水果派AV

Potter, a native of Weedsport, worked on his family's dairy farm before getting his first "real" job at the Old Erie Restaurant in the village, where he worked for 15 years.听

Those two passions are represented by the name of the new restaurant, he told 水果派AV on Wednesday in its rear dining room.

"The name is about my journey, growing up on a dairy farm where you learn hard work and what it takes to make a dollar. It isn't easy, nor is the restaurant business," he said.

"But there is something very satisfying about making people happy and feeding people."

Potter left Weedsport for Phoenix, Arizona, where he lived and worked in food service for years before returning to the area. He met Buonomo at the University of Rochester. They worked at a campus hotel until March, when the owner of their company passed away. He was going to support their opening of a restaurant on campus, but without him, they decided to set out on their own.

Potter and Buonomo looked at restaurants in Rochester, and then one in the Thousand Islands, but felt those markets were too saturated and seasonal, respectively. So they started looking in Potter's hometown. The Old Erie, which he tried to buy in 2005, had deteriorated to the point of being a money pit, he said. They also looked at Devaney's Riverside Grill in Weedsport.

After visiting Devaney's, Potter and Buonomo happened to go to Brenda's Diner for lunch. When they learned that owner Brenda Hirsch was looking to sell her business, Potter was hesitant at first.听

"I've never been passionate about breakfast," he said with a laugh. "I'm not a morning guy, so that part of it scared me. I'm a lunch and dinner guy. I like having a bar, and we don't have a bar here."

What won Potter and Buonomo over, though, was the space at the Route 31 restaurant. Along with the traditional diner counter and seating, it has a dining hall several times bigger in the back, as well as a private room that can be used for banquets and other events. With the Old Erie and Devaney's closed, he and Buonomo saw an opportunity to become the new destination for those events.

The partners bought the restaurant in July. They spent the next few months replacing its kitchen equipment and d茅cor, and renovating the building with the help of family.

The menu, Potter said, is "a more approachable version of farm-to-table." The restaurant sources local ingredients when it can, like beef and pork from Rosencrans Local Market in Auburn and produce from Owen Orchards in Sennett, whose hard cider is used in a popular Drunken Pork Chop entr茅e. But Potters doesn't fully meet the definition of farm-to-table, and that's by design.

"Farm-to-table can scare people away with pricing, then you get into the organic stuff," Potter said. "To me, it's more about having it be fresh and local, and keeping it affordable for families."

Similarly, Potters isn't a diner by name, but its owners said they aren't offended to be called one. Diners are "quintessentially American," Potter said, and celebrate farmers and other blue-collar workers like his and Buonomo's restaurant. They also celebrate the community, which Potters does by giving agricultural workers lifetime 15% discounts, and serving Panther and Warrior loaded baked potatoes. Customers select between the Port Byron and Weedsport mascots when they order the potato, and $1 from the sale is donated to that school district's parent-teacher association.

"That's what makes a small town tick," Potter said. "Everybody helping each other out."

Terrapin CEO and founder Chris Woods said in the new release that the company wants to make a multi-million-dollar investment in Auburn, with about 100 jobs at the facility, and plans to work with the community on social equity, addiction recovery support, poverty and food scarcity, sustainability and other issues of local relevance.

鈥淎s always, Terrapin is focused on planting local roots,鈥� Woods said. 鈥淲e are so thankful to our partners in the Auburn community who have welcomed us with open arms. We are excited to serve the community as responsible corporate citizens in leaving a positive community footprint.鈥�

The announcement comes after New York state's passage of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act in March. Under the new law, use and possession of recreational marijuana is now legal statewide. Municipalities have the option of adopting laws prohibiting retail sales of marijuana and licensed consumption sites by Dec. 31, and though the city of Auburn has not yet decided whether to "opt out" of those parts of the law, doing so would not affect a production facility like Terrapin's. Still, two city officials expressed support for the company's plans:

"Up to 100 full-time jobs paying $20-plus per hour is exciting news for Auburn,鈥� Mayor Michael D. Quill said. 鈥淲e welcome Terrapin to our community and I would like to recognize all the effort of our city staff, Cayuga Economic Development Agency and the Auburn Industrial Development Authority for all they did to work with Terrapin to bring these jobs to Auburn. 鈥�

鈥淭errapin recognizes that partnerships between the business and nonprofit sectors create synergies which benefit individuals and the larger community,鈥� Councilor Jimmy Giannettino said. 鈥淏usiness development is critical to our mission of recruiting a diverse workforce to our community. Placing a focus on nonprofit outreach only adds to this goal. We look forward to working with Terrapin in developing additional opportunities to support this mission.鈥�

Terrapin's plans include working with local leaders on social equity job fairs to include diversity in its workforce, and exploring second-chance job opportunities with Auburn Correctional Facility "to right the wrongs of a failed systemically racist drug war that disproportionately targeted Black and Latino populations." Citing the legacy of Auburn resident Harriet Tubman and the area's role in the abolitionist movement, the company said it hopes to leverage the city's status as a tourism destination for people interested in issues of equity. It will do that by providing education to Black and Latino entrepreneurs seeking access to the state's new cannabis industry, Terrapin said, as well as working with downtown businesses and restaurants on workshops for minority business owners.

Also recognizing how hard Auburn has been hit by the opioid epidemic, Terrapin said it will work with local organizations to bridge the gap from clinical to peer support by helping those recovering from addiction to find treatment and possibly employment at its new facility. The company further plans to "deploy community education as it relates to cannabis as an alternative form of maintenance support for those struggling with addiction."

Poverty and food scarcity will be additional focuses of Terrapin, as it plans to work with local nonprofits to eliminate homelessness, alleviate hunger and increase workforce readiness. The company will also provide experts for employment workshops that will walk people through accessing the state's new cannabis industry, it said.

Terrapin's sustainability plans include purchasing solar energy subscriptions, LED lighting, voluntary audits with energy consultants and strategic energy management workshops, all of which the company has pursued at its six dispensaries and four production facilities in Colorado. Employing more than 400 people, Terrapin has also opened a medical marijuana production facility in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, and a production facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan, since its founding in 2009. It recently launched medical marijuana operations in Kansas City as well.听

鈥淲e have a proven track record that ensures that we will fit in with the fabric of the community,鈥� Woods said. 鈥淭he relationships we have developed with the community allow us to serve as a responsible partner who is invested in the future of Auburn and central New York.鈥�

Joel Wood told 水果派AV that he and his wife brought their concerns to Kinney in May, after the Pfizer vaccine was authorized for ages 12 to 15 by the Food and Drug Administration.

The Woods were concerned that the vaccine was only authorized, he said, not approved. (The FDA has since approved the Pfizer vaccine for ages 16 and older.) The pharmacists were also concerned about the lack of long-term data and other information in the paperwork for the vaccine, as well as "vaccine shedding," a theory聽that vaccinated people can discharge the virus. (The theory has been聽聽by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) For those reasons, the Woods told Kinney they were not comfortable administering the vaccine to younger age groups 鈥� 50 and younger for Joel Wood, and children for Katie Wood. Because it was May and demand for the vaccine was declining, he said, they believed the company could have accommodated them.

"There were other jobs we could do that wouldn't involve administering shots. They're running a business, we understand that. But if they really wanted to they could have worked with us to figure something out," said Joel Wood, who spent his career with Kinney and called it a "great company to work for." He and his wife, who have two children, have not received the vaccine, he added.

When the Woods shared their concerns with a supervisor, however, he responded that the company "cannot go down the path of pharmacists not providing essential services," the complaint says.

"(Kinney) specifically instructed Mr. Wood and Ms. Wood not to provide any of the foregoing information to vaccine recipients and instead to actively mislead such persons so they would believe the vaccine and vaccination process lacked significant risks," the complaint says. "Plaintiffs were also told that they must continue to administer the vaccine (and) that they would be fired if they did not."

A representative of Kinney declined to answer 水果派AV's questions about the Woods and their firing, citing company policy not to comment on personnel matters, but sent a brief statement.

"As a 118-year-old, 100% employee-owned pharmacy, Kinney Drugs considers that the safety of our patients and employees to be our highest priority. As always, our company continues to work very closely with state and federal health agencies to ensure that we are following the latest guidance for all vaccines that we administer," the representative said.

The Woods, who seek reinstatement to their jobs at Kinney and damages in an amount to be determined by a jury, are being represented by attorney Sheldon Karasik, of Nassau County. In July, he聽 a widely shared online presentation about obtaining religious exemptions related to COVID-19. Though he believes the Woods have a case for religious discrimination, he believes they have a stronger case as whistleblowers. Under , employees cannot be punished in retaliation for raising concerns to supervisors about perceived dangers to public health.

"These are two standup, honorable people who expressed on numerous occasions their concerns over this vaccine," Karasik told 水果派AV. "They expressed these concerns to (Kinney), OSHA, etc. Talk about doing everything that's right 鈥� they damn well did. And what did they get for all that? Termination. If this isn't a whistleblower claim in the health care industry, I don't know what is."聽

"These people are lowlifes from A to Z for how they treated (the Woods)," he continued. "These people are going to pay big time."

After finishing with the top sprint speed in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Locastro tied with Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Trea Turner for the fastest player honors. Locastro and Turner each recorded average sprint speeds of 30.7 feet per second, according to MLB's Statcast.听

Statcast defines sprint speed as "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second window." To make the calculation, two types of plays are used: Runs of two bases or more on non-home runs or running from home to first on "topped" or "weakly hit" balls."聽

The average sprint speed is 27 feet per second. Sprint speed of 30 feet per second is considered elite.听

Turner had more "competitive runs" than Locastro (240 to 44), meaning he had more plays that fit Statcast's criteria for calculating sprint speed. Turner was the starting shortstop with the Washington Nationals before being traded to the Dodgers. He had more opportunities than Locastro, who played for the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankees primarily in a reserve outfielder role.听

Turner also topped Locastro in "bolts," or runs above 30 feet per second (136 to 36). But Locastro had the edge in time from home to first. He covered 90 feet in 4.07 seconds 鈥� the third-best time in the majors. Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton led the league in that category. He ran from home to first in four seconds.听

Locastro claimed at least a share of a third consecutive sprint speed title despite missing the final two-and-a-half months of the season after tearing a knee ligament in July. He had surgery to repair the damaged anterior cruciate ligament and is planning to be ready for spring training.听

In 64 games, Locastro batted .180 with two home runs, seven runs batted in, five stolen bases and 15 runs. One highlight was setting a major league record for most consecutive stolen bases without being caught to start a career. The spikes he wore to achieve the feat are now on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown.听

Because of the lack of available players to prepare for the game, the football staff along with the Auburn and F-M school districts elected to call off the upcoming game.听

Following a loss to West Genesee last Friday, Oct. 8, Moskov told 水果派AV his roster has been in flux for about three weeks due to player illnesses. A handful of players also sustained injuries during the game and were unable to return to the field.听

Auburn's online roster lists 34 players, but only 21 were available against the Wildcats.听

The meeting with F-M was Auburn's last home contest of the season. The Maroons are scheduled to travel to East Syracuse Minoa on Friday, Oct. 22.听

"I fully anticipate having kids cleared by next week's game," Moskov said via text message.

Auburn is not alone in Cayuga County concerning football cancellations. Weedsport was supposed to host Tupper Lake on Oct. 1, but that game was scrapped due to the Lumberjacks' COVID issues.听

If Auburn is able to return to play on Oct. 22, the team will likely face a win-and-you're-in situation for sectionals.

In Section III's Class A conference, the top four teams from both the American and National conference qualify for the postseason.听

Auburn and ES-M are both 2-3 in intra-conference play and winless in the division. Should the teams finish with the same amount of losses by season's end, whoever wins the Oct. 22 contest will own the head-to-head advantage, which is the primary tiebreaker.听