TompkinsWeekly

2016-03-09T07:52:00.003-08:00

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TompkinsWeekly for the week of November 23rd

2015-11-22T15:38:00.001-08:00

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IC President Draws Protests
Ithaca College president Tom Rochon faces two separate votes of no confidence, from students and faculty, for what some call his topdown, non-inclusive and autocratic leadership style. The votes are likely to express faculty and student sentiment, but they are not binding.
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County Mulls Biggs Property Sale
The Tompkins County Legislature’s Government Operations Committee recently heard, but took no action on, a request from Planning Commissioner Ed Marx to authorize the listing for sale of 26 acres at the former Health Department (Biggs) property on Harris B. Dates Drive on Ithaca’s West Hill.
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Microbeads law is approved by county lawmakers page 2
The Tompkins County Legislature, by unanimous vote on Nov. 17, adopted a new local law that will prohibit the sale in Tompkins County of personal care products containing microbeads.
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IPD body cameras bring benefits, concerns page 3
Ithaca Police Department (IPD) officers have been using body-worn cameras for three weeks, since Nov. 2, following over a year of preparation and collaboration among the IPD, the Ithaca City Attorney’s office, camera industry representatives, and other police departments already using the technology.
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2016 county budget is approved by the legislature page 5
The Tompkins County Legislature, after two-and-a-half months of deliberation and review, on Nov. 17 adopted the county’s 2016 budget and the capital program for the next five years. The budget was approved by a 13-1 vote, with Dooley Kiefer voting no.
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A poignant drama about the early struggle for women’s rights page 8
The stirring mini-epic “Suffragette,” now playing at Cinemapolis, should be on short Oscar-watch lists for its brilliant, moving recreation of a key moment in the movement for women’s right to vote in the United Kingdom. Instead, it is likely to be shunted aside, much like last year’s “Selma.” In part, because like that film, its director is a woman, Sarah Gavron.
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Do we have the courage to truly celebrate Thanksgiving? page 10
This Thanksgiving we need new foods to feed our families. The old comfort foods won’t sustain us in a world of refugees, terror, race and class issues, climate disturbances and partisanship.
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Cornell student projects earn Family Service Awards page 11
The Ewing Family Service Awards will be bestowed this year on five candidates who seek to use the funds on a diverse assortment of projects set to enrich and improve the Cornell landscape.
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Tompkins Weekly for the week of November 16th

2015-11-15T17:28:00.002-08:00

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TCAT Faces Worker Shortage
Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) will bring in up to 10 professional transit contract drivers in the coming weeks to bolster its ranks and to address a shortage of bus operators that is being experienced on the local, regional and national levels. The use of temporary professional contract drivers will help TCAT maintain its high levels of service.
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Police Consolidation Moves Ahead
The Tompkins County Legislature, by a vote of 10-2, has authorized the county, jointly with the City of Ithaca, to pursue a state-funded study to examine the potential feasibility of consolidation of city and county law enforcement agencies.
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Legislature received input on proposed 2016 budget page 3
The Tompkins County Legislature on Nov. 10 held its annual public budget hearing, the formal part of the county’s budget process devoted to inviting public comment on the County’s 2016 Tentative Budget and Capital Plan for the next five years. The proposed budget incorporates the County Administrator’s Recommended Budget and amendments adopted by the legislature.
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Ithaca Health Alliance will seek a new executive director page 3
Ithaca Health Alliance Board President Kelly White has announced that Abbe Lyons has resigned her position of Executive Director effective at the end of January 2016. Lyons has served in the position since 2012. She has a long history with Ithaca Health Alliance as a provider member in the early years of the organization before her current tenure as Executive Director. Lyons said she is leaving to focus on her family.
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County Mental Health Dept. leadership under discussion page 4
The Tompkins CountyLegislature’s Health and Human Services Committee is currently discussing two alternatives regarding leadership of the County Mental Health Department.
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Federal funding cuts to impact TCAT page 5
TCAT has joined transit agencies across New York state to protest a last-minute amendment to the U.S. House of Representatives’ longterm highway bill, approved on Nov. 4, that would gut about millions of dollars in in much needed federal funding to New York State’s transit systems over the next six years.
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Hangar production takes a fresh look at classic poetry page 8
“I and this mystery, here we stand,” high school student Anthony intones, at the top of Lauren Gunderson’s teenaged two-hander “I and You.” The 2014 Steinberg/ ATCA New Play award-winning and Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist play opened Nov. 8 at the Kitchen Theatre Company.
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Bond is back, older and wiser page 9
Most criticism of the James Bond franchise emphasizes how the series stays relevant by adapting to the times. And sure enough, in Spectre it officially enters the post- Snowden era, as our hero fights a Big Data cabal plotting to turn our planet into a digital panopticon. But what’s equally important are the ongoing legacies—the “product DNA”, as developers like to call it— that make the Bond films stand apart. While people have been predicting the demise of the franchise for decades, it won’t truly be dead until it is indistinguishable from those Mission: Impossible and Jason Bourne movies.
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Ethical fashion respects workers and the environment page 10
Millions of consumers enjoy shopping for clothing in large chain stores full of inexpensive frippery. There is so much to be had, for so little money! The truth behind most mass market clothing is less attractive.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of November 9th

2015-11-08T08:37:00.005-08:00

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Teachers’ Action Sends Message
Recent investigations have revealed that Exxon Mobil knew by the late-1970s about the long-term impacts the fossil fuel industry would have on our climate. Despite uncovering this information, the company spent the next few decades funding climate change denial and misrepresenting the state of the science. Protests have been taking place worldwide, including one last week staged by two local teachers at the Exxon station at 540 W. State St. in Ithaca.
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County Sets Green Power Example
Tompkins County government has achieved recognition by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a Green Power Partner. The designation recognizes the county’s efforts to reduce the risk of climate change through the use of alternative sources of power.
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Local writers featured in new anthology page 3
The many facets of local literary talent are on full display in a new anthology that features the work of authors, academics, journalists and other wordsmiths who riff on life in Ithaca and its environs.
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2015 Tompkins County election results page 4
Unofficial final results for the 2015 election from the Tompkins County Board of Elections.
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Grant funds Cornell program to study the human brain page 5
Cornell Neurotech, a collaboration between the colleges of Arts and Sciences and Engineering, will launch thanks to a multimillion dollar seed grant from the Mong Family Foundation.
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Musician’s album considerd for Grammy award page 8
Jon Petronzio (JP) has been rocking the Ithaca music scene since his days at Ithaca College, and all of that hard work has paid off with his new album “Road Man: Light at the Speed of Life” being considered for a Grammy nomination. He won’t know if he gets on the final Grammy ballot until later this month; in the meantime he’s enjoying the surge in attention that this recognition brings to his music.
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Two takes on a notable documentary about a flamboyant queen page 9
Cornell Cinema offers a startling, electric, rare pairing of films this week and next: a beautiful restoration of Shirley Clarke’s revolutionary 1967 documentary “Portrait of Jason”—widely hailed as the first portrait of a black gay man on film—and Stephen Winter’s new fictional revisitation, “Jason and Shirley”, which recreates one possible version of the 12-hour alcohol- and-drug-soaked filming, centering on the duel between subject (Jason) and artist (Shirley) as each tries to place their stamp on the film.
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Hydrilla project reports progress and plans new strategies page 10
The transition to fall marks the end of another growing season for local terrestrial and aquatic plant communities. Leaves change color and drop, in a spectacle both brilliant and pleasing to the senses. Crops mature and are harvested to feed communities across the region. Plant communities senesce, as roots and seeds prepare for winter survival until spring arrives next year. It is a dynamic transition, both familiar and reassuring at the same time.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of November 2nd

2015-11-01T16:28:00.002-08:00

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Grant Aids Fresh Foods Effort
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded Finger Lakes Fresh (FLF), an enterprise of Challenge Workforce Solutions, a $100,000 grant to support its efforts to promote the region’s farmers and their products. This will help bring together local producers and Upstate New York institutions seeking fresh, healthy, locallygrown food.
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Police Consolidation Considered
Tompkins County has several municipal law enforcement agencies within its borders. The Ithaca Police Department, Tompkins County Sheriff ’s Department, and village police departments in Dryden, Trumansburg, Groton and Cayuga Heights all provide services to area residents. Additionally, there are three colleges located in the county that have police forces.
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Supervisor and town board seats are on the Groton ballot page 2
When Glenn Morey stepped down as Groton Town Supervisor to take a seat on the Tompkins County Legislature, that left a vacancy for the position. Filling in since then has been Deputy Town Supervisor Donald Scheffler. This year Republican Scheffler isrunning for supervisor against Democrat Edward Neuhauser.
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STEM opportunities for girls outlined page 3
The local district of the American Association of University Women convened at the Paleontological Research Institute on Oct. 24 to discuss a girl’s place in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. Women from Cortland, Oswego, the Mohawk Valley and Southern Tier joined their Ithaca colleagues to share research and strategies for STEM education.
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Legislature reviews proposed drone law and Biggs property page 5
The Tompkins County Legislature’s Government Operations Committee last week resumed its discussion of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), more commonly referred to as drones, discussing a preliminary draft of a proposed local law, which, if moved forward, could regulate use of the devices in Tompkins County.
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Love amid turmoil during the Cultural Revolution page 9
Quiet beauty. Great sorrow. Enduring love. The elements of Zhang Yimou’s masterful “Coming Home” (now at Cinemapolis) are simple yet elegantly blended.
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Health Alliance meets local needs page 10
Can you imagine a community where everyone is connected to compassionate, quality, integrative health care? That’s the vision of sustainability that inspires more than 120 volunteers at Ithaca Health Alliance, including all Free Clinic health care providers.
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TCAT will use contract bus drivers page 11
TCAT will bring in up to 10 professional transit contract drivers in the coming weeks to bolster its ranks and to address a shortage of bus operators that is being experienced on the local, regional and national levels. The use of temporary professional contract drivers will help TCAT maintain its high levels of service.
Full Story »

TompkinsWeekly for the week of October 26th

2015-10-25T14:49:00.002-07:00

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County Mulls Drone Law
The rise of new technologies is often followed by unforeseen legal questions, prompting legislators to create laws that address the new issues. With the cost of a personal unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), or drones, now below $300, more people are buying them and flying them, which raises privacy and safety concerns regarding their use.
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Budget Amendments Adopted
The Tompkins County Legislature has formally adopted amendments to the County Administrator’s 2015 Recommended Budget and the Capital Program for the next five years, as recommended by the Expanded Budget Committee. There were no changes to the package recommended by the Expanded Budget Committee before the legislature’s vote.
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A celebration of insects at Cornell page 2
Cornell University’s Entomology Department opened the doors of Comstock Hall on Saturday, Oct, 17, and invited the neighbors in. More than 1,500 people visited the student- organized insect fair dubbed Insectapalooza. This year was the 12th anniversary, celebrating the “Bizarre, Bad, and Beneficial” denizens of the bug world with an arthropod zoo, origami, face-painting and an entire room set aside for the Battle of the Bugs.
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Council seats on the ballot in Caroline page 3
Town of Caroline voters will elect two town council members in November, with four candidates vying for the four-year seats on the ballot. And a changing of the guard will take place in the town next year when Don Barber steps down after 22 years as supervisor, to be replaced by Mark Whitmer, who is running unopposed for the leadership post.
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Wine and spirits producers get a boost from New York State page 5
“The whole winery is bubbling away,” says Maren Hosmer, owner of Hosmer Winery, referring to the fermentation of red wines on site in Ovid, north of Ithaca on State Route 89. On sunny weekends like those this fall, the tasting room has been full of folks enjoying Riesling, Cabernet Franc and many other varieties.
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Carbon offset effort benefits area residents page 8
Anybody who is concerned about climate change hits a very slippery slope early on in the thought process, namely: Isn’t it at least a little hypocritical to rail against fossil energy exploration when it is highly likely you drive a gas-guzzling car and/or heat your house with fossil fuels? What about taking airplane trips to visit friends and family or to pursue your business? How does this behavior jibe with a sincere attempt to support green energy alternatives and slow down climate disruption?
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Radical vision is documented in film on Black Panthers page 9
There’s a clip of “Soul Train” early in “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” (playing at Cinemapolis) which lightly but succinctly makes the point that the Panthers were at the center of the zeitgeist in the radical Sixties.
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Pets have adverse ecological impacts page 10
The book “Time to Eat the Dog? The Real Guide to Sustainable Living” by Brenda and Robert Vale reports on ecological effects of owning pets. Owning an average sized dog uses the yearly energy equivalent in dog food and other aspects of dog care of twice that of an average SUV driving 6,000 miles per year. A cat’s carbon footprint is around that of a compact car.
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Artists will go the distance in CSMA Marathon event page 11
For two weeks of creative exchange in November, the gamut of community artists, arts patrons and enthusiasts will devote or “get back to” their artistic callings on behalf of the Community School of Music and Arts and its charitable mission: to keep local arts education accessible to anyone and everyone.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of October 19th

2015-10-18T12:41:00.002-07:00

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2 Legislature Seats on Ballot
Rich T. John, 56, is running as a write-in candidate against Elie Kirshner, 19, to represent the 4th District on the Tompkins County Legislature. An Ithaca resident for 50 years, John has lived in the legislature’s district for 18 years.
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Black Lives Matter Event Planned
Racial tensions in the U.S. have escalated over time following a number of tragic events involving police and citizens, such as the shootings of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray and Tamir Rice, as well as the church shooting in Charleston, S.C. In response to these events, and the systemic problems that contributed to them, communities have responded by organizing Black Lives Matter (BLM) events. The first major BLM event in Ithaca will be held on Saturday.
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Impacts of wind farms on bird populations are scrutinize page 2
Bill Evans studies nighttime migration calls of birds. He’s also one of the local experts who have studied the impacts of wind turbines on bird populations. Evans visited the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on Oct. 12 to share his perspective on avian impacts of wind energy in our region.
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Dryden voters face supervisor and town board races page 3
After 8 years as Dryden Town Supervisor Mary- Ann Sumner has chosen not to seek re-election. This vacancy will be contested as current Deputy Supervisor Jason Leifer, a Democrat, faces Dryden Independence challenger Craig Schutt.
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Local musicians provide film score page 5
Jay Craven’s new seaside film drama “Peter and John,” starring 2014 Golden Globe winner Jacqueline Bisset, will play in a special screening at 6:30 p.m., on Thursday, Oct. 22, at Cinemapolis. Director Craven will introduce the film and lead a post-screening Q & A that will include Craven’s longtime music collaborators Judy Hyman and Jeff Claus of the local band the Horse Flies.
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Film series bring the world to Ithaca page 8
Most weeks, this column takes on one film. But we are lucky in Ithaca to have more than the latest Hollywood and independent features on hand. We also have many film series, principally at Cornell Cinema, but also sponsored by community groups at Cinemapolis, while Ithaca College brings us the Out of the Closet and Onto the Screen Film Series sponsored by their Center for LGBT Education, Outreach & Services.
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‘Mountaintop’ exposes the real Dr. King page 9
I’m willing to wager that any American could identify a picture of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On classroom posters, stamps, Tshirts, Internet memes, television specials, films, and art: his face is one of the most ubiquitous and beloved in recent U.S. history. But the image of MLK that Memphisborn playwright Katori Hall serves up in “The Mountaintop” is anything but commonplace.
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City adds new bicycle infrastructure page 10
In the past year, the City of Ithaca invested in three significant bike infrastructure projects: the Cayuga Waterfront Trail, new bike lanes and a bicycle boulevard across Ithaca. With six miles of new non-motorized trail, three miles of newly traffic-calmed streets and nearly one mile of new bike lanes, Ithaca is moving toward sustainability and livable, inclusive neighborhoods as prioritized in the city’s Comprehensive Plan and the county’s Long Range Transportation Plan.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of October 12th

2015-10-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

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Plastics Pollution Targeted
Later this month, the Tompkins County legislature could take up legislation to locally ban the sale of products containing microbeads—tiny plastic beads used as abrasives in personal care products such as toothpaste, scrubs and exfoliating soaps. The Planning, Energy and Environmental Quality Committee is expected to consider a bill as early as Oct. 21, says committee chair Dooley Kiefer.
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Input Received on County Budget
The Tompkins County Legislature held its annual Community Budget Forum on Oct. 7, inviting residents to learn about and comment on the county’s recommended 2016 budget currently under review by the legislature.
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Inmate re-entry program examined in report page 2
The Re-entry Subcommittee charged with developing recommendations regarding a a program to transition jail inmates out of the Tompkins County Jail and back into the community last week presented its report and recommendation to the Tompkins County Legislature.
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More fresh foods offered in local schools page 3
Wood’s Earth Living Classroom, a project of the Center for Transformative Action, has added the 368 Pre-K through fifth-grade students in Belle Sherman Elementary School to the list of those receiving fresh classroom snacks through the Fresh Snack Program (FSP). This marks the third school in the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) to join the program, which include Enfield Elementary School and Beverly J. Martin (BJM) Elementary School.
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Photojournalist documents the impacts of climate change page 5
You might not know the name Gary Braasch, but you’ve seen his awardwinning photographs in Time, LIFE, Discover, Smithsonian, National Geographic and, at the beginning of this year, on the cover of the New York Times Magazine. For the past 15 years or so, Braasch has been documenting the effects of what he calls “rapid climate change”.
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State shows an interest in hemp crop page 8
New York’s first legal hemp seeds are closer to being sown next spring by universities and local farmers after revised regulations were issued by the State Department of Agriculture and Markets last week. Research of industrial hemp by states was permitted as part of the 2014 US Farm Bill; legislation creating New York’s pilot program was sponsored by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo and State Sen. Tom O’Mara.
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The science of survival in a hostile world page 9
About 20 years ago, the late Carl Sagan, during a Bailey Hall speech to students at Cornell, likened some natural phenomenon to “coupled differential equations”. When the students hissed at this reference to their math homework, Sagan remarked, “Why all the hissing? One day differential equations will save your life.”
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The pope, the planet and the poor page 10
The previous essay about Pope Francis’ June 2015 Encyclical, “Laudato Si’, mi’ Signore” (“Praise be to you, my Lord”) was published on Aug. 24. In that essay I summarized his views on environmental threats and especially global warming.
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Cornell prison education program receives grant funding page 11
The Cornell Prison Education Program (CPEP) plans to expand to provide classes and degree programs in four regional prisons, establish a consortium of regional colleges and universities participating in prison education, and create a model college-in-prison network in the region with support from a $1 million, three-year grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of October 5th

2015-10-04T13:02:00.002-07:00

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Refugees Find Helping Hands
The migration of refugees out of Syria and Iraq has highlighted the desperation of people fleeing war and persecution in those countries. Over the past four years, since the conflict in Syria began, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan have absorbed most of those displaced, and almost 5 million refugees are anticipated to have applied for asylum in those countries by the end of this year.
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Crime Concerns Aired in Groton
A Facebook movement to bring awareness to a continued local crime problem in Groton led to a recent village board meeting that was attended by about 190 residents. The crowd was so big that the meeting had to be moved to the Groton high school auditorium.
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Budget talks include TCAT funding page 2
Tompkins County Legislators acting as an Expanded Budget Committee last wek heard the final scheduled presentations, as they completed their first phase of reviewing County Administrator Joe Mareane’s recommended 2016 County budget.
Full Story »

Finger Lakes wineries join forces in solar energy installations page 3
Three of the region’s most respected, multi-generational wineries, along with the nation’s oldest sacramental winery, are embracing the solar movement in the Finger Lakes.
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Musician Crookston explores his creative influences page 5
When I showed up at Joe Crookston’s house for an interview, eerie violin noises were emanating from within. When his daughter Josie opened the door and I asked for her dad, she smiled and said, “Just follow the sound.” That seems to be the best way to track down Joe Crookston—just follow his sound.
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Finding refuge from politics and religion page 8
Gentle and tough, unsentimental yet romantic, “Jimmy’s Hall” (currently at Cinemapolis) is an antiheroic movie about a heroic man and his beloved community.
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Land Trust acquisition will add to Connecticut Hill site page 9
The Finger Lakes Land Trust has announced the acquisition of an 86-acre parcel of land adjacent to Connecticut Hill Wildlife Manage-ment Area in the town of Catharine, Schuyler County. Conn-ecticut Hill encompasses more than 11,500 acres of undeveloped land southwest of Ithaca and is the largest wildlife management area in the state of New York.
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Dish truck proposed as alternative to compostables page 10
In Pope Francis’ recent Encyclical, “Laudato Si’ On Care for Our Common Home,” he recounts how each year hundreds of millions of tons of waste are generated. “The Earth, our home, is beginning to look like an immense pile of filth.” The following is a look at some of the issues surrounding one of the largest components of personal garbage and attempts to ameliorate, and a proposed solution.
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Public space recycling proves popular page 11
The areas near the Tompkins County Public Library and the Lansing Community Library have a welcomed addition—public space recycling bins. Installed at the end of August, the bins feature receptacles for both trash and common single- stream recyclable items like cans, bottles and newspapers.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of September 28th

2015-09-27T16:10:00.001-07:00

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New Volunteer Outreach Effort
Nationally the number of volunteer firefighters has been decreasing for years, and locally that trend makes it hard for local fire companies to respond to all of the calls. To reverse this trend, MBA students at Cornell’s Johnson School have launched a multi-year study to research why number are declining and to propose ways to recruit more volunteers.
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Hazards Persist at Ithaca Falls
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is once again removing lead-contaminated soil at the base of the gorge at the Ithaca Falls Natural Area, near the intersection of Lake and Falls streets in Ithaca. This time, the federal agency is taking out some 200 cubic yards of loose stone and lead-contaminated soil from a quarter of an acre of land.
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City of Ithaca seeks county funding for waterfront parks page 2
Tompkins County Legislators acting as an Expanded Budget Committee last week continued deliberations on County Administrator Joe Mareane’s recommended 2016 county budget, with presentations from six more county departments and agencies.
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Quilters find inspiration in adversity page 3
One evening in 2003 Aafke Steenhuis heard a loud bang in her front yard and went to investigate. A car had crashed into a large tree, killing two young people she’d known from her West Hill neighborhood. The crash and its aftermath were traumatic experiences for her, but they unleashed a torrent of art in the form of quilts.
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Local writer has some “Damn Good” stories to share page 5
Reading Steve Lawrence's local column over the years, I never thought of it as a sports column per se, but rather as a community column. Covering triumphs and defeats, births and deaths, personal stories woven with universal truths, Lawrence uses sports as a metaphor for life. The same can be said of his new book, for even as the stories recount very personal tales, they also show how we are all connected.
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Open Studio dates are a chance to meet the artists page 8
The 2015-16 season of the Community Arts Partnership’s Greater Ithaca Art Trail has begun. The trail’s two October Open Studio weekends, on Oct. 10 and 11 and 17 and 18, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, give art enthusiasts the opportunity to take a self-guided tour of 37 artist studios that are open simultaneously throughout the county.
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About women and the choices they make page 9
Now playing at Cinemapolis, “Grandma” is a little movie with a big heart. Paul Weitz’s best film since “About a Boy” (2002), it gives Lily Tomlin not only the lead, but a compelling character to boot.
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Exhibit spotlights feminist activism page 11
The Wells College String Room Gallery announces the opening of “Practical Work,” a group exhibition featuring historical and contemporary examples of artwork made to advocate for feminist social justice causes.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of September 21st

2015-09-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

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2 Seek Open Legislature Seat
Tompkins County Legislator Kathy Luz Herrera, who represents Ithaca’s Fall Creek and Northside neighborhoods, announced her immediate resignation on Sept. 15. The next day, two candidates stepped forward to run for her position.
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Writer Touts Whistleblowers’ Role
Syndicated columnist and whistleblower defender Norman Solomon emphasized the role that whistleblowers, such as Edward Snowden, play in shining the spotlight on deceptive government policies during a lecture sponsored by the Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College on Sept. 10.
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Dog day afternoon planned in Ithaca page 2
Dog-lovers, and their well-behaved canine companions, are invited to Cass Park for the second Ithaca Dog Fest on Saurday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Families with room for new dogs in their hearts and homes can meet available pets while perusing vendor booths, enjoying food, and listening to an acoustic string band.
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Youth Bureau seeks to build its mentoring programs page 3
The Ithaca Youth Bureau (IYB) held a concert at Stewart Park on Sunday, Sept. 20, to rally community members as the organization pushes to meet the goals established in the Community Mentoring Challenge.
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Luz Herrera resigns from the legislature page 5
Saying that he provides the information “with a heavy heart,” Tompkins County Legislature Chair Mike Lane relayed to his colleagues at their Sept. 15 meeting a message from Legislator Kathy Luz Herrera (D-District 2) regarding her resignation from the legislature, effective Sept. 16.
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A contemporary fairytale on the big screen page 8
Cornell Cinema brings us the Ithaca premiere of the remarkable “La Sapienza” by the Americanborn but decidedly French director and writer Eugène Green on Thursday and Sunday, Sept. 24 and 27.
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Diva’s prize possessions on display page 9
A plum satin evening gown, heavy with jet beads and stiff on the mannequin. A porcelain automaton doll, awash in a froth of lace, whose tiny hands float up to blow perfect, round bubbles from perfect, round lips. A restaurant-grade frozen yogurt machine, whirring with tidy efficiency beside a candy-red popcorn maker. Behind the counter, a man waits, gracious and only a little ridiculous in his turn-of-thecentury sleeve garters and apron.
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Young musician displays many talents page 10
Owen Lennon is happy. His gig with the punk rock band Anansi drew a good crowd at the Chantiloft downtown. “I've got this ringing in my ears and these blisters on my heels and I think I’m in love with life,” he posted on his Facebook page after the performance.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of September 14th

2015-09-13T16:44:00.001-07:00

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Pipeline Measure Approved
The Tompkins County legislature approved a resolution on Sept. 1 that asks the New York State legislature to assess the health and environmental risks associated with new, large-scale natural gas pipelines and compressor stations. The measure passed by vote of 10-3.
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The Struggle to Make Ends Meet
Most locals will tell you that the costs of living in Ithaca and Tompkins County are high, higher than neighboring communities.
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City Comes Alive with Celebrations
The streets of downtown Ithaca will be bustling on Sunday, with three celebrations rolled into one as Streets Alive!, the Food Justice Fair and the Latino Multicultural Festival and Parade all take place.
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The Tompkins County Legislature begins 2016 budget review page 2
Tompkins County Legislators acting as an Expanded Budget Committee last week began review of County Administrator Joe Mareane’s recommended 2016 county budget, hearing the first eight presentations from county departments while beginning a committee review process that will run through most of October.
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Extolling the value of indigenous wisdom page 3
Robin Kimmerer is a botanist who studies mosses and restoration ecology. On Sept. 2 she kicked off the Cornell Plantations fall lecture series with insights on the contributions of indigenous ecological knowledge to our understanding of the natural world.
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Workers converge for Labor Day Picnic page 5
Efforts to push for a living wage for local workers, and higher education employers, were in the spotlight at the 32nd annual Labor Day Picnic sponsored by the Midstate Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and the Tompkins County Workers' Center. The theme this year was “Organizing for Success,” and a throng of local union members and labor supporters gathered at Stewart Park in Ithaca to enjoy a picnic-food buffet on a sweltering day.
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Documentary profiles a jazz icon page 8
The legendary jazz innovator and iconoclast Ornette Coleman died this summer. Known for kicking off the Free Jazz movement of the 1960s, he also experimented with fusion and African mysticism, electronic, and classical. Polyrythms, instruments playing in different keys, fragmented melodies, lack of a pianist laying down harmonic chords at center, all characterize his revolutionary approaches.
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Cherry Artspace sets up shop in Ithaca page 9
It’s no secret that Ithaca theaterlovers have it good. Like, really good. For a city of our size and location, we have an impressive number of local theater offerings to choose from on any given evening.
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Examining diversity on the farm page 10
It’s that special time of year; new beginnings, old endings, school starts and our little ones depart. On Sunday, Sept. 20, the first conscious effort (of my knowing) to bring three non-profit 501C3s in a collaborative effort as a team, to inform all communities of diverse backgrounds and to highlight the preliminary work being done in our community and afar.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of September 7th

2015-09-06T13:54:00.002-07:00

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County Budget Proposal Unveiled
Tompkins County Administrator Joe Mareane has delivered to the county legislature a 2016 Recommended County Budget that maintains services, reinvests in infrastructure, addresses organizational pressure points and remains within the county’s projected property tax cap.
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Reading marathon provides a boost for the library page 2
The Tompkins County Public Library’s (TCPL) annual fundraiser is moving apace toward its goal of collecting $25,000, and the highlight of the drive, a 24-hour reading marathon starting at noon on Friday, Sept. 15, is almost full-up with eager readers.
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New farmers connect with land owners page 3
The cost of starting a new farm can be prohibitive to beginning farmers, so Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) has established a LandLink program to connect landowners who would like their land farmed with beginning farmers looking to get established or current farmers looking to expand.
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Legislature takes city properties off of the tax rolls page 5
The Tompkins County Legislature, by unanimous vote at its Sept. 1 meeting, approved an agreement for the county to forgo collection of county taxes, for the years 2014-16, in an amount not to exceed $5,400, on two parcels on Lake Street, now owned by the City of Ithaca, adjacent to the Ithaca Falls Natural Area, in support of the parcels’ addition to this public resource.
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Cornell fundraising at an all-time high page 8
In a banner year for fundraising, Cornell University raised $672.9 million in fiscal 2015 that ended June 30, vaulting the Cornell Now campaign above $6 billion and setting new records for dollars raised and participation. Cash giving to the university totaled $590.6 million, surpassing last year’s record $545.4 million.
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Growing pains, and pleasures page 9
It’s been a good season for girls (that is teen or younger) in film. From the major studios we had Pixar’s “Inside Out,” with its gutsy, lonely pre-teen soccer player, and Brad Bird’s “Tomorrowland,” with a teen girl rebel-scientist; from Studio Ghibli, a haunting story of the strength of girl friendship in “When Marnie Was There.”
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Better building practices promote energy efficiency page 10
In Tompkins County, as in most places, our built environment—the collection of buildings we live, work and play in—is responsible for a large portion of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. This article describes two projects that the City of Ithaca and the Town of Ithaca are working on to address this issue: the Residential Energy Score Project (RESP) and energy efficiency standards for new construction.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of August 31st

2015-08-30T15:43:00.001-07:00

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Food Recycling Effort Grows
Food scraps recycling is proving popular in Tompkins County, with the Solid Waste Division recently reaching the 2,500 mark in the number of recycling tool kits distributed to residents.
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‘Savor’ Event Shares Local Bounty
The Finger Lakes region is blessed with more than 100 independent breweries, wineries, cideries and distilleries, plus a vibrant variety of farms, artisanal food producers and restaurants. Yet not everyone can afford to take advantage of our region’s bounty, a situation that the Healthy Foods For All (HFFA) program hopes to remedy.
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IC gets grant for STEM student program page 2
A $600,000 grant from the New York State Department of Education will aid Ithaca College in its efforts to increase the number of students who have been traditionally underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and health-related fields.
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Museum’s Dino Lab adds new attraction page 3
Steggy, a life-sized stegosaurus presiding over the Museum of the Earth’s new Dino Lab, is not just a life-sized representation of a dinosaur that lived over 144 million years ago, he’s also a piece of history. Constructed from papier-mâché for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Steggy spent the next 107 years at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.
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Local currency issues new notes page 5
The development of Ithacash as an alternative currency took another step forward as they unveiled the design of the $5 Ithaca Dollar (i$5) note at an Aug. 20 ceremony at Rev: Ithaca Startup Works on the Commons. Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick, Jennifer Tavares of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, Gary Ferguson of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance and numerous community members showed up to show their support.
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Yiddish Festival planned in Ithaca page 8
Yiddish theater grabs you by the kishkes (guts) and doesn’t let go. Now the tradition that inspired Broadway is coming to Ithaca, with all the humor, pathos and meaning of its long history.
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On the Road with David Foster Wallace page 9
What if someone filmed a seriousminded bromance? Which is just what James Ponsoldt’s “The End of the Tour” is, though not without abundant humor.
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Sustainable land use, past and present page 10
Understanding and using historical ecological knowledge to properly manage the landscape is one of the great tasks of landowners in our time. Over the past 50 to 100 years, forests around the region have been coming back, due largely to the widespread abandonment of farm fields. The inevitable restorative nature of the forest is a blessing to our generation, but one we must not take for granted. With rising fuel costs and an increasingly extractive culture, we have a danger of repeating the mistakes of the past, of turning an emerging legacy into devastation.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of August 24th

2015-08-23T14:55:00.001-07:00

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Day of Giving Has Broad Appeal
Starting at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Tompkins County will hold its first “Giving Is Gorges” campaign, a 24- hour countywide day of giving. The online challenge celebrates local nonprofits and affirms the community’s culture of giving. More than 100 area nonprofits have signed up for the event.
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Lifton Petitions for Airport Rule
Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D- 125th District) and several of her upstate Assembly colleagues have signed a letter urging the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to uphold the 1,500-mile perimeter rule at LaGuardia International Airport in Nerw York City.
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County legislature approves an agreement with union page 2
A new, three-year collective bargaining agreement between Tompkins County and its White Collar Unit (Civil Service Employees Association, Local 855), the county’s largest employees union, was approved by the Tompkins County Legislature on Aug. 18. Approval came without dissent, with Dan Klein abstaining since a family member is covered under the White Collar contract. Union membership ratified the tentative agreement July 30.
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Sheriff’s Office seeks more funding page 2
The Tompkins County Legislature’s Public Safety Committee is considering a request from the Tompkins County Sheriff ’s Office to appropriate more than $360,000 from the Contingent Fund to cover anticipated shortfalls in the 2015 budget related to overtime expense in the Road Patrol and Corrections divisions, and inmate boardout costs.
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Time to celebrate completion of the Commons project page 3
A two-day bash to celebrate the long-awaited completion of the Ithaca Commons construction project will be held Friday and Saturday, Aug. 28 and 29, with something for everyone in downtown Ithaca.
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Entrepreneurs create new recipe for fast food page 5
A new Ithaca-based company, MacroFuel, will launch a Kickstarter campaign on Monday, Aug. 24, to raise capital for production of its namesake product, a powdered meal alternative that claims to be different from those already on the market.
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New season begins for Cornell Cinema page 8
The colleges have started up; cars turning the wrong way on the oneway streets around the Commons, long lines at Wegmans, a lot more people everywhere. One silver lining to the end of a sultry summer is that Cornell Cinema has also started up for its fall screenings.
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The Pope’s plan for saving the planet page 9
“Laudato Si’, mi’ Signore”— “Praise be to you, my Lord”—so begins Pope Francis’ June 2015 encyclical on the environment. The Pope quotes from a famous canticle (chant or religious song of praise) composed in 1225 by Saint Francis of Assisi.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of August 17th

2015-08-16T17:00:00.005-07:00

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Village Targets Water Pollution
The Village of Trumansburg broke ground for a new $6.2 million sewage treatment plant on Aug. 10, marking the start of a project that is the result of community environmental activism combined with responsive regulatory agencies and local government.
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Permaculture Efforts on Display
Permaculture is loosely defined as “the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient,” a melding of both “permanent” and “culture”. Permaculture practices have strongly taken root in the Finger Lakes Region, and will be on full display this weekend.
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Challege Workforce has a new director page 2
After a careful and thorough search, Challenge Workforce Solutions’ Board of Directors has announced that Joe Sammons will join the agency as its new executive director.
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Waterfront trail is finally completed page 3
The entire length of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail is finally open, after 15 years and $4.75 million, not counting private donations toward trail amenities such as benches and signs.
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Cornell’s POST program marks 20 years of community service page 5
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Cornell’s Pre-Orientation Service Trips (POST), a Public Service Center program that provides the opportunity for incoming students to get a head start on their Cornell careers through volunteering in the local community.
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Kitchen Theatre reveals new season page 8
Kitchen Theatre Company’s 2015-16 season begins next month. This is the 25th anniversary season and the sixth in the renovated, LEEDcertified theater at 417 W. State/MLK, Jr. St. in downtown Ithaca.
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Survival in the city page 9
Explosions of color, bright, saturated, deep, as in a few swift, lovely scenes we are introduced to Jude’s life in rural Vermont. In voiceover he brings us back to two key nights in his youth: both marked by his best friend Teddy and Teddy’s absence.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of August 10th

2015-08-09T16:54:00.002-07:00

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Energy Program a Smart Idea
A new countywide program to offer geothermal and airsource heat pumps, as well as energy-saving home improvements is now moving forward. HeatSmart Tompkins is a program of the non-profit Solar Tompkins, which recently hired program director Matt Johnston.
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Old Library Site Developer Chosen
The Tompkins County Legislature overcame its deadlock at two previous meetings and on Aug. 4 approved the Travis Hyde Group as preferred developer of the County’s Old Library site, located at the corner of Ithaca’s Cayuga and Court Streets. Travis Hyde proposes 60 senior-focused market- rate rental apartments, with professional office space and space for the senior services organization Lifelong.
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New street parking system is rolled out by the City of Ithaca page 2
Frank Nagy offers these words of advice for those using the new, high-tech parking meter system in effect on city streets: Know your license plate number. “Most people don’t know their license plate numbers off the tops of their heads, but that’s the key with this system,” Nagy, Director of Parking for the City of Ithaca, says.
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Therapist pushes for healthy relationships class at IHS page 3
A recent study by Teachers College at Columbia University found that for every dollar schools spend on students’ emotional intelligence, there is an average of $11 worth of benefits to society. Work at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence has shown that children of all ages can be taught these skills, and “there are real benefits, such as more effective leadership skills, stronger friendships and connections to teachers, better conflict management skills, and greater academic achievement than children who do not receive the training.”
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Dairy Princess embraces her role as an industry advocate page 5
Elizabeth Drake, Tompkins County Dairy Princess, is one of 35 county dairy princesses involved in the New York State Dairy Princess and Promotion Program. She is the 16- year-old daughter of Doyle and Judy Drake of Lansing.
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Wine symposium puts the spotlight on Finger Lakes region page 8
New York was selected as the world’s top wine region of 2015 by Wine Enthusiast magazine, and its wines are increasingly being recognized for their excellence.
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Family ties are tested in new film page 9
So, yes, Dad is a bit crazy, and not used to routines, but Mom has to go off to grad school at Columbia, so you get to stay with him for the next 18 months.
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Food Hubs take surplus garden produce page 10
If you have a backyard garden or share in a CSA, you’ve probably grown more fresh produce than you can use and have ended up throwing some of it away. What if there was a place nearby where you could take your surplus fresh fruits and veggies that would then redirect it to community members in need who can’t afford to buy it?
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of August 3rd

2015-08-02T17:00:00.002-07:00

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New Commons Finally Arrives
Gone are the dust and debris, the detours and the noise. The finishing touches— finally—are being applied to the rebuilt Ithaca Commons. Completion of the $15 million project was overdue and over budget, but a stroll down Ithaca’s landmark pedestrian mall reveals that downtown is now a more inviting place.
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Sumner to Step Down in Dryden
Mary Ann Sumner has been the Dryden Town Supervisor for eight years and a member of the town board for an additional two years. She and the board have achieved many accomplishments in her time as town supervisor, but probably the biggest being the landmark fracking ban that the town passed. Their decision to pass such a ban has had lasting implications on New York State as a whole as the fracking ban has already been upheld in several court cases.
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Ithaca mayor sends a message on funding for affordable housing page 2
Ithaca Mayor Svante L. Myrick hand-delivered a letter to U.S. Rep, Thomas Reeds Washington, D.C. office last month opposing the virtual elimination of the HOME program, the primary federal program for building affordable housing.
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New initiative aims to bring solar power to the masses page 3
ßA report this spring from the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA) counted 635 solar-power energy systems in Tompkins County producing some 69 kilowatts of power per 1,000 county residents, the thirdhighest of all New York counties. As solar continues to grow, a new initiative from Renovus Solar may well push Tompkins County to number one.
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Film based on local author’s novel to debut in Ithaca page 5
The film adaptation of “Ten Thousand Saints,” the critically acclaimed debut novel by Ithaca College associate professor of writing Eleanor Henderson, will open in selected cities on Friday, Aug. 14, and in wider release the following week.
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Documenting a singer’s fall from grace page 8
Is Schadenfreude, as the Germans say, enjoying other’s misery? In our 24/7 reality TV mindscape, addiction is just another episode and we expect the good to die young. And rehab stays come and go like vacations for the rich and famous.
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At the Hangar, love American style page 9
It’s July 4th, 1944, in small-town Missouri. The Great Depression and, subsequently, World War II have left the community reeling. The town of Lebanon, like many others across the nation, is coming to grips with the suffering and loss of the previous decade. But one man, Matt Friedman, sets out with a heart full of hope to prove that, even in the most tumultuous and unlikely circumstances, love may still bloom.
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Students take their cues from entrepreneurs page 10
What if every high school introductory business course began with a lesson about sustainability? At New Roots Charter School, it does.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of July 27th

2015-07-26T15:20:00.001-07:00

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Nurturing New Careers at CU
Life Changing Labs (LCL) is a not-for-profit organization started by Peter Cortle in 2011 to support Cornell’s top entrepreneurially minded students. This summer, six “incubator companies” were chosen from 100 applicants, and are using the available resources to get their businesses off the ground. All six companies will present their final product pitch on July 31 in hopes of winning the first place prize of $1,000.
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Moth-Stalkers Are on the Prowl
Jason Dombroskie is a flesh-and-blood Golden Guide to the world of insects—and specifically moths. On July 22, the manager of Cornell University’s Insect Collection and coordinator for the university’s Insect Diagnostic Lab led a daylight tour and nocturnal journey into the world of moths
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Still no decision on Old Library developer page 2
The Tompkins County Legislature remains unable to reach a decision on selecting a preferred developer for the county’s Old Library property.
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Database learns to identify birds page 3
Google learned three years ago that a network of computers could teach themselves to recognize cat faces by watching millions of YouTube stills. More recently, the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, along with the Visipedia research project, enlisted members of the birding community to do something perhaps more useful: to identify 400 common bird species of the U.S. and Canada from uploaded photos.
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GrassRoots Festival in pictures page 5
The Finger Laqkes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance put on a great show for its 25th anniversary this year.
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Dairy to host Farm City Day page 8
Farm City Day celebrates calves and cows and everything in between. The Carey family of Groton will open their farm at 305 Lick Street on Saturday Aug. 1, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors will be able to get up close to the livestock at all ages and stages, from new-born through milking cow.
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Looking for clues to a great man’s past page 9
Given that Ian McKellen was announced to play an elderly Sherlock Holmes, not only iconic but hot these days (due to one Benedict Cumberbatch), and McKellen’s star status as both Gandalf and Magneto, audiences might think “Mr. Holmes” (now playing at Cinemapolis) was meant as another summer blockbuster.
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Make your voice heard on climate change page 10
You probably believe either or both of the following: Congress will never act on climate; or we have little influence in the matter.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of July 20th

2015-07-19T18:32:00.001-07:00

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East Hill Project Breaks Ground
Years of persistence and patience finally paid off for Josh Lower with the July 13 groundbreaking ceremony for Collegetown Crossings, a six-story apartment complex that Lower has been planning for almost a decade. Dozens of community members came out to celebrate the occasion, with 15 special guests invited to grab a shovel and dig in.
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Outdoor Dining a Village Asset
July evening sunlight was shining warmly on the Dey family, of Ovid, as they awaited their meal outside of Little Venice restaurant in Trumansburg, and some of the party enjoyed pints of beer.
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Sustainable food policies targeted page 2
Now more than ever, society is becoming more knowledgeable about the food we produce and consume every day. The conversation has grown exponentially from the days of simply examining the benefits of organic versus non-organic produce. Today, we question the impossible-sounding ingredients listed on the package and want to know where the food we purchase comes from. The resounding question these days: Is it local?
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County honored again for effective use of technology page 3
Tompkins County once again has been recognized as one of the nation’s top digital counties by the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties (NACo). The award identifies best technology practices among counties nationwide, recognizing leading examples of counties that use technology to improve services and boost efficiencies.
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Candidates to run for city council seat page 3
Two candidates have tossed their hats into the ring for the 2nd Ward seat on Ithaca’s Common Council in this year’s local elections.
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Local talent on display at Artist Market page 5
This year, art collectors have another opportunity to “See it Live, Buy it Local” at the 25th annual Ithaca Artist Market, held on Friday, July 24, from 2 to 8 p.m. at the Ithaca Farmers Market. The Artist Market fills all 88 booths in a once-a-year event.
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Teens on the outside looking in page 8
As the opening sequence tells us, dope can mean drugs, a stupid person, or something cool, fly. And writer/director Rick Famuyiwa’s “Dope” (now playing at Cinemapolis), is more than fly; its smart take on teenage comedy is kissed by a sweet insanity.
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A different take on the Sherlock legend page 9
Here’s a puzzle for you: How do you take a dense and sprawling Victorian murder-mystery novel, complete with Gothic moors, ghost dog, creepy butler and the most famous detective in English literature, and stage it with three actors in under two hours? Director Mark Shanahan and his stalwart cast solve the mystery for us with the Hangar Theatre’s family-friendly production of “The Hound of the Baskervilles”.
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Sharing is key to an effective transportation strategy page 10
Golden sunshine and sweet summer breezes can bring out our most generous selves. Can a “sharing mood” about transportation bring out the best in our whole community? Here are five ways it already has, and how you can get in on the summer fun.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of July 13th

2015-07-12T19:51:00.003-07:00

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Shared-Use Kitchen Planned
David Hall has big plans for the former Oasis Dance Club, located at 1230 Danby Road. As its new owner, Hall is planning a shareduse kitchen to anchor the space, and is dreaming big about what else this new venture might become.
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Survey Tracks Local Youth Trends
Results are in from the fall 2014 Tompkins County Youth Survey, conducted biannually with middle and high school students in Tompkins County’s six school districts. There is good news about county youth in the Survey Summary of Highlights, published recently by the Community Coalition for Healthy Youth.
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Legislature approves TC3 budget page 2
The Tompkins Counsty Legislature, by unanimous vote, on July 7, adopted the 2015-16 operating budget for Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3).
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Skate Park expansion is underway page 3
The first public concrete skate park in Central New York is about to become the most up-to-date skate park in this region.
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American Ethical Union honors Steingraber page 5
The American Ethical Union has honored Sandra Steingraber, Distinguished Scholar in Residence in the Ithaca College Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences, for her “commitment to rescue our nation’s land, water and people from unsustainable, damaging corporate practices.” Steingraber was presented with the 2015 Elliot-Black Award at the organization’s national assembly on June 29.
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Friendship blooms under difficult conditions page 9
For the first 10 minutes of “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” (currently playing at Cinemapolis), I wanted to bolt the theater. With chapter titles, ironic voice-over narration, a dad who is a stay-at-home sociology professor dressed like a Pacific Islander and whipping up exotic meals, the movie seemed to scream low-rent Wes Anderson. Self-consciously precious, but without Anderson’s inimitable style.
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Wind power and energy independence page 10
Did you know wind turbines are being designed and manufactured here in Tompkins County? At Weaver Wind Energy, we are rethinking energy distribution and creating a sustainable business model in the process. Weaver Wind is dedicated to the creation of reliable small wind systems and every one of our machines is designed and assembled in the Village of Freeville, just a few minutes from Ithaca.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of July 6th

2015-07-06T19:23:00.001-07:00

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Plans in Place for Emergencies
In Enfield a map is being assembled of farms in the town, and what equipment they could offer in the event of an emergency. In Ithaca firefighters have been trained to do ice, water and rope rescues. In the Town of Ulysses and the Village of Trumansburg officials and responders are updating a joint emergency plan.
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Deadlock on Old Library Site
The Tompkins County Legislature is currently deadlocked on a decision selecting the preferred developer for the County’s Old Library site.
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Local woods are touted for lumber page 2
Work by local residents shows that many trees overlooked in our forest have valuable lumber as well as other special uses; recognition of the value of these woods could add incentive for protecting the diversity of the forest—diversity that is critical to the health and long-term survival of the forest.
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Marriage equality celebration planned page 3
The June 26 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that legalized marriage in all 50 states regardless of gender or sexual orientation set off an explosion of rainbow colors in public and on social media everywhere. The White House, Cinderella Castle at Disney World and Niagara Falls were among the many landmarks lit with rainbow colors to mark the occasion.
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Defibrillator program launched page 5
As part of its ongoing commitment to community health and safety, Tompkins County government has launched its new Public Access Defibrillator program, installing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in all County facilities, and training more than 100 County staff to operate the devices and perform CPR for those who suffer sudden cardiac arrest.
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What if our feelings had feelings? page 8
There is a meme traveling Facebookland which begins “Pixar 1995: What if toys had feelings?” and continues on with bugs, monsters, etc, ending with “Pixar 2015: What if feelings had feelings?”
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Sex and angst and rock ‘n’ roll page 9
It’s a timeless and painfully familiar story: children reach teenagehood, their hormones seethe, their changing bodies betray the desires they’ve barely come to understand and they must make their bumpy way to adulthood in a world where adults don’t seem to have a clue. Add to that the quality of late 19th century sex education and it’s a wonder the children don’t burst into flames of righteous teen angst (not to mention utter confusion) on the spot.
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Documenting the fight against environmental racism page 10
This is the third essay on the topic of environmental racism in this series. The first appeared in Tompkins Weekly on Dec. 8, 2014, and the second on Jan. 26, 2015. Both were based mostly on the United Church of Christ’s reports linking toxic waste and race, the first one published in 1987, then updated in 2007.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of June 29th

2015-06-28T17:29:00.002-07:00

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County Tackles Emergency Prep
The flooding in Newfield and Danby on June 14, which stranded people in their homes, made streets impassible and damaged bridges, roads and dwellings, demonstrated the need for swift and effective emergency response. The Tompkins County Department of Emergency Response maintains a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan to coordinate the many agencies that may become involved in an emergency. Each municipality in Tompkins County also has its own local plan. This, the first in a two part series on emergency preparedness, examines coordination at the county level when disaster strikes.
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Youth Bureau Launches Ithaca Bike Rental
Thanks to a grant from the Tompkins County Tourism Program (TCTP), Ithaca Bike Rental (IBR) is now making bikes available just steps from the Cayuga Waterfront Trail and Stewart Park. IBR is a program of the Ithaca Youth Bureau (IYB), and will employee local youth throughout the summer to run the program while learning about bike repair and entrepreneurship.
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Design for Varna- Freeville Trail page 2
The Dryden Town Board, Conservation Board, and several other community groups have expressed interest in getting a design put together for a trail that would run from Varna to Freeville. The group Design Connect Cornell has put together a concept plan for such a trail.
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Congressman Reed pushes for trade, market pressure page 3
Congressman Tom Reed, RCorning, made an appearance last Saturday morning at the Ithaca Town Hall, one of three stops he was making through the Fingerlakes region.
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Living Wage Study page 4
The first Living Wage study was conducted in 1994 in order to determine how much Alternatives should pay its employees as a starting salary. The credit union engaged an intern from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University to work with then Assistant Manager Leni Hochman to conduct the study. (Alternatives has partnered with student interns from the ILR School for each subsequent Living Wage study.) Initially intended for internal use, the credit union’s board of directors decided that the information was valuable and released the study to the community. Alternatives has continued to update the Living Wage study every two years.
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hotpotatopress.org serves up food news and networking page 5
I’m so pleased to introduce a new community resource: Hot Potato Press, the online food news and networking site for Ithaca and Tompkins County. Everyone can access it at www.hotpotatopress.org.
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“When Marnie Was There” page 9
The sad news is that When Marnie Was There may be the last ever Studio Ghibli offering, as the studio reorganizes after the retirements of Miyazaki and Takahata; at the very least it will be a much more streamlined operation.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of June 22nd

2015-06-21T18:17:00.001-07:00

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Fracking Report Re-examined
Two weeks ago, on June 4, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its Draft Assessment on the Potential Impacts to Drinking Water Resources from Hydraulic Fracturing Activities. This report, drawn from five years of investigation, identifies several potentially serious threats to drinking water supplies. You can read the complete study at www2.epa.gov/hfstudy.
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Town Targets Global Warming
A Resolution on Global Warming is under consideration by the Town Board of Caroline, introduced at the June 10 town board meeting by board member Mark Witmer. It provides documentary evidence of global warming, and cites the negative effects of climate change, as well as the benefits of renewable energy.
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Alternatives Library to hold birthday bash page 2
The Durland Alternatives Library will celebrate its 40th anniversary on Wenesday, July 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. in Anabel Taylor Hall on the Cornell campus. The event is free and open to the public, and will include food, live music, presentations and activities for kids.
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Flood cleanup is a massive effort page 3
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment the big mess at the North Spencer Baptist Bible Church and Christian Academy began. It was a problem shared by residents along Hulbert Hollow Creek after a late Sunday afternoon deluge of Biblical proportion on June 14 turned the often low-running stream into a roiling brown mass of troubled water that slammed into the Route 34/96 bridge. That bridge is adjacent to the church and a road so named for the Susquehanna tributary that begins in Newfield and empties into Spencer Lake in Tioga County.
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Legislature delays decision on old library page 5
The Tompkins County Legislature could not reach a decision on selecting the preferred developer for the county’s Old Library site during its June 16 meeting.
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Dino stars return in “Jurassic World” page 8
We forget that Jurassic Park didn’t begin with Spielberg, but Michael Crichton (“ER”), who first made theme parks a horror thriller with 1973’s “Westworld,” then wrote a little story about a dinosaur park.
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Many voices heard through thin walls page 9
A lifelong New Yorker who smokes like a forest fire and casually laces her conversation with racial and homophobic epithets. An easygoing 16-year-old boy who wants a babysitting job but wonders whether the parents might consider changing the baby’s diaper before they leave? A domestic violence survivor who is in hiding from her crack-addict husband. A spunky Israeli cellist whose zest for life leads her to discover her boyfriend’s pornography collection.
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Shared services is a local success story page 10
This year, New York State required local governments and schools to present a plan to show how they will save over 1 percent of their tax levies through mergers, consolidations, shared services and efficiencies that have been initiated since 2012.
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TompkinsWeekly for the week of June 15th

2015-06-14T18:03:00.003-07:00

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Old Library Site Plan Gets Nod
A proposal to redevelop the Old Library site on Cayuga Street in Ithaca presented by Travis Hye Properties will be sent to the Tompkins County Legislature following a recommendation by the legislature’s Old Library Committee.
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Scaling Down with Wind Power
Art Weaver is a man with a mission. As founder and president of Ithacabased Weaver Wind Energy, he is determined to design “the world’s most reliable wind turbines,” and hopes to release that design to the worldwide wind power market in coming years.
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Community Foundation announces grants page 2
The Community Foundation of Tompkins County has announced 17 grants totaling $52,600 of 2015 Helen Thomas Howland Foundation awards. Community Foundation donor advised and field of interest funds awarded 22 more grants of an additional $81,980 from the resources of the Community Foundation.
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Hikeapalooza is a Land Trust celebration page 2
The Finger Lakes Land Trust will hold an outdoor event in every county of the Finger Lakes on Saturday, June 20 to celebrate successful land and water conservation efforts across the region. All HIKEapalooza events are free and open to the public.
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Sciencenter looks to the future page 3
Last Thursday the Sciencenter in Ithaca broke ground for the Curiosity Playground, a new science playground for kids ages five and under, while launching a $3.8 million fundraising campaign called “Curious. Confident. Inspired— a reimagination of exhibits and programs.” The wave of reimagination will wash through every part of the Sciencenter, replacing, enhancing, or expanding everything in its path, from the building itself to the exhibits and programming.
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A decade of discovery for local kids page 5
Monthly articles about Kids Discover the Trail! (KDT) Ithaca have been published by Tompkins Weekly commemorating the 10th anniversary of this unique program for Ithaca City School District (ICSD) elementary school students. Different individuals have researched and written the feature stories covering the many facets of KDT. With this 10th edition, the year-long celebration of the “Decade of Discovery” will be summarized with an eye to the future.
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Vigilance is vital in battling hydrilla page 8
Hydrilla patches continue to burden the southeast corner of Cayuga Lake. Is all lost? We don’t think so. Isolated patches in the southeast corner of Cayuga Lake pose the greatest threat for hydrilla spread. Considered one of the world’s worst aquatic invasive species, hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) is capable of spreading rapidly through plant fragmentation, vegetative buds and subterranean tubers (seedbank). Viable stem and leaf fragments can be transported via boats, trailers, and recreational equipment. Hydrilla tubers can remain dormant in the sediment for years at a time, only to give rise to new populations in the future.
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Portrait of an artist as a troubled man page 9
What makes the Brian Wilson biopic “Love and Mercy” (currently at Cinemapolis) so magnificently right is that it abandons the whole bio-pic formula.
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