November top reads: Cayuga County-area elections, Auburn child care center faces loss of license
- 人兽性交 staff
- Updated
- 0
人兽性交's top 10 most-read stories for the month of November.聽
- David Wilcox
- Updated
The director of an Auburn child care center has been placed on leave following her arrest on shoplifting charges in Seneca Falls last week.
The center, meanwhile, is facing the revocation of its license by the state Office of Children and Family Services for unrelated reasons.
Cayuga Community College Childcare Center Director Colette TenEyck, 38, of Seneca Falls, was arrested Nov. 3 by the town's police department after investigations into complaints of thefts at the Walmart in Waterloo. The investigations found that TenEyck was stealing items from the store by scanning less expensive ones in place of them at the self-checkout machine on three separate occasions.
TenEyck has been charged with three counts of first-degree falsifying business records, a Class E felony, and three counts of petit larceny, a misdemeanor. She was release on an appearance ticket.
Andrew Poole, the college's director of public relations, told 人兽性交 on Monday that TenEyck has been placed on leave. She is an employee of the Faculty Student Association, which is affiliated with the college but a separate entity. TenEyck's status was also confirmed in a letter to parents by the association's interim executive director, Elizabeth Gallo. The acting director of the center is Lisa Fredette.
"We are confident in our current staff and their ability to provide excellent care for your child(ren)," Gallo said in the Monday letter, a copy of which was obtained by 人兽性交.聽
Gallo's letter to parents separately notes that the 81 Wall St. center's license is pending revocation by the state "related to an incident this fall" and not to TenEyck's arrest.
According to , inspectors found several violations during an Oct. 28 visit that was prompted by a complaint. They include:
- Not providing children with competent supervision at all times.
- Not following the maximum group size of 12 for children ages 18 to 36 months old.
- Not immediately reporting suspected incidents of child abuse or maltreatment to the state.
- Not keeping children clean and comfortable at all times, including properly changing diapers when wet or soiled.
- Not clearly marking containers of breast milk, formula or other individualized food items with the child's full name.
- Not immediately notifying the parent and the state upon learning of serious incidents that occurred while the child was in the center's care.
- Not maintaining daily attendance records in a current and accurate manner.
Gallo said the center expects the matter to be "positively resolved and (not) result in significant changes to our operations. We have already addressed the violations, implemented corrective action, and are currently working with OCFS to follow any and all additional actions they suggest. This can be a lengthy process, so I am asking for your patience as we work with them."
The center previously聽faced license revocation in 2022, but months later the violations were聽resolved. It has a capacity of 132 children, making it one of the largest child care providers in the city.聽
The Office of Children and Family Services does not comment on active investigations.
- David Wilcox
- Updated
AUBURN 鈥 Brian Bell and his family have a roof over their head. They have a bed and a bathroom. But they don't have a home.聽
Like many local homeless people in the Auburn area, Brian and his family have been housed in hotels by the Cayuga County Department of Social Services since September 2023.聽
Brian, 52, his wife, Jennifer, 46, and their son, Brian, are currently living at the Rodeway Inn in Weedsport.
When Brian and Jennifer spoke with 人兽性交 in September, they were living at the Cayuga Inn at the Finger Lakes in Auburn, formerly a Days Inn. Before that, they lived at the Auburn Inn.
They described the conditions at the hotels as substandard: stained linens and carpets, unpleasant smells, signs of drug use.
Their descriptions match those of other homeless people interviewed by 人兽性交 in recent months, as well as observations from visits to the hotels and pictures provided by occupants.
But the biggest problem with living in a hotel room, Brian and Jennifer said, is just that 鈥 living in a hotel room.
"You can't live out of a microwave and minifridge," he said.
The Bells became homeless because they stopped paying rent on their last apartment after going without heat for six months, Brian said. Finding a new one has been hard. Many landlords charge up to $20 to conduct background checks, an emerging practice confirmed to 人兽性交 by several homeless service providers.
"How can I set money aside for a month's rent if it's taken me $400 to look at different apartments?" he said.聽
Brian's livelihood has been decimated for the last nine years by a degenerative spine and nerve condition caused by a work injury, he said. He has 10 seizures a day, and is considered terminal.
A surgical procedure could have helped, he said, but it came with a 60% risk he wouldn't be able to walk again. Instead, he's been medicating with cannabis. He wants to be able to take care of his wife of 27 years and their son, who has autism and schizophrenia. In turn, she serves as her husband's nurse sometimes.
Also helping Brian are two emotional support dogs. They rouse him from seizures, he said, and take him home when he has "amnesia moments." But they've not been welcome with hotel managers. They're not certified service dogs, and though he claims otherwise, that doesn't give them the same legal protections.
The county's commissioner of social services, Christine Bianco, told 人兽性交 that emotional support dogs and other pets are common among the people her department houses in hotels.
"Having any pet live in a small room is tough for people to be living there, and having it be kept up the way it needs to be," she said. "That's why this kind of housing is not ideal."聽
Another reason why housing homeless people in hotels is not ideal, Bianco said, is the cost to the county. It $2,567,000 to rent rooms to 455 adults and 175 children last year, which amounted to $1.3 million after state reimbursements. She said the cost of rooms this year will be at least as much, if not more.聽
The Department of Social Services has received complaints about the hotels like the ones voiced by the Bells, Bianco said. Staff shares them with management and code enforcement.聽
Other complaints the department can't do anything about, Bianco said, because hotels are ultimately businesses that can make their own rules. For the Bells, those complaints include the use of an outdoor common space at the Cayuga Inn at the Finger Lakes. Management closed it late in the summer, Brian said.
"We had a community," he said. "We'd have picnics to save money, and kept the kids out of trouble."
Instead, management asked the homeless people housed at the hotel to use a smaller, enclosed area as their common space. It made Brian feel like they were "prisoners," he said. Bianco said the change was a response to neighbors who about the hotel's occupants at the Aug. 22 meeting of Auburn City Council.
Despite what those neighbors may think, Brian said, he and his family aren't bad people. They've simply fallen on hard times 鈥 and hope to find a home that isn't limited to a hotel room.
"I got here doing the right things," he said. "I just didn't come out the right way."
- Robert Harding
- Updated
Not long after Wells College's board of trustees selected a broker, the Aurora campus has been listed for sale.聽
CBRE, a Syracuse-based commercial real estate firm, posted the listing and created a website, , detailing what's available. The property includes 127 acres and 25 buildings.聽
In its listing, CBRE says the former campus's amenities "provide a unique opportunity, whether as a turnkey acquisition for another institutional user or as a redevelopment for a creative developer looking to repurpose this beautiful facility."聽
A sale price is not provided. CBRE does have a confidentiality agreement available for parties to fill out so they can track their interest.聽
The listing was expected after Wells College revealed its decision to hire CBRE to market the campus. The board of trustees shared that information in a newsletter sent to alumni in October.聽
There has already been interest in buying the property, according to the board.聽
"Those and any other subsequent proposals we receive will be shared with CBRE and will be evaluated along with others received as a result of CBRE's outreach efforts," the board added. "While there is no reasonable way to predict, we anticipate that the process of finding a viable buyer for the campus may take a year or more to complete."聽
The marketing of the campus is occurring while there are concerns about the state of its buildings and the college's assets, such as artifacts, artwork and other holdings.聽
Wells Legacy Society, an alumni group that formed after the college's closure announcement, said the facilities are "at risk of irreparable harm" because they won't be heated during the winter. They cited preservation experts who are concerned about the damage that could be done if there is no heat in the buildings.聽
The college is working with Christie's, a well-known auction house, to sell most of its assets and consulted with them on the status of the buildings. The trustees noted in their recent newsletter that Christie's advised that "a greater risk of damage from mold and mildew exists if buildings remain heated, since such conditions would promote their growth."聽
Wells is winterizing the buildings and draining water from the pipes after receiving guidance from Christie's and the state fire marshal.聽
奥别濒濒蝉听announced in April聽that it would close after 156 years. The college聽formally closed聽on June 30.聽
- 人兽性交 staff
- Updated
The votes are in, and Cayuga County's most competitive elections have been decided.
Below find 人兽性交's live updates from throughout Election Day, including results for the following major local races:
- 22nd Congressional District: U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams (R) vs. state Sen. John Mannion (D)
- 126th Assembly District: Assemblyman John Lemondes (R) vs. Ian Phillips (D)
- 48th Senate District: State Sen. Rachel May (D) vs. Caleb Slater (R)
- Cayuga County Family Court judge: Steve Buschman (R) vs. Kristin Garland (D)
For more detailed vote counts, be sure to check out our live results page here:
Live updates on Election Day in the Cayuga County area:
11:45 p.m.: Incumbents John Lemondes (R) and Rachel May (D) have won their New York State Assembly and Senate races, respectively, over challengers Ian Phillips (D) and Caleb Slater (R). See 人兽性交's roundup of the most competitive local elections by Robert Harding:聽
11:08 p.m.:聽人兽性交's Robert Harding has called the 22nd Congressional District for Democrat John Mannion, unseating incumbent Republican Brandon Williams and flipping a key seat in the House of Representatives. The Associated Press called the race at 11:14 p.m.
11 p.m.: Steven Buschman hugs supporters after learning he won the Cayuga County Family Court judgeship at the Republican election night watch party Tuesday at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn. Buschman defeated Democrat Kristin Garland for the newly created seat.
10:55 p.m.: The latest numbers from Cayuga County, with 100% of precincts reporting:
22nd Congressional District
- John Mannion (D): 10,912
- Brandon Williams (R): 12,207
126th Assembly District
- Assemblyman John Lemondes (R): 11,301
- Ian Phillips (D): 8,534
48th Senate District
- State Sen. Rachel May (D): 15,318
- Caleb Slater (R): 18,187
Cayuga County Family Court judge
- Steve Buschman (R): 20,652
- Kristin Garland (D): 13,667
9:50 p.m.: Proposal 1 passes in New York, amending the state constitution to add protection from discrimination based on聽national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes or reproductive health care and autonomy. Story by the Associated Press:
9:45 p.m.: The Cayuga County Democratic Committee is holding its election night party at Prison City Brewing in Auburn. Among those in attendance are Assembly candidate Ian Phillips.
8:55 p.m.: The Cayuga County Republican Committee is holding its election night watch party at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn.
Assemblyman John Lemondes was in attendance. Caleb Slater, who is running in the 48th Senate District, is there now.
6:15 p.m.: The line to vote is out the door at the Casey Park polling location in Auburn. Polls close at 9 p.m., but anyone in line at that point will still be able to vote.
3:30 p.m.: State Sen. Rachel May is doing some final get-out-the-vote work in Auburn. She told 人兽性交 she's feeling good about her reelection chances in the 48th Senate District, which includes Auburn and Cayuga County. A voter driving by recognized her. She told May she voted for her, and asked her to 鈥減lease protect our lake.鈥
2:45 p.m.: Moravia poll worker Terry Palmer told 人兽性交 the turnout there is high, with more than 300 people by 2 p.m. That's higher than normal for a general election, Palmer said, and would be even higher if not for early voting.聽
1:40 p.m.: Add state Sen. John Mannion, D-Geddes, to the list of candidates who visited Auburn polling places today. Mannion, who is challenging Republican Congressman Brandon Williams in the 22nd Congressional District race, stopped at Auburn Alliance Church, according to his campaign.
1:30 p.m.: Workers at the polling location at Sacred Heart Church in Owasco told 人兽性交 it's been busy there today, with a steady stream of voters so far.
12:57 p.m.: According to the Cayuga County Board of Elections, 8,276 people voted by noon today. Combined with the early voting count, 42.5% of Cayuga County voters have cast their ballots in person. And there are still eight hours to go until the polls close.
11:30 a.m.: Keith Batman, Democratic elections commissioner in Cayuga County, told 人兽性交 that Election Day has been going 鈥渟urprisingly well.鈥
There were scanner issues at two polling locations in Brutus and Genoa, but those have been resolved. Turnout is strong. The elections board will provide an update shortly.
Batman said there was a complaint about electioneering at Auburn Alliance Church. Democratic candidates have signs near the driveway to the church, which is one of the citywide polling locations. There was a measurement and the signs are more than 100 feet away from the polling place.
Electioneering is prohibited within 100 feet of a polling place.
10 a.m.: Kristin Garland, an associate Auburn City Court judge who is running for Cayuga County Family Court judge, delivers breakfast pizza to the poll workers at Fingerlakes Mall in Aurelius.
Garland told 人兽性交 that she鈥檚 exceptionally proud of her campaign and is hoping voters recognize her experience. If she wins, she will be the first woman elected to serve as a county judge and only the third woman elected to a countywide office.
Before stopped by the mall voting site, Garland spent part of the morning in Moravia dodging the rain and delivering campaign literature to voters.
7:30 a.m.: Ian Phillips delivered Camerons doughnuts to poll workers at Auburn Alliance Church. There was a break in the action there, but turnout was strong in the first 90 minutes after the polls opened.
7:15 a.m.: Ian Phillips, a Democrat challenging Republican Assemblyman John Lemondes in the 126th Assembly District, spoke at Democratic headquarters in downtown Auburn. His campaign staff and volunteers were preparing to head out to deliver campaign literature to voters.
鈥淲e ran this campaign as a little bit of an experiment 鈥 an experiment in building community first and the belief that if we stayed positive and used this campaign to build our community up that good things would happen,鈥 Phillips said.
Phillips鈥 campaign slogan is, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the best that could happen?鈥
In his speech, Phillips said he鈥檚 confident he will win. If that happens, 鈥渢he work continues.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to win and then we鈥檙e going to work for a better tomorrow for our community, our kids, our grandkids and for five generations, seven generations into the future.鈥
6:27 a.m.: Cayuga County Family Court judge candidate Steven Buschman votes at the Auburn Public Safety Building. After successfully submitting his ballot, he said, 鈥淚t won鈥檛 be a shutout.鈥 Buschman was among the first voters at the Seminary Street fire station, one of four citywide polling locations. He had to wait in line 鈥 turnout is already looking good on Election Day. Buschman was joined by Roberta Williams, his mentor and senior partner of WHMB P.C., where Buschman is also a senior partner.
- Christopher Malone
- Updated
A restaurant in northern Cayuga County is saying farewell to customers and the community.
Arnold's Family Restaurant, located at聽2667 Erie Drive in Weedsport, is closing permanently after co-owner Frederick Arnold passed away on Tuesday following a brief battle with cancer, according to by the restaurant. Its聽 final days of Friday through Sunday, Nov. 15 through 17, have been canceled.
However, the restaurant will be open from 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, for a celebration of Arnold's life, it said.
"We would love to welcome everyone to say goodbye to not only Fred but this chapter of life for (Arnold's wife) Sandy and the family," the restaurant said.聽
"We would like to thank our customers for 32 years of service. We cherish every memory made and will miss every single one of you."
The restaurant has been owned by the Arnolds since 2000, according to Cayuga County property records.
Known for its homemade pies, breakfast staples and comfort food, the family restaurant has a 4.5 rating on Google. Reviews, and replies on Facebook, have praised both its food and its service.
- Kelly Rocheleau
- Updated
An Auburn man is facing a manslaughter charge after a deadly stabbing Wednesday in Syracuse.
According to a news release from the Syracuse Police Department, officers responded to reports of a stabbing at about 7 that morning at 610 Oswego St. They found Devonte Crosby, 31, of Syracuse, with an apparent stab wound in his torso. American Medical Rescue gave medical aid to him, but he died at the scene.
Tyler Kilmer, 29, of Auburn, was arrested at the scene and taken to the department's Criminal Investigation Division, police said. He was charged with first-degree manslaughter (a Class B felony) and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (a Class D felony). He is being held at the Onondaga County Justice Center pending his arraignment.
The investigation into the stabbing is ongoing. Those with information about it are asked to call the Criminal Investigation Division at (315) 442-5222.
- Staff reports and The Associated Press
- Updated
Voters in Auburn, Cayuga County and central New York cast ballots on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, for federal, state and local races, including Cayuga County Family Court.
All results are unofficial.
Cayuga County election results, Nov. 5, 2024
New York聽presidential and U.S. Congress election results, Nov. 5, 2024
If you can't see results below, please tap here.
New York election results for state Assembly, Senate, Supreme Court and ballot measure, Nov. 5, 2024
Use the pulldown menus to select your state Senate and Assembly districts.
(Assemblyman John Lemondes (R) vs. Ian Phillips (D) is District 126; State Sen. Rachel May (D) vs. Caleb Slater (R) is District 48.)
- David Wilcox
- Updated
AUBURN 鈥 Joseph Calandro has been running his family's produce company in Auburn since 1921.聽
Three generations 鈥 all named Joseph Calandro, no middle name 鈥 have woken up before dawn every day to buy fresh produce from regional markets and wholesale it to local stores and restaurants.聽
They did that every day until Friday, when Joseph Calandro III closed Calandro Produce 103 years after his grandfather opened it as a store on State Street.
Speaking to 人兽性交 on Thursday, Joseph said it was just time.
"This business, it's your life," he said. "While I can still do stuff, I want to do stuff."
Joseph was joined Thursday by his wife, Diane, his father, Joseph Jr., and his brother, John, in the humble North Street garage where their business has stood for decades. The building is far enough from the road to be missed by most passersby and so old that it predates the city's zoning code, which is why it doesn't have a sign. "Calandro Produce" could only be found on the trucks in the driveway.
Joseph told 人兽性交 he's been in that building since he was 3. When he was 16, he drove a pickup to Auburn's grocery stores, delivering fruits and vegetables covered by a tarp. There was a store in every neighborhood back then, he said, but they've slowly disappeared as Wegmans and Walmart took their place. Maxwell's Food Store on North Lewis Street was among the last, closing in 2022.
Like the farms that grew the produce, the neighborhood stores that sold it often closed because the next generation didn't want to take them over. The same is true for Joseph and Diane's five children.
"They went their own way, and that's the way it should stay," he said.
As the stores closed, however, the rising number of restaurants kept Calandro's customer list steady at about 50 to 60. Longtime ones included Lasca's in Auburn and Mirbeau Inn & Spa in Skaneateles. The customers were usually the chefs themselves, and they sometimes took the company with them to new kitchens 鈥 such as Richard "Flip" Taradejna, chef at Highland Park Golf Club in Sennett.
Taradejna told 人兽性交 he has been a customer of Calandro for more than 25 years, praising Joseph's prompt attention to issues and willingness to accommodate special orders.
"Their produce was consistently exceptional, and the delivery drivers were always friendly," Taradejna said. "Joe Calandro's family and business will be deeply missed for a long time to come."
Being able to provide that close attention to customers is why Calandro hasn't expanded beyond its staff of half a dozen, Joseph said 鈥 despite business being strong enough, until its last day, to do so.
"We're a small place, and we've always kept it that way because once you get bigger, you can't service the way a small place does," he said, noting he and Diane woke up at 3 a.m. daily and worked 80 hours a week. "The customers have always been good to us, and we always do the best we can for them. You go out of the way to do whatever you got to do to make the customer happy."
Calandro has remained small even as the growers of its fruits and vegetables have consolidated over the decades into just a few big ones. The produce is also more processed today, Joseph said, noting that lettuce went from whole heads to mostly chopped or shredded. What was seasonal is now available year-round, and novelties like 10-pound seedless watermelons have become standard.聽
"I remember when I was a kid, we used to unload 70-pound watermelons," he said. "Now you don't see them anymore, because they had seeds in them. But they tasted better."
Diane, who married into the Calandro family, said it's been "a blast" to work with them and their "wonderful" customers. They're sad to see the company go, but happy the family is retiring.聽
"When you've got a good product, and good people delivering it," she said, "that's all you need."
- David Wilcox
- Updated
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating a death this month at an Auburn construction site.
The death took place Nov. 1 at the site of the West End Arts Campus, a project to improve the grounds of the Cayuga Museum of History & Art and Schweinfurth Art Center on Genesee Street. In a statement, the Schweinfurth told 人兽性交 the death was a "tragic accident." The center and the museum declined further comment on the death out of respect for the privacy of those affected.聽
Auburn Police Chief James Slayton told 人兽性交 the city is also declining comment on the death due to OSHA's investigation.
James Lally, deputy regional director for public affairs for the U.S. Department of Labor, told 人兽性交 OSHA is inspecting contractor Fabsite Industries to determine whether any workplace safety standards were violated on the project. The administration does not discuss open inspections. It has up to six months to complete an inspection, and there is no estimated completion date at this time.聽
According to OSHA's online database, the Phoenix-based Fabsite has not previously been inspected by the administration. The accident is categorized in the inspection report as an amputation.聽
Fabsite did not immediately respond to a request for comment by 人兽性交.聽
The West End Arts Campus聽aims to further unite the Cayuga Museum and Schweinfurth and make both buildings more accessible. It includes new entrances for each, as well as new lighting, signage and walkways, and additional parking. The $4.7 million project is supported by about $2.2 million from the city of Auburn's $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award from the state.
More like this...
- David Wilcox
The director of an Auburn child care center has been placed on leave following her arrest on shoplifting charges in Seneca Falls last week.
The center, meanwhile, is facing the revocation of its license by the state Office of Children and Family Services for unrelated reasons.
Cayuga Community College Childcare Center Director Colette TenEyck, 38, of Seneca Falls, was arrested Nov. 3 by the town's police department after investigations into complaints of thefts at the Walmart in Waterloo. The investigations found that TenEyck was stealing items from the store by scanning less expensive ones in place of them at the self-checkout machine on three separate occasions.
TenEyck has been charged with three counts of first-degree falsifying business records, a Class E felony, and three counts of petit larceny, a misdemeanor. She was release on an appearance ticket.
Andrew Poole, the college's director of public relations, told 人兽性交 on Monday that TenEyck has been placed on leave. She is an employee of the Faculty Student Association, which is affiliated with the college but a separate entity. TenEyck's status was also confirmed in a letter to parents by the association's interim executive director, Elizabeth Gallo. The acting director of the center is Lisa Fredette.
"We are confident in our current staff and their ability to provide excellent care for your child(ren)," Gallo said in the Monday letter, a copy of which was obtained by 人兽性交.聽
Gallo's letter to parents separately notes that the 81 Wall St. center's license is pending revocation by the state "related to an incident this fall" and not to TenEyck's arrest.
According to , inspectors found several violations during an Oct. 28 visit that was prompted by a complaint. They include:
- Not providing children with competent supervision at all times.
- Not following the maximum group size of 12 for children ages 18 to 36 months old.
- Not immediately reporting suspected incidents of child abuse or maltreatment to the state.
- Not keeping children clean and comfortable at all times, including properly changing diapers when wet or soiled.
- Not clearly marking containers of breast milk, formula or other individualized food items with the child's full name.
- Not immediately notifying the parent and the state upon learning of serious incidents that occurred while the child was in the center's care.
- Not maintaining daily attendance records in a current and accurate manner.
Gallo said the center expects the matter to be "positively resolved and (not) result in significant changes to our operations. We have already addressed the violations, implemented corrective action, and are currently working with OCFS to follow any and all additional actions they suggest. This can be a lengthy process, so I am asking for your patience as we work with them."
The center previously聽faced license revocation in 2022, but months later the violations were聽resolved. It has a capacity of 132 children, making it one of the largest child care providers in the city.聽
The Office of Children and Family Services does not comment on active investigations.
- David Wilcox
AUBURN 鈥 Brian Bell and his family have a roof over their head. They have a bed and a bathroom. But they don't have a home.聽
Like many local homeless people in the Auburn area, Brian and his family have been housed in hotels by the Cayuga County Department of Social Services since September 2023.聽
Brian, 52, his wife, Jennifer, 46, and their son, Brian, are currently living at the Rodeway Inn in Weedsport.
When Brian and Jennifer spoke with 人兽性交 in September, they were living at the Cayuga Inn at the Finger Lakes in Auburn, formerly a Days Inn. Before that, they lived at the Auburn Inn.
They described the conditions at the hotels as substandard: stained linens and carpets, unpleasant smells, signs of drug use.
Their descriptions match those of other homeless people interviewed by 人兽性交 in recent months, as well as observations from visits to the hotels and pictures provided by occupants.
But the biggest problem with living in a hotel room, Brian and Jennifer said, is just that 鈥 living in a hotel room.
"You can't live out of a microwave and minifridge," he said.
The Bells became homeless because they stopped paying rent on their last apartment after going without heat for six months, Brian said. Finding a new one has been hard. Many landlords charge up to $20 to conduct background checks, an emerging practice confirmed to 人兽性交 by several homeless service providers.
"How can I set money aside for a month's rent if it's taken me $400 to look at different apartments?" he said.聽
Brian's livelihood has been decimated for the last nine years by a degenerative spine and nerve condition caused by a work injury, he said. He has 10 seizures a day, and is considered terminal.
A surgical procedure could have helped, he said, but it came with a 60% risk he wouldn't be able to walk again. Instead, he's been medicating with cannabis. He wants to be able to take care of his wife of 27 years and their son, who has autism and schizophrenia. In turn, she serves as her husband's nurse sometimes.
Also helping Brian are two emotional support dogs. They rouse him from seizures, he said, and take him home when he has "amnesia moments." But they've not been welcome with hotel managers. They're not certified service dogs, and though he claims otherwise, that doesn't give them the same legal protections.
The county's commissioner of social services, Christine Bianco, told 人兽性交 that emotional support dogs and other pets are common among the people her department houses in hotels.
"Having any pet live in a small room is tough for people to be living there, and having it be kept up the way it needs to be," she said. "That's why this kind of housing is not ideal."聽
Another reason why housing homeless people in hotels is not ideal, Bianco said, is the cost to the county. It $2,567,000 to rent rooms to 455 adults and 175 children last year, which amounted to $1.3 million after state reimbursements. She said the cost of rooms this year will be at least as much, if not more.聽
The Department of Social Services has received complaints about the hotels like the ones voiced by the Bells, Bianco said. Staff shares them with management and code enforcement.聽
Other complaints the department can't do anything about, Bianco said, because hotels are ultimately businesses that can make their own rules. For the Bells, those complaints include the use of an outdoor common space at the Cayuga Inn at the Finger Lakes. Management closed it late in the summer, Brian said.
"We had a community," he said. "We'd have picnics to save money, and kept the kids out of trouble."
Instead, management asked the homeless people housed at the hotel to use a smaller, enclosed area as their common space. It made Brian feel like they were "prisoners," he said. Bianco said the change was a response to neighbors who about the hotel's occupants at the Aug. 22 meeting of Auburn City Council.
Despite what those neighbors may think, Brian said, he and his family aren't bad people. They've simply fallen on hard times 鈥 and hope to find a home that isn't limited to a hotel room.
"I got here doing the right things," he said. "I just didn't come out the right way."
- Robert Harding
Not long after Wells College's board of trustees selected a broker, the Aurora campus has been listed for sale.聽
CBRE, a Syracuse-based commercial real estate firm, posted the listing and created a website, , detailing what's available. The property includes 127 acres and 25 buildings.聽
In its listing, CBRE says the former campus's amenities "provide a unique opportunity, whether as a turnkey acquisition for another institutional user or as a redevelopment for a creative developer looking to repurpose this beautiful facility."聽
A sale price is not provided. CBRE does have a confidentiality agreement available for parties to fill out so they can track their interest.聽
The listing was expected after Wells College revealed its decision to hire CBRE to market the campus. The board of trustees shared that information in a newsletter sent to alumni in October.聽
There has already been interest in buying the property, according to the board.聽
"Those and any other subsequent proposals we receive will be shared with CBRE and will be evaluated along with others received as a result of CBRE's outreach efforts," the board added. "While there is no reasonable way to predict, we anticipate that the process of finding a viable buyer for the campus may take a year or more to complete."聽
The marketing of the campus is occurring while there are concerns about the state of its buildings and the college's assets, such as artifacts, artwork and other holdings.聽
Wells Legacy Society, an alumni group that formed after the college's closure announcement, said the facilities are "at risk of irreparable harm" because they won't be heated during the winter. They cited preservation experts who are concerned about the damage that could be done if there is no heat in the buildings.聽
The college is working with Christie's, a well-known auction house, to sell most of its assets and consulted with them on the status of the buildings. The trustees noted in their recent newsletter that Christie's advised that "a greater risk of damage from mold and mildew exists if buildings remain heated, since such conditions would promote their growth."聽
Wells is winterizing the buildings and draining water from the pipes after receiving guidance from Christie's and the state fire marshal.聽
奥别濒濒蝉听announced in April聽that it would close after 156 years. The college聽formally closed聽on June 30.聽
- 人兽性交 staff
The votes are in, and Cayuga County's most competitive elections have been decided.
Below find 人兽性交's live updates from throughout Election Day, including results for the following major local races:
- 22nd Congressional District: U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams (R) vs. state Sen. John Mannion (D)
- 126th Assembly District: Assemblyman John Lemondes (R) vs. Ian Phillips (D)
- 48th Senate District: State Sen. Rachel May (D) vs. Caleb Slater (R)
- Cayuga County Family Court judge: Steve Buschman (R) vs. Kristin Garland (D)
For more detailed vote counts, be sure to check out our live results page here:
Live updates on Election Day in the Cayuga County area:
11:45 p.m.: Incumbents John Lemondes (R) and Rachel May (D) have won their New York State Assembly and Senate races, respectively, over challengers Ian Phillips (D) and Caleb Slater (R). See 人兽性交's roundup of the most competitive local elections by Robert Harding:聽
11:08 p.m.:聽人兽性交's Robert Harding has called the 22nd Congressional District for Democrat John Mannion, unseating incumbent Republican Brandon Williams and flipping a key seat in the House of Representatives. The Associated Press called the race at 11:14 p.m.
11 p.m.: Steven Buschman hugs supporters after learning he won the Cayuga County Family Court judgeship at the Republican election night watch party Tuesday at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn. Buschman defeated Democrat Kristin Garland for the newly created seat.
10:55 p.m.: The latest numbers from Cayuga County, with 100% of precincts reporting:
22nd Congressional District
- John Mannion (D): 10,912
- Brandon Williams (R): 12,207
126th Assembly District
- Assemblyman John Lemondes (R): 11,301
- Ian Phillips (D): 8,534
48th Senate District
- State Sen. Rachel May (D): 15,318
- Caleb Slater (R): 18,187
Cayuga County Family Court judge
- Steve Buschman (R): 20,652
- Kristin Garland (D): 13,667
9:50 p.m.: Proposal 1 passes in New York, amending the state constitution to add protection from discrimination based on聽national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes or reproductive health care and autonomy. Story by the Associated Press:
9:45 p.m.: The Cayuga County Democratic Committee is holding its election night party at Prison City Brewing in Auburn. Among those in attendance are Assembly candidate Ian Phillips.
8:55 p.m.: The Cayuga County Republican Committee is holding its election night watch party at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn.
Assemblyman John Lemondes was in attendance. Caleb Slater, who is running in the 48th Senate District, is there now.
6:15 p.m.: The line to vote is out the door at the Casey Park polling location in Auburn. Polls close at 9 p.m., but anyone in line at that point will still be able to vote.
3:30 p.m.: State Sen. Rachel May is doing some final get-out-the-vote work in Auburn. She told 人兽性交 she's feeling good about her reelection chances in the 48th Senate District, which includes Auburn and Cayuga County. A voter driving by recognized her. She told May she voted for her, and asked her to 鈥減lease protect our lake.鈥
2:45 p.m.: Moravia poll worker Terry Palmer told 人兽性交 the turnout there is high, with more than 300 people by 2 p.m. That's higher than normal for a general election, Palmer said, and would be even higher if not for early voting.聽
1:40 p.m.: Add state Sen. John Mannion, D-Geddes, to the list of candidates who visited Auburn polling places today. Mannion, who is challenging Republican Congressman Brandon Williams in the 22nd Congressional District race, stopped at Auburn Alliance Church, according to his campaign.
1:30 p.m.: Workers at the polling location at Sacred Heart Church in Owasco told 人兽性交 it's been busy there today, with a steady stream of voters so far.
12:57 p.m.: According to the Cayuga County Board of Elections, 8,276 people voted by noon today. Combined with the early voting count, 42.5% of Cayuga County voters have cast their ballots in person. And there are still eight hours to go until the polls close.
11:30 a.m.: Keith Batman, Democratic elections commissioner in Cayuga County, told 人兽性交 that Election Day has been going 鈥渟urprisingly well.鈥
There were scanner issues at two polling locations in Brutus and Genoa, but those have been resolved. Turnout is strong. The elections board will provide an update shortly.
Batman said there was a complaint about electioneering at Auburn Alliance Church. Democratic candidates have signs near the driveway to the church, which is one of the citywide polling locations. There was a measurement and the signs are more than 100 feet away from the polling place.
Electioneering is prohibited within 100 feet of a polling place.
10 a.m.: Kristin Garland, an associate Auburn City Court judge who is running for Cayuga County Family Court judge, delivers breakfast pizza to the poll workers at Fingerlakes Mall in Aurelius.
Garland told 人兽性交 that she鈥檚 exceptionally proud of her campaign and is hoping voters recognize her experience. If she wins, she will be the first woman elected to serve as a county judge and only the third woman elected to a countywide office.
Before stopped by the mall voting site, Garland spent part of the morning in Moravia dodging the rain and delivering campaign literature to voters.
7:30 a.m.: Ian Phillips delivered Camerons doughnuts to poll workers at Auburn Alliance Church. There was a break in the action there, but turnout was strong in the first 90 minutes after the polls opened.
7:15 a.m.: Ian Phillips, a Democrat challenging Republican Assemblyman John Lemondes in the 126th Assembly District, spoke at Democratic headquarters in downtown Auburn. His campaign staff and volunteers were preparing to head out to deliver campaign literature to voters.
鈥淲e ran this campaign as a little bit of an experiment 鈥 an experiment in building community first and the belief that if we stayed positive and used this campaign to build our community up that good things would happen,鈥 Phillips said.
Phillips鈥 campaign slogan is, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the best that could happen?鈥
In his speech, Phillips said he鈥檚 confident he will win. If that happens, 鈥渢he work continues.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to win and then we鈥檙e going to work for a better tomorrow for our community, our kids, our grandkids and for five generations, seven generations into the future.鈥
6:27 a.m.: Cayuga County Family Court judge candidate Steven Buschman votes at the Auburn Public Safety Building. After successfully submitting his ballot, he said, 鈥淚t won鈥檛 be a shutout.鈥 Buschman was among the first voters at the Seminary Street fire station, one of four citywide polling locations. He had to wait in line 鈥 turnout is already looking good on Election Day. Buschman was joined by Roberta Williams, his mentor and senior partner of WHMB P.C., where Buschman is also a senior partner.
- Christopher Malone
A restaurant in northern Cayuga County is saying farewell to customers and the community.
Arnold's Family Restaurant, located at聽2667 Erie Drive in Weedsport, is closing permanently after co-owner Frederick Arnold passed away on Tuesday following a brief battle with cancer, according to by the restaurant. Its聽 final days of Friday through Sunday, Nov. 15 through 17, have been canceled.
However, the restaurant will be open from 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, for a celebration of Arnold's life, it said.
"We would love to welcome everyone to say goodbye to not only Fred but this chapter of life for (Arnold's wife) Sandy and the family," the restaurant said.聽
"We would like to thank our customers for 32 years of service. We cherish every memory made and will miss every single one of you."
The restaurant has been owned by the Arnolds since 2000, according to Cayuga County property records.
Known for its homemade pies, breakfast staples and comfort food, the family restaurant has a 4.5 rating on Google. Reviews, and replies on Facebook, have praised both its food and its service.
- Kelly Rocheleau
An Auburn man is facing a manslaughter charge after a deadly stabbing Wednesday in Syracuse.
According to a news release from the Syracuse Police Department, officers responded to reports of a stabbing at about 7 that morning at 610 Oswego St. They found Devonte Crosby, 31, of Syracuse, with an apparent stab wound in his torso. American Medical Rescue gave medical aid to him, but he died at the scene.
Tyler Kilmer, 29, of Auburn, was arrested at the scene and taken to the department's Criminal Investigation Division, police said. He was charged with first-degree manslaughter (a Class B felony) and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (a Class D felony). He is being held at the Onondaga County Justice Center pending his arraignment.
The investigation into the stabbing is ongoing. Those with information about it are asked to call the Criminal Investigation Division at (315) 442-5222.
- Staff reports and The Associated Press
Voters in Auburn, Cayuga County and central New York cast ballots on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, for federal, state and local races, including Cayuga County Family Court.
All results are unofficial.
Cayuga County election results, Nov. 5, 2024
New York聽presidential and U.S. Congress election results, Nov. 5, 2024
If you can't see results below, please tap here.
New York election results for state Assembly, Senate, Supreme Court and ballot measure, Nov. 5, 2024
Use the pulldown menus to select your state Senate and Assembly districts.
(Assemblyman John Lemondes (R) vs. Ian Phillips (D) is District 126; State Sen. Rachel May (D) vs. Caleb Slater (R) is District 48.)
- David Wilcox
AUBURN 鈥 Joseph Calandro has been running his family's produce company in Auburn since 1921.聽
Three generations 鈥 all named Joseph Calandro, no middle name 鈥 have woken up before dawn every day to buy fresh produce from regional markets and wholesale it to local stores and restaurants.聽
They did that every day until Friday, when Joseph Calandro III closed Calandro Produce 103 years after his grandfather opened it as a store on State Street.
Speaking to 人兽性交 on Thursday, Joseph said it was just time.
"This business, it's your life," he said. "While I can still do stuff, I want to do stuff."
Joseph was joined Thursday by his wife, Diane, his father, Joseph Jr., and his brother, John, in the humble North Street garage where their business has stood for decades. The building is far enough from the road to be missed by most passersby and so old that it predates the city's zoning code, which is why it doesn't have a sign. "Calandro Produce" could only be found on the trucks in the driveway.
Joseph told 人兽性交 he's been in that building since he was 3. When he was 16, he drove a pickup to Auburn's grocery stores, delivering fruits and vegetables covered by a tarp. There was a store in every neighborhood back then, he said, but they've slowly disappeared as Wegmans and Walmart took their place. Maxwell's Food Store on North Lewis Street was among the last, closing in 2022.
Like the farms that grew the produce, the neighborhood stores that sold it often closed because the next generation didn't want to take them over. The same is true for Joseph and Diane's five children.
"They went their own way, and that's the way it should stay," he said.
As the stores closed, however, the rising number of restaurants kept Calandro's customer list steady at about 50 to 60. Longtime ones included Lasca's in Auburn and Mirbeau Inn & Spa in Skaneateles. The customers were usually the chefs themselves, and they sometimes took the company with them to new kitchens 鈥 such as Richard "Flip" Taradejna, chef at Highland Park Golf Club in Sennett.
Taradejna told 人兽性交 he has been a customer of Calandro for more than 25 years, praising Joseph's prompt attention to issues and willingness to accommodate special orders.
"Their produce was consistently exceptional, and the delivery drivers were always friendly," Taradejna said. "Joe Calandro's family and business will be deeply missed for a long time to come."
Being able to provide that close attention to customers is why Calandro hasn't expanded beyond its staff of half a dozen, Joseph said 鈥 despite business being strong enough, until its last day, to do so.
"We're a small place, and we've always kept it that way because once you get bigger, you can't service the way a small place does," he said, noting he and Diane woke up at 3 a.m. daily and worked 80 hours a week. "The customers have always been good to us, and we always do the best we can for them. You go out of the way to do whatever you got to do to make the customer happy."
Calandro has remained small even as the growers of its fruits and vegetables have consolidated over the decades into just a few big ones. The produce is also more processed today, Joseph said, noting that lettuce went from whole heads to mostly chopped or shredded. What was seasonal is now available year-round, and novelties like 10-pound seedless watermelons have become standard.聽
"I remember when I was a kid, we used to unload 70-pound watermelons," he said. "Now you don't see them anymore, because they had seeds in them. But they tasted better."
Diane, who married into the Calandro family, said it's been "a blast" to work with them and their "wonderful" customers. They're sad to see the company go, but happy the family is retiring.聽
"When you've got a good product, and good people delivering it," she said, "that's all you need."
- David Wilcox
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating a death this month at an Auburn construction site.
The death took place Nov. 1 at the site of the West End Arts Campus, a project to improve the grounds of the Cayuga Museum of History & Art and Schweinfurth Art Center on Genesee Street. In a statement, the Schweinfurth told 人兽性交 the death was a "tragic accident." The center and the museum declined further comment on the death out of respect for the privacy of those affected.聽
Auburn Police Chief James Slayton told 人兽性交 the city is also declining comment on the death due to OSHA's investigation.
James Lally, deputy regional director for public affairs for the U.S. Department of Labor, told 人兽性交 OSHA is inspecting contractor Fabsite Industries to determine whether any workplace safety standards were violated on the project. The administration does not discuss open inspections. It has up to six months to complete an inspection, and there is no estimated completion date at this time.聽
According to OSHA's online database, the Phoenix-based Fabsite has not previously been inspected by the administration. The accident is categorized in the inspection report as an amputation.聽
Fabsite did not immediately respond to a request for comment by 人兽性交.聽
The West End Arts Campus聽aims to further unite the Cayuga Museum and Schweinfurth and make both buildings more accessible. It includes new entrances for each, as well as new lighting, signage and walkways, and additional parking. The $4.7 million project is supported by about $2.2 million from the city of Auburn's $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award from the state.
