March 8, 2023

Dr. Nathan Sitaraman — Democrat, 3rd Ward

David Shapiro — Democrat, 3rd Ward

N EWS LINE

Department of Public Works Union Approves Labor Contract

By Matt Dougherty

Aer months of deliberation and a changing of the guards on the city’s negotiating team, the CSEA union representing sta at the Department of Public Works (DPW) has come to an agreement with the city to approve a new labor contract that won’t expire until December 31, 2025.

e Common Council o cial approved the contract at their March rst meeting.

Last fall, the CSEA DPW union made the decision to vote down the contract that was o ered to them because it was “not a good o er” according to DPW Superintendent Mike orne. orne said that following that decision many of those union members addressed the Common Council with their concerns in November, 2022.

Despite the setback that came as a result of comments from City Attorney Ari Lavine comparing the union members to an angry mob, orne said “many of those members expressed their concerns and their voices were heard.” He continued saying that signi cant changes to the original contract have been made and that the end result is

“a very good labor contract” that the DPW union “overwhelmingly voted in favor of.”

According to orne, “this contract xes long standing problems that past union contracts have le unsolved.”

CSEA labor relations specialist, Stephanie Engster, who represents two bargaining units in Tompkins County and two units in the City of Ithaca, said “the CSEA DPW bargaining unit reached a tentative agreement with the city in September of 2022. However, that agreement was rejected by a large majority of DPW union members.”

Engster continued saying that, “In January 2023, the city and CSEA went back to the bargaining table with the city’s newly constituted bargaining team.” e city’s bargaining team was led by Jim Romer, Earl Ready, Michelle Nunn, Mike Perhanic, and recently appointed Chief of Sta Deb Molenho . e CSEA-DPW union met with the new bargaining team twice before agreeing to the new contract. According to Engster, “the rst meeting was to go over the issues that led to the rst tentative agreement not being rati ed.” She also said that issues regarding recruitment and retention issues at DPW were discussed.

Engster continued saying that during the second meeting, “the city negotiating team responded to our concerns with an o er that was very di erent from the rst set of agreements.” A er seeing these changes, union members agreed to the contract.

In a recent interview, Mayor Laura Lewis said that the new contract focuses on recruitment and retention of workers while also addressing issues of low morale. “ is new contract addresses those three most important items: recruitment, retention, and reward,” said Mayor Lewis.

Regarding the contract approval Fi h Ward Alderperson and Mayoral candidate, Robert Cantelmo, said that he was “extremely heartened to ratify the new labor

agreement for the CSEA-DPW group.” He continued saying, “ e agreement was overwhelmingly supported by both the bargaining unit and Council, and recognizes their hard work and the needs of our labor force. Our employees are the beating heart of the City and are central to what makes this community a wonderful place to live.”

In a statement from the Ithaca Public Workers Coalition — which represents the City Executive Association, Ithaca Professional Fire ghters Association, the CSEA-DPW Unit and the CSEA-Administration Unit — DPW Unit President Justin Perkins said that their negotiating team “concentrated on bringing our lowest paid employees to a livable wage and we feel good that we achieved that goal.”

Perkins continued saying that the DPW Unit “entered into a two-year contract with the City that o ered retro percentage adjustments, COVID-19 based payments, clothing, boot and tool allowance, paid CDL license renewals and much needed increases in pay.”

Even though the contract was approved, orne told the Common Council that some people who were not a liated with the union attempted to convince union members to vote against the contract.

According to orne, “people outside of the DPW union tried very hard to in uence union members to reject the contract.” He

Continued on Page 4

The City’s Special Committee on Reimagining Public Safety has released a draft report work plan and will be holding a public hearing at 6pm on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, Council Chambers, 3rd oor City Hall, 108 E Green Street.

All interested parties will be given an

opportunity to be heard and may choose to attend the public hearing in-person, register to speak remotely here, or comment on the report using this comment card. You may also submit a written comment in person, or via mail to the City Clerk’s O ce, 108 E Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850.

All written comments and requests for virtual comment must be received by 3pm on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.

Hard copies of the report can also be obtained at the City Clerk’s O ce. Additional questions can be directed to Melody Faraday at mfaraday@cityo thaca.org

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CSEA-DPW Unit members have come to an agreement with the City on a labor contract that will not expire until December 31, 2025. (Photo By: Casey Martin)

The DPW union agreed to a two-year contract with the City that offered retro percentage adjustments, COVID-19 based payments, clothing, boot and tool allowances, paid CDL license renewals and much needed increases in pay. (Photo By: Casey Martin)

PHOTOGRPHER Q A

By Josh Baldo

Ithaca Good Cause Eviction Held Up by NYS

By Matt Dougherty

During the public comment portion of the March rst meeting of the Ithaca Common Council, current Deputy Director at the Southside Community Center, Kayla Matos, addressed the Common Council about the necessity for local leaders to pressure representatives in Albany to pass the Good Cause Eviction bill.

In the past, local housing activists in Ithaca have pressured the Common Council to pass a Good Cause Eviction bill of their own but their e orts have been unsuccessful as the city has awaited the opinion of the Attorney General’s o ce regarding whether or not the city had the authority to preempt state rental laws. As a result, the bill has been stalled in the Planning and Economic Development Committee for over a year.

e city of Ithac is a city of renters. According to a report sponsored by the Ithaca Tenants Union and the Democratic Socialists of America, the city has an estimated 7,300 renter households — that’s approximately 70% of the city. Among those, more than 50% are cost burdened meaning that they spend more than 30% of their monthly income on rent and 35% are severely costburdened meaning they spend more than 50% of their monthly income on rent. is shouldn’t come as a surprise since it’s no secret that housing prices in Ithaca are astronomically high. For example, according

to a report by Dwellsy — the largest rental listing site in the country — as of February 2023 the median price for a one-bedroom apartment in Ithaca was $2,003 a month.

A one-bedroom apartment in Ithaca at fair market value should cost around $1,127 a month according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

ese sky high prices are cause for concern for tenants who haven’t seen their wages increase with the cost of housing.

In a blow to the desires of housing activists in Ithaca cities across New York State, on March 2nd the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court in Albany ruled that local Good Cause Eviction laws are preempted by state law, meaning that they can only be passed at the state level.

Following this decision, Campaign Coordinator for the group Housing Justice for All, Cea Weaver, said “In July 2021, Albany became the rst city in New York to take decisive action to protect tenants from unfair evictions and exorbitant rent hikes by passing common-sense Good Cause legislation. Now, thousands of families could lose their homes.”

While this prevents the city of Ithaca from acting to protect renters before the state does, supporters of Good Cause Eviction like Kayla Matos say that it’s important for local leaders to show support for the legislation because “most of the people in Ithaca are tenants and by supporting this bill you are showing our community that you are standing with them.”

Matos continued saying that as a tenant living in an area without Good Cause Eviction laws in place, she has been subject to the anxiety of having to worry about not having her lease renewed even if she is not breaking any rules of the lease. Matos says that if Good Cause Eviction legislation were in place, renters would have to allow tenants to renew their leases unless the tenant was breaking the contract.

In response, Alderperson Cynthia Brock said that even though the city hasn’t passed Good Cause legislation it ensures tenants similar protections through the Emergency Tenant Protection Act, which was approved by the Common Council in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. e ETPA appoints two tenant representatives, two owner representatives, and ve “public” members who determine what a fair rental increase is every year. In many cases in other communities that’s somewhere around 1-3% annually. It Requires landlords to keep all equipment and services in good working order, gives tenants in ETPA-quali ed units the right to lease renewal, and it outlines that enforcement and regulation is handled by the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal, which has the power to reduce rents and sue landlords for civil penalties payable to tenants.

According to the Ithaca Tenants Union and the Democratic Socialists of America, the ETPA would protect roughly 1,900 of the city’s 7,300 renters from rent increases from landlords. at’s a step in the right direction, but advocates of Good Cause Eviction legislation say that their bill would guarantee protections to all renters who don’t break their leases.

LABOR CONTRACT

continued from page 3

continued saying that he understood the motivation behind the scare tactics that attempted to get employees to vote against their own interests, but that he was glad that the DPW union members were not persuaded.

Engster added that “there was a printed document prepared by another city bargaining unit member that was titled ‘vote

no on a new tentative agreement’.” Engster said that she has “never encountered this type of behavior” in all of her experience in dealing with bargaining units.”

Engster said that it is fortunate that “DPW members saw through the negative propaganda fueled by members of other bargaining units” and that she thanks Mayor Laura Lewis and the new negotiating team for “listening to our members’ and providing a meaningful response to their concerns.”

While the CSEA-DPW Unit and the City have successfully come to an agreement on a labor contract, the Ithaca Professional Fire ghters Association and the Executive Association both remain without a labor agreement. President of the Ithaca Police Benevolent Association and member of the Ithaca Public Workers Coalition, Tom Condzella has said that he is happy for CSEA-DPW Unit but that “there is much more work to be done.”

– Suzanne S.

– John H.

– Jim H. “This

–

– Natalie L.

Deputy Director at the Southside Community Center, Kayla Matos. The New York State Working Families party has endorsed Matos to represent Ithaca’s 1st Ward on the Common Council.

Housing activists in Ithaca protest in favor of Good Cause Eviction in front of City Hall

UPS DOWNS& Ups

Dead & Company will play a bene t concert at Cornell’s Barton Hall on May 8th, 2023. The event has been scheduled to commemorate the groups historic performance at the same location on May 8th, 1977.

Downs

The AudienceView online ticket sales vendor Cornell uses for athletics theater, and special events has left ticket buyers with compromised credit cards, and has left Cornell unable to sell tickets online until further notice.

HEARD SEEN&

Heard

Preparing for Take Off

Airport Sets Sites for Recovery

By Andrew Sullivan

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly diminished the level of air travel domestically. In January 2020, United States airlines averaged about 2.5 million passengers per day, but by the time the virus rolled in that spring, that number dropped to 100,000, an astounding 96-percent decrease.

On the local level, the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport went from averaging 400 travelers to 20 during that time period, a decrease of 95 percent. Another signicant blow came this past September when American Airlines cut its service with the airport entirely due to the ongoing pilot shortage. ough it has experienced tough times as of late, the airport is looking and preparing to rebound.

We’re trying to build that back,” Airport Director Roxan Noble said at a town hall on March 2. “ is is hard; this isn’t going to be easy. It’s not something that can happen overnight. So we’re working to not only increase our relationships with our current airline partners, but talk to new airlines. Getting the information out of why Ithaca? Why should they service Ithaca?”

From 2021 to 2022, as travel demand rose, major airlines hired regional jet pilots to y for their larger places, o ering them three times the level of pay regional pilots earned in 2019, according to Matthew Colbert, an air service development

consultant. is ultimately led to airlines grounding half of their smaller (50 seat) jets because they no longer had enough pilots to y the smaller aircra s.

“So it solves the problem; it’s now a more attractive career,” Colbert said at Wednesday’s meeting. “But the 50 seat jet that ew to Ithaca, suddenly the pilots make three times as much so it’s a lot more expensive to operate.”

“Charlotte, we loved; it’s a very popular route,” he said. “It took too many hours for the pilots to y, and we’re in a competition with other communities. Stillwater, OK … is paying American Airlines four million dollars to y there, to here, to Dallas. … Ithaca is not in this situation because of the strong economy and the level of travel here. But that is something that’s out there, and the airlines are aware of; they’re being paid to y there.”

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines still service the airport because they are committed to the market, so long as it remains at a level of pro tability that is appealing to them, according to Colbert.

“It kind of becomes a cycle of the more you y, the more ights that are served here,” he said. “More seats, lower fares.”

In 2022, the airport issued a community survey on what are the most important factors for travelers when choosing an airport. Out of roughly 500 respondents, 74 percent said price was the most important factor, followed by proximity to the departure airport (57 percent). Eighty-two percent of respondents preferred taking morning ights - 41 percent for 6 to 8 a.m. ights and 41 percent for 8 to 11 a.m. ights - over ights later in the day (18 percent for a er 11 a.m.).

e plan to attract more ights to the airport, according to Josh Nalley, Airport Deputy Director, is simple: expand what we have.

“ e goal is, of course, more frequency, more seats in the market, raise our price down, we ll them up, and everything grows at that point,” Nelly said.”

“To get [airlines] to the table to listen to us for an hour is tough,” he said. “So we’ve had ve other airlines actually speak with us. We have a couple meetings coming up in the next month. We’re hoping that we can push out the big news that Delta is gonna go back to Detroit and keep us at JFK. United is gonna go back to Dallas, and maybe another carrier comes back.”

Nalley also mentioned that 2023 was the rst time in the airport’s history that it had to go to the Tompkins County Legislature for nancial assistance. e legislature allocated $2.7 million over a three-year period to help fund the airport.

County Legislator Mike Lane said he and the rest of the legislature is committed to the airport.

“We need this airport because we are a global community,” Lane said. “ at’s why when the airport came to us and said we needed some money this year … we said yes, we have to support this, and we have to help them build up again.”

Lane said residents can assist in the airport’s recovery individually.

“ ink about ying here instead of ying in Syracuse,” he said. “ ink about the extra money and the extra time and the extra lousy road up … [Route] 81 on cold wintry nights. … You are our best ambassadors.”

The City of Ithaca is seeking community input on the recruitment process for the next Chief of Police. The city has scheduled two virtual community events where members of the public can provide input regarding the qualities and characteristics sought in the next Chief of Police. The events are scheduled for Saturday March 11, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Monday March 13, 2023, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Seen

During the March rst Common Council meeting Acting Chief Rob Covert was unanimously chosen as the new permanent Chief of the Ithaca Fire Department.

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

Should Ithaca change the way it fills vacancies on the Common Council by holding a special election instead of filling the position through an appointment process?

9.1% Keep appointment process the same.

18.2% Change process to special election.

72.7% Fill vacancy through American G ladiator-style competition.

Do

Visit

Airport Director Roxanne Noble says that the airport is working on making a comeback. (Photo Credit: Andrew Sullivan)

Air Service Development Consultant Matthew Colbert says that as travel demand increased from 2021 to 2022, major airlines hired regional jet pilots offering them three times the level of pay they earned in 2019. (Photo Credit: Andrew Sullivan)

Congress Must Act to Protect Reproductive Freedom

By Josh Riley

Last summer, the Supreme Court decided Dobbs v. Jackson, which overturned Roe v. Wade and tossed aside nearly y years of legal precedent establishing a woman’s constitutional right to make her own reproductive healthcare decisions. In Dobbs, the Court ruled that politicians may ban or signi cantly restrict access to abortion–even in cases of rape or incest and even when the mother’s life is at risk.

At the time, I argued that the Court’s decision undermined the Constitution’s guarantees of liberty and equality, and I set forth a legislative and regulatory plan of action to protect abortion access in a post-Dobbs world. I also urged the U.S. Justice Department to defend women’s access to abortion medications that were approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, including by challenging the constitutionality of con icting state laws if necessary. ose legal actions are important because abortion medications–which are approved for the rst ten weeks

Gun Factory Smokestack & Lake Street Public Park

of a pregnancy–are used in about half of all abortions today.

In the months since Dobbs was decided, various legal developments have only con rmed the urgency with which action must be taken to protect women’s access to abortion medications.

Almost immediately a er the Dobbs ruling, congressional Republicans introduced legislation that would impose a nationwide ban on abortions (even as other Republican politicians denied they’d do so and incorrectly stated that Dobbs le the issue to the states, not Congress). Meanwhile, anti-choice groups have seized on Dobbs to le lawsuits to eviscerate women’s access to abortion even absent legislative action.

In one case, anti-choice groups and nearly two dozen Republican Attorneys General are asking a federal judge in Texas to impose a nationwide ban on abortion medications. e lawsuit ies in the face of both science (decades of which prove the medicines to be safe and e ective) and the

Continued on Page 19

By Carol Kammen

To the Ithaca City Mayor, Laura Lewis

And to the Ithaca City Common Council

Iam writing about the Ithaca Gun Factory smokestack and the proposed public park on Lake Street.

I nd the proposed park to be little more than an public nuisance and urge that this area not be highlighted as a public and tourist attraction.

I strongly support keeping the smokestack as long as it is maintained and poses no safety issues. e smokestack, with the large ITHACA GUN logo is one of the few reminders that the City of Ithaca and this area was built by working people.

e Gun Company began by producing high quality and unique hunting ri es that were used, in many cases, to bring home game that fed families. e company provided jobs that allowed workers to create families, buy homes, and feel a sense of pride in their work as it became a landmark company.

Ithaca was built by workers who dredged the creeks to contain ood waters, by those who toiled at the two glass companies, by the people who created bicycle chains, or made Ithaca clocks or airplanes. At one time workers in Ithaca built the village into a city with their labor and by creatively making improvements and they were able to live comfortably, raise families, see their children educated in our schools, support churches and fraternal lodges, enjoy our parks and open spaces.

ere is little today to mark those who worked to create the city that we now call home. eir gardens have been turned

into large structures created that provide little employment, their houses are torn down or have been converted into expensive apartments or parking lots, the products of their handiwork are disappearing.

at history is being obliterated as Ithaca more and more becomes a place too expensive for workers with low wages, and home ownership in the city declines.

Ithaca is famous for its quality of life, its educational institutions, for its full and rich cultural life led along the beauty of Cayuga Lake and the waters that feeds it. We celebrate all this, name streets for the famous, learn about the history of those who achieved fame in many elds.

We should also acknowledge that the word gun is not in itself bad, and the origin of the Ithaca Gun Company was to provide recreation and food enhancement. e Gun Company also, as did just about every manufacturing organization in the country, had government contracts during the two great wars of the 20th century.

To remove the unique smokestack because of the word gun is to attempt to erase the past, but in doing so, we also erase the working history of this community that allowed it to grow and prosper. We thrive on what the past has given us. To erase that is an attempt to cleanse our presence of a loaded word because of current di cult and tragic events, but it is also to erase the very past that has made the present possible.

Respectfully submitted for your consideration, Carol

Kammen

Equitable and Edible Farm School at Enfield

By Marjorie Z. Olds

Aparent reports "Beautiful things are happening with children and food at the Equitable and Edible Farm School at En eld.” In the few years Christa Nunez and her family have been in our community, we have been amazed at how many new engaging, sustainable programs Christa has fostered for people of all ages. Christa’s focus always includes kids and schools.

“It’s important to focus on what is happening at schools and to ll the everyday lives of children with fun and delicious opportunities to explore their interests, learn new things about new and wonderful people from all over the world. We can help kids get comfortable with interacting with and caring for plant and animal life, get the wind in their ears in ample free play, and get lled with yummy, nutritious, satisfying foods…What we learn sticks deeper and for longer when we are enjoying ourselves and pursuing what we are jazzed about. If we want to make big paradigm-shi ing changes in our education system, we have to do it on the ground, hand-in-hand with the learners, while supporting teachers in achieving their own classroom goals, in ways that support their personal growth and engage their classrooms.”

For two years Christa and her team have worked at the Equitable and Edible Farm School at En eld in En eld, New York. Created with much community support, children from elementary school through high school have been enthusiastic participants and counselors in this wild and wonderful school program.

“We have been growing and harvesting food, cooking together, caring for the chickens, experimenting with recipes from Ghana and the Dominican Republic. Celebrations are frequent… En eld Elementary School’s Celebration of Learning at the Farm brought families and friends together to meet Chacha, our lead farmer, culinary educator & musician at Equitable

and Edible Farm School at En eld, and savor his Ghanaian delicacies.”

As the En eld community has embraced the Learning Farm, the faculty and sta at En eld Elementary School have been busy with Christa, creating a curriculum. e Equitable and Edible Farm School at En eld Elementary School is a pilot program for the children of En eld. Christa described the collaboration of folks who have come together to make this new curriculum possible: Aileen Grainger and Keith Harrington of En eld Elementary and Mary Grover, Chief Inclusion O cer of ICSD. e Equitable and Edible Farm School at En eld is very excited that their new curriculum may become available in other local schools in the future.

e curriculum includes nature, animal husbandry, growing/cooking/preserving/ bottling food, to name a few highlights.

Christa tells us that all of these planned activities are aligned with the objectives of NYS’ mandatory curricular program Common Core. And the Common Core goals of equity and sustainability are the foundation of the daily plans. So helpful to live our beliefs in our daily lives, rather than just talk about them. Kids get it.

What one learns and does in rst grade, is the foundation for what is o ered in the second grade in this curriculum. And on up…As young people turn into teenagers, they will become the coaches and guides for those younger friends coming up behind them… Already that is happening in the En eld program.

Continued on Page 19

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Response to Tax Exemption for Volunteer First Responders

They're certainly no longer volunteers now that they're essentially being compensated with taxpayer money. ey're also incentivized to buy as much property as possible just like Cornell and IC do, since real property in and near Ithaca tends to appreciate, and these re ghters and EMTs can just sell it later in order to pro t from capital gains without ever having to pay any property tax along the way. What prompted this move? Was there a shortage of volunteers? I thought there existed other perks to being a volunteer like you could essentially live at the re station rent free.

Richard Ballantyne

Response to Tax Exemption for Volunteer First Responders

Congratulations is in order! is one of the better ideas I have seen come from a local government body. ese volunteers spend countless hours and training just to be prepared to serve , protect, and even save our lives. is will also provide a small incentive to help maintain sta ng. If these volunteers were being paid the going rates it would equate to way more than the 10% of what they will save in property taxes.

John Butler

Response to Cornell Tax Exempt Article

Margherita Fabrizio’s excellent February 15 article about Cornell’s nancial contribution to Ithaca hints at another key driver of the City’s high tax rate: our geography is simply too limited to warrant being a municipality distinct from the Town. Over a decade ago a working group chaired by the late Tom Niederkorn was tasked with examining opportunities for municipal cooperation, consolidation, and shared services. at Tompkins County consists of 16 municipalities is an historical artifact that handicaps good governance. e working group’s conclusion was that sharing services in public safety, public works, parks

and recreation, and youth programs could save substantial resources. Formal mergers were seen as politically impractical in light of municipalities’ natural reluctance to give up identity and autonomy, even if consolidation would improve service delivery and tax rates in the long run. A boost in Cornell’s contribution is important but not a panacea. And the City can’t grow its way out of its nancial woes. Despite a surge in commercial development and number of apartment units, costs and taxes in the City have only continued their inexorable increases. Perhaps its time for County, City, and Town o cials to revisit the consolidation/shared services idea?

Ellen McCollister

Response to “Downtown Ithaca 25 Years Later”

I've lived in Ithaca for the last 45 years. e Commons was new, and Center Ithaca was still a dream. I enjoy seeing downtown grow up. e leadership of the DIA, the City of Ithaca, Cornell, banks, and developers are to be commended for encouraging and enabling the growth of downtown. e whole is greater than the sum of its parts. ank you Gary & Joe for your work over many decades.

Dwight Mengel

Response to Possible Renovations of Public Safety Building

Justice becomes injustice if it isn't blind to things like race or gender. Hypothetically, if 100% of crimes were committed by white women then only white women should be in jail. e same is true for any race or gender combination. If you start giving individuals special privileges or mercy based on their race, then you incite racism. Even children can understand this basic principle.

Richard Ballantyne

Plans for Mirabito/Burger King Service Station

The planned Mirabito gas station/ convenience store/Burger King ts a corporate template. But does it t our community? Convenience stores, by siphoning o sales of high-margin items, have undermined the viability of neighborhood grocery stores across the country and created food deserts. e locally-owned East Hill P&C provides an important service in a location that no corporate grocery store chain would

Continued on Page 19

Children learn about sustainability at the Equitable and Edible Farm School in Enfield, New York

VYING TO REPRESENT THE THIRD WARD

By Matt Dougherty

The eld of candidates who are running for a spot on the Ithaca City Common Council is starting to take shape as several community members have announced their candidacies for the city’s most deliberative legislative body over the last week.

Among those who have announced their candidacies are Cornell University Scientist Dr. Nathan Sitaraman and Second Wind Cottage Executive Director David Shapiro.

Both candidates will be running against each other to ll one of two vacancies to represent the city’s 3rd Ward on the Common Council. Both seats are up for grabs since current 3rd Ward representatives Rob Gearhart and Je ery Barken will not be seeking re-election at the end of the year. In fact, Barken has announced that he will be stepping down in June.

In the City of Ithaca every ward has two representatives. One serves a four-year and the other serves a two-year term. Sitaraman and Shapiro are both running for the four-year term to represent the 3rd Ward. A candidate for the two-year term has not yet announced their campaign.

So far, besides the race between current Common Council member Cynthia Brock and Southside Community Center Deputy Director Kayla Matos, this is the only other race for Common Council that has two candidates competing for the same seat.

DR. NATHAN SITARAMAN — DEMOCRAT, 3RD WARD

In a press release announcing his campaign Dr. Sitaraman describes himself as, “As a scientist who’s lived, worked, rented, and volunteered in Ithaca for the past 8 years.” Sitaraman says that he sees what’s great about Ithaca, but knows that it could be better.

According to Sitaraman, “Our city stands out both for its natural beauty and for its bold actions on issues like immigra-

tion and reproductive rights. However, numerous issues related to systemic inequality make it di cult for all Ithacans to thrive.”

Sitaraman says that the city needs more a ordable housing with stronger tenant protections, expanded and improved public transit, better maintenance of roads and sidewalks, and more childcare options for Ithaca’s parents.

He says that local institutions with deep pockets such as Cornell University can be pushed by the public to do more to support the city. Sitaraman said, “If we stand together, we can push Cornell and other wealthy institutions to ease the tight housing market, to bargain fairly with their workers, to guarantee their workers a living wage, and to invest in infrastructure that will improve public safety and accessibility.”

According to Sitaraman, “it used to be that families with average incomes could save up to buy a home, but that’s not the case any more – in part because of the price and instability of renting. Meanwhile, homeowners and renters alike have felt the e ects of insu cient infrastructure spending, which makes Ithaca harder to get around especially in the winter.”

He continued saying that Ithaca needs to make housing more a ordable and give tenants the rights and stability they need to enjoy the same quality of life as homeowners. He also thinks that Ithaca needs to invest in roads, sidewalks, bike lanes, and public transportation so that residents living in all parts of the city can get to school or to work safely.

Regarding improving public transportation, Sitaraman said that in his former hometown of Clemson, South Carolina — which is also a popular college town — has a free public bus system and that Ithaca should adopt a similar model with help from Cornell. According to Sitaraman, “If they can do that kind of thing down there in South Carolina…Why can’t we do something like that here?”

“As a progressive Democrat focused heavily on addressing systemic inequality, protecting reproductive rights, and improving our infrastructure, I am proud to be endorsed by the Working Families Party, Alderman Jorge Defendini, and Tompkins County Legislator Veronica Pillar. I look forward to working closely with them and with other local leaders and institutions that believe in a vision of a better world for us all,” said Sitaraman.

DAVID SHAPIRO — DEMOCRAT, 3RD WARD

Longtime East Hill resident David Shapiro has also announced that he is running for the 4-year Common Council seat for Ithaca’s 3rd Ward.

Shapiro has spent the past 12 years in nonpro t executive leadership roles in Ithaca, Elmira, and New eld. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Second Wind, a local organization that builds homes for the County’s unhoused community.

According to Shapiro, his role at Second Wind has made him increasingly aware of housing a ordability issues within the City of Ithaca, in addition to the municipal need to consider how to create better policies for community members that are living without stable housing or a sense of safety.

During his time in Ithaca Shapiro has volunteered on several nonpro t and public service boards, including

Ithaca’s Municipal Drug Planning task force, the Tompkins County Community Services Board, and as a founding board member for Ithaca’s Unbroken Promise Initiative and founding committee member for Love Living at Home.

Shapiro believes that his nonprofit experience in nance and in overseeing capital projects will contribute to decisions related to infrastructure planning and other city works projects. Additionally, having spent the bulk of his career in nonpro t administration, nance, and program operations, Shapiro sees himself being able to contribute immediately as the city seeks to operationalize a new city manager position created to oversee government operations.

As a longtime resident of Belle Sherman and a friend of South Hill, Shapiro recognizes the unique challenges these neighborhoods face.

“My wife and I are raising three sons in the Belle Sherman neighborhood and feel blessed for all this community has o ered us. I want to show my boys to follow their dreams, to see my passion for public service and teach them the values in building community. e priorities I will have in local government are not only for them and their future. It is because of them that I have made my focus securing a bright future for all Ithaca residents.”

David Shapiro has already received endorsements from current Belle Sherman residents, and former public servants. Donna Fleming, who previously represented the 3rd ward on the common council, and Jon Greene, who was previously a City of Ithaca Public Works Commissioner, have both endorsed David Shapiro’s candidacy.

In his campaign announcement Shapiro said, “Like Fall Creek, South Hill and East Hill are walkable neighborhoods anchored by elementary schools. Residents are a vibrant mix of homeowners, longtime renters, and students. Both face challenges from developers who view our neighborhoods as prime locations for expensive rentals geared to students. I will be a strong advocate for the zoning and street safety measures essential to encourage young family and local home ownership, that allow for our aging and retired homeowners to continue to keep up with tax increases, and as an advocate for a ordability in our rental market. I will prioritize street safety signage, speed bumps, sidewalks, bike lanes and other tra c calming and tra c safety measures.”

Shapiro continued saying, “We need to ensure a well-compensated and fully staffed work force across all municipal agencies. We need to complete the work of Re-Imagining

our police force. We must squarely meet the challenges of climate change.

If elected, I hope to engage and participate in each of these complex challenges, but more so with my ears and less dictated by

my own opinion or agenda. I hope to help bring people together, to solve these complex problems in a way that enables everyone in our community to feel heard, feel safe and feel valued.”

Longtime resident David Shapiro has said that his role at Second Wind has made him increasingly aware of housing affordability issues within the City of Ithaca. (Photo Provided)

Current 3rd Ward representative Jeffery Barken has announced that he will be stepping down from his position on the Common Council in June. (Photo Provided)

Current 3rd Ward representative Rob Gearhart has announced that he will not be seeking re-election when his term on the Common Council expires on December 31, 2023. (Photo Provided)

Cornell University Scientist, Dr. Nathan Sitaraman, says that local institutions with deep pockets such as Cornell University can be pushed by the public to do more to support the city. (Photo Provided)

For Hockey Travel Teams the Miles and Smiles Add Up

By Steve Lawrence

Ithink that there were a number of reasons Doug Levine was happy to speak with me while en route to Bu alo on Friday. One, we have been friends for 20plus years. Two, he was very excited that his daughter, Lucy, and her teammates on the Syracuse Valley Eagles Girls 14U Tier 1 AAA Hockey team were in the car, heading to the USA Hockey New York State tournament. ree, he had two teenage girls in the car with him, and they were both wearing headphones and had little interest in interacting with him. Being a part of the Eagles' hockey program really puts the “travel” in travel team. Tryouts for the team took place last March, the team starting holding practices in June, and in Doug’s words, “ ey dove

into games at the end of August, playing in tournaments all over the Northeast.” When all is said and done, the team will have played approximately sixty games. For Doug and Treva Levine, it is, according to Doug, a “divide and conquer” endeavor. While 13-year-old Lucy has her own set of needs regarding her hockey life, Gri n, her 15-year-old brother, also plays AA hockey and is a freshman on the Ithaca High School team. When Doug started verbally crunching the monetary numbers involved — team fees, hotels, gas, food, equipment, times two — it spelled out a major family commitment. Doug stated, “It runs well into the thousands. If they weren't totally into it, we wouldn't be doing it.”

ere is some car-pooling involved, given there are eight girls from Ithaca on the Syracuse team. Lucy Levine,

Kayla Gerson, Emmy Chiuton-Black, Vera Camel and Heather Gao are all forwards, McKenna Syer and Sonia Enns play defense, and Shannon McClure is a goalie.

e team also draws girls from Binghamton, Skaneateles and a few other towns, and Levine pointed out that “there's a lot of commitment involved on everyone's part — parents, players and coaches.”

e he y investment of time and money o ers — ideally — not only higherlevel competition but top-shelf coaching as well. at is de nitely the case with the Eagles, and according to Levine, “ e level of coaching they're getting is amazing — a dream team of coaches.” e head coach is Ryan Smart, who played Division I hockey (at Cornell from 1994–98) and Ben Syer (the Big Red's current associate head coach) also helps out. Mitch Major (the high school coach at Skaneateles), Trevor Bauer and Stacy Davignon (both former college players) put in hundreds of hours as well. All of those coaches have at least one daughter on the team (Smart's twin daughters are on the team), and Levine calls that line-up “All-Star level coaching.”

Doug handed the phone over to Sonia Enns, and I asked her if hockey was an allconsuming force in her life. She answered, “I also play [junior varsity] soccer, and this

year I have started playing lacrosse.” (Lucy Levine also plays those two other sports.) When asked what she gains from being a multi-sport athlete, Sonia o ered, “I like the conditioning part of it, I like improving my strength and balance, and most importantly, I don't want it to be all hockey, all the time and get burned out.”

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Continued on Page 18

A er a loss in their second game of the tournament, the Eagles battled their way

Kayla Gerson is one of the eight Ithaca players on the elite Suracuse Valley Eagles Tier 1 AAA 14U hockey team. Photo courtesy of Wendy Robbins.

BusinessTimes

Prioritizing a Strong Workforce

By Matt Dougherty

During a recent interview, Heather McDaniel President of the Ithaca Area Economic Development (IAED) told the Ithaca Times that the organization’s top priorities for 2023 included strengthening the workforce in Tompkins County.

According to McDaniel, in order to take steps to improve the area’s workforce IAED added a Director of Workforce innovation last year and started to implement a small pilot program called Direct to Work. McDaniel says that Direct to Work is essentially an entry level job training program that provides pathways into the manufacturing industry.

e IAED website says that the program “is an inclusive career pathway initiative that helps [unemployed and underemployed individuals] access training programs…aimed at mitigating personal and traditional barriers” to employment. In December 2022, IAED announced that it was awarded $31,500 in grant funding to advance the Direct to Work program.

“We’re really focused this year on partnerships and collaboration with building out that program and working with partners to provide wraparound services such as communication skills training,” said McDaniel. She has also said that IAED will have other partners such as the Department of Social Services “that can help us identify candidates to put through the program.”

According to McDaniel, the program cannot guarantee that all participants will be placed in a job but it does guarantee that all participants will be given the opportunity to interview for the position.

“We had some really good success last year with some of our area partners,” said McDaniel.

IAED and its partner, Alliance for Manufacturing Technology, rolled out the DTW program in July 2022. e pilot was a 6-week self-paced training with 25 modules through a certi ed online curriculum. Participants that completed the coursework and passed the Certi ed Manufacturing Associate (CMfgA) test received a $500 stipend and were guaranteed interviews with participating manufacturers. Since the conclusion of the pilot, all program graduates have interviewed with local manufacturers; most were placed and are still employed.

Prioritizing a Strong Workforce Business Briefs

She continued saying that IAED will continue working with BorgWarner as they start to do layo s, and that if employees are not being retained as expected the Workforce Development Board will “help access the funds necessary to re-skill and re-employ those individuals.”

When asked if IAED had any plans for development in the West End McDaniel said “we do do some community development work mainly through the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency, which we administer and our downtown density policy does allow for mixed use residential commercial development in the West End and inlet Island.”

erm Human Resource Manager

Joanne Finlay added, “ erm supports IAED’s Direct to Work program and has already hired graduates coming out of the pilot. We’re excited to continue our participation in the future.”

When asked if if this program would potentially help any of the employees at the BorgWarner facility in Lansing that announced that it would be shutting down in 2024, McDaniel said that it likely would not due to the fact that “a good number of those employees will be absorbed in the existing BorgWarner plant operations.”

She continued saying that the next steps with moving forward with development in the West End aren’t concrete because “the city sets the land use rules and zoning and all of that and the projects come to us pretty late in the game and a er they have their site plan review and approvals.” McDaniel explained that the main thing IAED does is “make projects nancially feasible” by “phasing in new property taxes associated with a project.” One development where IAED has begun to help create a property tax structure to fund the project is SouthWorks, which McDaniel says is “the largest re-development project our community will ever see.”

According to McDaniel, it will take roughly $25 million worth of infrastructure work before the project will reach a point where renovations can start being made to buildings so tenants can start generating revenue.

e City of Ithaca granted Site Plan Approval for Phase 1 of SouthWorks’ master plan in 2019, including the conversion of four buildings [21, 24, 33, 34] and demolition of two buildings [10A, 11A] to create open space for a courtyard, along with

walkable areas for residents, tenants and visitors.

McDaniel said that a new developer took control over the site in December 2022, and that the project should begin to move forward shortly.

“ ey’ve got a signi cant amount of work ahead of them so we’re helping them access some state and federal funding to help o set some of those infrastructure costs,” said McDaniel.

She continued saying, “It’s pretty astronomical, the amount of investment, construction spending, construction labor, and then of course the permanent labor force associated with the full build out of the project.”

According to McDaniel, despite the uncertain and o entimes gloomy economic outlook both locally and nationally, IAED is paying attention to how the economy at a national and global level is going to impact local businesses.

“We spend a lot of time meeting with companies, understanding their needs, and identifying if there are any red ags that we can help with. We plan to continue to spend a lot of time doing that to make sure that businesses can stay here and grow here,” said McDaniel.

Ithaca Area Economic Development President, Heather McDaniel, says that the organization’s top priority for 2023 is strengthening the counties workforce through the “Direct to Work” program. (Photo Provided)

“We’re really focused this year on partnerships and collaboration with building out that program and working with partners to provide wraparound services such as communication skills training.”

—IAED President, Heather McDaniel

GrotonOffice 161MainStreet Groton,NY13073 607-898-5871

GrotonOffice 161MainStreet Groton,NY13073 607-898-5871

MoraviaOffice 41S.MainStreet Moravia,NY13118 315-497-2707

MoraviaOffice 41S.MainStreet Moravia,NY13118 315-497-2707

Est.

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Business Briefs

Ithaca Area Economic Development Seats New Board Members, Elects Officers 2023 board slate includes familiar names, community leaders

Ithaca Area Economic Development

(IAED) appointed its 2023 Board of Directors at the rst quarterly meeting of the year in February. New 3-year appointments include Jodi Denman (Knickerbocker Bed Company), Carrie Pollak (Hancock Estabrook), and Dr. Martin Stallone (Cayuga Medical Center). ose returning to a 3-year seat are Johanna Anderson (Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services), Je Gorsky (Sciarabba Walker), and Chris Malcolm (Wegmans).

New annual appointments include Christine Lovely (Cornell University); Dr. Amy Kremenek (TC3); Greg Mezey (Tompkins County Legislature); and Chris Sponn (Tompkins County Workforce Development Board). A full list can be found at IthacaAreaED.org/about-iaed.

“IAED board members represent every sector of our economy, from education and healthcare to government, non-pro t, and industry. ey contribute to the organization’s culture, strategic focus, e ectiveness, and nancial sustainability, as well as serving as ambassadors and advocates.

At the same meeting, IAED’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to elect as o cers Greg Galvin (Rheonix), Chair; Cathy Hart (Ithaca Marriott Downtown on the Commons), Vice Chair; Je Gorsky, Treasurer; and Chris Malcolm, Secretary.

“IAED is the only organization in our community speci cally focused on supporting new and existing businesses, o en in ways that tend not to be very visible to the public. IAED is the conduit to economic incentives and takes on projects that a ect all businesses in the area,” added Galvin.

Cayuga Health Welcomes Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services as Its Newest Affiliate Provides continuity and seamless care for clients and patients

Cayuga Health is pleased to announce its a liation with Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services [C.A.R.S.] was o cially nalized on March 1, 2023. Both organizations began the process of a liating in April of 2021.

“We are excited to o cially welcome Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services to the Cayuga Health family,” states Dr. Martin Stallone, President & CEO of Cayuga Health. “C.A.R.S. has been a valuable partner for many years. As we all work to address the growing problem of addiction in our communities, this a liation enhances access and continuity of care. As health care providers, we need to make sure we have treatment and support resources available to the community. Although we have worked closely with C.A.R.S. for decades, this new relationship will bring a level of clinical expertise and services that provides continuity to patient care within the Cayuga Health System.”

Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services o ers outpatient and residential Substance Use Disorder Services, an Opioid Treatment Program and a comprehensive, longer term residential treatment program for men at the 60-bed Residential Addiction Recovery Center in Trumansburg.

“ e C.A.R.S. team has been working closely with Cayuga Health to prepare for this a liation so that this partnership is seamless for our clients and our team of experienced clinicians, nurses and counselors,” states Jessica Jansen, C.A.R.S. CEO.

“A wonderful demonstration of this, as well as the commitment of both organizations, is the appointment of Dr. John-Paul Mead, a hospitalist with Cayuga Health, as Medical Director at C.A.R.S. in January of 2022.

Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance Announces New President & CEO

The Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance (FLTA) is pleased to announce that they have selected Meghan Lawton as the new President & CEO. She will begin her new role in mid-March 2023.

Meghan has strong ties to the Finger Lakes region both as a resident and as a part of the tourism industry in both Wyoming and Cortland counties, as well as a strong a liation within the industry statewide as a part of the New York State Tourism Industry Association. Meghan shared,“I am thrilled to be selected as the next President and CEO of the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance. e Finger Lakes region is the hallmark of New York State tourism.

I look forward to continuing the great work that FLTA has done thus far in promoting and supporting this beautiful area and the partner businesses. I will work hard as a steward for FLTA, directing my full e orts

to the growth, promotion, and prosperity of the entire Finger Lakes region.”

On behalf of the FLTA Board of Directors, Board Chairperson Sue Poelvoorde (Executive Director, Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway, Inc.) shared, “We are so excited to have Meghan Lawton join the FLTA team as our next President & CEO. Her experience in the Tourism Industry and passion for everything Finger Lakes will continue FLTA’s legacy as the premier source for visitors to plan their Finger Lakes adventures.

Riger Hires Office Administrator

Riger Marketing Communications has hired Christina Lynch as O ce Administrator.

Joining Riger earlier this year, Christina applies her experience from both large corporate and small local business settings to provide top-notch customer service to the agency’s clients. She holds an AAS degree in Engineering Science and a BS degree in Computer Science.

Riger Marketing Communications is a multi-service agency encompassing advertising, public relations, fundraising, research, media services, direct mail, graphics and other communications-oriented specializations.

Tompkins Honors Community Volunteers

Donates $13,000 to Local Nonprofits

Tompkins Community Bank honored eight individuals from Central New York with the James J. Byrnes Awards for Excellence for their outstanding volunteer service to the community. $13,000 was donated to local charitable organizations from the Legacy Foundation of Tompkins

County. e honorees each designated their monetary awards to not-for-pro t organizations of their choice.

2022 James J. Byrnes Awards for Excellence recipients:

•Apryl Beatty of Cortland Community Matters

•Revered Christina Culver and the volunteers from Loaves and Fishes of Tompkins County

•Lisa Krizman of Stablework

•John Pascarella for his work in youth sports in Dryden

•Michael Perehinec of the Special Olympics New York

•Topher Scott for his e orts to found and organize the Racker Rivals Big Red fundraiser

•Karel Titus for her lifelong volunteerism primarily in Seneca County

•Kristen Wells and the volunteers from Gadabout

“I look forward to these awards every year; this is what being a community bank is about,” said Greg Hartz, president of Tompkins, Central New York. “Tompkins, through the Legacy Foundation, is proud to honor and support the work of this year’s recipients. eir dedication to improving our community through volunteerism, promoting the arts, culture, and education, and simply helping those in need is truly extraordinary. It demonstrates the mission

BUSINESS BRIEFS

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of the Foundation by improving the quality of life for so many in our communities.”

e James J. Byrnes Awards for Excellence program was established during the bank’s Sesquicentennial Celebration in 1986 to share its success with community members who have helped to enrich the quality of life in Tompkins County. In 2014, the Awards for Excellence program was renamed the James J. Byrnes Awards for Excellence to honor the retirement of Jim Byrnes, a longtime Ithaca resident and leader of Tompkins Financial Corporation. Since 1986, the Awards for Excellence program has recognized more than 280 individuals or groups, with awards totaling more than $386,000.

Tompkins Community Bank Expands Access to Banking, Launches Smart Spend Checking Account

In an e ort to improve equity and service to the unbanked and underbanked communities, Tompkins Community Bank announced the launch of its Smart Spend Checking Account. is account was o cially certi ed by the National

Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) as meeting the Bank On National Account Standards (2021 - 2022).

e Smart Spend account includes many conveniences of traditional checking accounts like online bill pay and debit card access and was speci cally designed for those taking steps toward nancial wellness. It does not include overdra protection, minimizes opportunities to overdraw the account, and eliminates overdra fees.

“O ering Smart Spend will make banking more equitable and accessible for all in our community,” said Greg Hartz, president of Tompkins, Central New York. “It’s our hope that Smart Spend will cater to the ever-growing diversity of nancial needs we serve, and allow more individuals to establish a nancial footprint, securely build their credit history, and develop healthy saving and spending habits.”

Smart Spend is now available at all 12 branches in Tompkins, Cortland, Cayuga, and Onondaga counties. Key features include a monthly maintenance cost of only $5, no overdra or non su cient fund fees, the ability to pay bills and make purchases, free monthly statements, and no minimum balance. As part of its ongoing commitment to o ering nancial education, Tompkins hosts an ongoing series of free, virtual webi-

nars on a variety of topics, including fraud protection, rst-time home buying, and overall nancial wellness. For a schedule of upcoming events and instructions on registering, please visit https://www.tompkinsbank.com/about-us/community-events.

To learn more about the Smart Spend Checking Account, please visit: www. tompkinsbank.com/smart-spend-checking

Air Service to John F. Kennedy International Airport from Ithaca

Tompkins International Airport Begins

DELTA AIR LINES OFFERING TWO DAILY FLIGHTS TO JFK STARTING JANUARY 9

Beginning January 9, Ithaca Tompkins International Airport (ITH) will o er two daily ights to John F. Kennedy International Airport via Delta Air Lines. Business and leisure travelers can book ights on either the early morning or mid-day departure to JFK on the 75-seat CRJ-900 regional jets, which are more fuel-e cient and have Wi-Fi and rst-class options.

Airport Director Roxan Noble expressed her excitement, saying, “We are thrilled to o er ights to JFK beginning next week! Our community has expressed its desire for this destination for some time now, so this is fan-

tastic news for ITH and our traveling public. Flights will depart ITH early morning and mida ernoon and you can be in Manhattan in 45 minutes via public transportation. You can get there from here with twice as many ights from JFK to Los Angeles and San Francisco than from Detroit. Plus, JFK has the most international airlines in the United States. I want to thank everyone who helped make this happen and am so thankful for our strong partnership with Delta Air Lines and other air service partners.”

General Manager of Network Planning at Delta Air Lines, Caitlin Bradbury, shared, “Delta’s new, twice daily JFK service not only provides easy access to New York City but also plugs into Delta’s vast Domestic and International route network in JFK, providing seamless connecting options to get Ithaca customers where they need to go.”

From JFK, Delta and its joint venture partners o er service to 91 destinations in 30 countries as well as 225 daily ights, including ten to Los Angeles, CA, eight to London, eight to San Francisco, CA, and ve to Orlando, FL.

Shawna Black, Chairwoman of the Tompkins County Legislature, stated, “ is is great news for Tompkins County. is

Continued on Page 19

Nikki Glaser Talks Comedy, COVID, and Commitment

By Bryan VanCampen

Stand-up comedian, actress, podcaster (“ e Nikki Glaser Podcast”) and radio and television show host Nikki Glaser brings “ e Good Girl Tour” to the State eater on ursday, March 9 at 7 p.m. She spoke to the Ithaca Times about COVID, why comedy should be like working out at the gym and what she does with her weekly night o from stand-up.

IT: How did COVID a ect your business?

NG: It a ected it a lot. Like, stand-up went away for probably four or ve months until people started doing outdoor shows. is is something I’ve done every single night of my life, practically, at least four times a week at the very minimum, since I was 18. So it was quite an awakening of, “Oh, I always thought this thing would be there for me, this form of expression. And I realized when it was taken away, it was quite a crutch, and it was almost like an addiction, going up every day. I compare it to going to the gym for people who are addicted to working out. Like, if the gym closed, you would go, “What am I going to do?” You do home workouts, and so I was doing Zoom shows, which are just not fun, and I felt really rattled and really depressed and anxious. And that’s when I kind of realized that stand-up wasn’t just me doing it to get better, or me doing it because I have to for work. It was me being able to express myself and get feelings out, every day practically. So I adjusted by making my podcast daily at the time, and I also got a karaoke machine, so I could just sing every day and perform in my living room.

IT: [laughs]

NG: ere were just things I was doing, like “I have to exorcise these feelings in some way.” So those were adjustments I made, and then stand-up came back, slowly, and I’m right back to where I was, kind of compulsively doing it and trying to be the best. It’s very much like athleticism. You’re only as good as how o en you’re training and how smart you’re training, and if you are only performing once a week or every weekend a couple of times, you won’t see the same gains as if you’re doing it every night, so I’m still doing it every night, practically. I take one night a week o at this point. But that’s what you have to do when you’re on tour and you’re working towards, hopefully, a

new special. You just need to do it all the time.

IT: What do you do on your day o ?

NG: I watch “ e Last of Us” with my boyfriend. [laughs] I go to dinner, and I try to spend quality time with my boyfriend, which is new for me, because even though we’ve been together for ten years, o and on, [for] any comic, I think it’s a struggle to have a relationship with someone who’s not a comedian, because the hours are strange, and socializing is such a part of it. And it’s a compulsion, and I go to three clubs a night, so I’m just driving around; it’s hard to take someone with you to that, because I’m just in and out, just run in and do a set, run out! ere’s no part of it that’s like, “Invite friends! Let’s all hang out!” It’s like a marathon. It would be like someone coming to watch me work out. I don’t want company, I just want to get it done and go home.

IT: You had that work ethic right from the start?

NG: Yeah, because I was obsessed from the start: “ is feels so good, it’s so much fun, I have a whole new batch of friends.” And in the beginning you don’t have that many opportunities to go onstage. It’s like, once a week there’s an open mic. Or maybe then it gets to be, you nd more of them. And then it’s like three or four times a week. You’re just doing three minutes on stage, and now I’m doing 15 minutes at least, and up to three sets a night. So it’s like you end up talking for 45 minutes every night, and you’re running around town, so it’s a lot more intense now. But that’s what I always tell comics who are starting out. ey’re always like, “What? How? What should I do?” And the advice every comic always gives is, “Get on stage as much as possible.” And I always say, if you have to give that advice to someone, they’re not cut out for it, because it shouldn’t be hard to do this every night. It’s the best feeling in the world to get laughs, and it becomes an addictive feeling for sure. It’s like the biggest hit of dopamine you could possibly have. I think heroin might trump it, but…

IT: When you say something you made up and get laughs, that’s better than anything. NG: Oh, wow. You get it. at’s the thing: I liked acting as well, and I still do, but it always feels like there’s some part of it, you can go, “Well, it’s not completely me, but…” And this is so like, “You LIKE me!” You write it, you perform it — it’s a control freak’s dream, doing stand-up.

Nikki Glaser

“The Good Girl Tour”

March 9, 7 p.m.

State Theater

107 West State Street stateo thaca.org or (607) 277-8283

Arts & Entertainment

Comic Nikki Glaser’s “The Good Girl Tour” will deliver laughs to State Theater this week.

“Emily” Biopic Explores Bronte’s Back Story

By Bryan VanCampen

Every once in a while, you see a period lm that feels like it could have been captured by cameras if they existed at the time of the story. Robert Eggers’ “ e Northman” (2022) felt like that and so does actor Frances O’Connor’s writing and directing debut “Emily”

Here is a fancy based on Emily Brontë (Emma Mackey) and events in her life that may have inspired a literary classic. It opens with Emily on her death bed, and her sister Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling), feeling exposed and betrayed, asking Emily how she could possibly have written “Wuthering Heights.” e story then plays out in Emily’s memories.

As if we needed another reminder, “Emily” again illustrates how perilous life

was for creative, idiosyncratic women at a time when they were barely seen as human beings. Emma Mackey gets the “dark horse” feeling that Emily Brontë had to ght against. Everything she does, from making up stories and poems with sisters Charlotte and Anne Brontë (Amelia Gething) to spying on the neighbors with her brother Branwell (Fionn Whitehead) to irting with her French tutor — and the new reverend — William Weightman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), seems like it could not just be embarrassment but ruination. With her brother, Emily begins experimenting with opium, a scandal not just within her family but the whole town. With these constraints and complications, I don’t see how Emily Brontë could have avoided writing “Wuthering Heights.”

“Emily” has a distinctive look and feel. On the one hand, O’Connor, cinematographer Nanu Segal and the technicians who have done the digital color timing have embraced the idea of how dark 19th century life was; even more than Stanley Kubrick’s “Barry Lyndon” (1975), all the indoor scenes are seemingly lit only by replaces and candle light, with the rooms behind the actors in deep shadow or darkness. But to keep the lm from feeling distant and stodgy, most of the dramatic scenes are shot with handheld cameras; the combination of the extreme lighting and the documentary approach with the camera gives “Emily” an overall vibe that’s distinctive from all other period lms.

If Frances O’Connor’s name sounds familiar, she acted in lms like Harold Ramis’ remake of “Bedazzled” (2000), Steven Spielberg’s “A.I. Arti cial Intelligence” (2001), Oliver Parker’s “ e Importance of Being Earnest” (2002) and Richard Donner’s “Timeline” (2003). ere’s nothing tentative about her writing or her directing, and “Emily” feels as assured as if it was her 10th feature and not her debut. She clearly has a personal take on Brontë and her legacy, and she certainly knows how to get the best out of her actors and also nds a unique look for lm.

“Emily” came out at the end of last year, but it's here now, and it’s one of the best lms I’ve seen this year.

Recommended: “Brian and Charles” (3/10 & 3/12), “Oscar Nominated Shorts 2023: Documentary” (3/10), “Spirited Away” (3/12) at Cornell Cinema.

RIP: Ricou Browning (“Creature from the Black Lagoon,” “Revenge of the Creature,” “ e Creature Walks Among Us”)

“Emily”

(Warner Bros.-Embankment Films-Ingenious Media-Tempo Productions-Arenamedia, 2022, 130 min.). Now playing at Cinemapolis.

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into the nals, where they lost a 4–3 heartbreaker to the Rochester Americans, who will now head to Dallas in three weeks to play in the Nationals.

For the Syracuse team, the season has come to an end and the girls can turn their focus to their spring sport, attend some hockey camps and clinics, and re ect on a long and successful season.

It was a er 6 p.m. when the parents loaded the exhausted — and disappointed — players into the car for the 3–4 hour trip back home. It all can sound a little crazy, but —as a parent who has done it — the money is recoverable; the time with our kids is not.

Frances O’Connor’s directorial debut “Emily” portrays Brontë freshly.

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continued from page 16

shi in service to y directly to JFK expands where people can connect to locations around the world and o ers easy access to New York City. e Ithaca Tompkins International Airport has been working hard to expand ights and connections; thank you to the team who helped make this shi happen and to Delta for o ering this improved service.”

“ e move to JFK with larger aircra increases service and access to New York City and connections to hundreds of destinations nationally and internationally. is is great for our community as we recharge and recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” said Heather McDaniel, President of the Tompkins County Air Service Board. “On behalf of the ASB, I applaud Delta for this investment in servicing our community. We value this partnership in support of Ithaca and Tompkins County.”

Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Announces New Managing Director

The Board of Directors of the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra (CCO) is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Sarah Chandler as their new Managing Director. “Sarah is such a natural t. She has been a part of the CCO for many years and has gone above and beyond as our Interim Manager for the past six months. We are very excited to move forward with Sarah--now in this permanent role”, said David Kraskow, CCO Board President.

Chandler has an extensive career as an academic librarian, labor leader, orchestral clarinetist and teacher. Her academic librarian career has included positions with the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Binghamton University, and Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She formerly served as President of the Binghamton Local of the American Federation of Musicians and as Delegate to the Regional Orchestra Players’ Association for the Binghamton Philharmonic. She is on the faculty at the Opus Ithaca School of Music and was an adjunct music faculty member at Binghamton University for several years.

A member of the CCO since 2007, Chandler is also a member of the Tri-Cities Opera Orchestra and the Binghamton Philharmonic. She has performed with orchestras including the Glimmerglass Festival Orchestra, the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, the New World Symphony and the Spoleto (Italy) Festival Orchestra. She was a prize winner at the International Clarinet Society Competition three times and won the grand prize in 1988. Her

many chamber music performances include the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra chamber series and the Glimmerglass Festival Orchestra musicians’ chamber concerts. She also enjoyed performing outside for the community in the CCO “At Home” concert series earlier in the pandemic. She has lived in Ithaca since 2000 and enjoys life with her librarian husband and their two children.

“I am very excited and honored to be working with interim Music Director, Grant Cooper, the CCO Musicians, Board of Directors, Patrons, and Community Partners in this role. I have spent the last six months establishing relationships, learning the processes of CCO administration, receiving orientation from Board Members and prior CCO managers. My plate is full, and I know there is much work to be done. I am passionate about this special gem of an organization right here in the community I live in, and I am committed to its success… now more than ever,” Chandler stated.

Cayuga Medical Center Awarded Health Care Transformation Grant

Cayuga Medical Center (CMC) will receive over $7 million in grant funding from New York State’s Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program III. e grant will enhance collaboration between medical providers and human services agencies in our community.

Expanded use of technology, funded by the grant, will allow healthcare providers and community organizations to better coordinate medical and social care. It will be easier for patients to access resources and services for food, housing, transportation, employment, insurance, and more. CMC is part of Cayuga Health System (CHS) and committed equitable care so that every person has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible. CHS and its partners expect that addressing social needs will improve community health outcomes.

Rob Lawlis, President and CEO of Cayuga Health Partners says, “When medical providers understand the social factors that in uence health, they can link patients with the services they need, when they need them. is grant will give patients better access to programs that support their health.”

e Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County (HSC) is an integral part of this 5-year initiative. HSC Deputy Director John Mazzello states, “Human service agencies can be more e ective when they have systems that inform and connect people to programs and services. Agencies also improve when they can assess the health impacts of their services. People bene t when their health care and human service providers are working together collaboratively.”

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

continued from page 7

consider nancially attractive. East Hill could use a moderately priced, quality dining option. But Burger King – ranked 62nd out of 65 fast food chains by Consumer Reports, doesn’t t the bill, and will siphon o sales and undermine the viability of other restaurants. Mirabito may need the convenience store and Burger King to make their East Hill operation viable. But we need a grocery store and good dining options more than we need a gas station.

Robert orne

408 N. Tioga Street House

The house at 408 N Tioga Street which County wants to demolish was actually purchased for that reason. Although the county said it was purchased for o ce space they we're laying. One only has think how can a house built in the late 19th century meet modern building code without a lot of remodeling expenses. e elevator alone would require extensive remodeling and an elevator would be a requirement for a public o ce space. So for the county to say they bought the building for o ce space without it being very expensive to remodel is either a lie or showing poor planning which knowing the county poor planning is really standard with our county government.

Alexander Soule

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

continued from page 7

Chacha: “It is a joy to see and know how much the children are interested in environmental justice in growing food and promoting natural progression. We are learning how to grow and cook what we grow…Food is an anchor to describe our beautiful culture and promote unity. e interest to learn about food from world culture is a step towards world peace… I enjoy sharing cooking stories from when I was a child and the children sharing their cooking stories with their parents. We sometimes sing together a er our cooking classes… ank you to the sta of En eld Elementary School and the En eld community for all your support.”

law (which requires deference to FDA on these matters). However, with Dobbs now on the books, these once-fringe arguments are receiving their day in court. In other cases, the states of West Virginia and North Carolina have gone to federal court to defend their own restrictions on abortion medication, arguing that state laws banning the medication override federal laws approving it.

e consequences of these cases could be catastrophic for women’s reproductive freedom. ey threaten to end access to abortion medications across the country–even in states where they are now legal. At a minimum, the cases could create a quagmire of con icting rulings from di erent courts, causing confusion for medical providers and patients alike.

What is clear is that Dobbs opened the door to further attacks on women’s reproductive health. at is why Congress must act now to slam it shut. It should pass the Women’s Health Protection Act to restore Roe’s protections into federal law, and it should pass legislation making it unequivocally clear that women have a right to access FDA-approved abortion medications. In the meantime, the U.S. Justice Department should litigate as aggressively as possible to fend o potentially disastrous court rulings.

Melissa Madden, Orchard Educator at Equitable and Edible Farm School at En eld Elementary: “It's been a true pleasure to work with the 4th and 5th grade students in the small En eld Elementary orchard as the foundation for our curriculum. Now that we're into the second half of the year, we are in a constant conversation about the trees and our lives among them. We've used nature journaling as a core foundation to the science curriculum for improving students' observation capacity. It's been amazing. As a farmer, I feel my own perspective shi ing and gaining a new life through the community culture we are generating together in the classroom and the orchard.”

To learn more, please visit the LearningFarm.org

Josh Riley was the 2022 Democratic nominee for Congress in New York’s 19th Congressional District.

Music

Bars/Bands/Clubs

3/8 Wednesday

Deep Dive House Big Band hosted by Professor Greg Evans | 8 p.m. | Deep Dive, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd | Free

3/9 Thursday

Brewhouse Blues - Blues Jam | 6 p.m. | Hopshire Farms and Brewery, 1771 Dryden Rd

Hank Roberts w/ Strong Maybe | 9 p.m. | Deep Dive, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd | $9.00 - $15.00

3/10 Friday

Friday Night Music - Local Farmer’s Union | 6 p.m. | Hopshire Farms and Brewery, 1771 Dryden Rd Electrolyte | 7 p.m. | The Downstairs, 121 West State St. | $10.00

3/11 Saturday

Live Music feat. The Inner Crazy | 2 p.m. | Treleaven Wines, 658 Lake Road

Retro Dance Party With DJ Dijon | 6 p.m. | Hopshire Farms and Brewery, 1771 Dryden Rd

Loopapaloopza w/ Fusebox & Angie Beeler | 7 p.m. | The Downstairs, 121 West State St. | $5.00

Club d’Elf featuring John Medeski | 9 p.m. | Deep Dive, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd | $32.00 - $40.00

3/12 Sunday

ICU Jazz | 7 p.m. | The Downstairs, 121 W. State St

3/14 Tuesday

Calya Lea with Joey Arcuri | 7 p.m. | The Downstairs, 121 West State St.

3/15 Wednesday

Galactic Wednesday | 9 p.m. | Deep Dive, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd | $5.00

Concerts/Recitals

3/8 Wednesday

Vanessa Carlton | 8 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St

Wind Symphony at Ford Hall | 8:15 p.m.

3/9 Thursday

Family Concert with Cayuga Chamber Orchestra | 4 p.m. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street

Graduate Recital: Xiangyu Wang, piano at Hockett Family Recital Hall | 7 p.m. | Hockett Family Recital Hall, Gym Rd

Wind Ensemble at Ford Hall | 8:15 p.m.

3/11 Saturday

Berklee Indian Ensemble Live: The Shuruaat Tour | 7 p.m. | Alice Statler Auditorium, 130 Statler Drive | $10.00 - $12.00

NYS Baroque presents The Harp

Speaks | 7:30 p.m. | First Unitarian Society, 306 N. Aurora St. | $10.00$30.00

Mozart and More! | 7:30 p.m. | Ford Hall, Ithaca College, 953 Danby Rd

3/12 Sunday

TOiVO Community Dance fundraiser | 3 p.m. | Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts, 1 Congress St | Free

Finger Lakes Chamber Ensemble Spring Concert | 4 p.m. | First Unitarian Society of Ithaca, 306 N. Aurora Street | $10.00 - $25.00

3/13 Monday

Grace Potter-SOLD OUT | 8 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St| (Note, the 3/14 show is also sold out.)

3/15 Wednesday

Ithaca Concert Band Spring Concert | 7 p.m. | Ford Hall at Ithaca College, 146 Conservatory Dr | Free Ladysmith Black Mambazo | 7 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St Susquehanna University Choir and Ithaca HS Choir | 7:30 p.m. | St. Luke Lutheran Church, 109 Oak Avenue

3/16 Thursday

Thursday Morning Musicales March Concert | 10:15 a.m. | North Presbyterian Church, 921 College Avenue | Free Enter The Haggis | 8 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St | $25.00 - $30.00

3/17 Friday

St. Patricks Day Concert with Arise & Go and Paris Texas | 7:30 p.m. | La Tourelle, 1150 Danby Road (96B) | $20.00 - $25.00

IRISH SINGER KARAN CASEY

THURSDAY, MARCH 9TH AT 7:00PM

Community School of Music & Arts, 330 East State St., Ithaca | Karan will be touring with Sheila Fallson on ddle and guitarist Matt Heaton. The trio have toured together for several years, and this show premieres new material from Karan’s new album“Nine Apples of Gold,” as well as favorites from Karan’s back repertoire. (Photo: Provided)

Laughs ‘n Throwbacks | 9 p.m., 3/10

Friday | Deep Dive, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd | Laughs ‘n Throwbacks: join DJ ha-MEEN and stand-up comics Don Jenkins, Kenneth McLaurin, Shirelle

“Gator” Kinder and Keith Cannon for a unique new comedy showcase followed by an old school Hip Hop and R&B dance party! Not free. Not family friendly. Not boring | $14.00 - $20.00

Art

3/19 Sunday

James McMurtry (Solo) | 8 p.m. | Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd. | $30.00 - $35.00

Stage

Lansing High School - “Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical” | 6:30 p.m., 3/8 Wednesday | Lansing Middle School Auditorium, 6 Ludlowville Rd. | Lansing High School’s performance of “Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical” | $5.00 - $10.00

ComedyFLOPs Presents All You Can Eat Improv | 7 p.m., 3/8 Wednesday | The Downstairs, 121 W. State St | ComedyFLOPs presents All You Can Eat Improv, a live, entirely made-up show based on your suggestions. We do our shows in support of local non-pro t organizations so join us for laughs and music as we raise money to support a local organization. $5.00 suggested donation. | $5.00

Nikki Glaser: The Good Girl Tour | 7 p.m., 3/9 Thursday | State Theatre of Ithaca, 107 West State St | Nikki Glaser is one of the funniest female voices in comedy today. | $37.50 - $42.50

Trampoline - Competitive Storytelling | 7 p.m., 3/9 Thursday | The Downstairs, 121 West State St. | Show up. Sign up. Tell a 5-minute personal story, without notes, based on this month’s theme and be judged by your peers. Your 5-minute story can be about any personal moment that relates to the theme. And, of course, there will be ducks. | $5.00

Locally Grown Dance 2023 | 7:30 p.m., 3/9 Thursday | Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, 430 College Ave | Locally Grown Dance (LGD) is an annual dance showcase performed by PMA dance students. | Free

Visit the Exhibit Hall | 10 a.m., 3/8 Wednesday | The History Center in Tompkins County, 401 East State Street | Walk through local stories and discover the history of Tompkins County Open Hours Our Exhibit Hall is open Wednesday-Saturday 10am-5pm throughout the year.

Erin Miller: Casino | 1 p.m., 3/8

Wednesday | The Ink Shop, 330 E. MLK/State St | The Ink Shop Printmaking Center is pleased to present “Casino”, an exhibition of recent collages by 2022-2023 Kahn Family Fellow, Erin Miller. | Free Johnson Museum: Birds of a Feather | 3:30 p.m., 3/8 Wednesday | New eld Public Library, 198 Main Street | Join us Weds, 3/8 at 3:30 pm for “Birds of a Feather.” Look at birds in art and life, and make your own bird masterpiece. With printmaking and an origami apping bird! More info: 607-564-3594. | Free

2023 Invitational Exhibit at State of the Art Gallery | 12 p.m., 3/9

Thursday | State of the Art Gallery, 120 West State Street | Eight artists will Show their work by invitation at the State of the Art Gallery: C. Ann Carter, Robert Grant, Linda Fazzary, Rob Licht, Claudine Metrick, Jari Poulin, Emma Pure, and Lauren Reid. | Free

NP Cowles Photography ShowReception & Artist Talk | 11 a.m., 3/11 Saturday | Lodi Whittier Library, 8484 S Main St |

Professional Development for Teachers: Exploring the Wonders of the Ancient World | 8:30 a.m., 3/13 Monday | Johnson Museum of Art, 114 Central Avenue | Join Maryterese Pasquale-Bowen and Carol Hockett as well as faculty and sta from Cornell University as we use the Museum’s exhibition Wonder and Wakefulness: The Nature of Pliny the Elder to

Film

Streets Alive! Film Festival | 8 p.m., 3/10 Friday | Cinemapolis, 120 E. Green Street. | Bike Walk Tompkins is hosting our 10th Streets Alive! Film Fest on March 10th @ 8pm. Tickets ($10 each) will be available for purchase at the Cinemapolis box o ce @ 7pm on the day of the event. | $10.00

Cinemapolis

120 E. Green St., Ithaca

March 9-March 16. Contact Cinemapolis for showtimes. New lms listed rst.*

NTL: The Crucible* | Two showings: 3/9 at 6:30PM and 3/11 at 1:30PM.| 180 mins

The Quiet Girl* | 2000 lm starring current Oscar nominee for Best Actress, Michelle Yeoh.| 95 mins PG-13

One Fine Morning | Sandra is a widowed young mother raising her daughter on her own, while also caring for her sick father. At the same time, she reconnects an old friend, now married, with whom she begins a passionate a air. | 112 mins R

Close| The intense friendship between two thirteen-year old boys Leo and Remi suddenly gets disrupted. Struggling to understand what has happened, Léo approaches Sophie, Rémi’s mother..| 104 mins PG-13

Emily | Emily imagines the transformative, exhilarating, and uplifting journey to womanhood of a rebel and a mis t, one of the world’s most famous, enigmatic, and provocative writers who died too soon at the age of 30.| 130 mins R

Cocaine Bear | An oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists, and teens converges in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound black bear goes on a murderous rampage after unintentionally ingesting cocaine. | 95 mins R 2023 Oscar Shorts | The collection of 2023 nominations in the Animation, Live Action and Documentary short lms will be shown on various dates.

Cornell Cinema

All lms are shown at Willard Straight Hall on Cornell campus. The Bridge on the River Kwai| 3/09, 8:00 pm; 3/11, 4:30 pm | Alec Guinness copped an Oscar for his brilliant performance as Colonel Nich-

ELMIRA LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS MISERY

RUNNING MARCH 10-12; FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AT 7:30PM; SUNDAY AT 2:00PM

on

Mandeville Hall, Clemens Center, Elmira | Based

the novel by Stephen King and adapted by William Goldman. Christopher Allen Yerkes-Director. MISERY follows successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon, who is rescued from a car crash by his “number one fan,” Annie Wilkes, and wakes up captive in her secluded home.(Photo: Provided)

olson, a rigid military man, leading a group of WWII British soldiers trapped in a Japanese POW camp in Burma. It’s one of seven Oscars the lm won, including Best Picture.

2023 Oscar Shorts: Live Action | 3/10, 7:00 pm

Brian and Charles | 3/10, 9:00 pm; 3/12, 5:00 pm | The story of Brian, a lonely inventor, and Charles, his ramshackle robot friend with a washing machine for a tummy. Built in Brian’s cowshed with materials from the scrapyard, Charles suddenly comes alive as a cheeky, homespun AI, transforming Brian’s life of seclusion into a grand adventure through a series of hilarious mishaps.

The Conformist (Il conformista)

| 3/11, 8:00 pm | Adapted from the novel by Alberto Moravia, Bertolucci’s 1970 luminous, political thriller explores political violence, eroticism, and social conformity in Mussolini’s Italy.

Spirited Away | 3/12, 2:30 pm | The worldwide smash hit is one of the most critically acclaimed lms of all time. Winner of the 2003 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Tour of Duty | 3/15, 7:00 pm |This documentary by Kim Dong-ryung and Park Kyoung-tae chronicles the lives of three women impacted by the US

military presence in South Korea. The Seonyu-ri red light district located at the Paju U.S. military camp town became a well-known site after the Korean War. Now it awaits its fate to be demolished.

Sports

Cornell Men’s Polo vs Work to Ride | 7 p.m., 3/10 Friday | Ithaca, N.Y., Oxley Equestrian Center |

Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey vs TBDQuarter nals - Game 1 - Best-of-

Three Series | 3/10 Friday | Lynah Rink |

Ithaca Women’s Lacrosse vs University of Rochester | 12 p.m., 3/11 Saturday | Higgins Stadium |

Cornell Men’s Lacrosse vs Penn State University | 12 p.m., 3/11 Saturday | Ithaca, NY, Schoellkopf Field |

Cornell Women’s Polo vs University of Maryland | 6 p.m., 3/11 Saturday | Ithaca, N.Y., Oxley

Equestrian Center |

Cornell Women’s Polo vs Yale University | 6 p.m., 3/11 Saturday |

Ithaca, N.Y., Oxley Equestrian Center |

Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey vs TBD -

Quarter nals - Game 2 - Best-of-

Three Series | 3/11 Saturday | Lynah Rink |

Cornell Women’s Tennis vs Colgate University | 12 p.m., 3/12 Sunday | Ithaca, N.Y., Reis Tennis Center |

Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey vs TBD (if necessary) - Quarter nals - Game

3 - Best-of-Three Series | 3/12 Sunday | Lynah Rink |

Cornell Women’s Lacrosse vs Binghamton University | 5 p.m., 3/14 Tuesday | Ithaca, NY, Schoellkopf Field |

Special Events

Sweet Bough Collective Wedding Showcase | 3 p.m., 3/12 Sunday | New Park Event Venue and Suites, 1500 Taughannock Blvd. | Sweet Bough Collective Wedding Showcase returns March 12th 3-6pm at New Park Event Venue. Come meet Ithaca’s best wedding vendors: caterers, orists, planners, photographers and more. Fun for all: food samples, music, scavenger hunt/ra e. Early tickets $7 at www.sweetboughcollective.com | $7.00 - $10.00

Books

Fierce Consciousness by Trebbe Johnson - Book Launch | 3:30 p.m.,

a story and play Mozart, ending with an instrument petting zoo!

Winter Baby Storytime | 10:30

a.m., 3/10 Friday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Caregivers and their babies are invited to join Cassie for songs, rhymes, movement and books. Following storytime each week, we’ll have a baby playtime from 11 am - noon.

Free Family Story Time | 10:30 a.m., 3/10 Friday | Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Adelson Library, second oor, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road | Come to the Cornell Lab fo Ornithology for Family Story Time and meet our special guest, Caron Levis. She will read from her picture book Feathers Together. | Free

Second Saturday Family Fun |

10:30 a.m., 3/11 Saturday | Cortland Free Library, 32 Church St | This month we will be celebrating with St Patrick’s Day fun! Join us as we read stories, listen to music, play games and eat snacks.  Program geared to ages 3-8 yrs. but all families are welcome.

honoring women from New York who were instrumental in securing rights and freedoms for girls and women.

IPEI Adult Spelling Bee at Liquid State Brewing | 6 p.m., 3/11 Saturday | Liquid State Brewing, 620 W Green St | Spelling Bee on tap! Your participation in IPEI’s fundraisers supports grants and awards programs to students and educators in the Ithaca School District! REGISTER or SPONSOR a team at www.ipei.org/spelling-bee/ Ithaca Chess Club | 12 p.m., 3/12 Sunday | DeWitt Mall, 215 N. Cayuga St | The Ithaca Chess Club meets every Sunday from 12 noon to 4 pm, at the Dewitt Mall ( rst oor above the shops, o ce area). The club is free and open to everyone, all ages and all skill levels. Play other chess lovers, and get free chess instruction. Details at the club website: IthacaChessClub. com. | Free

3/10 Friday | Bu alo Street Books, 215 N. Cayuga Street | In her new book Trebbe Johnson o ers 34 surprising, bold, and simple practices for not only surviving tough challenges to our personal lives and our ailing planet, but also engaging with them in ways that give new meaning and beauty to daily experience. | Free

Author Visit: Jean O’Connor | 11:30 a.m., 3/11 Saturday | New eld Public Library, 198 Main Street | Author Jean O’Connor gives a brief presentation about her book The Remarkable Cause: A Novel of James Lovell and the Crucible of the Revolution, Sat. 3/11 at 11:30. Info: 607-564-3594. | Free

Kids

Tween Book Club | 4:30 p.m., 3/8 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Children ages 9-13 are welcome to join our Tween Book Club! Book Club will meet virtually via Zoom. Participants are welcome to bring suggestions for future books or genres to read together!

Family Concert with Cayuga Chamber Orchestra | 4 p.m., 3/9 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Margaret Wakely and CCO Musicians read

Family Storytime | 11 a.m., 3/11 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!

LEGO Build Night for Families | 5 p.m., 3/14 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | TCPL is inviting families to a weekly LEGO build night! Buckets of LEGO will be provided for participants to borrow for their builds.

Notices

Ithaca Young Professionals - Friday Night Social | 7 p.m., 3/10 Friday | Liquid State Brewing Company, 620 W Green St | Come socialize with other young professionals in the Ithaca area & make new friends! | Free Career Exploration Week | 3/8 thru 3/10 Friday | The Forum | Description

Week-long Events with a di erent focus each day: Wed - Communications and Creative Arts Thurs - Health, Human Services, and Fri - Education & Chilcare

Women’s History Month: “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” | 3 p.m., 3/11 Saturday | Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts, 1 Congress St | A free celebration

American Red Cross Blood Drive | 10 a.m., 3/13 Monday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street |

Dryden Senior Citizens Lunch | 11:45 a.m., 3/13 Monday | Dryden Veterans Memorial Home, Route 13 | The Dryden Senior Citizens will meet on Monday, March 13, 2023 at the Dryden Veterans Memorial Home, Route 13, Dryden with Lunch served at 12:15 p.m.

Cayuga Bird Club Virtual Meetings | 7:30 p.m., 3/13 Monday | Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 156 Sapsucker Woods Rd. | THE CAYUGA BIRD CLUB is now holding their monthly meetings VIRTUALLY, each 2nd Monday of the month. For information, refer to the bird club’s website: http://www. cayugabirdclub.org/

Trumansburg Winter Farmers Market | 4 p.m., 3/14 Tuesday | Trumansburg Fire House, West Main St. | The Really Free Market | 6 p.m., 3/14 Tuesday | Cortland Free Library, 32 Church St | The Really Free Market is a free bi-monthly distribution of food, personal care items, and household supplies. You can take as much as you want and we will never ask you to “prove” your need.

Live in Ithaca: Welcome Home Wednesday AND A MOVIE at the State Theatre | 8:30 p.m., 3/15 Wednesday | Have you relocated to the area in the past year to live or work in Tompkins County? | Free

CAYUGA

CHAMBER

ORCHESTRA - MOZART AND MORE.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11TH AT 7:30PM

Ford Hall, Ithaca College | One of America’s nest concert artists Paul Neubauer teams up with rising star and CCO Concertmaster Christina Bouey for a virtuosic and passionate program with the orchestra. The concert will begin with Stravinsky’s Danses Concertantes, followed by selections from Romani Folk Songs, and ending with Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante. (Photo: Provided)

TOIVO – SPRING AHEAD COMMUNITY DANCE-PARTY FUNDRAISER

SUNDAY, MARCH 12TH AT 3:00PM

Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts, Congress & McLallen Streets, T-burg | TOiVO, playing traditional social dance music of the Finger Lakes and more, will present a “spring ahead” Community Dance-Party Fundraiser for the Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts (TCFA). (Photo: Provided)

THIS WEEK

Classifieds

Internet: www.ithaca.com

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

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

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

AUTOMOTIVE AUTOMOTIVE AUTOMOTIVE

CASH FOR CARS!

BUY/SELL/TRADE EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT

MAKE-A-WISH DONATIONS

Wheels For Wishes benefiting

Make-A-Wish Northeast New York. Your Car Donations Matter NOW More Than Ever! Free Vehicle Pick Up ANYWHERE. We Accept Most Vehicles Running or Not. 100% Tax Deductible. Minimal To No Human Contact. Call: (877) 798-9474. Car Donation Foundation dba Wheels For Wishes. www.wheelsforwishes. org. (NYSCAN)

SPEECH THERAPIST –PART TIME

OCM BOCES Special Education program has the need for a part-time Speech Therapist, to be located within Onondaga and Cortland County area. Successful candidate will provide direct speech and language therapy services to students enrolled in school aged programs based on creative implementation of research based best practices. NYS Licenses in Speech Pathology required. Experience working with school aged students preferred. Applications accepted online only. Register and apply at: www. olasjobs.org/central. For additional information, visit our website at: www.ocmboces.org EOE

TEACHING ASSISTANT (96%) – CAREER AND TECH ED

100/Automotive

We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash! NEWER MODELS too! Call 866-535-9689 (AAN CAN)

Place Your Ad

DONATE YOUR VEHICLE FOR CHILDREN!

Funds the SEARCH FOR MISSING CHILDREN. FAST FREE PICKUP. 24 hour response. Running or not. Maximum Tax Deduction and No Emission Test Required! Call 24/7: Call 877-266-0681

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)

200/Buy / Sell / Trade

ORGANIC BEEF

SHARES AVAILABLE

Whole, half or quarter beef $5/pound hanging weight. Certifi ed USDA Organic, vacuum sealed, labeled and ready for your freezer. Valley View Organic Beef Farm Knoxville, Pa call/text 607-857-3545

400/Employment

DRIVE WITH US!

Bus Drivers Starting at $22.66/hr

ICSD Transportation Services is conducting INTERVIEWS FOR BUS DRIVERS

Walk in Thursdays 10-2:

150 Bostwick Rd

By Appointment: Call 607 274-2128

Equal opportunity employer, offering competitive wages, great health and pension benefits, paid CDL training, rewarding community work with families and children Diversity Enriches Our Workplace

OCM BOCES Career and Technical Education program has the need for a Teaching Assistant at the Cortlandville Campus, Cortland. Successful candidate will provide teacher support with group and individual instruction to High School students in both the CTE classroom and lab settings. Potential placements include Construction, Culinary Arts, or Welding. NYS Teaching Assistant certifi cation is required. Applications accepted online only. Register and apply by 03/24/2023 at: www. olasjobs.org/central. For information, please visit our website at: www. ocmboces.org EOE

CREW MEMBER NEEDED

Interpretive Crew Member needed for Discover Cayuga Lake cruises. Provide a safe and informative experience for our guests. Training provided. Apply by March 20th. www.discovercayugalake.org/jobsinternships

SUMMER SCHOOL TEACHERS AND TEACHING ASSISTANTS NEEDED

Teaching Assistant (96%) – Career and Tech Ed

OCM BOCES Career and Technical Education program has the need for a Teaching Assistant at the Cortlandville Campus, Cortland. Successful candidate will provide teacher support with group and individual instruction to High School students in both the CTE classroom and lab settings. Potential placements include Construction, Culinary Arts, or Welding. NYS Teaching Assistant certi cation is required. Applications accepted online only. Register and apply by 03/24/2023 at: www.olasjobs.org/central

For information, please visit our website at: www.ocmboces.org EOE

BOCES is looking for experienced Teachers and Assistants. Looking for teachers certified in the areas: English 7-12, Math 7 & 8, Science 7 & 8, & II, Geometry, Earth Science, Living Environment, Social Studies 7-11, Participation in Government, Economics, Physical Education, Special Education 7-12, Library Specialist, Spanish, and Health at the following locations: Wellwood Middle School, Jr. Sr. High School, Cicero-North Syracuse High

SPECIAL EDUCATION SUMMER SCHOOL

OCM BOCES has the need for the following summer school staff from July 10, 2023 through August 18, 2023 and set up day on July 6, 2023.

• Special Education Teachers

• Teachers of the Deaf

• Music Teachers

• Speech Therapists

• Teaching Assistants/Interpreters

• Physical Therapists

• Occupational Therapists

• School Nurses

Sites are at various locations through Onondaga and Cortland County. Interested applicants apply online at: www.olasjobs.org/central.

For more information regarding this summer school posting, please visit our website at: www.ocmboces.

org EOE

420/Computer COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM!

Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Now offering grants & scholarships for certain programs for qualifi ed applicants. Call CTI for details! (844) 947-0192 (M-F 8AM-6PM ET) (NYSCAN)

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

GUTTER GUARDS AND REPLACEMENT GUTTERS INBOUND

Never clean your gutters again! Affordable, professionally installed gutter guards protect your gutters and home from debris and leaves forever! For a FREE Quote call: 844-499-0277.

MOVING OUT OF STATE?

Licensed and insured, full-service, nationwide movers. Call now to get a free, instant price quote on your next move. 1-866-590-6549

HOME REPAIRS

Licensed General Building Contractor - Finish Carpentry and Fine Woodworking

Cabinet installation, door repair & installation, stairs, molding, cabinets, plumbing, electrical, water filters, and more. La Jolla WoodworksPatrick 858-220-4732

HOME REPAIRS!

Never Pay For Covered Home Repairs Again! Complete Care Home Warranty COVERS ALL MAJOR SYSTEMS AND APPLIANCES. 30 DAY RISK FREE. $200.00 OFF + 2 FREE Months! 1-877-434-4845

800/Services

BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME

With energy effi cient new windows! They will increase your home’s value & decrease your energy bills. Replace all or a few! Call now to get your free, no-obligation quote. 844-335-2217.

CABLE PRICE INCREASE AGAIN?

Switch To DIRECTV & Save + get a $100 visa gift card! Get More Channels For Less Money. Restrictions apply. Call Now! 877-693-0625

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, 1-888-376-0595

BRANDON GOT YOU BEHIND?

Single Ch 7 Bankruptcy $999.00, Call Mark “The Hammer” Gugino at 144 Bald Hill Road Spencer, NY at 607-319-0766. We also do Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, Auto Accident Injury, Divorce and Family Court at $150.00/hour, Wills, Estates, Real Estate Closings. E-mail BK@twcny.rr.com and www.1000islandslaw.com

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES

Updates in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior and Military Discounts available. Call: 1-866-370-2939 (AAN CAN)

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)

ROOF ? WINDOWS ?

Do you need a Roof or Energy Effi cient Windows & Help paying for it? YOU MAY QUALIFY THROUGH NEW RELIEF PROGRAMS (800) 944-9393 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)

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)

GET DIRECTV, $64.99/ MO FOR 12 MONTHS

Comes with CHOICE package. Save an additional $120 over 1st year. First 3 months of HBO Max, Cinemax. Showtime, Starz, and Epix included! Directv is #1 in customer satisfaction (JD Power & Assoc.) Some restrictions apply. Call 1-888534-6918.

The New York Press Association, the trade association for newspapers in New York, is seeking a talented college creator to be our chief TikTok officer for the summer.

The internship will pay a net take-home stipend of $2600 and weekly schedules/work hours are negotiable.

We are seeking a candidate who uses the app daily and understands what resonates. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest to doug@nynewspapers.com explaining their qualifications and expertise. Include the name of the college you attend, expected year of graduation, and the names of three references — at least one of whom is one of your professors or instructors. Attaching sample videos encouraged. Application deadline is April 1, 2023.

Route Driver needed for delivery of newspapers every Wednesday. Must be available 9am-1pm, have reliable transportation, and a good driving record. Call

MEN’S SPORT WATCHES WANTED

Advertiser is looking to buy men’s sport watches. Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Patek Philippe, Here, Daytona, GMT, Submariner and Speedmaster. The Advertiser pays cash for qualifi ed watches. Call 888-320-1052.

SPECTRUM INTERNET AS LOW AS $29.99

Call to see if you qualify for ACP and free internet. No Credit Check. Call Now! 833-955-0905

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.

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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 New Ithaca

Times Mobile App

Available in Appstore & Google Play

Hoodie & Tshirt Design Contest

$500 Prize!

Create an original design for the theme: Greenstar Food CO+OP - Celebrating 50 years!

e winning design will be selected through an online vote open to the public and screen printed on hoodies and t-shirts available for sale at the Co-op!

Artwork and entry form must be received by April 30, 2023.

Full Details, visit: Greenstar.coop/DesignContest

ITHACA NEWS

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LOOKING FOR WORK WE ARE HIRING VISIT US ONLINE

www.wgaforchildren.org or call 607-844-6460

THE WILLIAM GEORGE AGENCY

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

New, Used & Vintage Instruments & Accessories

ITHACA GUITAR WORKS

DEWITT MALL

607-272-2602

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

PIANOS

Rebuilt, Reconditioned, Bought, Sold, Moved, Tuned, Rented Complete Rebuilding Services No job too big or too small Ithaca Piano Rebuilders (607) 272-6547

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

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