Weekday top 5: 69´«Ã½ police chief retiring, new 69´«Ã½ clubhouse aims to 'break barriers'
- 69´«Ã½ staff
- 0
69´«Ã½'s top five most-read stories of the work week.Ìý
- David Wilcox
- Updated
AUBURN — Leanna Nares has only been homeless a few months of her life. But she's spent all of it living in the kind of poverty that can lead to homelessness with startling ease.
Leanna, 31, a native of Moravia who now lives in Cayuga with her two children, Aurora and Elliot, has never lived in a home owned by her — or her family. For her, that poverty is generational.
A rented four-bedroom house was Leanna's home until she was 10, when her parents got divorced. Her mother left for 69´«Ã½, so her father was evicted. In the years that followed, they went from a three-bedroom house to a two-bedroom apartment to a one-bedroom trailer in Locke. As soon as Leanna graduated from Moravia High School, she got a job so her parents wouldn't have to support her.
"I never had anyone to help me, and then I had to help them. So it's been really hard to get ahead," she told 69´«Ã½.
Leanna was studying at Cayuga Community College in hopes of becoming an English teacher when she had Aurora. A single mother, she went from part-time to full-time at Wegmans so she could take care of her daughter. But her grades started to fall, and she dropped out. Then her mother got evicted from her apartment, so Leanna got a second job to raise $2,000 for her to get a new one.Ìý
By then, Leanna was living in 69´«Ã½. She was always working one job, often two and sometimes three. But she still had to move a dozen times over the next decade because she couldn't afford rent.Ìý
"When things go awry, there wasn't anywhere to go back to," she said. "A lot of people face hardships, but when you don't have any kind of family to help, that's where homelessness can happen."
Leanna found some stability after entering a long-term relationship and having her second child, Elliot. The four moved into a rented house in Union Springs. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, her mental health suffered. Those problems culminated in a June 2022 domestic incident with her partner that led to her arrest for menacing and other charges. Shortly afterward, he left her.
The incident made Leanna realize she needed help. She's been going to Cayuga Counseling Services for dialectical behavioral therapy ever since. Many others there are homeless, she said.
"Along with homelessness, there's usually mental problems," she said. "When I was talking to my therapist she said, 'You've never had stable housing in your whole life.' Because even when I was with my kids' dad, a lot of times I stayed because I knew that I didn't have the money to go somewhere. That affects your mental health, your ability to keep your job and how you are as a parent."Â
While she was getting help, Leanna was having more problems at home. Without a second income she was unable to pay rent despite working 60 to 80 hours a week, and even operating her own cleaning business on the side. She named it High as the Sky Cleaning Services, which is how much she tells Aurora she loves her. Leanna could also bring her daughter along, avoiding costly child care.
In August 2023, Leanna was evicted for the first time in her life. That made getting a new place even harder than it already was thanks to the competitiveness of the market and .
"It's like you're branded," she said of having an eviction in her history. "No matter how hard I worked, I couldn't get out."Â
She was homeless now. Elliot stayed with his father and Aurora stayed with Leanna's mother in 69´«Ã½ while she went back and forth between them and a storage unit, making sure they were bathed, clothed and fed. Elliot began going to Casey Park Elementary, but she wanted Aurora to continue going to A.J. Smith Elementary in Union Springs. So she drove her daughter there every day.
During those few months Leanna would often sleep in her car, awoken by knocks on the window from police officers. Or she stayed with friends, who helped watch her children as well.
"Part of the culture of being homeless and not having family is you meet people. They take you in," she said. "I've been lucky to meet some nice people."
That November, Leanna found her apartment in Cayuga. A new job at 69´«Ã½ Community Hospital has made it more affordable. Rent is still 50% of her income, but not 80% like it was before. That made her part of the 4.1% of people in the U.S. known as  And because she works full-time, she said, she's mostly been ineligible for public assistance outside of some SNAP benefits.
Leanna hopes that's in the past — and that she can break the generational cycle of poverty that she's been working to escape all her life.
"I do worry about my kids," she said. "If I can't help them when they're 18, what is that going to look like?"
- Kelly Rocheleau
- Updated
AUBURN — Two formerly vacant buildings have been given new life to help community members.Ìý
The Cayuga 69´«Ã½ Clubhouse, a nonprofit in the former JB's Wall Street Grill, and Combat Recovery, a gym now located in part of the former KeyBank at 115 Genesee St., held open houses Saturday.
'A safe place'
Clubhouse cofounder Christie Salmon-Blaisdell told 69´«Ã½ it provides a safe place where children can make friends, play games, watch TV, do their homework and more.
The clubhouse also provides families with assistance in areas like mental health, addiction and homelessness. Salmon-Blaisdell is a certified peer advocate, as are cofounders Brad Salmon, her husband, and their friend Randy Smith. Salmon and Salmon-Blaisdell are active at local recovery nonprofit Nick's Ride 4 Friends, where Smith started Combat Recovery.Ìý
That makes the clubhouse a destination for everyone, Salmon-Blaisdell said Saturday as people chatted over snacks and played board games. Older children in 69´«Ã½ need that in particular, she added.
"I'm actually really excited. Because a lot of people have talked about it for a long time, to have more places for people, so it feels great to be able to provide that," she said.
Salmon-Blaisdell believes the peer advocacy services at the clubhouse could "help break barriers in families' lives." She will be running her wellness business, Infinity Healing & Instruction, there as well. She hopes to secure funding for additional programs like children's yoga.
Kenny LaFramboise, who also works at Nick's Ride, and his 13-year-old son Jayden were at the open house. LaFramboise said the clubhouse is close to the homes of some of Jayden's friends, making it a place they could go.
"It's a safe place for kids to hang out, and I know there's going to be supervision," LaFramboise said. "It's definitely a drug-free, violence-free area."
'All walks of life'
Many of the people at the clubhouse attended the open house at Combat Recovery earlier in the day.
The gym operated out of the basement of Nick's Ride until moving to its new location, now called The Atrium on Genesee, Oct. 1. The gym is also located in the basement of the former bank. As members of the gym trained in pairs, Smith told 69´«Ã½ he likes the "dungeon feel" the space provides.
Smith said the gym currently has about 40 members and noted that two of them, his 19-year-old son Nate and Haylee Swan, competed in the International Sport Karate Association Championships in Austria last month. Smith praised Nate and Swan, and said seeing them compete against professional fighters was "surreal."
In recovery for addiction himself, Smith said the gym helps people form bonds and provides an outlet for them, whether they're in recovery or not. It also has a youth program, he added, with scholarships and a sliding scale fee so no one is turned away.
"We have all walks of life here," Smith said.Ìý
Children at the clubhouse will be awarded scholarships covering classes and equipment at the gym, Smith said. He hopes members go to the new nonprofit, and vice versa.
"They complement each other," Smith said. "It's a revolving door."
Salmon, who is also in recovery, is one of the students at the gym and has trained with Smith in recent years. Boxing changed Salmon's life, he said, "physically, mentally and emotionally." Just as putting on gloves has impacted him, Salmon hopes the gym and the clubhouse will be beneficial for others.
"There's a connection (at the gym) and we're trying to build a family connection down at a clubhouse with the youth," he said.
- Kelly Rocheleau
- Updated
A child was transported to a hospital for severe injuries after their motorized scooter crashed into a parked car Thursday afternoon, the 69´«Ã½ Fire Department said.
The accident took place around 4:25 p.m. near Seymour and Washington streets, Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Clark told 69´«Ã½.
The child was taken by 69´«Ã½ City Ambulance to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, Clark said. Their age was not immediately available, only the fact that they are younger than 18.
The 69´«Ã½ Police Department, city Department of Public Works and Cayuga 69´«Ã½ 911 were all involved at the scene.Ìý
Clark said the fire department asks that people on motorized scooters wear helmets and follow traffic safety regulations.
"There's been a lot more of these out on the road," he said. "We just want people to be safe."
- Kelly Rocheleau
- Updated
After more than 25 years with the 69´«Ã½ Police Department, James Slayton is ready to retire.
Slayton, who has served as the department's chief since July 2021, told 69´«Ã½ on Tuesday that his last day on the job will be Jan. 20, 2025. He began his career as an officer on Jan. 19, 1998, so he will leave exactly 27 years and a day later.ÌýHe became a patrol lieutenant in 2016, and was promoted to administrative lieutenant of planning and training before taking the top post.
Noting that he will be 59 in January, Slayton said he woke up earlier this month and realized it was time to move on to the next phase of his life.
"I've had a great career. I've enjoyed working for the city," he said.
"I've enjoyed meeting all of the people that I have met over the years and I've accomplished some things that I'm proud of. It's just my time to go."
After speaking with his wife, Michele, and his daughters, Marissa and Alayna, Slayton told 69´«Ã½ City Manager Jeff Dygert on Nov. 7 about his departure and informed the department later that day.ÌýThe police chief said neither of his daughters live in 69´«Ã½ anymore, and his second grandchild, Brooks, was born last week. So he wants to move closer to his family.
"I'm still healthy, and I want to be able to do things while I'm retired," he said. "I just feel happy. You work so many years toward retirement and you never know when that's going to come."
Dygert told 69´«Ã½ the city is grateful Slayton's retirement date gives officials time to find a new chief. The 69´«Ã½ Civil Service Commission has been reaching out to 69´«Ã½ police who are qualified for the role and are on the city's civil service list. The city manager said he hopes to hear from the commission this week about which officers are interested in the position.
The city will try to name a new chief before Jan. 20, said Dygert, who lauded Slayton for his work with the department.Ìý
"We appreciate all of Chief Slayton's service to the community and to the police department, and appreciate his leadership over the last few years," he said.
Being chief has been rewarding, Slayton said, but also stressful and time-consuming. He's proud of advancements the department made under his tenure, such as securing body cameras for officers in 2022 and partnering with the Cayuga 69´«Ã½ Community Mental Health Center to start a daytime mobile crisis team. He also noted the department's accreditation by the New York State Law Enforcement Agency Accreditation Council in 2023 and receipt of state Gun-Involved Violence Elimination Initiative grants in recent years to address violent crime.
"We always want to make the department move forward and progress, and that's what I feel that all of these things we've done over the years have allowed us to do," he said.
Slayton also praised the officers he has worked with over the decades.
"I've worked with some great men and women. I've met a lot of people who have become friends of mine," he said. "Everybody was always professional. Our families got to know one another."
The police chief added that he has been thrilled to see dozens of those officers come to the department and mature in their careers.
"It's been an awesome experience," he said. "I'm very thankful that I've had the opportunity to do this."
- Robert Harding
- Updated
- 3 min to read
As actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds sought a minority investor in Wrexham AFC and the surrounding community in Wales, J.P. Morgan had a suggestion.Ìý
The Allyn family in Skaneateles.Ìý
That connection was a product of the work by Eric Allyn, who serves as chief investment officer of the family office, and his daughter, Kaleen. The duo has developed a financial network on behalf of their family since the sale of Welch Allyn, the medical device manufacturing company, in 2015.Ìý
"For 100 years, we owned this business. We loved the business. It was in our blood, and it was our identity," Eric told 69´«Ã½ in a phone interview. "It was a passion and it was terrible to sell the business. People go, 'You got so much money though!' That's such a shallow understanding of our family's feelings for owning the business. It really was our identity."Â
After Hill-Rom acquired Welch Allyn for $2.05 billion, the Allyns' job was to invest the proceeds. The family office, 50 State LLC, was established to make those investments and "create connections for our family," Kaleen said.Ìý
The Allyns have invested in private companies, but they were also searching for an opportunity that would benefit a community — a way to rebound from the identity loss associated with the sale of their family's company.Ìý
Meanwhile, McElhenney and Reynolds are looking to build on their purchase of Wrexham AFC, a Welsh soccer club, in 2020. The actors' ownership of the team has been featured in the Emmy Award-winning docuseries, "Welcome to Wrexham."Â
"When you talk about Rob and Ryan, they have these vast networks," Kaleen said. "They really went out to try and seek a partner that was beyond your typical investor. They could go to big sovereign wealth funds or private equities or hedge funds, but what they were really looking for is someone who had operated a business and also knew how to invest in a community."Â
One of the Allyns' most trusted partners is J.P. Morgan. The firm learned earlier this year that McElhenney and Reynolds were searching for partners and mentioned the Skaneateles family.Ìý
"We were the first name that came out of J.P. Morgan's mouth," Eric said.Ìý
When discussions began about a potential partnership, Eric was out of the country. He didn't know a lot about Wrexham, but heard about the docuseries. He stayed up all night to watch the first season before talking to the team representing McElhenney and Reynolds.Ìý
Weeks later, Eric traveled to Wales. The goal of the trip was to visit Wrexham and "see whether or not this was just a Hollywood tale," he said. What he found is a place that reminded him of upstate New York.Ìý
"You think of Micron coming to Syracuse and the opportunity that presents is quite similar to what Ryan and Rob have done in Wrexham," he said. "It's like a classic underdog story and who doesn't love a great underdog story?"Â
Numerous meetings followed and the Allyns developed a great relationship with McElhenney and Reynolds, Kaleen Allyn said. They decided to co-found Red Dragon Ventures, an entity that will invest in Wrexham AFC and the community.
The official announcement was on Oct. 30, when Wrexham AFC welcomed the Allyns as minority investors and revealed the creation of Red Dragon Ventures.Ìý
"Wrexham has earned the world's attention and we are focused on bringing on board world-class partners to help with the next phase of our growth," McElhenney and Reynolds said in a joint statement. "We have been fortunate to get to know the Allyn family and we are blown away by their intelligence, kindness and commitment. They are exactly the type of partners we will need for this amazing endeavor."Â
Red Dragon Ventures aims to address the needs in Wrexham due to the popularity of the soccer club. When McElhenney and Reynolds bought Wrexham AFC, the team was in the National League — the fifth level of the English football pyramid. It has won promotions in two consecutive seasons and now plays in EFL League One, the third level of the system.Ìý
Before McElhenney and Reynolds took ownership of the club, average attendance was 4,058. It's now up to 13,158. (Wrexham AFC's stadium, the SToK Racecourse, has a capacity of 13,341.)Â
"Their demand is 10 times their supply and it's not just in the club itself, which does need some new stands and needs some real investment, but also hotels, restaurants, infrastructure, bars and other businesses," Eric said.Ìý
The first investment by Red Dragon Ventures was to acquire 80% of Wrexham Lager, a family-owned local brewery. The brewery was founded by German immigrants in 1881 and its beer was served on the Titanic.Ìý
By investing in Wrexham Lager, the Allyns hope to expand the brewery's supply chain. It also establishes a connection with another family-owned enterprise.Ìý
"It was great getting to know this family and the company that they've built with our background in Welch Allyn," Kaleen said.Ìý
Prior to Wrexham AFC's resurgence, Eric noted there wasn't a lot of investment in Wrexham. It's a place, he said, that is "needing some love."Â
For the Allyns, their work in Wrexham is a long-term project. Along with being minority owners of Wrexham AFC and acquiring Wrexham Lager, there are also plans for a real estate project and building out areas around the stadium.
"The idea of Red Dragon Ventures is really to invest in both Wrexham AFC, but also the businesses and real estate in the Wrexham community to ensure that the success of Wrexham AFC isn't isolated to the club," Kaleen said.Ìý
More like this...
- David Wilcox
AUBURN — Leanna Nares has only been homeless a few months of her life. But she's spent all of it living in the kind of poverty that can lead to homelessness with startling ease.
Leanna, 31, a native of Moravia who now lives in Cayuga with her two children, Aurora and Elliot, has never lived in a home owned by her — or her family. For her, that poverty is generational.
A rented four-bedroom house was Leanna's home until she was 10, when her parents got divorced. Her mother left for 69´«Ã½, so her father was evicted. In the years that followed, they went from a three-bedroom house to a two-bedroom apartment to a one-bedroom trailer in Locke. As soon as Leanna graduated from Moravia High School, she got a job so her parents wouldn't have to support her.
"I never had anyone to help me, and then I had to help them. So it's been really hard to get ahead," she told 69´«Ã½.
Leanna was studying at Cayuga Community College in hopes of becoming an English teacher when she had Aurora. A single mother, she went from part-time to full-time at Wegmans so she could take care of her daughter. But her grades started to fall, and she dropped out. Then her mother got evicted from her apartment, so Leanna got a second job to raise $2,000 for her to get a new one.Ìý
By then, Leanna was living in 69´«Ã½. She was always working one job, often two and sometimes three. But she still had to move a dozen times over the next decade because she couldn't afford rent.Ìý
"When things go awry, there wasn't anywhere to go back to," she said. "A lot of people face hardships, but when you don't have any kind of family to help, that's where homelessness can happen."
Leanna found some stability after entering a long-term relationship and having her second child, Elliot. The four moved into a rented house in Union Springs. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, her mental health suffered. Those problems culminated in a June 2022 domestic incident with her partner that led to her arrest for menacing and other charges. Shortly afterward, he left her.
The incident made Leanna realize she needed help. She's been going to Cayuga Counseling Services for dialectical behavioral therapy ever since. Many others there are homeless, she said.
"Along with homelessness, there's usually mental problems," she said. "When I was talking to my therapist she said, 'You've never had stable housing in your whole life.' Because even when I was with my kids' dad, a lot of times I stayed because I knew that I didn't have the money to go somewhere. That affects your mental health, your ability to keep your job and how you are as a parent."Â
While she was getting help, Leanna was having more problems at home. Without a second income she was unable to pay rent despite working 60 to 80 hours a week, and even operating her own cleaning business on the side. She named it High as the Sky Cleaning Services, which is how much she tells Aurora she loves her. Leanna could also bring her daughter along, avoiding costly child care.
In August 2023, Leanna was evicted for the first time in her life. That made getting a new place even harder than it already was thanks to the competitiveness of the market and .
"It's like you're branded," she said of having an eviction in her history. "No matter how hard I worked, I couldn't get out."Â
She was homeless now. Elliot stayed with his father and Aurora stayed with Leanna's mother in 69´«Ã½ while she went back and forth between them and a storage unit, making sure they were bathed, clothed and fed. Elliot began going to Casey Park Elementary, but she wanted Aurora to continue going to A.J. Smith Elementary in Union Springs. So she drove her daughter there every day.
During those few months Leanna would often sleep in her car, awoken by knocks on the window from police officers. Or she stayed with friends, who helped watch her children as well.
"Part of the culture of being homeless and not having family is you meet people. They take you in," she said. "I've been lucky to meet some nice people."
That November, Leanna found her apartment in Cayuga. A new job at 69´«Ã½ Community Hospital has made it more affordable. Rent is still 50% of her income, but not 80% like it was before. That made her part of the 4.1% of people in the U.S. known as  And because she works full-time, she said, she's mostly been ineligible for public assistance outside of some SNAP benefits.
Leanna hopes that's in the past — and that she can break the generational cycle of poverty that she's been working to escape all her life.
"I do worry about my kids," she said. "If I can't help them when they're 18, what is that going to look like?"
- Kelly Rocheleau
AUBURN — Two formerly vacant buildings have been given new life to help community members.Ìý
The Cayuga 69´«Ã½ Clubhouse, a nonprofit in the former JB's Wall Street Grill, and Combat Recovery, a gym now located in part of the former KeyBank at 115 Genesee St., held open houses Saturday.
'A safe place'
Clubhouse cofounder Christie Salmon-Blaisdell told 69´«Ã½ it provides a safe place where children can make friends, play games, watch TV, do their homework and more.
The clubhouse also provides families with assistance in areas like mental health, addiction and homelessness. Salmon-Blaisdell is a certified peer advocate, as are cofounders Brad Salmon, her husband, and their friend Randy Smith. Salmon and Salmon-Blaisdell are active at local recovery nonprofit Nick's Ride 4 Friends, where Smith started Combat Recovery.Ìý
That makes the clubhouse a destination for everyone, Salmon-Blaisdell said Saturday as people chatted over snacks and played board games. Older children in 69´«Ã½ need that in particular, she added.
"I'm actually really excited. Because a lot of people have talked about it for a long time, to have more places for people, so it feels great to be able to provide that," she said.
Salmon-Blaisdell believes the peer advocacy services at the clubhouse could "help break barriers in families' lives." She will be running her wellness business, Infinity Healing & Instruction, there as well. She hopes to secure funding for additional programs like children's yoga.
Kenny LaFramboise, who also works at Nick's Ride, and his 13-year-old son Jayden were at the open house. LaFramboise said the clubhouse is close to the homes of some of Jayden's friends, making it a place they could go.
"It's a safe place for kids to hang out, and I know there's going to be supervision," LaFramboise said. "It's definitely a drug-free, violence-free area."
'All walks of life'
Many of the people at the clubhouse attended the open house at Combat Recovery earlier in the day.
The gym operated out of the basement of Nick's Ride until moving to its new location, now called The Atrium on Genesee, Oct. 1. The gym is also located in the basement of the former bank. As members of the gym trained in pairs, Smith told 69´«Ã½ he likes the "dungeon feel" the space provides.
Smith said the gym currently has about 40 members and noted that two of them, his 19-year-old son Nate and Haylee Swan, competed in the International Sport Karate Association Championships in Austria last month. Smith praised Nate and Swan, and said seeing them compete against professional fighters was "surreal."
In recovery for addiction himself, Smith said the gym helps people form bonds and provides an outlet for them, whether they're in recovery or not. It also has a youth program, he added, with scholarships and a sliding scale fee so no one is turned away.
"We have all walks of life here," Smith said.Ìý
Children at the clubhouse will be awarded scholarships covering classes and equipment at the gym, Smith said. He hopes members go to the new nonprofit, and vice versa.
"They complement each other," Smith said. "It's a revolving door."
Salmon, who is also in recovery, is one of the students at the gym and has trained with Smith in recent years. Boxing changed Salmon's life, he said, "physically, mentally and emotionally." Just as putting on gloves has impacted him, Salmon hopes the gym and the clubhouse will be beneficial for others.
"There's a connection (at the gym) and we're trying to build a family connection down at a clubhouse with the youth," he said.
- Kelly Rocheleau
A child was transported to a hospital for severe injuries after their motorized scooter crashed into a parked car Thursday afternoon, the 69´«Ã½ Fire Department said.
The accident took place around 4:25 p.m. near Seymour and Washington streets, Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Clark told 69´«Ã½.
The child was taken by 69´«Ã½ City Ambulance to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, Clark said. Their age was not immediately available, only the fact that they are younger than 18.
The 69´«Ã½ Police Department, city Department of Public Works and Cayuga 69´«Ã½ 911 were all involved at the scene.Ìý
Clark said the fire department asks that people on motorized scooters wear helmets and follow traffic safety regulations.
"There's been a lot more of these out on the road," he said. "We just want people to be safe."
- Kelly Rocheleau
After more than 25 years with the 69´«Ã½ Police Department, James Slayton is ready to retire.
Slayton, who has served as the department's chief since July 2021, told 69´«Ã½ on Tuesday that his last day on the job will be Jan. 20, 2025. He began his career as an officer on Jan. 19, 1998, so he will leave exactly 27 years and a day later.ÌýHe became a patrol lieutenant in 2016, and was promoted to administrative lieutenant of planning and training before taking the top post.
Noting that he will be 59 in January, Slayton said he woke up earlier this month and realized it was time to move on to the next phase of his life.
"I've had a great career. I've enjoyed working for the city," he said.
"I've enjoyed meeting all of the people that I have met over the years and I've accomplished some things that I'm proud of. It's just my time to go."
After speaking with his wife, Michele, and his daughters, Marissa and Alayna, Slayton told 69´«Ã½ City Manager Jeff Dygert on Nov. 7 about his departure and informed the department later that day.ÌýThe police chief said neither of his daughters live in 69´«Ã½ anymore, and his second grandchild, Brooks, was born last week. So he wants to move closer to his family.
"I'm still healthy, and I want to be able to do things while I'm retired," he said. "I just feel happy. You work so many years toward retirement and you never know when that's going to come."
Dygert told 69´«Ã½ the city is grateful Slayton's retirement date gives officials time to find a new chief. The 69´«Ã½ Civil Service Commission has been reaching out to 69´«Ã½ police who are qualified for the role and are on the city's civil service list. The city manager said he hopes to hear from the commission this week about which officers are interested in the position.
The city will try to name a new chief before Jan. 20, said Dygert, who lauded Slayton for his work with the department.Ìý
"We appreciate all of Chief Slayton's service to the community and to the police department, and appreciate his leadership over the last few years," he said.
Being chief has been rewarding, Slayton said, but also stressful and time-consuming. He's proud of advancements the department made under his tenure, such as securing body cameras for officers in 2022 and partnering with the Cayuga 69´«Ã½ Community Mental Health Center to start a daytime mobile crisis team. He also noted the department's accreditation by the New York State Law Enforcement Agency Accreditation Council in 2023 and receipt of state Gun-Involved Violence Elimination Initiative grants in recent years to address violent crime.
"We always want to make the department move forward and progress, and that's what I feel that all of these things we've done over the years have allowed us to do," he said.
Slayton also praised the officers he has worked with over the decades.
"I've worked with some great men and women. I've met a lot of people who have become friends of mine," he said. "Everybody was always professional. Our families got to know one another."
The police chief added that he has been thrilled to see dozens of those officers come to the department and mature in their careers.
"It's been an awesome experience," he said. "I'm very thankful that I've had the opportunity to do this."
- Robert Harding
- 3 min to read
As actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds sought a minority investor in Wrexham AFC and the surrounding community in Wales, J.P. Morgan had a suggestion.Ìý
The Allyn family in Skaneateles.Ìý
That connection was a product of the work by Eric Allyn, who serves as chief investment officer of the family office, and his daughter, Kaleen. The duo has developed a financial network on behalf of their family since the sale of Welch Allyn, the medical device manufacturing company, in 2015.Ìý
"For 100 years, we owned this business. We loved the business. It was in our blood, and it was our identity," Eric told 69´«Ã½ in a phone interview. "It was a passion and it was terrible to sell the business. People go, 'You got so much money though!' That's such a shallow understanding of our family's feelings for owning the business. It really was our identity."Â
After Hill-Rom acquired Welch Allyn for $2.05 billion, the Allyns' job was to invest the proceeds. The family office, 50 State LLC, was established to make those investments and "create connections for our family," Kaleen said.Ìý
The Allyns have invested in private companies, but they were also searching for an opportunity that would benefit a community — a way to rebound from the identity loss associated with the sale of their family's company.Ìý
Meanwhile, McElhenney and Reynolds are looking to build on their purchase of Wrexham AFC, a Welsh soccer club, in 2020. The actors' ownership of the team has been featured in the Emmy Award-winning docuseries, "Welcome to Wrexham."Â
"When you talk about Rob and Ryan, they have these vast networks," Kaleen said. "They really went out to try and seek a partner that was beyond your typical investor. They could go to big sovereign wealth funds or private equities or hedge funds, but what they were really looking for is someone who had operated a business and also knew how to invest in a community."Â
One of the Allyns' most trusted partners is J.P. Morgan. The firm learned earlier this year that McElhenney and Reynolds were searching for partners and mentioned the Skaneateles family.Ìý
"We were the first name that came out of J.P. Morgan's mouth," Eric said.Ìý
When discussions began about a potential partnership, Eric was out of the country. He didn't know a lot about Wrexham, but heard about the docuseries. He stayed up all night to watch the first season before talking to the team representing McElhenney and Reynolds.Ìý
Weeks later, Eric traveled to Wales. The goal of the trip was to visit Wrexham and "see whether or not this was just a Hollywood tale," he said. What he found is a place that reminded him of upstate New York.Ìý
"You think of Micron coming to Syracuse and the opportunity that presents is quite similar to what Ryan and Rob have done in Wrexham," he said. "It's like a classic underdog story and who doesn't love a great underdog story?"Â
Numerous meetings followed and the Allyns developed a great relationship with McElhenney and Reynolds, Kaleen Allyn said. They decided to co-found Red Dragon Ventures, an entity that will invest in Wrexham AFC and the community.
The official announcement was on Oct. 30, when Wrexham AFC welcomed the Allyns as minority investors and revealed the creation of Red Dragon Ventures.Ìý
"Wrexham has earned the world's attention and we are focused on bringing on board world-class partners to help with the next phase of our growth," McElhenney and Reynolds said in a joint statement. "We have been fortunate to get to know the Allyn family and we are blown away by their intelligence, kindness and commitment. They are exactly the type of partners we will need for this amazing endeavor."Â
Red Dragon Ventures aims to address the needs in Wrexham due to the popularity of the soccer club. When McElhenney and Reynolds bought Wrexham AFC, the team was in the National League — the fifth level of the English football pyramid. It has won promotions in two consecutive seasons and now plays in EFL League One, the third level of the system.Ìý
Before McElhenney and Reynolds took ownership of the club, average attendance was 4,058. It's now up to 13,158. (Wrexham AFC's stadium, the SToK Racecourse, has a capacity of 13,341.)Â
"Their demand is 10 times their supply and it's not just in the club itself, which does need some new stands and needs some real investment, but also hotels, restaurants, infrastructure, bars and other businesses," Eric said.Ìý
The first investment by Red Dragon Ventures was to acquire 80% of Wrexham Lager, a family-owned local brewery. The brewery was founded by German immigrants in 1881 and its beer was served on the Titanic.Ìý
By investing in Wrexham Lager, the Allyns hope to expand the brewery's supply chain. It also establishes a connection with another family-owned enterprise.Ìý
"It was great getting to know this family and the company that they've built with our background in Welch Allyn," Kaleen said.Ìý
Prior to Wrexham AFC's resurgence, Eric noted there wasn't a lot of investment in Wrexham. It's a place, he said, that is "needing some love."Â
For the Allyns, their work in Wrexham is a long-term project. Along with being minority owners of Wrexham AFC and acquiring Wrexham Lager, there are also plans for a real estate project and building out areas around the stadium.
"The idea of Red Dragon Ventures is really to invest in both Wrexham AFC, but also the businesses and real estate in the Wrexham community to ensure that the success of Wrexham AFC isn't isolated to the club," Kaleen said.Ìý
