The Old Outback and Smokey Bones are Becoming Diners

Hello Syracuse

Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, which gives everyone a full week to get the costume right. Over on Route 31 in Clay, the old Outback and the old Smokey Bones are both turning into diners. Trader Joe's is officially hiring for its Camillus store. And a Liverpool production company just landed a show on Netflix. Don't forget to get out and vote this week! Let's get into it.

Trying to figure out where to go apple picking? We just published a full guide to every apple orchard around Syracuse.

Looking for trivia nights this week? We published a full guide to every trivia spot in Syracuse.

Your ballot has two term-limit questions, and they're almost identical

Flip your ballot over this year and you'll find two county propositions that look like a printing error. Prop 1 caps the County Executive and County Comptroller at three consecutive four-year terms, and Prop 2 caps them at four. The double option is a compromise after a messy fight between the County Legislature and County Executive Ryan McMahon, who accidentally approved the legislature's three-term law when he meant to veto it. Early voting runs through Sunday, Nov. 1, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, with the sheriff's race and all 17 County Legislature seats also on the ballot.

SU is taking "a hard, long look in the mirror" on sexual violence

Chancellor Mike Haynie has assigned a group of Syracuse University leaders to review how the school prevents and responds to sexual violence, including its services, policies and relationships with law enforcement. Haynie described the effort to the University Senate as "a hard, long look in the mirror." The review follows rape allegations at Cornell that have pushed colleges across the country to re-examine their own processes.

A Liverpool production company just made a Netflix show

American High, the Liverpool-based studio behind teen movies like "Big Time Adolescence" and "The Binge," is launching its first TV series on Netflix. "Minimum Wage" follows a group of teens trying to keep a local pizzeria running while dealing with school, a manic boss and lousy pay. It was filmed in Central New York and stars new "SNL" cast member Grace Reiter alongside a crew of American High Shorts alumni. 14 episodes drop today.

The Onondaga Lake Parkway bridge is closed again

A stretch of the Onondaga Lake Parkway in Liverpool closed Friday for emergency bridge repairs, and the village says the work could take at least a week. Drivers in both directions are being detoured to Old Liverpool Road. If the parkway is part of your commute, give yourself a few extra minutes.

Third person in hiding after ICE detains two at a downtown restaurant

ICE agents took a man and a woman into custody at Margarita's Mexican Restaurant in downtown Syracuse on the morning of Monday, Oct. 19. A third person who lived with them escaped through the restaurant's basement and is now in hiding, according to immigration attorney Jose Perez, who says his client has a valid work permit and a pending immigration case. Perez also says agents entered without a warrant, a claim that hasn't been independently verified.

Trader Joe's is hiring in Camillus

Trader Joe's has started hiring for its future store at Fairmount Fair Plaza in Camillus. Applications go through the Trader Joe's careers site. There's still no opening date, so the DeWitt store is still the spot for a little longer.

Waymo has already mapped Syracuse. Now it needs Albany.

Waymo has mapped Syracuse's streets and parked its driverless cars at the State Fair and outside a County Legislature session, but fully self-driving commercial vehicles are still illegal in New York. A bill to legalize them has stalled in committee every year since 2021, and the next real shot is the January 2027 session. CenterState CEO has been one of Waymo's biggest local backers, partly because CNY companies make sensors, radar and LiDAR that end up in the cars. Assembly nominee Mo Brown says he's "cautiously optimistic" but wants public input before any vote.

Rise N Shine is moving into the old Outback in Clay

Rise N Shine Diner is opening a new location at 3946 Route 31 in Clay, the former Outback Steakhouse. The owner announced it on Instagram, promising a bigger space, a new partnership and "an entirely new Rise N Shine experience." There's no opening date yet.

Second Chance Diner is heading to Route 31 too

Camillus favorite Second Chance Diner is opening a second location in the former Smokey Bones on Route 31 in Clay, near I-481. Owner Eddie DePalma says the new spot will be nearly 8,000 square feet with 340 seats, the same menu, and space for private events and catering. Construction is underway with a February opening as the target, and the Camillus location is staying put.

Lender moves to foreclose on 19 properties, including Sylvan Beach Amusement Park

Tully-based lender Green Lakes LLC has filed to foreclose on 19 properties owned by Douglas Waterbury, including Sylvan Beach Amusement Park, land tied to the Sterling Renaissance Festival, and rentals in Oswego and Morrisville. The lender claims Waterbury owes more than $5.3 million in missed mortgage payments and interest. Waterbury was barred from renting and managing residential property under a 2019 federal consent decree over the sexual harassment of tenants, and he faces separate criminal charges filed earlier this year.

6770 E Sorrell Hill Rd, Warners - $1,990,000

6 bd | 4 ba | 6,862 sqft

Just over two acres in Warners with nearly 7,000 square feet to fill. The main floor has a chef's kitchen with granite counters, custom cabinets, plus a primary suite with vaulted ceilings, a walk-in shower and a full dressing room. The finished lower level adds a second fireplace, another bedroom, a weight room and a media room. Out back there's a heated in-ground pool, a pool house and a gazebo, and past that a 40-by-60 pole barn with an insulated second floor and its own bar. An automatic security gate at the front, because of course it does.

@syracusesocialite is back with Part 2 of Haunted Syracuse, and this week it's 13 Curves, the winding stretch of Cedarvale Road in Onondaga Hill. Legend says a young bride and groom died there on their wedding night, and the bride, still in white, wanders the road looking for him. Watch the reel, then decide whether 13 Curves is your route home on Halloween.