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Summer Guide to the

FINGER LAKES BE CAREFUL

CARS CONVERSION

BIZ TIMES

COVID numbers show small spike over weekend

T’burg facility turning male-only

New Black-Owned Businesses list

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SARAH CHALMERS’ FAREWELL

SCHOOL IS BACK?

What does a reopening Ithaca theater icon of ICSD look like? is moving on PAGE 15

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ALL TOGETHER NOW. We’ve been hard at work reporting the latest news and informing you about a pandemic that’s disrupted everyone’s lives. We’re proud of our brand of trusted journalism. Now, as our nation looks to reopen, rebound and resurge, our advertising representatives are here to help your business. Hire us to help get your customers back and your employees ready. Nobody cares more about your success than us. No one has an engaged audience like ours. Our growth online, combined with print, is impressive as more readers turn to us for local news.

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VOL.XL / NO. 47 / July 15, 2020 Serving 47,125 readers week ly

Back to School �� 8 ICSD might reopen in the fall. Here’s how.

Coronavirus

Sarah K. Chalmer’s Legacy �� 15

New COVID-19 cases reported following Fourth of July

From Kitchen to Civic Ensemble and onward

NE W S & OPINION Newsline ��3-9 Sports �� 10 Business �� 11-14

ART S & E N T E RTAINME N T

he Tompkins County Health Department issued a health advisory stating that new cases of COVID-19 have been reported from social gatherings during the Fourth of July weekend. Over the weekend, the department reported six more cases, and 10 additional were announced Tuesday, meaning the number of active cases is up to 19. It is unclear how many of these positive cases were linked to the Fourth of July activities and travels. In total, 186 people have tested positive in Tompkins County, and 167 of those people have recovered and tested negative. According to the press release, the reported cases are "connected to out-of-state travel to states with significant increases of the virus." The release also said that some of the cases are "connected to local social gatherings where distance and mask-wearing were not observed." “We have come a long way, but we are not done with COVID-19," Frank Kruppa, Tompkins County Public Health Director, said in a press release. "I strongly remind all residents to remain vigilant and take all precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. People traveling are still bringing the disease into our community, increasing the potential of spread. The Health Department is discouraging all non-essential travel to affected states. Masks are required in public spaces, especially indoors, where distance cannot be maintained. Masks and face coverings are a simple measure we can all take to prevent exposing others to the virus." Individuals can obtain more continued on page 7

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R ent Cancellation

Mayor Svante Myrick speaks to Ithaca Tenants Union protestors during a demonstration outside of City Hall last week. (Photo by Matt Butler)

Myrick officially asks state for permission to establish rent forgiveness commission

thaca Mayor Svante Myrick has officially asked the New York State Department of Health for permission to cancel three months of rent for Ithacans who are in "severe jeopardy of homelessness" as a result of the COVID-19 economic crisis, starting with the establishment of a dedicated city commission. Common Council had approved Myrick to ask the state for permission at their June meeting. The state must now approve the executive order Myrick sent them in order for him to proceed. Myrick would also be declaring a local state of emergency as a result of the coronavirus outbreak's economic ramifications on the city, local businesses and its residents. Ithaca would be the first city in the country to initiate a rent forgiveness program. There is no timetable for the state to

respond. The exact language of the proposed executive order would establish the Rent Forgiveness Commission for the City of Ithaca, which would be made up of five Myrickappointed people, including three renters from the City of Ithaca and two landlords from the City of Ithaca. That commission would then work to "institute systems and rules for the forgiveness of rent and the extension of leases for those tenants in the City of Ithaca otherwise in severe jeopardy of homelessness as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic." At the June meeting of Common Council, the proposed legislation would grant rent forgiveness for April, May and June for those who have accumulated rent debt during those three months, though the final goal could shift from that.

T a k e ▶ Chicken BBQ -The Fraternal Order of Eagles #1253 is hosting another chicken barbeque, with tickets on sale now at the club for the low price of $10. Dinners will include a half

The definition of "severe jeopardy of homelessness" will also be determined by the commission, and what language they eventually choose to include under the phrase will impact how expansive the legislation actually is and how many renters in the City of Ithaca it would affect. Myrick said the commission would make the decision, but that preliminarily he would like to see it apply to "people who have lost their income, who aren't independently wealthy, and who are behind on rent for three months or more." The commission will also advise the city government on funding allocations that could reduce or eliminate the need for a rent forgiveness program. While the fact that the bill has been officially sent is a landmark victory for the Ithaca Tenants Union, which has fervently pushed the bill and protested outside of Myrick's

M a t t B u t l e r , M a n a g i n g E d i t o r , x 224 E d i t o r @ I t h a c aTi m e s . c o m J a i m e C o n e , E d i t o r , x 232 SouthReporter@flcn.org C a s e y M a r t i n , S ta f f P h o t o g r a p h e r P h o t o g r a p h e r @ I t h a c aTi m e s . c o m C h r i s I b e r t , C a l e n d a r E d i t o r , x 217 A r t s @ I t h a c aTi m e s . c o m A n d r e w S u l l i v a n , S p o r t s E d i t o r , x 227 Sports@flcn.org Steve L awrence, Spo rts Co lumnist St e v e S p o r t sD u d e @ g m a i l .co m M a r s h a l l H o p k i n s , P r o d u c t i o n D i r ec t o r / D es i g n e r , x 216 P r o d u c t i o n @ I t h a c aTi m e s . c o m E r i n S t e w a r t , A cc o u n t R ep r ese n ta t i v e , x 220 E r i n @ I t h a c aTi m e s . c o m L i s a B i n g a m a n , A cc o u n t R ep r ese n ta t i v e , x 218 l i s a @ I t h a c aTi m e s . c o m I r e n e B r a d l e y , x 211 A d m i n i s t r a t i o n Chris Eaton, Distribution J i m B i l i n s k i , P u b l i s h e r , x 210 j b i l i n s k i @ I t h a c aTi m e s . c o m L a r r y H o c h b e r g e r , A ss o c i a t e P u b l i s h e r , x 214 l a r r y@ I t h a c aTi m e s . c o m F r e e l a n c e r s : Barbara Adams, Rick Blaisell, Steve Burke, Deirdre Cunningham, Jane Dieckmann, Amber Donofrio, Karen Gadiel, Charley Githler, Linda B. Glaser, Warren Greenwood, Ross Haarstad, Peggy Haine, Gay Huddle, Austin Lamb, Steve Lawrence, Marjorie Olds, Lori Sonken, Henry Stark, Dave Sit, Bryan VanCampen, and Arthur Whitman

continued on page 7

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chicken, salt potatoes, baked beans, a roll, and a cookie. The group will be doing curbside pickup only just like the last time. The bar will be open at noon for any members and their

ON T HE WE B Visit our website at www.ithaca.com for more news, arts, sports and photos. Call us at 607-277-7000

guests wanting a beverage, or to eat inside. Please be mindful that there is a capacity limit at this time. The Fraternal Order of Eagles is located at 161 Cecil Malone Drive, Ithaca, NY.

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INQUIRING

N e w s l i n e

CARS for Men

PHOTOGRAPHER CARS’ Trumansburg facility will convert to all-male residents in September By C a se y Mar tin

WHICH ANIMAL WOULD MAKE THE BEST TYPE OF PRESIDENT IF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM EVER RISES UP AND TAKES OVER?

“The Elephant. Wise!” -Fabio C.

A drawing of the exterior perspective of the additional Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services building slated for construction in Ulysses at the existing CARS site. (Image: Provided)

he Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services residential facility in Trumansburg will soon convert to only male residents, and the organization is now working to place its female residents in similar programs around the area. The facility currently houses

“Gazelle” -Jake B.

both men and women, but in less than two months it will convert to all-male residents as the organization awaits the construction of its womenonly facility which will be nearby in Ulysses. Current accommodations made to handle the COVID-19 outbreak, like keeping a certain number of

Ivy League “The Elephant – they are emotional!” -Kati J & Courtney W.

Ivy League postpones fall sports, Cornell sports possible for spring 2021

he Ivy League announced Wednesday that it would be postponing all fall sports until the

“Bees! They have ONE Queen and a bunch of drones!” -Alyssa & Jacob B.

A drawing of the exterior perspective of the additional Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services building slated

“Water Bird. They are full of life!” -Lila T & Ted M.

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end of the fall semester, a move that could have a domino effect on larger college athletics operations. Cornell University is an Ivy League member and was set to hold its seasons in the fall, including football starting in late September. News of the announcement began to emerge last week in reports across several news outlets before being made official on

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beds open in case someone has to quarantine, have naturally shrunk the population of the facility and CARS spokesperson Brad Walworth said that has led to a smaller number of female residents than normal. “We’ve always tended to have more male residents at the facility than women anyway,” Walworth said. “It creates the perfect timing to have to do this transition, and we would have to anyway because the construction of the female facility is going to be starting this fall and hopefully that will be completed by fall of 2021.” CARS is indeed building a women’s residential addiction treatment facility, which will be a 25-bed building in Ulysses. Ultimately, Walworth said, CARS thinks that converting into two separate single-gender residential facilities will allow the organization to better serve their clients who may deal with pre-existing issues that stem from being around someone of the opposite sex. “The preference is definitely to have a single-gender facility,” Walworth said, based on conversations with residents. “A lot of people that come into our residential treatment facility have significant trauma history in their past. A lot of people have various co-dependency challenges, and having more

than a single-gender facility just creates more challenges for clients trying to make it through a program.” Walworth said the smaller female population at the facility currently led them to begin the transition soon. As for the year or more gap in services for local female clients looking for residential addiction treatment, Walworth said CARS would be referring them to another facility in the area, likely Syracuse or Elmira, which would be the same process as if the facility had no vacant beds, or if someone required services that CARS is unable to provide, like detox. “It’s a big referral network, if women need treatment services and we’re contacted for that, we’re easily able to refer them to another program that we know of and think highly of,” Walworth said. “I’ve heard that court programs where they mandate clients are typically looking for single-gender facilities, specifically related to those kinds of challenges clients tend to have with co-dependency issues, with trauma history, where again, if they’re in a male and female facility it just makes it that much more challenging for them to be able to focus on their recovery.”

Wednesday by the Ivy League Council of Presidents. Cornell Athletic Director Andy Noel published a statement reacting to the news. “While extremely disappointing that our student-athletes will not have the opportunity to compete for the Big Red this semester, I am assured this decision was deliberated by the Ivy presidents with much care and thoughtful discussion," Noel said. "The health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff, families and the entire Cornell community will always be the paramount consideration. Losing the opportunity to compete in the short term is a heartbreak to everyone closely connected to the programs, from the student-athletes and coaches to families and staff. However, given the magnitude of the global pandemic, health and safety must be our focus.” There have been plenty of reports over the last week that the fall sports would be post-

poned until spring 2021, but the statement from the Council of Presidents did not commit to that, saying the decision was available and would be made at a later time. The exact wording of the announcement said that continuation of sports could not take place until the "end of the fall semester," which would impact not only fall sports but also basketball, potentially hockey, and other sports that take place over fall and winter. "A decision on the remaining winter and spring sports competition calendar and on whether fall sport competition would be feasible in the spring will be determined at a later date," the announcement stated. Elsewhere, Ithaca College has been quiet about its participation in sports this fall after their Division III conference, the Liberty League, announced that it would be starting athletics events Sept. 26.

M att Butler

N e w s l i n e

Social Contract

Cops and community talk the "social contract" in public forum

Panel discussing policing, community and social contract. Front: (L to R) Mayor Svante Myrick, local dance teacher Harmony Malone, Middle: Lt. Scott Garin, Sgt. Loretta Tomberelli, local drama therapist Mikel Moss, Back: Cynthia Henderson, Reverend Nathaniel Wright, Officer Justin Baldessere. (Screenshot of PASC dialog)

erforming Arts for Social Change (PASC) facilitated a two-night dialog between Ithaca Police Department officers, Mayor Svante Myrick and members of the Ithaca community last week, examining the relationship between police and community members locally. The event was organized by Cynthia Henderson, a professor of Theatre Arts at Ithaca College, who is gaining prominence among locals for her oratory prowess at recent rallies and her commitment to pursuing policy change in Ithaca. The dialogue is meant to establish a base via "The Social Contract" for discussing police and community expectations in the future. The event featured Harmony Malone, a local dance teacher, Mikel Moss, a local drama therapist, and Reverend Nathaniel Wright of Calvary Baptist Church representing community members; and Lt. Scott Garin, Sgt. Loretta Tomberelli and Officer Justin Baldesarre, who represented IPD. The panel was posed questions sent in by community members ahead of time and arranged approximately six feet apart facing the main

camera on the Kitchen Theatre Stage. Mayor Svante Myrick arrived towards the latter half of the conversation, citing work obligations. The panelists focused on unpacking the complicated relationship between Ithaca’s minority communities and the police— as well as the national conversation on policing. The first part of the conversation centered on police visibility and familiarity with the communities they police. Malone responded by saying that the lack of community engagement demonstrated by police often creates a sensitivity among community members, leading them to the notion that police presence means there's trouble or a problem. Malone went on to say that when officers eventually do extend themselves to the community by attending random events or celebrations by stopping by during their patrols their lack of connection plus their, seeming, cultural incompetency and understanding of power dynamics perpetuates communal skepticism about police intentions. She referenced a recent Black consciousness event in which an officer showed up

without attempting to reassure the attendees that there wasn’t a problem. Malone said that oftentimes when the officer is a familiar face, the community doesn’t have a problem but that wasn't the case. “The police’s presence is not always welcome,” Malone said. “I mean— they are welcome, we share the space, we are a community and a community is a group of diverse individuals but this was a Black conscious event and we had a crew of police officers show up and interrupt the event at the time and, I feel intentionally, interrupted the event" ultimately changing the general feeling of the event because of their presence. Moss added that he feels obligated to “read the room” as a Black man in any space, something he feels police often fail to do. Reverend Wright added that the damage is felt when interacting with police because "Black people immediately internalize the criminalization of their blackness. The crime is not about anything that I'm doing, it is 'what might they think I've done and will I be able to prove myself innocent, if need be. This is where building community makes the difference.” The officers didn’t appear eager to respond or comment, at which point Henderson asked another question submitted by the community: How is the IPD addressing white supremacist policies in its department? The officers didn’t immediately offer a comment again, but later added that the question was difficult to answer because they didn’t have a specific policy in place to address such a concern. Tomberelli noted that Ithaca’s diverse population requires diverse policing that really doesn’t translate into racist policing like it does in other places. She suggested that anyone with questions for IPD should feel comfortable to approach any police officers and ask them and, if they need, bring a friend for comfort. Malone responded with her own question: How can an individual start a conversation with police when they’re afraid what might happen? “The onus is being placed on civilians to reach out to

police and that’s not the way it should be,” Malone said. She followed up by asking the officers “who are you outside of the job?” By which she meant, if serving the community means as much to you as you claim it does, then why don’t you attend events outside of your work hours? Why don’t you celebrate with us off the clock? Malone’s comment struck back to the heart of the initial question about visibility and familiarity. It also called back to an earlier statement in which all three officers agreed that although they enjoy interacting with the community but finding time between patrols, with only eight officers on patrol at a time, doesn’t afford the opportunity. “There are less of us out there than there once were,” Tomberelli said. “We’ve lost those little things that were important that we used to have time for. We used to have 30 minutes to spare. I love those conversations and what I hate is when my radio suddenly goes off in the middle and I have to leave.” The next citizen-posed question asked who on the panel considers themselves an ally, a common term for people who actively help people of color achieve racial equality and safety. Malone and Moss raised their hands, but the officers seemed puzzled, at one point asking “an ally to what?” After clarifying, the officers followed suit, raising their hands, but the confusion seemed indicative of the problems that remain between minority com Myrick arrived 30 minutes to the end of the dialogue and answered two questions regarding policy change. He said that the complexity of police/community relationships requires that a lot of essential pieces change at the same time, and that it’s only going to take time and dedication, but the city is working towards a solution. “Racism isn’t just the shark, it’s also the water,” said Myrick. He reiterated points mentioned by Garin earlier, regarding changes to recruiting, “I think it’s most important to hire the right person first, than to train the wrong person.”

UPS&DOWNS

Story Roundup - Here’s some of the stories we covered this week that couldn’t make the print edition. Check online for the full versions at ithaca.com. Non-customer facing GreenStar employee tests positive for COVID-19 The Tompkins County Health Department reported on July 11 that a non-customer facing employee at GreenStar has tested positive for COVID-19. According to the department, the employee is asymptomatic and is currently in isolation. In addition, the department has identified all individuals that have come in close contact with the employee. They are not recommending customers get tested at this time. Man arrested for multiple incidents of forcible touching, indecent exposure On the evening of July 10, Ithaca Police Officers responded to numerous reports throughout the south end of the city regarding a subject harassing females and exposing himself. Will Rogers Howell, of Ithaca, was arrested the same night and charged with burglary, indecent exposure, forcible touching and sex offenses. Activists send second letter of demands to Ithaca Police Department At their weekly Sunday rally, leaders of the Unbroken Promise Initiative (UPI) presented a second letter they are sending to the Ithaca Police Department demanding accountability, defunding and a reformative overhaul of the department’s militarization.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Do you support canceling rent for those who have accumulated rent debt from April-June? 26.8% Yes, no questions asked

Glenn Epps

29.3% Yes, but only if they have lost their job 43.9% No

N ext Week ’s Q uestion :

Help Washington rename it’s NFL team Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.

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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

ITHACA NOTES

Andy Ruina: Strengthening our social fabric A

GrassRoots Redux, Online

By M a rjor i e Z . O l d s ndy Ruina is a certified do-gooder. Growing up with parents Edith and Jack, who believed in fairness and opportunity for all, Andy has not allowed an astounding professional career to blunt his efforts toward peace and justice for all. In a family called to both academia and government service, Andy grew up around the Brown University campus until his parents moved to the Urbana-Champaign campus of the University of Illinois. Andy’s first personal encounter with academia was his attendance at the U of I Nursery School. Government service took the family to D.C. until Andy’s father left for a year at MIT, and the family tried out Lexington, MA. They all headed back to D.C. (government service), where Andy started junior high and then back to Cambridge for another stint for Andy’s father at MIT. Andy left behind Cambridge and academia to spend a year in Israel before starting college at Brown University, where Andy’s journey had first begun. After completing his Engineering degrees (ScB. 76, ScM. 78, Ph.D. 81) at Brown University (including a year of

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By St e ph e n P. Bu r k e

Ph.D. work in California), Andy was ready to find a job. He pulled out a high schoolers’ guide to colleges and looked for universities located in the countryside. Although Andy didn’t know Ithaca, he had been to the Catskills, so he figured Ithaca was probably green and spacious too. And so it was. Cornell’s Theoretical and Applied Mechanics Department had someone interview Andy in a lab in California, and he accepted a visiting professorship for one year at Cornell. Andy arrived in an old pickup truck on Monday, Aug. 25, 1980. Luckily for Ithaca, a tenure track position opened up that first year. Andy and his lovely family have woven their lives into the social fabric and the academic world that we cherish in Ithaca. “Theoretical and Applied Mechanics in Cornell’s Engineering School is curiositydriven research,” Andy explains. Judging from the titles of his projects, he has done lots of curious research, all aimed at improving the lot of living creatures and continued on page 7

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ummer in Ithaca is drastically different this year with the presence of coronavirus and the absence of the GrassRoots Festival. Each July, thousands of vacations are planned around the four-day music event. Visitors come from throughout the region and beyond. Festival attendance at the Trumansburg Fairgrounds reaches seven or eight times the population of the host town. This year marks GrassRoots' 30th anniversary and the organization is determined to celebrate despite the pandemic shutdown. From Thursday, July 16 through Sunday, July 19, segments of past festivals will be streamed online. Mimicking the festival’s regular format of concurrent performances on four stages, four shows will be streamed simultaneously throughout the four days. The total number of performances will approximate a standard GrassRoots event. Many longtime local favorites are featured, including Bubba George String Band, the Horse Flies, Mary Lorson, Samite, Pat Burke, Richie Stearns, John Specker, the Grady Girls, and Hank Roberts. Bubba George starts the proceedings on Thursday, as they did at the first GrassRoots and each one since. Also featured early Thursday is a 1992 set by the Highwoods Stringband, an originator of the old-time music scene in Ithaca dating from the 1970’s. Mac Benford, a celebrated member of the band, died this year at age 79. Non-local but near-annual performers include the Flying Clouds gospel group, from South Carolina; the Campbell Brothers “sacred steel” gospel band; Walter Mouton and the Scott Playboys, a Cajun band formed in Louisiana in 1952; and the Preston Frank Zydeco Family Band, also from the bayou, now led by Preston’s son Keith, approaching age 50, who first played here with the band in his teens. The streaming event is heavy on history. Old Crow Medicine Show is presented in their first GrassRoots appearance in 2002, unknowns early in their career, relegated to a late-night show off the main stages. Their talent is obvious and arresting. Within a few years, with a string of successful major label releases, they had won a Grammy for Best Folk album and were headlining shows worldwide. In 2013 they had the honor of induction into the Grand Ole Opry. The Carolina Chocolate Drops are presented from 2011. The band formed in

North Carolina six years prior. The same year as their GrassRoots appearance they won a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album, on their way to perpetual critical praise and popularity. In 2001 Nickel Creek played GrassRoots. Their oldest member was 24 and the others 21. They also won a Grammy, in 2003, for Best Contemporary Folk Album. They had major collaborations with Alison Krauss, Lyle Lovett, and Dolly Parton. In 2012 mandolinist Chris Thile won a MacArthur Fellowship, the so-called “Genius Award.” He later replaced Garrison Keillor as host of the revamped “Prairie Home Companion” radio show. A world of variety is also represented. From 1992, in leonine trim, Mahlathini (“the Lion of Soweto”) and the Mahotella Queens bring tradition-based dance music with extraordinary vocals from South Africa. In 2002, Rokia Traore of Mali captivates a main stage audience with her griot singing and playing. In 2010, Oliver Mtukudzi sings of Zimbabwean spirit and independence in his native Shona language. In 2006 Musafir, from Delhi, play Indian-rooted rock with arena style energy. The Alash Ensemble performs throat singing that is difficult to construe as real even when heard and seen, with multiple pitches sung simultaneously by each singer, accompanied by unique “Mongolian cowboy” percussive and stringed instruments of their ancient nomadic culture. In a major star turn, rockers Rusted Root return in 2009. They first came to GrassRoots circa 1993, a fledgling band from Pittsburgh, playing for a very sparse crowd at a time when GrassRoots attendance averaged fewer than 2,000. The next day they played an even smaller gig on a flatbed stage in the middle of a field in Middlesex, near Canandaigua, which a GrassRoots staffer had to drive them to, for some discombobulation. By the time they returned to GrassRoots, 16 years or so later, they had become major rock stars with global tours and songs as backdrops for television ads. There’s much, much more: literally, four days’ worth. With any luck (and appropriate care), by next year the world health situation will be back to normal and scenes such as this reversed, but this year since you can’t come to it, GrassRoots comes to you, in devoted celebration of its community and artists, and of its own role for three decades first as innovators, now as institution.

who have little access to sanitation, supplies, healthy meals or safe homes while Contin u ed From Page 6 they work on farms in upstate New York, providing the food we eat. Among all the our environment. juggling, Andy offers a stranger help fixIf one peruses Andy’s colorful website, ing her sewing machine (And he takes it it’s obvious his amazing energy has not apart, solders a new part and leaves it on diminished over the years. Last semester, his porch for the amazed owner). Andy taught classes (online) to his CorOlder folks in town will remember nell students in Applied Dynamics, Robot Andy arriving all over town on his bike Seminar and Bisteercycle. He carved out 30+ years ago, talking about the utility of an hour for a talk he gave to colleagues at biking in place of driving our cars everyJohns Hopkins on walking robots and he where. After lots of biking and lots of lists Robotic Bike Team, Robotic Sailboat enthusiastic talking, Recycle Ithaca Bikes (RIBs) was built up. “I spent about five years of Saturdays fixing bikes or fixing up the shop.” Anyone who meets Andy never forgets him. Some of the community members he has worked with are impressed to learn he is a professor. Academicians look puzzled when they learn that the community bike shop where their kids love to hang out for bike instruction and parts was boosted by Andy’s ability to win people over. Whatever the project, Andy’s enthusiasm, energy, articulate and persuasive defense of the environment, self-sufficiency, and reuse trumps inaction and cynicism. Andy and Saskya van Nouhuys, his amazing partner, are the parents of two lovely daughters—Annemieke Andy Ruina, back in the day (Photo provided) (Mieke) and Prachi. Despite the ongoing confusion and craziness, their work is still made possible this summer Team, Moonbuggies, and Animal Coorbecause, for the first time in 23 years, they dination as some of his other projects. can’t go to their home away from home on When queried about these exotic topics, the Åland Islands off the coast of Finland, Andy responds, “I like math and classical where Saskya’s research on wasps and physics.” butterflies becomes their focus. This sumBut as one climbs up the front porch mer, due to policies of our fearless liar, to Andy’s home, one can see that Andy’s that’s probably not going to happen. wide-ranging academic pursuits have So many of us who share Ithaca not blunted his social justice work: The with this family will go about our lives Bryant Avenue Sewing Group, which enriched by Andy’s efforts, and will surely Andy dreamed up, has been making face spot him when he is rushing off happily masks—over 4,000 so far—for health for one of his do-gooder adventures. providers and also migrant farm workers COMMUNITY CONNECTION

RENT RELIEF Contin u ed From Page 3

house and City Hall on Monday, they were unhappy with the inclusion of the "severe jeopardy of homelessness" phrase, saying it would exclude people. They had pushed for the bill to apply to all people affected by COVID-19, but Myrick said he felt that was too broad and far-reaching to include. "This [executive order] leaves us both joyful and frustrated," said the Tenants Union in a statement to the Ithaca Times. "Its delivery to the State Health Department is an exciting development in Ithaca becoming the first US city to cancel rent, but it’s unacceptable to our Union that a 'severe jeopardy of homelessness' qualifier

was added against the advice of the tenants this legislation affects." The ITU said they felt the "severe jeopardy" language equated to means testing and thus left certain vulnerable populations out of the scope of the bill, and also allowed for too much administrative overhead. "This EO is not an unequivocal mandate for stringent means testing in Ithaca’s rent cancellation, but its language does remind us that when working with establishment power structures, constant vigilance is key," the statement continued. M att Butler

THE TALK AT

YOUR LETTERS On the need to open universities It is not clear to me how Elisabeth Hegarty imagines Ithaca can survive without students in town in the coming year. To suggest that the local institutions of higher education--which are all trying their hardest to minimize community risks related to COVID-19--keep their doors closed for another year is tantamount to wishing bankruptcy on the city and county. Ithaca College might not be able to survive a year with remote learning, much less if "parents of university students [encouraged] their children to take a year off from study." Let's give the institutions of higher ed that drive our economy the chance to reintegrate students into our community. Michael Smith Ithaca, NY

In response to “Myrick officially asks state for permission to establish rent forgiveness commission” If Ithaca gets permission to cancel rent it still wont. Here’s why: Whenever you try to be the "first" in doing something it establishes a precedence. There is no shortage of property owner millionares and billionares that have no interest in a city setting a legal precedent of screwing the Landlord because they fear it will be them next. So if the City attempts to do this, they will be facing State and National Landlord money from billionares to fight this unconstitutional taking by the State. This means the law gets put on hold while they fight it out in court for 3-5 years at a cost of millions or tens of millions of dollars for a case the City will lose. It would literally be cheaper for the City to write a check to every landlord paid in full to stop the eviction than it would be to fight it in court and still lose 5 years from now. Jon Lucente, via Ithaca.com

Perhaps Mayor Myrick should read the US Constitution, fifth and fourteenth amendments which bar takings by the government without just compensation. Taking the landlords' properties without paying for them may be a great holiday for the renters but it would be a form of "legalized theft" from them. Does the Mayor really expect the landlords to keep the lights on and the properties maintained if there is no rent being paid? Since when does government have the right to take some people's property and give it freely to other people? Does Ithaca expect new housing to be built here for rent if landlords are not allowed rent. Ithaca may be the first place to try this but that just shows how socialist Ithaca has become and it is highly probable that if the City does get permission from the State, a lawsuit that will cost the City and its taxpayers dearly will be filed. The City may even be required to pay the landlords all the rent they lost and of course the City taxpayers would have to pay for that. Henry Kramer, via Ithaca.com

In response to “Ivy League postpones fall sports, Cornell sports possible for spring 2021” Just think! It might now be possible for the Ivy League in general and Cornell in particular to consider that higher education is one thing and entertaining the multitudes with games is another and that the two have very little to do with one another. Donald Mintz, via Ithaca.com

Write to us! Say something or respond to an article by writing editor@ithacatimes.com. Letters must be signed and include an address and phone number. We do not publish unsigned letters. Letters may be edited for length and readability. To the Editor, Ithaca Times, 109 N Cayuga St., Ithaca, NY 14850

COVID JUMP Contin u ed From Page 3

information on states currently experiencing a significant increase in the number of cases by visiting the Travel Advisory or the New York State website. Anyone who traveled to an affected state must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival back to New York State. If one is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 or has concerns about being poJ u ly

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tentially exposed to the virus, they should get tested at the Cayuga Health Sampling Site. The site is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Individuals must pre-register by either calling the Cayuga Health Call Center at (607) 319-5708 or going to cayugahealthsystem.org. Staff R eports 2 0 2 0

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It h ac a T im e s 7

Back to School? Questions, concerns abound as plans for schools reopening take shape

By M att Bu tler

he potential reopening of schools reveals an interesting contradiction for local parents, particularly those who find themselves employed as teachers, with hopes that they can reconnect with their students in-person, while simultaneously considering the risk such a prospect represents to their health, the health of those students, and for some, the health of their children they would be sending to the very same schools. The specter of schooling and childcare has loomed over the economic reopening efforts of New York State since they began, with universal acknowledgement that the opportunity for economic recovery is dependent upon parents having an option to care for their kids during the day when they have to return to work. Those sentiments combined with concern that children may fall behind developmentally and academically if they remain out of the classroom, and it was obvious why so many eyes were trained on Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday as he laid out the criteria the state would be using to determine whether or not regions in New York could begin reopening schools for classroom learning. The two main thresholds he named: a region must be in the fourth phase of economic reopening, and its infection rate (meaning the percentage of total tests that are returned positive) is at or below five percent average over the course of 14 days. Currently, the Southern Tier would easily meet both of those criteria, with an infection rate below one percent and nearly two weeks into Phase 4, but decisions won’t be made on eligibility until the week of Aug. 1. If a region goes above a nine percent infection rate average during a seven-day period, the schools will immediately close back up again. According to a presentation by the New York State Education Department 8 T

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It h ac a C i t y S c h o o l D i s t r i c t S u p e r i n t e n d e n t D r . L u v e l l e B r ow n ( P h o t o C a s e y M a r t i n) Board of Regents, further guidelines mandate that teachers must be trained to spot symptoms in students, and if someone is exhibiting any symptoms they must be immediately isolated until they can be taken out of the building. Local school districts are responsible for assembling their own plan and submitting it for state approval if their region is allowed to open. STUDENTS

Cuomo’s guidelines, his first official extensive statements on the matter of school reopening, were encouraging for Ithaca City School District Superintendent Luvelle Brown. Speaking just after Cuomo’s statements ended on Monday, Brown said that while there was still a lot of information to gather over the next few days, as has been customary with coronavirus-related announcements from the state, Cuomo’s 15–21,

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guidelines might have made it a little more feasible that schools in Ithaca City School District would be able to open fully in-person, either to start or at some point during the fall semester. Though social distancing would have to be safely maintained, the superintendent was encouraged by Cuomo’s briefing. “His words [Monday] open up a real possibility of us having everyone come back,” Brown said. “I like that he’s using data and science to make the decision. At least now we know, we’re all in or we are not, and that helps me with our planning.” Still, Brown noted it is most likely, at this point, that the school district would opt for some sort of hybrid plan, with some in-person elements and some online elements. ICSD Board of Education President Rob Ainslie said the district has been examining five different strategies for return-

ing to school, with different levels of inperson interaction included in each plan. Both are steadfast that they believe the most effective approach for students is to have them in the building to whatever extent possible while staying safe, but they’re also cognizant of how difficult that may be. “If we can maintain safety, I would love our young people back,” he said. “But the decisions we make today in our community will impact what scenario we get to go with in September and beyond. Ideally, I would like to have everyone back, with social distancing and masks, but I can say today that we are far away from being there.” Brown said the results of a survey sent out to parents after this past school year’s District Learning 2.0 experience showed that the majority of families want in-person learning for their children for the new academic year, with a smaller number who are comfortable with a blended virtual/ in-person experience, and a still smaller number who think all learning should take place online. At its core, Brown said, the survey showed that parents want more choice in order to feel comfortable with their children’s learning experience in light of the pandemic. In one scenario, which Brown seems to favor, he envisions a gradual return to the classroom that could look parallel to the statewide approach to re-opening the economy: the district could start with another segment of distance learning, similar to the steps the district was taking to end last school year. If all went according to plan, the district could evolve into staggering student attendance, with some students coming in to school and others staying home and learning virtually; a rotating schedule would be implemented to determine who is in school and who is learning online. That would be one way to institute the blended learning approach, which Brown said would attach less of the stu-

dents’ learning to the actual school building. A testing program is still being crafted, and the district believes it will be an important part of reopening. Brown said he wasn’t ready to explain the logistics of regular temperature checks or how the testing would be paid for yet, but that it would likely include routine testing like has been discussed as part of Cornell University’s reactivation plans. The district is working in tandem with the Tompkins County Health Department to build the program. TEACHERS

The safety of students is the district’s paramount concern, but it also has to weigh the risks of having teachers in the building for in-person classes as well. That’s been an ongoing conversation between the district and the Ithaca Teachers Association, the union that represents teachers in the district. Adam Piasecki, who serves as the union’s president, said the two topics are nigh impossible to parse, and are only intensified by the aforementioned teachers whose children attend schools in the district as well. “It’s really hard to have a conversation around teaching and learning in person, without that topic of the health and safety of everyone,” Piasecki said of the conversations the union has had, both internally and with the school district. “It’s been this interesting topic of trying to figure out how to focus on one and not the other, and it’s just impossible to pull them apart. [...] We’re seeing a [collision] of public health, teaching and learning, the economy and working families, they’re all coming together.” Piasecki said it’s not “off the table” that allowances would be made for teachers who might have compromised immune systems, but said it will be something that has to be solidified quickly around the beginning of August when the district actually knows how it will be able to proceed. But it will be a significantly different conversation than in spring, when the option to be in the classroom wasn’t available to anyone. An internal ITA survey showed that most teachers want to be in-person, Piasecki said, but that the national health environment was also different, as the significant outbreaks in other states had not begun when that survey was taken; Piasecki predicts that if a similar survey was taken today, the results would be different. An additional consideration should be given to the fact that online learning could impact families who can’t afford to have a parent home during the day to monitor their children and insure they are completing

assignments or paying attention to their classes; again, with jobs opening back up, parents may not be able to work from home and juggle their job and their children from the living room as they were in the spring. PARENTS

Another factor for consideration will be how many parents are even comfortable sending their students to school, regardless of the safety protocols in place, something Piasecki touched upon during an interview with the Ithaca Times. Though it would certainly hamstring them from a childcare standpoint, parents may opt to educate their children themselves at home because of the risks they assume would come with having their child sit among other kids in a classroom, walking in the halls, etc., even if schools are making an effort to keep them six feet apart. Erin Croyle, a local parent, disability rights advocate and member of the Ithaca City School District Board of Education is making just that choice. She understands the urge to send students back to school,

P h o t o : It h ac a C o m m u n i t y

but she doesn’t support it personally and her own children will not be attending: her oldest child, a boy entering fourth grade, is immunocompromised and through discussions with their children’s doctor, Croyle and her family decided the only way to keep him safe was to keep all the Croyle kids away from school. Her perception is different than other parents and those involved in the education system, she acknowledges, in part because of her son’s condition, but she still fears that there are too many unknowns to safely proceed. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to send students back,” Croyle said. “Children are not developmentally prepared to keep on masks and maintain social distance, not even teenagers, not even college aged students. We are learning new things about this virus every day. Children are typically not as severely impacted as adults, but they

can still transmit it. So what about teachers and staff? What about their families?” Distance learning is hard, Croyle admitted, but she believes the alternative, risk of debilitating disease or worse, is prominent and unpredictable enough to outweigh any academic hurdles. It’s too early to predict exactly how many will opt to keep their children home and distance learn, or to enroll in a separate home-schooling program, but it is certainly something to monitor as school approaches. The regional overseer of homeschooling licenses is Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services’ Regional School Success Department, and executive director Nicole Eschler said any potential rise in homeschooling will be impossible to analyze for several more weeks. Brown said for those parents who are worried about their children attending school, with or without a medical riskbased reason, the district will be developing ways for their students to attend school online without falling behind their peers who are physically present. Students with medical exemptions will be able to receive their instruction at home right away, while Brown said that those who choose to stay home without a medical exemption would hopefully be able Childcare to receive their instruction at home at some point early in the school year. “I can’t say we’ll definitively have the capacity built by September to provide that kind of voice and choice to all families, but I can tell you we’re working towards that right now,” Brown said. “What we learned from this pandemic is we need to provide more voice and parental choice anyways. [...] If they want their instruction to be completely virtual, that’s something that we need to be building our capacity towards, but I’m unsure if it’ll be up and running without a medical exemption of some sort by September, but I’m hoping to be there shortly thereafter.” Even if students are in-person, Brown readily acknowledged that there really won’t be a return to “normalcy,” or anything close to it, until the introduction of a vaccine, which isn’t expected until next spring at the earliest. Is it even realistic or J u ly

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worthwhile, then, to attempt to bring the students back when so much about the virus still seems unclear? An expert on workplace safety said she believed so. “Waiting for a vaccine is a hope, it is not a strategy,” said Nellie Brown (no relation to Luvelle Brown), who is the director of Workplace Health & Safety Programs for the International Labor Relations School at Cornell University. She noted that bringing students back in-person will be an extremely complex process, but that the classroom benefits could outweigh the risks if students “It’s not easy, what we’re asking people to do to reopen the schools is not easy. It’s a complex system, and what we’re getting is guidance, and we have to adapt that guidance.” CHILDCARE

Though they are the largest, schools aren’t the only venue for childcare. Ithaca Community Childcare Center has reopened for daycare, and while the numbers of children are still down significantly from its average population (111 from an average of 178 per day) the center has been able to grapple with a oft-changing landscape and a slew of new safety precautions being implemented. “Being able to pivot quickly with the ever changing federal, state and local requirements and guidelines, keeping up with what was most recent,” IC3 Executive Director Sherri Koski said. “Once open, managing the disinfecting, conducting health screenings and again keeping up with the most recent information on COVID 19. We often talk about germs in childcare so it’s pretty common for us to discuss keeping our bodies safe and healthy and why good hygiene is so important. We thought the masks would throw children off but they have been very resilient and understanding.” Koski, like the others interviewed, also understands that childcare will play an even more crucial role than it normally does as parents try to return to work, particularly in a community like Ithaca which faces constant complaints about the availability of childcare. “Childcare is crucial because we have a shortage in our community and families rely on the stability that childcare offers to their children and families,” Koski said. “Often when families are going through a crisis or stressful situation childcare is the consistency that children need to have a sense of normalcy during some part of their day. Childcare is also very important to Essential Personnel so that they can continue in their jobs serving the community in very important ways.”

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It h ac a T im e s 9

A ray of light in a world lacking most sports. (Photo from Cascadilla Boat Club)

sports

New Faces on the Lake By Ste ve L aw re nc e

GREEN IDEAS

sing the “Is the glass half empty or half full?” question in regard to local sports, it is too easy to look at the empty stands at unused baseball fields, the rimless backboards at basketball courts, or the cavernous crescent at Schoellkopf Field that will not host football games this fall and feel the emptiness. Or one can look out on the Cayuga Inlet and embrace the familiar and encouraging sight of rowing shells gliding across the water, as they have for decades. There are opportunities for new rowers to get on

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the water this summer, and that makes the glass feel fuller. Until this year, many of those sleek vessels featured lettering from Cornell or Ithaca College, and while those boats are idle, those emblazoned with the words “Cascadilla Boat Club” are in service, providing rowing opportunities for everyone from Olympic gold medalists to firsttimers. According to Emily Rockett, the President of the CBC’s Board of Directors, “In the midst of this pandemic, rowing is a sport that is safe, as sculling in singles comes with built-in social distancing.”

She added, “Our boathouse rules require folks to wear face coverings when not in their boat, maintain distance and disinfect shared items.” Emily pointed out that while all races have been canceled for the foreseeable future, some CBC members have decided to hold competitions of their own. She said, “We run an informal head race on Saturday mornings for all comers called the ‘Head of the Cayuga.’ We line up at the bottom of the inlet, slowest first and fastest last, with 30 seconds or so in between starts, and race to the white lighthouse.” While the events are not drawing massive numbers of spectators like the crew races of yesteryear, they are gaining momentum. “Last week,” Rockett offered, “we had nine participants, including three-time Olympic medalist Caryn Davies, national team hopeful and recent IC grad Savannah Brija, and Cornell coach Drew Tennant. It's a pretty competitive event for being informal, self-timed and open to all.”

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I asked Emily how she got involved with the CBC, and she said, “I wandered down there in the fall of 2011 when I was in law school, and I was coaching the next year.” A former cross-country runner, Emily was recruited to try rowing during her undergrad years at Williams College. “Being 6 feet tall, it was a natural transition,” she told me, “and I rowed at Oxford University during my junior year abroad.” As stated, there is quite a range of rowers on the water these days, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Davies is back in town. I remember a story I did in 2008, when Caryn and Andrew Byrne came to a CBC event to celebrate the Olympic gold medals they had won in Beijing. Both got their start at the CBC, and to see two local athletes winning Olympic gold was an amazing experience. I remember a group of young children peering up and Andrew (who is 6’7”) and Caryn (6’4”) and marveling at their physicality while touching their gold medals in awe. According to Emily, “Caryn retired, and then she unretired. She was at the Olympic training facility in Princeton, and when they shut that down in May, she came back here.” For anyone who has thought about getting on the water, this summer is a great time to do so. According to Rockett, “We've started Adult Learn to Row classes—three weeks of two-day-a-week sessions on Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday, designed to teach the basics of single sculling.” Also, Scholastic Sculling starts this week for athletes who have participated in the scholastic program (single sculling only) and Youth Learn to Row classes (ages 11-14) starts this week (week-long sessions 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., designed to teach the basics of rowing to beginners). The CBC has brought in a number of coaches who have long histories with the group, and some have elite-level experience as competitors. For more information about connecting with the CBC, you can email Emily at emrockett@gmail.com, or visit the website at www.cascadillaboatclub.org.

BusinessTimes Forging On

LOCAL BLACKSMITH RETIRES AFTER 50 YEARS By Jaime Cone

urand Van Doren II made a name for himself in the Ithaca area by putting his own twist on the old craft of blacksmithing. With a big open house and sale on the first weekend in July to mark the occasion, Doren, 65, recently announced he is retiring from his profession and from ownership of Durand’s Forge, which he’s passing on to a successor. A resident at Carmen Road Artist Quarters in Mecklenburg for the last 15 years, Van Doren moved to the Ithaca area 40 years ago when sheepdog trails brought

him and his wife to the Cornell Campus (his neighbor was in the market for a sheepdog, so they tagged along). They wanted a rural home where they could keep their goats, so they moved from Cooperstown. After a 10-week course at a blacksmithing school in 1972, Van Doren decided he would try to make a living as an artist blacksmith, and after several decades of hard work he is able to look back at a long list of accomplishments. In conjunction with other metalworkers, Van Doren lent his artistic style to a bee that he forged for a gate to the

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Bishops is Back COVID can’t stop the carpets Ithaca Index Perhaps a ray of light? Black Owned List A wide collaboration

Shakespeare’s Globe in London. The gate features ironwork from around the world, and each piece represents an animal mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays. Years later he got to see the gate in person. “With all the animals there were very many different things going on,” Van Doren said. “I finally saw it two years ago.

Durand Van Doren has spent the last nearly 50 years as a blacksmith, carving out an operation at the Carmen Road Artist Quarters in Mecklenburg for the last 15. (Photo by Casey Martin)

I went with my brother-in-law. It was neat.” “Shakespeare,” he added, “was very verbose about bees.” In addition to being displayed proudly oversees, Van Doren’s work is prominently featured on many local landmarks. About 10 years ago he made the 14-foot-long gate in front of Cascadilla Gorge; one time when visiting the Gorge he ran into a man

who was part of the maintenance team that oversees the gorge and Van Doren’s gate. “They take good care of it,” Van Doren said. “He said there were a couple people—citizen volunteers.” Van Doren also crafted the lanterns in front of Willard Straight Hall on the Cornell Campus and the arched entrance to the Inn at Taughannock. His work also graces three entrances to the garden at Cornell’s Mann Library. At the one dubbed the “Apple Gate,” Van Doren depicts seven apples from throughout history: Eve’s apple, Newton’s apple, William Tell’s apple, Johnny Appleseed, Sleeping Beauty and the Big Apple, as well as one for teachers with a worm coming out of it. They all have something special about them; Eve’s apple, for example, has a snake on it. He said he always tried to do his best work for the university. “I am very grateful to Cornell for giving me work,” Van Doren said. The Apple Gate is indicative of his trademark style. “It’s kind of whimsical,” he said. “It’s plain iron, and I try to make it more fun somehow.” Van Doren has also enjoyed teaching and taught about 30 students from the Ithaca Youth Bureau as well and other apprentices. “Anyone who was interested, I had them come over and talk,” he said. He is modest about his talents and encourages others to try their hand at his craft. “I was not that smart and interested in working with my hands,” he said of his early days as an ironworker. “Blacksmith art, I thought I might be able to make a success of it. Not that many people were doing it at the time. There were, but there’s not that much competition. If you have a specialized thing you do, one job sells another.” He said he needs “a change of scene” after so many years on the job. He plans on having Christopher Langenburg, younger ironworker from New York City, take over; it hasn’t been decided what the name of the forge might be changed to. “I have young people who are interested,” he said, “and to get them involved, why not?” A testament to the locals’ love of his work, almost every piece was purchased at his sale earlier this month.

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B usiness T imes

New Spot for Bishops By Glenn Epps

n January, Bishops Carpet One Floor & Home decided that it would move from its longtime location on West State Street to the vacant Aaron’s space on 363 Elmira Road. It was an unexpected but necessary move, their lease was up in the old location and the old location was, in a word, old. But in a fallout that’s become so familiar it’s almost a cliche, Bishops’ move, slated to occur in March accompanied by a grand opening set for Spring, was upset by the COVID-19 pandemic. After moving into their new location March 12, the NYS Pause order set in place by Governor Andrew Cuomo to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus forced the store to close completely later that week, delaying the reopening plans back by two whole months. Thomas Pirko, co-owner of Bishops, said that the move to the new location has seen many obstacles—they’re short-staffed, they just changed locations, they’ve had to consolidate their product line-up, and, like everyone else, they’re trying to navigate the pandemic—but overall the move has seen several positives. “It’s a great new location—a little bit

David and Thomas Pirko (Photo by Casey Martin)

smaller, but it’s got an open floor plan,” Pirko said. “And we’ve got lots of parking for our customers.” Pirko said the old location’s parking was often touch and go what with their location on West State Street and sharing the parking lot with four other businesses: Mimi’s Attic, State Street Diner and Mama Goose. The new location also offers an ease of loading and unloading, that the

previous location did not. Moving closer to the Ithaca’s commercial district, home to Lowe’s and Home Depot, hasn’t hurt either, like one might’ve supposed, Pirko said. Back in 2007, the arrival of box chains like spelled hurt for other local businesses, forcing the hardware portion of Bishops’ out of business. Pirko said that moving closer to Lowe’s has actually helped increase foot traffic into Bishops because people driving past to go to those stores are more likely to stop in. “Floor traffic and actual people walking in the door is actually up tremendously from what we had before,” Pirko said. “Over on State St. customers had to make a specific trip to come see us because we were out of the way. Versus here, we’re on the thoroughfare where people are driving by us as they’re shopping between other stores, so I kind of expected it.” Bishops is 97 years old—a feat in and of itself, especially considering the economic maelstrom in retail over the last 10 years alone. The pandemic is just one more thing to overcome, said Pirko. Since the start of the pandemic, there has been an extensive call from smallbusiness advocates to encourage customers and federal spending to invest in small businesses, like Bishops. Pirko said that the secret to their longevity has always been meeting the customers needs in full—from hello to goodbye. “It comes down to taking care of our customers. We’re not the cheapest in town but people know that when we finish our work, it’ll be done right.” Pirko said that

joining the Carpet One co-op has ensured the quality of their products remains the highest, an aspect of care customers aren’t guaranteed at every business. “We sell quality products that are going to last; that aren’t going to upset the customer a year from now; and as part of our co-op, we have as much, if not more options than a Lowe’s or Home Depot offer.” Flexibility and opportunity has seen Bishops through highs and lows; beginning as a paint shop in 1924, then converting to a full-service hardware store, before joining the Carpet One co-op in 1993. Bishops is still offering in-person, at home consultations and working to meet CDC and state guidelines, which went into effect in late May when stores like Bishops’ were allowed to fully reopen. “We’re back to doing what we used to be doing,” Pirko said. “We’re meeting all of the CDC practice guidelines of protecting ourselves and our customers, and we’re back doing in-home consultations: measuring and giving them ideas of what to do with their floors. It really just comes down to that local touch.” Currently, Pirko is looking to hire one or two more extra workers to help the store finish reopening and keep up with the traffic. Consolidating the warehouse and retail space has been a long process and the pandemic has slowed down what the store has been able to accomplish since reopening in May. Pirko said he hopes to have a grand re-opening once things return to normal, hopefully in Spring 2021.

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The

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SUMMER ITHACA 2020

Full rainbow over Cayuga Lake (Photo: Marshall Hopkins)

Contents Fortified....................................... 4

Dining Al Fresco.......................10

A Healthy Distance................. 19

The wineries are prepared for a pandemic reality

Corning’s Gaffer District opens with a new, creative look

Outdoor Exercise in the age of Corona

A Valesente Story...................... 6

The Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway.12

The Best of Both Worlds

A Local Treasure Trove

Special screenings bring cinematic experience outdoors

Uncharted Territory............... 8

Pinot Gris....................................14

The Serling Zone.......................21

Theaters prepare for an unprecedented summer

Introduction to a delicate grape

Famed TV Writer a Binghamton Native

State Theatre will stream annual concert series.............. 9

Lincoln’s Right-Hand Man.....16

Walking From Planet to Planet.................................... 23

Summer staple will start virtually, Hopes to move in-person

A Cold Treat...............................18 Soft serve shops bring sweets to upstate

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Fortified THE WINERIES ARE PREPARED FOR A PANDEMIC REALITY By B ill C h a i s so n

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Damiani Winery is “reinventing itself” in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo by Casey Martin)

inger Lakes wineries have adjusted to the realities of selling wine during a pandemic by rearranging their tasting rooms, changing how wine is served, and modifying their shipping practices. Also, given that the easiest way to spread the coronavirus is via aerosolized droplets, there will be no spitting out what you’re tasting on the wine trails this summer. On June 9 New York State officially began a four-phase process of reopening its businesses and cultural institutions. In 10 designated regions, in response to declines in regional coronavirus infection rates, restrictions will be lifted. The Finger Lakes wineries are in the Southern Tier, Central New York, and Finger Lakes regions. Under the New York state rules, wineries are in the same category as restaurants. Phase 2 allowed for outdoor dining, and Phase 3 allows for the reopening of dine-in service. All the Finger Lakes winery regions are now in Phase 3, and some are moving forward. Many tasting rooms will re-open while observing social distancing and many extend to the outdoors.

On June 4 the Cornell Craft Beverage Institute (CCBI) held a webinar for wineries, distilleries, breweries, and cideries to go through best practices. While they told every business to proceed as they saw fit, they recommended a no mask-no service policy, but no recriminations. Their mantra was “We’re scientists. So, these are the things we think you should be doing,” and spelled out best practices. Bet the Farm is a small winery that in 2018 moved their tasting room from Aurora to their vineyard at Krums Corners Road in Trumansburg, consolidating their operations to one location. Owners Nancy Tisch and Kit Kalfs praised their wine club members for their steady buying through the pandemic lockdown and said a lot of local people have been purchasing their discounted “Pandemic Packs.” Although some come to the winery to pick up and more is shipped, Bet the Farm has also offered free local delivery on Friday afternoons. Tisch had hoped their sales would be up this year after their 2019 re-launch, but instead the pandemic kept sales flat for this relatively young winery, which was certainly preferable to having them fall. They have a big lawn outside their “big blue barn” and on Memorial Day weekend many The

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New York City residents still in Phase 1, showed up to purchase wine, although no tastings were allowed during Phase 2. In addition to their outdoor setting, Kalfs described their tasting room as “spacious,” with enough room for 10 to 15 people to experience tastings at a safe social distance now that Phase 3 has begun. Kalfs said Bet the Farm, depending on volume of traffic, may go to a reservation system with seated tastings, very much like a restaurant. They will definitely be asking people to call ahead with their orders. In addition to the spaced-out arrangement of their tasting room, visitors can enjoy a picnic table and Adirondack chairs on the lawn overlooking the vineyard. Glenn Allen, one of the owners of Damiani Wine Cellars in Burdett, has a plan. In preparation for indoor tastings, Damiani has entirely re-configured their tasting room, which is a long, open space overlooking Seneca Lake through a wall of windows. Their tasting bar consisted of barrels on end with boards laid between them, so they were easily removed and replaced with eight tables along the windows, which can seat up to 24 people.

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Allen outlined Damiani’s scheme for sanitary, socially-distant tasting that combines attributes of dining and classroom education. “We’ll greet people downstairs and give them a real glass with wine in it that they can drink while they wait to be seated,” he said. “Red or white, depending on what they order.” Damiani will offer flights of five wines, red, white, or a combination of the two. Seatings will be by reservation and occur on the hour. Everyone will be asked to keep their masks on until they are seated. The staff are trained to speak about the wines, but instead of doing it across a tasting bar, they will be addressing an entire room of seated guests. After a halfhour presentation, people will leave through the upper-level door (the usual main entrance). Normally Damiani charges $5 to taste five wines. This summer they will charge $13, but everyone will receive a glass and be given $3 of the purchase price of a bottle. Allen said that he and his staff are planning a variety of other experiences, as well. For those who arrive without a reservation, there will be benches and tables out on the large front lawn that looks out at the lake. Servers will bring flights to seated guests. For those who wish a more private setting, Damiani offers a VIP seating for up to six people. Other wineries will be dealing with the public health restrictions as the size and configuration of their tasting rooms allows. Brad Phillips of Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards in Hector said they will be selling wine from their tasting room this summer, but they will not be holding any tastings there. “We would rather err on the side of safety,” he said, “rather than dive into what was normal.” Phillips said they may transition to sales of set flights, poured by a masked staffer and served outside where people would be “free to taste at their leisure” and read about the wine from a hard copy or something digital on a device. Bruce Murray of Boundary Breaks in Lodi has re-conceived his winery’s tastings as an entirely outdoor experience, but it will be set up like a restaurant with service at table. Boundary Breaks went into the pandemic with a business model that included strong wholesale distribution, a robust wine club with shipped selections, and sales to people who come in through the front door. Murray likens it to a “three-legged stool” with the weight shifting from one leg to the other through the year, with the weight distributed a little differently during a pandemic. Phillips said that Hazlitt experienced a 10-fold increase in wine shipped after they lowered their shipping rate to $10, anywhere in the country. Damiani also went to the same flat rate, and Allen said it would remain there “for the foreseeable future.” Like Bet the Farm, Damiani also makes local deliveries to customers in Watkins Glen, Trumansburg, Ithaca, and Geneva. “In April and May, when the Pennsylvania liquor authority was completely shut down,” said Allen, “we saw a huge uptick in on-line sales.” They continue to be high, but lower than in April and May. • While many wineries have laid out their new approaches in advance, they will likely continue to tinker with it through coming months. “Stay tuned,” said Allen of Damiani. “We’re reinventing ourselves.”

A Valesente Story THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS By Ste ve La w re n ce

The Valesentes shake hands while exchanging lineup cards before a game. (Photo provided)

n an effort to get the bad pun out of the way early, I will say that George Valesente has not had many curveballs thrown at him in this life. Don’t get me wrong, George has had to work hard to achieve the extraordinary success he has attained, and I am sure he has dealt with his share of challenges in life, but as for where he would be in the spring and summer months, there hasn’t been any doubt for the past 65-plus years: He would be on a baseball diamond. Like so many boys growing up in the 1950’s, George played Little League in Seneca Falls, New York. He was a three-sport star in

high school, then went on to letter in soccer, basketball and baseball at Ithaca College. After graduating in 1966, George played pro ball, making it to Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons in 1969. He coached baseball at Brockport and at New Paltz for two seasons each, and he served as baseball and soccer coach at Maritime for two years before returning to Ithaca College in 1978. George’s career numbers over the course of his 41 seasons at I.C. are legendary – 1,136 career wins, 10 trips to the College World Series, Two national championships, dozens of players signed to professional contracts. Most importantly, hundreds of very successful men The

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look to him as a very influential mentor, and look back at their time at Ithaca College with great fondness and gratitude. “Coach Val” is a Hall of Famer by any measure. Somewhere around that second national championship season of 1988, George and his wife, Dianne—who already had a daughter, Christine—welcomed a son. When I took over the sports column at the Ithaca Times in 1992, I remember that little guy, David Valesente, scampering around the Bomber practices, games, clinics and camps, soaking up baseball wisdom from his dad and from Frank Fazio, George’s longtime, teammate, friend Sum m er

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and assistant coach and one of the fiercest and scrappiest Bombers ever to take the field. In fact, “Faz” batted a lofty .488 for Ithaca College in 1965, and while David caught up to him in physical stature when the youngster was about 8 years old, he knew he had a long way to go to match Fazio’s broad base of baseball knowledge. David would go on to be a fine high school player at Lansing High School, and chose to play baseball at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, where he would play for I.C. alum Fritz Hamburg. Many respected his decision to make a name for himself outside Ithaca, and make a name for himself he did, playing all 4

years, hitting .323 for his career, winning Most Outstanding Player recognition three times and being named the Senior Male Athlete of the Year. David would play pro ball in an Independent League in Texas, and he would sign an undrafted free agent contract and play in the New York Penn League in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. When that chapter closed, he did some coaching at his alma mater, did a brief stint at Arcadia, and was hired as the firstever head coach at Wells College, building the program from the ground up. After running his own program for three seasons, his father retired, the Bomber job opened up, and you know the rest. (In fact, David was kind enough to keep his padre around as an assistant…) In March of this year, I was penciling an interview with David into my story pipeline, looking forward to talking to him after the Bombers returned from their first Spring trip with him at the helm. That did not happen… “We had a good fall season,” David told me when we spoke (June 22), “and this spring, we were lucky enough to get in a few games at Virginia-Wesleyan before we were supposed to leave for California. It felt great to be on the field, and given we only get 16 days in the fall, we were really building our relationships and working out some kinks.” He added, “Then, there was a Covid-related death in L.A., they declared a state of emergency and the trip was called off.” As was the case across the board in all spring sports, there was a period of uncertainty regarding whether any part of the season could be salvaged. I asked David what it was like to field (another questionable metaphor) all the questions from his players, some of whom were beginning to realize that their last season of organized baseball might not take place. “It was a very helpless feeling, watching the NCAA start cancelling one thing after another,” David offered. “We saw these indicators of what our path was going to be, and while we did our best to keep the energy up, the anticipation was tough.” While Valesente was grateful for the fact that “Ithaca College was nimble” in maintaining

readiness for whatever would unfold, he knew the ultimate decision would come from “a higher power.” (Translation: The NCAA.) David said, “When it was officially cancelled it was devastating, but ultimately, we understood that the most important aspect was the safety of the players and their families.” I turned the conversation to the group of players most impacted by this turn of events— the seniors—and David conveyed his deep gratitude to the Class of 2020. While he is officially a first-year coach, the fact that his father recruited these players gives him a leg up in terms of connecting. “These guys made a commitment to my dad and to the program,” David stated, “and they made my transition great. We were really looking forward to seeing them graduate, and we’re trying to do something special for them.” Asked whether some will come back for another season, the coach said, “There is a blanket waiver (extending eligibility), but it’s a lot more complicated than some people think.” Asked to clarify, he said, “It’s a question of whether they can find the right academic matches, and of course, there are big financial factors related to coming back for another year.” I called George to ask him for his take on this collective curveball, and he said, “Yes, it has been difficult for sure. We’d talk a lot, and none of us have ever been through anything like this.” When asked how difficult it has been to step back and let David take the reins, George said, “I was elated that he was selected to be the head coach, and I was disappointed for him when this all happened, because he has worked so hard to move the program forward. That said, he has handled it very well.” George paused and said, “You know, I sometimes forget that he’s a 32 year-old man who has played D-1 ball, played pro ball and he’s been coaching for several years now. I realize that he has new ideas and new concepts, and I learn from him. As always, I tell him to ‘just coach with your heart,’ and I go to practice, work with the pitchers and I go home. I only give advice when I’m asked, and I feel blessed to have the best of both worlds.”

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david (left) and George Valesente (Photo provided)

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Uncharted Territory THEATERS PREPARE FOR AN UNPRECEDENTED SUMMER By Mat t B utle r

ive events have taken one of the largest hits from the coronavirus outbreak, but local theater companies are still looking to take advantage of the nice weather and open season to provide entertainment for their patrons. Some theaters are taking advantage of the time to present virtual productions, which have picked up momentum as the primary replacement for in-person events given the social distancing guidelines in place in New York State currently. Others are taking the time to ramp up into a fall season that is sure to continue to face challenges likely related to the outbreak. Canceling the whole season early on was a difficult decision for some theaters, like the Hangar, but has forced them to think more creatively. For the Hangar’s part, they’ve started providing virtual classes and productions, including those aimed at youth audiences. “We strongly believe that this is the only responsible decision because of the safety issues we are all facing as a community and nation,” Hangar Theatre artistic director Michael Barakiva said at the time of the cancellation. “We look forward to seeing how this crisis will lead to innovation, and how we will be able to continue serving the community and carrying out our mission.” The Hangar will have three more virtual productions this summer. First, on July 11, the group will perform Queens Girl in the World at 7:30 p.m. via virtual stream, a coming of age story of Jacqueline Marie Butler, a Black teenager in the 1960s. Next, Honk Your Horn: Celebrate! Musical! Theatre! will take the stage on July 25 at 7:30 p.m., a general celebration of musicals featuring stars from recent Hangar productions. To finish off the season, Sense and Sensibility will take place on Aug. 8 at 7:30 p.m., a version of the Jane Austen classic novel. The Ithaca Shakespeare company will be performing their annual pair of productions, though they will not be taking place outdoors in front of a crowd as they traditionally would be. “Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s classic tragedy of star-crossed lovers, will be directed

A scene from last year’s Ithaca Shakespeare Company performance. (Photo provided) by Chris Nickerson. It has been eight years since Ithaca Shakespeare Company’s last production of this story of overwhelming passion, lyrical poetry, and tragic misfortune. Along with ISC’s actors, the performances will feature shadow puppet sequences created by Linda Wingerter of Stringpullers Puppet Company,” according to the company’s announcement, before The

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continuing. “Ithaca Shakespeare Company will be producing The Comedy of Errors for the first time, directed by Beth Harris. It tells the story of two sets of identical twins in one of Shakespeare’s most slapstick comedies. Confusion, arrests, mistaken identities, an exorcism, and a family separated and reunited

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will fill the screen as the hilarity unfolds in the streets of ancient Ephesus.” Romeo and Juliet will be performed on July 16, 18, 24, and 26 at 7 p.m. The Comedy of Errors will be performed on July 17, 19, 23, and 25 at 7 p.m. “These will be real productions,” continues Ponton. “We didn’t want to just do a simple reading of these plays. We’re going through a full rehearsal process and have put a lot of work into how the final performances will look and how we might be able to bring some of the elements that are always part of our inperson performances -- like stage combat and dance -- into the virtual format.” Meanwhile, other companies, like the Cherry Arts Space and the Kitchen Theatre, are taking time to prepare for their fall seasons, regardless of whether those are going to take place inperson or virtually. Samuel Buggeln of the Cherry Arts Space admitted to grappling with the confusion of the moment, but that it could yield creative opportunities the staff otherwise wouldn’t have been able to think of. There isn’t much margin for error, but Buggeln said so far the Cherry has been able to manage. "At the Cherry our brains are completely scrambled, like everywhere else, and we're struggling to find ways to keep fully staffed with all of our income dried up,” Buggeln said. “But artistically we're actually quite excited. We had to cancel the last live inperson production of our 20192020 season of course, but we pivoted quickly and created a brand new live-streamed piece written by six international writers we have worked with in the past. It was an exciting experiment and now we're emboldened to actually announce a full 4-show season in 2020-2021, something almost no theater company we know is doing.” Buggeln said it’s not quite clear yet what form the shows for that season will take, but that the Cherry strives to embrace “experimental, unconventional forms, so right now we’re meeting, brainstorming and kicking around a ton of ideas right now and trying them out on a shortlist of international plays we’re excited by.”

State Theatre will stream annual concert series SUMMER STAPLE WILL START VIRTUALLY, HOPES TO MOVE IN-PERSON By Mat t B utle r

he annual CFCU Summer Concert Series will indeed be held this year, although at least to start they will be held online and streamed to viewers. Organizers say when they are cleared to hold in-person events, they will shift to their traditional venue at the Bernie Milton Pavilion. In order to follow state public health guidelines, the concerts will be adjusted until public gathering rules are relaxed: performers will take to the State Theatre stage for their sets, which will be streamed on Downtown Ithaca Alliance's social media pages, including Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Twitter. Shows are held weekly, starting on July 9, and continuing every Thursday from 6-8 p.m. after that.

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Summer Concert Schedule • July 9: Luke G & the Candyhearts • July 16: Empire Kings + Mr. McBean • July 23: Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People • July 30: Notorious String Busters + Mijail Martinez and the Cantina Ramblers • August 6: Fall Creek Brass Band • August 13: Terrapin Station • August 20: Alex Cano • August 27: Maddy Walsh & the Blind Spots • September 3: The Comb Down • September 10: Gunpoets • September 17: Swamp Kids • September 24: Kevin Kinsella

This year’s Summer Concert Series will look a little different from any year previous, but the lineup is still stacked with talent. (Photo online)

Sponsors and supporters for the series are: CFCU Community Credit Union, State Theatre of Ithaca, Ithaca Marriott Downtown on the Commons, Seneca Beverage Corporation, Wagner Vineyards, Maguire Subaru Hyundai Genesis of Ithaca, Cayuga Radio Group, and Green Street Pharmacy.

Exploring Ithaca’s spectacular landscape with her trusty pal, Tasha, gives Loretta great scenery and even better company. Whether she’s hiking to the heart of the gorge or just taking in the falls, she always enjoys the natural beauty of the area. Living on the 105-acre campus of Kendal at Ithaca not only keeps Loretta connected to the places and companions she loves, but the care she may need someday. And, from here, the story just keeps getting better. Come for a visit and tell us your story. Call 800-253-6325 877-891-7709 or go to kai.kendal.org kai.kendal.org/IT2 to learn more.

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orning’s Gaffer District has officially re-opened for the summer. As of June 12, Market Street will be closed until August 1, temporarily, to make room for outdoor dining and shopping—extending into the street. The decision comes as good news for shop owners who were forced to shut down following the NYS Pause. The City of Corning will also waive the local open container ordinance along the four block stretch for any businesses serving alcohol, but all alcoholic beverages are required

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to stay within the "defined street area of the establishment where it was purchased." The closure will comprise the first four blocks of Market St. (from Wall St. to Chestnut St. and the West sidewalk of Chestnut to include R&M, a popular takeout restaurant). Popular attractions like the Corning Museum of Glass and the Rockwell Museum are expected to resume normal operation as the state gradually re-opens over the next several weeks. The Gaffer District will refrain from hosting many events to ensure they follow statewide

Fabrizi says that customers also shouldn’t be afraid of stopping in for fear of lack of parking. She says the district has opened up more parking spaces just outside of Market St. and curbside pick-ups will also be available behind many different businesses, just be sure to call ahead. “There isn’t a parking problem, it’s a parking perception problem,” Fabrizi said. “We have a tendency to want to park in front of the shop we’re going into but there’s a municipal parking garage, and well over 400 spots in there. We’ve also doubled the number of spots for people with disabilities. There are now 30 spots for people with disabilities in the parking garage. Everyone’s going the extra mile to take care all of our customers.” Hair salons will not be permitted to conduct business outside of the store in the Gaffer District, but will be expected to continue practicing social distancing indoors. Clients will be expected to wear masks inside. The move to close Market Street in Corning is similar to one that Ithaca also made, to close the 100 block of Aurora Street (otherwise known as “restaurant row”) to vehicular traffic, allowing restaurants to extend their dining areas to the curb and making the street a pedestrian-only walkway. Of course, even as places begin to re-open, Corning officials and businesses are keeping an eye to make sure that rules are being followed and people aren’t becoming too complacent when it comes to wearing masks, or businesses follow the capacity guidelines -something that will theoretically be aided by allowing shoppers more room to move freely Market Street is closed in Corning for the first outdoors. Governor Andrew time, allowing for a socially distanced shopping Cuomo also announced that and eating experience. (Photo provided) gatherings up to 25 people will be permitted, now that many regions in the state are seeing dropping cases and beginning safety guidelines. But a Customer Appreciation Sale will take place July 16 –19 along the stretch to reopen. Phase Three permits all eligible of road, which has already proven its appeal in personal care facilities (salons and barbershops the first few weeks, shown by an abundance etc.) and restaurants to resume full operation. To of social media posts celebrating the Market curb the likely rise in lack of social distancing, Street closing. Those interested in participating the governor also issued an executive order in the Customer Appreciation Sale can visit the strengthening state enforcement of distancing district’s Virtual Events page on its website or guidelines and business compliance. “Everyone has a role to play as we're visit https://www.flxcalendar.com/ to check out the sale or other events scheduled expected to reopening: Employers have a role, store owners have a role, employees have a role, individuals occur around the area. “We’re just trying to get a little normal have a role, and local government has a real back,” said Colleen Fabrizi, Executive Director responsibility to enforce these guidelines and of the Corning Gaffer District. “It’s hard to stay protect New Yorkers,” Cuomo said. away from a downtown you love.”

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The Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway A LOCAL TREASURE TROVE

By C h a rle y G ith le r

ou may have seen the signs: the route around Cayuga Lake has been designated a “Scenic Byway.” This is one of the great under-appreciated resources of Ithaca, and it couldn’t be closer. In fact, if you were interested only in scenery and you had two hours to kill, you could drive the whole thing with time to spare. Yet, there is enough to see and do that one could easily spend two weeks completing the same trip. The designation is official. The National Scenic Byways Program was established in1991, and under the program, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation has recognized certain roads as National Scenic Byways based on their archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic qualities. The Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway has a wealth of all of those things. Though it’s only 90 miles long, and mostly through farmland, there are also over a dozen wineries, five craft breweries, a distillery, seven main parks, 17 bed & breakfasts, spectacular waterfalls, deep gorges, hiking, fishing, antique stores, and innumerable restaurants on the route itself. It’s a birder’s paradise, loaded with historical markers, and the views of Cayuga Lake are sensational. There’s something for everyone. The route is comprised of Routes 34, 34B, and 90 on the east side of Cayuga Lake, Routes 5 & 20 across the northern end of the lake, and Route 89 on the west side. (A map is available at www.cayugalake.com) It’s all two-lane state highways. Yahoo! Travel named the Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway one of “Ten Great AllAmerican Road Trips” in May of last year. As the longest and widest of the Finger Lakes, Cayuga Lake itself is a natural jewel, often taken for granted by Ithacans. Over 38 miles long, and ranging from one to three miles across, its moods change with the weather and the seasons. I’ve driven the length of the lake on both sides literally thousands of times, and its beauty can still take my breath away. The Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway makes an excellent two-day bicycle adventure. Park at a hotel or B&B anywhere on the route, ride halfway around the lake, and return to base camp the next day. My reconnaissance team parked in Seneca Falls, rode down the west side of the lake to Ithaca where we spent the night, and rode back to Seneca Falls on the east side the next day. Most of the ride was ideal biking. Heading north on Route 34 out of Ithaca can be a little tricky in the afternoon, when the traffic is heavier, but the rest of the ride is rolling hills and smooth roads with wide shoulders. Every September, the Southern Tier AIDS Program conducts its bicycling fundraiser, the AIDS Ride for Life. Volunteers are sponsored to ride 100 miles around Cayuga Lake, mostly on the Scenic Byway, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight AIDS. Of course, in a car, it is certainly a worthy day trip, though justice can’t be done to all there is to see and do in one tour. Traveling by automobile, I favor going counter-clockwise, starting in Ithaca. For one thing, in general the views are better driving this way. Also, 14 of the

16 wineries and the distillery are on the home stretch (west side of the lake) and are perhaps best visited as one nears base camp. Climbing north up Route 34 out of Ithaca and through Lansing, the road ends in a “T” at Route 34B, where the landmark Rogues Harbor Inn is on the corner. The recently renovated, three-story Greek Revival brick building was built in the 1830s and operates now as a bed & breakfast, restaurant, and craft brewery. At various times during its illustrious career the inn has been a speakeasy, a stagecoach stop, and a place of refuge for fleeing slaves. It’s been a fixture in the local landscape since its earliest days and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Still in the town of Lansing, Route 34B goes past the road down to Myers Point Park, which is located in a protected harbor and offers picnic areas, seasonal life-guarded swimming in the lake, a designated bird observation site, and year-round walking trails, restrooms and camping (on a first-come, first-served basis). There is also a marina with launch facilities, dry dock storage, and boat slip rentals. In the hamlet of King Ferry, where the route turns off Route 34B and onto Route 90, many of the houses and buildings date back to the 19th century. Though some of the structures would benefit from a little TLC, it requires little effort to imagine what the crossroads might have looked like a hundred years ago. Indeed, though there are certainly dramatic views and vistas to be seen on the Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway, the countryside from King Ferry north on the east side of Cayuga Lake offers a deeper, more solemn and mature kind of beauty. The sensational gorges and waterfalls near Ithaca give way to long, rolling hills, old farmhouses, and wide-open spaces where the sky can take center stage. It can feel eerily empty and a little wild at times, too. The east side was settled before the west side and it feels older. In fact, on this side of the lake the road itself is older; most of the Byway route here originated as Native American trails. Much of the road on the west side (Route 89) wasn’t built until the Depression. Route 90 hugs a high ridge overlooking Cayuga Lake for several miles. In winter and early spring the crest of this hill offers a spectacular view of thousands of Canada geese as they fly to and from their feeding fields along The

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the east side of the lake. On windy days they hunker down in the fields all day. Just before the road drops down to the lake level in Aurora is the Pumpkin Hill Bistro, which is in a charming 1820s farmhouse on its namesake hill. Featuring Cayuga Lake wines and local seasonal ingredients, it has developed a growing following among foodies over its first eight seasons of operation. Weather permitting, the outside tables provide one of the most idyllic dining settings in the Finger Lakes. The story is that Pumpkin Hill is named after an incident in which a farmer lost a wagon wheel and dumped a load of pumpkins, which mysteriously disappeared when the farmer was away trying to replace his wheel. Pumpkin Hill overlooks Long Point State Park, on Cayuga Lake. The park provides boat launch facilities, a beach with swimming area, picnic areas, fishing access and vacation cottage rentals. The picturesque village of Aurora, on the shore of the lake, is home to Wells College. In 1980 its Aurora Village-Wells College Historic District, comprised of more than 50 contributing properties, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While Aurora has always been a place where history has been close to the surface, the village has Sum m er

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benefited from the recent re-development of historic properties by American Girl doll entrepreneur Pleasant Rowland. After a five-year makeover, Main Street (part of the Scenic Byway), running parallel to the lake, glows with freshly painted homes, and refurbished inns and stores. The Aurora Inn, a landmark built in 1833 and now owned by Wells College, underwent an extensive renovation and facelift as part of that process, re-fitted for lodging, dining and special events. Finished in 2003, the Aurora Inn has guest rooms, a new restaurant with lakeside veranda dining, and banquet room for special occasions. A stone terrace, lawns, and gardens were created to link the inn to the shores of the Lake. The original fireplaces, woodwork and other architectural details were reused whenever possible, and when they could not be reused, they were reproduced, using historic photos. The result is elegant, clean and comfortable. For Wells College, founded in 1868, the transformation of the downtown was a shot in the arm. The decision to admit men, starting in 2005, coupled with the upgrading of the village, stemmed a slide in enrollment, and the college is currently thriving. At various points on the Scenic Byway, on both sides of the lake, there are historical markers identifying the sites of some 13 Native American villages that were destroyed by the Sullivan-Clinton campaign in the fall of 1779. One of the largest of those villages lay south of the village of Union Springs The route next passes through the heart of Union Springs which, having once been home to a substantial population of Quakers is believed to have provided sanctuary to fleeing slaves in the years leading up to the Civil War. In fact, if you have an affinity for graveyards, the Old Quaker Cemetery (a short jog up Park Street in the village) is a worthwhile stop. The northernmost reach of the Scenic Byway passes through the southern edge of a large drumlin field that runs roughly from Syracuse to Rochester, and into the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is a wildlife preserve encompassing part of the The

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v a s t (10,0 0 0 a c r e s ) Montezuma Swamp at the north end of Cayuga Lake. It contains large pockets of undisturbed swamp woodlands and is intended to provide crucial habitat for birds, especially migratory waterfowl. Itâ€™s a draw for birders from all over the world, and the habitat diversity is remarkable. There are bald eagles (nesting), snow geese, herons, cormorants and all manner of shorebirds and waterfowl. The wildlife drive, trails, towers, and blinds provide spectacular views. The refuge is open to visitors daily and year-round, and has a visitor center open April through November. (Visit www.fws.gov/r5mnwr for more information.) Routes 5 & 20 take the Scenic Byway through the Montezuma Refuge and across the northern end of Cayuga Lake, and from there it heads south down the west side of the lake on Route 89. At the first and only traffic light, near Seneca Falls, going left onto Bayard Street puts you on an interesting (and short) detour along the lake. In the early 1800s, this road actually took the traveler to a wooden bridge across Cayuga Lake. At the time, it was the longest bridge (1 mile) in the western hemisphere. The road continues past cottages and through Cayuga Lake State Park before connecting back up with Route 89. The park slopes gently uphill from waterâ€™s edge to campsites and cabins. The scenic highlight of the park is its expansive view of the lake. The park has a boat launch, playground, playing fields, vacation rentals, camping, a picnic area, and a lakefront dock. There is decent fishing in the shallow water near the park, for largemouth bass, bullheads, and catfish. In deeper water, anglers can catch Sum m er

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northern pike, small mouth bass, lake trout, and landlocked salmon. It is possible, in the spring and fall during periods of migration, to see literally thousands of Canada geese, snow geese, tundra swans, and other waterfowl on the lake just south of Cayuga Lake State Park. This stretch of Route 89 runs intermittently along the very edge of the lake, and given the prevailing westerly winds, is generally the lee side of the lake. There are increasing numbers of vineyards along this part of the Scenic Byway, as well. About halfway down the west side of the lake is Myer Farm Distillers, a New York State Farm Distillery, situated on one of the largest and oldest currently operating organic farms in the northeast United States. Current circumstances do not allow for tastings, but their tasting room is open for walk-out sales The continued on page 17

Pinot Gris INTRODUCTION TO A DELICATE GRAPE

hat is the difference between Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio? Are they made from the same grape? Yes. Are they the same wine, only with different names in different languages? No … well, sometimes yes. Yeah, it’s not you, it’s the wine people. Generally, when you find a wine called Pinot Gris, it will be fruity and dry with a taste that has some complexity. In contrast, if the bottle is labeled Pinot Grigio, it is likely to be a simple, light, crisp, semi-dry wine that tastes good on a hot day. That said, some of the bottles you will find in the Finger Lakes are labelled Pinot Grigio, but their taste may fall somewhere between standard Gris and Grigio. “It’s a difficult grape,” said Dave Breeden, the winemaker at Sheldrake Point Winery in Ovid. “It’s somewhat susceptible to rot, but in a well-drained site, it’s generally OK.” If this

By B ill C h a i s s o n reminds you of how people talk about Pinot Noir, that is because Pinot Gris is a descendant of Pinot Noir and, like its ancestor, it grows in very tight bunches that leave it open to botrytis. While the ancestor grape is black when ripe, the descendant varies from brown to grayish-blue to white. According to Breeden, Pinot Gris is not terribly winter-hardy in the Finger Lakes. In the plus column, it has a short growing season, maturing relatively early, which means it can sometimes be rescued from late-season rot while still having adequate sugar content. At Sheldrake they are selling their 2017 vintage, which was a year with very high production—30 percent more than average— but still produced what Breeden calls a “sound wine.” He regards 23 Brix (1 Brix = 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution) as the ideal The

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sweetness for Pinot Gris grapes. If the fruit is picked before it reaches that degree of ripeness, the wine “doesn’t taste like much,” said Breeden, but if they are left to over-ripen, the berries become too sweet. During fermentation sugars are converted by yeast into alcohol; if the grapes are over-ripe, the wine will reach 14 percent alcohol and still be too sweet. Because wine-making yeasts cannot survive in a solution greater than 15 percent alcohol, conversion of sugars ceases. In this Goldilocks equation, grapes picked at 23 Brix yield a wine that is just right, full of tropical fruit flavors, fairly dry (0.5 percent residual sugar) and under 13 percent alcohol.

One two occasions Breeden has let some of the Pinot Gris grapes ripen to 30 Brix in order to make them into a ‘late harvest’ dessert wine. “Pinot Gris keeps accumulating sugar, like Gewurtz[traminer],” he said, “unlike some other wines, like Cab[ernet] Franc, which plateaus.” Breeden’s decision to produce a ‘Gris’ rather than a ‘Grigio’ is an aesthetic one. What he called the ‘Alsatian style’ is a more interesting destination to arrive at each year than the simpler Italian Grigio. He prefers to “optimize what I can do with Sheldrake grapes.” Dan Berger, a wine writer from Riverside, California, told Breeden the Sheldrake Point Pinot Gris was “more like Alsace than any other Pinot Gris I’ve tried outside Alsace.”

Dave Breeden of Sheldrake Winery (Photo by Casey Martin)

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Five minutes north, up the east side of Cayuga Lake, winemaker Julia Hoyle makes Pinot Gris for Hosmer Winery. She too enjoys the challenge of this varietal. “It has a tighter cluster and more tender skin than some grapes,” she said. “On the east coast it’s humid. There are rain events in August and September. That, in combination with warmer nights, can produce rot.” Like Sheldrake, Hosmer is still selling its 2017 vintage. This year’s crop, what will be the 2020 vintage, looks good to Hoyle so far. It was

between 5 to 7 years after bottling. The perfect level of acidity will help it to age gracefully for a longer period, but she admitted that it does not get as interesting as an aged Riesling. Over on Seneca Lake, Mike Reidy makes Pinot Gris for Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards. He too sighs at the delicacy of Pinot Gris vines. If it rains too often, the sprays that protect it from rot and other diseases are washed off and reapplied too often, leading to resistance among the disease vectors, he said. Reidy believes in making the best possible

Michael Reidy enjoys a Pinot Gris from Hazlitt. (Photo by Casey Martin)

a mild winter, and there was little crop damage, she said. With few buds lost, there are many grapes on the vines. “Hybrid [grape] growers and folks further from the lake may have been hit by that last cold snap,” Hoyle said, “but we’re fine.” The stretch of dry weather in May and the first half of June has not been detrimental. “Rot starts this time of year,” she noted. When the harvest comes in the fall, she and her assistant will go through the rows the night before and drop the grapes that have rotted or been damaged. Then Tim Hosmer will go through the next morning and harvest only the good fruit. Hoyle enjoys working with Pinot Gris. It can be such a neutral grape, she said, and you have to coax the fruit flavors out of it and discourage the “grass notes.” Hoyle speaks of “running the numbers” for pH, Brix, and titrated acidity of the berries on the vine. Pinot Gris pH can be a bit higher than a Riesling, and she allows for a slightly lower Brix value than Breeden; it must be greater than 20.5 to 21, and she is looking for an acidity that is “mid range or lower.” As they go through veraison (ripening), the acidity of the grapes falls, diluted as the sugar content rises. Like Breeden, she finds Pinot Gris to be a more interesting goal than Pinot Grigio. She noted that it is not difficult to find Pinot Grigios in Italy that are drier and more complex than the mass market product that is more frequently exported to the U.S. In order to get the wine she wants from the grape, Hoyle sends it through the winemaking process on parallel courses. Some of the Pinot Gris will ferment in barrels, which imparts additional flavors, and some will be in steel, which does not. She produces a blend she likes and bottles it. She is very happy with her 2017 vintage, which continues to improve in the bottle. Hoyle estimated that Finger Lakes Pinot Grises peak

wine out of whatever the year’s weather brings him. He refuses to add sugar (chaptalize) to a must made from under-ripe grapes, a practice Breeden also foreswore. He never wants the alcohol content to be out of balance with the fruit flavors. “2018 was the most challenging year since 2006,” he said, “when it was snowing at harvest.” These grapes, which produced the vintage Hazlitt is selling now, experienced a late start, a cool summer, and, starting in September, continual rain. Reidy kept asking himself “When do I cut?” Afraid the rain would burst the fruit or dilute the flavor, he picked early. This forced him to alter his usual fermentation process “to keep the microbes happy.” Normally he lets the juice rest on the lees (the skins, mostly), but, distrustful of the aromatics in there, he completed the fermentation off the lees. He didn’t get the optimal fruit flavor density, but “you don’t make the wine what it can’t be,” he said. 2018 is a small batch, but he is satisfied with it. The only winemaker we reached who made an Italian-style Pinot Grigio was Phil Arras of Damiani Wine Cellars. “[We] do a lighter, zippier, fruitier style,” he said, “which is why we call it Pinot Grigio instead of gris.” In addition to the above wineries, Pinot Gris (or *Grigio) is also made around Seneca Lake by Anthony Road Wine Company, Atwater Estate Vineyards, Belhurst Estate Winery, Billsboro Winery, Catherine Valley Winery, Glenora Wine Cellars, Lakewood Vineyards, Seneca Shore Wine Cellars, Penguin Bay*, Ventosa Vineyards, White Springs Farm Winery, and Zugibe Vineyards. And on Cayuga Lake by Bet the Farm Winery, Buttonwood Grove Winery, Goosewatch Winery*, Knapp Winery, Thirsty Owl Wine Company, and Varick Winery.*

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Lincoln’s Right-Hand Man WILLIAM H. SEWARD HOUSE IN AUBURN By Ka re n G a d iel

n this sesquicentennial period of commemorating the Civil War years, this summer could be a timely occasion for visiting some national treasures located in Auburn, NY. Movie-goers who took in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln (2012) have already been introduced to the dandy-ish, gentlemanly William H. Seward (played by David Straithairn in the movie), who lost his party’s bid for the Republican presidential nomination to Abraham Lincoln in 1859, but went on to serve as Secretary of State. A native New Yorker, Seward began his post-university legal career with Judge Elijah Miller. In 1824, when he married Miller’s youngest daughter Frances, he moved into what was originally a 10-room house at 33 South Street in Auburn built in 1816 for the Miller family. This move was made at Miller’s request. Frances’ sister had also recently married and moved away, and her father didn’t want to be

alone in the large house, explained Alexis Parson of the Seward House Museum. After several additions, the house grew to its present size of 32 rooms, and was inhabited by the family until 1951, when William Henry Seward III bequeathed the family home to a foundation in the hope it would become a museum. Its trove of artifacts was impressive, even in Seward’s day. Former museum director Peter Whisbey affectionately characterized the family as “pack rats.” They acquired and kept an assortment of objects already historically valuable when Seward found them or was gifted with them, like the writing table used in the constitutional convention of 1782—a gift he received while governor of New York— and a “diplomatic gallery” featuring more than a hundred portraits of kings, queens, foreign ministers, and other important people he came in contact with as secretary of state,

Photo: Seward House Museum including the King of Siam immortalized by Rodgers and Hammerstein in their musical The King and I. Seward and his wife Frances were determined abolitionists and their home served as a station on the Underground Railroad. A like-minded friend introduced them to Harriet Tubman, who became a close family friend. It’s not known whether they collaborated on their Underground Railroad involvement because that kind of record-keeping wasn’t safe at the time. In 1857 Seward sold to Tubman a house and land at 180 South Street, now the Harriet Tubman Home (www.harriethouse.org) is itself a museum today. Parsons said the relationship between Seward and Lincoln, tentative at first, blossomed into close friendship as Seward became Lincoln’s most trusted advisor. During

the Civil War years, his job included efforts to keep Britain and France out of the fray. In fact, the plot to assassinate Lincoln included a simultaneous attempt on Seward’s life. While bed-bound as the result of a carriage accident, Seward’s home was broken into by a knifewielding Lewis Powell, who seriously injured both Seward and his son Fred, who tried to stop the attack. Seward’s nurse and several other adult children eventually over-powered Powell. He was tried and executed for his crimes. The Seward family predictably preserved the gashed and bloodstained sheet in their archives. The seriousness of Seward’s stab wounds persuaded his family to keep him ignorant of Lincoln’s death, but a few days later, Seward saw a flag flying at half-mast and said, “The president is dead. If he had been alive, he would have been the first person to come and see me.” After a lengthy recovery, Seward continued to serve as Secretary of State under President Andrew Johnson. During this period Seward became known as the architect of the purchase of Alaska from Russia, known as “Seward’s Folly” and “Seward’s Icebox.” The deal cost $7,200,000, less than $2 per acre, an amount almost immediately recouped by the value of natural resources, including timber, fishing rights and furs. After his retirement from government service in 1869, Seward traveled west to take one of the first cruises to Alaska, where he was lavished with gifts, many on display in the Seward House Museum’s Alaska Room. In all, 17 rooms are open to the public. “Ninety-nine percent of everything you’ll see is original to the family,” Parson said. “The only things not original are some of our carpets and curtains.” And putting things more diplomatically than Whisbey, she said, “We have a really large collection, due of course to the Sewards’ habit of keeping everything and the later generations of the family’s wish to preserve it.” Seward died in 1872, and the couch he died on is also on display. His last words to his children were “Love one another,” and it was clearly his family’s wish that others would come to know and love Seward as well. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the museum has closed to the public as of March 16, 2020, but maintains that it will reopen once it feels it can adequately and safely facilitate visits and tours. The availability of such will be listed at wwww. sewardhouse.org. For more information, call 315252-1283.

Enjoy a Taste of Ithaca Walk-ins welcome for glasses of bottles Reservations recommended for tastings Hours: Sunday–Saturday 10 a.m.–6 p.m. 607-272-WINE (9463) www.SixMileCreek.com 3.5 miles East of The Commons, 1551 Slaterville Road (Rt. 79) 16

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SCENIC BYWAY’ Contin u ed From Page 13

1000-acre Myer Farm has been in the family since 1868. Practicing what is known as "farm to flask" distilling, they grow their own organic grains, process, ferment, distill, and bottle all their products on site. Their current product line-up includes a White Winter Wheat White Dog Spirit, an heirloom corn White Dog Spirit, a distinctive New World type Gin, and a White Winter Wheat Vodka, all available for tasting or sale. Soon after, a quick detour off the Scenic Byway onto County Road 153 takes you down to the lower lake road and Sheldrake Point Winery, a favorite stop on Cayuga Lake wine tours. The road itself, which

connects back up to Route 89, is worth the detour to see the gorgeous houses overlooking the water. Eight miles north of Ithaca is Taughannock Falls State Park, which straddles Route 89. On the west side of the road is the ¾ mile trail (quite flat) into the staggeringly beautiful gorge to Taughannock Falls, which at 215 feet, is the highest vertical drop of any waterfall east of the Mississippi (50 feet higher than Niagara Falls). The walls of the gorge form a stunning natural amphitheater. There are several interpretive signs along the trail that detail the geology and some of the visible flora. On the east side of the road, the rest of the park is comprised of Taughannock Point, which has a wide-open grassy area on which summer concerts are held, a boat launch, a lifeguarded swimming area, boat slips, and a snack bar. A semi-scientific poll of the 4-to-8-year-old demographic proclaims the Taughannock Falls Park playground the best in the area. Of course these are just some of the highlights of the Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway. There is much to explore and pilgrimages to be made, by visitors and locals alike. A good starting point is to visit the Byway’s website at www.cayugalake.com . It’s right in our backyard.

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A Cold Treat SOFT SERVE SHOPS BRING SWEETS TO UPSTATE

b y Arle igh R o dge rs p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday–Thursday and 12 to 9:30 p.m. Friday–Sunday. Ice Cream Works!: 14 George Street, Owego, NY 13827 Open every day 12 to 9 p.m., this family-owned, seasonal ice cream store boasts homemade flavors and ice cream treats like cakes, floats and sundaes. The shop operates out of a former bottling-works building that was once badly flooded in 2011, now rehabilitated into the shop that opened approximately two years later. Ice Cream Works has a variety of offerings: its 30 flavors of hard ice creams; flurries and ice cream sandwiches; and, for those with dietary restrictions, Dole Whip, a lactose-, dairy-, fat- and cholesterol-free soft serve product. All their ingredients are seasonally and locally sourced, and their flavors may vary depending on the season. A few standout flavors, and names, are “Caught in the Rain,” a Pina Soft serve ice cream stands are a local favorite during Ithaca’s hot summers. (Photo by Casey Martin) Colada-inspired flavor, and “NY Potholes”—Chocolate ice cream and coffee brandy, sprinkled with chocolate “dirt” cookie crunch, chunks of chocolate chips and a white chocolate stripe. Toad's Too; Ice Cream Oasis: 18 Railroad St, Freeville, NY 13068 Family-owned and operated since 1993, Toad’s Too carries a selection of seasonal, soft serve treats, including Hood soft serve, Dole Whip and Frostline Lactose Free soft serve. As for hard ice cream, customers can choose from Giffords, Turkey Hill and Perry's. The shop also offers dietary restrictions-friendly items beyond Dole Whip: Sorbets, non-dairy ice creams, frozen yogurts and vegan products can be scooped into a cone or cup as well. The shop also offers drinks like slushies, sodas, shakes and floats and a menu of savory dishes like hot dogs and BBQ pulled pork. Toad’s is open seven days a week 12 to 9 p.m. with outdoor, socially distanced seating. (with mention of this ad) Trimmers: 9833 Rt. 96, Trumansburg, NY 14886 When the Broadfield family took over Trimmers in 2017 from the original owners— who established the shop in 2006—the family members were firm in their commitments to family-affordable pricing and accessibility for their community, according to Trimmers’ website. Three years later, customers can still find the family working behind the counter serving local ice cream from Purity Ice Cream, 14 different flavors of Hershey’s hard ice cream, and soft serve and frozen yogurt from Upstate Farms. Along with a monthly rotation of the shop’s specials, customers can enjoys flavors of the month traditional or sundae-style, with a bounty of toppings. Trimmers also has a large lawn, a lucky addition for a summer during the coronavirus pandemic, where families and friends can sit and enjoy the warm weather from 3 to 8 p.m. Monday–Thursday and 12 to 8 p.m. Friday–Sunday.

he perfect remedy to a hot afternoon often comes swirled in a waffle cone. Seasonal ice cream stands find their ways into the schedule of locals and travelers alike, especially when summers in Ithaca reach 80 degrees for days in a row. While we all know about Sweet Melissa’s and Purity in downtown Ithaca, there are four neighboring ice cream shops— Not My Dad’s Soft Serve, Ice Cream Works!, Toad’s Too and Trimmers— that also stand out in the sweet treats they offer. Not My Dad’s Soft Serve: 203 E Main St, Trumansburg, NY 14886 With New York State guidelines now allowing outdoor seating at restaurants, Not My Dad’s Soft Serve ice cream can be enjoyed next to its shop in Trumansburg. Customers can enjoy the shop’s classic soft serve menu alongside hot dogs, snacks and hard ice cream. In May, Not My Dad’s Soft Serve expanded its hours so it was open seven days a week, 12

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A Healthy Distance OUTDOOR EXERCISE IN THE AGE OF CORONA By Mat t B utle r

There are ways to exercise outside, even if you don’t want to. (Photo by Casey Martin)

ith the advent of social distancing over the spring, life changed significantly for nearly every Ithacan, and while things are starting to return to some level of normalcy, one venue that serves as many people’s escape from the world remains closed. Though gyms were initially thought to be included in Phase 4 of the state’s reopening, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that they would have to stay shut down, meaning New Yorkers still have to find alternative ways to exercise for the foreseeable future. Luckily, there are plenty of options to do so, and Ithaca is particularly well suited for it: hilly terrain makes for paths that vary widely in difficulty and exertion needed, plus weather that isn’t quite oppressively hot yet and a wealth of trails to walk, bike or run on. People have been forced to get creative without the easy access

to resources that a gym offers, but many have been able to find ways to exercise regardless, helping to clear their heads during a trying time mentally and a boring time physically. There are Ithaca-specific activities that Ashley Fennell, a local trainer who also studied physical fitness in school, has been able to take advantage of, for example. She’s begun roller-blading throughout the area, drawing enjoyment from the activity and finding that even longer journeys can be both entertaining and challenging. “About three to four days a week I roller blade through Stewart Park to Cass Park,” Fennell said. “It’s about seven miles round trip and it’s actually pretty fun. I have also biked the black diamond trail to Taughannock Falls and fished the surrounding Ithaca and Lansing areas.”

The transition was difficult at the beginning of quarantine, Fennell said, as she had to adapt to limited exercise materials and a completely different venue (her apartment versus a fully equipped gym). She was able to find a routine, though, and soon learned tweaks to optimize her home workouts and find a balance between home workouts and outdoor activities. “I work in a gym, so the transition from workouts in the gym to my home came as quite a shock,” Fennell said. “I’ve used bands, dumbbells, and a lot of body weight exercises. Focusing on metabolic movements to get the most out of my home workouts. Road biking, roller blading, walks and outdoor runs when the weather permits.” With nicer weather comes longer days, something Fennell appreciates even if it’s a bit warmer than ideal, because the longer days and more natural light usually help boost her energy

and allow more opportunities and time— someone can start a work out at 7:30 p.m., once they get out of work, without fear of ending in darkness. As the quarantine period stretched from days to weeks to, now, months, Fennell admitted that she’s intermittently had some trouble staying motivated. For her, interacting with people, even through a screen, helps her on the days when she might not have as much fuel as she normally does. “I have not specifically utilized any videos but I always like to use people around me for extra motivation,” she said. “I am a trainer at Island Health and Fitness and we have been offering virtual training and videos throughout quarantine. On days I am lacking energy or need a little boost, I like to feed off the energy of clients after our training sessions.”

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series and drive-in movie theaters are taking advantage of instead of going virtual. On August 29, Silent Movie Under the Stars will screen “The Freshman,” a silent film from 1925 that stars Harold Lloyd. Hosted by the Wharton Studio Museum, the tenth anniversary of this silent film screening usually attracts approximately 400 attendees, said Diana Riesman, Executive Director of the Wharton Studio Museum. However, this year will look a little different. Riesman said she and the museum have hopes of retaining the Silent Movie Under the Stars experience. With the permission of New York State, Silent Movie Under the Stars can turn into a drive-in theater instead of going virtual, Riesman said. Should the museum be granted this allowance, attendees can park their cars in front of an inflatable screen—the same one they would have used if the event played out as it had years before—in Taughannock Falls State Park. When planning the event for the summer, Riesman said that it was important for her to offer audience members an opportunity to share the same experience they would’ve had if the pandemic was not an issue. “I think the best part about the event normally is that everyone has this shared experience outside under […] the night sky,” Riesman said. “It’s summer, and there's live music, and you're sitting next to other people engaged in the movie. There is something lovely about that crowd.” Although the movie itself is silent, the Cloud Chamber Orchestra will perform a musical score to accompany the film. Audience members would tune into an AM or FM radio station to hear the score, something they would have experienced live in different circumstances, after settling into their cars to enjoy the movie. Approximately 40 miles from The Commons is another theater offering an outdoor cinema — the Fingerlakes Drive-in, New York State’s oldest, continually running drive-in theater. Starting July 1, rain or shine, the Fingerlakes Drive-in in Auburn, New York, will be hosting the Moonlight Movie Series, a nine-week-long film series at 9 p.m. on Wednesday nights. At $10 per carload, the series is, in some cases, cheaper than a movie ticket or renting a film at home, and it allows audiences to reenter a cinematic, theater-going experience in a socially distanced and outdoor environment. Although theaters around the country are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Moonlight Movies Series brings classics to the big screen again, like “Forest Gump” for the series’ first week and “The Wizard of Oz” in its last. The series will also host a “Christmas in July” screening on July 15 with the holiday favorite films “The Polar Express” and “Elf.” Similarly to a movie theater, a concession stand will be open with movie snacks and sweets, and Ashley Lynn Winery will be selling wine slushies to attendees onsite, according to the series’ Facebook page for the first week. The series will also allow well-behaved pets to join in on the movie, according to the website’s FAQ page.

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By Wa r re n G ree n w oo d masterpiece “They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar.” (Which, to me, is like viewing religious artifacts.) I wondered if they might have Serling’s typewriter or perhaps his Dictaphone… and they actually do have one of his Dictaphones…a Terry Gilliam piece of equipment appropriately called a “TimeMaster.” A helpful info card informs us: “Beginning in the late 1950s, Rod Serling created his scripts by recording them on a Dictaphone and then having them transcribed by his secretary.” (He could act out all the parts that way.) I love backstage art for films, and so I was enchanted that they had two set design drawings for Serling’s Playhouse 90 masterpiece “Requiem for a Heavyweight” (a dressing room and what Rod Serling’s museum in Binghamton holds looks like a hallway to an many treasures of the creator of the arena). Twilight Zone. (Photo provided) They have props from some indelible Twilight Zone episodes: A replica of the he Bundy Museum is housed in a Talky Tina doll from the “Living Doll” episode Victorian house, “once the home starring Telly Savalas, a reproduction of a mask of Harlow E. Bundy, whose Bundy from the poignant “Eye of the Beholder” episode Manufacturing Company laid the (that snub-nose, somewhat pig-like visage), and foundation for the global technology giant a sci-fi prop telephone called the “Cobra Phone” which was used in “Third From the Sun,” “One IBM." The Rod Serling Archives are housed for the Pallbearer,” and “The Trade-Ins.” I found a display of some of Serling’s in the Annex Theatre Building out back. It is appropriate that to reach the Rod Serling correspondence to be most compelling. There is Archives one has to enter through a room of correspondence between Rod Serling and Ray ticking, vintage clocks (given how slippery a Bradbury from 1959. A museum card tells us “Ray Bradbury wrote Rod Serling and submitted thing time is in Serling’s storytelling). Curator Olivia Tonin gave me an a script to be considered for a Twilight Zone episode.”(“I Sing the Body Electric” which was introduction to the exhibit and archive. “We have a lot of Rod Serling symposiums,” eventually filmed and aired). This is a charming correspondence between two of my heroes. (In she said. “They’re called ‘In the Zone.’” “We have binders with all of his scripts. The which Bradbury tells Serling to “be brutal” in idea is if people want to read anything that he’s assessing the script and “I’m one of the few written, or watch anything that he’s ever done writers left with a rhino’s skin”). The Rod Serling Archive is a very valuable they can come here and do that.” She explained, “There’s the exhibition and resource for Serling scholars. It preserves a there’s the archive […] stuff people can access record of the past, and while visiting, like the with our permission. There’s a TV, if they want characters in so much of Rod Serling’s later work, I found myself longing for the past, with to see a specific episode. We have them all.” And, later, another museum staff person Serling still with us, with the Twilight Zone still told me that the museum was working on tours on the air, with its fantastic tales of humanity of Binghamton where people can make a day and morality still affecting a global audience on of it, and view all the sites related to Serling’s a deep and profound level. But perhaps … it is all still back there life (including the carousel at Recreation Park, the inspiration for Serling’s Twilight Zone somewhere on the time-line of the Universe … perhaps it is forever new and young … masterpiece “Walking Distance”). Let’s sketch through some of the stuff in the somewhere in … The Twilight Zone. The Rod Serling Archive is located in The exhibit; the things I found most meaningful. They had the actual script for “Walking Bundy Museum of History & Art, 127-129 Distance” (where a stressed out middle-aged Main Street, Binghamton, N.Y. (607) 772New York City ad executive walks back through 9179. Check Bundymuseum.org for updated time to his 1930s hometown of Homewood, information on hours and the museum’s status which was based on Binghamton). And as the COVID-19 outbreak continues. the script for Serling’s 1970 Night Gallery

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Walking From Planet to Planet SCIENCENTER’S SAGAN PLANET WALK HONORS CARL SAGAN WITH JOURNEY THROUGH SOLAR SYSTEM IN DOWNTOWN ITHACA By Mic h a el No cell a

nspiring awe and wonder. Giving people an appreciation for how much space is in space. And doing so, at a cost anyone could afford: free. This was the vision the Sciencenter staff and executive director Charles Trautmann had when they first put the project of the Sagan Planet Walk in motion in 1995. The walk was named in honor of the late Carl Sagan, who was a member of the Sciencenter advisory board before his death December 20, 1996, from complications of a bone marrow disease. The astronomer was also a member of the faculty at Cornell University and the recipient of three Emmys, a Peabody Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for his work in science writing. The Sciencenter unveiled the Sagan Planet Walk on Saturday, November 8, 1997, fittingly on the eve of Dr. Sagan’s 63rd birthday. To this day, Sagan’s name sits comfortably in front of an experience that celebrates everything he stood for. “Carl liked the idea of making it open to everyone,” said Trautmann. “He was a purist

and screenwriter, these characteristics have helped build the perfect atmosphere for his father’s legacy. “It’s wonderful that a scale model of our solar system exists here in Ithaca,” said the younger Sagan, “The distances in outer space are so mind-bendingly vast that it’s often hard for Nick Sagan, son of the late Carl Sagan, stands in front of people to grasp the true scope the sun stop on the Sagan Planet Walk, located on Ithaca's of it.” Commons. (Photo by Ed Dittenhoefer) Sagan noted another aspect of the walk that can’t be found in the sense that knowledge should be readily in many scale models that try to accomplish the available to anyone who is interested. This walk same thing: capturing a sense of astonishment in a distance that is still walkable. has and always will represent that desire.” “It helps to make those distances Not only does the walk commemorate Sagan’s affinity for free information, it does understandable while providing helpful facts so in unique and accurate fashion. For Sagan’s about each celestial body along the way,” he son Nick, who is a science-fiction novelist said. “Making space science accessible and fun The

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is an important part of what Dad was about and it’s great to see that ethos reflected by these esthetically pleasing monoliths around town.” The eye-pleasing monoliths to which Sagan referred are strung along a 1.2 km stretch starting from the center of The Commons in downtown Ithaca and extending to the Sciencenter. Each station is a stone approximately six feet tall with a clear Plexiglas window at eye level. The width of the window represents the diameter of the Sun. The other windows hold scale models of each plant that show their size in comparison with the Sun’s. Your journey begins at a monolith for the Sun. From there the Planet Walk scales everything in the solar system to one fivebillionth (1/5,000,000,000) of its actual size. Both the size of the planets and the distance between them are accurately scaled and displayed. Sum m er

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“To my knowledge, most models like this don’t use the same scale for size and distance we do. They use either smaller or much larger scales, which tend to lose that sense of awe we strive for,” said Trautmann. “I think we were kind of ahead of the game in that regard, as our model has seemed to popularize walking planet[ary] scales. I know some stretch the distance to 20 miles or more. To me, when you have to go through that much trouble to get through all nine planets, it doesn’t have quite the same effect.” And what an effect it is. As you walk through all 11 stops on the walk, you begin to realize how much space exists in, well, space. Visitors can explore the four inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) and then walk a good stretch towards the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune), and to the final destination of Pluto, which stands outside the Sciencenter. In between, you can touch a real meteorite at the Asteroid Belt Station – a representative from the actual asteroid belt that exists in space between the two planet groups. “It is the only public, unguarded meteorite in the world,” said Trautmann, who noted the meteorite addition occurred a couple of years ago. “Its accessibility is once again testament to Carl Sagan’s spirit.” As if a beautiful, easily doable, freely accessible planet walk wasn’t enough, an expert tour guide can always be attained at a moment’s notice. All they have to do is reach for their phone. In doing this, visitors can learn more about the solar system and the planets as they explore them with an audio tour from the one and only Billy Nye the Science Guy. By calling 703-6376237, listening to the podcast version at www. sciencenter.org/saganpw, or downloading the podcast on iTunes, planet walkers can listen to fascinating facts from Nye (who also studied at Cornell) for – you guessed it – free. “I was with Bill when we did the walk and the recordings for each stop,” said Trautmann. “He only needed one take for each one, which is impressive if you listen to them because they’re quite interesting, and as always, his presentation is one of a kind.” For those who wish to experience the Sagan Planet Walk in its entirety, it originally took as little as 15 minutes. That changed in 2012, when the Sciencenter added one last stop … in Hawaii. “We (added) a monolith for the nearest star to our sun: Alpha Centauri, which is 4.3 light years away from the actual sun,” said Trautmann. “And since we want to maintain our accurate 1/5,000,000,000 scaling, that takes us all the way to Hawaii.” The monolith is even more striking than those that stand in Ithaca, as a sculpture carved out of Hawaiian volcanic rock, surrounded by a floor design epresenting star-compasses of Polynesian voyagers, who used celestial navigation. “It’s going to be really neat,” said Trautmann. in advance of the Hawaii addition, “It’s definitely something Carl would be proud to see.” •

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Ithaca Business Index

The makings of a recovery

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Positive local signs, but a long way remains By Eli a K a c ap y r

Ithaca College professor Elia Kacapyr

he Ithaca Business Index recovered a bit in May from the Covid-19 shut down. The index, which monitors business activity, increased 5.7 percent. An uptick in retail sales led the way. Gains in employment, the labor force, and hours worked helped the cause. Help wanted advertising held steady. The only indicator to contract was home sales. Nevertheless, the index was down 15.0 percent compared to May 2019. The number of jobs in the Ithaca metropolitan area jumped by 1,300 to a level of 55,200 in May. All the figures in this report are seasonally adjusted so that any month can be compared with any other without regard to seasonal factors. Ithaca’s unemployment rate improved to 8.1 percent from 10.8 percent in April. Comparable unemployment rates for New York State and the nation are 14.5 percent and 13.3 percent, respectively. The size of Ithaca’s labor force increased by 2,000 persons to a level of 49,422. Anyone residing in Ithaca with a part-time or full-time job is in the labor force. In addition, anyone residing in Ithaca without a job, but actively seeking employment, is also included in the labor force. Retail sales in Ithaca popped 22.9 percent in May, coming in at $118.4 million. However, that amount is 31.0 percent less than May 2019. The high water mark for retail sales was exactly a year ago at $171.2 million. That was when 4,900 jobs were in retailing. In May 2020, Ithaca’s retail sector hosted 3,200 jobs. The average work week in Ithaca ticked up to 34.6 hours from 32.5 hours in April. This figure is indeed an average that includes both full and part-time employees in the private sector. Compared to May 2019, the average work week was 7.3 percent longer. Home sales in Ithaca sagged 7.4 percent in May. This is a minor change for this volatile indicator. Compared to May 2019

home sales were down 25.9 percent. The median home’s price increased significantly over the course of the year to $273,000 from $256,100. Help wanted advertising inched forward 1.7 percent in May. Compared to May 2019, help-wanted advertising was down 65.6 percent. This is an unusually large change, even for this volatile indicator. Declines in help wanted advertising may signal bad news ahead for the job market. The data for May reflect the cautious and slight re-opening of Ithaca’s economy. June is expected to show more gains as the economy opened further by meeting Phase Two and Three guidelines. Economic activity is expected to level off at about 10 percent below normal throughout the summer months. Significant threats to the regional economy crop up in the fall. Decisions about K-12 education will affect the labor force in several ways. Higher education will face reduced revenue and higher expenses. The decisions made in response to these challenges will have profound effects on Ithaca’s economy. A 10 percent reduction in jobs in higher education would reduce economic activity in Ithaca by anywhere from 4-8 percent. In January 1985 the Ithaca Business Index stood at 100.00. In May 2020 the Index reads 151.09. This means that the Tompkins County economy has grown 51.09 percent in those 425 months. From 1985 until 1988, the Ithaca metro region grew at a rapid clip. The average annual growth rate was 6.0 percent. The Ithaca Business Index reached a peak of 129.25 in April 1989. A recession brought the Index down to a level of 111.32 in February 1992. This 34-month slide was much longer and more severe than the national recession which lasted only 8 months. Since then, the County economy has recovered, but annual growth rates of 1.5 percent are more typical these days. There was a less severe version of the Great Recession here in Ithaca that started in April 2008 and ended in July 2009. The most recent recession began in April 2014 and ended in March 2015. There was no national recession during this time, but economic activity in Ithaca stalled in the latter half of 2014 and fell 1.5 percent in 2015. Ithaca’s economy had been expanding since the summer of 2015 with growth rates of 3.7 percent in 2017, 0.6 percent in 2018, and 2.0 percent in 2019. The alltime high for the Ithaca Business Index is 177.70, its reading in May 2019.

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To our traveling public The Ithaca Tompkins International Airport’s leadership team is closely monitoring the developments related to COVID-19 regionally and globally. Our team is doing everything possible to ensure the safety of our passengers and employees. At this time, Ithaca Tompkins International Airport (ITH) is operating under normal conditions. If you choose to fly, please know that we are working hard to keep the terminal clean, safe and disinfected. We will continue to provide updates as they become available. We thank you for all you are doing to stay safe during this time. —Mike Hall, Airport Director

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Highlighting the abilities of people with disabilities and the importance of building inclusive communities. PRIMETIME SHOWS

Generation A: Portraits of Autism and the Arts Monday, July 23 at 9 p.m. FEATURE FILMS

B usiness T imes

Black-owned business list BUSINESS LEADERS OF COLORS PARTNERS WITH CITY AND COUNTY By Matt Butler

ADA 30th Anniversary for our Times Sunday, July 26 at 3 p.m. RADIO SPECIALS

Featuring Featuring segments on musicians Newspaper: New York Client: who have America Reframed: lived with Intelligent Lives Ithaca Times/Fingerlakes NewsState Kendal at Ithaca disability. disabilities. Monday, July 27 at 3 p.m. Georgia@ithacatimes.com 607-277-7000 x220

CHECK OUT THE FULL SCHEDULE ONLINE AT WCNY.ORG/MOVETOINCLUDE National Funding for the Move to Include initiative is powered by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Vital for Life

by Betsy Schermerhorn Director, Marketing and Admissions

PRACTICE SAFETY There are some simple steps that can make taking a shower a safer and more enjoyable experience. Most importantly, use a non-slip bathmat to avoid skidding across the tile floor. Also, installing grab bars in the shower offers a place to hold on to while bathing or when entering or exiting. Sitting in a shower chair or a professionally installed, permanent bench is relaxing, as well as making it easier to soap up. Be sure that toiletries, soaps, washcloths, and other necessary items are easy to reach. You don’t want to be looking around for items, dropping things that you may have to bend over to

retrieve, or having things spill and make the shower floor a slippery mess. A walk-in tub is a great option for seniors who do not want to take the risk of falling while getting into or out of the bathtub. These tubs have doors that allow users to walk in and sit down without having to worry about climbing over a traditional tub ledge. Call the marketing team at (607) 266-5300 to schedule a tour to see our facilities and learn more about lifecare at Kendal at Ithaca. Find us on the web at http://kai.kendal.org/ P.S. Hinged doors are easier to open than a sliding door and are also simpler to clean. 2230 N. Triphammer Road Ithaca, NY 14850-6513

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Gladys Brangman, the founder of the Business Leaders of Colors, led the way on a new list of Black-owned businesses that will be regularly vetted and updated. (Photo by Casey Martin)

he City of Ithaca, Tompkins County and the local organization Business Leaders of Colors have created a living document that will serve to provide the community with a consistently updated list of Black-owned businesses around Tompkins County. The list was born out of a spreadsheet started on the Mutual Aid Tompkins Facebook page, which was created to encourage members to patronize Blackowned businesses in the wake of nationwide protests about the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless other Black people at the hands of police nationwide. The new list can be found at www. businessleadersofcolors.com and will be updated on an ongoing basis each week. Owners who wish for their business to be added are encouraged to reach out to Gladys Brangman at gladys@businessleadersofcolors.com. According to a press release from the involved entities, the protests and resulting national conversation about racial disparities in America inspired the groups to collaborate on a way to directly support Black people. “As local organizations focused on economic development and supporting local businesses, Business Leaders of Colors, the Tompkins Chamber, and the City of Ithaca Office of Economic Development are committed to helping address structural racism within our community and nation, and support the growth and success of black owned businesses, the release said. “The groups have worked together to establish and promote a list of local Black-

owned businesses in Ithaca and Tompkins County.” Gladys Brangman, the founder of Business Leaders of Colors, spearheaded the effort, contacting businesses and asking if they would want to be included on the list. The Business Leaders of Colors is a network of business owners, entrepreneurs, consultants and social justice leaders from Tompkins County. “We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the Tompkins Chamber and the City of Ithaca. We will be hosting the list on our website and will continue to support black owned businesses in our community and beyond,” she said. Jennifer Tavares, the president of the Tompkins Chamber of Commerce, said she was happy the partnership could come about. “The Tompkins Chamber is pleased to support this initiative, and I encourage local residents and business owners to consider making purchases from these great local businesses,” Tavares said. The release noted that business ownership is an important path to independent wealth for people, including those from disadvantaged communities, but that they often face a lack of investment. Black entrepreneurs often face additional obstacles. “Beyond this list, we are also committed to working together with our partners to expand the number of businesses owned by black women and men in Ithaca,” said Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick. “We need new efforts that directly address barriers and provide pathways to black ownership including investment in entrepreneurship, direct technical assistance, and the creation of local character-based lending vehicles.”

Ithaca theater icon’s reflections before she leaves town

By Ross H a arstad

haracteristically, Sarah K. Chalmers, Civic Ensemble’s Artistic Director, leaps into the question: “Why I do theater? The answer to that has changed over the years. When I started out… I just knew that it's who I am, to do theatre. I think a lot of us feel that way who are in theater, that once it hits you, it doesn't go away. You might choose to go a different direction, and I've done that a couple of times, but I've always come back to it.” This summer she pulls up her Ithaca stakes to join her husband Godfrey Simmons, Jr. and son Sam in Hartford, CT. “I'm looking forward to learning about the Hartford community, getting Sam involved with school and new friends when it's safe, and finding my way in a new place.… “It's been a yearlong process of letting go. Godfrey, Jennifer Herzog and I started something that can go on without us and that feels good. Julia Taylor [Executive Director] and Sage Alia Clemenco [Director of Engagement] have been working with the company since summer 2018. The principles and values that Civic Ensemble was founded on will be carried on by Julia and Sage, who bring a wealth of experience, energy and love to this work.” Chalmers’ artistic journey has weaved in and out of Ithaca for three decades, as a student at Ithaca College, as an actor and teaching artist at the Hangar, as a teacher and actor at Cornell, and as the founding member of two local companies: Kitchen Theatre and Civic Ensemble. In her journeys away from Ithaca she has acted in Chicago, Seattle and New York City. She also spent two years as an environmental activist working with First Nation people and others fighting the slaughter of buffalo. There, she lived in a cabin with 30 people, learned to cross-country ski, chop wood, and make decisions by consensus. “That place really forged my [understanding of] the community being bigger than the individual,” she said. Afterwards, she interned a few months with Winona LaDuke, then worked and was mentored by Rosalie Littlethunder. “I think, leaving the theater several times helped me to strengthen my practice and broaden what I eventually have come to understand that theater can do.” Sarah first landed in Ithaca in 1990 as a student in IC’s BFA acting program. I first encountered her in an astonishing performance as Agave in “The Bacchae” directed by the late Earl McCarroll. “Earl helped me have more confi-

Sarah K. Chalmers during a recent Civic Ensemble practice (Photo by Rachel Philipson)

dence… There's a way to own how good you are and have humility and live in the present and own your power and use it for good, both as a colleague and as a performer, and I admired and emulated Earl in that way.” With fellow IC students Matt Tauber and Tim O’Brien, she became a founding member of the Kitchen Theatre (1992), acting in several shows. Matt and Tim “cooked it up in their ‘b*tchin’ catharsis kitchen.’ They were like, Ithaca needs this. It doesn't have a cool young thing happening.… “And we toiled. It was like, hey let’s put on a play, but like serious theater folk with the training… It reminds me of Civic in the way of just we kept saying, yes, and we kept moving forward.” After school, she pursued acting in Chicago and Seattle, fell into activist work, and eventually she and her sister found their way back to Ithaca. She met Rachel Lampert, and while acting at the Kitchen, Alison Van Dyke encouraged her to apply as a Resident Professional Teaching Associate at Cornell, acting in shows while teaching beginning acting. “It was like Christmas for that whole first year.” Sarah and Godfrey met as RPTAs and actors in “Antigone” at Cornell. When the program wound down, she followed him to NYC, where she worked in NYC High Schools as a teaching artist for Epic Theatre Ensemble. She recounts an encounter with a Black female student who accused her of never calling on her and her friends. Asking for advice from the schools’ full-time teachers, “a white man said to me, ‘Oh, don't even worry about it. They're always playing the race card.’… that wasn't the only story.” These experiences propelled her to seek more grounding as a theater-maker and teacher, so she applied for the brand-new program in Applied Theatre at the CUNY School of Profes-

sional Studies, under Chris Vine and Helen White, “who are my mentors and teachers and are wonderful.” It gave her a framework. “I can name it in a more succinct way now that I've gone through that the different journeys that I've taken,” Chalmers said. “I do theater, because it has a power like no other thing, no other practice, to bring together our cognitive and affective selves, to think and feel [...] Every story we put out there has a point of view. And it matters whose story it is. It matters how the characters are painted and who's playing them.” Her impact while in Ithaca is attested to by her students and colleagues. Irving Torres-Lopez, now at the Public Theatre in NYC says, “Sarah understands the needs of her actors with such care and compassion. I am grateful to have had the chance to work with her during my time at Cornell.” Chisom Awachie said, “working with Sarah during undergrad helped me realize a dream that I think every PMA [Performing and Media Arts] acting major had: watching, learning from, and breathing the same air as someone who has a deep knowledge of and commitment to the work. [...] It was daunting and exciting to be treated as a professional, entering the rehearsal room with the understanding that I had something unique to offer… I learned so much from Sarah in such a short period of time, namely a confidence and stamina that serves me to this day. My time at Cornell was changed for the better because of her, and I can’t thank her enough.” Her colleague at Cornell and frequent director Beth Milles writes, “Sarah is simply one of the most gifted and passionate artists I have ever worked with…She commands such a vast and powerful imagination,… has a remarkable emotional capability (she can level and devastate with a simple gesture)— and can suggest within a mere moment the secret depths of the human soul. Sarah is a force to be reckoned with-—who offers (willingly—and with a brave fortitude) an open heart in every rehearsal space.” “It's hard to say goodbye,” Sarah added. “Ithaca is my adopted hometown. I've learned and grown so much here. I'm sure I won't be a stranger either so don't be surprised if you see me popping in every now and again.”

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Arts&Entertainment

Chalmers Moving Forward

I t h a c a T i m e s 15

Films

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ne of the Facebook film clubs I chat with posted the following question: Best film by your least favorite director? From his debut film “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” I’ve never had much use for Guy Ritchie. If there weren’t more talented directors for him to steal from, he’d have nothing to steal. (He did this one neat trick in the otherwise dire “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” where one guy was fighting a big action scene in the background while the other guy was eating a sandwich in the foreground.) Ritchie’s first producer was Matthew Vaughn, and once Vaughn started directing his own movies like “Kick-Ass,” “X-Men First Class” and “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” Vaughn has proven to be much more reliably entertaining. No one was more surprised than I was that Ritchie’s latest flick, “The Gentlemen” (2020, Miramax-STXfilms, 113 min.) is actually a really funny, mangy little crime movie. The film stars Matthew McConaughey as an American marijuana kingpin with several well-stocked grow rooms throughout the United Kingdom looking to sell his business, and setting off a chain of blackmail and schemes to undermine him. First off, it’s nice to see a drug crime movie about weed instead of the usual meth, coke and heroin. Second, this is one of those twisty, goofy law-breaking movies that allow for lots of eccentric scene stealing performances from the likes of Charlie Hunnam (“Sons of Anarchy”), Michelle Dockery (“Downton Abbey”), Eddie Marsan (“The World’s End”) and Colin Farrell (“In Bruges”). Third, and most impressively, the whole yarn is set up as a sort of demented movie pitch by Hugh Grant in an extraordinary

comic performance; you’re never really certain if Grant is a low-life film producer or yet another mob goon out to get McConaughey. And Grant is doing the whole unreliable narrator bit with an extraordinary nasal Cockney honk in his voice. I have the feeling that Grant is doing an impression of a famous Brit, but I can’t quite put my ear on who it is. No matter—Grant’s sleazoid framing scenes result in one of the funniest turns you’re likely to see in 2020. *** The prolific filmmaker Michael Winterbottom has made several interesting UK comedies with Steve Coogan, including “24 Hour Party People,” “A Cock and Bull Story” and the beloved and ongoing travelogue-foodie films “The Trip” with Coogan and Rob Brydon. Their latest collaboration, “Greed” (2019, Sony-Film4-Revolution-DJ Films, 104 min.), isn’t entirely successful, as it takes nearly the entire film for Winterbottom to make his ultimate points. But I’d say it’s worth seeing for Coogan’s scabrous and utterly unsentimental portrayal of corrupt, selfish billionaire fashion mogul Richard “Greedy” McCreadie. Coogan’s character is based on Arcadia Group chairman Philip Green. Like Green, McCreadie is a slippery sort who has amassed a fortune while leaving store after store shuttered and drowning in losses and red ink. Framed by Winterbottom in documentary mode using a variety of different film and video stock à la Oliver Stone, “Greed” alternates between chapters in McCreadie’s rise to fame and fortune interspersed with scenes of him and his harried, overworked entourage making frantic preparations for his 60th birthday bash on a Greek island. It’s typical of this angry cheapskate that he wants to build a coliseum complete with a lion, but there’s never enough money to make it happen. Coogan is fearless here, sporting a set of huge false teeth and berating and dismissing everything in his eyesight, until something gets in his way that he can’t dismiss. Winterbottom does make his point about grossly underpaid foreign labor, and the film, like “The Gentlemen,” has a sharp supporting cast that includes David Mitchell (“Peep Show”), Isla Fisher (“Hot Rod”), Sophie Cookson (“Kingsman: The Secret Service”) and Asa Butterfield (“Hugo”). The whole wretched bunch of McCreadie’s crew reminded me, oddly enough, of Trump’s inner circle. Hm, wonder why?

stage

An investigation of race “Queens Girl in the World” provides a timely self-examination By Barbara Ad am s

er best friend Persephone calls her “Jack” because she’s so flatchested. But Jacqueline Marie Butler, a young Black girl in Queens, will slowly grow into herself, both physically and emotionally. That’s the heart of the coming-of-age story in “Queens Girl in the World,” which streamed this past weekend as the third play of the Hangar Theatre’s summer season. Set in the 1960s, this is the first in an autobiographically inspired trilogy by playwright Caleen Sinnette Jennings, who’s also an actor, director and professor emerita at American University. In a pre-show conversation, Jennings spoke genially to the audience, describing the long gestation of the play and the persistence of her theatrical mentor, Philip Rose (who produced “A Raisin in the Sun”). He persuaded her with advice she now gives to young writers: “Just write –– you never know who is waiting to hear you.” Jennings’ personal introduction pulled us right into the narrative, both told and enacted, in expressive close-up, by Vernice Miller. When she’s narrating, Miller appears in black and white; when speaking as a character, she’s in color. Occasionally, black and white photos filter across her face (sometimes distractingly) –– images of her East Elmhurst Queens neighborhood or later of social unrest.

Transforming easily from among more than nine characters, Miller becomes the shy, painfully naïve 12-year-old Jaqueline as well as her sassy, street-smart friend, Persephone. As Jacqueline’s very proper mother, Miller corrects her daughter’s speech, emphasizes politeness and noblesse oblige, and determinedly chooses the best, i.e., white, education for her. Miller charmingly also embodies Jacqueline’s physician father –– sensible and unpretentious, with his deep-voiced Caribbean-accented warmth. We learn he’s politically active, and there’s a wonderful moment when Malcolm X visits their home. Her father’s values will eventually uproot the family when he moves them to Nigeria, so he can practice medicine where it “really matters” to his people. But that’s the end of this tale: Before that, Miller takes us comically through the painful steps of adolescence shared by most American girls: the dismaying discovery of the facts of life, of menstruation, and of one’s parents’ sexuality. And also the truly harrowing: molestation by an elder relative, in this case Persephone’s grandfather. These experiences are familiar and predictable, but the way Miller, through Jennings’ script, reveals them pulls us into the events, even if uncomfortably. And of course there are the silly, effervescent joys

Clockwise from top left: Shirley Serotsky, Hangar Theatre associate artistic director, actor Vernice Miller, director Godfrey L. Simmons Jr. and playwright Caleen Sinnette Jennings. (Screenshot by Barbara Adams)

of youth as well –– when Jacqueline meets a local boy, Earl, who walks his bike with her, has a real conversation, steals a kiss willingly given. (This innocent encounter, witnessed by her mother, prompts the school transfer two days later.) All these moments, all the self-doubt and excited, anxious wonder, are the common stuff of adolescence. But for Jacqueline, there’s another set of experiences: being Black in white America. Jacqueline doesn’t even realize much about race for a long time, until she has to give up her public school life and travel 90 minutes by bus and subway to a private school in Greenwich Village. There she becomes special if different, stimulated by her studies and praised by teachers. Still insecure, she discovers theater and realizes she’s no longer awkward but the best dancer among her fellow white students. A Jewish girl who befriends her drags her through all the usual thoughtless questions (e.g., on hair care) –– witnessing this exchange among seventh graders is humorous, and for a white audience, easy to digest. But these basic illuminations of cultural difference subtly become more freighted as Jacqueline attempts to negotiate her two selves, two worlds: Queens Jacqueline and Manhattan Jacqueline. And with her father’s politics as foundation, living through all the assassinations of the ’60s, especially those of Medgar Evers and Malcolm X, Jacqueline begins to understand the entanglement of race, class and power. In ninth grade, she packs up her skate Ju ly

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key and Nancy Drew mysteries, emblems of her simpler childhood, and begins volunteering for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Miller is so engaging that we don’t want Jacqueline’s voyage of self-awareness to end; we’re eager for the sequel, “Queens Girl in Africa,” and even more curious about the third play, “Queens Girl: Black in the Green Mountains.” The interesting talkback following this Hangar production featured not only the playwright Caleen Sinnette Jennings and actor Vernice Miller, but also Hangar associate artistic director Shirley Serotsky, who worked with Jennings previously, and director Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr. Familiar to Ithaca audiences from his co-founding of Civic Ensemble, Simmons continues his socially rich theatrical ventures as the current artistic director of Hartford’s HartBeat Ensemble. This show fruitfully brought all these talents together, and the streamed talkback, perhaps even more so than ones in the theater, revealed the complexity and passion behind this successful and timely production.

Hangar Theatre The Hangar Theatre features two more virtual shows this summer: “Honk Your Horn: Celebrate! Musical! Theatre!” on July 25, and Kate Hamill’s “Sense and Sensibility,” adapted from Jane Austen, on Aug. 8. Tickets $20; students $10, available at 607.273.ARTS. Barbara Adams, a regional arts journalist, teaches writing at Ithaca College.

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arts

A show and a drive Stories in the Park series at Cortland Repertory Theatre By Br yan VanC ampe n

his summer, in lieu of their normal summer season, Cortland Repertory Theatre will offer up “Stories in the Park” on Thursday, July 16, and Friday, July 17, at 1 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. at Dwyer Memorial Park in Preble, New York. The concept is a “reverse parade” in which the audience, in the safety of their own vehicles, will drive along a fantastic musical path populated by highspirited costumed characters from favorite childhood stories with an extra game to make the experience even more fun for everyone. CRT’s Kerby Thompson talked to the Ithaca Times about this week’s special event. IT: I’m curious where the notion to do this came from. KT: On our board of directors, we have a subcommittee which is “program development.” Its name used to be “play review” when we were just doing the summer shows. It’s a bunch of board members, and their job is to come up with ideas of things to do now that we have a downtown

space: What kind of shows are we going to do during the summer and what kinds of productions and performers can we bring into the downtown space? Mark Reynolds is the chair of the committee and he came up with the idea for this “drive-through” experience. It’s funny, it came about around the same time that we had a car accident in our building. IT: Pardon me? KT: A car came right through our lobby window. On the second day of the quarantine, somebody cut off a tractor trailer and got clipped by it, and it smashed into our lobby. So I put pictures on Facebook and people were saying, “Hey, it’s drive through theater,” and then we got this idea. The nice thing about this is it’s a reverse parade, so instead of a float going by the audience, the audience goes by the floats. There are scenes and a bunch of volunteer kids and adults that are dressed up as various storybook characters. They’re all kind of spread apart, so the different characters are not with each other, so it’s all socially

Scenes from the upcoming “Stories in the Park” series, taking place July 16 and 17 at the Cortland Repertory Theatre. (Photos provided)

distanced to the extreme. And of course, the people in the cars are gonna be far away enough too, so they’re all safe. The nice thing about it is that it’s something that can grow too, if it’s successful this year, if it’s not anchored to a pandemic. It’s something that can continue to grow and we can get more people involved. We’re also creating sort of an “I Spy” game, where we’ll give viewers a list of the characters and other objects that we’re kind of hiding around the park, and the kids can cross stuff off their list when they find those certain characters.

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IT: Sounds like kind of a “Where’s Waldo?” thing. KT: Yeah, yeah. It’s like that. None of them are really hidden, but it’s fun to see them pop up. It’s a great collaboration between several arts organizations in Cortland. The tech department is building a lot of the set pieces. We’ve got the Cortland Youth Bureau directors helping out with directing some of the kids. Mark is also a costume designer and he’s worked for us before, so he’s putting all the costumes together.

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Virtual Music

she finger picks her mostly original guitar pieces. She echoes the bottleneck slide greats when she picks up her old Gibson square neck and plays slide on her lap.

Bars/Bands/Clubs

7/16 Thursday

Stage

CFCU (Virtual) Summer Concert Series: Empire Kings + Mr. McBean | 6:00 PM,

Ithaca Shakespeare CompanyVirtual Romeo and Juliet | 7:00 PM, 7/16 Thursday | Additional shows on 7/18, 7/24 & 7/26. Tickets will be available at www. ithacashakespeare.org.†Along with ISCís actors, the performances will feature shadow puppet sequences created by Linda Wingerter of Stringpullers Puppet Company.

7/18 Saturday Spudz-N-Taggit | 1:30 PM, | Buttonwood Grove Winery, Romulus (604)

7/23 Thursday CFCU (Virtual) Summer Concert Series: Empire Kings + Mr. McBean | 6:00 PM,

7/25 Saturday Live Music with Mike Kornrich | 1:30 PM, | Buttonwood Grove Winery, Romulus (604) Concerts/Recitals

Eva Gertz Live Stream Concert | 6:00 PM, 7/19 Sunday | Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts, Congress at McLallen St, Trumansburg | As a part of our online concert series, we are proud to have Eva Gertz, Pianist and songwriter. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Eva demonstrates impressive composition and arranging both within her original songs and the music of others. Mary Flower Live Stream Concert | 7:00 PM, 7/25 Saturday | Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts, Congress at McLallen St, Trumansburg | Mary Flower pays homage to the long gone blues and when 20 ragtime T h eguitar I tmasters h a c a T

Ithaca Shakespeare Company Virtual Season - The Comedy of Errors | 7:00 PM, 7/17 Friday | Additional shows on 7/19, 7/23, and 7/25. Tickets will be available at www. ithacashakespeare.org. The story of two sets of identical twins in one of Shakespeareís most slapstick comedies. Confusion, arrests, mistaken identities, an exorcism, and a family separated and reunited will fill the screen as the hilarity unfolds in the streets of ancient Ephesus. Ithaca Shakespeare Company Virtual Season - The Comedy of Errors | 7:00 PM, 7/25 Saturday | Additional shows on 7/19, 7/23, and 7/25. Tickets will be available at www.ithacashakespeare.org. The story of two sets of identical twins in one of Shakespeareís most slapstick comedies. Confusion, arrests, mistaken identities, an exorcism, and a family separated and reunited will fill the screen as the hilarity unfolds in the streets of ancient Ephesus.

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Art

Movies

Online and Through the Window | All Day 7/15 Wednesday | State of the Art Gallery, 120 W Martin Luther King, Jr./State Street, Ithaca | ìOnline and Through the Window,î an exhibition of photographs by Jan Kather and David Watkins, Jr. This show is virtual/online. On exhibit is work derived from their studies of the botanical world and natural landscape. View at www.soagithaca.org. July 1-August 2, 2020. Additional contact info: † www.jankatherphotography.com and http://www.davidwatkinsjrphotography.com

Virtual Cinemapolis: Creating A Character: The Moni Yakim Legacy | All Day 7/17 Friday | Cinemapolis, 120 E Green St, Ithaca | What do Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Patti LuPone and Alex Sharp have in common? They are but a few of the extraordinary actors who have studied under Moni Yakim at Juilliard, Americaís greatest performing arts school. A compelling portrait of the master teacher, the sole remaining founder of the schoolís legendary Drama Division. (76 mins NR) | 72 hour rental available for $10

Online and Through the Window | All Day 7/22 Wednesday | State of the Art Gallery, 120 W Martin Luther King, Jr./State Street, Ithaca | ìOnline and Through the Window,î an exhibition of photographs by Jan Kather and David Watkins, Jr. This show is virtual/online. On exhibit is work derived from their studies of the botanical world and natural landscape. View at www.soagithaca.org. July 1-August 2, 2020. Additional contact info: † www.jankatherphotography.com and http://www.davidwatkinsjrphotography.com

Virtual Cinemapolis: We Are Little Zombies | All Day 7/17 Friday | Cinemapolis, 120 E Green St, Ithaca | When four young orphans first meet, their parentsí bodies are being turned into dust, yet none of them can shed a tear. They are like zombies; devoid of all emotion. With no family, no future, no dreams, and no way to move forward, the young teens decide that the first level of†this new existence involves salvaging a gaming console, an old electric bass, and a charred wok from their former homesójust enough to start a band-and then conquer the world. (120 NR) | 72 hour rental available for $12

Collective Consciousness | All Day 7/23 Thursday | Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts, Congress at McLallen St, Trumansburg | The first virtual art show experience produced by the Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts and the Cayuga Arts Collective. The show runs through August 6. Curated by Marina Delaney and Domenica Brockman. 2 0 2 0

Corning Drive-In Movie Night: Sonic the Hedgehog | 9:00 PM, 7/17 Friday | Corning Federal Credit Union, One Credit Union Plaza, Corning | Tickets must be purchased in advance. | $10 per carload

Outdoor Movie Night | 9:00 PM, 7/17 Friday | Seneca Falls Community Center, 35 Water Street, Seneca Falls | Join us for an extra-special Drive-In style movie night at the Seneca Falls Recreation Center, 35 Water Street. Popcorn will be served and restrooms available. Virtual Cinemapolis: Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly | All Day 7/24 Friday | Cinemapolis, 120 E Green St, Ithaca | Human rights become profoundly personal when Ai Weiwei, Chinaís most famous artist, transforms Alcatraz Island prison into an astonishing expression of sociallyengaged art focused on the plight of the unjustly incarcerated. At the core of the installation, called @ Large, were portraits of prisoners of conscience coupled with the opportunity to write letters of solidarity to the imprisoned. (76 mins NR) | 72 hour rental available for $10 Virtual Cinemapolis: Amulet | All Day 7/24 Friday | Cinemapolis, 120 E Green St, Ithaca | An ex-soldier, living homeless in London, is offered a place to stay at a decaying house inhabited by a young woman and her dying mother. As he starts to fall for her, he cannot ignore his suspicion that something sinister is going on. (99 NR) | 3 day rental for $10 Virtual Cinemapolis: Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets | All Day 7/24 Friday | Cinemapolis, 120 E Green St, Ithaca | A look at the final moments of a Las Vegas dive bar called ëThe Roaring 20sí. (98 mins NR) | 72 hour rental available for $12 Virtual Cinemapolis: Yes, God, Yes | All Day 7/24 Friday | Cinemapolis, 120 E Green St, Ithaca | After an innocent AOL chat turns racy, a Catholic teenager in the early

00s discovers masturbating and struggles to suppress her new urges in the face of eternal damnation. | 48 hour rental available for $9.99

Special Events Womenís Rights National Historical Park Virtual Convention Days 2020 | 11:00 AM, 7/17 Friday | Women’s Rights National Historic Park, 136 Fall St, Seneca Falls | This annual event allows visitors to engage with womenís history, focusing on the revolutionary 1848 Seneca Falls Womenís Rights Convention through art, storytelling, speakers, and special programming.A schedule of events, including full details of the weekendís programs, is available on the park Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/womensrightsnps/ Skaneateles Antique and Classic Boat Show Goes Virtual | All Day 7/20 Monday | Various Skaneateles locations, | July 20-26. The show will run each day on the Chamber’s Facebook page,†https://www.facebook. com/skaneateleschamber/,†and FLCís website,†https://www.acbsflc.org/boatshow. †† Skaneateles Antique and Classic Boat Show Goes Virtual | All Day 7/23 Thursday | Various Skaneateles locations, | July 20-26. The show will run each day on the Chamber’s Facebook page,†https://www.facebook. com/skaneateleschamber/,†and FLCís website,†https://www.acbsflc.org/boatshow. ††

Books Lauren Francis-Sharma and Alexander Chee: A Special Zoom Event | 7:00 PM, 7/21 Tuesday | Buffalo Street Books, 215 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca | A very special BSB@ Home event with Lauren FrancisSharma, author of the novel Book of the Little Axe, in conversation with award-winning novelist and essayist Alexander Chee. Walk This Play Panel: A Zoom Event | 7:00 PM, 7/23 Thursday | Buffalo Street Books, 215 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca | A panel conversation with The Cherry Arts Director Samuel Buggeln, Wharton Studio Museum Director Diana Riesman, and the creative minds behind the original headphone walking plays Storm Country and The Missing Chapter, which are back now at Stewart Park ñ perfect entertainment for these days of distance. Books & Brews | 9:00 PM, 7/24 Friday | Seneca Falls Library, Online virtual program, Seneca Falls | Grab a drink, find a comfy spot at home and join us on Zoom to discuss the book of the month! In July we will be discussing “The Couple Next Door” by Shari Lapena. Adults aged 21+ must register by July 3rd by emailing shostersfl@gmail.com. A limited number of copies of the book are available to borrow from the library.

Kids Legendary Legos | 11:00 AM, 7/16 Thursday | Seneca Falls Library, Online virtual program, Seneca Falls | Get ready to make some legendary Lego creations this summer on Zoom! Kids entering grades 1 and up will hear a story and then build a unique Lego creation based on that story. Space is limited. Registration by emailing tmontoney@senecafallslibrary.org Once Upon a Craft | 10:30 AM, 7/17 Friday | Seneca Falls Library, Online virtual program, Seneca Falls | For kids entering grades K-5: Create a fun, fairy tale-themed craft on Zoom! You must register ahead by emailing tmontoney@senecafallslibrary.org Hangar Theatre Virtual KIDDSTUFF: The Magic Paintbrush | 10:30 AM, 7/18 Saturday | Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd,

Ithaca | A Chinese Folk Tale. Watch live at www.youtube.com/hangartheatre Fairytale Book Squad | 10:00 AM, 7/20 Monday | Seneca Falls Library, Online virtual program, Seneca Falls | Here’s a book club for kids entering grades 3-5! Choose how the story ends through the You Choose book, “Hansel and Gretel: An Interactive Fairy Tale Adventure” by Matt Doeden. The club will meet online using Zoom on Mondays from July 6 - July 27 from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM. Books are provided, but must be picked up curbside from the Seneca Falls Library. Register at tmontoney@senecafallslibrary.org Cartooning is Fun! | 4:00 PM, 7/21 Tuesday | Seneca Falls Library, Online virtual program, Seneca Falls | For kids and teens (grade 1 and older): Do you like to draw cartoons? Bring a pencil, eraser, 3 sheets of blank paper and your imagination and be ready to have fun! Email tomontoney@senecafallslibrary.org to register. Didgeridoo Down Under | 2:00 PM, 7/22 Wednesday | Seneca Falls Library, Online virtual program, Seneca Falls | You’ll enjoy this high-energy, Australia-themed, interactive show that combines music, culture, puppetry, comedy, character building, storytelling and audience participation. You must register for your Zoom invite by emailing tmontoney@senecafallslibrary.org Once Upon a Craft | 10:30 AM, 7/24 Friday | Seneca Falls Library, Online virtual program, Seneca Falls | For kids entering grades K-5: Create a fun, fairy tale-themed craft on Zoom! You must register ahead by emailing tmontoney@senecafallslibrary.org

Fairytale Sock Puppets | 10:00 AM, 7/25 Saturday | Seneca Falls Library, Online virtual program, Seneca Falls | It’s time to get creative with fairytales and socks! Join Seth Kennedy and Miss Tara on Zoom for a fun morning of making homemade fairytale sock puppets! Supplies will be provided by the library but must be picked up curbside before the program. Space is limited. Email tmontoney@ senecafallslibrary.org to register.

Notices Candor Farmers Market | 3:30 PM, 7/16 Thursday | Candor Town Hall, 101 Owego Rd, Candor | Candor Farmers Market runs from June 25- Sept 3. Every Thursday at the Candor Community† Pavilion on the grounds of the Candor Town Hall. Over 15 local vendors with fresh produce, soaps,† maple products,† jams, honey,† tool sharpening, hand sanitizer and so much more! Free admission. Check It Out Shoppe | 9:00 AM, 7/17 Friday | Check It Out Thrift Shop, 6609 Turnpike Roaf, Mecklenburg | Fridays and Saturdays from 9-2PM. High quality used items at reasonable prices. Sponsored by the Mecklenburg United Methodist Church Ovid Farmers Market | 3:00 PM, 7/17 Friday | Papa Bear Building (Ovid Courthouse), 7175 Main St., Ovid | Come and find local, fresh

produce of all kinds! Fresh picked right down the road. Also, there will be farm fresh eggs, local maple syrup, local honey, fresh baked goods including pies, breads, cookies, and sweet rolls and cut flowers and flower arrangements.

jams, honey,† tool sharpening, hand sanitizer and so much more! Free admission. Check It Out Shoppe | 9:00 AM, 7/24 Friday | Check It Out Thrift Shop, 6609 Turnpike Roaf, Mecklenburg | Fridays and Saturdays from 9-2PM. High quality used items at reasonable prices. Sponsored by the Mecklenburg United Methodist Church

Shred Days are back! | 10:00 AM, 7/18 Saturday | Tops Plaza, 3932 NY-281, Cortland | Shred your sensitive documents and electronics!To maintain health and safety during the shred days, all attendees must wear a cloth face covering and keep 6 or more feet of distance from others. Limit two boxes of papers and two electronics per household.

Ovid Farmers Market | 3:00 PM, 7/24 Friday | Papa Bear Building (Ovid Courthouse), 7175 Main St., Ovid | Come and find local, fresh produce of all kinds! Fresh picked right down the road. Also, there will be farm fresh eggs, local maple syrup, local honey, fresh baked goods including pies, breads, cookies, and sweet rolls and cut flowers and flower arrangements.

Educational Water Quality Cruise on Cayuga Lake | 9:00 AM, 7/19 Sunday | Discover Cayuga Lake, Robert H. Treman Marina, Ithaca | This is a great opportunity for all ages to participate in local† water quality science! Space is limited to 20 participants and reservations are required so sign up while there is still time! Visit the 4-H2O Education Program information page under the Outreach and Education tab on our website at www.communityscience.org.

Getting to Know Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) | 1:00 PM, 7/25 Saturday | Stewart Park, near floating dock, Ithaca | The Community Science Institute (CSI) will have a field lab set up near the floating boat dock at Stewart Park where weíll be collecting and looking at lake samples. At 2:00 PM we will provide a kid-friendly presentation and activities.Weíll also present on our ongoing Cayuga Lake HABs Monitoring Program and how you can get involved!†Reserve a spot: Email adrianna@communityscience. org

Candor Farmers Market | 3:30 PM, 7/23 Thursday | Candor Town Hall, 101 Owego Rd, Candor | Candor Farmers Market runs from June 25- Sept 3. Every Thursday at the Candor Community† Pavilion on the grounds of the Candor Town Hall. Over 15 local vendors with fresh produce, soaps,† maple products,†

What if YOUR BANK

Health TCPL to Offer Virtual Mid-Day Mindfulness Meditation Sessions | 12:15 PM, 7/15 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St, Ithaca | These sessions will encourage participants to shift out of “automatic pilot” mode and observe the workings of the mind, body, and emotions. Mindfulness practice has been touted as a means for reducing stress, improving attention, boosting the immune system, reducing emotional reactivity, and promoting a general sense of health and well-being. Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings | 9:00 AM, 7/20 Monday | Every day, 9:00am, Daily Ithaca Group, Zoom ID 567 306 773, Dial in: 929-205-6099. Contact dailyithacagroup@gmail. com for the password. TCPL to Offer Virtual Mid-Day Mindfulness Meditation Sessions | 12:15 PM, 7/22 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St, Ithaca | These sessions will encourage participants to shift out of “automatic pilot” mode and observe the workings of the mind, body, and emotions. Mindfulness practice has been touted as a means for reducing stress, improving attention, boosting the immune system, reducing emotional reactivity, and promoting a general sense of health and well-being.

We know. It sounds unlikely. But here’s the truth: Tompkins Trust Company has been giving back to the community for decades. Social responsibility has always been at the core of who we are.

was changing the community for the better?

The money you deposit with us works hard for you, and does good in your community. Your support enables us to support local nonprofits and to make loans to local businesses. Not to mention, our employees volunteer thousands of hours of their time each year.

Dirtmeister: Legendary Myths of Science | 7:00 PM, 7/24 Friday | Seneca Falls Library, Virtual Online, Seneca Falls | Join us for a highenergy, interactive science show on Zoom! It features over a dozen dynamic demos exploring some of the classic science myths and reveals the truth behind some of the greatest discoveries! Presented by Steve “The Dirtmeister” Tomecek. You must register by emailing tmontoney@senecafallslibrary.org.

We hope that makes you proud to work with us. But most of all, we hope it makes our community a little better.

TompkinsTrust.com 08/19

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Town & Country

Classifieds In Print

On Line |

10 Newspapers

277-7000 Phone: Mon.-Fri. 9am-5pm Fax: 277-1012 (24 Hrs Daily)

| 59,200 Readers

Internet: www.ithaca.com Mail: Ithaca Times Classified Dept PO Box 27 Ithaca NY 14850 In Person: Mon.-Fri. 9am-5pm 109 North Cayuga Street

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BackPage

Kirksway Farm

Save Big, Shop Small

Topsoils, Mixes, Compost, Mulches, Stone,

Up to $1000 off

cbrong@ithactimes.com

Septic Systems, Driveways, Drainage

on select floors

277-7000 p h o n e 277-1012 f a x

400 Auburn Rd.

For rates and information contact Cyndi Brong at

Lansing, NY 6075337866

50% Off

Buy, Sell & Consign Previously-enjoyed

State Safety Inspection with

FURNITURE & DECOR

kirkswayfarm.com Order by Phone or Online

Community Cash Coupon

MIMI’S ATTIC

Monro

430 W. State St. (607)882-9038 Open Every Day!

Love dogs?

CLEANING SERVICES

Check out Cayuga Dog Rescue!

Auto Service and Tire Center Ithaca 273-8600 Lansing 266-6443 Cortland 756-4918

Bishops Carpet One Now open at our New Location 363 Elmira Rd (Across from McDonalds) SEA CHANGE FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC Sanitizing and Social Distancing

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Adopt! Foster! Volunteer! Donate for vet care!

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821 Cliff Street

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Men’s and Women’s Alterations

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for over 20 years

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Same Day Service Available

2309 N. Triphammer Rd

607-227-3025 / 607-697-3294

AAM

DONATE TO:

ALL ABOUT MACS

FOODBANK

Macintosh Consulting

of the Southern Tier

http://www.allaboutmacs.com

607-796-6061

(607) 280-4729

388 Upper Oakwood Ave

John’s Tailor Shop

Elmira, NY 14903

John Serferlis - Tailor

www.foodbankst.org

102 The Commons

Agway True Value Community CashCoupon

273-3192

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2300 N. Triphammer Rd.

2309 N.Triphammer Rd.

Free Friday Delivery

4 tire rotation & brake check with Community

Diane’s Downtown Automotive

Hector Wine Company

Cash Coupon

607-272-AUTO (2886)

Full Market Open

Ithaca Auto Service

Curbside Pickup available

607-220-9183

4204 Krums Corners Rd

5610 State Rte. 414

Peaceful Spirit Acupuncture

Hector, NY

Trumansburg, NY

607 387-1045

Phone, Delivery, & Curbside Pickup

M-F 3-6pm

607 387-6548

Sat-Sun 2-6pm www.hectorwinecompany.com

Check out our Yes! We’re Open guide on PAGE 2 and online @ ithaca.com /M arketplace /YesW ereO pen 24 T

h e

Ithac a T imes

/July

Ten Percent Off Any Repair

Order by noon

betthefarmny.com

(607) 257-5555

Includes oil & filter

607 391-2227

Bet The Farm Winery

(607) 257-7777

ithacasumo.com

Oil Change

213 Fulton St. or

Ithaca, NY 14850

15–21 ,

2 0 2 0

Anthony R. Fazio, L.Ac., D.A.O.M.(c) www.peacefulspiritacupuncture.com admin@peacefulspiritacupuncture.com 607-272-0114

“The Best Sub You’ve ever had!” $5.00 off any purchase at

DiBella’s Subs with Community Cash Coupon 222 Elmira Rd. Ithaca

Many of Ithaca’s businesses are open for curbside pick-up or home delivery. Save this page for an up-to-date guide to our city’s listings during this health crisis.