Dec. 17, 2025

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OFFICIALS SAY NURSES ALLEGE NYSEG RATE HIKE UNFAIR LABOR WOULD FINANCIALLY PRACTICES AT CAYUGA BURDEN ITHACANS MEDICAL CENTER PAGE 3

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RESIDENTS FACE HIGHER TRASH, RECYCLING AND PARKING FEES IN NEW YEAR PAGE 6

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NEW MUTUAL AID CHILDCARE INITIATIVE SET TO OPEN IN WEST VILLAGE

MIX BRINGS TOGETHER FRENCH COMFORT AND THAI ROOTS

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2 The Ithaca Times / December 17 – 23, 2025

Newsline

VOL. LIV / NO. 15 / December 17, 2025 Serving 47,125 readers week ly

ON THE COVER:

Ithaca Opposes NYSEG Rate Hikes, Halts Net-Zero Code Changes Following State’s All-Electric Delay

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Several Cornell University alumni have formed “Cornell Courage,” a group opposing the university’s recent deal with the federal administration.

The group claims the multi-million dollar settlement agreement is a betrayal of Cornell’s legacy and values.

(Design by Kaiden Chandler for the Ithaca Times)

NEWSLINE ������������������������������������3-6

By P h i l i p O’ D e l l

he ongoing New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG) rate case and the statewide delay of allelectric building requirements were major focuses during the City of Ithaca’s Sustainability and Climate Justice Commission’s Dec. 8 meeting.

Sustainability Director Rebecca Evans said representatives from the City of Ithaca recently submitted testimony to the case, opposing NYSEG’s proposed rate increases on the grounds that they would exacerbate the financial burden and stress on residents. Instead of a settlement hearing, where utilities typically negotiate rates with the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC), this rate case will proceed directly to an evidentiary hearing set for Jan. 12, 2026, meaning NYSEG and RG&E will enter litigation with the PSC. The City of Ithaca requested both a specialized winter electric rate for heat pump users and greater transparency regarding utility shut offs, Evans said.

According to National Grid, heat pumps are energy-efficient, all-electric heating and cooling systems that replace fossil fuel-burning furnaces and boilers.

The technology reduces carbon emissions by moving heat rather than generating it through combustion.

NYSEG initiated a formal request on June 30 to PSC to increase its energy delivery fees. The utility serves over 40%

OPINION ���������������������������������������7-9 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ���������� 10 SPORTS ������������������������������������������� 12 NEWS ����������������������������������������� 14-15 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ����� 17-18 THROUGH THE TIMES ����������������� 20 TIMES TABLE ��������������������������� 22-23 CLASSIFIED ������������������������������ 24-25 At Ithaca’s Sustainability and Climate Justice Commission on Dec. 9, Sustainability Director Rebecca Evans spoke about how NYSEG’s rates for energy and natural gas make it more costly to use all-electric, energy-efficient heating and cooling. (Photo: Cornell Cooperative Extension)

of upstate New York, including Tompkins County. NYSEG is seeking hikes of 35% for electric service and 39.4% for natural gas service. The PSC is currently reviewing this request through a rate case. A PSC approval would have an average home customer using 600 kWh of electricity or 83 therms of gas paying an extra $33 in their monthly bill. NYSEG and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation (RG&E) both filed new requests to increase their annual electric and gas delivery revenues for the period ending April 30, 2027. NYSEG’s previous rate increase that PSC approved in 2023 increased delivery rates by 62% for electricity and gas rates by 17.8%. with its final phase fulfilled in May. Evans said the current structure — where electricity rates are high and natural

T a k e

ON T HE WE B

gas rates are comparatively low — penalizes residents who “do the right thing” by switching to efficient heat pumps through inflated operating costs. She said Ithaca residents who previously committed to electrification by installing heat pumps are now contemplating a return to natural gas due to the high cost of electricity.

“People that have to rely on heat, which is everybody in New York state in the winter, are now paying out the nose during the coldest and most dangerous season of the year,” Evans said. “What we are advocating for is to try and bring the cost of electricity down only during the heating season for and only for heat pump users during that period.”

Visit our website at www.ithaca.com for more news, arts, sports and photos. Call us at 607-277-7000 Maddy Vogel, Managing Editor E d i to r @ i t h ac at i m e s .co m Mat t D o u g h er t y, Asso ciate Ed ito r E d i to r @ i t h ac at i m e s .co m Ch r is Ibert, C alen dar Ed ito r A r t s @ i t h ac at i m e s .co m Austin L am b, Co py Edito r L o r i e n Ty n e , N e w s R e p o r t e r R e p o r t e r @ i t h ac at i m e s .co m Philip O'Dell, Reporter P h i l i p @ i t h ac at i m e s .co m Mark Sy vertson, Photographer Ste ve L awrence, Spo rts Co lumn ist St e v e S p o r t sD u d e @ g m a i l .co m J i m B i l i n s k i , P u b l i s h e r E me r i t u s j b i l i n s k i @ i t h ac at i m e s .co m Scot t Ma n so n , Asso ciate Pu b l ish er F r ee l a n c e r s : Barbara Adams, G. M Burns, Charley Githler, Stephen Burke, Bill Chaisson, Ross Haarstad, Steve Lawrence, Marjorie Olds, Henry Stark, Peter Rothbart, Austin Lamb, Clement Obropta, Jake Sexton, Kira Walter, and Vasant Alex Laplam

Contin u ed on Page 6

N o t e

X Tompkins County Opens Public Comment on Employment Plan for TA/SNAP Programs

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he Tompkins County Department of Social Services has released its Biennial Employment Plan for Temporary Assistance (TA) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants, opening a public comment period through December 30, 2025.

The plan is required every two years under New York State Social Services Law and details how the county provides education, job training, employment opportunities and support services to TA and SNAP applicants and recipients.

The document provides an overview of local policies governing a wide range of employment services, including participant assessments, individual employment plans, training program approvals, disability

determinations, work accommodations and procedures for verifying work activities. It also outlines available support services and explains how the county partners with various organizations to deliver employmentrelated programs.

In addition to assistance for TA and SNAP recipients, the plan includes optional non-assistance services for individuals eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) with incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty level.

A hard copy of the plan is available for review at the Department of Social Services office at 320 W. Martin Luther King Jr./State Street in Ithaca, and written comments may be submitted by email to dssinfo@tompkins-co.org.

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THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE ITHACA TIMES ARE C O P Y R I G H T © 2 02 5 B Y PAT H W AY S T O E Q U I T Y, L L C .

All rights reserved. Events are listed free of charge in TimesTable. All copy must be received by Friday at noon. The Ithaca Times is available free of charge from various locations around Ithaca. Additional copies may be purchased from the Ithaca Times offices for $1. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $139 one year. Include check or money order and mail to the Ithaca Times, PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. ADVERTISING: Deadlines are Monday 5 p.m. for display, Tuesday at noon for classified. Advertisers should check their ad on publication. The Ithaca Times will not be liable for failure to publish an ad, for typographical error, or errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of the space in which the actual error appeared in the first insertion.

The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication.

The Ithaca Times is published weekly Wednesday mornings. Offices are located at 109 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 607-277-7000, FAX 607277-1012, MAILING ADDRESS is PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. The Ithaca Times was preceded by the Ithaca New Times (1972–1978) and The Good Times Gazette (1973–1978), combined in 1978. Founder Good Times Gazette: Tom Newton

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INQUIRING Newly-formed Nurses Union Files Unfair Labor Charges Against Hospital PHOTOGRAPHER N e w s l i n e

By Mark Sy ve r t son

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: “WHAT’S AT THE TOP OF YOUR HOLIDAY WISHLIST?” NOTE: If readers wish to participate in the Ithaca Times’ Inquiring Photographer column, contact Mark Syvertson at marksyvertsonphotography@gmail.com

“A huge dog.”

– Temple

“New luggage, that’s rigid, waterproof and has wheels.”

– Melissa

“Makeup.”

– Skylar

Management

F

By M a ddy Vo ge l

ollowing a unionization effort by more than 350 nurses at Ithaca’s Cayuga Medical Center (CMC), union leaders have filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), alleging that hospital management has violated federal labor law.

Earlier this month, Communications Workers of America (CWA) announced the formation of Cayuga United-CWA, a union representing the CMC nurses.

The Cayuga Medical Center nurses who recently unionized have since brought complaints to the National Labor Relations Board alleging anti-union messaging and coercion Union leaders said that understaffing had from hospital management. (Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times) led to “deteriorating conditions” and cited a desire to work under a contract that (Tompkins County Legislator, District 2). ing directly with our nurses without an guarantees safe staffing as a primary reaThe letter called on management to outside, third-party intermediary.” son for unionization. For at least 10 years, begin bargaining for a fair contract that In CWA’s statement, District 1 Vice there have been ongoing unionization supports the nurses who provide for the President Dennis Trainor disagreed, efforts among workers at CMC. community. claiming that CMC is not respecting CWA filed a charge with the NLRB “We hear from constituents every day nurses’ right to against Cayuga who are worried about rising healthcare form a union.

Health System costs and struggling to make ends meet,” “By holding on Tuesday, Dec. the officials wrote. “The hard truth is that captive audi9, alleging interence, anti-union our rising premiums and co-pays are not rogation and cogoing into the paychecks of the people meetings, ercive statements. who provide our healthcare, and they're Cayuga MediAs of the time not creating more jobs for nurses and docof publication, — Centralus Health spokesperson cal Center has tors either. Instead, they’re going into the not respected the case’s status pockets of multi-millionaire executives.” the right of its remains open The letter said the nurses union can nurses to freely organize,” Trainor said. with the NLRB. In a statement sent to the lead the way toward a healthcare system “CMC nurses are the heart of the Ithaca Ithaca Times the same day, CWA claimed that CMC management held a captive audi- community and deserve to be treated with that “puts people, and patients, over profit.”

The Centralus spokesperson said that dignity and respect when they speak out ence meeting, which are typically meetings providing high-quality care, ensuring to improve working conditions.” in which employers express their views on team success On Wednesunionization, on Friday, Dec. 5. CWA said and improving day, Dec. 10, this meeting was “anti-union” and held the wellbeing of eight elected during a mandatory staff meeting. the community officials in the “A department director read a script of remains core to anti-union messaging that was purported- City of Ithaca the company’s ly prepared by the CMC legal department,” and Tompkins mission.

County signed a CWA wrote in the statement. “Workers “Our new letter in support were reprimanded for speaking up to executive of the nurses share their support for their union.”

— Dennis Trainor, CWA district 1 vice president leadership team forming Cayuga In a statement to the Ithaca Times, a is committed United-CWA. Centralus Health spokesperson said the to creating a supportive work environThe letters signees included Ithaca Mayor company would not comment on allegament where nurses, and all our employees, Rob Cantelmo, Kayla Matos (City Aldertions filed with the NLRB while there was feel heard, respected, and empowered to person, Ward 1), Phoebe Brown (City action pending. deliver exceptional care to our families, Alderperson, Ward 1), Jorge DeFendini “While we disagree that a union is in friends and neighbors,” the spokesperson the best interests of our nurses, we respect (City Alderperson-Elect, Ward 1), Ducsaid. “We believe that this is best achieved son Nguyen (City Alderperson, Ward 2), their right to a fair election,” the spokesthrough open communication and direct Robin Trumble (City Alderperson-Elect, person wrote. “We deeply value the voices collaboration with our nurses to address Ward 4), Hannah Shvets (City Alderperof our nurses and believe we can continue the challenges facing Centralus Health.” son-Elect, Ward 5) and Veronica Pillar to care for our communities best by work-

“While we disagree that a union is in the best interests of our nurses, we respect their right to a fair election.”

“By holding captive audience, antiunion meetings, Cayuga Medical Center has not respected the right of its nurses to freely organize.”

“A first-round bye in the playoffs for Eagles.”

– Steve

“I just want actual snow on Christmas. Not a little dusting, I’m talking about REAL snow.”

– Asha

4 The Ithaca Times / December 17 – 23, 2025

UPS&DOWNS

N e w s l i n e

Ithaca’s Justice50 Plan Hit by $0 Capital Budget, CCE Proposes Climate Outreach Workshops

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By P h i l i p O’ D e l l

Ups

Ithaca College has completed a major expansion of its electric vehicle charging network, adding 36 public charging ports across its South Hill campus. The project, part of the multi-year “Recharge at IC” initiative, makes the stations accessible to students, employees, visitors and the wider community.

changes included eliminating free street parking on Saturdays to generate $85,000, reducing budget lines across departments like $145,000 for DPW and $10,000 for the fire department and making citywide reductions in reserves, such as taking $400,000 from the Emergency Repair Fund.

The meeting also featured Chris Skawski, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Energy & Climate Change Team Leader for Tompkins, speaking on a pending project.

Chris Skawski said CCE hopes to launch a climate outreach program that engages Ithaca residents on their experiences and concerns with climate change.

Conceived by commission member Siobhan Hull and pending NYSERDA contracting, the multi-year research project would educate the public on participatory budgeting frameworks. The public would be invited to workshops that teach residents about local climate change hazards and how municipal processes can address them. Skawski hopes to have a total of 15 workshops that include themes of public health, housing and labor.

thaca’s climate goals have hit a financial hurdle heading into 2026 while Cornell Cooperative Extension plans a multiyear research and outreach program to educate residents and receive information.

Sustainability Director Rebecca Evans discussed the city’s Justice50 initiative during the Sustainability and Climate Justice Commission’s Dec. 8 meeting. Justice50 mandates that a minimum of 50% of Green New Deal and city capital project funding be invested Sustainability Director Rebecca Evans spoke with the city’s climate justice commission about how the in climate justice communities, while also city’s $0 capital budget for 2026 has resulted in the setting a goal for 40% representation from elimination of an expected $5 million allocation these communities in green jobs training. for climate justice communities as part of Justice50.

Evans said the city’s Justice50 framework (Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times File) mandates allocating a percentage of the annual capital budget — typically around for a two-year window, and the goal is to $5 million for infrastructure and bonded start the program as soon as possible. CCE costs — to climate justice communities and seeks to partner with local organizations, participatory budgeting. The city could not such as the Ithaca Free Clinic on Seneca meet this goal in the current tough budget Street, for its public health focus. year because the capital budget was reduced “What we are trying to do here is find to $0, though she expects funding to return out people’s priorities through these series to normal for the 2026 and 2027 budget of dialogue-based workshops cycles. Evans stated that in recent and show them the tools and years the capital budget has show them pathways to access typically been around $5 million, for addressing that problem,” which would result in $500,000 Skawski said. “We’re really exbeing reserved for participatory cited about it as a means of conbudgeting. necting people to this process In local budgets, participatory — Rebecca Evans, City of Ithaca director of sustainability but also showing people climate budgeting allows residents to change hazards on the ground.” propose and vote on projects and The research is expected to help “Can we support an environment where how to spend a portion of a public budget. develop a way of talking about climate folks can tell us what is true about climate Ithaca’s Justice50 initiative, approved change hazards that focuses more on tanchange hazards in the city of Ithaca,” in May 2024, is modeled after the federal gible issues like the condition of people’s Skawski said.

Justice40 program and designed to be homes rather than abstract concepts like Event organizers will gather informathe nation's most aggressive local plan to emissions, Skawski said. However, he reaftion from residents on their experiences address climate justice. The framework firmed lowering emissions will remain an and concerns related to climate change requires 50% of the city's capital project objective and topic of conversation. hazards. Skawski said the workshops budget be invested in neighborhoods facEvans said the research's findings will will be structured around pillars of the ing economic hardship or environmental be significant beyond the specifics of parupdated climate action plan, including inequities, with 10% of that portion alticipatory budgeting and help them review public health, labor, and housing. He said located to participatory budgeting. their climate goals. the goal is to engage the community in a The Ithaca Common Council approved “Can you take something that matters the 2026 city budget, totaling approximately dialogue to identify local problems, such in somebody’s life on a daily basis and $111.5 million, a process complicated by an as housing issues, and determine if they translate it into a climate change dialogue are exacerbated by climate change. The unexpected $2.1 million shortfall discovmeaningfully?,” Evans said. “Is it going to workshops will provide participants with ered after the initial tentative budget was make them become more democratically technical assistance to prepare them for released. To close this gap and finalize the engaged in some way?” the participatory budgeting process. budget with a 4.11% tax levy increase, the Skawski confirmed CCE’s Earth Day Skawski said CCE hopes to hire an council enacted a $2.38 million stopgap educator to lead the project on the ground. Festival will return to the Ithaca Compackage which included significant cuts The specific funding for this research is set mons in April 2026. and revenue generation measures. Key

Downs

The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the DEA, seized 15 firearms and materials believed to be components of improvised explosive devices during a December 9 search of a Newfield mobile home, prompting the Bomb Squad to remove and secure the hazardous items. Ransome S. Vanriper, 48, was arrested and arraigned on 12 felony charges and remanded to the Tompkins County Jail on $50,000 bail.

HEARD&SEEN Heard

The Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College has opened nominations for the 18th annual Izzy Award, honoring exceptional independent journalism published in 2025. Nominations are due by Jan. 16, 2026, with winners to be announced in the spring and celebrated at an in-person ceremony on April 22 at Ithaca College.

Seen

The Communications Workers of America accused Cayuga Medical Center of violating federal labor law after managers held mandatory an antiunion captive audience meeting that nurses say undermined their support for organizing. The complaint comes as more than 350 nurses push for union recognition, citing short staffing and growing concerns about patient care.

“Can you take something that matters in somebody’s life on a daily basis and translate it into a climate change dialogue meaningfully?”

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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

Do you agree with the Ithaca Common Council’s decision to ask for the resignation of City Manager Deb Mohlenhoff?

52.3% Yes. 37.5% No. 10.2% I don’t care.

N ext Week ’s Q uestion :

Do you support the nurses at the Cayuga Medical Center who are organizing to form a workers union?

Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.

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N e w s l i n e

City and County Residents Will Face Higher Trash, Recycling and Parking Fees in New Year

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By P h i l i p O’ D e l l

o cover rising operational costs and maintain recycling and sanitation services, the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County will adjust waste management fees starting Jan. 1, 2026.

This comes alongside a spike in parking rates in the city and the elimination of free Saturday parking.

Ithaca is raising the price of residential trash tags from $5 to $6 per tag and from $30 to $36 per sheet to cover expenses for waste collection, transportation, and disposal services. The increase is attributed to a 29% jump in county tipping fees since 2018. Tags already purchased will remain valid indefinitely, and the tag color will not change.

“Our crews work exceptionally hard to ensure that every resident’s trash and yard waste are collected thoroughly and on time,” said Phil Davis, the city’s solid waste supervisor. “We appreciate everyone’s understanding about these increases, as we have continued to see our overhead for this service go up with each passing year.”

The changes follow the City of Ithaca’s budget season that saw passage of a $111.46 million 2026 budget, approved by the Common Council on Nov. 12. The budget season was marked by an unexpected $2.1 million revenue shortfall caused by a staff error. To close this gap and minimize the resulting 4.11% tax levy increase, the council approved a stopgap package on Nov. 5 that heavily relied on new parking revenue. This included To help fill a sudden $2.1 million revenue shortfall in the city’s 2026 budget, the Common Council plans to eliminate free Saturday street and garage parking and raise the garage rate to $2.25 per hour.

eliminating free Saturday street parking, implementing a new Saturday garage parking fee, and raising the garage rate to $2.25 per hour to generate hundreds of thousands in needed revenue.

Trash tags for city residents are available for purchase at City Hall, Agway, all GreenStar locations, P&C Fresh at Pine Tree Road, Cornell Campus Store, the Dandy Mini Mart on West Buffalo Street, Tops, Wegmans, and the Kinney Drug on Cayuga Street.

Throughout Tompkins County, the annual solid waste fee will increase from $82 to $85 per residential unit in the new year, according to the Department

of Recycling & Materials Management.

The charge finances services, including recycling, organics programs, waste reduction and hazardous waste collection events.

According to Tompkins County, the disposal fee for municipal solid waste will increase to $110 per ton. The county will eliminate its complex tiered pricing structure for trash disposal, replacing it with a flat $20 minimum fee to improve transparency and fairness. The cost for tire disposal will increase from $4 to $5 per tire, and the bulk rate will increase from $300 to $350 per ton.

For more information on city trash collection, residents can visit the city’s official website: www.cityofithaca.org/trash.

Jan. 1, 2026, mandates electric heating and appliances in most new construction below seven stories and in large commercial buildings. While the law only applies to new developments, state attorneys agreed to suspend its implementation pending a ruling from an appeals court on a lawsuit filed by trade groups and unions.

In a memo to commission members, Evans stated city officials were revising the Ithaca Energy Code Supplement (IECS) for over a year. The initial plan was to use the 2025 ECCCNYS for existing buildings and add two special net-zero rules for new construction. This state code contained

stipulations aligned with the All-Electric Buildings Act passed by the New York State legislature.

To avoid enforcement and legal issues should the state ultimately cancel the all-electric mandates, the city will move forward with its current 2023 Energy Code Supplement until July 1, 2026, while staff prepare a revised local code based on the same principles.

Evans said city staff will continue to closely monitor state legislative actions and develop a contingency code revision should the All-Electric Buildings Act be permanently shelved.

Tompkins County In the new year, the city of Ithaca’s residential trash tag prices are increasing from $5 to $6 per tag and from $30 to $36 per sheet. Also going up are costs for Tompkins County’s annual solid waste fee per residential unit and other county disposal fees.

ITHACA OPPOSES contin u ed from page 3

The City of Ithaca is advocating for a targeted measure to reduce the financial burden on residents utilizing heat pumps for heating, Evans said. Specifically, the city is pushing for a reduced electric rate to apply solely to heat pump users during the official New York State heating season, which runs approximately from October through May, recognizing the high operating costs customers face in winter months.

Evans noted Massachusetts and its major utilities began offering a seasonal

reduced electric rate on Nov. 1 for residential heat pump users, automatically enrolling over 100,000 customers.

Ithaca’s climate goals have also been complicated by recent actions from state leadership concerning energy mandates.

The city will delay implementation of its net-zero building code following Gov. Kathy Hochul’s delay of the All-Electric Buildings Act on Nov. 12. This effectively halts the “no fossil fuel” requirements embedded within the Energy Conservation Construction Code of NYS (ECCCNYS).

The All-Electric Buildings Act, signed in 2023 and originally set to take effect on

6 The Ithaca Times / December 17 – 23, 2025

N e w s l i n e

Mutual Aid Childcare Initiative in West Village Set to Open in Spring

By L or i e n Ty n e

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ommunity members and established organizations have come together to establish the West Village Community Drop-In — a mutual aid neighborhood support space for free childcare in Ithaca’s West Hill neighborhood.

Ana Ortiz and Jessica Custer-Bindel, co-founders of the Ithaca Care Collective, as well as friends, mothers and community members, created the drop-in program from the idea that families shouldn’t have to be alone when it comes to childcare.

Ortiz, a resident of West Village Apartments, and Custer-Bindel spoke to management in October about using the village’s community center and the program came together quickly from there.

Scheduled to open in March, the dropin welcomes children from 18 months to five years old and is specifically for any of the households in West Village that want to participate. The program will run from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Wednesday and Friday and can accommodate up to 16 children, including two spaces reserved for emergency care.

“The benefits of early childhood education go beyond just, ‘Here's where you can go play,’” Custer-Bindel said. “It’s really about socialization, [...] being comfortable with other adults [... and] emotional regulation.”

Custer-Bindel, who has been a teacher for over 18 years, emphasized that it is a play-based program where children can explore, investigate and learn with other kids and families in their neighborhood.

Although the program has limited hours, Custer-Bindel said that at other times the space will be open as an indoor playground.

The two explained that keeping the program within the neighborhood is essential to fostering the tight-knit support system.

They also said that one reason the drop-in is only for village residents is because it eliminates transportation as a barrier.

The program is free to participants, but relies on grants and community funding as well as family involvement for support.

Ortiz said that parent involvement could look like anything from cleaning up the space or leading an interactive project with the children.

“I’m not worried because I know people in Ithaca — they really, really care about the community,” Ortiz said. “The support is there, we just need to motivate people to get out of the house and put in the work.”

The program helps socialize children, but it also provides a space for parents and families to get to know each other and build relationships.

“Once a month you donate three hours of your time, and you’re not just there to be with the kids, which is great, but you’re also there to know all the children in your neighborhood,” Custer-Bindel said. “This is about the power of relationships. You cannot do things alone. You simply can’t.”

The two said that oftentimes people only talk about how wonderful parenthood is, but that it is also stressful and can impact sleep, mental health and finances, among other factors. They said that before children are old enough to attend public school, there is no support system in place for families, particularly those which cannot afford daycare.

The Department of Labor (DOL) reports that New York’s annual cost of childcare for one child is between about $15,000 and $20,000. Preschool center-

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Local organizers are finalizing a mutual aid based childcare drop-in program for West Hill neighborhoods, specifically with West Village families in mind, that relies on the involvement of participating families. (Photo: Tompkins County)

based care is 11.4% of the median family income in Tompkins County. However, about 15% of Tompkins County residents live below the poverty level.

Even if daycare is financially sustainable, there are not enough places to accommodate the number of families who need it. In Tompkins County there are 3.8 children under 6 years old per childcare slot available, according to the DOL. “Until that gap is closed, families — especially those with young children — need ways to support one another through the first five years of parenting, which can be incredibly demanding without a strong support system,” Custer-Bidel said.

“The West Village Community Drop-In isn’t meant to replace existing childcare options. Instead, it offers connection, care, and relief for families who are on waiting lists or priced out of care.”

Ortiz and Custer-Bindel said the

drop-in program, sponsored by grassroots nonprofit No Más Lágrimas, was able to grow because of community organizations that believed in their idea, such as the Park Foundation, the City Federation of Women’s Organizations, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Family Resource Connection Program and the De Colores Foundation.

They said the hope is that this program will inspire other neighborhoods to see that with collective effort, communities can build internal support systems.

“Just imagine what could happen if the community comes together to take care of each other,” Custer-Bindel said, “without all the extra costs that blocks people, without the transportation issues that block people, but really thinking about child care as a form of community care, and that it can be replicated. Right now it’s in West Village but there’s no reason why this couldn’t happen in another neighborhood.”

N o t e

X Ithaca Offers Free Parking Dec. 20 to 28 to Boost Local Holiday Shopping

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By Philip O’Dell

n a bid to bolster local shopping this holiday season, the City of Ithaca has announced that free parking will be available from Dec. 20 through Dec. 28.

Free parking will include all metered street spaces and city garages, including Green and Seneca Streets and Dryden Road, as well as the Cayuga Street Garage.

City Manager Deb Mohlenhoff said this

action is designed to stimulate the local economy and ease access for visitors during the peak holiday shopping period.

“Free parking makes it easier for residents and visitors to support businesses during the busy holiday season, boosting the local economy,” Mohlenhoff said. “Offering free parking is a way to thank the community and make holiday outings more convenient and enjoyable for everyone.”

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WE THE PEOPLE: A CELEBRATION OF PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY

The Quiet Strength of Kindness

By Roy A l l e n, D i r ect or of St r at e gic Pa rt n e r sh i ps — It h ac a Ti m e s , Fi nge r L a k e s C om m u n i t y Newspa pe r s , w w w.i t h ac a .c om

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f you care about justice, equality, and a better world, listen carefully: being nasty is sabotaging everything you say you believe in.

All too often, members of both political parties pride themselves on moral clarity. They see oppression, name it, and feel an urgent duty to fight it. That urgency is good. But too many can slip into a habit of believing that the sharper the insult, the more “principled” they are.

They mock, they dunk, they ratio, they cancel, and they reduce complex human beings to the worst five-second clip of their lives. They tell themselves this is “holding people accountable” or “punching up.” In reality, they are training the rest of the country to tune them out—and worse, to fear and hate them.

Every time a media pundit, celebrity, activist or random citizen chooses cruelty over curiosity, they sacrifice any chance to connect in a way respective of a civil society. The working-class voter who was open to universal healthcare five minutes ago now sees a smug stranger directing contempt at them. That voter doesn’t go read the policy paper you might support. They remember the contempt. They remember feeling small. And they walk straight into the arms of people who at least pretend to respect them.

This is not speculation. Study after study shows that moralizing shaming and social disgust are the fastest ways to entrench the very beliefs you’re trying to change. When people feel attacked, their brains shut down the parts that handle nuance and learning. You are not persuading; you are vaccinating them against persuasion.

Kindness is not capitulation. It is not “being nice” while the world burns. It is the only strategy that has ever actually moved the needle on progressive change in this country.

Think about the great victories we can celebrate together: • The Civil Rights Movement didn’t

win because its leaders out-insulted Bull Connor; it won because images of dignified Black Americans absorbing violence with unbreakable poise shattered white America’s conscience.

• Marriage equality didn’t pass because we successfully shamed every homophobe on Twitter; it passed because millions of gay and lesbian couples lived openly, bravely and kindly in their communities until their neighbors realized they were just… people.

• Labor rights, women’s suffrage, the New Deal—none of these were won by the side that was cruelest online. They were won by organizers who could talk to people who didn’t yet agree with them and still treat those people like human beings capable of growth.

Kindness is strategic. When you assume good faith (or at least the possibility of good faith), you leave the door cracked open for someone to walk through.

When you assume irredeemable evil and broadcast it, you slam that door and bolt it from the inside.

This doesn’t mean you stop calling out racism, sexism, transphobia or any other injustice. It means you do it in a way that keeps the circle of “us” as wide as possible for as long as possible. It means criticizing ideas without sneering at the people holding them. It means remembering that the Trump voter in rural Ohio and the undecided suburban mom in Pennsylvania are not the enemy; the enemy is the system that keeps them scared, broke and suspicious of new ideas—including ours.

So the next time you’re tempted to reach for the devastating rebuttal, ask yourself one question: Is my goal to feel righteous for five seconds, or is my goal to live in a better country ten years from now?

If it’s the second, put the knife down.

Listen. Ask a question. Share a story. Find the one thing you actually agree on and start there. Treat the person across the table, or the screen, like someone who could one day march beside you—because they just might.

America will never win by making others feel small. We will win by making more people feel seen. Choose kindness.

Not because it’s sweet, but because it works. And right now, We the People can’t afford to lose.

8 The Ithaca Times / December 17 – 23, 2025

GUEST OPINION

Downtown Ithaca’s Future Depends on Protecting Our Investments — and Community Support for the Ithaca Downtown Conference Center

S u z a n n e S m i t h Ja bl on sk i, E x ecu t i v e D i r ect or , D ow n t ow n It h ac a L o c a l D ev e l opm e n t C or p or at ion

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s Executive Director of the Downtown Ithaca Local Development Corporation (established for the purpose of overseeing the construction and operations of the Ithaca Downtown Conference Center), my responsibility is to safeguard the public’s investment in our community’s economic future. That responsibility is what has led us to the unfortunate decision to file the recent lawsuit, along with the Ithaca Asteri Condominium Association, against the Vecino Group—the developer and property manager of the Asteri Ithaca residential complex which adjoins the Ithaca Downtown Conference Center.

Filing a lawsuit is never something one undertakes lightly. Yet this legal action has become necessary to ensure that Vecino exercises the robust oversight and day-to-day management of Asteri Ithaca that was not only envisioned, but contractually required.

The issues identified in the complaint are real. They have been thoroughly documented. And, as news reports have indicated, they risk compromising the ability of the Conference Center team to effectively market and operate this state-of-the-art facility at the level our community deserves, and clients expect.

Perception drives reality. When problems go unaddressed, they cast a shadow far larger than the problems themselves.

What must not be overshadowed is the scale and purpose of what has been built for the benefit of Tompkins County, the City of Ithaca, and downtown especially.

Asteri Ithaca and the Conference Center together represent an investment of over $100 million, made possible through city, county, state, and federal support. The goal was to create a catalytic economic engine: a fully electric, modern meeting and event space capable of drawing conferences,

conventions, community and social events and celebrations of all sizes into the heart of downtown Ithaca. These events and gatherings, in turn, generate hotel, room tax, retail and tourism revenue that helps to fuel our local economy. This primary goal remains unchanged, and is the underlying motive for the actions we have taken. Put simply: we cannot allow this significant public investment to be squandered.

The success of the Conference Center is tied directly to the stability and reputation of the entire complex. If concerns go uncorrected at Asteri Ithaca, they threaten our ability to secure the level of business that will sustain this community asset longerterm and ultimately undermine the economic vitality it was established to deliver.

Yet even as we work to resolve these issues, it is essential that our community— and our business partners—understand this: the Ithaca Downtown Conference Center is open for business, and guests have all loved their experiences here. Everyone who attends an event at the Conference Center reports overwhelmingly positive experiences. Our partners at Legends (formerly ASM Global), who manage the facility’s daily operations, are among the most dedicated and professional teams in the business.

Their commitment to delivering outstanding service ensures that every event, from the smallest meeting to the largest conference, receives exceptional attention and care.

Our hope is that this legal action leads to the increased attention, responsiveness, and consistent oversight required from the Vecino Group moving forward. The community deserves nothing less, and the long-term success of the Conference Center and Asteri Ithaca depends on it.

In the meantime, we have a Conference Center that stands ready to fulfill its Contin u ed on Page 21

GUEST OPINION

The Snow is Sticking Again.

Good Luck

By Chloe Asack, Opi n ion I n ter n

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t is not a novel idea to complain that Ithaca roads are bad. In fact, it’s not a novel idea for the population of any snowy town to bemoan that their roads and their drivers and their weather are uniquely bad. But after residing here for almost four years, I believe that Ithacans actually possess a credible claim to these assertions.

People have many theories as to why this is the case, as one can see from the countless complaints on the internet about the issue. The primary detriment to the road quality is potholes, which are largely caused by the freeze and thaw cycle. In short, because temperatures swing so wildly in Ithaca, water can seep into cracks in the road. Once in these cracks, the water will freeze and expand. Then, once the ice thaws, a pothole is formed.

Yet, a drive in Ithaca will tell you that potholes are not the end-all be-all of what makes it so difficult to drive here. While there are diverse road quality issues, there are also some challenges to smooth driving that seem unavoidable.

One road that has seemingly insurmountable challenges to safety is East Buffalo Street. I am not sure that any amount of resources could entirely eliminate the absurdity of driving on such a road. The angle of it is so sharp as you ascend that you can imagine your car flipping over from its back wheels.

Should you make it to the top, a first time East Buffalo traverser will be surprised to find a yield sign rather than a stop sign, as is found at most similarly constructed intersections. It’s as if the traffic engineers are saying, “Just step on it before your car starts to roll backwards.”

The trepidation you may have felt on this road is supported by accident data in Ithaca. That intersection, along with about seven other Collegetown intersections, were marked as “high crash rate intersections” in 2023 by the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council. According to the council, the crash rate is measured by comparing “the total number of crashes to the daily traffic volume.” It will come as no surprise that these intersections cluster in Collegetown and the Commons, surely due to popula-

tion density, but also perhaps because of the dangerous maneuvers inexperienced drivers perform in order to deal with hills, like blowing through stop signs and playing chicken with pedestrians.

Along with structural challenges, Ithaca deals with a unique driving culture due to its large college population. Nearly 30,000 students travel to Cornell University each year, with Ithaca College adding 5,000 more. Both universities report that over half of their student bodies are not from New York, likely hailing from less snowy and hilly states.

The average driving college student (age 18-22) is a relatively new driver, seeing as most states permit driver’s licenses around ages 16-17. Driving in the snow is a skill and a trial that many parents try to shield their young new drivers from. Yet when they come to Ithaca for college, they are free to make their own mistakes on the road.

If you’re not used to driving in the snow, you might not know how remarkably easy it is for your car to skid on fresh snow, even at a relatively slow speed. This is a lesson I had to learn as I inadvertently blew a stop sign due to a skid and one my friend learned as he skidded through a T-intersection and into someone’s garage door.

If you have no choice but to travel a steep road like East Buffalo in the snow, you should try to drive your car diagonally rather than going straight up. If you have four wheel drive or all wheel drive, you should use it, but if you don’t, snow tires could help you maintain control. For students coming from southern states, their likelihood of having a car with 4WD or AWD is much lower.

Recently, snow stuck on the ground in Ithaca for the first time this year. We will all deal with the typical weather related challenges for the rest of the winter, like trying to layer enough to avoid frostbite, making sure our windows are sealed, and all of the dangers of the roads — some of which are structural and some that will make you bang your steering wheel and yell, “Some people just don’t know how to drive!” Whether you’ve lived in Ithaca your whole life or you’re just here for a few years, let’s all do our parts to avoid the latter.

VOICES OF FREEDOM: 1776–2026

A Celebration of Great Americans

C u r at e d by Roy A l l e n “A Nation Speaks” This week we continue our journey through 250 years of American thought and oratory — one speech, one voice, one Wednesday at a time — culminating on the last Wednesday before America’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. These speeches were not delivered in silence — they were shouted across divides, whispered in courage, and sung in hope.

They remind us that freedom is not a solo act — it is a chorus. Today, we pay tribute to Ida B. Wells, an African American newspaper owner, Anti-Lynching activist, and co-founder of the NAACP who moved north after whites burned her Memphis office.

Ida B. Wells: 1862-1931 — In 1892, Ida B. Wells published Exiled which later became Southern Horrors — Lynch Law in All its Phases, to raise awareness of, in her words, “The awful death-roll that Judge Lynch is calling every week is appalling, not only because of the lives it takes, the rank cruelty and outrage to the victims, but because of the prejudice it fosters and the stain it places against the good name of a weak race.”

The following is adapted from her 1892 speech delivered at Lyric Hall in New York City following the Memphis lynchings. While condensed for clarity and length as the full speech is over 9000 words, the language draws directly from Wells’s own words in Southern Horrors and reflects the arguments she presented to Northern audiences at the time. The full transcript can be found — https:// awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu/.

Ida B. Wells — October 5, 1892: Ladies and gentlemen, I come before you not as a theorist, but as a witness. The facts I bring are not rumors nor the inventions of an inflamed imagination. They are taken from the daily press of this country—written by white men, printed by white newspapers, and read without protest by the public at large.

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for crime. It was a deliberate act meant to destroy men who were acquiring wealth and property. As I have written, “The mob spirit has grown with fearful rapidity… an excuse to get rid of Negroes who were acquiring wealth and property and thus keep the race terrorized.”

The Rape Myth: The excuse that lynching exists to protect the virtue of white women is a lie so old and threadbare that it deceives no one. As I have stated, “Nobody in this section of the country believes the old threadbare lie that Negro men rape white women.”

The truth—which the South dares not speak—is that white men freely exploit Black women without consequence.

Miscegenation laws punish only one side: “They leave the white man free to seduce all the colored girls he can, but it is death to the colored man who yields to a similar attraction in white women.”

Let us be honest: “White men lynch the offending Afro-American, not because he is a despoiler of virtue, but because he succumbs to the smiles of white women.”

Wider Context: Lynching is a tool used to maintain white supremacy and enforce economic and racial control. In the preface to my work, I stated my purpose plainly: “Somebody must show that the Afro-American race is more sinned against than sinning, and it seems to have fallen upon me to do so.”

Self-Defense and Collective Action: In response to this lawlessness, I have advocated active resistance, including armed self-defense, boycotts, and emigration. As I wrote, “A Winchester rifle should have a place of honor in every Black home, and it should be used for that protection which the law refuses to give.” As the saying goes, “The gods help those who help themselves.”

Truth, the Press, and Public Complicity: I challenge the press, public complicity, and the insufferable silence of society.

“The same men who commit the murders write the reports.” Yet, “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” Those who remain silent in the face of such barbarism become partakers in the guilt.

Next Week: 1895 Booker T. Washington — The Atlanta Compromise Speech.

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The Talk at

boundaries for the Planning Board. Rushing it risks decades-long consequences.

The chair also downplayed concerns by noting that decisions ‘can always be appealed,’ ignoring that appeals are costly, slow, and limited to the record created now, during this hearing — held, problematically, during the holiday season and requiring hand-delivered comments.

This process shapes Lansing’s future. If you care about transparency, fair process, and genuine public input, attend the hearing, contact ZBA members, and submit written comments. Once the interpretation is issued, meaningful public influence largely ends.” — Aimee Caffrey, Lansing NY

Hochul’s Energy Decisions Put Fossil Fuel Interests Ahead of Affordability

RE: Is New York Abandoning Its Climate Commitments?

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As your recent article, ‘Is New York Climate change movement has gaslit Abandoning its Climate CommitAmerica. Look at Cornell which is ments?’ correctly observes, Governor supposedly “carbon neutral”. But that Hochul is backtracking on state climate doesn’t count flying students and parents goals. This is perplexing because she all over the globe multiple times per year consistently touts the urgent need for or sending basketball team to Florida. Not affordability, even as she prioritizes picking on Cornell. It’s typical of climate Lansing Residents Urged to Speak Up as projects that make energy costs go up change catastrophism/hypocrisy. Steve ZBA Discusses TeraWulf’s Data Center Plan for all of us.

Koonin eviscerated his opponent at a cliCase in point is her most recent mate change debate at Cornell a few years TeraWulf ’s Data Center is trying to approval of the NESE pipeline, which ago. The event was attended by seemingly rebrand itself as a ‘warehouse’ or ‘scibenefits the bottom line of an out-of-state zero of Cornell’s many climate change caentific research laboratory.’ Lansing’s gas company, but leaves the rest of us payreerists.” — Steven Baginski, ithaca.com Zoning Board of Appeals must uphold ing for it. Our utility bills will be inflated our Zoning Officer’s interpretation: a data for generations to come, between building center is not a permitted use in Lansing.

Disappointed In Lansing’s Decision To It is ridiculous to believe that anything this unnecessary gas infrastructure and Residents should speak up at the Lanpoliticians do in Albany will have any Abandon Data Center Moratorium then maintaining it, even when it becomes impact on the global climate. I say that sing ZBA hearing on 12/16 at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall. The board will decide whether as a graduate of Cornell’s Atmospheric Sad to hear about the new development obsolete.

Governor Hochul has also been slow to Sciences program. The difference between TeraWulf’s proposed use fits the 2003 moratorium being dropped in Lansing. sign the repeal of the ‘100-foot rule.’ This code definitions of ‘scientific research Cornell then now is back then climate A new moratorium on PILOTs, grants, and laboratory,’ ‘general processing,’ or ‘warescience was science now it’s politics. The other sweetheart deals for developers could outdated rule requires all gas customers in New York to absorb the costs of new house,’ all of which are permitted in the new focus is on getting grants to continue have the same effect, however. gas hookups, to the tune of about $200 IR district — unlike a data center. to study the non-existent problem of anFor example, the “data center” proposed million a year. If Hochul really cared An email from the ZBA chair to prothropogenic caused CLIMATE CHANGE.” for the old power plant site on the east about affordability, she’d sign this bill spective members stated that the interpre- shore of Cayuga Lake might go under more — Robert Young, ithaca.com before the legislative deadline of Dec. 31. tation ‘will be over’ before new members scrutiny by Tera Wulf if its value — in the take office and that the ZBA’s role is ‘very hundreds of millions I’m sure — were taxed at Unsurprisingly, fossil fuel lobbyists are RE: Ithaca City Manager Deb Mohlenhoff limited.’ This is alarming. There is no legal the maximum that the rest of us are paying. working hard to spread disinformation Resigns at Council's Request about this consumer-friendly bill. deadline for an interpretation; the timeline The real insult is that it will, without Energy affordability is a winning should depend on evidence, public input, question, NOT be a good thing for most Mohlenhoff deserved better. The City and careful reasoning. The ZBA’s interpreof us but we’ll be subsidizing its existence.” issue, and yet Governor Hochul is hopneeds to take a look at its HR skills. ing the rest of us won’t notice the way tation is foundational — it sets the legal — Joe Lonsky, Ithaca NY You don’t terminate a manager at that level she’s been captured by big oil and gas without leaving a blot on their job prosmoney, whether directly or via pressure pects. It doesn’t matter is you say they did from President Trump. This results in nothing wrong. They should have thanked decisions that betray all of us. Kathy her for her service and said she was moving Hochul should remember who voted her on to explore other opportunities. That’s into office, and also who can remove the way state of the art HR organizations her from office.” — Nancy Ramage, Ithaca NY Contin u ed on Page 21

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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Vo i c e s T h r o u g h t h e G o r g e s

“Christmas is more than barging up and down department store aisles...

It’s another thing finer than that. Richer, finer, truer, and it should come with patience and love, charity, compassion.”

— Rod Serling, Author of The Twilight Zone

NOTE: R od S erling was born in Syracuse ny on Christmas Day in 1924. H e spent much of his youth in I thaca , and was a guest professor at I thaca College from 1967 to 1975.

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Sports

Family, Hockey, and the Years in Between

By Ste ve L aw re nc e

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y conversation with my friend Sara Barker — who I have known since well before she became a mom — made me think of a saying I have found to be so true: “The days are long, but the years are short.”

We were talking about what a joy it is for Sara and her husband, Elliott, to see their two sons on the ice together, skating for the Ithaca High Little Red. Aiden Swarthout is a senior captain, and his brother Morgan, a sophomore, is in second year on the varsity squad.

This year’s team is very senior-laden, with fifteen players lacing up the skates for their last season in a Little Red uniform.

Many of these players have been on the ice together since they were elementary

school students coming up through the ranks of the Ithaca Youth Hockey Association. Aiden told me, “Many of us have played together since the Initiation, or Learn To Skate programs in youth hockey.

We were about 5 years old then.”

While the Swarthout brothers are making it possible for both parents to sit together and watch the same game, that is not always the case away from the varsity team. According to Sara, “Both of them play club hockey — Aiden for the Syracuse Nationals and Morgan for the (Syracusebased) Salt City Kings. Both clubs play all over New England, we went to Florida, and Elliott and I often say that we are ‘crossing in the night.’ ” She said she could relate to the words of wisdom put forth by another two-athlete hockey parent, Doug Levine, who said “We divide and conquer.”

Morgan (left) and Aiden Swarthout both play for Ithaca High, giving their parents a slight travel respite. (Photo: Provided/Sara Barker)

One might assume that the family could take a break when hockey season was over, but the club team schedules run well before and after the high school season, plus, Aiden also plays varsity soccer and Morgan plays varsity golf. And, as

a result of some ambitious fund raising efforts put forth by the players and the Booster Club (thanks to a great partnership with a local wreath maker, the team Contin u ed on Page 21

High Income Opportunity – Media Sales Consultants Wanted!

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Cornell Alumni Protest University Deal With Federal Government B y L o r i e n Ty n e

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F r o m l e f t, R o b e r t G o t t l i e b ’ 7 2 a n d B e t s y A l l e y ’ 9 1 v i s i t e d C o r n e l l U n i v e r s i t y ’s c a m p u s o n D e c . 5 t o d e l i v e r a n o p e n letter of dem a n ds on beh a lf of a n a lum n i grou p protesting C o r n e l l’s ag r e e m e n t w i t h t h e f e d e r a l g ov e r n m e n t.

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ollowing Cornell University’s $30 million agreement with the federal government in November to end compliance investigations and restore $250 million in federal research funding, a group of Cornell alumni have organized an effort to protest the deal.

Several Cornell alumni formed Cornell Courage in response to ongoing financial and political pressure toward the university from the federal government. The groups steering committee includes Betsy Alley ’91, Robert Gottlieb ’72, Caitlin Johnson ’03 and Joe Oppenheimer ’63.

Gottlieb and Alley visited Cornell’s campus on Dec. 5 to hand-deliver an open letter petition and a list of demands to Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff and members of the Board of Trustees. Gottlieb told the Ithaca Times that about 300 alumni have signed the open letter and more signatures come in every day.

“We regard the Agreement as a betrayal of Cornell’s legacy and values, and plan to advocate continuously for Cornell’s leaders to prevent and reverse any resulting damage,” the letter states.

Cornell leadership has stated that the agreement’s terms, including providing certain student data, do not require the university to adhere to any directives that go beyond existing law.

“We are thankful for the engagement of our dedicated alumni seeking to preserve the values, principles, and independence of Cornell,” a Cornell spokesperson said in a statement to the Ithaca Times. “Many of the questions raised in this letter, however, reflect a misunderstanding of the agreement with the federal government that can be corrected through conversation, which we look forward to having.”

The letter disavows Cornell’s agreement with the Trump administration, stating that the deal will hurt the institution, students and staff by requiring Cornell to adhere to the desires of the federal government.

The letter states that while the group understands the deal’s financial incentive, Cornell’s leadership could have pursued

other routes of action, such as joining other institutions that are fighting federal pressures in court and seeking alumni support to relieve the need for federal funding.

“The settlement terms reflect nothing less than outright extortion by the Trump administration,” Gottlieb said. “While the university certainly was under intense pressure by the federal government because they were withholding money, Cornell had the choice to say, ‘No’ and to stand up for the values and the principles of one of the most highly respected universities in the country, and Cornell turned its back on those principles by paying the ransom.”

The open letter urges Cornell’s leadership to seek “elimination or modification of some of the most egregious terms of the Agreement.” Gottlieb said the alumni group wants the letter to spur productive dialogue about what can be done to preserve Cornell’s independence from federal interference.

The letter implores Cornell to implement the agreement with transparency and community input, identify how the agreement risks the recruitment and protection of students targeted by Trump’s administration, and devote resources to ongoing conversations with alumni about the future of Cornell.

Gottlieb said Cornell Courage is collaborating with affiliate groups, such as Stand Strong Brown, Columbia Alumni for Academic Freedom and Crimson Courage, among others, that have been formed by alumni and students from institutions facing similar federal pressures.

WHY DID THIS AGREEMENT HAPPEN?

Cornell’s trouble with the federal government began in March 2025 when the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights undertook a wave of investigations into universities and colleges for alleged Title VI violations. Among dozens of other schools, Cornell was investigated for allegedly failing to protect Jewish students on campus and for allegedly engaging in

In A pr il 2024, a grou p of Cor nell stu dents set u p a “ L i b e r at i o n Z o n e” e n c a m p m e n t o n t h e U n i v e r s i t y A r t ’s Q ua d t o p r o t e s t v i o l e n c e i n G a z a . S i m i l a r e n c a m p m e n t p r o t e s t s ac r o s s t h e c o u n t ry l e d t o d o z e n s o f u n i v e r s i t i e s fa l l i n g u n d e r f e d e r a l i n v e s t i g at i o n for the alleged r ise of a ntisemitism on ca mpus. ( P h o t o : M at t D o u g h e r t y/ It h ac a Ti m e s F i l e) race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs.

The DOE’s higher education crackdown under the anti-discrimination policies of Title VI has been attributed to the Trump administration’s efforts to stop institutional DEI practices, carry out heightened immigration enforcement, and stifle political sentiment disfavoring Israel.

In Cornell’s Nov. 7 statement announcing its agreement with the federal government, Kotlikoff said the university has not been found in violation of Title VI in any investigations or compliance reviews pending at the Department of Justice, Department of Education, or Department of Health and Human Services.

As part of the agreement’s terms, Kotlikoff said the government will close all of the investigations and reviews into Cornell programs whether or not they have been completed. As a condition for ending pending claims against the university, Cornell will pay $30 million over three years directly to the U.S. government. Kotlikoff stated that “the resolution is explicit that Cornell’s agreement to these terms is not an admission of wrongdoing.”

The agreement states that the investigations will close due to “the efforts Cornell has made prior to the date of this Agreement to provide information to the Assistant Attorney General and to comply with the Civil Rights Laws.”

As a result of the investigations and compliance reviews, Cornell experienced federal grant terminations, funding freezes and stop-work orders, which Kotlikoff stat-

allocation, program participation or other opportunities. Among other stipulations, the guidance also states it is unlawful to allow men to compete in women’s athletic competitions or compel opposite sexes to share intimate spaces, which calls into question if the guidance is speaking about transgender individuals.

Cornell Courage’s letter says that compliance with the Trump administration’s interpretation of Title VI and DEI, such as those outlined in the DOJ’s guidance, are antithetical to Cornell’s mission to support diversity in the student body, protect free expression, and stand by its educational programming and academic freedom.

Cornell agreed to provide to the government, on a quarterly basis, anonymized undergraduate admissions data broken down

by Cornell’s schools, race, grade point average and performance on standardized tests.

The agreement does not explain why the government wants the data or the purpose of using the data for statistical analysis.

Cornell Courage’s demands include that the university publicly address how they will ensure the anonymity of student information disclosed to the government. The group also insists that the university give students notice before data is shared and that students are informed they have a right to take legal action to block personal data disclosure.

Cornell Courage also demands that Cornell publicly provide details of litigation and investigations the government has promised to withdraw as well as any federal lawsuits that were threatened if Cornell refused to settle. The group insists that Cornell explain the basis for paying $30 million to the government and what the government intends to use that payment for.

“As we are concerned, based on everything we know, the federal government’s lawsuits and investigations are baseless and have simply been a way to attack the historic, sacred place that independent institutions of higher education have always held in this country,” Gottlieb said.

ed have “stalled cutting-edge research, upended lives and careers, and threatened the future of academic programs at Cornell.”

Kotlikoff ’s statement said the impact amounted to more than $250 million in interrupted federal funding, although the New York Times reported in April that the funding freeze for Cornell was at least $1 billion.

The agreement restores terminated grants and releases withheld funds for active grants. It also states that Cornell will be fully eligible for new grants and funding awards, “without disadvantage or preference.”

The terms set also require Cornell to invest $30 million over three years in research to strengthen U.S. agriculture.

IMPACT OF AGREEMENT TERMS

With federal funding restored, the strain to research programs will be lifted. However, even as Cornell leadership approached the resolution with the federal government, the university reaffirmed its intention to reduce its workforce.

The agreement permanently closes all pending investigations and reviews but other terms are only valid until the agreement’s end date of Dec. 31, 2028.

Cornell agreed to include the DOJ’s “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Regarding Unlawful Discrimination” as a training resource to faculty and staff. The guidance warns against using race, sex or other protected characteristics as a basis for resource

A pa r t i a l t i m e l i n e o f e v e n t s r e g a r d i n g t h e Tru m p a d m i n i s t r at i o n ’s wav e o f u n i v e r s i t y c o m p l i a n c e r e v i e w s a n d r e s e a r c h f u n d i n g f r e e z e s t h at u lt i m at e ly e n d e d i n a c o n t r ov e r s i a l s e t t l e m e n t b e t w e e n C o r n e l l a n d t h e f e d e r a l g ov e r n m e n t. ( P h o t o : M a d dy Vo g e l / It h ac a Ti m e s) De c e mb e r

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a Performan e r A ce H g n i s n all La

~ Happiness Through Music Literature and the Performing Arts ~

1004 Auburn Road, North Lansing, NY

Events Calendar December

Sunday 7th - 3:00pm - The Verb Takes a Walk Poetry Meets Music - readings of diverse original poetry, often in collaboration with live musical accompaniment or interpretation.

Free Admission

Wednesday 10th 7:00pm- Sing the American Songbook The public is invited to step to the mic and sing your favorite song from the "Great American Songbook." Free Admission

Saturday 13th 7:00pm - A Celtic Christmas The 2nd Jim Murphy Celtic Christmas Coat Drive and Benefit Concert for Loaves and Fishes.

Sunday 21st - 3:00pm - "With a Song by the Fire"

No Appointment Necessary! Walk-ins Welcome!

Flexible Payment Options - Cash, Check or Credit!

A Savage Club Holiday A Tradition -Join the Brothers of The Savage Club and guests as we welcome in the holidays with song and good cheer. Free Admission

''

The Savage Club of Ithaca is a nonprofit charitable 501(c)(3) organization. Our mission is to cultivate a lifelong pursuit and enjoyment of the arts through our support of community groups and events. For inquires about using the Performance Hall or support our missoin please email us at IthacaSavageClub@gmail.com

Guthrie Orthopedics

Trust That Spans a Century

For 100 years, Guthrie Orthopedics has been a trusted partner in helping our community move better and live fuller lives.

Built on a foundation of excellence and driven by modern advancements, we’ve grown into an award-winning program with 19 clinics and a wide range of services—from joint replacements and sports medicine to rehabilitation and more.

Experience personalized care shaped by a century of expertise, innovation and dedication to earning your trust every step of the way.

Learn more today at www.Guthrie.org/Ortho100 866-GUTHRIE (866-488-4743)

16 T h e I t h a c a T i m e s / D e c e m b e r 1 7 – 2 3 , 2 0 2 5

I

By H en ry Sta r k

n Thailand, it’s customary for Buddhist monks to give a newborn baby a nickname based on the day, date and time of his/her birth.

In the early morning hours of a notso-long-ago Friday, Dec. 25, Wanna Sutchai was born in Bangkok and given the nickname “Mix.” She started working in restaurants when she was 13 years old and her apprenticeship included training as cook, chef, server and dishwasher. She never owned her own restaurant until she opened Mix, on Elmira Road in Ithaca on Aug. 5, 2016, at the site where Lucatelli’s had operated for many years.

Dinner starts with a delicious complimentary house made popover with a tomato and oil dipping sauce.

The menu at Mix has evolved quite a bit, since I last reviewed it in 2021. The major change is that the entrée selections have been reduced to four choices. My favorite Mix is a popular brunch and dinner spot on Ithaca’s Elmira Road, offering internationally-inspired dishes. (Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times)

TID BIT: An extensive breakfast and weekend brunch menu is available.

Parking availability on site.

is Coq au Vin, ($27), a dish that originated in rural farming areas of France. Translated directly into French, it means Rooster in the

Mix is open for brunch (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and dinner (4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.), Wednesday through Sunday.

(Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times)

Wine and is much like a stew that is usually sauteed and braised with onions, lardons and mushrooms although at Mix, they don’t use onions.

About the “Coq”: Personally, I’m not familiar with any regional restaurant chefs who concern themselves with finding roosters these days so what I find in local restaurants is simply chicken thighs and drumsticks.

When I cook this dish at home, I use bonein, skin-on chicken parts and that’s the way I like it in restaurants because I prefer hearty, flavorful, robust food. Consequently, I’m happy at Mix where one leg, and one thigh, both with skin-on and bone-in, are served.

And now, about the “vin”: Traditionally, Coq au Vin is made with a red Burgundy wine, like a Pinot Noir. I’ve had it served with lighter reds like Tempranillo and Gamay Noir; however, I prefer a richer, more robust red such as a Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.

One of the reasons I like a Coq au Vin with a richer, more robust wine is because it makes a rich gravy. The menu at Mix reads, “Burgundy wine” which can mean a white wine or a light or heavier red wine. I have concluded, from having ordered this dish there, that they use a full bodied red Burgundy which makes for a dark and substantial, brown gravy.

Arts&Entertainment

Mix Brings Together French Comfort and Thai Roots

Contin u ed on Page 21

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Film

Rising Young Filmmakers

By Rose ann Smith

T

his past weekend, student filmmakers at Ithaca College’s Roy H. Park School of Communications showcased impressive short films with equally remarkable content at the “Ithaca Is Film” screening. Spanning across three time blocks and spotlighting 34 films in total, the screening was held at Cinemapolis on 120 E. Green Street on Sunday, Dec. 14.

The senior thesis films shown at the screening were well executed, exceeding any amateur expectations. They offered

fresh perspectives on the world we live in.

For example, psychological horror, drama/ thriller, and unsuspecting documentaries that draw you in, proved to be on the cutting edge of where cinema is headed today.

The psychological horror film “Church Mouse” examines how past family fractures carry a heavy burden into adulthood.

The result feels like being sucker punched as you see your own childhood through the camera’s lens.

“Eavesdrop” and “The Promise” are two films that unapologetically target domestic violence and racial discriminaRising filmmakers at Ithaca College attend the screening of their short films at Cinemapolis. (Photo: Provided/Roseann Smith)

Professor Sen-I Yu poses with two senior filmmakers set to graduate this spring. (Photo: Provided/Roseann Smith)

18 T h e I t h a c a T i m e s / D e c e m b e r 1 7 – 2 3 , 2 0 2 5

tion, respectively. Both make poignant statements about how domestic violence destroys family relationships and how, in a rigged social system, a fair shake seems impossible.

If you’re anti-immigration, the documentary “American Dream” and the drama film “Not My Story” will change your mind as well as your political stance.

Its unflinching presentation demonstrates just how the callousness some Americans have developed. Both films lay down the hard truths we ignore—that America is a melting pot.

“Full Count” is a documentary that examines the behind-the-scenes, grueling commitment it takes for young base-

ball players to reach the major leagues.

Plagued by feelings of self-doubt and constant self-evaluation, these baseball hopefuls play with heart. The camera captures their raw vulnerability.

The rogue experimental film genre was represented at the screening. Films like “Glad Girls,” “Bloom,” and “Examination of Conscience” explore abstract visuals and unique sound. Experimental films break away from mainstream narratives.

They relish in dreamscapes and surrealism.

The effects are stunning, blurring traditional cinema boundaries.

Each film was met with genuine enthusiasm by faculty, parents, and friends.

Each was a masterpiece in its own right.

However, one powerful, standout film was “The Dead Man’s Closet.”

This film mimics Ithaca’s most notorious pretend scholar and serial killer, Edward H. Rulloff. Accused of killing multiple people, Rulloff was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging in 1871.

“The Dead Man’s Closet” sets Rulloff ’s spirit free when five students are murdered because they mock his past existence.

The special effects create an eerie mood, enhancing the clarity of the storyline. But what makes this horror film memorable is its unexpected humor. The audience “gets it,” laughing at the appropriate points—a challenge for even seasoned filmmakers.

After viewing the thoughtful films of these talented students, Hollywood should be put on notice. This invigorating, blooming crop of filmmakers is a product of the Park School. One is left convinced that, yes, Ithaca Is Film.

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Through the Times

The “Boycott Pyramid Movement” Comes to a Head

By Jak e S e x ton

W

hen I first began this column shortly after arriving at the Ithaca Times this last September, one of the first stories I covered was regarding the completion of the Pyramid Mall (now the Shoppes at Ithaca), and the overwhelming negative community response the mall initially received. Come Dec. 14, 1975, Ithacans continued staring down the corporation’s newest development, with the Ithaca Times dedicating its weekly issue to the “Boycott Pyramid Movement.” In this week’s issue of “Through the Times,” we’re going to be looking back at the Times’ coverage of the “Boycott Pyramid Movement,” spotlighting three different articles from issue no. 138 in unison.

There are three stories to dive into this week: “Stalling the Mall” and “Pyramid vs.

Downtown” by Deborah Schoch, as well as “Pyramid’s Success Story” by Bob Woletz.

All three articles center around the core grievances the community had with the mall and the Pyramid Companies’ corporate structure, highlighting the threats the mall brought to the local economy.

The debate around the mall wasn’t simply about retail storefronts or its size — although many Lansing locals had issues with the construction alongside Triphammer Road. The primary concern of Ithacans regarded controlled growth, where money was being invested and spent within the community and, most importantly, whether the mall’s existence would render the newly-designed Commons obsolete.

In Schoch’s “Stalling the Mall,” one side of the boycott is introduced in interviews with organizers such as Peter Costanza, then a Cornell law student and former newsperson for WHCU. When speaking with the Times, Costanza warned that the 80-store suburban mall would effectively siphon life and resources from the downtown Commons district while eroding the local tax base. On the other side stood the Pyramid Companies, armed with their own spreadsheets and statistics, success stories, and examples of the many ways they’ve improved and refined their systems from mall to mall across the state.

The combined reporting of both Schoch and Woletz provide a modern history of the Pyramid Companies and make it abundantly clear that this wasn’t just a fringe fight for a small population of protestors. Ithacans utilized every method in the book, employing the legislature through countless zoning appeals, filing lawsuits, organizing grassroot boycotts and even anonymous groups engaging in both physical and symbolic sabotage. One such group of anonymous saboteurs called themselves the Guerilla Theater, who glued bags of cement into Pyramid ditches in an attempt to flood the bulldozed site.

What’s evident is the general uneasiness felt by Ithacans surrounding not just the mall, but something much larger and conceptual. Ithacans worried that decisions about the community’s future were being made elsewhere, puppeteered by a financially opaque corporate entity deliberately attempting to come across as unified and desired.

Fifty years later, plenty of general complaints which surrounded the Pyramid Companies and Pyramid Mall proliferate. Concerns regarding traffic congestion, effective drainage and sewage system management, energy use and anxiety for rising utility prices, and non-local actors making decisions on behalf of Ithacans persist. Fears that the mall would lead to the erosion of downtown commerce continue echoing loudly in today’s debates over topics like corporate development incentives and short-term rentals dominating the housing market. Despite the language and scope of topics changing, the same feelings of anxiety surrounding development prevail.

Even those defending or supporting the mall unintentionally revealed the stakes and consequences of Pyramid’s massive retail centers to the Times. When highlighting their Glens Falls and Plattsburgh locations in Schoch’s “Pyramid vs. Downtown,” Pyramid revealed that, despite success for the malls on paper, the locations ultimately thinned and even hollowed out the downtown sectors of these two towns. As a result, these local sectors were forced in compromising positions, leaving downtown retailers struggling to rede-

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fine themselves. Pyramid officials spoke optimistically to Schoch, but merchants and planners were blunt in their acknowledgement of parking lots replacing local buildings, retail forced to shift outwards and the impacts on the respective downtown sectors.

Ultimately, the question facing Ithacans in the final days of 1975 was not regarding Pyramid’s ability to succeed — it already had. In reality, residents were forced to wonder if their community would be able to absorb that success without losing itself.

One of the most fascinating aspects of history, to me, is that it sometimes feels as if you are starting on the final chapter of a story. Despite knowing the end result, we are left pondering about the roads less traveled that led to the reality we know today, and those roads can only be understood and revealed through the annals of history.

Many of us already know the final chapter of this story. The mall was built, and downtown survived. But it takes a willingness to study its history to uncover

that it was only through reinvention, sustained civic investment and a mutual resistance from residents to the easy answers provided by corporations like the Pyramid Companies. The Commons didn’t become a collapsed symbol of an inevitable sweeping move into corporatization; it became a symbol of our community’s perseverance.

As we flipped through the weathered pages of the Ithaca Times issue no. 138, the debate surrounding the Pyramid Companies and Pyramid Mall can be interpreted in many ways. We now know the Commons remained and prevailed, while the Pyramid Companies eventually sold the mall to Namdar Real Estate, who rebranded to the Shoppes at Ithaca Mall in 2007.

However, the “Boycott Pyramid” movement simultaneously serves as a warning label for generations to come. Growth and evolution are not always neutral; often, it requires picking a side and path. And in 1975, Ithaca was being asked to decide which future it wished to buy.

DOWNTOWN ITHACA’S FUTURE DEPENDS contin u ed from page 8

promise. Our sales and events teams are eager to collaborate with businesses, organizations, and regional partners to bring conferences and gatherings to downtown Ithaca.

The facility is well-equipped, the staff is prepared, and the vision is as strong as ever.

Now we need the support of the community—including the organizations that stand to benefit from a dynamic, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR contin u ed from page 10

would handle it. Finally, does the City really need both a City Manager and a Deputy? The Mayor’s position a few years ago handled all the function of the mayor’s job and the City Manager’s functions, not three people. No wonder Ithaca has an affordability problem.” — Henry Kramer, ithaca.com

“

This is absolutely ridiculous. Deb is the closest thing the city of Ithaca will ever see to having Leslie Knope as its leader. Deb is dedicated and caring and makes all the right decisions when it comes to the city. Ask anyone who works for the city of Ithaca and you’ll find that she has nothing but rave reviews. Get FAMILY, HOCKEY, AND THE YEARS IN BETWEEN contin u ed from page 12

sold 400 wreaths this year.) The Little Red has three overnight trips on the schedule this year: Buffalo, Yonkers and the North Country. Indeed, no rest for the weary...

(If you were to ask Sara where her recliner or television are, she’d likely not know, given she also plays in two hockey leagues, eliminating any notion of “down time.”) I asked her what a typical week’s practice schedule looks like, and she replied, “If there is no game on a given day, and it's a Monday, Thursday or Friday, they’re on the ice at 6:30 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays it’s 5:15 a.m.”

In addition to the special events like the road trips, the team will be doing a “Pink the Rink” event this season. In memory of a team mom who passed from breast cancer recently, the team will wear pink jerseys and use pink stick wrap to raise awareness for help those facing breast cancer. (The idea is the brainchild of Paul Zarach, the team’s head coach for 14 seasons. He is assisted by Dave Iles,

economically vibrant downtown—to help the Conference Center achieve its full potential by utilizing all that it offers as a state-of-the-art meeting space and catalyst for downtown’s increased vitality.

Downtown Ithaca’s future depends on protecting our investments and fully optimizing the opportunities we’ve created together. The Conference Center is one of those key opportunities. It’s the responsibility of us all not only to preserve it, but to ensure that it thrives now and in the years ahead. ready for the counsel to appoint one of their own to drive the city government into the ground.” — Chester Lampwood, ithaca.com

Ithaca Is Unaffordable

“

Affordability as a political stance is a good idea and is popular with most people. Democrats are winning elections on this platform. Why then is the city of Ithaca changing its parking policy to include paid parking on Saturdays?

Why are trash tags rising? Why is our Governor opposed to free buses in NYC? You can add your concerns to this list, but the reality is that our leadership needs to focus on helping its constituents. Not push them into an economic corner.” — Gary Johnson, Ithaca NY

I look forward to trying the two other preparations.

In the Hand Held section of the contin u ed from page 17 menu, I enjoyed a Smash Burger ($19).

It’s served with a few long, thin carrot I expected the beef to be f latter — f lattened on a hot griddle by a spatula, slices, some small mushrooms, and lots of fingerling potatoes. If I had my choice, which would have exposed more surface area to the pan creating crispy, I’d reverse the ratio of potatoes to vegbrowned edges. I was happy, however, gies to get more veggies. It’s usually to get a full-sized burger — actually prepared with a beurre manié (a combination of flour and butter kneaded into a two burgers — on a bun with cheddar cheese, smoked bacon, red onion paste to thicken the sauce.) jam, lettuce and tomato. It seemed Another of the four entrées is a more like a normal burger than a true wonderful Vegan Marinated Sesame smashburger and was too tall to be a Ginger Tofu, ($24). It offers a variety “Hand Held” so I utilized my knife and of small, flavored items like a scoop of fork. The side salad that accompanied coconut flavored jasmine rice, several small pieces of pineapple, Thai eggplant it seemed like a welcome gratuitous addition as lettuce and tomato were stir fry, and some unique tofu squares sprinkled with crunchy black and white already on the burger.

BEVERAGES: sesame seeds. It’s all brought together I have the highest admiration for the with a thick and tasty smoked guava Mix wine list. It covers all the major red sweet and sour sauce. and white grape varieties from the best There are three Mussel Bowls, ($17), producing areas of the world, including preparations on offer: Thai, French, and our own Finger Lakes. Wines by the glass Italian.

I ordered the French and received two are priced at $11 and by the bottle range from $32 to $78. There’s also a good selecdozen tender mussels in their shells. The tion of bottled beer. There are a dozen mild sauce was a nice complement and featured grape tomatoes, garlic, scallions, interesting cocktails and a half dozen mocktails, which they describe as “all of and capers in a white wine, lemon and the fun, none of the headache.” butter broth. Based on this experience, MIX BRINGS TOGETHER

Mike Abdulky and Dan Dorney.)

I asked Aiden what it was like to be elected team captain, and he said “I’m honored, I decided to be more vocal, and we worked hard over the summer to keep the chemistry up.” (It was a big boost for many of the players to form a team for a summer league and take the championship.) Asked what it was like to have his brother on the ice with him, he said, “Well, I know his game, I always know where he is, and I really like that.” He laughed and added, “I really like it, but my parents love it!”

His mom agrees, saying “It makes for a lot of long days and long nights, but it’s so worth it. It builds a sense of community, it teaches them so much, and it keeps them off screens and keeps them engaged.” Of the coaching staff, the seasoned Hockey Mom said, “The four coaches are all great, they work them hard, they keep them accountable and the boys love it. For us — the parents — it’s a great time, it’s fantastic to watch them, knowing how much the friendships and shared memories will mean to them. It’s all going by so fast.”

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Film Classy Cult Movie Night: Gremlins | 7 p.m., 12/18 Thursday | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St., Homer NY

Music

12/20 Saturday

Bars/Bands/Clubs

Bones East Concert | 2 p.m. | St. Peter and St. John Episcopal Church 169 Genesee St., Auburn NY

12/17 Wednesday Diana Leigh’s Holiday Spectacular | 7 p.m. | TreeHouse Studio & Lounge, 119 S Cayuga St. | $12.00 - $15.00

12/19 Friday The Walsh Family & Friends Holiday Show | 6 p.m. | Hopshire Farm and Brewery, 1771 Dryden Rd., Freeville NY | Free Phestivus V w/ Nectar & Space Carnival | 8 p.m. | Deep Dive Ithaca, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd

Multi-tradition Holiday Concert| First Unitarian Society of Ithaca, 306 N Aurora St. | $20 suggested donation to benefit Food Bank of the Southern Tier

12/21 Sunday Delaney Brothers Bluegrass Christmas | 2 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St., Homer NY Homer for the Holidays! | 4 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St., Homer NY

12/20 Saturday

Stage

Rachel Beverly| 6 p.m. | Brewer’s Kitchen and Taproom, 1384 Dryden Rd.

The Ugly Xmas Sweater Musical | 2 p.m. & 7:30p.m. 12/17 Wednesday and 12/19 Friday, 7:30 p.m. 12/18 Thursday, and 2:00p.m. 12/20 Saturday | Merry Go-Round Playhouse 6877 E Lake Rd, Auburn NY | “The Office” meets “Project Runway!”

With carols, cocktails, and a company on the brink, it’s the holiday party you actually want to attend! | $45.00 - $55.00

Concerts/Recitals

12/19 Friday “I Dream a World!” Songs of Reflection and Hope | 7:30 p.m. | First Presbyterian Church of Ulysses, 69 East Main St. | Free Kitchen Cabaret: An Evening with Evan Horne | 8 p.m. | Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State / W MLK, Jr. St. | $20.00 Judy Collins Holiday & Hits Tour | 8 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer,

THISWEEK

72 S Main St., Homer NY

Lifelong Holiday Open House | 2 p.m., 12/18 Thursday | Library Place, 105 W Court St. | Join us for holiday refreshments and the anticipated annual year-end production of Lifelong’s Play It Again Theater. Free and Open to the Public

“Through the Unquiet Heaven” | 6:30 p.m., 12/18 Thursday | Community Arts of Elmira, 413 Lake St., Elmira NY| The Poetry & Short Stories of Edgar Allan Poe. Performed by Solo Theater Artist Tim Collins. Audience: Teens/Adults| Free A Christmas Carol Cocktail Experience| 6 & 8 p.m., 12/19 Friday and 4, 6, & 8 p.m. 12/20 Saturday | Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd. | Condensed for maximum impact, this reimagined performance transports you to the heart of Victorian London, following Ebenezer Scrooge on his spirited encounters. Along the way, savor four holiday-inspired cocktails, each thoughtfully paired with the evening’s chilling moments. | 21 + | $65 “A Christmas Carol” Staged Reading | 7 p.m., 12/19 Friday & 12/20 Saturday | Buffalo Street Books, 215 N Cayuga St. | Ticket proceeds will help Buffalo Street Books reach their fundraising goal! Special guest: hot chocolate from Oracle Chocolates, complimentary for members. | $10 for individuals and $25 for groups of 3 or more.

Jim Coon’s A Christmas Carol | 7 p.m., 12/19 Friday | Cortland Country Music Park and Campground, 1824 NY13, Cortland NY| Jim Coon’s haunting and whimsical take on the classic tale.

Follow Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly man who despises Christmas. | $20 The Nutcracker in Motion| 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. 12/20 Saturday (show on 12/19

includes dessert party before, for extra fee) | The Clemens Center, 207 Clemens Center Parkway, Elmira NY| New Heights Dance Theater (NHDT) presents a jazzed up version of the beloved holiday tradition of George Balanchine’s classic The Nutcracker.

Including classical ballet, tap, high energy Rockette-style jazz and a few other surprises! | $8-$32 Queens of Christmas Present: A Dystopian Drag Show | 7:30 p.m., 12/20 Saturday | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St., Homer NY | A rebellious, radiant, and raucous Drag cabaret where joy is resistance and glitter is gospel. | $20.00 Scott B Adams Acoustic Ensemble 28th Annual Solstice Concert | 5:30 p.m., 12/21 Sunday | Red Newt Cellars, 3675 Tichenor Rd., Hector NY | A winter-themed musical evening accentuated by fine wine and light dinner fare.

Art Contemporary Mapping : One Foot Forward | 11 a.m., 12/17 Wednesday | Corners Gallery, 903 Hanshaw Rd. Suite 101A | Contemporary Mapping: One Foot Forward features work by 34 artists! Wednesdays through Saturdays 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Free Third Thursday Artist Alley Open Studio | 4 p.m., 12/18 Thursday | Artist Alley at South Hill Business Campus, 950 Danby Rd. | Join us for the monthly Artist Alley’s Open Studio Night. | Free

28TH INTERNATIONAL RUTABAGA CURL SATURDAY DECEMBER 20 FROM 10 A.M. TO 2 P.M.

Ithaca Farmers Market, Steamboat Landing | Bring the whole family to this wild, wacky and ridiculous event. You’ll see MCs, referees, protestors, a chorus, instrumentalists, camera/radio crews and more rutabaga lore than you ever knew existed.

Adults and kids can register on site between 10-11:30 a.m.

Younger participants can join in the turnip toss! You’ll have ample time to practice throwing and to alter your rutabaga to your own specifications. Dress warm! (File photo)

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Holiday Movie Nights at The Grayhaven! | 6 p.m., 12/19 Friday | Grayhaven Motel Gallery Lounge, 657 Elmira Rd. | Cozy up in our beautiful lounge for an evening of old-fashioned, relaxed holiday cheer, complete with the warmth and ambience of our wood-burning stove for the Family Holiday Classic: Elf | Free Cinemapolis 120 E. Green St., Ithaca New movies opening the week of December 17. Contact Cinemapolis for showtimes and continuing films.

The Secret Agent | Brazil, 1977.

Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting. | R 158 mins It’s a Wonderful Life | Sunday 12/21 at 2:30 p.m. ONLY | George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George’s modest building and loan company. |NR 131 mins | FREE Marty Supreme | Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness. | R 150 mins

Sports Learn To Curl with the Finger Lakes Curling Club | 3 p.m., 12/21 Sunday | The Rink, 1767 East Shore Dr. | https://fingerlakescurling.org/ learntocurl/ | $35.00

Special Events 28th International Rutabaga Curl | 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 12/20 Saturday | Ithaca Farmer’s Market, Steamboat Landing, 545 3rd St. | Sign up at market to be part of the competition or sit back and enjoy the show! | Free Dickens Christmas In Skaneateles | 22 Jordan St., Skaneateles NY | 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. December 20 & 21, 12 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. December 24 | The year is 1842. Queen Victoria has arrived in town with Charles Dickens, whom she has commissioned to write a Christmas story. Dickens and his entourage interact with cast members and passersby. More information can be found at https://skaneateles.com/ calendar/annual-events/dickenschristmas. | Free Giant Chanukah Gelt Drop | 4-6 p.m., 12/21 Sunday | Cayuga Heights Fire Station, 194 Pleasant Grove Rd. | Join Chabad of Cornell for the annual Giant Chanukah Gelt Drop at the Cayuga Heights Fire Station as we celebrate Chanukah with gelt raining down from the fire truck! There will be donuts, latkes, Chanukah games, music, and a giant menorah lighting.

Christmas Eve Family Service of Pageantry and Carols | 5:00 p.m.

12/24 Wednesday | First Congreational Church of Ithaca, 309 Highland Rd. | All are welcome to celebrate Christmas Eve at the First Congregational Church in person and online fccithaca.org .

The 5:00 p.m. service is family-friendly featuring the Nativity pageant, carols and candlelight. Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols is at 7:30 p.m.

Books Climate Literature Discussion | 4:30 p.m., 12/17 Wednesday | Buffalo

MULTI-TRADITION HOLIDAY CONCERT SATURDAY DECEMBER 20 AT 7:00 P.M. First Unitarian Society of Ithaca, 306 N Aurora St. | Local musicians Dee Specker, John Simon, Mark Rust and Russell Posegate share songs of joy, peace and hope. Suggested donation $20 to benefit Food Bank of the Southern Tier. (Photo: Provided)

Street Books, 215 N Cayuga St. | Join us for community-led conversations about climate change, as we discuss The Light Pirate and Flotsametrics and the Floating World | Free Grayhaven Book Club: A Very Woodsy Murder Discussion | 5:30 p.m., 12/17 Wednesday | Grayhaven Motel Gallery Lounge, 657 Elmira Rd. | Join fellow guests, community members, and Grayhaven staff for the launch of the Grayhaven Book Club!

We’ll be discussing our first selection, A Very Woodsy Murder. | Free The Writers’ Room | 6 p.m., 12/17 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Work on your writing project in the company of other writers. | Free Catherine Weidner’s Acting Heightened Text: The Basics | 5:30 p.m. Thursday 12/18| Buffalo Street Books, 215 N Cayuga St. | Join author Catherine Weidner for a book signing and author reading of Acting Heightened Text: The Basics. This book offers a foundational understanding of heightened text in drama, fused with a truthful, contemporary approach to acting.

Kids Animal Feeding | 4 p.m., 12/17 Wednesday | Sciencenter, 601 1st St. | Join an Animal Keeper to observe snakes, lizards, frogs, and fish snacking on their preferred prey.

Chinese Bilingual Storytime | 4:30 p.m., 12/17 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | Join us for a special Chinese-English bilingual storytime! Enjoy fun stories, songs, and rhymes in both Mandarin and English. Children of all ages and their caregivers are welcome.

Winter Crafternoon 2025! | 4 p.m., 12/18 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 Green St. | Get into

the wintry spirit by creating your own crafts! Children and families can make hand-made gifts and cards to take home to give as gifts or keep.

Baby & Toddler Storytime | 10:30 a.m., 12/19 Friday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | Caregivers and their children are invited to join Cassie for music, rhymes, movement and books. Storytime will be followed by a playtime from 11-12.

Math Fun with MathHappens! | 10 a.m., 12/20 Saturday | Sciencenter, 601 1st St. | Join us for playful, informal math learning with the MathHappens Foundation! Families and kids can explore hands-on activities that make math fun, creative, and connected to everyday life.

Holiday Open Farm Days | 11 a.m., 12/20 Saturday | Shepherds Creek Alpacas, 5797 Stilwell Rd., Trumansburg, NY | The Alpacas at Shepherds Creek Alpacas will be welcoming holiday visitors to the Farm and Alpaca Shop from 11 ‘til 4 on December 20th to take photos, feed the alpacas & shop for unique alpaca items! | Free Science Connections | 2 p.m., 12/21 Sunday | Sciencenter, 601 1st St | Join local science experts with hands-on activities and demonstrations.

Family Open Play | 9:30 a.m., 12/22 Monday | CCE-Tompkins Education Center, 615 Willow Ave. | Free space for families to come with their children ages 0 to 4 years old to play and socialize with other families.

Baby & Toddler Playtime | 10 a.m., 12/22 Monday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | Baby & Toddler Playtime is an unstructured play and social time for children and caregivers offering a warm, child-friendly space with books and age-appropriate toys.

Notices

Proehl. Get there early as seats fill up fast! | Free

Local Fiber 2025 Holiday Pop-Up Shop | 11 a.m., 12/17 Wednesday | Local Fiber Holiday Pop-Up Shop, 115 S Cayuga St. | 11-6 Wednesday, Friday – Sunday and 11-8 Thursdays through 12/28 for amazing yarns, accessories and more from local fiber farmers, and visit LocalFiber.ny on FaceBook for Workshops and demonstrations that will be taking place as well! | Free

Trivia with Djen | 7 p.m., 12/17 Wednesday | Ithaca Beer Co., 122 Ithaca Beer Dr. | Wednesdays 7-9 p.m.

Mindful Birding at Sapsucker Woods | 12 p.m., 12/17 Wednesday | Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd. | Join us at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for a peaceful mid-day break with stationary, indoor, mindful birding; binoculars provided. | Free Community Police Board Meeting | 4:30 p.m., 12/17 Wednesday | Council Chambers, 3rd Floor City Hall, 108 E Green St LGBTQ+ Youth Group | 5:45 p.m., 12/17 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | Join us at LGBTQ+ Youth Group to do crafts, play games, and socialize. Whether you’re lesbian, gay, bi, trans, questioning, or just trying to figure things out - we’re here for you!

Astrology Meeting | 6 p.m., 12/17 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 01 E Green St | We learn astrology together and would love to have you join us. All knowledge levels welcome. | Free DJ Trivia with Dave Ashton | 6:30 p.m., 12/17 Wednesday | Hopshire Farm and Brewery, 1771 Dryden Rd., Freeville NY | Join Dave Ashton for a challenging round of “DJ Trivia” at Hopshire Farm and Brewery! | Free Trivia! | 7 p.m., 12/17 Wednesday | Liquid State Brewery, 620 W Green St. | Grow your brain or just show it off to a loveable bunch of Trivia-lovers.

Hosted by Ithaca’s Trivia legend, Bob

Wednesday Open Mic Night | 7 p.m., 12/17 Wednesday | The Nocturnal Café, 103 S Geneva St. | Weekly Wednesday Open Mic night at The Nocturnal Café, Ithaca’s nightlife alternative, featuring music, poetry, dance and more! | Free Latin Wednesday | 9 p.m., 12/17 Wednesday | The Upstairs, 106 S Cayuga St. | Ithaca’s longest running weekly dance party. Meet new dancers, learn new moves, and have fun!

Healthy Eating Support Community | 4:30 p.m., 12/18 Thursday | Cornell Cooperative Extension, 615 Willow Ave. | Join the Healthy Eating Support Community every two weeks to find support for your healthy eating goals The Constitution: Rights to Know | 6 p.m., 12/18 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 01 E Green St. | This panel will discuss the history of immigration to the U.S. and why it has become so polarized.

Ithaca Unplugged: Rhymes, Rhythms, and Revelry | 7 p.m., 12/18 Thursday | The Downstairs, 121 W M.L.K. Jr. St | Embark on a vibrant journey into the heart of Ithaca’s art scene every third Thursday at The Downstairs.

Plants and the Winter Solstice | 10 a.m., 12/19 Friday | Nevin Welcome Center, 124 Comstock Knoll Dr. | Tour the Mullestein Winter Garden and learn about plants and plant lore of the Winter Solstice.

Food Rescue and Giveaway| 4-6 p.m. 12/19 Friday| Henry St John Building Gym, 301 S Genevea St. | Come and get free food including holiday items and a ham, and a toy.

Also free personal hygiene products, toiletries, clothes/shoes, baby care

items, cleaning products, and more.

Also 12/26 and returning to Thursdays starting 1/8. Holiday food donations requested through 12/18.

420 at 402: A space for cannabis enthusiasts, & 420-friendly connections! | 5 p.m., 12/19 Friday | NRE Space, 402 W State St. | 420 at 402 is where growers, farmers, and cannabis enthusiasts connect. | Free Art Cafe | 6-9 p.m., 12/19 Friday | The Clay School’s Art Room, 950 Danby Rd | Like a restaurant, only you order an art project from our menu, then sit and enjoy with friends and family.

Fridays. | Family friendly; under 15 requires adult supervision. Admission free; projects cost $10-20 “Queeraoke” | 8 p.m., 12/19 Friday | The Rhine House, 632 W Seneca St| Ithaca’s original “Queeraoke” night is back! Come hang, sing and make new friends...cheers, queers!

Solstice Craft Market at Buffalo Street Books | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., 12/20 Saturday | Buffalo Street Books, 215 N Cayuga St | Come to your favorite Ithaca non-profit bookstore to celebrate local crafters on the Solstice!

DIY Home Repair Masterclass | 1 p.m., 12/20 Saturday | Newfield Public Library, 198 Main St., Newfield NY | Art DeSario, experienced handyman with 40+ years of experience, will demonstrate a drywall patching technique for you to practice and answer questions from attendees on the topic of DIY home repair. | Free Handmade Holiday Makerspace Drop-in | 2:30 p.m., 12/20 Saturday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St | Need a last minute gift or want to get into the winter spirit through crafting? Join us in the Makerspace for an afternoon of cozy crafts.

Pancake Breakfast to benefit Danby Volunteer Fire Company | 8 a.m., 12/21 Sunday | Danby Fire Station, 1780 Dandby Rd. | $12.00

DJ Trivia with Dave Ashton | 7 p.m., 12/21 Sunday | Crossroads Bar and Grill, 3120 N Triphammer Rd, Lansing NY | Join Dave Ashton for DJ Trivia every Sunday night at Crossroads in Lansing! Bring your friends and family for an evening of amazing food, local beer, wine and spirits and (of course) trivia! | Free DJ Trivia | 7 p.m., 12/22 Monday | 23 North Restaurant and Bar, 23 Cinema Dr. | Join Kurt for DJ Trivia every Monday night at 23 North Restaurant and Bar in Ithaca! Bring your friends and family for an evening of amazing food, drink and (of course) trivia! | Free Meet with staff from the office of Congressman Riley | 1 p.m., 12/23 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | Representatives from the office of Congressman Josh Riley are available to discuss federal issues constituents may have. | Free Press Bay December Holiday Food Market | 3 p.m., 12/23 Tuesday | Press Bay, 116 W Green St. | Press Bay’s annual winter food market returns featuring local food vendors & free live music from 3-7pm on 12/23! | Free Trivia| 6 p.m. | Brewer’s Kitchen and Taproom, 1384 Dryden Rd. | Trivia night every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m.

Trivia is hosted through trivia rat.

Planning and Development Board | 6 p.m., 12/23 Tuesday | Council Chambers 3rd Floor City Hall, 108 E Green Street | SingTrece’s Open Mic for Singers, Rappers, Songwriters & Poets | 7 p.m., 12/23 Tuesday | The Downstairs, 121 E M.L.K. Jr. St. | Open Mic for Singers, Rappers, Songwriters, Poets and Spoken Word.

GIANT CHANUKAH GELT DROP

SUNDAY DECEMBER 21 AT 2:30 P.M.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 21 FROM 4 TO 6 P.M.

Cinemapolis, 120 E Green St. | A holiday favorite for generations. George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George’s modest building and loan company. But on Christmas Eve the business’s $8,000 is lost and George’s troubles begin. Tickets are FREE. (Photo: Provided)

Cayuga Heights Fire Station, 194 Pleasant Grove Rd. | Join Chabad of Cornell for the annual Giant Chanukah Gelt Drop at the Cayuga Heights Fire Station as we celebrate Chanukah with gelt raining down from the fire truck!

There will be donuts, latkes, Chanukah games, music, and a giant menorah lighting. (Image: HiClipart)

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Christmas Services

Christmas Eve Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Don’t Let Ithaca Lose Its Storytellers Imagine the sharpest, most passionate young journalists you’ve ever met (the ones who stay late chasing a story because they believe in this town) slowly packing their bags.

Not because they want to leave… but because local rents force them out.

That’s the quiet heartbreak happening right now.

Our best new writers, the ones who grew up here or fell in love with Ithaca in college, are being pushed toward cheaper cities just to survive.

The Rising Star Fund rewrites their story into a happy ending by sponsoring a simple monthly housing stipend (a hand up, never a handout) so they can keep living here, keep writing here, keep falling deeper in love with Ithaca… and keep telling the stories that make this city our home.

When a young journalist can afford to stay in Ithaca, you get: ● Fresh, fearless voices loyal to your local paper ● Someone at every city council meeting who believes local news matters ● The next great Ithaca story written by someone who actually lives here ● Your $25, $50, or $100 a month doesn’t just pay their rent. ● It keeps storytellers in our community and stops local brain drain. ● When our younger generation thrives, Ithaca’s future stays bright.

Keep local talent in Ithaca by donating today to the Rising Star Fund (an initiative of Pathways to Equity, Inc a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization) For more info: roy@ithacatimes.com

26 T h e I t h a c a T i m e s / D e c e m b e r 1 7 – 2 3 , 2 0 2 5

4:00 PM Holy Communion with Carols and Organ; blessing of the crèche 10:30 PM Festive Choral Eucharist

Christmas Day Thursday, December 25, 2025

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607-273-6532 / stjohnsithaca.org

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BackPage AAM ALL ABOUT MACS Macintosh Consulting http://www.allaboutmacs.com (607) 280-4729

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Please join us Saturday December 20th from noon to 3 pm At the Friends Meeting House (120 Third St, Ithaca)

To remember and celebrate the life of Anthony Fazio (1951-2025) Practitioner of acupuncture and Chinese medicine at Peaceful Spirit Acupuncture and the Ithaca Free Clinic Student and teacher of Qi Gong and diverse martial arts, including Aikido, Iaido, and Tai Chi Friend, teacher, husband, and father Lunch provided; additional dishes for the table welcome

RSVP & for more info: tinyurl.com/anthonyfazio

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