June 28, 2023

Southside Forum Seeks Better

Police-Citizen Relations

PAGES 8-9

WHAT TO DO ON

JULY 4TH?

WORKERS COALITION EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH STARBUCKS WORKERS

FIRE RESPONSE ISSUES IN TOMPKINS COUNTY PAGE 5

SEASON OF TRADITIONS AND CHANGES

TALE OF LOST CAT

“We’re here to acknowledge some hard truths”

FINGER LAKES UNIQUELY TRUMANSBURG

make—youguessedit—claymugs

“Foralittleartscenterinthemiddleofnowhere,inmanyrespectsit’sa remarkablefacility,”saidPearson, “Havinganartsfacility,foranorganizationoursize,isunheardof.We’re veryfortunatetohavethatwonderful gift.”

ThatgiftoftheSunnyPoint groundswasbestowedbythelateDr.

make—youguessedit—claymugs andbowls.

“Foralittleartscenterinthemiddleofnowhere,inmanyrespectsit’sa remarkablefacility,”saidPearson, “Havinganartsfacility,foranorganizationoursize,isunheardof.We’re veryfortunatetohavethatwonderful gift.”

ThatgiftoftheSunnyPoint groundswasbestowedbythelateDr.

AnnieSmith,whowasfromElmiraand spentsummerstherewithherfamily. Whenshepassedawayseveralyears ago,shedonatedthepropert y,which includesawhitecottage,redbarn,and aboathouse.TheArtsCenterrecently finishedrenovatingthebuildings,and allthreewillbeopenforthefirsttime thissummer.

Thecenter’ssceniclocationisanenticingfeatureforfamousartistsacross thecounty,whoPearsonsaidagreeto teachclassesinpartbecausetheylook forwardtolivingandworkingonthe lake.

AnnieSmith,whowasfromElmiraand spentsummerstherewithherfamily. Whenshepassedawayseveralyears ago,shedonatedthepropert y,which includesawhitecottage,redbarn,and aboathouse.TheArtsCenterrecently finishedrenovatingthebuildings,and allthreewillbeopenforthefirsttime thissummer.

Bignamesintheartworldwhohave

taughtatTheArtsCenterofYates CountyincludeporcelainartistMary GosdenandpaperpainterElizabethS. Hilaire. Mostclassescost$10anhourand under,withdiscountsforteenswho wanttotakeadultclasses.Children’s classesare$5asession.“Thekidsdo everythingfromillustratingchildren’s bookstomakingsculpturesandsolar printmaking,”saidPearson.“We’re doingAfricandrummingthisyear.”

Thecenter’ssceniclocationisanenticingfeatureforfamousartistsacross thecounty,whoPearsonsaidagreeto teachclassesinpartbecausetheylook forwardtolivingandworkingonthe lake.

Bignamesintheartworldwhohave

taughtatTheArtsCenterofYates CountyincludeporcelainartistMary GosdenandpaperpainterElizabethS. Hilaire.

Pearsonsaidthatthetwo-hour drop-inclassesareidealforchildren whocan’tattendonaregularbasisor

Mostclassescost$10anhourand under,withdiscountsforteenswho wanttotakeadultclasses.Children’s classesare$5asession.“Thekidsdo everythingfromillustratingchildren’s bookstomakingsculpturesandsolar printmaking,”saidPearson.“We’re doingAfricandrummingthisyear.”

OurT-BurgShur-SaveMeatDepartment

Pearsonsaidthatthetwo-hour drop-inclassesareidealforchildren whocan’tattendonaregularbasisor

N EWS LINE

Ithaca’s July 4th Celebrations

By Staff Report

Across New York and the Finger Lakes regions, 4th of July is a special time for friends and family to celebrate America’s birthday. When you think of Independence Day, a few iconic things come to mind, eating outside, American ags, boat rides, and, of course, reworks!

Evening lake views are still best enjoyed in the summer. e Boatyard Grill, has indoor and outdoor seating available, as well as e Glenwood Pines (closed July 4) on the west side of Cayuga Lake.

2023 Fireworks and other Events

Ithaca & Tompkins County

Friday, June 30 1: Groton Fireworks Show — food trucks and DJ at Groton Elementary School Field

Tuesday, July 4: Inn at Taughannock Falls Fireworks Display — parking available at Taughannock Falls State Park

Saturday, July 1: Cider Pop-Up with Red, White and Blue Cheese Day at Lively Run Dairy

Saturday, July 1: Sunset Cruise, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., lively music on board the MV Teal, operated by Discover Cayuga Lake, book online

Monday, July 3: Mondays with MAQ at South Hill Cider — outdoors, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Check our full events calendar for additional events and live performances in the Ithaca area for Independence Day week including more boat cruises.

Other Finger Lakes Region July 4th Weekend Events

Saturday, July 1: Cortland — (July 2 rain date) Dwyer Memorial Park in Little Lake 2 to 10pm.

Saturday, July 8: Hammondsport / Keuka Lake- reworks at 10pm, watch at school or re department

Sunday, July 2: Watkins Glen — Clute Memorial Park

Tuesday, July 4: Branchport / Keuka Lake — parade at 2pm, reworks at 10pm Canceled or postponed events for 2023: Myers Park in Lansing — canceled

Ithaca Rotary Fireworks Celebration — not happening

T AKE N OTE

X New York Press Association Press Pass program

Four one-hour programs to be offered online for four consecutive late afternoons (4-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday): July 10-13

To help newsrooms struggling with sta shortages, the New York Press Association this summer will begin o ering training to community members interested in covering news for their local paper.

Ongoing business pressures, including drops in advertising and subscriber revenue as well as increases in production costs, have led to substantial reductions in sta ng in most newsrooms across the country. But many editors say hiring reporters to ll existing openings has become increasingly di cult.

Supplementing existing coverage with trained community correspondents will help newspapers ll gaps in existing coverage,

ere are many ways to make your 4th of July festive in the Finger Lakes. Dine on Restaurant Row/Aurora Street, the 100-block of downtown with many of our area restaurants o ering outdoor dining. Explore the county and nd additional outdoor dining, u-pick experiences, and tasting rooms to visit. Celebrate America by hiking and appreciating the public NY State Parks. Discover new waterfalls, gorges, hiking trails and adventures in Ithaca and Tompkins County. Pack a blanket, and a picnic, and take time to enjoy the summer sky no matter what time of day.

Some of the best ice cream in the Finger Lakes

Don’t forget the ice cream! In addition to the classics, you’ll nd non-dairy

Continued on Page 19

especially in small towns. The training will give participants basic guidance to build upon on the job under the supervision of editors.

The four-part online program will focus on journalism basics such as ethics, accuracy in reporting, interviewing techniques and writing clearly. To earn certi cation, participants must complete all four sessions and pass a written test. The training is being o ered free through NYPA’s member newspapers.

“We’re not aiming to replace traditional journalists with this program,” said Judy Patrick, the association’s vice president for editorial development. “We’re working to expand local news coverage and build on our industry’s longstanding tradition of community correspondents.”

The online training will be o ered four times a year; the rst sessions will be July 10-13. Registration is open through July 7 by contacting judy@nynewspapers.com.

VOL. XLIII / NO. 44 / June 28, 2023

Serving 47,125 readers weekly

Southside Community Center holds forum to improve relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Visit

M ATT D OUGHERTY , M ANAGING E DITOR , X 1217

E DITOR @I THACA T IMES COM

C HRIS I BERT C ALENDAR E DITOR , A RTS @I THACA T IMES COM

A NDREW S ULLIVAN , S PORTS E DITOR , X 1227 S PORTS @ FLCN ORG

M ATT D OUGHERTY , N EWS R EPORTER , X 1225

R EPORTER @I THACA T IMES COM

S TEVE L AWRENCE , S PORTS C OLUMNIST

S TEVE S PORTS D UDE @ GMAIL COM

L UCY A LLEN , F RONT D ESK F RONT @I THACA T IMES COM

J IM B ILINSKI , P UBLISHER , X 1210 JBILINSKI @I THACA T IMES COM

L ARRY H OCHBERGER , A SSOCIATE P UBLISHER , X 1214 LARRY @I THACA T IMES COM

F REELANCERS : Barbara Adams, Stephen Burke, G. M Burns, Alyssa Denger, Jane Dieckmann, Charley Githler, Ross Haarstad, Steve Lawrence, Marjorie Olds, Henry Stark, Bryan VanCampen, and Arthur Whitman

THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE ITHACA TIMES ARE COPYRIGHT © 2023, BY NEWSKI INC.

All rights reserved. Events are listed free of charge in TimesTable. All copy must be received by Friday at noon. The Ithaca Times is available free of charge from various locations around Ithaca. Additional copies may be purchased from the Ithaca Times o ces 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 classi ed. 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 rst 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. O ces 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 Ithaca New Times (1972–1978) and The Good Times Gazette (1973–1978), combined in 1978. FOUNDER GOOD TIMES

This weekend will feature several independence day related events to help celebrate the Fourth of July

IN UIRING PHOTOGRPHER Q A

Ithaca Public Workers Coalition Stands in Solidarity with Local Starbucks Workers

By Matt Dougherty

Last week the Ithaca Public Workers Coalition (IPWC) issued a press release announcing that they are “standing in solidarity with members of Starbucks Workers United as they continue to ght against the tactics of the Starbucks Corporation.”

e release explained that as every Starbucks location in the City of Ithaca has now been closed in response to the organizing e orts of Starbucks workers, “it’s clear the strategy that the Starbucks Corporation has employed is straight from the union busting playbook.”

“Many college students and locals alike, relied on the income and bene ts that came from their employment at Starbucks. Instead of coming to the table when workers sought to improve working conditions, wages and bene ts, Starbucks corporate hastily closed up their shops and le town,” read the press release.

According to the spokesperson for the IPWC, omas Condzella, “We can relate to the struggles of the Starbucks workers, they have a tough ght ahead of them. It’s a worthy ght though, and from the looks of it they are up to the task.”

Condzella continued saying that the workers coalition is “absolutely disgusted” by how the Starbucks corporation has treated their employees in Ithaca.

“ e workers demonstrated courage and strength by coming together as a union. ey stood up for themselves against the unfair practices of a multinational, billion-dollar corporation. Members of Starbucks Work-

ers United deserve better than this, the Ithaca Public Workers Coalition stands in solidarity with them.” Condzella said. He added, “ is demonstration of corporate greed is the exact reason why we have unions. Ithaca will never truly be a union town until the rights of all workers are recognized and respected.”

e Vice President of Bangs Ambulance Workers United, John Schwartz said, “as a member of the IPWC and BAWU, I stand in solidarity with the Ithaca Starbucks workers. eir actions on May 11 at Cornell University li up our spirits and put re back in our hearts.”

Shwartz was referencing a student-led protest that resulted in the occupation of the Day Hall administration building on the university’s campus. e protest drew attention to a petition signed by Cornell students and faculty that called on the university to stop selling Starbucks products on campus and switch to a more ethical co ee vendor.

Schwartz continued saying, “It takes courage to speak truth to power, the Starbucks workers have reminded Cornell University that it cannot be complacent in allowing a transnational corporation to disregard the rights of workers or the values of an entire community. e right to collective bargaining

is fundamental to the democracy of the American workplace. I am hopeful that the direct action taken by the Starbucks workers will lead the administration of Cornell University to reset their relationship with their students, with organized labor, and in turn with our great community.”

e National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has upheld complaints that Starbucks engaged in union busting tactics and released an in-depth complaint against Starbucks in November 2022 saying that the board “found merit in the union’s claim” that the Collegetown location was closed in retaliation for union organizing. e NLRB ruled that the location had to be reopened and red workers had to be rehired, but neither of those demands have been met since the NLRB gave no timeline for that to happen.

Nationwide, the NLRB has issued 39 o cial complaints against Starbucks, encompassing over 1,400 alleged violations of federal labor law. e allegations accuse the company’s management of ring union organizers, slashing hours, and illegally threatening to deny pay raises and other bene ts to unionized stores.

Starbucks has still yet to reach a single contract agreement with any of the more than 300 unionized stores.

e Ithaca Public Workers Coalition has encouraged anyone who may be willing and able, to consider donating any amount to the Ithaca Starbucks Workers United Strike Fund at https://www.gofundme. com/f/sbworkersunited-ithaca-strike-fund. Starbucks did not respond to requests to comment.

WHAT’S THE ONE GAME SHOW OR REALITY TV GAME SHOW THAT YOU ARE SURE YOU COULD WIN?

“Jeopardy. I would take the World History category every time.”

– Alex P.

“ Family Feud!”

– Shalini S. & Mira A.

“The Price is RIGHT!”

– Stacy M. & Aaron B.

“…Naked and Afraid.”

– Samara W. “I’d take Cash Cab!” – Elionai W.

“The workers demonstrated courage and strength by coming together as a union. They stood up for themselves against the unfair practices of a multinational, billion-dollar corporation. Members of Starbucks Workers United deserve better than this, the Ithaca Public Workers Coalition stands in solidarity with them.”

— Spokesperson for the IPWC, Thomas Condzella

The Ithaca Public Workers Coalition has expressed solidarity with local Starbucks workers who lost their jobs after all three of Ithaca’s Starbucks locations were officially closed on May 26 in retaliation for union organizing. (Photo: Ash Baillot)

A Difference in Response Times Can Have Catastrophic Results

By Matt Dougherty

Astring of deadly res in Tompkins County has revealed a disparity in response times between career and volunteer re departments that can result in catastrophic and sometimes deadly e ects.

So far this year there have been at least 120 reports of structure res according to Tompkins County Emergency Response. A majority of them have been extinguished before extensive damage to people or property has occurred. However, there have been three res in the county since March where people have lost their lives while waiting for re ghters to arrive on the scene. e res occurred on March 18 at 200 Lower Creek Road in Etna, April 15 at 506 Hartford Road in Brooktondale, and April 28 at 15 Railroad Street in Freeville.

ese tragic events aren’t the result of a negligent re service, but of the structure of re service that leaves rural communities reliant on volunteer re rescue teams because they don’t have the resources to maintain career re departments. While volunteer rst responders are the backbone of emergency services in many communities throughout New York State and the country, relying on volunteers o en results in delayed response times that can put public safety at risk.

According to FEMA, “Career departments have a response time standard of 4 minutes or less for the arrival of the rst-arriving engine company at a re suppression incident.” In contrast, “Volunteer departments have variable response time standards based upon several factors, such as their local sta ng levels, their demand zone, and the number of miles they need to travel to get to the scene of the incident.”

Tompkins County Emergency Service

UPS DOWNS& Ups

The Fourth of July is right around the corner so get ready to celebrate our nation’s independence by exploding things responsibly and stuffing your face with burgers and beer.

Downs

If you don’t like fireworks we recommend wearing earplugs this week.

HEARD SEEN& Heard

Ithaca Children’s Garden (ICG) announces the launch of its scholarship campaign to raise $35,000 by August 12. The campaign aims to raise $17,500 to unlock a 1:1 match towards the identified scholarship need for 2023, more than $35,000. The funds raised will enable ICG to provide financial assistance to families who cannot afford to pay for their children’s participation in ICG’s programs and camps.

Seen

Fire Coordinator Justin M. Vann has said that there are only two career re departments in all of Tompkins County. One is the Ithaca Fire Department and the other is at the Tompkins County International Airport. A combination of 16 additional volunteer re departments are tasked with serving the primarily rural communities that make up the rest of the county.

As a result of being volunteer based, these departments are sta ed by individuals who serve their communities without pay, meaning they have to work other full-time jobs to put food on the table and pay their bills.

“Volunteer departments are at the mercy of their membership’s availability. ey have to leave their homes or jobs, if

allowed by their employer, to respond to their station to get the trucks and equipment necessary to perform the task at hand. Most people work during the day which leads to fewer re ghters being available during those hours,” Vann said.

According to Vann, this is why multiple departments are being requested to assist with large-scale incidents because they don’t know how many people are available. Vann continued saying, “ is can cause what is perceived as a delay in response times for volunteer departments.”

As a result of the potential delays caused by ine ciencies in the structure of volunteer departments, many departments develop what Vann described as “predetermined response plans” that call for neighboring departments to provide backup assistance while volunteers work to get to the scene.

is response plan was seen in action at a recent structure re that occurred on

The Ithaca Farmers Market has made its way back to DeWitt Park after a three year hiatus due to the pandemic. The market will be open on Tuesdays from 3-6p.m. through September 19th.

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

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Have you been impacted by NYSEG billing errors?

63.0% Yes.

9.3% No.

27.8% I don’t know.

Do you want IPD to start posting a daily crime log?

Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.

The Ithaca Fire Department is one of two career fire departments in Tompkins County. Career fire departments often have faster response times than volunteer departments. (Photo: Ithaca Fire Rescue)

“Career departments have a response time standard of 4 minutes or less for the arrival of the first-arriving engine company at a fire suppression incident.”

— According to FEMA

“This could be seen as a delay but in reality, units were on scene within 10 minutes of being dispatched.”

— Tompkins County Emergency Service Fire Coordinator

Justin M. Vann

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Responses to “Why are Storefronts Vacant and What Can Be Done About It?”

spaces unrented BEFORE the pandemic?”

— Heidi Best

“ is is the real question. Why do downtown stores in Ithaca especially suck so hard? No one wants your over-priced blown glass, birthday cards, terrible fashion, pizza, or bongs…” — Chris Johns

“Many elephants in the room are unmentioned. Crime, re=imagining the police, high taxes, high rents if they don’t own, state employer laws that send personnel costs out of sight, unions, parking costs and problems, high sales tax, tra c, poor street maintenance and potholes, speed bumps, many reasons to stay away.”

for A ordable Housing, who spend a larger portion of their wallet where they reside. Attract more destination restaurants like Viva Taqueria to anchor clients within close distance to area merchants. Encourage Blue Note to open up a Jazz blues club in downtown Ithaca. To draw clients, tourists, visitors, and the greater Ithaca Community you must give them entertainment and food option variety.” —

Paul

Langan

produce electricity, speci cally natural gas. Despite the in ationary pressures, last year Avangrid was still able to pay its CEO a salary of $4,849,986.’

Butler

“Hmmmm, your le ist government lied, caused serious high costs, screwed with the banking system and now it wants to throw more money away. It’s a capitalist system. Let it work, it will.” — John

“Hey Mr. Delusional- We ARE in a capitalist system. It’s what’s raised our rents through AirB&B (a capitalist endeavor) and created online international corporations like Amazon that have largely contributed to the lack of ma & pa stores. Check yourself.” — Chris Johns

“ e elephant in the room not even mentioned is CRIME. Look at the Commons, who in their right mind wants to be there past a certain decent hour? Look at the encroaching, and increasing, weekly shootings, assaults, robberies.” — Eddie Coyle

“ e unoccupied store fronts on the Commons existed LONG before the pandemic. e pandemic is so easily blamed for everything. Honestly, why were the

—

Henry Kramer

“‘Communities from San Diego to St Louis to Syracuse are continuing to recover from the lasting impacts of the pandemic that forced businesses in nearly every sector of the economy to close down.’

No, let’s be crystal clear, transparent, and honest about this: Our government le in place debilitating, authoritarian and destructive lockdowns far beyond their useful time.” — Jason Evans

“One main reason: PARKING $$$. Why pay to park when every strip mall is free? Make parking bldgs free for goodness sake.” — Joyce Stillman

“Learn from cities like Durham, NC, and Tulsa, OK, convert existing o ce space to residential space, and take advantage of banks’ CRA and tax credits for a percentage of allocation set aside

“Continue to convert unleased downtown o ce space to residential housing, including set-asides for a portion of available housing for A ordable housing at 80% of AMI. Lenders have CRA and tax credit specialists to work with developers to ensure the bank meets its CRA. Encourage more destination restaurants like Viva Taqueria to move into available commercial space. Cities like Durham, NC, and Tulsa, OK have proven that a ordable housing works when done wisely, and consistent with Federal guidelines. Increased foot tra c is needed, but right now, breakfast diners and more ethnic variety are needed to stick the residents to downtown and nighttime music clubs to make the commons a local destination place.” — Paul

Langan

“Lyman and Ithaca Renting (aka Jason Fane) are blowing smoke...they have had empty storefronts for decades because they charge outrageous rents and use the vacant buildings as a tax write o . e pandemic is a convenient excuse, but most of us who are used to seeing their black, green and yellow signs since the 90’s know they are spouting BS.” — Tom

Mot

“I own a store located in the Shops at Ithaca mall. ough I do well here the commons, or downtown shopping area would be great for my business, but due to the prices of the rents on the commons it isn’t economically possible for me to open a shop there. e rent I pay here in the mall is considerably less than what you might think. I’m not privy to the works of the mall, but at the moment it is still a shopping mall. If my rent would be close, or the same as what I pay here then I would probably consider moving, but until that happens. e commons is too costly to open a store such as mine.” —

Jim Hoo

Response to “Local Elected Officials Oppose NYSEG Rate Increases”

“‘NYSEG representatives have said that billing errors and poor customer services can be attributed to sta ng shortages caused by the pandemic and that rate hikes are the result of in ation leading to increased costs of fuels used to

What may not be known to many people is that Avangrid is a subsidiary of Iberdrola, S.A., a company in Spain. ere is something very wrong with our government that a sale of a necessary utility that people depend on would be allowed to be made to ANY foreign government whether friendly or not. And that the governor does not get that people will SUFFER shows a very inhuman attitude in Albany.” —

David Bly

Response to “Common Council Confronted Over Lack of Transparency in Negotiations with Cornell”

“Cornell should absolutely pay both property and school tax at a rate of at least 50% of the assessed value of all their property. en everyone else’s property taxes should be REDUCED such that the total amount taxed away from everyone remains the SAME. is would create a lasting economic boom for the local economy, and result in LOWER cost of living, especially in terms of rent, assuming there is still healthy competition among landlords even a er those onerous local residential rental regulations drove many of them to throw in the towel.” —

Richard Ballantyne

Response to “The Rules”

“What do I do when I nd out my government knew the origin of COVID-19 for the entire three years, had already been working on a vaccine for it, used taxpayer money to fund the corporations already working on the vaccine without reimbursing the American public any of the billions in pro ts, used my media to gaslight all of us toward one treatment and simultaneously made any mention of lab leak a conspiracy theory attributed to solely one political collective? ink of Trump and drink?” —

David J. Lee

Response to “The City Almost Everyone Can’t Wait to Leave”

“One of the realest articles I’ve seen about Ithaca. Born and raised here, got so much love for the land, but the housing, people, and jobs are not sustainable to so many people. Consumerism and tourism has taken over the town’s goals but we still can’t pay employees a living wage or a ordable housing.” —

Fae Datura

The Road to Binghamton

By Stephen Burke

Ithaca Festival is weeks past and GrassRoots Festival weeks away, so this is a good time for quick day trips out of Ithaca to see what diversions lie nearby.

Ithaca is famously known as “centrally isolated,” which in fact can be taken as a compliment, indicating that Ithaca is an interesting place and worthwhile destination, if a long way from the next one.

Anyway, is it? Everywhere is somewhere, a er all.

Binghamton, for example, is not particularly known as a tourist hot spot, but I visit at least once a year because it has a professional baseball team, a minor league a liate of the major league New York Mets.

Players from the Binghamton team regularly move up to the major league team. Half of the Mets’ current starting lineup came through Binghamton. Pete Alonso joined the New York Mets from Binghamton in 2019 and made history as the rst player ever to lead the major leagues in home runs in his rookie season.

I happened to be at the Met game when Alonso hit his record-setting home run. It was fun being there, and of course no one goes to a major league game to save money, but it is di cult to attend a major league contest without spending at least, say, $100 for the game and its necessary accessories (hot dog, beer, parking). And that’s for a cheap seat.

Meanwhile, it is di cult (if not impossible, without egregiously over-indulging, or even with) to spend even half that unlikely minimum attending a game in Binghamton. Tickets are $14. Parking is $5. e trip to Binghamton, as devoid of travel magazine highlights as it is, holds interest for those with the proclivity to nd engrossing distinctions in small or indistinct matters.

One became obvious when setting out for a game last week. A friend was driving and I was riding. He came from his house in Northside to pick me up in Southside.

When we got to S. Albany Street, he signaled le . I thought he was confused with all the construction in my neighborhood and the closed roads and detours. “Right turn,” I said, which would take us up South Hill to Route 96.

“To 79?” he asked, meaning Route 79 up East Hill.

I immediately realized (or remem-

bered) that 79 is the route for people who, consciously or not, think of Ithaca in terms of Cornell (I was one once). 79 runs right past Cornell. 96 is the choice for people living south of 79, away from Cornell, and discerning others.

e fact is that 96 is the better road. It is wider, with broader shoulders, occasionally two lanes, while 79 is one lane, narrow, hilly, curvy, with poor sightlines, dangerous for passing or for any kind of emergency stopping or pulling over.

It also has a reputation as a speed trap. I haven’t thought of that in a long time, as I haven’t taken it in a long time, but I once knew a guy who got ticketed twice in twenty minutes on 79 between Ithaca and Interstate 81.

He probably deserved it, and as I say haven’t thought of it in a long time, and might have thought it was a remnant of an antiquated time if not for a friend who used to live here and visited from downstate this month and “got nailed in Richford,” he said, for a ticket that will run about $300.

He also probably deserved it, or at least should have known better, if he knew enough to cite Richford by name.

Another di erence between 79/81 versus 96/86 to Binghamton is refreshment.

79/81 is devoid of that road trip staple, the highway diner, while 86 between Owego and Binghamton has the Blue Dolphin, a classic old place, large like the famed Roscoe Diner halfway to New York City, but more upstate-like, less Long Islandy. It has homemade (not food service) home fries, and the last time I was there, co ee for a shocking y cents. at might have been ve years ago or so, but still.

And 79/81 has only gas station co ee, while 96 in the town of Owego has what must be the world’s most scenic Dunkin’ Donuts, a few hundred feet above the Susquehanna River, a major and majestic waterway.

is year the Binghamton Mets (as they were called until a name change a few years ago to the “Rumble Ponies,” which has apparently been good for marketing, while tough on adult dignity) started a new promotion called “607 Saturdays,” each week honoring a di erent town in the 607 area code. I don’t know the nature of the celebration, nor if or when Ithaca is on the roster, but hopefully this will be a chance to further our connection. You know how to get there.

Double Digit Rate Hikes to Our Utilities is Just Plain Wrong

By State Senator Lea Webb

Access to basic electricity and heat should not be considered a luxury. ey are basic needs every family utilizes in their home every day. To see utility companies like NYSEG not address that need and propose double-digit price hikes to their services is deeply disappointing.

e proposed rate hikes are not insigni cant: NYSEG has put forth a 14.9 percent increase for gas and a whopping 34.9 percent for electricity. Such an increase will put countless families underwater, nancially. So many households across the county already struggle to pay their bills through no fault of their own. e proposed hikes will do nothing more than worsen the nancial burdens faced every day by working families in our community.

It’s time to address this problem head-on. We must hold utility companies accountable. As the monopoly stakeholder of the Binghamton gas and electric market, NYSEG has an obligation to its customers to provide their services at a reasonable price and to deliver high-quality and consistent customer service.

I, along with my colleague Assemblywoman Dr. Anna Kelles, have written a letter to Governor Hochul and the chairman of the State Public Service Commission, calling on them to reject NYSEG’s proposal. Many households are only just beginning to nd nancial stability in the post-COVID era. We must empower

A DIFFERENCE IN RESPONSE TIMES

continued from page 5

May 18 on Slaterville Road in Brooktondale which destroyed the entire second story of a home. e re occurred on a ursday a ernoon while many volunteers for the Brooktondale department were working their full-time jobs. Vann said, “ e Brooktondale Chief knew his resources could be thin, so he requested Ithaca to respond immediately a er his department was dispatched.”

and upli working families, not continue to create more nancial barriers as they struggle to make ends meet.

Additionally, it is important that utility customers receive quality service from NYSEG, and it would not be unreasonable to assume higher rates would mean improved service. e Department of Public Service’s O ce of Consumer Services is currently investigating monopoly utilities for egregious billing errors. One residential customer even reported their home was billed $68,000. e companies’ own president has called the billing problems a “storm,” that despite the companies’ claims of progress, shows no signs of abating. With recurring transparency issues and other errors, we cannot possibly allow a rate increase to be granted.

As the State Senator representing Broome, Tompkins and Cortland counties, I am committed to holding utility companies accountable to their customers, the public. To best do that, I want to hear directly from my constituents. I’ve created a short survey to collect information on the impact rising utility costs have had on residents. My goal is to address our community’s needs head-on and ensure more equitable access to public utilities.

Senator Lea Webb chairs the Senate’s Women’s Issues Committee. She served on the Binghamton City Council before being elected to represent the 52nd district of the NY State Senate, which includes Cortland County, Tompkins County, and part of Broome County.

According to Vann, because the Ithaca department has a full-time staff they were “able to get right out the door and to the scene just before the other units.”

e three fatal res that occurred earlier this year were all responded to solely by volunteer departments. It remains unclear why the response plans mentioned above were not put into action at these res.

Vann said that “two of them were in

Rehabilitating the Relationship Between the Police & Public

By Matt Dougherty

On June 21, the Ithaca Police Benevolent Association and the New York State AFL-CIO Social Justice Task Force held a community forum at the Southside Community Center to discuss improving engagement between law enforcement and community members, as well as diversity in the Ithaca Police Department, reimagining public safety, and community policing.

e New York State AFL-CIO created the Social Justice Task Force in August 2020 in the wake of the murders of George Floyd and Brianna Taylor at the hands of law enforcement. e moderator of the forum and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer, Reverend Terrence L. Melvin, said the task force was created to reconnect the labor movement with social justice movements

across the country. It is focused on bringing change to Ithaca to help foster improved relationships between the community and members of Ithaca’s police force.

Melvin said that the task force is a “group that pulls together like-minded people to look for real solutions to the problems that are being identi ed across the country.” He added that the forum was organized to bring di erent perspectives together to identify issues in policing that are happening in Ithaca and to “come up with a plan of attack on how to deal with them.”

e forum involved a question and answer process including a panel of community members, Ithaca Police O cers, and a representative from the New York State Police. e panel consisted of Calvary Baptist Church Pastor Reverend Nathan Wright, Community Police Board member Richard Onyejuruwa, President of the Ithaca PBA Tom Condzella, Secretary and LGBTQ+ Liaison at IPD Mary Orsaio, and President of the New York State Police Investigators Association and member of the AFL-CIO Social Justice Task Force Tim Diamond.

According to Melvin, the forum represented the beginning of a process that will involve a series of events that will take place across New York State and the country that will be focused on improving relationships between law enforcement, the labor movement, and the communities they serve.

A common theme among the panelists associated with law enforcement was a desire for relationship-building, trust, and transparency. On several occasions they talked about how the history of policing has negatively impacted marginalized communities.

Condzella said that, “Police O cers have been used to return slaves to their

owners, they’ve been used to disrupt protests of other union workers…I think there needs to be some acknowledgement of that.

e panel responded to several questions regarding what they believe are the barriers to positive police-community relations and what steps can be taken to eliminate them, what reimagining public safety in Ithaca looks like and what they see as their role in making it happen, as well as how the community and police can better support eachother.

at history is real, and it’s going to take work for us to overcome that history.” He added, “We’re here to listen and be more attentive to our community to break down barriers… [we’re] here to acknowledge some hard truths.”

Diamond said that one of the biggest barriers is “preconceived notions from everyone involved.” He continued saying that those preconceived notions can come from both community members and the police, and that they can only be overcome by increased communication between the police and the communities they serve.

Event moderator and AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Reverend Terrence L. Melvin said that the forum represented the first step in a series of events that will be focused on improving relationships between law enforcement and the public.

(Photo: Stella Frank)

The Southside Forum panel featured Calvary Baptist Church Pastor Reverend Nathan Wright, Community Police Board member Richard Onyejuruwa, President of the Ithaca PBA Tom Condzella, Secretary and LGBTQ+ Liaison at IPD Mary Orsaio, and President of the New York State Police Investigators Association and member of the AFL-CIO Social Justice Task Force Tim Diamond. (Photo: Stella Frank)

“Police Officers have been used to return slaves to their owners, they’ve been used to disrupt protests of other union workers…I think there needs to be some acknowledgement of that. That history is real, and it’s going to take work for us to overcome that history.”

— President of the Ithaca PBA Tom Condzella

According to Onyejuruwa barriers are o entimes related to a lack of resources. “Ultimately it comes down to what the resources are and what is possible…It’s hard to accomplish goals when you don’t have the resources you need to accomplish them,” Onyejuruwa said.

Orsaio agreed, saying that a lack of resources can be seen in the sta ng shortages the department has been dealing with for years. As a result of these sta ng shortages she said that o cers are not getting out of their patrol cars and talking to people, and that new o cers hired during the pandemic don’t do as much foot patrol.

According to Orsaio, “since we are so low sta ed there isn’t as much time for foot patrol and that hurts community relations…A lot of our current o cers are missing out on the opportunity to really get to know who they’re serving.”

Condzella said that having personal relationships that lead to communication is the best way to break down barriers. However, he mirrored the previous statement from Orsaio saying that the department has lost a lot of units that engaged in community functions. According to Condzella, IPD was sta ed with more than 80 o cers in the late 1990’s and now has just 44.

Pastor Wright said that one of the biggest barriers relates to previous negative interactions with law enforcement among community members. Wright explained

that he still worries every time a cop comes by because he witnessed a situation where the police pulled over his brother and pointed a gun at him in his own driveway in the 1990’s. According to Wright, barriers partly exist due to current relations but they also come from previous experiences that can’t be changed.

Regarding what reimagining public safety looks like in Ithaca, Pastor Wright referenced one of the 18 recommendations that came out of the initial reimagining working group saying that he views reimagining public safety as the creation of an unarmed force that exists to handle things that don’t need to escalate to a response from armed ocers. He added that his role involves doing the best he can to make sure that his congregation is familiar with o cers and that community members are involved in the process.

Condzella said that he views reimagining public safety as an opportunity to engage in dialogue with people with di ering opinions. e process began with former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issuing Executive Order 203, which required every local government in the state to adopt a policing reform plan. Despite having some disagreements with how the process was rolled out, he says that most o cers agreed with all the recommendations made by the reimagining working group with the ex-

ception of recommendation number one, which was seen by law enforcement as an attempt to abolish the local police department.

e backlash over recommendation number one stemmed from a 2021 Gentlemen’s Quarterly (GQ) article that claimed Ithaca was planning on “abolishing the city’s police department as currently constructed and replacing it with a reimagined city agency.” e article started the reimagining process o on a shaky start, and the city has worked to re ne the plan in the years since. e reimagining work plan adopted by the Common Council in April included ve recommendations, none of which called for abolishing the police.

Orsaio agreed that the rollout of the process could have been handled better, but said that in her view reimagining public safety is about making sure that citizens from marginalized communities are receiving fair treatment from the police. Orsaio, who is one of the few openly gay members of local law enforcement, referenced the 1969 Stonewall riots saying that “police ofcers were dragging people out of a nightclub simply because of their sexual orientation, so when the executive order came out I knew where it came from and why it was important.”

According to Orsaio, the plan has a lot of great components and patrol o cers are looking for more information about what working under a co-response model with unarmed responders would look like. She added that a common opinion among patrol o cers is “if we can receive some help, let’s move forward.”

Pastor Wright responded saying that “if there’s so much agreement about the ma-

jority of [the plan] then guring out how to push forward would make the most sense.”

Orsaio said that one way the department is working on moving forward is by “getting o cers involved in divergence” through the Law Enforcement Assistance Diversion Program (LEAD) which “diverts what would be arrests to outreach workers.” According to Orsaio, these are programs that with more resources and more community involvement, we can really get the ball rolling.”

While working with programs like LEAD represent a step in the right direction, it still involves an initial response from armed o cers. In order for unarmed responders to be dispatched independently, similar to the CAHOOTS Program in Eugene Oregon, Orsaio said that there would need to be an entire system change from the 911 Call Center.

According to Orsaio, under the current structure the system is set up to dispatch armed o cers to all 911 calls because there is not a classi cation system that dispatchers can be trained to follow to help them decide whether a call requires an armed or unarmed response. “ e Sheri ’s Department is working on a co-response model which is going to classify di erent calls… but IPD does not have that yet due to our sta ng resources,” Orsaio said.

ere is currently no plan to develop a system where unarmed responders are dispatched independently of armed police. Even under the co-response model being developed by the county unarmed responders and the police would respond to calls together.

President of the Ithaca PBA Tom Condzella said that many officers agree with the reimagining public safety work plan, despite having disagreements with how the process was “rolled out.”

(Photo: Stella Frank)

Reverend Nathan Wright said that some barriers to improving relationships with police stem from negative experiences that individuals have with law enforcement.

(Photo: Stella Frank)

The Southside Community forum drew the attention of dozens of residents who want to be more involved in the process of rebuilding the relationship between law enforcement and the community they serve. (Photo: Matt Dougherty)

“if there’s so much agreement about the majority of [the plan] then figuring out how to push forward would make the most sense.”

— Reverend Nathan Wright

continued from page 7

the middle of the night or early morning hours when volunteers are at home asleep and have to get up, get out of the house, and to the station,” before arriving at the scene. He continued saying, “ is could be seen as a delay but in reality, units were on scene within 10 minutes of being dispatched.” e other deadly re occurred on a Saturday a ernoon and also saw units arrive on the scene within 10 minutes.

According to FEMA, the nationwide 90th percentile response time to structure res is less than 11 minutes. “While these times may seem delayed, especially by those who are waiting for departments to arrive, they fall around the national average,” Vann said. Despite achieving response times that fall within the national average, the departments were not able to save the lives of three individuals. Vann has said that the county “extends our condolences to those victims and their families,” and that “being involved in multiple incidents where there has

been a loss of life can take a toll on an individual.”

He continued by saying that “being a volunteer re ghter is tough, but the heart and dedication of these individuals to serve their community is strong.”

According to Vann, the number of people who are able or willing to dedicate the time required to become volunteer re ghters is decreasing. He says that this is not a unique issue to Tompkins County but that it’s being seen across New York State and around the country. “I know every volunteer department would welcome more members,” Vann said.

Tompkins County Legislator Lee Shurtle , who represents the town of Groton, said that sta ng volunteer re departments is a “continuous challenge.” While he says the sta ng levels in Groton are “good” and “solid” he said that “a lot of the smaller re departments and rescue squads, the more rural ones, are really struggling to get numbers.”

According to Shurtle , rural communities are struggling to adequately sta their volunteer departments as a result of “the transiency of the county changing things a lot in recent years.” He explained that “when I joined the service 35 years ago, a lot of the re departments had second, third, fourth generation volunteers and families that were deeply rooted in the communities and you see that turning over and it’s not quite the same as it was.”

Shurtle added that the major factor that results in rural communities relying on volunteer departments rather than career departments comes down to the communities “tax base and property tax dollars.”

“In order to have a career department, the payroll that comes with it and the facilities that are needed to house career type people are just beyond what most smaller communities can a ord to do,” Shurtle said.

Shurtle said that in recent years, Groton has moved towards professionalizing their ambulance service, even though they still rely heavily on volunteers. He said that Groton has hired three full time life support personnel such as paramedics and repair technicians, as well as a “handful of per diem paramedics.” According to Shertle , payroll for these positions costs the Town and Village of Groton more than $300,000 — which is roughly equivalent to 80% of the ambulance budget.

Despite continuing to rely on volunteers to ll the gaps, Shurtle says that Groton’s tax base is better able to support the cost associated with moving towards a career ambulance service than towns like En eld, New eld, or Danby.

e federal government has grant programs that can assist rural communities to hire more re ghters such as the SAFER grant. However, Shurtle said that the problem with those grants is that they fund on a one, two, or three year basis and require that communities continue funding the positions themselves a er the grant expires. Due to the structure of the grant, “a lot of communities just couldn’t apply because they couldn’t guarantee that they’d be able to continue funding the paid positions a er the grant period,” Shurtle said.

Let’s Play Two!! One?? Please?

Summer Girls Softball Finding it Difficult to Field Teams

By Steve Lawrence

For a score and four years, I was very connected to the regional so ball community. e Ithaca Youth Bureau’s Dessie Jacobs League gave the girls a solid start, enabling them to play up through ninth grade, as I recall, and for a time (around 2008-09), there was a Babe Ruth so ball league.

Around 2004, I signed one of my daughters up to play for the Ithaca Diamonds — a short-lived travel team that played in a big tourney in Oswego and a couple other places — and then we joined up with teams based in Owego, and Elmira.

For the past 15 or so years, we spent most of our summer weekends at tournaments in Binghamton, Elmira, Horseheads, Syracuse, Rochester, and the girls got to know — and connect with — their extended so ball family.

ere is a vibrant online so ball community, with programs from all those places posting updates about their fund raising events, roster updates, tournament results and all manner of other so ballrelated activities. Curiously absent from the online and the actual so ball communities: players from Ithaca.

I am well aware that in the spring and summer, Ithaca is a lacrosse town. It is amazing — and puzzling — that there are not a few dozen girls passionate enough about so ball to eld at least one team each at the 12U, 14U, 16U and 18U levels.

Gordy Begent coached the Ithaca High Little Red so ball team for a dozen years (up until 2022), and he knows the challenges of elding serious so ball teams.

“About six years ago, (so ball dad) Al Plue and I started the Little Red So ball Club, and while it started out great, it was hard to keep it going. e numbers just weren’t

Vital for Life

by Betsy Schermerhorn Director, Marketing and Admissions

XEROSTOMIA

Xerostomia, or dry mouth, is common among older adults and is typically associated with decreased salivary gland function. Causes of xerostomia in older people have been attributed to medications, allergies, chronic disorders such as diabetes, cancer treatments, poor dental health, and mouth infections. If left untreated, dry mouth can contribute to problems including halitosis, trouble chewing and swallowing, mouth sores, and damage to the hard and soft tissues of the mouth.

ere are habit and lifestyle changes that older adults can take to help prevent and alleviate xerostomia. Proper hydration, breathing through the nose instead of the mouth, quitting smoking, reducing intake of coffee and alco-

hol, and utilizing a humidifier at night are known to be beneficial.

Because the onset of dry mouth is typically slow, it often goes unreported by patients. Many elderly patients suffering from dry mouth don’t report it to their physician until their saliva levels drop by 50 percent. e goals of treating xerostomia include identifying the possible causes, stimulating saliva production, restoring oral moisture, easing discomfort, and preventing complications like periodontal infectionsCall the marketing team at (607) 266-5300 to schedule a tour to see our facilities and learn more about lifecare at Kendal at Ithaca. Find us on the web at http://kai.kendal.org/

P.S. A lack of saliva can lead to tooth decay.

what we would have liked to have seen, and creating that level of interest was just too challenging.” Predictably, maintaining a solid core of coaches is di cult as well — as girls age out, their dads (or moms) that serve as coaches move along as well. Begent also works for the Ithaca Youth Bureau, as is thus connected to the pipelines of several sports. He said, “Some of the Dessie Jacobs coaches have expressed an interest in nding more games, and

many of us would love to have more girls interested, but the trend has been moving downward for years.” His frustration clear, he said, “When our high school team would travel to other towns — like Elmira, Owego or Union-Endicott — they sometimes felt like outcasts, as most of the girls on those teams knew many players on other teams, because they played

Before disbanding, the Little Red Softball Club gave local girls many opportunities to up their game. (Photo by Maria Muscente)

Glimmerglass: Season of Traditions and Changes

Near Cooperstown, Six Weeks of Hall of Fame Opera

By Jane Dieckmann

Every summer the Glimmerglass Festival produces a variety of superb shows, many familiar, some unknown. Four mainstage productions, held in the Alice Busch Opera eater on Otsego Lake north of Cooperstown since 1987, follow a traditional pattern—two wellknown, usually 19th-century works, one from the American musical theater, one from the Baroque period. e festival blossomed since 2010 under the leadership of artistic and general director Francesca Zambello. Noted for inventive ideas and for inviting re ection on relevant social problems, she commissioned and promoted many contemporary works. During the pandemic the Festival survived, even thrived.

Zambello announced her retirement last year. Her successor is Robert (Rob) Ainsley who has dazzling credentials. is, his rst season, re ects many of these traditions. It opens on July 7 with La bohème by Giacomo Puccini—it was the company’s very rst show, held in the Sterling Auditorium of the Cooperstown High School in 1975. is is the company’s 5th presentation and follows the 2016 version directed by Zambello. On the podium is Nader Abbasi, who was contracted by Ainsley Born in Cairo in 1968, he studied in Geneva and Paris, and has led many performances in this country. Soprano Teresa Perrotta returns to Glimmerglass in the role of Mimi, while British tenor Joshua Blue plays Rodolpho, shortly a er

singing the role in Opera Philadelphia’s recent production. Young Artist (YA) Emilie Kealani is Musetta and guest artist, bass-baritone Stefano de Peppo, who played Petronio in Tenor Overboard last year, returns in the double role of Benoit and Alcindoro. is story of young love, of creative and nancial struggles, of sad farewells and nal separations makes it one of the most beloved operas in the entire repertory. It is a treat for both newcomers and regulars alike.

e other 19th-century standard opens on July 15. It is Romeo and Juliet, by Charles Gounod in a co-production with Washington National Opera. Glimmerglass music director, Joseph Colaneri, will conduct. is unforgettable love story, based on Shakespeare’s tragedy, will follow a contemporary production created by Zambello. Directing is Simon Godwin, from the Shakespeare eatre Company in Washington. Tenor Duke Kim, from the Washington National Opera Young Artist program, makes his Glimmerglass debut as Romeo. A er his stint here, he sings in October with the Irish National Opera in Dublin. Magdalena Kuzma, currently in the Met’s Lindemann Young Artist program, makes her debut here as Juliet. Stefano de Peppo is also in this production as Count Capulet.

Setting Shakespeare to opera means cutting the story to concentrate on the two young lovers and their warring families. But what remains is radiantly beautiful music for excellent singers. is production, led by a highly experienced conductor, should provide a memorable experience.

From the American musical theater comes Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, opening on July 8. Conducted by Colaneri, former YA tenor Brian Vu, who was in the ensemble in the 2015 production of Candide returns to the role. Previously at Glimmerglass in Camelot in 2013, he was Georgio in Fedora last season at the Met. Soprano Katrina Galka, known for her coloratura, appears as Cunegonde. In the

central role of Pangloss/Voltaire, Broadway star Bradley Dean makes his rst appearance at Glimmerglass. He has gained a reputation for Broadway performances since 2000, and also as Sir Galahad in Monty Python’s Spamelot.

Candide rst opened on Broadway in 1956 and since then has gone through many changes and revisions. e Final Revised Version, was done by Bernstein himself in 1989, and its popularity has increased over the years. Based on the short satirical novel of the same name, published in 1759 by famed 18th-century philosophe Voltaire, the story follows the lives of Candide and his sweetheart Cunegonde, both being educated by Dr. Pangloss, to believe in the philosophy of optimism, which told them that they lived in the best of all possible worlds. ey are banished from their homeland and travel the world, acquiring companions and facing calamities, horrible injuries, separation, con icts, wars. e question raised is why be optimistic when the odds are stacked against you. Ultimately they all settle quietly on a plot of land, learn to be useful, and cultivate their garden—a moral for us all, conveyed in the nal glorious chorus, Make Our Garden Grow.

e music for Candide is lively and inventive, Bernstein at his best. e familiar overture is a staple in the orchestral repertory, and Cunegonde’s aria Glitter and Be Gay requires singing that will knock your socks o . When

& Entertainment

This season the decades-old Glimmerglass Festival debuts new leadership and pays tribute to old favorites

Goofiness is Next to Godliness

Campy Xanadu Rolls Into Cortland Rep

By Bryan VanCampen

On one hand, a musical like “Xanadu!” should not work at all. A er all, this is a show based on a critically panned 1980 Olivia Newton-John movie that, when it played on a double bill with the Village People bio-pic “Can’t Stop the Music”, inspired the creation of the Golden Raspberry Award, recognizing the worst lms of the year; it currently holds a 30% “Rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.com.

On the other hand, you’re better o improving something that didn’t work the rst time than remaking something that the world considers a timeless classic. As an example, Frank Oz took an unwatchable 1964 Marlon Brando-David Niven comedy called “Bedtime Story” and turned it into the much funnier “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” (1988).

And so, CRT’s production of “Xanadu!” nds the comedy and joy in the kitsch of nostalgia. throws in a slew of Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra hits, and winds up with a silly, sexy and super uous evening’s entertainment rmly in the CRT camp mode of previous hits like “Mamma Mia!” and “Five Guys Named Joe”.

e show opens in Venice Beach, California circa 1980 with naive, struggling artist Sonny Malone (Andrew Burton Kelley) putting the nishing touches on a chalk mural depicting the Greek Muses. Despondent, he decides to kill himself. Meanwhile on Mount Olympus, the beautiful Greek muse Clio (Shelby Zimmerman) convinces her sisters (two played by men) to journey to Venice to save Sonny and inspire him to create a performance space and roller disco called…Xanadu!

Sonny and Kira pay a visit to corrupt nancier Danny Maguire (Paul Weagra ) to nd funds to x up the club, and it turns out that Maguire has a previous history of lost love and magic. e other muses in Kira’s gang are: Melpomena (Aubrey Alvino), Euterpe (Mia Caslowitz), Calliope (Jessica Cerreta), Erato (Breanna Lemerise), alia (Michael Hartman) and Terpsichore (Trevor Shingler).

Shelby Zimmerman gets triple credit, rst for her ne singing; she gets lots of laughs in the way that she sings some of Newton-John’s more melodramatic phrasing. Second, she also has a hilarious Australian accent, and third, by the way, she’s doing all this of this while zipping around the stage at Little York Lake wearing roller skates.

Douglas Carter Beane’s 2007 adaptation is ahead of the curve in the ways that it uses meta humor to explain a fairly ludicrous plot line, and somehow, a pile of ELO pop tunes that were never meant to establish or carry a narrative work perfectly. I’ve always adored ELO since my cousin Tianna turned me on to “A New World Record” (1976), so it was great hearing so many old favorites like “Strange Magic” and “Have You Ever Been Mellow?”

In particular, Aubrey Alvino, Jessica Cerreta and the Sirens really make a meal out of “Evil Women”; Ceretta is a riot, scat-singing all the song’s iconic guitar breaks.

Choreographer Bryan Knowlton, co-directing with CRT Artistic Director Kerby ompson, favors stylized over-

the-top moves with a lot of comedy in them; there were a few moments where the music overpowered the cast’s vocals, but Shoshana Seid-Green’s music direction has a rock n’ roll edge. And the sets by Rozy Isquith and costumes by Clara Jean Kelly have a real sense of wit and whimsy. Isquith and Kelly get the joke. is show shouldn’t work, But as all consumers of dairy products know, there’s good cheese and bad cheese. CRT’s “Xanadu!” is great cheese.

Xanadu!

Through June 30

Cortland Repertory Theatre

24-26 Port Watson St, Cortland, (607) 756-2627

book by Douglas Carter Beane, based on the Universal Pictures lm, music and lyrics by Je Lynne and John Farrar. Codirected by Bryan Knowlton and Kerby Thompson; choreography by Bryan Knowlton; music direction by Shoshana Seid-Green; scenic design by Rozy Isquith; costumes by Clara Jean Kelly; lighting by Matthew Webb; properties by Taylor Barr.

Music by Elton John

Book and lyrics by Lee Hall

Greek Gods, roller disco and a remake of an Olivia Newton John bomb — what could go right?

31 ST ANN U AL

JULY 16-19 4 DAYS BEFORE THE FESTIVAL IN TRUMANSBURG, NY

6th

Donna the Buffalo • Watchhouse • Sona Jobarteh • The Mavericks

Kabaka Pyramid • Rising Appalachia • DakhaBrakha • Jupiter & Okwess

Ryan Montbleau band • Keith Frank & The Soileau Zydeco Band • Jimkata

The Legendary Ingramettes • The Flying Clouds of South Carolina • Driftwood

Jose Albizu Jazz Trio • Machaka • Sim Redmond Band • Pine Leaf Boys

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad • Sophistafunk • Cortadito

The Campbell Brothers • Preston Frank & His Zydeco Family Band

Keith Secola & His Wild Band of Indians • Dirk Powell Band • Moontee Sinquah

Maddy Walsh & The Blind Spots • Gunpoets • Jim Lauderdale • Sihasin

Walter Mouton & The Scott Louisiana Playboys • Dirty Blanket

The Comb Down • The Rollin' Rust • SingTrece & Stone Cold Miracle

Double Tiger • Mosaic Foundation • Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno

Living Arts Dancewave • Richie & Rosie • DJ EvoEvolution • Tyler Westcott

Shawn Seals & SMX • Motherwort • Kevin Kinsella • Maddy Walsh

Vicious Fishes • new planets • Gravestone Glue • Luke G & The Candyhearts

Jones Benally Family Dance Troupe • Thousands of One • Back Step Band

Drank the Gold • Rose & The Bros • Newtown Creek • Empire Kings

Johnny Dowd • Tenzin Chopak • Ithaca Underground w/ Microbes Mostly, S00P, & Glitter Skulls • Laila Belle • Max Childs • Timbo • KidBess & The Magic Ring

Hank Roberts • December Wind • Johnny Nicholas • Cooke Family Singers

The Grady Girls • Rye Makepeace • The Original Dead Sea Squirrels

Yet To Be Gold • Fall Creek Brass Band • Uniit Carruyo • Traonach

Bronwen Exter • Nery Arevalo •

Tale of Lost Cat

Arthaus Exhibition Commemorates Lost Cat, Empowers Artists

By Christopher Walker

On walks through downtown Ithaca, it’s hard to miss the litany of painted murals, street art, and gra ti lining the walls of the city’s many buildings authored by the expansive community of artists and creatives who call Ithaca home. e rst inaugural Arthaus Residents and Allies Exhibition, organized by e Cherry Arts, Inc. is providing a space for such artists while commemorating the work and life of an icon of the Ithaca art scene, Lost Cat.

e rst inaugural Arthaus Residents and Allies Exhibition is a gallery of artwork completed by residents of the Ithaca Arthaus Apartments and members of the

Open Art Hive, an inclusive and exible art studio that relies on donated materials. Other communities represented by the art in the exhibition include unhoused community members, established artists, and Arthaus sta and volunteers.

Katie Sims, the marketing coordinator of e Cherry Arts, remarked on the exhibition’s ability to provide its artists with meaningful validation.

“ e Cherry Arts’ role in [Ithaca Arthaus Apartments] is to o er [arts] spaces and arts programming,” Sims said. “ is exhibit is a really exciting opportunity where we’re really ful lling that part of our role in the building by o ering anyone who lives here, or friends, or people who come to the archive an opportunity to show their art in a public professional gallery.”

During the exhibition’s opening, which was held June 16th, the artists and other

Residents and Allies Exhibition

attendants came together in ways that the organizers did not predict. For instance, one artist, Gerry Monaghan, joined by others, began making chalk art in the rain just outside of the gallery. Another artist drew on found pieces of paper, which they placed around the exhibition like gra ti tags.

Samuel Buggeln, the founder and current artistic director of e Cherry Arts, drew a distinction between the Arthaus exhibition and more formal art shows. Unlike many of its counterparts, the rst inaugural Arthaus Residents and Allies Exhibition encourages spur-of-themoment actions from its attendees, which may otherwise be seen as disruptive.

“Someone was taking little pieces of paper and doing quick gra ti hits, and just tucking them [into places],” Buggeln said. “So it became… [a] responsive, in a moment, creative space … we don’t see that sort of thing when we [bring] in a fancy artist from New York to show their work.”

e overarching sense of spontaneous expression was tting given the intention of the organizers to commemorate the late

Ithaca street artist Gavin Mahoney, better known by his alias, “Lost Cat.” Mahoney was an Ithaca local, known for his ubiquitous street art of a stick- gure cat to which he owes his nickname. Over his time in Ithaca, Mahoney sprayed Lost Cat gra ti tags all across the city, on countless walls, street signs, and sidewalks, among other make-shi canvasses. Mahoney’s art is propagated throughout Tompkins County, reaching areas such as Taughannock Falls, Groton, and even Cornell University, per an interactive map website that locates and logs his tags.

On a wall of its own hangs two of Mahoney’s prints, with his signature Lost Cat icon at the center of each one. A blurb situated next to the pieces calls Lost Cat “a powerful symbol of the celebration of individuality,” a claim bolstered by the panel completed by those Mahoney le behind in a tribute to his impact. Covering a wall of the exhibition sits a mural board in honor of Mahoney completed by his close friends.

Continued on Page 19

Candide was last done at Glimmerglass, Cunegonde was portrayed by Kathryn Lewek, who seemed to e ortlessly sang e Queen of the Night’s two hair-raising arias in this season’s Met production of e Magic Flute.

Candide is fun, and funny, and the music is delightful. But at the same time this operatic experience does encourage re ection about our world today, with its wars and widespread destruction. What might we do to help? Candide closes the festival on August 20.

e Baroque-period opera, Rinaldo by George Frideric Handel, does not begin until July 28, due to previous commitments of its star performer and this season’s Artist-in-Residence, famed countertenor Anthony Roth Constanzo (ARC). An early success, it was rst performed at the Queen’s eatre in London in 1711, but not seen in the United States until 1973. is is the rst appearance at Glimmerglass, and the rst production mounted by Rob Ainsley It features two countertenors, two sopranos, and a host of minor characters, such as spirits, fairies, and soldiers. e Spectator review in London described it as lled with thunder and

lightning, illuminations, and reworks.

e story follows the rst Crusade, with the Christian armies in battle with the Saracens. ere are warring armies and a characters ghting among themselves. It would not be possible to describe the complexities of the plot. Brie y, the Christians win, the characters resolve their con icts, the Furies are vanquished.

On the podium is conductor Emily Senturia, who in 2018 made her debut at the Houston Grand Opera, where she trained. Singing the major roles are ARC as Rinaldo, along with sopranos Jasmine Haberstam as Almirena and YA Keely Futterer as Armida. Both played major roles in “Tenor Over-

board” last season. As Go redo, countertenor Kyle Sanchez Tingzon, a native of the Philippines who trained in San Francisco, makes his Glimmerglass debut. e production will combine brilliant music with some ingenious stage directing by Louisa Proske, who came from Berlin to education at Yale, and is praised everywhere. It will be fun to witness this spectacle.

e Festival also presents the annual Youth Opera, the world premiere o e Rip Van Winkles, by Ben Norris and Laura Fuentes. Two projects called Love & War and An Evening with Anthony Roth Costanzo will be At the Pavilion. Also scheduled are festival luncheons and dinners.

The Cherry Arts Residents and Allies exhibit inspired surprising participation by citizen artists

Graffiti or Art? Lost Cat tags were commenplace during the life of Gavin Mahoney

Le Café Cent Dix

With Good French Food at Reasonable Prices, Café Cent Dix Gives 110 Percent

By Henry Stark

When I see a limited menu, I expect the food to be exceptionally good. e person who purchases the ingredients, and the cooks and chefs who prepare them, can hone their skills, night a er night, by concentrating on a few selected items.

I’m happy to say that the sta of the French restaurant, Le Café Cent Dix, which is located on Aurora Street, on “restaurant row” in the heart of downtown Ithaca meet these standards. Working on just ve entrées and a daily special, they consistently produce beautifully prepared and attractively presented main courses, “Plats Principaux”. And if you’d expect a French restaurant to be expensive, this one isn’t as these entrées range from $26-$34.

So, when the food is good, and the prices are reasonable, what else can we look for? e atmosphere. at too gets high marks. ere’s not much one can do to decorate a long, narrow building with a brick wall, however the opposite wall is virtually covered with thirty-two mirrors of various shapes and sizes. And the management has created an attractive bar which seats six and provides a comfortable venue to have dinner. e so , quasi-industrial overhead lighting adds a nice touch. e one issue I have with the ambience is that the restaurant can be noisy. at brick wall, the other wall with mirrors just steps away, and a tile oor are unforgiving.

One of the Plats Principaux is Roulade de Poulet. You probably already know that poulet in French is a young chicken that weighs less than about four pounds (we refer to them as fryers and broilers) however you may not be familiar with roulade which means the chicken is stu ed and rolled. is chicken was roasted and lled with very al dente peas, bacon, and a few cooked radishes. e roll had been sliced into ve very manageable pieces and cooked perfectly: tender and juicy.

On a recent Tuesday evening I ordered the Plat du Jour, Duck Con t. Con t means the duck was cooked in its own fat however it wasn’t “fatty”. Au contraire, before it was cooked it was seasoned with a rub consisting of salt, herbs, and spices and unfortunately, I found the dish quite salty. e leg and small thigh were served in a bowl over a mixture of onions, chopped kale, bacon, chard, and tiger eye and marrow beans all blended into a lovely thick sauce.

One of the ve Plats Principaux is Roasted Lamb Loin which consists of ve generous slices of lamb loin and a portion of lamb neck. e cooks’ preparation default point on the loin is medium rare to rare and it’s tender and tasty and topped with a sweet potato puree, fennel, and a rich gravy. I expected the neck to be tough and chewy: it wasn’t. It was wrapped in Swiss chard and braised. e braising process acted as a tenderizer to the point where I could easily cut it with a fork.

e ursday evening special is Moules

Frites which is mussels with French fries. Mussels are usually served in a white winebased broth…. this dish was a bit di erent and I really liked it. I received a dozen and

a half tender mussels, in their shells, in a creamy sauce made with white wine, leeks, spring onions, and green garlic. e server told me the accompanying dip for the fries was a “garlic aioli” which was redundant as aioli is a thick garlic mayonnaise. e aioli was tasty and a welcome touch compared to ketchup o en served with fries by some other restaurants.

ere are ve dessert choices, each at $8, and Purity Vanilla Ice Cream at $6. I’ve enjoyed the apricot frangipane tarte, served very cold, with a robust almond avor.

e wine list is extensive, and some readers may consider prices a bit high with glasses from $11-$16 and bottles ranging from $40-$180. On my limited budget I gravitate to wine “on tap” where I found a glass of a pleasant Sauvignon Blanc blend for $10.

Le Café Cent Dix’s formula of putting all their e ort into a limited menu is working. ey are serving some of the best dinners in the Ithaca area.

Café Cent Dix

110 Aurora Street, Ithaca

5:30-9 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

(607) 319-0750

TID BITS:

• The restaurant is relatively small with six booths that can seat four, and a few tables. Consequently, they do not accept reservations.

• The rest rooms are “one seaters” and very small.

• Cent Dix in French is 110 and the address is 110 N. Aurora St.

Café Cent Dix is appropriately at 110 Aurora Street on Ithaca’s restaurant row

On Thursdays, Café Cent Dix flexes its mussels

ITHACA’S JULY 4TH CELEBRATIONS

continued from page 3

and gluten-free options at these Ithaca favorites.

Sweet Melissa’s Ice Cream at Shortstop

Deli — so serve on W Seneca St in Ithaca

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

“ e biggest mistake was the Commons!” — Judy Scott

Purity Ice Cream — scoops available, ice cream sandwiches and other treats on Cascadilla St in Ithaca

Cayuga Lake Creamery — creative avors such as Red, White & Blueberry located inside the historic Dewitt Mall in downtown Ithaca, and on State Rt 89 in Interlaken.

o cials who should be balanced and grounded will accuse you of Trumpism and bigotry.” — David J. Lee

LET’S PLAY TWO!! ONE?? PLEASE?

continued from page 12

in tournaments with and against them for years. In Ithaca, that’s the way it is with other teams — like lacrosse — but not with so ball. We are isolated in that sense.”

TALE OF LOST CAT

continued from page 16

“

ere’s a Town Planning board to address here

ere’s the extreme dysfunction of our common council and its ability to not be a perpetually incompetent and incohesive vehicle, serving semblances of thought as OPPOSED to its many diverse residents. Gah, three colleges here and NOBODY thought about o ering potential grad students incentives to come back and forge their practices here once done with post grad? We don’t like multiple choices for pediatrics, pediatric dentistry, etc… ere’s a broader issue that remains unspoken of here and should you question or challenge it, EVEN our public

“I grew up in Ithaca. Like many, I couldn’t wait to get out of my hometown. Got a job that requires a lot of traveling. Been everywhere in the USA. Funny thing, I couldn’t wait to get back home a er a while. Ithaca has its issues but it’s still an oasis in the middle of an upstate desert.” — Eli Sixtytwo

“ is article delivers a multifaceted and insightful perspective on a city that presents both opportunities and di culties. I do notice, however, a divergence of opinions among the generations commenting on it. As someone belonging to the “sandwich” generation, I notice that younger individuals seem to resonate with the article, whereas older ones might miss some of its salient points.” — Svetla Borovska

Gordy understands the challenges associated with getting a young player on a travel team. “Parents have to drive an hour or so each way — two or three times a week — for practices and games,” he o ered. “It’s not easy.” He also understands that travel teams are the key to building successful high school programs, and when the Little Red would take the eld against teams like — say, Maine-Endwell — seven or eight of the nine girls on the eld for the opponent were travel team players. Girls who play only high school ball play about 15-20 games per year. A travel team player can easily get in an additional 30-40 games per year, which is, obviously, the equivalent of two extra seasons of experience.

In Begent’s words, “I still love so ball, and and I’ll continue working with the Dessie Jacobs coaches to build opportunities. If there is a commitment, we’ll try to build a program to help them.”

Although this is only the rst of many Arthaus Residents and Allies Exhibitions, Buggeln, Sims, and Jen Pearcy-Edwards, general manager of e Cherry Arts, are already considering the formatting of future exhibitions. Learning from the unprompted activities that artists engaged in during the exhibition’s opening reception, e Cherry Arts team hopes to give presenting artists more freedom of expression in exhibitions to come.

is year, e Cherry Arts organizers printed out info cards about art pieces on behalf of the exhibition artists. In the future, however, Pearcy-Edwards is looking into giving artists creative freedom over that part of the curation process as well.

““We don’t have to force that structure onto a show like this that wants to be very responsive to quick artistic impulses,” Buggeln said. “So I think [it] will be really exciting to be able to make [the exhibition] even more exible than it was this year.”

Christopher Walker is a reporter from the Cornell Daily Sun working on e Sun’s summer fellowship at e Ithaca Times.

Music

Bars/Bands/Clubs

6/28 Wednesday

Free Concert on the Village Green: Chasing Neon | 6:30pm| Homer Village Green. Rain location is Center for the Arts

Deep Dive House Big Band hosted by Professor Greg Evans | 7 p.m. | Deep Dive Ithaca, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd | Free

Midweek Melancholy with NFW and Friends | 8 p.m. | The Downstairs, 121 W. State St | Free

6/29 Thursday

Community Concert Series: Ariel | 5:30 p.m. | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Road

Downtown Ithaca Summer Concert Series: Kitestring and Noon fteen | 6 p.m. | Bernie Milton Pavilion, Center Commons

Resonance: Jair-Rohm Parker Wells Plays Eberhard Weber’s “Pendulum” | 7 p.m. | The Downstairs, 121 West M.L.K. Jr. St. | $10.00 - $20.00

Lynn Drury | 8 p.m. | Deep Dive Ithaca, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd | $10.00

6/30 Friday

Friday Sunset Music Series - Delta Mike Shaw Band | 5 p.m. | Wagner Vineyards, 9322 State Route 414

Seneca Jam | 5:30 p.m. | Seneca Cheese Festival, 29 North Franklin Street | Free

THIS WEEK

Golden Hour Music Series: Mectapus | 5:30 p.m. | South Hill

Cider, 550 Sandbank Road

Friday Night Music - The Soul Benders | 6 p.m. | Hopshire Farm & Brewery, 1771 Dryden Rd

Whistlin’ Dyl | 8 p.m. | The Downstairs, 121 West M.L.K. Jr. St.

Kevin Kinsella: OG JBB w/ Roadman | 9 p.m. | Deep Dive Ithaca, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd | $14.00 - $20.00

The Destination | | Treleaven Winery, 658 Lake Rd | $10.00

7/1 Saturday

Alex Cano w/ Samuel B. Lupowitz Trio | 9 p.m. | Deep Dive Ithaca, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd | $10.00$15.00

The Village Swing Residency w/s/g

Dee Specker | | The Downstairs, 121 West M.L.K. Jr. St.

7/2 Sunday

Jazz Guitar Brunch with Dennis Winge | 10:30 a.m. | Antlers Restaurant, 1159 Dryden Rd. | Free

The DJ Cookout - Two Stages - All Day! | 12 p.m. | Deep Dive Ithaca, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd | Free

Jacob Merrill & Guests | 7 p.m. | The Downstairs, 121 West M.L.K. Jr. St.

7/3 Monday

Mondays with MAQ | 5:30 p.m. | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Road

7/5 Wednesday

Galactic Wednesday | 8 p.m. | Deep Dive Ithaca, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd | $5.00

Concerts/Recitals

6/28 Wednesday

Brig Juice Brass Band | 7 p.m. | Wells College Field House, 170 Main St. | Free

Concerts in the Park Kick O : The Kirby Band + Fireworks | 7:30 p.m. | The Hickories Park, 359 Hickories Park Rd., Owego | Free Jimmie Vaughan - SOLD OUT | 8 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St

6/29 Thursday

Jimmie Allen | 8 p.m. | Tioga Downs, 2384 West River Rd | $30.00 - $60.00

6/30 Friday

KROCK presents: Falling In Reverse With Special Guest Ice Nine Kills | 6:30 p.m. | St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, 490 Restoration Way | $25.00 - $299.00

The Rollin’ Rust w/s/g Annie Kath | 7 p.m. | Rose Hall, 19 Church Street | $10.00

7/1 Saturday

Counting Crows: Banshee Season

Tour with Dashboard Confessional | 7:30 p.m. | St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, 490 Restoration Way | $29.50 - $849.50

7/2 Sunday

Counting Crows: Banshee Season

Tour with Dashboard Confessional | 7:30 p.m. | Constellation BrandsMarvin Sands Performing Arts Center: CMAC, 3355 Marvin Sands Drive | $30.00 - $125.00

DOWNTOWN ITHACA CONCERT SERIES:

KITESTRING/NOONFIFTEEN

THURSDAY, JUNE 29TH AT 6:00PM

7/3 Monday

Trevor Hall and The Great InBetween with special guest The California Honeydrops|5:00PM| Lincoln Hill Farms, Canandaigua Weezer - Indie Rock Road Trip w/s/g Joyce Manor and Future Islands| 7 p.m. | Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center: CMAC, 3355 Marvin Sands Drive | $35.00 - $125.00

Symphoria Presents: Summer Concert | 8 p.m. | Emerson Park, 6914 East Lake Road, Route 38A , Elmira| Free

7/5 Wednesday

Free Concert on the Village Green: Molly & Merkley | 6:30pm| Homer Village Green. Rain location is Center for the Arts

Reverend Horton Heat & The Delta Bombers | 7:00 p.m. | 50Montage Music Hall, Chestnut St, Rochester

Stage

Xanadu | 6/28 Wednesday | Little York Lake Pavilion, 6288 Little York Lake Rd | This Tony-Award-nominated, roller-skating musical adventure is based on the 1980 cult classic movie starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly! Ends June 30th.

Drag Me To The Discothèque | 9 p.m., 6/30 Friday | Argos Warehouse, 416 E State St | Pride dance party and catwalk with DJ Sammy Jo and hosted by Femme de Violette! | $15.00

Poetry & Prose Open Mic Night | 7 p.m., 7/3 Monday | The Downstairs, 121 W. State St | Come share poetry, prose, share a story, perhaps a brief

performance or just to enjoy the night and meet others with a love for language and expression. Open to all! Song, show-and-tell, or some other kind of performance is welcome. | Free

Open Mic Stand Up Comedy Night

| 7 p.m., 7/4 Tuesday | The Downstairs, 121 W. State St | First and third Tuesdays of the month! Kenneth McLauren hosts Open Mic Stand Up Comedy Night at The Downstairs. | Free Dive Into Comedy | 7/5 Wednesday | Deep Dive Ithaca, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd | Your hosts for the night, Mike Stewart and Andre “Pnut” Williams, promise to keep your spirits a oat with their unique styles.

In the Woods | 7/5 Wednesday | Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, 6877 E. Lake Road | Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine take everyone’s favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, funny, surprisingly irreverent musical escapade.

Unnecessary Farce | 7/5 Wednesday | Little York Lake Theatre and Pavilion, 6347 Little York Lake Rd | A CRT “revival” of one of our most popular comedies! Two cops. Three crooks. Eight doors. Go!

Art

LIVED EXPERIENCE | 11 a.m., 6/28

Wednesday | Corners Gallery, Corners Gallery | Lived Experience features pastel landscape drawings by Diane Newton and oil paintings based on family photographs by Terry Plater. On view through July 29. | Free Hannah Law | Day to Day | 1 p.m., 6/28 Wednesday | The Ink Shop, 330 E. MLK/State St | Hannah Law’s art focuses on scenes from everyday life; countrysides from her hometown in upstate New York, wildlife, and domestic still lives. | Free

34th Annual Juried Photography Show | 12 p.m., 6/29 Thursday | State of the Art Gallery, 120 West State Street | 34th Annual Photography Show features artists from all corners of New York State. | Free Gallery Night (First Fridays in Downtown Ithaca) | 7/1 Saturday

| The History Center in Tompkins County, 401 East State Street | 6/2

Film

Awesomely Fab Movie Night at TCPL: To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar | 6 p.m., 6/29 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Join us at TCPL in June for a series of lms showcasing the LGBTQIA+ community. In To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything!

Movie Night: The Super Mario Brothers Movie | 7 p.m., 6/30 Friday | New eld Public Library, 198 Main Street | Super Mario Brothers Movie Fri, 6/30 7pm at New eld Public Library, 198 Main St, New eld + popcorn! Mario the plumber goes to Mushroom Kingdom to nd brother Luigi & save the world. PG. Info: 607564-3594 | Free

Cinemapolis

120 E. Green St., Ithaca

June 30-July 6. Contact Cinemapolis for showtimes. New lms listed rst.* Past Lives* |Nora and Hae Sung are two deeply connected childhood friends that were torn apart when Nora’s family emigrated from South Korea. 20 years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny. | 105 mins PG-13

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny* |Archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary artifact that can change the course of history. | 154 mins PG-13

Asteroid City |Following a writer on his world famous ctional play about a grieving father, who travels with his tech-obsessed family to small rural Asteroid City, to compete in a stargazing event. Only to have his world view disrupted forever. | 104 mins PG-13

Last Rider |The incredible story of the greatest cycling race in history, the 1989 Tour De France, and how American Greg LeMond faced down betrayal, childhood sexual abuse and death completing one of the most inspiring comebacks in history.| 98 mins PG-13

Spider-Man: Across the SpiderVerse | Miles Morales catapults across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must rede ne what it means to be a hero. | 140 mins, PG

MECTAPUS

FRIDAY, JUNE 30TH AT 5:30PM

Rd,

Bernie Milton Pavilion, Ithaca Commons | T-burg native and drummer extraordinaire, Phil Shay (pictured here with Noon fteen) brings both of his bands to the Commons for a terri c double-bill to kick o the holiday weekend!! (Photo: Provided)

South Hill Cider,550 Sandbank

Ithaca | A very special show for those who have been following the Ithaca music scene since the Clinton Administration. This is billed as the “Mectapus 26th Anniversary Reunion” show. Who knows when they will play together again? Don’t miss it! (Photo: Provided)

You Hurt My Feelings | A novelist’s long standing marriage is suddenly upended when she overhears her husband giving his honest reaction to her latest book. | 93 mins R

FingerLakes Drive-In

1064 Clark Street Road, Auburn Gate opens one hour before the movies begin. Schedule for Friday, 6/30 through Sunday, 7/2.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | (9PM) |See previous details.

Special Events

Groton Fireworks | 6/30 Friday | Groton Elementary School | The Village of Groton has a reworks display on Friday, June 30th at Groton Elementary School, sponsored by the Groton Fire Department. Food trucks and music will be on site for the event. | Free

Candor Fireworks | 6/30 Friday |

McNeil Pavilion/Ball eld | The Town of Candor has a reworks display on Friday, June 30th at dusk at the McNeil Pavilion/Ball eld on Route 96, as part of a weekend of events that culminates with a parade and chicken BBQ on July 4th. | Free

The Cincinnatus Rodeo | 12 p.m., 7/1 Saturday | Mark your calendars, the annual Cincinnatus Rodeo returns July 1 & 2. rnTickets: kids (15 and under) $10, Adults (16 and over) $15

Sterling Renaissance Festival | |

Saturdays and Sundays 10am-7pm, July 1-Aug 13. Rain or shine. The Sterling Renaissance Festival is one of the oldest and most successful producers of professional interactive entertainment in the world. | 15385 Farden Rd, Sterling

FIREWORKS! Cortland County

Independence Day Spectacular | 2 p.m., 7/1 Saturday | Dwyer Memorial Park, 6799 Little York Lake Road | Celebrate America’s Independence in Cortland County on July 2nd with the return of reworks at beautiful Dwyer Memorial Park in the Town of Preble.

rnCelebrate our return to tradition with

3AM Skate jam | 10 a.m., 7/2 Sunday | Eldridge Park, Eldridge Park Road |

3AMNY Skate Comp is a street skateboarding contest that is open to all participants at all skill levels | Free Fireworks! | 8 p.m., 7/2 Sunday | Clute Park | The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a reworks display at Clute Park o Route 414 at the southern end of Seneca Lake on Sunday, July 2nd, with their event starting at 8pm. | Free

4 on the 4th Road Race | 8:30 a.m., 7/4 Tuesday | Visions Federal Credit Union, 3301 Country Club Rd., Endwell| The 2023 “4 on the 4th Road Race”, presented by Visions Federal Credit Union, returns!

Community Fireworks | 9 p.m., 7/4 Tuesday | Taughannock Falls State Park | The Inn at Taughannock Falls overlooking the west side of Cayuga Lake con rms they are once again hosting a reworks show for the community on July 4th, starting at around 9:40pm. Paid parking and a great view of the show will be available at Taughannock Falls State Park.

Cortland County Junior Fair 2023

| 7/4 Tuesday | Cortland County Fairgrounds, 4301 Fairgrounds Drive | Visit and see the hard work ethic of the agriculture families and 4-H kids that showcase their hard work, all striving for excellence.

Books

LGBTQ+ Fiction Writing Workshop | 5:30 p.m., 6/28 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | This practical workshop will help you develop a work-inprogress or begin a new project in a safe, encouraging environment.

Aaron H. Arm Book Launch | 12 p.m., 7/1 Saturday | Bu alo Street

DRAG ME TO THE DISCOTHEQUE

FRIDAY JUNE 30TH AT 9:00PM

Books, 215 North Cayuga Street | Join Aaron H. Arm at BSB for the launch of his new novel, The Arti ce of Eternity. | Free

Kids

TCPL Robotics Club: Autonomous Robot Racing | 4 p.m., 6/29 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | It’s robot racing time! TCPL is inviting youth 8+, Teens, and families to a weekly robot race in the Makerspace!

Journey of Water - Down the Drain and Into the Lake | 10 a.m., 6/30 Friday | City of Ithaca Wastewater Treatment Facility, 525 Third St | Take a tour of the City of Ithaca Wastewater Treatment Facility and learn where water goes when you ush the toilet or wash your hands. Register at communityscience.org/4h2o/ | Free

Somewhere WAY Over the Rainbow | 10 a.m., 6/30 Friday | Sciencenter, 601 1st Street | An extraordinary multi-sensory art installation created by Ivy Stevens-Gupta. This unique STEAM project aims to engage and inspire individuals of all abilities, including those with vision or hearing loss, mobility issues, and neurodiversity. Free with admission.

Summer Baby Storytime | 10:30 a.m., 6/30 Friday | Tompkins County

Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Caregivers and their babies are invited to join Cassie for songs, rhymes, movement and books at the park next to the Henry St. John Building at 301 S. Geneva St.

Running to Places presents HONK!

| 7 p.m., 6/30 Friday | New eld High School Theatre (Newly renovated and air-conditioned!), 247 Main St. | FREE MUSICAL PRODUCTION! | Free

Lego Club | 10 a.m., 7/1 Saturday | Ulysses Philomathic Library, 74 E Main Street | Drop in and show o your building skills at this open Lego build. For children of all ages. | Free

Summer Family Storytime | 11 a.m., 7/1 Saturday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Children of all ages and their caregivers are invited to celebrate reading and build their early literacy skills every week at Family Storytime!

Families Learning Science

Together | 1 p.m., 7/1 Saturday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street |

Notices

Trumansburg Farmer’s Market | 4 p.m., 6/28 Wednesday | Trumansburg

Farmers Market | Live music schedule: 6/28: Venissa Santini; 7/5: Cap Crooke&Mike Shaw | Free T-burg Farmers Market: | 4 p.m., 6/28 Wednesday | Trumansburg

Farmer’s Market, 69 W. Main St | Live music each Wednesday thru October.

Mindful Living Toolkit | 6 p.m., 6/28 Wednesday | Lifelong, 119 W. Court St. | This 6-week class o ers tools to manage stress more e ectively. Includes a toolkit of basic mindfulness practices drawn from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course, weekly (in-class) check-in, group support and techniques for tapping nature’s resources to optimize well-being. | $150.00

Bridge Club of Ithaca | 10 a.m., 6/29 Thursday | Bridge Club of Ithaca, 16 Cinema Drive |

Candor Community Farmers Market | 3:30 p.m., 6/29 Thursday | Candor Town Hall Pavilion, 101 Owego Road | Montour Falls Farmers Market | 4 p.m., 6/29 Thursday | Fireman’s Field, 301 Clawson Blvd | Local Produce,

cheese, owers, food, live music, community resources & more!

The Psychology of Spending with Visions Federal Credit Union | 5:30 p.m., 6/29 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Join us during Summer Spending Month for a presentation all about learning the psychology behind your everyday spending.

Ithaca Young Professionals - Friday Night Social | 7 p.m., 6/30 Friday | Liquid State Brewing Company, 620 W Green St | Come socialize with other young professionals in the Ithaca area & make new friends! | Free Botanic Gardens Highlights Tour | 11 a.m., 7/1 Saturday | Cornell Botanic Gardens, 124 Comstock Knoll | Take a relaxing stroll with a Garden Guide through the gardens around the Nevin Welcome Center and discover the beauty and diversity of our cultivated plant collections. Tours are o ered every Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m., June 17 through October 1. | Free Candor Community Chorus: “Hear America Sing” | 7 p.m., 7/1 Saturday | Candor High School | Directed by Jewel Gri th, the chorus will ring in Independence Day with a series of numbers highlighting the annual 4th of July celebration, as well as the usual recognition of veterans who have served, and those who are currently serving in the military. | Free Ithaca Chess Club | 12 p.m., 7/2 Sunday | DeWitt Mall, 215 N. Cayuga St | Lake Monitoring Cruise | 2 p.m., 7/2 Sunday | On the MV Teal at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market, Steamboat Landing - 545 3rd Street | Hop on board the MV Teal to learn know more about Cayuga Lake and get involved in lake monitoring activities. | Free

Participatory Contra Square Circle Dancing on the Commons | 6:30 p.m., 7/3 Monday | Trolley Circle | Downtown Ithaca Farmers Market | 3 p.m., 7/4 Tuesday | DeWitt Park | Visitors can shop for seasonal produce, locally-raised meat, dairy, cheese, and other fresh or prepared grocery items as well as local art and gifts, and enjoy a hot meal. EBT/SNAP cards can be used for eligible purchases from vendors. | Free Public Works | 7 p.m., 7/5 Wednesday | The Downstairs, 121 W. State St. | Public Works is free event in the style of Nerd Nite but designed just for Ithaca! | Free

FIREWORKS! CORTLAND COUNTY INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECTACULAR

SATURDAY, JULY 1ST. FESTIVITIES

BEGIN AT 2:00PM. FIREWORKS WILL BEGIN AFTER 8:00PM.

Warehouse, 416 E State St, Ithaca |

out Pride

Dwyer Memorial Park, 6799 Little York Lake Road, Preble | There will be lots of reworks displays going on in and around our area over the next several days. In addition to the Cortland Spectacular, Groton and

Argos

Close

month with a dance party featuring DJ Sammy Jo (pictured) spinning the best of Disco House! Dress to impress for a catwalk show at 11PM and be greeted by your host, Femme de Violette. (Photo: Provided)

Candor will be the rst local shows on the 30th, Watkins Glen on July 2nd, and Taughannock Falls State Park in T-burg on the 4th. (Photo: Provided)

Classifieds

Internet: www.ithaca.com

Mail: Ithaca Times Classified Dept PO Box 27 Ithaca NY 14850

Town & Country In Print | On Line | 10 Newspapers | 59,200 Readers 277-7000

Phone: Mon.-Fri. 9am-5pm Fax: 277-1012 (24 Hrs Daily)

In Person: Mon.-Fri. 9am-5pm 109 North Cayuga Street

NEW AUTHORS WANTED!

DENIED SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY?

APPEAL! If you’re 50+, filed for SSD and denied, Our attorneys can help get you approved! No money out of pocket! Call 1-877-707-5707

DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER?

You may qualify for a substantial cash award - even with smoking history. NO obligation! We’ve recovered millions. Let us help!! Call 24/7, 1-888-553-5089

DIRECTV

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM!

Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk

DON’T PAY FOR COVERED HOME REPAIRS AGAIN!

American Residential Warranty covers ALL MAJOR SYSTEMS AND APPLIANCES. 30 DAY RISK FREE/ $100OFF POPULAR PLANS Call 877-707-5518 Monday-Friday

8:30am to 8:00pm EST

FREE AUTO INSURANCE QUOTES

for uninsured and insured drivers. Let us show you how much you can save! Call 855-569-1909

HOME HEALTH CARE

SAVE BIG ON HOME INSURANCE!

Compare 20 A-rated insurance companies. Get a quote within minutes. Average savings of $444/ year! Call 855-391-2786! (M-F 8am-8pm Central)

805/Business Services

BCI WALK IN TUBS ARE NOW ON SALE!

Be one of the first 50 callers and save $1,500! CALL 844-514-0123 for a free in-home consultation.

100/Automotive DRIVE OUT BREAST CANCER:

Donate a car today! The benefits of donating your car or boat: Fast Free Pick-up - 24hr Response Tax Deduction - Easy To Do! Call 24/7: 855-905-4755. (NYSCAN)

Page Publishing will help you selfpublish your own book. FREE author submission kit! Limited offer! Why wait? Call now: 833-403-2202

Professional now! Now offering grants & scholarships for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! (844) 947-0192 (M-F 8AM-6PM ET) (NYSCAN)

400/Employment

HELP WANTED

200/Buy

/ Sell / Trade

1999 VOLVO DARK GREEN

V70 automatic for sale. Leather heated seats, sunroof, excellent condition. No rust. Well-maintained. Only 3rd owner. 276k miles. 3200 $ cash only. Serious inquiries only. Oboratav@gmail.com

We are looking for Personal Assistant to perform a variety of administrative tasks and supportive roles. Humble applicant and must be over 20 yrs of age. If you are interested and need more information please send resume via email to: (excellenceservicess@consultant.com )

LUCAS VINEYARDS

Is hiring outgoing people to work in the tasting room of Cayuga Lake’s Oldest Winery. Full & Part Time positions. Apply online at www. lucasvineyards.com or pick up an application in person at 3862 County Road 150, Interlaken, NY.

600/Rentals

BEAUTIFUL 3-BEDROOM, 2-BATHROOM

garage Ithaca home with very nice garden. Buffalo and Corn street. Excellent heating, low utilities. 2000 $ and utilities. oboratav@gmail.com

New 2-Year Price Guarantee. The most live MLB games this season, 200+ channels and over 45,000 on-demand titles. $84.99/mo for 24 months with Choice Package. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918.

DIRECTV SATELLITE TV SERVICE

Starting at $64.99/mo For 24 mos, Free Installation! 165+ Channels Available. Call Now For The Most Sports & Entertainment On TV! 855401-8842.

DISH TV $64.99 FOR 190 CHANNELS + $14.95

High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 1/21/24. Call 1-866-566-1815

In your own home. I’m Tommy I have been doing home health care for over 23 years. I do all health care showers, hygiene, meds, appointments, cooking, cleaning, run errands, shopping. ect. If needed you can contact me at 607-377-6770

PAYING TOP CA$H FOR MEN’S SPORT WATCHES!

Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Patek Philippe, Heuer, Daytona, GMT, Submariner and Speedmaster. Call 888-320-1052

BEST SATELLITE TV

With 2 Year Price Guarantee! $59.99/mo with 190 channels and 3 months free premium movie channels! Free next day installation! Call 888-508-5313 (NYSCAN)

FINANCES

ARE YOU BEHIND $10K OR MORE ON YOUR TAXES? Stop wage & bank levies, liens & audits, unfiled tax returns, payroll issues, & resolve tax debt FAST. Call 888-869-5361 (hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm PST) (NYSCAN)

300/Community GRANTHAM UNIVERSITY

Online Degree Programs. MastersBachelors - Associates. Flexible schedules. Affordable tuition. Engineering, Business, Health & Science. MILITARY FRIENDLY! To learn more, call: 888-494-3350. (Mon-Fri)

MEDICAL BILLING AND CODING

TRAIN ONLINE TO DO MEDICAL BILLING! Become a Medical Office

Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months! Call 855-543-6440.

(M-F 8am-6pm ET) Computer with internet is required. (NYSCAN)

420/Computer

800/Services

$10K+ IN DEBT?

Be debt free in 24-48 months. Pay a fraction of your debt. Call National Debt Relief 844-977-3935.

BEHIND ON YOUR MORTGAGE PAYMENTS?

Threatened with foreclosure? Denied a loan modification? Let us help! Call the Homeowner Relief Line to speak with a mortgage specialist. 855-721-3269

ROOF ? WINDOWS ?

Do you need a Roof or Energy Efficient Windows & Help paying for it? YOU MAY QUALIFY THROUGH NEW RELIEF PROGRAMS (800) 9449393 or visit NYProgramFunding.org to qualify. Approved applications will have the work completed by a repair crew provided by: HOMEOWNER FUNDING. Not affiliated with State or Gov Prgrams. (NYSCAN)

SHOWER & BATH UPDATES

Updates in as little as ONE DAY!

Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime Warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 866-393-3636 (NYSCAN)

1000/Real Estate for Sale

MOTIVATED SELLER:

44 Mohawk Way, Elizabethtown, NY

Adirondack Mountain Home overlooking village.Stunning attention to details, blazing internet, close to I-87 and Ferry to Vermont. Christine Benedict, 518-593-0533 or Christine.adkrealtor@gmail.com

BackPage

AAM

ALL ABOUT MACS

Macintosh Consulting

http://www.allaboutmacs.com

(607) 280-4729

ANIMALS

LAND & SEA

FingerLakesAnimalRights.org

CLEANING SERVICES

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL JANITORIAL* FLOOR * CARPET

INDEPENDENCE CLEANERS CORP

607-227-3025 / 607-697-3294

FLYITHACA.COM

Convenient-Clean-Connected

Get e Ithaca Times

Mobile App

Available in Appstore & Google Play

For rates and information contact front@ithactimes.com 277-7000

ITHACA NEWS

Delivered to your inbox every day

Ithaca Times Daily

Text ITHACA to 22828 to Sign up

LAMP REPAIR

Call Steve 607-351-3540

LOOKING FOR WORK

WE ARE HIRING VISIT US ONLINE www.wgaforchildren.org or call 607-844-6460

THE WILLIAM GEORGE AGENCY

Boost your Business is Summer! Call Larry at 607-277-7000 ext: 1214

Find out about great advertising ad packages at: Ithaca.com & Ithaca Times

Men’s and Women’s Alterations for over 20 years

Fur & Leather repair, zipper repair.

Same Day Service Available

John’s Tailor Shop

John Serferlis - Tailor

102 e Commons 273-3192

PIANOS

Rebuilt, Reconditioned, Bought, Sold, Moved, Tuned, Rented

Complete Rebuilding Services

New, Used & Vintage Instruments & Accessories

ITHACA GUITAR WORKS

DEWITT MALL

607-272-2602

No job too big or too small

Ithaca Piano Rebuilders (607) 272-6547

950 Danby Rd, Suite 26 South Hill Business Campus, Ithaca

Ooy’s Cafe & Deli 201 N. Aurora Street

Ithaca, NY 14850

(607) 319-4022

** Peaceful Spirit

Tai Chi **

Yang style all levels

Fridays 3-4 pm

at NY Friends House 120 3rd St., Ithaca 607-272-0114

REAL LIFE CEREMONIES

Every life story deserves to be told, and told well.

Steve Lawrence, Celebrant 607-220-7938

WEGMANS FOOD MARKET

NOW HIRING

607- 277-5800

500 S. Meadow St., Ithaca

JOB.WEGMANS.COM