Cayuga Health helps patients reduce high blood pressure risks
NNearly half of adults in Tompkins and nearby counties have hypertension, or high blood pressure, which puts them at risk for developing cardiovascular disease. High blood pressure is the excessive force of the blood pushing against the artery walls.
Your blood pressure reading includes two numbers, such as 120/70. The first number is called systolic pressure and records the force made with each heartbeat as blood is pumped from the heart into the blood vessels. The second number is diastolic blood pressure and records the force of blood pushing against artery walls in between heartbeats. A normal blood pressure is when the top number in the reading, or systolic pressure, is less than 120 and the bottom number, or diastolic, is less than 80, according to the American Heart Association.
A systolic pressure between 120-129 and a diastolic reading of more than 80 indicates an elevated blood pressure that can progress to increasingly dangerous levels. When untreated, hypertension can damage your arteries, decrease the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart, and lead to heart disease. Decreased blood flow to the heart can also cause chest pain, heart attack, and heart failure.
How Cayuga Health helps cardiac patients
Cayuga Medical Center is an accredited Chest Pain Center. Patients with heart attack symptoms are triaged as the highest priority. Experienced interventional cardiologists are available at Cayuga Heart and Vascular 24 hours a day, every day, to help treat cardiac patients and provide services such as balloon angioplasty with stents to open clogged coronary arteries during a heart attack, as well as diagnostic cardiac catheterization. They perform cardiac tests, including echocardiograms, cardiac stress testing, and exercise stress echocardiography.
Our cardiac physicians also provide heart rhythm management services, which include implantable devices, defibrillators, loop recorders, and pacemakers. These devices monitor and detect arrhythmia, which will deliver an electrical impulse to the body.
Following treatment for cardiovascular disease, many heart patients begin a cardiac rehabilitation program at the Cayuga Center for Healthy Living. Patients with qualifying cardiac diagnoses receive monitored exercise and risk management education through the program that is certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Many studies show that patients who take part in a cardiac rehab program feel better, live a heart-healthier lifestyle, regain strength, and reduce their cardiovascular disease risks. What causes high blood pressure?
These factors may cause high blood pressure:
• Use of tobacco or nicotine products
• Being overweight
• Having lots of salt in your diet
• Not getting much physical activity
• Family history of high blood pressure
• High stress levels
• Not getting enough sleep
• Excessive alcohol use
• Kidney disease
Who is at risk for high blood pressure?
You are at risk for it if you:
• Have diabetes, gout,or kidney disease
• Are African American, especially if you live in the southeastern U.S.
• Are middle-aged or older
• Have a family history of high blood pressure
• Eat a lot of high salt foods
• Are overweight
• Drink a lot of alcohol
• Take birth control pills (oral contraceptives)
• Have depression
• Are pregnant
• Smoke or use tobacco products
• Use stimulant drugs, such as cocaine or methamphetamine
What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?
Hypertension is called the “silent killer” because it often has no noticeable symptoms. Most people with high blood pressure don’t feel any discomfort or pain, even when their blood pressure is dangerously high. One result of untreated hypertension can be a heart attack.
Heart attack can present itself with the most common symptom is the sudden onset of chest pain, at rest or with exertion. However, symptoms that are more atypical often occur and can be different for men and women. Both are likely to feel chest discomfort and shortness of breath. Women also often feel an uncomfortable pain between their shoulder blades, unexplained fatigue, and dizziness. Men report sweating and heartburn or indigestion symptoms.
For more information on heart disease and treatment, call Cayuga Heart and Vascular at (607) 272-0460. Cayuga Heart and Vascular cardiologists see patients in the Cayuga Medical Center, and Schuyler Hospital in Montour Falls, and have offices in the Ithaca Mall, 40 Catherwood Road, and in Cortland, at 260 Tompkins St. For information on preventing heart disease through diet and lifestyle modifications, call Cayuga Center for Healthy Living at (607) 252-3590
Nearly half of adults in Tompkins and nearby counties have hypertension, or high blood pressure, and are at risk for developing cardiovascular disease. When untreated, high blood pressure, also called hypertension, can damage your arteries and decrease the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart and lead to heart disease.
Cornell Joins Lawsuit to Block Trump-Ordered NIH Cuts
By Matt Dougherty
ITHACA, NY — Cornell University and 11 other research institutions have joined a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s directive to slash indirect cost reimbursements for federally funded research, arguing that the cuts are illegal and will negatively impact medical research and innovation.
The lawsuit seeks to block the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) decision to cap indirect cost reimbursements at 15%. The current average rate that most institutions receive is 28%. However, the NIH has said that the rate has reached as high as 60% in some cases.
tional Institutes of Health (NIH) granted for research was used for administrative overhead, what is known as ‘indirect costs,’” the NIH said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The post continued by saying, “lowering the maximum indirect cost rate research institutions can charge the government to 15%…will save more than $4 billion a year effective immediately.”
However, opponents warn that capping indirect cost reimbursements at 15% could make it financially unsustainable for institutions to support biomedical research. They also say that the NIH does not have the authority to unilaterally change the cap.
THE COVER: Half of Ithaca Common Council Seats are up for Election in November. Primary elections will take place in June.
For decades, NIH grants have covered direct research costs — such as salaries and lab equipment — and indirect costs, which fund the administrative and operational infrastructure necessary for research. NIH is the primary source of federal funding for medical research in the United States. In Fiscal Year 2023, NIH spent over $35 billion on almost 50,000 competitive grants to more than 300,000 researchers.
“Such sudden and dramatic cuts imperil this extraordinarily successful partnership.”
—
Michael I. Kotlikoff, Cornell Interim President
Advocates for the change say it will save billions of dollars in annual taxpayer funds that would otherwise be spent on administrative costs.
“Last year, $9B of the $35B that the Na-
The lawsuit states, “Even at larger, wellresourced institutions, this unlawful action will impose enormous harms, including on these institutions’ ability to contribute to medical and scientific breakthroughs.” It continues, “Smaller institutions will fare even worse-faced with more unrecoverable costs on every dollar of grants funds received, many will not be able to sustain any research at all and could close entirely.” It added, “The Council on Governmental Relations has already called this brazen act a surefire way to cripple lifesaving research and innovation.”
Cornell Interim President Michael I. Kotlikoff called the NIH’s action “unprecedented” and warned of its far-reaching
T ake n ote
consequences in a statement released on Feb. 10 announcing that Cornell would be joining the lawsuit.
“We take this unprecedented step due to the unprecedented nature and enormous impact of this action by the NIH,” Kotlikoff said in a statement on Feb. 10. “Such sudden and dramatic cuts imperil this extraordinarily successful partnership.” He added, “While we welcome a thoughtful process of evaluation of indirect costs if the research capabilities of America’s universities are destabilized and undermined in this way, no institutions will be capable of filling the void of discovery and innovation as a public good.”
Kotlikoff continued saying that a temporary restraining order issued in response to another lawsuit filed by 22 Democratic attorneys general means that Cornell will not immediately be affected by the NIH changes.
Continued on Page 14
X Tompkins County Receives $763K in State Funding to Strengthen Emergency Communications Services
Tompkins County has been awarded $763,693 in state funding to enhance emergency response and communication systems. This funding is part of a broader initiative announced by Senator Lea Webb to strengthen public safety infrastructure in rural communities. The county will receive $627,501 from the State Interoperable Communications Grant (SICG-Formula), which aims to close gaps in emergency communication by improving technology and ensuring seamless coordination between first responders. These funds will support upgrades to radio systems, dispatch
centers, and other critical communication tools used in emergencies.
Additionally, Tompkins County will receive $136,192 from the Public Safety Answering Point Operations Grant (PSAP), which supports the operations of 911 call centers and the development of Next Generation 911 (NG911) technology. NG911 aims to modernize emergency response by incorporating digital and databased communication, allowing dispatchers to better assist callers through text, video, and geolocation services. These improvements will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of
emergency response teams, ensuring residents receive timely assistance during crises.
Senator Webb emphasized the importance of modernizing emergency response systems in rural communities like Tompkins County, where reliable communication is essential for public safety. These grants will help local officials purchase new equipment, improve dispatcher training, and strengthen emergency response infrastructure. The funding reflects a statewide commitment to ensuring that every community, regardless of size, has the necessary resources to respond swiftly and effectively to emergencies.
WEB
F r EE lan CE rs : Barbara Adams, G. M Burns, Jane Dieckmann, Charley Githler, Ross Haarstad, Steve Lawrence, Marjorie Olds, Henry Stark, and Arthur Whitman
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and The
Cornell Interim President Michael Kotlikoff said that cuts to NIH funding threatens the partnership between the NIH and Cornell. (Photo: File)
By Mark Syvertson
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: “WHAT CELEBRITY WOULD YOU WANT TO HANG OUT WITH?”
Tompkins County Legislature Passes Resolution Urging DEC to Require Environmental Impact Statement for Cargill Salt Mine
By Matt Dougherty
ITHACA, N.Y. — The Tompkins County Legislature voted 8-3 during a recent meeting to approve a resolution urging the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Cargill Salt Mine under Cayuga Lake.
The resolution follows years of community advocacy and growing concerns over the potential environmental risks posed by the mine’s continued operations. The Ithaca Common Council passed a similar resolution during their meeting on Feb. 5.
An Environmental Impact Statement is a detailed analysis required under New York State law for certain projects that may have significant environmental impacts. The process includes public scoping, expert studies, and opportunities for public comment, with the goal of assessing and mitigating potential environmental harm. An EIS can address issues such as water quality of the lake, structural integrity of the mine, and longterm safety risks.
Supporters of the resolution argue that requiring an EIS is crucial for transparency and accountability.
“We are overdue for an EIS to protect our most precious resource— Cayuga Lake.”
— Stephanie Redmond, Enfield Town Supervisor
“During the 50 years of this mine’s operations, not one time have we been asked to have a public hearing where individuals could provide comments,” said Stephanie Redmond, Enfield Town Supervisor and member of Cayuga Lake Environmental Action Now (CLEAN). “We are overdue for an EIS to protect our most precious resource — Cayuga Lake.”
The resolution stems from concerns about the mine’s impact on Cayuga Lake, a primary drinking water source for communities like Lansing. Environmental advocates, including CLEAN, have raised alarms about Cargill’s plans to dump brine into abandoned sections of the mine, which could lead to subsidence or a catastrophic collapse.
John Dennis, a member of CLEAN,
highlighted the risks of flooding in certain areas of the mine. “The brine being pumped into the abandoned zone is not fully saturated,” he said. “This could dissolve critical support pillars over time, increasing the likelihood of a collapse. If Cayuga Lake were to flood the mine, the lake could become saline, as happened with Lake Peigneur in Louisiana.”
Dennis’ reference to Lake Peigneur highlights a disaster that occurred on November 20, 1980, when a Texaco oil drilling operation accidentally punctured the roof of an underground salt mine operated by the Diamond Crystal Salt Company. The event led to a catastrophic collapse of the mine, draining the freshwater lake into the salt caverns below and permanently altering the lake’s ecosystem.
“American Rock Salt, a local company with a unionized workforce, has been required to conduct two EIS processes, making it a safer mine,” Eden said. “Why should Cargill be exempt from the same standards?”
The resolution also calls for a closure plan and a bond for future monitoring and remediation if the mine is abandoned. “Cargill has already put the mine up for sale,” Redmond noted. “If they walk away, what happens to the community when the risks remain?”
In response to Cargill announcing its desire to divest from the Cayuga Lake Salt Mine in 2023, CLEAN issued a press release advocating for Cargill to post a “Financial Guarantee Bond of at least $1 billion” with New York State to “provide assurance and mitigate any future uncertainties that may arise,” from the mine.
“To say this is about transparency is disingenuous when so much information is already publicly available.”
— Mike Sigler, Legislator
While an EIS has yet to be required, the DEC has required Cargill to post a $3.5 million bond to insure the mine in the event of a potential flood.
Brian Eden, another CLEAN member, pointed to the mine’s history of operating without rigorous oversight.
Cargill’s salt mine has operated under
“[Pro golfer] Bryson DeChambeau. He seems like a great guy and I’d try to pick up some pointers on my game.”
Paul
“Eddie Murphy.”
Wes
“Keanu Reeves. He’s like the anti-celebrity celebrity. He seems humble and down-to-earth.”
Natalia
“Diane Keaton. She’s an amazing actress, she dated Woody Allen, Al Pacino and Warren Beatty and she became an adoptive parent at 50.”
Colleen
“Kate Spade, Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein. I could go on.”
– Manne Quinn
Tompkins County Legislator Mike Sigler voices opposition to the resolution, arguing that Cargill has operated safely under DEC oversight and emphasizing the mine’s economic importance to the community. (Photo: File)
Enfield Town Supervisor and CLEAN member Stephanie Redmond speaks in support of a resolution urging the DEC to require an Environmental Impact Statement for the Cargill Salt Mine, citing concerns over water safety and corporate accountability. (Photo: File)
Mobile Home Heat Pump Pilot Program Aims to Improve Energy Efficiency
By Matt Dougherty
ITHACA, N.Y. — Sustainable Finger Lakes is tackling energy inefficiency and climate vulnerabilities in Tompkins County through an innovative heat pump pilot program for mobile homes.
The initiative is funded by $522,000 from the Tompkins County Community Recovery Fund and seeks to retrofit mobile homes with energy-efficient heat pumps while addressing structural issues in older homes. The program is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy costs for low-income households.
“We’ve awarded 28 out of the 50 projects we have in mind,” said Gay Nicholson, president of Sustainable Finger Lakes. “These retrofits have already prevented approximately 2,800 tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere and are expected to save over half a million dollars in energy costs over the next 18 years.”
The heat pump pilot program was launched to assist low-income residents, particularly those in mobile homes, who are often disproportionately affected by rising energy costs and climate change. Nicholson said the decision to focus on mobile homes came after conversations with local legislators and a review of energy challenges specific to this type of housing.
“Mobile homes are particularly vulnerable because of their poor insulation and outdated heating systems,” Nicholson explained. “We knew the Community Recovery Fund was coming, and we wanted to create a proposal that would provide meaningful impact.”
holds, leading to delays in approvals,” said Nicholson. “What used to take two weeks can now take two to four months, with projects getting kicked back multiple times for minor adjustments.”
These delays have frustrated contractors and homeowners alike. “We’re working with a mobile homeowner now who has seen their project kicked back six times,” Nicholson said. “It’s disheartening, but we’re pushing forward.”
Despite these obstacles, the program has made significant strides. Halco Energy, a national leader in mobile home retrofits, has completed the majority of the installations. Nicholson said the work involves bringing homes up to a decent standard of efficiency by addressing underbelly insulation and air sealing. In some cases, additional funding has been used for repairs beyond the original scope, such as replacing crushed crossover ducts in double-wide homes.
The program is funded primarily through the Community Recovery Fund, with additional subsidies from NYSERDA programs. Sustainable Finger Lakes designed the funding structure to bal-
UPS DOWNS&
Ups
A home visit by the New York State Department of Corrections Parole Unit on Chestnut Street in Ithaca led to the arrest of 27-year-old Sean Canales of Homestead, Florida, after Ithaca Police found 26 grams of cocaine and $4,716 in cash belonging to another resident. Canales was charged with two felony counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and released to appear in Ithaca City Court at a later date.
Downs
According to reporting from 14850, the Delta Connection flight 4819 that crash-landed Monday afternoon at Toronto Pearson International Airport was operated with a plane that had flown between Ithaca and John F. Kennedy International Airport just last Friday.
HEARD
impact on participants. Nicholson highlighted the story of a local artist in Groton who, with her husband battling cancer, transitioned from using a wood stove to a more sustainable and manageable heat pump system. “It’s great to know we’re not only helping the environment but also improving people’s lives in tangible ways,” she said.
Other beneficiaries include members of the Karen refugee community in Dryden, who received translation assistance to navigate the process. Sustainable Finger Lakes partnered with Catholic Charities to ensure these families could fully understand and participate in the program.
“We are still willing to enroll mobile home owners in the county, and those who enrolled in the past are welcome to re-engage and move forward with their projects.”
— Gay Nicholson, President of Sustainable Finger Lakes
The program aims to install heat pumps in 50 mobile homes by March 2025. It prioritizes households earning 80% or less of the area median income, with many participants falling below 60%. Most projects also include upgrades to insulation and air sealing to maximize energy efficiency.
While the program has achieved significant milestones, progress has been slow due to procedural hurdles, particularly at the state level. “NYSERDA [New York State Energy Research and Development Authority] has made major changes to their programs for low-income house-
ance fairness and efficiency. Homeowners receive a $5,000 subsidy for the first two tons of heat pump capacity, discouraging oversized systems that could lead to higher electric bills. Additional subsidies cover costs like electric panel upgrades, though only 30% of the budget for these upgrades has been used.
The average cost of each project ranges from $22,000 to $44,000, with participants paying only 7% of the total cost. “We’ve made it as affordable as possible,” Nicholson said. “Most of the funding comes from NYSERDA incentives, which all New Yorkers pay into through the system's benefit charge.”
The program has had a transformative
“These are seniors, retirees, immigrant families—people who really need this help,” Nicholson said. “It feels good as a taxpayer to see these dollars being used so effectively.”
As the program moves forward, Sustainable Finger Lakes is focused on completing the remaining 22 projects by March 2025. Nicholson said she plans to reach out to contractors and past applicants to ensure the program meets its goals.
“Many people may have assumed the program is no longer available because of the delays,” she said. “We want to let them know we’re still here, and there’s still funding.” Nicholson added, “we are still willing to enroll mobile home owners in the county, and those who enrolled in the past are welcome to re-engage and move forward with their projects.”
Heard
Allen Forest, 44, and Jessica Anderson, 24, were arrested after allegedly robbing the Elmira Street KFC in Ithaca at gunpoint Thursday night and fleeing into a nearby home. Police executed a search warrant, recovered evidence, and charged Forest with multiple felonies, while Anderson was charged with felony robbery; both remain in Tompkins County Jail.
Seen
Two men from Queens, 37-year-old Cheolmyeong Woo and 27-year-old Lunzhen Chen, were charged with felony criminal possession of a forged instrument after Cornell Police found them with 42 forged driver’s licenses during a traffic stop in the Town of Ithaca on February 10.
IF YOU CARE TO RESPOND to something in this column, or suggest your own praise or blame, write editor@ithacatimes. com, with a subject head “U&D.”
QUESTION
OF THE WEEK
Do you support Ithaca reaffirming its status as a Sanctuary City?
I don’t care.
N ext W eek ’s Q uestio N : What do you think Ithaca’s biggest issue is? Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.
Gay Nicholson, president of Sustainable Finger Lakes, discusses the progress of the mobile home heat pump pilot program, which aims to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions for low-income residents in Tompkins County. (Photo: Sustainable Finger Lakes)
A Look at USAID from a Cornell Alum Overseas
By USAID officer overseas, name withheld for safety reasons
Iwant to share an update on our situation here in East Africa and the unprecedented challenges we are facing.
Quick Summary:
• Chaos: My job is at serious risk due to the Administration's decision to dismantle USAID. A court battle is underway, but the Agency is essentially shut down, and critical funding and systems have been dismantled. We’ve heard rumors of a military aircraft being sent to remove us forcibly, though legal challenges (including human trafficking concerns) may prevent this. The Senate has demanded clarity from the Secretary of State.
• Security Concerns: Anti-American sentiment is rising due to USAID being demonized by powerful figures. We are staying home except for necessary visits to the Embassy. We are preparing “gobags” in case we need to leave suddenly.
• Legal Fight: A judge issued a temporary pause on forcing us back to the U.S. within 30 days and placing me on administrative leave. However, the situation remains fluid.
• Basic Needs: We are managing.
Embassy services are still available, and we have financial reserves for a prolonged emergency. However, USAID’s payment systems are down, meaning we rely on generators for power as we cannot refill our city electricity credit. I think I will receive a paycheck for a while longer—I'll breathe a sigh of relief when it comes.
• Rapidly Changing Situation: Things change daily, sometimes hourly. I may not always be able to respond, but I deeply appreciate your support.
• Future Plans: Things are incredibly dynamic. If I’m fired I’ll look for jobs immediately and likely ask you for any leads.
How Does It Feel?
Like being on a derailed rollercoaster—on fire—hurtling toward poison-tipped bamboo spears, while some Americans cheer it on. More seriously, it feels as devastating as losing a home to fire, yet we remain grateful for the outpouring of love and support from so many of you.
Deep Gratitude
As many of you have seen in the news,
the Trump Administration is working to close USAIDand fire its workforce, including me. My wife and I are overwhelmed with gratitude for those who have reached out—whether through prayers, offers of financial or housing support, writing to Congress, or simply checking in. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
If you are receiving this email, you are an important part of my life—whether as family, an old friend, a fellow believer, or a Peace Corps buddy. I know we come from diverse backgrounds and beliefs. If you support the Administration’s actions, I ask that you kindly not share that with me right now, as this is an extremely personal and painful moment for my family.
Why This Matters Beyond My Career
I have dedicated 15 years to USAID, not just as a job but as a mission to alleviate extreme poverty. If more Americans saw firsthand what we do, I believe they would see things differently.
• In Africa, I saw how U.S. food aid and a $300 grant helped a widowed
The Talk at
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
RE: USAID furthers Global and Local Interests
“President Trump says USAID is ‘corrupt and ridiculous,’ a wasteful humanitarian assistance agency run by ‘radical lunatics,’ even Marxists. When asked, many tax-paying US citizens agree and think a very large portion of our federal budget goes to foreign aid that could be better spent at home.
In fact, non-military foreign assistance makes up less than 2% of our federal budget. And 75% to 80% of the foreign aid dollars allocated to USAID is spent at home, paid to Americans and American companies due to buy-American requirements for development assistance, payments to American farmers and shipping companies participating in the Food for Peace Program, and research contracts to
mother of three build a small roadside shop, feeding her family and sending her children to school.
• In Asia, I met two women who, with access to microloans and vaccinated poultry, built thriving businesses—allowing their husbands to return home from grueling labor in the Middle East.
Continued
US universities, etc.
In the past, I’ve had several short-term contracts with USAID/Tanzania helping design and work with USAID-funded rural development projects, all of which involved American contractors. The USAID agricultural economists and planners I worked with were mid-career professionals whom I knew to be knowledgeable and conscientious. I thought they worked in the interests of both the US and Tanzania, helping foster needed local development and at the same time enhancing the humanitarian reputation of the US. Not one was a radical Marxist.
Yes, any waste in USAID needs to be addressed, as in any bureaucracy. The same applies to waste in our military which accounts for over half of our discretionary federal budget. Will Elon Musk root out waste and bloat there? One does not abolish an agency due to half-truths and some questionable appropriations. We live in a highly interdependent world. We must resist the isolationist tendencies of Musk and Trump and embrace the “soft power” and fund the economic and humanitarian types of assistance that USAID provides.” — Garry Thomas, City of Ithaca
Jerry Holland’s Playground
As told by Melissa Holland to Marjorie Olds
My dad Jerry Holland, grew up on North Esty Street in the same house his mother, Francis Small Holland, lived in with her parents.
When my Grandma and Grandpa Holland divorced, Grandma left Philadelphia with her two kids and returned to Ithaca to move into her parents’ old house. The houses on the even-side of North Esty Street still stand.
My Dad’s childhood home on the oddside of the street was torn down long ago. Daddy said his home was the last house on that side of the street. Just before a fence that signaled the property owned by Gas & Electric. “We didn’t dare to go in there,” he said. Where his house stood is now a field behind the swimming pool and courts across from GIAC.
Listening to Daddy’s many stories about his childhood, I noticed that many parts of 1940’s and 1950’s Ithaca were his playground. He and his friends, mainly Bernie Milton and Melvin Scott, took their bikes and traveled the city of Ithaca as only kids back then could do. He would tell my sisters and me how hard it was to get to school on time because he had to walk so far. Then we would remind him that he lived on North Esty Street, his grade school was the
next block over on Albany and Court streets and Ithaca High was a few blocks away, where the Dewitt Mall is now. He’d laugh and say “Oh, that’s right. You girls still live there.”
(note: Jerry lives in Syracuse.)
We could then remind him about the stories he told us about going ALL over Ithaca, but yet he was saying school was too far to get to on time. Apparently, he had the energy to play but not to get to school.
One of the places my father mentioned the most was the undeveloped land behind Purity Ice Cream. They called it The Swamp when he was a kid. He is amazed when we tell him about all the development behind Purity now. There was a huge tree at the inlet with a rope tied to it. He and his many friends would go back there and pretend to be Tarzan, swinging out over the inlet. Daddy said, “We never thought out about what would happen if we fell into the water.”
Another location they played Tarzan was across the street from Calvary Baptist Church on North Albany Street (around the corner from Daddy’s house). My mom’s cousin, Melvin Scott, had a relative that lived across from the church and had a large backyard filled with bushes and trees.
Continued on Page 14
Restore Effective and Open Government to the City of Ithaca
By Ann Sullivan
Ihave low expectations when politicians deliver state of the whatever addresses. Inevitably self-referential, politicians delivering them trumpet achievements and promise to solve whatever pesky problems persist (despite their sterling performances). The State of the City Mayor Cantelmo delivered on (2025-Mayors-State-of-the-City-Ithaca-Address) was no exception to the rule. All is well. All will be even better this year.
What struck me most about the address is what Mayor Cantelmo did not address. Many observers of local politics have noted that the government of the City of Ithaca has become less functional, less open and even sometimes autocratic on Mayor Cantelmo’s watch. How did our “part-time” mayor accomplish this? Why does Mayor Cantelmo, as he frankly stated in a January meeting, control 92% of the agenda items that go before Council. Look back to the beginning of his tenure.
In January and February 2024, Mayor Cantelmo, with the acquiescence of a mainly inexperienced Council dismantled the old committee structure and dissolved the standing Planning/Economic and City Administrative committees. In their place, the mayor instituted a monthly Special Topics committee to address issues before they went to a Council vote. Occasionally issues were to be discussed in other special committees whose composition the mayor controlled. The restructuring was devastating both for efficiency and civic participation. Previous chairs of these committees like Seph Murtagh, Laura Lewis and current City Manager Deborah Mohlenhoff developed expertise in these areas, setting agendas, interacting with staff and the community. They chaired and held their own monthly committee meetings where concerned individuals could speak. It is worth remembering that it was as chair of the City Administrative Committee that then Councilman Cantelmo discovered checks issued by the Mayor Myrick to some participants in the Reimagining Committee without following long standing procedure. Was the Mayor worried about rival centers of power?
What made the mayor’s power grab
more egregious was that Mayor Cantelmo, again with the Council’s assent, curtailed, even muzzled public comments. He capped opportunities to speak at council meetings and official hearings at 30, a troubling change in a community used to giving voice to its concerns. He tolerates no public comments at the Special Topics meeting.
Mayor Cantelmo often chairs the council in an autocratic fashion, even making up rules when it suits him. He once threatened to eject a councilor, claiming he had the authority to do so. At another meeting, he chided an audience member for mentioning a councilor by name. The next month, he sat silent as an audience member after member of the audience criticized two council members by name. The lack of consistent rules was stunning. In 2023, Ithacans voted to establish a City Manager model of governance, with a part-time mayor expected to devote about a third of their time to official duties. Citizens expected the mayor to assume a largely ceremonial role. Mayor Cantelmo soon left his job at Cornell and made himself a de facto full-time mayor. The abolishment of the old committee system removed a structure that curtailed the mayor’s ability to set agendas. Some Councilors and members of the public have pushed back against Mayor Cantelmo’s autocratic approach to governance, but to no avail. As we have learned, it is the rare politician who willingly cedes power. Voters, however, have power to push back against an autocratic mayor. This June, Democratic primary voters will select five candidates who almost certainly will win seats in the general election. It is incumbent upon us, the voters, to elect councilors who will re-establish an open, transparent and effective government. Only then can the City finally deal with the problems that went unaddressed this year under Cantelmo’s rule. These include: securing an audit, restoring our good bond rating and ctrafting a budget that recognizes the unsustainable property tax burden that both homeowners and renters share. And, most of all, the new council must restore the standing committees that are the most effective vehicles to address and solve these problems.
Aliyah Carrier (baby), Yvette Lewis Carrier (mother-holding baby), Terri Holland Lewis (grandmother-white t-shirt and cap), Patricia Scott Holland Dean (great-grandmother-standing), Annie Johnson Scott (great-great grandmother-sitting in rocker wearing flowered dress shirt).
Half of Ithaca Common Council Seats Up for Election in November
By Matt Dougherty
Get ready for another election. Yes, you heard that right. Another election is already on the horizon. Oh, how glorious Democracy is.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to vote the President out of office just yet. We may have to wait four more years — or longer (considering the administration’s respect for the rule of law) — before we can do that. However, we in the glorious City of Gorges will be able to vote for a few new Common Council members in November.
The City of Ithaca is split into five separate wards, with each ward having two representatives on the Common Council. One representative occupys a four year term, while the other occupies a two year term. This year, each two year term on the Common Council is up for election, meaning that five new faces could be joining the city’s most deliberative legislative body by the end of the year.
Several current members of the council have already announced that they won't be seeking re-election. These include First Ward Alderperson Phoebe Brown, Third Ward Alderperson Pierre Saint-Perez (who has announced that he is running for Tompkins County Legislature), Fourth Ward Alderperson Tiffany Kumar, and Fifth Ward Alderperson Clyde Lederman.
With five seats up for election and four incumbents stepping down, the upcoming election is set to bring significant changes to the Council. Candidates are campaigning on a range of issues, from housing affordability and just cause labor protections to budget concerns and financial accountability from Cornell.
FIRST WARD: DEFENDINI, HOLDEN, SANTANA
The race to fill Phoebe Brown’s seat in the first Ward has seen three candidates throw their hats into the ring — Jorge DeFendini, Leon Holden, and Alejandro Santana — are competing for the position. Jorge DeFendini decided to run after conversations with Alderperson Brown,
(Photo: Provided)
who personally encouraged him to run for the seat. “I wanted to make sure that somebody with a community organizer mindset succeeded her,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of progressive victories in our city over the past year or so, but there’s still a lot more to do to make the city more affordable and stable for folks.”
DeFendini previously served on the Common Council representing the Fourth Ward and is running on a platform focused on addressing Ithaca’s unaffordability crisis. He advocates for the need to follow through on progressive housing initiatives like securing rent stabilization under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA). During his previous term, DeFendini helped to secure funding for a vacancy study, a necessary step toward implementing rent stabilization.
Additionally, DeFendini is advocating for stronger enforcement of housing codes to ensure landlords maintain habitable living conditions. He is also a vocal proponent of Just Cause Employment protections, which aim to prevent workers from being fired without sufficient notice or justification.
(Photo: Provided)
DeFendini views the policy as a way to improve workplace stability for both employees and employers. “You shouldn’t lose your job without any notice…Workers deserve a chance to fix whatever the problem is.” He added, “It creates a more stable community if people can have some security in their job.”
DeFendini is also focused on making Ithaca’s fee and fine system more equitable, reducing the financial burden on renters and homeowners while ensuring large institutions like Cornell that rely on city services pay their fair share. He has been endorsed by the Solidarity Slate, the Ithaca Tenants Union, and the Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America.
Leon Holden serves as director of equity, inclusion, and belonging at Family & Children’s Services. Holden has said that his platform is focused on housing and improving community services.
“Housing is a human right,” he said. “I don’t like the word ‘homelessness’ because it dehumanizes people. When I see it here, it hits close to home because I see the same faces over and over. They are our neighbors and need help.”
tenant protections, and passing Just Cause Employment to strengthen workers’ rights. (Photo: File)
Holden is an advocate for expanding accessory dwelling units (ADUs), increasing building heights, and progressive rezoning to promote mixed-use, multi-family developments. He also supports restructuring the financial relationship between Cornell University and the city to ease the tax burden on residents.
Another key priority for Holden is increasing local wages. “Ithaca is one of the most expensive cities in this country,” he said. “I want to work with labor unions, worker advocacy groups, and local subjectmatter experts to push for a living wage — something like $24 an hour because people need that to survive.”
Holden also emphasized the importance of investing in youth and senior services. As a board member for Southside Community Center and Foodnet Meals on Wheels, he said he sees firsthand the needs of these populations.
Holden said he wants to bring a community-driven approach to Common Council. “I’m not a typical politician,” he said. “I want to build an Ithaca that truly works for all, where workers can thrive, children have a
Jorge DeFendini is campaigning on improving affordability,
Leon Holden is focusing his campaign on housing, increasing wages, and improving public health services.
Alejandro Santana is focused on housing affordability, lowering the tax burden, and improving community safety and infrastructure.
Third Ward candidates Pat Sewell supports responsible tax policies to reduce the cost of living, infrastructure improvements, and electoral reforms, including ranked-choice voting and open primaries, to make elections more accessible. (Photo: Provided)
bright future, and citizens know their government has their back. That means making decisions with input from the community — not just sitting in a silo once a week on Wednesdays and making decisions on their behalf.”
Alejandro Santana is a longtime Ithaca resident and small business owner who was born in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to the U.S. in 2000. His platform focuses on addressing Ithaca’s affordability crisis through improving access to housing and lowering the tax burden on residents.
“Low-income and missing middle housing are of huge importance…We also need more accessible for-sale housing,” Santana said. Having purchased his home through Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS), he wants to expand access to homeownership for others.
Santana is also concerned about high taxes. “The city should address affordability in part by lowering the tax burden on renters and homeowners.” He supports government efficiencies and cost-saving measures to ensure more funds are directed toward infrastructure and road repairs.
Beyond financial issues, Santana aims to enhance youth programming and community safety. He has also pledged to work with neighbors to resolve concerns over the Squeaky Clean Car Wash, a long-standing issue in the ward. “I want to improve the everyday quality of life for hardworking Ithacans,” he said.
WARD TWO: HAINES-SHARP
The second ward’s two year term is occupied by Kris Haines-Sharp, who has been an advocate for transparency and improved
Fifth Ward candidate Hannah Shvets is advocating for rent stabilization, Just Cause Employment protections, and full implementation of Ithaca’s Green New Deal.
communication between local elected officials and their constituents during her time on the council. While she hasn't announced her candidacy for re-election, she hasn't said she won’t run again either. The Ithaca Times is unaware of any other candidates running for the seat.
WARD THREE: SEWELL
Third Ward Alderperson Pierre Saint-Perez is opting not to seek re-election to Common Council, instead launching a campaign for a seat on the Tompkins County Legislature. In his place, Pat Sewell has announced his candidacy for the Third Ward seat.
Sewell has been a South Hill resident of 17 years and an adjunct professor at Tompkins Cortland Community College, where he co-founded the adjunct union and currently serves as its president. He has also worked at GreenStar Food Co-op since 2007, where he serves on the Board of Directors as Secretary.
Sewell previously ran as an independent for Common Council and has advocated for ranked-choice voting, and is now running as a Democrat this cycle. He said he was encouraged to run by multiple people in his ward after Saint-Perez announced he would not seek re-election.
“A number of people approached me and asked if I would run as a Democratic nominee and thought I would do a good job,” Sewell said. “Essentially, enough people asked that I felt like I should do that.”
Sewell describes his campaign as a “boring” one with a focus on the basic operations of city government.
“I want to focus on the basic functioning of the city so that we can spend the rest of our time focusing on this national nightmare’s impact on the city,” he said. “The very, very boring, unsexy things, like budget, zoning, and infrastructure — those
Fifth Ward candidate G.P. Zurenda is focused on financial sustainability, tax fairness, and increasing budget transparency.
(Photo: Provided)
are what I keep hearing from people in the ward as top priorities.”
A key issue for Sewell is addressing the city’s budget and cost of living.
“The budget has gone up dramatically in recent years, and that directly impacts the cost of living for everyone,” he said. “If you
own a house, you’re paying more in taxes. If you rent, your landlord’s costs go up, and those increases get passed down to tenants. We need to be smart about how we do the budget in the future to bring down the overall cost of living.”
Another priority for Sewell is increasing transparency in the city budget process.
“The budget process last year felt like it wasn’t very transparent,” he said. “We heard about it in October, had a month to respond, and then it came down to, ‘We either pass this or something worse.’ We don’t want to be in that situation again. We need to start thinking about the budget now—literally now, in February—and have open engagement throughout the year.”
Sewell also supports electoral reforms, including ranked-choice voting and open primaries, to make elections more accessible to a broader range of candidates. Additionally, he wants to ensure the city maintains public input on infrastructure projects.
“I want to make sure we have a functional way for people to give input about major infrastructure projects,” he said. “The
City of Ithaca map showing the boundaries of each of the five wards. (Photo: File)
Figuring it Out
Former IC Men’s Basketball Coach Now Leads Women to Postseason
By Steve Lawrence
Back in November, the Bombers dropped a close game to St. John Fisher. Given it was the second game of the season, the home team was experimenting with different schemes and personnel, and had plenty of time to figure things out.
Figuring things out and peaking at the right time are two key factors in a successful season, and it is safe to say that IC is two-for-two. With their 71-56 win over Clarkson on Saturday, the Bombers won their 13th straight game and moved to 16-7 overall and 15-1 in Liberty League play. I asked assistant coach Jim Mullins to share his insights into how things look coming into the end of the regular season, and he said, “To be fair, our early season schedule was tough, and we were looking for answers.” Jim added, “Of course, we’re
still looking for some answers, but we like having only one conference loss as we head into this big weekend, which has important playoff implications.”
The “big weekend” will involve a rough two-game road trip, during which the Bombers will face Bard, then Vassar. While both teams will be looking to avenge earlier losses at Ben Light Gym, Ithaca has reason to be motivated as well. If the Bombers win both, they will host the Liberty League tournament.
Mullins was the head coach of the men’s team for many years, and I asked him how he ended up on the women’s bench. “I was an assistant for the men for five years, then served as the head coach for 28 years.” While he never lost his love for coaching, Mullins never found his love for some of the new technology, and he wrapped it up — or so he thought — until 2020, when he was approached by (women’s head coach) Dan
DENTAL Insurance
Raymond. “We lost some coaches during Covid, and Dan asked if I could help out.”
Mullins said he is often asked if coaching women is a big adjustment, and he responds, “I remind them that my first two years of coaching basketball was with the women’s program at the University of Connecticut. Then, when I came here, I worked with Deb Palozzi on the softball staff.” In fact, the coach added, his early experience prepared him for an array of coaching positions. He said, “I have always had great respect for the women’s game. My two sisters were Division 1 athletes, and when I was growing up, I was sad that they didn’t have the same opportunities that I did.”
Jim then shared an interesting bit of what he called “family trivia,” saying, “My sister Karen was the first woman to receive a full-ride athletic scholarship at UConn, but the strange part is, she got a football scholarship!” Okay... I had to hear the rest...
“Our family had five kids, and while were were not what you would call needy, we didn’t have a lot of money. The head football coach liked her (basketball) game, and said, ‘We have a couple of football scholarships that aren’t being used,’ and they gave one to her!” (Karen would go on to become the Huskies’ head softball coach from 1984-2014.)
Area sports fans likely also remember Jim Mullins’ other sister, the late Sharon Mullins, who passed in 2015. Sharon was an assistant softball coach at IC, and a high school teacher at Spencer-Van Etten and Newark Valley, (where she also served as the Athletic Director). Sharon was a fine athlete, and is remembered fondly by many in the area.
Senior Anya Watkins is among the key players in the Bombers’ 15-1 Liberty League record. Photo Ithaca College Athletics.
Sweet, Dazzling Solo Performance
Darian Dauchan
Brings Hip Hop Android to Kitchen Theatre
By Ross Haarstad
Kitchen Theatre Company’s latest is a free-fall into joy and a trembling yet durable hope, as well as one of the best jams to be found in this cold, hard national winter. Darian Dauchan, a frequent presence on the Kitchen stage has returned with his sweet dazzling solo performance extravaganza, The Brobot Adventure.
Self-described “legendary” Hip-Hop android MC Flobot Owens is on a mission to save his home planet Nubian which is being overcome by the forces of Wackness. In his lighthouse observatory he has enlisted a small group of humans (us) to help reignite the Brobot Beacon. By engaging the powers of Dopeness he hopes to rescue not only his planet/ race but extend the power of Dopeness to those inhabiting Earth’s gravity well.
His skeptical ally in this venture is the goddess Cleopatra, his planet’s ruler (the glowing voice of Adara Alston).
The Brobot Adventure unwinds much like an extended children’s story as Flobot enlists audience members to decontaminate the four crystals whose powers include elements of nutrition, movement, connection, love and facing one’s fears.
Any actor will tell you that the character who completes their performance is the audience; they provide the spark, the crackle, the feedback loop of the live and indeed, the lived, experience. Done well (and does Dauchan ever do it well!), audience participation ups our stakes in the story’s outcome. Who can resist putting their hands together when Peter Pan asks us if we believe in fairies?
You may flash on many other stories and tellers of stories—mine included The Wizard of Oz and PeeWee’s Playhouse.
The Brobot Adventure
by Darian Dauchan
Kitchen Theatre Company through February 23
417 W. State Street, Ithaca kitchentheatre.org
With a natural elegance, Dauchan strides the twin legacies of hip hop and Afrofuturism. Britain’s Tate Museum defines Afrofuturism as “a cultural aesthetic that combines science-fiction, history and fantasy to explore the AfricanAmerican experience and aims to connect those from the black diaspora with their forgotten African ancestry.” It extends back at least to legendary musician Sun Ra and sci-fi author Octavia Butler, and percolates through the present through numerous writers such as N.K. Jemison as well as Black Panther’s Wakanda.
Hip hop of course rises from the 1970s street culture of Black youth in the Bronx, embracing both the creative possibilities of the body as musical instrument while utilizing all kinds of new tech.
One needn’t know any of this to float into Dauchan’s party, yet the context is essential to its power and scope. (Brobot has had numerous iterations—web series, an album, a previous show and this world premiere.)
What we do notice is a generous helping of low-fi sci-fi in an environment by scenic and video designer Tyler M. Perry that evokes the aesthetic of old Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon movies. The set unfolds some
surprises, aided by prop designer Cady Loeb, as it moves into Little Shop of Horrors territory (itself a sci-fi horror pastiche cobbled together from any number of “alien” covers of Astounding Stories.) A silvery mylar suit with glowing lights is the exuberant costume flourish provided by designer Stefanie Genda, while Benjamin Williams executes a thrilling light design. Director Andrew Scoville gives free room to silliness and play, while keeping a tight focus on story and technical execution.
Let us celebrate too the often unsung hands which fashion so many KTC shows: Tech Director Brendan Komala and Scenic Charge Artist Stiller Zusman for building the environment and especially the wizardry of Stage Manager Jen Schilansky.
Dauchan samples, and loops his way through the show with ease, but the piece works because the Flobot he fashions is not just MC persona, but a person. A highly vulnerable, sometimes inept being whose optimism is almost crushed until he finds his way through with Dopeness to the seeds of a future for Planet Nubia and indeed the Earth.
Come for the flow, stay for the Dope, leave just a touch more liberated.
Arts & Entertainment
Frequent Kitchen contributor Darian Dauchan has returned with a “sweet dazzling solar performance extravaganza, The Brobot Adventure.” (Photo: Rachel Philipson)
Board of Public Works hasn’t been functioning, and I’m concerned about what’s going to replace it. I’d like to see the actual language of any proposed changes before making a judgment.”
WARD FOUR:
Fourth Ward representative Tiffany Kumar has also announced that she won’t be seeking re-election.
In her statement announcing her decision not to seek re-election, Kumar said “I ran on a platform of walkability, housing, and labor justice, and we delivered real gains in all those areas while dramatically increasing Ward 4 voter turnout.” She added, “I look forward to more on-the-ground organizing, defending unions and working people and also supporting real progressives during the upcoming gubernatorial and midterm elections. Now more than ever, we need to form connections- between unions, tenants, students, and every section of our community.”
While it remains uncertain who will be running to fill the position, Kumar said “I look forward to supporting the WFP-endorsed candidate in the coming election.”
WARD FIVE: SHEVETS, ZURENDA
Fifth Ward Alderperson Clyde Lederman has announced he will not seek reelection, and two candidates have announced campaigns to fill the seat. Cornell sophomore Hannah Shvets and Ithaca resident G.P. Zurenda are the candidates running for the seat.
Hannah Shvets is a student in Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations who grew up in Ithaca and graduated from Ithaca High School. She has been active in local organizing efforts, supporting labor unions, tenants’ rights, and immigrant advocacy. Her campaign is centered on affordability and sustainability, with key priorities including Just Cause Employment protections, rent stabilization through the ETPA, and full implementation of Ithaca’s Green New Deal.
“My focus is on making Ithaca more affordable and sustainable,” Shvets said. “We need strong tenant protections, better labor rights, and environmental policies that actually address the needs of working-class people in Ithaca.”
Shvets is running on a platform that includes increased renter protections, furthering local labor rights, and ensuring the city’s climate policies benefit the most vulnerable populations. She expressed frustra-
tion with delays in implementing rent stabilization measures.
“We already secured funding for the vacancy study, which is the first step toward rent stabilization, but now we need to make sure that actually gets completed and implemented,” she said. “Too many people in Ithaca are struggling to afford rent, and we need urgent action.”
Shvets has been endorsed by the Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Cornell YDSA, the Ithaca Tenants Union, and Ithaca Sunrise.
“I want people in the Fifth Ward to feel like they have a real voice in the Common Council,” she said. “I want to make sure that our community’s issues are front and center in this race.”
GP Zurenda is a longtime Ithaca resident with a background in business and mental health services. He said his decision to run was motivated by concerns over the city’s rising tax burden. “We’ve had a 34% increase in taxes in the past three years,” Zurenda said. “That’s problematic for a lot of us who have lived here a long time and are on fixed incomes. It needs serious attention.”
Zurenda said he believes the city has yet to fully implement the city manager system in a way that effectively addresses financial concerns. “The elected officials are respon-
sible for setting the direction and priorities,” he said. “The city manager should have clear goals, including financial ones. If we ask for two miles of roads to be paved, we should also be saying, ‘Do it 10% cheaper than last year.’”
On housing, Zurenda supports shifting tax abatements away from large developers and toward small housing providers to incentivize renovations and green energy upgrades. He also proposed rezoning to allow for duplex conversions into multi-unit buildings to better match changing demographics. “We need to make housing expansion economically viable,” he said. “If something doesn’t make economic sense, it won’t happen.”
Zurenda also emphasized that Cornell should pay more for city services. “Cornell is paying about $5 per bedroom for a certificate of compliance inspection, while private landlords are paying significantly more,” he said. “That should be remedied.”
He also supports reopening the city’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Cornell to push for higher payments in lieu of taxes. “When Cornell and other universities were granted tax-exempt status, they weren’t running profit-making businesses,” he said. “Now they are, and they should be taxed accordingly.”
No Other Land
Oscar Documentary Nominee is Powerful View of Palestine
By David Burak
“No Other Land,” the title of this extraordinary film, comes from a dislocated woman’s answer to a question regarding why she had no home. “No other land,” her reply, became the title of this Best Documentary Feature nominee for the upcoming Oscars.
“No Other Land”
Directed by Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal
Written by Basel Adra, Rachel Szor and Hamdan Ballal
Starring Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal
Playing at Cinemapolis
120 E. Green Street, Ithaca
A LOOK AT USAID
continued from page 6
• In refugee camps, I saw children learning in makeshift schools and families receiving life-sustaining food and shelter— all made possible by the generosity of the American people.
These stories are not political. They represent the real impact of American aid.
The Reality of This Crisis
This isn’t just about me or my colleagues—people are dying right now because of USAID’s shutdown.
• An estimated 300 babies have contracted HIV at birth because life-saving interventions stopped.
• Food aid sits idle in ports while malnourished children wait.
• Faith-based organizations like Catholic Relief Services, who depend on USAIDfunds to serve the poor, are being crippled.
• 52,000 U.S. private-sector jobs tied to
The story, rendered by a team of filmmakers, particularly Palestinian Basel Adra and his Israeli cohort, Yuval Abraham, are united by their shared efforts. They strive for a Palestine which is freed from the apartheid-like restraints and restrictions of the land in which they dwell.
The various incidents mentioned in this review transpired before the mass killings by Hamas at a music festival in Gaza in October An objective audience cannot help but be impressed by the inspiring transcendence of the journalist/activists as they maintain their composure.
Basel Adra is calm and courageous as he keeps his phone focused on his subjects, including tractor-steam shovels which destroy homes, and could demolish schools and the people nearby, including filmmakers.
USAID contracts have vanished.
• American farmers who supply food aid are feeling the economic hit.
This is a moral, economic, and humanitarian crisis.
How You Can Help
If this moves you in any way, please consider contacting your congressional representative. Even a short message urging them to take action can make a difference. You can find your representative here: https://www.congress.gov/members/ find-your-member.
Final Thoughts
This is chaos. There is no transparency, no planning, and no regard for the families who have served their country for years. Government doesn’t function like a light switch—it cannot simply be turned off overnight without devastating consequences.
As difficult as this is for our family, we haven’t forgotten that the ones suffering the most are the world’s poorest. People are losing their lives because of these decisions. Please keep us in your prayers and thoughts.
Thank you for your love, support and advocacy over the years. My wife, children, and I have made the world our home. This is a true honor that I will never take for granted.
The antagonisms manifested by the soldiers, as well as by settlers, present potential fuses for emotional implosions. These could prove deadly to those using their phones and/or bodies to provide posterity with representations of what has been in process.
Two of the film’s other co-directors are Rachel Szor. an Israeli, and Hamad Ballal, a Palestinian filmmaker. It would be quite fascinating to see a doc about the efforts that went into getting this doc together.
It could include the phases involved when it was going through changes in Oslo and at Sundance.
The fact that Basel Adra has lived his life, basically, in the West Bank area of Masafer Yatta provides him with another tough set of challenges.
He is compelled to participate in an uneven conflict wherein the IDF giant has plans for the terrain of his upbringing. The stated intent is to transform Adra’s community into a training field for tanks and other military activities.
On the whole, we’re moved to feel the ultra-reality of the risks taken by the protestors. We see as one protestor is shot in the torso, at close range, and we learn that another Palestinian dies from his injuries.
Even a powerful film like this can't change the key social, economic and cultural dynamics intrinsic to the Arab — Israeli conflicts. However, more efforts should be made. With determination, it can be possible for changes to be effectuated in those realms.
“No Other Land,” could be followed by multiple education and development endeavors. Maybe if Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham win a Best Doc Oscar, it could provide more encouragement for approaches to addressing the problems of poverty, hunger and war, among others.
“No Other Land”, An Israeli and Palestinian collaboration gives a gripping view of the death and desolation in Palestine.
CORNELL JOINS LAWSUIT
continued from page 3
He added that Cornell and other university plaintiffs are proceeding with the lawsuit to ensure a long-term resolution that preserves federal funding for research institutions, particularly those conducting life-saving studies in cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
The decision has also drawn sharp criticism from labor leaders representing faculty and researchers.
“The Trump administration’s move to cut billions of dollars in National Institutes of Health funding that support research institutions is a direct attack on life-saving medical research and the science that makes these breakthroughs possible,” United University Professions (UUP) President Frederick E. Kowal said in a statement.
“Researchers at SUNY campuses statewide will be hit hard by this dangerous step, which will have long-lasting and catastrophic consequences,” he added. “As the nation’s largest higher education union, United University Professions will do all it can to reverse this imprudent, harmful order.”
JERRY HOLLAND’S PLAYGROUND
continued from page 7
Dad said. “It was like a jungle to us.” Exploring, bikes and sports were always big parts of Daddy’s childhood stories. The various groups of boys would ride their bikes to Stewart Park, Buttermilk Falls and Enfield State Park to swim. They played football and baseball at Cascadilla Park. He said they played a version of soccer that was played like baseball, except they used a soccer-like ball and hit it with their hands. The soccer/baseball mix was played at Central School (now Beverly J. Martin/BJM) playground. While at the school playground the boys would also play with the swings to see how high they could go.
Daddy also used to go exploring with my mom’s other cousin, Ralph Melton. They would explore the Cayuga Lake west shore when he stayed overnight at my mom’s Aunt Rosie’s house. “Not sure what we were looking for,” he admits today.
Daddy said he and his neighborhood and school friends loved to go to the various creeks in the city. They would go to Fall Creek to fish, even though they never caught anything. He and the school friends used to ice skate in Cascadilla
Creek in the winter. During the summer at Cascadilla Creek, the boys would play a game where they tried to cross the creek without getting wet. “We skipped from rock to rock. One time we got into trouble by slipping off the rocks.” Daddy said the only one that didn’t get in trouble was my uncle, Herbie Love. Uncle Herbie was smart enough not to play the risky game and get wet.
Daddy said they liked to explore the other side of the creek next to Stewart Park. “We pretended to be explorers.”
Dad mentioned they were excited to be at that spot “because when The Talkies in the movie industry started, they filmed Tarzan movies at the Park.” He and his friends could be that much closer to Tarzan by being in that spot where his story was filmed.
Then Dad told us stories about him, Bernie and Ralph being Boy Scout leaders. Exploring and camping dreams fulfilled. But my sisters and I are still amazed and ask, “They let YOU THREE be SCOUT LEADERS??”
He would just laugh at us, and pretend to be shocked by our doubt. Then he would admit he couldn’t figure out how they became scout leaders either.
The boys seemed to spend as much time in the movie theaters as they did exploring
the outdoors. Daddy said they mainly went to the Temple Theater that was on Seneca Street. He said they would usually go on Saturday to watch their cowboy stars: Durango Kid, Tim Holt, Rocky Lane, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers. And they always had to see their favorite: Tarzan.
Daddy said, “After the movie we played Cowboys & Indians in the park on Buffalo Street and kept on playing on the way home.” He said Uncle Herbie always liked being Roy Rogers when they played. The boys also enjoyed watching sword fighting movies.
Sometimes they went to the Northside House on Third Street to watch movie serials on Monday nights. The State Theater had Saturday morning matinees that showed dozens of their favorite cartoons: Looney Tunes, Disney cartoons, Woody Woodpecker, Mighty Mouse, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Popeye, Heckle & Jeckle, and Tom & Jerry.
My Dad now lives in Liverpool, NY, outside of Syracuse. He doesn’t get to come to Ithaca very often anymore. My sister and I have mentioned bringing Daddy and our stepmom, Vicki, to town to see some of the old sites. So he can see how the city has grown. I’m sure touring around will bring to life more stories from the past from him.
a stipulation agreement with the DEC since 2000, which has allowed it to avoid a formal EIS. The agreement required the company to conduct an enhanced environmental assessment but did not mandate public participation or independent oversight.
Eden explained that this arrangement has left the community in the dark. “A private company should not be allowed to self-assess,” he said. “Cargill now manages the consultant responsible for advising the DEC on the mine, which is like the fox guarding the henhouse.”
The resolution sparked a heated debate among legislators, with some voicing strong support for greater oversight and others expressing skepticism about its necessity.
Legislator Deborah Dawson emphasized the importance of transparency. “The lack of an environmental impact study has fueled public suspicion,” Dawson said. “We need to ensure the lake and community are protected. The risks, though low in probability, could be catastrophic.”
Legislator Veronica Pillar framed the issue as one of government accountabil-
ity. “At the end of the day, Cargill is not in charge of Tompkins County,” Pillar said. “This resolution isn’t about closing the mine—it’s about ensuring that we’re following processes designed to protect public resources.”
However, opponents argued that the resolution unfairly targets a company that has been a responsible employer. Legislator Mike Sigler, whose district includes the mine, dismissed the environmental concerns as exaggerated.
“This mine has operated safely for decades under DEC oversight,” Sigler said. “To say this is about transparency is disingenuous when so much information is already publicly available.”
Legislator Mike Lane echoed these concerns. “This resolution feels like a precursor to advocating for the mine’s closure,” Lane said. “If we shut down businesses that some people perceive as unfriendly to the environment, we’ll be left with only education, health care, and government jobs.”
“The lack of an environmental impact study has fueled public suspicion. We need to ensure the lake and community are protected.”
Legislator Randy Brown, who voted against the resolution, expressed similar skepticism. “The mine has been an essential part of our community’s economy,” Brown said. “We need to be careful about sending the wrong message to businesses operating here.”
— Deborah Dawson, Legislator
Supporters of the resolution acknowledged the mine’s economic importance but argued that an EIS would not halt its operations.
everyone confidence in the mine’s safety.”
Legislator Anne Koreman pointed to the broad support for the resolution from municipalities and environmental groups. “Every town we reached out to, except one, has adopted similar resolutions,” Koreman said. “This is about protecting Cayuga Lake for future generations.”
Legislator Shawna Black added that the resolution includes provisions to support mine workers. “We value the contributions of Cargill employees,” Black said. “But we also need to ensure that the mine operates safely and sustainably.”
After lengthy debate, the resolution passed 8-3, with Sigler, Lane, and Brown voting against it. The resolution formally requests the DEC to either deny Cargill’s permit application or rescind its negative declaration of environmental significance and require a full EIS.
Sigler also raised economic concerns, noting that Cargill employs 350 workers in Tompkins County and contributes $4 million annually in taxes to the Lansing Central School District. “These are goodpaying jobs that support local families,” he said. “The economic impact is too significant to ignore.”
Legislator Rich John, who supported the resolution, emphasized that the goal is to strike a balance. “Cargill has been a good employer, and we’ve supported them through IDA incentives,” John said. “But they should also be a good partner to the community by participating in a transparent process. An EIS would give
If the DEC acts on the resolution, the EIS process could take years to complete. In the meantime, advocates say they will continue pushing for greater oversight. “This is about accountability,” Redmond said. “Our lake and our community deserve better than secrecy and shortcuts.”
According to Pillar, “This resolution is about more than just Cargill — it’s about setting a standard for how we protect public resources in Tompkins County.”
