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DEVELOPMENT City breaks ground on conference center, affordable housing building

Agroundbreaking on the afternoon of Sept. 24 saw a milestone reached in the years-long effort to bring a conference center, affordable housing, and more parking to downtown Ithaca.

What started with a crumbling garage in need of repair transformed into a massive private-public partnership that will result in a 12-story building that includes 181 low- and moderate-income apartments, a 49,000 sq.ft. conference center, 350 public parking spots and a small retail space built by the Vecino Group.

The garage demolition has been underway since midsummer, but the groundbreaking made the start of construction official. During the hour-long groundbreaking ceremony elected officials, leaders of local agencies and representatives from the Vecino Group lauded each others’ efforts to make the project a reality.

“We could have just done the simple thing and rebuilt the garage,” Mayor Svante Myrick said. “But this is Ithaca, so we never just do the simple thing.”

Executive Director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance Gary Ferguson echoed that, and said that in most places it would have just been a garage.

“Instead of just trying to rebuild it, our city leadership reached out and said, ‘let’s do something different,’” he said. “It was a wise and sage decision.”

Ferguson said in 2002 a consulting firm studied Ithaca to see if it would be a good place for a conference center, but ultimately decided no.

“They told us we didn’t have enough downtown hotel rooms to support a conference center at that time, and they were probably right,” he said. “And they told us that nobody would come to Ithaca to come to meetings. Why would anyone drive to a place like Ithaca, off the beaten path? So it got put aside.”

The project was picked back up again in 2016.

“We have four wonderful downtown hotels, two inns, and an inventory of hotel rooms that can support a conference center,” Ferguson said. “That’s what we’ve been trying to do since 2016. And here we are at the groundbreaking.”

Assemblywoman Dr. Anna Kelles, who worked closely on the project during her time on the Tompkins County Legislature, noted that the conference center will bring visitors to Ithaca during the weekdays, instead of only on weekends.

“We will have a place to attract people ot our city in the middle of the week,” she said. “This is a huge boon and we need to hold that and honor that and celebrate it.”

She also touched upon the affordability aspect of the project, and the struggle for affordable housing in Ithaca and Tompkins County in general. All 181 units will be listed for below 80% of area median income (AMI), which Kelles said is about $1,300 in Ithaca currently.

“When you ask people who are low income who work here, they say ‘I can’t afford that,’” she said. “I want to be really honest about that. We have the job of increasing housing in all brackets but also need to explicitly prioritize housing below 80% AMI. If we do that, the 80% will pull down and it will truly become affordable. This building does that. I am grateful to everyone who worked on this. This is a great day.”

Ground breaking Ceremony for conference center project on September 24 (Photo: Casey Martin)

-Tanner Harding

T a k e N o t e

▶ Boosters - The Tompkins County Health Department announced guidance from the state regarding booster shots of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines after an initial two-dose Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine series. The following recommendations are for specific populations and those living or working in high risk settings: People 65 years and older should receive a booster shot; Residents of long-term care settings age 18 years or older should receive a booster shot; People aged 50-64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot; People aged 18-49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot; People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission due to workplace or institutional setting may receive a booster shot. If an individual has questions and/or is ready to receive their booster dose, they should contact their healthcare provider or local pharmacy. TCHD will share additional availability as future clinics are planned. For more information visit tompkinscountyny.gov/health.

VOL.XLII / NO. 6 / September 29, 2021 Serving 47,125 readers weekly

FEATURES

Tenant’s Tales: Shaun Fenner����8

An Ithacan resident has lost his home — how did he end up here, and how can it be fixed? A candle in the darkness����������27

Optimistic middle schooler Molly meets curmudgeonly ghost Scratch in Disney Channel’s newest show — created by Ithacan Bob Roth. Newsline ..................................................3-5 Opinion ........................................................6 Letters ........................................................7 Apple Harvest Guide������������������11 Best of Ithaca 2021����������������������15

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

Film .............................................................29 Art ..............................................................30 Times Table ..............................................32 Classifieds ...............................................34

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 p ort E r @ flcn . org C asey m ar T i n , Staff P hotogra P h E r p hotograph E r @ i thacatim E s . com C H r is i ber T, C al E n dar E ditor , x1217 a rts @ i thacatim E s . com a ndrew s ullivan , S P o rt S E ditor , x1227 s ports @ flcn . org sT e ve l awren C e , S P o rt S Colu M n i S t st E v E s ports d ud E @ gmail . com m ars H a ll H opkins , P rodu C t ion d ir E C t or /d ES i gn E r , x1216 p roduction @ i thacatim E s . com Fai T H Fis H e r , i nt E r n , x1217 ff ish E r @ i thacatim E s . com

s H a ron d avis , d i S t ribution front

J im b ilinski , P ubli S h E r , x1210 jbilinski @ i thacatim E s . com l arry H o C H b erger , a SS o C i at 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, Dave Sit, Bryan VanCampen, and Arthur Whitman THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE ITHACA TIMES ARE COPYRIGHT © 2021, 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 T T e : Tom Newton

INQUIRING PHOTOGRAPHER

By Casey Martin

IN 3 WORDS OR LESS, WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT ITHACA?

“Definitely The Food.”

-Joseph HV.

“All The Water!”

-Drew H. & Gwen R.

“Fun People Watching.”

-Sarah B.

“Yes and Culture”

-Yogi-Medicine man-Asif

“ME!”

CONSERVATION Gov. Hochul works with NYSEG to cancel Bell Station land auction

NYSEG and Gov. Kathy Hochul reached an agreement on Sept. 24 to cancel the online auction for the Bell Station property that was scheduled to take place on Oct. 11.

“Bell Station Landing is the largest privately-owned shoreline in the Finger Lakes region, and as we contend with the consequences of humans’ impact on our environment, we must consider ways to protect and preserve this unique property for future generations,” Hochul said in a press release. “I thank NYSEG for stepping up and being a good corporate citizen by willingly agreeing to cancel the land auction. Private development could have irreparably damaged this environmentally sensitive property, and if the auction proceeded, the opportunity to preserve the land for conservation and public access could have been lost forever.”

“NYSEG has long preferred that this parcel of land be conserved, and I thank Gov. Hochul, Chair Howard, Commissioner Seggos, and Commissioner Kulleseid for their collaboration and support in resolving this matter,” Carl A. Taylor, President and CEO of NYSEG and RG&E, said in the release. “As a resident of the Finger Lakes region for more than 30 years, I understand the importance of caring for our natural resources and being a good corporate citizen. Building sustainable communities in the areas we serve continues to be a priority for our company and this decision will benefit the conservation efforts in the Finger Lakes region for years to come.”

In addition to the cancellation, Hochul directed the NYSDEC and the Departments of Public Works and State Parks to facilitate discussions with NYSEG in preserving the land and protecting habitat and the water quality of Cayuga Lake.

The decision to cancel the auction came after an outpouring of protest against the auction from local residents, the Lansing Town Council, county and state officials and many others.

“This is welcome news for the thousands of residents across our region who will be able to enjoy this pristine area of Cayuga Lake’s shoreline for generations to come,” Sen. Pam Helming said in the release. “I was proud to join with so many dedicated people and organizations to achieve this outcome. Thank you to Supervisor Ed LaVigne and the Town of Lansing, Tompkins County, Finger Lakes Land Trust and Executive Director Andy Zepp, Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization, and my many Lansing constituents for their advocacy. Thank you to the Public Service Commission, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and NYSEG. And thank you especially to Governor Hochul for listening to our concerns and recommendations, and

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Sports Little Red football gets first win of season despite low roster numbers

The week did not unfold as Ithaca High football coach Clarence Welch III would have scripted it. His Little Red team was about to play its first game on its brand new field — with its shiny new press box and sparkling new turf — and, in the coach’s words, “Let’s just say that we didn’t have the best practices early in the week, and some of the kids were making some bad decisions.” Welch added, “I sat them down as a team, I told them they had to check their feelings at the door, deal with this as a team and they responded well.” By the time Friday rolled around, “The weather was perfect, the players looked great in their game-day shirts and ties, the teachers and

Little Red #11 Aidan Cornell (Photo: Casey Martin)

PESTS Lanternfly found on Seneca St. garage, city urges vigilance

Spotted lanternflies are still a threat in Ithaca after an adult lanternfly was found on the Seneca Street garage. According to City Forester Jeanne Grace, the insect is likely from the same infestation that was reported at an apartment building near the intersection of Stewart Avenue and University Avenue.

Grace said that was first reported last fall, and she’s been working with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets ever since.

“What was decided to be the best course of action would be to remove a bunch of trees in the area, because they found egg masses on a lot of the trees,” she said. “We worked with them to make sure we were getting rid of as many egg masses as we possibly could.”

The state continued to have inspectors assigned to the Ithaca area to look for spotted lanternflies and up until recently, only nymphs (the larval stage of the insects) had been found in the immediate area.

There was some slight concern when the adult lanternfly was found on the Seneca Street garage because Grace said lanternflies aren’t very good fliers, so they don’t usually travel very far. The garage is about one mile from the original infestation site, so Grace said they thought it could have been one opportunistic lanternfly who had hitched a ride somehow or a second infestation. Upon further investigation, inspectors from the state examined the garage from top to bottom to check for other adults or egg masses, but didn’t find anything, leading them to conclude it was likely an adult from the Stewart Avenue infestation.

According to Grace, lanternflies aren’t an insect that causes a huge problem in urban settings — they won’t destroy natural areas like the emerald ash borer — but they do pose a major threat to the agricultural sector.

“In general they’re not killing healthy trees — they like a variety of trees but they also really like grapevines,” Grace said. “They can kill grapevines and cause grape harvest to be nearly impossible because the adults swarm on the grapes that are ready to harvest and that makes it impossible to do mechanical picking.”

She added that they also really like apple trees.

“We have vineyards and apple orchards in upstate New York, so it’s a big concern that we really limit that [lanternfly] population,” Grace said.

So far, there hasn’t been word of any vineyards having an issue, according to Grace.

“I’m sure [owners] are out looking and vineyard managers are on high alert looking for that insect to show up,” she said.

For right now, Grace said they will continue to execute a locally targeted plan to reduce the population of lanternflies to continue to protect orchards and vineyards nearby.

“We did that by removing trees with eggs on them,” she said.

Lanternflies particularly like a tree called the tree of heaven. They don’t need it to survive, but if there’s one in the area they will find it and feed off of it, so Grace said that’s a good place to be monitoring.

“There have been other areas where the insect has been managed using the tree of heaven as a trap tree,” she said. “They treat the trees with pesticide so when they come feed off it they’re killed. So that’s another management strategy.”

If you find a lanternfly, the best thing to do is catch it and put it in the freezer in a plastic baggie — this will both kill and preserve the insect. You can then call Grace or the state directly and someone will come grab the sample to make a positive identification.

“It would be very helpful if people in the Ithaca area can do that,” Grace said. “People in Fall Creek or Cayuga Heights might find adults and it would be really interesting to track how far they’re traveling and find out if we have any other populations.”

Grace also encouraged people to be vigilant and aware of the ways lanternflies travel larger distances. She said to make sure there are none in your car or in your trunk when you’re traveling, otherwise you could be responsible for bringing an infestation to another city. She said the insects like to lay their eggs on trees, masonry stone and rusty metal, so it’s not unheard of to find egg masses on the inside of wheel wells and other parts of a vehicle.

“So if you’re going to be traveling, just take a look at your car,” she said. “Look under the wheel wells at this time of year while they’re laying eggs.”

Grace surmises that’s likely how the infestation ended up in Ithaca — someone from a place that already had an infestation came to Ithaca with egg masses on their car. Grace describes the masses as looking like a smear of very fine grade clay, but suggests Googling what they look like so that you’re familiar.

“Just be vigilant and make sure we’re not delivering the seed of infestation somewhere else,” she said.

The city forester can be reached at 607-272-1718, and the Department of Agriculture and Markets can be reached through the form at https://agriculture.ny.gov/contact-us. -Tanner Harding

Ups The weather in Ithaca is rarely cause for celebration, but the cooler fall temperatures combined with bright sunshine has been delightful. Let’s hope it holds up for the Apple Harvest Festival this weekend! Downs You thought roadwork was slowing down? You would be incorrect. Closed lanes and roads have caused some headaches lately, but with any luck the streets will be smoother for it. Fingers crossed. HEARD&SEEN

Heard The summer concert series at Bernie Milton Pavilion may be over, but there was still some lovely live music there last Friday evening, setting the mood for diners waiting for a table.

Seen Is it just us or have the sunsets been particularly nice lately? Yes, they’re coming earlier and earlier each night, but at least they’re pretty.

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 is your best advice for dealing with the mosquitoes?

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