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VOL.XLII / NO. 7 / October 6, 2021 Serving 47,125 readers weekly

SCHOOLS ICSD to expand COVID testing to all students

The Ithaca City School District will start offering optional COVID-19 screening testing for students within the next couple of weeks. The program will allow the district to test every student who consents each week.

The district is working with a company called Affinity Empowering that will allow students to get their testing results within 24 hours.

According to a letter sent to families in the school district, the state required schools to increase screening testing capacity to weekly for every student with caregiver consent. Last year, the district tested 10% of in-person students each week.

Affinity Empowering is part of Operation Expanded Testing, a program supported and funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to “provide COVID-19 testing to K-12 schools, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other select community organizations such as congregate living settings,” according to its website. The testing comes at no cost to the school district.

Guardians of any students under the age of 18 will have to register their student ahead of time for the testing. However, if students are symptomatic there are immediate tests they can take through the nurse’s office and in partnership with Cayuga Health Systems, BOCES and the Tompkins County Health Department.

“There will be several of us throughout the district who will have access to the positive results so we can respond immediately,” Deputy Superintendent Lily Talcott said at the Sept. 28 Board of Education meeting.

Talcott also clarified that right now unvaccinated staff are responsible for securing their own weekly tests and submitting the results, however once the program with Affinity Empowering is up and running smoothly with students, staff will have access to it as well.

Right now the plan is to offer testing earlier in the morning before school and during lunch periods to minimize the interruption of learning time for students. Talcott said it’s estimated that about 3,000 students will be consented for testing each week.

With much talk of the nursing and staff shortages in the district, there was some concern about who would be in charge of running the testing program. Talcott said they’re advertising the positions now, but have a few people who are ready to go already.

“We have some retired nurses, retired administrators and some other folks who will be engaging,” she said. She added that at first many of the central office employees will be there to help too.

According to the district, Tompkins County Health Department is the only entity that can quarantine or isolate individuals, so the school district will provide information to them regarding close contacts of anyone who tests positive. Student and staff privacy laws do not allow the district to share the identities of COVID-19 positive individuals to others.

Talcott said Affinity Empowering is currently working on getting all the testing supplies ready and hopes to have the program up and running within two weeks. -Tanner Harding

T a k e N o t e

▶ Vaccine clinics - The Tompkins County Health Department announced three upcoming clinics for booster dosing of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. TCHD is encouraging eligible older adults to get a booster dose when they are able, and alerting additional populations of their eligibility. Individuals with underlying conditions and those who are at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 due to workplace or institutional settings may receive a booster dose at least 6 months after their original Pfizer COVID-19 series. All upcoming local clinics will take place at the Cayuga Health Vaccination Site at the Old Sears Building at the Mall (40 Catherwood Road, Ithaca). Register for an appointment using the links below or call 211 (1-877-211-8667) during business hours, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. for assistance registering and for transportation options. Clinics are scheduled for Oct. 7, Oct. 8 and Oct. 9. For more information and to register, visit tompkinscountyny.gov/health.

FEATURES

Mayor 2.0 ..........................................8

Common Council breaks down what the city manager and mayor positions could look like in a government restructure. Sports......................................................... 11 Aesop’s Fables ...............................15 Ink Shop welcomes first out-of-town artist exhibition since pandemic Newsline ..................................................3-5 Opinion ........................................................6 Letters ........................................................7 ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Music

...................................................................... 16 Film .............................................................18 Music ..........................................................19 Times Table ..............................................20 Classifieds ...............................................22

ON THE WEB

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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

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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, 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 TT e : Tom Newton

INQUIRING PHOTOGRAPHER

By Casey Martin

HEY APPLE FEST FOLKS WAITING IN THE DONUT LINE…IS IT REALLY WORTH IT?

“Well, we’ve got nothing better to do right now!” -David B & Malcom M.

“It’s my first time, and she’s treating me!” -Margo B. & Sofia R.

“They are moist in the middle and crispy on the outside. They melt in your mouth! Yes worth it!” - Kendall L. & Aisha D

“It’s just something YOU HAVE TO DO at Applefest! “Jake R, Sean Y, Emily I & Noella N. 18

“It’s the only thing we come here for!” - Janna D. Ryan P PLANNING Planning Board likes early look at new Farmers Market building

The new Ithaca Farmers Market inches toward reality after meeting with the place to keep some of the funkiness that we all enjoy, but also have a functional parking the Planning and Development Board to go over preliminary building and parking designs. The ultimate goal is to provide an updated, partially weatherized facility that maintains the spirit of the current building, and rehabbing the parking lot to be a little less confusing and a lot less dusty.

The designs presented to the Planning Board at the Sept. 28 meeting had a fairly significant change to the parking plan. Currently, the parking rows run parallel to the length of the building. In the latest design, all rows would run perpendicular to the building instead, aside from one long row that runs parallel closest to the building. It will have vendor parking and some designated spots for electric vehicles.

“After reflection we thought it was more in the spirit of area,” Kate Chesebrough, an associate at Whitham Planning & Design said. Chesebrough said having (mostly) perpendicular parking rows will allow for sightlines to the building and makes finding the market more intuitive for first-time visitors especially. Designing the building comes with complications due to its location near the water and Cayuga Waterfront Trail and various easements. For instance, there’s a 20-foot setback required from the water, a 15-foot setback required from the center of the trail to the building and manhole structures and NYSEG easements that have to be avoided. However, Mimi Hoang, co-founder of Brooklyn-based nARCHITECTS which is designing the building, presented a preliminary design for the new building.

The main entry in the center of the building has been widened to 45 feet to provide direct visibility to the pier, a section has been designed to be winterized, there are two stories for overflow vendors, additional bathrooms and seating that overlooks the lower level. Hoang said the design team kept in mind the public and vendors’ desires to keep the openness and natural light in the building. To do that and still provide better protection from rain, the eaves were extended from 18 inches to 48 inches. Additionally, vendors will have the option to face both outward and indoors.

To maintain the feel of the current building, Hoang said for materials they’re thinking of a galvanized steel frame, a galvalume roof and waney edge cladding, which is a liveedge wooden siding. Additionally, there are hopes to reuse the wood from the current building depending on how the contractor is able to remove it and the condition of it.

Building Environments “The hope is to repurpose We developed a variety of vendor stall sizes and selling areas, flexible gathering / seating / event spaces it for flooring and/or stalls,” Hoang said. The planning is still in its in the indoor and outdoor portions of the market. early stages, but so far the board largely likes what it sees. “I really, really like the The outdoor portion retains the quality of natural project,” board member Emily Petrina said. “It’s a more light and ventilation. Clerestory openings are not sophisticated version of what glazed (to encourage air movement) but do include we have. It’s a difficult job of pleasing everyone who likes a deeper eaves (increased from 18” to 48”), which solves for the ‘rule of thumb’ 45 degree angle of this building and coming up with something new.” There are still plenty of incoming rain. meetings ahead, but the Planning Board is looking at Feb. 22, 2022 for the potential first phase of final approval. The next meeting is the public hearing, and is scheduled for Ithaca Farmers Market Oct. 26. 100% SD Basis of Design: 09.10.21 Construction on the parking lot isn’t expected to start for another year or two, and building construciton will start the year after that. -Tanner Harding

Rendering by Arcitecture firm nARCHITECTS of the East Market Looking East proposed East Farmers Market looking East

Structural System Overview

During Schematic Design, we tested steel vs. heavy timber for the primary structural system. We selected steel on the following basis: • Less expensive and easier to erect • Less deep members, which greatly reduces the sprinkler pipes and heads requirement. • Ability to span 30 - 48ft over the sewer easement without impacting head height Galvanized steel is less expensive than painted steel, and is thus shown as the basis for pricing. For further detail, see the Structural Basis of Design section at the end of this document.

BUDGET Mayor proposes $10M for roads, sidewalks and more

Budget season is upon us, and Mayor Svante Myrick presented the capital projects the city’s Capital Project Review Committee recommends to the Common Council at the Sept. 29 meeting. Normally, the city spends about $4 million on capital projects as that’s about what it pays down in debt every year. However, the city of Ithaca was awarded $17 million from the federal government as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, which led to Myrick and the committee deciding to recommend a little over $10 million in capital projects this year instead. Economic Development

There were quite a few recommended projects related to economic development — eight in total — to continue to support local businesses’ recovery from the pandemic. This includes a mini grant program from the Downtown Ithaca Alliance for $200,000, which will go toward supporting any local business, a $125,000 workforce re-entry program to support employers in their efforts to attract and retain employees, $50,000 for a grassroots crowdfunding initiative to support businesses owned by women and people of color, $125,000 to provide character-based loans to fiscally underserved micro-mid-sized businesses, $100,000 to develop and implement an action plan to support the growth of smallscale manufacturing, $50,000 for Route 13 gateway signage such as installing district informational signs, directional signage to city parking, pedestrian wayfinding signage to down and more. Additionally, $150,000 would go to Ithaca Area Economic Development to support implementation of its Tompkins County Economic Recovery Strategy.

A large chunk of money, about $800,000, would also go to improvements on Route 13 at 5th Street and Buffalo Street. This supports traffic at the inprogress Cayuga Park development which is anticipated to create jobs, housing and business opportunities that will result in an increase in traffic volume. The $800,000 would go toward things like widening Route 13, sidewalks, a refuge island, landscaping and a traffic signal for 5th Street crossing, as well as modifications to turning movements at Buffalo and Meadow/Fulton, signal modifications, signage, bicycle and pedestrian improvements and converting West Buffalo St to one-way. Engineering

In the engineering sector, $460,000 is proposed to go toward Cass Park Rink renovations, including enclosing the rink, adding dehumidification and HVAC systems, putting in bleacher seating and installing a fire suppression system. Another $795,000 would go to new sidewalk installations on Oak Avenue and Fall Creek Drive, $750,000 is proposed for Dryden Road Parking Garage repairs and $50,000 is proposed for the bridge maintenance program. Fire, Police, Community

Two large projects totaling $450,000 are proposed for the Fire Department; $150,000 would go toward refurbishing the East Hill Fire Station to extend its useful life for at least another 30 years, while another $300,000 would go toward renovating the Central, South Hill and West Hill fire stations to provide repairs and upkeep. A $300,000 project is proposed for GIAC, which would provide the organization with a new gym that will allow them to accommodate 30-40 additional children off the waitlist. Another $495,000 is proposed to go to the Ithaca Youth Bureau to replace the Cass Park pool. The committee is recommending spending $150,000 to make some upgrades to the Human Resources Department, namely putting $100,000 toward automation programs. This will allow the automation of repetitive HR tasks such as onboarding and offboarding processes, time and attendance record keeping, leave requests, performance management system and self-service automation for benefit selection and training registration. The other $50,000 would go toward a compensation study for all city employees. Myrick said there hasn’t been one done since at least 2011.

“We have to make sure our compensation is competitive to attract and retain people,” he said.

The committee recommends putting $100,000 toward the Community Housing Trust as Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services works to develop six new units of affordable for-sale housing. Another $10,000 is recommended as part of the Continuum of Care plan which sees the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency partner with the county to develop a strategic action plan to prevent and address homelessness.

A proposal of $50,000 would go toward Vision Zero Safety Project which examines safety improvements on roads throughout the city using things like enhanced signage at intersections and traffic coming, or larger changes that will slow speeds or make pedestrian crossings more visible.

Another $50,000 is proposed for creek bank stabilization and repair. The money would go toward shoring up creek banks and studying where else might need repair.

The Planning Department is proposed to receive $200,000 for design and construction drawings to improve the 400 block of College Avenue. Another $40,000 will go to upgrading the department’s out-dated office furniture, which Myrick called a “risk to our employees’ long-term health.”

For the Police Department, the committee recommends spending $275,000 to replace a handful of old and aging police vehicles that are beyond their service life.

A few different technology upgrades in the Public Information and Technology Department would cost about $650,000 and would include things like moving to cloudbased email, computer replacements, enhanced security licensing and cyber security training.

With a director of sustainability in place for the first time for budget season, there are a few recommendations that will go toward accomplishing tasks that are part of the Green New Deal. About $160,000 will go toward a city electrification feasibility assessment, $100,000 will go toward hiring a community choice aggregation consultant and $40,000 will go toward the installation of four public electric vehicle charging stations with two charging points each. Water and Sewer

Unsurprisingly, Water and Sewer have quite a few expensive projects that need to be completed. The committee is recommending the following: $600,000 for a Meadow Street water and sewer design contract; a combined $875,000 for watermain replacements on West Avenue and Oak Avenue; $500,000 to repair the Public Works building on First Street; $100,000 for improvements to the Public Works building on Franklin Street; $500,000 to begin improvement on the 60foot dam; $280,000 to replace three water and sewer vehicles; $75,000 for installation of line stops and additional valves on the gravity main; and $55,000 for a security fence at the Cornell Street tank site to prevent vandalism. -Tanner Harding

Ups Cornell Cinema is now officially open to the public again! To enter you’ll need to provide proof of full vaccination or proof of a negative PCR test within the past 72 hours. Downs People braved it, but the last day of Apple Fest was a gloomy and rainy one. We know, we know, three days in a row of sunshine in Ithaca is asking for a lot.

HEARD&SEEN

Heard TCAT’s Dryden-Freeville service Monday-Friday is now running fare-free for the entire month of October. Take advantage! Seen The line for cider donuts at Apple Fest ran the length of Harolds Square and down Home Dairy Alley — we respect the commitment.

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

QUESTION OF THE WEEK What is your favorite Apple Harvest Treat?

17.1% Apples, just apples. 17.1% Warm apple cider. 14.6% Apple pie

51.2% Please, Apple cider donuts

Next Week’s QuestioN: Would you rather be the Mayor or the City Manager?

Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.