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VOL.XLII / NO. 29 / March 9, 2022 Serving 47,125 readers weekly

Chili Chili Winners

Downtown Ithaca’s 24th Annual Chili Cook-Off attendees and judges have spoken. The Chili CookOff winners along with the second- and third-place runners up of this year’s highly competitive cook-off are as follows:

People’s Choice

Winner: Covered Bridge Market (based in Newfield)

Best Presentation

Winner: Luna Inspired Street Food

Best Meat (voted by judges)

Winner: Seabring Inn (based in Newfield) 2nd place: Lansing Deli 3rd place: Ithaca Ale House

Best Vegetarian

Winner: Kilpatrick’s Publick House 2nd place: Lucky Hare/Babes Burgers 3rd place: Zocalo

Best Vegan

Winner: Youth Entrepreneurship Market/Southside Community Center 2nd place: Gorgers 3rd place: Viva Taqueria & Cantina

Best Chili-Inspired Item

Winner: Gorgers Subs 2nd place: Loaves & Fishes 3rd place: Mojos Hot Sauce

Best Beverage

Winner: Monks on the Commons 2nd place: Ithaca Ale House 3rd place: New York Cider Company “We thank our participants for creating some of the best-tasting and most innovative chilis and chili-inspired items ever,” Scott Rougeau, special events director for the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, said. “We also thank everyone who came out to sample the impressive selection of chilis and chili-inspired items. Plus, we’re grateful to our sponsors Maguire Hyundai Subaru Genesis and Tioga State Bank for making this event possible. We hope to see everyone again next year.” Plunge

1Swimmers bravely run into the lake at a previous polar plunge

Benefit from cold water swimming at the Special Olympics polar plunge

The last thing people think about during the winter is outdoor swimming, but every year, the Special Olympics holds polar plunges across the world to fundraise money for special needs athletes to achieve their goals.

Plunging into the wintry waters is not only beneficial because you are helping raise money for a good cause, but it can be beneficial to your physical body as well.

Ithaca hosts the Ithaca Polar Plunge this year on March 26, and people are excited to plunge after last year’s event was virtual due to COVID-19. Michaela Darbyshire began interning with Special Olympics in January 2019 and started working with the Ithaca Polar Plunge during her internship.

Darbyshire is now the associate director of development for Special Olympics and said she enjoys working with the organization, especially when the polar plunge comes around the corner.

“It’s not everyday that you can say you got to jump into a lake in the middle of the winter and the benefit of it, though not physical or mental, is that it supports our athletes,” she said.

Darbyshire has not done the plunge herself just yet, but Kevin McCord is on the Special Olympics committee and he has participated in the Ithaca Polar Plunge several times.

McCord said his favorite thing about the plunge is raising money for the Special Olympics, but he also enjoys the feeling the plunge gives him.

“[It] is just the adrenaline and stuff about jumping into this cold water,” he said.

McCord said that he feels his physical body gets immediate benefits from this kind of cold-water immersion.

“It does give you a natural high,” he said. “Once you get into that water, and the first thing that happens when you enter that water is your feet freeze, boom, done. And then you venture more and once your feet freeze and you feel that cold water, it’s like your adrenaline just goes skyrocketing.”

McCord said when he does the plunge he goes up until his neck and stays in for 30 seconds to one minute.

“There’s so many things

continued on page 7

T a k e N o t e

▶ Taking the LEAD Travis Brooks, deputy director of the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC), announced the official launch of the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) initiative in Ithaca. LEAD is an evidencebased systems approach that began in Seattle, Washington in 2011. It allows LEAD officers to redirect individuals engaged in misdemeanor crimes to community-based services instead of prosecution and incarceration. “Ithaca is not without remarkable social service and criminal justice programs. In fact, Ithaca is known for its progressive forward-thinking and innovative systems of care” says Brooks. “Unlike current models, the goal of LEAD is to improve public health and public safety by reducing future harm and criminal behavior caused by individuals engaged in crimes related to unmet behavioral health needs.” The Ithaca LEAD Program follows the proven and successful LEAD model with exceptions to meet the specific needs of the Ithaca community.

FEATURES

Policing Reimagined? �������������������8

The City of Ithaca’s Reimagining Public Safety task force has proposed a revamped Department of Community Safety. So serendipitous��������������������������11

Elizabeth Holloway finds the perfect space on Aurora Street for her resale shop. Newsline ..................................................3-5 Opinion ........................................................6 Letters ........................................................7

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

Books..........................................................15 Film .............................................................17 Times Table ..............................................20 Classifieds ...............................................22

ON THE WEB

Visit our website at www.ithaca.com for more news, arts, sports and photos. Call us at 607-277-7000

Tanner H arding , M anaging E ditor , x1224 E ditor @ i thacatim E s . com J aime Cone , E ditor , x1232 s outh r E port E r @ flcn . org C asey m ar T in , Staff P hotogra P h E r p hotograph E r @ i thacatim E s . com C H ris i ber T, C al E ndar E ditor , x1217 a rts @ i thacatim E s . com a ndrew s ullivan , S P ort S E ditor , x1227 s ports @ flcn . org sT eve l awren C e , S P ort S Colu M ni S t st E v E s ports d ud E @ gmail . com m ars H all H opkins , P rodu C tion d ir EC tor /d ES ign E r , x1216 p roduction @ i thacatim E s . com

s H aron d avis , d i S tribution front @i tha C ati MES . Co M

J im b ilinski , P ubli S h E r , x1210 jbilinski @ i thacatim E s . com l arry H o CH berger , a SS o C iat E P ubli S h E r , x1214 larry@ i thacatim E s . com F reelancers : Barbara Adams, Rick Blaisell, Steve Burke, Deirdre Cunningham, Jane Dieckmann, Amber Donofrio, Karen Gadiel, Charley Githler, Linda B. Glaser, Warren Greenwood, Ross Haarstad, Peggy Haine, Gay Huddle, Austin Lamb, Steve Lawrence, Marjorie Olds, Lori Sonken, Henry Stark, Bryan VanCampen, and Arthur Whitman THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE ITHACA TIMES ARE COPYRIGHT © 2022, BY NEWSKI INC. All rights reserved. Events are listed free of charge in TimesTable. All copy must be received by Friday at noon. The Ithaca Times is available free of charge from various locations around Ithaca. Additional copies may be purchased from the Ithaca Times offices for $1. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $89 one year. Include check or money order and mail to the Ithaca Times, PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. ADVERTISING: Deadlines are Monday 5 p.m. for display, Tuesday at noon for classified. Advertisers should check their ad on publication. The Ithaca Times will not be liable for failure to publish an ad, for typographical error, or errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of the space in which the actual error appeared in the first insertion. The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication. The Ithaca Times is published weekly Wednesday mornings. Offices are located at 109 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 607-277-7000, FAX 607-277-1012, MAILING ADDRESS is PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. The Ithaca Times was preceded by the Ithaca New Times (1972-1978) and The Good Times Gazette (1973-1978), combined in 1978. F ounder G ood Times G aze TT e : Tom Newton

INQUIRING PHOTOGRAPHER

By Casey Martin

IF YOU WERE A LEPHRECHAUN AND THE END OF RAINBOW WAS ALREADY TAKEN, WHERE WOULD YOU HIDE YOUR POT OF GOLD?

“My beer fridge.” -Alastair S.

“In my sock drawer. It’s the perfect spot!” - Ali L.

“The Green House at Lowe’s. It’s still a really magical place!” -Emily S.

“Under my toilet.” -Shane J.

“Behind my toilet! (Photog: Wow, someone just said under my toilet!) UNDER! That’s even BETTER!” -Patrick L. & Linda C.

Election Acting Mayor Lewis launches official mayoral campaign

Acting Mayor Laura Lewis launched her campaign to officially run for mayor on Saturday, March 5. A crowd gathered in Press Bay Alley for coffee, donuts and a couple quick speeches. Lewis was appointed by former Mayor Svante Myrick to serve as acting mayor through the end of this year. She is running in the November general election to finish out the current mayoral term which ends Dec. 31, 2023.

No other candidates have as yet declared to run.

Lewis’ campaign is being managed by Seph Murtagh, a longtime former council member and colleague of Lewis.

“I’m so excited Laura is running for mayor,” Murtagh said. “I got to know her closely as a colleague. She’s thoughtful, she’s incredibly patient […] she takes her time to study the issues and come to a decision, and when she makes a decision she’s incredibly clear and precise in the way she communicates it.”

He also touched on Lewis’ background growing up in poverty with a single parent, and how she worked to earn her degrees and eventually moved to Ithaca to work at Cornell. He also alluded to Lewis’ surprise at her position after she was chosen to be acting mayor by Myrick.

“I’ve heard Laura say a number of times that she didn’t expect to be standing here,” Murtagh said. “But I’m glad the universe and stars have aligned.”

Lewis thanked her current and former colleagues, many of whom showed up to support her at the event. In addition to former alderperson Murtagh, former council members in attendance included Graham Kerslick, Dan Cogan and Chris Proulx. Additionally, current council members George McGonigal, Rob Gearhart and Robert Cantelmo were there.

“This is not a position that I sought, yet it is a position that I’m incredibly honored and privileged to be holding,” Lewis said.

She expanded on her background and explained that her parents did not graduate from high school, but that she was able to earn an undergraduate and graduate degree through the SUNY system’s Educational Opportunity Program.

Lewis also said she comes from a family of proud community service workers — her brother is a retired police officer, her nephew is a police officer, her father-in-law was a police officer and her younger son is a firefighter.

She quickly touched upon her priorities as mayor, with the recovery from the pandemic at the forefront.

“The impact [the pandemic] has had on individuals, families, workers, businesses and the economy is tremendous,” she said. “So coming out of the pandemic is really important.”

She also noted her desire to build more housing, particularly in the center of the city.

“I grew up in a single parent household and we never had the funds to own a home. We were always renters,” she said. “So thinking about tenants as well as homeowners as well as landlords is really important to me.”

And her final two priorities were Reimagining Public Safety, for which she served on the city’s task force, and the implementation of the Green New Deal.

“Any part I can play in continuing to make our city a wonderful place to live, play and work for all of us,” Lewis said. “I’m delighted to be running and I hope to have earned your support going forward as I run for mayor.” -Tanner Harding

Laura Lewis speaks to the crowd as campaign manager Seph Murtagh looks on. (Photo: Tanner Harding)

Sports A Real Milestone

Talk about a leap of faith...

When Sivasangari Subramaniam was a world-class high school squash player from Malaysia — a World Junior runner-up and on the radar of every collegiate coach — she had many options, one of which was to come to Cornell and be coached by David Palmer.

“Sivi and her family visited lots of universities, as they were looking for a place that would offer high-level squash and an Ivy League education,” Coach Palmer told me. “Cornell offered several selling points — it’s a safe area, a great school, no big distractions and Sivi would be able to really focus on her studies and maximize her time.” He added, “Fortunately, we hit it off, and her father was keen to have her work with me.”

Well, three years later and so far so good. After reaching the semifinals and finals in her first two seasons, Subramaniam capped off a dominant 19-0 junior year by winning the NCAA individual championship with a dramatic five-game victory over Harvard’s Hana Moataz by scores of 11-4, 2-11, 11-9, 12-14 and 11-7.

I asked Palmer (who hails from Australia and is a twotime world champion) how it felt to see his star player win the title, and he replied, “It’s a real milestone for Sivi and for our program. Having played on the pro circuit for 18 years, I understand the sacrifices Sivi has made.”

He added that he was so pleased that her family was able to be there to see her win the title, and acknowledged the sacrifices they have made as well. The coach said, “That sacrifice will set Sivi up for the future, as she will have a communications degree from Cornell and she will play on the pro tour.” He added, “I think she could work her way into the top 10 on the pro tour. She has already beaten some of the top 10 players, and at that level, with the prize money plus the sponsorships, a player can make a good living.”

According to Palmer, Sivi will finish this semester, take some time off and then return for her final year of eligibility. High above Cayuga’s waters, high above the world of NCAA women’s squash.

It was announced last week that Andy Noel would be retiring as Cornell’s athletic director, and that announcement was followed up by Cornell wrestling team’s big victory — at home — at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Championship. The EIWA title was the Big Red’s 26th, and the weekend saw three Cornellians take the top spot on the podium and a total of six qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Picking up titles were Yanni Diakmohalis at 149 pounds, Vito Arajau at 125 and Jonathan Loew at 184. The title was the third for Diakomihalis, while Arajau and Loew won their first. Lewis Fernandes (heavyweight), Julian Ramirez (165) and Jacob Cardenas (197) also qualified for the NCAAs, which will be held in two weeks. If it seems

Bitcoin Kelles’ Bitcoin mining moratorium bill garners more support

Anna Kelles has been pushing a Bitcoin moratorium bill in the state Assembly.

Two more state assembly members have signed on as co-sponsors to a piece of legislation that would place a three-year moratorium on Bitcoin mining statewide.

A press release issued on Feb. 24 from the office of local Assemblymember Anna Kelles, who is the sponsor of the bill (A7389B), announced that Assembly members Amy Paulin and Ken Zebrowski have added their names as cosponsors to the legislation. As a whole, the bill has over 40 co-sponsors.

Specifically, the bill would implement a three-year moratorium on “consolidated operations that use proof-ofwork authentication methods to validate blockchain transactions.” Specifically, the moratorium would put a hold on the cryptocurrency mining operations located on sites of former power plants that used any form of fossil fuels. (This is the latest version of the bill. The original draft called for a moratorium on cryptocurrency mining operations regardless of where they were located and what power source they used.)

Though it is not definitive, the owners of the site of the former Cayuga Power Plant have not ruled out establishing a cryptocurrency mining facility on the property. Kelles foresees multiple negative impacts — environmentally and economically — if such an operation were to be built there. For instance, if the owners were to keep the existing infrastructure of the power plant, the facility would continue to pull water from Cayuga Lake as a coolant system.

“They certainly could design a new building … I am skeptical of why they would build an entire new facility and not take advantage of existing infrastructure,” Kelles said. “But that could — if they were to build a new facility — that could also pull water in from the lake as a coolant system.”

This would also cause an increase in the temperature of the lake’s water, which, according to Kelles, is one of the leading risk factors for the increased presence of harmful algal blooms. Kelles said an elevation in the number of harmful algal blooms would also impact the agritourism industry in the region.

“One of the top industries in the Finger Lakes, including around Cayuga Lake, is the agritourism industry, which is a $3 billion industry in the Finger Lakes, and it employs … up to somewhere between 60,000 and 70,000 people,” she said. “The potential impact on our economy is real.”

The bill would also require the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to conduct a full environmental impact assessment of the cryptocurrency mining industry in the state, particularly examining the industry’s effect on water and air quality as well as greenhouse gas emissions in accordance to The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

“That information is what we need to evaluate and then potentially, if necessary, regulate up to and including, if necessary, a ban of cryptocurrency operation activity in the state if that is what’s necessary to ensure that the industry does not prevent us from reaching our climate goals,” Kelles said.

Cryptocurrency mining factors into this bill because cryptocurrency itself is based on a “blockchain system.” Kelles describes blockchain technology as “agnostic,” in that it is used for several different purposes.

“You have a block of information. You can put anything in that block that you want,” Kelles said. “What is in that block is unique, meaning everything in that is unique to that block. Every block within a block chain, or block chain technology, is assigned a unique identifier. … You have sort of an equivalent of a VIN number, so in cryptocurrency it’s called a ‘hash.’ And that hash number is unique to that block.”

If the data in a block were to be sent to someone else or if the data changes, a new block is created with a new hash.

“The thing that is important is that embedded in that larger code is a small piece of the code that tells the ledger … what previous block it came from, and that’s what creates the blockchain,” Kelles said.

A key component of blockchain technology is that it does not have a centralized system of recording and transferring of information. Blocks are recorded and validated at the point of each individual processor.

“If you were doing a supply chain, it would be like instantaneous[ly] taking out all the middlemen,” Kelles said. “It’s this very, very, very rapid transfer of information that you can validate and record all of the blocks in a blockchain into the public ledger.”

Transactions at every block must be validated, which can be done in about 16 different ways, according to Kelles. Bitcoin and other types of cryptocurrency use “proof-of-work” validation technology, which is distinct in comparison to the other forms of validation due to its “competitive” nature.

With proof-of-work validation, blocks are assigned a unique hash as well as a complicated mathematical equation that cannot be solved with any kind of software.

“It is designed so that it is totally random, and the only way that you can solve that mathematical equation is by randomly crunching numbers,” Kelles said.

If one solves the equation faster than anyone else, one validates the transaction and is awarded cryptocurrency.

Since this validation process is competitive, the only way for one to have an edge over another is to have more computer processors than the rest.

“Wealthy people that have access to capital recognized that there is this mechanism within cryptocurrency – instead of buying and selling it on a digital exchange, you could prioritize just trying to win it instead,” Kelles said.

This led to the consolidation of computer processors and ultimately the formation of centers for “mining” cryptocurrency. The problem with creating the mining centers is that they produce a “massive turnover of electronic waste,” according to Kelles.

“Not only do you want to have the most computer processors, but you want to have the ones that are the highest tech — the fastest and the newest tech.” she said.

“The technology is advancing, on average, every year and a half. If you want to have the most cutting edge, fastest computer processors, you essentially need to replace your … processor system every year and a half on average.”

In addition, since the processors run 24/7, they not only require energy to run continuously, but also energy to run cooling technology. According to a 2021 study titled “Bitcoin’s growing e-waste problem” published in the journal “Resources, Conservation & Recycling,” a proof-of-work cryptocurrency system 30,700 metric tons of e-waste annually, which is similar to the amount of IT equipment waste that the Netherlands produces annually. -Andrew Sullivan

Ups The 70-degree temperatures on Sunday brought some muchneeded relief to our spring fever. More of that, please. Downs Gas is sitting at $4.29 a gallon here in Ithaca. We understand why and it’s all good, but phew, that’s some sticker shock.

HEARD&SEEN

Heard Ithaca College has officially named La Jerne Terry Cornish as the new president. Cornish had been serving as acting president since August 2021.

Seen The Tompkins County Public Library and the Ithaca Tompkins International Airport both lit up blue and yellow in honor of Ukraine last week.

IF YOU CARE TO RESPOND to something in this column, or suggest your own praise or blame, write news@ithacatimes. com, with a subject head “U&D.”

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

What will you give up for Lent?

60.6% Facebook

15.2% Moonshine 12.1% The comment section 9.1% Gas station sushi 3% Cured meats

Next Week’s QuestioN: Are we going to get one last winter storm before spring is here in earnest?

Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.