May 1, 2024

Spots are limited! Classes are held in classroom at 770 Cascadilla St. store.

May 4 11 AM - 12 PM

$5 per child

with Ava Holmes

May 9 5:30 - 7:00 PM

$20 non- member, $18 member

Demo & Tasting with Erin Harner, RDN

May 20 5:30 - 7:00 PM

$10 non- member, $8 member

with Joshua Stone, Soil Restoration Ecologist

May 22 5:00 7:00 PM

County Authorizes Lease Agreement for Solar Project at Closed Landfill

By Matt Dougherty

The old Ithaca North landfill site on Caswell Road in the Town of Dryden is one step closer to becoming a solar-powered renewable energy project.

During a meeting on April 16, The Tompkins County Legislature voted 11-2 to approve the authorization of a lease option agreement with the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) to develop a solar array and battery energy storage facility on approximately 65 acres of land situated at the Caswell Road closed landfill.

The agreement was revised to accommodate changes in acreage, pricing, and revenue allocation before being approved. Additionally, an amendment was added to the resolution to stipulate that any revenue generated from the lease of the land for the solar project would be allocated to the county’s green facilities capital program.

The decision to allocate lease revenue to the green facilities capital program comes from a recognition of the program’s funding challenges in recent years. Committee members highlighted the importance of supporting green initiatives and climate programs, which have been hindered by budget constraints. The county aims to bolster its efforts to implement environmentally sustainable projects and address climate change concerns by directing lease revenue toward the green facilities capital program.

Legislator Anne Koreman said she supported directing more funds to the

green capital program “because, over the last few years, the prices have doubled for our green facility updates.” Koreman continued, "We’re only able to do half of what we wanted to do…a lot of our green initiatives and climate programs have not been able to do anywhere near what we had planned.”

During the discussion, committee members acknowledged the potential financial benefits of the solar project lease agreement. The annual revenue generated from the lease would amount to approximately $134,000. While this revenue may not fully cover expenses such as leachate disposal costs for the closed landfill, it represents a significant source of funding that can support various green facility updates and climate initiatives. According to Koreman, “The leachate disposal costs per year for just that landfill is $150,000 to $284,000.”

Legislator Greg Mezey agreed with Koreman, emphasizing the importance of leveraging the revenue from the solar project to advance the county’s green capital program. He highlighted the program’s absence of funding allocation in the current capital budget and underscored the opportunity to use lease revenue to finance environmentally sustainable projects. Mezey underscored the potential for the funds to cover bond payments and significantly contribute to achieving the county’s green energy goals.

Mezey said, “I think it’s important to highlight that our Green Capital program is currently without funding allocation in our capital program.” He continued, saying that if revenue from the solar facility is

T ake N ote

X Taste of the Finger Lakes Announces Funding Recipients

Awards Granted in 2024 to Local Nonprofits

Supporting Food Security

Ithaca, NY — Taste of the Finger Lakes is pleased to announce the seven local organizations the volunteer committee has chosen for funding in 2024. They are as follows:

• Food Bank of the Southern Tier

• The Youth Farm Project

• The Center For Transformative ActionHealthy Food For All

• Foodnet Meals On Wheels

• Lodi Food 4 All Pantry of South Seneca

• Friendship Donations Network

• No Más Lágrimas (No More Tears)

The committee made difficult decisions amongst a strong pool of applicants in an effort to maximize impact, regional reach, and support of direct action organizations. Award amounts will be announced in late June following Taste’s flagship fundraising event at

directed to the green capital program, “We can leverage those dollars to advance an initiative that’s currently unfunded, which has been a large priority for our community.”

However, some committee members expressed concerns regarding the allocation of lease revenue to the green facilities capital program. Legislator Randy Brown raised the point that the solar project’s existence was directly linked to the landfill and that the revenue generated from the landfill should be retained within the entity associated with the landfill rather than being diverted to other programs. Additionally, Brown voiced concerns about the legal implications of reallocating revenue generated from a specific entity to a different program.

Continued on Page 14

the Ithaca Farmers Market set to take place on June 11th.

Early bird tickets for this year’s event are on sale through April. 100% of ticket sales are donated to the selected nonprofits.

Since its inception in 2022 Taste of the Finger Lakes has donated $75,000 to organizations across our region.

For more information, go to tasteofthe fingerlakes.com

F r EE lan CE rs : Barbara Adams, Stephen Burke, G. M Burns, Alyssa Denger, Jane Dieckmann, Charley Githler, Ross Haarstad, Steve Lawrence, Marjorie Olds, Henry Stark, and Arthur Whitman

THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE ITHACA TIMES ARE COPYRIGHT © 2024, BY NEWSKI INC.

All rights reserved. Events are listed free of charge in TimesTable. All copy must be received by Friday at noon. The Ithaca Times is available free of charge from various locations around Ithaca. Additional copies may be purchased from the Ithaca Times offices for $1. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $89 one year. Include check or money order and mail to the Ithaca Times, PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. ADVERTISING: Deadlines are Monday 5 p.m. for display, Tuesday at noon for classified. Advertisers should check their ad on publication. The Ithaca Times will not be liable for failure to publish an ad, for typographical error, or errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of the space in which the actual error appeared in the first insertion. The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication. The Ithaca Times is published weekly Wednesday mornings. Offices are located at 109 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 607-277-7000, FAX 607277-1012, MAILING ADDRESS is PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. The Ithaca Times was preceded by the Ithaca New Times (1972–1978) and The

(1973–1978),

in 1978.

Tompkins County Legislator Greg Mezey.

By Mark Syvertson

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Community Justice Center Launches Data Dashboard for Public Transparency

By Matt Dougherty

The Community Justice Center (CJC) has unveiled a new data dashboard to provide the public with access to crucial information regarding public safety agencies and the criminal justice system. The dashboard was developed as part of the Reimagining Public Safety initiative and serves as a tool to examine outcomes and potential disparities within law enforcement interactions, particularly concerning communities of color.

Monalita Smiley, Executive Director at the Community Justice Center, explained that the dashboard is a product of collaborative efforts involving stakeholders such as the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Department, the Ithaca Police Department, the Department of Emergency Response, probation, assigned counsel, and project management teams from both city and county representatives.

“The dashboard was created to address concerns raised by the community regarding disproportionate outcomes in policing and the criminal justice system,” stated Smiley. “It serves as a means to provide transparency and access to data, allowing the community to examine various data points and potentially identify areas for improvement.”

The dashboard compiles information from dispatch calls for service, arrests, and other relevant data points, which can be filtered based on demographic categories. Despite being recently launched, Smiley noted that they have yet to conduct an

in-depth data analysis to identify trends or disparities. However, she highlighted that the CJC had plans to regularly update the dashboard and create community feedback mechanisms.

“We encourage community members to explore the dashboard and provide feedback,” said Smiley. “It’s an ongoing process, and we value community input in shaping the direction of our initiatives.”

According to the dashboard data, most calls for service to local law enforcement are for non-emergency situations. In 2023, emergency calls accounted for roughly 27% of total calls, while non-emergency calls accounted for 73%.

The dashboard also provides information about which agencies respond to most service calls. In 2023, local law enforcement agencies responded to 72% of calls, while EMS responded to roughly 17% and Fire Rescue responded to about 10%.

So far this year, the Ithaca Police Department (IPD) has responded to nearly 30% of total service calls, the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Department has responded to about 25%, followed by the New York State Police at 17%, Dryden Police at 9%, Groton Police at 7%, Cayuga Heights Police at 6%, and Trumansburg Police at 3%.

Additionally, out of 5,445 IPD interactions with the public so far in 2024, just 252 have escalated to the point of arrest, while 5,193 have been “non-arrest interactions.” While this shows that the majority of interactions with IPD don’t lead to an arrest being made, when arrests are made,

the most common reasons are for traffic offenses or trespassing charges.

Arrest data included in the dashboard from the District Attorney’s Office revealed that in 2023, 53% of arrests were for misdemeanors, while roughly 29% were for felonies, and 17% were for violations. If you categorize arrests by race, it’s revealed that white people account for approximately 54% of arrests, Black people account for 23% of arrests, and Hispanic people account for just 4% of arrests. Even though Black people make up just 4.6% of the population in Tompkins County, according to census data, they account for 23% of arrests. While Smiley has said that no trends or disparities have been identified by the CJC through the dashboard yet, these numbers indicate that Black people in Tompkins County are disproportionately likely to be arrested as a result of an interaction with law enforcement.

Regarding funding, Smiley revealed that a portion of the dashboard budget was used for software updates and upgrades, with an estimated cost of $15,000.

In addition to providing insights into law enforcement activities, the dashboard also offers a glimpse into initiatives like the Care Team, operating at both city and county levels. While Smiley acknowledged that the Care Team’s implementation is still in its early stages, she mentioned positive feedback from community members regarding their experiences with the service.

“We’re focused on showcasing the success of programs like the Care Team and evaluating their impact,” explained Smiley. “Our partnerships with agencies like the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Department allow us to gather valuable data and assess the effectiveness of these initiatives.”

“"The Conductor" by Roger A. Smith”

Matt

“"Exit Interview" by Kristi Coulter.”

Laura

“"Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer.”

Josh

“"Pretending" by Holly Bourne.”

Cordelia

“"Pokemon: Welcome to Galar!" Adapted by R. Shapiro.”

Theo

Community Justice Center Director Monalita Smiley.

Even though Black residents make up just 4.6% of the population in Tompkins County, according to census data, they account for 23% of arrests.

The Talk at

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Boating Safety at Risk in Ithaca

“For 50+ years, US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 2-2 volunteers have provided basic boating safety education classes, vessel safety checks, safety information to marinas, and patrol on the federally-regulated inland waterway of Cayuga Lake from their iconic building and antenna, seasonal dock and USCG Auxiliary boat on Inlet Island. This boater safety mission is even more important as the City of Ithaca approves 5 story residential buildings up and down the West End waterfront and New York State requires boating safety certificates from motorized watercraft operators age 10 and up effective January 1, 2025.

Yet, this mission is at risk. Most recent plans for Inlet Island development show Flotilla 2-2’s home demolished for a waterfront promenade and entrance plaza for a 5 story hotel.

City of Ithaca’s "PlanIthaca" (2015) and Phase I "Waterfront Plan" (2019) call for

the City to partner with USCG Auxiliary Flotilla 2-2 to provide boater safety. According to public records, "commitment...to address the US Coast Guard Auxiliary’s need to maintain its water access and continued operations" was one reason Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency recommended Common Council select the current developer.

The City of Ithaca, IURA, and the developer have the power to make this right. Now more than ever, USCG Auxiliary Flotilla 2-2 needs a home and dock from which to keep doing its work in the City of Ithaca for Cayuga Lake boaters.”

— Vivian E. Rose

ICSD Budget Vote

“Due to public outcry, ICSD has reduced the tax levy from 12.14% to 8.42%. However, the reduced levy is still four times larger than the New York State cap of 2% on a tax levy increase. Lansing and Trumansburg school districts have reduced expenses due to declining enrollment and the expiration of covid funding. ICSD is experiencing the same effect, but ICSD would rather burden the taxpayer than making the hard decisions to reduce expenses further. Further reductions would require a staff reduction, and the board of education appears to be incapable of reining in the spendthrift habits of Superintendent

Brown. It is time to vote NO on the ICSD budget approval.

The ballot will also contain a capital bond expenditure of $125 million dollars. A significant portion of this money will be used to electrify the bus fleet. Justification for this expenditure is that the state has mandated that school buses be converted to electric power by 2035. However, the board ignores the state cap on budget increases when it allows them to avoid making cuts. They should pay attention to TCAT’s experience with electric buses before they spend more money that will be wasted. TCAT purchased seven electric buses for a million dollars apiece. Recently, they decided to replace the electric buses with diesel buses due to reliability issues. Electric technology has not been proven to be reliable on heavy vehicles. It is time to vote NO on the capital expenditure initiative.

It is time to vote for Board of Education candidates that can hold Superintendent Brown accountable to the taxpayers.”

— Jim Meehan

ICSD Taxes

“I hope taxpayers will not accept this very small tax levy concession. The tax rate and the tax levy need to be reduced even more in order for families to keep more of their own money to provide for their own needs.

Buying unreliable/unusable electric school busses now, that will be 10 years old by the time the NYS mandate arrives…2035 seems financially irresponsible. Even with rebates, an unusable electric bus is a waste of money. Maybe keep some money in reserves for this purpose, but wait for electric bus technology to improve before buying any.”

— Sarah Padula

RE: Lake Street Townhome Project

“#1 We have known for decades that Gun Hill and Emerson Power have been dangerous. What changed? Are clean up efforts done? A company who wants to build there did their own testing and said it’s safe. That is a conflict of interest. Appoint 3 independent consultants to assess the area. #2 Ithaca is short on housing. We know that. Approving more housing makes sense. But consider the location and cost. Selling "at market rate" means this housing project will continue gentrifying Ithaca further. The only residents who will live here are college students.

UPS DOWNS&

Ups

The Dryden Dispensary will celebrate its grand opening on Wednesday, May 1, after delaying its initial opening date of April 20. The William Jane dispensary on the Commons remains closed.

Downs

Investigators in Tompkins County are trying to identify a man they say may have stolen items from the Best Buy at the Shops at Ithaca Mall in Lansing on Wednesday. If you have information relevant to the investigation, please contact the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office at (607)-257-1345.

HEARD SEEN&

Heard

Wells College is closing. In a joint statement Monday, Board Chair Marie Chapman Carroll, and President Jonathan Gibralter say the private college in Aurora ‘does not have adequate financial resources to continue.’

Seen

The suspension of two TCAT routes will continue.

The Board of Directors voted Thursday to extend the suspension of routes 14S and 83 because of continued driver and bus shortages. TCAT first announced a temporary suspension of both routes in October.

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 the City add dedicated bike lanes

Should Cornell University reverse their decision to suspend students involved in the Gaza Solidarity Encampments?

Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.

Community Input Sought for Revamped Ithaca Downtown Plan

By Maddy Vogel

After being put on hold for several years during the pandemic, Ithaca’s downtown plan has reemerged as a priority to the City’s planning department, which is now seeking the community’s feedback on the items that they want to see in the draft plan, which will be presented to Common council this summer.

The Downtown Plan is a component of the neighborhood plans in phase two of Ithaca’s comprehensive plan, Plan Ithaca, which was adopted by the Common Council in 2015. The Downtown Plan is a neighborhood plan that is similar to the Greater Southside and Waterfront neighborhood plans that have been completed.

Senior Planner for the City of Ithaca’s Planning Division Yamila Fournier said that the ultimate goal of this project is to create a plan for future improvements that will cater to the downtown community. They have determined the downtown community into three components, the Downtown Core, the West State Street Corridor and the West End. She said that they defined the downtown area by looking at which areas of the city were dense urban areas with a mixture of residential and commercial spaces.

“Each neighborhood really has very different needs, because what you need in South Hill is not what you need downtown, which is not what you need in Fall Creek,” Fournier said. “So we’re really looking at individualized needs.”

Fournier said that the downtown area is a unique space in Ithaca, because “it’s everyone’s downtown.” This means that they want feedback from everyone in the community who interacts with the

downtown area, whether they live downtown, work downtown or travel and visit downtown.

“Downtown is the center of our community,” Fournier said. “It’s really important to separate out from the other neighborhoods because it has some unique challenges. For instance, we don’t talk about parking challenges over in Fall Creek nearly the same way as we do downtown.”

It is important to the City Planning Department that they get the community feedback to form their plan to present to the Common Council, because they can best know what the community’s priorities are for future change.

“Civic engagement is a really important part of democracy,” Fournier said. “How we decide to spend our funds and efforts, this is a really direct way for folks to be able to give us that feedback.”

To provide feedback, anyone who interacts with the downtown area can fill out this survey, provided by the DIA and the City of Ithaca: https:// www.surveymonkey. com/r/NNWDNW7 The survey closes on May 7.

“If you set foot in downtown and you care, go ahead and fill it out,” Fournier said. “Democracy doesn’t work if only a handful of people fill it out. We’re really trying to make sure we get a wide range of views in this.

“I think the downtown plan might be the last of the neighborhood plans based on the 2015 comprehensive plan.”

The recommendations are broken down into the following 13 sections: land use; economic development; housing; historic preservation; public safety; physical infrastructure; health, wellness and support; mobility and transportation; natural resources; cultural resources; energy; water resources and stormwater management; and food systems.

Hall and the Tompkins County Public Library.

The Downtown Plan will be the main neighborhood plan that the City’s Planning department will work on for the foreseeable future. Fournier expressed that there is not currently another neighborhood plan that they are working on proposing to the Common Council and that in 2025, there will be a city-wide update to the comprehensive plan.

Before the pandemic, the City had outlined 144 recommendations as part of the plan. After the pandemic shifted the relevancy of the recommendations, the city has narrowed it down to 106.

“It really was a matter of fine tuning and addressing what our world needs now,” Fournier said. “I am sure that someone out there will catch something that we missed, and that’s really important because this is not a done document until everybody has their say.”

— Yamila Fournier

To see the full list of draft recommendations, visit https://www. cityofithaca.org/ DocumentCenter/ View/16705/DRAFT-2024-DowntownPlan-Recommendation-List?bidId=

The City’s Planning Department will hold an open house on May 2 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Tompkins County Public Library where they will showcase what community feedback they have received so far and offer a space for people to interact with booths on the various components of the plan.

Fournier said that the survey should take less than five minutes, but if you wish to provide more feedback, there are additional optional sections to fill out. Paper copies of the survey are available at City

“We were in the midst of the downtown plan when Covid hit, so everything basically got put on hold for three and a half years,” Fournier said. “Right now we are looking at doing a whole comprehensive plan update, so I think the downtown plan might be the last of the neighborhood plans based on the 2015 comprehensive plan.”

Fournier said that comprehensive plans should be updated once every 10 years, but that this time it is even more crucial because of how neighborhood needs and city’s priorities have shifted since the pandemic.

“It really is a different world now,” Fournier said. “It’s appropriate to finish the downtown plan because we already started it, but then we’re going to pause the neighborhood plans and go to the whole city update. From that point on, if we need to do more neighborhood plans we’ll do them based on that updated plan.”

The Downtown Plan defined the downtown area into three main components, the Downtown Core, the West State Street Corridor and the West End. (Photo: City of Ithaca)

Yamila Fournier, Senior Planner for the City of Ithaca’s Planning Division.

Declining Academics in Ithaca’s Schools

By David McMurry

Ithacans rightly have many questions about the proposed school budget, which is 50% higher than it was ten years ago. One of the most important ones we should be asking is: What kind of education are our children getting for the money? The Ithaca City School District (ICSD) administration argues that parents and taxpayers should be willing

Budget figures are from the ICSD. FY 2025 budget is proposed. (All other data is from data.nysed.gov.)

ICSD student population was 5,065 in 2013 and 4,841 in 2023. The 2025 per student calculation assumes no change in the student population from 2023. New York State assesses all students in grades 3-8 in math annually. Students who receive a score of 3 or 4 (out of 4) are deemed “proficient”. In 2013, ICSD ranked 89th among 696 school districts in the state in the percentage of students deemed proficient in math, placing it in the 87th percentile. In 2023, ICSD ranked 324th among 696 school districts in the state in the percentage of students deemed proficient in math, placing it in the 53rd percentile.

to pay a premium price because students are getting a premium education. A look at the academic performance of the district over the past decade paints a much different picture. Students in the ICSD have steadily been falling behind their peers in New York State. To take one example, in 2013 Ithaca was in the 87th percentile among all school districts in math proficiency, as measured by the state tests administered in grades 3-8 each spring. By last year, Ithaca had fallen to the 53rd percentile. This places us in the bottom five percent of all school districts in terms of improvement in math proficiency over the past decade. Across every subject, whether at the elementary, middle or high school level, ICSD students are performing worse than they did ten years ago relative to other schools in the state.

The ICSD

has long maintained the admirable goal of “eliminating economic status as a predictor of outcomes.”

“Economically Disadvantaged” is a state-designated metric; approximately 39% of ICSD students are classified as ED. Regents exams are graded on a scale of 0-100; a score of 65 or higher is a passing grade. (All data is from data.nysed.gov.)

Unfortunately, the opposite is happening: economic status is increasingly a predictor of outcomes in our district. Over the past decade, the gap in the passing rate between Economically Disadvantaged (ED) and non-ED students in Ithaca has doubled for the Algebra I Regents exam, and nearly doubled for the English Regents. Only 56% of ED students in the district passed the Algebra I Regents last year, down from 78% in 2013. This is unique to Ithaca. Elsewhere in New York State, the gap between ED and non-ED students has actually narrowed in English, and widened only slightly in math. Does this matter? Of course it matters! Our children will graduate into a world we could not have conceived of when we were eighteen years old. Critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and the ability to separate truth from fiction have never been so important. While we know that standardized tests are not a perfect yardstick by which to measure achievement, we also

Why We’re Voting No on the Ithaca School Budget May 21

By ICSD Residents

The community of the Ithaca City School District has generously supported its students and teachers for decades because we know and value the importance of engaging, educating, and empowering our children.

We have been willing to pay what the district has asked of us. As a result, our district has one of the highest per student expenditures in the country, one of the highest teacher- student ratios, smaller than average size schools and classes, multiple teachers and aides in classrooms, a large team of social workers and psychologists, excellent sports, music, and

theater facilities, and a large selection of extracurriculars and advanced placement classes to name just some of what we proudly provide.

All this comes with a large price tag and ever-increasing fiscal stress for the community. In the last ten years, the Ithaca School budget has grown nearly 50% — from $114 million to a proposed $168 million. This growth comes after a decade of stagnant and declining enrollment, and substantially outpaces the 33% growth in inflation. If adopted, per pupil expenditure will be nearly $30,000.00 per year (our budget serves about 5700 students). According to US Census data, New York State spends the most per pupil

in the US, averaging $26,571. With property tax bills amounting to as much as 5x the national average and more, this affects everyone from single working moms to seniors, to landlords and their renters, to young families, and especially to children living in financially stressed households.

An ICSD home valued at $375,000 last year paid $6083 in school taxes alone; this year that same home may be re-valued at $475,000 and owe $7448 because of the district’s large budget, and this is only one piece of a property owner’s total tax bill. We are at the point where local tax bills amount to a second mortgage and rents are correspondingly high.

have robust evidence that test scores correlate with educational outcomes.

Our children have not become less intelligent, and our teachers have not gotten worse at teaching. Rather, the administration has actively de-emphasized academic learning in the classroom to the detriment of all students, with the greatest impact falling on those with the fewest external resources. Doing more of the same won’t work. We are fortunate to live in a community that reveres education and educators; we need an administration that reflects that. I urge readers to learn about the candidates who are running for the Board of Education — or to consider running themselves — and on May 21st to vote for those who will stand up to the administration and push for muchneeded change.

David McMurry is a 1990 graduate of Ithaca High School and a parent of two children in the ICSD.

In response to a public outcry last week, the Board pared down the budget by only 1%. This will not significantly decrease the tax rate nor provide the tax relief that is essential. We have reached the breaking point. We are voting NO and urge you to do the same. Our community cannot continue to absorb the large increases we are being asked to pay.

ICSD needs to reduce our bill this year, not ask us to pay more. ICSD also needs to begin work on long-term efforts to secure funds from sources besides taxpayers. Our suggestions include:

• Get an equitable contribution from Cornell University who relies so heavily on a top-level district�

Funding education with property taxes is inherently problematic, and it is especially so here, where the largest single

Cornell Suspends Four Students Involved in Gaza Solidarity Encampment

By Matt Dougherty

The Cornell Coalition for Mutual Liberation (CML) issued a statement just after 6 p.m. on April 26 announcing that Cornell University had “temporarily suspended” four student organizers.

The suspensions come in response to students affiliated with CML setting up an encampment, dubbed the Liberation Zone, on the Cornell University Arts Quad on the morning of April 25. Students organizing the encampment have said they won’t move until the University begins good faith negotiations to consider supporting a list of eight demands, which include supporting a ceasefire in Gaza and divesting from weapons manufacturers engaged in acts of genocide. The calls for a ceasefire and divestment have been underscored by the recent passage of a student referendum calling for the university to support those demands.

One of the suspended students, Nick Wilson, was told that he would be evicted from Cornell housing as a result of the suspension. A letter from the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards sent to Wilson notifying him of the suspension

stated that the action was “effective immediately” and that he would be given a “short-term grace period” to relocate, but the letter did not mention how long that grace period would last.

The other students suspended were sent similar letters from the Office of Student Conduct. According to Wilson, the letters stated that they were suspended for “unauthorized use of university property” for setting up the encampment without proper authorization, not listening to “lawful directives of university officials to remove the unauthorized encampment from the Arts Quad,” and “[leading] repeated chants throughout the day,” which were categorized as “unreasonably loud behavior” that “created a risk of disruption to the University community.” Additional reasons included failing to leave the Arts Quad when told to do so by university officials and remaining at the encampment after 8 p.m. on April 25, which the letter stated “was the time the event was registered to end.”

On April 27, Cornell’s Vice President of University Relations, Joel Malina, updated

location, but protesters refused to move until Cornell agrees to negotiate in “good faith” on their eight demands. (Photo: Matt Dougherty)

the campus that suspended students would not be evicted from their student housing and would maintain access to dining halls. However, suspended students are not permitted anywhere else on campus.

In a statement released on Instagram following the reversal of the decision to evict suspended students, CML said, “The reversal of the administration’s decision demonstrates the power of our community in protecting each other. Due to the united collective efforts of our campus, we have ensured that our suspended undergraduate students will not lose access to their basic needs during nationwide repression of student activists.”

While the decision not to evict suspended students from their housing came as a sign of hope for protesters, the update from Malina also said that the university is “preparing to issue additional suspensions, as well as referrals to HR for employee participants.” It added that the student group Climate Justice Cornell had been suspended for submitting an event application under “false pretenses, stating that it would not include tents and would end at 8 p.m.”

Wilson has called the decision to follow through with the suspensions “arbitrary” and said it “falls in line with the university strategy of isolating organizers and targeting them in an attempt to bring down the movement.” Wilson told the Ithaca Times that the university “sees us as a small number of outside agitators who are somehow coercing or intimidating students into supporting us, but that’s not true.” He added, “If anything, a referendum where 70% of students voted in favor of our demands factually disproves that.”

Wilson said that instead of bringing down the movement, “all the suspensions will do is enrage the community.” The night before he was suspended, Wilson told Cornell CFO Chris Coward that suspending students for nonviolent protest would be “a permanent moral stain on the legacy of [Cornell].” He highlighted the hypocrisy of students being punished for using their constitutional right to protest during Cornell’s year of free expression.

According to Wilson, “What the university loses in the way they understand student political organizers is that they think

First Ward Alderperson Phoebe Brown spoke from within the “liberation zone” about how all forms of oppression are interconnected. (Photo: Matt Dougherty)

Protest organizers speak with Cornell CFO Chris Cowen on April 25. Cowen asked protesters to move the encampment to a different

of us as people who are out violating their code or causing disturbances to the university, but that’s not true.” He continued saying, “I’m a classmate to so many people…I’m in two bands in the City of Ithaca, and both of them showed up last night to defend me while I was risking arrest…We’re all people with lives fully developed at this university… and we have people who love who are ready to stand up for us.” Wilson added, “I think this is the kind of action that will activate people to take further action calling for the university to divest and withdraw these suspensions.”

Another suspended student is CML organizer and International Cornell PhD student Momodou Taal, who posted on X (formerly Twitter) after being notified of his suspension, saying, “I know they have done this as a means of bringing down the encampment.” He added, “The university has acted in extremely bad faith and refused to engage in any form of dialogue about our demands.”

Cornell Graduate Worker Bianca Waked, who was also suspended, has said that she won’t be able to teach her class on Monday morning as a result of her suspension. Both Taal and Waked are International students who are able to attend Cornell because they have F1 visas. However, Waked said that because of her suspension, “It means that my visa can very easily and may already be suspended or revoked, meaning that my ability to be in this country as a doctoral student who worked her butt off for this institution is compromised.”

In response to the suspensions, CML issued a statement saying, “Cornell’s administration has failed to fulfill its responsibilities to its community over the last six months. Inconsistent and repressive treatment of vocal community members, lackluster response to threats of sexual assault, and increasingly

hostile surveillance tactics towards Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students, staff, and faculty members have made it clear that our safety and voices do not matter.”

The statement continued, saying, “The administration has tried time and time again to suppress the speech of our communities, all the while hiding behind the claim that they have to ensure a safe and “undisrupted” learning environment for all students. Their choice to suspend peaceful protestors clearly shows that they do not care about all students’ safety equally.”

The Cornell Graduate Student Union released a statement in support of suspended students, saying, “We condemn Cornell’s temporary suspension of two international graduate workers and two undergraduate students for participating in a peaceful protest.” It continued by demanding that Cornell reverse the suspensions and “refrain from any further retaliation against” students exercising their right to free expression. The statement also called for the University to retract the Interim Expressive Activity Policy that was issued in January in response to an increase of student organizing.

During an emergency rally called by CML organizers at the encampment in response to the suspensions, one faculty member said, “This is a message to the administration: If you want to come for our students, you’re going to have to come through us.” The faculty member continued saying, “As tenure faculty, we face virtually no risk at all…do you think they’re going to come here and drag the Cornell faculty out by their hair with the police? It’s not going to happen here, my friends.”

Another faculty member spoke at the rally, saying, “The administration’s choice today to suspend four Cornell students is outrageous. This is a blight upon the idea

of the year of free expression, revealing it for the sham that it is.” They added, “We as faculty are here to support those students facing suspension and all students involved in this struggle facing repression from the administration under the Interim Expressive Policy, or whatever rules they come up with to suspend, punish, or repress you.”

Taal has said that he appreciates the support from the community in the aftermath of his suspension, but he has asked supporters, “Please do not let this become about any one of us; this is about a genocide.” He continued saying, “We’re talking about divestment, we’re talking about a ceasefire…while other students are asking to call the National Guard on us.” Taal added, “That’s the difference…We are about a movement of people and love and solidarity, and they represent a movement of hatred and colonialism and violence, and that is what we reject.”

When asked if there was a process for filing an appeal against the suspensions, Wilson said nothing was described in the letter but that affected students would explore any options they have going forward.

Similar actions have been taken against students organizing similar Gaza Solidarity Encampments at Universities like Columbia, and some students have been able to file successful appeals against their suspensions. The Columbia Spectator, reported that 55 students were suspended for their involvement in a Gaza Solidarity Encampment on April 17 and 18, but that the university has since revoked the suspensions “for students who have reached a resolution with the college.”

According to Wilson, “The decision to go through with this action was motivated

by our peers at Columbia, Cal Poly Humboldt, [and] many other schools that have set up encampments in the past week.”

Organizers have said that “liberated zones” are spaces where students, staff, faculty, and community members can gather in solidarity with Gaza and demand accountability from the university. They say the zone serves as a space for nonviolent resistance, hosting teach-ins, art builds, and other activities to raise awareness about the urgency of addressing the crisis in Gaza.

Wilson said, “If you’re looking for a group of students committed to intellectual inquiry, asking the hard questions and taking action with what we learn in our classrooms, you’re fighting it right here.”

The impetus for the movement stems from Cornell’s direct involvement in research and development for the Israeli Ministry of Defense through its partnership with Technion at the Jacobs TechnionCornell Institute in New York City. Technion’s contributions to advanced drone technology and the D-9 unmanned bulldozer used in the demolition of Palestinian homes have drawn criticism and condemnation from activists.

Furthermore, Cornell’s 2016 commitment to divest from companies engaged in “genocide, apartheid, and systematic cruelty against children” is cited as a basis for the current demands. The failure of the university to uphold this commitment is seen as a form of genocide denialism, perpetuating injustices against marginalized communities.

The student-led movement has faced opposition from the university administration,

Continued on Page 14

Cornell students Nick Wilson (center) and Momodou Taal (right) were two of four students “temporarily suspended” by Cornell for their involvement in the Gaza Solidarity E ncampment on the Arts Quad. University Administration has said that more disciplinary action is to come for students and faculty/staff. (Photo: Matt Dougherty)

More than 100 universities across the country have seen students set up similar encampments in solidarity with Gaza. Organizers at Cornell have said their action was inspired by students at schools like Columbia and Cal Poly Humboldt. (Photo: Matt Dougherty)

LIVESTRONG at the YMCA

Offers Hope and Healing for Cancer Patients and Survivors

By Staff Report

The YMCA of Ithaca and Tompkins County has announced the launch of another year of Livestrong programs at the YMCA. The programs aim to empower adult cancer survivors to reclaim their health and well-being and have been funded by a $10,000 grant from Excellus — a nonprofit health insurance company that operates in upstate New York. Since its inception in 2008, LIVESTRONG at the YMCA has emerged as a beacon of hope for cancer survivors across the nation. Originating from a partnership between LIVESTRONG, the cancer foundation founded by champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, and the YMCA, this evidence-based program has transcended its humble beginnings to become a vital resource for individuals navigating the challenging journey of cancer recovery.

At its core, LIVESTRONG at the YMCA embodies a comprehensive approach to wellness, encompassing physical activity, emotional support, and community engagement. The program is meticulously designed to help participants achieve a range of goals, from building muscle mass and strength to enhancing flexibility and endurance. More importantly, it fosters a sense of empowerment, resilience, and camaraderie among participants, enabling them to move beyond cancer in spirit, mind, and body.

Jamie Moretti, Health and Wellness Director at the YMCA of Ithaca and Tompkins County, underscores the program’s transformative impact, stating, “Offering this program means offering support to those who need it most. It’s about helping cancer survivors rebuild their lives through sustainable progress, establishing goals, and a communal

William Jane Dispensar y

attitude of ‘yes, we can do this’. Togetherness is part of LIVESTRONG.”

Since its inception, LIVESTRONG at the YMCA has charted an inspiring trajectory of success, touching the lives of thousands of participants and their families.

With 211 Y associations and 550 program sites nationwide, the program has emerged as a beacon of hope and healing in communities across the country.

- Ann

Livestrong aims to empower adult cancer survivors to reclaim their health and well-being.

Flower Prerolls Vapes Concentrate Edibles Tinctures

Annual Spring Writes Literary Festival Sets the Stage for a Creative Explosion in Ithaca

IBy Matt Dougherty

thaca’s vibrant literary scene is gearing up for the 16th annual Spring Writes Literary Festival, which promises an engaging celebration of words and creativity. Scheduled to take place from May 2 to 5 with live events in downtown Ithaca and extending to Zoom from May 11th to 18th, the festival’s impact will be felt far beyond its immediate time frame. The literary festivities will continue with workshops stretching into September, offering a unique opportunity for writers and artists to engage and evolve in their craft.

This year, the festival proudly showcases over 40 free literary-themed events, including panels, readings, workshops, performances, and happenings featuring 100 local writers and artists. These events mark our continued commitment to fostering creativity and connection within our community.

Robin Schwartz, the Community Arts Partnership’s grant and program director, said, “This hybrid of live and Zoom programming ensures accessibility and participation from all corners of our literary community.” Schwartz added that established and emerging writers and the “book-loving public” are invited to participate in events celebrating storytelling,

The Spring Writes Literary Festival

is scheduled to take place from May 2 to 5 with live events in

dialogue, and artistic expression.

The live and in-person part of the festival kicks off on Thursday evening, May 2nd, and runs through Sunday afternoon, May 5th. In between are 23 events taking place at downtown Ithaca locations. Multiple readings include poetry and prose open mic, group readings, and visual art and literary hybrid readings. Writing workshops like “Stranger Than Fiction” and comedy writing help build skills. “Writing Queer in an Era of Book Bans” and “Worldbuilding in Science Fiction and Fantasy” are two of the many panel discussions. Special events include the Ithaca Book & Zine Fair, Lifelong’s Senior Theatre Troupe performances, a Comics Drama Radio Hour, and three evening multi-media performances.

Ten Zoom events from May 11th to 18th include panels about critique groups and writers inspired by Rome. There are group readings from local authors and Ithaca College and Cornell students, a bi-lingual reading, and “Polychromatic Voices: Translation in Performance.”

From June to August, eight literary workshops continue with subjects such as writing a picture book, YA speculative fiction fantasy, writing poetry for resistance, listening to poems, a zine workshop, and recovering your creative spirit!

One distinctive feature of the Spring Writes Festival is its inclusive approach to participant selection. Community Arts Partnership (CAP) organizers adopt a diverse and dynamic strategy when choosing events and participants. The selection process involves an application system, collaboration with CAP’s partners, and direct invitations extended to local community organizations and artists.

The festival’s priorities highlight a particular focus on writers residing in Tompkins County. While this remains a crucial consideration, the festival has also welcomed applications from writers in other areas, provided they align with specific priorities.

Diversity takes center stage in the 2024 priorities of the Spring Writes Literary Festival. CAP is dedicated to ensuring equitable access to the arts and cultivating a creative culture that mirrors the community’s diversity. As a result, the festival actively encourages applications from writers from BIPOC and LGBTQIA communities. Additionally, middle or high school student writers and those representing marginalized communities possessing unique voices or facing challenges are invited to contribute to the festival’s rich tapestry, making everyone feel welcomed and valued.

The selection process demonstrates the organization’s commitment to presenting a diverse, varied, and exciting lineup of events. Events with a history or likelihood of drawing excellent audience attendance are prioritized, ensuring the festival resonates widely within the community. Furthermore, inclusivity extends beyond the literary realm, as the organizers enthusiastically welcome ideas that incorporate other art forms, fostering a multidimensional and enriching experience for participants and attendees alike.

Admission to all but two events is free! For the full schedule, artist bios, and registration information, visit SpringWrites.org.

& Entertainment

This year, the festival proudly showcases over 40 free literary-themed events, including panels, readings, workshops, performances, and happenings featuring 100 local writers and artists.

The Spring Writes Literary Festival is scheduled to take place from May 2 to 5 with live events in downtown Ithaca and extending to Zoom from May 11th to 18th.

downtown Ithaca and extending to Zoom from May 11 to 18.

Soul Food with a Smile

Chicken & Duck (fat), You’re in Luck!

By Henry Stark

Afew weeks ago, I reviewed Asia Cuisine which has, arguably, the most extensive menu in downtown Ithaca. That gave me the idea to revisit The Rook, which I hadn’t reviewed since July 2021 and which has, arguably, just the opposite: the most limited menu in downtown Ithaca, to check out any changes that might have been made.

There was, indeed, a significant change, and it was a big improvement. In 2021 my opinion of the best “fried chicken” in Ithaca was served on paper in a wax paper lined cardboard container and I was offered plastic cutlery to work my way through it. Now, all the food is served on proper crockery with real silverware.

Did you notice I put the words “fried chicken” in quotation marks? That’s because it’s listed that way on the menu, however it

32ND LAFEBER-SILBEY

LECTURE

has no resemblance to the usual fatty fried chickens served in so many restaurants. This half chicken ($22) is tasty, crunchy, juicy, and tender. This finish is achieved by cooking the bird in liquid before adding just the right amount, and assortment, of herbs and spices before putting it in the fryer with some duck fat. It leaves me with the impression that it was slowly baked or roasted, rather than being fried. And speaking of slow cooking, the chicken comes atop some wonderful juicy, tender collard greens which, I was told in response to my query, are stewed for seven hours. The collards are cooked in the traditional southern style with ham hocks and their juices as well as garlic (just a hint) onions, (again just a hint), butter and salt and pepper. Collard Greens are also offered as a side dish ($7). I usually don’t buy collards for home cooking because I find them difficult to cook to a tender level. At The Rook they are as tender as I’ve found in Ithaca.

The World that Hunger Made: Rice, Debt, and Revolution in U.S.-occupied Korea

PROF. MONICA KIM UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON

THURSDAY 2 MAY

5PM-6.30PM GOLDWIN SMITH HALL G22

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS CAPITALIST HUNGER? DURING THE U.S. MILITARY OCCUPATION OF KOREA, U.S. OFFICIALS BEGAN A MASS EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TO TEACH KOREAN HOW TO MANAGE THEIR HUNGER "PROPERLY." IN 1946, WHEN THE U.S. MILITARY GOVERNMENT'S INTRODUCTION OF A FREE MARKET FOR RICE IN KOREA SPECTACULARLY FAILED, U.S. OFFICIALS PLACED THE BLAMED THE SPIRALING INFLATION ON KOREAN PEASANTS. BUT PERHAPS IT WAS THE U.S. MILITARY GOVERNMENT THAT NEEDED LESSONS ON CAPITALISM. THIS LECTURE WILL EXAMINE HOW, DESPITE ITS CLAIMS TO HAVE LIBERATED KOREA FROM JAPANESE COLONIAL RULE, THE U.S. MILITARY GOVERNMENT ESSENTIALLY TREATED KOREA AS AN "ENEMY TERRITORY" AND HAD KOREA PAY FOR ITS OWN FOREIGN OCCUPATION, THUS KICKING OFF INFLATION. BY TRACKING BOTH RICE AND CURRENCY IN POST-1945 KOREA, WE CAN FOLLOW A SINGULAR STORY ABOUT DECOLONIZATION, REVOLUTION, AND U.S. EMPIRE IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC.

Regular readers of these reviews might remember that I set high expectations for restaurants that offer only a few entrées because staff can concentrate on purchasing, and using, a limited number of ingredients and seasonings for their main courses and should have mastered the art of almost perfect cooking of these limited items.

I’m happy to say that The Rook lives up to those expectations.

If you don’t count a cheeseburger as an entrée, there are only four on offer. One of the remaining three is Pork Schnitzel, ($23). It’s delivered to the table as an eightinch slab of finely crusted cornflake coated pork loin topped with some house made spaetzle, diced mushrooms and a small mound of greens. It’s one of the more tender pieces of pork I’ve had.

The other two entrées are Salmon ($28) and Seasonal Pasta ($22).

Two desserts ($8-$9), including chocolate mousse are on offer. I once had the Cake Du Jour which was a mascarpone cake with some red wine poached prunes inside and a bit of crème fraiche on top. It was fine.

The Rook is long and narrow and very noisy. The music is loud and reverberates against an unforgiving brick wall that runs the length of the restaurant. There is room for less than four dozen diners including eight seats at the bar and the restaurant usually fills by 6:30 p.m. I hope when they move, which is tentatively planned for late summer, staff will find a way to lower the noise level.

Beverages: The wine menu at The Rook is as spare as it can be with only four options, all of which ($11-$12 by the glass and $44-$48 for a bottle.) are inadequately described. There’s just one red, one white, one rose, and one sparkling. Names of the vintners and vintages are not supplied. All we are told are countries of origin: France, Spain, Hungary, and Italy respectively.

I once had a can of their cider, Farm Flor, ($8) which came from Newbury, NY and was sugar free so was quite dry, which I like. There are seven beers on offer, none of which were familiar to me, and ten cocktails.

If you go out for dinner and choose a restaurant for food quality, and don’t mind a limited number of offerings and a lot of noise, I think you’ll really enjoy The Rook. And I don’t know of a better “fried chicken” or pork schnitzel anywhere.

The Rook is located at 404 West State Street in Downtown Ithaca.

Ithaca College’s “Urinetown” a Riotously Funny Musical Has a Performance Left

By Barbara Adams

Who’d have thought that a student tourist’s need to relieve himself would lead to a riotously funny musical?

But that’s the origin of “Urinetown,” a satirical meta-musical that was sparked in 1995 when Greg Kotis was counting his few coins to pay for a public toilet in Europe. Kotis later conceived the musical’s book and Mark Hollman the music; they cowrote the lyrics and premiered the work in 1999, reaching Broadway two years later.

As Ithaca College’s last show of the season, “Urinetown” virtually explodes in the intimate Clark Theatre’s three-quarter round space. After last weekend’s opening run, this Wednesday, May 1, is sadly the final performance — one you don’t want to miss.

In this dystopian town, where water is scarce and laws are strict, the commoners count their pennies to pee in public amenities while the capitalist fat cats calculate their profits…and prepare to flee to Rio. If the poor people can’t pay (or make any sort of trouble), they’re carted off to Urinetown — a euphemism for “disappeared.”

Environmental catastrophes intensified by human greed have been a familiar theme in the two decades since this musical opened, so its social critique is as relevant as ever. And what better way to mock outrageously offensive behavior than with over-the-top parody?

Under Gavin Mayer’s creative direction, the cast of 16 bursts with energy. The action begins with two policemen hauling in a reprobate in chains — who turns out to be Jeff Theiss, the lively orchestra’s conductor. We soon meet the narrator, Officer Lockstock, who keeps reminding us, in Brechtian fashion, that this is just a story

(but we’d sure better heed its message).

Lucas Hakoshima is simply splendid in this role, with a commanding voice and a sardonic style.

He's repeatedly questioned by squeaky Little Sally, the youngest and supposedly most naive (delightfully played by Abby Unpingco). She’s concerned that an unhappy story has very happy music, but even more distressed that no one has proposed solutions to this urban disaster. What about hydraulics? she insists.

Public Amenity #9 (a shack on Kelly Butler’s bleak stage, vividly lit by Camryn Anders) is supervised by the formidable Penelope Pennywise, an equally formidable Lanna Russell. She’s immune to folks’ pleas for leniency, until, of course, she isn’t. The hero of the hour is Bobby Strong (a distinctive Dexter Conlin), whose outspoken father has been dragged off to Urinetown; Bobby leads the people’s inevitable rebellion.

Because every musical needs a romance, he also has a soft spot for Hope (a charming Sydney Wilson), who turns out to be the privileged daughter of Caldwell B. Cladwell, owner of the town’s top industry, UGC (Urine Good Company). Gabriel Vasquez plays him with unctuous and unrepentant sleaze. His chief lackey is the flamboyant Mr. McQueen (a comical Brian Tuohey), sporting an unforgettable peacock suit (fine costumes, the rest mostly poverty-inspired, by Alina Gorney).

The drama unfolds in exaggerated fashion, with every glance and gesture evoking high humor. This is parody, camp, slapstick, farce — all chaotically meshed in a frenzy of song and dance. You begin to recognize musical phrases and ensemble numbers from other musicals — shades of “Fiddler on the Roof”…now “West Side Story”…oh my, it’s “Sweeney Todd”! These multiple references add another layer of satire and silliness.

twisted homages but often hysterical ones (like when a chunky Caldwell is hoisted atop his desk by his toadies and then lifted down, his toes balletically twittering.)

Unabashed absurdity is a marvelous release, and opening night’s audience was highly receptive. (And no one was laughing louder than my companion, a climate activist.) “Urinetown” offers no sweet

solution to environmental crises — the triumphant idealists have no long-range plan, and in time all is a shambles again. As we left the theatre, well amused, my friend noted, “But there could have been a happy ending — composting toilets!”

Barbara Adams, a regional arts journalist, teaches writing at Ithaca College.

Music and lyrics by Mark

Book and lyrics by Greg

Directed by Gavin Mayer. Clark Theatre, Dillingham Center, Ithaca College. Final performance Wednesday May 1. Tickets at tickets.ithaca.edu.

The nonstop overacting is delicious, and each character — from the craven senator to the angry pregnant woman — does their bit. Aimee Rials has great fun choreographing the ensemble, from the ominous “Don’t Be the Bunny” to the gospel “Run, Freedom, Run.” The numbers are not just

The release is unabashed absurdity in the Ithaca College presentation of “Urinetown” at the Clark Theatre. (Photo by Simon Wheeler)

Hollman

Kotis.

COUNTY AUTHORIZES LEASE AGREEMENT

continued from page 3

“The only reason that that is being proposed and all this money is coming in is because the landfill exists,” Brown said. He added, “I don’t think legally we should do it because it’s a separate entity that is involved here, it’s not Tompkins County… and to take money from that entity and

WHY WE’RE VOTING NO

continued from page 7

property owner, Cornell University, is tax exempt.

As long as we finance education through property taxes, we need all landowners to pay their fair share.

While Cornell will contribute $650,000 this year to ICSD, the community cannot make up the $44M deficit their taxexempt status creates for the district. If taxed at the same rate as all of us, Cornell would be contributing nearly 1⁄4 of the total proposed budget, not less than will be spent on Slope Day in a few weeks.

• Work closely with our state represen-

CORNELL SUSPENDS STUDENTS

continued from page 9

which is evident in the implementation of policies such as the Interim Expressive Activity Policy, which restricts student protests and demonstrations and has been widely criticized by students, faculty, and free speech groups. Additionally, more than 20 organizers have already been arrested and charged with trespassing for participating in protests supporting divestment.

Despite these challenges, students remain committed to pressuring the university to divest and are prepared to sus-

put it someplace else, that doesn’t seem right to me.”

In response to Brown’s concerns, Legislator Deb Dawson said, “I don’t think it is an enterprise fund issue; we move money around all the time.” She added, “I fully support the amendment, and I think it’s a great idea to have sources of revenue that fund our rather ambitious green facilities projects.”

Legislator Mike Lane agreed with

tatives to obtain a new state aid formula that factors in the huge loss of income from tax exempt institutions. School funding in NYS has been inequitably apportioned for decades. Work to get us our fair share.

• Lobby with other districts to end abatements on school taxes� NYS schools lost $1.8B to corporate tax abatements in 2021, far more than any other state. These are all worthwhile efforts and ICSD should start these and engage the community’s lobbying help with them, but these are long-term efforts. We need ICSD leaders to cut their spending to an amount that is affordable for Ithaca taxpayers now, not some day in the theoretical future.

tain the encampment until their demands are met. Encampment organizers have also found support from several members of Ithaca’s Common Council, which passed a resolution calling for the United States to support a ceasefire in Gaza on March 6.

First Ward Alderperson Phoebe Brown spoke from within the “liberation zone” about how all forms of oppression are interconnected. Brown said that it’s heartbreaking to see people in Gaza living in “horrible conditions,” just like it’s heartbreaking to see people in Ithaca living in cycles of poverty and homelessness. Brown told protesters, “Let’s not only acknowledge what the hot item is,

Dawson, saying, “I’m going to vote for this. I think it’s an important issue [and] we’re behind on our green facilities plan.” Lane added, “We have to have the flexibility as the county legislature to move money as necessary from area to area.”

Despite the differing perspectives, the Legislature ultimately voted 11-2 in favor of the resolution authorizing the lease option agreement with NYSERDA.

We urge community members to vote NO to the ICSD budget on May 21 Only those registered with the Board of Elections can vote in this election. The final day to register for the ICSD vote is May 7 at the Board of Elections, 128 E. Buffalo Street, Ithaca. Absentee ballots are available at https://www.ithacacityschools. org/o/icsd/page/budget-vote-election.

Submitted by residents in the Ithaca City School District: Lee Rogers, Deborah Justice, Jason Houghton, Margaret Fabrizio, Ike Nestopoulos, Barb Herrman, Frédéric Bouché, Fred Schoeps, Ashley Miller, Charlie O’Connor, David Yearsley, Matty Termotto, Kay Minnix, and Joanna Luks.

let’s remember that [systemic oppression] is happening every day in our own communities.” She added, “I want to energize you. I want to remind you that most of our changes have happened because students like you have stepped up…you’re doing the right thing.”

Browns First Ward colleague Kayla Matos posted on X (formerly Twitter) in support of students, saying, “I stand in solidarity with the brave students organizing for divestment across the nation. Putting your body on the line in solidarity with others is a sacred act. It’s crucial that universities, including Cornell, respect students’ free expression and avoid violent escalation.”

from page 5

This project does not help locals. #3 Walter Hang has been our own Erin Brokovich. However, unlike Hinkley, CA, those who will live here will be short term residents. If they get sick, it will be impossible to prove the site was the cause. #4 "Auden Ithaca" is the new name for the other Gun Hill Apartment complex across the street, also owned by DMG Investments of NYC, also a subsidiary of Do Think Group of Hangzhou. I am against corporate landlords from well outside our community controlling our housing supply.

If you visit "https://dmginvestments. com/portfolio/auden-ithaca/" (also archived on Wayback Machine) there is a paragraph stating how the "Auden Ithaca" is in "Albany, NY," and just "one block away from SUNY Albany." This company can’t even keep their website straight. They won’t serve our community. SUMMARY — Hire independent consultants to assess the site and keep landlords local.”

Thanks Joe Biden

“Thanks to Joe Biden, you have to marvel at America’s economic recovery. Not long ago it was widely thought to be on the brink of recession. Instead, the economic recovery since the pandemic has been amazing.

The gross domestic product has grown so much that 2023 was one of the “boomiest” years on record.

And it continues to defy expectations. At the start of this year, economists had been forecasting annualized growth in the first quarter of 1%; that prediction has since doubled.

The labor market is in great health, too. The unemployment rate has been below 4% for 25 consecutive months, the longest

Continued on Page 15

To date, over 42,000 individuals have benefited from the program, while more than 3,200 instructors have been trained to deliver its impactful curriculum.

Christie Thornton, CEO of the YMCA of Ithaca and Tompkins County, reflects on the significance of extending support to cancer survivors, stating, “Ensuring the program was offered at no cost was critical to us. To extend a hand to patients and say

‘we are with you’ means a lot to me. Opening our doors as a part of LIVESTRONG means everyone in our Y can be a source of strength for those battling or recovering from cancer.”

As the YMCA of Ithaca and Tompkins County prepares to embark on this transformative journey, the community eagerly anticipates the launch of LIVESTRONG at the YMCA on Tuesday, May 14th.

The program will be offered at no cost to participants, including YMCA memberships for the duration of the twelve-week program. Physician referrals are recom-

mended for registration, ensuring that participants receive personalized support tailored to their unique needs.

LIVESTRONG at the YMCA represents a powerful testament to the transformative power of community, compassion, and collaboration. By joining forces with Excellus and other community partners, the YMCA of Ithaca and Tompkins County reaffirms its commitment to supporting cancer survivors and their families on their journey to recovery and renewal.

As the first cohort of LIVESTRONG

at the YMCA prepares to embark on this life-affirming journey, the program stands as a beacon of hope, resilience, and solidarity for all those whose lives have been touched by cancer. With each step forward, participants move closer to reclaiming their health, their vitality, and their sense of purpose, reminding us all of the indomitable human spirit that thrives within each of us.

For more information or to register for LIVESTRONG at the YMCA, please contact Jamie Moretti at jmoretti@ithacaymca. com.

Puck Stops Here

National Champion Nathaniel Pool is Returning to Ithaca for Summer Training

By Steve Lawrence

It seems, in a way, a bit backward, but if it works it works!

While most high school students wrap up their school year and head off somewhere for a summer camp, Nathaniel Poole has moved back to Ithaca and will wrap up his school year online.

Poole — who plays on the Long Island Gulls 16U hockey team — lives on Long Island from the time he starts training camp in August until the Nationals wrap up in April. This year, the time spent in Ithaca will likely involve a lot of congrats and high-fives, because the Gulls left Las Vegas carrying the trophy recognizing the team as the best 16 U team in the nation. The team went 5-1 in the tournament, wrapping up the title with a 2-0 victory over the L.A. Junior Kings.

One of Poole’s teammates is fellow Ithacan Cooper Dennis, and according to Nathaniel, the two have been sharing ice time since they were three years old. They played together in the Ithaca Youth Hockey Association, and have woven in and out of one anothers’ hockey lives for years, playing for elite travel teams based in Syracuse and Rochester.

I asked Nathaniel how he landed on the Gulls’ roster, and he said, “The Rochesterbased team I was on played the Gulls seven

times in a season, and their coach set up a Zoom meeting as a recruiting visit. We had plans to go to dinner in an hour, but that meeting lasted two hours and we missed dinner. I’ll never forget it.”

While playing that demanding schedule — that sees the Gulls play all over the Northeast and New England before competing in the States in Buffalo and the Nationals in Las Vegas — the players live with “host families.” Poole stated, “Many of the families have kids around eight years old, who play on the Gulls’ Mite team.” That arrangement, he said, was a win-win, given the 16 U players have a good living arrangement while the younger kids got a front-row seat to what was to come if they stayed on that path.

Going forward, the two IYHA alumni will likely go in different directions again, with Dennis looking to move into Junior Hockey (the step between travel and collegiate hockey) while Poole thinks he will be in Long Island for another season. Asked about where he might want to play in college, Nathaniel said, “I am staying open to everything, but I have a big family tree that went to Cornell, and I’ve always loved Cornell.”

Speaking of Cornell, congrats to the men’s lacrosse team on winning its third straight Ivy League title by beating Dartmouth 15-10 to finish at 5-1 in the conference. While it will ultimately be nice

the recession to just above 3%, with more progress to come.

to have another banner to commemorate another Ivy championship, the more immediate benefit lies in the fact that by finishing first, the Big Red will host the Ivy League Tournament this weekend. As the #1 seed, Cornell will play #4 Penn at 8:30 Friday evening, after #2 Princeton and #3 Yale will face off prior to that match up, and the winners will meet on Sunday, with the big prize being the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. No doubt Cornell is looking forward to the rematch, as it was Penn that handed the Big Red its only conference loss of the season, coming out on top in an 11-10 double-overtime thriller in Philadelphia on March 30th.

Some side notes: The Ivy title is Cornell’s 32nd. Senior C.J. Kirst had another explosive day at Dartmouth, scoring four goals and adding three assists, adding to

an already eye-popping resume. Kirst’s seven-point day marked the seventh time this season Kirst has tallied five or more points, and the 25th time he has done so in his illustrious career.

such spell in over 50 years.

Thousands of new, well paying, manufacturing jobs, particularly in central and upstate NY, are returning to rural areas for the first time in several decades!

Inflation has already come down dramatically from 9 to 10% right after

No wonder Uncle Sam is putting the rest of the world to shame. Since the end of 2019 the economy has grown by nearly 8% in real terms, more than twice as fast as the euro zone’s and ten times as quickly as Japan’s. Britain’s has barely grown at all.

The state of our economy is good. The recovery unbelievable. Thanks Joe.”

— Sherwood Guernsey

Nathaniel Poole will return after his team won the 16 and Under national championship to train in Ithaca.