OLD GREENY SURFACES FOR WEEK-LONG FRINGE FESTIVAL
CELEBRATING LOCAL CULTURE
PAGES 14–15
COUNTY CUTS TIES WITH FLOCK SAFETY
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CITY EXPLORES MEASURES TO PROTECT LOCAL RENTERS FROM EXTREME HEAT
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Committed to Truth
Marco* learned many things about himself during his residency at the William George Agency. One of the most important is that lying undermines relationships and causes more chaos and damage than it’s worth.
“We’re working in a short amount of time to change mindsets and habits that have formed over years. Honesty is non-negotiable; deception only delays growth,” says Trevor Bauer, Director of the Rethink, Transform and Achieve (RTA) program at The William George Agency for Children’s Services (WGA). “A first step in helping young people to reconnect with themselves, their families, and their community is to guide them through an honest evaluation of the circumstances that brought them to their present situation. Everything else flows from that.”
The RTA program at WGA was developed to provide a therapeutic alternative to juvenile detention for justice-involved minors like Marco. It opened in 2018, one year after New York’s Raise the Age law, which raised the age of criminal responsibility for misdemeanors and felonies from 16 to 18. Since then, WGA has become the largest private provider of out-of-home alternative treatment services to eligible youth under the Raise the Age law.
When Marco was accepted into the program, he was seventeen. He doesn’t like to dwell on what he did to make him eligible, but recognizes he was a different person then, with a different attitude toward himself, his life, and other people.
“Truth to tell, I just didn’t care,” he says. “My mom didn’t really trust me before because I was lyin’ a lot. I made some bad choices. Facts. I see that now. But I learned [at the Agency] to make better ones. We get along a lot better now that I don’t lie anymore.”
Marco’s mom knew about the William George Agency because her daughter participated in its Empowerment program for girls, and “has been on the honor roll ever since she came home.” But
At WGA, honest interactions foster trust between both people and animals.
she was unsure of the boys’ program. She heard it was very different, and didn’t know if it would be right for Marco. Her anxiety subsided when she noticed her son’s behavior was changing for the better.
“Before, when he was at home, he made beef with everybody in every hood,” she says. “At William George, there were hardly any fights, and he got his first job.”
In fact, Marco held a variety of jobs at WGA. He cared for horses at the Equine Center, worked on cars in the Auto Shop, and maintained the campus grounds as a member of the Landscape Crew. His final job was at a local bakery in the community.
“The range of vocational training opportunities our campus offers is a great benefit to youth,” says Helen M. Hulings, Executive Director of WGA. “It helps them gain meaningful insight into what a particular trade entails, along with the technical knowledge and the soft skills required. From that experience, they’re better equipped to recognize
the kinds of jobs they would probably enjoy and would likely be good at in their community.”
Employment on campus is optional for RTA residents. What’s not optional is that each young person creates a personal presentation that recounts significant moments in their life and identifies goals they have yet to achieve. That’s where honesty comes in, again.
Marco’s presentation included an image of a hospital from a time in his life when he did care and wanted to become a nurse. His presentation also included an image of a red sports car, something he aspires to own one day.
“I felt safe at William George,” says Marco, who recognizes it was important that he feel that way to open himself up to change.
Marco’s journey of self-discovery not only led to improvements in his family relationships and acquiring job skills but also to a renewed interest in life’s simple pleasures - like cooking.
He regularly volunteered to cook for his housemates, and one evening, grilled burgers for more than 40 peers and staff after they’d spent a grueling day in the sun competing in the campus Olympics. He’ll tell you it’s all about seasoning.
Nowadays, the only ‘lying’ Marco does is lying in the bed he made for himself at his family’s home after an honest and hard day’s work. A bed built on honesty, integrity, and character.
“William George is amazing,” says Marco’s mom. “They changed my son for the better. They gave me back the son I knew he could be.”
*name changed to protect privacy
The William George Agency for Children’s Services is committed to providing a safe and caring residential environment supported by proven, therapeutic, clinical, and medical care for at-risk youth. For more information, visit their website: www.wgaforchildren.org.
THE WILLIAM GEORGE AGENCY
N ews line
County Continues Work on Emergency Shelter
By Mikayla Rovenolt
Tompkins County unveiled conceptual design plans for a 21,000-square-foot emergency shelter for adults facing homelessness. The 80-bed $15.9 million shelter project has an estimated completion date of 2029.
Per New York State requirements under its Code Blue initiative, the shelter will house adults that face significant barriers to accessing traditional shelters due to substance use, mental health issues, past trauma, and other factors. Families with children will be provided shelter at other locations. The proposed shelter will be located at 227 Cherry St. in the city of Ithaca. In a November 2024 press conference, county officials announced plans to purchase the Cherry Street property for the creation of a long-term emergency shelter facility.
The Code Blue Shelter is a temporary measure that utilizes the current building to provide emergency shelter and supportive services to residents during the winter months. The Code Blue shelter and daytime warming center is staffed by Volunteers of America and is open 24/7 to support residents in need of shelter through April 30.
“The County has long needed an emergency shelter that is sized to meet the needs of the county’s population experiencing homelessness,” a county representative said in an email to the Ithaca Times.
“The former emergency shelter at 118 W. State Street, operated by St. John's Community Services, did not have adequate space to shelter the majority of clients in
need of sheltering, with only 25 beds. For many years, the County has needed to rely upon hotel/motel partners to provide emergency shelter in addition to the former emergency shelter on W. State Street.”
In 2024, when the emergency shelter announced its closure, the county had to
Continued on Page 12
X Senator Webb Secures Grants Supporting Farm Land, 4-H Acres Campus
By Lorien Tyne
I
n early April, Senator Lea Webb’s office announced two grant awards: $122,770 to Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and $174,500 to Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) for upgrades to its 4-H Acres campus.
The grant for SWCD is provided through the Climate Resilient Farming Grant Program. Funding for the program was included in New York state’s 2026 budget as part of the Environmental Protection Fund, which aims to help farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect water quality, enhance soil health and increase on-farm resiliency to the effects of a changing climate.
Two rotationally grazed livestock farms will use the funding to expand grazing acreage and integrate agroforestry by planting trees into existing pastureland. This project is
estimated to reduce greenhouse gases by 32 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, according to a press release from Webb’s office.
Callan Space, Chair of Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Board of Directors, said in the press release that this tree planting initiative will help keep livestock out of sensitive waterway areas and limit stress to the soil from animal grazing, erosion and heat.
“As we all collect ourselves and recover from over 2” of rain in less than 12 hours across Tompkins County on the first day of April 2026, we are reminded of how critical conservation practices are on the landscape,” Space said in the press release. “These critical conservation practices need to work in harmony with productive agriculture to feed our growing population.”
The state grant awarded to CCE will support
THE COVER:
renovations and building upgrades to CCE’s 4-H Acres campus. Webb secured this funding for CCE through New York State Senate’s Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology (CREST) Program.
The 4-H Acres campus is located on more than 400 acres of land. The campus hosts many youth programs, such as 4-H Clubs, the 4-H Youth Fair and Primitive Pursuits. Vicki Fleming, Tompkins County 4-H Issue Leader, said in a press release that hundreds of local youth and their families spend time at 4-H Acres every year by participating in summer camps, afterschool opportunities, preschool, homeschool programs and more.
“This site is the hub for an astounding amount of activity, learning, and memories year-round, and these funds will guarantee that our local youth continue to have and share these experiences for years to come,” Fleming said.
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M a R k S y V e R t S
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f r EE lanc E rs : Barbara Adams, Charley Githler, Stephen Burke, Bill Chaisson, Ross Haarstad, Steve Lawrence, Marjorie Olds, Peter Rothbart, Austin Lamb, Clement Obropta, Jake Sexton, Kira Walter, Vasant Alex Laplam, and Ceili Ayoung THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE ITHACA TIMES ARE COPYRIGHT © 2026 BY PATHWAYS TO EQUITY, LLC. All rights reserved. Events are listed free of charge in TimesTable. All copy must be received by Friday at noon. The Ithaca Times is available free of charge from various locations around Ithaca. Additional copies may be purchased from the Ithaca Times offices for $1. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $139 one year. Include check or money order and mail to the Ithaca Times, PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. ADVERTISING: Deadlines are Monday 5 p.m. for display, Tuesday at noon for classified. Advertisers should check their ad on publication. The Ithaca Times will not be liable for failure to publish an ad, for typographical error, or errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of the space in which the actual error appeared in the first insertion. The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication. The Ithaca Times is published weekly Wednesday mornings. Offices are located at 109 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 607-277-7000, FAX 607277-1012, MAILING ADDRESS is PO Box
(1972–1978) and
Tompkins County expects to open its permanent emergency shelter on Ithaca’s Cherry Street in September 2029. (Photo: Tompkins County)
By Mark Syvertson QUESTION OF
THE WEEK:
“IF YOU COULD AUTOMATE ONE DAILY TASK OR CHORE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?”
NOTE: If readers wish to participate in the Ithaca Times’ Inquiring Photographer column, contact Mark Syvertson at marksyvertsonphotography@gmail.com
Common Council Advances Proposed Citywide Zoning Expansion of Mixed-Use Developments
By Philip O’Dell
The Ithaca Common Council advanced a proposed ordinance to expand planned unit developments (PUD) citywide during its April 15 committee of the whole session. Specifically, alderpersons unanimously forwarded the proposal for voting consideration at their May 6 regular voting meeting.
The city’s application says PUDs are developments that encourage mixed-use or unique single-use projects through flexible design while allowing “efficient investment in public improvements, environmental sensitivity, and protection of community character.”
Mayor Robert Cantelmo said the ordinance would simplify the PUD overlay district map and streamline the developments’ zoning process. He said existing and future zoning laws will remain in effect throughout ongoing projects. Cantelmo said the proposed ordinance would change the geography of the process, but the process itself will remain the same.
“What this process does is just allows us to simplify the eligible geography so that if there are special projects that might come forward, [the] council may consider those on an individual basis,” Cantelmo said.
According to the proposed ordinance, the council seeks to amend Chapter 325 of the city code to permit PUDs citywide, offering "progressive zoning" options while the city undergoes a more comprehensive zoning code rewrite. The proposed ordinance says the creation of PUDs would be a legislative rezoning process under the council’s sole discretion, resulting in a unique zoning district with specific area and use requirements.
“Since PUDs require long-term community benefits, allowing PUDs in all areas of the City can enable high-quality, community-enhancing projects to be built through the City’s Neighborhoods,” the proposal says.
In a March 18 memorandum to city officials, Planning and Development Director Lisa Nicholas and Senior Planner Maura Baldiga outlined reasons for PUD expansion.
“Allowing PUDs citywide could create the opportunity for increased housing production by removing potential barriers, while also ensuring that Common Council
retains control over the types of projects that are approved,” the memorandum says.
“Since PUDs require long-term community benefits, allowing PUDs in all areas of the City can enable high-quality, communityenhancing projects to be built through the City’s neighborhoods.”
The memorandum says the city’s 2014 PUD legislation limited the development tool to industrially zoned properties that no longer exist under the current city code.
The Common Council later expanded the planned unit development overlay district in 2017 to include the waterfront and Collegetown areas, and again in 2021 to encompass properties at the base of West Hill.
The memorandum says three current PUDs include Cayuga Park, SouthWorks, and Founders Way.
The Cayuga Park waterfront development on Ithaca’s Inlet Island transitions a former industrial site into a mixed-use complex featuring over 200 apartments, a commercial space, and enhanced public access to the Cayuga Lake shoreline.
The 95-acre SouthWorks project aims to repurpose a historic 820,000-square-foot industrial facility—which manufactured everything from World War I aircraft to automotive parts between 1906 and 2011— into a nearly 2 million-square-foot mixeduse neighborhood featuring residential, commercial, and outdoor spaces.
Opened in 2022, Founders Way is a $27 million Ithaca Neighborhood Housing
Services development that repurposed the former two-acre Immaculate Conception School campus into 75 affordable and supportive apartments alongside commercial space for two local nonprofits.
Alderperson Kayla Matos voiced support for expanding the overlay district citywide, noting that while her constituents in Ward 1 are already included, the benefits of the zoning tool should be available to the entire city.
Alderperson Robin Trumble said he was excited for the proposal to move forward, believing PUD expansion will offer more housing and development opportunities to the community.
During public comment, resident John King voiced support for the expansion but urged the council to adopt clear, objective standards to avoid ambiguity regarding what is considered a PUD. King recommended establishing minimum thresholds for project density, affordability, and environmental benefits, along with design guidelines such as a form-based overlay. He said such actions would give developers confidence that the application process will remain efficient.
Alderperson Ducson Nguyen said he has long favored expanding PUDs. Nguyen said that while he is open to establishing careful guidelines, the process is intended for maximum flexibility to accommodate unforeseen project needs.
“I hate doing dishes so I would probably automate that.”
Mia
“Laundry. Wet clothes feel so gross.”
Timothy
“Probably cleaning the cat litter.”
Brianna
“Meals. The planning, the buying, the preparation, the clean-up. All of it.”
Emma
“I would want a ‘smart closet’ that would choose weather-appropriate clothing for the whole day without having to check the forecast.”
Madilyn
Founders Way is an Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services development that repurposed the former Immaculate Conception School campus into 75 affordable and supportive apartments alongside commercial space for two local nonprofits. (Photo: INHS)
County Fines Asteri Ithaca $40k for Sanitation Violations
By Maddy Vogel and Mikayla Rovenolt
Asteri Ithaca LLC faces a $40,000 ne from the Tompkins County Board of Health for violating orders issued in January 2026 by Health Commissioner Jennie Sutcli e. e orders stem from county and city code violations regarding Asteri Ithaca, a high-rise housing development at 118 E. Green St. that has received numerous public complaints since opening in 2024. Community members and county o cials have reported human blood, used needles and other biohazards in the building’s stairwells and shared spaces.
In an executive committee on ursday, April 9, the Tompkins County Board of Health administered the penalty for violating waste management and cleanup orders issued in January.
Asteri Ithaca LLC, a subsidiary of Missouri-based developer Vecino Group, owns and operates Asteri Ithaca, a residential building with 181 residential housing units that receives government nancial assistance for 40 supportive housing units.
e Tompkins County Environmental Health Division (TCEH) has completed multiple health inspections at Asteri since January, spurred by the department receiving a report of unsanitary conditions at the residential building.
Since January, the health board has cited 83 violations of Tompkins County Sanitary Code at Asteri, including biohazards in shared spaces of the residential tower. Inspectors also discovered soot and material from apparent used reworks in the shared stairwells. Photographs and other documentation of these conditions were included in the board’s agenda packet and a case summary in a resolution introduced at the meeting.
Similar conditions have been reported as Arthaus, another Vecino development in Ithaca’s west end. Since the a ordable housing development opened in 2021, it has been the site of shootings, narcotics investigations, arson and armed robbery. Shirley Kane, then-chair of the City of Ithaca Community Police Board, called Arthaus the “jungle with a roof” in a 2023 Community Police Board meeting, questioning if there was any management present at the building.
Both Arthaus and Asteri received millions of dollars in tax breaks from the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency. Facing nes, code violations,
and a notice of default, Vecino’s tax break agreement with the TCIDA for Asteri is now at risk. Asteri Ithaca LLC has avoided nearly $1 million in property tax payments through its PILOT agreement since its inception in 2022.
When TCEH reinspected Asteri Ithaca on Feb. 3, it found that property management failed to resolve multiple previous violations, according to a case summary.
e board also noted 15 deviations from Asteri Ithaca’s waste management plan. TCEH reported “the presence of biohazards in the stairwells ha[d] worsened,” although the majority of the accumulating trash had been disposed of. Inspectors noted an overall lack of sta , security and management to ensure sanitary conditions during multiple visits.
e county penalized Asteri for 98 total violations at $500 each, amounting to $49,000.
At the April 9 meeting, board president Christina Moylan introduced a resolution to give Asteri Ithaca LLC until April 30 to comply with the commissioner's order, which includes complete implementation of their solid waste management plan. Asteri’s solid waste management plan includes, but is not limited to, orders to provide su cient, professional security, cleaning and maintenance sta ; provide adequate and accessible containers for collecting refuse, with plans for proper maintenance; provide prompt attention to the cleaning and removal of biohazards and refuse; and implement a variety of systems and measures for enhanced building safety and security.
UPS DOWNS&
Ups
Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College have announced a new dual admission agreement, which allows students to begin at TC3 and transition to Ithaca College after completing their associate degree. The partnership o ers students guaranteed admission to both institutions from the start and eliminates the transfer application process.
Downs
Cornell Concerts noti ed the campus community on Friday that the rapper Ty Dolla $ign cancelled his performance at Cornell, which was supposed to be on Saturday, April 18. The campus group was unable to nd a replacement and announced that tickets would be fully reimbursed.
HEARD
Heard
In November 2025, the Downtown Ithaca Development Corporation (LDC) and the Ithaca Asteri Condominium of Board Managers led a lawsuit against Vecino, alleging breaches of contract and mismanagement of the residential complex. ey claim mismanagement is impacting the nancial viability of the conference center, located on the lower three oors of the development.
During the board of health’s public comment session, Kathy Taylor, general manager of the Ithaca Downtown Conference Center, said clogged trash compactors and other waste management issues have caused disturbances to the conference center’s operations.
“Consequences [of mismanagement] are visible every day,” Suzanne Smith Jablonski, executive director of the conference center, said during the Board of Health meeting. “Police, re, and emergency responders stage in front of the conference center. Shared egress stairwells compromised by biohazards can cause real safety risks for the entire building.”
In March, the city deemed the residential tower’s conditions, speci cally broken windows in the shared stairwells, posed immediate threats to safety and issued an immediate evacuation order. Residents of the building’s 181 housing units were displaced for two weeks.
Michael Perehinec, an attorney for Vecino, told the board that since waste management and other safety issues
Dozens of unions and organizations across Tompkins County will be coming together on May 1 to celebrate International Workers’ Day. Participants will gather at Ithaca High School and Cornell University for satellite marches that will join up for the community rally at Bernie Milton Pavilion at 4:45 p.m. At 5:45 p.m. all participants will march to Washington Park for tabling.
Seen
The City of Ithaca is installing ParkMobile signage throughout the city’s paid parking areas and will be removing physical pay stations in the coming months. A report from the city manager said the pay stations are at the end of their useful life and are not being used as much since mobile payments are more common. The city estimates that removing the pay stations will result in $43,000 of annual savings.
IF YOU CARE TO RESPOND to something in this column, or suggest your own praise or blame, write editor@ithacatimes. com, with a subject head “U&D.”
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Should Tompkins County establish a countywide minimum wage above the New York State minimum to reflect its high cost of living?
Is the closure of the Seneca Street Garage causing a parking shortage in downtown Ithaca? Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.
Asteri Ithaca LLC is facing $40,000 in fines from the Tompkins County Board of Health for failure to comply with waste management and cleanup orders issued in January.
County Legislature Terminates Agreement With Flock Safety
By Lorien Tyne
The Tompkins County Legislature voted on April 14 to end the county’s contract with Flock Safety and remove the controversial network of AI-powered license plate readers as well as gunshot detection devices.
Since 2023, the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office and Ithaca Police Department have contracted with Flock Safety, a company with surveillance products operating in thousands of municipalities nationwide through contracts with law enforcement agencies and private businesses.
Last fall, some Tompkins County residents joined in on a growing national conversation about the ethics of Flock Safety. Residents attended numerous local government meetings to voice concerns revolving around mass surveillance, data privacy and reports of other agencies using camera data to track undocumented immigrants and people seeking abortion services.
Although the IPD and Sheriff's Office have held the stance that the Flock system is a necessary and useful tool to reduce crime and aid investigations, community opinion that Flock does not belong in the region has prevailed.
The legislature passed the resolution 121, with Legislator Randy Brown the sole member in opposition. Legislators Greg Mezey and Lee Shurtleff were absent from the meeting, and Legislator Mike Sigler was unable to vote due to Zoom camera issues.
“We made Sheriff Osborne's job very, very hard whenever we decided against the flock cameras and it was definitely with much debate on behalf of this body,” Chair Shawna Black said. “I want to apologize for taking away one of your tools. I know that it was effective at times.”
The resolution directs county administration to submit a notice of contract termination to Flock Safety at least 30 days in advance of May 28, after which time the contract is subject to automatic renewal of two additional years.
The county’s decision follows Ithaca Common Council’s unanimous vote on March 4 to end the city’s contract with Flock.
Once the county and city’s contracts with Flock have been terminated, 22 cameras in the city operated by the IPD and another 22 cameras throughout the county operated by the Sheriff’s Office will be removed.
While the county sheriff’s office and IPD will no longer hold contracts with Flock, Cornell University, Cayuga Heights and the village of Trumansburg still hold independently operated Flock contracts.
What’s Next for GIVE and Local Security?
The county’s usage of Flock’s license plate readers and gunshot detectors has been funded by New York state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative. The GIVE initiative is a New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services program that works to address gun violence through specific policing strategies.
“This resolution indicates that it is the county's full intention to continue participating in GIVE on an uninterrupted basis within the current grant year by reallocating any funds that weren’t used for Flock to fund other technology and non-technology based policing strategies that are consistent with the grant,” County Attorney Maury Josephson said.
For the 2025-26 GIVE funding cycle, Tompkins County was awarded $220,650, of which $195,650 was allocated for Flock devices. Additionally, the IPD was awarded $150,485, and the Tompkins County Probation Department was awarded $50,820.
In October, the county legislature voted 9-4 to accept the GIVE 2025-2026 grant after lengthy debate, determining that the benefits outweighed community concerns regarding Flock.
“[Gun violence] happen[s] in the community that I serve,” Legislator Travis Brooks said at the time. “A lot less of that has happened over the last few years and the only thing that’s changed is the GIVE program. […] I hear people’s concerns
COUNTY FINES ASTERI ITHACA
continued from page 5
have been identified, Vecino has spent “hundreds of thousands” on “emergency cleaning, hotel placements, transportation, repairs, and temporary staffing.”
TCEH will resume routine and frequent inspections of the Asteri property on May
about Flock, but I got a bunch of young people I need to keep safe. I have mothers who deserve to have their children come home at night. […] And so I will live with some people being concerned about their data.”
At the April 14 legislature meeting, Osborne said that the application for the 2026-27 GIVE grant was submitted by the Ithaca Police Department with potential alternative uses for the funding previously used for Flock.
Osborne said the sheriff’s office and IPD applied for standard license plate readers that are used in the patrol vehicles but that the money can be used for something else. He said the county is in the process of getting quotes on camera trailers, which are more than $70,000 each and can be towed to crime “hot spots.”
“There’s certainly probably going to be a time frame when Flock goes away before we purchase and have these, if we even move in that direction,” Osborne said.
“I’m more worried about what happens in between with gun crime and violent crime. So I guess time will tell.”
1 to ensure compliance with these orders, according to a release. If subsequent violations are found, Tompkins County Whole Health will pursue a penalty of $2,000 per violation per day. Asteri must pay the county $40,000 by May 15, and the county will waive an additional $9,000 penalty if Asteri fully implements a solid waste management plan and complies with state public health law.
Protesters gather outside Ithaca City Hall to demand the city cut ties with the company.
(Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times File)
The Tompkins County legislature has directed county administration to end its contract with Flock Safety. (Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times File)
City Explores Measures to Protect Local Renters from Extreme Heat
By Philip O’Dell
The Ithaca Sustainability and Climate Justice Commission is partnering with the Building Power Resource Center to draft legislation aimed at protecting renters from the effects of climate change.
Sustainability Planner Siobhan Hull said the city formalized a partnership with BPRC in early April. Under the agreement, Ithaca officials will work with BPRC to identify and evaluate energy equity policies and programs for renters. The partnership will last through March 2027, with the potential for an extension.
According to its website, BPRC is a consulting firm that helps municipalities implement climate objectives through strategy and policy development.
Hull discussed energy policies and a possible survey for renters during the commission’s April 13 meeting.
Although Ithaca’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) is still awaiting final approval from the Common Council, Hull said commission members are working with alderpersons to move the proposal onto the official agenda. Hull said the city is outlining the practical steps required to implement CAP.
Hull said the current CAP draft includes six key sectors: housing, equity, labor, public health, power reliability, and emergency response. She said risk assessments identified renters as a vulnerable group requiring immediate climate protections. Hull said many property owners are not incentivized to invest in energy upgrades.
“Some of the things that we are thinking about is how chronic and acute flooding, extreme heat, and real estate market vulnerabilities will impact housing and residents in the coming years,” Hull said. “Thinking about how having access to stable, secure, comfortable housing is essential in being able to respond to acute and chronic climate issues.”
Hull said the draft CAP specifically identifies both low-income renters and communities of color as disproportionately affected by flooding and extreme heat. She said these issues have led to a need for expanded access to housing that is affordable, secure, and climate-resilient.
“Each of the recommendations is in pursuit of that goal, although additional research is necessary to more fully explore these recommendations, including
how they would function, mechanisms for implementation, and their feasibility,” Hull said.
CAP recommendations include implementation of a home energy score ordinance, portable heat pump pilot, and maximum temperature ordinance.
Hull said a home energy score ordinance would require residential properties to obtain a residential energy score and disclose it during leasing and sales. She said a heat pump pilot program would purchase and distribute portable units to renters, and a maximum temperature ordinance would set a legal upper threshold for all rental units. Hull noted these recommendations require further study before they can be adopted or implemented.
The board noted BPRC will provide the city with research fellows to conduct a national policy scan to draft legislation for a proposed maximum temperature ordinance.
Hull said BPRC’s research will focus on the practicalities of the ordinance, including establishing mechanisms to ensure landlord compliance. A primary concern is the significant number of local rental units that lack air conditioning, compounded by reports that some leases explicitly prohibit tenants from installing their own cooling units.
Hull said the commission is looking to move beyond anecdotal evidence by gathering formal community data to support the proposal. Officials plan to launch an informal survey to collect resident testimony regarding indoor air quality and summer comfort. This data will be used to justify the new policy to Common Council and demonstrate the lived reality of heat-related risks in Ithaca’s rental housing.
Through a year of technical assistance from the BPRC, research fellows will conduct a national policy scan focused on maximum temperature ordinances. Hull said this research will explore how to effectively implement such a mandate in Ithaca and establish enforcement mechanisms to ensure the policy achieves its intended results. This research will include a review of how other cities have integrated rental housing policies into their climate initiatives, with a focus on identifying successful strategies and potential pitfalls.
Hull said the commission is seeking
direct testimony from residents regarding their summertime experiences with indoor temperatures and air quality. Officials plan to launch an informal survey to collect data and quantify how many tenants are unable to maintain safe living conditions in their apartment units.
“We want more information on how many residents are actually experiencing that and their ability to stay cool in the summer,” Hull said.
Hull said the commission seeks data collection to find out how many specific rental units lack air conditioning. While officials acknowledge anecdotal evidence of dangerously high indoor temperatures during the summer, they want formal data to justify the proposed ordinance to Common Council and illustrate the scale of the issue. Hull said some local tenants are restricted from maintaining safe indoor temperatures by lease clauses that prohibit installation of air conditioning units.
The board noted the informal survey differs from the proposed Climate Justice Community survey, a tool intended to help the city address climate challenges.
Hull said the city has not yet launched its Climate Justice Community survey. She said the city established its own definition of “Climate Justice Communities” in May 2022. This local criteria expanded on state standards, allowing the city to identify
CJCs at the household level. Under Justice50, a policy adopted in May 2024, the city is required to allocate 50% of its total capital project funding and 50% of Ithaca Green New Deal program funding to benefit these communities.
To ensure the city meets its funding commitments, the commission and sustainability staff have considered a community-wide survey, Hull said.
Ithaca’s Green New Deal has faced implementation delays and funding gaps since its adoption in 2019, according to city records and local stakeholders. Although the resolution aimed to achieve citywide carbon neutrality by 2030 — with goals to use renewable electricity and reduce municipal vehicle emissions by 50% by 2025 — progress has stalled. Director of Sustainability Rebecca Evans noted that the initiative has lacked a dedicated line in the city budget since 2021, leaving most projects dependent on external grants.
Evans previously said CAP’s rewriting was inspired by the city passing the Justice50 policy in May 2024 — which was based on the federal Justice40 initiative. She said the new CAP will take a “human approach” to climate justice by focusing on the six key factors.
Hull said details regarding a Climate Justice Community survey will be released if the proposal moves forward.
Some leases prohibit the use of window AC units, a restriction that has drawn scrutiny as the city’s Sustainability and Climate Justice Commission explores policies to better protect Ithaca renters from extreme heat. (Photo: Varsha Bhargava/Ithaca Times File)
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By Ithaca Times Readers
RE: Ithaca Common Council Approves Homeland Security Grant Amid Residents' Concerns Over Police Militarization
“Lately, Ithaca has had some strange bedfellows. Most notable is our partnership with Vecino-which is certainly like waking up next to someone two years too late with a boatload of regrets. Our most recent dalliance with Homeland Security does not portend a wholesome relationship.
That same Homeland Security that reigns down terrible misfortune on anyone in its crosshairs has generously offered our local police a $75,000 grant for SWAT type gear. Police can refresh their supply of helmets, shields, night vision binoculars and a drone or two. A number of local residents came out to a recent Council meeting to express their opposition. Much of their concern was around the militarization of the police. They
certainly have a point in that the City has spent many years building up Reimagining Public Safety, whose intent was largely to de-escalate conflict, and now the City is moving ahead with purchases that emphasize aggressive police tactics. It's a little head spinning.
A peculiarity of Council Meetings is the unfair playing field for local residents who wish to speak up on an issue. When the public addresses Council, they are given three minutes each, Council members dutifully (appear) to listen and then the person returns to their seat without being allowed any further comment or question. When the Police advocated for getting the SWAT equipment at this same meeting, they were given as much time as needed to make their case and Councilmembers offered plenty of deference to the Chief and the two officers that accompanied him. For the public it was like the old cliche-bringing a knife to a gunfight. While 4 Councilmembers voted against the grant, you would never know if there was any principle behind their opposition, much less outrage. They quietly asked about SWAT statistics, perhaps weakly trying to make the case that SWAT wasn’t so necessary in our community. When one Councilmember asked about reporting requirements back to Homeland Security, an officer present brushed away any reporting requirements
as routine stuff.
By and large the City, over the years, has had a reflexive response to free money with few questions asked. However, any relationship the City has with Homeland Security must raise questions, if not alarm. The reports of abuse, injustice and intolerance are too well documented to ignore. The incongruity of Ithaca being a sanctuary city, offering protection from the excesses of Homeland Security on the one hand but accepting grant money from the same Department we collectively stood against is, again, a little head spinning.
For us operating outside of government, the answer seems simple enough. If we want to fund SWAT equipment, let's find it within the City’s budget and pay for it ourselves. When we take money from Homeland Security it’s like the old adagelie down with a dog gone astray and you’ll wake up with fleas.” — Tom Stern
Suggestion to Libraries Regarding Discarded Books
“Don’t DISCARD! Share! Pass it on! Stamp with a smiley face. Get creative but please don't DISCARD! If you haven't guessed by now this is a plea to the libraries of our world. As someone who believes in the enormous value of lightly loved books I implore you to reimagine how you might stamp the inside of a book when it no longer has a place on your shelves. Many of the lightly loved books in my life get passed on to children and the thought of them opening a book with excitement only to find DISCARD written on the front cover...well you get the idea. This has troubled me for a while.
I thought I should finally share. Libraries you are loved. Pass it on.” — Lisa Campbell, Lansing NY
RE: New Report Says $25.08 Living Wage Required to Meet Basic Needs in Tompkins County
“Alternatively, Tompkins County and Ithaca could take action to make it less expensive to live here: have Cornell make a meaningful reduction to residential property owners’ tax burden, revise the county property assessment procedures to be less arbitrary and capricious and to take into account actual depreciation/maintenance expenses in residential assessments, collect tax abatements and prohibit property transfers without the abatement, advocate to reform NYSEG’s fee structure for residential property owners, require local zoning boards who authorize data center development to require that data centers (and any other gargantuan energy hog) to build their own power plant as part of the permitting process (e.g., supply its own energy separate from the residential grid or require energy hogs to pay all the increased energy costs), get a functional ICSD school board and change board procedures to prohibit the board president from holding the agenda hostage, hire a truly 3rd party auditor to assess bloat (this is what Cornell is doing under the fake “austerity “ cloak (its $11+b endowment makes about 12% annually, which accrues hundreds of millions). There are so many ways to make this area significantly less expensive instead of making it more expensive for small businesses
We Need ‘More Muckrakers and Fewer Buck-Takers’
SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST
By Mickey Huff
Fifty years ago, Carl Jensen founded Project Censored because he knew that journalism was the lifeblood of democracy. He argued that the news media, despite its increasingly corporate and commercial nature, can have a positive influence on the world, especially when it operates ethically and independently in the public interest. He encouraged journalism programs at colleges across the country to turn out “more muckrakers and fewer buck-takers.”
Jensen championed the independent reporting of his contemporaries in his work with Project Censored, earning him accolades from luminaries such as I.F. Stone and Walter Cronkite. After his retirement, Jensen published what might be one of his most important and enduring works, Stories That Changed America: Muckrakers of the 20th Century. This book centers on and celebrates the kind of journalism from past eras that truly made a difference. Today, the news media broadly suffer from a cratering of public trust, but there is much we can learn from history. There are independent journalists among us today who are inspiring a much-needed renaissance in public-interest journalism that can help restore public faith in the Fourth Estate.
In the early 1900s, the United States experienced what historians refer to as a Golden Age of muckraking journalism. It was President Teddy Roosevelt who popularized the term in a 1906 speech, where he extolled the virtues of the press holding those in power to account, but also warned that it sometimes went too far, creating scandals where he thought none existed. He likened such behavior to the “Man With the Muck Rake” described in John Bunyan’s 1678 work Pilgrim’s Progress, “Who could look no way but downward, with the muck rake in his hand; who was offered a celestial crown for his muck rake, but who would neither look up nor regard the crown he was offered, but continued to rake to himself the filth of the floor.” While some
subsequently reclaimed the term “muckraker,” Roosevelt’s original use was not necessarily affirmative.
Some, like Ida Tarbell—who took on monopolies like John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil in the pages of McClure’s Magazine—rejected the label as an insult. Others, like Lincoln Steffens and Upton Sinclair, wore it as a badge of honor, with Steffens’s The Shame of the Cities exposing municipal corruption and Sinclair’s The Jungle uncovering the public health hazards of the meatpacking industry. Tarbell’s work led to the Supreme Court’s trust-busting of Standard Oil in 1911, Steffens’s series led to urban political reforms, and Sinclair’s work helped persuade Roosevelt to support the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. As time went on, Roosevelt’s enthusiasm waned when it came to Steffens, and particularly David Graham Phillips for his Cosmopolitan series “The Treason of the Senate.” The president increasingly opposed such reporting as it criticized his close political allies, whom he needed to support his political aspirations and programs. Regardless, reporting about rampant, unchecked corporate corruption, political conflicts of interest, and widespread social injustices resonated with the public in meaningful ways, often leading to civic reforms, some of which we still benefit from today.
Past as prologue
The twentieth century began with a series of significant changes in the relationship between the US government and its citizens. The public began to demand government interventions, including regulation of food safety and child labor, women’s suffrage, and other significant reforms. However, there was no guarantee such improvements would be permanent. While the history of muckraking journalism has always ebbed and flowed, seeing reprises in
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SURROUNDED BY REALITY
Don’t Worry
By Charley Githler
The Ithaca Times, being the last uncompromised news outlet in the world, is your only reliable source of facts. These last few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind, and it’s all hands on deck, so I’ve been assigned by the editor to set the record straight on a few things, all thoroughly researched and double-checked.
First, Artificial Intelligence is in no way an irresponsible dice-roll with the future of humanity. Even my virtual best friend Claude tells me that there’s no greater than a 12% chance that we’re looking at extinction by 2030. People need to chill.
Also, it’s not true that there’s no plan for when AI takes everyone’s job. It’s almost ready, and will be revealed at the same time as the Republican health care plan.
While we’re on the subject, a $6-billion corporation seeking to build an AI data center in an old power plant on a lake can absolutely be trusted in its promises to protect the local environment, not strain the energy grid and mitigate noise and light pollution. Historically, out-of-state corporate entities prioritize local communities over shareholders and rarely tell lies.
To clear up some recent confusion, Jesus did not have a medical degree and was therefore not, technically, a doctor.
Oman does not have more paid parental leave than the United States of America. Wait, scratch that…it does. It’s health care. The USA has universal health care and Oman doesn’t. No, wait, that’s not true either. It’s the opposite.
Our city is emphatically not woefully unprepared for a flood. Funny story: in early July, 1935, a low-pressure system stalled along a cold front and merged with a second system over the lower Finger Lakes. Over the course of 48 hours on July 7-8, 9.25 inches of rain fell on Ithaca, resulting in a catastrophic flood. Some Nervous Nellies like to point out that downtown is built over marshes, creeks, and glacial moraines, and intense downpour-type storms are becoming increasingly common. However, and fortunately, we built a flood control channel in the 1960s that has been scrupulously maintained and regularly dredged, I assume. We’ll be fine.
Melania never involved with Mr. Jeffrey Epstein. Photos mean nothing. Was whole time with Moose and Squirrel.
Let’s put this calumny to rest: Steven
Miller did not board at Slytherin while attending Duke University. He was a Hufflepuff.
The regular relocation of products in Wegmans aisles is apparently not an elaborate social experiment designed to examine human reactions to the random placement of familiar products in unfamiliar places. It’s probably corporate just messing with us.
It’s not true that Donald Trump is the first president to have had a probation officer. According to ChatGTP, Abraham Lincoln was famously given probation after pleading no contest to a possession with intent to distribute charge in 1863. There’s a meme circulating that cryptocurrency is the Beanie Babies of the 21st century, which is inaccurate. Crypto is the scheme Bernie Madoff wished he’d hatched. I asked the experts at Cornell’s Center for Applied Mathematics to game out this purely hypothetical question: what are the odds of a sudden, steep rise in the price of petroleum products if a demented grifter were put in charge of our foreign affairs? Their answer: “really high”. It is certainly not true that we are 55% of the way to being the earth from WALL-E. It’s a common misconception. The fact is we’re 96% of the way to being the world in Idiocracy.
Cat turds are not a curiously delicious source of nutrition. (That one’s for our dog, Curly.)
Starting a war and claiming credit for ending it is not morally indistinguishable from starting a house fire and claiming credit for putting it out yourself. They’re completely different. Imagine, instead, imposing a stiff tariff, then cancelling it two days later and claiming credit for the stock market breathing a sigh of relief.
Putting a nuclear power plant in the Finger Lakes is not a terrible idea. Let’s get three of them, and a few more data centers, more crypto mining facilities and another couple of giant landfills. My research shows that in the long run, it’s better to be known for jobs and economic development that natural beauty and clean fresh water. Sometimes we have to look to the wisdom of prediction markets. In the inevitable trash-talk throwdown between the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church and the President of the United States, Kalshi says His Holiness is a safe bet. We live in interesting times.
The Enduring Voice of George Herbert Walker Bush — 1988
Curated by Roy Allen: Director of Strategic Partnerships — Ithaca Times, Finger Lakes Community Newspapers, www.ithaca.com
Many voices have shaped the nation we call America. This week
we feature George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States (1989-1993). He served as the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, was vice-president under Ronald Reagan and is the father of George W. Bush — the 43rd president of the United States. Bush was a decorated WWII pilot and was best known for his foreign policy skills. His 1988 speech accepting the Presidential Nomination for the Republican Party advocated for volunteerism across the nation and how important one person can make in the life of another.
CURATOR’S NOTE: The following is an abridged version of Bush’s speech, found in its entirety online at www.presidency.ucsb.edu.
George H.W. Bush: “Thousand Points of Light” Speech — New Orleans, LA 1987
Thank you. Thank you very much. I seek the presidency for a single purpose, a purpose that has motivated millions of Americans across the years and the ocean voyages. I seek the presidency to build a better America. It’s that simple and that big. I am a man who sees life in terms of missions—missions defined and missions completed. And when I was a torpedo-bomber pilot, they defined the mission for us. And before we took off, we all understood that, no matter what, you try to reach the target. And there have been other missions for me—Congress, China, the CIA. But I am here tonight, and I am your candidate, because the most important work of my life is to complete the mission we started in 1980. And how do we complete it? We build on it.
Two parties this year ask for your support. Both will speak of growth and peace, but only one has proved it can deliver. Two parties this year ask for your trust, but only one has earned it. Eight years ago, I stood here with Ronald Reagan
and we promised, together, to break with the past and return America to her greatness. Eight years later, look at what the American people have produced— the highest level of economic growth in our entire history and the lowest level of world tensions in more than 50 years. But this election isn’t only about competence, for competence is a narrow ideal. Competence makes the trains run on time but doesn’t know where they’re going. Competence is the creed of the technocrat who makes sure the gears mesh but doesn't for a second understand the magic of the machine.
The truth is, this election is about the beliefs we share, the values that we honor and the principles we hold dear. My friends, eight years ago this economy was flat on its back—intensive care. And we came in and gave it emergency treatment, got the temperature down by lowering regulation and got the blood pressure down when we lowered taxes. And pretty soon, the patient was up, back on his feet and stronger than ever. We’ve created 17 million new jobs the past five years, more than twice as many as Europe and Japan combined, and they're good jobs. The majority of them created in the past six years paid an average—average—of more than $22,000 a year.
However, our economic life is not the only test of our success. One issue overwhelms all the others, and that's the issue of peace. And look at the world on this bright August night. The spirit of democracy is sweeping the Pacific rim. China feels the winds of change. New democracies assert themselves in South America. My life has been lived in the shadow of war. I almost lost my life in one, and I hate war, love peace. And we have peace, and I am not going to let anyone take it away from us.
Protect Children, Not Abusers: Pass Kyra’s Law to Reform the Family Court System and Save Children’s Lives
By Francesca Wehner and Kiran Chaudhry-Bishop
Kyra’s Law, named in honor of Kyra Franchetti, a two-year-old who was killed by her father amid a custody battle in 2016, is a New York State bill seeking to establish stronger child safety protections during custody disputes.
Autumn Coleman was a three-yearold girl growing up in Queens, New York, with curly braids, a sharp sense of humor, and dreams of being a “princess-doctor”. In March 2019, after her parents separated, she lived in her mother’s one-bedroom apartment during the week and spent weekends on unsupervised visits with her father under an arrangement the New York State (NYS) Family Court established. In late April, her mother petitioned the court to stop these visits, arguing that the erratic behavior of Autumn’s father endangered her. But a judge adjourned the matter until June, and less than two weeks later, on May 5, 2019, Autumn was burned to death after her father strapped her into a car seat and set the car ablaze.
Autumn is just one of 39 children who have been killed during custody disputes in New York since two-year-old Kyra Franchetti of Manhasset was killed in her sleep by her suicidal father during a court-ordered visit in 2016. Nationally, she is one of 989 children who have been murdered by a separated parent since 2008–an alarming trend that has worsened recently, with child murders by separating parents increasing by 47.8% from 2020 to 2022.
Kyra’s Law, championed by Kyra’s mother, Jacqueline Franchetti, was introduced as legislation in 2023 to address these failures of NYS Family Court, and Senator James Skoufis and Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi are currently sponsoring the bill in the NYS Legislature. The law would require courts to hold prompt hearings during custody disputes when one party asserts “facially-credible” allegations that a child is unsafe in another guardian’s care, and ensure that all allegations are investigated before custody decisions are made. But the bill
also addresses other shortcomings of family court, such as the mishandling of parental alienation claims and a lack of training for judicial officials.
Parental alienation is a common counterclaim where an accused guardian argues that the other party fabricated abuse allegations to manipulate the court into restricting their parental access, thereby damaging their relationship with the child. A Department of Justice study found that when fathers assert alienation, judges are virtually twice as likely to discredit the mother’s claims and grant sole custody to the accused father without further investigation, leaving many children in the hands of their abusers. Kyra’s law seeks to close this loophole by mandating prompt hearings in all cases with alleged threats to child safety, and requiring that if judicial referees deem an allegation credible, temporary protective measures to ensure child safety cannot be considered as attempts to harm a child’s relationship with another party. The law also seeks to implement comprehensive training for judges and court referees assigned to these cases so that those in charge of custody decisions can better recognize warning signs of endangerment.
Critics of Kyra’s Law focus on how an overloaded family court system, combined with parties submitting false accusations of abuse, could lead to innocent parents being ripped away from their children and denied their parental rights. With nearly 150,000 custody cases filed in 2025 in New York, they argue that mandatory hearings for all allegations would impede judges from acting swiftly, and that the resulting delays could allow manipulative parties with false claims to successfully alienate other guardians and deny them parental access through the process.
While these are valid concerns, and the legislation could cause case backlogs, the risk of alienation is overstated. Researchers from the National Resource
(Photo Source: Official Portrait)
A
300-Mile Run for the Hangar Theater
By Steve Lawrence
Over the past decade, Bethany Schiller has run 11 marathons in eight different cities, and some quick math shows a total of 288.2 miles. Over the course of the month of May, Bethany will run that distance again as a fund raising effort to benefit the Hangar
Theater, and then she will squeeze in another 11.8 miles to round it up to 300.
I asked Bethany what her usual mileage totals look like, and she replied, “I normally run 30 to 40 miles a week, but when I am training for a marathon I will run 12 to 14 on some days, 6 to 8 on some days, and I will often have days when I do 5 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon.” She added that over the span of those 11 marathons, she has “learned a lot.” In her words, “The first one did not go well, and I vowed never to do it again. Then, a friend needed to run a marathon to qualify for Boston, so I signed up to run with her.” Obviously, nine marathons later, Schiller figured out a way to make it go well.
I asked her which course she liked the most — and the least — and she offered, “I loved the Richmond course. We ran through parts of the city, and through some woods, and along the James River. It was like running on three different courses, and I loved that variation.”
Anyone remotely familiar with the world of marathon running would not be surprised
to hear Bethany's answer when asked about her least favorite. “Boston,” she said, “is the biggest challenge. You learn a lot the first time you run it. The hills make it the hardest course I have ever run.” When asked about her background in addition to her own marathon running, Schiller replied, “I was a high school track coach in Massachusetts, and I have been coaching track and cross-country at the Ithaca Youth Bureau since 2016.”
Bethany’s connection with the Hangar Theater dates back to 2017, when she began as a volunteer usher. She moved to the front-of-house team, and in 2024 she became a Management Associate. Her love of theater goes back well beyond her association with the Hangar, as her love of theater began early in her life, and she took part in many school plays as a student.
My next question was, “How did this convergence of interests — running and theater — come to take shape?” She answered, “I had been thinking about it, and it was percolating in the back of my mind that it would be a cool way to raise funds.
The Hangar is always looking for new ways to raise money, because while capital grants address some of our needs, other funding is needed for program funding.”
Wrapping up our conversation, Bethany said “I'd love to make this an annual fund raiser. I hope to expand it, and involve more people. I believe it's a great way to introduce the running community to Hangar Theater, and the Hangar Theater to the running community.”
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Schiller hopes to run 300 miles in May to raise funds for the Hangar.
(Photo: Provided)
Hangar Management Associate Bethany Schiller combines her love for running and theatre. (Photo: Provided)
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shift all sheltering to hotels and motels in the area. The county representative said this service model has limited the county’s ability to provide direct onsite supportive services to individuals in order to transition them to more permanent housing solutions.
The recognized need for the county to invest in the development of a purpose-
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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by raising wages. Are the local elected officials cowardly, uncreative, and accepting of the status quo?” — Laura Ingalls, Ithaca.com
WE NEED
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the 1960s and 1970s, Jensen noted that, ironically, it receded after the Watergate scandal toppled the Nixon presidency, as the press became subject to increasing commercial pressures and consolidation of ownership. There were some significant breakthroughs, including Robert Parry’s intrepid reporting on the October Surprise in the 1980s or the dismantling of habeas corpus during the so-called “War on Terror.” There was also Gary Webb’s groundbreaking exposé of the CIA’s crack cocaine connections in Los Angeles in the 1990s. While Project Censored recognized these as important underreported stories at the time, these bombshell revelations did not have the societal impact of previous muckraking generations that took down standard oil or led to regulating industry for the public good.
Further, through a series of political developments during the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, bipartisan efforts led to the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987 and the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, undermining the ability of the press to report robustly about a wide range of topics in the public interest. As the axiom goes, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, and freedom of the press is paramount for the protection of all the other civil rights enshrined in the Constitution. It is the press that is supposed to lead the charge in informing citizens about key issues of the day, unencumbered by government
fully built emergency shelter was advanced with the acquisition of the lot at 227 Cherry St., which was purchased in 2024 for $1.1 million.
The County’s Department of Social Services provides services and supports to individuals experiencing homelessness, in coordination and partnership with a non-profit service provider network in the community.
When it comes to staffing the shelter, the county selected Volunteers of America of Western New York through a request
Support Parkinson’s Community at Moving Day
“ Stewart Park will be alive with excitement on May 2nd for Moving Day Finger Lakes—a community walk supporting the Parkinson’s Foundation. This uplifting event brings together
or corporate owners, in turn generating more informed civic engagement that leads to sustained positive changes for society.
Unfortunately, in the 21st century, much of the establishment media— increasingly operated for profit by fewer and fewer corporate owners and wealthy elites—has instead flooded the public with junk food news, tabloidized coverage of important events, endless distractions, and pernicious propaganda. But the muckraking spirit we saw more than a century ago still exists in the world of independent media, and another Golden Age can return if “We the People” support it. This requires more than passive spectatorship; it calls for a public, informed by critical thinking and media literacy, to demand and create it.
Cause for celebration in challenging times
Although we are in the midst of an unprecedented series of attacks on journalism, from the Federal Communications Commission to the White House, extending such hostilities to many of our epistemic institutions, many in the independent press are doing incredibly important work. As much as we need to push back and defend against such onslaughts, we also should recognize and support those doing the kind of muckraking journalism that we’ve seen in the past from intrepid truthtellers like Tarbell, Steffens, Sinclair, and later by trailblazers like I.F. “Izzy” Stone, who once noted, “All governments lie.”
In fact, the spirit of legendary muck-
for proposal (RFP) process to partner with the county in the design and development of the new build emergency shelter, and to operate the emergency shelter once it is opened.
The County’s Continuum of Care (CoC) is a resource to learn more about the issue of homelessness in the county and to engage with the service providers that are working to limit the impacts of homelessness on the population through outreach, case management, harm reduction, and other support.
friends, families, and neighbors to celebrate movement, raise awareness, and stand with those living with Parkinson’s disease.
Moving Day isn’t just a walk; it’s a spirited gathering with exercise demos, inspiring stories, and a contagious sense of hope. Whether you walk, volunteer, or
raker “Izzy” Stone is alive and thriving in the independent press as evidenced by the coming Izzy Awards, named in Stone’s honor and presented by the Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College. This is one of many celebratory occasions that also serve to broaden and diversify the public’s media habits. Like Project Censored, which amplifies independent media reporting either ignored or censored by the corporate press, the Izzys have highlighted the most significant independent journalism in the country for nearly two decades.
This year’s winners, to be celebrated at the newly expanded Izzy Fest 2026 on April 21–22 at Ithaca College, include the Texas Observer for its reporting on failed drug policies and a rash of overdoses and an ICE prosecutor running a white supremacist account on X; journalists Gywnne Hogan and Haidee Chu of The City in New York, who broke the story of ICE detention tactics at 26 Federal Plaza, which led to more widespread reporting and meaningful court reforms; and documentarian Abby Martin of the Empire Files whose new film Earth’s Greatest Enemy calls public attention to the Pentagon as the planet’s greatest polluter. This year, the Izzy judges also awarded honorable mentions to 404 Media, Prism, and Drop Site News.
These independent journalists and outlets are not only inspiring but also necessary if we are to maintain a functioning republic responsive to its members’ needs. The Park Center received more than one hundred nominations for this year’s Izzys, which is double the
“The goal of having a purpose built emergency shelter in the county is to provide easily accessible, low barrier sheltering and supportive services (to include the locating of permanent housing) to individuals experiencing homelessness,” the county representative said. “The newly built emergency shelter will enable residents to access services in one location, with the goal of their stay in the shelter to be temporary and to successfully transition to permanent and/or permanent supportive housing.”
cheer from the sidelines, your presence helps create a wave of support for our local Parkinson’s community.
Join us at Stewart Park to make a difference. For details or to register, visit the Parkinson’s Foundation website.” — Analyse Adams, event coordinator at Parkinson’s Foundation
number received only a few years ago. This is a sign of a robust scene in the independent press, one that could grow and spread with increased public awareness and support.
As twentieth-century media critic George Seldes once noted, the job of journalism is not impartial, balanced reporting; it is to tell the public what is really going on. What we need today is nothing short of an all-hands-on-deck moment in the Fourth Estate. We not only need to support and spread the word about the best investigative journalism from the independent press, but we need to encourage, indeed demand, that the establishment media, with their massive resources, return to a focus on what the public needs to know, what’s really going on as Seldes said—not what elite billionaire owners or an increasingly bewildered populace might like. As Movement Media Alliance journalists Maya Schenwar and Lara Witt put it in the Project Censored’s fiftieth anniversary yearbook, “There’s no power for the people without journalism by and for the people.” Let us bring back the Golden Age of muckrakers in the present. Our future, and the future of the planet, depend upon it.
Mickey Huff is the Distinguished Director of the Park Center for Independent Media; Professor of Journalism at the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College; Executive Director of Project Censored; and President of the Media Freedom Foundation.
Nguyen pointed to the Cayuga Park development, formerly known as the Carpenter Business Park, as a successful example of a PUD. He said the council’s explicit inclusion of community gardens there was a direct response to resident feedback. He said the flexibility of the PUD process allowed the city to integrate those gardens into a project that now features a medical center alongside both affordable and market-rate housing.
Alderperson Margaret Fabrizio said she supports increased PUD flexibility but
A NATION SPEAKS
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An election that’s about ideas and values is also about philosophy, and I have one. I am guided by certain traditions. One is that there’s a God, and He is good and His love, while free, has a self-imposed cost: We must be good to one another. For we’re a nation of community, of thousands and tens of thousands of ethnic, religious, social, business, labor union, neighborhood, regional and other organizations, all of them varied, voluntary and unique. Does the government have a place? Yes. Government is part of the nation of communities, not the whole, just a part. A government that remembers that the people are its master is a good and needed thing. In foreign affairs, I’ll continue our policy of peace through strength. I’ll move toward further cuts in the strategic and conventional arsenals of both the United States and the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc and NATO {North Atlantic Treaty Organization}. I’ll modernize and preserve our technological edge, and that includes strategic defense. And a priority: Ban chemical and biological weapons from the face of the Earth. That will be a priority with me. And I intend to speak for freedom, stand for freedom and be a patient friend to anyone, East or West, who will fight for freedom.
PASS KYRA’S
LAW
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Center on Domestic Violence found that only 12% of child abuse allegations made during custody disputes were intentionally false, meaning the vast majority of allegations are worthy of investigation, and not just manipulative schemes to gain custody. Thus, it is far better to scrutinize each case thoroughly, despite the risk of
called for implementing specific safeguards. Fabrizio inquired if the city would evaluate density, building height, and site intensity. She also requested clearer standards regarding open space and tree preservation. Fabrizio requested a precise definition of community benefit and clarification on the respective roles of the council and planning board in the review process.
Cantelmo responded that the existing framework relies on the discretion of alderpersons to define community benefits on a case-by-case basis, providing the city the latitude to grant unique exceptions if unforeseeable events arise.
The city’s website says PUD approvals must align with the city’s comprehensive
It seems to me the presidency provides an incomparable opportunity for “gentle persuasion.” And I hope to stand for a new harmony, a greater tolerance. We've come far, but I think we need a new harmony among the races in our country. And we’re on a journey into a new century, and we’ve got to leave that tired old baggage of bigotry behind. Some people who are enjoying our prosperity have forgotten what it’s for. But they diminish our triumph when they act as if wealth is an end in itself.
The fact is: Prosperity has a purpose. It’s to allow us to pursue “the better angels,” to give us time to think and grow. Prosperity with a purpose means taking your idealism and making it concrete by certain acts of goodness. It means helping a child from an unhappy home learn how to read, and I thank my wife, Barbara, for all her work in helping people to read, in all her work for literacy in this country. It means teaching troubled children through your presence that there is such a thing as reliable love. Some would say it’s soft and insufficiently tough to care about these things. But where is it written that we must act if we do not care, as if we are not moved?
Well, I am moved. I want a kinder and gentler nation.As for me, I’ve held high office and done the work of democracy day-by-day. Yes, my parents were prosperous, and their children were lucky. But
delays and infrequent alienation, than it is to allow another child to follow in Kyra and Autumn’s footsteps.
After two years of persistent advocacy, Kyra’s Law finally passed the NYS Senate last June, but it stalled in the Assembly this past January. Advocates are currently seeking to push the bill forward either as part of Governor Hochul’s 2027 Executive Budget or independently in upcoming legislative sessions, but to succeed, the bill
plan and protect public welfare. Approvals must offer long-term community benefits, such as reduced traffic demand, expanded open space or innovative design. Currently, each PUD must be tied to a specific project within the city’s PUD overlay district. Other required community benefits for these projects include the preservation of natural resources, the creation of recreational amenities, or the development of diverse housing options.
According to the PUD application, the approval process begins with a series of preapplication meetings and the submission of a formal application with a fee for the Common Council to review for completeness and consistency with city goals. The proposal is then circulated for feedback from city boards, the Tompkins County Planning Department, and neighboring property owners within 500 feet of the proposed project. Afterwards, the developer must hold a public information session and answer attendees’ questions. After a sketch plan review by the Planning Board, the Common Council evaluates the proposal alongside public feedback to grant conceptual approval. Following this, the applicant must undergo environmental and site plan reviews; at least one project phase must receive site plan approval before the council can proceed. After a public hearing, Common Council will approve or deny the proposed PUD during a voting meeting.
there were lessons we had to learn about life. John Kennedy discovered poverty when he campaigned in West Virginia; there were children who had no milk. And young Teddy Roosevelt met the new America when he roamed the immigrant streets of New York. And I learned a few things about life in a place called Texas. People don’t see their own experience as symbolic of an era but, of course, we were. And so was everyone else who was taking a chance and pushing into unknown territory with kids and a dog and a car. But the big thing I learned is the satisfaction of creating jobs, which meant creating opportunity, which meant happy families, who in turn could do more to help others and enhance their own lives. I learned that a good done by a single good job can be felt in ways you can’t imagine.
I may not be the most eloquent, but I learned early on that eloquence won’t draw oil from the ground. And I may sometimes be a little awkward, but there's nothing self-conscious in my love of country. And I am a quiet man, but I hear the quiet people others don’t. The ones who raise the family, pay the taxes, meet the mortgage. And I hear them, and I am moved and their concerns are mine.
For 7 1/2 years, I’ve worked with a great president. I’ve seen what crosses that big desk. I’ve seen the unexpected crises that
needs a strong boost from the public, and it needs your support.
The best way to get involved is to message NYS officials directly through the Kyra’s Champions website, which provides pre-written emails that only require a signature to send. There are also opportunities to volunteer directly with the organization by filling out their online form or to donate to support their advocacy campaigns. The sobering reality is that nothing
arrive in a cable in a young aide's hand. And I’ve seen problems that simmer on for decades and suddenly demand resolution. And I’ve seen modest decisions made with anguish and crucial decisions made with dispatch. I say it without boast or bravado. I’ve fought for my country, I’ve served, I’ve built, and I’ll go from the hills to the hollows, from the cities to the suburbs to the loneliest town on the quietest street to take our message of hope and growth for every American to every American.
I will keep America moving forward, always forward—for a better America, for an endless, enduring dream and a thousand points of light. This is my mission, and I will complete it. Thank you. You know, it is customary to end an address with a pledge or a saying that holds a special meaning. And I’ve chosen one that we all know by heart, one that we all learned in school, and I ask everyone in this great hall to stand and join me in this. We all know it. “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Thank you, and God bless you.
Next week, we will celebrate George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States and his address to a joint session of congress after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
can be done to bring back Kyra, Autumn, or any of the 38 other children, but by passing Kyra’s Law, we can honor their legacies by reforming the family court system that failed to protect them.
Francesca Wehner and Kiran ChaudhryBishop are first-year students at Cornell University studying public policy. This piece was written as part of an advocacy project for the Cornell Policy Group.
Old Greeny Surfaces for Week-long Fringe Festival Celebrating Local Culture
By Mikayla Rovenolt
Have you ever been on Cayuga Lake and seen the bright green eyes of something unfamiliar dipping below the lake’s surface? Well, if you have, you’d be in line with the many others who say they’ve encountered Cayuga’s lake monster, Old Greeny. If you have not, consider yourself lucky, for the monster’s legend dates back hundreds of years and incites fear in those near the lake.
The Old Greeny Fringe Fest, a celebration of the “weird, wacky, and whimsical,” will take place from April 27 to May 3. It is rooted in the legend of Old Greeny, the cryptid of Cayuga Lake. The inaugural festival will be at both traditional and nontraditional venues along the waterfront trail and feature performances, installations, community activities, and storytelling. The festival also has a strong commitment to sustainability, accessibility, and local culture.
According to the Old Greeny Fringe Festival website, the “fringe” concept was first developed in 1948 in Edinburgh, Scotland, when groups of local actors, performers, and musicians — in reaction to the more conventional lineup of the Edinburgh Theatre Festival — launched an alternative program to run concurrently to the main event.
Almost 73 years later, the term ‘fringe’ widely refers to art on the edges of the mainstream. Fringe festivals have served as a launch pad for independent artists to self-produce, showcase original work, engage new audiences, and network with fellow indie artists and producers inside a festival environment.
According to World Fringe, there are currently hundreds of fringe festivals in North America and around the world, with Rochester ESL Fringe Festival being one of the closest to Ithaca. The Old Greeny Fringe Fest is now a member of the United States Association of Fringe Festivals (USAFF).
Sylvie Froncek, an MBA student at Ithaca College and one of the festival organizers, said she learned about Old Greeny almost 10 years ago when returning to Ithaca after some time away.
“I just thought it was so cool that we have a local lake monster legend that I didn't know [about] when I was growing up in Ithaca,” Froncek said. “As I talk to people, most people have never heard of this. And in my mind, I was like, ‘Wow, Loch Ness is like a third the size of Cayuga Lake, but everybody knows about the Loch Ness Monster. So why are we not capitalizing on having a really cool local legend?’”
Seven months ago, Froncek was working on her capstone project for her MBA program when she thought of creating an Old Greeny festival. Froncek said six other people were interested in the idea and it organically evolved into a fringe festival.
Old Greeny is the serpent cryptid of Cayuga Lake. With a history dating back centuries, Froncek said the team of students organizing the festival had been researching Old Greeny for some time.
Froncek said that according to indigenous stories, there was a god of thunder, and his mortal enemy was a sea serpent. Through a fight, the sea serpent gets transposed into many different places. Locally, there are legends about serpents in Canandaigua, Cayuga, and Seneca lakes.
One of those legends Froncek shared is about Bare Hill, near Canandaigua Lake.
A young boy finds a snake with two heads, and as it grows, it begins eating the townspeople. Eventually, the townspeople suc-
cessfully kill the snake and as it tumbles down a hill, it knocks off all of the trees and leaves the hill bare. To this day, there is still this hillside on the edge of Canandaigua Lake that is called Bare Hill.
In the 1890s, according to Froncek, fishermen reported seeing a lake creature with big green eyes, hence the name Old Greeny. Froncek said an Ithaca Journal article from 1897 was the first reported sighting, followed by a slew of sightings that lasted through 2011.
Froncek said she spoke with someone from Cornell who used to work at the sailing club that has seen Old Greeny “plenty of times.” The tales of Old Greeny have spread beyond the lake’s waters, as
Performers preview a show that will be held during the Old Greeny Fringe Festival April 27 through May 3. (Photo/Benjamin Braverman)
Froncek shared that she’s heard from parents about their kids learning about Old Greeny.
“I’ve heard from parents who have been like, ‘Hey, my kid came home talking about Old Greeny. I don’t know how they know about this,’” Froncek shared. “There is this excitement from kids who love believing in impossible and amazing things and that makes me so happy.”
Froncek is one of six Ithaca College MBA students, all studying entertainment and media management, who’ve spearheaded organizing the festival. Beyond that, Froncek said there are many community partners and 15 different venues for the festival. What began as a capstone project has evolved into a communitydriven event.
“A lot of the philosophy with fringe is about being open access and allowing any producer to put a show in the festival, as long as it fits a couple of simple event criteria,” Froncek said.
Some of the performances include the Fall Creek Brass Band’s new play “Brass Watch,” which has never been performed for an audience before, and cellist Karen Hall with her show “Delusions and Grandeur.” Hall has been touring fringe festivals for almost 15 years, Froncek said, and is coming to Ithaca from Los Angeles to perform.
The shows range from music to clown performance and drag. Other perfor-
mances include “Transhumance,” a clown show starring Ania from New Zealand fringe festivals, “Vintage Tunes, Modern Gal” from Plucky Rosenthal of Chicago, a show from Philadelphia titled “Circumscribed” with Noam Osband, and LibLab Productions’ touring production of “I AM GOING TO DIE (And All They Gave Me Were These Lousy Cupcakes).”
“We have a film in the festival and we’ve got some workshops, including a Sashiko patching and sewing workshop,” Froncek said. “You bring whatever you want people to see. What I love about it, and I think it's important for people to know with fringe, is the shows are not vetted by us.
People just tell us what we need to know to make sure we can manage the tech for the show. […] You never know what you’re going to get.”
Froncek said she spoke with other fringe festival organizers in preparation and learned that free and family-friendly activities were important components of the event. Froncek said they made efforts to have many festival activities free and accessible, with at least one activity each day free and family-friendly.
“I just think that’s a really special thing, because who doesn’t love a parade, and especially a parade with giant green lake monsters and magic little shows at night?”
“There are a handful of shows where you can just drop in and walk up to them,” Froncek said. “Most of those are happening outside the GreenStar pavilion or the Jewel Box pavilion. Then for kid and family friendly stuff, we’re kicking off the whole thing with a movie night at the Ithaca Farmers Market on that Monday, and then ending all of this at the Cherry which is going to be a kind of box office. The Cherry Art Space will be the final destination.”
Froncek added that with a festival designed to have everything within walking distance, attendees can build their own schedules.
In addition to a movie night on April 27, a bike parade will kick off the performances on April 28. The bike parade will go from the Ithaca Farmers Market to the Cherry Arts building, making stops at venues along the way to see previews of the week’s shows. There is also a walking version of the parade.
“It’s going to be a pretty magical night because people will be in costume,” Fron-
cek said. “We’ll have a little bit of music, and then we'll keep showing up at these spaces that have been activated for little shows for the audience on bike and on foot to see. I just think that’s a really special thing, because who doesn’t love a parade, and especially a parade with giant green lake monsters and magic little shows at night?”
— Sylvie Froncek, festival organizer
This event is made possible by grants from The Community Arts Partnership and Tompkins County tourism. Event sponsors include the Guthrie Clinic and South Hill Entertainment, a production company run by Ithaca College MBA students.
Ithaca city council member Pat Sewell introduced a resolution on April 8 to protect Old Greeny at a recent Common Council meeting. Ben Sandberg, the executive director of The History Center in Tompkins County, said that places like Vermont have protected their respective monsters, and Ithaca should do the same.
“Old Greeny is emblematic of the things that make Ithaca unique: a deep history, a love of storytelling and joy in our relationship with the lake that is both beautiful and dangerous,” Sewell said. “There are stories of Old Greeny attacking people, but there are also stories of Old Greeny helping Freedom Seekers cross the lake on the underground railroad. These stories shape our culture and values and ground our sense of local identity. Protecting our local cryptid also aligns with our offbeat reputation. Ithaca may not have an official map, but it does have an official cryptid. That says a lot about us.”
A newspaper clipping details how dozens of passengers on a steamboat in Seneca Lake claimed to have spotted a lake monster between 25 and 90 feet long with sharp white teeth in 1899. (Photo: Ithaca Times File)
An illustration of Old Greeny by Marshall Hopkins for the Ithaca Times in 2018.
Arts & Entertainment Ithaca’s Hometown Comic Convention Returns to Ithaca College
By Warren Greenwood
ACT I
You’re much stronger than you think you are. Superman, All Star Superman
Kurt Vonnegut, in his extraordinary essay, “How to write with style”, wrote: “Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, and not your games with language, which will be the most compelling element of your style.”
OK. We’re on track here.
I love world cartooning and the people who create it.
( is led to my becoming a professional cartoonist and working in both comics and animation.)
Ergo…I have always loved comic conventions, those gatherings of comic book creators and comics readers. And, incredibly, our green, loopy, progressive little city of Ithaca, N.Y. hosts an annual comic convention: the ITHACON. (Coming up this weekend, people.) ITHACON is the creation of the Comic Book Club of Ithaca (CBCI) and Ithaca College.
Remarkably, the Comic Book Club of Ithaca is the oldest, continuously running comic book club in America. It grew out of a junior high school comic book club founded in
ITHACON 49
Saturday April 25, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday April 26, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Campus Center, Ithaca College 953 Danby Rd., Ithaca, N.Y.
For info & tickets: www.ithacon.org
1974, and was formally established as a community organization in 1975. ey held their rst ITHACON half a century ago in the bicentennial year of 1976. ey had all of two guests. But they were heavyweight guests: comic book writer and editor Len Wein who created Swamp ing with the sublime artist Bernie Wrightson, and Al Milgrom who was drawing Captain Marvel at the time.
ITHACON 1 was nanced on a credit card by then club president, Bill Turner. (Bill went on to guide the ITHACON for the next 50 years. I think of ITHACON as Bill’s artform.)
Over the years, ITHACON had several homes: the Greater Ithaca Activities Center, the Hotel Ithaca, the Masonic Temple, Boynton Middle School, the Women’s Community Building, and the former Race O ce Supplies storefront on the Ithaca Commons. e partnership with Ithaca College began in 2014 with ITHACON 39. Dr. Katharine Kittredge, a professor of English at IC, chaired IC/ITHACON. She is the co-creator of the “From Pippi to Ripley” conferences at IC, which are seminars on the role of women and girls in the science ction and fantasy genres. (Pippi would be the children’s book character Pippi Longstocking, and Ripley is the character that Sigourney Weaver played in the Alien movies.). And, since 2014, ITHACON has been held at the elegant Emerson Suites at IC…an extraordinarily attractive venue (with a staggering, ethereal view of Cayuga Lake in the valley below).
In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. And, like most public events, ITHACON was cancelled. In 2021, it was recon gured as an on-line event. And, happily, in 2022, with the
majority of Americans vaccinated, ITHACON 45 returned as a live event.
And, here in our dystopian future world of 2026, ITHACON has been taken over by a new generation of young people. Professor Ed Catto (a remarkably upbeat and likeable guy) is teaching a course at the IC Business School called ITHACON: Promoting and Managing Conventions.
And the students, as part of the class, are helming the convention. About half the class are comic book a cionados, and the other half are business students interested in putting on conventions and creating start-ups.
(If you actually attend an ITHACON, you can’t help but notice that everything is being run by young people in their late teens and early twenties.)
I think of these youngsters as ITHACON: e Next Generation.
ACT II
We do it because we are compelled. Rorschach, Watchmen
In the past, ITHACON has attracted some world-class guests. A partial list would include: Joe Simon, who created Captain America with Jack Kirby. Curt Swan, the de nitive Superman artist for three decades. Kurt Scha enberger, who drew Lois Lane. Murphy Anderson, who drew Hawkman. Walt Simonson, who wrote and drew or. Louise Simonson, who wrote e New Mutants. Kurt Busiek, who writes Astro City
Continued on Page 17
ITHACON returns to Ithaca College from April 25 to 26. (Photo: Provided)
ITHACON was created by the Comic Book Club of Ithaca and Ithaca College. (Photo: Provided)
Local Artists Represent the Best of American Craftsmanship at Smithsonian Craft Show
By Mikayla Rovenolt
Liz Seru and John Truex, owners of Borough Furnace, a craft cookware company in Owego, NY, have been selected by a juried panel to represent the best of American craftsmanship at the upcoming 2026 Smithsonian Craft Show. This recognition places their work at the highest level of achievement for artistry in metals, with only eight other artists selected to represent the category. Seru and Truex will launch a new collection of artisan furniture at the craft showcase which runs from April 22 through 26 at the National Building Museum in Washington DC.
Each piece is made to be appreciated as a standalone object, but to also integrate into the décor of a home. The work is crafted from enduring materials, bronze, stone and wood, with surfaces that will evolve over time as they are lived with.
“We make different types of cast iron cookware,” Truex said. “The goal with that has been to build up this small craft production workshop that makes handmade, truly crafted skillets out of reclaimed materials. We’re using all recycled metal and reusing our sand that we use for the process, and trying to do it in an environmentally responsible way.”
Truex added that this new venture they are starting at the Smithsonian show is expanding into other types of products for the home, including furniture and fireplace accessories. They will also be selling under their names and dedicating
more time to these larger pieces.
Seru said she hopes that through this show, they will meet other architects and interior designers that she and Truex can collaborate with on these larger projects.
“It’s kind of in between an industrial process and a craft process,” Seru said. “So that’s what we’ve been working on is how to expand that space in between the two. We’re not really a factory, but we’re doing these sorts of micro industrial processes.”
Borough Furnace, which started in 2011, has been widely recognized for its excellence in craftsmanship, appearing in publications such as The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Their workshop was chosen by Anthony Bourdain for the series premier of his web series Raw Craft. Additionally, Borough Furnace has been recognized by the Small Business Administration, winning an SBA Business Excellence Award in 2015, and America’s Test Kitchen has honored their cookware as a best pick for performance and design.
“It’s very easy to get get locked in with your heads down working and certainly like the amount of growth we’ve put into our facility, and our capability has really benefited from that,” Truex said, “but a the opportunity to interact with other people and hear their feedback on the work is so valuable. I think the validation of being chosen for the Smithsonian show just feels really good, and that it is recognition from your peers, but it’s also recognition from an elevated point to say, ‘what you're doing has some value.’”
Both Truex and Seru added that this in-person experience is important to them because while they sell their work online, it is not the same as interacting with people in-person. They said they enjoy their time at the Ithaca Farmers Market and are excited for this experience and for the opportunities to connect with other creators and customers alike.
In addition to the upcoming show, they are also always working behind the scenes to make their processes and materials more sustainable. Seru said these are forever items and that they want to make them in the most sustainable way possible.
“We’re always working on the sustainability load process, and that’s always something that is central to what we’re doing, where we are really focused on this idea of making something out of
nothing,” Truex said. “We’re using metal that we get from the scrap yard, we use these old brake rotors because it’s the high quality of cast iron, so we’re trying to make everything out of these reclaimed materials. Now we’re working on actually making our molds out of cast iron also, so that we can sort of cut some of the other sand and stuff out of the loop.”
With the upcoming showcase at the Smithsonian Seru and Truex are also opening services as a design studio, accepting private commissions and collaborations with interior designers, architects, and companies on bespoke and custom work.
For further information on their new collection, visit www.SeruTruex.com. Work from their cookware brand can be purchased at www.boroughfurnace.com.
continued from page 16
Jerry Ordway, who drew Alan Moore’s Top Ten. Denny O’Neil, the comics writer who created the “relevant” Green Arrow/ Green Lantern books with comics illustrator Neal Adams. John Byrne, the comics artist who revamped the X-Men with the writer Chris Claremont. Frank Miller, who wrote and drew The Dark Knight Returns. Jim Shooter, the former Editorin-Chief of Marvel Comics. And Julius
Schwartz, the DC Comics editor who gave us the Silver Age Flash, Green Lantern, Justice League of America, Batman, Hawkman, The Atom, and the concept of the DC Multiverse. (The Silver Age of Comics ran from 1956 to 1970.)
And there is a stellar line-up of guests for this year’s ITHACON.
There are a lot of them. I counted 32 on the ITHACON website. And they are all astoundingly accomplished. If I listed them all, the long-suffering Reader would pass out from fatigue, so I’ll attempt to sketch in a handful of them:
Roger Stern: Roger Stern is a major American comic book writer who lives here in Ithaca, N.Y. He has written Superman, Green Lantern and the Justice League for DC…and Spider-Man, Captain America, Doctor Strange and The Avengers for Marvel. His prose novel, The Death & Life of Superman was a New York Times bestseller.
J.G. Hertzler: J.G Hertzler spent a lifetime acting in television and film and on the stage. Those of us who love the sci-fi genre know him most fondly for his portrayal of the Klingon General Martok on Deep
Space Nine. Other television credits include Seinfeld, Roswell, Six Feet Under, Touched by an Angel, Quantum Leap, The Highlander, General Hospital, and Lois & Clark.
Nick Sagan: Nick Sagan is a novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of the science fiction novels Idlewild, Edenborn, and Everfree, and has written scripts for episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager. (And, yes, he is the son of that most beloved of Ithacans, the astronomer and activist Carl Sagan.)
Liz Seru and John Truex of Borough Furnace were selected to represent the best of American craftsmanship at the upcoming 2026 Smithsonian Craft Show. (Photo: Provided)
“I Swear”: Robert Aramayo Stuns in Otherwise Ho-Hum Tourette’s Docudrama
By Clement Obropta
There haven’t been many films made about Tourette syndrome. Even fewer that depict it as compassionately, thoughtfully, or progressively as “I Swear,” a British docudrama about Tourette’s activist John Davidson. The film earned lead actor Robert Aramayo a BAFTA, and it’s coming to Cinemapolis on Friday after a triumphant run last year in the U.K.
Born in gorgeous Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, Davidson was only a young lad when he started uncontrollably jerking his head, cursing, sputtering, and spitting — all characteristic tics of Tourette syndrome. Nobody understands him, least of all his mother, who blames him for “acting the fool at the table” and then tells him that he’s “just imagining it.”
Following some family turmoil, a schoolyard scrape, and a suicide attempt, the story leaps forward 13 years to 1996. John, still living with his mother, is offered a life preserver by his good-hearted neighbor Dottie (Maxine Peake), who’s suffering from cancer but wants to give John a good home. From there, he gets a job at the local community center working for the greywhiskered, salty facilities manager Tommy
“I Swear”
Rated R
Directed by Kirk Jones
Playing at Cinemapolis from Friday, April 24 120 E Green St., Ithaca
HOMETOWN COMIC CONVENTION RETURNS
continued from page 17
(Peter Mullan), who sees more in John than just a man with a condition: “I don’t think Tourette’s is the problem,” he says. “I think the problem is, we don’t know enough about Tourette’s. So if you don’t educate the police, the doctors, and the teachers… nothing’s gonna change.”
That speech from Mullan’s lovable scamp who wears his heart on his sleeve typifies a film with good intentions that unabashedly overflows with treacly sentimentality. “I Swear” is smart enough to know its limits, and it’s intermittently good enough to achieve them — director Kirk Jones and his lead actor shoot for an honest dramatic portrayal of Tourette syndrome, pumped full of enough manufactured tissue-grabbing moments and kitchen-sink drama to make the film’s target audience of pensioners proud and properly weepy.
Robert Aramayo’s performance as Davidson is just as measured, considerate, and well-researched as the film around him is bland, tedious, and uninspired. The actor, who projected quiet dignity as a young Ned Stark in “Game of Thrones” and a young Elrond in Amazon’s “The Rings of Power,” completely disappears into the part.
Every click, whistle, and shout feels at once precisely choreographed and also totally spontaneous, all informed by meticulous interviews with real people who have Tourette’s. In Davidson, Aramayo does what many more famous actors have tried and failed to do — he paints a specific, mesmerizing portrait of motor disorder that feels real, authentic, and lived-in rather than a mere collection of quirks or the butt of a joke.
Ethan Young: Ethan Young’s graphic novels include Nanjing: The Burning City (winner of the 2016 Ruben Award for Best Graphic Novel), The Dragon Path, Space Bear, and Life Between Panels. As a cover artist, Young has provided covers for DC, Marvel, Image, IDW, Boom Studios and more. He is currently a character designer on your friendly neighborhood SpiderMan at Marvel Studios.
Nick Parisi: Nicholas Parisi is the author of Rod Serling: His Life, Work, & Imagination, and America’s Twilight Zone: How Rod Serling Forshadowed the Age of Trump He serves as president of the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to preserving Rod Serling’s legacy.
Hart Seely: Hart Seely is the publisher of AHOY Comics, a lively new comics company founded in Syracuse, N.Y. in
Despite the pedestrian direction and a turgid script that meaninglessly ambles through John’s life, the supporting cast all shows up to back up Aramayo. Maxine Peake brings a folksy whimsy to Dottie, easily winning our hearts as the woman who believed in John when no one else did. And Shirley Henderson is magnificent and scary as John’s mother, whose beleaguered demeanor barely masks an inner rage that gives her more in common with her son than she’d probably care to imagine.
Kirk Jones, a director who took a long hiatus after making “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” back to back, seems completely lost on how to actually end the film. At an overlong two hours, “I Swear” eventually falls into a ceaseless rhythm of “and then… and then,” jumping through all the major bullet points of John’s middle-age in a dizzying sequence that sees him earn a medal from the Queen,
2019. He is the editor of three books of found poetry, and the author of two humor books and a memoir, The Juju Rules (Houghton Mifflin). His works have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times and on National Public Radio.
Matt Bors: Matt Bors is an Eisner-winning comics editor and a two-time Pulitzer finalist in editorial cartooning. He is currently writing the Toxic Avenger comic book along with the creator-owned comic Justice Warrior from AHOY Comics.
test a revolutionary new medical device, and seemingly stumble into an advert for ScotRail trains.
I saw “I Swear” when it initially premiered in Scotland back in October 2025, enjoyed it a great deal, probably cried a lot, and then have been dreading revisiting it ever since. It’s not a terrible film, but it’s incredibly safe, predictable, and dull, which is perhaps worse. It will likely educate you about Tourette’s — which, if you remember the clusterfudge of reactions online to the real-life Davidson shouting a racial slur at the BAFTAs, is something the world sorely needs. It will show you some sublime blue Scottish landscapes, and it will almost certainly make you sob — I just wish the film were artful enough to deserve the nuanced, sensitive performance at its core.
Dean Haspiel: Emmy Award-winning cartoonist Dean Haspiel is best known for creating Billy Dogma, collaborating with Harvey Pekar, and illustrating HBO’s Bored to Death. His published work includes writing and drawing for Marvel, Vertigo, Archie and Image on comics such as The Fox, Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, Deadpool, Superman, Wonder Woman and Godzilla And, if that wasn’t enough, he is also an accomplished playwright.
Continued on Page 19
Clement Obropta is a film columnist for the Ithaca Times.
Tourette’s activist John Davidson (Robert Aramayo) accepts a bouquet of flowers. (Photo: IMDb/Graeme Hunter/I Swear Limited/)
To learn more about this unique and ambitious undertaking, here is a link to the fundraiser form where people can make pledges/donations: https://easy-ware-forms.com/hangartheatre/fundrun.
Also, this page on the Hangar eater’s website will be updated blog-style throughout the month: https://hangartheatre.org/support-us/ fund-run-for-the-hangar/
Covering local athletes playing at the collegiate level has always been a focus for me, and I am pleased to see that Kahlen Cornell — a 2023 Dryden graduate — has
Mardi Gras) with a non-competitive cosplay runway where cosplayers can display their creations.
put in some serious work to come back from shoulder surgery, and has worked her way into the pitching rotation to appear in eight games for the Ithaca College Bombers’ so ball team. I watched Kahlen come up through the ranks of youth so ball in Spencer, then saw her become a dominant pitcher at Dryden, where she was, in 2023, the ESPN Ithaca So ball
Athlete of the year. She also made the NYS All State team 2023. I was optimistic when she was recruited to pitch for Georgian Court University in New Jersey, and saddened when she was sidelined by a serious labrum injury. Determined to get back in the game, Kahlen got the surgery, transferred to Ithaca College and put in the work to get into the lineup.
Mike Gold: Mike Gold co-founded the indie comic company First Comics in 1983, serving as president and editing several of their titles. He later became a senior editor and Director of Editorial Development at DC Comics. He currently co-hosts a weekly live video podcast with Bob Harrison called Pop Culture Squadcast.
In addition to the guests, there will be a small army of venders selling comics and comics-related merchandise. And there will be activities for the kids, and entertaining and informative panels and programs for the comics-loving adults.
And, of course, there will be costume play, an integral part of any comic convention (these things are like comics-themed
Act III
Bugger this. I want a better world. Jenny Sparks, e Authority
I am going to recommend that the Perspicacious Reader attend ITHACON 2026. ITHACON is a marvelous, upbeat, human event. A bit like a comic bookthemed festival. And, hopefully, it will make the Reader feel better. is has been a di cult time. Our republic is in the process of morphing into an autocratic state.
We have seen o cers of the state, wearing masks and military gear (looking like hackneyed super-villains) killing and wounding American citizens in the streets.
Forty-six people have died in ICE’s squalid network of detention camps.
As I write this, we are in a quasi-ceasere in yet another cruel, poorly-thought out, and pointless war in the Middle East. e U.S. has bombed a girl’s school in Iran, killing 175 kids. Our secretary of defense boasts of raining “death and destruction from above” on our fellow human beings and o ers public pentagon prayers to “King Jesus”. Our president issues social media posts such as “a whole civilization will die tonight”. at is a lot to feel bad about. One might legitimately ask if this is the time for a comic convention. But I would argue that art is important.
When I was an art student at Syracuse University in the 1970s, I studied with Professor William Fleming, who wrote the book Arts & Ideas, a history of the arts in
the West from the Stone Age to the late 20th century.
In the preface he wrote: “ e history of man is much more than the sum of his military, political, and economic triumphs and failures…to understand the spirit and inner life of a people — the joys, values, and drives that caused them to nd life tolerable and meaningful — one must examine its art, literature, philosophy, dances, and music because these are the instruments by which humankind takes its own measure…”
And I think the artform of the comics is important. And I think it is worthwhile to have an arts festival to celebrate it.
And, hopefully, the ITHACON will o er some relief from this dark and terrible time. So, go. Enjoy. And then let’s got out there and make this a better world. ink of yourself as a superhero.
Summer Camp 2026
ummer
Knee-High Naturalist (Ages 3-4)
Junior Naturalist (Completed Grades Pre-K-3rd)
Master Naturalist (Completed Grades 4th-8th)
Wanderers ( Completed Grades 6th-8th)
Mentor in Training (Completed Grades 8th-10th)
8:00AM- 3:00 PM- Average Price $350/week Discounts Available Extended Care 3:00 PM-5:00 PM |Additional $30-$50
By Ithaca Times and Tompkins County Youth Services Department
GUIDE TO SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMS/CAMPS 2026
The Ithaca Times and Tompkins County Youth Services Department are pleased to bring you this listing of summer camps and programs in and around our area. We are extremely happy that so many summer programs/camps will be o ered this summer.
A few tips as you decide on the most appropriate camp or program for your child(ren).
✱ COVID-19 — precautions and concerns. Camps/programs will be monitoring safety guidelines. Be sure to check directly with the camp if you have questions on speci c guidelines followed. Above all else, the health and safety of your child is most important.
✱ There are di erences between regulated “camps” and programs, workshops, or classes. Regulated camps must be registered with the New York State Health Department and meet speci c criteria. Some programs may be registered as school-aged childcare programs through the Child Development Council but still call themselves camps.
Regulated vs Non-regulated camps: camps that are not required to obtain a permit pursuant to Subpart 72 of the NYS Sanitary Code, are required to post the following at the facility and on its website if applicable: “This camp is not regulated or inspected by the New York State Department of Health and is not required to
obtain a Department of Health permit. This camp is not required to follow Department of Health regulations, including, checking the state sex o ender registry prior to hiring sta ; maintaining minimum sta -to-child ratios; hiring medical personnel; or reporting injuries or illnesses to the Department of Health."
IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS:
1. For questions about camp programming, enrollment, scholarships, before and after camp supervision, and accommodations for youth with disabilities, contact the director of the camp or program.
2. For questions regarding safety or regulations for permitted camps, contact the NYS Attorney General’s O ce, 1-800-771-7755 or Kate Walker at the County's Environmental Health Division, kwalker@tompkins-co.org , 607-274-6688.
3. For questions about camps operated by school-aged childcare programs (SACCs), contact the Child Development Council at 607-273-0259.
4. For parents who receive public assistance, contact the Department of Social Services regarding subsidized fees for 2026 camps, contact: Carrie Baylor @ 607-274-5221 or Carrie.Baylor@dfa.state.ny.us
e content was prepared as a public service by the Tompkins County Youth Services Department. e Department receives tax support from Tompkins County and the New York State O ce of Children and Family Services.
Enjoy and have a safe and healthy summer!
ACTING OUT NY — MOVIE CAMP ‘26
Movie Camp is the main feature at Acting Out. Campers work together as a team to create a short lm. As the actors tackle scene work, they also expand their emotional vocabularies! The week culminates in a PREMIERE event at Cinemapolis where kids will walk the red carpet and watch their creation on the big screen! Campers leave Movie Camp with a profound sense of accomplishment, a boost in con dence and tons of goofy memories with new friends.
AGES: 8-14
SCHEDULE/FEES: June 29 – July 3; July 13-17; Aug. 31 – Sept. 4; 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $420/week. CONTACT: Darcy Rose, (310) 717-5405, biggestpretend@gmail.com , www.actingoutnewyork.com/summer
ARMSTRONG SCHOOL OF DANCE ‘26
Dance School is located at 15 Catherwood Road, Ithaca.
CONTACT: Karen Gorsky, (607) 227-9346, armstrongdance1994@gmail.com , www.armstrongdance.com/our-summer-programs/
Dance Arts Camp
Daily classes in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and hiphop styles of dance. The camp also includes musical theatre, arts and crafts and camp games too! There is a camp show every Friday that families are invited to.
AGES: 5-10
SCHEDULE/FEES: Week sessions: July 6-10; July 13-17; July 20-24; July 27-31. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. $265/week. Before care: 8-9 a.m.; after care: 4-5 p.m.: $55/week.
SUMMER CAMP GUIDE 2026
Pre-Teen/Teen Camp
This camp is especially designed for the level II, III, IV and Team level dancers. Camp includes daily lessons in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and lyrical styles of dance as well as choreography workshops, musical theater, hair/ make-up, and arts and crafts. The camp has a theme chosen by the dancers to create their own performances. The dancers will end the camp with a performance.
AGES: 10-17
SCHEDULE/FEES: Grades 5-12: June 29 – July 2 ($232); Aug. 3-7 ($290); 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Before and After Camp care available 8-9 a.m. and 4-5 p.m.: $55/week
Dance Classes
Weekly classes available for all ages 3-18 in ballet, tap, jazz and lyrical. Each class is a
structured class designed for the individual student consisting of the basic positions, jumps, turns and connecting steps.
AGES: 3-18
SCHEDULE/FEES: Monday – Wednesday; July 6-8; July 13-15; July 20-22; July 27-29. Times vary. $20/class.
Teams Camp
This is a mandatory fun kick-off 4-day camp to begin a new team season. We will take classes in ballet, tap, jazz and lyrical dance. During this time, we will also discuss our team goals, spend time choreographing and working on specific techniques.
AGES: Sr & Jr Dance Teams
SCHEDULE/FEES: Aug. 10-13; 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. $288.
ART FOR ALL AGES with SUZY ROSE ‘26
In this fun and relaxed outdoor art program on Suzy Rose’s 42 acre homestead, children are guided in inspiring explorations of nature and creative self expression. Each day includes nature walks, sharing of children’s books and other artwork for inspiration, and art making. Children are encouraged to discover their own artistic interests, ideas, and styles in painting, drawing, and mixed media, and are also free to use the time for other creative pursuits, such as journaling.
AGES: 6–13
SCHEDULE/FEES: June 29 – July 3; Aug. 24
– 28; Aug. 31 – Sept. 4. $225.00 per child per session, 9 a.m. – noon. $395.00 per child for extended hours, a.m. – 3 p.m. Scholarships available. Class size is limited, so registering as early as possible is a good idea!
CONTACT: Suzy Rose, (607) 242-5498, dreamingrosesbnb@gmail.com , https://www. dreamingrosesecobnb.com/suzys-art
ARTS COOL ‘26
Calling young artists and art-lovers! Since 2019, we have offered classes during the school year, and this is our first year offering four week-long sessions in the summer. We approach art from an “outside the box” perspective, where young learners can expand their artistic voice in a judgement free space, where “happy accidents” can become a masterpiece, and where kids can feel free to make and value “mistakes”. The weeks are medium based and culminate in a last week of mixed media exploration.
AGES: 10-18
SCHEDULE/FEES: Four week-long sessions, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Painting: July 6-10
Drawing: July 20-24
Printmaking: Aug. 3-7
Mixed Media: Aug. 17-21
Weekly fee is $325 – $425, sliding scale. CONTACT: Sara Tro, (206)619-0661, saratrophoto@gmail.com , www.artscoolflx.com
BOW-MAKING CAMP ‘26
Craft an iconic longbow and fletched arrow! Walk in the footsteps of your ancestors and learn to harvest bow staves, weave Flemish strings, and read the wood grain as we tiller our bows to the shape of the crescent moon. With the guidance of experienced bowyers, we will use a variety of hand tools including hatchets, rasps, drawknives, saws, and scrapers. Between carving sessions, we will practice the fundamentals of shooting, play archery games, and share stories of the bow and arrow.
AGES: 13-16
SCHEDULE/FEES: July 13-17, Full day camp, Mon-Fri, 9 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. $435-$535
($448.05-$551.05 Credit Card)
CONTACT: Miranda Sunquist, (607) 272-2292,
primitivepursuits@cornell.edu , https://primitivepursuits.com/bow-making-camp/
BROOKTONDALE SUMMER CAMP ‘26
The BCC summer camp is a play-based day camp, stressing outdoor play that offers crafts, organized sport events, MTG and Pokemon card playing, and cooperative play. We also have a large indoor space. We stress outdoor play giving children time away from structured classes and encourage cooperative play across all ages from 4-14 years old. Snacks are provided twice daily, and children bring their own lunch. There is a theme day every week which varies from special guests to in-camp events such as Olympic Day, Pirate Day, or Field Day. AGES: From 4 (must be entering kindergarten) to 14.
SCHEDULE/FEES: Camp runs from June 29 –Aug. 28, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Fee is $225/week
CONTACT: Nancy Hall, (607) 227-3300, brooktondalesummercamp@gmail.com , www.brooktondalecc.org
CAMP AURORA ‘26
Camp Aurora is a week-long summer day camp in the heart of Downtown Ithaca for kids ages 4-10 that is centered on community, connection, and engagement. Campers will have an opportunity to learn and grow together with an emphasis on selfexpression, creativity, and belonging, with lots of space for free play and building social skills and relationships.
AGES: 4-10
SCHEDULE/FEES: Aug. 17-21, Aug. 24-28. $325 per week.
CONTACT: Madeline Natale, (607) 273-7521, dre@uuithaca.org , https://unitarian.ithaca. ny.us/index.php/camp-aurora-2/
CAMP CODDINGTON ‘26
Camp Coddington is an outdoor summer camp located on 12 acres of beautiful woodland. We provide a schedule of structured activities in a wide variety of areas, as well as opportunities for children to participate in self-directed play within supervised boundaries. Activities offered include arts, crafts, science experiments, nature hikes, field games, sports, interactive group games, talent shows and more! Convenient enrollment options, including part-day and extended care, are available. For children entering K-8th. Youth aged 15+ are encouraged to apply for our youth employment program.
AGES: 4-14
SCHEDULE/FEES: Check website for details, June 29 – Aug. 28.
CONTACT: Jennifer Dean, (607) 277-1434, jennifer.d@coddingtonroad.org , www.coddingtonroad.org/summer-camp/
CAMP HIGHLIGHT ‘26
Highlight provides programming for children with LGBTQ+ caregivers. The one-week overnight camp combines recreation, community, and personal growth. There is a family camp for the whole family too! This program is designed to draw community for LGBTQ+ families. The overnight camp provides the opportunity for campers to learn and grow in a supportive environment while enjoying really fun activities. Family Camp is a weekend where caregivers and their kids are experience the magic of camp together.
AGES: 8-15
SCHEDULE/FEES: August 9-16; See website for details
CONTACT: Jackie Gambardella, (646) 535-2267, info@camphighlight.com , www.camphighlight.com
CANOE EXPLORERS ‘26
Canoe Explorers offers teens an easy-going introduction to the skills and beauties of flatwater paddling. Skills covered: handling canoes and paddles, paddling safety, basic paddle strokes, and how to work with a paddle partner to get the canoe where you want to go. We’ll be doing this in local lakes, inlets, reservoirs and ponds. Please note that this camp will meet at Cornell Cooperative Extension and travel to areas around Ithaca. This camp runs Tuesday-Friday!
AGES: 12-15
SCHEDULE/FEES: July 6-10, Full day camp, 9a.m. – 3:30 p.m. $395-$495 ($406.85-$509.85 with credit card)
CONTACT: Miranda Sunquist, (607) 272-2292, primitivepursuits@cornell.edu , https://primitivepursuits.com/canoe-explorers-new/
CASCADILLA BOAT CLUB — YOUTH LEARN
TO ROW ‘26
Cascadilla Boat Club Youth Learn to Row classes are a fun and safe introduction to rowing equipment, water safety, technique, and boat handling. This program is open to youth aged 12-18, no exceptions. Each day, youth will spend time on land and on the water under the supervision of our fantastic coaches.
AGES: 12-18
SCHEDULE/FEES: 5 week sessions, Monday –Friday 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., June 29 – July 31. $295/week; multi-week discount available. CONTACT: Jonathan Crist, (412) 607-0253, cbcprogramcoordinator@gmail.com , http:// www.cascadillaboatclub.org/learn-to-row1. html
CASS PARK DAY CAMP ‘26
This camp is full of fun activities in the mornings led by specialists for each activity area. The afternoons are pool time! Enjoy a half or full day of camp filled with terrific activities! Campers will enjoy spending their mornings participating in drama and recreation activities, creating art and crafts, sing and playing music. The afternoons are filled with swimming and other activities lead by staff. We also offer special events, Wacky Wednesdays, talent shows, special guests and more! Every day is fun and lets kids explore their interests.
AGES: 5-8
SCHEDULE: Monday – Friday, 2-week sessions, starting June 29 and ending camp on Aug. 14. See website for more details. CONTACT: Anthony Maggio, (607) 273-8364, amaggio@cityofithaca.org , https://www.iybrec. org/camp-and-summer-activities.html
COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND ARTS (CSMA) ‘26
CSMA is a non-profit organization that provides year-round, multi-arts instruction. Held at the CSMA, 330 E. Martin Luther King Jr./ State Street, Ithaca.
CONTACT: Carrie Natale, (607) 272-1474, cnatale@csma-ithaca.org , https://csma-ithaca.org/summer-camps/
Arts All Around You — Weekly Themed Camp (AAAY)
Discover creativity in every corner at the Arts All Around You Camp for ages 6-10! This dynamic camp immerses young artists in handson activities that explore the magic of visual arts, music, dance, and theatrical storytelling. Campers will engage with different art forms, turning everyday surroundings into imaginative canvases and stages. Weekly themes will be announced prior to the camp. Join us for an unforgettable experience that celebrates the joy of artistic exploration and friendship!
SCHEDULE/FEES: July 6 – Aug. 28, 9 a.m. –
3 p.m.; check website for fees.
Visual Arts Camp
Campers ages 10+. Through hands-on classes & guided exploration, participants explore various techniques, experiment with different styles, & bring their imaginative visions to life.
SCHEDULE/FEES: July 20-24, Aug. 3-7, 9 a.m. –3 p.m.; check website for fees
Broadway Bootcamp
Ages 10+. This high-energy camp for those 10+ explores the thrilling & theatrical side of Broadway. Campers will develop their acting, singing, & movement skills while embracing larger-than-life characters, dramatic storytelling, & hauntingly good performances.
SCHEDULE/FEES: Aug. 10-14, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., check website for fees
CORNELL COMMUNITY SAILING YOUTH CLASSES ‘26
Ignite a lifelong passion for sailing with our week-long Community Sailing Youth Class! Tailored sailors aged 8-17, an exciting blend of hands-on sailing, fun activities, and teambuilding exercises. A full day (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) immersive program offering an unforgettable experience that combines learning, adventure, and fun. Participants will learn the fundamentals of sailing, water safety, and seamanship, all while making new friends and enjoying the great outdoors. Young sailors will spend extensive time on the water, practicing their new skills under the watchful eyes of experienced instructors. Enjoy a variety of sailing activities that reinforce key concepts and foster teamwork.
AGES: 8-17
SCHEDULE/FEES: Week sessions starting July 6 – Aug. 14. See website for more details CONTACT: Dustin Patte, (607) 253-2510, merrillsc@cornell.edu https://www.sailatcornell.com/
CORNELL INTERNATIONAL SUMMER DEBATE CAMP ‘26
Experiential debate camp on Cornell's Ithaca campus for middle and high school students. Learn cutting-edge debate skills, primarily in the World Schools Debate (WSD) format, from top Cornell faculty, coaches, and debaters. Gain confidence, practice in exercises and adjudicated tournament debates (WSD format), and meet students from around the world. Receive an official Cornell certificate and enjoy the beautiful campus.
AGES: 12-18
SCHEDULE/FEES: July 25 – Aug. 3, check website for details.
CONTACT: Armands Revelins, (607) 233-0976, debate@corenell.edu , https://www.ilr.cornell. edu/cornell-international-debate-camp
DANBY ART CAMP ‘26
Five days of fine arts, for adults and children
alike in the countryside. Watercolor, color pencils, pastels, charcoal, pen and ink. Explore still life, fantasy, work from photos, portrait, landscape, abstract. Imagination is the only limit! Combination children and adults/parents are fun or come with a friend/sibling. AGES: 7 and up
SCHEDULE/FEES: June 29 – July 3, July 27 –31, Aug. 17-21. $200 per camper/week.
CONTACT: Camille Doucet, (607) 272-8781, doucetcamille@gmail.com , www.Camilledoucetwatercolor.com
DANBY RURAL YOUTH SERVICES ‘26
Programming offered all summer long for youth in grades 4-8 who reside in Danby. Many different programs are offered with a variety of topics and activities. In “Sky’s the Limit,” youth will explore flight, rockets, birds, and more. “Get Lost” focuses on outdoor exploration and survival techniques. “D&D: Beyond the Table” takes participants through a live-action D&D campaign (beginners welcome!).
AGES: Grades 4-8, (ages 8-14)
SCHEDULE: Check website.
CONTACT: Jorin Clougherty, (607) 319-3338, jc3842@cornell.edu , https://ccetompkins.org/4h-youth/rural-youth-services/rys-program-sites/ town-of-danby
DIGIVATIONS INSTITUTE ‘26
CONTACT: Dr. Anne Deane Berman, PhD, (650) 283–5440, anne@digivations.org , www.digivationsacademiesandcamps.org
Digivations Camp Demigod Institute
The legacy program behind the world’s first overnight Camp Half-Blood experience, designed for imaginative young thinkers who enjoy storytelling, science, strategy, mythology, & collaborative quests.
• World-building and immersive role play
• Greek mythology, Ancient Greece, and speculative fiction
• Creative writing, art, music, and theater
• Strategy games and quests
• SoundQuest listening and storytelling experiences
• Outdoor exploration and capture-the-flag style challenges
• Martial arts inspired training and teamwork activities
Built on the belief that children have extraordinary creative potential and thrive when surrounded by peers who share curiosity, imagination, and kindness.
AGES: 10-13
SCHEDULE: July 5-11. Check website for details.
Summer Pre-Collegiate Academy
The Academy is designed for motivated high school students ready for serious intellectual and creative work. Students design original projects, build portfolios, and explore interdisciplinary topics such as:
• Innovation and entrepreneurship
• Creative and performing arts
• Writing, music composition, and storytelling
• Ethics, diplomacy, and leadership
• STEM fields including AI, biotechnology, space science, and sustainability
• Systems thinking and design
Participants work closely with faculty mentors while developing work that can contribute to college applications and future academic pathways.
AGES: 14-18
SCHEDULE: July 12 – Aug. 1. Check website for details.
Digivations XGens Model UN
Students engage in high-level diplomacy, research, and role-playing simulations focused on the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Participants:
• Research global challenges
• Develop policy proposals
• Participate in Model UN simulations
• Practice negotiation and debate
• Prepare for participation in major conferences such as Harvard, Yale, and Cornell Model UN
Students who continue with DIGIVATIONS may participate in the DIGIVATIONS XGENS Model UN Delegation, attending conferences during the academic year.
AGES: 14-18
SCHEDULE: July 26 – Aug. 1. Check website for details.
DRYDEN RURAL YOUTH SERVICES ‘26
Dryden Youth Programs is offering an exciting array of fun, engaging programs for Dryden youth ages 9-14 for the summer of 2026. Programs take place in different locations each week around the Town of Dryden. Programs include Primitive Pursuits, Outdoor Cooking, Hiking, Summer Olympics, Environmental Explorers, Get Lost & Crafts. Please use the following link for more information and to register your child, https://bit.ly/Drydenrys website for detailed information and enrollment information.
AGES: 9-14
CONTACT: David Hall, (607) 592-5314, dh67@cornell.edu , https://bit.ly/Drydenrys
DRYDEN OURS RURAL YOUTH SERVICES ‘26
Dryden OURS Programs are for youth 3rd – 5th grade. Programs include activities, lessons, and field trips that cover a wide range of topics, including; arts & crafts, outdoor education and exploration, organized sports, cooking, and more. These programs often collaborate with other school districts, such as Sky’s the Limit program, where students explore flight, birding, and rocketry. Other programs include a week at the Cornell Botanical Gardens, a Boat Building/Engineering week, and more!
AGES: youth in grades 3-5 (ages 8-11)
CONTACT: Gabe Craig, (315)323-1038, gdc74@cornell.edu , https://ccetompkins.org/4h-youth/rural-youth-services/rys-program-sites/ dryden-o-u-r-s
ENFIELD SUMMER DAY CAMP ‘26
Enfield Summer Camp, hosted by Cornell Youth Extension’s 4-H and Rural Youth Services, provides a dynamic summer experience for children and teens ages 5-13. Campers have the opportunity to explore diverse activities such as outdoor exploration, artistic expression, and sports. Our programs focus on skill-building, teamwork, personal growth and fun through a supportive and engaging environment.
AGES: 5-13
SCHEDULE/FEES: July 6 – Aug. 14; 8 a.m. –4:30 p.m. $220/week for Enfield residents, $275/week for non-residents.
CONTACT: Spencer Van Epps, Camp Director, (607) 288-2989, enfieldcamp@cornell.edu , https://bit.ly/enfieldsummercamp
ESI — ITHACA AREA YOUTH SOCCER CAMP at CORNELL WOMEN’S SOCCER ‘26 Soccer Camp, for kids ages 5-13, offers a fun and safe space for players of all ability levels to improve their soccer skills and build a love for the game. Campers will participate in
training sessions and scrimmages, as well as off-field activities such as scavenger hunts, ice breaker games and more! Camp is directed by Kelsey Ferguson (former Cornell Women’s Soccer Assistant), and staffed by current Cornell Staff Coaches and players.
AGES: 5-13
SCHEDULE/FEES: June 29 – July 2, 8:30 a.m. –2:45 p.m.
CONTACT: Kelsey Ferguson, (518) 332-3375, info@elitesoccerithaca.com , https://www.elitesoccerithaca.com/community-youth-camps. html
GENDER CREATIVES ‘26
This camp creates an intentional community for transgender, gender-nonconforming, questioning, or non-binary youth. It will be led, in part, by adult mentors who also identify as LGBTQIA+. Singing, theater games, and artistic endeavors merge with naturalist, outdoor living, and ancestral Earth skills in this creativity-focused week. Weaving our stories together, we will create the basket that will carry us through this week and beyond.
AGES: 11-15
SCHEDULE/FEES: Full day camp, Mon. – Fri., 9 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.; July 13-17
$395-$495 ($406.85-$509.85 with credit card)
CONTACT: Miranda Sunquist, (607) 272-2292, primitivepursuits@cornell.edu , https://primitivepursuits.com/gender-creatives/
GIFTS OF THE DEER ‘26
Learn the steps of processing hides into rawhide and buckskin. Explore white tail deer movement, habitat, tracks, and role in the ecology of our region. We will cultivate an attitude of reverence for the gifts and the work. This camp offers a unique opportunity to learn an advanced nature skill in a supportive environment.
*This camp is very labor intensive and campers will be working directly with a deer hide, therefore it may not be suitable for all youth ages 13-16*
AGES: 13-16
SCHEDULE/FEES: Aug. 10-14, Full day camp, Mon-Fri, 9 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. $410-$510 ($422.30-$530.30 with credit card)
CONTACT: Miranda Sunquist, (607) 272-2292, primitivepursuits@cornell.edu , https://primitivepursuits.com/gifts-of-the-deer/
GRASSROOTS CULTURE CAMP ‘26
GrassRoots Culture Camp is July 12-15, the four days leading up to the GrassRoots Festival in Trumansburg NY. All levels and ages welcome. Culture Camp is a unique opportunity to immerse oneself for four days in music, dance, art, and yoga workshops with nightly dinners & dances. Workshops are taught by GrassRoots’ favorites, national and international artists. Nightly dinners and dances are included with camp and are open to the public. Info. at grassrootsfest.org/culture-camp
AGES: 5-18
SCHEDULE/FEES: July 12-15, check website for options and fees.
CONTACT: GrassRoots Festival Office, (607) 387-5098, nevinsmiller@aol.com , https://grassrootsfest. org/culture-camp
GROTON YOUTH SERVICES SUMMER CAMP ‘26
We offer a great Day Camp Program with Breakfast & Lunch included. Programs include Outdoor Games & Activities, Weekly Themes, Nature Time, Swimming & Swim Lessons as needed, Arts & Crafts, Trips like Bowling & Yemen Park and Guest Speakers! Camp runs 6 weeks from July 6 to August 14, 2026, Mon. –
Fri., 7:45 a.m. – 4 p.m. Campers between ages are 5 to 12 years old.
AGES: 5-12
SCHEDULE/FEES: July 6 – Aug. 14; Monday –Friday, 7:45 a.m. – 4 p.m. $200/week. After camp care available 4 – 5:30 p.m. for an additional $25/week.
CONTACT: Keith Davenport, (315) 283-5467, grotoncamp@cornell.edu , https://bit.ly/grotoncamp
IC3 SUMMER CAMP ‘26
Join us at IC3's 2026 Summer Camp! IC3 Summer Camp offers children entering grades K-5 a lively learning environment in which to play, create, and explore. Campers will take nature walks, play water games, prepare healthy snacks, make arts & crafts, host guests from the community, weekly trips to swim, and go on a variety of field trips. Daily snacks are provided and campers need to bring their own bag lunch and a water bottle. IC3 Summer Camp is a peanut and tree nut free environment.
AGES: 5-10, Grades K – 5
SCHEDULE/FEES: 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., limited spaces for before camp care from 7:30-9:00 a.m. Week 1 from June 29 – July 2, $248, before care $44; Weeks 2-10 July 6 – Sept. 4, $310/week; Before care $56/week, see website for more details.
CONTACT: Staci Higgins (607) 257–0200, info@icthree.org , https://icthree.org/programs/ summer-camp/
ERNATIONAL MUSIC CAMP ‘26
An immersive music camp for middle and high school students of all abilities. Held at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY. Esteemed educators and world-class artists nurture young talent in a fun, supportive environment. Campers explore various styles, instruments, and skills, including performance, songwriting, voice, and music production/sound/audio. Activities include classes, private lessons, and ensemble participation (chorus, band, orchestra). No audition required. A stronger love of music, new friends, and a sense of accomplishment. Led by outstanding faculty and Grammy-award musicians, the camp offers a rich curriculum of classes, recitals, workshops and performances.
AGES: Middle and High school age, ~12-18 SCHEDULE/FEES: June 21-29, check website for fees
CONTACT: M Jonah, (315) 515-9507, camp@musiccamp.us , https://musiccamp.us
ITHACA BALLET SUMMER DANCE PROGRAM ‘26
Dancers from 7-18 years old are welcome; previous ballet training is not required. Dancers will be placed into Advanced, Intermediate, or
Basic level depending on dance background and age. We have more than 40 years of experience in training dancers with an intensive summer program that provides a solid foundation in classical ballet combined with modern and jazz classes. This summer will be an exciting opportunity for dancers to develop their dance skills and make new friends.
AGES: 7-18
SCHEDULE/FEES: Students may attend a 3 or 6 week session: June 29 – Aug. 7, June 29 –July 17, July 20 – Aug. 7. Program runs from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
See website for more details on fees. CONTACT: Amy O’Brien, (607) 319-0147, summercamp@ithacaballet.org , https://ithacaballet.org/summer-2026
ITHACA MEDIA ARTS ‘26
Ithaca Media Arts, 1458 Slaterville Road, Ithaca (near East Hill Plaza). Ithaca Media Arts campers learn valuable skills, build self-confidence and self-esteem, and above all — have fun! See website for full descriptions, dates, details. Ithaca Media Arts Day Campers create awesome Media and Tech fun: Animation, Roblox, Filmmaking, Virtual Reality, Robotics, TV News, 3D Prints, PC-Building, and more! CONTACT: Cliff Roth, (607) 272-3580, info@ithaca-media.com , https://www.ithacamedia.org/services-view/full-half-day-campprograms/
MEDIA & TECH SUMMER CAMP FULL DAY — SCHOOL DAY — MORNINGS — AFTERNOONS Campers explore Roblox Game Design, Robotics, Lego Animation, Filmmaking, 3D Printing, Stop Motion, CGI, Acting, Coding, TV News, Green Screen, Circuits, Puppets, Build-a-PC (add’l). Afternoon Roblox & Minecraft play. Teen studio has Alienware Gaming, AI, Synthesizers & Graphics! Vive VR games (walk around!) Science/STEM/STEAM!
9 a.m. – 4 p.m. M-F Weekly from June 29 –Sept. 4. Fee (ages 5-8): $545 for 1 week, $324/ wk for 10 weeks; (ages 9-16): $595 for 1 week, $350/wk for 10 weeks. optional early/late.
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. M.–F. Weekly from June 29 –Sept. 4. Fee (ages 5-8): $445 for 1 week, $265/ wk for 10 weeks; Fee (ages 9-17): $495 for 1 week, $295/wk for 10 wks.
9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. M.–F. Weekly fun June 29 – Sept. 4. Fee (ages 5-8): $295 for 1 week or $175/wk for 10 weeks; Fee (ages 9-16): $325 for 1 week, or $189/wk for 10 weeks. Optional early/late.
12:30 to 4:00 p.m. M.–F. Weekly from June 30 – Aug. 29. Fee (ages 5-8): $295 for 1 week or $175/wk for 10 weeks; Fee (ages 9-16): $325 for 1 week, or $189/wk for 10 weeks. Optional early/late.
ENGINEERING/TECH CAMP — FULL DAY for ages 8-17. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. M.–F. Campers start with Robotics (Lego Mindstorms, BattleBots) & Snap Circuits, then Computer Aided Design (CAD) and 3D Printing (small toys and figures), break for outdoor picnic lunch and play, then Game Design with Roblox and Coding or Building Web Sites, or PC Building (extra fee optional take-home gaming PCs) and Drone Piloting! End with a Roblox & Minecraft Gaming Party!Vive VR too! Science / STEM / STEAM. Fee: $595 for 1 week ($350/wk for 10 weeks.)
GAMES & GAME MAKING AFTERNOONS
1 – 4 p.m. M.–F. Create your own Roblox games to play on a browser, smartphone or Xbox using the Roblox Studio multi-player game building platform. Campers create virtual places and can learn Lua coding to make
a complete game. Minecraft play too! Taught by Gerry Roth, author of “ROBLOX Building Guide” (most weeks.) Science / STEM / STEAM! (Multiple weeks suggested to build complex games.) June 29 – Sept. 4. Ages 8-17. Fee: $325 for 1 week; or $190/week for 10 weeks.
FILM & ANIMATION ACADEMY WEEKLY DAY CAMP
Ages 8-17. Create animated and live action digital shorts! Learn a variety of production techniques, a different focus in the mornings and afternoons each week, including Lego Animation, Live Action, Green Screen Studio, Claymation, Stop Motion, CGI Animation, TV News, Music Video, iPad Animation, Sci-Fi, Cel, White Board. Ages 8-17. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. M-F. Fee: $595 for 1 week, $350/wk for 10-week film school camp.) Mornings or Afternoons ($325 for 1 week, $190/wk for 10 weeks.) Cinemapolis screening! June 29 – Sept. 4.
iPAD FILMMAKER & ANIMATION CAMP for ages 7-17. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. M.–F. Campers use iPads to create animation in the morning. In the afternoons we shoot live action videos. Use the iPad as a TV studio you can carry anywhere! Individual and group video projects using the Apple iPad as a camera, animation system and for editing. (Plus, see camp creations on a huge movie screen at our annual Cinemapolis movie theater screening!). Weekly from June 29 – Sept. 4. Fee: $595 for 1 week, $350/wk for 10 weeks. Optional late pick-up / early drop off.
BUILD YOUR OWN COMPUTER CAMP
ages 10-19. 1 to 4 p.m. M.–F. Experience the pride & joy of building a fully functioning Windows PC or Raspberry Pi Linux microcomputer and take it home after camp is over! Explore a computer's inner workings. Understand how parts work and affect performance. Choose from Basic, Mid-Range, High Performance Gaming or Ultimate Gaming, or bring your own parts. Science / STEM / STEAM! Available by the week, 1 to 4 p.m. M.–F., June 29 – Sept. 4. Fees range from $395 up depending on options selected. (Companion fee is $295).
TRY-IT at ITHACA MEDIA ARTS CAMP
Ages 4-18. Not sure if Ithaca Media Arts is the right fit? Try-It Camp is an easy way to check us out. A low-cost, low-risk, no-commitment way to try Ithaca Media Arts Summer Camp. Get a taste of several fun and creative activities from the Tech and Media / Animation camps. This is a SINGLE-DAY, 3-hour program offered 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Tuesdays or Thursdays for most weeks in July and Aug. Includes supervised outdoor lunch and recreation in our picnic area (bring lunch). Fee: $60, one session.
PLAYHOUSE PUPPET & ANIMATION & ART CAMP
Our youngest campers ages 4-9 enjoy their own special studio to explore video and animation and technology and art projects. Green screen puppet studio: Campers' puppets appear in Outer Space, on the Moon, in front of the Eiffel Tower! Lego animation, flip books, claymation, sound effects and fun! One week fees vary from $295 for Mornings or Afternoons (or $174/wk for 10wks) to $445 for school day or $545 (or $325/wk for 10wks) for Full Day. (Our only program for 4-year olds!) June 29-Sept. 4.
JUNIOR FILMMAKER CAMP
Campers work creatively, in the morning making Lego animations and Claymation, and then in the afternoon it’s time for acting
in short skits and puppet shows or TV news reports. We also go outside to play when the weather is good (usually), or play inside. Includes a supervised lunch period and morning and afternoon snack breaks. Weekly from June 29 – Sep. 4. Full day, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., for ages 5-8. Fee: $545 for 1 week, or $325/wk for 10 weeks. Optional early drop-off and late pick-up available.
ITHACA WALDORF SCHOOL — SUMMER PROGRAM ‘26
Ithaca Waldorf School is located at 20 Nelson Road, Ithaca. Waldorf-style days include outdoor play in our fields, forests, and playgrounds; natural material arts & crafts; song and story; and farm animal care; all screenfree. Outdoor play, art & craft, and farm animal care, all screen-free. Gentle rhythm of imaginative play and teacher-directed activity for younger children; STEAM-themed weeks for older children: Printing & Weaving, Agricultural Arts, Theatre & Improv, Leatherworking, Rhythm & Music, Visual Art. Focus on community building, enjoying nature in all weather, creativity, and the joy of childhood.
AGES: 4-12
SCHEDULE/FEES: Weekly sessions July 6 –Aug. 14; 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., full-and half-day 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Check website for fees.
CONTACT: Dolan Polglaze, (607) 256-2020, marketing@ithacawaldorf.org , www.ithacawaldorf.org/summer-program
JYC SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMS ‘26
Engaging, fun, and educational summer programs for middle school youth who live in the Towns of Caroline or Ithaca (not City), and Villages of Cayuga Heights or Lansing. Free with donations welcome. Middle-school age youth programs offered on a variety of topics such as photography, volunteering, art, cooking and camping/outdoor exploration. Our popular Sky’s the Limit Program explores flight, birding, space and rocketry. Lake Life, our Cayuga Lake discovery program, is offered with a cruise with the Floating Classroom. Other programs this summer include a collaborative Art and Plant Exploration program with Cornell Botanic Gardens staff, DIY Summer Edition, and Outdoor Adventures. AGES: 10-14, Middle School age CONTACT: Beth Bannister, (607) 227-9532, bab47@cornell.edu , http://ccetompkins.org/4h-youth/rural-youth-services/rys-program-sites/ joint-youth-commission
KING MONTESSORI ACADEMY SUMMER NATURE CAMP ‘26
King Montessori Academy Summer Nature Camp
Inspiring your child’s creativity and thirst for learning through safe, fun exploration of nature and daily science activities in our school. 320 E. King Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850
7/6-10: Rocks Rock!
7/13-17: Dinosaur Dynasty!
7/20-24: Our Amazing Oceans! 1
7/27-31: Our Amazing Oceans!2
8/3-7 Water is Life!
8/10-14: Reptiles & Amphibians!
8/17-21: Small Mammals of the Cayuga Basin, 8/24-28: Beneficial Birds & Bugs!
$375/wk. Multiple-week discount
See website for details
CONTACT: James Semp, (607) 227-4727, kingmontessoriacademy@gmail.com , http://www.kingmontessoriacademy.com
LANSING RURAL YOUTH SERVICES — SUMMER SKIES ‘26
2026 Lansing Rural Youth Services offers pro -
grams of varying of topics such as cardboard boat building, Cornell Botanical Gardens program, art, cooking and outdoor exploration. Programs also explore flight and the local historical connection of soaring and flight, birding, space and rocketry. Our Cayuga Lake exploration program, includes a cruise on the Floating Classroom. Other programs include iron chef, outdoor cooking, a trip to a minor league METS baseball game, and a DIY program.
AGES: 10-15
CONTACT: Travis Judd, (845)551-9075, ttj22@cornell.edu , https://ccetompkins.org/4-hyouth/rural-youth-services/rys-program-sites/ lansing-town
LANSING PARKS & RECREATION ‘26
CONTACT: Meggie Conley, (607) 533-7388, mconley@lansingtown.com , https://lansingrec.com
Adam Heck Soccer Camp
This year’s staff will consist of highly qualified coaches and players who have coached and played at the high school and collegiate level. Many of these coaches return year after year to deliver consistent, high-quality instruction! We’ve included goalkeeper training and some of the area’s collegiate coaches will also be in attendance to provide technical and tactical sessions.
The camp offers young players the chance to improve their overall game in an environment suitable for all skill levels. Assisting in this camp are talented coaches and instructors from the community and school district. Coaches will offer instruction and fun game situations. Suitable for all skill levels. Grades K-10.
AGES: Grades K – 10
SCHEDULE/FEES: Aug. 3-7. Grades K – 3 (9 a.m. – noon), Grades 4-10 (8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.), Cost: $85.00 for half day camp (K-3rd grade) and $165.00 for full day camp (4-10th grade)
Myers Park Day Camp
Enjoy Day Camp at beautiful Myers Park! We will be offering five sessions this summer. Enjoy traditional camp games, new games and activities, sports, crafts, picnic lunches, quiet reading times under the trees and field trips. In the past, we have traveled to visit the Sciencenter, Hanger Theater, gone on local farm tours, taken swimming trips and have enjoyed water sports adventures with PaddleN-More, located in Myers Park. Before & after camp care are available!
AGES: 5-12 (must have completed Kindergarten)
SCHEDULE/FEES: June 29 – July 3, July 6-10, July 13-17, July 20 – 24, July 27-31. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; $185/week. Before/after camp available, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., $80/wk.
LIME HOLLOW SUMMER ADVENTURE DAY CAMP ‘26
Come join us for an outdoor adventure. You can sign up for 1 week or all 9! Lime Hollow is the perfect place to spend
summer days! Each week offers a unique theme which promises to inspire a deep connection to nature, gets kids socializing, while playing and learning outdoors all day! Weekly fees vary by the camp. Visit our website for more details. $50/week is due at enrollment to secure your spot and the remaining balance will be automatically broken up into payments charged monthly on the 20th of the month until June. Scholarship funding available upon requests.
AGES: 3-15
SCHEDULE: All camps are 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. with an extended care option until 5 p.m. Nine weeks of summer camp starting the week of June 29 and run through Aug. 28. Check website for details.
CONTACT: Rachel Bevins, (607) 662-4632, info@limehollow.org , www.limehollow.org/ summer-camp
LIONS CAMP BADGER ‘26
Operated by Empire State Special Needs Experience, Inc. Offering summer camp programming for individuals, for all ages 6 – 60+, with special needs and diverse abilities. We offer overnight and day camp options. Campers enjoy swimming, athletics, arts & crafts, fishing, boating, and campfires in a residential setting. Camper-centered programming that accommodates a wide range of interests. Our site is rustic, but all of our activity buildings and most sleeping cabins are accessible. Camp begins in late June through first week of August. Sessions run Sunday afternoon and end Friday afternoon. Registration opens in mid-January and closes May.
AGES: 6+
SCHEDULE/FEES: Weekly sessions begin late June and run through early August; see website for details.
CONTACT: Cynthia Reuter, (607) 589-4800, lionscampbadger@htva.net , www.lionscb.org
LUNA RISING ‘26
Luna’s Rising explores the feminine and welcomes non-binary teens & teens who are exploring their relationship with the feminine. Campers will craft spoons and baskets, learn to split wood, and other earth skills. In a state of life transition from childhood towards adolescence, these girls find support and inspiration to author the next phase of their journey. Luna's Rising is a space for young womyn to work towards empowered self reliance in a supportive and fun community.
AGES: 13-16
SCHEDULE/FEES: Full day camp, Mon. – Fri., 9 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.; July 27-31. $395-$495 ($406.85-$509.85 with credit card) optional overnight on Thursday for an additional $80.
CONTACT: Miranda Sunquist, (607) 272-2292, primitivepursuits@cornell.edu , https://primitivepursuits.com/lunas-rising/
NATURE MYSTICS ‘26
We’ll create a camp designed for aesthetics and quiet minds so we can explore the nature of art, beauty and taste. Movement and stillness will balance our days. You will be invited to cultivate skills of the mystic that draw you in; story-teller, dream-weaver, empathic intuitive, future-seer. You’ll connect with nature’s mysteries, tap into your inner wisdom, and shine a light on the gifts you are meant to bring to the world!
AGES: 11-14
SCHEDULE/FEES: July 6-10, Full day camp, Mon. – Fri., 9 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. $395-$495
($406.85-$509.85 with credit card)
CONTACT: Miranda Sunquist, (607) 272-2292, primitivepursuits@cornell.edu , https://primitivepursuits.com/nature-mystics/
NEWFIELD PUBLIC LIBRARY ‘26
NPL Summer Reading Program
Join the fun this summer at Newfield Public Library! Our free summer program is July 1 –Aug. 12. Activities for the whole family plus lots of chances to win prizes! NPL’s 2026 dinosaur themed program is 6 weeks of fun for the whole family and it is free! Registration opens Monday, June 15 with a visit from Tanglewood Nature Center at 3:30 p.m. Some other highlights include The Museum of the Earth, “Digging Dinosaurs” by storyteller Diane Edgecomb, the REV Theatre Company’s new show “Jack and the Turnip Root”, David Black’s “Dino-Tastic Adventure”, art workshops with Jill Lavetsky, book clubs, trivia, movies, games, a free book every week, prizes, and more! See our website for details.
AGES: All Ages
SCHEDULE/FEES: July 1 – Aug. 12; FREE CONTACT: Sue Chaffee, (607) 564-3594, newfieldlibrary@gmail.com , https://newfieldpubliclibrary.org/
NEWFIELD YOUTH SERVICES ‘26
Spanning a wide range of interests and settings, Rural Youth Services (RYS) in Newfield has something for everybody this Summer. RYS Newfield is a free Summer Program with weekly themes like building, DnD, outdoor exploration, and much more. These programs are available to any Youth in Newfield between 4th and 8th grade. Several of these programs are collaborations with other Tompkins County Youth groups, providing youth opportunities to meet new friends and see new places.
AGES: youth in grades 4-8 (ages 9-14)
CONTACT: Garrett Jones, (607) 272-2292, gj235@cornell.edu , https://ccetompkins.org/4h-youth/rural-youth-services/newfield
NIGHT OWLS ‘26
Come find out what happens to 4-H Acres when all the other campers go home and the wild things return to their haunts. Sleep in as long as you like this week! Camp runs from 4:30 p.m. – 10 p.m., and ends Friday morning after a Thursday night campout* under the moon and stars! Our torches will burn bright as we play our favorite games in the shadows, tell tales around the fire, and shish kabob every last thing in our lunch boxes. *Fee includes campout!
AGES: 11-14
SCHEDULE/FEES: Evening camp Aug. 10-14; 4:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Optional sleepover on Thursday Aug. 13. $395-$495 ($406.85-$509.85 with credit card)
CONTACT: Miranda Sunquist, (607) 272-2292, primitivepursuits@cornell.edu , https://primitivepursuits.com/night-owls/
OPUS ITHACA SCHOOL OF MUSIC ‘26
Opus Ithaca School of Music, located in the lower level of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Ithaca, 402 N. Aurora Street, Ithaca. (607)-220-3026, https://opusithaca.org/
Summer Sing Camp
Come experience the joy of group singing! Singers will learn a variety of songs, vocal and performance techniques, musicianship activities with solfège and rhythms, musical games, movement, and choir and musical theatre elements, and give a group performance at the end of the week. New singers and singers from Odyssey Choir are welcome!
AGES: 9-13, (treble voices).
SCHEDULE/FEES: Aug. 10-14, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. $375, scholarships available. CONTACT: Elizabeth Shuhan, lizshuhan@opusithaca.org , https://opusithaca. org/summer-camp/summer-sing-camp
Flute Camp
Have fun and make music together! Private lessons, chamber music, flute ensemble, masterclasses, and outdoor activities. Flute Camp faculty: Elizabeth Shuhan and Juliana Pepinsky. For ages 8-18 with at least one year of experience.
AGES: 8-18
SCHEDULE/FEES: Aug. 17-21, 9:30 a.m. -3:30 p.m. $375, scholarships available.
CONTACT: Elizabeth Shuhan, lizshuhan@opusithaca.org , https://opusithaca. org/summer-camp/flute-camps
Chamber Music for Strings Summer Workshop
A 3-day strings chamber music workshop for intermediate to advanced string players, ages 11-adult (violin, viola, cello, and bass). Develop confidence in ensemble playing and musical communication. Experience chamber music's collaborative and creative nature while strengthening your note-reading and rhythmic skills. Participants will work with Opus faculty to prepare pieces for a culminating performance. Outside of rehearsals, participants will have opportunities to practice performing in supportive group masterclasses, as well as expanding their musical knowledge through music theory classes and improvisation sessions.
AGES: 11+
SCHEDULE/FEES: June 29 – July 1, 9:30 a.m. –3:30 p.m. $275/student, scholarships available. CONTACT: Elizabeth Shuhan, lizshuhan@opusithaca.org , https://opusithaca. org/summer-camp/chamber-music-for-stringsworkshop
Music Makers Camp
Explore singing, movement, rhythm, and instruments. Come experience the joy of making music through songs, games, and creative activities! Students will develop and explore foundational musical experiences through their singing voice, movement, beat and rhythmic activities; experience musical comparatives (high vs. low notes, fast vs. slow, etc.); and explore a variety of instruments. Come learn, sing, and play!
AGES: 5-8
SCHEDULE/FEES: Aug. 3-7, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., $375/student, scholarships available. CONTACT: Elizabeth Shuhan, lizshuhan@opusithaca.org , https://opusithaca. org/summer-camp/music-makers-camp
Jazz Camp
A week of jazz, improvisation, jazz history, listening, and all things jazz! We will have
introductory-level groups, as well as more advanced groups, based on experience and ability. Faculty will include Paul Merrill, Peter Chwazik, Melissa Gardiner, and guest artists. This camp is for drum, bass, guitar, piano, brass, and woodwind students with at least two years of experience playing their instrument.
AGES: 12-18
SCHEDULE/FEES: July 13-17, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. $375/student, scholarships available. CONTACT: Elizabeth Shuhan, lizshuhan@opusithaca.org, https://opusithaca. org/summer-camp/jazz-camp
Piano Camp
Campers will play piano ensemble music, experience pipe organ and harpsichord, explore improvisation, practice ear training and theory, and have fun exploring the piano! For our older and more advanced students, special classes are designed to enhance theory and ear training skills, as well as technique and performance. Each student will have one lesson with an Opus Ithaca faculty member. For kids 8+ with at least two years of piano lessons.
AGES: 8-18
SCHEDULE/FEES: July 27-31, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. $375/student, scholarships available. CONTACT: Elizabeth Shuhan, lizshuhan@opusithaca.org , https://opusithaca. org/summer-camp/piano-camp
PAINTED BAR STABLES ‘26
CONTACT: Erika Eckstrom, (607) 316-8141, ride@paintedbarstables.com , https://paintedbarstables.com/camps.html#youth
Horseback Trail Experience Camp
The perfect camp for young riders who want to participate in trail riding adventures. With a small group size (limit of 7 youth!), shorter days and additional instructors, the trail experience camp is designed to get younger campers out in the woods. Trail Experience Camp consists of two half days and a full day emphasizing getting youth out on trail while balancing lessons in caretaking and responsibility.
AGES: 8-10
SCHEDULE: June 24-26 (24 & 25 1-4 p.m. and 26 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.). $300
Adventure Horse Camp
An intensive horseback adventure for youth, this camp is one that focus on fun and adventures from the ground up. Our adventures are geared towards encouraging our riders to develop the following skills: Relationship Building with their Horse, Problem Solving, Pushing Boundaries, Barn and Stable Management.
Riders of all levels are welcome. No experience is necessary, new riders should be brave & willing.
AGES: 10-17
SCHEDULE: July 6-10; July 20-24; 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $750/week
Horseplay Pee Wee Camp
The Horseplay Pee Wee Day Camp is an intensive day of horses for youth. This camp hits on all aspects of the horse experience in just one day! Riders of all levels are welcome. No experience is necessary, new riders should be brave & willing.
AGES: 6-9
SCHEDULE: May 25; June 19; more dates tbd. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. $150/day.
PRIMITIVE PURSUITS 4-H ‘26
Primitive Pursuits is a nonprofit 4-H program of Cornell Cooperative Extension offering year-round, 100% outdoor nature-based education. Our summer day camps (ages
3–16) immerse youth in hands-on wilderness skills, exploration, and outdoor adventure in almost all weather. Campers build confidence, leadership, and a deep connection to the natural world through guided discovery and play. We teach primitive earth skills, foster healthy relationship with nature and nurture community building.
AGES: 3-16
SCHEDULE: Check website for details on dates/times/fees
CONTACT: Primitive Pursuits Registrar, (607) 272-2292, primitivepursuits@cornell.edu , https://primitivepursuits.com/
SEWGREEN CAMPS ‘26
Located at 112 W. Green Street, 5, Press Bay Alley, Ithaca.
CONTACT: Draya Koschmann, (607) 319-4106, draya@sewgreenithaca.com
Fashion SewGreen Teen Camp
Perfect for beginners or returning campers (7th grade+), this camp runs Mon. – Fri., 1-4 p.m. Teens learn or review sewing machine skills while exploring various fabrics. Projects may include pocketed bags, tops, wrap pants, or non-gendered rompers and shorts. We provide everything, including machines! Includes an outdoor break—please bring a peanut-free snack. Join us to stitch your style!
AGES: For beginners or returning campers in grades 7+, (12-18)
SCHEDULE/FEES: 1-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. July 6-10, July 13-17, July 27-31. $275/week.
https://www.sewgreenithaca.com/store/p257/ SewGreen_Teen_Camp%3A_Fashion.html
Mixed Media SewGreen Little Kids Camp
Art and Creativity!
A fun week for our youngest campers! Creativity and art all week long! Stamping, collage, painting, gluing, embellishing, sculpting, felting—if it gets your hands messy, we're gonna do it! Camp includes supervised outdoor play time and a break for snacks (please send in a peanut-free snack for your camper).
AGES: 6-10
SCHEDULE/FEES: 9 a.m. – noon, Aug. 3-7, $265
https://www.sewgreenithaca.com/store/p329/ SewGreen_Little_Kids_Camp%3A_Mixed_ Media_%288%2F3-7%29.html
Jewelry SewGreen Teen Camp
In SewGreen Jewelry Teen Camp, we'll learn basic jewelry assembly and metal working techniques, with an emphasis on recycled, rescued, and reclaimed materials. We'll play with aluminum cans, upcycled leather and textiles, and even plastic from straws and folders! Taught by an experienced local jeweler and jewelry teacher. Jewelry Teen Camp runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 7/20-7/24 in downtown Ithaca. Includes time to stretch our legs and have a snack.
AGES: Age 12 and up
SCHEDULE/FEES: July 20-24, 1-4 p.m.; $265 https://www.sewgreenithaca.com/ store/p376/SewGreen_Teen_Camp%3A_ Jewelry_%287%2F20-24%29.html
Sewing SewGreen Kids Camp
For beginners or returning campers entering 4th–6th grade. Sewing Kids Camp runs 9 a.m. – noon, Monday–Friday. Campers learn or review sewing machine basics while creating projects like patchwork pillows, tote bags, backpacks, and aprons. All projects are gender-neutral. We supply everything,
including machines. Campers should bring a peanut-free snack for our supervised outdoor break.
AGES: For beginners or returning campers going into grades 4-6 (9-12)
SCHEDULE/FEES:July 6-10, July 13-17, July 20-24; 9 a.m. – noon, $265. https://www.sewgreenithaca.com/store/p640/ SewGreen_Kids_Camp%3A_Sewing.html
Stuffies SewGreen Kids Camp
In Stuffies SewGreen Kids Camp, we will learn, or review, how to use a sewing machine and then create a variety of stuffed friends. Projects have included mini felt animals, stuffed cats, and plush monsters. Everything is supplied, including a sewing machine to use at camp. Campers should bring a peanut-free snack to eat during our supervised outdoor break. Stuffies Kids Camp runs from 9 a.m. to noon July 27-31 for kids going into grades 4-7.
AGES: 9-13, youth entering 4th–7th grades
SCHEDULE/FEES: 9 a.m. – noon, July 27-31, $265.
https://www.sewgreenithaca.com/ store/p647/SewGreen_Kids_Camp%3A_ Stuffies_%287%2F27-7%2F31%29.html
Paint & Paper SewGreen Teen Camp
Join art teacher Tara Finley for a 5-day camp exploring acrylics, collage, ink, and more! Teens will create mixed media art or journals while learning about paint grades, color theory, and application methods. Experiment with oil pastels and Stabilo pencils in this fun exploration of diverse media. Perfect for young artists looking to build technical skills and creative confidence! All materials included.
AGES: 12-18
SCHEDULE/FEES: 1-4 p.m., Aug. 10-14, $285. https://www.sewgreenithaca.com/store/p653/ SewGreen_Teen_Camp%3A_Paint_%26_Paper. html
SOCCER SHOTS ‘26
Soccer Shots (Ages 2-8) offers fun, age-appropriate outdoor soccer programs across Ithaca and Tompkins County. Our 6-week sessions ($115) focus on building confidence, coordination, and basic soccer skills through engaging, play-based activities. No experience needed—just come ready to move and have fun! Programs available for ages 2-3, 3-5, and 5.5-8. Learn more and register at soccershots. com/binghamton
AGES: 2-3, 3-5, & 5.5-8
SCHEDULE/FEES: 6 week sessions, see website for details
CONTACT: James Head, (607) 684-5532, binghamton@soccershots.com , https://www. soccershots.com/binghamton/
STEWART PARK DAY CAMP ‘26
Stewart Park Day Camp is for 9–13-year-olds filled with fun and exciting activities such as archery, tennis, sports, arts and crafts, drama, swimming and boating! Campers will enjoy spending their days learning games, making new friends and participating in a safe environment with trained counselors and staff. We’ll have 4 sessions between July 6 – Aug. 21. The camp fees vary, and scholarships are available. Registration information can be found on our socials and our website.
AGES: 9-13
SCHEDULE/FEES: The camp fees vary, and scholarships are available.
Session 2: July 6 – July 17 (2 weeks)
Session 3: July 20 – July 31 (2 weeks)
Session 4: Aug. 3 – 14 (2 weeks)
Session 5: Aug. 17 – 21 (1 week)
2 weeks FULL Day: $430 RP / $860 nonRP, 1 week or ½ Day 2-weeks: $215 RP /$430
Before or After camp: $50RP / $100. RP= Rec.
Partnership
CONTACT: Tito Villa, (607) 273-8364, evilla@cityofithaca.org , www.iybrec.org
TEEN WITCH CAMP ‘26
Witch Camp is a week-long experience for youth ages 12-16 to explore earth based practices, ritual, and spirituality in a practical way. This camp is saturated with themes of love, awareness, history, community and environmentalism. Some activities include Grimoire building, spell work, field trips into natural areas, breathwork and yoga. Witch Camp is perfect for youth who are new to Witchcraft and those who have a background in the craft.
AGES: 12-16
SCHEDULE/FEES: July 6-10, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. $300.
CONTACT: Madeline Natale, (607) 273-7521, dre@uuithaca.org , https://unitarian.ithaca. ny.us/index/php/teen-witch-camp/
THE CLAY SCHOOL OF ITHACA SUMMER ART CAMP ‘26
Campers will be spending their time between The Clay School’s clay classroom and the ART Room. Campers will learn how to slab, coil and pinch with some wheel throwing mixed in too. Other projects will include painting, weaving, batik, coloring, collage, and jewelry making. All creations will be finished at the end of each week!
SCHEDULE/FEES: For ages 8-11, six different weeks: July 20 – 24, July 27-31, Aug. 10-14, Aug. 17-21, Aug. 24-28, and Aug. 31 – Sept. 4. For ages 12-16, there is Teen Week: Aug. 3-7, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., $485/week.
AGES: 8-11; 12-16
CONTACT: Bri Bustin, (607) 873-2884, clayschoolithaca@gmail.com , www.clayschoolithaca.com
TRUMANSBURG CONSERVATORY of FINE ARTS — MUSICAL THEATRE ARTS WORKSHOP ‘26
The Musical Theatre Arts (MTA) Summer Workshop is housed in the newly renovated Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts. MTA is a hands-on, fun-filled program of dance, voice, acting, and technical design and production. This year, MTA will produce scenes from the musical “ONCE UPON A MATTRESS”. The workshop is divided into two sessions.
Session One: Aug. 3-14.
Principals: Cast in larger roles. Technical roles will be assigned.
Session Two: Aug. 10-14
Ensemble: Cast in smaller and ensemble roles Performance on Aug. 15.
TCFA’s MTA program is celebrating its tenth year. The full-day session features a hands-on, fun-filled program of dance, voice, acting, and technical design and production.
SCHEDULE/FEES: For ages 7-15, Aug. 3-14; Aug. 10-14, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $350/week. Scholarships are available.
AGES: 8-11; 12-16
CONTACT: Dona Roman, (607) 387-5939, droman@tburgconservatory.org , https://www.tburgconservatory.org/
YMCA OF ITHACA & TOMPKINS COUNTY ‘26
Located at: 50 Graham Road West, Ithaca. CONTACT: Rachael Jackson, (607) 257-0101, rjackson@ithacaymca.com
YMCA Camp Adventure Camp Adventure, hosted by the YMCA, offers
your child a summer filled with fun, friends, and exciting adventures. Camp Adventure will take weekly field trips to local state parks and the Y’s Outdoor Education Center. Campers engage in active pursuits and explore novel experiences with dedicated counselors. Each day is packed with exciting opportunities to stay active, try new things, and enjoy enriching experiences in a supportive and fun-filled environment.
SCHEDULE/FEES: Camp runs 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Weekly sessions June 29 – Sept. 4. Fees: with Family membership: $235/wk; with Youth membership: $245/wk; Non-member: $275/wk.
AGES: 5-12
https://www.ithacaymca.com/child-care/campadventure/
Pre-K Blast
This summer program for ages 3-5 is filled with fun, age-appropriate activities designed to combine learning with play to promote health and social skills. Full-time and part-time options available. At all times, the children will be interacting with and learning from others their own age. Each week of camp will offer a new theme to enhance your child’s learning experience! Pre-K blast is designed to help prepare children for Kindergarten. Full-day or Part-time care options available.
Benchmarks to Register for Pre-K Blast: Ability to dress themselves independently Ability to feed themselves independently Bathroom independence
SCHEDULE/FEES: Camp runs full day 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. or half day 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Weekly sessions June 29 – Sept. 4. Fees: with Family membership: fd $225/wk, hd $105/wk; with Youth membership: fd $250/wk, hd $140/ wk; Non-member: fd $275/wk, hd $195/wk.
AGES: 3-5
https://www.ithacaymca.com/child-care/pre-ksummer-blast/
Counselor-In-Training
The YMCA Counselor-in-Training (CIT) Program offers teens a unique chance to develop essential leadership skills in a dynamic camp environment. Focused on preparing participants for success not just at camp but also in their schools, homes, and communities, this two-week program includes training in areas like team building, lesson planning, and skill building.
SCHEDULE/FEES: Camp runs 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Weekly sessions June 29 – Sept. 4. Fees: with Family membership: $85/wk; with youth membership: $105/wk; Non-member: $175/wk. AGES: 13-16
https://www.ithacaymca.com/child-care/counselor-in-training-program/
Music
Bars/Bands/Clubs
4/22 Wednesday
The Flower Pots | 6 p.m. | Ovid VFW, 7068 NY-96, Ovid, NY 14521
Tatsuya Nakatani | 7 p.m. | Angry Mom Records, 115 E State St.
Band Camp: Latin Night in Room K
| 7 p.m. | K-House, 121 W State St.
Sing Sea Shanties | 7 p.m. | Bike Bar, 314 E State St.
4/23 Thursday
Brewhouse Blues Jam | 6 p.m. | Hopshire Farm and Brewery, 1771 Dryden Rd, Freeville, NY 13068
Dave Richman Solo Classical & Jazz Guitar | 6 p.m. | Stonecat Cafe, 5315 NY-414, Hector, NY 14841
4/24 Friday
Trevor Stribing | 5 p.m. | Two Goats Brewing, 5027 NY-414, Burdett, NY 14818
The Lowdown Dirty Sinners Go Acoustic | 5 p.m. | Brookton’s Market, 491 Brooktondale’s Rd., Brooktondale, NY 14817
Cielle on Solid Ground | 6 p.m. | Hopshire Farm and Brewery, 1771 Dryden Rd., Freeville, NY 13068
Get O My Lawn, Plaster Men, and Johnny Dowd Team Up | 6 p.m.
| Ithaca 5 & Dime, 619 W State St., Suite B
Sophistafunk | 7 p.m. | Liquid State Brewing Company, 620 W Green St. Driftwood | 7:30 p.m. | Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd.
4/25 Saturday
NY Record Fair & FLX Music Expo afters-show | 8 p.m. | Angry Mom Records, 115 E State St.
Silver | 7 p.m. | Cortland Beer Company, 16 Court St., Cortland, NY 13045
Ithaca Underground presents Rock for Revolution Vol. 4 | 7 p.m. | Nocturnal Cafe, 103 S Geneva St.
4/26 Sunday
Bound for Glory Live with Joe Crookston | 2 p.m. | Lansing Area Performance Hall, 1004 Auburn Road
4/29 Wednesday
Organ Amanda Mole| 12:30 p.m. | St. Luke Lutheran Church, 109 Oak Street | Free
Concerts/Recitals
4/23 Thursday
Breanna Annonio, viola at Hockett Family Recital Hall | 7 p.m.
Contemporary Chamber Ensemble at Ford Hall Ithaca College | 8:15 p.m.
4/24 Friday
Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel | 8 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St.
4/25 Saturday
Singing Beyond the Canon by Women Composers | 3 p.m. | St. John’s Episcopal Church, 210 N Cayuga Street | Free
Danielle Yamashiro, soprano at Hockett Family Recital Hall | 4 p.m.
Nellie Cordi, bass at Nabenhauer Recital Room | 5 p.m.
Anushka Sharma, soprano at Hockett Family Recital Hall | 6 p.m.
John Butler with Band | 7 p.m. |
State Theatre of Ithaca, 107 West State St. | $41.25 - $55.28
Kathrine Sochor, soprano at Hockett Family Recital Hall | 8:15 p.m.
4/26 Sunday
Big Red Marching Band Spring Concert | 12 p.m. | Ithaca Commons, 171 E State Street
Cornell Chamber Orchestra Concert | 3 p.m. | Barnes Hall at Cornell University, 129 Ho Plaza | Free
Rebecca Muller, percussion at Hockett Family Recital Hall | 3 p.m.
Paul Narkewich, baritone at Ford Hall | 7 p.m.
Catherine Hayes, soprano at Hockett Family Recital Hall | 8:15 p.m.
4/27 Monday
Campus Band and Sinfonietta at Ford Hall | 7 p.m.
4/28 Tuesday
Double Reed Studios Recital at Hockett Family Recital Hall | 7 p.m.
Chamber Orchestra at Ford Hall | 8:15 p.m.
4/29 Wednesday
Piano and Strings II | 7 p.m. | Hockett Family Recital Hall, Ithaca College
Nick Smith and Noah Smith, tubas at Nabenhauer Recital Room | 8:15 p.m.
Stage
From the Arctic to Broadway and Back — with Playwright Carson Kreitzer | 5 p.m., 4/22 Wednesday | Cornell University, 144 East Ave. | Join the Department of Performing and Media Arts for From the Arctic to Broadway and Back.
The Matter of Earth | 3 p.m., 4/23 Thursday | Various locations, Various | Join the Department of Performing and Media Arts and the Department of Classics, a symposium spanning three days and various locations . Free
Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” | 6:30 p.m., 4/24 Friday | Ithaca Waldorf School, 20 Nelson Road | Ithaca Waldorf School’s 6th, 7th and 8th grades present William Shakespeare’s
beloved comedy, “Twelfth Night,” in two performances for the public. | Free
John Butler with Band | 7 p.m., 4/25 Saturday | State Theatre of Ithaca, 107 West State St.
Tants-Hoyz: Yiddish Dance | 2 p.m., 4/26 Sunday | Library Place
Community Room, 105 W. Court Street | Yiddish Folk Dance Party with live music provided by the Klezmer Ensemble at Cornell University and special guests. | Free
Old Greeny Fringe Fest at The Cherry Arts | 5 p.m., 4/27 Monday |
Old Greeny Fringe Fest is a week-long, fringe festival in celebration of the weird, wacky, and whimsical, rooted in the legend of Old Greeny-the cryptid of Cayuga Lake.
One Night With You: Elvis Dinner Show | 6 p.m., 4/27 Monday | K-House Karaoke and Arts Hub, 121 West Martin Luther King Jr St. | K-HOUSE Karaoke & Arts Hub invites oldies lovers to spend an evening with Elvis.
The Louis K | 8:15 p.m., 4/27 Monday | Monday, 4/27/2026, 8:15 p.m. | Hockett Family Recital Hall The Louis K.
Flag Twirling Parade Class | 5 p.m., 4/28 Tuesday | Ithaca Community School of Music and Arts, 330 East State Street | Join the fun in the Ithaca Festival Parade! | Free
Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) | 6 p.m., 4/29 Wednesday | Greenstar Pavilion, 770 Cascadilla Street | Homegrown Theater Company Explores Magic and Renewal. | Free
Art
MAKE YOUR OWN PAPER DOLL @ Orozco Gallery | 6 p.m., 4/23 Thursday | orozco gallery, 115 S Сayuga St., 14850 | GALLERY HOURS | 2-6 p.m.
Art Adoption Day Sale | 12 p.m., 4/25 Saturday | Danby Gathery Art
Works, 1774 Danby Rd. | Art Adoption Day is a special sale designed for you to nd reduced-priced artwork that feels special and meet the artists who will share the conception & creation of their work.
Kenneth Haas Photography Talk | 3 p.m., 4/25 Saturday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Join us for a presentation by photographer Kenneth Haas, whose exhibit, The Beauty and Mystery of Our Local New York Birds, is on display at TCPL March – May 2026.
Film
“’I Am Ready, Warden’: Death Penalty in America” by Jonah H. | 5 p.m., 4/23 Thursday | Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium, Rm. 132, Goldwin Smith Hall, Cornell University | An in-depth look at capital punishment with a screening of the Oscar-nominated short documentary followed by a discussion with lm co-producer Keri Blakinger and a panel of experts. | Free Movie Night — The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants | 6:30 p.m., 4/24 Friday | New eld Public Library, 198 Main Street | Join us for a free showing of The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. Rated PG. Free popcorn provided! | Free World Cinema at Lifelong — Spring 2026 Film Series | 1:30 p.m., 4/28 Tuesday | Lifelong, 119 W. Court St. | World Cinema Spring 2026 –12-Session Film Series: April 7 – June 23, 2026 – 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Cinemapolis
120 E Green St., Ithaca New movies opening the week of April 8. Contact Cinemapolis for showtimes and continuing lms. We Are Guardians | Indigenous forest guardian Marçal Guajajara and 25TH ANNUAL ITHACA 4-H DUCK RACE 2026
SATURDAY, APRIL 25 FROM 11 A.M. TO 4 P.M. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, 615 Willow Ave | The Duck Race is one of our community’s most beloved traditions, and every duck chance purchased directly supports 4-H youth programs in Tompkins County—providing hands-on learning, outdoor education, leadership development, and meaningful opportunities for young people. We are so grateful for the incredible support shown at past Duck Races, and we can’t wait to welcome you back for an even more exciting, expanded, and joy- lled event in 2026. Entry costs $5/duck or $20/ ock of ve; attendance is free to the public. (Photo: Provided)
FIRST ANNUAL FLX MUSIC EXPO
SATURDAY, APRIL 25 FROM NOON TO 4 P.M.
Ithaca Downtown Conference Center, 116 E Green St. | At the Finger Lakes Music Expo, you can spend the afternoon discovering and connecting with the local music community all in one place. Meet local bands, browse and buy merch or physical releases, and have real conversations with the people within the local music. Explore tables set up by local music organizations to learn about what they do, and how you can get involved with them. Sit in on engaging panels featuring local music professionals and music nerds as they share their experiences and knowledge, or relax in the listening lounge to hear local music and connect with others who love the scene. We aim to bring together local artists, venues, organizations, and audiences in a way that builds real connections, supports the creative community, and helps drive economic and artistic growth across the region.
Indigenous leader Puyr Tembé risk their lives to protect their ancestral lands from relentless invasions and deforestation. On the other side–Valdir, an illegal logger, is trapped in a desperate struggle to make ends meet and sees no other way than continuing to cut down the forest. Directed by Edivan Guajajara, Chelsea Greene, and Rob Grobman, and produced by Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens with Leonardo DiCaprio serving as Executive Producer, the lm is an exploration of the human spirit and our collective responsibility to protect the fragile balance of our world — a story of hope and resilience amidst an unfolding crisis. | NR 120 mins
Mother Mary | Directed by David Lowry, Mother Mary tackles Longburied wounds and their rise to the surface when iconic pop star Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel) on the eve of her comeback performance. | NR 112 mins
I Swear | Directed by Kirk Jones and starring Robert Aramayo, I Swear is based on the life story of Tourette's Syndrome campaigner John Davidson, MBE. Set within 1980s Britain, the story follows him throughout his troubled teens and early adulthood, and explores this little known and entirely misunderstood condition, along with his attempts to live a ‘normal’ life against the odds. | NR 121 mins
The Librarians | In Texas, the Krause List targets 850 books focused on race and LGBTQia+ stories — triggering sweeping book bans across the U.S. at an unprecedented rate. As tensions escalate, librarians connect the dots from heated school and library board meetings nationwide to lay bare the underpinnings of extremism fueling the censorship e orts. Despite facing harassment, threats, and laws aimed
at criminalizing their work — the librarians’ rallying cry for freedom to read is a chilling cautionary tale. | NR 92 mins
My Father’s Shadow | Recipient of the Caméra d’Or Special Mention at Cannes, Akinola Davis Jr.‘s MY FATHER’S SHADOW is a poetic, tender portrait of father–son bonds. Framed by the political landscape of 1993 Lagos, the lm follows a father and his two young sons as they journey into and around the vibrantly rendered Nigerian metropolis, quietly reckoning with their relationship while navigating a city on the precipice of democratic crisis. Brothers and collaborators Akinola Davis Jr. and Wale Davies bring us a groundbreaking feature debut — centering an award-winning performance by Sopé Dìrísù (Slow Horses, Gangs of London) — that reveals the profound depths of what families leave unspoken. | NR 93 mins
Sta Special - Eyes Wide Shut | After Dr. Bill Harford’s wife, Alice, admits to having sexual fantasies about a man she met, Bill becomes obsessed with having a sexual encounter. He discovers an underground sexual group and attends one of their meetings — and quickly discovers that he is in over his head. Join the Cinemapolis sta for a special sta selection — a screening of Stanley Kubrick’s 1999 thriller, Eyes Wide Shut.|NR 159
Sports
Ithaca College Men’s Baseball vs Alfred State | 4 p.m., 4/22 Wednesday | Freeman Field, Ithaca College Ithaca College Women’s Rowing vs Nazareth University, St. John Fisher University | 11 a.m., 4/25 Saturday | Cayuga Inlet
Cornell Women’s Rowing vs No. 7 Brown University | TBA 4/25 Saturday | Cayuga Inlet
Cornell Men's Lacrosse vs Harvard University | 11 a.m., 4/25 Saturday | Schoellkopf Field, Cornell University
Ithaca College Men’ Lacrosse vs No. 15 Skidmore College | 12 p.m., 4/25 Saturday | Higgins Stadium, Ithaca College
Ithaca College Men’s Baseball Double-Header vs Hobart College | 12 p.m. & 3 p.m., 4/25 Saturday | Freeman Field, Ithaca College
Cornell Women’s Softball DoubleHeader vs Brown University | 12:30 p.m. & 2:30 p.m., 4/25 Saturday | Niemand-Robinson Softball Field, Cornell University
Cornell Men's Tennis vs Columbia University | 1 p.m., 4/25 Saturday | Reis Tennis Center, Cornell University
Cornell Women's Lacrosse vs Yale University | 3:30 p.m., 4/25 Saturday | Schoellkopf Field, Cornell University
Cornell Women’s Softball vs Brown University | 12:30 p.m., 4/26
Sunday | Niemand-Robinson Softball Field, Cornell University
Cornell Men’s Baseball vs Bucknell University | 3:30 p.m., 4/28 Tuesday | Schoellkopf Field, Cornell University
Ithaca College Women’s Tennis vs New Paltz | 4 p.m., 4/29 Wednesday | Wheeler Tennis Courts, Ithaca College
Special
Events
Candor Da odil Festival | 10 a.m., 4/25 Saturday | Candor Ball Field, 40 Spencer Road | The 8th Annual Candor Da odil Festival | Free
Tompkins 4-H Duck Race | 11 a.m., 4/25 Saturday | Thompson Triangle Park and 615 Willow Avenue, 615 Willow Avenue | Join us to watch up
to 3,000 rubber ducks tumble over the Cascadilla Creek Falls and race to the 4-H Education Center. | Free
Books
SZalaznick Reading by Susan Stewart | 5 p.m., 4/23 Thursday | Klarman Hall, Rhodes-Rawlings Auditorium, Klarman Hall KG70, 232 East Ave. | The Spring 2026 Zalaznick Reading Series concludes with a reading by poet and scholar Susan Stewart. Free
Ellen David Friedman: Keep Going | 6 p.m., 4/23 Thursday | Autumn Leaves Books, 115 East State Street | Autumn Leaves Books on the Ithaca Commons is excited to welcome local author and union organizer Ellen David Friedman for the launch of her new book.
Author Reading: Fugitive Tilts | 5 p.m., 4/24 Friday | Bu alo Street Books, 215 North Cayuga Street | A reading from — and discussion of — Fugitive Tilts with author Ishion Hutchinson who is joined in conversation withDante Micheaux!
A Poetry Reading | 5 p.m., 4/24 Friday | Horton Hall, Church of the Epiphany, 11 Elm Street | Come celebrate National Poetry Month with a reading from poets Katharyn Howd Machan and Eric Machan Howd. | Free Book Sale at New eld Public Library | 9 a.m., 4/25 Saturday | New eld Public Library, 198 Main St. | Our rst book sale of the year! Our inventory is fully refreshed and includes books, DVDs, puzzles, and CDs. Each item is $1.00. All proceeds bene t New eld Public Library. Thank you for your support!
Poetry Reading with Carol Mikoda | 11 a.m., 4/25 Saturday | Lodi Whittier Library, 8484 S Main St. | Local poet, Carol Mikoda, will read from her collection. | Free
Book Launch: Alice McDowell | 2 p.m., 4/26 Sunday | Bu alo Street Books, 215 North Cayuga Street | Join author + spiritual director Alice McDowell for the launch of her new essay collection.
SUFFRAGIST AND MATHEMATICIAN | 3 p.m., 4/29 Wednesday | Kendal Auditorium, 2230 North Triphammer Road | Elaine Engst, author and Cornell University Archivist Emerita, talks about the life and work of Helen Brewster Owens, a mathematician, teacher, su rage organizer, faculty wife, and mother, who de ed stereotypes to become the rst woman to serve as a mathematics instructor at Cornell U. in 1907. | Free
Queer Horror Book Club — Grey Dog | 6 p.m., 4/29 Wednesday | Buffalo Street Books, 215 North Cayuga Street | A fan of queer horror? Looking to get into the genre? Join us for a discussion on Grey Dog | Free
Kids
“Li’l Sprouts” Waldorf playgroup for babies & toddlers | 9 a.m., 4/24 Friday | Ithaca Waldorf School, 20 Nelson Road | learn about Waldorf parenting and education. | $30.00$175.00
Baby & Toddler Storytime | 10:30 a.m., 4/24 Friday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St | Caregivers and their children are invited to join Cassie for music, rhymes, movement and books. Storytime will be followed by a playtime from 11-12.
Spanish Storytime | 4 p.m., 4/24 Friday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | Children of all ages and their caregivers are welcome to join us for Spanish storytime — songs, rhymes, stories, and crafts — completely in Spanish!
Ballet & Books: Spring 2026 | 2:30 p.m., 4/25 Saturday | Tompkins County
Public Library, 101 East Green Street |
Ballet & Books is a national, non-pro t organization that provides children ages 3 years — 4th grade with an opportunity to improve their literacy skills through a combination of dance Science Together: Sink or Float | 10:15 a.m., 4/29 Wednesday | Sciencenter, 601 1st St. | Test and sort items with a water play, sink or oat experiment!
Notices
Seed to Supper | 6 p.m., 4/23
Thursday | Odessa Community Room, CO-Rte 15 | Our “Seed to Supper” 5-session gardening class Continues! This workshop is focused on practical, low-cost techniques for beginners. | Free
Federal Casework Assistance of Sta of Congressman Riley | 1 p.m., 4/28 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | An opportunity to meet with the sta from Congressman Josh Riley’s o ce regarding concerns or Federal case work needs.
Volunteer Fair at Lifelong | 2 p.m., 4/28 Tuesday | Lifelong, 119 W. Court St. | Lifelong Volunteer Fair: April 28th 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. FREE and open to the public | 119 W. Court Street, Ithaca Unity in Shades Roundtable @ GIAC Rec Center | 5 p.m., 4/28 Tuesday | Greater Ithaca Activities Center, 301 W Court St. | Join us for Unity in Shades Roundtable! Looking for a supportive space to share ideas, get advice, and connect with mentors?
Citizen Pruner: Shrub Pruning | 5:30 p.m., 4/28 Tuesday | CCE-Tompkins Education Center, 615 Willow Avenue | Retired CCE Tompkins Ag Educator, Monika Roth, will guide you on best practices for pruning shrubs, from maintenance to rejuvenation. | $0.00 - $40.00
JOHN BUTLER WITH BAND
SATURDAY, APRIL 25 AT 8 P.M.
State Theatre of Ithaca, 107 W State St. | Following the triumphant release of his latest album PRISM, musical revolutionary John Butler is returning to the US and Canada with his band for a spring tour of epic proportions. Forming a ferocious new band including original JBT drummer Michael Barker, Ian Peres on bass/keys and Michael Boase on percussion, these shows promise to be packed with the classics, groove-laden jams and Butler’s signature instrumental ourishes – a full two hours plus of sheer John Butler band power. Butler and his band will do what they do best, taking the audience through alt-rock explosions, heartfelt ballads and anthemic pop choruses, building on John’s legacy as one of the most revered live acts of his generation. Tickets start at $43.00, available online or in person. (Photo: Provided)
A THEATRICAL POEM: LAST UNIVERSAL COMMON ANCESTOR (LUCA)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 AT 6 P.M.
Greenstar Pavillion, 770 Cascadilla St. | A dark comedy about those who are the last of their kind premieres at the Old Greeny Fringe Festival, a week-long, fringe festival in celebration of the weird, wacky, and whimsical, rooted in the legend of Old Greeny—the cryptid of Cayuga Lake. Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) is an original work written by Jorin Clougherty (he/they) and centering a liminal stage full of the nal members of extinct species. In a strange afterlife between our world and the next, these last of their kind meet, argue, and confront the loneliness of being the end of their lineage. Part philosophical fable and part dark comedy, the play asks what responsibility the living have to the web of life that connects every creature on Earth. (Photo: Provided)
Classifieds
830/Home
AFFORDABLE TV & INTERNET
If you are overpaying for your service, call now for a free quote and see how much you can save! 1-833-323-0160. (NYSCAN)
250/Merchandise
PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES TODAY!
...with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-877-516-1160 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move. (NYSCAN)
320/Bulletin Board
PUBLIC NOTICE
The annual business meeting of the Trumbulls Corners Cemetery Association will be held on Tuesday, 05/12/2026 at 6:30pm at the Trumbulls Corners Community Church, 628 Trumbulls Corners Rd. Newfield, NY. All lot owners and other interested parties are invited to attend.
800/Services
GET A BREAK ON YOUR TAXES
Donate your car, truck, or SUV to assist the blind and visually impaired. Arrange a swift, no-cost vehicle pickup and secure a generous tax credit for 2025. Call Heritage for the Blind Today at 1-855-484-3467. (NYSCAN)
DO YOU NEED A ROOF OR ENERGY EFFICIENT
WINDOWS & HELP PAYING FOR IT?
YOU MAY QUALIFY THROUGH NEW RELIEF PROGRAMS (800) 944-9393 or visit NYProgramFunding.org to qualify. Approved applications will have the work completed by a repair crew provided by: HOMEOWNER FUNDING. Not affiliated with State or Gov Programs. (NYSCAN)
PEST CONTROL:
PROTECT YOUR HOME from pests safely and affordably. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders and other pests. Locally owned and affordable. Call for service or an inspection today! 1-833549-0598. Have zip code of property ready when calling! (NYSCAN)
SAFE STEP – NORTH AMERICA’S #1 WALK-IN TUB
Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 OFF for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-855-916-5473. (NYSCAN)
Support the “We Have a Dream” Trip
The Village at Ithaca is proud to announce an inspiring new o p p o r t u n i t y d e s i g n e d t o d e e p e n u n d e r
t h e n community bonds, and connect participants to a powerful chapter of American history. This year, the Village is working with Jeff Furman, a human rights and democracy activist, in proposing a transformative educational trip for twelve local high school students to Montgomery, Alabama an experience rooted in reflection, learning, and cultural engagement. Montgomery, Selma and Tuskegee stand as the cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement, offering visitors a chance to walk in the footsteps of those who reshaped the nation. Through guided visits to historic landmarks, museums, and memorials, participants will gain firsthand insight into the courage, resilience, and vision that defined this pivotal era. Mr Furman’s experience from past trips to the area were not only history lessons, but deeply motivating experiences leading to dialogue, empathy, and personal growth. This is the opportunity he and the Village want to share with young people.
Founded in 2002 by Cal Walker and Karl Graham, The Village at Ithaca has long been committed to empowering youth and families through education, mentorship, and community-building initiatives. This proposed trip aligns closely with that mission by creating an i m m e r s i v e l e a r
leadership activities that connect past struggles for justice with present-day challenges and opportunities.
In addition to its educational value, the trip offers a chance to build lasting relationships. Traveling together fosters a sense of unity and shared purpose, strengthening the supportive network that defines the Village community. Students will return not only with new knowledge, but with a renewed sense of responsibility to lead, serve, and make a difference. We are hoping that this becomes an annual trip and we might eventually be accompanied by other organizations.
To bring this vision to life, the Village at Ithaca is seeking support from i
Contributions of any size will help offset travel costs, program fees, and accessibility for all participants. Individual donors can play a direct role in opening doors for young people, while corporate sponsors have the opportunity to invest in meaningful community impact and youth development.
Donors can contribute financially, sponsor a student, or partner with the Village to expand the reach of this initiative.
The Village at Ithaca invites you to take part in this journey—help send the next generation of leaders to Montgomery, and ensure that the lessons of history continue to inspire change today
Participants will engage in discussions, group reflections, and
Together, we can make this transformative experience possible.
Donations and inquiries can be made on our website - QR Code is below.
Thank you:
Meryl Phipps - Executive Director
Jess Brock - Director of Community Outreach and Engagement
Jeff
Furman - Human Rights & Democracy Activist
