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Rocket’s red glare
Salina partners with Home HeadQuarters for loan program By Ashley M. Casey Associate Editor
Hal Henty
The town of Clay kicked off summer with its annual fireworks display June 28 at Great Northern Mall.
Film Fest planned for August postponed Board approves amendments to American High’s permit, site review plan By Russ Tarby Contributing Writer
A
t the end of May, representatives of American High/ Academy at Syracuse Studios appeared before the village planning board to announce plans for a film festival in August. Although not yet officially approved, the festival – then set for Aug. 19, 20 and 21 – was first announced on Feb. 23 in articles published in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. But at the planning board’s June 27 meeting, Academy at Syracuse Studios Director of Operations Heath Cottengim reported that the film festival has been postponed until next year. Instead, the film trade school located at the old Liverpool High School building at 800 Fourth St., will celebrate its fifth anniversary here. Cottengim could not confirm a date for the event which will be staged on the baseball field on the north side of the property, but he said it would be scheduled in midAugust. American High plans to have a
“We’d love to get the village excited about our fifth birthday. It’ll be a fun outdoor event for the village.” - Will Phelps, American High head of production
film in production here at that time, so the anniversary celebration would likely be attended by the cast and crew. The head of production at American High, Will Phelps, looks forward to celebrating with the school’s neighbors. “We’d love to get the village excited about our fifth birthday,” he wrote in an email last week. “It’ll be a fun outdoor event for the village.” Cottengim envisions a festive scene including inflatables, a bounce house, a dunk tank and four food trucks. An outdoor film screening on the school building’s north wall will conclude the event. American High staffers Axelle Azoulay and Ana Olano – who were
in charge of the postponed film fest – will also be instrumental in organizing the anniversary event, Phelps said. Earlier at its June 27 meeting, the planning board – Chairman Joe Ostuni Jr. and members Bob Bradt, Sam Reppi, Jim Rosier and Jim Taft – unanimously approved amendments made to the trade school’s specialuse permit and its site review plan. Noisy truck traffic, overnight parking and diesel fumes have topped the neighborhood’s complaints about film operations here. The amendments addressed those issues and others such as landscaping and scheduling film shoots. American High CEO Jeremy Garelick bought the building in 2017 for $1 million and turned it into a trade school for aspiring filmmakers while using it as a set for production of low-budget teen-oriented romantic comedies such as “Big Time Adolescence,” “Crush” and The Ultimate Playlist of Noise.” In less than five years, the company has produced 11 movies and has collaborated with other companies on several others.
Homeowners in the town of Salina will be able to make much-needed repairs to their properties thanks to a new loan program. The town is partnering with Home HeadQuarters to offer $15,000 home improvement loans at a 1% interest rate payable over seven to 10 years. The program began June 15 for the neighborhoods of Mattydale, Galeville and Lyncourt. All other Salina homeowners will be able to apply beginning July 15. “Those are the three neighborhoods that we’ve identified this program would have the greatest impact in,” Salina Town Supervisor Nick Paro told the Star-Review. “I wanted the neighbors in those communities to have access first.” The program, which uses $500,000 of Salina’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, has already drawn applicants. “Within two or three hours after my announcement, Home HeadQuarters let me know that they already completed their first application,” Paro said. Homeowners can use the loans for exterior repairs (such as replacing the roof, windows or siding) or addressing issues of quality of life, safety and code compliance, such as plumbing, furnace or foundation repairs. Paro said Salina’s program is similar to the Onondaga County Neighborhood Initiative, which offers loans up to $10,000 at 1% interest for certain neighborhoods around the county. The county also has a loan and grant program for exterior or emergency repairs. While the county’s programs “encompass at least pockets of the town of Salina,” Paro said, he wanted to make sure Salina residents were covered in case the county changes its eligibility requirements or ends their programs. “I saw the success of the program and knew it could really turn things around [in Salina],” he said. Paro is also hoping the program will entice homebuyers to consider Salina. Smaller, well-maintained homes could attract first-time homebuyers or older people wanting to downsize. “Town of Salina is an older community. We don’t have the opportunity to build a lot of newer houses,” he said. “People are starting to get priced out of these larger homes in neighboring communities.” Attracting new residents means attracting more businesses as well, Paro said. “Those businesses will be able to shoulder more of the tax burden,” he said. Salina homeowners interested in applying can visit homehq.org/homeowner-loans-grants to learn more. Download the application form at homehq.org/s/Town-of-Salina-HIPApplication-1021.pdf
Volume 130, Number 27 The Star-Review is published weekly by Eagle News. Office of Publication: 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206. Periodical Postage Paid at Syracuse, NY 13220, USPS 316060. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Star-Review, 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206.
clay Seniors: Wise Women Yarn Circle stitches together projects, relationships.
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sports news: C-NS grad named to Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame.
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