Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.
The Citizen's top 10 most-read stories of the week.
An Auburn man who co-owns a downtown restaurant and ran for political office last year is facing criminal charges stemming from alleged thefts at a Wegmans grocery store in Onondaga County, the Auburn Police Department said.
Robert Otterstatter, who runs the Octane Social House restaurant and coffee shop, is accused of stealing groceries from the Fairmount Wegmans store less than six months after he was banned from all of the chain's locations, the Geddes Police Department said.
John Fall Sr., Geddes Police Department chief, told The Citizen Tuesday that investigators secured an arrest warrant for Otterstatter on two counts of third-degree burglary, a class D felony, and two counts of petit larceny, a misdemeanor, earlier this month.
Fall said an investigation determined that at around 1:17 p.m. Sept. 4, Otterstatter allegedly left Wegmans in Fairmount "without rendering payment" for $138.49 worth of goods. Nine days later at 10:17 a.m., Sept. 13, Otterstatter allegedly left that same Wegmans without paying for $276.58 in merchandise. Fall said Otterstatter used a self-checkout machine but did not scan most of the items he possessed.
The loss prevention officer for the Fairmount location filed a report with Geddes police on Sept. 15 regarding both incidents, Fall said, adding that the Fairmount store's loss prevention officer said he was familiar with Otterstatter due to unspecified incidents at the Wegmans in Auburn.
Wegmans had banned Otterstatter from all of its locations for a two-year period, effective on March 16, Fall said. The two burglary charges stem from him allegedly stealing items on those dates earlier this month while the ban was in effect.
Otterstatter declined to speak with The Citizen about the case, but issued the following statement in an email: "Upon speaking with my attorney this morning, I’ve been advised to inform you that I have not committed any crimes, nor have I in my nearly 52 years of life, and should not speak with you about this active case."
Auburn Police Chief James Slayton said in an email Tuesday that he is not aware of any incidents reported to the APD regarding Otterstatter and the Auburn Wegmans.
Slayton told The Citizen that the Geddes Police Department reached out to the APD on Sept. 22 about its warrant for Otterstatter and asked if the APD would attempt to pick him up because he has a business in Auburn. The APD arrested Otterstatter at the restaurant at around 12:55 p.m. Sept. 22. Auburn police met Geddes police halfway between the two municipalities to transfer Otterstatter to the Geddes department's custody that same day. Fall said Otterstatter was later arraigned at the Onondaga County centralized arraignment court.
Otterstatter pursued one of two four-year seats for Auburn City Council in 2021. Running as a Republican, he did not win a seat, garnering the fewest votes out of the four candidates on the ballot.
During the campaign, Otterstatter said he had formerly served as a commander with the Weld County Sheriff's Office in Colorado and cited his experience in law enforcement as something that could help the city. Otterstatter has continued to criticize city government on occasion on his campaign Facebook page.
A year and a half after a committee recommended the closure of four Catholic churches in Auburn and northern Cayuga County, it appears they will remain open.
The fate of St. Alphonsus, St. Francis of Assisi and Holy Family churches in Auburn, and St. Joseph Church in Weedsport, was shared during a presentation Tuesday by the Revs. Frank Lioi and Stephen Karani to Bishop Salvatore Matano of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester.
The four churches were recommended for closure in April 2021 by a pastoral planning committee formed by the diocese. The diocese asked the committee to research the nine Catholic churches in the area and make closure recommendations due to their declining condition, priest scarcity, dwindling attendance and other considerations. The committee recommended that St. Hyacinth and St. Mary's churches in Auburn, Sacred Heart and St. Ann's churches in Owasco and St. Patrick's Church in Cato remain open.
The prospect of the four churches closing prompted an outcry, however, culminating in public meetings in Auburn where parishioners shared their concerns with Matano. Shortly afterward, the bishop announced that no churches would close. Instead, he asked parishioners in August 2021 to spend the next year making "concrete efforts (to) divest themselves of unnecessary properties and to utilize only those facilities needed to serve the religious, pastoral and spiritual needs of the faithful."
Those efforts were the subject of Lioi and Karani's presentation to Matano and the diocese's Presbyteral Council Tuesday.
While all nine churches will remain open, several diocese properties are being sold or repurposed, according to a summary of the presentation shared with The Citizen. Those listed for sale include the rectories at St. Joseph and St. Alphonsus, and the former schools at St. Alphonsus (most recently St. Joseph School) and Holy Family. St. John's Church in Port Byron, which closed in June 2020, has been sold, the priests also noted. The Canal Society of New York State has turned it into the Samuel Center for Canal History.
Diocese properties being repurposed include the school and gym at St. Hyacinth, which are used by new Catholic school St. Albert the Great Academy. The church's rectory is sometimes used by Dominican Sisters from Nashville who consult with St. Albert and Tyburn Academy of Mary Immaculate, as well as other guests. At St. Francis of Assisi, the rectory is now used as parish offices, and the church's Nacca Hall has been upgraded for parish events and meetings.
The rectory at St. Mary's will no longer have offices, Lioi and Karani said, and remain solely a residence for priests. Schrader Hall at the downtown Auburn church will be used for parish events and meetings, as will the recently repainted parish halls at St. Patrick's and St. Joseph. At Holy Family, the rectory will continue to house priests and provide a small gathering space. An architectural firm has also been contracted to document the condition of the North Street church, whose roof and exterior need repair.
Sacred Heart Church, and its rectory and school, will remain as is. The latter is used as office space by the diocese's regional finance director.
Matano thanked Lioi and Karani for their presentation.
"This same exercise should be ongoing for all our diocesan parishes," he told the council, "so as to be faithful and prudent stewards of the temporal goods of the church."
St. Francis of Assisi Church in Auburn.
St. Ann's Church in the hamlet of Owasco.
Sacred Heart Church in Owasco.
St. Francis of Assisi Church in Auburn.
St. Hyacinth Church in Auburn.
St. Alphonsus Church in Auburn.
St. Alphonsus Church in Auburn.
St. Patrick's Church in Cato.
St. Joseph Church in Weedsport.
St. Mary's Church in Auburn.
St. Mary's Church in Auburn.
Holy Family Church in Auburn.
An Auburn man was killed in a three-car crash Friday afternoon in the town of Brutus.
The crash occurred on Route 34 at Tanner Road, according to Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck. A 2016 Toyota Highlander driven by David Dygert, 81, was heading south on Route 34 and slowed to turn left onto Tanner Road when it was rear-ended by a 2016 Honda CRV driven by Penny Adams, 76. The CRV then entered the northbound lane and hit another vehicle, a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Darlene Dolphy, 57.
David Adams, 78, of Auburn, was a backseat passenger in the CRV. He was transported to Auburn Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Penny Adams and another passenger in the CRV, Richard Farr, 76, were taken to Auburn hospital for treatment. Dygert and the passenger in his vehicle, Deborah Supple, 70, were also transported to ACH.
Dolphy was evaluated at the scene but was not sent to the hospital.
Schenck said his office was assisted by the New York State Police, Cayuga County 911 and the Cayuga County Coroner's Office. The Jordan and Weedsport fire departments, along with AMR and Jordan ambulances, responded to the scene.
The investigation was still ongoing SAturday. The sheriff's office thanked individuals who stopped to assist following the crash.
A Moravia man faces up to 28 years in prison for repeatedly violating court orders to stay away from his ex-wife.
Raymond Decker, 57, was found guilty in Cayuga County Court Wednesday of six counts of aggravated family offense, a class E felony; six counts of second-degree criminal contempt, a class A misdemeanor; and one count of first-degree criminal contempt, a class E felony.
Acting District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci said in a news release that evidence in a three-day trial showed that Decker consistently violated numerous court issued orders of protection in favor of the victim, his ex-wife.
On April 5, 2021, Decker left a written note on the woman’s vehicle. On five occasions in 2021, he sent numerous text messages to the victim, and on Dec. 2, 2021, he followed her to a bowling alley. "All of these actions were in direct violation of a duly served full stay away order of protection," Grome Antonacci said.
The jury of six women and six men deliberated for just under two hours. Senior Assistant District Attorney Heather De Stefano handled the trial, with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Amanda Casselman. Decker faces up to 9 1/3 to 28 years in prison and was sent to the Cayuga County Jail with no bail. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 5, 2023.
“We are pleased with the jury’s verdict and commend them for the time and consideration they gave listening to and reviewing the evidence throughout the trial," Grome Antonacci said. "We hope that this conviction provides the victim with justice and allows her to continue to heal after a lengthy ordeal with the defendant. We understand that it takes a great deal of strength to come forward, especially as a victim of domestic violence.”
Summarizing Achilles Heel Training is harder for its owners than most feats of strength.
The gym, which is opening its third location on Seminary Street in Auburn, isn't a CrossFit cult or an iron paradise. It doesn't promise you'll burn or build a far-fetched number of pounds.
What Achilles Heel Training is, CEO and President Kevin Valente said, is whatever its clients need it to be.
"Our main demographic is people who've tried everything," he told The Citizen. "People who don't want to think, just come in and as long as they listen, they achieve their results slow and steady."
The gym meets those needs through two membership types: pillar programs and group exercise.
Pillar programs are "our way of making personal training affordable," Valente said. Every class has two coaches guiding clients through hour-long workouts tailored to them. In August, for example, clients at Achilles Heel's locations in Camillus and Marcellus were coached to execute one strict pull-up. On Oct. 1, the day of the Auburn location's grand opening, a strength cycle will start.
"They're very much tailored the way we would with athletes," Valente said. "We might level down for Suzy who's 65, or up for Billy who's a freak of nature teen CrossFit athlete."
Group exercise is also coached, but "all over the board," Valente continued. Themes include "Butts and Guts," "Arms and Abs" and more. Like the pillar programs, membership is managed through an app, MindBody, and can be purchased weekly or monthly. The app also has class schedules, and through it clients can book time in a recovery VIP room with recliners, massage guns and more.
The rest of the 5,000-square-foot gym, formerly a Save-A-Lot, is an austere grid of free weights, resistance bands, gymnastic rings and more. All are red and black, in keeping with Achilles Heel's color scheme. Valente and Brittany Rabuano, the gym's vice president and chief executive officer, opened its first location in Camillus, where they live, in January 2019. The Marcellus one followed in 2020.
The idea for the third location came to Rabuano, an Auburn native, while driving by the former grocery store. She and Valente worked as trainers in the city years ago, so they saw an opportunity.
"We had a huge clientele base here," Valente said. "We've had people reaching out to us over the last year and a half."
Owned and renovated by Washington Street Partners, the space was a workout to set up, he said. Its soft opening was Sept. 15. Saturday's grand opening will feature a ribbon-cutting and food trucks.
For Valente, who's originally from Italy, the third location of Achilles Heel continues a journey that started when he moved to the U.S. when he was 12. Injuries he sustained by training incorrectly during his athletic career made him want to learn how to teach people the correct way, he said. Now, he wants to teach them to "move through space in a way that kind of breaks the mold."
"Seeing someone do something they thought they wouldn't be able to do, that lightbulb moment, is what does it for me," he said. "It literally never gets old."
Rabuano, who played lacrosse in Auburn, said her fitness journey has also been motivated by personal experience. She wishes she knew then what she knows about nutrition and exercise now, she said.
"My goal is to help women and anyone else looking to better themselves and their overall health," she said, "and help them know the 'why' behind it."
WHAT: Achilles Heel Training grand opening with ribbon-cutting with Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce, food trucks Poppy's Ice Cream, Leo's Donut Factory and Paulie's BBQ, and more
WHEN: 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1
INFO: For more information about Achilles Heel Training, call (315) 468-0792 or visit ahtgym.com
PORT BYRON — There's a first time for everything.
Port Byron/Union Springs football had a long-awaited win on its home turf Friday against Jordan-Elbridge, 41-18, at Dana West High School.
Though the Port Byron school district's turf field was installed over three years ago, it wasn't until this game that the Panthers walked off Alberici Field as winners.
The team went winless in Section III's independent league last season, and opted against fielding a team in 2020 due to COVID-19.
While the Panthers did capture a win in 2019 — the first year their new field was available — that victory came at Union Springs High School.
At the conclusion of this milestone win, PB/US players doused coach Collin Dillabough with a Gatorade bath. And while he had to conduct his postgame responsibilities with a soaked sweater and slacks, Dillabough was pleased with his team's efforts.
"The kids were excited," Dillabough said. "Our offensive line held up. They have some big boys at Jordan-Elbridge, but we gave our quarterback time and he had his best throwing performance of the season. We were able to air the ball out and our receivers ran good routes."
PB/US and J-E looked set on a back-and-forth thriller in the first half.
The Eagles opened the scoring with three minutes left in the opening quarter on Nixon Karcz's 18-yard run. PB/US answered only seconds into the second frame on Jru White's touchdown pass to Dominic Laframboise.
The 6-6 score lasted five minutes, until Nicolas Loperfido passed to Tobie Woods for a 20-yard scoring strike.
Then the fireworks started. The teams combined for four touchdowns in a span of two minutes, three seconds toward the end of the half.
Three of those scores belonged to PB/US, as White connected on touchdown passes to Matthew Laird (74 yards), Bryce Rigby (50 yards) and Laframboise again (32 yards). The other was from J-E's Kuchaunheavense Gorman, who retired a kick 75 yards to the end zone.
The result was a 27-18 halftime edge for PB/US. While the Panthers continued to move the ball effectively in the second half, the Eagles could not. White added his lone rushing score (7 yards) and Kaeden Bond added a 1-yard plunge to put the game out of reach.
White finished with five total touchdowns — four passing and one rushing.
"He's a stud," Dillabough said. "He's an 11th grader. He's 240 pounds but runs a sub-5 time. He can throw the ball. He can really do anything. He's gonna be good for us for the rest of this year and next year and win us some games."
Port Byron/Union Springs has been mired by losing seasons for several years, and the program (along with J-E) has been competing in Section III's independent league.
Coincidentally, it has fallen upon a graduate from rival Weedsport — Dillabough graduated in 2011 — to help turn the program around.
"I love it. I have history here even though I wasn't here," Dillabough said. "I remember Class D football, coming here to play Port Byron and having 3,000 people here crowding the fences. I miss that for this area. A lot of teams are going 8-man and small ball isn't doing too well. So to come here to Port Byron which is right next to my home, it's nice."
PB/US (3-1) travels to Hannibal next Saturday. Jordan-Elbridge (0-4) seeks its first win on Friday at home against Pulaski.
Port Byron/Union Springs' Mathew Laird, left, fumbles the kick off under pressure form Jordan-Elbridge's Ellis Titus while Panthers' Jru White, right, recovers during the game at Dana West High School in Port Byron.
Port Byron/Union Springs' Mathew Laird, left, leaves Jordan-Elbridge defender behind on his way to the end zone during the game at Dana Wes High School in Port Byron.
Port Byron/Union Springs' quarterback Jru White drops back to pass against Jordan-Elbridge during the game at Dana West High School in Port Byron.
Port Byron/Union Springs' head coach Collin Dillabough on the sideline against Jordan-Elbridge during the game at Dana West High School in Port Byron.
Jordan-Elbridge's Kuchaubheavense Gorman returns the kick off for a touchdown against Port Byron/Union Springs.
Port Byron/Union Springs' Dominic Laframboise carries the ball against Jordan-Elbridge on Friday.
Port Byron/Union Springs' Bryce Rigby, left, celebrates with Jru White after scoring a touchdown against Jordan-Elbridge on Friday.
About 200 acres of farmland in the town of Aurelius will soon be sprouting solar panels.
The town board in recent months has approved three small-scale solar farms that would produce an estimated 29 megawatts of power on a combined total of 213 acres of land. Work on both projects is expected to start this fall.
The largest project is planned for vacant land on Genesee Street Road next to the former General Electric plant. Rochester-based Norbut Solar Farms last month acquired 147 acres from the Wait family for $1.3 million. The land, which is encumbered by the state Department of Environmental Conservation because it's in the contamination field of the GE site, is assessed at $573,700.
Norbut intends to establish four solar arrays that would each generate five megawatts, with all of that electricity being sold into the local grid, said David Norbutt, the company's president.
"It really is all about local community," he said, explaining that his company does not get into large-scale projects that feed major transmission lines serving big cities.
Norbut said residents should appreciate the project because it's creating a productive use out of polluted land that could likely never be developed for other commercial uses.
Some site work at the property will start next month, but the installation of the solar panels will begin in the spring. Norbut expects the farm could go online by the end of 2023.
Not far from the Norbut project are two smaller solar farms being developed on farm land in the vicinity of Sevior and Half Acre Roads. Boston-based Nexamp Inc. has secured leases to use 92- and 45-acre parcels owned by Richard Anthony. Those two sites would produce 5 megawatts and 4.2 megawatts of power.
All three solar projects have been reviewed by the Aurelius Planning Board and secured special use permits from the town board last spring and summer.
Less than a week after Election Day in 2021, Cayuga County Democratic Chairwoman Dia Carabajal emailed Colleen Deacon, an aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul.
"Attached please find the resume for Ben Susman," Carabajal wrote.
The email began a three-month-long campaign, led by Cayuga County Democrats, to encourage the Democratic governor to appoint Susman as acting district attorney. The vacancy was created after Jon Budelmann, the county's longtime top prosecutor, was elected Cayuga County Surrogate Court judge. Budelmann defeated Susman, an Auburn attorney, in that race.
The Citizen, through a Freedom of Information Law request, obtained 56 pages of emails and other documents exchanged between Hochul's office and local Democrats. The emails reveal Susman's strong interest in the position, the backing he had from the Cayuga County Democratic Committee and that the governor's office seriously considered his resume. He was interviewed twice in a three-week span, first on Dec. 22, 2021, and again in early January.
The fast-moving process ended without a gubernatorial appointment. In a Feb. 2 email to Marty Mack, Hochul's appointments secretary, Susman thanked him for his consideration. A significant portion of the email was redacted by the governor's office, which said its disclosure "would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy." The Citizen unsuccessfully appealed the redaction.
Susman's email continues, "I really only wanted the best for Cayuga County and our Governor in this upcoming election. It's a shame that I won't get the opportunity to make the necessary changes here and help the (Democratic) ticket this fall."
The first email from Cayuga County Democratic Chairwoman Dia Carabajal to Gov. Kathy Hochul's office recommending Ben Susman for Cayuga County district attorney.
Budelmann's election to serve as a Cayuga County Surrogate Court judge meant there would be an opening once he resigned as district attorney. Under the state Public Officers Law, the governor has the authority to appoint an acting district attorney when a vacancy occurs.
Hochul's predecessor, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, did not use this power. Whenever a district attorney resigned, he declined to appoint an acting DA. The offices were filled at the next general election.
Cayuga County Democrats hoped Hochul, who became governor in August 2021 after Cuomo's resignation, would take a different approach.
Carabajal told The Citizen in December 2021 that there were conversations with the governor's office about the vacancy. She did not identify any potential candidates for the appointment.
However, the emails show that Susman was already the top contender for acting district attorney — if Hochul was willing to appoint him. In her email to Deacon on Nov. 7, Carabajal endorsed Susman for the job.
"His first time showing in the political arena has been impressive," Carabajal wrote. "I know he knows what it takes to run in future elections. That is why I strongly recommend him for consideration by Governor Hochul to fill the Cayuga County District Attorney position that will become vacant in January."
She continued, "A strong candidate for this position will help all Democrats running in this county. The DA position will be elected in November 2022 by a special election."
Carabajal also attached a photo of Hochul and Susman from when the then-lieutenant governor visited Auburn in July 2021, shortly before she became governor. The governor's office did not include the photo in its response to The Citizen's FOIL request.
Eight days after Carabajal contacted Deacon, records show Susman sent his first email to the governor's office. He attached his cover letter, resume and included "request for interview" in the subject line. He criticized Budelmann and noted that Brittany Grome Antonacci, who became acting district attorney in December, was Budelmann's "hand-picked successor."
Susman believed he could win a countywide election if he was appointed as acting district attorney. And in what proved to be an accurate prediction, he wrote that "there will likely be a (Republican) candidate running unopposed in 2022" if the governor did not make an appointment.
Susman's first interview was conducted via Zoom on Dec. 22. According to an email, six members of Hochul's staff were included on the invitation to join the virtual meeting.
Prior to the interview, top Cayuga County Democrats sent letters of recommendation in support of Susman. Carabajal formalized her earlier endorsement with a letter touting Susman's ability to help other candidates on the Democratic ticket. She pledged that her committee would endorse and support him "as an incumbent DA candidate."
Aileen McNabb-Coleman, who was then chair of the Cayuga County Legislature and continues to serve as a lawmaker, urged Hochul to appoint Susman as acting district attorney.
"My work as chair of the Cayuga County Legislature and work as the acting Administrator for the county gives me a rate perspective on what is needed to propel the office of the DA forward," McNabb-Coleman wrote. "The culture in the District Attorney's office could benefit from restructuring. Mr. Susman's appointment will afford us that opportunity."
Keith Batman, a former Cayuga County legislator, and Katie Lacey, a past chair of the Cayuga County Democratic Committee, also sent emails recommending Susman for the post.
While Susman garnered the most attention, there were others who expressed interest in the appointment. Grome Antonacci, who launched her campaign for a full term as the county's top prosecutor on Dec. 16, sent her resume to Mack on Dec. 17. She interviewed with the governor's staff on Dec. 23, one day after Susman's initial interview.
Former Auburn City Court Judge Michael McKeon submitted a cover letter and resume but quickly withdrew from consideration. In an email, he informed Mack that he had lunch with Susman and learned that Susman intended to seek the appointment. McKeon confirmed in a phone interview with The Citizen that he "briefly considered" pursuing the gubernatorial appointment, but bowed out after his conversation with Susman.
After Susman's first interview, he followed up on Dec. 28 with an email to Charlene Cordero, another Hochul aide, and Mack. He notified them that Budelmann would be sworn in as Cayuga County Surrogate Court judge on Dec. 30 and thanked them for the interview.
"I understand that an appointment would be a bold move," he wrote. "However, we need boldness in this current political climate. We need to change the status quo in this County, and this is a rare opportunity to do so." He then criticized Grome Antonacci's lack of Cayuga County ties — she is an Onondaga County native — and the support she received from the Cayuga County Conservative Party.
On Dec. 30, Mack replied to Susman and informed him that they wanted to schedule another interview. The second interview took place during the first week of January. A week later, Susman sent an email thanking Mack for the conversation.
Acting Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci submitted her resume and was interviewed by the governor's office.
When The Citizen first contacted Hochul's office about the Cayuga County district attorney vacancy in December, a spokesperson said the governor was "reviewing her options and will have more to share in the future."
For a follow-up story in late January, a spokesperson referred The Citizen to the same statement.
At that time, Grome Antonacci shared an email she sent to the governor's office expressing concern about the inability to fill vacant positions within her office due to the uncertainty of whether Hochul would appoint a new DA.
Brittany Grome Antonacci is the acting Cayuga County district attorney.
"I have several candidates that are willing to accept the positions under my leadership, but understandably want to make an informed decision before they relocate and/or leave their current employment," Grome Antonacci wrote. "Given that it is longstanding precedent in New York state for the governor to not disrupt the vital work of the district attorney's office for such a short period of time, it would be helpful to advise my staff and potential employees on the status of this determination."
Mack replied to Grome Antonacci's email, sent on Jan. 21, and told her that he would call her with an answer the following week. Grome Antonacci told The Citizen she never received a call from Mack.
An email exchange between acting Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci and Marty Mack, Gov. Kathy Hochul's appointments secretary.
But Mack did have a phone conversation with Susman that week. On Jan. 29, he sent an email to Susman asking him to call. The reason for the call was not disclosed.
Four days after the call, on Feb. 2, Susman emailed Mack to thank him "for the consideration for the position." Between that and Susman expressing regret he "won't get the opportunity to make the necessary changes here and help the (Democratic) ticket this fall" is the redacted passage.
Susman declined to comment in an email to The Citizen on Wednesday.
The final email from Ben Susman to Marty Mack.
There was at least one other local attorney who considered seeking the appointment. Records show Nate Garland, the city of Auburn's assistant corporation counsel, emailed his resume to Mack on Feb. 1.
Garland has experience working in the Cayuga County District Attorney's Office. Before taking the position with the city, he was an assistant district attorney.
"I thought I have more experience as an assistant district attorney than anyone outside of the DA's office and more than some people in the DA's office, so why not throw my hat in the ring?" he told The Citizen.
But after Garland went on vacation and weighed the demands of the job, he said it "didn't make sense for me and my family." He never interviewed for the position.
On Feb. 6, Grome Antonacci wrote on her Facebook page that there was a "backroom deal" between Hochul's office and Cayuga County Democrats to appoint an acting district attorney. However, Susman was no longer being considered and no one else interviewed for the job.
Hochul did not have to appoint an acting district attorney for local Democrats to nominate a candidate for the upcoming election. But when the petition filing deadline passed in early April, it was official: Grome Antonacci would run unopposed for a full four-year term as district attorney.
A Hochul spokesperson told The Citizen on Thursday that "multiple candidates expressed interest and were interviewed for this position, and a decision was made not to proceed with an appointment."
The inaugural MacKenzie-Childs Artisan Craft Festival, taking place this weekend, will give more than 140 creatives from across the country a place to show their work to a similarly wide audience.
One of those creatives comes from the Aurora home décor brand itself.
Lacey Race, of Auburn, is both an art director at MacKenzie-Childs and owner of Red Headed Stepchild Paper Co., which she operates from her home and does much of its business through Etsy.
Race will show her company's greeting cards, invitations, stickers and other products at the festival. They "say things that are usually on people's minds that they're not willing to say out loud — for better or worse," she told The Citizen. Most have been inspired by things she's needed to say to family and friends, like one who was dealing with infertility, or one who was diagnosed with cancer.
"Sometimes Hallmark doesn't really cater to that. They can be syrupy sweet," she said. "Sometimes you need to admit stuff sucks and write a message about how you're feeling about them."
Race started the business about six years ago, needing an outlet after suffering a difficult loss. She was also inspired by a friend who left MacKenzie-Childs to start their own business, she said.
Though it was daunting to start a paper company as more and more people communicate digitally, Race has found an audience. Her Etsy shop has grown from five to almost 200 products, she said.
"I think there's something to be said about someone taking time out of their day to write about how they feel and let you know that they're thinking of you, in good times and especially in bad," she said.
Race, a Union Springs High School graduate, began working for MacKenzie-Childs about eight years ago.
She called the Artisan Craft Festival a "natural extension" of the company, as painting and several other types of art regularly take place at the home décor brand's Aurora headquarters.
"We celebrate artistry," she said. "We sell art in-house, and now we're celebrating it across the country and especially in the community."
Artisans at the festival will span ceramics to jewelry, textiles to fine art, and Amy Carson Smith's whimsical pet portraits to Lumineaux's small-batch, European-style chocolate. Along with them showing and selling their work, the festival will feature craft experiences, demonstrations, food, music and more. A welcome dinner with a silent auction will precede the festival Friday at the Inns of Aurora.
"MacKenzie-Childs is a world-recognized company," Race said. "For them to showcase us — we're reaching hundreds of thousands of people who probably wouldn't have seen our work if not for them."
WHAT: MacKenzie-Childs Artisan Craft Festival
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, through Sunday, Oct. 2
COST: Admission $10 per day or $20 for a three-day pass, free for children 16 and younger
INFO: For more information on the festival and its welcome dinner, visit mackenzie-childs.com. For more information on Red Headed Stepchild Paper Co., visit etsy.com/shop/redheadedstepchildco or find the business on Instagram or Facebook @redheadedstepchildpaperco
The city of Auburn has announced that a major access road will close for most of the month of October while it's repaved.
John Street, which spans the Arterial to East Genesee Street, will close Oct. 4 through the end of the month, the city announced Tuesday. The street and part of East Genesee will be repaved as part of a $850,000 project supported by a $1.54 million New York State Touring Route Fund Grant. Along with the repaving, the project will include new storm sewers, sidewalk and curb improvement, and more.
Traffic will be prompted to use North Street as a detour. Eastbound Route 5 turns from the Arterial down John Street and onto East Genesee, and the small residential street also provides access from the Arterial to Route 38A. East Genesee Street will remain open during the project, but partial closures with lane reductions will take place as needed, the city said in its announcement.
“This investment in the east side of our downtown is long overdue, Auburn Mayor Michael D. Quill said. "We will be improving or installing the infrastructure underneath the streets, as well as, giving each street a much needed repaving. It will be a challenging short term inconvenience, however, in the end we will have an improved East Hill and John Street area for years to come."
Local residents and businesses will have access to John Street coordinated by the project's contractor, Paul F. Vitale Inc. of Auburn.
For more information on the project, visit auburnny.gov/johnstreetpaving.
A milling and paving project on two main downtown Auburn streets is set to start this summer with a goal to be finished in the fall.
Read through the obituaries published in The Citizen
Read through the obituaries published in The Citizen
Read through the obituaries published in The Citizen
Read through the obituaries published in The Citizen
Read through the obituaries published in The Citizen
Read through the obituaries published in The Citizen
Read through the obituaries published in The Citizen
Ormie King's weekly column features the people and places that make the Auburn-area unique.
The Citizen's top 10 most-read stories of the week.
The Citizen's top five most-read stories of the work week.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.