水果派AV's top 25 most-read stories of 2024
- 水果派AV staff
- Updated
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水果派AV's top 25 most-read stories of 2024.听
- Robert Harding
- Updated
Gov. Kathy Hochul's $233 billion state budget proposal includes legislation to close up to five prisons in the upcoming fiscal year.听
The 2024-25 executive budget plan would allow the state to "act expeditiously to right-size and eliminate excess capacity by allowing for the closure of up to five correctional facilities with 90 days' notice," according to a budget briefing book provided by the Hochul administration.听
The proposal continues, "This legislation will allow for an increase in the operational efficiency of the correctional system."听
No correctional facilities were identified for closure in the budget plan. There are 44 prisons in New York, including two in Cayuga County: Auburn Correctional Facility in the city of Auburn and Cayuga Correctional Facility in Moravia.听
Six prisons closed in early 2022, but the 2022-23 and 2023-24 state budgets did not include additional closures.听
The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, which represents state corrections officers, criticized Hochul's proposal. The union believes closing prisons will increase prison violence and lead to more staff resignations and retirements.听
NYSCOPBA President Chris Summers said his members "need relief." He wants the state to address prison violence and increase staffing, not close prisons.听
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According to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the state has closed 24 correctional facilities and eliminated more than 13,000 prison beds since 2011. DOCCS reports the closures produced annual savings totaling $442 million.听
The main argument for closing state prisons is the declining incarcerated population. DOCCS notes that the prison population has decreased by 54.9%, from 72,649 incarcerated individuals in 1999 to 32,766 as of Jan. 1.听
Before any new closures happen, the legislation must be included in the final state budget. Hochul will negotiate with legislative leaders, who have supported past efforts to shutter state correctional facilities.听
State law requires a year-long procedure to close a prison. But the legislation Hochul is proposing would allow the state to expedite that process and shut down facilities with a three-month notice.听
Hochul and state lawmakers are aiming to finalize the state budget by April 1, the start of the 2024-25 fiscal year.听
- Robert Harding
- Updated
The lot at the New York State Fair near Chevy Court that was occupied by the popular Dinosaur Bar-B-Que/Gianelli stand has been vacant for three years.听
For the 2024 fair, another popular central New York restaurant will take over the prime spot.听
Toss & Fire, which operates three pizzerias and has food trucks in the Syracuse area, has been awarded the contract to operate at what has traditionally been one of the fair's busiest intersections.听
Nick Sanford, owner of Toss & Fire, told 水果派AV they responded to the fair's call for applications in February. Toss & Fire already has a presence at the fair and sought a second location. Meanwhile, the fair was looking to fill a void after Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Gianelli decided to end their 21-year partnership in 2021.听
"If I'm being honest, I did not expect to get it but the potential of it was too great to not apply, so we did," Sanford said. "I received a call from the state fair director in March telling me that we were being awarded the contract."听
Julie LaFave, whom Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed as state fair director after nearly five months as interim director, appeared on NewsChannel 9's "" and told Donovan they sought an interested vendor to take over the space "because we decided this is the year it's no longer vacant."听
"We had criteria and Toss & Fire was given that spot and we're really excited for them," LaFave said. "They know what their footprint is and it's up to them to design it."听
Sanford's planning began the day he learned Toss & Fire won the spot. Over the last few months, he said they have been working on designs and logistics for the location.听
Toss & Fire's plan will include the use of its food trucks and an extra oven. The pizzeria will continue to offer exclusive fair pizzas. Those announcements will be made over the next few weeks, Sanford said.听
Other items will be on Toss & Fire's menu, including chicken wings, craft beer and wine slushies from Ashley Lynn Winery. The stand will also offer its house beer, Peace Love & Pizza Ale, brewed by Buried Acorn in Syracuse.听
Sanford told 水果派AV that Toss & Fire is aware they have "huge shoes to fill by taking over such an iconic location." The joint Dinosaur/Gianelli stand was a popular option for fairgoers, especially those who attended Chevy Court concerts.听
Toss & Fire was founded in 2015 and opened its first physical location in North Syracuse in 2016. The pizzeria at Township 5 in Camillus opened in 2020.
Earlier this year, Toss & Fire opened its third location inside Harvey's Garden in Syracuse.听
As Toss & Fire continues to grow, operating at a prime spot on the fairgrounds could boost its popularity in the region and beyond.听
"It's a huge milestone for my company to have this opportunity and we are honored, excited and really looking forward to offering a new experience for fairgoers," Sanford said.听
The fair begins Aug. 21 and runs through Sept. 2.听
- Robert Harding
- Updated
A former correction officer at a state prison in central New York has been sentenced after admitting to submitting false medical notes to obtain sick leave.听
Stephanie Saber, 29, will serve five years probation after pleading guilty in November to first-degree offering a false instrument for filing. She was sentenced by Seneca County Judge Barry Porsch.听
The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, which oversees New York's prisons, referred the matter to the state inspector general's office. The inspector general's investigation found Saber, who was employed at Five Points Correctional Facility in Seneca County, submitted 13 false medical notes between December 2021 and July 2022.听
Saber told investigators she filed the notes, which claimed to be from medical practitioners, as excuses for work absences.听
"The conduct of this correction officer abusing sick leave benefits is particularly egregious because she was in a prime position to know the impact that shortages in correctional facility staffing pose to the safety of staff and incarcerated individuals alike," Inspector General Lucy Lang said. "By forging these notes to justify unwarranted sick days, she betrayed not only her oath to New York state but her colleagues."听
Saber no longer works for DOCCS. The department fired her during the investigation and cooperated with the inspector general's inquiry.听
Daniel Martuscello, acting DOCCS commissioner, said the sentencing shows the department "will not tolerate fraudulent misconduct from staff."听
"As we face critical staffing shortages, this type of behavior further exacerbates the difficulties of this job and does a disservice to the hardworking staff who show up day in and day out to help keep our communities safe," Martuscello added.听
Lang thanked the state police for assisting with Saber's arrest and Seneca County District Attorney John Nabinger for prosecuting the case.听
- David Wilcox
- Updated
A suspect in a 2019 murder in Auburn has been in a relationship with a woman who taught at Southern Cayuga High School while he was a student there, a Friday hearing in his case revealed.
Gage Ashley, 26, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the November 2019 shooting death of Joshua Poole, has been in a relationship with former Southern Cayuga teaching assistant Mary Ferro, 61, she said during the hearing in Cayuga County Court. Ferro took the stand because the hearing concerned the legality of a police search of her home in Aurelius during the murder investigation.
Ferro told Cayuga County Chief Assistant District Attorney Chris Valdina that her romantic relationship with Ashley began "sometime after 2017." She had known him since 2014, and gave him rides. Asked by Valdina whether she had actually known Ashley since 2012, Ferro said she had not. It was not asked whether Ferro directly taught Ashley at Southern Cayuga during her testimony.
In February 2015, Ferro continued, Ashley began living with her at her previous home, also in Aurelius. She and her husband separated that year as well. Ashley moved out that fall, and transferred to Auburn High School. The romantic relationship began after he graduated, Ferro said, when he sought her help studying for a test to enlist in the Army. In 2018, her husband filed for divorce.听
Ashley would go on to have a relationship with another woman, and have a baby with her in August 2018. When they broke up, however, he moved back in with Ferro, she said. By that point she had begun living at the Aurelius home that police would search in November 2019. Prior to the search, she said, he was sleeping there three or four nights a week, and they were having a sexual relationship.
Police then听arrested听Ashley, along with Tyree Anglin, Christian Rivera and Lucciano Spagnola, on murder charges. Ashley was convicted of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree attempted robbery and second-degree criminal weapons possession, and sentenced to 21 years to life in December 2021. But his conviction was overturned听after a state appeals court the grand jury that indicted him was illegally constituted because a member had a criminal conviction. Ashley was arraigned again on the same charges in June, and his second trial is set to begin in March.听
Asked by Valdina whether she's still in a relationship with Ashley, Ferro said, "Insomuch as you can call having a relationship with someone who is incarcerated a relationship." She smiled at Ashley, who was seated next to his attorney, several times during her testimony. When asked to identify him, she raised her eyebrows while noting that he was wearing orange, as if she was poking fun at him.听
"I care for him deeply and I am trying to be a support system for him," she said.
Ferro then said she has been banned from visiting Ashley at the Cayuga County Jail. An officer told her she was recorded on video passing Ashley contraband, she continued, and shortly thereafter he was removed from his cell because officers smelled smoke in his block. She also confirmed that she sent $295 to the commissary account of Spagnola, a friend of Ashley's, between July 2022 and May 2023.
Toward the end of her testimony, Ferro said she was asked to resign from Southern Cayuga in December. The school district told her it had been contacted by reporters about her relationship with Ashley following a Dec. 14 story in 水果派AV about Friday's hearing. Due to the murder suspect's "notoriety," she continued, she was told that "it'd be best for everyone if I just took a full retirement."
According to records obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request by 水果派AV, Ferro began at Southern Cayuga as a math aide in September 1982 and retired as a teaching assistant in June 2021. She returned to the district as an English language learner tutor that October, and became an after-school supervisor in June 2023. Her resignation was approved by the school board Jan. 8.
Additional FOIL requests by 水果派AV concerning Ferro and Ashley's relationship have been denied by the school district. Asked by 水果派AV on Friday whether the district has investigated the relationship, or otherwise has any comment on Ferro's testimony about it,听Superintendent Patrick Jensen said he is unable to comment on personnel matters.
- Robert Harding
- Updated
The head of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision says a "staffing crisis" is the main reason why Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed the closure of up to five New York prisons in the 2024-25 state budget.听
Acting DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello testified at a budget hearing Thursday that the department has 3,800 vacant positions, including 1,900 corrections officers.
The inability to fill those positions isn't the only factor 鈥 Martuscello noted the incarcerated population has decreased by nearly 55% over a 25-year period 鈥 but he described the staffing woes as "the main impetus" for potentially closing more prisons.听
"We are in a good position with excess capacity," Martuscello said. "We have 6,000 staffed vacant beds and an additional 6,000 beds which we've consolidated to try to alleviate staffing concerns. We can't consolidate any more, so closures is a way forward so we can make sure we use our staff more efficiently as well as provide the services to the population."听
Hochul is asking the state Legislature for the authority to expedite the closure of up to five prisons in the 2024-25 budget. If the language is included in the final spending plan, the governor could close the correctional facilities with 90 days' notice.听
DOCCS has not identified which of the 44 state prisons could be closed. Martuscello did not provide any information during the budget hearing about the correctional facilities eyed for closures.听
The state has closed 24 correctional facilities and eliminated more than 13,000 prison beds since 2011, according to DOCCS.听
Chris Summers, president of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, spoke out against the proposed closures during his testimony. He said closing prisons "is not the answer to address staffing shortages." The union expects more employees will resign or retire if the state shuts down correctional facilities.听
"Our current staffing levels are horrible. Attrition rates are at all-time highs, while recruitment is at an all-time low," Summers said. "Members face unprecedented levels of mandatory overtime to fill staffing vacancies. They see the inside of the prisons more than they see their families."听
Prison violence is also contributing to the problem, according to Summers. In 2023, DOCCS reported 1,671 assaults on staff and 2,107 assaults on incarcerated individuals, both records.听
Despite opposition from the correction officers union, the state received support for the prison closure proposal from an independent watchdog.听
The Correctional Association of New York endorsed the budget proposal in its testimony.听The听听highlights five prisons with the most empty beds, including Great Meadow (943), Auburn (736), Franklin (620), Clinton (614) and Bare Hill (594).听
The organization, which is authorized to provide oversight of state prisons, has observed staffing shortages during monitoring visits to several correctional facilities. One example provided was Sullivan Correctional Facility, where more than half of the medical services positions were vacant.听
"In addition to considering utilization, CANY urges the executive and legislature to prioritize proximity to major population centers when evaluating which prisons to close and to simultaneously invest in strategies for attracting and retaining qualified staff in the remaining facilities," the association said.听
Hochul and state lawmakers are working toward the goal of passing the state budget by April 1 鈥 the start of the 2024-25 fiscal year.听
- David Wilcox
- Updated
The parent of a former Skaneateles student has sued the school district, claiming staff used a different name and pronouns for the student without the parent's consent as part of a "social transition."
Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group, filed the suit on behalf of plaintiff Jennifer Vitsaxaki, of Skaneateles, in U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York, on Wednesday. It accuses district staff of using a boy's name and the pronouns "they" and "them" to refer to the student, then 12, who is described in the suit as Vitsaxaki's daughter.
The suit goes on to accuse the Skaneateles Middle School guidance counselor, Christopher Viggiano, and psychologist, Vicky Powers, of instructing staff to use those terms in secret from听Vitsaxaki. Staff continued to use the student's given name and female pronouns when communicating with the parent, the suit says, which happened regularly because the student was struggling with anxiety and depression. Meanwhile, the district was allegedly directing the student toward resources for making a medical transition, like local clinics, as well as sources of LGBTQIA support.
Vitsaxaki learned that school district staff were using a male name for her child about three months after they had begun doing so, the suit continues. In May 2021, the parent was told by Skaneateles Middle School Principal Michael Caraccio about the student's "gender support plan," which said that family was not considered supportive of the transition and the student was not ready to tell them.
The student then switched to online schooling, and was enrolled in private school in Syracuse the next year. The student's "demeanor and physical health" noticeably improved, the suit says. The cost of the school's tuition, and travel there, are among the damages听Vitsaxaki seeks from Skaneateles as a result of violating her Greek orthodox religious beliefs and parental rights, the suit continues.
The suit says Skaneateles staff told听Vitsaxaki听they were following district policy. The obligation of educators to inform parents that a student prefers a different name, or is otherwise experiencing gender dysphoria, is at issue in听. Many were brought by Alliance Defending Freedom, which is as an anti-LGBTQIA hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The school district's superintendent, Eric Knuth, told 水果派AV on Monday that "we are not at liberty to discuss individual students or legal matters with the press."听
However, Knuth noted that as a public school district, Skaneateles adheres to the New York State Education Department's guidance on "Creating a Safe, Supportive, and Affirming School Environment for Transgender and Gender Expansive Students," issued in 2015 and updated in 2023,听as well as the New York State Human Rights Law of 2021. The department's guidance states, "only the student knows whether it is safe to share their identity with caregivers, and schools should be mindful that some TGE students do not want or cannot have their parents/guardians know about their transgender status."
"We respect diversity in all of our students and our primary concern is to ensure that every child feels safe and supported at school," he said.
- Robert Harding
- Updated
Lawmakers and a union representing New York corrections officers are criticizing Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposal to close more prisons in the next fiscal year.听
Hochul, a Democrat, included the plan in her $233 billion state budget proposal. She wants the authority to expedite the closure of up to five prisons with 90 days' notice.听
The budget does not detail which correctional facilities could be closed if the language is part of the final spending plan. A briefing book released by the Hochul administration explains the proposal would allow the state to "act expeditiously to right-size and eliminate excess capacity."
The state, which has 44 correctional facilities, has closed 24 prisons since 2011 due to a declining incarcerated population. After topping 72,000 in 1999, the prison population is down to 32,766, according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.听
Hochul did not pursue prison closures in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 budgets. But her plan to shutter more correctional facilities ranked the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, a union that represents corrections officers in state prisons.听
NYSCOPBA's leadership worries that more closures will increase prison violence at a time when it's at record levels 鈥 DOCCS reported there were 1,671 assaults on staff and 2,107 assaults on incarcerated individuals in 2023 鈥 and force staff to either relocate or leave their jobs.听
"As the violence increases and staffing levels plummet, mandatory overtime for correction officers and sergeants has spiked to record highs," NYSCOPBA President Chris Summers said. "This overtime is well documented and it is unsustainable. Continuous mandates are straining members' physical and mental health, their families and their quality of life. Members are burning out at alarming rates."听
Summers continued, "How can the state of New York demand that our members continue working in these conditions and have the mental and physical ability to keep incarcerated individuals and staff safe? Members need relief."听
NYSCOPBA urged Hochul to keep prisons open and to add more staff.听
The union's message is supported by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Assemblyman Billy Jones, a Democrat and former corrections officer, and Republican state Sen. Jim Tedisco.听
In a statement, Jones said he is "highly disappointed" that Hochul wants to close more prisons. He prefers a different approach 鈥 one that focuses on making the job safer for correctional staff.听
Tedisco opposes the "willy-nilly closing of correctional facilities" because, he said, it will lead to overcrowding in the remaining prisons.听
State Sen. James Skoufis, a Hudson Valley Democrat, also opposes Hochul's plan to close more prisons. State correctional facilities are woefully understaffed, he said. He supports increasing pay and hiring more corrections officers.听
"At a time when our correctional officers feel undervalued and demoralized, it is high time to focus on increasing safety in our state facilities and paying a living wage," Skoufis said.听
The prison closure proposal will be one of many policy ideas debated during budget negotiations. Hochul will work with legislative leaders to negotiate the budget, with the goal of finalizing the spending plan by April 1 鈥 the start of the next fiscal year.听
- Robert Harding
- Updated
The New York State Fair is cutting part of its concert lineup in 2024 due to low turnout at past shows, and to save money.听
State Fair Director Sean Hennessey told 水果派AV Friday that Suburban Park, one of the fair's top concert venues, will host performances at 8 p.m. daily. However, there won't be afternoon shows at the park.听
Chevy Court will continue to host afternoon and evening performances at 1 and 6 p.m. during the fair.听
At past fairs, two concerts have been held most days at Suburban Park. In 2023, there were afternoon shows scheduled for nine of the fair's 13-day run.听
What Hennessey and fair officials observed, though, is the afternoon concerts were not well-attended. They scaled back some of the weekday afternoon shows during the 2023 fair.
"There really wasn't any blowback. It did save us a few bucks," Hennessey said. "We were able to divert some of those dollars into some bigger shows."听
One of those major acts was Lainey Wilson, a country music star who drew a record 53,200 people for her evening Suburban Park concert on the fair's opening day in 2023.听
The fair booked top-shelf entertainers for those afternoon slots at Suburban Park, Hennessey said, but even on weekends attendance lagged.听
"From a fiscal standpoint, it doesn't make a lot of sense to spend money when you really only have a couple hundred people going to see the show," he continued. "We decided to cut those (in 2024) and devote those dollars to bigger shows, bigger stages and we hope again, from that smart spending standpoint, the patron will have a better experience."听
It was also a challenge to book two concerts daily at the fair's main stages. After the Grandstand was demolished in 2016, Chevy Court became the lead concert venue at the fair. That has changed with the emergence of Suburban Park on the west end of the fairgrounds. Chevy Court continues to host concerts, but Suburban Park tends to get the bigger shows.听
Hennessey reiterated that they want to bring in big names who will draw crowds, but "in a way that's fiscally responsible." To book some acts, he noted, the costs have increased by 20% to 40%.听
Looking ahead to the 2024 fair, Hennessey is excited about the entertainment lineup. While the full schedule will be unveiled in the months leading up to the fair, there were two shows announced this week: TLC, known for hits "No Scrubs" and "Waterfalls," will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, at Suburban Park; and KIDZ BOP will perform at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, at Chevy Court.听
- 水果派AV staff
- Updated
A shelter-in-place order was issued Friday evening during a standoff at a house on South Seward Avenue that lasted almost six hours.
The Auburn Police Department told 水果派AV the person, who had barricaded themselves in the house, came out and surrendered at about midnight.
No police or civilians were injured during the standoff, police added.
Saturday morning, police Chief James Slayton told 水果派AV no charges have been filed against the person.
"We were able to get him from the residence and get him the help that he needs," Slayton said.
The standoff began at about 6:30 p.m., when a shelter-in-place order was issued for the area of South Seward Avenue and Frances and Augustus streets in the city.
Slayton said the order was issued because of "the unknown of what people may or may not do. We want to ensure everyone鈥檚 safety so the best way to do that is to limit people in the area."
After several hours of trying to negotiate with the person, police could be observed breaking windows in the house and shooting what Slayton called "a chemical agent" inside.听
More than a dozen officers were at the scene, as well as the Auburn Fire Department, Auburn City Ambulance and NYSEG. Auburn police also used a drone during the standoff.
- Christopher Malone
- Updated
A familiar restaurant on Owasco Lake is heading for uncharted waters in hopes of avoiding the fate met by many of its predecessors.
The Lakeside Grill at 2846 Fire Lane 1 in the town of Venice, most recently听Charlie's Lakeside, is moving away from sit-down dining and toward special and ticketed events.
Owner Jackie Scanlon, who also owns听Smiley's Town & Country听in Owasco, made the decision after seeing a couple more restaurants come and go since buying the space at an auction in 2013.
Charlie's was operated by Charlene "Charlie" Janke and her husband, Jim Yesalusky, from December 2022 to . Before that, Drifters on Owasco was in business there from 2018 to 2022.
"It鈥檚 been a restaurant for more than 50 years," Scanlon told 水果派AV. "It鈥檚 never made money."
Still, customers are nostalgic about the lakeside spot, Scanlon said. Some remember it from the '80s as Baylor's, which burned down and was rebuilt into the restaurant it is today.听
To cater to that nostalgia while staying afloat, the Lakeside Grill will keep things simple. Instead of running the risks of labor and food waste that come with a la carte restaurants, it will focus on events. Whether it's special ones like weddings and family reunions, or ticketed ones like buffet-style lunches and dinners, the staff will be able to prepare only as much food as the number of attendees need.
As the restaurant gets its feet wet, Scanlon said, she hopes to offer more to the public. That includes a small menu with traditional fare like burgers and fries. Customers will be able to order it to go, or enjoy it on the deck or dock with games like cornhole if they pull in by boat. She also hopes to introduce more themes, like the Mexican food buffet that Lakeside Grill hosted last weekend.听
"People can come, pay one price and enjoy themselves," she said.
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- David Wilcox
- Updated
Staff members at Stay and Play Doggie Daycare in Elbridge have been accused of striking and otherwise mistreating dogs by dozens of owners in a Facebook post that has gone viral over the last week.
The author of the , Alisha Kellogg, of Auburn, told 水果派AV she worked at the facility earlier this month but quit after three days. During that time she witnessed owner Terry Powers and one other staff member strike dogs, Kellogg said. In a May 9 text message shown to 水果派AV, she shared with Powers her concerns about the other staff member "swatting" dogs.
"If I thought (they were) detrimental in any way it would certainly be addressed," Powers texted back.
Stay and Play did not respond to 水果派AV's requests for comment. An email and a voicemail were not returned, and the business's Facebook page has been deleted.听
The 1273 Route 5 facility, which opened in 2014听and offers weekday care for up to 20 dogs, appeared to be closed on Thursday.
Kellogg's May 22 Facebook post has been shared more than 400 times, received more than 350 comments and inspired similarly viral posts on , and other platforms. In comments and private messages also shared with 水果派AV, she said more than two dozen owners have told her their dogs experienced health or behavioral issues after going to the day care.
One health issue she learned about from another staff member during her short time there. They told her they "accidentally" poisoned a dog by allowing her to drink from a hose that had a cleaning solution attached to it, Kellogg said. The dog, which suffered burns to her esophagus and required treatment at Cornell, was described by the staff member as "stupid."
After working at Stay and Play, Kellogg also came to believe that her own dog's health problems were caused there. She began taking her there in March 2023, and that June she developed severe gastroenteritis. She has continued to throw up blood ever since, Kellogg said, something fellow owners have told her their dogs started doing as well after staying there.
In response to her post, some owners have shared pictures of cuts and paw sores they say their dogs suffered at the facility. Others have reported increased aggression and anxiety after their dogs went there. Kellogg believes that could be due to Powers and some staff members striking the dogs, which she said was often with open hands and directed at their faces and heads.
Karina Ferrera, of Auburn, told 水果派AV she took her dog to the day care for half a day to see if he would like it. She returned only to see a staff member strike a dog in the face.
"Not one person was playing or interacting with the dogs," Ferrera said. "I cried all the way home."
A听听that has also gone viral, with more than 90,000 views, appears to show Powers physically forcing crying dogs to sit while using foul language.听
Kellogg shared the video with the Central New York SPCA in Syracuse, but investigator William Pulaski told 水果派AV that it's more than two years old and therefore past the statue of limitations for misdemeanor animal cruelty. He added that he doesn't believe the video depicts anything that would constitute animal cruelty, such as striking or mutilation.
Asked by 水果派AV whether the SPCA has received any more current reports of mistreatment at Stay and Play, Pulaski said it has not. The shelter can be contacted at (315) 454-3469.
When calling the shelter, 水果派AV was told by another employee that their neighbor took a dog to the facility for a day, but would never take them back again.
Doggy day cares in New York do not require licenses and therefore are not subject to state oversight.
- David Wilcox
- Updated
The Finger Lakes Drive-In opened for the season on Friday despite a judge ruling against its owner that day in the latest development in a property dispute with the Cayuga Nation.听
The continued to screen听"If" and "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,"听its first movies of 2024, on Saturday and Sunday.听
Customers now have to use a听newly opened entrance to the 1064 Clark St. Road drive-in, about 50 feet away from the previous one, due to an ongoing blockade by the nation.听
The nation's leadership council, which purchased the property west of the drive-in in January 2023, has placed concrete blocks in its driveway. That, along with several of the theater's parking spots and a third of its screen, are located on the neighboring property. The nation has argued that a lease drive-in owner Paul Meyer used to access the property for a decade prior is "invalid and unenforceable."听
Along with the concrete blocks, Cayuga Nation Police Department cars have been parked in the driveway of the drive-in since Thursday.
The blockade is the subject of a proceeding in Cayuga County Supreme Court. The nation brought the dispute there, seeking to resolve it in order to听place the property into federal trust.
The drive-in responded by asking for an injunction against the blockade. In a June 18 filing, Meyer's attorney said his client's lease with the property's previous owner is clear in its terms of $1,500 every 20 years, with the first term expiring in June 2034, making the lease "valid and binding." The attorney also said Meyer has suffered irreparable harm from the blockade:
"Included in (Meyer's) non-monetary losses are the fact it will (lose) market share, goodwill, and is being prevented from exercising its right to full unfettered access to the property it leases."
On Friday, Judge Thomas Leone issued a temporary restraining order against Meyer and the drive-in. The order was issued after an emergency action by the nation prompted by the appearance of heavy machinery at the drive-in before dawn Friday, the nation said in a news release. The nation believes the machinery was going to be used to remove the concrete blocks.
"The nation will continue to pursue its rights through this litigation to protect its land from trespass and exploitation by those who would attempt to disregard its lawful rights," the nation said.听
Meyer told 水果派AV that he asked for the injunction for "ongoing ingress (safely) to the property," and added that "half (the drive-in's) season is over now."
The blockade is far from the first conflict between Meyer and the nation.
In 2016, the drive-in owner gave a nation citizen a piece of its property to operate what the leadership council called "a rogue smoke shop" that was closed after legal action by the town of Aurelius. Meyer is also a codefendant in a separate, federal RICO lawsuit by the nation's leadership council against the operators of Montezuma smoke shop Pipekeepers, who bought that property from him.听
- David Wilcox
- Updated
The Cayuga Nation has acquired land next to the Finger Lakes Drive-In in the town of Aurelius 鈥 and effectively closed the outdoor movie theater, saying it encroaches upon that land.
But the owner of the drive-in, who is a defendant in a separate federal lawsuit filed by the nation, claims there are ulterior motives behind the closure.听
In a news release Thursday, the nation's leadership council said it has acquired 40.18 acres of land at 1044 Clark St. Road, west of the drive-in. According to Cayuga County property , the nation purchased the residential property for $720,000 from previous owner Joseph Elice in January 2023. Its total assessed value at the time was $56,000.
An investigation by the nation then concluded that the drive-in's main entrance and several parking spots, as well as about a third of its movie screen, are located on the property, it said Thursday.
Because the nation has submitted an application to the U.S. Department of the Interior to place its new land into federal trust, it filed a complaint in Cayuga County Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking to confirm the property line between that land and the drive-in. The nation said it has communicated with the drive-in about the encroachment, but the issue has not been resolved.听
"Defendants continue to operate their Finger Lakes Drive-In on part of the nation's property, without authorization, and under the claim of an entirely invalid lease and a dispute over the boundary line," the complaint says. "When the nation has raised this illegal conduct to defendants and demanded they vacate the property, defendants have refused."听
In its news release, the nation added that it "acknowledges that many from the neighboring community patronize the Finger Lakes Drive-In and (is) hopeful about a resolution." According to its complaint, the nation seeks a declaration of its ownership of the land, a judgment holding the drive-in liable for trespassing with monetary damages, and an order ejecting the drive-in from the land.
Last fall, the nation听placed听its first Cayuga County properties into federal trust following the听approval听of its 20-year-old application to do so by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in March.听
鈥淭his 40-acre parcel is squarely within the land the federal government reserved to the nation in the Treaty of Canandaigua," said Clint Halftown, the nation's federally recognized representative. "The nation is committed to strategic purchases to reacquire the land within its reservation and will continue placing lands in trust with the Bureau of Indian Affairs when appropriate.鈥
However, neither the news release nor the complaint mention that the owner of the drive-in, Paul Meyer, is also a defendant in a federal lawsuit the nation听filed in spring 2022 against smoke shop Pipekeepers at 7153 Route 90 in the town of Montezuma. Meyer sold that property to operator Dusty Parker after the nation forcibly evicted him from the previous Seneca Falls location of Pipekeepers.
A judge dismissed two of the $15 million lawsuit's three counts in September 2022, and the remaining count is currently in discovery.
Also, in 2016, Meyer gave Parker a parcel behind the drive-in to operate what the nation's leadership council called a "rogue smoke shop." It closed days later amid legal action by the town of Aurelius.
Meyer did not respond to a request for comment by 水果派AV. But the drive-in a GoFundMe on Thursday, seeking to raise $125,000 for a legal fund in order to save the outdoor movie theater from closure by the nation. The nation has placed concrete barricades in the main entrance of the drive-in, whose season traditionally begins in late spring.
Noting that the drive-in signed a 20-year lease for the parcel in 2014, the fundraiser page accuses Halftown of "knowingly" purchasing the parcel for an "inflated" amount. The page also calls for a boycott of Cayuga Nation businesses in Union Springs and Seneca Falls. As of Friday morning the fundraiser has collected $250, including $100 from Meyer.
- David Wilcox
- Updated
SKANEATELES 鈥 As its name suggests, Hidden Fish is a place of discovery.
The new village sushi restaurant, a years-long project of scrap metal billionaire influencer Adam Weitsman and partners, is a basement space wedged between Fennell Street and Skaneateles Creek.
No words, nor windows, await those who approach the restaurant's black door. It bears only a full-size illustration of a fish and its flamelike wake, both the color of raw tuna.听
The Hidden Fish logo is similarly elusive, arranging what appears to be a maze from the letters of the restaurant's name.
Even the drink menu has a splash of mystery. Customers can begin their order by placing a Fortune Teller Miracle Fish, a thin piece of red cellophane, in their palm. The way the fish moves 鈥 its head, its tail, its whole body or not at all 鈥 reveals a quality about the holder, or so the children's party trick goes. Hidden Fish adds a step, assigning a drink to each quality that the holder can then enjoy.
The red fish idea was Weitsman's, said Jeff Knauss, one of three other partners in the restaurant along with Vinny and Noah Lobdell. Like all their ideas for Hidden Fish, the sense of discovery is by design.
Weitsman and Knauss began discussing a sushi restaurant as a "dream project" three years ago, Knauss told 水果派AV in December. Both travel frequently, and have dined at some of the country's best. When they saw the space at 7 Fennell St., a former doctor's office, they saw potential to give Skaneateles its own sushi destination in a setting that's "exclusive and really cool," Knauss said.
But what's most important for customers to discover at Hidden Fish when it opens in mid-January, Knauss continued, is the cuisine. It comes from Executive Chef Joseph Tran, whom the partners recruited through a national agency. They flew six finalists into Skaneateles for tasting interviews, and Tran 鈥 who's worked at restaurants in听Minnesota, California and New Jersey 鈥 was "hands-down" the best.
"From the flavors to the presentation, it was phenomenal," Knauss said. "He blew us all away."
Tran described the restaurant's style of sushi to 水果派AV as "modern elevated ... familiar or old-school, but kind of new at the same time." Along with traditional rolls and sashimi, the menu will include more unique items like baked mussels and spicy tuna tostada. Tran compared the latter to nachos, mixing Japanese and Mexican cuisine. Drinks will include hot and cold sake, and signature cocktails.
The restaurant's fish will be flown in daily from around the world, Tran said. That focus on freshness means the menu will change seasonally, monthly and even weekly.听
"Want to make sure it's genuinely an exceptional experience every time someone comes through our doors," Knauss said. "An elevated sushi experience that doesn't really exist in upstate New York."
For that reason, Knauss and his partners expect Hidden Fish customers to come from not just central New York, but a much wider region. All four partners are residents of Skaneateles, so Knauss said they hope to bring "culinary diversity" to the community the way Weitsman and his wife, Kim, have with stylish Mexican restaurant Elephant and the Dove and historic fine dining spot The Krebs.听
Knauss and Weitsman are also partners in Clover's, the diner they opened in the former Johnny Angel's Heavenly Burger's in June 2022 in response to the closure of the beloved Hilltop Restaurant.
"It's important for us to have as many great food options as possible," Knauss said. "We want to grow the region, we want to attract great people to the region, and a big part of that is the food scene."
As they do at their other restaurants, Knauss said, he and Weitsman will donate all of their profits from Hidden Fish to local charities.
The restaurant's dining room and bar seat about 50, but two patio areas the partners hope to develop for warmer seasons will increase capacity by about 35. Standing in the finished interior in December 鈥 its clean wooden surfaces interrupted only by commissioned panels of moss and more illustrations with Japanese influence 鈥 Knauss said he was excited for the community to experience Hidden Fish.
"After a lot of hard work and some really great visioning it's come to life," Knauss said. "We're really proud of it."
- Robert Harding
- Updated
The former treasurer of an upstate New York fire company must pay restitution and will serve probation for stealing $50,000.听
Cindi Perkins, 58, was sentenced Wednesday to five years probation and ordered to pay $50,000. She was arrested in July and pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny in November.听
The charge followed an investigation by the state comptroller's office and New York State Police. During Perkins' final three years as treasurer of the Morley Volunteer Fire Company in St. Lawrence County, she withdrew fire department funds at del Lago Resort & Casino and Turning Stone Resort Casino.听
The investigation also found Perkins wrote checks from the fire company's bank account to herself and kept other funds she should have deposited.听
According to the state comptroller's office, investigators matched deposits made by Perkins into her personal bank account with amounts paid to the fire company. She used the funds to cover personal expenses, including groceries.听
"Ms. Perkins diverted money meant to protect her community to line her own pockets," state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said. "Thanks to my partnership with District Attorney Greg Pasqua and the state police, she has now been held accountable and restitution ordered."听
- 水果派AV staff
- Updated
New York state officials are encouraging people who plan to travel to view the upcoming total solar eclipse to avoid ecologically sensitive and potentially hazardous remote locations.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation this week issued tips to help the public prepare to recreate safely and responsibly during the highly anticipated April 8 eclipse.
While DEC law enforcement and operations staff will be prepared for visitors, the agency said, eclipse watchers are encouraged to find Adirondack destinations outside the backcountry. The DEC recommends eclipse enthusiasts take advantage of the numerous eclipse-viewing gatherings scheduled across the state instead of visiting state lands, particularly the Adirondack High Peaks because of the prevailing muddy conditions, especially in the backcountry and elevations above 2,500 feet. There also remains a significant chance of icy trails in some areas at this time of year that will be even more treacherous in darkness.
People who would like to register for the dozens of events and activities hosted at New York state parks and historic sites may do so through the State Parks event calendar and the . Other areas outside the path of totality, including New York City and Long Island, will experience 88% totality or more during the event and also have eclipse-themed events scheduled.
All state land regulations remain in effect in the days leading up to, during and after the eclipse. Anyone visiting state forests or forest preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill Park must observe all designated rules and regulations to protect fellow visitors as well as the forest environment, including restrictions on group sizes.
Because large groups are more likely to have an impact on trails and other natural resources, groups of more than 20 people and those that wish to visit state land for weddings, filmmaking, research and other uses must get a permit from a DEC land manager. Both the High Peaks Wilderness Area and the Catskills Wilderness Area have lower group size limits.
The DEC also issued safety tips and general rules for viewing the eclipse:
鈥 Protect your eyes: Do not look directly at the sun during the eclipse. Viewing any part of the sun through a camera lens, binoculars or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury. Some of the best ways to view a solar eclipse include through a pinhole projector where you look at a projected image through a pinhole in cardboard paper, or by using certified eclipse glasses from a trusted source.
鈥 Road safety: Traffic volume is expected to be very high on the day of the eclipse. Plan on staying in one place for the day and allow for plenty of extra travel time. Do not stop to view the eclipse along the roadway, especially interstates, parkways and freeways. Choose a safe viewing destination off the road and arrive early.
鈥 Fire safety: The state burn ban begins March 16 and runs through May 14. This season, extra vigilance is important because the past winter season was warmer and drier than normal, leaving dormant vegetation from last year exposed and susceptible to fire.
- David Wilcox
- Updated
After months of delay, the redevelopment of a former restaurant and bowling alley in the town of Skaneateles has resumed.听
Woodbine Hospitality Group, of Syracuse, is redeveloping the former Hilltop Restaurant and Cedar House Lanes on West Genesee Street. The resulting mixed-use development will include a new restaurant and bowling alley, as well as hotel rooms, a family game area, beer and coffee options, and more. Woodbine purchased the property from longtime owner Sean Mott for $1.59 million in December 2021.
After demolishing the former restaurant, redevelopment was delayed for "longer than we hoped," Woodbine Chief Operating Officer Tom Fernandez told 水果派AV recently. But as of this week the work has resumed, with construction vehicles, dumpsters and new plastic sheeting visible outside the former bowling alley. Fernandez attributed the delays to the emergence of "additional engineering needs."
"It took a lot to make sure we could retain that building and reutilize it," he said. "It's a spectacular building."
Fernandez said Woodbine's redevelopment plan remains mostly the same as it was when he revealed it to 水果派AV in late 2021. The alley will be split in half, with one continuing to have bowling lanes and the other having games like foosball, ping pong and shuffleboard. The restaurant will have seating for about 100 and a bar, with its menu featuring "funky takes on a diner menu" in a nod to the Hilltop. And a second floor will be added to the building with 20 to 25 efficiency hotel rooms for extended or one-night stays. The facade of the new floor will mimic those of the village of Skaneateles.
Woodbine hopes to begin principal construction soon, Fernandez said.
- David Wilcox
- Updated
SENNETT 鈥 The sun is once again rising on the storied Route 20 restaurant located just seconds outside the Auburn city limits.
What was previously Route 20 Grill & Tap, and perhaps most famously the Pioneer Restaurant, is now At Long Last. The freshly remodeled space offers breakfast and brunch fare described to 水果派AV by owner Robin Long as "a little step up from what normal diner fare might be." Signature meals include听shrimp-and-grits eggs Benedict, and chicken and waffles with sriracha maple and bacon jam.
For Long, the name of the business is more than a pun. Its Feb. 15 opening was the culmination of a career that began about 30 years ago at the Old Erie Restaurant in Weedsport.
She went on to a few chain restaurants and then the Sherwood Inn, where she was general manager for six years. During COVID-19 she suddenly had to work as the historic Skaneateles establishment's line cook, takeout coordinator and outdoor seating manager, adding even more experiences to a career that began with washing dishes and hosting. She credited the Old Erie's Dave and Eileen Gibson and the Sherwood's Bill Eberhardt for teaching her the work and giving her the confidence to do it well. But she's wanted to be her own boss since falling in love with the industry on her first day in it.听
"I think it's everybody's dream in this industry to have their own place. I think once that's in your blood, it doesn't ever leave," she said. "I love customer service, the guests, the hustle and the bustle."听
A few years ago, after Route 20 Grill & Tap closed due to a fire, Long found her opportunity. The restaurant was purchased by Auburn developer Matteo Bartolotta, who reached out to her husband, Jason Long, about leasing it. She was unsure at first. The space was a wreck, she recalled, stripped down to the studs in the more damaged areas. But Bartolotta sold her and Jason on the possibilities.
"This whole project wouldn't have been possible without Matt and Anthony Bartolotta having a vision of what this run-down building could have been," she said. "We owe them a lot for this beautiful spot."
The location was important to Long as well. She was born in Sennett, where her family owns a large dairy farm, and she continues to live in the town with her husband. Likewise, she drew from her experiences at local restaurants while devising At Long Last. At the Sherwood she learned the importance of quality ingredients and preparation, she said, and she looked to a former colleague there to help her apply that lesson to the upscale breakfast and brunch fare she wanted to serve: Zach Piraino, who also worked at The Krebs in Skaneateles. He's now executive chef of the new business.
Piraino told 水果派AV the menu consists of classic meals reinvented into unique ones. The already popular house-made bacon jam does that to the chicken and waffles, and the smash burger.
"Zach has a super funky brain," Long said. "I could see that he had a creativity that maybe didn't pair well with the Sherwood Inn menu or the Krebs menu. But I think it pairs really well here."
Long said she gave her executive chef a blank slate to engineer the menu, and the decor of the space reflects that mindset. The walls are completely white, save for a few accent spots that will feature wallpaper from A&M Graphics in Auburn with the cartoon toast, bacon and egg in the restaurant's logo. The morning sun through the many south-facing windows only accentuates Long's clean, minimalist ambitions. She thanked of Syracuse for its design help, and Bartolotta for building the wooden bar and booths by hand. The bar seats about 15, and the whole dining room about 90.
The second floor of the restaurant, once the subject of a lengthy court battle, was sealed off during its remodeling and will be used as an Airbnb, Long said. But she plans to use the patio area for outdoor seating during warmer months. She also wants to expand the drink menu, as her mimosa flights have been "selling like hotcakes," and possibly add dinner if she can find the staff that would require.
"It's been a fun ride so far," she said of the restaurant's first week. "At Long Last I had the courage, and my kids are a little bit older now, and I can just pour my heart and soul into this business."
- Robert Harding
- Updated
After 156 years, Wells College in Aurora will close at the end of the spring semester.听
Wells College President Jonathan Gibralter and board chair Marie Chapman Carroll announced the closure plan in a posted on the college's website. They wrote that the college, which was founded in 1868, "does not have adequate financial resources to continue."听
"As you may be aware, many small colleges like Wells have faced enormous financial challenges," Chapman Carroll and Gibralter said. "These challenges have been exacerbated by a global pandemic, a shrinking pool of undergraduate students nationwide, inflationary pressures and an overall negative sentiment towards higher education."听
The letter acknowledges that board members attempted to find ways to prevent the college's closure through fundraising campaigns and new programs. But revenues, the leaders continued, "are not projected to be sufficient for Wells' long-term financial stability."听
The closure will affect about 370 total students and 193 employees, according to a Wells College spokesperson. Wells leaders announced an agreement with Manhattanville University to be the college's preferred teach-out partner, which would allow students to transfer there to continue their studies.听
Manhattanville has also shown interest in a legacy agreement that would integrate Wells' name and history into its community.听
Teach-out agreements have been reached with other institutions, including Excelsior University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Keuka College, Le Moyne College, Mercy University and SUNY Brockport.听
No decisions have been made about college-owned property, including the 300-acre Aurora campus. The board plans to collaborate with state and local leaders to determine what should be done with the college's real estate.听
Wells joins other small liberal arts colleges in New York that have closed in recent years, including Cazenovia College in Madison County in 2023. The College of Saint Rose in Albany will also at the end of the spring semester. Low enrollment and financial problems have contributed to the closures.听
Before deciding to close, Wells had faced challenges over the years. In 2019, the college was placed on probation by its accrediting organization, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, for not complying with its financial and planning standards.
The following year was the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gibralter in May 2020 warning that the college would close if students wouldn't be able to return to campus. After a successful fundraising campaign brought in $4 million, the college announced it would be open for the 2020-21 academic year.听
As COVID eased, Wells had its accreditation reaffirmed and probation lifted by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in 2021. Although those were positive signs, the financial struggles continued.听
Wells sought to address those challenges by asking for donations, implementing new marketing strategies, selling non-essential properties and streamlining academic programs, according to the college.听
Although fundraising had netted significant financial support in the past, Wells said its board "recognizes that it cannot carry the college." In its closure plan, the college notes it would've needed to raise $12 million to "make possible, not certain, another year of operation."
Without other revenue sources, the college would need to sustain that level of fundraising to continue operations.听
- Robert Harding
- Updated
Bimbo Bakeries has notified its employees that it will close its Auburn facility, one of three bakeries the company will shut down in the next few months.听
In a statement, Bimbo Bakeries said it will close two New York bakeries 鈥 Auburn and Olean 鈥 and its facility in San Antonio, Texas. The closure will affect 49 employees in Auburn and 82 in Olean, according to a worker adjustment and retraining notification filed with the state Department of Labor.听
The Auburn bakery will close Sept. 6, while the Olean facility will cease operations on Nov. 2.听
"We will transition production to bakeries in our network that are better equipped to support our future growth," a spokesperson for Bimbo Bakeries USA said. "We remain grateful for our hardworking associates at these bakeries and are committed to providing them with resources and support to ease their transitions."听
Bill Andre, business agent for the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union Local 116, told 水果派AV the union has 41 members at the Auburn bakery. He was notified of the closure at 11 a.m. Tuesday.听
Andre, who worked at the bakery for 12 years, said he was "blindsided" by the decision.听
"My thoughts on corporate America is they're not making a lot of money," he said, while noting the company blamed production as a factor for the closure. "They made rolls for Burger King and fast food isn't what it used to be."听
On a call with investors, Grupo Bimbo CEO Rafael Pamias said the bakeries targeted for closure are "older and less efficient" than other facilities. The bakeries account for less than 2% of the company's total capacity, he added.听
Diego Gaxiola, Grupo Bimbo's chief financial officer, highlighted the advantages of closing the bakeries. Based on the timing of the closures, which will be completed by the end of this year, the company anticipates seeing financial benefits in 2025.听
While the largest commercial baking company in the U.S. reaps the rewards of closing its Auburn facility, the decision disrupts the lives of workers, some of whom have worked at the bakery since it opened as Automatic Rolls in 1977.听
Andre will be meeting with Bimbo Bakeries representatives to secure severance packages for the affected employees. Workers, even those who have been with the company for less than a year, will get severance pay. The duration of the pay and how long employees will remain on their health insurance plans are among the issues that must be addressed.听
Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino told 水果派AV the city is available to assist the bakery's staff.听
"My heart goes out to the hardworking men and women who are affected by this closure," said Giannettino, who added he is "disappointed that ownership did not reach out to local or state officials to discuss whether or not this could have been avoided."听
Despite its size, the Auburn plant was successful competing against other bakeries that provided buns to Burger King. Every quarter, Andre explained, the bakery's manager would transport buns to the fast food chain's headquarters in Miami. Buns from several bakeries were graded and Auburn's would often finish in the top three.听
The members Andre represents work hard and do a good job, he said. He described Tuesday, when he learned of the closure, as one of the worst days of his life.听
"It just hit me like a ton of bricks," he said.听
Bimbo Bakeries has 20,000 employees in the U.S. and produces baked goods for several brands, including Entenman's, Sara Lee and Stroehmann.听
- David Wilcox
- Updated
The Finger Lakes Drive-In plans to open this summer, as soon as June, despite having its entrance blockaded by the Cayuga Nation due to a property line dispute that remains in court.
The blockade, which effectively closes the Aurelius movie theater, was also recently mentioned in a separate court proceeding that involves drive-in owner Paul Meyer and the nation's leadership council.
On Wednesday, the drive-in听 on its Facebook page: "There are definite plans to open the drive-in this season; likely in June. We have been getting things ready. We may be shifting things around."
The drive-in might have to shift things around to open because the nation claims that its entrance, as well as several of its parking spots and about a third of its movie screen, are actually located on 1044 Clark St. Road next door. The nation purchased that property, assessed at $56,000, for $720,000 in January 2023. The nation has said it intends to place the property into federal trust.
After the nation brought the dispute to Cayuga County Supreme Court in January, the drive-in responded by asking for an injunction against the blockade. Meyer argued that his access to the neighboring property was protected by a 20-year lease he signed with the previous owner. He alleged the nation knew about the lease before the purchase, but the nation called the lease "invalid and unenforceable."
The nation has been ordered to show cause why the injunction should not be granted at a June 11 hearing. The nation's leadership council did not respond to a request for comment by 水果派AV.
Meyer also did not respond to a request for comment. The drive-in's Facebook post noted the dispute but said, "I try to keep it non-political so I'll leave the conversation to what's been said here."听
As the property dispute plays out in state court, another proceeding involving Meyer and the nation continues in federal court.听
The drive-in owner is currently arguing for access to nation financial records in the leadership council's RICO lawsuit against him and Montezuma smoke shop Pipekeepers. Meyer is a codefendant in the lawsuit, which accuses the smoke shop of stealing $5 million in business from the nation, because he sold the听7153 Route 90 property where it's located to operator Dusty Parker.
Parker and Meyer, who are being defended separately, each seek access to the financial records the nation used to calculate the $5 million figure. The nation, however, argues the records are attorney-client privileged information. Further, the nation continued, if Meyer was given access to them, he could not be trusted to "keep them locked away" from Parker due to their "ongoing relationship."听
Despite Meyer's claim to the contrary, the nation said, evidence of that relationship can be seen on the video billboard in front of the drive-in, which has been running a Pipekeepers advertisement.
In response, Meyer attorney David Tennant argued that Pipekeepers is one of several advertisers who use the billboard, and such use does not show "direct participation in the competing businesses of the Parker defendants." Tennant then mentioned the nation's purchase of the property next to the drive-in and blockade of the business, calling its actions "tortious."听
"It is the Nation that blurs the record and makes arguments unsupported by facts or law," he said.
- David Wilcox
- Updated
Another rare photo of Harriet Tubman has been released by a Maryland tour group, this one capturing her at the age of about 70.
Alex Green, owner of听,听told 水果派AV the 1892 photo听 from an edition of The Household Magazine.
Tubman is pictured听wearing a dark dress with a decorative collar and a hair pin. Below the photo, she is referred to as "Harriet, the Modern Moses, now living in Auburn, N.Y."
An article with the photo includes a lengthy quote from Tubman about her visit as a teen to the Bucktown General Store in Dorchester County, where she was struck in the head by a 2-pound weight thrown by a slaveowner at another enslaved person. The weight fractured her skull, resulting in epilepsy and what she believed were spiritual visions that she experienced for the rest of her life.
Green noted that the quote is an example of "plantation dialect," which racistly stylizes the speech of Black people.听
Tubman biographer听Kate Clifford Larson听posted the photo on her Facebook page on Wednesday, the civil rights icon "beautiful" and commenting, "such style!" The biographer thanked Green and his wife, Lisa, for finding the photo. In comments below her post, Larson expressed hope that the original could be found as well.
Harriet Tubman Tours previously released a rare photo of the group's namesake in December. That photo, from 1908, pictured her standing in front of her home on South Street in Auburn.听
Green said he hopes the photos generate more interest in Tubman, her life and her work to achieve freedom for all.
"I thought it'd be interesting to move the needle forward with her wonderful life," he told 水果派AV in December. "History has so much to catch up to."
- David Wilcox
- Updated
The Auburn Planning Board on Tuesday will hear a proposal to build a location of fast food chain Sonic Drive-In in the city.
The site plan application, submitted by Texas-based Soar Restaurants II LLC, proposes the demolition of the residence at 132-134 Grant Ave. and construction of a 1,227-square-foot Sonic there. The restaurant would have a drive-thru and 10 stalls for car-side service, as well as a parking lot, according to听.
In a memo to the board, city planner Ashley Teucke the June 4 meeting will include a presentation of the proposal and an opportunity for public comment. Written comment is also welcome.
Final consideration of the proposal is expected to take place at the planning board's meeting in July or August, Teucke added.
According to Cayuga County property records, 132-134 Grant Ave. is currently owned by Catherine Guter et al. and has a tentative 2024 full market value of $144,886.听
Teucke told 水果派AV that the property was condemned by the city in 2018 and has been vacant since 2019.
Based in Oklahoma City, Sonic has more than 3,500 locations in the U.S. The first in central New York opened in 2015 in the town of Clay. The chain is known for its burgers, shakes and chili cheese Coneys, and its use of carhops to serve customers. It was ranked 14th in QSR's 2020 rankings of the top 50 fast food brands in the U.S.
- David Wilcox
- Updated
Four smoke shops in the Auburn area have been shut down by the state for selling cannabis to minors, and without a license, after a collaborative effort with city and county officials.听
Blue Smoke and More at 30 E. Genesee St., O-Exotic Smoke Shop at 62 Owasco St. and听Lucky Seven Mini Mart听at 213 State St., all in the city, as well as听Panda Smoke Shop听at 1626 Clark St. Road in Aurelius have been padlocked by officials with the New York State Office of Cannabis Management.
The office announced the operation at a press event at Blue Smoke on Tuesday afternoon. Its director of enforcement, Daniel Haughney, said Blue Smoke sold some cannabis items meant to attract minors, holding up examples with imagery from "Rick and Morty" and "Winnie the Pooh." Another item he held up had packaging that indicated its cannabis was from California.听
"When you purchase from these shops, you don't know what you're buying," he said. "These products are typically filled in the back room of these stores with product that there's no background on."
Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino said at the event that he was contacted months ago by a local mother whose son was purchasing cannabis products at Blue Smoke. She came to the mayor after going to the shop and asking its staff to stop selling to her son, only to be told to leave.
Giannettino then reached out to Auburn Police Department Chief James Slayton, and they worked with the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office and district attorney's office, as well as the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force, to bring the issue to the state's attention.
"This is the result of a collaborative effort that I'm very appreciative of," said Giannettino, who noted that Blue Smoke has been a source of aggravation for neighboring businesses like Gretchen's Confections and Cafe, which moved to Marcellus last month.
"Hopefully, with this action today, future shops that think they can come here and take root in Auburn will realize it's not going to happen," the mayor continued.
City Corporation Counsel Nate Garland told 水果派AV that local officials felt the Office of Cannabis Management would be an effective partner in dealing with Blue Smoke and the other smoke shops due to its ability to swiftly padlock businesses for selling cannabis to minors, or without a license.
The office took the same action听last summer against听I'm Stuck, a regional chain of unlicensed cannabis dispensaries with a location down the block at 9 E. Genesee St.
The city gave the office its case files on local smoke shops, Garland said, and weeks later the state's unlicensed cannabis task force staged an operation from the Aurelius state police barracks.
Haughney said the padlocked shops, and the owners of the properties where they operated, will eventually face fines as well. I'm Stuck was fined more than $15 million by the state in May.
- David Wilcox
- Updated
The Auburn Police Department has released body camera footage of a Sept. 7 arrest that knocked a man unconscious after weeks of community discussion about it, including comments at City Council.
In a news release Tuesday, Police Chief James Slayton said officers were听interviewing a juvenile suspect on Cady Street that night. He was accused of trespassing on the properties of residents, who also had video footage of attempts by that juvenile and others to break into cars. The department had received several complaints about break-ins throughout the city in the weeks prior.
As officers interviewed the juvenile, Slayton continued, they were approached by Dedrick A. Parks, 25. He asked if the juvenile was on his property, and was told that the juvenile was indeed trespassing.
Parks then approached the juvenile and told him to stay off his property or he would "smoke" him, Slayton said. Officers placed their hands in front of Parks to keep him away from the juvenile, leading Parks to swat an officer's arm away and say, "Get the (obscenity) off of me." The officer and another then attempted to arrest Parks, who resisted despite commands to comply.
During the arrest, Slayton said, officers lifted Parks off the ground to destabilize him and take him to "a platform where he could be controlled." However, he hit his head on the concrete sidewalk and was knocked unconscious. Officers immediately called for emergency medical services and tended to Parks. After 42 seconds he regained consciousness, and was walked to a patrol car.
Due to a miscommunication, Slayton said, responders met Parks at Auburn police headquarters. He was charged with second-degree obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest.
Slayton said he released the footage due to "many misconceptions and false statements" about the arrest, in the interest of "transparency and the community having the facts."听
"Through honesty and factual reporting of events, we want to continue to ensure the safety of the public and the officers on the street," he said.
Several community members spoke about the arrest during the public comment portions of recent meetings of Auburn City Council.
Resident Erica Manners said at council's Sept. 12 meeting that Parks, whom she called a "lifelong friend," couldn't open his mouth wide enough to eat as a result of his injury.听
"His jawbones have been broken by the very hands that are meant to protect him," she said.
"I've known police brutality and abuse of power has gone on around the world for years, but to know it's so close to you shakes you to the core," she continued. "I just can't for the life of me understand how 'it takes a village,' but that same village is the one taking us, one by one, and breaking us and claiming it to be justified. Is there truly no other way? Is de-escalation no longer a tactic?"
Also speaking was resident Cherry Love-Duncan, aunt of Chelci Love, who was struck听in the head several times by an Auburn police officer during an arrest recorded outside West Middle School Apartments in August. The department said the officer's strikes were "not considered excessive" and necessary to save Love's 3-year-old daughter from harm after Love wrapped her legs around her neck.
"All you're doing in this city is causing a whole lot of trouble," Love-Duncan told City Council. "A whole lot of tears. And we will not stand for it no more."
Resident Gwen Webber-McLeod, CEO of leadership development corporation Gwen Inc., noted her work as a diversity, equity and inclusion strategist with law enforcement organizations across the state. Supporting officers and keeping them safe must be balanced with making sure the communities they serve receive fair treatment, she said, and aren't punished for "simply living while Black."
"It is the birthright of every citizen in the city of Auburn, New York, to be equally protected under the law, kept safe, valued and respected as citizens coexisting in this community," she said.
"What we choose to do next as a city really matters."
More like this...
- Robert Harding
Gov. Kathy Hochul's $233 billion state budget proposal includes legislation to close up to five prisons in the upcoming fiscal year.听
The 2024-25 executive budget plan would allow the state to "act expeditiously to right-size and eliminate excess capacity by allowing for the closure of up to five correctional facilities with 90 days' notice," according to a budget briefing book provided by the Hochul administration.听
The proposal continues, "This legislation will allow for an increase in the operational efficiency of the correctional system."听
No correctional facilities were identified for closure in the budget plan. There are 44 prisons in New York, including two in Cayuga County: Auburn Correctional Facility in the city of Auburn and Cayuga Correctional Facility in Moravia.听
Six prisons closed in early 2022, but the 2022-23 and 2023-24 state budgets did not include additional closures.听
The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, which represents state corrections officers, criticized Hochul's proposal. The union believes closing prisons will increase prison violence and lead to more staff resignations and retirements.听
NYSCOPBA President Chris Summers said his members "need relief." He wants the state to address prison violence and increase staffing, not close prisons.听
听
According to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the state has closed 24 correctional facilities and eliminated more than 13,000 prison beds since 2011. DOCCS reports the closures produced annual savings totaling $442 million.听
The main argument for closing state prisons is the declining incarcerated population. DOCCS notes that the prison population has decreased by 54.9%, from 72,649 incarcerated individuals in 1999 to 32,766 as of Jan. 1.听
Before any new closures happen, the legislation must be included in the final state budget. Hochul will negotiate with legislative leaders, who have supported past efforts to shutter state correctional facilities.听
State law requires a year-long procedure to close a prison. But the legislation Hochul is proposing would allow the state to expedite that process and shut down facilities with a three-month notice.听
Hochul and state lawmakers are aiming to finalize the state budget by April 1, the start of the 2024-25 fiscal year.听
- Robert Harding
The lot at the New York State Fair near Chevy Court that was occupied by the popular Dinosaur Bar-B-Que/Gianelli stand has been vacant for three years.听
For the 2024 fair, another popular central New York restaurant will take over the prime spot.听
Toss & Fire, which operates three pizzerias and has food trucks in the Syracuse area, has been awarded the contract to operate at what has traditionally been one of the fair's busiest intersections.听
Nick Sanford, owner of Toss & Fire, told 水果派AV they responded to the fair's call for applications in February. Toss & Fire already has a presence at the fair and sought a second location. Meanwhile, the fair was looking to fill a void after Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Gianelli decided to end their 21-year partnership in 2021.听
"If I'm being honest, I did not expect to get it but the potential of it was too great to not apply, so we did," Sanford said. "I received a call from the state fair director in March telling me that we were being awarded the contract."听
Julie LaFave, whom Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed as state fair director after nearly five months as interim director, appeared on NewsChannel 9's "" and told Donovan they sought an interested vendor to take over the space "because we decided this is the year it's no longer vacant."听
"We had criteria and Toss & Fire was given that spot and we're really excited for them," LaFave said. "They know what their footprint is and it's up to them to design it."听
Sanford's planning began the day he learned Toss & Fire won the spot. Over the last few months, he said they have been working on designs and logistics for the location.听
Toss & Fire's plan will include the use of its food trucks and an extra oven. The pizzeria will continue to offer exclusive fair pizzas. Those announcements will be made over the next few weeks, Sanford said.听
Other items will be on Toss & Fire's menu, including chicken wings, craft beer and wine slushies from Ashley Lynn Winery. The stand will also offer its house beer, Peace Love & Pizza Ale, brewed by Buried Acorn in Syracuse.听
Sanford told 水果派AV that Toss & Fire is aware they have "huge shoes to fill by taking over such an iconic location." The joint Dinosaur/Gianelli stand was a popular option for fairgoers, especially those who attended Chevy Court concerts.听
Toss & Fire was founded in 2015 and opened its first physical location in North Syracuse in 2016. The pizzeria at Township 5 in Camillus opened in 2020.
Earlier this year, Toss & Fire opened its third location inside Harvey's Garden in Syracuse.听
As Toss & Fire continues to grow, operating at a prime spot on the fairgrounds could boost its popularity in the region and beyond.听
"It's a huge milestone for my company to have this opportunity and we are honored, excited and really looking forward to offering a new experience for fairgoers," Sanford said.听
The fair begins Aug. 21 and runs through Sept. 2.听
- Robert Harding
A former correction officer at a state prison in central New York has been sentenced after admitting to submitting false medical notes to obtain sick leave.听
Stephanie Saber, 29, will serve five years probation after pleading guilty in November to first-degree offering a false instrument for filing. She was sentenced by Seneca County Judge Barry Porsch.听
The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, which oversees New York's prisons, referred the matter to the state inspector general's office. The inspector general's investigation found Saber, who was employed at Five Points Correctional Facility in Seneca County, submitted 13 false medical notes between December 2021 and July 2022.听
Saber told investigators she filed the notes, which claimed to be from medical practitioners, as excuses for work absences.听
"The conduct of this correction officer abusing sick leave benefits is particularly egregious because she was in a prime position to know the impact that shortages in correctional facility staffing pose to the safety of staff and incarcerated individuals alike," Inspector General Lucy Lang said. "By forging these notes to justify unwarranted sick days, she betrayed not only her oath to New York state but her colleagues."听
Saber no longer works for DOCCS. The department fired her during the investigation and cooperated with the inspector general's inquiry.听
Daniel Martuscello, acting DOCCS commissioner, said the sentencing shows the department "will not tolerate fraudulent misconduct from staff."听
"As we face critical staffing shortages, this type of behavior further exacerbates the difficulties of this job and does a disservice to the hardworking staff who show up day in and day out to help keep our communities safe," Martuscello added.听
Lang thanked the state police for assisting with Saber's arrest and Seneca County District Attorney John Nabinger for prosecuting the case.听
- David Wilcox
A suspect in a 2019 murder in Auburn has been in a relationship with a woman who taught at Southern Cayuga High School while he was a student there, a Friday hearing in his case revealed.
Gage Ashley, 26, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the November 2019 shooting death of Joshua Poole, has been in a relationship with former Southern Cayuga teaching assistant Mary Ferro, 61, she said during the hearing in Cayuga County Court. Ferro took the stand because the hearing concerned the legality of a police search of her home in Aurelius during the murder investigation.
Ferro told Cayuga County Chief Assistant District Attorney Chris Valdina that her romantic relationship with Ashley began "sometime after 2017." She had known him since 2014, and gave him rides. Asked by Valdina whether she had actually known Ashley since 2012, Ferro said she had not. It was not asked whether Ferro directly taught Ashley at Southern Cayuga during her testimony.
In February 2015, Ferro continued, Ashley began living with her at her previous home, also in Aurelius. She and her husband separated that year as well. Ashley moved out that fall, and transferred to Auburn High School. The romantic relationship began after he graduated, Ferro said, when he sought her help studying for a test to enlist in the Army. In 2018, her husband filed for divorce.听
Ashley would go on to have a relationship with another woman, and have a baby with her in August 2018. When they broke up, however, he moved back in with Ferro, she said. By that point she had begun living at the Aurelius home that police would search in November 2019. Prior to the search, she said, he was sleeping there three or four nights a week, and they were having a sexual relationship.
Police then听arrested听Ashley, along with Tyree Anglin, Christian Rivera and Lucciano Spagnola, on murder charges. Ashley was convicted of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree attempted robbery and second-degree criminal weapons possession, and sentenced to 21 years to life in December 2021. But his conviction was overturned听after a state appeals court the grand jury that indicted him was illegally constituted because a member had a criminal conviction. Ashley was arraigned again on the same charges in June, and his second trial is set to begin in March.听
Asked by Valdina whether she's still in a relationship with Ashley, Ferro said, "Insomuch as you can call having a relationship with someone who is incarcerated a relationship." She smiled at Ashley, who was seated next to his attorney, several times during her testimony. When asked to identify him, she raised her eyebrows while noting that he was wearing orange, as if she was poking fun at him.听
"I care for him deeply and I am trying to be a support system for him," she said.
Ferro then said she has been banned from visiting Ashley at the Cayuga County Jail. An officer told her she was recorded on video passing Ashley contraband, she continued, and shortly thereafter he was removed from his cell because officers smelled smoke in his block. She also confirmed that she sent $295 to the commissary account of Spagnola, a friend of Ashley's, between July 2022 and May 2023.
Toward the end of her testimony, Ferro said she was asked to resign from Southern Cayuga in December. The school district told her it had been contacted by reporters about her relationship with Ashley following a Dec. 14 story in 水果派AV about Friday's hearing. Due to the murder suspect's "notoriety," she continued, she was told that "it'd be best for everyone if I just took a full retirement."
According to records obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request by 水果派AV, Ferro began at Southern Cayuga as a math aide in September 1982 and retired as a teaching assistant in June 2021. She returned to the district as an English language learner tutor that October, and became an after-school supervisor in June 2023. Her resignation was approved by the school board Jan. 8.
Additional FOIL requests by 水果派AV concerning Ferro and Ashley's relationship have been denied by the school district. Asked by 水果派AV on Friday whether the district has investigated the relationship, or otherwise has any comment on Ferro's testimony about it,听Superintendent Patrick Jensen said he is unable to comment on personnel matters.
- Robert Harding
The head of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision says a "staffing crisis" is the main reason why Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed the closure of up to five New York prisons in the 2024-25 state budget.听
Acting DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello testified at a budget hearing Thursday that the department has 3,800 vacant positions, including 1,900 corrections officers.
The inability to fill those positions isn't the only factor 鈥 Martuscello noted the incarcerated population has decreased by nearly 55% over a 25-year period 鈥 but he described the staffing woes as "the main impetus" for potentially closing more prisons.听
"We are in a good position with excess capacity," Martuscello said. "We have 6,000 staffed vacant beds and an additional 6,000 beds which we've consolidated to try to alleviate staffing concerns. We can't consolidate any more, so closures is a way forward so we can make sure we use our staff more efficiently as well as provide the services to the population."听
Hochul is asking the state Legislature for the authority to expedite the closure of up to five prisons in the 2024-25 budget. If the language is included in the final spending plan, the governor could close the correctional facilities with 90 days' notice.听
DOCCS has not identified which of the 44 state prisons could be closed. Martuscello did not provide any information during the budget hearing about the correctional facilities eyed for closures.听
The state has closed 24 correctional facilities and eliminated more than 13,000 prison beds since 2011, according to DOCCS.听
Chris Summers, president of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, spoke out against the proposed closures during his testimony. He said closing prisons "is not the answer to address staffing shortages." The union expects more employees will resign or retire if the state shuts down correctional facilities.听
"Our current staffing levels are horrible. Attrition rates are at all-time highs, while recruitment is at an all-time low," Summers said. "Members face unprecedented levels of mandatory overtime to fill staffing vacancies. They see the inside of the prisons more than they see their families."听
Prison violence is also contributing to the problem, according to Summers. In 2023, DOCCS reported 1,671 assaults on staff and 2,107 assaults on incarcerated individuals, both records.听
Despite opposition from the correction officers union, the state received support for the prison closure proposal from an independent watchdog.听
The Correctional Association of New York endorsed the budget proposal in its testimony.听The听听highlights five prisons with the most empty beds, including Great Meadow (943), Auburn (736), Franklin (620), Clinton (614) and Bare Hill (594).听
The organization, which is authorized to provide oversight of state prisons, has observed staffing shortages during monitoring visits to several correctional facilities. One example provided was Sullivan Correctional Facility, where more than half of the medical services positions were vacant.听
"In addition to considering utilization, CANY urges the executive and legislature to prioritize proximity to major population centers when evaluating which prisons to close and to simultaneously invest in strategies for attracting and retaining qualified staff in the remaining facilities," the association said.听
Hochul and state lawmakers are working toward the goal of passing the state budget by April 1 鈥 the start of the 2024-25 fiscal year.听
- David Wilcox
The parent of a former Skaneateles student has sued the school district, claiming staff used a different name and pronouns for the student without the parent's consent as part of a "social transition."
Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group, filed the suit on behalf of plaintiff Jennifer Vitsaxaki, of Skaneateles, in U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York, on Wednesday. It accuses district staff of using a boy's name and the pronouns "they" and "them" to refer to the student, then 12, who is described in the suit as Vitsaxaki's daughter.
The suit goes on to accuse the Skaneateles Middle School guidance counselor, Christopher Viggiano, and psychologist, Vicky Powers, of instructing staff to use those terms in secret from听Vitsaxaki. Staff continued to use the student's given name and female pronouns when communicating with the parent, the suit says, which happened regularly because the student was struggling with anxiety and depression. Meanwhile, the district was allegedly directing the student toward resources for making a medical transition, like local clinics, as well as sources of LGBTQIA support.
Vitsaxaki learned that school district staff were using a male name for her child about three months after they had begun doing so, the suit continues. In May 2021, the parent was told by Skaneateles Middle School Principal Michael Caraccio about the student's "gender support plan," which said that family was not considered supportive of the transition and the student was not ready to tell them.
The student then switched to online schooling, and was enrolled in private school in Syracuse the next year. The student's "demeanor and physical health" noticeably improved, the suit says. The cost of the school's tuition, and travel there, are among the damages听Vitsaxaki seeks from Skaneateles as a result of violating her Greek orthodox religious beliefs and parental rights, the suit continues.
The suit says Skaneateles staff told听Vitsaxaki听they were following district policy. The obligation of educators to inform parents that a student prefers a different name, or is otherwise experiencing gender dysphoria, is at issue in听. Many were brought by Alliance Defending Freedom, which is as an anti-LGBTQIA hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The school district's superintendent, Eric Knuth, told 水果派AV on Monday that "we are not at liberty to discuss individual students or legal matters with the press."听
However, Knuth noted that as a public school district, Skaneateles adheres to the New York State Education Department's guidance on "Creating a Safe, Supportive, and Affirming School Environment for Transgender and Gender Expansive Students," issued in 2015 and updated in 2023,听as well as the New York State Human Rights Law of 2021. The department's guidance states, "only the student knows whether it is safe to share their identity with caregivers, and schools should be mindful that some TGE students do not want or cannot have their parents/guardians know about their transgender status."
"We respect diversity in all of our students and our primary concern is to ensure that every child feels safe and supported at school," he said.
- Robert Harding
Lawmakers and a union representing New York corrections officers are criticizing Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposal to close more prisons in the next fiscal year.听
Hochul, a Democrat, included the plan in her $233 billion state budget proposal. She wants the authority to expedite the closure of up to five prisons with 90 days' notice.听
The budget does not detail which correctional facilities could be closed if the language is part of the final spending plan. A briefing book released by the Hochul administration explains the proposal would allow the state to "act expeditiously to right-size and eliminate excess capacity."
The state, which has 44 correctional facilities, has closed 24 prisons since 2011 due to a declining incarcerated population. After topping 72,000 in 1999, the prison population is down to 32,766, according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.听
Hochul did not pursue prison closures in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 budgets. But her plan to shutter more correctional facilities ranked the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, a union that represents corrections officers in state prisons.听
NYSCOPBA's leadership worries that more closures will increase prison violence at a time when it's at record levels 鈥 DOCCS reported there were 1,671 assaults on staff and 2,107 assaults on incarcerated individuals in 2023 鈥 and force staff to either relocate or leave their jobs.听
"As the violence increases and staffing levels plummet, mandatory overtime for correction officers and sergeants has spiked to record highs," NYSCOPBA President Chris Summers said. "This overtime is well documented and it is unsustainable. Continuous mandates are straining members' physical and mental health, their families and their quality of life. Members are burning out at alarming rates."听
Summers continued, "How can the state of New York demand that our members continue working in these conditions and have the mental and physical ability to keep incarcerated individuals and staff safe? Members need relief."听
NYSCOPBA urged Hochul to keep prisons open and to add more staff.听
The union's message is supported by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Assemblyman Billy Jones, a Democrat and former corrections officer, and Republican state Sen. Jim Tedisco.听
In a statement, Jones said he is "highly disappointed" that Hochul wants to close more prisons. He prefers a different approach 鈥 one that focuses on making the job safer for correctional staff.听
Tedisco opposes the "willy-nilly closing of correctional facilities" because, he said, it will lead to overcrowding in the remaining prisons.听
State Sen. James Skoufis, a Hudson Valley Democrat, also opposes Hochul's plan to close more prisons. State correctional facilities are woefully understaffed, he said. He supports increasing pay and hiring more corrections officers.听
"At a time when our correctional officers feel undervalued and demoralized, it is high time to focus on increasing safety in our state facilities and paying a living wage," Skoufis said.听
The prison closure proposal will be one of many policy ideas debated during budget negotiations. Hochul will work with legislative leaders to negotiate the budget, with the goal of finalizing the spending plan by April 1 鈥 the start of the next fiscal year.听
- Robert Harding
The New York State Fair is cutting part of its concert lineup in 2024 due to low turnout at past shows, and to save money.听
State Fair Director Sean Hennessey told 水果派AV Friday that Suburban Park, one of the fair's top concert venues, will host performances at 8 p.m. daily. However, there won't be afternoon shows at the park.听
Chevy Court will continue to host afternoon and evening performances at 1 and 6 p.m. during the fair.听
At past fairs, two concerts have been held most days at Suburban Park. In 2023, there were afternoon shows scheduled for nine of the fair's 13-day run.听
What Hennessey and fair officials observed, though, is the afternoon concerts were not well-attended. They scaled back some of the weekday afternoon shows during the 2023 fair.
"There really wasn't any blowback. It did save us a few bucks," Hennessey said. "We were able to divert some of those dollars into some bigger shows."听
One of those major acts was Lainey Wilson, a country music star who drew a record 53,200 people for her evening Suburban Park concert on the fair's opening day in 2023.听
The fair booked top-shelf entertainers for those afternoon slots at Suburban Park, Hennessey said, but even on weekends attendance lagged.听
"From a fiscal standpoint, it doesn't make a lot of sense to spend money when you really only have a couple hundred people going to see the show," he continued. "We decided to cut those (in 2024) and devote those dollars to bigger shows, bigger stages and we hope again, from that smart spending standpoint, the patron will have a better experience."听
It was also a challenge to book two concerts daily at the fair's main stages. After the Grandstand was demolished in 2016, Chevy Court became the lead concert venue at the fair. That has changed with the emergence of Suburban Park on the west end of the fairgrounds. Chevy Court continues to host concerts, but Suburban Park tends to get the bigger shows.听
Hennessey reiterated that they want to bring in big names who will draw crowds, but "in a way that's fiscally responsible." To book some acts, he noted, the costs have increased by 20% to 40%.听
Looking ahead to the 2024 fair, Hennessey is excited about the entertainment lineup. While the full schedule will be unveiled in the months leading up to the fair, there were two shows announced this week: TLC, known for hits "No Scrubs" and "Waterfalls," will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, at Suburban Park; and KIDZ BOP will perform at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, at Chevy Court.听
- 水果派AV staff
A shelter-in-place order was issued Friday evening during a standoff at a house on South Seward Avenue that lasted almost six hours.
The Auburn Police Department told 水果派AV the person, who had barricaded themselves in the house, came out and surrendered at about midnight.
No police or civilians were injured during the standoff, police added.
Saturday morning, police Chief James Slayton told 水果派AV no charges have been filed against the person.
"We were able to get him from the residence and get him the help that he needs," Slayton said.
The standoff began at about 6:30 p.m., when a shelter-in-place order was issued for the area of South Seward Avenue and Frances and Augustus streets in the city.
Slayton said the order was issued because of "the unknown of what people may or may not do. We want to ensure everyone鈥檚 safety so the best way to do that is to limit people in the area."
After several hours of trying to negotiate with the person, police could be observed breaking windows in the house and shooting what Slayton called "a chemical agent" inside.听
More than a dozen officers were at the scene, as well as the Auburn Fire Department, Auburn City Ambulance and NYSEG. Auburn police also used a drone during the standoff.
- Christopher Malone
A familiar restaurant on Owasco Lake is heading for uncharted waters in hopes of avoiding the fate met by many of its predecessors.
The Lakeside Grill at 2846 Fire Lane 1 in the town of Venice, most recently听Charlie's Lakeside, is moving away from sit-down dining and toward special and ticketed events.
Owner Jackie Scanlon, who also owns听Smiley's Town & Country听in Owasco, made the decision after seeing a couple more restaurants come and go since buying the space at an auction in 2013.
Charlie's was operated by Charlene "Charlie" Janke and her husband, Jim Yesalusky, from December 2022 to . Before that, Drifters on Owasco was in business there from 2018 to 2022.
"It鈥檚 been a restaurant for more than 50 years," Scanlon told 水果派AV. "It鈥檚 never made money."
Still, customers are nostalgic about the lakeside spot, Scanlon said. Some remember it from the '80s as Baylor's, which burned down and was rebuilt into the restaurant it is today.听
To cater to that nostalgia while staying afloat, the Lakeside Grill will keep things simple. Instead of running the risks of labor and food waste that come with a la carte restaurants, it will focus on events. Whether it's special ones like weddings and family reunions, or ticketed ones like buffet-style lunches and dinners, the staff will be able to prepare only as much food as the number of attendees need.
As the restaurant gets its feet wet, Scanlon said, she hopes to offer more to the public. That includes a small menu with traditional fare like burgers and fries. Customers will be able to order it to go, or enjoy it on the deck or dock with games like cornhole if they pull in by boat. She also hopes to introduce more themes, like the Mexican food buffet that Lakeside Grill hosted last weekend.听
"People can come, pay one price and enjoy themselves," she said.
听
- David Wilcox
Staff members at Stay and Play Doggie Daycare in Elbridge have been accused of striking and otherwise mistreating dogs by dozens of owners in a Facebook post that has gone viral over the last week.
The author of the , Alisha Kellogg, of Auburn, told 水果派AV she worked at the facility earlier this month but quit after three days. During that time she witnessed owner Terry Powers and one other staff member strike dogs, Kellogg said. In a May 9 text message shown to 水果派AV, she shared with Powers her concerns about the other staff member "swatting" dogs.
"If I thought (they were) detrimental in any way it would certainly be addressed," Powers texted back.
Stay and Play did not respond to 水果派AV's requests for comment. An email and a voicemail were not returned, and the business's Facebook page has been deleted.听
The 1273 Route 5 facility, which opened in 2014听and offers weekday care for up to 20 dogs, appeared to be closed on Thursday.
Kellogg's May 22 Facebook post has been shared more than 400 times, received more than 350 comments and inspired similarly viral posts on , and other platforms. In comments and private messages also shared with 水果派AV, she said more than two dozen owners have told her their dogs experienced health or behavioral issues after going to the day care.
One health issue she learned about from another staff member during her short time there. They told her they "accidentally" poisoned a dog by allowing her to drink from a hose that had a cleaning solution attached to it, Kellogg said. The dog, which suffered burns to her esophagus and required treatment at Cornell, was described by the staff member as "stupid."
After working at Stay and Play, Kellogg also came to believe that her own dog's health problems were caused there. She began taking her there in March 2023, and that June she developed severe gastroenteritis. She has continued to throw up blood ever since, Kellogg said, something fellow owners have told her their dogs started doing as well after staying there.
In response to her post, some owners have shared pictures of cuts and paw sores they say their dogs suffered at the facility. Others have reported increased aggression and anxiety after their dogs went there. Kellogg believes that could be due to Powers and some staff members striking the dogs, which she said was often with open hands and directed at their faces and heads.
Karina Ferrera, of Auburn, told 水果派AV she took her dog to the day care for half a day to see if he would like it. She returned only to see a staff member strike a dog in the face.
"Not one person was playing or interacting with the dogs," Ferrera said. "I cried all the way home."
A听听that has also gone viral, with more than 90,000 views, appears to show Powers physically forcing crying dogs to sit while using foul language.听
Kellogg shared the video with the Central New York SPCA in Syracuse, but investigator William Pulaski told 水果派AV that it's more than two years old and therefore past the statue of limitations for misdemeanor animal cruelty. He added that he doesn't believe the video depicts anything that would constitute animal cruelty, such as striking or mutilation.
Asked by 水果派AV whether the SPCA has received any more current reports of mistreatment at Stay and Play, Pulaski said it has not. The shelter can be contacted at (315) 454-3469.
When calling the shelter, 水果派AV was told by another employee that their neighbor took a dog to the facility for a day, but would never take them back again.
Doggy day cares in New York do not require licenses and therefore are not subject to state oversight.
- David Wilcox
The Finger Lakes Drive-In opened for the season on Friday despite a judge ruling against its owner that day in the latest development in a property dispute with the Cayuga Nation.听
The continued to screen听"If" and "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,"听its first movies of 2024, on Saturday and Sunday.听
Customers now have to use a听newly opened entrance to the 1064 Clark St. Road drive-in, about 50 feet away from the previous one, due to an ongoing blockade by the nation.听
The nation's leadership council, which purchased the property west of the drive-in in January 2023, has placed concrete blocks in its driveway. That, along with several of the theater's parking spots and a third of its screen, are located on the neighboring property. The nation has argued that a lease drive-in owner Paul Meyer used to access the property for a decade prior is "invalid and unenforceable."听
Along with the concrete blocks, Cayuga Nation Police Department cars have been parked in the driveway of the drive-in since Thursday.
The blockade is the subject of a proceeding in Cayuga County Supreme Court. The nation brought the dispute there, seeking to resolve it in order to听place the property into federal trust.
The drive-in responded by asking for an injunction against the blockade. In a June 18 filing, Meyer's attorney said his client's lease with the property's previous owner is clear in its terms of $1,500 every 20 years, with the first term expiring in June 2034, making the lease "valid and binding." The attorney also said Meyer has suffered irreparable harm from the blockade:
"Included in (Meyer's) non-monetary losses are the fact it will (lose) market share, goodwill, and is being prevented from exercising its right to full unfettered access to the property it leases."
On Friday, Judge Thomas Leone issued a temporary restraining order against Meyer and the drive-in. The order was issued after an emergency action by the nation prompted by the appearance of heavy machinery at the drive-in before dawn Friday, the nation said in a news release. The nation believes the machinery was going to be used to remove the concrete blocks.
"The nation will continue to pursue its rights through this litigation to protect its land from trespass and exploitation by those who would attempt to disregard its lawful rights," the nation said.听
Meyer told 水果派AV that he asked for the injunction for "ongoing ingress (safely) to the property," and added that "half (the drive-in's) season is over now."
The blockade is far from the first conflict between Meyer and the nation.
In 2016, the drive-in owner gave a nation citizen a piece of its property to operate what the leadership council called "a rogue smoke shop" that was closed after legal action by the town of Aurelius. Meyer is also a codefendant in a separate, federal RICO lawsuit by the nation's leadership council against the operators of Montezuma smoke shop Pipekeepers, who bought that property from him.听
- David Wilcox
The Cayuga Nation has acquired land next to the Finger Lakes Drive-In in the town of Aurelius 鈥 and effectively closed the outdoor movie theater, saying it encroaches upon that land.
But the owner of the drive-in, who is a defendant in a separate federal lawsuit filed by the nation, claims there are ulterior motives behind the closure.听
In a news release Thursday, the nation's leadership council said it has acquired 40.18 acres of land at 1044 Clark St. Road, west of the drive-in. According to Cayuga County property , the nation purchased the residential property for $720,000 from previous owner Joseph Elice in January 2023. Its total assessed value at the time was $56,000.
An investigation by the nation then concluded that the drive-in's main entrance and several parking spots, as well as about a third of its movie screen, are located on the property, it said Thursday.
Because the nation has submitted an application to the U.S. Department of the Interior to place its new land into federal trust, it filed a complaint in Cayuga County Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking to confirm the property line between that land and the drive-in. The nation said it has communicated with the drive-in about the encroachment, but the issue has not been resolved.听
"Defendants continue to operate their Finger Lakes Drive-In on part of the nation's property, without authorization, and under the claim of an entirely invalid lease and a dispute over the boundary line," the complaint says. "When the nation has raised this illegal conduct to defendants and demanded they vacate the property, defendants have refused."听
In its news release, the nation added that it "acknowledges that many from the neighboring community patronize the Finger Lakes Drive-In and (is) hopeful about a resolution." According to its complaint, the nation seeks a declaration of its ownership of the land, a judgment holding the drive-in liable for trespassing with monetary damages, and an order ejecting the drive-in from the land.
Last fall, the nation听placed听its first Cayuga County properties into federal trust following the听approval听of its 20-year-old application to do so by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in March.听
鈥淭his 40-acre parcel is squarely within the land the federal government reserved to the nation in the Treaty of Canandaigua," said Clint Halftown, the nation's federally recognized representative. "The nation is committed to strategic purchases to reacquire the land within its reservation and will continue placing lands in trust with the Bureau of Indian Affairs when appropriate.鈥
However, neither the news release nor the complaint mention that the owner of the drive-in, Paul Meyer, is also a defendant in a federal lawsuit the nation听filed in spring 2022 against smoke shop Pipekeepers at 7153 Route 90 in the town of Montezuma. Meyer sold that property to operator Dusty Parker after the nation forcibly evicted him from the previous Seneca Falls location of Pipekeepers.
A judge dismissed two of the $15 million lawsuit's three counts in September 2022, and the remaining count is currently in discovery.
Also, in 2016, Meyer gave Parker a parcel behind the drive-in to operate what the nation's leadership council called a "rogue smoke shop." It closed days later amid legal action by the town of Aurelius.
Meyer did not respond to a request for comment by 水果派AV. But the drive-in a GoFundMe on Thursday, seeking to raise $125,000 for a legal fund in order to save the outdoor movie theater from closure by the nation. The nation has placed concrete barricades in the main entrance of the drive-in, whose season traditionally begins in late spring.
Noting that the drive-in signed a 20-year lease for the parcel in 2014, the fundraiser page accuses Halftown of "knowingly" purchasing the parcel for an "inflated" amount. The page also calls for a boycott of Cayuga Nation businesses in Union Springs and Seneca Falls. As of Friday morning the fundraiser has collected $250, including $100 from Meyer.
- David Wilcox
SKANEATELES 鈥 As its name suggests, Hidden Fish is a place of discovery.
The new village sushi restaurant, a years-long project of scrap metal billionaire influencer Adam Weitsman and partners, is a basement space wedged between Fennell Street and Skaneateles Creek.
No words, nor windows, await those who approach the restaurant's black door. It bears only a full-size illustration of a fish and its flamelike wake, both the color of raw tuna.听
The Hidden Fish logo is similarly elusive, arranging what appears to be a maze from the letters of the restaurant's name.
Even the drink menu has a splash of mystery. Customers can begin their order by placing a Fortune Teller Miracle Fish, a thin piece of red cellophane, in their palm. The way the fish moves 鈥 its head, its tail, its whole body or not at all 鈥 reveals a quality about the holder, or so the children's party trick goes. Hidden Fish adds a step, assigning a drink to each quality that the holder can then enjoy.
The red fish idea was Weitsman's, said Jeff Knauss, one of three other partners in the restaurant along with Vinny and Noah Lobdell. Like all their ideas for Hidden Fish, the sense of discovery is by design.
Weitsman and Knauss began discussing a sushi restaurant as a "dream project" three years ago, Knauss told 水果派AV in December. Both travel frequently, and have dined at some of the country's best. When they saw the space at 7 Fennell St., a former doctor's office, they saw potential to give Skaneateles its own sushi destination in a setting that's "exclusive and really cool," Knauss said.
But what's most important for customers to discover at Hidden Fish when it opens in mid-January, Knauss continued, is the cuisine. It comes from Executive Chef Joseph Tran, whom the partners recruited through a national agency. They flew six finalists into Skaneateles for tasting interviews, and Tran 鈥 who's worked at restaurants in听Minnesota, California and New Jersey 鈥 was "hands-down" the best.
"From the flavors to the presentation, it was phenomenal," Knauss said. "He blew us all away."
Tran described the restaurant's style of sushi to 水果派AV as "modern elevated ... familiar or old-school, but kind of new at the same time." Along with traditional rolls and sashimi, the menu will include more unique items like baked mussels and spicy tuna tostada. Tran compared the latter to nachos, mixing Japanese and Mexican cuisine. Drinks will include hot and cold sake, and signature cocktails.
The restaurant's fish will be flown in daily from around the world, Tran said. That focus on freshness means the menu will change seasonally, monthly and even weekly.听
"Want to make sure it's genuinely an exceptional experience every time someone comes through our doors," Knauss said. "An elevated sushi experience that doesn't really exist in upstate New York."
For that reason, Knauss and his partners expect Hidden Fish customers to come from not just central New York, but a much wider region. All four partners are residents of Skaneateles, so Knauss said they hope to bring "culinary diversity" to the community the way Weitsman and his wife, Kim, have with stylish Mexican restaurant Elephant and the Dove and historic fine dining spot The Krebs.听
Knauss and Weitsman are also partners in Clover's, the diner they opened in the former Johnny Angel's Heavenly Burger's in June 2022 in response to the closure of the beloved Hilltop Restaurant.
"It's important for us to have as many great food options as possible," Knauss said. "We want to grow the region, we want to attract great people to the region, and a big part of that is the food scene."
As they do at their other restaurants, Knauss said, he and Weitsman will donate all of their profits from Hidden Fish to local charities.
The restaurant's dining room and bar seat about 50, but two patio areas the partners hope to develop for warmer seasons will increase capacity by about 35. Standing in the finished interior in December 鈥 its clean wooden surfaces interrupted only by commissioned panels of moss and more illustrations with Japanese influence 鈥 Knauss said he was excited for the community to experience Hidden Fish.
"After a lot of hard work and some really great visioning it's come to life," Knauss said. "We're really proud of it."
- Robert Harding
The former treasurer of an upstate New York fire company must pay restitution and will serve probation for stealing $50,000.听
Cindi Perkins, 58, was sentenced Wednesday to five years probation and ordered to pay $50,000. She was arrested in July and pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny in November.听
The charge followed an investigation by the state comptroller's office and New York State Police. During Perkins' final three years as treasurer of the Morley Volunteer Fire Company in St. Lawrence County, she withdrew fire department funds at del Lago Resort & Casino and Turning Stone Resort Casino.听
The investigation also found Perkins wrote checks from the fire company's bank account to herself and kept other funds she should have deposited.听
According to the state comptroller's office, investigators matched deposits made by Perkins into her personal bank account with amounts paid to the fire company. She used the funds to cover personal expenses, including groceries.听
"Ms. Perkins diverted money meant to protect her community to line her own pockets," state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said. "Thanks to my partnership with District Attorney Greg Pasqua and the state police, she has now been held accountable and restitution ordered."听
- 水果派AV staff
New York state officials are encouraging people who plan to travel to view the upcoming total solar eclipse to avoid ecologically sensitive and potentially hazardous remote locations.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation this week issued tips to help the public prepare to recreate safely and responsibly during the highly anticipated April 8 eclipse.
While DEC law enforcement and operations staff will be prepared for visitors, the agency said, eclipse watchers are encouraged to find Adirondack destinations outside the backcountry. The DEC recommends eclipse enthusiasts take advantage of the numerous eclipse-viewing gatherings scheduled across the state instead of visiting state lands, particularly the Adirondack High Peaks because of the prevailing muddy conditions, especially in the backcountry and elevations above 2,500 feet. There also remains a significant chance of icy trails in some areas at this time of year that will be even more treacherous in darkness.
People who would like to register for the dozens of events and activities hosted at New York state parks and historic sites may do so through the State Parks event calendar and the . Other areas outside the path of totality, including New York City and Long Island, will experience 88% totality or more during the event and also have eclipse-themed events scheduled.
All state land regulations remain in effect in the days leading up to, during and after the eclipse. Anyone visiting state forests or forest preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill Park must observe all designated rules and regulations to protect fellow visitors as well as the forest environment, including restrictions on group sizes.
Because large groups are more likely to have an impact on trails and other natural resources, groups of more than 20 people and those that wish to visit state land for weddings, filmmaking, research and other uses must get a permit from a DEC land manager. Both the High Peaks Wilderness Area and the Catskills Wilderness Area have lower group size limits.
The DEC also issued safety tips and general rules for viewing the eclipse:
鈥 Protect your eyes: Do not look directly at the sun during the eclipse. Viewing any part of the sun through a camera lens, binoculars or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury. Some of the best ways to view a solar eclipse include through a pinhole projector where you look at a projected image through a pinhole in cardboard paper, or by using certified eclipse glasses from a trusted source.
鈥 Road safety: Traffic volume is expected to be very high on the day of the eclipse. Plan on staying in one place for the day and allow for plenty of extra travel time. Do not stop to view the eclipse along the roadway, especially interstates, parkways and freeways. Choose a safe viewing destination off the road and arrive early.
鈥 Fire safety: The state burn ban begins March 16 and runs through May 14. This season, extra vigilance is important because the past winter season was warmer and drier than normal, leaving dormant vegetation from last year exposed and susceptible to fire.
- David Wilcox
After months of delay, the redevelopment of a former restaurant and bowling alley in the town of Skaneateles has resumed.听
Woodbine Hospitality Group, of Syracuse, is redeveloping the former Hilltop Restaurant and Cedar House Lanes on West Genesee Street. The resulting mixed-use development will include a new restaurant and bowling alley, as well as hotel rooms, a family game area, beer and coffee options, and more. Woodbine purchased the property from longtime owner Sean Mott for $1.59 million in December 2021.
After demolishing the former restaurant, redevelopment was delayed for "longer than we hoped," Woodbine Chief Operating Officer Tom Fernandez told 水果派AV recently. But as of this week the work has resumed, with construction vehicles, dumpsters and new plastic sheeting visible outside the former bowling alley. Fernandez attributed the delays to the emergence of "additional engineering needs."
"It took a lot to make sure we could retain that building and reutilize it," he said. "It's a spectacular building."
Fernandez said Woodbine's redevelopment plan remains mostly the same as it was when he revealed it to 水果派AV in late 2021. The alley will be split in half, with one continuing to have bowling lanes and the other having games like foosball, ping pong and shuffleboard. The restaurant will have seating for about 100 and a bar, with its menu featuring "funky takes on a diner menu" in a nod to the Hilltop. And a second floor will be added to the building with 20 to 25 efficiency hotel rooms for extended or one-night stays. The facade of the new floor will mimic those of the village of Skaneateles.
Woodbine hopes to begin principal construction soon, Fernandez said.
- David Wilcox
SENNETT 鈥 The sun is once again rising on the storied Route 20 restaurant located just seconds outside the Auburn city limits.
What was previously Route 20 Grill & Tap, and perhaps most famously the Pioneer Restaurant, is now At Long Last. The freshly remodeled space offers breakfast and brunch fare described to 水果派AV by owner Robin Long as "a little step up from what normal diner fare might be." Signature meals include听shrimp-and-grits eggs Benedict, and chicken and waffles with sriracha maple and bacon jam.
For Long, the name of the business is more than a pun. Its Feb. 15 opening was the culmination of a career that began about 30 years ago at the Old Erie Restaurant in Weedsport.
She went on to a few chain restaurants and then the Sherwood Inn, where she was general manager for six years. During COVID-19 she suddenly had to work as the historic Skaneateles establishment's line cook, takeout coordinator and outdoor seating manager, adding even more experiences to a career that began with washing dishes and hosting. She credited the Old Erie's Dave and Eileen Gibson and the Sherwood's Bill Eberhardt for teaching her the work and giving her the confidence to do it well. But she's wanted to be her own boss since falling in love with the industry on her first day in it.听
"I think it's everybody's dream in this industry to have their own place. I think once that's in your blood, it doesn't ever leave," she said. "I love customer service, the guests, the hustle and the bustle."听
A few years ago, after Route 20 Grill & Tap closed due to a fire, Long found her opportunity. The restaurant was purchased by Auburn developer Matteo Bartolotta, who reached out to her husband, Jason Long, about leasing it. She was unsure at first. The space was a wreck, she recalled, stripped down to the studs in the more damaged areas. But Bartolotta sold her and Jason on the possibilities.
"This whole project wouldn't have been possible without Matt and Anthony Bartolotta having a vision of what this run-down building could have been," she said. "We owe them a lot for this beautiful spot."
The location was important to Long as well. She was born in Sennett, where her family owns a large dairy farm, and she continues to live in the town with her husband. Likewise, she drew from her experiences at local restaurants while devising At Long Last. At the Sherwood she learned the importance of quality ingredients and preparation, she said, and she looked to a former colleague there to help her apply that lesson to the upscale breakfast and brunch fare she wanted to serve: Zach Piraino, who also worked at The Krebs in Skaneateles. He's now executive chef of the new business.
Piraino told 水果派AV the menu consists of classic meals reinvented into unique ones. The already popular house-made bacon jam does that to the chicken and waffles, and the smash burger.
"Zach has a super funky brain," Long said. "I could see that he had a creativity that maybe didn't pair well with the Sherwood Inn menu or the Krebs menu. But I think it pairs really well here."
Long said she gave her executive chef a blank slate to engineer the menu, and the decor of the space reflects that mindset. The walls are completely white, save for a few accent spots that will feature wallpaper from A&M Graphics in Auburn with the cartoon toast, bacon and egg in the restaurant's logo. The morning sun through the many south-facing windows only accentuates Long's clean, minimalist ambitions. She thanked of Syracuse for its design help, and Bartolotta for building the wooden bar and booths by hand. The bar seats about 15, and the whole dining room about 90.
The second floor of the restaurant, once the subject of a lengthy court battle, was sealed off during its remodeling and will be used as an Airbnb, Long said. But she plans to use the patio area for outdoor seating during warmer months. She also wants to expand the drink menu, as her mimosa flights have been "selling like hotcakes," and possibly add dinner if she can find the staff that would require.
"It's been a fun ride so far," she said of the restaurant's first week. "At Long Last I had the courage, and my kids are a little bit older now, and I can just pour my heart and soul into this business."
- Robert Harding
After 156 years, Wells College in Aurora will close at the end of the spring semester.听
Wells College President Jonathan Gibralter and board chair Marie Chapman Carroll announced the closure plan in a posted on the college's website. They wrote that the college, which was founded in 1868, "does not have adequate financial resources to continue."听
"As you may be aware, many small colleges like Wells have faced enormous financial challenges," Chapman Carroll and Gibralter said. "These challenges have been exacerbated by a global pandemic, a shrinking pool of undergraduate students nationwide, inflationary pressures and an overall negative sentiment towards higher education."听
The letter acknowledges that board members attempted to find ways to prevent the college's closure through fundraising campaigns and new programs. But revenues, the leaders continued, "are not projected to be sufficient for Wells' long-term financial stability."听
The closure will affect about 370 total students and 193 employees, according to a Wells College spokesperson. Wells leaders announced an agreement with Manhattanville University to be the college's preferred teach-out partner, which would allow students to transfer there to continue their studies.听
Manhattanville has also shown interest in a legacy agreement that would integrate Wells' name and history into its community.听
Teach-out agreements have been reached with other institutions, including Excelsior University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Keuka College, Le Moyne College, Mercy University and SUNY Brockport.听
No decisions have been made about college-owned property, including the 300-acre Aurora campus. The board plans to collaborate with state and local leaders to determine what should be done with the college's real estate.听
Wells joins other small liberal arts colleges in New York that have closed in recent years, including Cazenovia College in Madison County in 2023. The College of Saint Rose in Albany will also at the end of the spring semester. Low enrollment and financial problems have contributed to the closures.听
Before deciding to close, Wells had faced challenges over the years. In 2019, the college was placed on probation by its accrediting organization, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, for not complying with its financial and planning standards.
The following year was the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gibralter in May 2020 warning that the college would close if students wouldn't be able to return to campus. After a successful fundraising campaign brought in $4 million, the college announced it would be open for the 2020-21 academic year.听
As COVID eased, Wells had its accreditation reaffirmed and probation lifted by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in 2021. Although those were positive signs, the financial struggles continued.听
Wells sought to address those challenges by asking for donations, implementing new marketing strategies, selling non-essential properties and streamlining academic programs, according to the college.听
Although fundraising had netted significant financial support in the past, Wells said its board "recognizes that it cannot carry the college." In its closure plan, the college notes it would've needed to raise $12 million to "make possible, not certain, another year of operation."
Without other revenue sources, the college would need to sustain that level of fundraising to continue operations.听
- Robert Harding
Bimbo Bakeries has notified its employees that it will close its Auburn facility, one of three bakeries the company will shut down in the next few months.听
In a statement, Bimbo Bakeries said it will close two New York bakeries 鈥 Auburn and Olean 鈥 and its facility in San Antonio, Texas. The closure will affect 49 employees in Auburn and 82 in Olean, according to a worker adjustment and retraining notification filed with the state Department of Labor.听
The Auburn bakery will close Sept. 6, while the Olean facility will cease operations on Nov. 2.听
"We will transition production to bakeries in our network that are better equipped to support our future growth," a spokesperson for Bimbo Bakeries USA said. "We remain grateful for our hardworking associates at these bakeries and are committed to providing them with resources and support to ease their transitions."听
Bill Andre, business agent for the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union Local 116, told 水果派AV the union has 41 members at the Auburn bakery. He was notified of the closure at 11 a.m. Tuesday.听
Andre, who worked at the bakery for 12 years, said he was "blindsided" by the decision.听
"My thoughts on corporate America is they're not making a lot of money," he said, while noting the company blamed production as a factor for the closure. "They made rolls for Burger King and fast food isn't what it used to be."听
On a call with investors, Grupo Bimbo CEO Rafael Pamias said the bakeries targeted for closure are "older and less efficient" than other facilities. The bakeries account for less than 2% of the company's total capacity, he added.听
Diego Gaxiola, Grupo Bimbo's chief financial officer, highlighted the advantages of closing the bakeries. Based on the timing of the closures, which will be completed by the end of this year, the company anticipates seeing financial benefits in 2025.听
While the largest commercial baking company in the U.S. reaps the rewards of closing its Auburn facility, the decision disrupts the lives of workers, some of whom have worked at the bakery since it opened as Automatic Rolls in 1977.听
Andre will be meeting with Bimbo Bakeries representatives to secure severance packages for the affected employees. Workers, even those who have been with the company for less than a year, will get severance pay. The duration of the pay and how long employees will remain on their health insurance plans are among the issues that must be addressed.听
Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino told 水果派AV the city is available to assist the bakery's staff.听
"My heart goes out to the hardworking men and women who are affected by this closure," said Giannettino, who added he is "disappointed that ownership did not reach out to local or state officials to discuss whether or not this could have been avoided."听
Despite its size, the Auburn plant was successful competing against other bakeries that provided buns to Burger King. Every quarter, Andre explained, the bakery's manager would transport buns to the fast food chain's headquarters in Miami. Buns from several bakeries were graded and Auburn's would often finish in the top three.听
The members Andre represents work hard and do a good job, he said. He described Tuesday, when he learned of the closure, as one of the worst days of his life.听
"It just hit me like a ton of bricks," he said.听
Bimbo Bakeries has 20,000 employees in the U.S. and produces baked goods for several brands, including Entenman's, Sara Lee and Stroehmann.听
- David Wilcox
The Finger Lakes Drive-In plans to open this summer, as soon as June, despite having its entrance blockaded by the Cayuga Nation due to a property line dispute that remains in court.
The blockade, which effectively closes the Aurelius movie theater, was also recently mentioned in a separate court proceeding that involves drive-in owner Paul Meyer and the nation's leadership council.
On Wednesday, the drive-in听 on its Facebook page: "There are definite plans to open the drive-in this season; likely in June. We have been getting things ready. We may be shifting things around."
The drive-in might have to shift things around to open because the nation claims that its entrance, as well as several of its parking spots and about a third of its movie screen, are actually located on 1044 Clark St. Road next door. The nation purchased that property, assessed at $56,000, for $720,000 in January 2023. The nation has said it intends to place the property into federal trust.
After the nation brought the dispute to Cayuga County Supreme Court in January, the drive-in responded by asking for an injunction against the blockade. Meyer argued that his access to the neighboring property was protected by a 20-year lease he signed with the previous owner. He alleged the nation knew about the lease before the purchase, but the nation called the lease "invalid and unenforceable."
The nation has been ordered to show cause why the injunction should not be granted at a June 11 hearing. The nation's leadership council did not respond to a request for comment by 水果派AV.
Meyer also did not respond to a request for comment. The drive-in's Facebook post noted the dispute but said, "I try to keep it non-political so I'll leave the conversation to what's been said here."听
As the property dispute plays out in state court, another proceeding involving Meyer and the nation continues in federal court.听
The drive-in owner is currently arguing for access to nation financial records in the leadership council's RICO lawsuit against him and Montezuma smoke shop Pipekeepers. Meyer is a codefendant in the lawsuit, which accuses the smoke shop of stealing $5 million in business from the nation, because he sold the听7153 Route 90 property where it's located to operator Dusty Parker.
Parker and Meyer, who are being defended separately, each seek access to the financial records the nation used to calculate the $5 million figure. The nation, however, argues the records are attorney-client privileged information. Further, the nation continued, if Meyer was given access to them, he could not be trusted to "keep them locked away" from Parker due to their "ongoing relationship."听
Despite Meyer's claim to the contrary, the nation said, evidence of that relationship can be seen on the video billboard in front of the drive-in, which has been running a Pipekeepers advertisement.
In response, Meyer attorney David Tennant argued that Pipekeepers is one of several advertisers who use the billboard, and such use does not show "direct participation in the competing businesses of the Parker defendants." Tennant then mentioned the nation's purchase of the property next to the drive-in and blockade of the business, calling its actions "tortious."听
"It is the Nation that blurs the record and makes arguments unsupported by facts or law," he said.
- David Wilcox
Another rare photo of Harriet Tubman has been released by a Maryland tour group, this one capturing her at the age of about 70.
Alex Green, owner of听,听told 水果派AV the 1892 photo听 from an edition of The Household Magazine.
Tubman is pictured听wearing a dark dress with a decorative collar and a hair pin. Below the photo, she is referred to as "Harriet, the Modern Moses, now living in Auburn, N.Y."
An article with the photo includes a lengthy quote from Tubman about her visit as a teen to the Bucktown General Store in Dorchester County, where she was struck in the head by a 2-pound weight thrown by a slaveowner at another enslaved person. The weight fractured her skull, resulting in epilepsy and what she believed were spiritual visions that she experienced for the rest of her life.
Green noted that the quote is an example of "plantation dialect," which racistly stylizes the speech of Black people.听
Tubman biographer听Kate Clifford Larson听posted the photo on her Facebook page on Wednesday, the civil rights icon "beautiful" and commenting, "such style!" The biographer thanked Green and his wife, Lisa, for finding the photo. In comments below her post, Larson expressed hope that the original could be found as well.
Harriet Tubman Tours previously released a rare photo of the group's namesake in December. That photo, from 1908, pictured her standing in front of her home on South Street in Auburn.听
Green said he hopes the photos generate more interest in Tubman, her life and her work to achieve freedom for all.
"I thought it'd be interesting to move the needle forward with her wonderful life," he told 水果派AV in December. "History has so much to catch up to."
- David Wilcox
The Auburn Planning Board on Tuesday will hear a proposal to build a location of fast food chain Sonic Drive-In in the city.
The site plan application, submitted by Texas-based Soar Restaurants II LLC, proposes the demolition of the residence at 132-134 Grant Ave. and construction of a 1,227-square-foot Sonic there. The restaurant would have a drive-thru and 10 stalls for car-side service, as well as a parking lot, according to听.
In a memo to the board, city planner Ashley Teucke the June 4 meeting will include a presentation of the proposal and an opportunity for public comment. Written comment is also welcome.
Final consideration of the proposal is expected to take place at the planning board's meeting in July or August, Teucke added.
According to Cayuga County property records, 132-134 Grant Ave. is currently owned by Catherine Guter et al. and has a tentative 2024 full market value of $144,886.听
Teucke told 水果派AV that the property was condemned by the city in 2018 and has been vacant since 2019.
Based in Oklahoma City, Sonic has more than 3,500 locations in the U.S. The first in central New York opened in 2015 in the town of Clay. The chain is known for its burgers, shakes and chili cheese Coneys, and its use of carhops to serve customers. It was ranked 14th in QSR's 2020 rankings of the top 50 fast food brands in the U.S.
- David Wilcox
Four smoke shops in the Auburn area have been shut down by the state for selling cannabis to minors, and without a license, after a collaborative effort with city and county officials.听
Blue Smoke and More at 30 E. Genesee St., O-Exotic Smoke Shop at 62 Owasco St. and听Lucky Seven Mini Mart听at 213 State St., all in the city, as well as听Panda Smoke Shop听at 1626 Clark St. Road in Aurelius have been padlocked by officials with the New York State Office of Cannabis Management.
The office announced the operation at a press event at Blue Smoke on Tuesday afternoon. Its director of enforcement, Daniel Haughney, said Blue Smoke sold some cannabis items meant to attract minors, holding up examples with imagery from "Rick and Morty" and "Winnie the Pooh." Another item he held up had packaging that indicated its cannabis was from California.听
"When you purchase from these shops, you don't know what you're buying," he said. "These products are typically filled in the back room of these stores with product that there's no background on."
Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino said at the event that he was contacted months ago by a local mother whose son was purchasing cannabis products at Blue Smoke. She came to the mayor after going to the shop and asking its staff to stop selling to her son, only to be told to leave.
Giannettino then reached out to Auburn Police Department Chief James Slayton, and they worked with the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office and district attorney's office, as well as the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force, to bring the issue to the state's attention.
"This is the result of a collaborative effort that I'm very appreciative of," said Giannettino, who noted that Blue Smoke has been a source of aggravation for neighboring businesses like Gretchen's Confections and Cafe, which moved to Marcellus last month.
"Hopefully, with this action today, future shops that think they can come here and take root in Auburn will realize it's not going to happen," the mayor continued.
City Corporation Counsel Nate Garland told 水果派AV that local officials felt the Office of Cannabis Management would be an effective partner in dealing with Blue Smoke and the other smoke shops due to its ability to swiftly padlock businesses for selling cannabis to minors, or without a license.
The office took the same action听last summer against听I'm Stuck, a regional chain of unlicensed cannabis dispensaries with a location down the block at 9 E. Genesee St.
The city gave the office its case files on local smoke shops, Garland said, and weeks later the state's unlicensed cannabis task force staged an operation from the Aurelius state police barracks.
Haughney said the padlocked shops, and the owners of the properties where they operated, will eventually face fines as well. I'm Stuck was fined more than $15 million by the state in May.
- David Wilcox
The Auburn Police Department has released body camera footage of a Sept. 7 arrest that knocked a man unconscious after weeks of community discussion about it, including comments at City Council.
In a news release Tuesday, Police Chief James Slayton said officers were听interviewing a juvenile suspect on Cady Street that night. He was accused of trespassing on the properties of residents, who also had video footage of attempts by that juvenile and others to break into cars. The department had received several complaints about break-ins throughout the city in the weeks prior.
As officers interviewed the juvenile, Slayton continued, they were approached by Dedrick A. Parks, 25. He asked if the juvenile was on his property, and was told that the juvenile was indeed trespassing.
Parks then approached the juvenile and told him to stay off his property or he would "smoke" him, Slayton said. Officers placed their hands in front of Parks to keep him away from the juvenile, leading Parks to swat an officer's arm away and say, "Get the (obscenity) off of me." The officer and another then attempted to arrest Parks, who resisted despite commands to comply.
During the arrest, Slayton said, officers lifted Parks off the ground to destabilize him and take him to "a platform where he could be controlled." However, he hit his head on the concrete sidewalk and was knocked unconscious. Officers immediately called for emergency medical services and tended to Parks. After 42 seconds he regained consciousness, and was walked to a patrol car.
Due to a miscommunication, Slayton said, responders met Parks at Auburn police headquarters. He was charged with second-degree obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest.
Slayton said he released the footage due to "many misconceptions and false statements" about the arrest, in the interest of "transparency and the community having the facts."听
"Through honesty and factual reporting of events, we want to continue to ensure the safety of the public and the officers on the street," he said.
Several community members spoke about the arrest during the public comment portions of recent meetings of Auburn City Council.
Resident Erica Manners said at council's Sept. 12 meeting that Parks, whom she called a "lifelong friend," couldn't open his mouth wide enough to eat as a result of his injury.听
"His jawbones have been broken by the very hands that are meant to protect him," she said.
"I've known police brutality and abuse of power has gone on around the world for years, but to know it's so close to you shakes you to the core," she continued. "I just can't for the life of me understand how 'it takes a village,' but that same village is the one taking us, one by one, and breaking us and claiming it to be justified. Is there truly no other way? Is de-escalation no longer a tactic?"
Also speaking was resident Cherry Love-Duncan, aunt of Chelci Love, who was struck听in the head several times by an Auburn police officer during an arrest recorded outside West Middle School Apartments in August. The department said the officer's strikes were "not considered excessive" and necessary to save Love's 3-year-old daughter from harm after Love wrapped her legs around her neck.
"All you're doing in this city is causing a whole lot of trouble," Love-Duncan told City Council. "A whole lot of tears. And we will not stand for it no more."
Resident Gwen Webber-McLeod, CEO of leadership development corporation Gwen Inc., noted her work as a diversity, equity and inclusion strategist with law enforcement organizations across the state. Supporting officers and keeping them safe must be balanced with making sure the communities they serve receive fair treatment, she said, and aren't punished for "simply living while Black."
"It is the birthright of every citizen in the city of Auburn, New York, to be equally protected under the law, kept safe, valued and respected as citizens coexisting in this community," she said.
"What we choose to do next as a city really matters."
