Best of Ithaca 2017

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Best of Ithaca 2017 Best

From The Editor Editor’s Note: Best of Ithaca is a revered institution in Ithaca, time-tested and renowned.

Because a high degree of institutional knowledge is needed to pull it off effectively, we called on former editor and longtime resident Bill Chaisson back to write the piece. We must say, he did a wonderful job.

–N

E

very year the Best of Ithaca awards give Ithacans a chance to celebrate their community. There are some people (e.g. Mayor Svante Myrick) and businesses (e.g. Viva Taqueria) that seem to win every year regardless of what categories we put out there. When you’re the best, apparently our readers/voters are going to give recognition however they can.

Entertainment Best Ga me Night | K il patrick’s Pu b

The trivia contest that is held every Monday night from 8 to 10 p.m. at Kilpatrick’s pub in the Seneca Place building on Tioga Street is actually run by a national company based in Denver. The company is called Geeks

Who Drink, and they run the trivia night activities at The Haunt too. Both weekly events have the same host, Kavi Kardos.

She auditioned for the job in Austin in 2011 and has worked in marketing and PR for Geeks Who Drink, but her real love is hosting the contests.

Kardos, who has degrees in writing and publishing from Emerson College and the University of Houston, moved to Ithaca recently to work at the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. She took over the trivia nights from Adrienne Huffman.

O p e n m i c at K i l pat r i c k ’s .

Ithaca isn’t a big city (it’s actually smaller than 10 square miles), but it seems that is big enough to hold multitudes. Not many of these “bests” are from outside of Ithaca, even though there are reasonable candidates for many of them out in the hinterlands.

Ithaca has a sense of place. It doesn’t really bleed out into the county (as much as some people claim it does).

Ithaca is Ithaca, and the Best of Ithaca poll is the time of year when we take a look around the territory below East, South, and West hills (and the lake) and ask what’s looking good lately? The results roll in and then we start making phone calls to the winners, telling them they’ve gotten the most votes. Not only is it nice to give someone good news (“People think you are the best.”), but you quickly find out why these folks got all these votes: they are pretty cool.

Carry on, Ithacans.

Bill Chaisson.

Managing editor, 2011-2016 Ithaca Times

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“I like everything about these contests,” she said. “I like playing too; I will play most nights of the week when I’m not hosting.” Kardos said the trivia night makes a great first date and is also a great way to show off in front of your friends.

“Most nights it’s packed,” she said of Kilpatrick’s trivia night, “especially since school started again.” The contestants include a lot of graduate students and some undergraduates, but also, Kardos noted, a surprising number of primary school teachers.

category. “There are so many other things that could be considered assets—the Commons, the farmers’ market—but maybe we were recognized because we add so much to the culture of downtown.”

Over the last nine years, since the theatre became a non-profit organization, it has steadily expanded and diversified its offerings. “It’s a theater for everyone,” Levine said. “It’s working for a number of reasons: our board of directors, our relationship with Dan Smalls Presents, our staff, and our volunteers.” The shows have sponsorships from businesses, foundations, and individual donors. Levine considers the theatre, which is now on sound financial ground, to be “community owned.”

Best Open Mic | L ot 10 L ou nge

Best L oca l Theatre Production | A Fu n n y Thing H a ppen ed on the Way to the Foru m @ The H a nga r Theatre

Th e S tat e Th e at e r . ( P h o t o : C a s e y M a r t i n)

“We’re thrilled with the consistent support from the community,” said the Hangar Theatre’s managing director Josh Friedman. The theatre does one musical per summer and it is always the production that draws the largest audiences. This summer was no exception.

While Friedman said numbers for Funny Thing … did not compare with the huge crowds that came to see Lin-Manuel’s In the Heights last summer, but Ithaca Times readers certainly liked it. “It did well,” Friedman said, “which is typical for a musical.”

We reached artistic director Michael Barakiva in New York: “We are so honored to receive this award again. I chose Forum because it is a celebration of comedy, theatre and most of all joy, which is what the Hangar is all about.”

Friedman is already looking forward to the holiday season, when the Hangar will inaugurate a new tradition: they will stage A Christmas Carol, including a free community performance to kick off the run.

The director said the funding is in place to continue doing the play on an annual basis.

It is part of an effort to make the theater a truly year round space. When Friedman arrived in Ithaca six years ago only 1,200 people passed through the Hangar’s doors between summer seasons. Last year the number was 15,000.

gorge trails is the perfect for first-time visitors, Bonn said. “A flat trail is extremely appealing because you can take along all ages and sizes. It’s also a good distance; it’s about a mile and a half round trip.”

And although it is relatively short and flat, it isn’t at all boring. “It’s well shaded in the summer,” Bonn noted, “and there is a great ‘reveal’ at the top of trail when you come around the corner to see a 215-foot waterfall in a huge amphitheater.”

Bonn said that recent work at Robert H. Treman State Park has included building new staircases from the park office in the lower park up into the gorge. “The work was done by the Excelsior Conservation Corps,”

the parks director said. “It’s modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps. The work made the gorge far more accessible.”

Out-of-towners learn about the trails through social media, Bonn said. People post photos of themselves hiking. State park staff actually monitor the number and content of these posts. “But for the residents,” he said, “these parks are their backyards.”

Best Cu ltu r a l Asset | The State Theatre

In August the Ithaca Times did a “round up” of open mic nights in and around Ithaca. We managed to identify 11 of them.

And then the 12th decided to go and win the “Best Open Mic” category in our own service. Um, oops.

The open mic event, hosted by Sir Leon, occurs each Tuesday at 9 p.m. Each week performers wow the audience while tuning into their stage genius, according to the Facebook page. Lot 10 won this Best of Ithaca category in 2013 too: “We do a Tuesday night open mic that caters more towards music, although we have had a little bit of everything place,” said Lot 10’s Matthew Riis. “Our co-hosts Leon and Amanda also help to make the night fun and engaging but I think the bottom line is the people in attendance, whether working, performing, or viewing. We are blessed to have some wonderful regulars and staff alike.”

“It’s a great honor,” said State Theatre executive director Doug Levine of being voted Best Cultural Asset. It is a broad

Best Begin n ers Hik ing Tr a il | Taugh a n nock Fa lls Gorge Tr a il Best A dva nced Hik ing Tr a il | Robert H. Trem a n State Pa rk

Fred Bonn, the regional director for state parks, was pleased to learn that two of the state park trails were considered “best”

by Times readers. The Taughannock Falls The

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L o t 1 0 O p e n M i c’s h o s t L e o n A rgu ello Best Sou n ds of Su mmer | CFCU Concert Series

Tatiana Sy, the events coordinator for the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, is the person who puts together the CFCU Concert series that happen on the Commons each Thursday night through the summer. She tries to mix it up. “I’m trying to create

a culture of discovery,” she said. “I want people to do more than show up to see their favorite band. I want people to think ‘It’s Thursday; let’s go down to the Commons and see the band.”

It is Sy’s third summer of coordination and she thinks she’s making progress.

“Children just take over the space on some nights,” she said. “It is really good that families feel comfortable coming down here.”

The line-up includes reliable staples and Sy gets those in place first to “form a foundation.” She starts fundraising for the concert series in February or early March and starts listening to bands as potential bookings. By April sponsorships should be in place, but the majority of the funds for the series come from concessions, which is a bit of a wild card. “The sponsors give us legs to stand on,” she said, “and then we bet on the concessions.”

“There’s always someone [a performer] that you know you want,” Sy said. “I noticed a few years ago there was a pocket of the community that didn’t have a mainstream space. I was able to address that recently.”

She booked the Cosmic Joke Collective, which is a band of local artists who cover other local artists. “It’s kind of an odd way to get introduced to local music, but it works,” she said.

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Best Pil ates / Yoga Instructor | Tory Jen is @ Bl ack Bird

Essentials

Tory Jenis is a busy woman.

When she called and left a voicemail in response to our call, she urged us to have a look at her website. The implication was that she wasn’t going to have time for another call. Indeed, a follow-up call found her out and about, due back in BlackBird Studio only to teach.

Jenis is a registered nurse, Baptiste Certified Yoga Instructor, Power Pilates Certified Instructor, and BB

Best Thrift Store | Sa lvation A rm y

The Salvation Army thrift store is extremely organized. The clothes on the racks are arranged not just by size, but also by color (including patterns: all the plaids are together). They make sure that if you know what you want, you can find it quickly and if you don’t know what you want, you can wander in an orderly manner.

“When I first heard I just said ‘No way’” said Vannessa DeJesus of the Times readers’ acclaim. “Thank you. It’s a team effort. We just do our thing.” The store manager believes that knowing the customers is an important part of her business. “And we know their children and their grandchildren too,” she said.

yoga, the Baptiste school is physically demanding and therefore a logical partner to Jenis’s earlier Pilates expertise.

Best L oca l A nnua l Fu ndr a iser | Women Sw immin’

The Women Swimmin’ fundraiser has been raising money for Hospicare of Ithaca for 14 years now. This summer over 300 women participated, 284 in the lake and 38 in pools. Some women do laps because they can’t swim across Cayuga lake and some because they are out of town on the day of the event. This year all those women have already raised $422,000, and it will keep coming in until the end of the year.

Why is this fundraiser so popular? “It’s

Best M assage Ther a pist | L ea h A rpa di

It is an understatement to say that are a lot of massage therapists in Ithaca. So it is a real challenge to collect enough votes to emerge from the pack; most people simply vote for their massage therapist.

This year Leah Arpadi was lifted up among the rest to recognized. When you start talking to her you start to understand why. “I studied art history in college,” she said, “but then massage put the body in the equation. Massage goes beyond verbal reasoning. I now find that I have as much in common with a sculptor as I do with someone in a medical field.”

This combination of art and science drew her into the profession, and in her practice she found that she loved the analytical aspect. “I like analyzing a situation to find something productive that can be done,” Arpadi said, adding that it requires a knowledge of both psychology and the nervous system.

She feels a lot of gratitude toward her clients because by coming to her they are being their own advocates. “I collaborate with a client to solve a problem,” she said.

“No two sessions are alike. With long-term clients it’s like an exploration. They can tell that I care.”

M a s s ag e Th e r a p i s t, L e a h A r pa d , Wo m e n S w i m m i n ’ o n a r e c e n t y e a r ( P h o t s : C a s e y M a r t i n) “and we’ll be having tastings.” The store changes its stock and organizes events in recognition of the wine calendar and the holidays.

(Ballet Beautiful) Barre Instructor. She loves to cook, garden, and ski. She got into Pilates first and then discovered yoga. “It was truly a passion,” she writes, “a lifestyle and a part of my life that was missing.” Unlike some

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Best W in e / L iquor Store | Northside W in e & L iquor

John Wentworth, the assistant manager at Northside, said he thought that his store’s customer service is what set it apart. There are approximately 20 people working at Northside—most of whom have worked there for over a decade—and they get an ongoing education in wine from two experts on staff. Also, said Wentworth, they visit the wineries regularly to keep up with the industry.

Wentworth was looking forward to the grape harvest and the accompanying release of the Rieslings from the previous vintage year. “It is also cider time,” he said, The

the challenge to swim across,” said event coordinator Julie Langenbacher, “coupled with fulfilling a need to do something in the memory of a loved one.” One of the

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R ac k s at t h e S a lvat i o n A r m y ( P h o t o : C a s e y M a r t i n) women doing laps swam 100 miles this summer. Another woman is in the process of swimming 200 miles.

The event has overcome logistical challenges. In 2015 they lost the boat that brought women to the east side starting point, so everyone swam out to the middle and back. In 2016 local transport companies bussed swimmers from Cass Park to the east side, where Joe Miller, a local contractor, had devised a ramp that allowed swimmers to wade into the lake without cutting their feet to pieces on zebra mussels.

While it is all women in the water, there are men involved too. “Without our escort boaters,” said Langenbacher, “we wouldn’t be able to get across. This year there were 170 of them.”

Best L oca l Tw itter Feed | Tw ith aca

There is really not much of a contest here, is there? When you visit the #twIthaca feed and scroll down it is like being able to hear everything at once all over Ithaca. Dipping in a random time on the afternoon of September 20, we find pop culture (Casey of Xambassadors is at a radio station), literary culture (Saltonstall Foundation is hosting the poet Chen Chen), community stuff (kids’ portraits being made at LACS), and actual breaking news: the Black Students United is occupying Willard Straight Hall after a racial incident in Collegetown. If only they had Twitter in 1969, the last time this happened. # Tw i t h ac a ( P h o t o : C a s e y M a r t i n)

140 The Commons ® Ithaca, NY ® (607) 272-1810 The

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17/18 SEASON SMART PEOPLE by Lydia R. Diamond September 3 - September 24

Showing at Geva Theatre in Rochester Oct 5 - Oct 22

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COMEDY SHOW by Aditi Brennan Kapil October 8 - October 29

EVERY BRILLIANT THING

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November 11 - December 10

IRONBOUND by Martyna Majok January 21 - February 4

BRIGHT HALF LIFE by Tanya Barfield March 4 - March 18

BRAWLER by Walt McGough April 8 - April 22

MATT & BEN by Mindy Kaling

and Brenda Withers May 27 - June 10

Welcoming our new producing artistic director,

M. Bevin O’Gara!

TICKETS: 607.272.0570 • KITCHENTHEATRE.ORG 12

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H a p p y H o u r At It h ac a B e e r ( P h o t o : C a s e y M a r t i n)

Best

Food & Drink Best Restau r a nt Atmosphere | Best Beer Sel ection | Ith aca Beer Compa n y

For a beer company to win “Best Beer Selection” makes complete sense, but for it to have the best atmosphere in town in their restaurant means this is a beer company that is stretching itself. Gregg Stacey, the head of public relations and marketing at Ithaca Beer, said that everyone loves the outdoor space. “There are few places where you can have a beer and just hang out outside,” he said.

Ithaca Beer added a outdoor kitchen this summer to cope with the volume of customers. In the summer, in addition to local folks, a lot of “beer destination” folks seek out the brewery. Once there, in addition to having a malt beverage, they

enjoy throwing a Frisbee, playing the “corn hole” game, and sitting on the patio looking out at the fields of vegetables that provide 80 percent of the greens in the restaurant.

were tempted by the grilled kale Caesar salad and the beet and Lively Run goat cheese salad with candied pecans and maple balsamic dressing. Next time.”

Best at K eeping It L oca l | Northsta r

Best Dow ntow n Comfort Food | Best Wa itsta ff | V i va Taqu eri a & Ca ntina

In a noisy phone call with a waiter and the kitchen staff, we got an estimate of how much of the menu at Northstar has a local Viva, owned by Pete and Ursula Browning, origin: 80 or 90 percent. lo these many years, wins some category in Our restaurant critic Peggy Haine the Best of Ithaca poll pretty much every paid Northstar a visit last year: It was the year. Ithacans essentially like all good burgers that drew our attention. We dug things in this restaurant. Whichever way into the huge roasted garlic burger (stoutly we define “best”, they annually slot Viva standing under melted cheddar, greens, into one or two categories. tomato, onion, and garlic aioli on a briochetype roll) served with a side of Caesar salad, and the “Sorrel, I’m not Sorrel” burger (Autumn’s Harvest ground beef, tart sorrel pesto, Lively Run feta, & garlic aioli on a house-made brioche bun with parmesan potato wedges), both done perfectly medium rare as ordered, totally juicy, and too big to fit into a normal mouth without some serious squushing.

Setting the tomato slices aside for later helped. We saw some nice salads and Vi va c h i p s , w i t h t h e r e q u i s i t e d i p s . grains passing by, and ( P h o t o : C a s e y M a r t i n) PRI-IthacaTimes-QuarterPage-2017-09-18.pdf 1 9/19/2017 3:49:49 PM

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Former Times restaurant critic Luke Fenchel circled around the comfort food topic in 2014: “Let’s talk Mexican meals. As long as you are willing to judge the taqueria on its own terms, you’ll find yourself with a full stomach and lots of goodwill. It’s a regional restaurant in the sense that it’s in upstate New York, and not in the sense that you’ll find a particular style of cooking. A tofu spring roll taco with zesty slaw and a wonderfully marinated protein is flat-out phenomenal; the black bean with Monterey and feta cheese is innovative; and the bulging burritos are big enough to serve a family of four.”

As for the quality of the waitstaff, back in 2004 Pete Browning responded to winning in the category “Best Casual Restaurant” with this shout-out: “We think that our freshly made food and affordable prices keep people coming back. For nine years we just keep getting bigger. Viva would also like to thank our employees who are just great, and a big reason for our success.”

said. “It’s a tapas style with international flavors. We make food that people can understand.”

Best Ta k eou t / To Go | Taste of Th a i Ex press

Best W inery | A merica na V ineya r ds

Taste of Thai Express is a sit-down restaurant, but they got recognition this year for their take-out service. It is easy to see why the “express” part of the name works: they are right on Meadow Street, so the drivers drop right onto a central artery to make their deliveries.

But, of course, the food is excellent when it arrives. The once and future food critic for the Times, Henry Stark, paid the restaurant a visit back in 2010: “... they specialize in seafood ... In August, the specials menu featured six entrees, all of which were seafood. [Owner Sirathorn] Balakula told me that on any given day she may pick up the phone, call the Honolulu Fish Company, and make her selection from their daily specials. Two days later a UPS truck delivers ‘whole fresh fish packed in a beautiful box.’” When you are 225 miles from the ocean, this is an impressive effort.

Americana Vineyards owner Joe Gober was delighted that his winery received the most votes in a crowded field. “It’s good to know that people are noticing what we’re doing out here,” he said. Gober and company are quite busy at their East Covert Road location north of Trumansburg. “We added more music,” he said. What began as a Sunday affair some 15 years ago now fills Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Best Sw eets | M a del ine’s

In 1997, when Theresa Miller started down the road to running Madeline’s, she was focused primarily on dessert aspect of it and worked with a pastry chef named Gail. In the early 2000s Gail prepared to go on maternity leave and trained Miller to prepare pastries and other desserts. “I loved everything about it,” recalled Miller.

“And Gail didn’t come back from maternity leave.”

According to Miller, at Madeline’s the emphasis was initially on sweets. “[Development of] the food service came afterward,” she said. “People wanted something substantial before dessert.”

Miller appreciated her Best of Ithaca win and admitted that sweets are still her favorite part of the menu.

of varying sweetness and don’t ignore the old-fashioned French hybrid grapes like Baco Noir. Gober said that this year they moved beyond grapes and into blueberries; they bottle everything from a dry varietal to a blueberry port.

Best Asi a n Restau r a nt | Sa igon K itchen

In 2012 Ithaca Times food critic Luke Fenchel raved about this place: “Occupying the space [on West State Street] formerly home to Taste of Thai Express, ... Saigon Kitchen serves eight different versions of pho—traditional Vietnamese beef soup—and as many bun, or vermicelli dishes. The offerings aren’t a menu as much as an excavation of authentic cuisine.

Almost overwhelming in its selection, the restaurant distinguishes itself with both breadth and depth.

“The interior is bright and homey and the service is helpful and unobtrusive. Every time I returned my dining companions and I received patient explanations, suggestions tailored to our requests, and generally the amiability of good neighbors.

“In a city known for great Asian food, Saigon Kitchen is among the most authentic and reasonably priced. That Pho, which runs between eight and nine dollars, is a massive proportioned steaming bowl fit for a family of four. Options include rare eye round steak, tendons, brisket, meatballs and a traditional shank stew. There are options for those who don’t eat red meat, and who don’t eat meat at all. It isn’t only the beef soup that is ‘pho-nomenal.’”

Thank You For Voting Us Ithaca’s Best Automotive Repair Shop 2014!

Best First Date Restau r a nt | Best Sm a l l Pl ates | Just a Taste

Restaurateur Stan Walton moved to Ithaca 23 years ago with chef Jennifer Irwin and took over the running of Just a Taste, shifting the approach of the place to tapas or small plates. Back in the dark ages of the 1990s they had to FedEx fresh tomatoes and mixed greens in from San Francisco, their former home. These days, of course, that isn’t necessary. Walton even wonders why we bother calling it “local food” now; he feels that’s just the normal and best way of doing things.

Walton and Irwin were ahead of the small plates curve. “It was just a coincidence,” he said. “Now small plates have come into their own because of people’s dietary changes and schedule changes.”

Why is it a great “first date restaurant?”

Well, if you go to Just a Taste, you’re going to impress your date. “We try really hard to make good really good food,” Walston The

Saigon K itchen ( P h o t o s : C a s e y M a r t i n)

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“The Fourth of July party was huge this year and we’ve been doing a lot of community work, supporting the Kitchen Theatre and Cortland Repertory Theatre,” he said, “and then there’s always my voice on the radio.” Gober does his own commercials for the winery.

Another reason for its popularity could be the broad variety of wines Americana Vineyards bottles. In addition to drier vinifera varietals, they produce many blends Ithac a

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Best Ba rista | Sa m @ Gimme!

Sam Mason works at the North Cayuga Street Gimme! When we called looking for her (not knowing that she was a she) the reception was understandably cool.

However, ask a co-worker why Sam is such a good barista and coolness thaws immediately: “She is just really loved by the community. She really cares about the community and is really great to work with.

She is about the sweetest person I know.”

Makes you want to work at Gimme!, doesn’t it?

is nice to get it.” When we called McAllister he had just finished approving a donation to the local opera company. “There is no short list,” he said when asked who else TCTC supported. “We support all the local theatre groups, the choral organizations, the orchestra, the theatre at Ithaca College.

Up there we are helping young people who want theater as a career.”

Best Dow ntow n Dev el oper | M ack Tr av is

About eight years ago Mack Travis began to phase himself out of being an active part of the downtown development community.

Travis and Travis Real Estate Company became Travis Hyde and his son Frost and sonin-law Chris Hyde stepped to the fore. But the elder Travis is still a visible presence in the community. For example, a few years ago it was Mack Travis who offered to buy the Masonic Temple from Jason Fane (and was turned down).

He was born in Ithaca and raised in New York City, where he bought his first brownstone in 1968. He renovated it and leased the five apartments. By 1973 he was on the faculty of the Ithaca College film department and acquiring, renovating, and renting real estate on the side.

By 1980 he had chosen to enter the real estate development business full time.

Since October 2014 you are reminded of Travis’s largesse every time you walk out of the State Theatre and pass through the Carol and Mack Travis Lobby. On this occasion we wrote: “In recognition of their support and leadership in the years-long project to restore the early 20th century building, the staff of the theatre created a sign over the entrance. …

Promoter Dan Smalls thanked the Travises for letting a punk S a m M a s o n , at G i m m e . ( P h o t o : C a s e y like him book the shows for the M a r t i n) theater. Director of the State Theatre Doug Levine praised Carol Travis for teaching him so much about non-profit leadership and for introducing him to his wife. Gary Ferguson, director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, praised the Travises for restoring a keystone to the Ithaca commercial hub.”

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“I am really very excited about this,” said Gregg McAllister, the vice president of marketing communications at Tompkins County Community Trust. “We don’t [support the arts] for the recognition, but it The

It seems appropriate that our contact with our Millennial mayor was conducted entirely via text. When he got the news that he had been voted top truth-teller, he thumbed back “What an honor! As large a one as I’ve ever received.” Unsatisfied with this superlative response, we pressed on.

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Places Best Jogging Tr a il | Waterfront Tr a il

Th e C ay u g a Wat e r f r o n t Tr a i l , i n C a s s Pa r k . ( P h o t o : C a s e y M a r t i n)

to tell hard truths about addiction,” he fired back a few hours later, “that the current war on drugs has failed and we must try something new.

“I’ve tried to tell hard truths,” he continued in another little green bubble, “about infrastructure – that you can either complain about potholes or you can complain about road work, but you can’t complain about both.”

“But,” he went on, “mostly I try my best to govern in a way Ithacans deserve.

That if I tell them the truth, even if the truth is sometimes ugly, they will always understand and work with me to build a better city.” Mighty ideas, mighty mayor, mighty thumbs.

M i c h a e l K o p l i n k a- L o e h r ( P h o t o : C a s e y M a r t i n)

incumbent Republican Mike Sigler.

Apparently when you reappear on the radar screen, Ithaca Times readers notice.

The third, final, and middle portion of the Waterfront Trail opened in 2015, 12 years after the completion of the initial stretch in Cass Park. It depends how you measure it, said trail designer Rick Manning, but generally speaking it is about 5.5 miles long. He was thrilled to hear that the completed trail had been made certifiably popular by a Best of Ithaca vote.

“It’s maybe the most scenic trail in the county,” Manning said.

“It feels safe. It’s well lighted, so you can jog alone at night. And it’s flat; that helps a lot of people.”

The thoroughfare was designed to accommodate a lot of people, said Manning, who has a landscape architecture practice in town, and to support a blend of walking, jogging, and biking. When it first opened temporary signs were posted to explain the rules of the road. “It operates like a road,” Manning said. “You pass on the left, and you tell people you’re passing.”

Manning is also active in the Friends of Stewart Park group. “The trail has made

Best U n der the R a da r Commu n it y L ea der | Mich a el Kopl in k a-L oehr

Michael Koplinka-Loehr last ran for elective office in 2011, seeking a seat on the Lansing town board. He had just moved to the town the year before, after not just living in the town of Ithaca, but also representing it on the county legislature for 12 years. Since 2011 you could say that Koplinka-Loehr has been under the radar, but he has been just civically active as he always has been.

“I’ve been at it for almost 50 years,” he said. “I started serving the community as a paperboy, then as a Boy Scout.” When he got old enough, he started to join committees. “I moved agendas forward,” Koplinka-Loehr said, “quietly.”

But it is time for the former county legislator to resurface. In May he was selected to be the Democratic candidate for the county legislator race, opposing

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a difference to Stewart Park,” he said.

“It connects it to other places and has transformed people’s perceptions. Now people run through there regularly instead of going there just for parties and picnics.”

Best Pl ace for Peace a nd Qu iet | Corn el l Bota n ic Ga rdens

Because the word “plantations” conjured up images of white columned mansions, Spanish moss-hung live oaks, and slaves, in 2016 Cornell changed the name of its green

and pleasant place. According to the FAQ sheet from Cornell the old name provided “no indication as to what people can expect to find when the visit the grounds and thus requires constant explanation.”

Well, people get it now. Sure, it’s really a research facility, but it’s a peaceful and quiet research facility. “Cornell Botanic Gardens offers beautiful gardens, stunning vistas, and serene natural areas, all free and open to the public,” wrote Christoper P. Dunn, the Elizabeth Newman Wilds Executive Director of the Gardens, when we asked for a reaction their recognition by

the Times readers. “We invite you to come and experience the relaxing, restorative qualities of these areas, and also to deepen your understanding of the role of plants in sustaining humankind and its diverse cultures.”

Best Peopl e-Watching Spot | The Commons

Let’s face it: this is pretty much what the Commons is for. When the old design was demolished in spring 2013 it had become overgrown. There were alcoves and cul-de-

sacs where people could huddle out of sight in the middle of downtown. While there is something cozy and attractive about that, it certainly cut down on the people-watching possibilities. By August 2015 the new design was in place.

This is the way Sasaki Associates, who created the new Commons, see the finished project: “The realized project improves the Commons both as a retail environment and community gathering space. The main retail corridor of [East] State Street has a wide central walkway that provides a clear pedestrian promenade, opens up sight lines between storefronts, provides clear occasional service access.”

Best Pu bl ic Bathroom | Tompk ins Cou nt y Pu bl ic L ibr a ry

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What do you want in a public restroom?

Cleanliness, mostly. The Tompkins County Public Library was voted “best” and most readers will not be wondering why. The library is a place where you are likely to spend a relatively lengthy period of time.

You are doing research. You are looking for a quiet place to relax and read (or take a nap). You are working on the public computers. You are attending a meeting or conference being held in the Borg Warner Room. All in all, you are more likely to eventually need a bathroom than you are on many other downtown forays. So, thank you Tompkins County Public Library. Not only are you a beacon of culture in the community, but you are also there when nature calls.

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Open Ended Questions

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Award Winne d Design an Statewideal Contest Editori April 2017

FIRST PLACE PAST PRESIDENTS’ AWARD GENERAL EXCELLENCE “Tab content and columns that engage local community” FIRST PLACE COVERAGE OF AGRICULTURE “The paper made what could be boring subjects come to life.”

FIRST PLACE BEST WEBSITE DESIGN “Well organized and not too busy.

Good use of art throughout.”

Most Over Covered Story

FIRST PLACE BEST SPECIAL SECTION “All About Ithaca” — fabulous section that speaks all about the community”

Fountain on Commons • Trump • Crime • County Jail • Big Truck drive through Ithaca • Dogs on Commons • High Taxes • 2016 Election • LP storage under Seneca Lake • Affordable Housing • Cornell • Racial Differences • Walmart Shooting • Dredging of Lake • Electoral Politics • Negativity • Mayors parking spot • Cornell Stabbing • Ticks • Downtown Development • Russian Collusion • City Council • Parking • Hillary • Svante Myrick

SECOND PLACE BEST SPECIAL SECTION “Best of Ithaca 2016” — Again, another stellar community centered, well-organized section.”

Most under covered story

Where has all the “froyo” gone • The right-wing groups funding high NY Tax rate “Studies” • Student drinking • Drugs downtown • ISCD Superintendent Brown quietly engineers a $45,000 raise • Water protection • Dogs on Commons • Rising antisemitism • Trees being cut down on Cayuga • Construction • School kids activities • People texting and driving • Local high school sports • Dredging the inlet • Cohesion amount groups • Unsung heros • Local farms • High taxes • AFCU community programs • Restaurant service and tipping • Kudos to local people for doing good • IC Track and Field • Bluegreen algae • Svante for President • Right Wing Hate Groups • Collegetown murder • Positivity • Pothole & street damage • Peace movement • Local Democratic shenanigans • Local writers • Need Detox Facility • 2 deaths of students from the Dominican Republic • Winning season of the Cornell Women’s Lacrosse team • Police under-staffing • Dryden Rail Trail completion • Tom Reed’s voting record • Lou’s hotdogs • Traffic • Media not doing its job of educating people • Women’s physical & emotional safety • HS & College students volunteering around town • ICE Kidnapping someone from our community • Bernie • Heroin • Gentrification • Refugees in Ithaca • Cayuga Medical NLRB hearings

THIRD PLACE OVERALL DESIGN EXCELLENCE DIVISION 1 “Very attractive front pages, and the open feel was carried throughout.”

ithaca com

HONORABLE MENTION SPORTS WRITER OF ThE YEAR, 2016 Cassandra Negley

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No construction! Rid ourselves of the Heroin epidemic • Decrease in opioid overdoses & deaths • Another truck will drive through Ithaca • Cornell pays more to cover their tax burden • Sustainability/Green Energy Festival • Better parking Apps • No more shootings • A winning season by Cornell basketball • Some funding from the government for the airport and DOT site move • Seeing a mandated Living Wage for all workers in Tompkins County • Dogs can go on the commons • New parking meter system • Cornell will shut down • A mild winter • no crime • no student dead especially at any waterfalls area • Improving Cayuga water quality • fix the roads • I hope to see a sheriff stop one car for speeding down Westhaven Rd • dredge the inlet • Less crime • No more gorge deaths • protect green space • more affordable housing • Snow dayw • Greater unity among all residents • no matter race • color • creed • religion • gender • plan for dredging inlet/ south end of lake • More public pools • Red Lobster comes in! • Open Barry’s Bootcamp • Less Traffic • Second Chance • Decreased arrests for drugs • Students don’t come back • Community Love • Better Parking • Better Ithaca Festival • Living wage • More community engagement than ever • including from students • Construction of new housing slows down • The Students Leave • Dredge the Inlet • Legalize it • Community-wide yard sale • More Sun • Granelparent Program • Sanctuary City • Fix pot holes & road improvements • Taxes go Down • Spray ground • Tom Reed gets voted out! • Ithaca Festival return to Stewart Park • I’d love to see more green arrows put in as far as street lights go • No new construction • Cheap Parking • Brewfest • IC will start treating contingent faculty fairly • Waterfront Development • We develop low income housing • Dalai Lama come again • Easier traffic flow • Cornell will stop its GMO programs and support • The Revolution • Chapter House reopen • Clean up parks • Impeachment Celebration • “TRUMP – YOUR’E FIRED!” • A Huge Wharf will be constructed at Stewart Park • with docking facilities • concerts • coffee • etc. contin u ed on page 27

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One thing you hope will happen in Ithaca this year

SPONSOR

It’s Game Day! ®

1 LARGE CHEESE OR 1 TOPPING

2/4/18 stix & a 2 liter Pepsi. Valid thru 2/6/17

OPEN LATE-LATE DELIVERY Order online at PapaJohns.com

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273-7272

Where’s my bus?

Find your stop, get alerts, and locate your bus in real-time

with the

Bus Tracker!

www.tcatbus.com is the best place to get information, tools, and apps to help you plan your trip and find out where your bus is in real-time. More apps coming soon!

Text: If you already know your stop number, get the next departure times by texting TC + the stop number (ex: TC8888) to 321-123 Mobile: Get the transit or MyStop app from the itunes App Store or Google Play, open the app, and choose a transit agency.

Computer: Visit the Tcat Bus Tracker Website at: https://realtimetcatbus.availtec.com/InfoPoint/

pick-up & deliveryat

beginning

$50!

mimisatticithaca.com

Mimi’s

Attic

buy * sell * consign Previously-enjoyed Furniture, Housewares & Home Decor

The

Most Delicious, Authentic Chinese, American and Japanese Cuisine All You Can Eat AllLargest you can Eat The Largest Buffet in Buffet in Ithaca!

Ithaca! 106 Fairgrounds Memorial Parkway next to Lowe’s 607-277-7888 Use your Greenback Coupons!

106 Fairgrounds Memorial Parkway (across from Lowe’s) 607-277-7778 Ithac a

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The TCAT Bus Tracker Website allows you to:

View real-time vehicle locations | Search for a stop name number Overlay multiple routes on the map screen | View or register to receive alerts and public service messages | Get next 3 departures per stop Subscribe to receive alerts for vehicle departures

(607) 277-RIDE (7433) | www.tcatbus.com Accessible:

Connect with us online:

TTY: 277-9766 27,

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Everything TCAT

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Celebrating

125 Years of Music-Making Sheet Music Accessories Instruments Repairs Rentals Lessons Rock School

Try Before You Buy! Compare our prices to internet... you will be making music with us.

104 Adams Street Ithaca NY • 607-272-8262 www.hickeys.com 26

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PIANOS

• Rebuilt • Reconditioned • Bought

• Sold • Moved • Tuned

Complete rebuilding services No job too big or too small. Call us.

Ithaca Piano Rebuilders

NEW TION LOCA

Danby Rd.Ithaca Suite 26 HillSt., Business Park, Ithaca, NY (607) 272-6547 950 • 310 4th St., (Off• South Hancock 2 blocks from Rt. 13)

Person you would like to see run for Public Office

Svante Myrick (for higher office • like US House of Representative) • Tony Ingraffea • Josh Oxford • Dan Flerlage • Marshall McCormick • John Hertzler • Bill the Ump at Adult Softball • Greg Graffin • Anyone who will beat Tom Reed • John Barber (retired IPD Chief) • Charley Githler • Rachel Lampert • David Skorton • Erik Lucas • Amanda Champion • Colin Smith • Jeremy Menard • Lara Kaltman • Tammy Baker • Aviv-Hilbig-Bokaer •

Top: (L-R) Svante Myrick, Greg Graffin Middle: (L-R) John Barber, Josh Brokaw Bottom: (L-R) Mike Brindisi, Gay Nicholson

GIAC staff: Bob Proehl • Susan Currie • McKenzie Jones Rounds • Spike @ Chanti • Greg Evans • Joshua Sumner • Derrick Moore • Laurel Guy • Vivky Armstron • Batman • Justin Trudeau • Josh Brokav of Truth Sayers • Travis Volpe • Alan Mathios • Tracy Mitrano • Mike Brindisi • Liz Hartman • Steve Manley • Cindy Brownlee • Aubryn Sidle • Faye Goukakis • David Lee • Lislie Burke • JG Hertzler • Nia Nunn • Melissa Hall • Gay Nicholson • Jason Trumbe • Keith Hannon • Megan Graham • Julianna Garcia • Jillian Erickson

Communal Spirit - Soulful Food - Sinful Cocktails

120 South Aurora Street Ithaca, NY 14850 607-272-2222 | ithacamarriottdowntown.com The

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I need a future that’s big, a bank that keeps up.

Feeling the need to check your balance, withdraw some cash, or fund your dream? Talk to us.

Tompkins Trust Company has the mobile services you need to make banking incredibly convenient. But since we’re local,

we have a real commitment to serving the people and communities right around here.

Because if there is one thing everyone needs, it’s a local, mobile, remarkable community bank.

We are proud to support the arts in our community.

Thank you for adding so much magic to our lives.

TompkinsTrustCompany.com 28

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