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In a Thursday news release to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV, Sutton Real Estate Co., of Syracuse, confirmed the purchase and announced that it will serve as the mall's property management team.

One of Vachi's first actions as the mall's new owner was negotiating an extension of anchor tenant Bass Pro Shops' lease to ensure it remains there through at least 2037, Sutton said.

"Securing this 15-year lease is an encouraging first step to ensure that the economic activity generated by Bass Pro Shops continues to benefit the region," the company said.

Vachi is now considering "multi-stage redevelopment plans" for the mall, Sutton continued, noting the Aurelius property has 55.31 acres with development potential. 

Further information about Vachi Fingerlakes LLC was not available in the news release.

The buyer contact information in the mall's Sept. 19 property transfer report filed with the Cayuga County Clerk's Office lists a Dean Davidov, of Los Angeles, a partner at commercial real estate development firm Misuma Holdings. The firm's portfolio malls in Myrtle Beach, San Antonio and Los Angeles it is redeveloping for commercial, entertainment and industrial uses.

Vachi is the Aurelius mall's sixth owner since it opened in 1980. Previous owner ., a Manhattan-based diamond wholesaler and real estate investor, had owned the mall since 2006. 

Siba purchased the mall for $27 million, expecting its value to rise significantly after extensive renovations and the addition of Bass Pro in 2004. However, the next decade and a half instead saw the mall decline, losing anchor stores , J.C. Penney and The Great Outdoors RV Superstore, along with Jo-Ann Fabric, Steve & Barry's, Foot Locker and several others.

In recent years, the 492,592-square-foot mall shifted toward filling its storefronts with local businesses and making them available as community spaces. After Bass Pro, its biggest full-time tenant is the family-owned Track Cinema movie theater. The mall's 2022 full market value is $3.2 million, according to county property records, and its most recently shared occupancy rate was 69% in 2017.

Siba had been shopping the mall since at least 2017, when the property was listed for sale and then put up for auction. Siba's asking price was $7.1 million, and the highest bid was $4.1 million.

Search crews from multiple agencies, volunteers and friends and family searched Friday and Saturday before the body was discovered Sunday and later confirmed to be Mills, state police said.

Additional information about the circumstances of Sunday's discovery was not released, and troopers said their investigation is continuing.

State police first issued a press release seeking the public's help in finding Mills on Thursday. She was last seen at about noon Monday, Dec. 12, leaving her residence on Halfway Road in the town of Elbridge.

Mills was known well in the Jordan-Elbridge area for her community service. That included many years as the person in charge of the homemade doughnut booth at the Jordan Fall Festival, an event she volunteered for starting when she was 8 years old. The booth itself raised tens of thousands of dollars in proceeds for community organizations.

The Cayuga County Office of Real Property Services told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV it has no higher sale prices in its records.

According to the office, the previous most expensive sale of a home on the lake was 6653 E. Lake Road in the town of Owasco, which sold for $1,200,000 in 2007. The home at 363 Cottonwood Lane sold for $1,125,000 in 2015, and was sold along with the neighboring property at 367 Cottonwood Lane, which sold for an additional $300,000.

Karissa Thompson of  sold the home on behalf of previous owners the Buhl family. They custom-built the 4,200-square-foot home in 2013, the agency told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. The family put the home in the market in hopes of downsizing, and after 46 days the home went under contract to a couple from New York City with ties to the area. 

Other highlights of the Scipio home include views of Owasco Lake through floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors, as well as 154 feet of waterfront. The home also has solar panels, a covered porch and deck, an outdoor shower and a double-sided fireplace. In its listing, the Real Estate Agency called the home a "truly private sanctuary and oasis."

The sale closed as the real estate market continues a surge that started during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the New York State Association of Realtors, median home sale prices $480,000 in May, an increase of 35.2% from the previous year and the 25th straight month the figure has increased year-over-year.

Mills' vehicle and cell phone were found on Friday near the entrance to the Carpenter Falls Unique Area off Route 41A in the town of Niles. The area includes about 37 acres with steep terrain and waterfalls.

An extensive search on Friday did not turn up any sign of Mills, and the search on Saturday included New York State Police, state forest rangers, Department of Environmental Conservation officers, and search and rescue teams from Cayuga, Onondaga and Oswego counties. Several friends and family members of Mills also took part in the effort.

Authorities called off the search at dusk with plans to return to the area Sunday morning.

In a Thursday news release, police described Mills as 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing about 130 pounds and having blue eyes and blond hair. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call 911 or call State Police Headquarters in Oneida at (315) 366-6000.

The Auburn Castle, the 1871 Gothic revival mansion at 45 Owasco St., does not appear to have undergone any significant work since it was bought for $368,500 in October 2020.

According to Cayuga County property records, the mansion was bought by a Suzanne Cranmer. But she represents the actual buyer, according to broker Michael DeRosa, who arranged an auction for the mansion that attracted more than 350 bids. Neither Cranmer nor the buyer, whom DeRosa declined to identify on the record, responded to requests for comment on the mansion by Ë®¹ûÅÉAV.

Much work was done on the mansion by its previous owner, Patrick Collier Connelly, who bought it in 2017 and popularized the Auburn Castle name by maintaining a page for the restoration on Facebook. The mansion was designed by Nelson Hamblin to resemble the manors of Scotland, the native country of its first occupants, Auburn Woolen Mill Superintendent Samuel Laurie and his wife, Jeanie.

While the castle sits quiet — and rumors stir once more this Halloween season that it's haunted — the restoration of another historic Auburn mansion is moving ahead of schedule.

The Seymour mansion at 113 North St. received its certificate of occupancy in July, two years after the 1861 mansion was bought for $50,000 by James and Katie Joynt of Doylesburg, Pennsylvania.

Like the Auburn Castle, the Seymour mansion made headlines in the months prior to its sale. The Joynts were among more than 200 who submitted offers to the city of Auburn, which owned the property, after a marketing campaign coordinated by DeRosa. Among those interested were Netflix star and influencer Christine McConnell, who visited the mansion in December 2019.

After they acquired the property, the Joynts set a timeline of five to six years for restoring it, James told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV on Tuesday. But the mansion should be ready for them and their children to move in even sooner. That's perhaps because the residents are also the restorers: Aside from a contractor who repaired the mansion's four furnaces, all the work there has been "Joynt labor," James said.

"I've got very talented kids," he said, noting that two of his and Katie's eight children are carpenters.

The Joynts have been working on the whole 6,000-square-foot Victorian mansion at once, James continued, both stabilizing it and stripping away the apartments where its most recent occupants lived.

Two apartments have been removed, including one that filled a single room of the mansion with a living room, dining room, bedroom, kitchen and bath, as well as drop ceilings. Another apartment and two kitchens have also been removed. The Joynts repaired all the plaster in the mansion to seal it, from the bottom of the curved wooden staircase to the attic, and caulked over every room.

The mansion's bats have been evicted as well, James said.

"It's one big family house now, instead of six different apartments," he said. "I suppose we've just sort of been chipping away at the whole thing. We're approaching everything slow and steady."

Outside the mansion, the family has fixed the stone front steps, repointed the brickwork, landscaped half of the overgrown yard, and cut down seven ash trees killed by the emerald ash borer. As they decide what to plant they're referring to old gardening books, James said, hoping to find what thrived on the 1-acre property when the mansion was built for Auburn banker James S. Seymour. 

The Joynts know a little about planting, having managed Amish produce co-op Path Valley Farms. They've sold their farm in Pennsylvania, James said, as they transition to living in the mansion. He now spends most of his time in Auburn, where Katie grew up, née Klink, and has grandparents. Some of her childhood friends in the Rochester area are thinking about moving back, James added.

"If we didn't like it here as much as we do, I don't think they would think about coming back," he said. "But we love it and we advertise it as much as we can. It's wonderful."

Before the Joynts can call their new Auburn home completed, however, there's still much work left on their list. Many of the mansion's rooms need to be trimmed out, and the floors need to be refinished. The two-story carriage house behind the mansion is a "year four" item, James said. The family also has to figure out how to manage its space, as the rooms are large but limited in number.

Still, James doesn't foresee any major challenges in what's been a faster, cheaper restoration than he expected.

"The mansion actually wasn't in as bad a shape as I imagined," he said. "Everything that was wrong had to be fixed, but most of it was just that — fixing it."

Many of the names that graced the bar's corner entrance in years past — Whiskey Boots, the Rockin' Robin, Copper John's — were painted like passport stamps into a collage on a wall. Clarke installed it to pay tribute to those businesses, she told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. Almost every trace of them was removed as she stripped the bar to its studs, revealing a brick firewall and chimney she had never seen before. 

The collage, like many visuals inside Britches', was influenced by content Clarke saw on TikTok and Instagram. In turn, she said, those visuals should make frequent backdrops for selfies and stories.

"I wanted it to be social-media worthy," she said. "When you take a picture in front of it, people know where you are."

The brick revealed during the renovation was a surprise even to Clarke, who has wanted to open a bar since she was 18. She's been interested in doing so at the 192 State St. building for years, she said, and during that time learned it has a rarely seen second floor. The floor, once used as apartments, is now the site of a VIP area that can be booked for private functions, as well as a kissing booth.

Before purchasing the building, Clarke worked as a crane operator at Nucor Steel for a decade. She also posts makeup tutorials on YouTube, where she greets viewers with the word that would become the name of her bar. Coined by her mother, it combines Clarke's nickname, Brit, with her affectionately profane term for her closest friends. The word's cursive logo, designed by A&M Graphics in Auburn, is the core of the bar's décor, Clarke said, including a large "Britches'" sign over the dance floor made of mirror shards with help from Jesse Kline of the Auburn Downtown Business Improvement District.

Amid the bar's glitter and neon, however, are blank white walls. That way, Clarke said, they capture the tints and strobes of the bar's lighting system, an effect she compared to that of a chameleon. Britches' is similar to a club, she continued, but the atmosphere is "very approachable" to people who don't like clubs. For all the lights, they'll still be able to tell what's happening around them.

"I wanted something totally different for Auburn," Clarke said. "Auburn's never seen anything quite like this."

Clarke realized how much she wanted to provide that welcoming atmosphere while at her previous job. She's a people person, she said, which is also why people at Britches' should expect to see her there, working to entertain them. She spent three years getting to that point, through COVID-19 and its many delays, and she'll make sure she stays there with a wide array of events she has planned. They include live music, beginning with Between Covers at 8 tonight and Chasing Neon July 9, as well as drag shows, karaoke Thursdays with DJ Bryan Throw, and themed events like adult proms.

The beverage menu consists of a broad selection of domestic, craft and foreign beers, alcoholic seltzers, wines and mixed drinks that will be introduced regularly. On draft is a signature beer made by Homer Hops Brewing, called Britches' Brew, which Clarke said tastes like a cross between a traditional light lager and a fruity India pale ale. That and other drafts are filled using a bottoms-up system.

To protect their beverages, people at Britches' will be able to use something else Clarke saw on social media: the Nightcap, a cover for cups that doubles as a scrunchie and contains a straw hole. It's part of a broader effort by Clarke and her staff of 13 to ensure people at her bar feel safe, she said. Entry will require showing identification, having bags checked and scanning with a metal detector wand. 

"I want this to be a place for everybody," she said. "We're all here to have a good time. This is a place I want people to feel safe, like they can be themselves and like they can have a good time."

In the 92 years the store has stood on North Lewis Street, that kid has walked up to the powder blue checkout belt countless times. They have many faces, many names. Sometimes it's not ketchup they need, but a quart of milk, maybe a cold soda. They used to slip the Maxwells a handwritten note from their mom, asking to be sent home with a receipt and exact change. Nowadays, that's less common.

The Maxwells will also miss catching up with that kid as they grow, becoming a parent and then a grandparent. Bobbie and Larry talk to them about their family, their health and what's happening in town. They might move away, but they still come back to shop at the store and see their friends. Bobbie tells them, "If you see the two of us sitting outside in lawn chairs, come stop by and say hello."

Stopping by will be a hard habit to break. At Maxwell's, Bobbie said, they know they can get what they need and get out in less time than it takes to find a parking spot at a chain store.

"That's always been kind of our trademark," she told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV at the store Monday over the busy hum of its produce and beverage coolers.

"We're one of the few that can still count your money back to you," Larry added. "You won't see that in a chain store."

As much as he and Bobbie will miss the store, and the people, Auburn may miss the Maxwells more. When they shut off the lights at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, July 31, the city will lose one of its last remnants of not only the neighborhood where Maxwell's is located, the storied Five Points, but small-town Americana and all its Rockwellian simplicity. Kids today, Larry said, won't know what they're missing.

"I feel sorry for the younger generation that's never going to know what it's like to have a store like this," he said.

It was time, though, for Maxwell's to close.

Gary "Scotty" Maxwell, Bobbie's husband and Larry's older brother, passed away in June at the age of 71. The three had agreed that if one of them passed, the other two would close the store. Running it was already too much work, and Scotty shouldered the most responsibility. He bought inventory, stocked and delivered it, and advertised it with window signs he wrote in distinctly squiggly red and blue.

He never wanted to see the store close, Bobbie said.

"If he could have had his hospital bed in here he probably would have done that," she said. "This was his baby."

Were Bobbie and Larry 20 years younger, they might have tried harder to keep Maxwell's open. But she's 70, her brother-in-law's 66, and they'd like to settle down after spending so much of their lives working at the store. Without Scotty to cover for them, it's difficult to even schedule doctor's appointments. Larry's "not in the best of health," he said, and Bobbie has shoulder pain to take care of.

Hiring outside help isn't an option, she said. Since 1930, the Maxwells have kept the store in the family.

Larry and Scotty's grandfather, Frederick D. Maxwell, opened it that year next door to the current store, which was built in 1935. When he passed away in 1937, his son Fred H. Maxwell took over. Larry and Scotty began working there once they came of age, as did their middle brother, Greg, when Scotty left for National Guard training. Greg went on to a career in business, but still lends a hand when he can. Bobbie, real name Roberta, married Scotty in 1972 and began working at the store around that time. They hoped their son James would be its fourth generation, but he passed away in 2009.

The dismantling of Five Points during urban renewal and the construction of the Arterial in the '60s and '70s "did a job on us," Larry said. Before that, the neighborhood's roads would close for block parties at Christmas and Easter he remembers fondly. Local college students would steal an 8-foot wooden rabbit from the traffic circle there and display it at the door of St. Alphonsus Church for Mass.

Larry still has the rabbit, a cash register that stops counting at $9.99, a '78 Cadillac with only 50,000 miles that was his father's last car, and more assorted treasures in the building. He lives on the second floor, and will continue to live there after Maxwell's closes. The store will be emptied, but he and Bobbie have no plans to sell it or the building. She lives next door on North Lewis Street.

"I always said I don't want him to push me to sell my home, so I'm not going to push him to sell his home," Bobbie said. "It's fair. This is where he's always lived."

While constructing the Arterial, Larry said, the city wanted to close the street there, creating a turnaround for snowplows. The Maxwells successfully fought the attempt in court. If they hadn't, the closure not only would have cost them customers, it would have imposed a burden on their substantial delivery business. At its height, the store had two trucks on the road every day, each making several trips.

Larry remembers his mother, Harriet, setting out for deliveries in a Willys Jeep. Then Scotty took over, "a trucker by heart" in his brother's words. At 5:30 every morning their father and Scotty would depart from Auburn in a van for the Syracuse Regional Market to buy produce from farmers, return to the store and stock it. The delivery business dwindled as services like Centro and Instacart emerged, but even during COVID-19 Scotty continued to drop the groceries on porches, ringing the doorbell as he left. Lately, Larry has been handling the deliveries. For the most part, he won't miss them.

"The long hours, the backbreaking work, all the lifting and lugging," he said. "The hot elevators, especially this time of year."

Larry also cuts the steaks at Maxwell's, which along with cold cuts are probably the store's most popular items. Bobbie can't quite explain why, saying only that they carry "a good mix," supplied by Deli-Boy and CNS Wholesale Grocers in Syracuse. As she does, an elderly man at the deli counter places his order. With excitement he tells employee Elaine Moore, "I gotta get that moist turkey."

Many customers have been stopping by for their last taste of those cold cuts since word began to spread that the store is closing. Others have offered to buy mementos, like the neon beer signs. Among them, on Monday, was Scott Schafer. He grew up on Lansing Street, where his parents ran a flower shop. Decades ago, he told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV, he was that kid who came to the store with a note from mom.

"A lot of people are going to miss you," Schafer told Larry. "You're the last mom-and-pop store in town."

Those people have been telling Bobbie and Larry they're happy for the family, she said, but sad for themselves. They want to know where they're going to get their cold cuts, their ketchup, milk and soda they suddenly need. The satisfaction of serving those needs in Auburn, as grueling as the work can be, makes it hard for Larry to think of anything he truly won't miss about Maxwell's Food Store.

"To me, it's a lifestyle, so I'm going to miss it all regardless. I've never known anything but this. I was born into it and done it all my life, even when I was a little kid," he said. Then he started to laugh.

"What's really going to be weird is I'm going to have to go out and grocery shop. I've never had to do that."

"We know this is not going to be like a normal opening," Joe Smith told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV on Thursday. "People are already kicking the doors down trying to get into this place."

The Smiths, of Throop, will open the pine green doors of Curley's to the public that day for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The popular restaurant's owners since 1933, the Dello Stritto family, closed it that month due to state guidance but never reopened. They put Curley's on the market the next year, and the Smiths bought it for $400,000 in July.

Joe said he and his wife remain in contact with the family regularly. They like seeing the improvements to the 8,800-square-foot restaurant overseen by him and his other business, Lakeside Construction. Those improvements include the green sign painted on the south wall of the brick restaurant, which features an image of namesake founder Angelo "Curley" Dello Stritto.

"We didn't change it, and I don't think anyone wanted Curley's to go to someone who'd change it," Joe said. "It's such a staple to everyone. It means so much and no one wanted to see it go."

The Smiths have also repaired the roof and refurbished the floors, walls and furniture in the four months since buying Curley's. Their goal of reopening the restaurant for the holiday season pushed some of the more aesthetic work back until spring, Joe said, but mechanical work is complete. The two three-bedroom apartments on the upper floors will later be renovated for rental or Airbnb.

The biggest change at the restaurant so far, Joe said, is the kitchen. It's been "completely redone" with new equipment, partly to launch a new pizzeria business. Customers will be able to grab a slice to eat at the restaurant or to go, as well as wings, garlic knots and more. In addition to the pizzeria menu is a tavern one with burgers, subs and other traditional Curley's selections.

The menu is big, Joe said, because Curley's is. It also boasts the restaurant's signature breaded chicken and jojo potato fries recipes, which the Smiths bought from the Dello Strittos. On the drink side, 12 new draught beer lines and wine slushy machines have been installed, and specials include a Reese's Manhattan, a strawberry-covered chocolate martini and a s'mores martini.

"We plan on it being very busy, so we didn't want a huge cocktail menu," Jessica said. "We feel honored to even own the place. We're happy to open the doors and bring it back to life."

Jessica will work at the restaurant full-time with a staff of 35 to 40, some of whom worked at Curley's under the Dello Strittos. It's the first restaurant for the Smiths, Joe said. He was worried their lack of experience would lead the community to reject them, but instead they've been embraced. Updates on the restaurant on its Facebook page have been met with overwhelmingly positive responses.

The Smiths had been looking to get into the restaurant business when Curley's went on the market. Though it was bigger than they imagined their first restaurant being, they bought the historic Auburn one for a few reasons. Joe felt he had the resources to take care of the "beautiful" woodwork and other craftsmanship inside, he said, and the business model was the kind he wanted to have.

"Every time I go out I like bar food," he said. "It's always the best food, those little hole-in-the-wall bars with a little kitchen doing home-cooked meals."

Another reason the Smiths bought Curley's, they said, is family. Like the one that owned and operated the restaurant for nearly a century, they hope to pass it on to their children, Gionni and Vinnie. 

"We want this to be family-oriented, a place where people can bring their children," Jessica said. "And we want our boys to be a very big part of this. It's for them."

The house, with a tentative assessed value of $277,100, was constructed by Nantucket Sea Captain William Swain. It fell into disrepair in the 1990s after it was abandoned. The property was taken by the city and sold for $1. Two sets of owners then completed renovations that drew national attention.

The house was featured in a 2000 episode of HGTV's "Restore America," a show hosted by famed renovation expert Bob Vila. Three years later, it was profiled again in a freshly segment produced by an HGTV show called "Best of Restore America."

The three-story home, located within the city's South Street Area Historic District, is currently owned by Deb Havdoglous. She and her late husband, Bill, purchased the home in 2005 after discovering it while visiting friends. They had previously lived in the New York City area, and relocated to Auburn for retirement. They later opened an antique store in the city's downtown.

The auction company will host an open house at the property from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 11. Details about the auction terms can be found at .

According to the Geddes Police Department's arrest reports, the groceries were mostly dairy products, meat, fruit and coffee. Geddes Police Chief John Fall Jr. told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV it's uncertain whether they were for the restaurant. But he noted that during one incident, Otterstatter allegedly stole three packages of ground beef totaling $82.71 and a family pack of honey costing $33.98.

Wegmans security officer Kyle Robert Boyd told Geddes police that Otterstatter used a self-checkout machine, "scanning a cheap item and then quickly sliding a more expensive item over the scale (causing) the items not to be rung into the system." He had been banned from all Wegmans stores for two years after being accused by security of shoplifting at the Auburn one on March 16.

Geddes police charged Otterstatter with two counts each of third-degree burglary and petit larceny, then added a third count of each upon investigating an Aug. 12 incident at the Fairmount Wegmans involving $244.50 in groceries. Because they're nonviolent first offenses, the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office reduced the burglary, a felony, to third-degree criminal trespass, a misdemeanor.

Otterstatter, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, is scheduled to appear in Geddes Town Court Nov. 21. 

Despite the timing, Otterstatter did not mention his arrest when confirming the closure of Octane Social House to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. In an email, he claimed the restaurant is "an eleventh-hour COVID casualty."

However, in the wake of his arrest and the restaurant's closure, Ë®¹ûÅÉAV has found that Otterstatter regularly made false or misleading claims about his business and his background. Some debts owed by Octane Social House were also found, and several former employees told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV they experienced or witnessed harassment by both Robert and Joni Otterstatter, as well as unpaid wages and tips.

The biggest of the debts is $143,151.87, which the Otterstatters owe to the city of Auburn. 

The debt comes from a January 2020 loan to Octane Social House from the city's Community Development Block Grant Entitlement Program. The loan, for a total of $171,247, was made on the basis that the majority of jobs created by the restaurant would go to people of low and moderate income, per the goal of the program. Equipment, inventory and furniture were among the eligible expenses.

Of that total, $144,791 was repayable over eight years and $26,465 was deferred and would be forgiven if the first amount was repaid on time. However, Jenny Haines, director of the city's Office of Planning & Economic Development, told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV that the Otterstatters have not made a payment on the loan since February. The amount they owe includes penalties and interest.

City Manager Jeff Dygert told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV the city is in communication with the Otterstatters about restructuring the loan so they can repay it in a way more manageable to them.

"They started their business during a rough time," Dygert said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are optimistic that we'll work out an appropriate repayment of this loan." 

The city loan was also a source of tension between the Otterstatters and KyleCroft Development, the owner of the Nolan Block. 

According to emails obtained by a Freedom of Information Law request, KyleCroft President Grant Kyle asked the city in September 2021 to provide him a copy of its loan agreement with the Otterstatters. Kyle's reason, he told the city, was "longstanding payment issues" with them. He ultimately had to file a Freedom of Information Law request to obtain the agreement.

"I have had multiple vendors who have not been paid and they are concerned that (city) funds were misallocated as their contracts were line items in the loan structure," Kyle said in an email.

In response, Haines said in an email to city staff that while the Otterstatters did use part of the loan for purposes not outlined in the agreement, those purposes were eligible for the CDBG Entitlement Program under working capital. Haines said those purposes included payroll, as "this loan was closed literally just before COVID hit." But she shared Kyle's concerns about unpaid contractors.

"What I would typically recommend in this situation is pulling the loan committee back together to have them officially 'bless' the expenditures as a slight change in project need," Haines wrote.

Kyle declined comment on Octane Social House to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV, citing KyleCroft policy not to comment on its commercial or residential lessees. 

Otterstatter said he and his wife are "actively working with the city to liquidate our assets and service our debts."

The Otterstatters received another loan, for $7,042, through the federal government's Paycheck Protection Program in May 2021. The loan, and $14 of interest, were forgiven that August. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration's  on the COVID-19 relief program, almost all of the loan went toward payroll. The restaurant reported having nine employees in its application.

Octane Social House also reported being a veteran-owned business. In a post on the now-deleted Facebook page for his Auburn City Council campaign, Otterstatter touted "my service to the U.S. Army."

Ë®¹ûÅÉAV confirmed through a National Personnel Records Center request that Otterstatter did serve in the U.S. Army Reserve. Further information was not available.

However, several other claims Otterstatter made about his background while promoting his business and running for office were found by Ë®¹ûÅÉAV to be false or misleading.

As he said during his campaign, Otterstatter did work for the Weld County Sheriff's Office in Greeley, Colorado. Joe Moylan, the office's public information officer, confirmed to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV that he worked there from June 1997 to October 2005. But Moylan said Otterstatter left as a community resource officer and was not, as he has claimed, a "commander," or the equivalent of a sergeant.

Nor was Otterstatter shot in the line of duty while at the sheriff's office, Moylan said, nor did Otterstatter work undercover. Though no records of him making those claims publicly could be found, several people Ë®¹ûÅÉAV interviewed for this story said he told them as much. Fellow City Council candidate Tim Lattimore even referenced the purported shooting at an October 2021 public forum.

"My running mate, I just have to give him some kudos. He's a retired police officer after being shot three times in the line of duty," Lattimore said.

Moylan said he believes Otterstatter continued his law enforcement career "somewhere in Wyoming," so it's possible he was shot in the line of duty there. But Ë®¹ûÅÉAV could find no record of Otterstatter serving with another law enforcement agency. His only recorded employment in Wyoming is working as a project coordinator for the Wyoming Health Resources Network in Cheyenne.

Otterstatter's academic credentials appear to be false as well.

His LinkedIn , now deleted, said he received a bachelor's in "criminal justice/political science" and a master's in "educational, instructional and curriculum supervision" from the College of Alameda in California. But Alameda is a community college that has never offered bachelor's or master's degrees, a representative told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV, nor is there any record of Otterstatter living in the state.

Elsewhere, he has shared different credentials. In his Citizen candidate profile, he listed a bachelor's in sociology and a master's in post-secondary education, but didn't name his colleges. In a talk about Octane Social House, he  an associate from Cayuga Community College, a bachelor's from Syracuse University and a master's from the University of Northern Colorado, but didn't name his majors.

However, Ë®¹ûÅÉAV could find no record of Otterstatter receiving a degree from any of those three colleges.

A representative of Cayuga Community College told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV Otterstatter was enrolled there in the early 1990s, but is not on record as receiving a degree. Syracuse University, through the National Student Clearinghouse, said it has "no record of this student." And a representative of the University of Northern Colorado told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV there's no record of Otterstatter even completing a class there.

The only consistencies in the credentials shared by Otterstatter have been his 1990 graduation from Auburn High School, which Ë®¹ûÅÉAV confirmed, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Argosy University in 2011. The for-profit university could not confirm his degree, as it abruptly in 2019 after defrauding students about tuition, degrees, career services and more.

Otterstatter declined to answer Ë®¹ûÅÉAV's questions about his background, saying, "They are not germane to the closing of our business."

"I am not running (nor will I ever again run) to better my community through a local political office," he said. "My work history, education, and military experience are between my employers and me."

More recently, records show, Otterstatter for the National Crime Prevention Council and Ìý·¡²Ô²µ±ô¾±²õ³ó Alice Deal Middle School, both in Washington, D.C. Representatives of the council and the District of Columbia Public Schools did not respond to multiple requests for comment by Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. Otterstatter left the school district in 2018 to open Octane Social House.

The restaurant closes with more debts than the one the Otterstaters owe to the city of Auburn. They also owe $24,102.99 in sales tax, according to a June warrant from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Another $4,978.49 is owed in the form of a judgment obtained by Table Hopping after Octane Social House allegedly didn't pay for advertising in the Syracuse publication.

Then there is the money the Otterstatters are accused of owing to the employees, customers and even performers at the restaurant.

Eric Mohan, drummer for Glass Image, told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV the local band never received its $200 fee for an acoustic show at Octane Social House last year.

"It was our first time not getting paid, so we just kind of shook it off," Mohan said. "But it was unusual."

Debbie Lounsbury, of Tucson, Arizona, said she was overcharged by about $700 for a luncheon held at the restaurant after her mother's funeral in December.

The Otterstatters counted more than 50 people at the luncheon, Lounsbury told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV, despite her count of only 29. When she shared the story on Facebook, Robert Otterstatter responded that the restaurant's camera footage would support his count. She said she asked him to show her the footage, as well as an itemized list of her charges. He then blocked her, cutting off communication.

Lounsbury sent a complaint to the New York State Attorney General's Office in February.

"I had enough of him and his lies," she said. "He went all over social media smearing me."

The office acknowledged receipt of the complaint, telling Lounsbury it would forward a copy to Octane Social House to request "a statement of their position and a possible adjustment." She said she hasn't heard anything further from the office. A representative of the office told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV it has not investigated the complaint since it has not received any others about the restaurant.

Otterstatter told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV it was Lounsbury who cut off communication with him. She was actually undercharged, he claimed, because he counted 53 people and charged her for 45.

"A week after happily paying her bill and persistently admitting the additional attendees throughout the meal, she said there were only 29 there and began her complaints," he said.

Additionally, Lounsbury said she saw Otterstatter pocket a $100 bill given to him by a member of the funeral party to help pay its tab. Former employee Lindsay Kreager, who worked at Octane Social House from August 2020 to October 2020, told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV she saw him take tips from the restaurant's jar. Kreager said she also didn't receive her final tip out, and is owed just over $100 in wages.

"(The Otterstatters) would explain they couldn’t pay us as much or employ us for as many hours because they couldn’t afford it," she said. 

Ë®¹ûÅÉAV interviewed five people for this story, including Kreager, who worked at Octane Social House at different points in time, from its beginnings as a table the Otterstatters set up at local farmers markets and Health Central until the closing of the restaurant in the Nolan Block. Another former employee said he's owed $78.13 in wages, and another said she never received any tips.

Asked for comment on those claims, Otterstatter said a bookkeeper handled payroll, through which employees received their credit card tips. He then questioned the credibility of his former staff. 

"(Many) are in various stages of 'recovery,'" he said, "and when confronted with lies or omissions with their active substance abuse, bitterly left our employ and still perpetuate mistruths."

Most of the former employees went on to describe experiencing or witnessing harassment by the Otterstatters. Kreager said it included "constant usage of racial and sexual slurs," which others confirmed. Otterstatter and his wife sometimes assigned staff unusual work, Kreager continued, like watching their children when the Otterstatters left them in their car in the parking lot.

Patrick Hannay-Zaia, who worked at the restaurant for four days "before realizing it was a mess," told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV Joni Otterstatter once called him a "faggot." Most of the former employees said they heard her and her husband say that word regularly. They also heard the Otterstatters repeatedly call a female employee "Ms. Plan B," referring to the emergency contraceptive pill.

Joni Otterstatter denied calling anyone those names.

"Octane Social House was opened to do quite the opposite," she said in an email to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. "We were attempting to create a café with an atmosphere of acceptance and tolerance for everyone."

Like her husband, Joni Otterstatter said many of the restaurant's former employees are disgruntled because they're in recovery from addiction and the owners held them accountable for that. Another source of resentment for both staff and members of the Auburn community, she claimed, was Robert Otterstatter's candidacy for City Council as a Republican "in a city with a Democratic majority."

"We unfortunately experienced quite a backlash," she said. "We never felt political party affiliation was paramount to our success until that time." 

Octane Social House did not have a traditional jar for tips, Robert Otterstatter added, instead donating them to "local outreach efforts."

Joni Otterstatter said they focused that outreach on historically marginalized groups like veterans and minorities. Octane Social House hosted readings, support groups and more events for them.

"Quite a few local artists, musicians, and home-based businesses expressed their thankfulness to us for giving them a start," she said.

However, the restaurant did not always follow through on its pledges of philanthropy.

When it opened, Otterstatter said 50 cents from each sale of a used book in its library would go to Seymour Library. But the Auburn library told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV it has never received any donations.

Nor did SS. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church. The Rev. Vasile Colopelnic told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV the Auburn church has no record of a donation from Octane Social House, which pledged to direct 25% of proceeds from a Ukrainian meal to the church's relief fund for the war-torn country. The Raise a Pint for Ukraine fundraiser, however, confirmed to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV its receipt of a $125 donation.

Robert Otterstatter's history of false or misleading claims also continued with Octane Social House's food. He labeled the restaurant "farm-to-table," suggesting he sourced ingredients from local farms.

However, four of Otterstatter's former employees interviewed by Ë®¹ûÅÉAV said he actually sourced most of his ingredients from Aldi, Tops, Walmart and Wegmans. Several "inventory" expenses for each grocery store appear in the restaurant's 2020 ledger, which Ë®¹ûÅÉAV obtained as part of the Freedom of Information Law request for its loan agreement with the city.

"He would buy less expensive items than what he was advertising and sell them at a much higher price," said Jordan Mullan, who worked for the Otterstatters for about eight months beginning in 2018. 

In response, Otterstatter said the restaurant "was as farm-to-table as we could be," sourcing ingredients from Farm Girl Greens in Sennett, Emerald Green Gardens in Skaneateles and more. While there's no official percentage of local ingredients a restaurant must use to qualify as "farm-to-table," the term is commonly understood to mean that most, if not all of them come from farms.

Another lie the Otterstatters told about their food, former employees said, concerned their signature Power Ball snack. The owners promoted the product as dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan except for some local honey. However, two former employees, including one who made Power Balls, said they often contained ingredients that did not conform to those diets, namely chocolate chips.

Octane Social House also heavily promoted its brisket, but sometimes  of the meat on the restaurant's Facebook page. Otterstatter passed off the work of others as his own when he was a political candidate as well. He written material during his Auburn City Council campaign, including at least one of his letters to the editor published in Ë®¹ûÅÉAV.

"He kind of lied a lot," Mullan said. "He tried to make himself seem pretty cool, but he came off very fake, very manipulative."

In his email to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV, Otterstatter said the only thing he and his wife tried to do over the last four years is "bring people together through our community-centric café venture."

"We don't appreciate your 'send-off,'" he said. "We came here, invested our life savings into this community, and have now lost them."

The auction is the latest chapter in a years-long ordeal that began in 2018. The Cayuga County Health Department found that Locust Meadows violated several state laws by not properly monitoring the water supply and not providing adequate water pressure and drinking water. The mobile home park also lost electricity after the owner, Sharon Hitchings, did not pay the energy bill. 

The health department issued boil water orders in June and November 2018 due to the loss of pressure, but Locust Meadows never submitted results of samples to determine if the water was not contaminated. 

Eileen O'Connor, who heads the health department's environmental health division, told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV that a boil water order has been renewed every quarter because no one is monitoring the water. A resident, Louise Bonilla, confirmed that they have been under a boil water order for more than three years. Bonilla said she buys bottled water every other day. 

"We take it off the rent," said Bonilla, who has lived at Locust Meadows for more than 25 years. 

In June 2019, the health department issued a complaint outlining the violations. A hearing was held in July 2019. Hitchings, who bought Locust Meadows in 2015 months after she won an $816,000 lottery prize, did not respond to the complaint and did not attend the hearing. The hearing officer found that Hitchings was guilty of the violations and ordered her to pay $55,000 in fines. 

The Cayuga County Board of Health met in September 2019 to adopt the hearing officer's findings. Hitchings did not attend the meeting. 

Ë®¹ûÅÉAV's attempts to contact Hitchings were unsuccessful. 

With Hitchings failing to acknowledge the violations and pay the fines, the county sought a judgement against her. The judgement was signed in September 2021 and allowed for the seizure of the property due to nonpayment of fines, which now total $63,668 due to interest and additional fees. 

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

She continued, "We're hopeful that a person who is interested and willing to do what is necessary to bring this park back into compliance and to provide the residents with safe drinking water and to make sure the septic system is functioning properly." 

But O'Connor acknowledged that anyone could buy the mobile home park. They could continue to operate it as a residential property, or it could be transformed into something else. 

That worries Bonilla, who fears that they will be evicted if the buyer wants to repurpose the park. 

"We're not looking forward to this," she said. "Hopefully we don't have to move if we get a good landlord. I don't know. We don't have high hopes." 

The terms of sale for the auction note that "the interest of the judgment debtor being sold may be subject to liens, mortgages, taxes or other encumbrances." The highest bidder can pay by cash, check or attorney check. At least 10% of the winning bid must be paid by 4 p.m. Friday. 

It's a much different offseason for the Auburn native than the last one. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament in July 2021, so much of last offseason was spent rehabbing his knee. Major League Baseball also locked out the players, which meant that Locastro could not sign with a team for three months. 

This year, he does not have to contend with those issues. His knee is in great shape — he told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV that he felt 100% by midsummer — and there is no labor strife. 

Locastro's goal after re-signing with the Yankees before the 2022 season was to win a World Series title. He embraced whatever role he was asked to fulfill. The Yankees used him as a pinch-runner — he had eight stolen bases and scored 13 runs in 38 games. He started 10 games as an outfielder and hit a pair of home runs. 

The Yankees won the American League East title and was a contender to win the AL pennant. Locastro was named to the Yankees' playoff roster. He stole a base in the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians. He was also on the roster for the American League Championship Series, which the Yankees lost to the Houston Astros, the eventual World Series champions. 

Locastro observed differences between playoff baseball and the regular season, namely the fan engagement and media presence. But, he said, the most important thing he learned is that once you are on the field, "baseball is baseball." 

"It's the same as it is during the regular season — being able to control yourself, control your breathing and lock in and understand that it's still the same game you've been playing since you were a child," Locastro said. 

He added, "It was definitely an unbelievable experience, especially playing at home in front of the Yankee fans against Cleveland and then going to Cleveland, going to Houston. Those were some experiences that you can play out in your head but you don't understand the true ramifications of it until you are in the moment." 

Now, Locastro is on the market. The Yankees wanted to send him to Triple-A and remove him from the parent club's 40-man roster. He elected to become a free agent. 

He acknowledged that finding a team where he can get more playing time "would be great." He is appreciative of his time with the Yankees and willingly served as the team's go-to pinch-runner, but adds that he doesn't want to limit himself to one role if there is an opportunity to play elsewhere. 

He is taking a patient approach with free agency. One reason for that is he has a wedding to plan. He and his fiancee, Jenn Fox, will get married in January. 

When Locastro isn't preparing for the wedding, he will be working out to get ready for next season. He will monitor MLB depth charts to see which teams may need his services and is hoping to sign with a team by mid-January — about a month before spring training begins. 

"Last year with the lockout, the free agency process was different than it is (this year)," said Locastro, who recalled that he re-signed with the Yankees and then had to quickly head to spring training. "Now, you can take your time and try to figure out where you want to go. It will still be stressful but a little less stressful than last year." 

DeRosa told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV he purchased the mansion so he can eventually sell it to someone who will restore it. He's no stranger to selling historic properties, having brokered the sale of the Auburn Castle and the Seymour mansion in Auburn, among others. But he has yet to decide how he'll market this one, as he's currently doing "due diligence," he said.

"I stepped into the charm of this historic property, and will be contributing to the preservation of an important piece of history," he said. 

Built in 1865, the Selover mansion is three stories and 5,054 square feet, with six bedrooms and two bathrooms. The brick Second Empire structure sits on .25 acres. Interior highlights include original hardwood floors, 10-foot wooden pocket doors, and a mahogany curved staircase that crosses all three floors and features intricately carved chestnut newel posts.

The mansion takes its name from William Selover, a prominent Moravia stone mill owner. He based its design on a pattern book of Victorian styles by A.J. Bicknell. So did his business partner, Frank Williamson, who built a nearly identical mansion at the corner of Church and William streets. At one point after Selover's residency, the mansion was a Veterans of Foreign Wars post.

The mansion's most recent owners, Du Mars and Irving, purchased it in 1993 while living in Manhattan, DeRosa said. They intended to make it their retirement home, but it required too much renovation. After turning on the heat caused the pipes to burst, spreading water damage throughout the walls and ceilings, the owners gutted the entire structure. That is how the mansion remains today, DeRosa said. Its next owner will also inherit an unused boiler in the basement that was never installed, as well as a hole dug there for an inground pool. 

DeRosa formed Selover Mansion Inc. to buy the property so he can sell the corporation itself to the buyer. That way, he explained, the buyer can remain anonymous. Before he begins marketing the mansion, however, he wants to reach out to the community to help him fill in its history. He plans to set up a Facebook page where people can post stories, pictures and more.

DeRosa added that he plans to continue acquiring historic properties like the Selover mansion, and putting them on the path to reclaiming their past glory.

"I want to help protect, preserve and restore what was once built in America that presently remains vacant," he said. "These (are) masterpieces of construction."

Police said the leaders of the ring were Auburn residents Nicholas Neville and Merritt Fletcher IV, who they said are members of the gang Gorilla Stone Nation, which is unit of the Bloods.

"During the investigation it was found that Neville and Fletcher were being resupplied with cocaine from New York City and City of Rochester," the task force said in a press release. "It was also found that the drug organization was also being supplied with pressed blue fentanyl pills and methamphetamine from California."

Fletcher, 31, of 6 Steel St., Auburn, was charged July 1 with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Neville, 32, of 61 Cayuga St., Auburn, was charged July 5 with the same counts.

Those arrests followed the execution of multiple search warrants in January and April 2022 in Auburn, Cortland, Syracuse and Bakersfield, California.

In January, authorities said they recovered approximately 2.6 kilos of cocaine, 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine, over a pound of pressed blue fentanyl blues (approximately 7,000 pills), two defaced handguns, over $20,000 in cash, $15,000 in jewelry, a kilo hydraulic press and multiple cutting agents in searches conducted in Auburn and Cortland.

A search of a Syracuse storage locker in April 2022 found approximately 70,000 pressed blue fentanyl pills. On the same day in Bakersfield, California, a search by federal drug enforcement officers recovered 103,000 pressed blue fentanyl pills, 133 grams of fentanyl, 30 grams of cocaine, 17 firearms and $33,000.

The task force said 13 people were arrested on Monday and charged with second-degree conspiracy. Those arrests required the work of the Cayuga County District Attorney's Office to prepare a grand jury indictment, which took time due "new bail reform and discovery laws along with the magnitude of the case," the task force said.

The names of the defendants charged with conspiracy on Monday are as follows:

• Calvin D. Wilson
• Rondell T. Smith
• Taquann R. Jones
• Jennifer A. Richardson
• Chalise A. Bullock
• Robert N. O'Hara III
• Kyle T. Lerch
• Jacalynn A. Jacobs
• Brittani N. Dias
• Michael J. Wiltsie
• Dytalion P. Dennis
• Michael L. Jenkins
• Donald J. Sampson

Another defendant, Caitlyn E. Jacobs, was arrested on June 29 and charged with criminal possession of a firearm and first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Agencies and units within those agencies that were involved in searches and arrests included the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force, Auburn Police Department, Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office, Auburn Police Emergency Response Team, Cayuga County Sheriff ERT, New York State Police SWAT, New York State Police Violent Gang Narcotic Enforcement Team from C, D, and E Troops, Cayuga County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit, New York State Police K-9 Units and US Army National Guard Counter Drug.

Lynda Elliott, 15, niece of victim Andre Mackniel, attended Biden's visit with victims' family members with AJ.

Elliott's nephew was eager to meet the president, who hugged him and handed him a coin.

Elliott said AJ was so protective of the coin Biden gave him that he even passed up hugs out of fear someone would take it away.

Asked if the gesture and the president's visit meant something, Elliott said, "It did, to all of us."

The Mackniel family was also comforted Tuesday by Pastor Tim Newkirk of GYC Ministries, one of the first to arrive at the Tops Markets after the shooting, leading a prayer circle with employees on Riley Street behind the supermarket.

Mackniel was one of 10 people killed in the shooting in Saturday. All were Black. The alleged shooter, 18-year-old Payton Gendron, has a history of posting racist beliefs online, including a 180-page manifesto that embraces the "great replacement" theory. He drove more than three hours from Broome County to target the supermarket, which is located in a heavily Black part of Buffalo.

The 2016-17 state budget included a multi-year plan to achieve a $15 minimum wage. For New York City workers, the minimum wage increase was phased in over three years for larger employers  and four years for small businesses, reaching $15 an hour in 2018 and 2019, respectively. 

Long Island and Westchester County were subject to a different schedule. The minimum wage increased to $15 an hour over a six-year period, with the final raise at the end of 2021. 

For the rest of the state, including all of upstate New York, the minimum wage increased from $9.70 an hour in 2016 to $12.50 an hour in 2020. According to the state Department of Labor, any subsequent increases are based on a schedule established by the state budget director. 

In 2021, the minimum wage for the rest of New York increased to $13.20 an hour. Earlier this year, the state Department of Labor announced that the minimum wage would rise to $14.20 an hour at the end of the year. 

There could be another minimum wage increase coming if some state legislators get their way. A bill introduced in the state Legislature would increase the state's minimum wage to $21.25 an hour. The hike would be phased in over a three-year period, from 2024 to 2026, for Long Island, New York City and Westchester County workers. For the remainder of the state, including upstate counties, the minimum wage would rise to $21.25 an hour in 2027. 

After that, the bill calls for the statewide minimum wage to be indexed to inflation. 

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 Ë®¹ûÅÉAV 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. 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 plan was announced by Bishop Salvatore Matano, who last August asked local parishes to "divest themselves of unnecessary properties and to utilize only those facilities needed to serve the religious, pastoral and spiritual needs of the faithful." 

The two schools have been listed by Clare Real Estate, which has posted signs in front of them. Auburn Catholic church officials confirmed they and the rectory are for sale, but declined further comment.

The school at St. Alphonsus, previously St. Joseph School, is for $790,000. The 46,812-square-foot school at 89 E. Genesee St. was in 1949 and served as St. Alphonsus School until combining with Sacred Heart and Holy Family schools in 1973 to form Blessed Trinity School. In 1996, the school merged with St. Mary's School and was renamed St. Joseph. The diocese closed the school in June 2020 due to declining enrollment and financial difficulties.

Among the more distinct features of the school is a 1950s-style soda fountain in its basement that the St. Alphonsus Parish has attempted to raise money to restore in recent years.

According to a 2021 report by a local pastoral planning committee, a building condition survey found the school's roof and windows need to be replaced, which would cost an estimated $1,098,000.

A listing for the St. Alphonsus rectory at couldn't be found online. According to Cayuga County property records, the two-story, 8,594-square-foot building's full market value is $604,700.

Holy Family School, meanwhile, has been for $299,000. It in 1928 after the original school, which opened as the original Holy Family Church in 1834, was struck by lightning and caught fire. The 85 North St. school closed in the early 1970s, and ever since has served as an emergency homeless shelter, a community event space and a substitute worship site for the church.

According to the pastoral planning committee's report, replacing Holy Family School's roof is "urgent," drainage there is "a major concern" and insulation needs to be added. The building's masonry, including its cast stone and lintels, has deteriorated over the years due to water infiltration. Inside the building, the finishes are "in poor condition."

The report also said that all proceeds from the sale of real estate owned by the Catholic church, and any additional remaining financial assets, are maintained by the local, surviving parish. 

It is uncertain whether the three properties will be the only local ones listed for sale by the diocese. Matano's original announcement called for the pastoral planning committee to recommend area churches for closure. After an extensive review period, the committee recommended closing St. Alphonsus along with St. Francis of Assisi and Holy Family in Auburn, and St. Joseph in Weedsport.

However, in the face of objections from local parishioners, the bishop has declined to mandate any church closures for the time being. He instead issued his request for parishioners to divest themselves of "unnecessary properties," and to present those efforts to the diocese by Sept. 1. 

"We're getting the outside nice and dressed up," he said.

According to Cayuga County property records, Cummins bought the restaurant from its namesake, Cynthia Devaney, for $225,000 in December. Its 2022 full market value is $203,718.

Cummins, a real estate broker who lives in Lysander, told himself he would never buy a restaurant again after owning and operating the Cross Lake Inn & Marina in Cato about a decade ago. He also had stakes in the Cato Hotel, the Colonial Inn and Pirate's Landing in northern Cayuga County. But the former Devaney's presented a favorable opportunity, he said.

The restaurant, which opened as Devaney's in the early 2000s and closed in early 2020, reopened under Cummins with counter service instead of a wait staff. He also installed a soft ice cream machine inside and a pickup window, and is adding a pizza parlor and fryers within the next week. Future plans include an outside kitchenette and bar, possibly a Tiki bar for events like clambakes.

"We get a hell of a crowd there on Thursdays," said Cummins, who also recently purchased the Sunset Restaurant in Auburn. "Hopefully we can get something going."

Now, well into his 60s, Fantasia was ready to retire.

He began to consider hanging up his camera before scouting the deserts and mountains where "Maverick's" thrilling flight scenes were filmed. After a movie so satisfying, though, he felt like it was time.

"Everything you want in a movie is in that movie," Fantasia told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV over the phone Tuesday from Los Angeles. "Every day, I wanted to go to work."

Then he got a call from a friend. Then another call. Then another, and another.

They wanted to know if Fantasia was interested in working on the next movie by Martin Scorsese.

Retirement would have to wait.

"How does a Sicilian guy from New York say no to working with Martin Scorsese?" Fantasia said with a laugh.

The movie, the crime drama "Killers of the Flower Moon," is scheduled for release in November. Due to COVID-19, it took two and a half years to make. Production finished in Oklahoma in September, followed by one scene in May that Scorsese wanted to film during springtime. Amazing as it was to work with the director all that time, Fantasia said, the work itself was arduous. From the delays of the pandemic to the 110-degree heat and unbearable humidity, the production finally made him say to himself, "I'm done." As soon as it wrapped, he filed his retirement papers.

With that, the 66-year-old Auburn native concluded a career that since 1989 has spanned 36 movies, taken him to 25 states and 20 countries, and brought him into the company of Cruise, Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Robert Redford and more legendary filmmakers. Looking back on his life in Hollywood, Fantasia said it's the people, famous and non, that he'll miss the most.

"Making movies is tough. Most of us are just blue collar people," he said. "It's a very collaborative process, even with the Spielbergs and Scorseses. It's our job to help them accomplish their vision."

After graduating from Auburn High School in 1973 and attending what's now Cayuga Community College, Fantasia was working for the U.S. Forestry Service in Libby, Montana, when his movie career started. Spielberg came to town to film his 1989 fantasy drama "Always," giving Fantasia his first credit as the service's liaison to the production. Meanwhile, he got to know its location manager. Realizing he had the skills for the job — appraising property, reviewing legal agreements — he said he "bugged her for awhile" about helping him break into the industry.

Fantasia resigned from the Forestry Service in January 1991. Most of his first movies were filmed in the Northwest, such as "A River Runs Through It" and "Free Willy," but before long the world became his workplace. His first production with Cruise was "Jerry Maguire," he won a California on Location Award for "Memoirs of a Geisha," and he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe with "Ant-Man."

Among the movies Fantasia is most proud of is "Catch Me If You Can," one of five collaborations with Spielberg, which the Auburn native called "almost a perfect film." Other highlights include "Seabiscuit" and "3:10 to Yuma." The latter required him and the crew to remove hundreds of thousands of cubic feet of a record New Mexico snowfall from what was supposed to be a desert set.

There are some movies Fantasia is less proud of, he said with a laugh, but none he completely regrets.

"If I'm not proud of the whole movie, I'm happy I worked on it for various reasons," he said. "There's something about every movie that brings a smile to my face." 

Between "Always" and "Ant-Man," the tools of location managers changed greatly with technology. When Fantasia started, he would take photos with a 35 mm camera, paste them into panoramas and FedEx them overnight to the director. He wouldn't get their feedback for days. With digital photography, cellphones, Google Earth and more, though, that remove would all but disappear.

Likewise, the technology of green screens and LED video walls has been perceived as a threat to the work of Fantasia and his peers. But that perception overlooks just how the technology works, he said. On 2014's "Godzilla," for instance, director Gareth Edwards hired Fantasia to spend a year researching and scouting not locations for filming actors, but backgrounds for visual effects.

"You still have to have something to put on top of the green screen," he said. "So you still need locations."

For "Top Gun: Maverick," Fantasia navigated both the older and newer ways of doing his job. He chose the sequel over retirement for a few reasons, he said. Along with him being a major fan of the first "Top Gun," his father, Emilio Fantasia, flew 33 missions over Europe as a B-24 nose and waist gunner during World War II. Any last convincing he needed came from his wife, Judy.

Once he boarded the production, Fantasia began working closely with the Navy to figure out flight paths. The movie's story called for specific topography for each aerial scene, he said, and he had to find that topography in a 300-page book of every low-level military training route in the country. So he plotted coordinates in Google Earth, obtained clearance from the Navy and took to the sky in a 120 mph helicopter. A crew on the ground created storyboards using the video Fantasia captured, and sometimes guided the pilot toward geography they thought would look good on screen.

Fantasia's mission was locating the most visually incredible scenery possible for the production to safely film Cruise and his castmates in flight. That scenery would include Death Valley, China Lake and other parts of central California. The climax was set near North Cascades National Park in Washington, the result of a harrowing wintertime helicopter ride over millions of desolate acres.

For all the technology used to scout those locations, few scenes in the movie used green screens. Cruise insisted on being in the cockpit of his F-18, Fantasia said, at 600 mph.

"I came to really appreciate the kind of filmmaker Tom is. He knows what audiences want," he said. "I've worked with thousands of filmmakers and nobody works harder than him."

If the work Fantasia contributed to "Maverick" didn't make it one of the most rewarding productions of his career, the overwhelming response to it did. The sequel has grossed more than $1 billion worldwide so far, and received almost unanimously positive reviews from critics. Friends who work in movies have been approaching Fantasia with raves as well.

He made many of those friends on sets, he said, and as part of guilds and other industry groups. In retirement, he looks forward to seeing them more. He and Judy plan to travel, and split time between their homes in California and Montana. Fantasia also looks forward to returning to the Finger Lakes for the first time in a few years. There's no better place to be in the summer, he said.

If anyone knows that, it's a Hollywood location manager.

"I know how lucky I am," he said. "There aren't a lot of 66-year-old location managers running around. It's a young person's game now."

"If someone orders from me for a special event, I'm going to act like it's my special event," she said. "I've put so much time and learning into the recipes I use, recipes I love and think are great."

Cartwright, 28, a Cato native who now lives in Elbridge, ran Hann's Homemade from her home for six years before opening a storefront in the former Maggie's Pies & Pasta in Auburn in February 2021. Her cakes, cupcakes and decorated sugar cookies are in too much demand for her to have anything for sale there, but she's happy to take orders when she's open Wednesdays through Sundays.

Baking, and especially decorating, has been a passion of Cartwright's since she was a child. She's self-taught, though she has worked at Camerons Bakery in Auburn, the bakery at the city's Wegmans and Lasca's, where she sold her cupcakes. That passion was also inspired by the rising popularity of baking over the last decade, with shows like "Cupcake Wars" and "The Great British Bake Off." 

"The different things you can do with cakes and cookies is crazy," she said. "It's fun to learn and fun to do. It can be hard, but it's very fun."

Cartwright has seen her share of challenging orders, particularly in the past year due to word of mouth. They include a cake with polar bears and hot air balloons for a gender reveal party, and another with a puppy that she felt "really nervous" about because it was one of her first orders in her storefront. With two tiers and intricate fondant icing, those types of orders take about 10 hours.

In a Facebook review in March, customer Lily Monahan said the baby shower cake she ordered from Hann's Homemade almost made her cry.

"I thought it was the cutest thing ever," Monahan said of the cake, which featured a white bowtied bunny on top. "We also saved the bunny to freeze (because) I just couldn't let go of it."

Before she could face those baking challenges, Cartwright had to face a banking one. She submitted her offer for her storefront in January 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the approval of her loan until July. After that, renovating the Burt Avenue building required about seven months of work. Hann's Homemade is just her as well, though she hopes to hire employees in the future.

She has the demand to support that, between weddings, birthdays, graduations, showers and other events. Cartwright has some availability this summer, she said, but she advises placing orders about a month ahead. That's not just because of the number of orders she's balancing, but because she wants to be able to take the time to make people what they want, the way she would want it.

"I love making pretty things for people," she said. "I just get excited to see people get excited over what I make."

Opening next week, the practice gives not only local residents somewhere nearby to bring their pets in times of emergency, but also residents as far as Rochester, Syracuse and Ithaca, Ospina said.

"There's an opportunity here," she told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV in December. "When I was looking at the map, thinking where it would make sense to open, Auburn is in the middle of everything."

Urgent Veterinary Care is the first practice for Ospina, who completed her Ph.D. in animal science at Cornell University in 2012. Prior to that, she obtained a bachelor's degree in animal science from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell in 2003 and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Davis, in 2007.

Ospina grew up in the Golden State, having come to the U.S. from Colombia when she was 7. Her native city of Cali, known for one of the most diverse collections of bird species in the world, is where she decided she wanted to work with animals for a living. Ospina credits her mother, an elementary school teacher in Colombia, with inspiring her to pursue her education.

While completing her Ph.D., Ospina worked two jobs. As an epidemiologist with Cornell's Quality Milk Production Services, she provided bilingual education to farmworkers from countries like Guatemala and Mexico, and trained them to ensure milk quality through proper sanitation and disease prevention. She also worked part-time at an emergency veterinary center in Baldwinsville. But after the passing of her mother-in-law, and then the COVID-19 pandemic, she began working at the center on nights and weekends in order to be with her three children at home during the day.

As its owner prepared to retire, Ospina tried to take the reins of the center. The deal fell through due to a real estate issue, but by then she was committed to the idea of opening her own practice.

At first, she didn't consider opening it in Auburn. A resident of King Ferry, she comes to the city regularly, but she had yet to realize its geographic potential. Then, after purchasing and renovating the five-bedroom home at 207 Genesee St. with her husband, Brian Stratton, Ospina knew she picked the right place. From neighbors to city officials, the support has been "remarkable," she said.

"It turned out to be a really good, supportive environment to work in," she said. "I'm excited to be of service to this community."

Urgent Veterinary Care opens as practices continue to catch up with COVID-19, Ospina said. Many were closed for months even though pet adoptions climbed while people were homebound.

Her practice will help close that gap by providing care for smaller health concerns, such as ear infections. Bigger concerns, such as those that require surgery, will be stabilized and referred to more critical care practices like Cornell's Hospital for Animals. Digital records will make that process easier, Ospina said, and give pet owners more access to their health information as well. 

Ospina's own surgery and isolation suites will be complete at a later date, she said. Likewise, the practice will begin with hours of 6 p.m. to midnight weekdays and 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekends. As her staff grows to about 10, Ospina hopes to expand to overnight hours every day, giving pet owners in Auburn and beyond a place to go for emergencies whenever, and wherever, they occur.

"Eventually, we want to be open whenever your vet is not," she said. "We want to be the neighborhood urgent care practice."

As the four children sometimes made noises with toy trumpets, Demetric and Heather noted this would be daughter Zahara's first Memorial Day parade in Auburn and they were happy about the turnout. Heather talked about why they wanted to come out.

"To celebrate the community coming back together for the first time since the pandemic," said Heather, who is from Auburn and added there have been a lot more people in attendance and marching in the parade in recent years than she saw when she was a child.

Walking toward the parade was Pettigrass Funeral Home director and owner Jerry Pettigrass, his wife, Alison, their four children and Jerry's mother, Carole. Jerry said the family wanted to "support our country" and Allison noted they never miss Auburn's Memorial Day parades. They both added their children were particularly excited to come this year since the parade hasn't taken place since 2019.

"Beautiful day, beautiful turnout here, too, as we all can see," Jerry said as he motioned to the various clusters of people around them, chatting among themselves as children scurried around. 

The blare of law enforcement vehicle sirens and their accompanying lights signaled the start of the parade as attendees collectively turned their heads and shifted their attentions to the series of cars and  floats ahead. Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck, Auburn Mayor Mike Quill and Auburn City Council Members Terry Cuddy, Jimmy Giannettino, Ginny Kent and Timothy Locastro were all a part of the procession. 

Little League baseball players in the parade rapidly waved their arms enthusiastically at onlookers. Candy was tossed at the crowd, as children scrambled to grab the goods. Businesses such as the Auburn-based Coffee Host and other organizations had vehicles featured.

Women dressed up and were in-character as Disney princesses, interacting with children. Schuyler and Kerri Traudt took children London, 5, and Parker, 2, to visit with the traveling royalty. Rapunzel from the movie "Tangled" gave the siblings hugs and shortly after, a woman dressed as Snow White from the Disney film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" greeted and spoke with London and Parker for a few seconds.

Lisa Wride and daughter Emma, 11, were at the event waiting to see Nolan, 8, Lisa's son and Emma's brother, who was in the parade as a part of the Auburn Icehawks hockey club. Lisa said she was happy the parade was back, adding people get excited about it and it makes people feel like they are "a part of something." Lisa talked about what she believes attracted so many people to downtown for the event.

"I think people are ready to get back to life, get back to normal and get back to community," she said.

In addition to the parade, passersby flooded the nearby Market Street Park area, which featured a food truck rodeo of various establishments such as Tonzi's Catering and different vendors with food and drinks. Following the parade, a wreath-laying ceremony has held at Veterans Memorial Park. Various people gathered around for the remembrance event, with little noise as the Auburn Civic Band played. Local veterans participated in the ceremony. 

After the wreath-laying event, James Best, director of the civic band and Sylvia, his wife, and a clarinet player in the band, said they were pleased so many people came to the ceremony and Auburn's Memorial Day events, especially in light of the pandemic. 

"We're just glad to see Auburn back," Sylvia said.

Sixteen recruits were set to graduate, with seven for the AFD and others who will work in departments in Oswego, Cortland and Manlius. 

Fritz said the Auburn Fire Department had opened fire academies in the past, "so once it became obvious that the only option we had was to conduct our own fire academy," Auburn's own program was devised, with about three weeks to put it together. Assistant Auburn Fire Chiefs William DiFabio and Michael Grady were instructors.

The participants came to the station five days a week for nine weeks, with each day starting at 6 a.m, Fritz added.

"When they walk out of here, with their badges on their uniforms, they will have gone from recruits to firefighters," he said, then addressing the recruits. "Men, I have watched you through this process. I have you seen grow, I've seen you mature, I've seen you come together as a team." 

Fritz said he was proud of the recruits. DiFabio talked about the challenging tasks the recruits dealt with as a part of their training and how well they did.

"I truly believe in front of me are the future leaders of the Auburn, Oswego, Cortland and Manlius fire departments," DiFabio said. "Remember, men, being a leader doesn't necessarily have anything to do with on what's on your job." 

Other speakers included Grady and Oswego graduate Jeff Blanchard, who served as the class speaker. Blanchard talked about the lessons he learned that aren't found in textbooks, including continuing to try if you don't succeed at first, actively hydrating and that "fire service is family."

Officials from each department placed firefighter badges on their new recruits, with Fritz doing the honors for the Auburn personnel.

After the ceremony, Fritz said last fall, the AFD received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency paying the salaries and benefits of five firefighters for three years, but those firefighters would have be hired within six months.

Earlier this year it became clear the Auburn department wouldn't be able to get their recruits in any fire academies because spots weren't open, Fritz said, which made it necessary for Auburn to start its own program. In addition to those five recruits, two more were brought on because of a couple retirements, so the seven recruits were hired before the academy started.

Several AFD members are state certified fire instructors and other departments had recruits, so they were offered seats in Auburn's program, Fritz said. Auburn had previously held fire academies as needed, Fritz said that when "I came on 27 years ago, I was in an AFD academy." He also said if Auburn and other departments had these needs again, they would consider rerunning the academy program. Fritz said the academy was "just the beginning" for every recruit, since every one will go back to their departments and receive additional training for the rest of their careers.  

For example. Auburn's seven recruits will begin emergency medical technician training for four weeks starting Monday, Fritz said. After, they will be assigned to their companies and receive more training. Fritz praised the recruits and everyone else who helped bring the academy to fruition

"I've very proud of (the recruits), I'm very proud of my staff for being able to put this academy together with such short notice, and very pleased with the level of instruction that they were able to deliver," he said. "The fact that all 16 candidates were successful is a testament to the program."

During the ceremony, Auburn recruit Michael Boglione received recognition for getting the best time on the Candidate Physical Ability Test, an assessment for firefighters. Boglione, who is from Auburn, said he was happy about getting the best time, since he was the oldest of the recruits.

Adding his prior job was working on and installing garage doors, Boglione said people he knows in fire service suggested he take the civil service test and explained the career. He congratulated his fellow recruits.

"It's a relief to be done, but exciting to start our new careers," he said.

Along with a more modern façade and lobby, the restaurant has sharper menu kiosk screens, improved landscaping and accessible parking, and a new Play Place children's area. 

The renovations were overseen by the restaurant's new owners, Mc H & N Management of Sparta Township, New Jersey. The group purchased the McDonald's locations on Grant Avenue and Genesee Street in Auburn, along with additional locations in the Ithaca area and Southern Tier, from Cayuga Restaurant Group last August.

Mc H & N's Herb Thomas III told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV that McDonald's tries to update its locations every five to 10 years, putting the 198 Grant Ave. one in line for renovations.

"This was an older restaurant in need of a facelift," he said. 

Thomas and his parents, Nellie and Herbert Thomas II, added the upstate New York locations to several they have owned and operated in the New Jersey area for more than 20 years. Their first McDonald's were located in Youngstown, Ohio. Herb Thomas III joined Mc H & N about five years ago, bringing an education and background in finance to the family business.

The group's philosophy, Nellie Thomas told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV, isn't just serving hamburgers to customers but opportunity to employees of the world's largest fast food chain.

"Many of our people who go into management move up," she said. "People who may not have decided upon a career can develop one with McDonald's. It's a company where if you get trained in a management position, you really have the skills to take you anywhere not only there, but anywhere else. Companies are eager to hire people with McDonald's management experience."

In Auburn, those employees will be celebrated with a family night during the week of the Grant Avenue restaurant's grand reopening, Nellie Thomas said.

The changes at the restaurant won't stop that week, though. Herb Thomas III said mobile table service, where customers order at tables and have their food and drinks delivered to them, will come to that McDonald's in the future. Mc H & N is also discussing additions to the restaurant's menu, which has not changed with the renovations.  

The Grant Avenue location saw its business dip as much as 40% during the renovation, Herbert Thomas III said, as the drive-thru closed for days and the dining room for months.

The restaurant's new owner seeks to make up for that loss, and in the process develop its 60 employees into the community's leaders of tomorrow.

"We came in with an understanding that this was an opportunity to take care of Auburn a little better, so we're trying to capitalize on that," he said. "Anything from making sure we're more hospitable and providing a better, quicker product to getting involved in the community and trying to develop the next generation of leadership."