Aug. 6, 2025 by Ithaca Times

Independent Researchers Show Sunflower Houses Success, Encourage Tompkins County to Increase Funding

By Lorien Tyne

After undertaking an assessment study to study the Sunflower Houses success, researchers are urging the Tompkins County Legislature to provide increased funding to the program that since 2021 has provided lowbarrier housing and wraparound services for formerly incarcerated men.

The assessment findings, which were intended to provide proof of concept for the project’s innovative housing model, were presented at the Tompkins County Housing and Economic Development Committee on July 16.

The Sunflower Houses is a collaborative effort with Opportunities, Alternatives, and Resources (OAR) operating the program, Ultimate Reentry Opportunity (URO) supporting the assessment, and Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS) subsidizing the units to OAR at a below-market rate.

Qualitative data was collected from 2021-24 by independent researchers Paula Ioanide and Charley Willison. After the pilot period ended, the pair gathered qualitative data from current and former residents.

The program centers three evidencebased strategies to address homelessness and justice system involvement: supportive housing, a Housing First model, and decriminalizing homelessness. Supportive housing includes both housing and wraparound services. Ioanide said wraparound services means that OAR works with each individual to assess what support they need in obtaining permanent housing, economic stability and sustainable employment.

A Housing First approach includes social and medical services to maintain housing stability in addition to barrierfree housing, meaning that residency is

not conditional based on sobriety, behavior or other mandates seen in some housing facilities. Decriminalizing homelessness entails limiting unnecessary police interaction.

“A lot of the folks we’re talking about have zero income,” Ioanide said. “They’re returning from state prison or from the local jails or they have a history of houselessness, chronic houselessness in particular, in part because of that criminal history that then provides barriers to them accessing other forms of housing. So you can think of it both as an intervention in reducing houselessness and in assisting people with past criminal records.”

The presentation highlighted that Tompkins County has seen almost a 300% increase in homeless individuals since 2010.

Assessment Findings

The in-program re-booking recidivism rate was about 7%, meaning that three of 42 residents living in the program between 2021-23 went through formal processing after being arrested at least once while being a client. Of 56 people in-program from 2021-24, 81% entered as homeless individuals and 68% of those who left the program obtained housing. More than 50% of people work while living in the Sunflower Houses, and Ioanide said they found that the leading obstacle to finding and maintaining employment are diagnosed or undiagnosed health issues, like chronic health conditions, past or current substance use conditions and co-occurring mental illness.

“That was an important lesson learned because it told us we really have to provide more medical support in partnership with entities like REACH and our local medical system here,” Ioanide said. “So, [OAR] partners with them to walk them through that labyrinth of bureaucracy that it requires to obtain those services.”

Funding

The Sunflower Houses program annually costs about $170,000 to operate and is funded through several sources. The cost per resident is $10 per day. The program’s 2025 budget is 26% county funding, 30% state funding, 32% Opioid Settlement Funding and 12% rent and private donations. The county allocated money to the

Dr. Paula Ioanide, an Ithaca College Professor and local reentry services advocate, presented research to the Tompkins County Legislature that showed the Sunflower Houses program success. (Photo: Ithaca College/Ithaca Times File)

Sunflower Houses for a three-year pilot program: $27,680 in 2022, $69,472 in 2023 and another $69,472 in 2024. In the fall of 2024, the county asked all departments and funded nonprofits to cut its requested funding by 5%, at which time OAF requested a follow-up one-time payment of $77,680. Former county administrator Lisa Holmes recommended that the county not grant any money to the Sunflower Houses, but Legislator Travis Brooks suggested allocating the program $45,000 annually through 2027, which was passed unanimously by the legislature on Oct. 3, 2024. The 2025 budget also included $35,000 for the program assessment research to URO.

OAR Director Dave Sanders told the Ithaca Times that if New York state’s Opioid Settlement Funding initiative had not become available when it did, the program would not have survived after its pilot years.

“I would say, as a nonprofit, I’m going year-to-year,” Sanders said. “New grants will pop up. I'm quite certain of it.”

At the July 16, 2025 committee meeting, Ioanide said that as independent assessors of the program, she and Willison recommend that the county fund the program permanently like it does for OAR.

“You’re talking about a current structure where Dave is very creatively scrapping something together and still producing really amazing outcomes versus what he could do if he actually had stable funding at [$170,000 like OAF does], which would be these much more robust services,” Ioanide said.

Brooks asked how the program can be sustainable without having to rely on county money, given that the Sunflower Houses was unable to receive stable funding from the Department of Social Services because of sanctions and restrictions

Continued on Page 19

UPS DOWNS&

Ups

Officials from Tompkins Cortland Community College and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University are expected to sign a transfer agreement on August 7. The agreement will provide a direct path and priority consideration for students in the Sustainable Farming and Food Systems degree program at TC3 to transfer to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University.

Downs

This week, there were two confirmed harmful algal bloom (HAB) reports for Cayuga Lake, located in Romulus and Lansing. Following a period of elevated temperatures, a temporary cool-down and breeze on the lake has reduced the likelihood of HABs, but with warmer weather expected to return soon, continued vigilance by lake users and volunteers for HABs is needed.

HEARD

Heard

SEEN&

New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition of 21 other attorneys general in suing to block a provision in the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBA), that illegally targets and defunds the nation’s largest provider of reproductive health care, Planned Parenthood, because it advocates for the right to abortion.

Seen

The ongoing road rehabilitation of North Aurora St. shall begin the road resurfacing phase from E. Buffalo St. to E. Tompkins ST. on Monday, August 4, 2025, tentatively concluding on Friday, August 8, 2025. Paving is weatherdependent, and the dates are subject to change accordingly.

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

Does Historic Preservation have a positive or negative impact on the community?

I don’t care.

Do you think Cornell should agree to a settlement with the Trump administration to restore federal funding? Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.

Since 2021, the Sunflower Houses program has provided low-barrier housing and wraparound services for formerly incarcerated men. (Photo: Ithaca Times File)

From EMT to CEO How Marty Stallone paved the way for community care in Tompkins County

By Marjorie Olds

Prior to becoming the CEO of Cayuga Health System in 2019, Marty Stallone took on a variety of jobs, including an EMT, Chief of the Naval Operations Strategic Study Group and CMC Hospitalist Medical Director, among others. He continues his part-time military service to this day. (Photo: Casey Martin/Ithaca Times File)

EDITOR’S NOTE:

You may recognize Marjorie’s byline from her popular column “Community Connections” that runs each month in the Times. This week, Marjorie gives readers a look into the journey of Marty Stallone, a prominent CEO who navigated community health and helped steer our community through one of the most challenging public health crises. Because of Stallone’s relevance to our region, we’re presenting this piece as a cover story rather than a standard column.

Marty Stallone grew up in Cornwall, NY in the Hudson Valley and attended a Catholic high school where he developed special interests in the humanities. “I really enjoyed Model UN, Mock Trial, International Relations…But I also loved Biology.”

During high school Marty served as an EMT and rode with a volunteer ambulance crew on Friday nights from 6 PM-6 AM…“I slept in the ambulance station, got to help with rescues, and had lots of ER observation time in high school. This job inspired my secondary educational goals and, no doubt, kept me out of trouble as a teenager.”

Marty arrived as a freshman at Cornell University in 1994 where he met Ami Walter who would eventually become his wife. As good fortune for this region would have it, Ami’s family resided in Tompkins County, which was a big factor in drawing the couple back to Ithaca to settle in 2009.

In college, Marty was a pre-med biology major as well as an Air Force ROTC cadet. He graduated with his BS from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and was commissioned as a USAF Officer in 1998.

After undergrad, Marty took a gap year to work for a communications firm in NYC before starting medical school at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He returned to Ithaca in 2000 to marry Ami at Cornell’s Sage Chapel.

Marty also joined the Air National Guard after college and continues his part-time military service to this day. He is currently an Air Force Colonel and the NYS Air Surgeon for the National Guard.

In 2004 Marty graduated with, not only his MD, but also an MBA from UPenn’s Wharton School, where he focused on healthcare management and administration.

Following his Internal Medicine Residency, also at UPenn, Ami and Marty and their (then) three children moved to Newport, Rhode Island in 2007. He worked as a hospitalist at the Newport Hospital while attending the U.S. Naval War College, where he studied national security policy and enterprise strategic planning, thereby receiving another MA in 2009. In his second year, Marty was the Chief of the Naval Operation’s Strategic Study Group (CNO-SSG). “We studied the concept of cyber operations, developing a computer design to create a cyber network defense system…This translates into questions like, ‘How does a country win a war by turning off the lights in the opponent’s country?...How does one country become victorious in taking over the infrastructure of their adversary? Can this be done without causing harm to people?’”

(The Admiral for the Naval War College also serves as a member of the Jt. Chiefs of Staff, and is a senior military advisor to the President of the U.S.)

Hired by Cayuga Medical Center in 2009, Marty and Ami moved back to Ithaca. By this time, they had four sons and a foster child whom they adopted. Living near family support had become imperative, and the CMC’s Hospitalist Medical Director job offer was a perfect fit.

Marty’s leadership was recognized, and he was promoted to VP of Physician Operations and then to President and CEO of Cayuga Health System in 2019.

When asked what motivated a person to marshal the resources (while raising a growing young family) to continuously study and complete such a demanding regimen while working full-time, Marty modestly stated: “I had a vision of comprehensive integrated delivery of services to the community, based on its available resources… Organizations

“Through COVID, I was empowered and stretched to ‘think outside the box.’ Now that the pandemic is over, I look to the future of medical care in this community. As healthcare faces new challenges, we may opt to consolidate and/or affiliate with other essential healthcare providers. Through these affiliations, we can cover temporary staffing shortages and purchase routine supplies and equipment for each other. Sharing common resources could provide an economy of scale… When paper towels or facial masks are bought by the truckloads, they will likely cost less than when purchased in small quantities. The pandemic taught us that, rather than competing, we can problem-solve and expand our outreach together.”

must strike a balance between serving the needs of all residents, while utilizing available resources. This challenge led me to seek more information to fulfill that goal.”

The COVID years were a huge challenge for our new, young Cayuga Health System CEO. “It was like a military operation. We changed our normal risk calculations; constraints were disregarded… I talked with Cornell. The health of this community depended on Cornell remaining in session. If Cornell closed, hundreds of jobs would be at stake. People would no longer be able to pay their rent or mortgage and support their families. The potential loss of this major employer would be catastrophic to our community. Our well-being depended upon keeping the campus open.”

Cornell’s president from 20172024, Martha Pollack, and Provost Michael Kotlikoff (Cornell’s current president since March 21, 2025 and former Dean for the Veterinary College), among other luminaries joined Marty to address this COVID crisis. Cornell’s team also understood this situation was critical to their bottom line, and therefore to the local economy.

“I suggested Cornell and CMC work with the Vet School to develop COVID testing. The movers and shakers at Cornell affiliated the Vet School with CMC and things happened in warp speed. They basically signed over the Vet School lab to become a lab under the direction of CMC. Regulations and requirements were adjusted,

and the CMC Lab personnel adhered to the essential Department of Health medical regulations. Due to the crisis of this previously unknown disease, we quickly collaborated—our key personnel and their key equipment… Neither Cayuga Health nor Cornell could have done it alone. We worked non-stop and we worked together.”

“Cayuga Health’s IT team built a COVID App, and the CMC Medical Records logged in 3 million COVID Tests. The results were stored confidentially. We engaged in ‘MacGyvering’ to create special COVID Surgery Masks and other equipment we needed that was not immediately available. The community rallied. We were in unprecedented times, encountering unfamiliar challenges and many lives were on the line. I had to make many huge decisions quickly, despite many unknowns.”

“Cayuga Health was unique among health systems to take such innovative strategies to address the risks to our community and beyond… One day I received a call that New York Presbyterian Hospital needed 50 CMC staff. This was when the pandemic was rampant in NYC, but had not yet hit Upstate New York… I shut down elective surgeries and sent brave, willing doctors, nurses, and essential health care professionals to assist NYPH. I instantly commissioned two Cornell Campus-to-Campus buses to transport our 50-person team to NYC… It reminded me of a military deployment.”

“For testing, I calculated the ‘Patient Flow’… Where could we test 1,000 people a day? We needed a place where we could set up multiple lanes for cars, where people could stop and register, be tested or treated, and leave, all while remaining in their vehicles… We needed an industrial site… We had an almost empty mall on Triphammer… I called the landlord, ‘Can we use your facility?’… With some key local partnerships, we tested well over

1,000 people a day at the mall site. Insurance covered most of the testing, and we had performed 2.5 million tests by early 2022.”

The next step was turning this location into a mass vaccination center, and that’s exactly what Marty and his team did. “I am beyond proud of this work and all of the people in our community who came together in our time of need. It was hard, but also an honor to lead such a charge.”

Ami and Marty have six sons, now ranging in age from 14 to 22. “We play zone defense with each other, being ‘neck deep’ in kids. We support each other and love being parents and partners.”

This year on Earth Day, Marty Stallone, a visionary community leader, turned 49. Such imaginative, life-sustaining contributions in such a young life, with so many great ideas and projects in the works to uplift all of us.

Pictures left to right are Tom LiVigne, chair of the Cayuga Health Board of Directors; Lisa LiVigne, co-chair of the Transforming Care Campaign and Cancer Care Campaign; and Dr. Martin Stallone.

(Photo: provided/Caitlin Murphy)

Marty and Ami Stallone have six sons together. (Photo: provided/Ami Stallone)

Stallone said that as healthcare faces new challenges, consolidations and affiliations with other healthcare providers can assist with longterm viability, helping cover temporary staffing shortages and shared supplies and equipment purchases. (Photo: Provided/Cayuga Health)

What to Watch for as Canadian Wildfire Smoke Impacts Local Air Quality

By Maddy Vogel

Smoke from ongoing wildfires in Canada has impacted local air quality in Tompkins County and across the Upper Midwest and Northeast across the past week. On Sunday, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issued an air quality health advisory, warning residents of potential health risks associated with extended exposure.

According to the release, fine particulate matter from the wildfires impacted air quality state-wide, leaving hazy skies and an increase in smoke-related pollution. On Monday, there were over 700 wildfires burning in Canada, with the majority burning out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. On Monday,

15 new fires started. This is the secondworst season for Canadian wildfires on record, according to reporting from NPR.

The DEC advisory was in effect from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Monday. Air quality predictions can change based on weather conditions and wildfire activity.

“Air is moving at all levels and a lot of times it'll move in the same direction through the whole depth of the atmosphere, so the smoke is rising into the winds and the winds just transport it downstream, like anything — like a leaf getting blown,” National Weather Service Lead Forecaster Bob Oravec told NPR.

These advisories are issued by the DEC and the state Department of Health when DEC meteorologists predict levels of pollution will exceed an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 100.

At noon on Monday, Ithaca’s AQI was 114, deeming the air “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” such as those with lung or heart conditions, asthmatics, those who exercise or work outdoors, and those in disadvantaged communities. The DEC also says that children and teens, the elderly, and pregnant people are sensitive groups.

The DEC recommends that sensitive groups spend less time outdoors when their region is experiencing impacts to air quality. It says that sensitive groups should make outdoor activities shorter and less intense and advises to take more breaks.

The higher the AQI, the more unhealthy the air is. If the AQI exceeds 150, the DEC classifies the air as “unhealthy” and recommends that all individuals limit time outdoors.

Primary Stroke Center

If the AQI is between 100 and 150, the DEC recommends that sensitive groups monitor themselves for symptoms of coughing and shortness of breath. Other symptoms of exposure to fine particulate matter in the air include irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and shortness of breath. The DEC warns that exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate matter can worsen medical conditions like asthma and heart disease. Individuals can sign up to receive Air Quality Alerts through the DEC Delivers website. The DEC also provides a toll-free Air Quality Hotline (1-800-5351345) to keep New Yorkers informed about air quality.

Excellence in Stroke Care, Right Here in Cortland

Guthrie Cortland Medical Center is proud to announce its designation as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission. This designation recognizes our dedication to providing expert stroke care when it matters most.

As a Primary Stroke Center, we bring advanced protocols and technologies to every patient encounter. Our specialized stroke care team is dedicated to achieving better outcomes, designed to meet the unique needs of stroke patients with speed, precision, and compassion. When seconds count, trust Guthrie Cortland Medical Center. Visit us online at www.Guthrie.org/Stroke to learn more.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires also impacted regional air quality on June 7, 2023. (Photo: Maddy Vogel)

Budding Journalists Reflect on Their Summer Spent with the Times

By Maddy Vogel

EDITOR’ S NOTE:

This is a part of "Hometown Storytellers," a series of pieces introducing the public to the people who keep the Ithaca Times running after more than half a century in circulation.

Each summer, the quiet corridors of the Ithaca Times newsroom are revived with the chatter and youthful energy of interns. These young voices bring new perspectives and ideas to the Times while spending their summer working in local journalism.

Internships play an integral role in any well-rounded reporter’s journey. Some argue that the on-the-ground experience gained through local newsrooms is more valuable than the knowledge gained in any lecture hall. While I do think journalism classes are a critical foundation for many reporters, I’ve seen our young reporting interns gain confidence and strengthen their writing through the short weeks we have spent together this summer.

Although the Times recruits interns from colleges and universities across the region, our interns this summer all attend Cornell University and work for The Cornell Daily Sun. Despite having a strong student paper, Cornell doesn’t have an official journalism program and offers very few journalism classes. Yet, many successful journalists are alumni from the Ivy League school. Rather than having a general interest in journalism, our interns have their own unique interests which they bring to their reporting.

As a part of our Hometown Storytellers series, the Ithaca Times wanted to highlight our young writers whose stories have helped inform our community for the past few weeks.

Shubha Gautam

Hailing from Columbia, Missouri, Shubha Gautam is a rising sophomore at Cornell with a knack for science and math. Although she’s still nailing down what she wants to pursue as her major, she has a specific interest in science, math or physics. Gautam’s interest in journalism was sparked at an early age by a feature in National Geographic magazine about the Central African Republic’s civil war.

(Photo:

“I just thought it was so well done — the statistics, human stories, photos, everything,” Gautam said. “Oh, and I can’t forget the infographics! I kind of fell in love with Nat Geo’s infographics, because they are just so beautiful and convey a variety of information so creatively.”

She is currently a senior news writer at The Sun, a role which has presented her with its many challenges and triumphs. Her favorite stories that she has covered include a piece on Marigold Gardens and Plenty of Posies at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market at The Sun and Found in Ithaca’s relocation at the Times.

Although she’s still exploring potential career paths, she said her dream job would go back to where her interest in journalism first began.

“My dream would be to write as a National Geographic explorer, covering anything from resurrected ancient viruses to the dying Florida panther population, but who knows,” Gautam said.

Gautam said the biggest thing she has learned so far this summer was the chaotic nature of journalism (I wonder who she learned that from). But the chaos can be fun, she added.

“Stories can pop out of nowhere, and sometimes articles just don’t pan out,” Gautam said.

Nathan Ellison

The Times traditionally recruits as many writers as it can during the summer months, but Nathan Ellison is one of the first photography interns the newsroom has ever had. A rising sophomore with a similar knack for science as Guatam, Ellison applies his keen eye for nature to the art of photojournalism.

(Photo:

Originally from rural Vermont, Ithaca is a bit like home for Ellison. Although he studies biology at Cornell, he first began photography by taking nature photos around his hometown.

“I quickly became obsessed with hunting for the shot,” Ellison said, “and the feeling that with my camera, I see. I become more observant.”

Since joining The Sun as a photographer, Ellison said his photography has become more news-focused.

“In photojournalism, I appreciate the emphasis that a photograph tells a story instead of just being a pretty picture,” Ellison said. “There’s more to photography than a pretty picture.”

Flower Prerolls Vapes Concentrate Edibles Tinctures

Varsha Bhargava is a news editor from The Cornell Daily Sun working as a reporter for the Ithaca Times through The Sun’s summer fellowship program. (Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times File)

Nathan Ellison is a staff photographer from The Cornell Daily Sun working as a photographer for the Ithaca Times through The Sun’s summer fellowship program. (Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times File)

Leah Badawi is an opinion writer for The Cornell Daily Sun and is working as an intern this summer at the Ithaca Times.

Mark Syvertson/ Ithaca Times File)

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

Mark Syvertson/ Ithaca Times File)

SingTrece’s Opera-Powered Soul

By Peter Rothbart

When asked where she learned to sing, SingTrece laughs and says, “In church.” She found her soul in the gospel of the church, but when she entered high school, she chose to study opera for four years, rather than follow the crowd into the school’s show choir. She explains that “Opera taught me a lot of amazing things such as breath control and being able to sustain your vocals for a long time. I learned how to hold your breath and to get a good tone and how to make it sound really full. I still do the exercises I did as a kid.”

Soul music evolved by combining secular lyrics with the Christian church’s chorale-like harmonies and psalm-like responsive melodic lines. SingTrece’s operatic training gave her the tools to express what she heard and felt in church. The sheer power of her voice is as commanding as her pulpit-like stage patter. Her vocal range is potent in any register. Her voice is clear, her projection is out of this world. Her exhortations are soulful, and her lyrical expressiveness is genuine and sincere. Her training in opera and experience in

church music gives her the tools and freedom to flood her audience with unbridled passion, sincerity, and personal conviction. SingTrece’s singing may be the perfect storm of soul, gospel, funk, and rock.

Along with, her longtime guitarist and songwriting partner Dustin Stuhr, she has been the songwriting force behind her wellrespected soul and funk band, Stone Cold Miracle. They split their sets between original songs and covers of other artists such as Stevie Wonder, Macy Gray and Tracey Chapman, but as SingTrece explains, “I make every song my own, rather than just copy the other artist.”

Dustin Stuhr passed away a few months ago and SingTrece still chokes up when she talks about him. “He was a person who loved music, a singer’s songwriter. He allowed me to express myself in the music (he wrote).” At the recent Grassroots Festival, a remembrance picture of him joined her on the grandstand stage where she performed. Still in mourning, her performance with Stone Cold Miracle was filled with life-affirming exuberance and spirituality. As she sang a song about rain, a random cloudburst shed its tears on the crowd as if on cue. It then disappeared as she finished the song. Coincidence or inspired songwriting?

Where to Find SingTrece and her bands:

SingTrece & Stone Cold Miracle Wednesday, Aug. 6, 6-8 p.m.

The Rockwell Museum 111 Cedar St., Corning, NY

SingTrece & The Black Shirts Friday, Aug. 8, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Continued on Page 19

Terrapin Station: Reliving the Long Strange Trip

By Peter Rothbart

Terrapin Station is an Ithacabased tribute band named after the Grateful Dead’s most accomplished album from 1977. What makes a good tribute band? You can replicate the setlist, try to replicate the instruments and mixes. You can learn the licks. You can even model the stage couture, but it’s about all of the above and synergy; the crucial combination of innate and learned musicianship powered by the unique and magical combination of technical skills, creative expression, and rapport with the audience, that allows the audience to relive the original experience. Terrapin Station honors the music and spirit of the Grateful Dead. The band draws entirely from the Grateful Dead repertoire. Their onstage presence mirrors the Dead; offthe-street attire, lack of stage histrionics, and an all-business attitude that reflects the intensity of their own experience. They listen and

react to each other, a balancing act that allows each bandmember his own sonic space to create or recreate a sound that reflects the individual members of the Dead. The result is a tightly spun groove that encourages endless dancing from the audience.

Frank Raponi is a tall, robust guy with a little kid grin that shines through the summer heat. His enthusiasm for, and knowledge about all things Grateful Dead dominates his on-and off-stage conversation. Raponi plays rhythm guitar and leads most of the vocals with a touch of Garcia’s twang while the rest of the band supplies the 3- and 4- voice harmonies, a signature sound for which the band was known. Individually however, none of the Grateful Dead were stellar vocalists. Lead guitarist Jerry Garcia often sounded strained in his upper register, but in a folksy and nasally kind of way. Bob Weir’s sense of pitch was often suspect. Terrapin Station embraces these quirky vocal qualities.

The Dead used a variety of keyboardists over the years. Terrapin Station’s Brian Lauri,

Besides replicating the setlist of the Grateful Dead, Terrapin Station honors the band’s music and spirit through their stage presence. (Photo: Provided)

on a Nord keyboard synthesizer, captures them all, from a mellow Fender Rhodes sound from the 1970s to the wailing extended high notes and dramatic glissandos that defined the classic Hammond B3 organ sound.

Continued on Page 19

Arts & Entertainment

Singtrece’s singing can be described as the perfect storm of soul, gospel, funk and rock. (Photo: Provided)

Ellison has taken hundreds of photos for the Times throughout his weeks spent in the newsroom. He has accompanied our writers while reporting on rallies, interviewing TCAT drivers, and even braved the lengthy Tompkins County Legislature and City Common Council meetings.

This summer experience has taught him flexibility, he said.

“In the morning I might be capturing an algal bloom, in the afternoon a business grand-opening and in the evening a latenight concert,” Ellison said. “I learned how to approach these unique events and come back with a few shots to tell the story and support the article.”

Ellison’s internship with the Times has made pursuing photography a career path that is not off the table, but he is also interested in exploring a future in ecology or conservation biology.

Leah Badawi

Lead Badawi, a rising junior at Cornell studying government and English with a minor in creative writing came to Ithaca from New York City. Her journalism jour-

ney began at her high school newspaper, where she wrote about the school’s literary magazine and competitive step teams.

After getting her start in the features section, she began exploring political writing, eventually bringing her to her role as an opinion columnist at The Sun after a stint in the arts and culture section.

“As a kid, I was always interested in writing, whether it be short stories or fantasy epics,” Badawi said, “but I became increasingly invested in journalism as I grew older, often spending my morning subway rides scrolling through the New York Times website on my phone, reading the latest about national issues and international conflict.”

Badawi said she is drawn to journalism because of its ability to start discourse and bring people together through reporting.

“What I found both in my arts reporting and opinion pieces is that journalism has the power to both bring people to the table, and bring people together,” Badawi said.

Reflecting back on her summer at the Times, her favorite reporting experience was covering the Minimum Wage Town Hall at the Southside Community Center. Badawi said she gained insight into the lives of people struggling to afford the rising cost of living in Ithaca and learned

FLY LOCAL, FLY LOCAL, REACH FAR! REACH FAR!

more about Ithaca’s affordable housing crisis and income disparities.

At The Sun, she writes a fortnightly column titled “Leah Down The Law” where she explored issues in politics, history and culture. Her favorite piece she has written is titled Watch The Throne, and reflects on Trump’s legacy on American democracy.

This summer, Badawi said she learned the importance of going into each assignment with an open mind, allowing her to better report on the individual characteristics of each experience.

Badawi wishes to dedicate her life to promoting collaboration and peace, hoping to pursue a future as a writer, lawyer and activist for human rights.

Varsha Bhargava

Varsha Bhargava is a rising junior at Cornell University studying communication. She comes to Ithaca from New Jersey, where her interest in journalism began in ninth grade when she joined her high school’s paper. She rose the ranks of her high school’s paper quickly, and was elected editor-inchief for her junior and senior years. She said these early experiences in the newspaper space taught her leadership skills that she utilizes in her role as a news editor for The Sun.

Bhargava said her favorite reporting experience was her TCAT driver features, which highlighted the individuals who power Ithaca's public transportation.

“I’ve had the chance to really see how stories can make a visible impact,” Bhargava said. “With my story on local TCAT drivers, some drivers expressed that their job can be tough and tiring, with people just seeing them as extensions of the buses they drive. In a mostly empty bus, I took a ride around the hour-long 32 loop with one driver, Madison, and got the chance to hear his candid experience.”

Bhargava said she was excited to share the story with the community, and was proud to know the bus drivers by name on her mornings riding the TCAT bus downtown. At the Times, she said she has learned to find untold stories in unexpected places.

“Conversations are important because they invite warmth,” Bhargava said. “There’s so much information online right now that you could write a story without talking to a single person, but a friendly smile, a spark of connection and an invitation to share candid thoughts is really what makes human stories glow.”

Currently, Bhargava wants to pursue a career in journalism and communications.

Anne and Hot Cayenne Spice It Up

By Peter Rothbart

When Li’l Anne and Hot Cayenne, Ithaca’s own Zydeco band, take to the stage, you can almost feel the heat and humidity of the bayou. You can practically smell the spiciness of the cayenne. It’s hot even before you begin to dance.

Zydeco is a big musical gumbo you can dance to. Considered one of the foundations of the American Roots movement, it is a Southwest Louisiana-based mélange of melodies, rhythms, and harmonies with historical roots in the French and Creole language, folk music and dance, and Black African rhythms, cultures that form the heart and soul of Louisiana.

It’s not sophisticated music, nor is it supposed to be. Don’t expect musical pyrotechnics from the band. Zydeco’s real complexity is found in the dance step, a series of lively and genteel movements that may surprise you with its intricate footwork and sophisticated partnering. Listen for the beauty in the simplicity of the beat and watch for the lightness of the dancers’ feet.

The Zydeco sound is rooted in storytelling lyrics, sometimes in French, and often reflects the newer influences of Chicago’s blues with the addition of the electric guitar and bass. The inclusion of the saxophone hints at early jazz. Early rock ‘n roll saxophone solos and electric guitar licks fill the spaces in between unadorned drumbeats and patterns that are fleshed

Zydeco is considered one of the foundations of the American Roots movement.

Li’l Anne and Hot Cayenne bring the musical style to Ithaca. (Photo: Provided)

out with the scrub board–the French call it a frottoir while Americans call it a fancy washboard– skillfully scrubbed by Gordon Rowland who doubles on saxophone.

Li’l Anne and Hot Cayenne add their “Deep Groove Zydeco” musical spice by incorporating a harder rock sound and catchy pop style into the traditional Zydeco sound. The band’s groove is deliberately simple and danceable; tempos are moderately paced and don’t vary much from song to song. This continuity encourages you to keep dancing and swaying, not unlike a rave, only at a slightly slower pace.

Anne Stork, as lead vocalist and accordion player, is petite in stature but displays a feisty and youthful voice that delivers the lyrics simply and cleanly, without a lot of fanciness. Her accordion work is fluid and well-voiced. Phil Shays keeps the drums simple and solid, while Paul Crowley on bass guitar drives the bottom and Pete Glanville completes the sound with tastefully planted lead guitar licks and hits that hint at the rock ‘n roll to come.

Continued on Page 19

Lose the Drummer, Enjoy Dark Wine

By Peter Rothbart

If you’re going out for the evening and you’d like to try going drummer-less, go listen to Darkwine, a quartet that keeps its own beat and plays folk-rock and folk-pop songs drawn from the 1960s to the 1990s.

You won’t miss the drums; the quartet of vocalist Kelly Serbonich, rhythm guitarist and vocalist Kevin Moss, solo guitarist, violin and mandolinist Jay Skezas, and electric bassist Brian Fontana create the perfect soiree-like ambience with their collective sense of rhythm; each musician contributing their own unerring pulse to create the cooperative sound. With no drums to dominate them, Darkwine is free to focus on perfecting intricate 3 and 4 voice harmonies

Without drums, Dark Wine keeps rhythm through their collective sound. (Photo: Provided)

as their signature sound. It is warm and wonderfully intimate, and you won’t miss the beat.

What makes Darkwine different than other folk and pop rock cover bands is their choice of repertoire, which deliberately shies away from the usual cover band fare. According to Moss, “We like

Continued on Page 19

Under the Sea

The Little Mermaid Surfaces at Cortland Rep

By Barbara Adams

Washed away in delight — that’s how you’re likely to feel after watching “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” the final show of Cortland Repertory Theatre’s summer season.

It’s been years since I’d seen the 1989 animation on which this stage musical is based. But I did peek at the 2023 live-action film adaptation to catch up on what’s new with Ariel — and was swept up in the glorious undersea imagery. How could a very physical play on solid ground possibly create that feeling of watery immersion?

Yet director and choreographer Barbara Hartwig has done just that, and quite handsomely, with the support of a splendid design team. Joe Johnson’s simple open set is framed by a green border with a trailing seaweed design, and Eric Behnke’s blue-green lighting, with glimpses of glittering daylight, gives the space dimension. Best of all, Clara Jean Kelly’s costumes are astonishing: the mermaids wear elegant bustiers with shells covering their bosom (tasteful, not tacky) and their finskirts shimmer with iridescent flowing pastels. Their father, King Triton, is mag-

“Disney’s The Little Mermaid”

Music by Alan Menken; lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice; book by Doug Wright.

Directed and choreographed by Barbara Hartwig, with musical direction by Canaan J. Harris

Cortland Repertory Theatre

Little York Lake Road, Preble

August 5-10 & 12-15 at 7:30 p.m.; plus 2 p.m. matinees on August 6, 10, 12, and 13. https://cortlandrep.org/ or 800-427-6160.

WE THE PEOPLE

continued from page 7

One could argue that the collections and services libraries offer are a form of social resistance. Libraries foster an informed and engaged community which is essential for a healthy democracy. Libraries are places where communities come together to share ideas and participate in educational programs. They are

nificently arrayed; his advisor Sebastian the crab is of course red-suited; and the king’s wicked sister, Ursula the octopus, oozes menace with her sinuous purpleblack tentacles. Her henchmen, the loutish moray eels Flotsam and Jetsam, are aptly electrified.

The nimble ensemble members (many CRT summer interns) fill multiple roles, often in body suits with underwater hues, their constant fluid movement creating the wash of the sea. So overall, the visuals are dazzling, easily establishing the illusion of a rich oceanic realm.

The romantic tale of a mermaid who falls in love with the human world comes to life thanks to uniformly strong acting.

As Ariel, Triton’s youngest daughter, Molly Bremer is admirable, both in teenage insecurity and boldness. Once on land, she’s even more engaging, her unfamiliar legs skittering out from under her. Her closest companions are Flounder (a winsome Mal Caslowitz, endlessly flapping her fins) and Skuttle (Henry Howland), a raucous, prattling seagull. But Ariel is mostly a loner, yearning for the impossible, pining away in her secret grotto (perhaps the only underdeveloped locale of this show’s set).

Ariel, often slipping off to the forbidden surface, where humans sail, is minded by the crab Sebastian, who can’t keep up with her but in his fondness, understands and forgives her longing. “Boy, what a soft shell I’m turning out to be.” In a charming performance, Xander Benton perfectly captures both his comic and serious sides.

As the exasperated Triton (beset by six obedient but silly daughters and one very willful one), CJ Roche is majestic and imposing, with commanding vocals. His dark vengeful nemesis, Ursula, is marvelously portrayed by Rachel Fry — conniv-

a place where technology that is increasingly needed for more and more daily activities is available for everyone. Libraries are a safe space for all, where anyone can feel welcomed and a sense of belonging.

Libraries provide all this while passionately protecting patron confidentiality. Libraries never share or sell your personal data. It was librarians who ensured privacy of patron records during the years

ing, ruthless, and obsessed with power. Her nasty minions (Nathan Ayotte and Alexander Yagud-Wolek) are slippery fellows with punked-out greenish hair.

On land, those humans, both feared and envied, include the noble Prince Eric (Eli Vanderkolk), his guardian Grimsby (Richard Daniel), and Carlotta (Sophie Snider), who’s welcoming to Ariel. As in all his previous roles, Vanderkolk fully embodies his character: his prince is dignified yet easygoing, adventurous yet quietly gentle. He’s gallant, principled, and handsome — no wonder Ariel rescues him from a shipwreck.

The setbacks in the emerging romance are lightened throughout by the pervasive comedy, whether it’s Ariel’s bickering sisters or Skuttle’s absurd malapropisms. The pièce de resistance, mais oui, is Chef Louis singing “Les Poissons” — with an oh-so-Frenchified Weller Dorff scampering everywhere to catch our favorite crab.

While the little mermaid tale is iconic (book here by Doug Wright), it’s Alan Menken’s lively music and the unforgettable lyrics of Howard Ashman and Glen Slater that truly make the musical. It’s near impossible not to hum along to “Under

when law enforcement and intelligence agencies tried to use Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act to try to access private patron library records and personal reading choices. Through the advocacy of librarians and library organizations, this section was effectively shut down in 2005. In times when personal liberty and intellectual freedom are threatened, we all need to show up and support our libraries as critical organizations that do

the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl,” and “Part of Your World.”

Nearly all the singing, both solos and ensemble pieces, is fine. But on opening night, at least, Ariel was overmiked, and Bremer sang far too powerfully for such a relatively small venue. She captures the expressiveness of the lyrics, but at full belt her voice risks being abrasive. Ariel is noted for her haunting voice, and songs like “Part of Your World” demand a sweet tonality. Even in the quartet “If Only,” Ariel contrasts to Triton, Sebastian, and Eric, who are all pleasingly melodic. I was puzzled, as in two of last year’s musicals Bremer was spot-on.

But this is the only shortcoming in an otherwise excellent production. Director Hartwig moves her talented ensemble creatively and amusingly in dynamic dance numbers that will have you bouncing in your seat. For one more week, Cortland Rep’s “The Little Mermaid” promises not just satisfying but glorious summer entertainment.

Barbara Adams is a regional theatre and arts journalist and retired professor of writing, Ithaca College.

so much to support so many.

Susan Currie is the Interim Library Director for the Tompkins County Public Library. She previously served in that position from 2009 until 2017 and again as Interim Director in 2021. Susan was elected to the Tompkins County Legislature in 2023, but agreed to return to her “dream job” of leading the library until a permanent replacement can be found.

Molly Bremer as Ariel, Rachel Fry as Ursulla, Nathan Ayotte as Flotsam and Alexander Yagud-Wolek as Jetsam in Cortland Rep’s production of “Disney’s The Little Mermaid” running now August 15. (Photo: Provided/Cortland Repertory Theatre)

antisemitism when enforcing Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

While the IHRA definition is used by many governments and a growing number of educational institutions, it’s opposed by hundreds of civil and human rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Israel’s best-known human rights group B’Tselem because it casts certain criticism of the State of Israel as hate speech. According to a Human Rights Watch letter to the United Nations signed by over 100 human rights organizations, “the IHRA definition has often been used to wrongly label criticism of Israel as antisemitic, and thus chill and sometimes suppress non-violent protest, activism and speech critical of Israel.”

The University of Pennsylvania reached a settlement to unfreeze about $175 million in federal funding without paying millions of dollars to the federal government. Administrators, however, instead agreed to align university policy with Trump executive orders banning transgender athletes from women’s sports.

Brown University also reached a settlement without making a direct payment to the federal government in exchange for the university banning transgender athletes from college sports.

While settlements secure vital sources of funding for universities, experts say they legitimizeTrump’s legally-dubious policy of using the President's power to impound federal funding that was already approved by Congress as a tool to reshape higher education.

While Cornell law professor Michael Dorf has said that the Administrative Procedures Act clearly allows recipients of federal funding to sue to stop unlawful funding cuts, he added that the Trump administration has reason to believe that the Supreme Court will side with them. “[T] he Supreme Court has showed a remarkable willingness to allow the Trump administration to proceed with its hardball policies by dissolving lower court preliminary injunctions, Dorf wrote,” adding that Columbia risked losing an estimated $4 billion in federal funding over the next three years if the Trump administration didn’t agree to the settlement.

“Columbia couldn’t tolerate the administration holding up billions of dollars in current and future grants, so they paid what is essentially ransom,” Dorf

told the Chronicle of Higher Education. “The ransom that they ended up paying strikes me as a pretty good value if you decide you’re going to pay ransom,” he added. “But the problem with paying ransom is that it incentivizes the taking of more hostages.”

According to University of Michigan law professor Sam Bagenstos, “This is a very disappointing development, not just for Columbia, but also for the broader academic community, because it gives fuel to the efforts by the Trump administration to overreach in its use of federal money as a threat to get universities to do its own bidding.”

In response to questions about the status of negotiations with the Trump administration, Cornell media relations said, “We do not have any information to share at this time.”

Columbia’s adoption of IHRA’s antisemitism definition caused Marianne Hirsch, a prominent Jewish scholar of genocide, to consider leaving her professorship at the university. Hirsch, whose parents survived the Holocaust, told the Associated Press, “A university that treats criticism of Israel as antisemitic and threatens sanctions for those who disobey is no longer a place of open inquiry…I just don’t see how I can teach about genocide in that environment.”

Afaf Nasher, executive director of New York’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), called Columbia’s decision to adopt the IHRA definition “an attack on free speech.” Nasher continued, “This decision is nothing more than the shameless weaponization of antisemitism in order to stifle the ability of students to speak out against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians by the Israeli government. We urge Columbia’s administration to reverse this decision.”

If Cornell makes similar concessions as Columbia, civil and human rights scholars at the university are expected to voice their opposition.

The settlements from elite universities are coming as major media companies like Paramount and Disney have reached settlements of their own with the Trump administration. Paramount recently agreed to pay more than $16 million to settle a lawsuit with the Trump administration over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris that Trump claimed was deceptively edited. Just days later, CBS, which is owned by Paramount, canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved an $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance.

BUILDING DESIGN

continued from page 4

workspace for our employees and I hope you keep that in mind when you’re thinking about who’s going to benefit and who's not from this project.”

The architects are still seeking feedback on design ideas through a survey at tcgov. co/cogsurvey.

“Ultimately, it’s not going to be one of these three or four elevations of the building that it'll look like,” Thompson said. “It'll be some combination of hopefully the things that we hear your feedback about that you like.”

TERRAPIN STATION

continued from page 13

Some things from a Dead performance are irreproducible. They experimented with how to disperse sound evenly in a large indoor or outdoor venue. They then invented much of the equipment and electronics to create an evenly dispersed acoustic environment, regardless of where you were listening or dancing. Terrapin Station mirrors that effort on a smaller and more economical scale. Their sound is clear, well-amplified, and finely tuned in the mix. They resist crushing their listeners and dancers with loudness that would obscure the music. One ingredient missing from Terrapin Station’s stage is the Grateful Dead drum-

SPICE

IT UP

continued from page 15

Where to Find Li’l Anne and Hot Cayenne:

Thursday, Aug. 7, 5:00-8:15 p.m.

Li’l Anne and Hot Cayenne

LOSE THE DRUMMER

continued from page 15

to do deep cuts, familiar tunes not covered by a lot of bands. We play music people aren’t expecting.” They convincingly tackle an acoustic version of Toto’s seminal song “Africa.” They relish acoustic renditions of the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields,” “Dear Prudence,” and “Nowhere Man,” all without drums or effects. Yes, they harmonize on Crosby, Still and Nash tunes, but who would expect them to pull off an acoustic and percussion-less version of Yes’s “You’re Move,” the opening movement to their progressive rock classic, “I’ve Seen All Good People.”

SUNFLOWER HOUSES

continued from page 5

the program does not meet.

Willison said individual residents are able to get some funding through Medicaid’s 1115 waiver, which began in 2023 and allows organizations to bill medicaid for non-medical services. Despite the federal administration’s $1 trillion budget cut to Medicaid, Willison said it will continue through the next decade because the money has already been allocated to New York state.

“It does still exist,” Willison said. “The guidance has been taken down, but the waivers are being approved on an ongoing basis.”

mer Mickey Hart’s armada of percussion instruments, which reflected his love of, and respect for world music. His extended percussion improvisations became a hallmark of the later Grateful Dead performances. The Dead were known for their unusual and musically clever transitions between songs. Hart’s barrage was often the stitching that held the improvisatory transitions between songs together. Drummer Josh Drotar can’t go that route, because of the sheer number and cost of so many drums, so his transitions and the band’s overlaying improvisations tend to be shorter and therefore a bit more abrupt. Roy Flacco’s bass lines echo Phil Lesh’s usual melodic approach to the bottom line. His sound is vintage 1970s,

CFCU Summer Concert Series

Bernie Milton Pavilion, Ithaca Commons, Ithaca, NY

Friday, Sept. 5, 5:30-8 p.m.

Li'l Anne Small Band featuring Peter Glanville and Jorge Cuevas

Their rendition of The Who’s “Pinball Wizard” is not as musically overwrought as Pete Townsend’s original version. But without drums, Darkwine’s versions draws your ears closer to the lyrics, making the song poignantly sweeter than the original.

Kelly Serbonic transforms Carly Simon’s commentary on male musician egos, “You’re So Vain,” while sounding less produced and glossy than the original.

Serbonic cleverly brings out the innate rhythmic articulation in The Romantics’, “Talking in Your Sleep,” an example of Darkwine’s ability to adapt lesser-known pop songs–this one from 1980–to their own style. Many of Darkwine’s song selections

OPERA-POWERED SOUL

continued from page 13

South Hill Cider, Ithaca NY

SingTrece & Stone Cold Miracle Tuesday, Aug. 12, 6-8 p.m. Music in the Hollow Ellis Hollow Community Center 111 Genung Road, Ithaca, NY

SingTrece & The Black Shirts Sunday, Aug. 17 Cortland Porchfest, Cortland, NY

thanks to his oversized bass cabinet which produces a warm and cuddly sound.

Larry Honigbaum’s lead guitar work channels Garcia’s lyricism and rhythmic fluidity. He masters the extended jam solo with modal runs over static harmonies supplied by the rest of the band. His folk and country influenced melodies lilt over simple chord progressions. For you Dead-Head-TechHeads, Honigbaum plays a custom-made replica of Jerry Garcia’s Wolf guitar from the early 1970s. Built by Garcia’s luthier Doug Irwin, it’s very much like the iconic Fender Strat fitted with multiple singe coil pickups.

Where to Find Terrapin Station:

Friday, Aug. 8, 5 p.m.

Trumansburg Farmer’s Market Summer Concert Series

Trumansburg Farmer’s Market 5 Corey St., Trumansburg, NY

Friday, Sept. 5, 6-9 p.m.

Li’l Anne and Hot Cayenne Finger Lakes Cider House

lean heavily on the innate weightiness of Bob Dylan’s lyrics. The translation to the folk-rock idiom is easier here; their instrumentation echoes Dylan’s early folk music sound… but with four-part harmony and cleaner-sounding voices.

Where to Find Darkwine: Saturday, Aug. 30, 4-7 p.m. Treleaven Winery

Thursday, Sept. 4, 6-8 p.m. Six Mile Creek Winery

Thursday, Sept. 25, 6-8 p.m. (tentative)

SingTrece & Stone Cold Miracle Friday, Aug. 29, 6-9 p.m.

Finger Lakes Cider House 4017 Hickok Road, Interlaken, NY

SingTrece & All Women Band Saturday, Sept. 13

Spirit Kindred Women’s Music Medicine Gathering, 236 Fish Rd., Ithaca, NY

Peter Rothbart is a Professor Emeritus of Music at the Ithaca College School of Music, Theatre and Dance where he taught electroacoustic and media music for 40 years. He remains active as a classical, jazz and pop musician

FingerLakes Cider, Interlaken, NY

Tuesday, Aug. 26, 5 p.m. Deep Dive, Ithaca, NY

Saturday, Aug. 30., 5 p.m. Scale House Brewery, Hector, NY

Sunday, Aug. 31, 6 p.m.

Two Goats Brewing, Burdett, NY

4017 Hickok Rd., Interlaken, NY

Six Mile Creek Winery

Friday, Sept. 26, 6-8 p.m. Hopshire Farm and Brewery

Sunday, Sept. 28, 1-4 p.m. Hosmer Winery

Friday, Oct. 31, 6-9 p.m. Homer Hops

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Events this Week

8/6 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 Makerspace Open Hours — AM Session | 11:00 a.m. | Drop-in open hours, no registration required. Come for a short tour, or stay and work on a project - | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, 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

NARCAN Training with REACH | 4:00 p.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

Makerspace Open Hours — PM Session | 5:30 p.m. | Join us for drop-in Open Hours! Registration is not required. Visit the Makerspace to use the laser | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca Prayer for the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | 5:30 p.m. | DeWitt Park, 315 N Cayuga St., Ithaca

THIS WEEK

LGBTQ+ Youth Group | 5:45 p.m. |

Join us at LGBTQ+ Youth Group to do crafts, play games, and socialize. Whether your lesbian, gay, b | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, 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

The Greater Finger Lakes Jazz Orchestra @ Geneva Lakefront Summer Concert Series | 6:00 p.m. | What can be better than a 20 piece Big Band filled with the region’s top instrumentalists? | 35 Lakefront Dr., NY 14456-3400, Geneva

What’s Cookin’ Jazz Trio | 6:00 p.m. | An evening of classic jazz. | Brookton’s Market, 491 Brooktondale Rd., Brooktondale | 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! | Hopshire Farm and Brewery, 1771 Dryden Road, Freeville | Free

Jazz Night at Deep Dive: Firefly Trio | 6:30 p.m. | Jazz Night at Deep Dive: Firefly Trio (6:30-8:30 p.m.), Big Band (8:30-10:30 p.m.), The People’s Jam! (10:30-12:30 p.m.). | Deep Dive Ithaca, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca | Free

Fireside Sessions | 7:00 p.m. | Sit around the fire with acoustic ambi -

ence & 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

The Little Mermaid | 7:30 p.m. |

Cortland Repertory Theatre — Little York Lake, 6799 Little York Lake Rd., Preble | $86.92

Forte | Piano 2025: Former Students of Malcolm Bilson | 7:30 p.m. | Former students of Malcolm Bilson, including David Breitman, Petra Somlai, and Tuija Hakkila, will perform music by Schubert, Robert Schumann, and other composers. | Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, 430 College Ave, Ithaca | Free

Robert Jon & The Wreck | 8:00 p.m. | Southern California rockers Robert Jon & The Wreck have unveiled their latest single, “Ashes in the | Center for the Arts of Homer 72 S Main St., Homer

8/7 Thursday

Lake and Land Tour Discover Cayuga Lake | 10:00 a.m. | Get the best of both worlds through Discover Cayuga Lakes Lake and Land Tour! | Allan H. Treman Marina, 805 Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca, NY 14850, Ithaca

Makerspace One-on-One | 11:00 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. | What do you want to make? Register for a one-on-one session in the makerspace with a Library Assistant. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca

Pop Up and Play | 11:00 a.m. | The Y will be traveling throughout Ithaca and Tompkins County to bring summer fun to families all over! Children can participate in a diverse range of exciting activities hosted by Y Staff

Yoga to the People/Yoga in the Parks | 4:00 p.m. | Free, family-friendly, accessible yoga in Ithaca’s parks this summer. | The Commons at the Bernie, 100 N Tioga St., Ithaca | Free

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

Beginnings Summer Concert Series: Common Railers and Li’l

Anne & Hot Cayenne | 5:00 p.m. | | Bernie Milton Pavilion Center Commons, Ithaca | Free

Shadows Over Cayuga, True Crime Walking Tour | 5:30 p.m. | From scandalous postcards to vanished bodies, poisoned chocolates to financial double-crosses, this walking tour shines a flashlight on the people and press that shaped local justice. Join us at The History Center in Tompkins County Thurs-Sat at 5:30 pm. | The History Center in Tompkins County, 110 N Tioga St., Ithaca | $15.00 Rodentia String Band | 5:30 p.m. | Come enjoy cider, delicious food, beautiful views, and live music at South Hill Cider! | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Rd., Ithaca

Three Stone Fire Concert at the Three Bears | 6:00 p.m. | Join us in the Three Bears park for a free Celtic concert by Three Stone Fire on August 7, 2025 from 6:00-7:30 p.m.! | Three

Bears Ovid, 7175 Main Street, Ovid | Free SO GOOD MUSIC SERIES: Wise

Bones Molly & The Ringwolds | 6:00 p.m. | So Good Ice Cream, 5 N West St., Homer Music in the Park: The Destination | 6:30 p.m. | July 10 — High energy swing-funk-blues rock that puts rhythm in your feet and groove in your soul! | Myers Park Lansing Ospreys Abound: Safer Habitats/ Reliable Electricity | 7:00 p.m. | This talk will focus on the Osprey Outage Mitigation Program, which aims to provide safe nesting sites for osprey while increasing service reliability for electric customers throughout New York State. | Town of Lansing, Town Hall, 29 Auburn Road, Lansing | Free 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

Strong Maybe | 8:00 p.m. | $10/pwyc | The Downstairs 121 W. M.L.K. Jr. St., Ithaca

8/8 Friday

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Class | 12:00 p.m. | Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a skill that addresses troubling emotions and manifestations of trauma. | Mental Health Association in Tompkins County, 511 West Seneca, Ithaca | Free 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

Friday Sunset Music Series — ft. Dean Goble Band (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 Win | Wagner Vineyards, 9322 State Route 414, Lodi

Figure Drawing Fridays at CSMA | 6:00 p.m. | If you’re an intermediate or advanced-level artist interested in drawing from the nude model, come join CSMA’s non-instructed, open sketch sessions. Just grab your supplies and enjoy an evening of creativity in the company of other artists. | Ithaca Community School of Music and Arts, 330 East State Street, Ithaca | $15.00 - $20.00

FREE Music Friday w/ Bearly Dead, a Grateful Dead Tribute | 7:00 p.m. | Friday, August 8th: Bearly Dead Not just another Grateful Dead cover band. A cosmic exploration. | Lincoln Hill Farms, 3792 NY-247, Canandaigua Train | 7:00 p.m. | More information about ground rules, parking, accessibility and more can be found at the CMAC website. | Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center: CMAC 3355 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua | $30.00 - $149.50 Marlon Wayans | 7:00 p.m. | Funny Bone Syracuse, 306 Hiawatha Blvd., West, Syracuse | $95.52 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Watkins Glen International | Watkins Glen International, 2790 Co Rte 16, Watkins Glen

8/9 Saturday

New York State Boater Safety Course | 8:30 a.m. | 8 hours of instruction with 1 hour exam — ongoing breaks with 45-minute lunch break (dine in or out) | US Coast Guard AUX Flotilla 2-2 Base Building, 508 Old Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca | $35.00 - $50.00

“Let’s Get out on the Canal” See and Feel the beauty Sponsored by NYPA | 10:00 a.m. | One of our very Experienced Guides will lead you out on the canal in our single and doublekayaks. | 706 Waterloo Geneva Road, Waterloo Shark Fest | 10:00 a.m. | August is National Fishing month, and to celebrate we ’d like to highlight some super interesting fish — Sharks! | Museum of the Earth, 1259 Trumansburg Rd. (Rt. 96), Ithaca | $0.00 - $12.50 Yoga to the People/Yoga in the Parks | 10:30 a.m. | Free, familyfriendly, accessible yoga in Ithaca’s parks this summer. | Titus Triangle Park, 418 S Titus Ave., 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

Salt & Sound Immersion Experience | 11:30 a.m. | Sen Bridge Wellness Center, 101 Kofira Lane, Greene Age of Dinosaurs Design and Doodle | 1:00 p.m. | Each week we

Shark Fest. Sat Aug 9th 10:00am - 1:00pm. Museum of the Earth, 1259 Trumansburg Rd, Ithaca. August is National Fishing Month, and to celebrate, the Museum of the Earth is highlighting some super interesting fish — sharks! Learn about sharks with a tooth ID game, activities, scavenger hunts, a raffle, and more. Get up close and personal with modern sharks by looking at their jaws, bring home ancient shark teeth, and discover the ecosystem they lived in.

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

Wild mushroom identification class | 1:00 p.m. |In-depth, in-person wild mushroom identification classes.

| Enfield Community Center, 162 Enfield Main St., Ithaca | $95.00 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 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

Bailey Zimmerman: New To Country Summer Tour | 7:30 p.m. | Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands

Performing Arts Center: CMAC 3355 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua | $35.00 - $119.00

Forte | Piano 2025: Women at the Keyboard | 7:30 p.m. | An evening of powerful and lyrical chamber works by Jane Mary Guest (c. 1762-1836), Emilie Mayer (1812-1883), and Louise Farrenc (1804-1875), performed by Yi-heng Yang, Aisslinn Nosky, Gesa Kordes, Stephanie Vial, Heather Miller Lardin, and Andrew Willis. | Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, 430 College Ave., Ithaca | Free The Prince Experience | 8:00 p.m. | Since 2002 Gabriel Sanchez has been portraying Prince in his critically acclaimed show The Prince Ex | Del Lago Resort & Casino, 1133 NY-414, Waterloo, Waterloo

An Evening with esperanza spalding | 8:00 p.m. | Five-time GRAMMY winner esperanza spalding is a defining musician of our time. | Robinson Pavilion at Anyela’s Vineyards, 2433 W Lake Rd., Skaneateles | $48.00 - $225.00

Whiskey Tango Sideshow: Mermaid Ball | 8:00 p.m. | Bringing you burlesque guaranteed to get you wet! PLUS audience fun that includes our annual all-gender wet t-shirt contest AND the opportunity for you to serve

some fin on the runway — bring us your sexiest and most creative ocean couture. | Deep Dive Ithaca, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca

8/10 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

Sunday Jazz Brunch at the Stonecat Café | 10:00 a.m. | Summer Jazz Brunch Series: serving brunch from 10a.m. – 2 p.m., with live jazz music by The Dave Richman Trio from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Stonecat Café, 5315 State Route 414, Hector | Free Union Springs Artisan Market 2025 | 10:00 a.m. | Local artisans and small businesses will unite. | Frontenac Park Pavilion, 15 Creamery Road, Union Springs

Intuitive Stitch | 12:00 p.m. | Immerse yourself in peaceful stitching with Laura Braaten as you learn to let go of goals and pressure. This simple and powerful approach to hand stitching is great for decreasing stress and freeing your creative muse.

“SHADOWS OVER CAYUGA”: A TRUE CRIME WALKING TOUR

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9TH AT 5:30 (OTHER DATES AVAILABLE THROUGH AUGUST 23RD)

The History Center in Tompkins County, 110 North Tioga Street, Ithaca | Step into the shadows of turn-of-thecentury Ithaca and uncover some of Tompkins County’s most dramatic and little-known true crime stories.

This guided 10-block, hour long, tour weaves through downtown Ithaca with stops at the sites of crimes that once captivated the county. (Photo: Provided)

Saltonstall Open House: Readings + Art | 4:00 p.m. | Save the date and join us for Saltonstall Foundation’s second Open House of the 2025 season! | Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts, 435 Ellis Hollow Creek Road, Ithaca | Free Emotional Sustainability and Rejuvenation through Land Relationships | 5:00 p.m. | Tahila Moss, Executive Director of OJI:SDA’ Sustainable Indigenous Futures, will share information and tools in an experiential learning event, on how to care for ourselves through connection to the Land and herbal medicines. | The Soil Factory, 142 Ithaca Beer Dr., Ithaca | Free

Guided Guitar Jam @ The Downstairs | 6:00 p.m. | Guided Guitar Jam Sunday, August 10 · 6-9 PM · $10 Calling all guitarists! | The Downstairs, 121 E M.L.K. Jr. St., Ithaca

The Marshall Tucker Band: All Our Friends Tour 2025 | 6:30 p.m. | Anderson Center for the Performing Arts, 4400 Vestal Parkway East, Vestal

| SewGreen Press Bay Court, 112 W Green Street, #5, Ithaca | $25.00

Teresa Bakota Yatsko “Reimagination” exhibit | 12:00 p.m. | Teresa Bakota Yatsko exhibit “ Reimagination” on view for the Seeing Ithaca Event. Sponsored by The State of the Art Gallery. | The Gallery at South Hill 950 Danby Rd. South Hill Business Campus South Hill Business Campus, Ithaca | Free

Summer Sundays Music Series at the Vantage Point — ft. Frank Raponi | 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 Outlaw — Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Turnpike Troubadours & More | 4:00 p.m. | Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview, 490 Restoration Way, Syracuse Mind Over Body Class with Mitch Raymond | 4:00 p.m. | Learn how to achieve improved strength and range of motion through movements and techniques aimed at strengthening the connection between the mind and body. | The Whimsy Mercantile, 2075 East Shore Drive, Lansing

DJ Trivia with Dave Ashton | 7:00 p.m. | Join Dave Ashton for DJ Trivia every Sunday night at Crossroads in Lansing! Bring your friends and | Crossroads Bar and Grill, 3120 North Triphammer Road, Lansing | Free

Go Bowling at the Glen — NASCAR Cup Series | Watkins Glen International, 2790 Co Rte 16, Watkins Glen

8/11

Monday

Organ Recital: The 715 four-note chords possible in one octave: CU Music | 5:00 a.m. | Eliot Burk performs the 715 four-note chords possible in one octave, an excerpt from Tom Johnson’s The Chord Catalogue, at a speed of one-chord-per-minute. | Sage Chapel Ho Plaza, Ithaca | Free Teen Maker Mondays | 4:00 p.m. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca

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

Queer Craft Club | 6:30 p.m. | Join other LGBTQIAP+ adults to do arts and crafts, hang out, and have fun. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca | Free

Summer Sing | 6:30 p.m. | A capella barbershop women’s group. No prior experience needed | First Baptist Church, 4443 Seneca Rd., Trumansburg | Free

Roo of Metasequoia @ The Downstairs | 7:00 p.m. | Roo of Metasequoia performs solo acoustic and electric looping-indie-alternative jams. | The Downstairs, 121 E M.L.K. Jr. St., Ithaca

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

8/12 Tuesday

Yoga to the People/Yoga in the Parks | 11:00 a.m. | Free, familyfriendly, accessible yoga classes in the parks in Ithaca this summer. | DeWitt Park, 315 N Cayuga St., Ithaca | Free Meet with staff from the office of Congressman Riley | 1:00 p.m. | Representatives from the office of Congressman Josh Riley are available to discuss federal issues they may have. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca | Free SouthWorks Open House | 3:00 p.m. | SouthWorks Announces Incoming Businesses; Invites Community to 2nd Annual Open House | SouthWorks, 620 S Aurora St., Ithaca | Free Taughannock Live Music Series: Bob Roberts | 5:00 p.m.| Inn at Taughannock Falls, 2030 Gorge Rd., Trumansburg

LEGO Family Build Night | 5:30 p.m. | TCPL invites families to a weekly LEGO build night! Buckets of LEGO will be provided for participants. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca Music in the Hollow: SingTrece and Stone Cold Miracle | 6:00 p.m. | Ellis Hollow Community Center, 111 Genung Road, Ithaca | Free Toast | 6:30 p.m. | Point of the Bluff Vineyards, 10489 County Route 76, Hammondsport

8/13 Wednesday

FORTE | PIANO 2025: WOMEN AT THE KEYBOARD

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9TH AT 7:30 PM

Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, 430 College Ave., Ithaca | An free concert featuring powerful and lyrical chamber works by Jane Mary Guest (c.1762-1836), Emilie Mayer (1812-1883), and Louise Farrenc (1804-1875), performed by Yi-heng Yang, Aisslinn Nosky, Gesa Kordes, Stephanie Vial, Heather

Miller Lardin, and Andrew Willis. (Photo: Provided)