The Daily Record News Briefs: June 13, 2008

Daily Record (Rochester, NY), Jun 13, 2008

Xerox simplifying loan process

In a move to help the mortgage industry process loans faster and enhance customer service, Xerox Mortgage Services recently added e- signature, a secure way to complete mortgage loans without having to sign hard-copy documents, according to a release from the company.

Mortgage participants now are able to sign new or re-financed home loans online by pointing and clicking on their document's signature line. Electronically- signed documents are then securely managed and stored in a repository, known as an electronic vault. Audit tracking detects where the documents travel throughout the system to keep tabs on any transactions made during a loan's lifecycle. E-mortgage solutions allow lenders to turn loans around more quickly and with greater control while reducing printing and mailing costs.

"Mortgage lenders who embrace electronic signatures have a competitive advantage in today's complex marketplace," said Greg Smith, vice president of Xerox Mortgage Services said.

Harbor and Carousel Festival returns

The Rochester Harbor and Carousel Festival will return to Ontario Beach Park from June 20 through 22.

The festival brings community favorites such as the Boat Parade of Lights with a "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme and a spectacular fireworks display. Other highlights include concerts on two stages, an arts and crafts show, carousel rides, a classic car show and free tours of the Genesee Lighthouse.

The Rochester Harbor Festival 10K for will start at 8 a.m. on June 22 and journey from the Roger Robach Community Center on Beach Avenue and along the Genesee Riverway. Runners may pre-register until June 17 by mail for $10 (P.O. Box 16375, Rochester, N.Y. 14616), or online at www.gvh.net. Registrations also are accepted beginning at 7 a.m. on the day of the race.

The festival is made possible by the combined efforts of the all- volunteer Ontario Beach Park Program Committee, the City of Rochester, Monroe County, Wegmans, RG&E, SWBR Associates and Passero Assoc.

RSD announces archive center Web presence

The Rochester School for the Deaf (RSD) recently announced the establishment of a new Web link to its rich historical past.

By visiting www.RSDeaf.org/archives, the Carolyn White Siegfried and DeFois Hathaway Siegfried Archive Center at RSD is now electronically accessible to members of the RSD community, researchers from academia and interested individuals from the private sector.

Volunteers began organizing an archive center at RSD in 1997. Formally established in 2001, the center is housed in Perkins Hall on the school's St. Paul Street campus. The archive encompasses more than 100 cubic feet of historical material. The mission of its nine volunteer and one part-time staff is to collect, hold, care for, and make available for research, historical documents, photographs, artifacts and other valuable records of Rochester School for the Deaf, which opened in 1876.

Broad Street closure

The City of Rochester will close the eastern-most lane of West Broad Street between West Main and Brown streets within the next few weeks.

In the fall, the area will be in-filled in the interest of public safety, according to a release from the city. The bridge on which this section of Broad Street lies is considered the second-worst in the N.Y. State Dept. of Transportation's Region 4. On a safety scale of seven, the bridge rates at a two, according to a release from the city.

"When the South Avenue Garage helix collapsed, we were unaware that a problem existed," Mayor Robert J. Duffy said. "In this case, we are aware that a severe problem exists with this section of Broad Street. We are responsible to fix this problem. This is not a development issue. This is a public safety issue."

The section of roadway costs the city about $1 million annually to maintain. About $15 million in federal funding is available for the immediate work as part of the Broad Street Tunnel Project. This funding will be lost if it is not spent to remedy the situation, the city's release states.

Calls to quit quadruple

Calls to the New York State Smokers' Quitline more than quadrupled during the week of June 2 compared to the same week a year ago, reflecting an anticipated increase in smokers interested in quitting as a result of the state cigarette tax increase, according to a release from the state's Department of Health.

More than 9,750 calls were made during the week of June 2, the same week New York's cigarette tax increased by $1.25 to a total $2.75 a pack, the highest in the nation. Just under 2,300 calls were made to the Quitline during the same week in 2007.

Requests for free nicotine replacement therapy also increased more than four-fold.

The department reported that certain studies show taxes are the most effective way to reduce smoking because higher prices drive people to quit and prevent younger children from starting.

"Most smokers want to quit," said Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines said. "The cigarette tax is doing exactly what we intended, giving smokers another powerful reason to try to quit. We're thrilled with these results."