November 23, 2022

TCHD Alerts Community of Increase in RSV Cases

By Staff Reports

The Tompkins County Health Department is alerting the community of an increase in RSV cases, along with the flu virus, and providing guidance on reducing your families’ risk.

RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is a highly contagious, common respira tory virus that commonly causes mild cold-like symptoms in older children and adults. While most people recover from RSV within 1-2 weeks, RSV can become severe, especially for infants and older adults. RSV is the most com mon cause of bronchiolitis (inflamma tion of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than 1 year of age in the United States.

Symptoms of mild RSV are similar to those of the common cold, flu and CO VID, and include runny nose, coughing, sneezing, fever, wheezing, and decrease in appetite. These symptoms usually appear in stages and not all at once. In very young infants with RSV, the only symptoms may be irritability, decreased activity, and breathing difficulties.

For mild cases of RSV, treatment measures for managing symptoms include:

• Manage fever and pain with over-the-counter fever reducers and pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. (Never give aspirin to children.) Contact your child’s health care provider prior to administering,

in order to receive guidance on correct dosage.

• Drink enough fluids. It is important for people with RSV infection to drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration (loss of body fluids).

• Talk to your healthcare provider before giving your child non-prescrip tion cold medicines. Some medicines contain ingredients that are not good for children.

Call your healthcare provider if you or your child are having difficulty breathing, not drinking enough fluids, or experiencing worsening symptoms. Some people with RSV infection, espe cially older adults and infants younger than 6 months of age, may need to be hospitalized and receive oxygen if they are having trouble breathing or are dehydrated.

Researchers are working to develop a vaccine for RSV, but currently there is no vaccine available. RSV is spread through air-droplets, shared when people cough or sneeze, as well as being transmissible through contaminated surfaces. Prevention measures include good hand hygiene, frequent cleaning of hi-touch surfaces, avoiding close contact, and wearing high-quality masks as needed.

Parents of children at high risk for developing severe RSV disease should try to do the following:

• Avoid close contact with sick people.

• Wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

T ake N ote

• Avoid touching their face with unwashed hands.

• Limit the time your children spend in childcare centers or other potentially contagious settings. during periods of high RSV activity. This may help pre vent infection and spread of the virus during the RSV season. Ask to review the daycare’s sick policy and cleaning procedures.

• Keep sick family members home from work and school, and isolated from healthy family members.

Additionally, the flu (influenza) is also spreading in our community and vaccination against flu is essential at this time of the year. Flu vaccines are available at many locations throughout our community, including healthcare provider offices, pharmacies, and clin ics. Everyone 6 months of age and over should be vaccinated every year against the flu.

ON THE COVER:

Ithaca Mayor-Elect Laura Lewis sits down with The Ithaca Times to discuss the city’s priorities going into 2023. (Photo Credit: Josh Baldo)

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City of Ithaca Announces Common Council Vacancy for Fifth Ward

Fifth Ward Alderperson Laura Lewis announced her intent to resign from Common Council effective December 8, 2022, as she transitions into the role of Mayor of the City of Ithaca.

The Common Council is actively seeking a resident of the 5th Ward to fill this seat until the end of the current term,

December 31, 2023. Those interested in representing 5th Ward residents in this capacity are encouraged to forward a letter of interest and resume to the City Clerk’s Office. Documents can be accepted in person at the Clerk’s Office, via email at clerk@cityofithaca.org, or by mail c/o: City Clerk’s Office, 108 E. Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.

Applications are being accepted until December 14, 2022. Expressions of

interest will be reviewed and considered by a Selection Committee, pursuant to the Common Council Rules of Procedure, and put forth to Common Council for a vote.

Once approved, the selected applicant will serve on the Common Council until December 31, 2023. The seat will then be vacated, and placed on the 2023 General Election Ballot, along with all vacant council seats and the mayor.

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 cop ies may be purchased from the Ithaca Times offices for $1. SUBSCRIP TIONS: $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. Adver tisers 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 607-277-1012, MAILING ADDRESS is PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. The Ithaca Times was preceded by the Ithaca New Times (1972–1978) and The Good Times Gazette (1973–1978), combined in 1978. FoundEr good t MES gazEttE: toM newton

Tompkins County Medical Director Dr. William Kelpack

IN UIRING PHOTOGR PHER Q A

By Josh Baldo

WHAT IS THE CLOSEST THING TO REAL MAGIC?

Community Police Board Discusses

IPD Staffing, Homelessness and City Attorney

By Matt Dougherty

“Sham-wow!”

Conversations regarding staff ing levels at the Ithaca Police Department, homelessness, and the City Attorneys response to Common Council at their meeting on November 9 dominated the November 16 meeting of the Community Police Board.

IPD STAFFING

Acting Chief of Police John Joly said that as a result of recent officer injuries IPD is “down to 22 officers assigned to patrol ships which leads to burn out.” He continued saying, “Right now we have six officers assigned in total to the Beeline ship.” According to Joly, “that’s six officers we’ve spread out across seven days, including covering days off and so forth.”

Joly also said that IPD is mandating officers to stay late and come in early to try to help fill some patrol beats, but that it’s having a “pretty drastic effect on morale.”

On the positive side, IPD has inter viewed 24 people who are eligible and have already taken the civil service test.

Joly said that “those 24 people that we’ve already interviewed have already also passed the physical agility test.” He continued saying, “the goal is that we’ll be ready to start issuing some condition al job offers as soon as the Civil Service list gets certified and released in August.”

According to Joly, “we’re really hoping to be able to hire at least eight people right at the beginning.”

TIDES

Then the discussion turned to ques tions about the city setting aside rough ly $55,000 for a homelessness outreach coordinator in the 2023 budget — even though the county has created a similar position.

Those who question the creation of a city homelessness coordinator say it could be a redundant use of funds, but supporters say that the coordinator

could act as a liaison to the county and help provide services to black and brown communities that don’t reside in the unsanctioned en campments known as “the jungle”.

Common Council member George McGonigal said, “black and brown communities tend to be couch surfers. And so they’re not getting as much at tention as people in the jungle.”

During the Nov. 9 Common Council meeting Common Council member Phoebe Brown said that she didn’t agree with removing the homeless outreach coordinator position from the budget because she thinks that the position could work closely with homeless individuals who won’t be helped by the potential construction of the TIDES encampment.

Brown said, “we need someone that’s focusing on under housed individuals that aren’t going to be in encampments like TIDES.” She continued saying, “90 percent of the people who are going to use the 50 beds at TIDES, those are not going to be people of color. So we need someone who can keep their eye on the people.”

TIDES — also known as The Ithaca Area Designated Encampment Site — is better than nothing for its advocates and a waste of money for its opponents. The project is being undertaken in a joint effort by the city of Ithaca and Tompkins County since homelessness is a county responsibility, but the land for the encampment is on city property.

George McGonigal has said that the city “is taking the approach that it will provide land for a homeless encamp ment and provide electricity and water.” According to McGonigal, “The idea being that people would want to come there and take a shower and use ser vices with people providing services.”

CITY ATTORNEY ISSUES

Following the discussion on TIDES Community Police Board Member

Richard Onyejuruwa asked if the City Attorney had offered an apology for his rebuke of city employee complaints during the November 9 Common Council meeting.

During the meeting City Attorney Ari Lavine described the Nov. 2 Com mon Council meeting as a “mob attack” that was “operated on real grievances and limited facts.” He also pressured the Common Council to “unequivocally condemn” city employees for voicing their frustrations.

Regarding the City Attorney’s conduct, the Community Police Board Chair, Shirley Kane said, “I’ve never seen anything like I witnessed from the City Attorney in a public environment.”

McGonigal responded to issues with the City Attorney saying, “I don’t blame Ari for being really upset and for and for saying that. Negotiation negotia tions have more than one side. You can say that. But there’s no question that he just went overboard.”

He continued saying, “But it has to move on. We actually have to continue to run the city. We can’t just scream at each other every day. We have to figure out how to move on and work together.”

Richard Onyejuruwa responded to McGonigal saying, “I’m not saying it’s okay to hurt somebody’s feelings. What I’m saying is, this was a matter of feelings, and sentiments and people are justified to express themselves in an open arena.” He continued saying, “you can’t hold a public meeting and then get upset when people express themselves publicly.”

McGonigal responded saying that it is actually against the rules for mem bers of the public to attack people individually during meetings. Onyeju ruwa responded saying that he agrees but that it’s incumbent upon the City Attorney to apologize.”

– Matt D.

“Christmas morning.”

– Jake A.

“Meditative connection with the divine.” – Mike M. “Giggling of my child.” – Vanya R. “A day with no homework.” – Charlotte T.

Community Police Board Meeting (Photo Credit: Staff Photos)

Climate Justice Cornell Holds Rally for the Climate, Jobs, & Justice Package

By Staff Reports

On Friday, November 18th, activists rallied at Thompson park to celebrate the launch of the Climate, Jobs, and Justice pack age. Attendees gathered in a show of support for progressive climate policy, drawing connections between the need for local and state climate justice. The rally attracted supporters from a wide range of organizations, includ ing the Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America, Cornell Progressives, Mothers Out Front Tompkins, and Extinction Rebellion Ithaca. A similarly broad range of speakers featured at the event, including Common Council member Jorge Defendini and representatives from Climate Justice Cornell, the New York Public Interest Research Group, and Sunrise Ithaca.

Equity was a key theme throughout the evening, with each of the speak ers emphasizing the need to center disadvantaged communities in climate legislation. Both New York State and the City of Ithaca have made com mitments to address climate inequity, but such aspirations continue to fall short without the necessary funding. The Climate, Jobs, and Justice package offers a pathway to generate funds and

creates mechanisms to ensure that they are justly allocated. The need for equity was a sentiment echoed by the crowd, who didn’t let the cold deter them from enthusiastically chanting: “What do we want? Climate justice! When do we want it? Now!”

This event was one in a series of rallies bringing together elected offi cials, environmental justice advocates, and community members across New York State to celebrate the launch of the NY Renews coalition’s Climate, Jobs & Justice Package (CJJP). Orga nized around three key demands that individually and collectively advance the mandates of NY's Climate Act (CLCPA), the Climate, Jobs & Justice Package requires New York to (1) fully fund and implement NY’s Climate Act, (2) build renewable energy for all and create good, green union jobs, and (3) make polluters and the ultrarich pay what they owe to fund the transition. The Climate, Jobs & Justice Package is NY Renews’ platform to fully address the climate crisis and meet the mandates of the NY Climate Act during the 2023 legislative ses sion.

During the rally, Sunrise Ithaca and Climate Justice Cornell member Siob han Hull said, “We’ve seen promises

at the state and local level to prioritize equity in the transition to a green economy, whether that’s found in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act or Ithaca’s Green New Deal. In order to fulfill these commit ments and uplift the most vulnerable New Yorkers, we need mechanisms to secure funding and accountability. The Climate, Jobs, and Justice package does exactly that, and we need our represen tatives to get it passed.”

Member of the New York Public Interest Research Group, Marissa Pap pas said, “The climate crisis is costing New Yorkers billions to deal with every year. Should New Yorkers like you and I foot the bill, or should the oil and gas companies who caused the crisis pick up the tab? The answer is simple: The fossil fuel industry made the mess; it is theirs to clean up. So, today we call on the Governor to pledge that they will include the Climate Change Superfund Act in the Executive Budget. The Act requires the large oil and gas compa nies – the ones responsible for the most greenhouse gas emissions – to help foot the bill for programs to protect us from the worst effects of the climate crisis.”

Allyson Katz, another member of Climate Justice Cornell said, “As members of Climate Justice Cornell, we are not only committed to fostering a cleaner future, but also an equitable one, and passing the Climate, Jobs, and Justice package is an important step in that journey.”

UPS DOWNS&

Ups

The Ithaca College football team defeated the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 63–20 in the first round of the NCAA Championship Nov. 19 at Butterfield Stadium. The victory advances the Bombers to the second round of the postseason and improves their overall record to 11–0.

Downs

A pastor from Elmira has sued Tompkins County for violating his civil rights. County Attorney Bill Troy said that this is a suit backed by efforts to ensure 2nd Amendment rights amidst the recent New York State law prohibiting carrying a firearm in certain public places.

HEARD SEEN&

Heard

Several members of Common Council and a number of city employees are pressuring the City Attorney to apologize for his remarks condemning the actions of city employees at the Nov. 2 Common Council meeting.

Seen

White electric pedal-assist bikes are popping up around the city thanks to the Center for Community Transportations Ithaca Bike-Share program.

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

Jorge Defendini, Marissa Pappas, Allyson Katz, Siobhan Hull and other Climate Justice Cornell members Hold Rally for the Climate, Jobs, & Justice Package at Thompson Park (Photo Credit: Siobhan Hull)

Seasonal Shoveling

By Stephen Burke

Open the door and get a jolt to the eyes from the unexpected, a vision of something askew, like that surprise party years ago, walk ing to the back of the restaurant with two friends and all of a sudden there’s the image of another friend, then an other, not seen for how long, and for a few seconds you don’t know where you are. Surprise.

This time it’s opening a door out, not in, and the unfamiliar sight is white specks floating. What’s this, it can’t be, what day is this, it’s only … wait. Late November. How did that happen.

Snow. The first of the season. It edges down like a curtain, closing one act, setting up another.

Wait, you say. You’re not ready. You missed things. Go back.

Like that’s an option. This show isn’t scripted, it’s improv. Get with it.

Back inside for gloves? Okay, if you had an hour to find them. Suddenly today the hall closet will be twice as big and dark. Besides, they might be

in the car instead, or one of them might, underneath a seat or in the trunk. From now on you’ll keep them in a drawer, you tell yourself, and you would, if you habitually did things that make that much sense; or to put it more charitably, thought that much about such small matters. Maybe it’s time for a new pair anyway - when’s the last time you bought something at Agway? Probably this time last year.

At this time of year, among other surprises, scripts flip regarding resi dential locations in Ithaca. In other seasons suburbanites are the royalty of the hills, with privacy, space, land scapes and garages. Now the garages house the problems, the cars which are necessary for daily life among subur ban hills, but incompatible with those hills when snow-laden.

Downtown denizens are favored in winter, traveling level streets for their commutes and errands, while big out lier vehicles slide sideways down Route

Six Common Council Members Stand with City Employees

By: Cynthia Brock, George McGonigal, Duscon Nguyen, Jeffery Barken, George DeFendini, Rabert Gesualdo Cantelmo

Dear Mayor-Elect Lewis, We, the undersigned members of Ithaca’s Common Council, submit this response to the events at Common Council on Novem ber 2, your statement released Novem ber 3, and the City Attorney’s remarks at the November 9 meeting.

Following the comment period of our November 2nd meeting, we recog nize that the City’s negotiating team felt unfairly accosted by members of the public and subsequently undefended by Common Council. We unequivo cally support the first amendment rights of our city employees and all members of the public to seek redress of grievances and petition their elected leaders to modify policy. We under score, with equal commitment, that personal attacks are unacceptable, and we should have said that at the meeting. We also note that it is incumbent on the Chair of a meeting to preserve order and decorum, as written in our rules of procedure. Additionally, we believe that the City negotiating team have duti fully executed their responsibilities as delegated, and their actions as employ ees must not be conflated with their personal opinions on City matters.

The City Attorney’s conduct on November 9, 2022, was inappropri ate. His remarks were hyperbolic and disrespectful, incompatible with our shared values, and sought to interfere with and to silence the authority and voice of Council. This behavior must cease. The power of the Mayor to negotiate and administer labor agree ments with employees, is subject to the approval of Common Council.] We expect the Mayor and City Attorney to respect and honor Council’s inde pendent oversight, and to work with Council in a collaborative manner.

Further, Attorney Lavine’s con duct and your implicit approval of his actions, supports the concerns raised by City employees on November 2nd.

“The City of Ithaca is committed to maintaining a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Each individual has the right to work in a professional atmo sphere that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits discrimina tory practices, including harassment and hostile behavior.”2 As a provider of essential services to our commu nity, it is incumbent on the Mayor and Common Council to ensure a healthy, safe, and sustainable workforce. We are particularly troubled by the status of employee morale and will seek strate gies to improve those circumstances. Our community relies on us to thrive.

It is our firm belief that the employ ment policy direction, as well as the current negotiating strategy approach, are not conducive to a collaborative and supportive negotiation process, let alone an ideal working environment. The status quo is not sustainable.

We recognize that the City is cur rently in the midst of sensitive negotia tions and seeks a clear directive from Council to inform their approach to labor relations. We have also heard the concerns of our employees, and we are dedicated to pursuing a fair and just outcome that will support our staff within the needs and fiscal constraints of the City. We as Council do not, nor ever, seek or direct a specific outcome in any negotiation.

However, given recent actions as well as the passage of the City Manager ref erendum, we underscore the statutory authority and responsibility of Coun cil to review and approve bargaining policy brought forward by the executive branch as well as Council authority to monitor and intervene as necessary in contract negotiations with our employ ees. We have heard the concerns of our employees, and we are dedicated to pursuing a fair and just outcome that

Mob? Who’s running City Hall? Ithaca deserves better, and so do the workers.

Ithaca Public Sector Labor Unions: Worker’s concerns fall on deaf ears, public services at risk

By Ithaca Public Sector Labor Unions

The City of Ithaca has a long history of being a pro-worker, pro-union community. Sadly, that sentiment has been shattered as evidenced by a packed room and long list of proud union workers who spoke during the public comment portion of the Ithaca Common Council meeting on November 2nd.

Together we, organized labor, delivered a message to our elected officials that was united and strong, yet dire, and desperate. One after another, brave, determined and dedicated city public servants took the opportunity to address the city leaders and expose the toxic working environment that has made it impossible to recruit and retain the vital workers we need to serve our community.

We, organized labor, are the essen tial workers, who provide the public services our community relies on including public safety, fire protection, and access to safe roads, sidewalks, and clean water. We are the workers who protect the environment, pick up the trash and maintain city vehicles and equipment. We maintain vital public records and we respond to your emer gencies and calls for help, no matter the time.

The City of Ithaca has reached a crossroads. There are widespread vacancies across all city departments which have led to mandatory overtime, costly contracting out of services, and incredibly low morale among all city workers. Notably, the Department of Public Works alone is down 30 posi tions and Ithaca Police Department staffing is down almost 30% over the past decade, all while our community continues to grow and the demand for public services increases. We take great pride in our work however we continue to be treated as a liability, dispensable and easily replaceable by City Hall.

During bargaining sessions, workers and labor leaders are routinely deval ued, insulted, demeaned and disre spected by a City Attorney whose sole focus is slashing wages and benefits to balance the budget on the backs of Ithaca’s working class. Workers at the Department of Public Works, the Ithaca Fire Department and the Execu tive Association are all working with out contracts. Ithaca Police Officers and CSEA Administrative workers also went without contracts for a period of time, only to enter into new agreements last year in which major concessions in healthcare were made by the unions in order to get much needed raises that have since been absorbed by inflation.

The effects of the city’s anti-worker agenda have been far reaching and devastating. Despite a lucrative $20,000 sign on bonus, the police department can’t attract desperately needed person nel because word has spread of the city’s anti-labor, union-busting agenda. Job postings for other vital positions across the city remain open with few or no applicants. PW trucks and police cars sit empty and parked, while the city pays significantly more to private contractors to do the work once performed by us, the unions. This is union busting and we simply won’t stand for it. We want to provide the best possible public services to our community, but the City Admin istration is making it impossible to do so.

Workers are leaving Ithaca to take jobs in nearby municipalities that value them as an integral part of a team, not just a replaceable asset. Workers are leaving the city to take similar positions in nearby municipalities, sometimes for better pay and fewer responsibilities. In other cases, workers are even resigning to take positions for less pay and ben efits, or to begin new careers altogether,

50 Years of Girls Hockey

By Steve Lawrence

Apress release from the Tompkins Girls Hockey Association reminded me that “The year 1972 was significant as Title IX was adopted nationally, Cornell women’s hockey was founded, and the Ithaca Youth Bureau made gender equity a priority at its new rink at Cass Park; 2022 is a milestone for TGHA, the oldest girls hockey asso ciation in New York State.” (And third oldest in the country.)

Appropriately, the City of Ithaca, Mayor Laura Lewis (and New York State) have proclaimed the month of November “Tompkins Girls Hockey Month, and, according to the press re lease, “New York State Assembly Mem ber Anna Kelles has presented a citation that commends TGHA for “providing a variety of opportunities for females in the areas of athletics and education, in cluding ice skating instruction and ice times for hockey practices and games, all the while building a collaborative team environment that emphasizes op portunities to play over winning.”

Mary Grainger, has been a tireless advocate for local girls’ hockey for the better part of 30 years, and most re cently for enclosure the Cass Park rink.

I asked Mary to give me an overview of the weekend’s events. As always, Mary expressed her gratitude to the people who showed up – and have been showing up – to build this 50year legacy. She shared a video of Tara Bricker on the ice, on skates, wielding her hockey stick, organizing a shooting contest as part of the fund raising effort.

The two-dozen eager participants looked at the five-inch hole through which they would try to place the 3-inch puck in the “Shooting for Dol lars” contest. Half the proceeds would go to the organization, and Tara – who Grainger described as having “been involved with TGHA her entire life, as a player, a coach, a referee and a

major fan,” expressed her own “deep gratitude” to those who have made the experience possible for a half-century. She was thrilled to be on the ice with three generations of one TGHA fam ily– Sue Cosentini (who coached Tara) Jamie Jensen (Sue’s daughter, whom Tara coached) and Sophia (Jamie’s daughter).

Fittingly, Friday was November 18, 50 years to the day when Cass Park offered its first ice time. 50 years later, Mary looked back on her own fam ily’s involvement (her two daughters, Maura and Erin, came up through the ranks and played collegiate hockey and beyond), and she stated, “TGHA didn’t take elementary school kids until the late 90s, so that’s when we got involved.” Since then, Mary has been involved in planning the 30th, 35th, 40th anniver sary celebrations, and when the 45th came around, she was already neckdeep in doing the fund raising for the enclosure project. She said, “I didn’t want to do two rodeos at once!,” and she adjusted her efforts accordingly.

Last weekend’s celebration stirred up some emotions for many in attendance. Mary said, “I looked across the lobby, and I saw a woman who had flown in from California. She was with another woman, and I realized that both had lost family during their TGHA years. Some wondered how they got through it, and they said that it was because of their TGHA family. They were bonded through hockey.”

Tara Bricker with a group of grateful TGHA players. (Photo Provided)

ITHACA‘S LAST REAL MAYOR

By Matt Dougherty

Fifth Ward Common Council member, Laura Lewis, was appointed to the position of Acting Mayor by former Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick at the start of 2022 and was recently elected to carry out the final year of the former Mayor’s four-year term. MayorElect Lewis will be the city’s last fulltime mayor since the public approved a referendum to establish the position of City Manager by a margin of nearly 80 percent on Election Day. There will still be a part-time Mayor that is elected, but administrative responsibilities will be transferred to the City Manager.

Mayor Lewis’s first weeks in elected office have been underscored by a num ber of controversies — most notably the issues that city employees have ex pressed over contract negotiations and the former Director of Sustainability re signing over issues with the City Attor ney. These issues have presented a chal lenging start to her term that expires at the end of 2023, but Lewis remains op timistic that the city will follow through on its priorities.

In addition to dealing with these controversies Lewis said her top priori ties included finding someone to fill the position of City Manager, investing in affordable housing, infrastructure and following through on the goals of the Ithaca Green New Deal.

In a recent interview Mayor Lew is told The Ithaca Times, “my top pri orities are always looking at the city’s needs. The interests of the city are my key focus.” She continued saying, “right

now we have staffing concerns, as all or ganizations across our community and across the country, have staffing con cerns.”

ITHACA’S ISSUES

In response to questions about how she plans on resolving the current con flict between some members of the Common Council, city employees and the City Attorney, Lewis said that she couldn’t go into detail but that she “un derstands that city staff are working un der tremendous pressures and expecta tions.”

She continued saying, “I and all members of the common council have the greatest interests of the city as a whole in mind. We have terrific city staff, and like many organizations across the nation and across the state are deal ing with staffing shortages, and that is such a complex challenge dilemma. And there are lots of different factors that play into that.”

According to Lewis one of those fac tors is that the tax base in the city of Ithaca is limited. Lewis said, “We have 57% of property in the city of Ithaca that is tax exempt. So that has an impact on what we as a municipality are able to af ford.”

When asked if Cornell University’s tax exempt status affects what the city is able to afford Lewis said, “57 percent of property is tax exempt. Every school, every church, every nonprofit — includ ing Cornell University — is tax exempt.” Lewis continued saying, “we cannot change that, it is federally determined.

So when some members of the public rightly ask questions about this, we want them to know that we are constrained by laws that are not determined by the city of Ithaca.”

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Lewis also said that housing is an is sue she has been concerned about for many many years because she grew up in rental housing. According to Lewis,

Ithaca Mayor-Elect Laura Lewis responds to questions concerning the city’s priorities going into 2023. (Photo Credit: Josh Baldo)

“I grew up in a single parent household. So I understand how important it is that we have quality and affordable housing because the cost of housing in the city is high.” She continued saying, “I do rec ognize that we see displacement of resi dents from the city. I’m especially con cerned with the displacement of people of color moving out of the city because of costs.”

The Mayor-Elect has repeatedly said, “we need housing at every price point across the city.” In addition, she says that as the city looks at sustainability, it’s im portant to provide housing in the cen ter of the city, where people have access to transportation and amenities that the city wants people to be able to take ad vantage of.

Lewis continued saying, “we want to provide a walkable city for our resi dents. At the same time, we want to pro vide parking for those who commute in to work in the city or go to cinemapolis or restaurants.”

Lewis mentioned the importance of the construction of the Founders Way affordable housing development and said there are an additional 181 afford able housing units being built next to city hall.

When asked what the average rent al price for one of these units would be, Lewis said, “I can’t quote prices for you because it will depend on if it is a studio, one bedroom, a two bedroom.” Howev er Lewis did say that the City is “looking for housing to be affordable at the 80% of area median income.” According to Census data the individual median in come in Ithaca is $38,732 — 80 percent of that would be $30,985.

Additionally, the Ithaca Housing Au thority says that those who qualify for affordable housing can choose between paying a flat rental price or income ad

justed rental price annually. Flat rental prices range from $783 for a one bed room apartment to $1,747 for a five bed room apartment. These prices are based upon the market rent charged for com parable units in the private unassisted rental market.

According to the Ithaca Housing Au thority, “Income-Based Rent is a tenant rent portion that is assigned based upon the family’s income and the total tenant payment that is assigned.”

ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS

The lack of affordable housing is a growing issue in the city that’s becoming more apparent as homelessness is in creasing, leading to residents occupying unsanctioned encampments because they have nowhere else to go.

In response to questions about how the city is going to address the growing homelessness crisis Lewis said, “I have appointed a working group to look at unsanctioned encampments and to de velop a policy and talk about implemen tation of policy.” According to Lewis there may be a recommendation from this working group sometime in Janu ary.

THE IGND

When asked how the city was plan ning on following through on the goals of the Ithaca Green New Deal (IGND) Lewis said, “we’ve really built upon a good deal of the work that Dr. Aguirre Torres did while he was working as di rector of sustainability.” She continued saying, “some people become frustrated with the slow process of government, including city government, and I under stand that. At the same time, I am inter ested in long term sustainability goals that we can achieve.”

According to Lewis, “sometimes that means we don’t do something as fast or as quickly as some members of the pub lic might like to see. But what’s impor tant is that we’re building in the long term.”

FINDING A CITY MANAGER

Part of Mayor Lewis’s job of building in the long term over the course of this term will be working with the Common Council to find someone to fill the posi tion of City Manager by the end of 2023. In response to questions about how she plans on working with Council to find someone to fill the position Lewis says that her goal is to hire a chief of staff who will bring all the skills that the city wants to see in the first city manager.

She continued saying, “common council will be very involved in hiring and overseeing the city manager posi tion”

Advocates of the shift in city govern ment organization believe that creating the City Manager position would allow for more efficiency in city government because it would put a professionally trained administrator in charge of ad ministrative duties. It would also pro vide more consistency to the city gov ernment rather than being subject to shifts due to changes in the mayor po sition. These advocates believe that such efficiency and consistency will, for example, be important in following through on the police reimagining plan.

However, some residents have ex pressed concern about the fact that the City Manager would not be an elected position and would instead be appoint ed by the mayor and common council.

Acting Mayor Lewis responded to these concerns by saying that a City Manager would make government more efficient and that residents’ influ ence over the City Manager would be felt through their votes for Common Council members. “The [City Manager] is publicly accountable because they re port to the Common Council and the Common Council is elected,” Lewis ex plained. “If the public views the City Manager as not being effective in their role, residents would contact the Com mon Council because that would be the overseeing body.”

The Council would have the oppor tunity to hold the Manager accountable at monthly meetings. However, the pro posal to create a City Manager says that the position would have a four-to-fiveyear contract. While any such contract would contain grounds and procedures for termination of the City Manager prior to expiration, firing a City Man ager prior to the end of their agreement would not be simple.

Supporters of the proposal say that giving up the ability for voters to elect the CEO of the city is a positive thing because an elected Mayor is not re quired to have relevant administrative experience, and that potentially con tinuous four-year turnover could lead to instability in administrative oversight and accountability.

Any manager appointed by the Com mon Council would have to be qualified and have experience handling major ad ministrative and budgetary responsibili ties. While anyone can be elected Mayor, only professional managers meet the eli gibility requirements for the City Man ager position.

Ithaca Times reporter Matt Dougherty sits down for an interview with Ithaca Mayor-Elect Laura Lewis. (Photos Credit: Josh Baldo)

in order to escape the toxic working environment that has become the norm in the City of Ithaca.

Residents are finally seeing tangible evidence of the city’s mismanage ment and anti-worker policies through a reduction of services, longer wait times, and lower quality of life. Under staffed departments with overbur dened workers struggle to maintain and provide even the bare minimum of services while also trying to strike the increasingly difficult work life balance, to be there for our families and our children, where we are needed most.

This is not a new problem though, but one that the city has created through years of anti-worker policy that has now reached a breaking point.

It was apparent to us at the Novem ber 2’d Common Council meeting that the Common Council has been left in the dark, and not aware of just how dire the situation has become. We thank the members of the council who have since reached out to develop dia logue to better understand the complex

issues we are facing with an approach of partnership, genuine concern and mutual respect. Unfortunately, the City Attorney and Mayor continue to be close-minded and negative.

At the November 9th Common Council meeting, the City Attorney and Mayor shamed and scolded the Common Council for expressing their concerns for workers in Ithaca. Both then dismissed and marginalized the voices of labor, claiming that our griev ances weren’t legitimate, but instead based on misguided rumors twisted into personal attacks. In the City Attorney’s statement, a mostly selfserving and divisive response made from a position of power and authority, we were appalled to hear Ithaca’s public servants who were advocating for their community, their livelihood’s and their families likened to a “mob” engaged in an “obscene spectacle”.

That said, we also question the judgement of any newly elected mayor who would conduct their first public meeting in this fashion, both permitting and promoting strong anti-labor rheto ric against the city’s own workforce, in a closed meeting that allowed for no public comment or response from

council members. Despite all of this, we believe there is still a path forward. We are confident that in partnership with those on the council who support workers, we will be better able meet the needs and demands of our community while respecting one another, respect ing organized labor, and protecting the rights and safety of workers.

The residents of this great city deserve better and want to see their government support workers by treating them and their families well, as people, who deserve dignity and respect. We must ensure that workers are paid a living wage with benefits that support the quality of life and wellness that we and our families

deserve. This is also essential for the recruitment and retainment of skilled labor so that we can continue to pro vide vital services to our community that deserves the very best, not just the bare minimum.

It’s time the City of Ithaca holds itself to its organizational values state ment and creates a workplace where “each person should be respected, developed, supported and valued” in an environment where the city’s guid ing principle, “people are our greatest resource”, is actually embraced and more than just words written on a piece of paper. If one thing is clear, it is that our great community is in trouble, and time is of the essence.

Animated Films to be Thankful For

By Bryan VanCampen

Ihave seen many mov ies – many hundreds and hundreds of movies – but I’m still gob smacked by how many movies I haven’t seen.

When COVID shut down movie theaters, I started the New To Me Film Festival in 2020: 500 + flicks thus far. I just finished Ken Burns’ fasci nating eight-part documentary series on country music, and believe it or not, I just watched the Marx Brothers in “A Night at the Opera” (1935) for the first time. I’ve certainly seen my share of burnished cinema classics, like Wim Wenders’ “Paris, Texas” (1984), Preston Sturges’ “The Lady Eve” (1941), Federico Fellini’s “Fellini’s Roma” (1972) and Billy Wilder’s “Double Indemnity” (1944). But you don’t need me to tell you how great “Double Indemnity” is.

And of course, I watched lots of stuff that didn’t land. Despite being Jack Nicholson’s debut as a leading man, Jus Addiss’ “The Cry Baby Killer” (1958) brought tears of bore dom to my eyes. (Check out Roger Corman’s “The Raven from 1963; that’s where Nichol son gets interesting.) Allan Arkush’s sci-fi robot romance “Heartbeeps” (1981), starring Andy Kaufman and Bernadette Peters, is paced like a glacier, but having interviewed Arkush

and listened to his commen tary track, I can see how he got defeated by pacing issues and poorly executed special effects. And “Little Monsters” (1989) is just a bad “Beetlejuice” rip-off with an annoying performance by Howie Mandel. You can see why it hasn’t become a Hal loween perennial.

For Part Five, I want to spotlight four animated fea tures that I really loved.

I’ve been consuming a whole lot of different iterations of Hanna-Barbera’s “ScoobyDoo”, looking for good Scooby. I haven’t found much. HannaBarbera’s first series aired in 1969, and has spawned countless spin-off series, IP team-ups ranging from Don Knotts to Batman, two liveaction theatrical flicks and tons of direct-to-DVD features. I spend a lot of time wondering if Scooby-Doo was ever any good. I went back and looked at “The All-New Scooby-Doo Movies” (1972-’73), which I loved as a kid, but they didn’t hold up too well. Most of it is what my pal Andy Zax would call entry-level kiddie TV.

Whenever I see four new Scoobs in the Wal-Mart $5 bin, I snap ‘em up, and people, I found a good ‘un: you can tell right from the beginning that Chuck Sheetz’ “ScoobyDoo! Pirates Ahoy!” (2006) has given a lot of smart comic thought to the absurdity of

“Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy!” is the pick of the Scooby litter and includes Mindy Cohn, Casey Kasem, Tim Conway, Edie McClurg, Dan Castellaneta and Arsenio Hall.

the whole Mystery Machine premise, and offers up a funny, clever tale that’s a lot more in teresting than the usual Scooby story-line.

Here’s the set-up: Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne and Velma get treated to a creepy cruise to the Bermuda Trian gle, courtesy of Fred’s parents, featuring the inspired guest voices of Tim Conway and Edie McClurg. The gag is that the ship’s staff specializes in mystery scenarios that cater to the guests, and the twist is that the Mystery Machine gang sees through every single spooky set-up, and end up solving a slew of mysteries in, like, 10 minutes. Kudos to Sheetz’ writers and crew for trying to make something good, not just another 70-minute time killer. If someone wanted to watch good Scooby-Doo, this is the movie I’d recommend. ● ● ●

I’ll admit it. I avoided Josh Cooley’s “Toy Story 4” (2019) during its theatrical run, but you have to understand: I believe that Pixar’s first three “Toy Story” movies may be the finest sustained trilogy of films ever made, and it would have hurt my soul to see the series devolve to the level of “Jaws: The Revenge” (1987) or some

“Toy Story 4” takes Woody beyond infinity. Watch the curio shop shelf for references to lots of Disney movies.

other soulless sequel. Turns out I had nothing to worry about.

The whole gang is back, but Part 4 really focuses on Woody (Tom Hanks) when he gets lost on a road trip and finds himself in a cozy second-hand curio and antique shop, where vintage toys tend not to sell and sit on the shelf. (I need to watch this one again with the pause but ton; apparently every shelf in the store is crammed with Pixar movie Easter eggs.) Tony Hale, Christina Hendricks, Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key join the cast in guest star roles.

Just tracing Woody’s evolu tion from “Toy Story” (1995) is really an achievement, tracking a toy from defining itself by the love of a child to, maybe, something else. Like the best Pixar movies, I knew I was in for an emotional catharsis, but I didn’t know how it would manifest. And there I was, six and half minutes in, bawling like a baby.

I’ll tell you one other thing: if Pixar ever decides to go back to the well and make “Toy Story 5”, this time I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.

● ● ●

I was really late to the party when it comes to Hayao

Arts & Entertainment

“Kiki’s Delivery Service” grows from the unique premise of a witch using her broomstick powers to start a delivery service.

“Injustice” turns the league on its head in a dark and adult version of Superman.

ETA Pie: “Even your options have options”

By Alyssa Denger

Variety is the spice of life. The folks at ETA Pie know that the Ithaca community is constantly looking for flavor, and in response they have been serving up exotic flavors with a classic twist. Located on West State Street, ETA pie is tucked into a corner of Ithaca that is full of life and activity. Their ingredient combinations match the lively nature of the area, bordering on daring and delivering the unexpected.

ETA Pie has been dishing out deli cious pizzas since the Spring of 2022, but what they should really be famous for is their pizzazz. They have an abun dance of toppings that combine in ways that can only be described as whimsi cal. In fact, chef’s whimsy is an actual category on the menu. With ingredients like smoked salmon, scallops, and shrimp, ETA pie takes advantage of the area’s culinary resources.

All of their pies are incredibly color ful, so get ready to take pictures. The Jaipur Pizza blends classic Indian flavors with italian staples. Covered in masala sauce, spinach, onions, mozzarella, and topped with paneer, this dish packs a punch of flavor. The thin and chewy crust is a fantastic vessel for the robust masala drizzle and chewy paneer.

With so many ingredients on each pie, ETA takes charge in the texture department, making every bite different from the next. The Mykonos pizza trans ports eaters to Greece with tangy feta and smooth tzatziki sauce. Add these two ingredients to a crust with onions and mozzarella, and you have a combi nation that is guaranteed to satisfy.

Before ordering I heard a customer exclaim, “Even your options have op tions!”. I was not exactly sure what they were talking about until I made my way to the ordering station, but when I dived deeper into the menu, I saw exactly what they meant. The Providence comes topped with clams, bacon, green peppers,

Co-owner Brandon Whitford has been serving up pizzas on the west side since spring at ETA Pie.

(Photo Credit: Josh Baldo)

onions, and mozzarella, making a hearty and flavorful bite. It doesn't take a genius to know that bacon makes everything a little bit better, but in this dish the salti ness and crunch of the bacon really ele vates the entire experience. Additionally, the Sauverne brings French culture to the table with escargot, gorgonzola and mornay sauce. I have not yet indulged in snails on my pizza, but it is at the top of my list for my next visit.

Each pizza can be done in a variety or sizes, and can even be ordered by the slice. ETA also makes a fantastic cauliflower crust that allows you to share with your gluten-sensitive friends without even noticing a difference. The cauliflower crust is thin and crunchy, offering mild flavor while maintaining the integrity of a classic crust. If you want sides to accompany your star-ofthe show pizza, they offer salads and wings with a plethora of homemade dressings and sauces to choose from.

ETA pie makes good pizza. They make pizza that has the potential to be anything, and they are not afraid of abundance. Whether you’re hosting the big game or are just too lazy to cook, make sure you add ETA Pie to your takeout pizza rotation.

E.T.A. Pizza

1006 W Seneca St, Ithaca

Open: 1-9 Sun. 4-10; Mon. 11-10 Tues.Sat.

Documentary Is Enlightening on Black Cinema

By Bryan VanCampen

I’ve been studying film for enough years that I judge documentaries like Elvis Mitchell’s “Is That Black Enough For You?” (Netflix, 2022, 135 min.) by what they can tell me or show me that I didn’t know before.

Like this: one of my favorite films as a kid was a Diahann Carroll-James Earl Jones ro mantic comedy called “Clau dine” (1974), directed by John Berry. Well, in his on-camera interview, Lawrence Fishburne reveals that he was actually cast in a previous version of the film that was never made.

“Is That Black Enough For You?” is a revelation – the title comes from a key line in Ossie Davis’ 1970 comedy “Cotton Comes to Harlem” - and within five minutes, I knew I was going to learn a lot and see a lot that I’d never seen before. I plan to watch it again so that I can compile an accurate list of the doz ens and dozens of films that Mitchell places in cinematic and cultural history.

Like “Cinema Speculation”, Quen tin Tarantino’s stunning new book of film essays, the structure is rooted in Mitchell’s memories of all the insulting, condescending portrayals of Blacks in film (you can bet he’s critical of “The Birth of a Nation” and “Gone With The Wind”), pioneers like Harry Belafonte, who rejected Hollywood’s stifling strictures, and Sidney Poitier, the first Black movie star, and, finally, the 1970’s “blaxploitation” wave that was wide enough to include not just Melvin Van Peebles’ “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadas ssss Song” (1971) and Jack Hill’s “Foxy Brown” (1974), but more thoughtful fare like Martin Ritt’s “Sounder” (1972) and Joseph Manduke’s “Cornbread, Earl and Me” (1975).

In addition to Fishburne, Mitchell interviews Margaret Avery (1972’s “Cool Breeze”), Belafonte, Charles Bur nett (1978’s “KIller of Sheep”), Whoopi Goldberg (1992’s “The Player”), Samuel L. Jackson (“Pulp Fiction”), Suzanne de Passe (“Lady Sings The Blues”), Glynn Turman (“Cooley High”) and Zendaya (“Dune”).

I was so intrigued and moved by Mitchell’s new film that I went looking for physical media copies of the many films analyzed and discussed. Many of them appear to be out of print. Hey, Netflix, it would be really cool if you could add movies like “Killer of Sheep” and “Claudine” and “Cotton Comes to Harlem” to your streaming services, the way that you added WWII documenta ries and propaganda to your site to pro mote your documentary series based on Mark Harris’ “Five Came Back”.

“Is That Black Enough For You?” is streaming on Netflix.

Recommended: “The Menu”, playing at Cinemapolis and Regal Stadium 14.

Elvis Mitchell’s new Netflix documentary illuminates the best and worst of Black cinema

INCREASE IN RSV CASES

Vaccination is the best protection against getting the flu — it protects not only you but also limits the spread of flu to your loved ones and others. The flu can make even healthy people very sick and cause serious complications in children younger than 5, pregnant women, people 65 years and older, and people with certain chronic health conditions.

Frank Kruppa, Public Health Direc tor stated, “We want to do our part to limit the spread of respiratory illnesses like RSV and the flu so that we can

SURROUNDED BY REALITY

continued from page 6

79 or 96 or 13, or at least elicit entreat ies to St. Christopher from helpless drivers in white-knuckled anticipation of it. How well you drive and maintain your car doesn’t fully matter when there’s always a chance of someone uphill from you with a hoopty with treadless tires and a cavalier attitude toward other cars and people.

Of course snow requires care every where, even downtown, and soon this season you will remember, or think you do, the households that each season ignore the responsibilities of shoveling. This one, for instance, in the middle of the block next to yours. How do they get away with it year after year? Don’t the immediate neighbors say something? Or are the owners overtly antagonistic, not just passive aggressive or thoughtless, and confrontation, even neighborly, is risky? It’s too bad mayoral elections aren’t held in the winter, when candidates promising strict shoveling enforcement would win in avalanches.

Meteorologists and almanacs mean nothing, because they describe the wrong things. Don’t tell me about polar blasts and jet streams, tell me how long it will take to dig my car out tomor row. Twenty minutes is a severe storm, thirty minutes or more a blizzard. I remember maybe three such sessions last year, which means it was a mild winter no matter what other statistics say: sorry, National Weather Service.

Friends and family downstate check in with upstaters when they hear about

protect our vulnerable community members. Good hand hygiene, staying home when you are feeling ill, wearing a high-quality mask when necessary and getting vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19, are steps we can all take to limit the reach of these viruses.”

Dr. William Klepack, TCHD Medial Director stated, “While there is not currently a vaccine available for RSV, we can and should prioritize getting the flu vaccine along with an updated COVID-19 booster. Everyone ages 5 and older can receive an up dated bivalent booster dose. Reducing the impact of the flu and COVID-19 will enable our healthcare system to be available to provide the care needed for managing severe cases of RSV and

snow storms here, because although they think of “upstate” as a region vast as the Yukon, they also construe the cit ies as being in a similar spot, or nowhere in particular, so Ithaca might be roughly adjacent to Syracuse or Buffalo, or both.

They hear about lake effect snow and remember Ithaca is on a lake. They don’t realize the phenomenon refers to big lakes such as Erie and Ontario and the areas they’re near, like Buf falo, Rochester, and even Syracuse, 40 miles from Lake Ontario but on a particularly treacherous path of wind and weather.

Under certain atmospheric condi tions, cold air masses moving across the large lakes pick up excessive water vapor, which then freezes. When the system reaches land, with colder surface temperatures than the lakes, the system dumps the combined accumulation.

In our region, the Finger Lakes are too slight to create lake effect. If any thing, the eleven long, narrow bodies, stretching as much as 40 miles north to south across an area of just 100 miles east to west, serve to break up massive movements of snow with brief but repeated interruptions of warmer air rising from higher surface tem peratures. They also catch a lot of what actually falls.

A bona fide weather scientist might dispute this analysis. So might real estate agents in Trumansburg, on the west side of Cayuga Lake, but not in Lansing, on the east, respectively less and more protected in this depiction. In the middle, in Ithaca, we can be happy to dig our cars out only three times a season, whatever the reason.

other illnesses. We need to have local capacity available to care for new borns, infants, immunocompromised and elderly adults.”

Dr. Klepack continued, “Flu vaccina tion is very effective in younger people, is safe, does not cause flu, and protects highly vulnerable people including el derly relatives and friends and children with chronic disease. With the holidays approaching and community spread al ready prevalent, the need for parents to be proactive is particularly urgent this year. It is not too late to be vaccinated.”

To get a flu or COVID-19 vaccine, call your primary care provider or schedule with a local pharmacy. You can also use the Vaccine Finder to find a location near you.

COMMON COUNCIL OP-ED

continued from page 6

will support our staff within the needs and fiscal constraints of the City.

ANIMATED FILMS

continued from page 11

Miyazaki. The first Miyazaki film I ever saw was “Howl’s Moving Castle” in 2005, but I’ve made it my mis sion to catch up. It struck me while watching Miyazaki’s delightful “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (1989) how much Studio Ghibli’s anime style and story choices are inspired by Disney and the Old-World look of European story telling and the “village” look of Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm. (For the record, I watched Disney’s 1997 English dub, and I hope to make time to watch the Ghibli dub soon.)

“Kiki’s Delivery Service” is a fairy tale, just like Stephen King’s new novel: Kiki (Kirsten Dunst) is a witch who must undergo a rite of passage by leaving home with her talking cat (an oddly poignant Phil Hartman) and making her way in the big city. She befriends a local baker (Janeane Garofalo) and uses her flying broom stick to start her own delivery busi ness. The emotional spine of the story is all wrapped up in that time in young peoples’ lives when they want inde pendence but worry if they can handle the responsibilities that come with adulthood.

Most health insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, cover the cost of an annual flu vac cination. If you do not have insurance or your insurance is not accepted, you can schedule an appointment at the Health Department’s Immunization Clinics, open to adults ages 18+ who are uninsured or underinsured, and for children age 17 and under who are uninsured, underinsured, Medicaid recipients or Child Health Plus recipi ents. Call 607-274-6604 to schedule an appointment at our Immunization Clinics.

If you would like to learn more about health insurance options, dial 211 to speak with a Health Insurance Navi gator or make an appointment online.

We look forward to a more collabor ative and cooperative working relation ship between the Mayor, the City Attor ney, and Common Council in the near future. The City of Ithaca, its employees, and its citizens deserve no less.

“Kiki’s Delivery Service” should become a Halloween staple movie for families. ● ● ●

The 43rd DC animated feature, Matt Peters’ “Injustice” (2021) is one of their darker efforts, and ample evidence that the MCU isn’t the only comic book fran chise that does the whole “multi-verse” thing. “Injustice” tells its “what if?” tale outside of what we know as the DC Com ics continuity: Superman (Justin Hartley) is tricked by the Joker into murdering Lois Lane, and the Man of Steel flips out, level ing Metropolis with a nuclear bomb. As Supes gets more and more controlling and paranoid, the Justice League splinters and Superman tries to establish a new world order, as it were. And so it falls to Batman (Anson Mount) to try and turn the Man of Tomorrow around before it’s all too late.

It’s been interesting watching Marvel and DC push their iconic heroes into anti-heroes. I sure didn’t see it coming when Chris Hemsworth’s Thor basically turned into the Big Lebowski; I can’t see DC taking creative risks with Wonder Woman, but then they’re able to tell these off-reservation tales, and Superman no longer seems like such a Boy Scout.

Families, take due caution: “Injus tice” is rated R, for good reason.