水果派AV

Officers said they found Smith lying outside of the bar, dead from "an apparent gunshot wound." After notifying next of kin, APD issued a press release Tuesday afternoon providing details about the probe and identifying Smith as the victim.

The APD said it has concluded that people either involved in, or who may have knowledge of, the incident fled the scene before officers arrived. The investigation is ongoing, and no additional details were immediately released.

Officers were still outside of Swifty's late Tuesday morning processing evidence. Numerous crime scene evidence markers were visible in front of the tavern and just down the street by an adjacent parking lot.

Police are requesting that anyone "with additional information to include anyone that was in the bar during the shooting incident" to call lead Detective Sean DeRosa at (315) 255-4706 or email him at sderosa@auburnny.gov. Tips can also be made to the APD through the main number, (315) 253-3231, or email communitywatch@auburnny.gov. Tips can be anonymous.

Deputy Police Chief Roger Anthony told 水果派AV that since Swifty's is located in a public area, there is a possibility that someone might have seen something regarding the incident or may have video footage of the scene.

Anthony also said police don't believe there's a continuing danger to the community connected with the shooting.

"We don't have any reason to believe this is anything more than an isolated incident," he said.

This is is the APD's first homicide investigation in the city since the death of 36-year-old Joshua Poole at 8 Delevan St. in November 2019.聽Two of the four defendants in that case, Lucciano Spagnola and Gage Ashley, were sentenced last last year and all four have pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the case.

The explosion could be felt from several miles away, with social media reports of it being heard from places as far away as Solvay. Throop Fire Department Chief Patrick Burns said there were no injuries from the blast, which did not cause major property damage.

DEC said the fire that sparked the explosion contained prohibited materials, including construction and demolition debris, household garbage, plastic toys and a 55-gallon drum filled with used oil filters.

The compressed natural gas tanks are used to fuel heavy equipment vehicles, Throop Assistant Fire Chief Brian Dahl said.聽

DEC said charges and site cleanup is pending, and the case remains under investigation. Dirt Works could not be reached for comment on Monday.

Throop and Port Byron fire departments were initially dispatched at 9:41 p.m. Saturday to investigate 911 calls about a possible explosion, but the exact location was not initially known, Burns said. Crews eventually narrowed it down to an area behind a garage used by excavation company Dirt Works on Whitehead Lane, which is off Beech Tree Road.

The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office, New York State Police and Throop's code enforcement and fire investigation team assisted at the scene, Burns said.

The winning bid is slightly higher than the sale price of the mobile home park the last time it was sold. It was purchased by Sharon Hitchings for $145,000 in 2015.聽

The mobile home park was seized last fall after Hitchings failed to pay more than $55,000 in fines for not providing drinking water to residents and not monitoring the water supply. A boil water order that was issued three years ago has been renewed every quarter, the Cayuga County Health Department told 水果派AV. The order remains in effect.聽

In June 2019, the health department issued a complaint outlining the violations committed by Locust Meadows. But Hitchings did not respond to the complaint and did not attend a hearing in July 2019. The hearing officer concluded that Hitchings was guilty of the violations and ordered her to pay $55,000 in fines.聽

The Cayuga County Board of Health accepted the hearing officer's findings at its September 2019 meeting. Hitchings did not attend the meeting.聽

After Hitchings failed to pay the fines, Cayuga County sought a judgement against her. The judgement issued in September 2021 allowed the sheriff's office to seize the property. At the time of the seizure, interest and fees increased the total amount of fines to $63,668.聽

"The county has really tried to resolve this issue and has assisted but we can't continue to do this," said Eileen O'Connor, who heads the health department's environmental health division. "The park needs to be brought into compliance with the rules and regulations of the state of New York."聽

Once it was seized, the county scheduled an auction to sell the mobile home park. Louise Bonilla, a Locust Meadows resident for more than 25 years, told 水果派AV that she is worried the buyer could use the park for another use and evict the residents.聽

The Smiths could not be reached to comment on whether they plan to continue operating the property as a mobile home park.聽

"This helps us understand how it is for our people in Ukraine," he said. "It hurts all of us. This is a war against the people of the world."

The rally saw elected officials and local residents with Ukrainian heritage voice their support for the eastern European country as its invasion by Russia continues into a third week. Many observed how strong that heritage is in Cayuga County, where 2.6% of the population can trace its ancestry to Ukraine, according to U.S. Census estimates. That's the highest percentage of any county in New York.

State Sen. John Mannion noted that his neighborhood of Tipperary Hill in Syracuse, though famous for its Irish population, is also home to many proud Ukrainian families.

"We owe the people of Ukraine a great debt. They're standing up for the free world, and we must stand with them," he said to applause. "They need to hear our voices, they need to hear our prayers."

The support has already been strong in Auburn, as Cheryl Foster explained during the rally. When she organized a supply drive in the parking lot of Holy Family Church last week, she only expected to collect enough Band-Aids, socks and other critical items to send one truck to St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Syracuse. Instead, she collected enough to send five trucks.聽

Foster said she organized the drive after the need for supplies in Ukraine was shared with her by a colleague at Auburn Community Hospital who has family in the country.

"The response was overwhelming and absolutely awesome. Even the people of Syracuse couldn't believe the generosity," she said. "All those donations will show Ukraine love from this community."聽

Speakers Lida Buniak, of Syracuse, and Olena Vatamaniuk, of Ithaca, said Ukraine needs more forms of support as well.

Citing the civilian death toll of the invasion 鈥� at least 549 as of March 10, according to the United Nations 鈥� Buniak and聽Vatamaniuk called on the U.S. and NATO to impose a no-fly zone over the country. Buniak, president of the Syracuse branch of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, said it would "save countless innocent lives." Signs at the rally supported the move, which U.S. and NATO have rejected due to concerns it could escalate the conflict with nuclear-armed Russia. Other signs called the invasion a genocide due to the number of civilian deaths.

The rally, which Colopelnic organized with support from Mannion and the city of Auburn, also included the singing of the Ukrainian national anthem, "Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy i slava, i volia." Before the afternoon ended, the reverend's daughter, Syracuse University student Bohdana Colopelnic, shared her reflections on her heritage, as well as those of her brother, Taras Colopelnic.

"You can see what Ukraine is fighting for right here in Auburn," she said, referring to her family's 111-year-old church and the nearby Ukrainian National Club and Sicz Club.聽

Bohdana聽Colopelnic mentioned the church's聽Ukrainian Heritage Festival, and the food and music it celebrates, as pieces of the legacy of Ukraine's immigrants to Auburn, particularly its northwest area, since the 1880s.聽Her and her brother's words then stressed the importance of keeping those traditions alive at a time when the future of Ukraine is under attack.

"Whether by blood, marriage or some other connection, many of us are Ukrainian. And by supporting Ukraine, right here and now, everyone else has become an honorary Ukrainian as well," she said. "Being Ukrainian means treasuring freedom and fighting for it until the end. To be Ukrainian means to love what's been given to you, to cherish and nurture it, and pass it down to future generations."

Following a city nuisance committee deciding on March 16 to hold a hearing on the shop next month, Auburn Police Chief James Slayton told 水果派AV Thursday that there are felony warrants out for business owner Mohamed Algamal and the property manager for the business, Zakarya Alharbi. The warrants are for evading cigarette tax law, a class E felony.

Slayton said the APD will need to confer with the Cayuga County District Attorney's Office to determine if any other charges will be forthcoming.聽

The department has been working with the state Department of Taxation and Finance on the charges related to the cigarettes, and Slayton said the APD will continue working with that agency "until this issue is resolved."

Slayton also noted that there have been fewer police calls about issues in that area since the raid was executed, saying "that's what we had in mind," not only for the officers who would respond to calls connected to the shop but for the neighbors and businesses in that area.

An employee at the Auburn Smoke Shop declined to be interviewed by 水果派AV Thursday.聽

Auburn is also working on other ways to address the shop, which has attracted concerns from city officials and neighboring community members and businesses in recent months.

The Auburn Nuisance Abatement Committee voted at a meeting March 16 to set up a hearing regarding the smoke shop at a meeting April 20 where, if the body determines the shop has been a public nuisance, various options can be taken, including closing the building down. The committee, which reviews complaints on properties within the city, started in June, and the body coordinates with city departments to address concerns.

At the March 16 meeting, the board聽鈥� which consists of Slayton, Auburn City Manager Jeff Dygert and Auburn Fire Chief Mark Fritz聽鈥� opted to schedule a hearing on the business for the April 20 meeting.

Before the body made its decision, Slayton mentioned the warrants. Auburn Assistant Corporation Counsel Nate Garland suggested sending notice to the property owner at 67 Franklin St. 鈥� which is Auburn-Franklin Ventures LLC out of Rochester, according to 聽鈥� that a hearing would be set. The property owner is different from the property manager of the business.

"If they seek an adjournment in that matter, we can perhaps deal with that if that does come," Garland said.聽

He added that he believed the APD's efforts on this matter "has had a good effect," but he wanted to "bring in the property owner here and at the very least, make them plead their case."聽

"I know that we have a raft of charges that are pending against members of the business organization. Those individuals will be held to the penal law and tax law of the state of New York," he continued. "But the owner of the property perhaps should face the music and not be allowed to allow a public nuisance within the city of Auburn, so my recommendation would be to schedule a hearing for the next board meeting."

Dygert asked if the time period between that day's meeting and the April 20 meeting would be "adequate notice to give to the property owner and the business owner."

"We're looking to effect service on a limited liability corporation," Garland said. "I don't have a tremendous amount of experience in that enough to issue an opinion of how likely that is to happen within a month, but we can certainly attempt to effect service and bring in members of that LLC within that time."

Dygert addressed the nuisance committee's latest actions towards the smoke shop at an Auburn City Council meeting Thursday. He said that normally, once a property is before the board, "the property owners are stepping up and dealing with the issues, whether it be with (Auburn) code enforcement or law enforcement, things like that, and we tend not to see to repeat issues with those properties once they make it before the committee."

He noted that the issue with Auburn Smoke Shop would be moving forward, however, with the upcoming hearing.

"That property will move on to a hearing in April, at which point the property owner...will have an opportunity to speak before the committee, as well as anyone in that neighborhood who has an issue with it, and then we will move on from there," Dygert continued.

He also said the APD had separate warrants out for the smoke shop's owner and business manager.

Garland said in an interview with 水果派AV Friday that the city's corporation counsel office is in the process of sending notice to the Secretary of State, which will then give the property owner notice regarding the hearing and a chance to be heard, "in keeping with the (city of Auburn's) nuisance chapter notice requirements."

For the hearing next month, the corporation counsel office will "put on a case as to why the property is being let out as a nuisance", Garland said, and a representative for the property owner will have an opportunity to respond. The committee will then "determine whether or not a nuisance exists," Garland continued.

If the shop is declared to be a nuisance, there are various options available to the committee, Garland said, including ordering the closure of the building, suspending a business license or revoking a certificate of occupancy.

At one point, Garland said the nuisance chapter of the city's codes "allows the city to hold property owners accountable for the way in which their property is used."

"What we're going to do on April 20th is hold the property owners accountable for the way in which they have allowed their property to be used. And it's my position that they have allowed their property to be used as a nuisance," he added.

At a nuisance committee meeting held last month, the body voted to send notice to the smoke shop property owner requesting that a representative attend the March 16 meeting. Garland said Friday he didn't remember if notice was sent out to the LCC in regards to that meeting.聽

"That's not a legal necessity by any means, and frankly, if Auburn-Franklin Ventures LLC is operating blissfully unaware of what's going on on Franklin Street, that is their fault, and that is not just my opinion, that is the liability which the nuisance chapter (of the city's codes) imposes on them," he said.

Michael Laframboise, owner of Underground Ink CNY, 66 Arterial East, which neighbors the smoke shop, aired concerns regarding the smoke shop at the February committee meeting, such as people driving over grass in his business' driveway and fights and other issues in the back parking lot.

Laframboise told 水果派AV Thursday that he believes the city is making efforts to deal with these concerns. He noted that not long after he spoke at that meeting, a city code enforcement officer stopped by to take pictures of Underground Ink's backlot and other outside areas where issues with the smoke shop had taken place. Laframboise said an officer with the APD also came by at one point to ask him to reach out if he saw anything suspicious.

"I'm actually pretty impressed on how fast they responded to what we had to say," Laframboise said.

He also noted that he hasn't had any major issues related to the smoke shop since that raid was executed.

"Anybody that doesn't have a problem with it, they can go be your neighbor and not mine," Laframboise added.

On the day of the incident, calls regarding an active shooter brought members of APD to Wheeler Street where a neighbor told an arriving officer that gunshots were coming from 12 Wheeler St. Officers then saw and heard multiple shots fired in various directions from a second-floor window at that address, the AG's office said, endangering the lives of the responding officers, nearby residents, and pedestrians.

"After the shooter ignored numerous commands to stop shooting and drop the weapon, an officer fired, striking the shooter and causing her death," the AG's office said. "The shooter was later identified as Ms. Baida. Officers later recovered the rifle that Ms. Baida had used along with multiple rounds of additional ammunition."

The report on the shooting identifies APD Sgt. Tim Spingler as the officer who fired the fatal shot. Evidence investigators reviewed included cell phone footage of part of the incident taken by a neighbor, footage from a nearby Ring doorbell and emergency radio communications. There was also ballistics testing and analysis of all weapons involved, along with an autopsy. In addition to the 16-page report, investigators released a compilation video with time-stamped audio and video collected.

"Sgt. Spingler was well aware that the incident was unfolding on a residential street, where at least some residents were known to be inside their homes, with commercial businesses nearby," the report states. "Further, Sgt. Spingler said that most officers on scene were outfitted with soft-armored vests, incapable of repelling a large caliber bullet, and he was armed with one of the most effective duty weapons under the circumstances and had extensive training and experience with its use. Sgt. Spingler said that during the encounter, he recognized the imminent threat that the subject鈥檚 actions were posing not only to himself, but to the other officers on scene and to the public, which is why he fired his rifle when presented with the opportunity to stop that threat."

The AG's office said that following a "thorough and comprehensive investigation, including interviews, surveillance and cell phone videos, radio transmissions, and ballistics testing, OSI concluded the evidence does not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the shooting of Ms. Baida by a member of the Auburn Police Department (APD) was a crime."

The AG's office said that under New York law, to convict a person of a crime when the defense of justification is raised, the burden is on the prosecution to disprove justification beyond a reasonable doubt. Justification includes using deadly physical force to defend oneself or others against another person鈥檚 use of deadly physical force.

"In this case," the office said, "Ms. Baida was actively shooting a deadly weapon from a second-floor window onto a residential street, endangering the lives of police officers and civilians, while ignoring commands to stop. In these circumstances, a prosecutor would not be able to disprove that APD officers were justified in using deadly physical force to end the threat."

In addition to its ruling regarding the circumstances of the incident and the response by police, the AG's office recommends that the APD accelerate its efforts to equip its officers with body-worn cameras.

At the time of this incident, the report says, APD did not equip its officers with BWCs, which are critical to transparency, accountability, and safety. While APD has taken steps to obtain BWCs for its officers, OSI recommends the department accelerate its efforts.

APD and city officials have been working to implement a body camera program since 2020, when it was identified as a priority. The city council in February voted to accept grant funding that will help with purchasing equipment.

Auburn Police Chief James Slayton said he just received the AG's report on Friday afternoon, so he needed to review it before commenting. He expects to issue a statement soon.

鈥淥ur office reviews every case thoroughly and transparently in the pursuit of justice,鈥� Attorney General Letitia James said in a news release. 鈥淏ased on an extensive review of the evidence and facts in this case, my office determined that the officer was justified in his use of force because he had a reasonable belief that it was necessary in order to protect himself, his colleagues, and the public from harm. Nonetheless, Ms. Baida鈥檚 death was a tragedy, and I offer my condolences to the Baida family.鈥�

Deanna Ryan, the supervising public health administrator and public information officer at the Cayuga County Health Department, describes that first year as a slow progress. In the early days of the pandemic, other parts of New York and the country saw cases surge. Locally, while there were some cases, the numbers weren't as high.

Entering 2021, there was, as Cayuga County Public Health Director Kathleen Cuddy calls it, a "ray of hope." Federal regulators approved two COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer. (Johnson & Johnson would follow months later.) The vaccines were, and still are, viewed as the key to ending the pandemic.

Early in the year, the health department began holding vaccination clinics for eligible residents. By spring, the vaccine was widely available. As more residents got vaccinated, cases, hospitalizations and deaths decreased. (Nearly 60% of Cayuga County residents are fully vaccinated, according to the latest figures.)

But what happened last summer surprised the health department. Despite the vaccination efforts, cases began to surge again. There were 747 cases in August, followed by 1,079 in September.

"We were really moving our way through trying to meet most of the community that was eligible for the vaccine," Ryan said. "And then boom, out of nowhere, August came. It was a constant pressure from August through January. That was unique for us to experience almost two years into the pandemic."

In that six-month period, the county reported at least 8,873 confirmed COVID-19 cases 鈥� more than half of the county's case in the now 2-year-old pandemic. January's numbers are incomplete because the health department stopped reporting daily totals 鈥� a decision Ryan explained further on Thursday.

The large numbers of cases, sometimes 200 or 300 a day, overwhelmed the health department's staff. Contact tracing investigations became ineffective, Ryan said, because of the emergence of different variants and the shorter incubation times. Individuals were unknowingly exposed to the virus. By the time the initial case learned they were positive, their contacts were symptomatic and tested positive, too.

That was a change for the health department, which had conducted contact tracing investigations for the first 22 months of the pandemic.

There have been other developments as the pandemic continues into its third year. After the introduction of vaccines, booster doses were authorized to give fully vaccinated individuals more protection against COVID-19.

Dr. Michael Wilson, chief medical officer at Auburn Community Hospital, highlighted the use of therapeutics during his appearance at the monthly Wednesday Morning Roundtable. He explained the criteria used to determine whether a patient is eligible for therapeutics, including whether they are a high risk of serious illness or if they are immunocompromised.

While Wilson touted the therapeutics, he stressed the importance of getting vaccinated. Boosters, he said, have shown to increase the effectiveness of vaccine in preventing serious illness.

"It's still a very important tool and everyone should avail themselves if they are medically able to do so," he added.

With the pandemic entering year three, there is a sense that things are returning to normal. Mask mandates have been lifted in New York. Events that were canceled early in the pandemic have resumed. Businesses and schools are open.

But COVID has not left the community. In its most recent update, the health department said there were 133 active cases. Since the department is no longer conducting contact tracing investigations, it's possible the number is higher.

Ryan relayed a familiar reminder 鈥� one that the health department has repeatedly shared throughout the pandemic 鈥� that anyone who is sick should stay home from school or work. She noted that even if the symptoms are mild for one person, they could be worse for someone else who is exposed to the virus.

"We all want to go back to normal," she said. "We want more of that normalcy and we want to feel like we are coming out of this. But we also need to do that cautiously. The numbers are showing that we were having a downslide of cases, but just from Monday to (Wednesday), we had a doubling of cases. It's something we are monitoring and those are only the cases we know about."

Cuddy, like other medical and public health experts, is urging more residents to get vaccinated. It's not only important to prevent people from getting hospitalized or dying, she said, but it will ensure that the health care system functions properly. The hospital, she continued, needs to be available for everyone who needs it.

"If being vaccinated is going to help you not become as ill, get your vaccine," she said. "That has been proven. Vaccine is helping prevent serious illness. It is helping prevent hospitalization. It is helping prevent death... Get your shots. Getting vaccinated is our best shot at getting through this."

Through his real estate development company, RJC Development, Coe is focused on establishing that larger physical presence on commercially zoned vacant land on John Walsh Boulevard behind Walmart. Coe last year secured an agreement to purchase property from the city of Auburn, and last month the city Planning Board approved his site plan to build a 17,280-square-foot structure there.

The final local government board approval needed for the $2.4 million project is the subject of a public hearing in April. On April 20, the Auburn Industrial Development Authority will hold a public hearing on RJC's request for sales tax breaks and property tax relief totaling $800,120.

During a meeting in February, AIDA discussed RJC's plans with Coe and voted to move his application forward by scheduling the hearing. The board could approve the application at the April meeting.

Coe told the board that the new site would serve numerous functions for his companies, which grew from 10 to 22 employees in roughly the past year and plans to add 57 more as a result of this expansion.

"This would be our home base where our employees would come to start work, where we keep all of our equipment, where our offices would be and where we're able to do repairs and maintenance on vehicles and also service community with selling some retail and also being able to work on medium- to heavy-duty trucks and autos," he said.

The two businesses that would operate out of the space are RYCOE Enterprises, which is the excavation and landscaping company, and a startup called Apex Truck and Auto.

Board member Terry Cuddy, who is also an Auburn City Councilor, quizzed Coe on his job projection numbers. According to the application, the companies would add 57 jobs with about $1.39 million in additional annual payroll within three years of operating in the new facility.

"I am pretty confident between RYCOE's growth and a lot of other connections that we have that we will be able to sustain and grow," Coe said. "We have reached out to a few people that we've worked with before ... and they're very excited and pretty much have given us their business."

Another city councilor who is a member of AIDA, Jimmy Giannettino, told Coe he has some reservations about the tax breaks being sought because of the deal Coe has with the city to buy the land.

The council in August approved selling the land to RJC for $10,000, well below its assessed value of $215,000. The main reason city officials agreed to such a low purchase price was due to the investment Coe said he would be making on the property, which has long been vacant. The city acquired it through a tax foreclosure in 2019 after the previous owner was unable to develop it.

"We did sell this property to you before at a very, very fair cost and then to also have to give these types of tax incentives, that's something, I'm going to be honest, I'm struggling with," he told Coe.

Coe said he understands that concern, but the property's location in a flood plain makes it very expensive to develop.

"I'm very grateful to be able to buy the property at that rate, but there's a lot of work that has that has to be done to make that work," he said.

According to RJC's application with AIDA, the company is seeking sales tax exemptions on construction materials estimated to be worth $138,000, along with $9,000 in mortgage recording tax relief for the $1.2 million in secured financing planned for the project.

The biggest chunk of tax breaks would be through a 12-year relief program that provides exemptions on the added assessment value of development projects. That would amount to an estimated $652,900 in city, school and county property tax relief, although the company would still be paying $561,000 in property taxes on the current assessed value.

The project has also met some opposition from area residents concerned about its environmental impact. During a January planning board meeting, a petition with signatures of 14 residents expressed concerns about the impact of removing what it is currently natural habitat for wildlife and vegetation.

"The review called the land vacant; however, aerial images show it is forested," Dominic Gambaiani stated in written comments provided to the board along with the petition. "Is it truly vacant if trees are calling the land home? Trees have well-known value, especially when the city has had to remove so many due to ash disease. Mature trees also have value sequestering carbon-something we need to continue to do to combat climate change. The cost of losing these trees should properly be quantified prior to any development."

The project's engineering consultant, Matt Napierala, presented revised plans to the planning board in February. He noted that tree plantings for the site in areas where land will be disturbed were changed to include more water tolerant species.

"I think with landscaping, we've worked it out," he said. "We're providing some more screening and replacement. ... There's still a significant amount of tree coverage."

Auburn Deputy Planning and Economic Development Director Stephen Selvek noted that on a 17-acre site that RJC would own, physical disturbance would be taking place on seven to eight acres, with the rest remaining in its current natural state. In addition, the building, parking lot and other "hardscapes" will end up occupying just three to four acres once the project is complete.

"They've done what they can to minimize how much of the site that they impact," he said. "Based upon these plans, it's not their intent to go in and needlessly clear the site."

鈥淲hen you met Jeff for the first time it was instant friendship, as if you had known him forever ... and he never forgot you. He always had a great big hug for you when you would see him and first and foremost he would always ask how you were doing and how was life treating you? And he was sincere when asking it. No matter how many curveballs life threw at him, he never lost his smile and always looked to the positive! A kind soul that will be remembered always and so dearly missed.鈥� 鈥� Kristin Campbell Ratliff

鈥淛eff worked for our family for over 25 years at Indelicato鈥檚. Jeff was such a great employee with such a positive attitude, always showed up on time and with a smile and never complained about anything and always treated customers with a smile and a positive attitude. Even in the later years when Jeff was having health problems and was in discomfort and pain. He never let it show and continued on with the same positive attitude and smile always. He was a pleasure to have as an employee but a privilege to call a friend.鈥� 鈥� Lee Indelicato

鈥淚 met Jeff in fifth grade when we started playing CYO basketball. We were matched up in drills, and from that first practice on we became best friends. People often say, 鈥楬e or she was the nicest person I have ever known.鈥� I can say with all honesty that (Deuce) Jeff was the nicest, kindest person I鈥檝e ever met!鈥� 鈥� Doug Short

鈥淛eff was the baby of the family. He touched so many people鈥檚 lives with his big heart and kindness! The unforgettable stories and times we shared in life live on in my heart forever. He would have made a great mayor with his genuine kindness, honesty and heart. I love and miss him dearly!鈥� 鈥� Tom McCarthy

鈥淥ur brother Jeff was one of the most compassionate, giving and kindest souls everyone knew. No matter how bad he felt or how bad a day he was having he always had a smile for everyone. If you were having a bad day he could always turn your frown upside down. The amount of friends he had is a true testament to who he was, a very kind soul who is terribly missed by all who knew and loved him!鈥� 鈥� John McCarthy

The quotes could go one forever. I met Jeff in the eighth grade, and we became very good friends. As everyone has said here, the common thread we all experienced was Jeff鈥檚 kindness and positive attitude, always. It used to baffle me how kind and decent he was; I just couldn鈥檛 comprehend someone being that genuine. Jeff never cared about money, or what was the latest fad in clothing, or trying to be the cool guy, or doing the so-called cool thing; he cared about doing the right thing, always! He always treated everyone with kindness and generosity and respect and never took to cutting into someone or poking fun at anyone. Never! He was just that special of an individual! Like a majority of friendships, life took us down separate paths in the years to come. We would see each other occasionally and give each other a hug and say let鈥檚 meet up for a beer, but those times came few and far between unfortunately. Back in early 2000, I had gone through some dark times and my life was in a pretty dismal place. I hadn鈥檛 spoken to Jeff in about nine years up to this point. And out of the blue one day during this dark period, my phone rang and it was Jeff, there with a kind word and to let me know he cared and was always there for me if I needed him, and he meant it. He would have me over to his house periodically to check in with me and make sure I was doing OK. He really helped me move forward in life! We lost Jeff on March 13, 2014. I don鈥檛 know if I ever took the opportunity to thank him, so I鈥檓 thanking him now. Thank you for always being that bridge over troubled water, for me and so many more my friend! You are loved, you are missed and you are REMEMBERED, my friend! God bless! 鈥� Jeff King

Thank you, Jeff McCarthy, for being a truly great and much loved Legend of Auburn, New York! We miss you!

Saturday, March 12

☘️ 40th anniversary St. Patrick's Day Parade, noon, South Salina Street, Syracuse. Theme: "Dance Through Downtown." The city's first St. Patrick's Day parade since 2019. Visit .

☘️ Crane Academy of Irish Dance performance, 1 p.m., center court, Fingerlakes Mall, 1579 Clark St. Road, Aurelius. Visit .

☘️ Corned beef and cabbage drive-thru, 5 p.m. until gone, Jordan United Methodist Church, 63 Elbridge St., Jordan. Cash donations accepted. Call (315) 689-3499 or visit .

☘️ St. Patrick's Day party with music by Sloppy Joes, 8 to 11 p.m., Falcon Lanes, 75 Pulaski St., Auburn. No cover. Visit .

Wednesday, March 16

鈽橈笍 St. Patrick's Day Family Night, 4 to 8 p.m., Ancient Order of Hibernians, 79 Van Anden St., Auburn. Crane Irish dancers, a 50/50, beverage specials and food. Call (315) 252-6459.

Thursday, March 17

鈽橈笍 St. Patrick's Day Mass, 10 a.m., Holy Family Church, 85 North St., Auburn.

鈽橈笍 St. Patrick's Day flag-raising ceremony, 11 a.m., Memorial City Hall, 24 South St., Auburn.

鈽橈笍 St. Patrick's Day open house, 11:30 a.m., Ancient Order of Hibernians, 79 Van Anden St., Auburn. Food, beverage specials, 50/50, raffles and music by The Flyin' Column from 4 to 7 p.m. Call (315) 252-6459.

☘️ St. Patrick's Day Musical Celebration, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Skaneateles Library, 49 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles. With fiddle by librarian Andrea Snyder. Visit .

鈽橈笍 St. Patrick's Day in Aurora, 4 p.m., village of Aurora. The Rev. Barb Blom will offer an Irish prayer in front of Cayuga Lake National Bank, stroll with bagpiper to St. Patrick's Church and back to the Aurora Post Office, Crane Irish dancers performance in front of the post office at 4:30 p.m., Irish music sing-along with Joe and Karen Lonsky at 5 p.m., limerick contest at the Fargo hosted by Alan Clugston at 5:30 p.m. and "A Taste of Whiskey and Irish Treats" at Aurora Cooks!

鈽橈笍 St. Patrick Feast Day Drive-thru Dinner, 4 to 6 p.m., St. Mary's Church, 15 Clark St., Auburn. Corned beef and cabbage, potatoes, soda bread and more. Cost $15. To reserve, call (315) 246-9161.

☘️ St. Patrick's Day celebration with food and beverage specials and music by Levi Dusseau, 5 to 8 p.m., Summerhill Brewing, 14408 Route 90, Summerhill. No cover. Visit .

☘️ Irish celebration with bagpipes, Crane Irish dancers and Irish singalong, 5:30 p.m., King Ferry Corner Store pavilion, 960 Route 34B, King Ferry. Irish cookies as well. Wearing green encouraged. Organized by the Genoa Historical Association. Email genoahistorical@gmail.com.

Friday, March 18

☘️ Music: Brendan Gosson playing Celtic music, 7 p.m., Good Shepherds Brewing Co., 132 Genesee St., Auburn. With corned beef and Emerald Isle Pilsner available. No cover. Visit .