke. Patricia Hoch, a mental health therapy aide at the facility, says she understands the state’s need to save money, but doesn’t understand why patients should be moved to other facilities.

“I mean, I’m sure that Hutchings doesn’t want their facility to close down either, just like ours, because they take care of them and I’m sure they have a wonderful staff up there for their patients. But, it just doesn’t make any sense.”

Gino Geruntino, WIBX

According to an estimated cost sheet released by MVPC employees, several expensive renovations must be made to the Hutchings Psychiatric Center in order to accommodate more patients. Included in these costs are an estimated $1.5 million rehabilitation of one building in order to meet code requirements, and $550,000 for paving and sidewalk repair. Other costs include $230,000 for asbestos abatement and between $3 and $4.3 million for a HVAC system balance.

The Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce also jumped onto the bandwagon, hinting in a resolution that the HPC would be more attractive to purchasers based on its close proximity to several institutions, including Upstate Medical Center and Syracuse University.

But, Zecca says this should be about the patients at both facilities, not state politics.

“I really don’t want it to be a competition between the city of Utica and the city of Syracuse. That’s not the point. The point is the patients that need to be served and the money that is being spent. If the Governor goes by what he’s been saying all along, that he’s trying to get the state in fiscal order, then this is a slap in the face to the Governor. I don’t understand where the [Office of Mental Health] Commissioner [Michael Hogan] is coming up with these numbers.”

Another demonstration is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m., outside of the MVPC’s Wright Building at 1400 Noyes Street, between Churchill Avenue and York Street.

Getty Images

As a way to help promote healthy eating among children, US Rep. Jared Polis has introduced legislation which would redefine the Department of Agriculture’s classification of pizza as a vegetable in school lunches.

Polis said the tomato sauce used in pizza isn’t enough to qualify it as a vegetable and he wants the USDA to implement new nutrition standards for the food.

“Categorizing pizza as a vegetable because of its small amount of tomato paste is exactly the wrong approach, as Type II diabetes rates among children and child obesity continue to climb,” said a release from Polis’ office.

So, Polis introduced legislation called the SLICE Act, which changes how pizza is classified and allows the USDA to set both sodium reduction and whole grain standards.

While Polis is fine with children occasionally eating pizza, he prefers that it be served along with a healthy side dish. According to the Congressman, pressure from frozen food makers accounts for the designation of pizza as a vegetable, and he hopes this new legislation will impose more sensible standards.

[CBS4]

Getty Images

New York, NY (WIBX) – According to TMZ and other media outlets, music icon and disco diva, Donna Summer is dead at 63.  Summer is best known for her disco hits in the 70s, including “Last Dance” and “Hot Stuff.”

She reportedly died in Florida after a battle with cancer. Summer was a five-time Grammy winner who was known as the Queen of Disco. She married Brooklyn Dreams singer Bruce Sudano in 1980. The couple had two daughters.

Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

As part of an effort to fight obesity, Darebin Council in northern Melbourne, Australia, is considering a “fat tax” which would impose whopping rate increases on fast food giants like McDonald’s and KFC.

Obesity is a significant problem in Australia, with six in 10 adults and one in four children considered overweight. This new tax would penalize fast food restaurants with rate increases up to a staggering 400 percent.

According to the council, extra money generated from the tax would be spent on health promotion programs to battle obesity as well as related illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

Darebin councilor Gaetano Greco said the tax is meant to promote good health and reduce the number of fast food joints. “Councils have the responsibility of looking after the health and well-being of their community,” he said. “Here we are, looking at an extra tool that council can use to limit or control the spread of fast-food chain outlets.”

Not surprisingly, fast food companies aren’t thrilled with the idea. A KFC spokesman said consumers should be able to choose what they eat for themselves. “For our part, we believe in informed choice and provide our customers with detailed nutritional information so they can make sensible dietary decisions for themselves and their families,” he said.

A McDonald’s spokesperson said the fat tax would have a pronounced effect on all fast food restaurants in the area, many of which — including the golden arches — are owned and operated by local people.

[news.com.au]

Scott Olson, Getty Images

It’s no secret that certain kinds of cribs — especially the drop-side variety — can pose a danger to your children. But a new report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that toys, bumpers and blankets kept in cribs can be hazardous, as well.

According to the CDC, cases of infant suffocation are on the rise, and it blames the accessories that parents typically use along with cribs. In fact, doctors say, babies under the age of one could easily suffocate if a crib product cuts off their flow of air.

In 2009 alone, the CDC says that 665 babies died from “accidental suffocation of strangulation while in bed.” The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned that bumpers, for example, can be dangerous and should never be used. In Chicago, stores are banned from selling them altogether.

“The manufacturers should stop making the bumpers, which really have no place in a baby’s crib and no place, therefore, ever,” said Dr. Eileen Tyrala, medical director of Cribs for Kids.

And yet, crib accessories are still widely available and used by many parents. Linda Woody of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association said that bumpers can actually be beneficial, and prevent head injuries and limb entrapment. Parents should decide what accessories to use for themselves after consulting with a pediatrician, she argued.

“Parents need to make a decision for themselves what items they would like to use inside their crib,” she said. “Parents in concert with their pediatricians and themselves, they know what’s best for their family.”

[Today]

Courtesy of Ride For Missing Children

Utica, NY (WIBX) – Making our children safe, one child at a time.  That’s the message behind the 16th annual Ride for Missing Children.

Over 450 bicylists will be taking part in tomorrow’s ride, which begins at 7:45 at the Oneida YMCA and ends at 6:30 at the New Hartford Rec Center.

Chairman Frank Williams says the riders will be stopping at or passing by 21 schools along the 100-mile route, bringing with them their message of child safety.

The ride also raises funds to help the Mohawk Valley Chapter of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children with poster distribution.

The center has distributed over 7.5 million posters of 7,167 missing children and 5,122 of those children have been recovered.

Getty Images

Utica, NY (WIBX) - Utica police are investigating two back-to-back robberies in West Utica and need your help solving them. It happened last week Tuesday, (5/8) and Thursday, (5/10).

Officials say the perpetrators–two black males in their mid to late teens–used blunt objects to strike the two victims in the head and made their escape on bicycles. They’re also accused of inflicting other physical injuries on the victims.

UPD provided the following description of the two suspects:

Suspect #1: Black Male, 5’5′ to 5’7′ with a thin build and thin face.

Suspect #2: Black Male, 5’7′ to 5’9′ with a stocky to muscular build.

The robbery on Tuesday, May 8, happened at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Genesee and Avery Streets. The second robbery on Thursday, May 10,  occurred on Sherman Avenue and Bennett Street at around 12:20 a.m. Anyone with information is asked to call UPD at (315) 223-3516. All calls may be kept confidential.

Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Here’s the good news: Americans have better credit scores now than we have in the past few years. But there’s bad news, too: credit standards are now so high that it may not matter much.

FICO scores range from 300 to 850, and are typically affected by paying your bills on time, not applying for new credit lines and keeping your existing balances low.

Research from Fair Isaac Corporation, the company behind your FICO score, indicates the percentage of people with excellent credit scores is the best it’s been in four years, while the number of Americans with lousy scores has fallen to pre-recession levels.

Although it’s encouraging that consumers seem to be spending more responsibly, the problem is that there are still a lot of people stuck in a sort of “no man’s land” of credit — their scores aren’t terrible, but they also aren’t top-notch. And since the criteria for getting the cheapest credit has risen so much since the economy took a nosedive, those folks are often saddled with higher interest rates.

Many borrowers now require a FICO score of 720 or more for the best rates on a credit line. While many people now have scores exceeding 800, the number of people with credit scores between 700 and 749 has fallen to about 16 percent — a historic low.

[Time]

Gino Geruntino, WIBX

Utica, NY (WIBX) – A Getty Images Photographer’s photographic essay is irking Utica city officials and champions of the City.  Now many pushed to action are rallying around what they say is one of the most diverse and exciting places to live.

WIBX’s Gino Geruntino did his own photographic essay, highlighting some of the more positive aspects of Utica: http://wibx950.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-utica/.  In one of the photos Gino merely walked to the other side of a building featured in the essay of the “struggling” Utica story.  So, we want to know, does Utica get a bad rap?  It’s our Question of the Day.  Click here to enter our poll:

We’ll feature your answers in an upcoming broadcast.  For the original essay by Spencer Platt visit: http://www.timesunion.com/news/slideshow/utica-struggles-42952.php.

Abelimages, Getty Images

The Toronto Blue Jays bounced Hiroki Kuroda (3-5) around for eight hits and seven runs over five innings, en route to an 8-1 win over the Yankees at the Rogers Centre on Wednesday night.

Edwin Encarnacion hit his 13th homer as part of a three-hit, three RBI night. J.P. Arencibia drove in two with three hits and a homer, while Kelly Johnson also had a pair of RBI’s. Jose Batista hit his ninth homer.

Kyle Drabek allowed just three hits and a run in the seven innings as he improved to 3-4.

Mark Teixeira had one of New York’s three hits on the night, and an RBI.

The Yankees (20-17) have lost three of four.

Chris Trotman, Getty Images

Todd Frazier’s second home run of the night capped Cincinnati’s four run eight inning rally as the Reds topped the Mets 6-3 at Citi Field Wednesday night.

Johan Santana (1-2) left the game with the lead after 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball, before Jon Rauch, Tim Byrdak and D.J. Carrasco let the Reds rally.

Rauch (2-3) took loss after being charged with three runs on three hits. Byrdak retired the only batter he faced, but it was Jay Bruce’s pinch-hit sacrifice fly with put Cincinnati up 4-3.

Carrasco came in next to allow a two-run blast to Frazier, who drove in three on the night with two home runs.

Lucas Duda had three of New York’s eight hits, while scoring a run and driving in another. Ike Davis and Mick Nickeas had the team’s other RBI’s.

Jose Arredando (3-1) picked up the win after an inning in relief. Sean Marshall allowed one hit in the ninth to earn his seventh save.

The Mets (20-17) host the Reds in a 1:10 matinee at Citi Field on Thursday to wrap up the two game series.

Paul Bereswill, Getty Images

David Clarkson beat Henrik Lundqvist on a deflected goal early in the third period to send the New Jersey Devils past the New York Rangers 3-2 to tie their best-of-seven series at 1-1.

Wednesday night’s Game 2 at Madison Square Garden marked the third series this postseason that the Rangers have opened at home with a win, followed by a loss.

Video highlights from NHL.com:

New Jersey’s Ryan Carter also scored with the help of a deflection to tie the game 2-2 in the second period. This after New York’s Marc Staal and Chris Kreider lit the lamp in the second to build a 2-1 lead.

For the rookie Krieder, it was his four career goal, all in the playoffs.

Ilya Kovalchuk had the Devils’ first goal in the opening period.

Lundqvist made 24 saves for New York. New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur had 23.

Game 3 is Saturday at 1:00 in the Garden State.

Utica Police Chief Williams addresses the Common Council. Image Courtesy Branden Block, WIBX

Utica, NY (WIBX) – The Utica Common Council narrowly approved an ordinance amending the composition of the Bureau of Police which will allow the Utica Police Department to participate in both the Oneida County Drug Task Force and the County’s Child Advocacy Center.

In a 5-to-4 vote, the council elected to accept a one-time payment of $100,000 from the County’s District Attorney and the Oneida County Executive, that money will go towards restoring 5 positions within the department.

According to Utica Police Chief Mark Williams, his department has burned through 18% of this year’s fiscal overtime budget within the first month. The Chief sights recent staff reductions and the demotion of 23 high ranking officers as part of the reason.

Even with every available cop on the street, the chief says the department is still understaffed in the uniformed patrol division and that shortage is creating an overtime issue.