European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 stars and stripes sunday March 18 2007 new St pats controversy is looming in nyc the associated press new York a St Patricks Day in the City the Green Stripe painted on fifth ave nue the Echo of endless bagpipes the annual March infighting among new Yorks Irish after past controversies Over an Ira linked grand marshal and the exclusion of Gay groups from marching this years hostilities pit Parade organizers against the cites firefighters their second Battle in two years John Dunleavy president of the parades organizing commit tee ignited this years Brouhaha by moving the Odny from its traditional spot at the front of the Parade to the Middle of the pack Dunleavy also complained that firefighters show up drunk for the Parade and continue drinking All Day while in uniform fire officials along with City officials were Quick to strike Back at Dunleavy on both counts Hes made a huge mistake in trying to Brand All new York City firefighters on something that he says he saw said uniformed firefighters association head Steve Cassidy about the drinking charges uniformed fire officers Union head Peter Gorman called Dunleavy comments the ultimate slap in the face to those fire fighters who turn out to March firefighters March carrying 343 flags one for each Odny member killed on sept 112001 i think it is ridiculous and absurd that the organizers of the Parade Are moving new Yorks fire department Back said City coun cil speaker Christine Quinn the Odny along with the police departments fighting 69th infantry band usually March at the front of the Parade the Crux of the marching order dispute was last years appear Ance by new Orleans firefighters with the new York contingent organizers said the Parade with its 150000 marchers was delayed 35 minutes while the Louisiana group unfurled a Banner thank ing new York for its Aid after Hurricane katrina the slowdown infuriated Parade organizers and Dunleavy said last week that the firefight ers were a Law unto themselves and needed a reminder about who was running the Parade two years ago some firefight ers boycotted the Parade when department officials barred them from wearing their customary Green berets in 2002 there was a dispute Over the Best Way to Honor the victims of the world Trade Center terrorist attack and in 1983 former Ira Soldier Michael Flannery served As grand marshal feds intern steals Lincoln death notice Philadelphia a 40yearold intern with the National archives stole about 165 civil War documents including the War departments announcement of president lincolns death and sold most of them on Ebay prosecutors charged thursday Philadelphia resident Denning Mctague who runs a web site that Sells rare books worked at a National archives and records administration site in the City last summer prosecutors said Many City Homes May Lack fire safety features new York fire fatalities have steadily declined in the us since the late 1970s thanks partly to improved building codes requiring safety measures like sprinkler systems and multiple fire exits but a deadly March 7 Blaze in the Bronx served As a ghastly re minder that Many of the coun try big cities Are packed with Homes that have none of these safety features there Are thousands of Homes just like it throughout the City building experts said wednesday from the associated press Rick Jet Blue air planes Are seen at new Yorks John f Kennedy International Airport on feb 20 just after a Snow storm that caused Days of cancellations and criticism Jet Blue cancelled More than 200 flights March 16 in Advance of an expected Winter storm an airline spokesman said Jet Blue cancels 215 flights cancellations due to expected storm most affect Juk Airport by Jennifer Peltz the associated press new York Jet Blue cancelled 215 flights Fri Day because of a Winter storm on the East coast aiming to avoid the Days of cancellations and criticism that followed a storm last month an airline spokesman said the cancellations affected about on third of All Jet Blue flights More than 200 of them involved flights to or from new Yorks John f Kennedy inter National Airport said company spokesman Sebas Tian White he said a few flights also were affected at new Yorks Laguardia Airport Newark Liberty International Airport in new Jersey and Bostons Logan International Airport in addition the airline had can celeb 15 flights thursday night White said the storm is expected to dump More than a foot of Snow on parts of the Northeast the airline has been under pressure to do better in bad weather since passengers were stranded in planes at Kennedy for up to hours during a storm last month Jet Blue was unable to resume nor Mal operations for Days afterwards because flight Crews we rent where they were supposed to be White said fridays cancellations were intended to ensure that Crews would be available where needed and that departure Gates would be free in Case weather forced planes to return he said were hopeful the plans we have in place will be effective and allow us to recover quickly he said Early Friday Jet Blue has been striving to regain customers esteem since a feb 14 Snow and ice storm left hundreds of passengers marooned on parked planes at Kennedy the airline had hoped to get through the storm without cancelling flights but later acknowledged it waited too Long to ask Airport authorities for help getting passengers off the stranded planes the airline preemptively cancelled 66 flights on feb 26 because of Snow Jet Blue representatives said the strategy succeeded in making sure the air line could resume Normal service quickly though some passengers expressed frustration in the last month Jet Blue also has unveiled a Cus Tomer Bill of rights that promises vouchers to Passen Gers who experience delays passengers whose flights were cancelled Friday were offered refunds or a Chance to rebook travel through april 30 without paying a fee for the change White said Faa expect More airline delays Washington airline passengers can expect More delays As air planes crowd the skies the Feder Al aviation administration said thursday the Agency expects an average of 14 million More takeoffs and landings the equivalent of traffic at two Dallas fort Worth International airports every year until 2020 in 2006 air traffic control lers handled 611 million takeoffs and landings Faa administrator Marion Blakey said 2006 was the worst year Ever for delays and 2007 int looking any better last year More than 490000 flights departed or arrived late she said this year Domestic airline ticket prices Are expected to increase by 04 percent before dropping an average of 09 percent annually the Faa said As part of its annual aviation forecast the Agency predicts airline traffic will grow faster at Hub airports than at smaller ones Blakey said the nations aging air traffic control sys tem must be replaced to avoid gridlock in the skies from the associated press lawmakers demand changes to no child left behind Law by Nancy Zuckerbrod the associated press Washington president Bush Sig nature no child left behind education Law is headed for fundamental changes As con Gress rewrites it this year including a Likely softening of door die deadlines school administrators Long have complained about the annual deadlines which punish schools that do not make adequate Progress toward having All children per form at their Grade Levels school officials also have rebelled at requirements that students with limited English ability or with learning disabilities perform As Well As their Grad level Peers now those complaints Are being taken up by lawmakers spanning the political spectrum key democrats who control the Federal purse strings Are demanding changes moderate republicans say the Law must be More flexible on thursday they were joined by dozens of gop conservatives who want an even More Radical overhaul lawmakers say a major flaw is that schools that miss achievement targets by a Little Are treated the same Way As schools that miss those goals by a lot schools then Are labelled As needing improvement and face the same penalties we cant have Onesipe Fitall rep Peter Hoekstra Rich said thursday he led a group of House and Senate Law makers in introducing legislation that would let states opt out of no child left be Hind requirements without losing Federal education Money currently any state that does not adhere to the requirements of the billion pro Gram cannot get the Federal dollars that come with it the requirements include an Nual testing in math and Reading in grades three through eight and once in High school the tests must show steady yearly Progress toward a goal of getting students working on Grade level by the year 2014 House Republican whip Roy Blunt of mis Souri is supporting the conservatives Bill even though he voted for the Law in 2001 the overriding intrusion in no child left behind is too Large to Deal with unless you fundamentally change the legislation Blunt said education Secretary Margaret Spellings testified on Capitol Hill last week hearing from republicans and democrats who want changes