Monthly top reads: Snowstorm hits Cayuga County, Auburn newsstand to close
The top 10 most-read stories on auburnpub.com for the month of November. The Citizen's coverage of the snowstorm that hit Cayuga County received a lot of attention.
AUBURN — The storm that moved through Cayuga County and central New York not only closed schools and created messy conditions on roadways, it set new records for snowfall.
As of 6 a.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service in Binghamton said 32.4 inches of snow fell in Auburn over a 72-hour period. That was the highest snowfall total in Cayuga County and the second-highest in the Binghamton office's territory, which covers a large swath of central New York and the Southern Tier.
The highest snowfall total was 36.4 inches near Cazenovia in Madison County.
Auburn set three new daily records for snowfall. With 18.6 inches in the 24-hour period from 6 a.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday, the city set a snowfall record for Nov. 22 and broke the single-day record for snowfall in November.
The Nov. 22 mark stands as the fifth-snowiest day in Auburn since the National Weather Service began recording snowfall data in 1897.
The city also set a record with 13.8 inches of snow between 6 a.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday. That was the most snow recorded on Nov. 21 and the third-snowiest November day on record.
Lake effect snow began falling Sunday and continued through Monday and early Tuesday. Once the snow started piling up and road conditions worsened, schools cancelled classes and the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office issued a travel advisory.
Several downtown Auburn businesses and restaurants closed Monday due to the storm. Area churches and organizations cancelled events. Local governments, such as the Owasco Zoning Board of Appeals, postponed meetings.
While Cayuga County-area schools cancelled classes Tuesday, downtown Auburn businesses reopened and the sheriff's department lifted the travel advisory.
The good news for Auburn: At least for now, no snow is in the forecast for the remainder of the week. The National Weather Service is calling for partly sunny skies and high temperatures in the mid 30s Wednesday. For Thanksgiving, there's a chance of rain and sleet, but little or no accumulation is expected.
Auburn police officers are on the lookout for a man who robbed Jreck Subs on Genesee Street on Monday.
Authorities were dispatched at 8:56 p.m. to the sub shop at 251 Genesee St., according to the Auburn Police Department. Surveillance video from inside Jreck Subs shows a male — wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, a hat and jeans — at the front counter of the shop with a knife.
Police said the man grabbed the knife from behind the counter while the store clerk was distracted. The suspect then approached the clerk, according to APD, and demanded money.
The robber removed the money himself after the clerk gave him instructions, police said. He ultimately left the store with an undisclosed amount. No one was injured.
The man is described by police as of average height and build with a goatee. The APD is asking the public for assistance in identifying the suspect.
Anyone with additional information related to the case is advised to contact detective Meagan Kalet at (315) 255-4702 or (315) 253-3231. Callers can remain anonymous.
AUBURN — The Auburn Police Department is asking the public for help identifying a suspect who burglarized a local liquor store.
In a press release Wednesday, police said officers responded to Pepper's Discount Liquor at 307 Genesee St. after a burglary complaint. Surveillance footage from inside the store shows a male forced entry at around 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 9 to steal lottery tickets and liquor.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective M. Kalet at (315) 255-4702 or (315) 253-3231. Callers can remain anonymous.
BRUTUS — A driver lost control of his pickup truck along a snow-covered Route 34 on Sunday and crashed into a house near Weedsport, according to New York State Police.
Emergency responders were dispatched at 4:21 p.m. to 8570 Route 34 in Brutus. Trooper Andrew Campbell said the driver, 35-year-old Jason Parkhurst, was heading north along Route 34 with two other passengers when he slid off the road and into a corner of the house.
There were residents home at the time of the crash, but none were injured, Campbell said. He said a passenger in Parkhurst's vehicle reported lower body and back pain.
Parkhurst, of Fulton, was ticketed for speed not reasonable and prudent, Campbell said.
A tow truck was called to the scene to pull the truck out of the house. It was unclear whether the residents would need to be displaced; responders planned to evaluate after the truck was removed from the home. The vehicle, Campbell said, had driven through a corner post of the house, but did not make it too far into a bedroom.
State police was assisted on the scene by the Weedsport Fire Department and Jordan ambulance services.
On Saturday, the National Weather Service issued a lake effect snow watch for eight counties, including Cayuga.
Before emergency responders arrived to the truck accident, another car slid off the road into a field not too far from the house. Nobody was injured.
Cayuga County Sheriff David Gould has issued an emergency vehicle travel only order for all of Cayuga County until further notice.
A travel advisory was in effect since Sunday, but the sheriff has issued the new order due to hazardous weather conditions, numerous motor vehicle accidents and the closure of several roads.
We will provide updates on travel restrictions as soon as the information is available.
A person was hit by a car on the Arterial in Auburn Saturday night, and remained in the hospital on Sunday, police said.
The accident occurred at about 6:54 p.m. in the eastbound lanes outside of Jitz's Tavern between North and South Lewis streets.
The person was initially described as not moving and unconscious, and the Auburn Fire Department had inquired about the availability of a helicopter for transport.
A steady rain was falling at the time of the accident.
Police said Sunday that the pedestrian suffered severe head/neck injuries. The individual was stabilized at Auburn Community Hospital on Saturday night prior to transport to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.
According to Auburn investigators, the pedestrian is still hospitalized. The individual's name could not be released Sunday afternoon. Police said the investigation is ongoing.
The eastbound Arterial was closed to traffic at North Fulton Street, and police placed yellow tape across the roadway near a vehicle in the road across the street from Mark's Pizzeria.
At 9:30 p.m. Saturday, detectives were still in the area where the accident occurred, taking photographs and taking measurements.
A major lake effect snow storm has buried area roads, prompting the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office to issue a travel advisory Sunday night.
"Sheriff David Gould has issued a travel advisory for all of Cayuga County due to the current weather conditions," a statement from the sheriff's office said. "Snow and ice covered roads, along with blowing snow and poor visibility, is causing hazardous driving conditions. Unnecessary travel should be avoided until the advisory is lifted."
Cayuga County and much of central New York remains under a lake effect snow storm that extends into Monday evening.
For the latest weather information, visit auburnpub.com/weather.
Ready or not, the snow has come.
This season's first significant winter weather caused cancellations, delays and accidents Monday across Cayuga County and neighboring counties.
Cayuga County 911 dispatch said between 6 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday there were 140 disabled vehicle or motor vehicle accidents reported.
The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office issued an "emergency vehicle only" travel advisory in the early afternoon due to the number of accidents throughout the day. Highway employees worked to keep up with the lake effect snow that is expected to continue into Monday evening.
Cayuga County Highway Superintendent George Wethey said all of the department's trucks have been out on the roads as of about 3 a.m. Monday, plowing their 16 routes.
"The high winds are causing for low visibility as well as the amount of lake effect snow," Wethey said. "After you plow the roads to keep them open, the wind blows the current snow back in."
Trucks used mainly salt on the roads Monday rather than sand, Wethey said, because temperatures were relatively warm. Still, drifting was causing the most problems and Wethey recommended drivers give themselves extra time and be extremely careful.
"It is slippery," he said. "Winter's back."
Coming into work this morning, Sheriff David Gould said he'd seen five accidents between the Auburn city limits and County House Road.
"It was an unbelievable amount of accidents for our first snowfall," he said. "911 was inundated."
One of those accidents involved a tractor trailer carrying grain that flipped over on Route 34 near County House Road. Auburn Police Sgt. Ed Fabrize said the truck owned by Nolan Trucking, of Aurora, flipped over around 6:30 a.m. while traveling southbound, splitting a nearby utility pole.
Crews were still working to get the truck removed as of about 10 a.m., but the truck was off the road and traffic was moving albeit slowly, Fabrize added. No serious injuries were reported.
Besides the truck accident, Fabrize said the department was working with the county sheriff's office on several accidents throughout the county and the city of Auburn.
"If you do not have to be on the road today, do not go out," Fabrize said.
Auburn-based state police said they worked all Sunday night and Monday morning on pulling cars out of ditches, but so far there have been no serious injuries.
One thing that is helping keep activity down, Fabrize added, is that many businesses and schools closed on Monday. At least 14 area schools had closed in addition to more than a dozen businesses and organizations. After Gould announced that only emergency vehicle travel would be allowed in the county, Cayuga County offices closed their doors for the day by 1:30 pm.
Snow showers are expected to continue into Monday night with a possible new accumulation of five inches. Residents should also expect wind gusts as high as 39 mph.
The Citizen's Greg Mason contributed to this report.
SYRACUSE — Port Byron/Union Springs checked off its final goal of the 2016 season.
The Panthers offense scored on their first two drives and the defense kept the Warriors off the board until the final seconds, as Port Byron/Union Springs topped Hannibal, 22-6, in the Section III, National Football Foundation League Championship Game at the Carrier Dome Sunday.
“One of the things we tell the boys every single day at practice is ‘You’re part of something bigger than just playing football,’” Panthers head coach Dan Robbins said. “This is a very special team. There were a ton of people from Port Byron and Union Springs here. It’s bigger than just a bunch of kids playing football.
“We brought unity to two communities and we brought the fun back to football in the two districts. It’s a great time to be a Panther fan.”
Right from the first practice, Port Byron/Union Springs’ goal was ‘Dome to Dome.’ One year after going 0-8, the Panthers opened the season with a win over Bishop Grimes in the Carrier Dome and finished their season a perfect 10-0.
“We said at the beginning of the season we want to go ‘Dome to Dome’ and we fulfilled that,” said quarterback Nick Valentino, who was named Port Byron/Union Springs’ most valuable player for the game.
Valentino rushed for 31 yards and two touchdowns, went 7-for-9 passing with 159 yards, and picked off one of the Warriors’ passes.
“Nick is the kind of player who gets better as the season goes on,” Robbins said. “When we needed him against Waterville, he had an amazing game. When we needed him against Hannibal, he made some throws you rarely see him make in practice. He nailed them today. He did an amazing job.”
Davonte House rushed for 113 yards and one touchdown, Jon Atkinson recorded 109 yards receiving, and Chris Hickey and Nick Burns each finished with five tackles.
The Panthers defense made four stops on Warriors drives deep in the Port Byron/Union Springs zone to preserve the lead.
“We didn’t adjust our scheme,” Robbins said of his defense. “We just put some athletes in positions to make plays, and just like always, they played fast and executed when they needed to.”
After a game-opening, six-plus minute Hannibal drive that ended with a turnover on downs, Port Byron/Union Springs answered by marching the ball back down the field. House’s 37-yard run set up a two-yard quarterback keeper for Valentino’s first touchdown of the day in the final seconds of the first quarter.
“I think after we scored that first time, it got everyone’s jitters out,” Valentino said. “We really played team football. Our defense stepped it up and our O line kicked butt.”
The Panthers added to their lead on their next possession in the second quarter. Valentino made three long passes for more than 80 yards, then punched the ball in from the one.
The score remained 14-0 throughout the third, but House broke through for a short touchdown run with 1:04 remaining. The Warriors answered with a quick drive that resulted in a short touchdown pass as time expired.
“We flipped the script from 0-8 to 10-0. That’s a good feeling,” Valentino said. “Hopefully next year it continues.”
While other class champions move onto the state tournament, the NFF Championship Game ends the Port Byron/Union Springs season. The NFF league was set up for programs that are rebuilding, and there is currently no state tournament.
Instead, the Panthers will have to wait until next season for a chance to build on their win streak — in regular Section III, Class C competition.
“It’s the best day of the year and the worst day of the year, because the football season is over,” Robbins said. “We end with a win, but unfortunately it’s our last day. That happens if you win a state championship. The last day of football is a sad day. However, as I said before, the boys know they did something special and I know the next class coming in is going to be bigger and better than what we had this year.”
AUBURN — Tim Donovan is going to have to find somewhere else to buy his newspapers.
Every day for 30 years, the Auburn man has been buying them at Cervo's News, the newsstand located at 126 Genesee St. since 1972 and at 118 Genesee St. for 18 years before that.
Sometime in mid-December, however, that daily ritual for Donovan and other downtown Auburnians will end. That's when Phil Horrocks, the owner of Cervo's News since 1990, will close the longtime newsstand.
Horrocks, 70, of Sennett, said he has been looking to get out of the business.
"A lot of the products I carry are kind of dying out," he said Monday as he stood next to a cluttered shelf of picture frames for sale. "The tobacco products, candy and soda. The young people aren't buying newspapers or greeting cards."
Horrocks found his opportunity when Auburn attorney Rome Canzano made an offer on the 126 Genesee St. building.
Canzano, who will close on the building in January, plans to convert it into his office, Horrocks said. It has a second floor that is now empty, but once housed a fabric business whose leftover inventory is on sale with almost everything else in Cervo's.
Assessed at $74,000 in 2016, the 126 Genesee St. building went up in 1960, according to Cayuga County property records.
It was once the location of The Leo Dress Shoppe, which left after a 1971 fire. According to The Citizen archives, the building was then purchased for $27,000 by Michael Cervo, who saw an opportunity to expand his 118 Genesee St. cigar store by moving it to the other side of what's now Chemung Canal Trust Co.
Michael and Ida Cervo were grandparents to Michele Ferraraccio, now the owner of The Flower Shop on Osborne Street. Born in 1968, she said she basically grew up in Cervo's News, which also had a second location at 145 State St.
"It's another piece of downtown history gone," she said. "That's when downtown was totally different. ... All the old friends, all the old lawyers and judges, used to stand in there and puff their cigars, reading the newspapers. It was really a lot of fun back then."
Cervo's was Michael's "pride and joy," Ferraraccio said.
He spent years waking up to collect newspapers at 5 a.m., and closing the store at 8 p.m. He also took care to stock appealing selections of comic books and candy. In 1971, Cervo's became one of the first stores in the area to install an automated lottery ticket machine.
After Michael had a stroke in 1986, his family tried running Cervo's, Ferraraccio said. They sold it the same year to Fred Gardner, who quickly made news by holding a customer survey whether Cervo's should continue selling X-rated magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse. It passed, 215-200.
As Gardner sold the newsstand to Horrocks — and as Wegmans and other stores began offering its wares for less — Cervo's began closing earlier in the day. Finding good employees was a challenge, Horrocks said. He started working there full-time in 2002 after retiring as an accountant for Coca-Cola.
The store's exact closing date depends on when Horrocks can clear its shelves. When that day comes, he said, he'll miss people like Donovan the most. The Auburn community advocate made Cervo's his unofficial office, he said, taking calls and accepting mail there for years.
"It wouldn't feel right if I didn't go in there once a day," said Donovan, whose father was in Michael and Ida Cervo's wedding. "A lot of people are going to miss it."
Donovan is also happy his friend is retiring — but he still doesn't know where he's going to buy his newspapers after December. And he's not alone, Horrocks said.
"A lot of people are sad to see it's going," he said. "A lot of people are used to buying their stuff here and they don't know where they're going to get certain things. They have a month and a half to figure out what they're going to do."
