AOC came to town last week. Trump comes Friday.

Hello, Syracuse

Two of the biggest names in American politics hit Syracuse inside of ten days. AOC closed an upstate swing here last Wednesday, and Trump lands Friday to campaign with Bruce Blakeman. Closer to home, the Westcott Theater lost its special use permit, a Brooklyn landlord was ordered to sell 18 Syracuse houses and write a seven-figure check, and Onondaga County is spending $500,000 to get ahead of data center developers. There are also 100 events on the calendar between now and Sunday. 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.

The Westcott Theater just lost its permit

The Common Council voted to revoke the Westcott Theater's special use permit after an 18-page city report laid out a pattern of violence and crowd-control problems at the venue. City Auditor Alexander Marion said the theater "has had numerous chances to do the right thing" and that "the time has come to say, no more." Owner Dan Mastronardi pushed back, saying he has run the business the same way for 18 years without changing the model. Revoking the permit halts operations under that authorization, though a future applicant could apply for a new one at the property.

Trump is coming to Syracuse Friday

President Trump will campaign in Syracuse on October 9 alongside Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive challenging Kathy Hochul. The venue has not been announced yet. Blakeman is running behind in the polls, down 9 points in a Siena survey and 19 in a Quinnipiac one.

AOC closed an upstate swing in Syracuse

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrapped a three-city upstate tour in Syracuse, telling supporters "it's going to take all of us banding together" in a push aimed at winning back the House. The swing hit Buffalo on September 26, Ithaca over the weekend, and Syracuse on September 30, with more than 1,000 people turning out for the Ithaca town hall alone. Her message leaned on class conflict, arguing a "money elite" has declared war on working-class Americans, alongside calls for universal healthcare, abolishing ICE, and restricting data centers. The tour doubled as a test run for whatever she runs for next.

A Brooklyn landlord was ordered to sell 18 Syracuse houses

Judge Joseph Lamendola ordered Brooklyn landlord Mendy Kletzky to sell all 18 of his Syracuse properties within 90 days and permanently banned him from owning or renting residential property in the city. The bill comes to more than $7 million: $6.6 million in fines and interest for code violations, plus $458,000 in back taxes and water bills. The violations included lead paint hazards and open code citations that sat unresolved for as long as 1,000 days.

Cicero and Baldwinsville are seizing e-bikes now

Both towns passed local laws requiring helmets for every rider, banning sidewalk riding, and capping speeds at 20 mph. Cicero fines start at $100 and climb to $500, and riders who flee an officer lose the bike plus a $250 fee to get it back. The numbers behind it are real: Upstate University Hospital treated 61 e-bike ER visits in 2024, 168 in 2025, and 155 so far this year.

McMahon is bracing for data center developers

Onondaga County is pressing ahead with its $500,000 study on data center best practices even after Hochul reversed course and imposed a one-year statewide moratorium on most new projects. McMahon wants the county to have its own answers on power, water, and siting before developers start knocking on town hall doors. The county launched a data center task force in June, and several local towns have already passed their own freezes or bans. Hochul's argument for the moratorium was that individual towns are not big enough to negotiate community benefits or require companies to bring their own power.

Hochul put the AG on the Cornell Chi Phi case

Governor Hochul signed an executive order making Attorney General Letitia James the special prosecutor in the criminal investigation into an alleged gang rape at Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity house.

ICE Showed up in Oswego and got a lot of Attention Online

A six-hour standoff in Oswego, NY last Wednesday ended up on screens nationwide after video showed local firefighters and police handing a ladder to federal immigration agents trying to reach two men on a residential roof. The men kicked the ladder down, the clip went viral.

Apizza Alimentari finally starts dinner service

Apizza Alimentari is open for dinner. Until now it has been a daytime operation built on Roman-style pizza al taglio, handmade pastries, and espresso. Worth a trip if you have not been.

3419 Long Shadow Dr, Baldwinsville - $679,000 | 3 bed, 3 bath, 2,642 sqft

A former Merle Builders Parade of Homes model in the Timber Banks Golf community, looking out over the Jack Nicklaus course and the Seneca River. The great room runs 20 to 25 feet up with refinished hardwood, custom trim, and a double-sided gas fireplace it shares with the first-floor primary suite. That suite has a walk-in closet, whirlpool tub, walk-in shower, and a granite double vanity. The kitchen has knotty pine cherry cabinetry, granite counters, and an open sightline to the great room.

Downstairs there's a finished basement with daylight windows, two bonus rooms, and a full gym. Outside is a half acre with a newer patio and firepit, a glass-backed basketball hoop, and a whole-house generator. The back porch looks at the 13th and 14th holes, a golfers dream. HOA included and Palmer Elementary is the school.

@Syracusehistory on IG checked in on the goat mural at the corner of West Genesee and Clinton Street. I had no idea this mural was being created and was very impressed with the work, so I assumed others may also not be aware. The mural is the work of Chris B Murray, and private donations covered the cost.