Aug. 27, 2025 by Ithaca Times

N ews line

“No Contract, No Peace”

Cayuga Ridge Union Members Call for Continued Bargaining, File Unfair Labor Practices Charges

By Shubha Gautam

After over four months of negotiations between Cayuga Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (CNRC) management and employee union members, the bargaining committee failed to reach an agreement. 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East union members at CNRC held a rally Wednesday, Aug. 21 to protest management backing out of promised modifications, which they said undermines the collective bargaining process.

Jamila Grimes, 1199SEIU administrative organizer for CNRC, said management proposed transitioning employees to a high-deductible health insurance. She said employees had concerns about the health plan, which traditionally has a lower monthly premium but higher out-of-pocket costs for the insured, since currently they have low copays for doctor visits.

Grimes included union members’ proposed modifications to the health insurance plan to her final bargaining proposal. While she said management agreed both verbally and via email to honor these changes, management did not approve the proposal at a July 29 bargaining meeting. Besides changes to the health insurance plan, union members hope to ensure all employees make more than the current minimum wage of $15.50.

Management backtracking on the agreement proposal damaged union members’ trust and “heightened their reluctance to transition to the new health insurance plan” that will be implemented

Sept. 1, Grimes said. She said 1199SEIU hosted the rally to express commitment to proposal demands and bring management back to the bargaining table.

“I hope that we get back to the table, that we are able to reach a fair agreement for everyone, that management holds up their end up the bargain for those modifications with the health insurance — or we keep our current health insurance — and that we reach an agreement on the other items that we have open,” Grimes said in an interview with the Ithaca Times.

“Realistically, because we were so close [to reaching an agreement], I think it’s doable.”

Around 20 1199SEIU members from CNRC attended Tuesday’s rally, with several giving speeches. Other community members attended as well, including Kevin Lockhart, central New York 1199SEIU

vice president; Peter Meyers, one of the founders of the Tompkins County Workers Center; and Assemblywoman Anna Kelles.

1199SEIU filed Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) charges against CNRC management, Grimes said, for alleged bad-faith

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ince 2007, Porchfest has been made possible thanks to the generosity of volunteers who show up to make this annual celebration of community, neighborhood, and music a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.

bargaining, refusing to come back to the bargaining table and implementing wage increases for certain union members. In his speech, Lockhart said union members organized a rally three years ago for similar reasons, except this time it resulted in ULP charges.

“[Management] decided that just negotiating health insurance and wages would be it in regards to trying to reach an agreement,” Lockhart said. “We have many non-economic issues still left to be settled, and also economic issues left to be settled. We’re here representing the [union] members, and the members should have a say in regards to the positions that we take in regards to negotiations. And so we’re here today once again, saying that if we don't have a contract, there'll be no peace here.”

Jerome Williams, a certified nursing assistant at the facility, said he and other union members joined the rally late due to evening staff not being present at one of the nursing home’s units. He said CNRC

Continued on Page 5

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swag, snacks and water, a $5 voucher to use at one of the Porchfest food vendors per shift completed, plus our tremendous gratitude for helping to make Porchfest a success!

Porchfest 2025 will be from 12-6pm on Sunday, September 21. Go to porchfest.org/ volunteer to sign up!

ssociat E p ublish E r F r EE lanc E rs : Barbara Adams, G. M Burns, Charley Githler, Stephen Burke, Bill Chaisson, Ross Haarstad, Steve Lawrence, Marjorie Olds, Henry Stark, Peter Rothbart, and Austin Lamb THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE ITHACA TIMES ARE COPYRIGHT © 2025 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,

Union administrative organizer Jamila Grimes emphasized management non-cooperation in the ongoing contract bargaining process. 1199SEIU filed Unfair Labor Practices charges against CNRC. (Photo credit: Shubha Gautam/Ithaca Times intern)

By Mark Syvertson

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

“KIDS ARE HEADING BACK TO SCHOOL SOON AND IT GOT ME THINKING: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK AS A CHILD?”

County Finalizes Department Relocation, Moves Forward With Center of Government Project

By Lorien Tyne

Following public feedback and discussions within the Tompkins County Government, the county legislature finalized where departments will temporarily relocate during the Center of Government construction project.

At its Tuesday, Aug. 19 meeting, the legislature voted 13-1 to approve the drafted resolution for relocation of departments in preparation of the deconstruction of 128 E. Buffalo Street for the Center of Government project. Some departments have already moved, including the County Administration and Human Resources Departments, which relocated from 125 E. Court Street to 201 E. Green Street. The Information Technology Services Department and the County Attorney’s Office have relocated to 125 E. Court Street.

The Assessment Department and the Office for the Aging will move to 31 Dutch Mill Road in the Town of Lansing. In a 9-5 vote, the legislature approved the acquisition of property at 31 Dutch Mill Road at its Aug. 5 meeting. The Office for the Aging did not need to move but relocated to allow the Board of Elections to use its space within the city at 214 W. State Street. This swap was made because the county received considerable feedback from the public asking for the BOE to be within the city limits.

sents an excellent investment, especially when compared to renting comparable office space for multiple years,” Shurtleff read on behalf of Franklin. “If we only have to rent space for four years, the purchase of this location will save the county approximately $1 million. And if the downtown central office building is delayed, our savings will increase by approximately $250,000 a year.”

“If we only have to rent space for four years, the purchase of this location will save the county approximately $1 million.”

“I have had detailed conversations with the departments and they believe that with the nature of the programming they do this would not be a disruption but they identify opportunity to improve and enhance operations,” said County Administrator Korsah Akumfi.

— Jay Franklin, Tompkins County Assessor

Shawna Black said she would not support the relocation plan because she said forward-facing departments need to be on the bus line and accessible to everyone. Other legislators also supported the idea of increased bus access to county government buildings, but Black was the only vote against approving the relocation plan.

In Other News

Legislator Lee Shurtleff read a statement from Jay Franklin, Tompkins County director of assessment, which argued that the purchase of 31 Dutch Mill Road is financially a good decision for the county.

“The purchase of 31 Dutch Mill, at approximately $90 per square foot, repre-

The legislature unanimously voted to adopt the addition of an Artificial Intelligence usage policy to its Administrative Policy Manual. The policy includes guidelines to ensure that the use of AI tools within the county government are “conducted in a transparent, accountable, fair, and privacy-conscious manner.”

The policy states that any AI or machine learning (ML) tools are only allowed with the written approval of a department head or supervisor. Prior to use, departments must provide training that includes responsible use practices, data privacy, bias awareness, and reporting procedures. AI or ML technology is not allowed to be used for any data considered confidential. If these technologies are used for public purposes, the user has to include a disclosure statement.

The policy adoption stipulated that the county will develop a standardized training program within the next year. The policy also outlines definitions, prohibited uses, oversight and enforcement.

The county’s 2025 budget includes $20,000 to fund the Housing Affordability and Supportive Infrastructure Grant Program to support municipalities working to address housing affordability. The legislature approved three funding allocations through this program.

The City of Ithaca will be given $10,000 to develop plans for freestanding accessory dwelling units. The Town of Dryden will be given $9,900 to conduct a feasibility study exploring development of 100 acres of undeveloped land on Route 13. The Town of Danby’s request for $10,000 was also approved to hire a consultant to prepare reports needed for sewer district formation in the Central and West

Danby hamlets.

Tompkins County legislators voted Aug. 19 to finalize relocation plans for several departments during construction of the new Center of Government at 128 E. Buffalo Street. (Photo: File)

“I was obsessed with the Harry Potter series.”

– Alice

“I liked the Goosebumps books. But not right before bed.”

– Paul

“Caps For Sale.” – Todd

“I can’t think of a specific book. Does Calvin and Hobbes count.”

– Dan

“I really liked Shel Silverstein. Probably either Where The Sidewalk Ends or A Light in the Attic.”

– Cindy

County Negotiates Lease of Former Burger King Building For Code Blue Shelter, Navigation Hub

By Lorien Tyne

Tompkins County plans to sign a three-year lease to use the former Burger King building on Elmira Road for a Code Blue shelter. Through a sublease agreement, the city is organizing a “navigation hub” to provide additional facilities and resources within the building.

At the Tompkins County Legislature’s Aug. 5 meeting, the legislature unanimously authorized the acquisition of the property owned by Maguire Family Limited Partnership at 100 Commercial Ave. for use as the county’s Code Blue shelter. The county is required to provide emergency shelter when temperatures drop below 32 degrees with windchill, also known as Code Blue Season. The lease agreement has not been signed yet.

Tompkins County Department of Social Services’ contract with an emergency shelter provider ended at the start of the 2024-25 Code Blue Season, forcing the county to fully operate a shelter. For the 2024-25 season, the emergency shelter was moved to the county-owned former KeyBank Building at 300 N. Tioga St., which is being deconstructed this year for the Center of Government building.

Legislature Chair Dan Klein said there is no exact timeline for opening the Code Blue shelter at the former Burger King, but when freezing temperatures begin this winter, the county will have an emergency shelter.

“If our space is not ready by that time, we will make other temporary arrangements,” Klein said.

The three-year lease agreement with Maguire has an option to extend the lease for two extra years, to October 2030, if the county’s new permanent emergency shelter on Cherry Street is not operational yet.

UPS DOWNS&

Ups

In response to the Trump Administration revoking nearly a billion dollars in federal funding to Cornell University nearly 40,000 alumni and student donors supported Cornell in a year that brought in $878 million in new gifts and commitments.

Downs

The Trump administration is seeking to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) “endangerment finding,” the legal and scientific foundation for regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

HEARD SEEN&

Heard

said they have enough staff, but during the previous weekend, only two staff members were scheduled on each floor. Williams said residents “do not get the care they deserve” due to understaffing.

“Residents cannot get the proper care they deserve, and [for] the countless

Klein said the vision is to have the Cherry Street shelter house both a year-round shelter and the seasonal Code Blue shelter.

Deputy City Manager Dominick Recckio said lease and real estate negotiations are still ongoing, so the cost to the city is not finalized. However, he said the county’s resolution states the city will pay 50% of rent and other costs associated.

“The City’s resolution directed the City Manager to ‘incorporate sufficient navigation hub operational expenses into the proposed 2026 City Budget,’” Recckio said via email. “We are still working on what those costs will be, as they will be dictated in part by the lease and other space-related items.”

The navigation hub is an initiative from the City of Ithaca, which Mayor Rob Cantelmo said is being worked on closely with county partners. For the past couple years, he said the city and county have been collaborating on how to address the issue of homelessness and that this joint shelter and hub emerged from extensive conversations.

“Social services and human services are the purview of the county, but yet, we recognize that this problem disproportionately impacts residents living in the

thousands and thousands of dollars they’re paying a month to be here, they deserve adequate care across the board,” Williams said.

“Meanwhile, management sits there in the office and doesn’t help when we are short. It's time [for management] to take accountability and meet us back at the table.”

In her speech, Grimes said management gave a “last, best and final offer” that addressed health insurance and wage concerns but not the non-economic demands

city of Ithaca,” Cantelmo said. “We’ve been in close communication about where the city feels it could provide support for the county in executing their mission.”

The navigation hub was originally proposed within the city’s Pilot Administrative Policy to Manage Homeless Encampments on City Property. The recommendations for the hub include facilities like hot water showers, storage, phone charging, security lighting and space for meeting with outreach workers. It also estimated that the navigation hub will need two- to three on-site staff to provide services outlined in the report. It also said several not-for-profit organizations have expressed interest in assisting with that staffing.

Cantelmo said the future of the navigation hub after the lease has ended is not determined. He said that while there could be advantages to continuing the hub, the intention is to provide additional resources until the permanent shelter is ready.

“We’re doing everything we can to expedite the approval process, the necessary regulatory steps, and we’re just really eager to see the county begin the infrastructural preparation for getting that site off the ground,” Cantelmo said.

of 1199SEIU members. She hopes management will continue the bargaining process.

“There’s no reason why my members do not have a contract,” Grimes said. “We’re here to get management back to the table so that we can reach a full agreement for everyone. All for one, [and] one for all.”

Shubha Gautam is a senior writer for The Cornell Daily Sun and is working as an intern this summer at the Ithaca Times.

Alternative rock group X Ambassadors will be hitting the road this fall in celebration of the 10th anniversary VHS, playing the album in full around the country. The tour stops at the State Theater on September 19 and 20th.

Seen

Starting Sept. 6 at 12:00 PM Ithacans can participate in a county-wide puzzle adventure and compete to win a real treasure chest filled with over $10,000 worth of jewels donated by The Jewel Box. The hunt begins at noon on September 6, when registered participants receive the first puzzle leading to hidden locations throughout Tompkins County. The first to solve all puzzles and find the treasure keeps it all. For more info and to register log on the History Centers website.

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.”

OF THE WEEK

Do you support the statewide cell phone ban in classrooms?

Do you support the DEC's decision to approve Cargill's modified five-year permit? Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.

Tompkins County is preparing to lease the former Burger King on Elmira Road as a seasonal Code Blue shelter, while the City of Ithaca plans to use part of the building for a new navigation hub offering showers, storage and outreach services. (Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times)

The Talk at

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Community Members Respond to DEC Approval of Flooding Part of Cayuga Lake Salt Mine

NOTE: Last week, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issued a renewed 5-year mining permit for Cargill’s Cayuga Salt Mine. The new permit includes a modification allowing Cargill to continue flooding the abandoned S3 Zone of the mine beneath Cayuga Lake with mine wastewater. DEC issued the permit without requiring either an environmental impact statement or public hearing, even though more than 100 stakeholders including residents, environmental groups, municipalities, and local officials had identified serious concerns regarding Cargill’s proposed activities in relation to the health and safety of Cayuga Lake.

“I have been concerned about the safety of mining beneath Cayuga Lake for more than 25 years. For decades, DEC

has prevented public access to the data that would be required for the conduct of an independent third-party scientific review. Twenty years on, the DEC continues to block access to most of the important scientific data.” — Brian Eden, Cayuga Lake Environmental Action Now (CLEAN) Co-founder

“If Cargill’s operation of Cayuga Salt Mine is such a paragon of excellence, why is the DEC colluding with Cargill to release less and less information about the mine to the public? American Rock Salt is implementing continuous mining technology at its Hampton Corners Salt Mine, while Cargill is sticking with lastcentury use of explosions several times a day. The idea that American Rock Salt could gain a competitive edge by learning more about Cayuga Salt Mine is ludicrous.” — John Dennis, Cayuga Lake Environmental Action Now (CLEAN) Co-founder

“DEC is responsible for upholding the public trust in Cayuga Lake, an irreplaceable resource. DEC’s reliance on the say-so of Cargill regarding the stability of the Mine cannot be reconciled with the agency’s responsibilities to the people of this State.” — Stephen D. Daly, Esq., outside counsel for CLEAN

“It appears that some of the relevant studies on mine stability on which DEC relies have been farmed out to consul-

tants and never seen by DEC.” — Raymond Vaughan, a Geologist consultant for CLEAN

Senior Citizens Demonstrate against Trump policies

“On Saturday, August 23rd, approximately 80 citizens aged from 77 to 108 gathered along Triphammer Road to hold signs and banners proclaiming their objections to Donald J. Trump’s policies. Most were from independent living apartments and cottages of Kendal-at-Ithaca; some were from assisted living units.

After months of discussions at dinner and at activities, residents had decided to organize to make a public statement. Dr. Marguerite Uphoff had been joining the Indivisible “honk and wave” standouts in Ithaca, and others had joined her. But many others, finding it difficult to maneuver the Ithaca streets, had called for actions closer to home. The first standout demonstration was July 3rd. This one was timed to meet the incoming Cornell students who might be traveling back and forth to the Triphammer Mall to shop for supplies. From 4-5 PM this past Saturday —the time limited to accommodate the limitations of the participants— people stood in opposition to Trump policies, some leaning against walkers, some in chairs or wheelchairs. These seniors gathered to show Cornell students that although they had retired from their occupations, they had not retired from the responsibilities of citizens in a democracy.

These people were not casual with their claims; many of them had been in the forefront of research in medicine and science or had intimate knowledge of its importance: 81 year-old Anne had worked her

Voices Through the Gorges

whole career with the National Institution of Health and sees the cuts as destroying the health of both America and the world. 86 year- old Cynthia, whose husband died three years ago of Parkinson’s Disease, sees the targeted cuts to Harvard as destroying any hope for the families torn by brain diseases as well as cancer, and sees the cuts to Cornell as an existential threat to farming in the face of Climate Change.

85 year-old Norman, who taught political science at Cornell, spoke of his deep concern about the lack of responsibility in Congress. 87 year-old Renee, who taught Social Studies in High School, echoed his concern. Mari, 77, expressed her concern about the Supreme Court: ’We are ‘Originalists’ and this Supreme Court is rewriting laws instead of interpreting them.’ 89 year-old Ann had run projects in third world countries and seen first hand slides into autocracy: ‘I see the same process here.’

Some people were veterans of demonstrations. 87 year-old Marianne had started protesting during the Civil Rights era. Others spoke of similar histories. When asked why they were here, most echoed the same reasons: to do what we can, to address the lack of an active Congress, to defend knowledge, to speak with our signs to strangers, to raise the danger of redistricting. One summed up their reality: We are limited in what we can do. We can write and telephone, and we can demonstrate here, but we can no longer take buses to march in Washington DC — our bladders won’t let us. But we are who we are BECAUSE we do what we can do, and we do what we can do BECAUSE we are who we are.” — Cynthia Loring MacBain & Marguerite Uphoff

“One of the saddest lessons of history is this:

If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”

—

Carl Sagan

The Power of Food: Nourishing Democracy Through Shared Use Commercial Kitchens

By Rod Rotondi

Shared-use commercial kitchens, such as the newly established Shared Kitchen Ithaca (SKI), are born of the democratic ideals of cooperation, collaboration and equal opportunity for all. Specifically, they provide access to food production facilities that are beyond the means of most small food businesses. They support local entrepreneurship and job creation, increase community engagement, grow local culture and quality of life, strengthen regional food security and support local organizations addressing those experiencing food insecurity.

In Ithaca, we are fortunate to have many organizations based on democratic ideals such as GreenStar Cooperative (consumer coop owned by more than 13,000 of its consumers), the Alternatives Federal Credit Union (AFCU) which is a credit union and Community Development Financial Institute (CDFI) where profits are invested back into the community, as well as organizations which operate on a not-for-profit basis such as The Ithaca Farmer’s Market, Friendship Donation Network, Center for Transformative Action, and Finger Lakes ReUse.

The shared-use commercial kitchen movement began in the 1960’s. It grew out of the ethos of the time with its generous and collaborative spirit, a suspicion of unbridled capitalism, and a desire to work together for mutual benefit. Communities established commercial kitchens to support local food entrepreneurs and to contribute to community based economic development.

Managing multiple entrepreneurs in one space is challenging: many early attempts failed due to a lack of robust managerial systems. However, over the decades more sophisticated management techniques and tools (often based on advances in information technology) have greatly simplified management tasks. As a result, in the last decade or so, shared-use commercial kitchens have become an increasingly popular avenue for municipalities and community organizations to support and foster economic development as well as a model for encouraging private business ventures.

SURROUNDED BY REALITY

Here Be Treasure

By Charley Githler

There’s always a quickening of the local pulse in the end-of-August/ early-September time of year in Ithaca. The college students, known to local merchants as the Golden Horde, are back, and there’s a renewed energy in the air. Even those of us not directly involved in the education industry are swept up in the rhythm of the academic calendar, and it’s not just because instances of bad driving spike to levels not generally seen outside downtown Mumbai.

treasure hunt open to all public school students that was so popular that they hastily put together an encore version immediately following the first one.

I’m certainly in no position to turn up my nose at $1000, or even a couple hundred in gift cards, but $10,000 in jewels definitely has my attention.

Commercial kitchens are an expensive proposition. They require very specific and sophisticated building requirements in terms of plumbing, electrical systems, hoods, walk-ins, loading docks etc. Those who have succeeded in creating their own production facilities have primarily come from wealthy circumstances, leaving the vast majority of food entrepreneurs unable to level up.

By coming together in shared use commercial kitchens, food entrepreneurs are able to gain access to a facility which enables them to grow and scale their businesses. They don’t need to invest in purchasing or leasing a facility or buying any equipment, thus greatly reducing their liabilities and making the most of their available capital.

The success of shared-use commercial kitchens requires a commitment to the democratic values of cooperation, collaboration and kindness. This applies to both management and membership. Without these values, it becomes a free for all in which the long-term benefit of the group suffers for the short-term gains of a minority where cooperation is replaced by competition and harmony is replaced by chaos. Management and members must work together to foster responsibility, enforce guardrails to maintain accountability, and keep

To me, this season’s most exciting event has to be the History Center’s Treasure Hunt. Teams or individuals will solve puzzles leading to locations around the county (where a QR code unlocks the next puzzle), and compete for a genuine treasure chest filled with $10,000 in precious gems. Real actual jewels from Mickey Roof at the Jewelbox. In a treasure chest. Talking and/or dressing like a pirate, while encouraged, is not mandatory, and swordfighting among contestants is strictly prohibited.

This appeals to me. Solving puzzles, a race against time, cutthroat competition, and a winner-take-all prize worth some serious money. Sign me up! Except I can’t do it, because of my association with the History Center. I’m told it would “look bad” if I won. I’m not bitter at all.

We have some tradition with treasure hunts in Ithaca. The Ithaca Festival ran one for a few years in the early 2000s with a $1000 prize. So did the Discovery Trail (prize $450). The ‘Reuse Trail’ had one in 2017 in which you could win up to $200 in gift cards. There was a postCOVID hunt sponsored by the Ithaca Public Education Initiative. Back in 1928 there was a Community Chest-sponsored

communication open and inclusive to ensure all voices are heard.

The stainless-steel reality of a shared use commercial kitchen is also the vehicle to empower many whose voices were muted or unheard, to add their language of love — the culinary arts — to our unfolding tapestry of culture and civilization.

For more information about Shared Kitchen Ithaca please go to our website at: www.sharedkitchenithaca.com

Rod Rotondi is the founder and Executive

It seems I have some treasure-hunting DNA. Every year for my kids’ birthdays I write rhyming clues that lead to the next one, tucked around the house and environs, the final destination being the birthday present. I’m pretty sure they go along with it exclusively to humor me. Also, I acquired a metal detector, as part of my quest to leave no old-white-guy stereotype unexplored, and I’ve actually found some things. I’d hesitate to dignify my findings by calling them treasures, so far, but only just begun to dig. I imagine the decision whether to compete as a team or an individual will reveal the degree of each participant’s willingness to share. This is an issue that requires careful deliberation. It costs a $100 dollar donation to the History Center to take part (though there are discount codes). Spreading that among team members takes some of the bite out, but if you fly solo and win, you can run your fingers through the gems and cackle, “Mine! All mine!”

The whole thing kicks off with delivery of the first clue at an in-person party on September 6 (also a kids treasure hunt that morning), and registering can be done online on the History Center’s website. (www.thehistorycenter.net/ tompkins-treasure) I’ll be the sullen guy watching on the sidelines.

Director of Shared Kitchen Ithaca— a community development not-for-profit with a shared-use commercial kitchen in Ithaca. He spent two decades as a food entrepreneur in Los Angeles with restaurants, a nationally distributed food brand, a book and DVD series, and plant-based cuisine courses. Previously, he worked in the Middle East and Africa for the United Nations and other international organizations as a development economist. His first entrepreneurial ventures were scuba diving centers on the Red Sea.

Rod Rotondi is the founder and Executive Director of Shared Kitchen Ithaca with a deep background in the restaurant industry.

(Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times)

Cornell Lacrosse Elevates Two Assistants

By Steve Lawrence

When it was announced last week that the Cornell lacrosse would promote two coaches from within the program, there was a statement that could be a bit misleading. We’ll circle back to that.

Congrats to former Director of Operation Griffin Buczek, who was promoted to Assistant Coach. On Cornellbigred.com, Buczek said, "As both an alumnus and a member of the staff for the past two years, I take great pride in continuing to contribute to a program that has given me so much.”

Also taking a big step up is Paolo Ciferri, who now has the honor of calling himself the Mario St. George Boiardi ’04 Assistant Coach of Lacrosse. Paolo was quoted on the website as saying, “I am incredibly grateful to the Cornell Lacrosse family for entrusting me with this responsibility, Cornell Lacrosse has delivered so many impactful moments in my life, and lives of my family members, so it is a special honor to help lead this program forward.”

Back to what I referenced as “a bit misleading.” While the website suggests that Ciferri has been with CU Lacrosse since 2020, his comment about the impact the program has had on his family members offers a glimpse into how long he has really been around the program. Paolo’s mom is Lyn Reitenbach, a former Big Red lacrosse player (class of ’85), as are her brothers — Keith and Bruce — who both played for Richie Moran in the 1970s and 80s. Lyn has been mentoring young players for 40 years, and both of her children — Paolo and Marley Ciferri — played D-1 lax at Syracuse University. (Paolo was a captain for the Orange in 2016-17, and made assistant coaching stops at Binghamton and SUNY Cortland prior to Cornell.)

following the team’s national championship. Ciferri, a longtime presence in the local lacrosse community, brings expertise in clearing and riding along with a deep family legacy in the sport. (Photo: Darl Zehr Photography/Cornell Athletics)

I watched Paolo come up through the youth lacrosse programs, covered some of his travel team and Ithaca High School successes, and my conversations with him over the years have conveyed very clearly that in terms of the game of lacrosse, he is wise beyond his years. When I called him to congratulate him, the first thing he did was to thank Jordan Stevens, who resigned to devote more time to his family after the Big Red’s national championship. “Jordan left some really big shoes to fill,” Ciferri told me. “As a friend and a mentor, he is a very impressive person.”

Ciferri is known in the collegiate lacrosse world as a specialist in mentoring players in the obscure skill sets known as “clearing” and “riding.” The casual lacrosse

Cornell lacrosse promoted Griffin Buczek and Paolo Ciferri to assistant coaches

Josh Riley Faces Backlash From Constituents After Taking AIPAC Trip to Israel

By Julian DeLucia

On Aug. 20, peace activists from Ithaca and Binghamton gathered outside of Rep. Josh Riley’s office in Binghamton to protest his recent sponsored trip to Israel.

The demonstration was organized by multiple organizations such as the Ithaca Catholic Worker, Veterans for Peace Chapter 90, Broome County Peace Action and Pax Christi New York State. It was also attended by members of Jewish Voice for Peace and Cornell Progressives, among other organizations.

Earlier in August, Riley visited Israel on a trip alongside ten other newly elected Democrats, sponsored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). AIPAC is a bipartisan pro-Israel lobbying group that advocates for Israeli interests and raises money for American politicians. Riley’s trip took place amid the ongoing Israeli military attacks and an active famine in the Gaza Strip. On Aug. 18, Amnesty International, a global nongovernmental human rights group, ac-

cused Israel of using a “deliberate policy” of starvation in Gaza. The World Health Organization declared Aug. 22 that there was a famine in Gaza, with hundreds of thousands of people going days without anything to eat.

Riley ran on promises to fight against a corrupt campaign finance system and hold utility companies like NYSEG accountable for increasing rates as their profits soared, but he has elicited significant outrage from progressive voters in his district for his reluctance to speak about the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Veterans for Peace member Jack Gilroy said Riley has repeatedly avoided meetings with local peace activists in his district since being sworn in January. Gilroy said that Riley had cancelled at the last minute on an arranged Zoom call with him and other activists, before rescheduling and cancelling another call two weeks later. Despite pledging not to take corporate PAC money, Riley has justified his AIPAC-sponsored trip to Israel.

“These people gave up their day [to call

Riley],” Gilroy said. “He has refused to speak to the peace community.”

Broome County Peace Action President Jim Clune, said he initially believed that Riley was having scheduling issues, but became skeptical after multiple failed attempts at meeting.

“We find it very frustrating, if not deliberate,” Clune said. “We have a good idea that they [don’t] want to deal with us.”

Gilroy said he and other constituents would not continue to support Riley if he does not change his position on accepting funding from pro-Israel lobbying groups.

According to TrackAIPAC, Rep. Josh Riley (D), representative of New York’s 19th district, has received $36,645 dollars from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). AIPAC is a bipartisan pro-Israel lobbying group that advocates for Israeli interests and raises money for American politicians.

Rand Jitan, an independent journalist and Delaware County resident, said she and her wife moved to the area three years ago and had voted for Riley, but have been disappointed by his support for Israel and increased immigration enforcement. In January, Riley voted for the Laken Riley Act, an act that allows for the imprisonment of non-citizens who have been charged with but not convicted of violent and non-violent crimes. She said she valued cooperation and solidarity across political lines to end the genocide in Gaza and the sending of U.S. tax dollars and weapons to Israel.

“I’m not scared of my MAGA neighbors, I’m scared of the leaders who refuse to listen to us that we voted into power,” Rand said. “I've talked to people across all political lines who all agree that we don't want this genocide.”

Rand said the amount of money Riley has received from AIPAC ($36,645) is more than the median individual income of her home county. According to Data Commons, the median individual income of Delaware County is $33,600.

“Israel is committing a genocide and the United States is paying for it with our tax dollars,” Rand said. “You, Josh Riley, will be a stain on the history of humanity, not just New York.”

Following Rand’s speech, the crowd of protesters marched into the Binghamton MetroCenter and made their way to Riley’s office inside the building to read a letter to Riley and his staff that was signed by each group that organized the action. However, when they arrived at Riley’s office they found that he and his staff were gone and had closed the office for the day.

Leslie Schultz, a member of the Ithaca Catholic Worker movement, apologized to the attendees and said Riley would rather leave his office than have a conversation with his constituents about his position on the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. She then read the letter aloud, quoting Riley’s campaign ads and promises.

“Although you ran for office as a working-class Democrat promising to always fight for the left-behind and countedout, saying, ‘neighborhoods like the one I grew up in have been sold out by corrupt

Activists from Ithaca and Binghamton gathered at Rep. Josh Riley's office last week to protest his recent sponsored trip to Israel.

(Photo: Kaeleigh Banda/The Ithacan)

In Early August, Rep. Josh Riley visited Israel on a trip sponsored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

(Photo: Ithaca Times File)

Cornell Leadership Calls Staff Cuts “Inevitable” as It Doubles Down on Financial Austerity Plan

By Maddy Vogel

Cornell University reaffirmed the need for widespread operational and budgetary reductions in a statement released to the university community on Friday, Aug. 22. This comes as Cornell faces significant financial stress stemming from federal funding cuts and legal battles.

In its statement, the university cites “an uncertain and unprecedented federal landscape” as one of several factors that have led officials to reimagine their fiscal strategy. Other factors include reductions in federal funding, the growth of staff, increased legal and employment-related costs, and clinical reimbursement pressures at Weill Cornell Medicine.

The statement was signed by President Michael I. Kotlikoff, Provost Kavita Bala, Provost for Medical Affairs Robert A. Harrington, and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Chris Cowen. They stated that urgent action must be taken to reduce costs and sustain the university budget in its immediate and long-term future.

The university is reportedly reaching a multi-million dollar settlement with the Trump administration to restore over $1 billion in federal funds. News of this funding freeze, accompanied by over 75 stop-work orders from the Department of Defense, came in April amid federal investigations into antisemitism on campus. When the investigation into Cornell — along with 59 other colleges and universities across the country — was announced in March, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights warned of “potential enforcement actions” if it found the

politicians and greedy corporations, I’m fighting back,’” Schultz read. “We are here today to challenge your non-adherence to that general commitment towards fighting injustice expressed during your campaign.”

Schultz also read the final words of Palestinian journalist Anas al-Sharif. AlSharif and three other members of his Al Jazeera news team were killed Aug. 10 in a purposeful Israeli strike on a marked me-

In a recent statement, Cornell leadership reaffirmed the need for the university to reduce its workforce as a cost-saving measure.

(Photo: Nathan Ellison/Sun Fellow at the Ithaca Times)

institutions failed to protect Jewish students on campus during student protests over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

In its Friday statement, the university reaffirmed its intention to reduce its workforce. Officials said work to ensure the stability of Cornell’s future will be a multiphase process, beginning with budget reductions already in place for the current fiscal year across the university’s Ithaca, Cornell AgriTech, Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Tech campuses.

The university-wide hiring freeze, first announced in February, remains in place

dia personnel tent. According to Shireen.ps, 270 journalists and media staff have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023. The Israel-Hamas War is the deadliest conflict for journalists of the last 200 years, with death figures well outnumbering second, the Iraq War with 204 press and media deaths, in a much shorter time.

Members of the crowd sat on the ground in front of the empty office and began to tape one hundred images of injured and

“indefinitely,” the statement read. Rare exceptions from campus-based position control committees will be permitted.

Beyond the immediate cuts, officials said the second step will be creating permanent efficiencies to reduce costs university-wide.

“Cornell’s decentralized structure is part of our tradition, but a source of significant administrative inefficiencies,” the statement said. “Part of our task is identifying opportunities to scale and regularize our academic support systems across units with unique characteristics and needs

starving civilians in Gaza on the walls and door of Riley’s office.

Justin Marchuska, co-owner of the MetroCenter building, and his staff began telling the protestors to leave, claiming they were obstructing the flow of business and the hallway around Riley’s office. After a brief exchange, the building staff called the police, who arrived on the scene within minutes. However, the police were unable to remove the protesters from the building

without compromising our institutional excellence. This means centralizing some functions that are duplicated in colleges and units, while retaining those components that are necessary.”

In a previous statement, Cornell officials said they would make all efforts to reduce staffing by austerity measures, but anticipated having to make involuntary reductions.

“Reducing costs will mean reconsidering how we handle all of our processes, from procurement to technology, and rethinking, in fundamental ways, how we allocate our resources,” the statement read. “It will also, inevitably, mean reducing our workforce — a painful prospect for a community like ours, with a strong sense of shared identity and purpose.”

Cornell University is the largest employer in Tompkins County, with a workforce of over 11,000, according to the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce. At this time, it's still unclear how many positions the university will cut.

The university anticipates implementing restructuring plans by the end of this year and continuing those plans into 2026. Officials said that Cornell will provide updates to the university community through in-person town hall meetings beginning this week on the Ithaca and New York state campuses.

“These changes will be difficult for our community but are vital for our future,” the statement read. “We are grateful for the work of every member of our faculty and staff and committed to taking the steps necessary to ensure that Cornell pursues its academic mission sustainably for generations to come.”

unless they shut the entire place down because it was a public space. While the police spoke with Marchuska about how he wanted to proceed, the protestors left the building peacefully.

The crowd then moved a block away to the Binghamton Federal Building and Courthouse, where they arranged themselves on the stairs and performed a silent die-in.

Continued on Page 19

NEWCOMERS GUIDE 2025

Take on the Outdoors: Hidden Gems in and Around Ithaca

By Shubha Gautam

Whether it’s to see multicolored foliage, serene lakes, or vast gorges, Ithacans can be found on one of the many local hiking trails during the fall. Both Ithaca College and Cornell University boast an expansive network of trails, and community members are sure to have traversed popular destinations like Taughannock Falls State Park, Cascadilla Gorge Trail and Six-Mile Creek. As the weather becomes perfect for outdoor activities, spend some time on the lesser known natural areas near and in Ithaca.

Jennings Pond

Located around 8 miles south of Ithaca, Jennings Pond is a quaint park open year round with swimming (when lifeguards are out), kayaking, barbecue grills, free fishing and more. It is part of the larger Buttermilk Falls State park, and its namesake is a natural spring-fed pond that forms the headwaters for Buttermilk Falls, which lies around 5 miles downstream. The park features a loop trail around the pond just over a mile long. For visitors looking for an easy hike and space to relax afterward, picnicking is allowed in the park.

The pond also boasts interesting geology, with the St. Lawrence Seaway Divide running right underneath it. This underground rift runs through the Finger Lakes Region and determines which way water drains, with bodies of water north of it draining to the north and bodies of water south of it draining to the south. Since the

divide is right below Jennings Pond, the pond drains both to the north and south. The pond also attracts wildlife like snapping turtles and kingfishers, and the surrounding woods are full of old growth. For birdwatchers, naturalists, swimmers and hikers alike, Jennings Pond is worth a visit. And for those using the TCAT, the outbound 65 takes you to Danby Rd @ Bald Hill, which is around a 15 minute walk from the park.

Mulholland Wildflower Preserve

The Mulholland Wildflower Preserve is not necessarily lesser known — youth across the county flock to it during the summer to hike, run and picnic. The preserve and encompassing Six Mile Creek are ecologically diverse, covered with scenic gorges, waterfalls, marshlands and meadows of goldenrods, asters, shrub thickets and more. The first mile of the 5.0 mile trail system is said to hold the greatest wildflower diversity in the state.

Designated as a unique natural area, the Mulholland Wildflower Preserve lies on the north side of Six Mile Creek. Minimally maintained, steep cliffside trails border the creek, and all blue-blazed trails are kept free of obstructions. Restrooms and picnic tables are provided for visitors. For those looking for waterfalls, Wells Falls is easily accessible through the Giles Street entrance. Also known as Busi nessman’s Lunch Falls, as it used to be a popular lunch destination for downtown office workers, visitors will see a set of four cascading falls. It’s a great place to explore, take pictures and watch the sunset.

While Ithaca is known for its outdoor scene, some spots are more well-known than others. In this year’s Newcomers Guide, the Itahc Times showcases some lesser-known spots around town. (Photo: Ithaca Times File)

Fundraising in Full Swing Across Ithaca –Upcoming Opportunities to Get Involved

By Leah Badawi

Ithaca is home to a number of interest groups and organizations that pool together resources to raise money for pressing causes and give back to the greater community. This fall, a variety of fundraisers will commence throughout the city, each one with a different issue at stake and activity at hand.

On Saturday, Sept. 6, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is hosting a Greater Ithaca Walk in Myers Park in Lansing. Checkin is at 9:30 a.m., with the event’s planned start time scheduled for 10:30 a.m. There is no registration

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TAKE ON THE OUTDOORS

continued from page 13

the left fork, which will take you to the Six Mile Creek trails and near Second Dam. The Hudson @ Columbia will bring you close to both Giles Street and South Hill Recreation Way, both of which will take you close to Wells Falls. Street parking is available on Giles Street.

Lick Brook Natural Area

Part of the greater Finger Lakes Land Trust, the 27-acre Lick Brook Natural Area illustrates upstate New York’s glacial past through its scoured landscape, steep topography and biodiversity. Multiple waterfalls splash through Lick Brook on their way to Cayuga Lake, the tallest being almost 140 feet tall. The trail network following the rim of Lick Brook gorge spans 2.16 miles and is rated to be moderate to difficult by Ithaca Trails. So if you decide to make a trip — make sure to wear your hiking boots and bring plenty of water.

The Lick Brook Natural Area is contiguous with the 155 acres of Sweedler and Thayer Preserve, Cayuga Inlet Conservation Area and a Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Area. Much of the landscape in

this region is covered with grand Eastern Hemlock and white pine trees. Nature lovers will notice the various species of oak, maple and magnolia that thrive in the region, including the rare cucumber magnolia and mountain maple. Birdwatchers are sure to see and hear an array of birds, such as the hermit thrush and black-throated warbler in the spring. And in the winter, skiers may pass by fresh red fox or deer tracks.

Lick Brook is a conservation priority area for the Land Trust, so rest assured, visitors will find well maintained trails year round in a serene nook of the Finger Lakes. But hunting is allowed in the area, so do use caution when visiting. There are two parking lots available: one at the west side of Townline Road and another on NY 327, with the lower park entrance first and the upper park entrance further along the road. Other parking options are available depending on the trail site. For those wishing to use the TCAT, route 67 takes you to Elmira Road @ Enfield Creek Overpass, which is right next to the natural area.

Shubha Gautam is a senior writer for The Cornell Daily Sun and is working as an intern this summer at the Ithaca Times.

CORNELL LACROSSE

continued from page 8

fan loves to watch highlight films of players like CJ Kirst lighting up the net, but behind the highlight films, clearing and riding are crucial.

I asked Paolo to give me a brief tutorial on those dimensions of the game, and he made it as simple as possible. He told me, “Unlike say, football and basketball, lacrosse is a ‘flow sport,’ so to speak. In football and basketball, play stops when possession changes.” He’s right, of course, and when an opponent scores in hoops and football, the opponent gets the ball. In lacrosse, the face-off man (or woman) has to fight to get it back, and Jack Cascadden — Ciferri’s understudy — is regarded as one of the NCAA’s premier face-off men, and a big reason the Big Red hoisted the trophy.

Ciferri explained that “Our defense is very aggressive, and one of our aims is to force our opponent to work really hard and use up as much the the shot clock as possible. When looking at a film, some of those things may seem miniscule to some, but they’re crucial. Riding is a 10-man process.” He continued, “We take pride in our ability to create offensive opportunities, and as soon as we get possession we’re playing offense at that point.”

The coach was perceptive enough to sense that I was getting a bit lost as the Xs and Os danced around in his brain, so he broke it down to the simpler terms. He stated how much focus is put on “Working harder ‘between ti 21s’ (in honor of the late George Boiardi), sacrificing a little more for the guys around you. That what’s makes the difference, and that’s Cornell lacrosse.”

fee to attend the community walk, though participants are encouraged to set a $150 fundraising goal to support AFSP’s mission and receive the official walk t-shirt. The walk will be 1-3 miles long. Donations will fund research and advocacy for suicide prevention and aid the AFSP in creating and

distributing education programs.

On the afternoon of Saturday, September 13, the Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca will be hosting Matters of the Mind in Stewart Park. The event will feature Dr. Don Rakow, who will speak on Nature Rx: The Human Benefits of Time in Nature before the stroll to the park’s large pavilion for the event. This will be an annual event kicking off this year, each time featuring a speaker of note on a topic related to mental healthcare with a related accessible activity.

On Sunday, October 5, Sigma Alpha Mu is hosting its Sammy Stride for a Cure, a 5k from 11:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. at Stewart Park. Participants of all ages are encouraged to walk, jog or run in support of Alzheimer’s research, with 100% of proceeds going towards the Judy Fund, an organization dedicated to ending Alzheimer’s and investing in women’s brain research. The cost of registration is $17.85, and the venue will provide free parking.

teams who complete perfect puzzles in the shortest spans of time. Winners will receive a certificate, a Merl Reagle Crossword book, and a Finger Lakes Crossword Competition Championship Bracelet. Registration is set at $50 per player, but individuals are encouraged to pay whatever they are comfortable with. All proceeds will go towards supporting adult literacy.

Leah Badawi reports for the Ithaca Times as an intern through a summer fellowship with the Cornell Daily Sun. FUNDRAISING IN

Starting on Saturday, October 4, and concluding on Saturday, Oct. 18, the Sophie Fund will be organizing its annual Cupcake Button fundraiser, which will be carried out by local student organizations. The Sophie Fund will also raise funds for a mental health related nonprofit in Ithaca, as they do every year on Oct. 9. More details are to come in the following weeks on their website.

On Saturday, Oct. 18, the Finger Lakes is hosting its annual Crossword Competition at Boynton Middle School from 1 to 4 p.m. The competition is open to both individuals and teams, which will compete against one another at one of three levels of difficulty. Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 individuals and

On Saturday, Nov. 1, the Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts and GrassRoots Organization are partnering to bring to life GrassRoots Unplugged, a massive concert that will feature famous local bands at the Tompkins County Fairgrounds from 1 to 10 p.m. Tickets will be $25 for a full day, and admission is free for children twelve and under. The music festival will include other activities such as face painting, watercolor, and more. Food and beverages, including alcohol, will be sold at the venue. All proceeds will support the Trumansburg Conservatory’s capital campaign to restore their historic building.

nicole v. basta Succeeds Dan Rosenberg as Tompkins County’s Next Poet Laureate

By Shubha Gautam

EDITOR’S NOTE:

nicole v. basta intentionally stylizes her name in lowercase. We have respected her preference throughout this piece.

The Community Arts Partnership (CAP) named nicole v. basta as Tompkins County’s next Poet Laureate. She succeeds Dan Rosenberg, who served from February to July 2025 before moving out of the community. Poet Laureates are typically appointed for twoyear terms, so basta will finish off 2025 and serve through the end of 2026.

Basta is the thirteenth Tompkins Poet Laureate appointed since the Tompkins County Legislature established the position in 2001 to honor local poets, integrate poetry into the community and enrich youth education. The U.S. first created the position nationally in 1937, and today poet laureates are appointed by many U.S. communities through governments or conferring organizations to advocate for the cultural arts.

The selection and announcement of the Tompkins County Poet Laureate is done by CAP, a local organization that aims to strengthen the arts in the county by supporting artists and art groups, ensuring equitable access to the arts and cultivating a creative culture. CAP solicits nominations for the position and organizes the selection panel that ultimately selects the poet laureate. Although the position is honorary, a $1,500 stipend was put into place for 2025.

CAP officially announced basta as the poet laureate at the Aug. 5 Tompkins County legislature meeting. basta wrote the poem “Poetry never stood a chance standing outside of history” for the event, where she recited it.

In an interview with the Ithaca Times, basta said the poem’s title is a line from “North American Time” by poet Adrienne Rich. Basta believes “poetry is inherently political,” and she said her piece emphasizes that through a focus on current global events, such as the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

“Poets have been at the front of so many movements,” basta said. “And language is a really powerful tool. When we use language to not sell people things in our society [but instead] to explore [or] for pleasure, we’re actively moving against the machine.”

In a statement published by CAP, executive director Megan Barber said she is grateful to the county for establishing the poet laureate position.

“It’s important for a creative and civicallyminded community like ours to have this position, and each poet laureate has an impact on our lives here,” Barber said. “We are excited to have Nicole join the lineage of Tompkins County Poet Laureates.”

Basta is a graduate of the Ithaca College Writing Program and has an MFA in poetry from The New School in New York City. Basta said her familial roots lie in the coal mines and garment factories of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and that her ability to express herself creativity is an opportunity her ancestors did not have. She said their inability to create is important to her work as a poet.

Her poetry can be found in Ploughshares, The North American Review, The Cortland Review and other publications. “V,” her first chapbook, won The New School’s Annual Contest. Her second chapbook, “the next field over,” was published by Tolsun Books in 2022.

Additionally, basta is a visual artist who works with several mediums, including mixed media collage, book making and cyanotypes. She has collaborated with artists from various fields for her work, which has been supported

by residencies and grants from Monson Arts, the Constance Saltonstall Foundation of the Arts, CAP, The New York State Council on the Arts and others. She produces multidisciplinary arts events as well, and her journey with producing began in Brooklyn where she co-founded and curated with Say Yes Electric Collective from 2015-2018. Since moving back to Ithaca in 2020, basta said she has curated similar multi-genre performances at Deep Dive.

Basta offers generative creative writing classes, mentorship and editing for any kind of writing. Her fall class series, “We Who Love To Be Astonished,” is a six week group intensive taught in person in Ithaca. Through her art, teaching, exhibitions and new poet laureate role, basta said she is trying to strengthen her ties within the community by connecting poets from Cornell with the rest of Ithaca.

“I think that bridge, especially between Cornell and Ithaca, is important to me, because I feel like historically there’s been [...] a separation. To me, some of the most incredible writers I've met are at Cornell or in the town. Making those connections and creating readings that include them [both and] also connecting with other artists, musicians [and] performance artists [is important]. Poetry doesn’t exist in isolation, but it is created within the art world in general.”

Arts & Entertainment

nicole v. basta said she creates with the “blessings of sacred uselessness.” (Photo credit: Alyvia Covert/Provided)

Workers Center Prepares For Annual Labor Day Picnic

By: Matt Dougherty

Every year as summer comes to a close the Tompkins County Workers Center (TCWC) prepares for their annual Labor Day Picnic. The yearly event is scheduled to take place on Monday, Sept. 1 at the main pavilion in Ithaca’s Stewart Park.

The picnic is open for all to attend and includes live music, free burgers (including veggie burgers), hot dogs, and drinks. In an effort to highlight the work of local labor organizers, the picnic also features a series of awards that are given to individuals that have had a significant impact on local labor organizing efforts.

According to Pete Meyers, Director at the Workers Center, the picnic usually sees about 300 people in attendance, but this year he says it’s expected to be more widely attended.

“I think the present state of national politics is energizing people in many communities, especially in Ithaca,” Meyers

said. He added that supporting local labor organizing is especially important as the federal government under the Trump administration is picking a fight with the labor movement by undermining the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

The NLRB is the main federal administrative agency that regulates labor relations between unionized and non-unionized workers and management. Throughout the administration of former President Joe Biden the NLRB made a series of pro-union decisions, including declaring non-compete and “stay or pay” agreements illegal under the National Labor Relations Act.

A non-compete agreement is a contract that prohibits an employee from working for a competitor or starting their own business that would compete with their previous employer for a specific period of time. The ban on non-compete agreements was approved because, “[they] undermined employees’ ability to threaten to resign in order to advocate

for workplace changes — and so violated their right under the NLRA to take collective action to improve their working conditions.”

Workers that sign “stay or pay” agreements are required to repay training costs and sign on bonuses if they leave their job before a certain deadline. Biden’s NLRB

banned these agreements because, “[they] dissuaded employees from engaging in protected activity…by increasing the financial impact of a termination.”

Additionally, in 2024 the NLRB ruled that several Starbucks locations in Ithaca violated labor law by permanently closing their stores in retaliation to union organizing.

The Tompkins County Workers’ Center will host its annual Labor Day Picnic on Sept. 1 at Stewart Park, featuring food, live music, and awards recognizing local labor organizers. Organizers expect higher turnout this year amid heightened national attacks on workers’ rights. (Photo: Provided)

In order to issue decisions on labor disputes like the one brought against Starbucks, the five member board must have a “quorum” of at least three members. However, after President Trump removed board member Gwynne Wilcox in January, the board was left with just two members, effectively rendering the NLRB obsolete and leaving workers with little defense against union-busting tactics.

Trump has also removed NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, who was appointed by Biden and was responsible for instituting the bans on non-compete and “stay or pay” agreements in 2023. He replaced her with Acting General Counsel William Cowen, who revoked the orders banning non-compete and “stay or pay” agreements soon after being appointed to the position.

“I think that these attacks against the NLRB are going to be one of the biggest reasons why we’re expecting a bigger crowd than usual at this year’s picnic,” Meyers said.

In addition to the undermining of the NLRB at the federal level, this year’s picnic also coincides with efforts to increase the local minimum wage to a living wage and implement just cause employment protections for workers within the City of Ithaca. Additionally, it comes as recently unionized workers at Ithaca’s GreenStar Grocery

Co-op successfully negotiated their first contract and workers at the Cayuga Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility unionized with 1199SEIU are bargaining for a new contract.

The Tompkins County Legislature has adopted a resolution to allocate up to $50,000 to hire a consultant to conduct a study on the impacts of changing the local minimum wage to a living wage. The current minimum wage for New York State outside of New York City, Long Island and Westchester is $15.50 per hour, but a study conducted by Cornell University's Industrial Labor Relations School has estimated that the local living wage is at least $24.82 per hour.

Last Saturday, the Workers Center held a Town Hall at the Borg-Warner room in the Tompkins County Public Library to build momentum around their campaign to pressure the Common Council to pass Just Cause employment protections in Ithaca. Passing Just Cause protections in Ithaca would effectively eliminate at-will employment within the city, meaning that employers would no longer be able to fire workers without a just cause for termination.

Meyers has said that without Just Cause protections, “If a worker [who’s not represented by a labor union] gets fired, unless it’s discrimination [or] certain things that are protected, the [employer] doesn’t have

to give them a reason for why they were terminated.”

According to a survey from the National Employment Law Project (NELP), “More than two out of three workers who have been discharged received no reason or an unfair reason for the termination, and three out of four received no warning before discharge.”

Meyers said that more than 26% of the individuals reaching out to the Worker Center’s Workers Rights hotline have complained about being fired without reason. That would amount to a total of 1,300 complaints, with more than 600 coming from within the City of Ithaca.

Meyers said that last weekend's Just Cause town hall was attended by roughly 70 people, including Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo.

“There’s a lot of energy around this issue,” Meyers said. “If this passes, there’s only one other city that has Just Cause protections at the local level, and that’s New York City, but it’s just for fast food workers. This would be for all workers within the City of Ithaca.”

Guaranteeing Just Cause employment protections throughout the entire city would make Ithaca the first city in the United States to do so.

Cornell University junior Adriana Vick, a member of Cornell Progressives, drove down from Ithaca to support the demonstration and to meet with Riley. Vick said Riley and his staff not being in their office is indicative of a larger problem across the country, which is that Democratic politicians are failing to represent their voter base when it comes to support for Israeli actions in Gaza

“They don’t want to listen to the fact that a majority of their constituents support a ceasefire, an arms embargo and a free Palestine,” Vick said. “A vast majority of Americans support these things and our representatives are not listening to us.”

According to a July 29 Gallup poll, American opinions of Israeli military action have hit a new low, with only 32% of surveyed individuals saying they approve.

“The school year has yet to start, and I think we’ll see a lot more action from students once everyone is back in town,” Vick said.

Eamon Corbo contributed reporting.

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DO YOU NEED A ROOF OR ENERGY EFFICIENT WINDOWS & HELP PAYING FOR IT?

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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! 1-833-549-0598. Have zip code of property ready when calling! (NYSCAN)

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CUSTODIAL WORKER I

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171 E. State St./ Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Ithaca

Events this Week

8/27 Wednesday

2025 Great New York State Fair | 9:00 a.m. | Through Labor Day — September 1st. New York State Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse 200 Years: Seneca Lake and the Erie Canal Waterways | 10:00 a.m.

| Join us at the Brick Tavern Museum and delve deep into Schuyler County's water transportation highway | Montour Falls

Women’s Day at The Fair | 11:00 a.m. | A mini-fair will be held from 11:00am to 4:00pm at the Chevy Court Pavilion featuring many advocacy groups for women, including the Women’s Opportunity Center! Feel free to stop by to get information, learn, and ask any questions! | NYS Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse

REACH Donation Drive | 1:00 p.m. |

REACH Medical, located at 1001 West Seneca Street, is hosting a Donation Drive. At our low threshold | Ithaca

The Member’s Show | 1:00 p.m. | The Member ’s Show exhibit gives the public the opportunity to see the new work coming out of The Ink Shop, one of Central New York’s best printmaking facilities | The Ink Shop, 330 E. MLK/State St., Ithaca | Free Good Grief Circle | 2:00 p.m. | The Age Well Center 165 Main St., Cortland Wednesday Market at East Hill | 3:00 p.m. | Don’t have time to get to the pavilion every weekend, or need a mid-week haul? | 330 Pine Tree Rd., NY 14850-2819, Ithaca

Gaza: Doctors Under Attack | 5:00 p.m. | Join us for a viewing and discussion of Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, the documentary film that the BBC refused to air that shows the targeting,

detainment, and torture of doctors and health care workers in Gaza. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca | Free Saltonstall Open House: Readings + Art | 5:30 p.m. | Save the date and join us for Saltonstall Foundation's third Open House of the 2025 season! | Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts, 435 Ellis Hollow Creek Road, Ithaca | Free

LGBTQ+ Youth Group | 5:45 p.m. | Join us at LGBTQ+ Youth Group to do crafts, play games, and socialize. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca

Free Concert: The Makers (ft. Nate Silas Richardson & Lydia Garrison) | 6:00 p.m. | Mill Park Music Series Free Concert with The Makers (ft. Nate Silas Richardson & Lydia Garrison) | Mill Park, 222 Main Street, Newfield | Free

Astrology Meeting | 6:00 p.m. | We learn astrology together and would love to have you join us. All knowledge levels are welcome. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E. Green Street, Ithaca | Free DJ Trivia with Dave Ashton | 6:30 p.m. | Join Dave Ashton for a challenging round of “ DJ Trivia” at Hopshire Farm and Brewery!Every Wednesday. | Hopshire Farm and Brewery, 1771 Dryden Road, Freeville | Free Faculty Recital: Mike Titlebaum, saxophone w/ guests | 7:00 p.m. | Faculty Recital: Mike Titlebaum, saxophone with guests Catherine Gale, voice and Nick Weiser, piano. Free, open to the public | Hockett Family Recital Hall Gym Rd., Ithaca | Free Music on the Green: The Jazz Happens Band | 7:00 p.m. | Bring a chair, pack a cooler, and enjoy live music under the evening sky! | Homer Village Green West Homer Road, Homer Trivia! | 7:00 p.m. | Trivia Night with Bob Proehl at Liquid State! | Liquid

State Brewery, 620 West Green Street., Ithaca | Free

Fireside Sessions | 7:00 p.m. | Sit around the fire with acoustic ambience & libations | New Park Event Venue & Suites, 1500 Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca | $25.00 - $30.00

Wednesday Open Mic Night at The Nocturnal Café! | 7:00 p.m. | Free weekly Wednesday Open Mic night at The Nocturnal Café, Ithaca's nightlife alternative, featuring music, poetry, dance and more! | The Nocturnal Café, 103 S Geneva St., Ithaca | Free

Top Hat | 7:30 p.m. | Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, 17 William St., 2nd Floor, Auburn | $142.43

Latin Wednesday | 9:00 p.m. | Get ready for the RETURN of LATIN WEDNESDAYS, Ithaca's longest running and hottest weekly dance party! |

The Upstairs, 106 S. Cayuga St., Ithaca MelissaEtheridge and Indigo Girls: Yes We Are Tour | 7:00 p.m. | Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center: CMAC 3355

Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua

Carly Pearce | 8:00 p.m. | New York State Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse

8/28 Thursday

Ages 8 to 108 Board Game Club | 5:00 p.m. | Are you between the ages of 8 and 108 and love playing board games? Then come join our board game cl | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca

Climate Action Plan Community Event | 5:00 p.m. | The City of Ithaca will be hosting an informational event about the draft Climate Action

BEGINNINGS SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: GUNPOETS, WITH OPENER BIG KULU

Plan (CAP). | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca

Beginnings Summer Concert Series: Gunpoets, with opener Big Kulu | 5:00 p.m. | Bernie Milton Pavilion Center Commons, Ithaca | Free

Cornell Women’s Soccer vs La Salle University | 6:00 p.m. | Cornell Women’s Soccer vs La Salle University | Berman Field, Ithaca

CU Cinema: Paris, Texas| 7:00 p.m. | Exquisitely photographed by Dutch master Robby Müller, Paris, Texas is a powerful statement on self-discovery, loss, redemption and the unbreakable bonds of love. Outstanding performances by Harry Dean Stanton and Nastassja Kinski, a masterful screenplay by Sam Shepard and Ry Cooder’s haunting soundtrack have contributed to its cult film status and its spell, even 40 years later. | 104 Willard Straight Hall, Ithaca

Public Sunset Cruise Discover Cayuga Lake | 7:30 p.m. | Enjoy a beautiful once-in-a-lifetime sunset on Cayuga Lake! | Allan H. Treman Marina, 805 Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca, NY 14850, Ithaca

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder | 8:00 p.m. | Ricky struck his first chords on a mandolin over 60 years ago, and this 15-time Grammy Award winner. | 72 S Main St., Homer Carly Pearce | 8:00 p.m. | Outdoor concert. General admission/open seating. Rain or shine. No exchanges/ no refunds. | Tioga Downs 2384 West River Rd, Nichols

Tedeschi Trucks Band & Whiskey

Myers: Live in 25 | 7:00 p.m. | |Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview, 490 Restoration Way, Syracuse

8/29 Friday

Outdoor play at Naturescape in Candor | 9:00 a.m. | Families with children can play at the Naturescape farm in Candor for some outdoor fun. | CCE Tioga Hilltop Farm, 343 Cass Hill Road, Candor | Free

Ithaca Volleyball vs St. John Fisher University | 3:00 p.m. | Ben Light Gymnasium Ithaca

Ithaca Field Hockey vs Kean University | 3:00 p.m. | Higgins Stadium Ithaca

Friday Night Magic: Commander | 5:00 p.m. | Come down to Riverwood for a recurrent night of Commanderstyle Magic play! | Riverwood, 116 E State St., Ithaca | $5.00

GUSTO! Italian Festival | 5:00 p.m.

|Prepare for a celebration of live music, incredible vendors, fireworks, and more at the Little Italy | Little Italy Endicott, 109 Odell Ave., Endicott

Friday Sunset Music Series - ft.

Betty's Ghost (Music begins @ 6:30) | 5:00 p.m. | Join us for our Friday Night Sunset Music Series at the Vantage Point at Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery. | Wagner Vineyards, 9322 State Route 414, Lodi

Thousands of One | 5:30 p.m. |Join us for the South Hill Cider Golden Hour Music Series! | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Road, Ithaca

The Jess Novak Band at Wells College Golf Club | 6:00 p.m. | pop. rock. soul. Love. Wells College Golf Club, 170 Main St., Aurora

Summer Flower Workshop | 6:00 p.m. | Spend a relaxing evening on a flower farm, wandering through gorgeous dahlia rows and using tips to arrange your own bouquet. | Jenny Creek Flowers, 7048 Durling Road, Trumansburg

Live Music — Cast Iron Cowboys | 6:00 p.m. | Join us at Hopshire for an unforgettable night of music with the Cast Iron Cowboys! | Hopshire Farm and Brewery, 1771 Dryden Road, Freeville

Bonfire: A Tribute to AC/DC at Treleaven Wines | 6:00 p.m. | Get ready to rock as Treleaven Wines welcomes back Bonfire: A Tribute to AC/ DC on August 29! This in | Treleaven Wines, 658 Lake Road, King Ferry | $0.00 - $15.00

Sorry, Baby | 7:00 p.m. | Something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on… for everyone around her, at least. In an aching and tender debut feature, writer-director Eva Victor displays a tremendous specificity of voice, depicting graduate studentturned-professor Agnes with sensitivity and emotional clarity both before and after her trauma. | 104 Willard Straight Hall, Ithaca Ithaca Women’s Soccer vs Elmira College | 7:00 p.m. | Butterfield Stadium, Ithaca Heart | 8:00 p.m. | |Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center: CMAC 3355 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua

8/30 Saturday

King Montessori Academy Preschool OPEN HOUSE | 10:00 a.m. | Welcoming families with kids 2-5 years! Please come learn how your child's full learning potential, skills, and abilities will be nurtured to thrive in an authentic AND affordable Montessori Preschool program led by a certified Montessori teacher. Please RSVP @ 607-227-4727 to schedule your visit. | King Montessori Academy Preschool, 320 E. King Rd., Ithaca | Free Farmers Market Cruise Discover Cayuga Lake | 11:00 a.m. |Get the best of both worlds straight off the Ithaca Farmers Market dock! Enjoy the good times of the Farmers Market and Experience Cayuga Lake! | Ithaca Farmers Market, 545 3rd St., Ithaca, NY 14850, Ithaca

Car show by Upstate Haze microDispensary | 12:00 p.m. | End of Summer Car show sponsored by the new Micro-Dispensary Upstate Haze! | Upstate Haze, 1280 Dryden Rd., Ithaca | $10.00

Age of Dinosaurs Design and Doodle | 1:00 p.m. | Each week we will explore and discover dinosaurs and non-dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era. We will have fossils from the time period, some great conversation, and help in creating your own design. Come anytime between 1-3 p.m. on Saturdays in August for your lesson in line drawing and fun illustration. | Museum of the Earth, 1259 Trumansburg Road (Route 96), Ithaca | $0.00 - $12.50

Ithaca Volleyball vs University of Rochester | 1:00 p.m. | Ben Light Gymnasium Ithaca

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28TH AT 5:00 PM Bernie Milton Pavilion, Ithaca Commons | Only two shows left this summer! As is tradition, they have saved the best for the final couple of shows – starting with the positive beats and lyrics from Ithaca’s very own Gunpoets. (Photo: Facebook) Bernie Milton Pavilion, Ithaca Commons | What a summer it has been for the Commons Concerts! They are winding down soon, so catch a great summer evening of music and dance outside while you still can. Longtime local favorites on stage this week!! (Photo: Facebook) POETRY BY TANG JUAN: A COMMUNITY TRANSLATION OF AH, CONAN

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29TH

Professor Nick Admussen of the Department of Asian Studies at Cornell, himself a translator and poet. (Photo:

Secure the Bag Drag Race | 1:00 p.m. | Come on over to Skyline Motorsports Park on Saturday, August 30th and Sunday, August 31st, and see the best bracket racers in the region compete for $5,000 in our 1st annual Secure the Bag Race! Spectators are $20, Children 12 and under are FREE!! | Skyline Motorsports Park, 114 Skyline Road, Barton | $0.00 - $20.00 Ithaca Men's Soccer vs Elizabethtown College | 2:30 p.m. | Carp Wood Field Ithaca

Live Music at the Danby Market: Whistlin' Dyl | 6:00 p.m. | solid grooves that transport the listener from a back porch venison roast to a hard-driving funk to get you shaking whatever you got. | Danby Food and Drink, 1843 Danby Road, Ithaca | Free DUEL, Borracho, Perilous | 7:00 p.m. | DUEL is heavy psychedelic stoner doom metal from Austin, Texas. Hugely influenced by the darker sounds of early 70s Proto-metal. | Rose Hall, 19 Church Street, Cortland

Donnie Darko | 7:00 pm | Fifteen years before Stranger Things combined science fiction, Spielbergian touches and 80s nostalgia to much acclaim, Richard Kelly set the high-water mark with his debut feature, Donnie Darko. Initially beset with distribution problems, this quirky and provocative film would slowly find its audience and emerge as arguably the first cult classic of the new millennium. | 104 Willard Straight Hall, Ithaca Festival 24 | 7:00 p.m. | It ’s that time of the semester again... Festival 24! Festival 24 is a once-per-semester festival where Cornell students write, direct, and perform a compilation of 15-minute plays and films all within 24 hours! | Cornell University- Flex Theatre, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts., Ithaca

The Black Keys | 7:00 p.m. | Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center: CMAC 3355 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua

on activities and demonstrations. | Sciencenter, 601 1st St., Ithaca

It Happened One Night | 5:30 pm

| Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert team up for laughs as mismatched lovers in this early screwball comedy classic from 1934. | 104 Willard Straight Hall, Ithaca

Jazz Jam | 6:00 p.m. | Jazz Jam First & last Sunday of every month at 6pm With DeWayne Perry! It ’s all about the music. Sup | The Downstairs, 121 W M.L.K. Jr. St., Ithaca

Tyler Hubbard and Locash | 6:00 p.m. | Tags Summer Stage, 3037 State Route 352, Big Flats |

9/1 Monday

Dionne Warwick | 12:00 p.m. | New York State Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse

8/31 Sunday

Outdoor Qi Gong Class- Sundays | 10:00 a.m. | Outdoor Qi Gong for Wellness and Nervous System Regulation. | Allan H. Treman State Marine Park, 805 Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca, NY 14850, Ithaca | $12.50 - $15.00

Ithaca Women's Soccer vs Heidelberg University | 12:00 p.m. | Carp Wood Field Ithaca

Cornell Women’s Soccer vs Kent State University | 1:00 p.m. | Berman Field Ithaca

Summer Sundays Music Series at the Vantage Point — ft. Doug and Eamonn Hubert | 1:00 p.m. | Stop in for a flight and beautiful views from the Vantage Point while enjoying an afternoon of live music .| Wagner Vineyards, 9322 State Route 414, Lodi

Science Connections | 2:00 p.m. | Join local science experts with hands-

SING TRECE & STONE COLD MIRACLE

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29TH AT 6:00 PM

Finger Lakes Cider House, 4017 Hickok Road, Interlaken | SingTrece charms and inspires people from the stage before doling out warm hugs all around after the show is over. Behind her, Stone Cold Miracle is surging, a raw blast of soul energy with an urgent rock edge. (Photo: Provided)

+LIVE+ | 6:00 p.m. | New York State Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse

9/2 Tuesday

Super Cream Car Cruise-Ins | 4:30 p.m. | Super Cream Car Cruise-Ins Are Back! Get ready to roll into summer at Super Cream Dairy Bar—because | Super Cream Dairy Bar, 75 N. West Street, Homer Taughannock Live Music Series: Michael Ciccone | 5:00 p.m. | Inn at Taughannock Falls, 2030 Gorge Rd., Trumansburg

Meditation and Mindfulness | 5:00 p.m. | Join Anna Salamone of FireFly Farm Retreat for a monthly meditation and mindfulness practice. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca

instrumental writing techniques. | Sage Chapel Ho Plaza, Ithaca | Free

9/3 Wednesday

Greensprings Garden Club | 10:00 a.m. | From May to October, volunteer with us as we divide perennials, mulch plantings, plant shrubs, pull | Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve, 293 Irish Hill Rd., Newfield | Free

Mondays with MAQ | 5:30 p.m. |Join us every Monday for cider, food, and live jazz with some of the best local musicians! | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Rd., Ithaca

Participatory Contra, Square, and Circle Dancing | 7:00 p.m. | Ithaca Commons 171 E. State St./ Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Ithaca

Cornell Jazz Faculty Social (CU Music) | 7:30 p.m. | Cornell Jazz Faculty celebrate Labor Day with a jazz social at the Regent Lounge featuring vocalist Nancy Kelly; Paul Merrill, trumpet; James Spinazzola, alto saxophone; Mike Carbone, tenor saxophone; Dave Solazzo and Dino Losito, piano; Peter Chwazik, bass; and Aaron Staebell, drums. | Regent Lounge at the Statler Hotel, 130 Statler Drive, Ithaca | Free Poetry & Prose | 7:00 p.m. | Come share poetry, prose, share a story, perhaps a brief performance or just to enjoy the night and | The Downstairs, 121 E M.L.K. Jr. St., Ithaca

24K Magic — The Ultimate Bruno Mars Tribute Experience | 4:00 p.m. | |New York State Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse

Comic Book Club Meeting: “A Bat-Hound For the 21st Century!” | 7:00 p.m. | A Bat-Hound ...?! Yes, back in the early days of Krypto the super-dog (the 1950s), super-pets were popular enough that even Batman had a four-legged sidekick! BatHound was hilariously re-imagined for the 21st Century in the animated movie The League of Super-Pets (2022). This week we will close our perusal of The League of Super-Pets. A quick recap of earlier scenes from the movie will precede the video, and a nostalgic look at the super-pets from back in the day will follow! | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca

Ukrainian Band Kommuna Lux Returns to Ithaca to Support Ukraine | 7:00 p.m. | Ukrainian band Kommuna Lux returns to Ithaca Sept 2 for a high-energy show at the First Unitarian Society. Hosted by the Rotary Club, the event raises funds for burn beds in war-torn Ukraine. Tickets $25. Don’t miss this powerful night of music and purpose. | First Unitarian Society of Ithaca, 306 N Aurora St., Ithaca

Stil Moderno: Echoes of the Past (CU Music) | 7:30 p.m. | Special guests Yi-Hsuan (Ethan) Lin (baroque violin and violoncello da spalla) and Anna O'Connel (voice and baroque triple harp) joins Addi Liu (baroque violin) and Federico Ercoli (organ) to explore early seventeenth-century ’s love of echoes and other newfangled

“Because You’re Mine” — Celebrating the Great Loves in Country Music | 2:00 p.m. | Direct from NYC! Join singer and multiinstrumentalists Matt Cusack and Allison Kelly (a real-life | Cortland Repertory Theatre Dwyer Memorial Park, Little York Lake Rd., Preble Read to Dogs at Newfield Public Library | 3:00 p.m. | Children are invited to the Newfield Library to practice their reading skills by reading to one of C | Newfield Public Library, 198 Main Street, Newfield | Free Know Money, Less Problems w/ Tompkins Connect | 5:30 p.m. | Learn to improve your financial well-being with Tompkins Connect! Presented and sponsored by The Str | The Strebel Planning Group, 944 Dryden Rd, Ithaca The Writers’ Room | 6:00 p.m. | Work on your writing project in the company of other writers. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca | Free DM Brainstorming Group | 6:00 p.m. | A place for those who run tabletop role-playing games to brainstorm ideas, seek out tools and support. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca Bad Books | 7:00 p.m. | In this blistering dark dramedy, a mother declares war against her local library and sets off a chain reaction of unimaginable consequences. | Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W. State / W. MLK, Jr. Street, Ithaca | $10.00 - $55.00

Ithaca Men’s Soccer vs Elmira College | 8:00 p.m. | Ithaca Men’s Soccer vs Elmira College\n | Butterfield Stadium Ithaca

NARCAN Training with REACH | 12:00 a.m. | Join the REACH Project to learn how to recognize an overdose, respond to an overdose emergency, and | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca

CORNELL CINEMA: IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT

SUNDAY, AUGUST 31ST AT 5:30 PM

104 Willard Straight Hall, Cornell Campus | Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert team up for laughs as mismatched lovers in this early screwball comedy classic from 1934. Part of CU Cinema’s “Screwball Comedies” series. (Photo: IMDb)

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Everyone is welcome to shop at the Co-Op!

Full Service Grocery Store

119 West Court St�, Ithaca

607-273-1511 tclifelong�org

Macintosh Consulting

http://www.allaboutmacs.com (607) 280-4729

LAND & SEA

FingerLakesAnimalRights�org

CLEANING SERVICES

http://www cleanswithus com

JANITORIAL * DEEP CLEANINGS * INDEPENDENCE CLEANERS CORP

Call 607-697-3294

Greenstar Food Co-Op

770 Cascadilla St�, Ithaca Get The Ithaca

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Available in Appstore & Google Play

Longview org Marketing and Sales (607)375-6360

Patio Homes – Apartments – Assisted Living –

Adult Day Program

Looking for Work? We are hiring!

Visit us online: www�wgaforchildren�org or call 607-844-6460 The William George Agency

Looking to Boost your Autumn

Business?

Call Lisa at 607-277-7000 ext: 1211

Find out about great advertising ad packages at: Ithaca�com & Ithaca Times

Men’s and Women’s Alterations for over 20 years

Fur & Leather repair, zipper repair.

Same Day Service Available

John’s Tailor Shop

John Serferlis – Tailor

102 The Commons 273-3192

No Long waits for Dermatology Appointments

Finger Lakes Dermatology

Brad Yentzer, MD, FAAD 607-708-1330

fingerlakesderm.com

CEREMONIES

Every life story deserves to be told, and told well.

Steve Lawrence, Celebrant 607-220-7938

REDUCE YOUR HEATING BILL

A FULL LINE OF VINYL REPLACEMENT WINDOWS

Call for Free Estimate & Professional Installation

Custom made & Manufactured by SOUTH SENECA VINYL Romulus, NY 315-585-6050 or 866-585-6050

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Tiny Gardens

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