Immigration Raid Leads to One Arrest
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Cinemapolis Seeking Property Tax Break to Ensure Long-Term Success
By Maddy Vogel
Cinemapolis, a prominent indie movie theatre in downtown Ithaca, is seeking the approval of a 28-year Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement from the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency (TCIDA) to ensure the businesses long-term success.
The PILOT agreement would essentially act as a tax abatement, as Cinemapolis would only pay $1 per year under the agreement in lieu of their annual property taxes. The theater is seeking a 28-year break because that is the current length of their bond financing.
Cinemapolis is a nonprofit and under normal circumstances, would be exempt from all property taxes. Because of its current ownership structure, it has been paying property taxes since its move to its current location on Green Street in 2009.
Cinemapolis Treasurer David Squires said that the theater has been paying property taxes because of “a mistake” in the original documentation of their space on Green Street which did not include Cinemapolis in the plan.
“We are the only arts organization that pays property taxes in Tompkins County,” Squires said. “The Hangar Theatre, the State Theatre, all are tax exempt. We operate in the same fashion as them. [...] We’ve been on the property tax rolls since 2009.”
Last year, Cinemapolis gained a significant amount of control over their space when they reached an agreement with their formal landlord, Cayuga Green, who sought
to hike the rents. The theater’s space is now owned by Asteri Parking and subleased to the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA).
From 2009 to 2023, the theater had paid $50,000 annually in property taxes.
After there was an assessment adjustment in 2023, the theatre has paid $26,000 annually, which is still a significant cost to the theater, according to Squires.
“The whole theater industry has changed dramatically since COVID, and anything we can do to lower our overhead enhances our ability to survive,” Squires said.
After the 28-year agreement is up, Cinemapolis would be eligible to purchase their property, and would therefore be eligible to confirm their nonprofit status to not pay property taxes. The 28-year agreement is expected to save Cinemapolis over
T ake n ote
X Trump Tariffs Could Raise New Yorkers’ Bills 25%
New York City's reliance on Canadian power company Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) for energy has put the city’s renewable energy plans in jeopardy.
Trump's proposed 25% tariffs on Canadian imports will increase New Yorkers’ bills, heightening the state's affordability crisis. New York's economy and climate future are intimately connected with Canada's.
The State invested billions of dollars in developing a new transmission line — the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) — to bring
clean, and green energy from Quebec to New York City. The project was set to bring vast economic and climate benefits to the state.
As Canadian officials threaten to cut off energy exports to the United States entirely, the tariffs could potentially kill the project. If built, tariffs will jeopardize these potential benefits.
When online in mid-2026, the CHPE will bring 1250 MW of power into New York State, or around 10.4 TWh/year.’ Once online, the power transmitted down CHPE will likely be subject to Trump tariffs.
$910,000 in property taxes.
If Cinemapolis ceased operations and the space was repurposed or leased to another tenant, the pilot agreement would terminate and the new tenant would have to pay property taxes.
Support from the TCIDA seemed positive, although the board must hold a public hearing before voting on the agreement.
“It just makes sense to do this, we want to support Cinemapolis,” TCIDA Chair Rich John said.
The TCIDA voted unanimously to set a public hearing, which took place on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 1 p.m. One member of the public submitted a written comment in support of the agreement. The board’s next meeting will be on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 2 p.m.
The state’s energy agency NYSERDA has contracted Hydro Quebec to set the price of the imported energy. With the tariffs, New Yorkers could potentially pay an additional $290 million a year during Trump’s term for this energy.
From mid-2026 when CHPE comes online, to end-2028, the end of Trump’s terms, New Yorkers will pay an additional $740 million for the Canadian electricity. The majority of this cost burden will likely be borne by New York City residents, slated to receive the majority of the power from the transmission line.
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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All rights reserved. Events are listed free of charge in TimesTable. All copy must be received by Friday at noon. The Ithaca Times is available free of charge from various locations around Ithaca. Additional copies may be purchased from the Ithaca Times offices for $1. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $89 one year. Include check or money order and mail to the Ithaca Times, PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. ADVERTISING: Deadlines are Monday 5 p.m. for display, Tuesday at noon for classified. Advertisers should check their ad on publication. The Ithaca Times will not be liable for failure to publish an ad, for typographical error, or errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of the space in which the actual error appeared in the first insertion. The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication. The Ithaca Times is published weekly Wednesday mornings. Offices are located at 109 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 607-277-7000, FAX 607277-1012, MAILING ADDRESS is PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. The Ithaca Times was preceded by the
(1972–1978) and The
Cinemapolis, downtown Ithaca’s beloved independent movie theater, is seeking a 28-year Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement from the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency (TCIDA) to ensure its long-term sustainability. (Photo: Mark Syvertson)
By Mark Syvertson
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
“IF YOU HAD AN UNLIMITED BUDGET, WHAT WOULD YOU BUILD IN ITHACA?”
Ithaca Common Council Approves Property Tax Exemption Expansion for Low-Income Seniors and Disabled Residents
By Matt Dougherty
ITHACA, N.Y. — The Ithaca Common Council voted unanimously to amend its property tax exemption guidelines to expand eligibility for low-income seniors and disabled residents, extending financial relief to some of the city’s most vulnerable homeowners.
The decision was made during a recent council meeting and raises the income eligibility limit for a 50% tax exemption from $29,000 to $50,000, aligning with the maximum amount allowed by New York State law.
Jay Franklin, Director of Tompkins County Department of Assessment, said that state law was changed in 2022 to allow local taxing jurisdictions to increase the income limit for low-income senior property tax exemptions. Franklin said that every municipality can choose a different income scale.
The City of Ithaca’s new income cap surpasses the limits currently used by Tompkins County and the Ithaca City School District, which have caps of $36,500 and $35,000, respectively.
The Town of Newfield is also considering increasing their cap for a 50% exemption, which has remained stagnant at $20,500 since 2004. Last year the Newfield Central School District increased their cap to $35,000 for a 50% exemption.
According to Franklin, most municipalities within Tompkins County are moving towards their income limit to $36,500 for a 50% exemption — with the exception of Ithaca.
The program already benefits 178 residents under the previous cap and is
expected to extend assistance to an additional 157 households, bringing the total to 335 eligible properties in the city. The exemption provides significant savings on property taxes, with eligible homeowners saving an average of $1,748 annually under the new guidelines, up from $1,400 at the previous income cap.
The tax exemption is part of a broader effort to address Ithaca’s affordability crisis, which has disproportionately affected those on fixed incomes. Seniors and residents with disabilities who meet the income requirements can apply for the exemption, which reduces their taxable property value, thereby lowering their annual tax bills.
The program’s guidelines are set by state law, which permits exemptions specifically for low-income seniors and disabled individuals. Alderperson Margaret Fabrizio highlighted the importance of this expansion, calling it a step toward “helping those who are least able to afford our taxes here.”
First Ward Alderperson Phoebe Brown asked why low-income families are not eligible for similar relief, saying, “Why aren’t all low-income families included? I think they would have the same issues as a senior if they’re low-income.”
City Attorney Ari Lavine explained that New York State law does not authorize municipalities to extend property tax exemptions to all low-income households, limiting the program to seniors and residents with disabilities.
“State law permits us to do certain specific exemptions…[and] the two that the city has previously enacted were for lowincome seniors and low-income people with disabilities,” Lavine said.
However, other resources exist for lowincome families in Ithaca. For example, homeowners in the Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS) Land Trust program already benefit from substantial tax reductions, as their properties are taxed only on the value of the home, not the land. This offers a tax break of over 50% in most cases, according to Jay Franklin, the county assessor.
Expanding the exemption will not decrease the city’s overall tax revenue but will shift the tax burden across the remaining property owners. For a median home valued at $350,000, the change will result in an annual property tax increase of approximately $35.47. For homes valued at $500,000, the increase will be $59.12.
While some alderpersons expressed concerns about the impact on other taxpayers, council members generally agreed that the trade-off was justified.
“We have a serious affordability crisis in this community,” said Mayor Robert Cantelmo. “Under this proposed motion we are maximally leveraging the flexibility that we have been given by New York State to attempt to remediate that from the folks who need it most.”
The updated exemption will take effect for the 2026 tax year, provided the council finalizes the amendment by March 1, 2025. In the meantime, eligible residents are encouraged to apply for exemptions through the city, county, and school district to maximize their benefits.
“A giant biodome with lush plants that everyone can hang out in during the cold winter days to feel happier.”
Matt
“A space for an interactive art museum like Meow Wolf.”
Lily
“I’d build a sky lift gondola in different parts of the city so riders could take in the natural beauty.”
Robin
“A ferry that crosses the lake, maybe between Lansing and Trumansburg, so you don’t have to drive all the way around.”
Marie
“A legit speakeasy, complete with a hidden entrance and a secret password.”
Ed
Jay Franklin, Director of the Tompkins County Department of Assessment, explained that New York State’s 2022 law change allows municipalities to set higher income limits for low-income senior property tax exemptions, with Ithaca’s new $50,000 cap now surpassing other local caps in the county. (Photo: Mark Syvertson)
A comparison of property tax exemption income caps across Tompkins County municipalities and school districts shows Ithaca’s new $50,000 limit for a 50% exemption exceeding those of other jurisdictions, including the county and the Ithaca City School District.
“Possible Museum of the Earth Closure: Where is Cornell University”
From Dr. Ed landing, New York State Paleontologist, emeritus, Albany, NY
Unbelievable that about the last upstate New York public institution that teaches about fundamental changes in life and Earth systems through time is faced by foreclosure. And, facts are, this is precisely a time of accelerating climate change, glacier ice melt, sea-level rise, ocean heating and acidification, and desertification that will drive the largest human migrations and political chaos.
A ”Comment” from a reader of the Ithaca Times article concluding the Museum is “anti-capitalist” celebrates the “know nothing” party the 1800s. That reader should know that understanding deep time and fossils is basic to liquid oil and natural gas exploration and production, shale fracking, and the search for rare-
The Talk at
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
metal bearing salt deposits. Rejection of “data-based science” based on ideology let to imprisonment and execution of scientists after state trials by Joseph Stalin and Djerskinsky. Result: Soviet agricultural failures. “Anti-science” is “un-American.”
The recent Ithaca Times coverage on potential closure of the Museum of the Earth was sent January 24 to the 19,000 members of the Geological Society of America with an appeal to write and “do something” to counter a closure. I can’t present a justification for the Museum that hasn’t been done by decades of superb exhibits, programs, current efforts to motivate longstanding contributors to come up with the money NOW for the mortgage, and Director Warren Allmon’s summaries of the muse-
Cornell must defend activist students at risk of deportation
“An executive order to deport non-citizen pro-Palestinian college students puts the spotlight on universities to defend their students.
Last year, Cornell University sus-
um’s international standing in research and preservation and use of a huge collection. Where are the reports of support from the Ithaca region and, in particular, Cornell University? My link to Cornell was as a doctoral student at the University of Michigan under Dr. Frank H. T. Rhodes, a paleontologist who later became Cornell’s president (1977–1995). Rhodes saw the Museum of the Earth as invaluable. I wonder at Cornell’s seeming silence about the Museum’s finances for almost two years now. Why, with a $10 billion endowment and a global ranking of number 5 in terms of billionaire graduates, doesn’t Cornell show a practical concern of the Museum as its possible adjunct: its own teaching museum, which, by the
pended 16 students for bringing to a standstill a career fair featuring Boeing and L3Harris, companies that have armed Israel to carry out its genocide in Gaza.
British student Momodou Taal, a PhD student in Cornell’s Department of Africana Studies, was threatened with deportation and suspended.
Taal said on Monday: ‘Cornell’s heavyhanded approach to peaceful protest has paved the way for this executive order.’
‘If it wants to salvage its reputation as a harbor of free expression, Cornell must act now and forcefully defend its students.’
‘To do otherwise would be a moral failure. It will lend a hand to a Trump administration that wants to use Gaza as a wedge to wage war against free expression at US colleges.’
British student Amandla ThomasJohnson, a PhD candidate in Cornell’s Department of Literatures in English, who was also suspended, said:
‘As Black Muslim international students we fall at the intersection of the US’ deep history of anti-Blackness, post-9/11 Islamophobia and a growing anti-migrant sentiment. First they will come for us.’
‘Cornell must take a stand and defend our First Amendment rights.’” —
Amandla
Thomas-Johnson
RE: Elon Musk The Oligarch
“I refuse to let our democracy be taken over by a person appointed by a president who swore to uphold the
way, has an absolutely nonreplaceable collection of ancient life.
If the Museum of the Earth closes (it has to close without staff to maintain a collection which will “pyrite decay” without indoor climate control), its collection documenting everything from Gulf Coast oil resources to Ithaca area geology will be lost. Few museums could inherit much more than specimens published in the scientific literature—as the American Museum (NYC) and Smithsonian (DC). The rest? I have seen university geology museums that close and put collections in dumpsters. What will happen to 20,000 square feet of specimens abandoned in rural New York? Cornell University’s thoughts?
Dr. Ed Landing, New York State Paleontologist, emeritus, Albany (a retired scientist).
Constitution and is now shredding it by allowing that person illegal access to various federal payment systems. Elon Musk has staged a coup. Donald Trump lied. This could be a death knell for our democracy. Please speak up to your Congressional representatives with your words, your energy organizing others, your money and if needed, your body.” — Ruth Yarrow
RE: Trump’s Tariffs
“Whose side is he on? Trump imposes 25% new tariffs on our nearest neighbors and allies, Canada and Mexico. Really?? Canada has helped us fight fires, fight wars and died with us, worked with us on immigration… and Trump punishes them, and the US!
The result: higher prices on practically everything you buy (because he also applied tariffs on China where practically everything comes from). And then, guess what: he starts a trade war. Naturally, as sovereign nations, Canada and Mexico fight back: Canada and Mexico put their own tariffs on our goods and prohibit sales of certain items to us, which will push prices higher.
What is he thinking? Why make us suffer? Remember Trump promised to lower prices, not raise them! Who doesn’t suffer: his billionaire buddies. One more for billionaires; zero for you and me.” —
Sherwood Guernsey
UPS DOWNS&
Ups
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.
Downs
After 15 years of operating as the only national retailer in downtown Ithaca, the Urban Outfitters storefront on Green Street has announced that it will be permanently closing its doors.
HEARD SEEN&
Heard
Word on the street is that former Republican representative for New York’s 19th Congressional District, Marc Molinaro, is in line to lead the Federal Transit Administration under the Trump Administration.
Seen
Ithaca’s Firehouse Subs at 740 South Meadow Street has permanently closed, as confirmed by a sign on the restaurant’s door.
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
Are you ready for winter to be over?
73 . 3 % Yes.
20 0% No.
6 7 % I don’t care.
N ext W eek ’s Q uestio N :
Should the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) require Cargill to complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Cayuga Lake salt mine?
Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.
Trump Federal Funding Freeze to Harm Most Vulnerable Residents, Experts Question Its Legality
By Matt Dougherty
WASHINGTON, DC — Uncertainty looms over every community across the country in the wake of President Donald Trump’s Executive Order, which aims to freeze nearly all federal funding, with few exceptions.
The presidential decree to pause funding was set to begin on January 28 and last through February 10. However, it has hit a minor roadblock — the U.S. constitution — which has long stipulated that Congress has the ultimate authority to allocate federal funds.
U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan temporarily blocked parts of Trump’s federal funding freeze minutes before it was set to take effect. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit issued by non-profits that receive federal funding. It delayed the funding pause to Monday, when another court hearing to consider the issue was scheduled. Another federal judge ordered a temporary pause on efforts to freeze federal funding on Friday Jan. 31.
The original memo released by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on January 27 stated, “Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.” It continued saying that during the pause, the administration will “review agency programs” to determine if they are “consistent with the law and the President’s priorities.”
such as infrastructure projects and housing assistance programs.
NOTE: The White House has since rescinded the original OMB memo due the confusion it caused, but Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has stated that the funding freeze is still planned to ensure that federal funding aligns with the priorities of President Trump
This uncertainty caused widespread chaos among members of the public who rely on these assistance programs as well as the elected officials and non-profits who oversee them.
“The OMB’s directive freezing federal funding is complete bullshit.”
— Josh Riley, Congressman
“Senators’ phones have been ringing off the hook with nonstop calls from hospitals, police departments, volunteer firefighters, food pantries, drug treatment centers, on and on and on,” New York Senator Chuck Schumer said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Americans are in panic mode trying to figure out how Trump’s lawless, destructive, cruel order to halt virtually all federal assistance affects them.”
just to give more handouts to billionaires and big corporations.” Riley added that impacted residents should contact his office for help.
In an attempt to quell the chaos, the OMB released a follow-up memo on January 28, stating that “mandatory programs like Medicaid and SNAP will continue without pause.” It added, “Funds for small businesses, farmers, Pell grants, Head Start, rental assistance, and other similar programs will not be paused.”
The follow-up memo clarified that the funding pause will apply to federal funding allocated to “DEI, the Green New Deal, and funding [to] nongovernmental organizations that undermine the national interest.” As a result, this will likely pause federal funding to non-profits providing housing, energy, childcare, and other assistance programs. It will also pause federal funding for renewable energy infrastructure projects that were previously approved under former President Joe Biden’s administration.
While the memo stated that Medicare and Social Security were excluded from the funding freeze — similarly to military aid to Israel and Egypt — it didn’t provide specific information on whether the freeze would affect federally funded programs like Medicaid, SNAP, Head Start, and other things financed by federal grants,
Josh Riley, the newly elected Democratic representative for New York’s 19th Congressional District, posted on X (formerly Twitter), “The OMB’s directive freezing federal funding is complete bullshit. Upstate New Yorkers work hard and pay our taxes - the least we should expect in return is a government that doesn’t screw us over
However, even though the OMB’s follow-up memo stated that the pause would not impact Medicaid, all 50 states have reported that their Medicaid portals were inaccessible before the federal judge ordered a pause on the funding freeze. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) said, “My staff has confirmed reports that Medicaid portals are down in all 50 states following last night’s
A legal battle is brewing after a Trump directive ordering the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to pause nearly all federal funding has been delayed by a federal judge.
David B. Schwartz’ Humanitarian Approach to Mental Suffering
By Marjorie Olds
I’ve never met Warren Greenwood, but I love his reviews. In 2015 Warren reviewed David Schwartz ’book, The Sidewalk Psychotherapist, published in 2015: “Schwartz covers a lot of ground in his book. He is deep, wide-ranging, humane, and creative thinker… Schwartz speculates that the psychotherapy patient-therapist relationship is a modern medical updating of a very old human practice where human beings listen to each other, council each other, and ease one another’s suffering.”
When I read Warren’s review, I hoped someday I would cross paths with both Warren and David, and in the early days of this new year, I received a call.
When I received a call from David Schwartz in 2025, I reread Warren Greenwood’s long ago engaging book review. Talking with David recently about his life, his insights, his new book was an incredible hour. David certainly embodies a gifted therapist, with unusually humane insights (just like Warren described). I could imagine what a gift someone like David would be in the life of a person in the “territory of mental suffering.”
Breaking the Cycle
REFORMING NEW YORK’S CHILD SUPPORT POLICIES FOR INCARCERATED PARENTS
By Taili Mugambee and Yewon Kee
David is known in this region for his creative and varied treatment modalities to reduce the agony of panic, depression and emotionally-based medical illnesses, culled from 25 years of practice. His education—a B.A. in Psychobiology from New College in Florida, a M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in Community Psychology from the Union Institute in Ohio introduced him to the basics, and laid the foundation for where he would soar: “New College exposed me to extraordinary faculty in a college in which “the student was responsible for his own education,” he explained. “At its founding, Margaret Mead visited and deemed it ‘more of a tribe than a college.’ It was just what I wanted.”
“Over many years I sought out and studied with great thinkers. Among them were Community Psychology founder Seymour B. Sarason, Wolf Wolfensberger, the intellectual leader of the developmental disabilities reform movement, and social philosopher Ivan Illich… At 25 in Ithaca, I had the completely impossible dream of studying with Sarason. At 47 I gained my doctorate under him.”
Schwartz’s first job was at Willard Psychiatric Center in Ovid, NY, which he recalls as a ‘museum of mental health practices.’ “Yet there were many caring people there.”
This led to David being hired by the local Mental Health Association to open the first community residence in Ithaca for people with developmental disabilities.
“A few people that I helped move from institutions to their first home in 1976, still say ‘Hi’ to me on the Commons today.” The original homes are now part of Unity House.
Following his work in Ithaca, David was appointed by the Governor of Pennsylvania to head Pennsylvania’s Developmental Disabilities Council in This gave him an opportunity to expand an emphasis on personal relationships and community into public policy.
Imagine this: You’ve served your sentence and are ready to rebuild your life. But upon release, you’re faced with a suspended driver’s license because of unpaid child support that accumulated during incarceration. Without the ability to drive, you are limited in finding and maintaining steady ways to provide for yourself or pay off those debts. Nearly 40% of skilled trades jobs—such as construction and delivery services—require a valid driver’s license. In rural areas with limited public transportation, the lack of a license can be especially crippling. This contributes to post-incarceration unemployment rates exceeding 27%, or five times, higher than the general population upon reentry. Only 6.8% of $112.5 billion owed in late child support payments in 2014 was paid, and, in New York, parents leaving prison often face arrears averaging $20,000 or more. Nonresident parents with low incomes in particular are disproportionately affected by rigid child support systems; the continuous increase in debt negatively impacts their mental health, with reports of shame and guilt, as well as their capacity to rebuild relationships upon release. The inability to pay debts leads to what 14 of 15 U.S. states call additional “poverty penalty” fees and compounding interest, pushing defendants to waive counsel and leading to over-incarceration and wrongful convictions. This perpetuates the cycle of poverty and injustice.
The root of the issue lies in the absence of automatic mechanisms to review and adjust child support orders for incarcerated individuals. Federal regulations, including 45 CFR 302.56 and 45 CFR 303.8, expressly state that incarceration should not be treated as voluntary unemployment; states are required to provide ways to modify child support obligations by initiating reviews for more than 180 days or notify the involved parties of their right to request a review. However, there are challenges for an individual to receive such reviews. A 2016 report highlights 60% of incarcerated parents nationwide were not even aware of their right to request adjustments.
Current NYS law only requires reviews of child support obligations when the individual explicitly requests it: either parent is allowed to file a petition in Family Court for a child support hearing or request administrative reevaluation, but numerous challenges, such as requesting various approved documents and proof of income, can delay the motion and contribute to an accrual of overwhelming debt. This leaves the burden of proactivity to parents who may be unable to navigate the complex system. Limited communication and inconsistent messaging operations between agencies, providers, and correctional facilities also leave parents in the dark about their responsibilities and options to contest, manage, or modify their arrears. In some cases, individuals report receiving delayed and inconsistent notifications designed to track child support obligations but did not have the tools or knowledge to effectively respond to their letters.
States like Pennsylvania have pioneered reforms by requiring automatic reviews of child support orders for incarcerated individuals, preventing debt from piling up unnecessarily. California and Delaware go a step further by automatically suspending any child support money judgments or obligations during incarceration, recognizing the limited earning potential and extreme burden. Further legislation requiring New York to automatically suspend child support orders after learning an individual is incarcerated would ensure adjustments are made without placing the burden on the individual. Additionally, raising incarcerated individuals’ awareness of government requirements would encourage them to be proactive about looking out for notices in the mail and cultivate an understanding of the reporting process if they do not receive them. Awareness could include requiring public defenders or judges to inform these individuals of their rights and the steps to request said modifications during sentencing.
David B. Schwartz.
Immigration Raid Leads to One Arrest in Downtown Ithaca
By Matt Dougherty
ITHACA, NY — Immigration raids have begun in Tompkins County just ten days into the second Trump administration. One arrest was made outside of the Tompkins County Department of Social Services building in downtown Ithaca on Jan. 30. Sources reported raids in the Town of Dryden and the City of Ithaca, which recently reaffirmed its status as a Sanctuary City for undocumented immigrants. Ithaca’s sanctuary status means that local law enforcement are not allowed to cooperate in federal immigration operations.
In response to the raids the City of Ithaca released a statement saying they “[Have] been made aware that federal law enforcement conducted operations in Ithaca today in connection with federal warrants.”
The statement continued saying, “The Ithaca Police Department adhered to all relevant City policies, including Ithaca’s Sanctuary City policy (Article VI of Chapter 215 of the Ithaca City Code), in consultation with the City Attorney and City Manager’s office.” It added, “In accordance with City law, IPD officers did not participate in any immigration enforcement activities.”
While the exact location of the raid in Dryden remains uncertain, the raids in Ithaca have been reported at the homeless encampments near Southwest Park behind WalMart, known as the “Jungle,” and at the Asteri apartment building on Green Street, as well as at the Tompkins County Department of Social Services (DSS) building.
When reached for confirmation about if the allegations were accurate, Tompkins County Sheriff Derek Osborne said, “I’m hearing the same thing and believe it to be true.” He added that the sheriff’s office was “not involved” in any of the raids.
Federal officers in tactical gear outside the Tompkins County Department of Social Services (DSS) building, where one arrest was made during an immigration raid on Jan. 30, 2025. (Photo: Provided)
Ithaca Police Chief Tom Kelly said, “We were made aware [that] Federal Law Enforcement was conducting operations in the city yesterday in connection with federal warrants [and] IPD Officers did not participate in any immigration activities.”
“In accordance with City law, IPD officers did not participate in any immigration enforcement activities.” — City of Ithaca statement
On the morning of Jan. 30, the Ithaca Times received a video from a source showing armed law enforcement officers entering an apartment unit in the Asteri building in downtown Ithaca.
In the video, the officers announce themselves as “police,” — but they are
not in local Ithaca Police Department (IPD) uniforms. They are instead wearing camouflage tactical gear, including AR15s and a Shield that says “US Marshall.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, a recent Trump executive order has now authorized the DEA, ATF, and US Marshals to begin making immigration arrests and processing deportations.
“The sheriff’s office refused to honor a federal arrest warrant.”
— DOJ Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove
Photos of officers in similar gear have been taken outside the Tompkins County Department of Social Services (DSS) Building, where one arrest was made.
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed in a statement on Jan. 30 that the operations in Tompkins County were done to apprehend “A Mexican citizen who had been in local custody after pleading guilty to assault charges.” It added that the individual “was released from custody by the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office after the sheriff’s office refused to honor a federal arrest warrant.”
In the statement, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove said, “The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office in Ithaca,
The U.S. Department of Justice accused the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office of failing to honor a federal arrest warrant for a Mexican citizen with an assault conviction, allegedly endangering federal officers during immigration raids. The county has disputed these claims, stating the sheriff acted in accordance with New York State law and policy, and that federal officials were fully informed of the individual’s release timeline, allowing them ample opportunity to apprehend him without incident. (Photo: File)
NY, a self-described sanctuary city, appears to have failed to honor a valid federal arrest warrant for a criminal alien with an assault conviction.” She added that the operation was conducted by “ICE-ERO… with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).”
Bove continued saying, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York is looking into the circumstances surrounding his release.”
law and judicial decisions, County policy, guidance of the New York Attorney General’s Office, and guidance of the New York State Sheriffs’ Association. There was no interference with federal immigration enforcement efforts.”
“There was no interference with federal immigration enforcement efforts.” — Tompkins County statement
In response to DOJ allegations that the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office refused to honor a federal warrant, Tompkins County released a statement “disput[ing] the factual accuracy and innuendo contained in the press release from the [DOJ].”
According to the statement, “The Sheriff and his staff acted consistently with New York State
Congressman Josh Riley, representing New York’s 19th Congressional District, responded to the recent immigration raids, emphasizing the need for an immigration system that is “tough and fair” while expressing concerns about policies defunding sanctuary cities like Ithaca.
(Photo: Provided)
are “merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.” However, with the Laken Riley Act being signed into law by President Trump a day prior to the raid, undocumented immigrants who are charged with a crime are at risk of being deported, even if they haven’t been convicted or given a fair trial.
immigrants, saying that “violent” criminals shouldn’t be allowed to stay in the country.
“We need an immigration system that is tough and fair,” Riley said. “People here working hard, paying taxes, following the rules, and contributing to our community should have a pathway to le-
gal status.” He continued saying, “At the same time, we must secure the border with more agents, better technology, and an orderly process so people who would commit violent crime can’t just walk into our country.” Riley added, “Last year, a Peruvian gang leader suspected of 23 murders in his home country was found walking free on the streets of my hometown in Endicott. Dangerous criminals like this guy should never be allowed to set foot in our country.”
These raids are taking place as President Trump has passed executive orders revoking bans on federal immigration raids in “sensitive locations” such as schools and churches. It also comes after an executive order banning sanctuary cities like Ithaca from receiving federal funds.
While Riley said that he has “serious concerns about policies that prevent federal law enforcement from doing their jobs,” he added, “I won’t support a proposal that would defund Ithaca or any other Upstate New York community. Residents in Ithaca pay federal taxes and deserve the same benefits and resources as everyone else.”
This story will be updated as additional information becomes available.
The statement continued saying, “[The] DOJ’s assertion that the Tompkins County Sheriff did anything to put federal law enforcement officers in danger is false and offensive. The safety of all law enforcement is our top priority.” It added that “Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) knew exactly when the individual in question was going to be released and had every opportunity to come to the Tompkins County jail to obtain the individual in question without any need for a pursuit or other incident.”
The DOJ statement explained that the charges brought against the individual that was arrested
Josh Riley, who was recently elected to represent New York’s 19th Congressional District, which includes sanctuary cities like Ithaca, said he would have voted in favor of the Laken Riley Act if he had not missed the vote due to being hospitalized with pneumonia. However, he did vote in support of an earlier version of the bill.
On the issue of immigration, Riley has positioned himself at the center-right of the Democratic Party’s ideological spectrum.
While he supports providing a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants here who aren’t committing crimes, are working and paying taxes, he has advocated for the need to do more to secure the southern border. Riley has also highlighted instances of criminal activity committed by undocumented
The operations follow a recent Trump executive order authorizing additional law enforcement agencies like the U.S. Marshalls to expand immigration enforcement. However, Ithaca officials recently reaffirmed the city’s Sanctuary City policy, which prohibits local law enforcement from participating in federal immigration activities. (Photo: Provided)
Tompkins County Sheriff Derek Osborne.
American Heart Month: The Link Between Heart Health and Hearing Loss By The Timeless Hearing Team
American Heart Month: The Link Between Heart Health and Hearing Loss
February is American Heart Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about heart health and preventing heart disease. However, there’s an important connection that many people might not realize: the relationship between heart health and hearing loss. Research shows that heart problems can a ect your hearing, and vice versa, making it crucial to care for both your heart and your ears.
How Heart Disease A ects Hearing
Heart disease includes conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and clogged arteries, all of which can impair the heart’s ability to pump blood e ectively. This reduced blood ow doesn’t just impact the heart, it can also a ect the inner ear. The inner ear relies on a steady ow of oxygen-rich blood to function properly, and when blood ow is restricted, it can damage the delicate hair cells in the ear, leading to hearing loss.
For example, high blood pressure and atherosclerosis (narrowed or blocked arteries) can limit blood ow to the ear, causing hearing problems. Over time, this can result in gradual hearing loss, especially in older adults.
Why Heart Health Matters for Hearing
The link between heart health and hearing loss is tied to circulation. Your heart pumps blood to every part of your body, including your ears. When heart disease prevents your heart from functioning properly, it becomes harder for your ears to receive the blood they need. As a result, hearing loss may develop over time.
Several studies have shown that people with cardiovascular issues, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, are at a higher risk of hearing loss. This highlights the importance of taking care of your heart to help protect your hearing.
How to Protect Both Your Heart and Ears
American Heart Month is the perfect time to focus on keeping both your heart and hearing in good shape. Here are some steps you can take:
1. Get Regular Checkups: Schedule regular visits with your doctor for heart health screenings, including blood pressure and cholesterol checks. Early detection of heart issues can prevent serious damage. At the same time, make sure to schedule regular hearing screenings.
2. Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle: Eating a balanced diet, exercis-
ing regularly, and avoiding smoking are key to protecting your heart. A healthy lifestyle also helps improve blood ow, which can help reduce the risk of hearing loss.
3. Protect Your Ears: While heart health plays a role in hearing, it’s also essential to protect your ears from loud noises. If you're in loud environments, use ear protection, and keep the volume at a safe level when listening through headphones.
4. Manage Blood Pressure and Cholesterol: High blood pressure and high cholesterol are major risks for heart disease and hearing loss. By controlling these lifestyle factors through lifestyle changes and medication, if necessary, you can lower your risk of both heart problems and hearing loss.
Why Awareness Matters
American Heart Month is a time to focus on making heart-healthy choices, but it also serves as a reminder that protecting your heart can help safeguard your hearing. Many people don’t realize the link between hearing loss and heart disease, but it’s an important connection to keep in mind.
Taking steps to care for your heart can help preserve your hearing and enhance your overall quality of life. Small changes – like eating healthier, staying active, and getting regular checkups – can go a long way in preventing both heart disease and hearing loss. By prioritizing heart health by making small changes, like eating healthier, staying active, and getting regular checkups, you are also helping to protect your ears. Keep your heart—and your hearing—strong by making heart-healthy choices this month and beyond. Call one of our o ces for a complimentary hearing checkup today!
Timeless Hearing (Ithaca, NY): (607) 327-4711
Cortland Hearing Aids (Cortland, NY): (607) 327-4712
Timeless Hearing (Skaneateles, NY): (315) 800-0616
Southern Tier Audiology (Elmira, NY): (607) 327-4714
Tri-City Hearing (Vestal, NY): (607) 327-4713
Ashley Hardy grew up in Cortland in a family with hearing loss and knows the impact communication can have on quality of life. She received her Bachelor’s in Human Development from Binghamton University in 2004 and has over 20 years of experience as a hearing aid dispenser.
County Whole Health Seeking Members for Community Service Board
By Staff Report
Tompkins County Whole Health (TCWH) is seeking community members who are passionate about mental and behavioral health issues in the community to join the Tompkins County Community Services Board (CSB) or serve on one of the board’s subcommittees.
The CSB is a volunteer board which is responsible for developing preventative, rehabilitative and treatment services for individuals with mental illness and developmental disabilities, and those experiencing or recovering from substance use disorders.
The board serves as the governing body for the Mental Health Local Governmental Unit (LGU) and has multiple vacancies that community members can apply for. The board also has three subcommittees, which include the Substance Use Subcommittee, Developmental Disabilities Subcommittee and Mental Health Subcommittee.
Currently, the Community Services Board has one vacancy, the Mental Health Subcommittee has three vacancies, the Substance Use Subcommittee has two vacancies and the Developmental Disabilities Subcommittee has one vacancy.
In a release, Whole Health Commissioner Frank Kruppa explained the benefits of participating on boards like the CSB.
“Participation on the Community Services Board or one of its subcommittees is a great opportunity to gain profes-
sional experience, expand your knowledge of local services and policies, and play an important role in the decision-making process of local mental health services,” Kruppa stated.
Kruppa added that individuals interested in developmental disabilities, substance use or mental health needs are encouraged to apply for subcommittee vacancies.
There are multiple opportunities currently open for community members passionate about mental and behavioral health to serve on the Tompkins County Community Services Board and its subcommittees. (Photo: Tompkins County Whole Health)
He also encouraged people who have lived experience of these topics, professionals or community members looking to make positive impacts in local mental health and well-being programming to apply.
Interested applicants must complete an Advisory Board Application form to indicate interest in serving on a CSB Subcommittee. The form can be obtained from the County Legislature office, located at the Governor Daniel D. Tompkins Building (Old Court House) on 121 E. Court Street in Ithaca. The entrance is on the Dewitt Park side of the building.
After the application is submitted, candidates may be interviewed and must be approved by both the CSB and the County Legislature. Minorities, women, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply.
For more information about Advisory Boards, visit: https://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/Government-Resources/CountyLegislature/Advisory-Boards. For more
information on the CSB, please contact Harmony Ayers-Friedlander, Deputy Commissioner of Mental Health, at (607) 274-6200 or via email at hayers@tompkins-co.org.
Flower Prerolls Vapes Concentrate
Edibles Tinctures
Turning Fifty
Cornell Gymnastics Sticks the Landing of its 50th Season
By Steve Lawrence
While Cornell gymnastics coach
Melanie Hall has said goodbye to twenty-nine previous classes, she was still a little emotional before the team’s Senior Day meet against Penn. Asked how long she has known the seven seniors, Hall said, “I could start talking to them when they were juniors in high school, and many of them began sending us stuff as soon as they were allowed to do so, so it has been several years.”
While Hall was named the head coach in June of 2021, she came to Cornell in 1994 as an assistant under her predecessor, Paul Beckwith. I asked her about the challenges of recruiting gymnasts with Division 1 talent and the requisite grade point averages. “Generally,” Melanie said, “it’s a very strong and special kid that wants to come to an Ivy League school.” That con-
tention holds up when one learns that 19 members of the Cornell gymnastics team were named to the WCGA All-America Scholar Athlete list when the most recent honors were announced. Cornell was ranked 19th among 87 teams nationally that achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better. The team earned a 3.69 with six gymnasts posting a perfect 4.0 GPA. The coach listed some alums and where they have gone after Cornell, and she said, “Their bios are impressive, and they have gone on to do cool things.”
The Senior Day meet on Sunday — at which the hosts won the vault and beam while dropping a very close meet to Penn — was but one of the big events on the Big Red's schedule, as the team will host the Empire State Collegiate Championships this coming Sunday (February 9) and the
Cornell gymnastics coach Melanie Hall, who has been with the program for 30 of its 50 years, honored seven seniors during Senior Day, celebrating their athletic and academic achievements. The meet also marked the lead-up to the program’s 50th-anniversary celebrations at the upcoming Ivy Classic on February 23.
Ivy Classic Championships (on February 23).
Then there is the big reunion coming up on the 23rd, as many former Big Red gymnasts and coaches will gather at the Ivy Classic to celebrate the program's 50th anniversary. The weekend will include alumni functions, a big celebratory dinner, and Gretchen Dowsing — the very first head coach of the team — will be among those returning. Given that Hall has been around for 30 of those 50 years, she is happy to spend time with alums she has known for well over half her life. She referenced the generosity of the program’s supporters, and listed many of the recent gifts the program has received — a new locker room, a new sound system, and a very generous gift in 2019 enabling the team to have all its meets in Bartels Hall, which was a big upgrade from its former Teagle Hall facility.
And, of course, when a coach has been around long enough, she might be lucky enough to see multi-generational connections, and Melanie told me, “Michaela De Francisco, whose mom is former gymnast Karen Tedesco (class of ’95), is our first legacy athlete!”.
The seven seniors honored on Sunday
BREAKING THE CYCLE
continued from page 7
Incarceration itself is the penalty; adding post-release barriers only undermines efforts at reintegration. New York State must urgently address this systemic failure to ensure fair reentry for all.
are Laura MacKenzie, Kate Michelini, Maddie Sakalosky, Anthea Spirko, Maddie Wolf, Sydney Beers and Savannah Kokaly. Details on the upcoming meets can be found at www.cornellbigred.com.
Newman Arena provided a great respite from the cold over the weekend, as the Big Red men’s basketball team stayed hot with a crucial Ivy League sweep. It was great to have the students back in town to see the home team take care of business against Dartmouth by a 75-64 score to move to 4-1 in conference play.
The following night, it seemed that Cornell was suffering from a bit of a letdown, as Harvard jumped out to a 12-point lead early in the contest. The Big Red woke up, went on a 22-2 run, shot 67 percent in the second half, and cruised to a 75-60 win to move to 5-1 in the Ivy League and set up a showdown at home this Saturday at 2 pm against defending Ivy Tournament champ Yale. The 6-0 Bulldogs are sitting in first place in the conference, and a win by Cornell would even things up atop the standings.
Taili Mugambee is the Director of the Ultimate Reentry Opportunity Initiative, which is fiscally sponsored by the Center for Transformative Action.
Yewon Kee is an undergraduate junior in the Brooks School of Public Policy and a member of the State Policy Advocacy Clinic at Cornell.
Ithaca Author Jack Wang Releases New Book on Love and Identity
By Barbara Adams
ITHACA, NY — “The Riveter,” Jack Wang’s first novel, is steeped in multiple worlds and cultures. From the forests of British Columbia in 1942, logger Josiah Chang makes his way to the Vancouver shipyards, but since Chinese Canadians face restrictions, he’s unable to sign up for military service. Working at the docks as a riveter, Josiah meets Poppy, and their passionate relationship is the beacon that helps him survive wartime. Ultimately, Josiah figures out a way to enlist, becoming a paratrooper in the first Canadian airborne infantry battalion, landing in Normandy on D-Day and fighting throughout northwest Europe.
One of the few Canadian novels about World War II, “The Riveter” is released this week simultaneously by Canada’s House of Anansi Press and by HarperVia, an imprint of HarperCollins “dedicated to publishing extraordinary international voices.” Wang will be reading from “The Riveter” on Sunday, February 9, at 2 p.m., at Buffalo Street Books. The public event will also feature HarperOne’s art director, Stephen Brayda. A professor of writing at Ithaca College, Wang previously published “We Two Alone,” his prize-winning 2020 collection of short stories reflecting the Chinese diaspora in the
last century. He has also co-authored, with his twin brother Holman, a dozen Cozy Classics and three Star Wars board books for children. He spoke recently with Ithaca Times correspondent Barbara Adams.
IT: What’s the genesis of this novel? What turned you to this subject?
JW: I became generally interested in the contributions of Chinese Canadians in the Second World War. For example, Douglas Sam, who flew dozens of sorties over France and German, survived being shot down, and joined the French resistance. And 150 Chinese Canadians were recruited as secret agents for Britain’s Special Operations Executive. Then, in a nonfiction study cataloguing every person of Chinese descent who served in the two world wars, I came across a few paragraphs referring to Richard Mar, from British Columbia. He trained at Ft. Benning’s jump school in Georgia and was in the Ardennes offensive. And he was the only Chinese Canadian to serve with the famed 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, who completed every mission they were assigned.
IT: So that was the inspirational nugget for your protagonist, Josiah Chang?
JW: Yes, originally, I’d imagined writing about a group of Chinese Canadians who
The Riveter follows Josiah Chang, a Chinese Canadian logger turned paratrooper during World War II, as he navigates love, prejudice, and wartime heroism. Released by HarperVia and House of Anansi Press, the novel sheds light on the often-overlooked contributions of Chinese Canadians during the war.
worked in a shipyard and went off to various theaters of war. But then that would be a thousand-page novel, very unwieldly. So I ultimately focused on one storyline as representative of all Chinese Canadian exploits.
I originally named the character Johnny Chang, a reference to Johnny Canuck, Canada’s version of Uncle Sam or Britain’s John Bull. This national figure re-emerged during World War II as a comic book hero fighting fascism and Nazis. And Canuck is a lumberjack, as is Josiah — pure Canadiana, an ordinary Joe, a man of the woods. Josiah’s Chinese family had been in Canada for generations, and there’s a point at which immigrants cease being immigrants… once they’re fully assimilated. But very often it’s the society around you that insists on your outsider status.
IT: I was struck by how certain prejudicial slights just roll off Josiah� He has a strong sense of self, defined by his actions� He’s a logger, a riveter, a soldier, a paratrooper, a comrade — more these identities than his being Chinese� He’s an individual� And even after serving in battle, he’s still ambivalent about being British, or even Canadian�
JW: I think there are some deep-seated
Continued on Page 16
& Entertainment
Jack Wang, a professor of writing at Ithaca College, debuts his first novel, The Riveter, after earning acclaim for his prize-winning 2020 short story collection, We Two Alone. Wang has also co-authored children’s board books, including Cozy Classics and Star Wars adaptations, alongside his twin brother.
Pulitzer-Winning Author Jonathan Eig to Discuss MLK Biography at Ithaca Library
By Matt Dougherty
ITHACA, N.Y. — Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jonathan Eig will visit the Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) on Monday, Feb. 10, to discuss his critically acclaimed biography King: A Life.
The book won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Biography and has been described as a groundbreaking portrayal of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Pulitzer Prizes praised the book as “a landmark biography [that] gives us an MLK for our times.”
The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. in the library’s BorgWarner Community Room at 101 East Green Street. An overflow seating area will be available for attendees.
The program, made possible through support from the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation, will include a Q&A
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
RE: Managing The Bro-ligarchy
“I attended a recent Progressive Democrats of America online meeting. A guest was Nadine Smith from Wide Awake America. I would like to share some of the points she made which may be helpful in managing in our new “Broligarchy,” government:
First:
• Don’t fall for shock and awe
• Focus on the Arsonist, not the fire
• Know this: It was not a blow out election. Less people voted for Trump in 2024 than in 2016. Their tactics:
• Propaganda-used to make us feel that nothing is for sure, believing that everything is plausible, destabilizes and makes one feel afraid.
• People who are afraid can be easily manipulated.
• Fear shuts people down; Hope is discipline.
Responding:
session and a book signing in collaboration with Odyssey Bookstore.
“I am thrilled to welcome Jonathan Eig to TCPL and am grateful to the TCPL Foundation for their partnership in bringing him to Ithaca,” said TCPL Director Leslie Tabor. “Public libraries are committed to racial and social justice, and biographies like Eig’s help us build empathy and compassion for stories different from our own.”
The biography offers an in-depth look at King’s personal and professional struggles, highlighting his internal conflicts and external challenges as a leader of the civil rights movement. Eig’s research draws on recently declassified FBI files, shedding new light on how the U.S. government surveilled King and the toll that constant scrutiny took on his life and activism.
In addition to exploring King’s role as
• Silence is complicity.
• Put questions to any confrontations with authorities and make them put it in writing: what is the precise law you are being accused of violating? Confronting the bully. They look big but think of the mouse in the flashlight-looks big in the focused light but is really small.
• Don’t retreat.
• Do not obey in advance. Make them chase you out.
• People get hurt badly because they’re afraid of getting hurt a little. Better to jump from a burning house and have a broken leg then burn up in the house.
• Remain connected. Build Alliances. When we stand up, we have alliances we did not know we had.
• Provide information — “If you see something, say something.” Don’t wait for the press to report on everything.
• Rather than voicing strong opinions, be curious of people offering misinformation — “Where did you hear that? I would like to learn more about your thoughts, where did you get that information?”
• Provide Humane Responses to opposing arguments. “Are you sure you
a public figure, the book examines his personal relationships with his wife, Coretta Scott King, his father, Martin Luther King Sr., and fellow activists. It paints a portrait of a man deeply committed to nonviolent resistance yet wrestling with his inner turmoil.
Eig, a New York native, is an acclaimed biographer with several bestsellers. In addition to King: A Life, he has written Ali: A Life, Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson’s First Season, and Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig.
Eig’s work has been praised for its meticulous research and compelling storytelling, making history accessible to a broad audience. His writing has earned numerous accolades, and his books have been widely regarded as definitive accounts of their subjects.
want your immigrant neighbor and their children arrested? Are you sure you want ICE tramping through your children’s school?”
• Review Anti-bullying training to build your reserves and understanding of strategies.
• Use strategies regularly-like muscle building, strategies need to be practiced regularly.
• Proximity-listen to people who are in close proximity to the issue/area of concern to learn the ways to approach the problem. Don’t assume you know best.
• Gum up the works: People have already overloaded the Federal Employee “snitch-line”.
• When we fight, we win — “Don’t say gay” is remembered more than the original anti-gay legislation.
• Calling out Employers who support Trump.
Personal Care:
• Emotionally bracing yourself in order to decrease despair Mentally prepare yourself-Authoritarians do shock and awe and other tactics intentionally to drain your energy
Prize-winning author Jonathan Eig will visit the Tompkins County Public Library on Monday, Feb. 10, to discuss his acclaimed biography King: A Life. The event, featuring a Q&A and book signing, will delve into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy, drawing on newly declassified FBI files to offer fresh insights into the civil rights leader’s struggles and achievements.
The discussion and book signing with Eig will take place in TCPL’s BorgWarner Community Room, with additional seating available for overflow attendees. For more information about the event, contact the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation at foundationinfo@ tcplfoundation.org.
• Self Care is not selfish. This is a marathon, pace yourself.
• Have a sense of care for each other. Do not expect everyone to be a purist on every issue.” — B. Slocum
RE: Trump Attacks Immigrants
“Donald Trump has declared that even people who entered the country legally with approval of the US government are now illegal. US citizens are more likely to commit crimes than immigrants. Ithaca is proud to welcome immigrants who contribute to our economy. The Laken Riley Act violates the Constitution by requiring people falsely accused of petty misdemeanors to be sent to Homeland Security prisons like the new torture gulag being set up in Guantanamo Bay — even when there is evidence that they are innocent. Josh Riley betrayed the trust of Ithaca when he voted to help Trump persecute immigrants. Josh Riley has not taken any concrete action to protect Ithaca from the chaos of ongoing raids. We elected Riley
Pulitzer
Compelling Foreign Feature
The Making of The Seed of the Sacred Fig is Compelling as the Film Itself
By David Burak
The current nominee for Oscar for Best Foreign Feature film is “Seed of the Sacred Fig,” a compelling depiction of the devastation of a Persian family. This script presents a substantive set of examples regarding the methods by which a theocracy can subjugate its citizens.
Extraordinary performances by Soheila Golestariand and Missagh Zareh, as the
“Seed
of the Sacred Fig”
Rated PG-13
Written and Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof
Starring: Soheila Golestani, Missagh Zareh and Stareh Makei
Playing at Cinemapolis
120 E, Green St., Ithaca
DAVID B. SCHWARTZ’
continued from page 7
He called this, in his teacher Sarason’s words, a chance to be “an artist of the social fabric.”
David was chosen for the American Association on Developmental Disabilities Dybwad Humanitarian Award in recognition of his work in Pennsylvania.
After a twenty+ year psychotherapy relationship with a Philadelphia psychiatrist (David calls it “the last psychoanalysis in the Western World”) and a like period with an energy therapist specializing in trauma, he left the field of developmental disabilities to practice psychotherapy himself. “Most people with mental health diagnoses actually suffer from developmental injuries,” he realized. At 60 David finally had a chance to realize his long-held dream of returning to Fall Creek after 40 years. “In Ithaca, I can practice like nowhere else, because the Ithaca Culture has so many ways of helping people, that it is easy to find support beyond the office. Helping each other is ordinary here.”
After authoring three books on psychology, David decided that “I don’t want to write about love in the language
wife and husband, Najmeh and Iman, present images of parents unable to transcend the societal roles which are expected of them by the current system.
Nonetheless, the student-age daughters, Rezvan (Mahsa Rostama) who’s in college and Sana (S. Maleki, who wants to dye her hair blue). The viewer is likely to empathize with the daughters, especially regarding their confrontations with their father.
There are more reasons for us to feel the pain of the students who are wounded while demonstrating, Sadaf, who has come to Tehran to attend college, is shot in the face. Najmeh is imploreded by her daughters to help, and she proceeds to remove the buckshot with tweezers.
Director & writer, Mohammad Rosoulof’s remarkable “Neon” productions film was shot at undisclosed locations. Despite
of psychology anymore.” The result is his new publication, Waiting for the Steamboat at Lamoreaux Landing, a book of essays and stories written from his almost 200-year-old steamboat shed on Seneca Lake. “The next evolution of the key ideas of my previous books are contained in it, but in the form of local stories.
David has mostly retired from practicing psychotherapy. “After 54 years of work in the field, I don’t want to keep a schedule anymore. If I sit at a cafe, there is no schedule, and I can still have conversations with people. Like the cheshire cat, the last of me is slowly fading out of the mental health profession and disappearing into the convivial world.”
“Thirty years ago, in my book Crossing the River I pictured a world in which people with disabilities were living as consumers in a professional world on one bank of a river, yearning to get to the other side where they could be part of actual communities. I saw my work as helping them to cross that river. Many years later, I have cast off in my own boat.” After many decades of helping to get people out of institutions, he said, “I have finally deinstitutionalized myself.”
David Schwartz’ books are available online or in person at Buffalo Street Books�
his precautions, he received an eightyear prison sentence for his ultra-reality production.
Amazingly, he was able to escape across Iran’s border, albeit on foot.
However, he wasn’t able to bring his equipment. Despite this, once he arrived in Germany, with the assistance of cohorts, he was able to resume work on his film.
Editor Andrew Bird was able to provide high impact footage of cable footage of the arrests of thousands of young people.One woman died while being interrogated.
It merits notice that actor Soheila Golstani, the mother in this film, was one of those who protested the mandatory requirement regarding the: wearing of a head scarf.
Perhaps someone at or close to the United Nations could present a screening of “Seed of the Sacred Fig” at the UN or a nearby venue.
One is compelled to wish for a better way to spread the word to those who have the ability to exercise influence, personal and institutional, on human rights issues.
Mahsa Rostami and Soheila Golestani in The Seed of the Sacred Fig.
continued from page 6
federal funding freeze. This is a blatant attempt to rip away health insurance from millions of Americans overnight and will get people killed.”
Additionally, during a press conference on Jan. 28, New York State Attorney General Letitia James said that New York had been locked out of its Medicaid reimbursement systems — threatening healthcare access for more than 6 million residents enrolled in the state’s Medicaid system. However, since the court-ordered pause went into effect Medicaid portals have been reactivated.
According to former OMB employee Topher Spiro, additional healthcarerelated funding that could be impacted includes “all opioid prevention funding, all mental health funding, funding for community health centers, suicide prevention, and the suicide lifeline, HIV/ AIDS treatment [and] grants to states to address avian flu.”
This order would also pause federal funding to address homelessness. The National Alliance to End Homelessness has issued guidance for Continuums of Care (CoCs) across the country, saying, “Based on the language within the OMB memorandum and the executive actions since January 20, it is evident that efforts aimed at addressing the disproportionate impact of homelessness on some groups,
continued from page 13
things that make him Chinese, like his sense of filial piety — but yes, outwardly in many ways he’s not.
IT: He does respond explosively to the offensive graffiti in the shipyard that mocks his interracial relationship with Poppy�
JW: Yes, that example is overt, but in writing about the anti-Chinese sentiment of that time, I didn’t want to bludgeon the reader with it at every turn. The overarching racial inequity in the novel is obvious. But many instances are more subtle. Yet when many Chinese Canadians put on that uniform, they felt equal for the first time — and in the military they didn’t experience racism the same way they did in the greater society. And part of my depiction of Josiah challenges the popular imaginary of the Asian male, who’s sometimes presented as meek or effeminate or asexual — not many are seen as traditionally masculine or conventionally heroic. If Josiah seems
especially people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as culturally-specific programming, will be most impacted.” It continued by urging CoC’s to “immediately engage in a community-wide planning process to mitigate harm over the long term.”
Local Impacts
In a statement alerting the community to the existence of the National Alliance to End Homelessness guidelines, the Tompkins County Human Services Coalition’s Director of Housing Initiatives, Liddy Bargar, said, “This executive order will without a doubt swiftly harm our local community, with the greatest impacts being shouldered by women, children, people with disabilities, BIPOC & LGBTQ community members.”
Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo has told the Ithaca Times that he is actively working on figuring out what local streams of funding from the federal government would be impacted by the freeze if the Trump Administration is successful in carrying it out.
Cantelmo said that local organizations like the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA) and Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS) receive significant funding from the federal government. He added that the pause will also impact the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership Program — which aim to increase
larger than life — a little taller, or stronger, or more confident — it’s because we may have certain expectations of Asian men.
IT: Much of the novel is devoted to the grueling months of wartime, and the counterpoint is Josiah’s relation with Poppy — their brief times together and their intermittent correspondence� She’s a key reason he joins up, as well as his motivation to get home safely�
JW: In Canada and the U.K., November 11th is Remembrance Day, marking the end of the first world war, and people wear poppies to honor those who served in all wars. So in the novel, the poppy is synonymous with service, almost an emblem of Canada itself. That’s why I named her, and a happy moment for me was realizing Poppy is a diminutive of Penelope. That motif is ancient, from “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey”: being in combat and yearning to return home, the wife as a paragon of faithfulness. But is this notion of women true to the complexity of human desire, especially for a woman ahead of her time sexually, as Poppy was?
affordable housing supply, provide antipoverty programs, and incite infrastructure development.
In 2024, the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA) received $652,031 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and $244,162 in HOME funding.
“[Trump] is trying to freeze a trillion dollars in grant money,” Cantelmo said. “This money funds real stuff that helps people get their business off the ground or stay in their homes, and this action threatens all of this.” He continued by saying that the pause would have a disproportionately bad impact on the Ithaca Green New Deal.
Legal Challenges
According to President Biden’s OMB general council Sam Bagenstos, the order to freeze federal funding is unconstitutional because it violates the Impoundment Control Act (ICA) of 1974, which restricts the ability of the President to make changes to federal spending that has already been approved by Congress.
In a post on BluSky Bagenstos said the ICA prohibits “withholding or delaying the obligation or expenditure of budget authority” except under narrow circumstances. He added that “[d]eferrals shall be permissible only” to provide for contingencies, promote efficiency, or as “specifically provided by law.” Bagenstos said that the OMB order’s purpose mandating that
IT: They’re both strong-willed characters, striving for respect, and their future seems uncertain right to the very end� All this is heightened in the crucible of wartime, where life and death coexist every moment, and both seem so arbitrary�
JW: This was my way of trying to imagine what it must be like to face death constantly. In some ways a war novel has to bring you down to the level of the individual death. You have to be reminded: These are individuals; each death is a person once as alive as you and me. But at the same time, I think you’re also inured to all that, because in the midst of war you just want to live. If you’re alive, you’re kind of just glad — no matter who’s dying around you, there’s a certain level of indifference. In one passage, Josiah thinks “there’s nothing can assail the redoubt of being alive.”
One asks, to serve his country and earn this woman’s love, is it worth his life?
Barbara Adams is a regional theatre and arts journalist and retired professor of writing, Ithaca College.
federal spending align with “Presidential priorities” is not among the permissible reasons to pause funding.
“Career and political appointees in the Executive Branch have a duty to align Federal spending and action with the will of the American people as expressed through Presidential priorities,” the OMB memo states, but Bagenstos said that this rationale “flouts the congressional power of the purse and violates the ICA, even though it’s temporary.”
The ICA provides a legal process for rescinding funds, allowing a President to delay spending for up to 45 days while Congress considers the proposal. However, Bagenstos said the OMB directive “doesn’t come close to meeting those requirements,” underscoring the illegality of the action.
However, the Trump Administration is arguing in court that the ICA itself is unconstitutional, and the court cases that have begun as a result of the funding freeze are all part of the administration's plan to restructure federal spending.
The Huffington Post recently obtained a confidential document from the OMB outlining a plan to provoke court cases regarding the constitutionality of the ICA by issuing executive orders that “[seek] to impound funds exceeding legislative intent.” While lower courts have ruled in favor of upholding the constitutionality of the ICA, the United States Supreme Court — with a 6-3 conservative majority — could decide otherwise.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
continued from page 14
to stand up to Trump, not to help him install fascism.” — Jonathan Cook
RE: County Department of Social Services
Commissioner Resigns
“What a way to push off the problem to others and not take responsibility for what you have caused by having the code blue shelter. The whole time the shelter has been open the police have been there over 50 times because of people fighting, harassment,and or people being drunk. Some of the people that are there are housed under temporary housing assistance and the shelter gets paid 4,080 dollars to house them and then they are kicked out because of the employees. You should clean up your mess before you leave or is this your way of running away” — Laura Watkins
JACK WANG’S NOVEL