Feb. 18, 2026

WEBB ANNOUNCES REELECTION CAMPAIGN PAGE 3 ANOTHER DOWNTOWN RETAILER FACES FINANCIAL STRAIN PAGE 4 CITY REVEALS UNARMED RESPONDER PLAN PAGE 5 ICE OPERATIONS PERSIST IN TIOGA COUNTY, MORE ARRESTS MADE PAGE 6 LESSONS FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD PAGE 9

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State Sen. Webb Announces Reelection Campaign

By Mikayla Rovenolt

New York State Sen. Lea Webb announced her reelection campaign at the People’s Purple Ball, a fundraising event held in Binghamton.

Webb, a Binghamton native and Democrat, has represented Senate District 52 since 2023. The district includes Tompkins County, Cortland County, and part of Broome County, including the city of Binghamton.

“I am humbled by the outpouring of support here tonight as I announce my campaign for reelection for a third term representing the people of Senate District 52,” Senator Webb said in a statement. “I ran for office to be a strong voice for working families in Central New York and the Southern Tier. I am proud of the progress we have made in the past four years to deliver record funding to our region and undo decades of underinvestment. We are in the middle of a challenging time and we need leaders who are ready to stand up and fight for our democracy, for reproductive justice, and for New York where everyone has a seat at the table.”

She was sworn into office in January 2023 as part of an incoming class Democratic senators made up entirely of women, a first in the 245-year history of the New York State Senate. She was elected to a second term in 2024.

As of Feb. 13, Webb is the only candidate who has registered her re-election campaign to represent the district with the New York State Board of Elections.

Senator Webb touted that she has secured record funding for the district, including $400,000 for the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, $250,000 for the Lime Hollow Nature Center, $375,000 for WSKG Public Telecommunications Council, $250,000 for the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, and $200,000 for the Roberson Museum.

“Already in this 2026 legislative session, we have passed legislation to protect voting rights, to protect our reproductive freedom, and to reform the PSC and bring down utility bills,” Webb said. “I am fighting for legislation like New York for All, which will ban a long list of ICE’s enforcement tactics which are harming immigrants. There is much work to do and I am

T ake n ote

X Ithaca Charter Revision Commission Set to Overhaul City’s Rulebook

By Philip O’Dell

The City of Ithaca formed the Charter Revision Commission to evaluate and update its primary governing document.

Mayor Robert Cantelmo appointed 15 city residents to the volunteer body, including Billy Noseworthy as chair, Kris Haines-Sharp as vice chair, and Clyde Lederman as secretary.

According to a statement from the city, the commission will update the roles of the mayor, Common Council alderpersons, and the city manager. The commission will update outdated terminology to align with modern state standards. Commission members will explore electoral changes—from rankedchoice voting to revamped term limits and vacancy protocols—to improve better representation. Members will have diverse expertise in “public administration, law, finance, planning, labor, housing, and civic engagement.”

During his State of the City Address on Jan. 14, Cantelmo said the commission’s updates

energized to continue to be a voice for the people of Senate District 52 in Albany."

Senator Webb chairs the New York State Senate’s Women’s Issues Committee and is also a member of the state Senate’s mental health, higher education and health committees.

As chair of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Women’s Issues, she has moved

Continued on Page 25

will “strengthen democratic accountability” and ensure the city government’s structure is better understood by residents.

The city statement says the commission will set its rules within 60 days and then spend the first half of 2026 listening to residents’ concerns. Members will write their final recommendations later in the year before placing them on the November ballot. Through a referendum, Ithaca voters will have the final say on any changes..

“The Charter is the constitution of our local government,” Cantelmo said. “If residents cannot clearly understand who is responsible for leadership, policy direction, and execution, accountability breaks down. This Commission is about modernizing our institutions so that our democracy works clearly, transparently, and effectively for the people of Ithaca.”

Cantelmo described the charter overhaul as a serious, practical undertaking rather than a ceremonial gesture or symbolic act.

“This is about aligning our governing

framework with the values of transparency, accountability, and effective leadership. Ithaca deserves institutions that are clear, modern, and worthy of public trust,” Cantelmo said.

According to the city, the commission will follow New York’s Open Meetings Law to ensure transparency. With help from city staff and legal experts, the group will conduct public outreach to collect input from residents.

“Authorized under Section 36 of New York State Municipal Home Rule Law, the fifteen-member Commission will review outdated, duplicative, and ambiguous Charter provisions that have contributed to confusion around authority, weakened coordination, and reduced public clarity about who is responsible for major decisions,” according to the city’s statement.

The statement says the city will release details on upcoming commission meetings and options for community input in the next few weeks.

R o V enolt , r EP ort E r mack @ ithacatimes com J ake S exton , a d M inistrativ E c oordinator jake @ ithacatimes com

M a R k S y V e R t S on ,

& M ark E ting lisa e @ ithacatimes com a nna l ee , a dv E rtising & M ark E ting anna @ ithacatimes com

f r EE lanc E rs : Barbara Adams, Charley Githler, Stephen Burke, Bill Chaisson, Ross Haarstad, Steve Lawrence, Marjorie Olds, Peter Rothbart, Austin Lamb, Clement Obropta, Jake Sexton, Kira Walter, Vasant Alex Laplam, and Ceili Ayoung

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(1972–1978) and The

New York State Sen. Lea Webb is running for reelection in District 52. (Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times File)

IN UIRING PHOTOGR PHER Q A

By Mark Syvertson

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

“IF YOU COULD COMPETE IN ONE WINTER OLYMPIC EVENT, WHICH ONE WOULD BE THE MOST FUN?”

NOTE: If readers wish to participate in the Ithaca Times’ Inquiring Photographer column, contact Mark Syvertson at marksyvertsonphotography@gmail.com

“I would say curling. It’d be fun using those little brooms.”

Kelly

Sunny Days of Ithaca Lays Off Staff Due to Mounting Debt, Declining Sales

By Philip O’Dell

Sunny Days of Ithaca laid off its remaining staff as the store on the Commons faces rising debt and fewer customers.

In a Jan. 26 Facebook post, owner Deirdre Kurzweil said she and her husband, Todd, are now the sole operators of Sunny Days of Ithaca.

Kurzweil said the transition marks the first time in Sunny Days’ 12-year history it’s without outside employees. The store’s peak workforce of 10 employees decreased to four— including the Kurzweils—over the last two years due to post-pandemic economic shifts.

“We’re not closing our brick-and-mortar store right now, but I can’t promise we’ll be here through the end of the year,” Kurzweil said. “No matter what happens, I’ll always champion The Commons. It’s a special place, and it can thrive again if we show up for it.”

The souvenir and gift shop features locally made crafts, puzzles, playing cards, games, and Finger Lakes-themed apparel, including "Ithaca is Gorges" t-shirts.

Kurzweil said she is heartbroken over

the recent wave of neighboring business closures. She said her store has reached a similar breaking point as dwindling foot traffic has made business difficult.

A two-year analysis of Ithaca’s retail market commissioned by the City of Ithaca and Downtown Ithaca Alliance in 2023 revealed further insights into this trend. The study showed that declining foot traffic on the Commons, alongside perceived safety risks, were pushing the downtown retail landscape to a breaking point. Commons foot traffic has declined 12.5% from pre-pandemic levels (2018-2019) and 6.3% from 2024 to 2025. The median household income of these visitors has also gradually declined, according to the study.

Kurzweil said she remains proud of creating a "classic" souvenir shop that captures the spirit of Ithaca.

“I’m not asking anyone to buy things they don’t want or need, and there’s no fire sale happening,” she said. “If you love what we offer, please continue to support us at full price.”

Kurzweil said the store’s debt has grown too large with a significant portion stemming from federal COVID-19 pandemic

relief loans. The total grew over the years as the business repeatedly borrowed capital to weather operational hurdles and fund changes like its in-house t-shirt production. Since November 2025, the store has been unable to recover from a 20% drop in sales, leading Kurzweil to decide against taking on further debt.

Kurzweil attributes the store’s financial struggles back to its opening, when she timed its debut alongside the completed renovations to The Commons. However, Kurzweil said the store opened amidst an unfinished, over-budget construction site that deterred foot traffic.

“So instead of opening to a giant party celebrating the spiffy new Commons, I opened when many people were frustrated with the ongoing construction and stopped coming,” Kurzweil said.

Kurzweil told the Ithaca Times last month that the city of Ithaca’s increased parking rates further discouraged visitors to the Commons, adding to a 50-year struggle with downtown accessibility. She said other factors deterring downtown customers include the growth of online shopping, constant construction, and public safety concerns. The store has also faced physical security threats, including attempted break-ins that forced the owners to board up alleyway entrances with plywood to protect the building.

“I think the most fun would also be the most dangerous: downhill skiing.”

“The luge.”

Cora “Probably downhill skiing. They just go so fast.”

Will

“I like snowboarding but I think curling would be the most fun.”

Tim

Owner Deirdre Kurzweil stands in front of her downtown store, Sunny Days of Ithaca.

(Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times)

Sunny Days of Ithaca is a downtown souvenir shop on the Commons. Owners of the store’s two locations say that the store is facing financial challenges, resulting in staff layoffs. (Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times)

City of Ithaca Unveils ROOTS Unarmed Responder Program

By Philip O’Dell

The City of Ithaca launched its Responders Offering Outreach, Trust, and Support (ROOTS) program, allowing unarmed responders to support residents in crisis.

The Common Council unanimously approved the resolution on Feb. 4 to pilot the community responder team through 2028.

The city announced ROOTS will provide a supportive, nonviolent response to service calls through 911 dispatch, police referrals, or direct engagement. Part of the city’s Reimagining Public Safety initiative, ROOTS will work in tandem with existing community policing and mental health programs.

“The ROOTS program is part of the City’s ongoing efforts to improve community safety, strengthen relationships, and reduce reliance on traditional policing when a non-enforcement response is more appropriate,” the announcement says. “Community feedback, data collection, and ongoing evaluation will guide future adjustments and potential expansion.”

The resolution’s mission statement says, “Ithaca’s community responder unit conducts outreach, builds trust, and offers support to community members in need.” It further states that collaboration between law enforcement and community agencies can improve the “effectiveness of the existing emergency response and social service systems.”

The resolution follows years of advocacy from residents and organizations— particularly from communities of color— whose input and long-term contributions shaped the framework for the unarmed responder program. In 2025, city employees evaluated national programs and consulted with 17 local government and nonprofit agencies to examine existing community response work.

The new policy adheres to the Common Council’s special committee report in April 2023 that initiated plans for an unarmed responder program. The 2023 directive called for an independent team of peer support specialists who operate outside of law enforcement oversight to handle behavioral health and other nonviolent crises. These specialists are tasked with co-responding alongside officers or providing a standalone alternative to traditional policing, ensuring that impacted individuals and their families receive immediate support plans and remain con-

UPS DOWNS&

Ups

The Ithaca Pride Alliance has announced that its microgrant program is now accepting applications for 2026. Microgrants of up to $500 are available to individuals, organizations and businesses that center LGBTQ+ people in their work. Applications are reviewed year-round on a rolling basis.

Downs

The Kinney Drugs on North Cayuga Street will close March 5. The company has stated the location closure is caused by a lease hike, small retail space and declining pharmacy profits.

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nected to social services until a permanent care system is secured.

Acting City Manager Dominick Recckio described ROOTS as a “careful and thoughtful step” for the city to achieve its equitable public safety goals.

“By piloting the program with a small team, by relying on existing funding, and by working closely with our police and community partners, we are creating a strong foundation for a model that prioritizes trust, outreach, and real support for our community,” Recckio said.

According to Community Justice Center Director Monalita Smiley, the ROOTS program maximizes current resources and fosters deeper collaboration across departments.

“It is a practical and community centered step toward a safer and more supportive Ithaca,” Smiley said. “This is a plan that honors community input, uses public dollars responsibly, and builds a stronger foundation for long term safety and trust in Ithaca.”

Mayor Robert Cantelmo said establishing an alternative crisis response team was a major goal of his since taking office in 2024.

“This historic step reflects years of work by our community, volunteers, city staff, and partners,” Cantelmo said. “I am deeply grateful for their bravery, selflessness, and dedication. The establishment of ROOTS strengthens our public-safety system by adding a trusted, alternative response focused on care, de-escalation, and connection making Ithaca safer, more just, and more supportive for everyone.”

According to a Jan. 16 memorandum from Recckio and Smiley to the Common Council, the resolution allows the city to hire three community responders to focus on specific neighborhoods with high call volumes or a greater need for outreach. The proposal clarifies that the Community Justice Center, Homeless Encampment Response, and the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) programs under the City Manager’s Office will coordinate directly with ROOTS and the Ithaca Police Department (IPD).

The memorandum says $750,000 in encumbered funds from previous budget cycles will finance ROOTS because the 2026 city budget lacks funding for the program. Under this model, $200,000 covers staffing and equipment for a partial-year launch in 2026, followed by $350,000 for the first full year of operations in 2027. The remaining $200,000 needed for 2028 would be secured through future budget requests or unspent prior encumbrances.

To implement ROOTS, the resolution directs city staff to draft civil servicecompliant job descriptions and develop policies and procedures in consultation with IPD and Tompkins County 911 Dispatch. The plan requires an annual review of grant opportunities to offset costs. Future hiring for the ROOTS team would be conducted by an interview committee including the deputy city manager, community members, and officials from IPD and the Community Justice Center.

The City of Ithaca reminded residents, property owners and businesses that they are responsible for keeping sidewalks clear of snow and ice. If sidewalks are not cleared within the required timeframe, the city may remove the snow at the cost of the property owner. The city also stated that odd-even parking rules remain in effect, which helps plow crews clear roads and allows needed access for emergency vehicles. Park on the evenor odd-numbered side of the street on the evening of corresponding even- or odd-numbered days.

Seen

The Greater Ithaca Activities Center is coordinating with Baby Brigade 2026, a veteran-led initiative that supports Ithaca families with limited childcare, resources, baby essentials or support networks. Through March, the Baby Brigade donation drive is collecting diapers, pull-ups, wipes, baby essentials and caregiver-wellness items. Donation bins are in GIAC’s lobby at 301 W. Court Street, Ithaca. On March 21, campus and community teams can sign up for “Pull-Ups for Pull-Ups,” a fundraising challenge for the cause.

IF YOU CARE TO RESPOND to something in this column, or suggest your own praise or blame, write editor@ithacatimes. com, with a subject head “U&D.”

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Should Ithaca end its contract with Flock and disable its license place reader cameras throughout the city?

care.

Should municipalities prohibit their police departments from assisting ICE? Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.

Caption: Community Justice Center Director Monalita Smiley meets with Ithaca Police Chief Tom Kelly. Smiley said the city’s new unarmed response plan is a practical and community centered approach to safety. (Photo: Tompkins County)

ICE Makes Further Arrests in Tioga County, Community Seeks Clarity on Local Police Involvement

By Lorien Tyne

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested an unconfirmed number of individuals on Feb. 11 in the town of Spencer, according to multiple eyewitnesses.

ICE conducted two morning traffic stops, both resulting in arrests, witnesses say. One was of a minivan near the intersection of Linda Lane and Ithaca Road, and another of a larger white vehicle near the intersection of Eleanor Lane and Ithaca Road.

Eyewitnesses said ICE agents wore black masks and tan-green vests that identified them as ICE officers but that their vehicles were unmarked.

In an interview with the Ithaca Times, Spencer resident Nate Taylor said he saw a blacked-out SUV by Eleanor Lane with obscured license plates pulled in front of a minivan with an Indiana license plate. He said that behind the minivan was the village of Spencer Police Chief Michael Monteiro and a black pickup truck with a New York license plate.

“I wasn’t able to see any individuals or happenings at that time, as I was focusing more on driving and not hitting on-coming traffic as there was no traffic control and vehicles were driving around the scene on their way to work,” Taylor said.

Another witness took video footage after ICE agents had left the scene that shows Monteiro staying with the empty minivan until a tow truck arrived to remove the vehicle. At the stop by Linda Lane, Taylor

said there were four vehicles with flashing lights of various makes and models that had pulled over a white van. He said several vehicle occupants were standing outside but was not able to tell how many.

Spencer resident Sean Morris said he saw approximately seven individuals removed from the white van but was not certain.

“I was driving up Ithaca road north in the 35 mph zone when two SUVs flew past me,” Morris said. “They pulled over and stopped with several other vehicles already on site at the Eleanor Lane location. I was waved around them and then saw the second group next to my driveway entrance.”

Taylor said he was confused why Monteiro was there because the police chief has no jurisdiction outside of the village, and because he is the school resource officer (SRO) for the Spencer-Van Etten Central School District. According to the SRO agreement, Monteiro is assigned to the school on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The ICE operation on Feb. 11 occurred between approximately 7:45 and 8:30 a.m., according to witnesses.

In June of last year, ICE detained a group of individuals driving on North Main Street in the village of Spencer. ICE released the individuals’ names to the Ithaca Times on Aug. 8, after which the Times informed the agency that the names were not in ICE’s online detainee locator system. An ICE spokesperson told the Times on Sep. 23 that the individuals had all been transported out of the country within two months of their arrests.

During the June ICE operation, Monteiro was also present. Village of Spencer Mayor Gilbert Knapp previously said Monteiro provided traffic control after he “just happened to see” a vehicle stopped by ICE agents. Knapp said Monteiro did not file an official report of the incident because it was not his arrest.

Some residents brought concerns about Monteiro’s level of involvement to the village board, requesting the board prohibit the village’s police officer from assisting ICE. The board’s vote on the matter failed to pass with two members against, one in favor and one abstaining. Knapp said it was unlikely the topic would be reintroduced.

After Wednesday’s ICE operation, Trevor Yaeger, captain of operations for the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office, told the Ithaca Times that neither Monteiro or represen-

tatives of ICE have notified the sheriff’s office of any operations they are conducting regarding immigration enforcement.

“I do not have any knowledge of any past or future operations ICE may be conducting in our area,” Yaeger stated. “We have no contracts or contacts with ICE.”

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 added Section 287(g) to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which allows ICE to authorize state and local law enforcement officers to identify, process, and detain noncitizens for removal from the U.S. Title 25 USC 2804(e) of the INA similarly allows federal agencies like ICE to enter into agreements with Indigenous tribes to enforce U.S. laws.

As of Feb. 11, ICE has 1,415 Memorandums of Agreement for 287(g) programs across 40 states, which are listed publicly online. In New York, 12 agencies have entered into at least one 287(g) agreement, including sheriff’s offices in Steuben, Broome and Madison counties and the Camden Police Department in Oneida County. Neither Tioga County nor Tompkins County are on the list of active or pending agreements.

Tompkins County Sheriff Derek Osborne said that on Jan. 6 he limited access to the county’s Flock Safety license plate reader data to agencies in the county with aFlock contract and no 287(g) agreement. Previously, the county shared data with law enforcement agencies within the state except for those with a 287(g) agreement.

The Ithaca Times contacted Monteiro, Spencer Mayor Gilbert Knapp and ICE for further information about the arrests but did not receive a response before publication. This article will be updated as the Ithaca Times acquires further information.

Spencer Village Police Chief Michael Monteiro stands by his car during one of two traffic stops on Feb. 11 by ICE agents, who arrested an unknown number of individuals. (Photo: Provided by Sean Morris)

ICE stopped two vehicles in the town of Spencer at different points on the pictured stretch of Ithaca Road. Witnesses say passengers were arrested. (Image: Google Maps)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

By Ithaca Times Readers

RE: County Accepts State Grant For Violent Crime Reduction, Including Continuation of Flock Cameras

“The sheriff said, ‘There would have to be a legal process,’ Osborne said.

‘We're not going to just share that data. That's completely unacceptable. And I think I've proven my inability to want to work with ICE, and I stand by that today.’ So does sharing data with ICE depend on who is in the sheriff's position? If there is another person in the job, will data be shared? As we know, getting data, past votes, SS info, IRS info is easy for this federal administration regardless what contracts or the law states. But, these devices do make law enforcements agencies more effective in protecting our communities, when used properly. There must be a way to install software that will block usage of data by other agencies. Can there be processes that create passwords and

multilevel validation that changes every time someone logs in? That way only the depts we want to get data can get it. I’m not a software engineer, but there must be ways to isolate the data and protect it.” —

Mel Solomon, Ithaca.com

Waterless Cooling Systems Available for Data Centers

“One of the biggest objections to the proposed TeraWulf data center in Lansing is the amount of lake water they will pull into their cooling system. Questions remain about the negative effects this use of lake water will have on the health of Cayuga Lake. There are new cooling systems being developed for these large data centers that do not involve using water. A brief google search brings up several companies, one being ThermalWorks which has developed a waterless cooling system. Perhaps if this data center took time to look into alternate cooling systems, it might present a more palatable case.” —

Martha Levine, Ithaca

NY

RE: Celebrating a Legacy of Leadership: Thank You, Deb Mohlenhoff

“I appreciated reading Mr. Allen’s recent Guest Opinion, ‘Celebrating a Legacy of Leadership: Thank You, Deb Mohlenhoff’ in which quotes from a number of people who worked closely with

Deb spoke to her long-standing dedication, leadership, and expertise. Deb has been recognized throughout her professional roles as well as through her public service by increased levels of responsibility. Examples include her promotions in previous roles at Ithaca College and TC3 where her last position was Associate Vice President for Community Relations/Chief of Staff to the College’s President. While earning increased degrees of responsibility in her ‘day job,’ Deb continued to make significant contributions to our city as 5th Ward Alderperson for eleven years, during which time she served as Acting Mayor and as chair of the City Administration Committee. Her record of service is long and deep, one that is worthy of recognition.

I also write to clarify the process by which the City of Ithaca transitioned to a new Council/Manager structure of government. In 2021, a working group of council members reviewed the governmental structure at the time, one comprised of a part-time non-voting Mayor who nevertheless supervised staff she did not have the authority to terminate, and to make recommendations for revisions. Council voted resoundingly in late 2021 to put before voters a Council/Manager form of government which has proved successful in numerous municipalities. This was based on the belief it would result in better overall efficiencies. Such a change legally required a public referendum whereby voters would decide. The November 2022 referendum confirming the proposed structural change passed overwhelmingly. The process by which this change would best be achieved, as council unanimously agreed, was hiring an independent consultant, and a Request

for Proposals was issued. The selected consultant collaborated with a search team in 2023 comprised of members of council and senior staff, including the Director of Human Resources and myself as Mayor. Interviews with applicants for City Manager, including the finalists, were open and transparent.

The ultimate selection of Deb Mohlenhoff, following an extensive national search, was based on her full record. It was a decision made with a near unanimous vote by the Common Council, not by a single individual. Deb stood out as an exceptionally strong candidate to oversee the management of a complex organization that included 400+ city employees. The duties were indeed to ‘stabilize operations,’ modernize policies, and build lasting systems that will serve Ithaca for years to come” as noted in Allen’s column.

I relay this history because last year’s council members may not have recalled the process undertaken by the city and its voters. It was disappointing to watch the rush to judgment, in my opinion, and the impact of council’s late fall decision. In my view from outside city government since December 2023, but as a taxpayer, it is that such a significant government transition could not fully be accomplished in less than two years. My belief remains firm that a Council/Manager structure offers the greatest opportunity to manage an organization of our city’s size, and that Deb was making strides to realize the full potential of this model. For many reasons, I wish to offer my gratitude to Deb Mohlenhoff for her contributions to making our community a better place to live, work, and play.” — Laura Lewis, former city of Ithaca mayor, Ithaca NY

In opposition to state Regents’ exams, one teacher told the Ithaca school board in 1993,

“There

are much better ways to promote learning and true scientific inquiry than preparing kids to take a trivia exam at the end of the year.”

The Talk at

Voices Through the Gorges

Another Bus Tale

By Charley Githler

As we slog through the sixth week of February, I present the second and last in a series of autobiographical bus stories from the 1970s. What’s with all the buses? And why look back to a time before Bond-villain billionaires, AI that drifts toward racism, the measles comeback, and a country teetering on the brink? I was going to write a scene depicting Pam Bondi ordering breakfast at the Lincoln Street Diner, but even trying to wring a laugh out of this moment is hard on the soul. So, come with me to the second weekend of October, 1974.

I was a college freshman, not quite 18, in Portland, Oregon. On the occasion of one of the innumerable breaks in the academic year, it was determined, by a committee of me and two friends, that a trip to San Francisco was called for. The word on campus was that there was a bus, the “Grey Rabbit”, that ran from Portland to downtown San Francisco for twenty dollars each way. That fit my budget exactly. We got picked up late afternoon from a streetcorner downtown, and were instructed by the driver to say, if asked, that we were members of the World Church of Community Consciousness. Apparently, the line operated without a license from the Interstate Commerce Commission and that was our cover story. As a mode of transportation, the Grey Rabbit did little to inspire the confidence I would require later in life. The bus itself had reached the peak of its athletic career sometime during Dwight Eisenhower’s first term. It had been repainted, with the image of a running rabbit vaguely reminiscent of an early Bugs Bunny on the side, but that was likely the only refurbishing the vehicle had received since its days in the service of the mainstream travel industry. Inside, all the seats but the driver’s had been removed and the floor was covered wall-to-wall with mattresses of questionable provenance and sanitary condition. The sides were draped with those Indian bedspread tapestries. It was ground zero for the pre-disco 1970s counterculture world.

Portland to San Francisco was an allnight ride, with a stop in Eugene. In my memory, there were maybe 30 passengers, including a guy with a guitar who cycled through his four-song playlist all night long. The one song I remember was ‘After Mid-

night’, which he sang with enough gusto to drown out the screech of the fanbelt. Joints circulated freely, and the air was thick with marijuana smoke. It was 1970s weed, only slightly more powerful than smoking dry crabgrass, but the concentration was such that we probably left a detectable trail as we rumbled through the night.

There were at least two dogs on board, which was not the norm on buses in those days. We picked up hitchhikers. The Grey Rabbit’s shock absorbers had given up some years earlier, and the ride was alternately bumpy and swaying, resulting in an experience not unlike what I imagine the immigrants in steerage might have had during a North Atlantic gale. Nobody got a wink of sleep. Against the odds, and possibly in answer to some prayers, we arrived in one piece early the next morning.

In 1974, you could find a cheap hotel in San Francisco, and we found the cheapest one. It was the kind of place where you might expect to bump into Ratso Rizzo in the hall. Lord knows what atrocities had been committed in that hotel room, but I’d wager that the mattresses on the Gray Rabbit were less filthy than the two we had.

We visited head shops, picked up free underground newspapers, and somehow found ourselves in what I have to describe as a hippie party. There was also Fisherman’s Wharf and the cable cars and Alcatraz. I remember it was the weekend Ed Sullivan died. It was a pretty great adventure.

For the return trip, the Grey Rabbit just never showed up. We had to take a Greyhound bus back. With seats and a certified driver and a bathroom.

It’s tempting to reminisce as a break from now, but lest you think it was an era of good feelings, we were coming out of another national nightmare that fall. Just two months earlier we Americans had been treated to the spectacle of our president submitting his resignation, flashing a peace sign, stepping into a helicopter and flying away. But, and this is important, kids, this was after members of his own party told him the jig was up. Also, back then we put naughty attorney generals in jail. Plus, the new Republican president, Gerald Ford, would be considered a leftist activist by today’s standards. Anyway, no more bus stories, I promise.

Lessons from the School Board

By Jill Tripp

Decisions are being made, decisions that will affect ICSD students and school taxes. These decisions are being made without sufficient input from community members. The information and discussions that form the basis of these decisions will be largely private — just as the decisions to extend the superintendent’s contract, to determine budget priorities, to make cuts in programs and to settle the employee contracts were largely made behind closed doors. Upcoming decisions regarding school closures, building upgrades, and staffing levels as well as countless smaller decisions will similarly be privately discussed. Why is this so? The simple answer is that it is safer for administrators and board members to avoid controversy by coming to agreement in private. Unfortunately, this deprives the public of the opportunity to understand the basis for decisions and deprives the board of the benefit of community input. It also, often, deprives the public of the opportunity to make informed decisions about who to vote for in school board elections.

The Ithaca community can be opinionated and sometimes confrontational. I have been an active member of this community for forty years, an employee of the school system for over three decades, and I served for three years on the Board of Education. These experiences have convinced me that to deprive the community of the right to have input into the choices of elected officials is too high a cost for the relative comfort of avoiding conflict.

School board members are required by state law to fulfil two responsibilities. The first is to hire and evaluate a superintendent of schools. The second is to develop and present a budget. One cannot evaluate the superintendent and present a budget without being familiar with myriad processes and personnel. One needs to be familiar with federal, state, and district educational policies as well as the official consequences of not adhering to them. The school district is a large and complex organization, with approximately 900 employees and sixteen buildings.

The responsibility to evaluate the

superintendent is perhaps the most difficult and sensitive of the board’s obligations because they are evaluating someone they work with closely. Evaluations are to be conducted annually and completed by May. During my board tenure, superintendent evaluations were completed late — often months late. It is a stressful and politicized process with little agreement on goals or the evaluation of outcomes. My third year on the board, the process was so delayed, fragmented, and contentious that a consultant, chosen by Dr. Brown, was brought in to assist the board in coming to agreement. Nevertheless, the evaluation wasn’t completed until September. This came after a history in the ICSD of either no formal evaluation or rubberstamping approval for the superintendent’s performance.

The second obligation of the board of education is the development and presentation of an annual budget. In my experience, there is relatively little board input there. Administration defines the priorities and presentations and produces a preliminary budget that is reviewed in committee meetings, but a line by line analysis and debate is not done. For the budget development process, as well as with the superintendent evaluation, little conflicting evidence or opinion is presented; thus, the board members are dependent on administrative/staff input. There is also social pressure among board members and administration to maintain the status quo, further limiting public debate.

A recent example of a missed opportunity for a critical budget-related discussion came during the process of establishing a position on the teacher contract. I support the teacher contract and applaud its achievement. I wish it had been discussed in the context of other pressing fiscal matters, such as inadequate pay for aides, custodians, and cafeteria workers and the budget’s impact on school taxes. An increasing number of Ithacans, including teachers, are fleeing the city’s unaffordable housing market by moving to nearby municipalities — which in in turn has the ripple effect of lowering the tax base. The affordability of our city

The Enduring Voice of Shirley Anita Chsholm — 1969

Curated by Roy Allen: Director of Strategic Partnerships — Ithaca Times, Finger Lakes Community Newspapers, www.ithaca.com

Many voices have shaped the nation we call America. This week we feature former US Congresswoman Shirley Anita Chisholm — from her speech “Equal Rights for Women, ” delivered as a Congressional floor speech on May 21, 1969 in Washington, D.C. In a time of deep division, voices from the past can help guide us toward greater unity. These historic speeches were not delivered in silence—they were spoken across physical and philosophical divides, sustained by courage, and animated by conviction. They remind us that freedom is not meant to be a solo act, but a shared civic experience of hope and sacrifice. Today, many Americans believe we are more divided than ever. This is not true. America, since its founding has as Dickens once wrote, experienced “the best of times and the worst of times”. This year, 2026, will be no different.

CURATORS’S NOTE: Chisholm was the first black woman elected to Congress and introduced the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) — which was passed by both houses of Congress in 1972 and has been ratified by 38 states so far.

Equal Rights for Women — 1969

— Shirley Anita Chisholm — Washington, D�C �

“Mr. Speaker, when a young woman graduates from college and starts looking for a job, she is likely to have a frustrating and even demeaning experience ahead of her. If she walks into an office for an interview, the first question she will be asked is, “Do you type?”

There is a calculated system of prejudice that lies unspoken behind that question. Why is it acceptable for women to be secretaries, librarians, and teachers, but totally unacceptable for them to be managers, administrators, doctors, lawyers, and members of Congress?

The unspoken assumption is that women are different. They do not have

executive ability, orderly minds, stability, [or] leadership skills, and they are too emotional.

It has been observed before that society for a long time discriminated against another minority, the blacks, on the same basis—that they were different and inferior. The happy little homemaker and the contented “old darkey” on the plantation were both produced by prejudice.

As a black person, I am no stranger to race prejudice. But the truth is that in the political world I have been far oftener discriminated against because I am a woman than because I am black.

Prejudice against blacks is becoming unacceptable although it will take years to eliminate it. But it is doomed because, slowly, white America is beginning to admit that it exists. Prejudice against women is still acceptable. There is very little understanding yet of the immorality involved in double pay scales and the classification of most of the better jobs as “for men only.”

More than half of the population of the United States is female. But women occupy only 2 percent of the managerial positions. They have not even reached the level of tokenism yet. No women sit on the AFL-CIO council or Supreme Court. There have been only two women who have held cabinet rank, and at present there are none. Only two women now hold ambassadorial rank in the diplomatic WE

Local Journalism as Civic Infrastructure: Preserving the Republic in the Digital Age

By Roy Allen: Director of Strategic Partnerships — Ithaca Times, Finger Lakes Community Newspapers and Ithaca.com

In a moment defined by instantaneous communication, algorithmic prioritization, and the fleeting attention of digital audiences, it is tempting to reduce local newspapers to mere content providers vying for clicks. Yet such a view obscures their profound civic significance. Local journalism is not a commercial luxury—it is the foundational infrastructure of the republic, sustaining democracy by fostering accountability, preserving communal memory, and enabling informed participation. Newspapers like the Ithaca Times occupy a critical role in this ecosystem, one that demands both immediacy in digital engagement and durability in print preservation.

At its core, journalism is a social and epistemic institution. It observes public life, records municipal governance, chronicles judicial proceedings, and scrutinizes the mechanisms of local power. These functions are not ancillary—they are indispensable to a well-functioning society. When newspapers falter, the public loses both oversight and historical continuity. Unlike ephemeral digital signals, print editions provide a permanent, verifiable ledger of civic life, physically anchored in libraries, archives, and private collections, immune to algorithmic suppression, platform volatility, or digital obsolescence. Print is not nostalgia—it is material democracy, preserving an enduring record of local governance, culture, and civic deliberation.

The First Amendment codifies the essential role of a free press in sustaining democracy. By guaranteeing the press the freedom to report without governmental interference, the Constitution enshrines local newspapers as both watchdogs and custodians of public knowledge. Every printed edition is a tangible manifestation of this constitutional protection: a public,

permanent record that underwrites transparency, accountability, and historical memory. Print thus complements the immediacy of digital channels, ensuring that the ephemeral nature of contemporary media does not imperil the continuity of the public record.

Digital platforms, undeniably, have transformed the mechanics of readership. They facilitate immediacy, social engagement, and discoverability, expanding reach beyond traditional demographics. For younger audiences, social media and mobile devices are primary conduits for local news. Digital-first workflows, analytics-driven editorial decisions, and SEO optimization are therefore indispensable for contemporary relevance. Yet digital alone is insufficient; it is inherently fragile. Cloud outages, cyberattacks, and shifting algorithms create systemic vulnerability. By maintaining print alongside digital, local newspapers create a resilient dual-system, combining the agility of real-time reporting with the permanence of archival record.

Moreover, newspapers must cultivate independence and public trust. In a digital environment dominated by attention economics, trending content often overshadows substantive reporting. Local newspapers that prioritize civic relevance over virality exercise the constitutional mandate of the First Amendment, safeguarding democracy through principled journalism. Membership programs, curated newsletters, and community partnerships reinforce this independence, creating sustainable connections between readers and the institution itself.

Print should be explicitly recognized as the archival backbone of the republic. It is a material repository of civic life, capturing the nuanced texture of local governance, social debate, and community priorities. By prioritizing investigative work, in-depth analysis, and reflective enterprise reporting in print, newspapers offer society a durable record

(Photo: History.com)

Bombers Introduce ‘Legacy Number’ to Honor Coach George Valesente

By Steve Lawrence

As the Ithaca College baseball team gears up for Opening Day on Feb. 28, players will have another goal to which to aspire. The team will vote on who among them will wear the #8, which will henceforth be known as the “Legacy Number,” and will, as stated by the college’s website, “Honor the remarkable career and lasting impact of legendary head coach George Valesente.” Valesente, of course, coached the Bombers for 41 seasons — winning two national championships — before stepping down in 2019. His son, David, has been at the helm since then, and in George’s words, “I was completely surprised by this honor. David pulled a fast one on me.”

The school’s release said, “Rather than retiring his number, we believe the greatest way to honor Coach Valesente is to keep his legacy alive on the field. Beginning this season, #8 will be worn by one player each year who best embodies the values, leadership, and commitment that Coach Valesente represented throughout his career.

Coach Valesente’s influence extends far beyond wins and losses. His passion for the game, investment in his players, and commitment to building strong men through baseball helped shape generations of athletes and laid the foundation for the culture we are proud of today.”

I called George to congratulate him, and he told me that he is “Very humbled by this honor,” and shared his hope that “it will have some significance to the player who wears it.” He added that he hopes that sig-

nificance “carries over into their academic and personal life.” He said, “I really like the fact that the team will vote on who wears it, and I'm pretty sure it will be a senior.”

I told George that if the Bombers ever get a domed stadium, his jersey could also be hung from the rafters, and he laughed and said “I keep buying lottery tickets.”

The legendary #8 said he really enjoys “being on the outer edges of things now” (he helps out as a part-time assistant coach), and he and his wife, Dianne, took advantage of a friend’s generous offer of a time share and accompanied the team to Arizona for its annual spring trip. He was able to spend some time with former Bomber — and former Major League player — Tim Locastro, who is now a Minor League coach in the San Diego Padres organization. Valesente said he is pleased

Who knew when George Valesente came to Ithaca College in 1962 that he would leave such a huge footprint, and still be involved 64 years later?

(Photo: Provided)

that Tim is able to stay in the game now that his playing career has concluded, and that Locastro will be working as an outfield and base running coach.

Continued

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

By Mikayla Rovenolt

Local Rescues House Animals in Need Welcome to Tales from the Animal Kingdom

Tompkins County and the surrounding areas are home to a variety of animal sanctuaries, rescues, and pastures to help animals in need of care and new homes.

Saoirse Pastures

Founding Director of Saoirse Pastures, Shannon Hamilton, has been involved in rescue work since her 20’s, working at various places around the country as she moved. Her work with a local dog rescue led to what is now known as Saoirse Pastures.

“While I was doing that, we would get a decent amount of calls about a horse in need, or a goat in need,” Hamilton said. “I’d always been a supporter and connected to a farm sanctuary, but was realizing how quickly the sanctuaries would fill up and weren’t able to take animals, or there wasn’t anybody to help people find the places that they needed to go to help with certain species of animals.”

Hamilton sought to fill this gap by initially serving as a liaison to help people know where to go and who to call with their animal needs. Eventually, Hamilton found herself keeping animals at her home that other sanctuaries were not able to take.

“For every handful of animals that I was able to place in a sanctuary, there was a handful that we couldn’t and so we were bringing them here,” she added.

Hamilton and her husband have a barn on the property and hit a point where the demand on them was growing so Saoirse Pastures became a legal 501c3 in 2021. They currently have 66 animals and have served nearly 200 in the last 10 years.

In addition to their sanctuary, Saoirse also has a charity thrift shop located at 1201 North Tioga Street. Proceeds go directly toward supporting the sanctuary. They are open Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and accept donations during those times as well.

Stay Wild Rescue

Stay Wild Rescue, located in Trumansburg, is run by Jane George and her husband Dan Soboleski. They began about 12 years ago as a volunteer, donation-funded wildlife rehab, focusing on white-tailed deer fawns, working

with Cornell’s Janis Swanson Wildlife Hospital.

Stay Wild also includes squirrels, bunnies, woodchucks, voles, and other wildlife. Over the years, requests for cat care have grown and Stay Wild now also takes care of some cats from the Trumansburg community.

Four years ago, George and Valesky started working with Deep South Rescue out of Ellaville Georgia to rescue dogs. George noted that they take surrenders from the local community as well.

“They are a very small rescue who actively go in and rescue puppies and mamas, pretty much any dogs that need help in that area,” George said. “So there’s a lot of times they’re going and finding dogs under abandoned houses or people live there and hear something under their house, and they go in and they find these dogs, giving birth under people’s houses, so we ended up taking a lot of puppies.”

animals and the properties. This winter, they have been busy.

Stay Wild is completely volunteer run and donation based, so all donations made go directly to animals at the rescue.

“The challenge is that every volunteer has a full time job,” George said. “As we’ve taken in more animals, and as we've grown it’s harder to be really prompt about getting adoptions done and doing all the paperwork that goes along with the rescues. We’re looking to add to our team of volunteers and have some more volunteers who are able to handle some more of the behind the scenes. We’ll hopefully be able to grow and then the rescue will continue to thrive and expand.”

Farm Sanctuary

Originally founded to combat the factory farming industry, Farm Sanctuary was cofounded in 1986 by Gene Baur and Lorri Houston and began as an advocacy organization. With two locations, Watkins Glen, NY and Acton, CA, the Farm Sanctuary is quite busy.

There are currently 343 residents of the sanctuary in Watkins Glen and 14 in Acton, with four distinct teams to care for both the

“Every season brings its own challenges,” Wellness Director Andrea Burritt said. “It’s pretty brutal on everyone, keeping the residents warm, like this past weekend, where it’s been negative double digit wind chills. You have to clear snow just to get to where the residents are living, you’re trying to keep everybody off the icy areas and trying to make sure staff stays safe when they're kind of walking through those areas. The animals also tend to stay inside a lot more in the winter because it’s cold, but that means the barns get dirty real fast, and so where in the spring and summer, we can sometimes clean the barns once or twice a week, right now, it’s having to be done almost daily, so that definitely adds a challenge.”

The Farm Sanctuary, while caring for animals is important, does advocacy work as well and has a plant based cafe on site to help showcase what plant-based eating can look like.

“The work we do is relevant to everybody,” Burritt said. “How we eat has a profound impact on our health, the well being of animals and our planet too. Animal agriculture is a major contributor to all of those most significant ecological threats. A lot of people think we just rescue animals, but our work is really about trying to advocate for all of those things, healthier people, healthier planet, and just sustainability in general.”

By Roy Allen

Brought to you by: Mikayla Rovenolt, Anna Lee, Josie Lee, and Laura Wickett

To the readers of the Ithaca Times, meet your newest monthly companion: Critter Times. This pull-out section is dedicated to celebrating the rich, often surprising connections between humans and the animal kingdom here in the Finger Lakes, from the red foxes darting through forest edges, the barred owls calling at dusk, and the trout that sparkle in our clear streams, to the loyal dogs and curious cats that brighten our homes. We’ll also highlight local rescue animals finding their forever homes, the backyard birds and pollinators that make our gardens flourish, and the hardworking farm animals that help sustain our rural landscape and define the agricultural heart of our region.

Critter Times isn’t just about adorable photos (though you’ll get plenty of those!). Each month, we’ll bring you stories that inspire, inform, and connect: insights from veterinary experts, and explorations of native species like white-tailed deer, red-tailed hawks, and the frogs and salamanders that animate our wetlands. We’ll also step into local barns and pastures to spotlight farmers and 4-H youth caring for livestock, explore sustainable farming practices, and share the stories of animals whose daily work supports both our economy and our dinner tables. We’ll showcase the work of dedicated local organizations like the Tompkins County SPCA and Shelter Outreach Services, giving you an inside look at the efforts to protect and nurture animals in our community.

The Finger Lakes region is home to a population of roughly 105,000, a mix of longtime residents, students at Cornell and Ithaca College, and families drawn to the area’s natural beauty. More than two-thirds of U.S. households own a pet, and here in Tompkins County, that number

Continued on page 15

Four-year-old piggy brothers Ben and Burt from Saoirse Pastures. (Photo: Provided)

& ADOPTIONspotlight

Oreo

Oreo is an SPCA pup and at nine months old, is as sweet as the treat she’s named after! She came to the SPCA with her sister when the previous owner could no longer care for them. Readers can meet her during open Tompkins County SPCA hours Wednesday to Sunday, from nppn to 4:30 p.m. (extended hours until 6:30 p.m. Thursdays)!

Tony

Tony is 10 months old and is a large pup at about 65 lbs. He is a fun loving male who loves going places, meeting new people and being snuggled on the couch. He is good with kids, other dogs and small animals and lives at Stay Wild Rescue.

VETcorner

Pet Tips from a Local Vet

Dr.

Brian Collins, DVM, DABVP Extension Veterinarian

Cornell Riney Canine Health Center

By Anna Lee

Q:What factors should pet owners consider in keeping their cats and dogs safe and comfortable during colder months?

A:Generally, when it’s getting below freezing is when we have to start paying extra attention to our pets’ comfort. For dogs, certain breeds are better equipped to deal with the cold, if we’re dealing with an Alaskan Malamute versus a Chihuahua. We have to take into account your dog’s age– as dogs get older, they’re less able to tolerate the cold– medical conditions, lost body mass, really short fur, or if they’ve just been groomed. If they notice their dog is

shivering or wanting to turn around, those may be signs that they’re too cold and need to spend less time outside or need winter coats. You can also buy booties, which help protect your dog from the cold, provide traction on the ice and protect them from the salt. The combination of the cold, salt and slush can be really painful on their feet.

Q:

For pets that spend time outdoors, how do their needs change during extreme weather and how should owners re-think their routines to continue to meet these needs?

A:temperature gets above freezing, we start to see ticks again. We recommend people continue whatever parasite preventative products their veterinarian recommends.

Q:If people encounter stray cats or dogs outside in the cold, what is the best way to handle getting them care?

A:Part of it is adjusting expectations that we may not get as much exercise as we’d like. Try to maximize it whenever the weather is good by looking at the forecast and planning ahead. It’s important for their physical and mental health; dogs may show more behavior problems if they’re not getting enough mental stimulation. Try to socialize with friends’ dogs in their houses. There are businesses that allow dogs too. Have a variety of toys, bringing new ones out, things like puzzle feeders give them mental stimulation. Depending on if dogs spend a lot of time outdoors in the cold weather, they may need a little bit more food than usual. If they’re more of a couch potato in the winter, you may need to cut back so they don’t gain weight. In the winter, we don’t see as many parasites, but we still recommend pets are on year round preventatives for fleas, ticks, heartworm and intestinal parasites. When the

If you find an animal on the road the inclination is going to be to try to capture them, but people have to think about their safety and the risk of getting bitten or scratched. Call your local shelter to see what they recommend. Observe the cat for a while; if the cat keeps coming back, acts hungry or is trying to get in, you may want to provide them a box to sleep in, or put some food and water out until you can figure things out. If there’s a way to lure the cat into a garage until you can contact the shelter, that might be a good way to go. I would caution people against picking up a stray cat until they’ve been able to see what their temperament is like. Check with your neighbors and ask if anybody’s missing a cat through Facebook groups. Before you catch feral cats, make sure that there’s a plan for what to do with them. Are they going to be neutered or spayed? Is there a place for them to recover? Are they going to go back to your yard? For dogs, it’s a little different. Animal control officers would be more likely to come for a dog.

FUNfacts TRIVIA

Local Wildlife from PRI (Rodent Edition)

1. True or False: Groundhogs are a kind of squirrel.

2. True or False: Flying squirrels are capable of full flight, like a bird or bat.

3. Chipmunks spend much of their time foraging and collecting food, which they store in caches across their territory. How do they transport food items to the cache?

A. Shopping cart

B. Carrying in paws

C. Cheek pouches

D. Armpit pouches

4. What is the largest rodent native to North America?

A. Porcupine

B. Beaver

C. Capybara

D. Opossum

5. During the ice age, many mammals were much larger than their modern counterparts. What modern-day animal did the ice age “giant beaver” compare in size to?

A. Bear

B. Horse

C. Elephant

D. Wolf

6. True or False: Porcupines can shoot their quills to defend themselves.

7. What is the name for a baby porcupine?

A. Puggle

B. Joey

C. Porcupette

D. Piglet

8. True or False: A rodent’s front teeth never stop growing.

Art by Josie Lee

Brian Collins with his dogs Dottie, Speck and Iris. (Photo: Provided)

Six Mile Creek Vineyard Donates to Dog Rescue

By Mikayla Rovenolt

Six Mile Creek Vineyard, while it is known for its wine and rustic Dutch-style barn tasting room, has more to it than sweet reds and dry whites. They are pet friendly and make donations to SusieQ Dog ResQ, where owners Mark and Amy Renodin have adopted and fostered many dogs from.

Abby came to the Renodins in 2018 after living in a puppy mill for six years. Mark said that while she was blind in one eye and had low vision in the other, it never stopped her from being a sweet dog. Abby also required special eye drops to help her produce tears.

“She was a very calm, quiet dog. She just preferred to lay in her bed most of the day, but is very sweet,” Mark said. “We made the Sweet Abby’s for her and we decided that $1 from every bottle goes back to the rescue donation jar of the front register. Since, we’ve adopted several dogs from them, and we’ve also fostered a couple, getting them ready for adoption.”

TRIVIA ANSWERS

1. True! Groundhogs, also called woodchucks, are ground squirrels. This group also includes chipmunks, marmots, and prairie dogs. Ground squirrels, tree squirrels, and flying squirrels together make up the squirrel family, Sciuridae.

2 False! Flying squirrels cannot truly fly, but rather glide between trees and other objects. They have a fur-covered membrane called a patagium that stretches from their wrists to their ankles. When they stretch their legs

Mark noted that when it comes to rescue dogs, they have had as many as five at a time. Recently, Mark picked up a rescue from Buffalo that was locally adopted, Elsa, and another named Willow who was adopted by a local veterinarian. The Renodins have also had cats at various times.

When it comes to the winery, pups are all the rage. Six Mile Creek is part of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, which is a dog-friendly wine trail. Mark noted that any of the wineries that are members welcome dogs.

Six Mile Creek keeps toys, treats, and water bowls for dogs that tag along on winery visits and that many of the Cayuga Wine Trail wineries will bring their dogs to work. However, being close to a main road makes that difficult at Six Mile Creek.

Dogs are welcome, on a leash, more than just during the agreeable weather season when visitors can sit outside. Because Six Mile Creek does not prepare food inside the winery, pets are welcome in the tasting room, which gives people more opportunities to get out during the winter.

The Renodins purchased Six Mile Creek just over 10 years ago, in 2015, from retired Cornell professor Roger Battistella and his wife. The location used to be a working barn and has ties to animals long before the pet-friendly winery was established.

“There was a gentleman who was a veterinarian, and he used to rent the farmhouse out next door to the tasting room,” Mark said. “He had cows and horses in here, before it was a tasting room, and he was doing studies and taking care of the animals while he was doing his doctorate at Cornell.”

Mark said Battistella turned the barn into a tasting room and vineyard after a sabbatical to France where he fell in love with the wine industry. The property that is now the vineyard had been left abandoned for some time before Battistella stepped in.

Continuing the winery and vineyard has been a semi-retirement project for the Renodins. Amy worked in retail for nearly 20 years and Mark was in the culinary business for

out, this membrane catches the air like a parachute.

3. C. Cheek pouches. Chipmunks are known for their stretchy cheeks where they can store and carry huge quantities of food. A single chipmunk can hold as many as 12 acorns in its cheek pouches at once!

4. B. The American beaver is the largest rodent in North America and the second largest rodent in the world, typically weighing in between 35-60 lbs! It is second only to the capybara, which is the largest rodent in the

17. Mark said they frequented the region and decided to settle here.

“We were at a point where we could have semi-retired young,” Mark said, “and we decided, well, let’s buy a winery to keep ourselves busy for 10 or so years before we move to retirement. It can be a lot of fun at times, and customers are always great to deal with.”

Six Mile Creek is mostly a tourist based business, but Mark said they would love to see more of the local community. Many of the wineries, while thriving during the tourist season, need local business to help them get through the quieter seasons.

“All of us wineries want to see our neighbors come in and visit us and spend time with us,” Mark concluded. “People don’t realize we have all this property because you can’t see them if you’re driving by and I’ve heard that a lot over the years.”

Down by the vineyard are picnic tables, open space, and a gazebo for people to enjoy during the nicer weather and Mark and Amy encourage folks to come by, especially with their dogs. The winery also serves local beers and sodas, so visitors do not have to do a tasting to be invited in.

“A lot of people don’t realize we have all that down there and we have seating on the deck, and charcuterie where you can make your own board,” Mark added. “We’ve had people order a pizza and have it delivered here, so it’s really open for people to use.”

For more information on wines, hours and visiting go to www.sixmilecreek.com.

Tales from the Animal Kingdom

Continued from page 13

is no different — meaning Critter Times speaks directly to thousands of animal lovers who already consider their pets part of the family. At the same time, agriculture remains a defining feature of our landscape, with multigenerational farms and small homesteads shaping the rhythm of life across the county.

world at 150 lbs; however, these animals are native to South America. Porcupines weigh up to 35 lbs. Opossums are not rodents.

5. A. The giant beaver was roughly the size of a bear, growing between 6 and 7 feet in length and over 200 pounds in weight! They went extinct at the end of the last great ice age, about 12,800 years ago.

6. False! Porcupine quills do not shoot out. Instead, they have special barbed points on the end of each quill. If a porcupine feels threatened, it will make a defense display by

Volunteer Of the Month

Iam a Licensed Veterinary Technician medical volunteer at the Tompkins County SPCA. In this role, I assist with intake examinations and provide treatments for animals entering the shelter, as well as ongoing medical care for patients currently housed there. My responsibilities range from administering vaccinations and routine medications to providing more advanced nursing care, including bandage changes, intravenous fluids, and other treatments for animals who are ill or recovering. I volunteer twice a month on weekends while working full time, and it has been an incredibly meaningful experience. I sought out this opportunity after my dog passed away, hoping to channel my time and skills into something purposeful. Being able to care for animals in need has been deeply rewarding. I also truly enjoy working alongside the dedicated and compassionate team at the TC SPCA — their commitment makes the experience even more fulfilling.

Every month, Critter Times will bring the animal kingdom a little closer to home, celebrating critters of all kinds — wild, domestic, and farm-raised — and the humans whose lives they touch. Because here in the Finger Lakes, life is better with paws, feathers, fins, hooves, and tails. Our mission is to entertain, inform, and strengthen the bond between our readers and the creatures that share this remarkable region.

erecting its quills, clacking its teeth together, and emitting a foul odor. If the porcupine is attacked, the barbs on its quills will embed them into the attacking animal's skin.

7. C. Porcupette

8. True! The rodent family is defined by their front teeth, or incisors, that never stop growing. All rodents must chew throughout their lives to whittle down their teeth before they grow too long. The enamel on the front of rodent incisors contains iron, helping to maintain a sharp chisel-like edge.

Two of Six Mile Creek’s wines are focused on their dogs, Avery and Abby. (Photo: Mikayla Rovenolt)

Junelle King Licensed Veterinary Technician Medical Volunteer Tompkins County SPCA

Junelle King with her dog, Xena. (Photo: Provided)

Artist & Advocate Celebrating Creatives Among Us IN ART, MUSIC & TECHNOLOGY

An Interview with Terry Plater, an Artist and Advocate

By Marjorie Olds

Marjorie: For decades I’ve wanted to write about you and your art, Terry. Interviewing you today, surrounded by your art was thrilling.

You achieved academic success while acquiring a BA in Psychology from Villanova University and a professional Master’s Degree in Architecture at Columbia. And after teaching at the University of Lagos Nigeria in the early 80s, you returned to the University of Pennsylvania for a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning. It’s hard to imagine how your art thrived through all this. You chose Ithaca to be your home since 1994, serving as Assistant Professor in City and Regional Planning at Cornell, and later as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in Cornell’s Graduate School.

Terry: I’m an admitted student junkie: I’ve always loved teaching and seeing young people thrive in whatever they choose to do. I’m still more than happy to do anything I can to help.

Marjorie: In 2023 you received your MFA at the New York Academy of Art, that followed by prestigious opportunities and awards. Tell us about your art.

Terry: I’m an American painter whose work speaks to singular stories and shared histories. I am a Black American artist drawn to subjects defined by questions of equity and ideas of beauty. My work continually asks if and how the two can coexist. I’d like to think— I hope—that my work responds to the challenge put forward by the late Bayard Rustin, to “speak truth to power.” What do I mean? At first glance, many of my paintings are seen as capturing a certain beauty. But behind what appears is likely an injustice to be rectified, something intentionally enacted by a particular individual or by structural systems or history.

Marjorie: What are you working on now?

Terry: My current project, A Genealogy of Memory and Imagination, is based on family photographs of people who lived between 1850 and 1950 in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC. These people experienced the aftermath of slavery, segregation, and the struggle

for civil rights in America. The paintings are about memory and imagination, both private and public. They are about grief and loss, beauty and joy. My upbringing in a family which, while solidly middle class, is only three generations removed from slavery, influences this work as well as other themes of interest to me.

Marjorie: It seems that you were always able to weave your art and her academic work together.

Terry: I am a lifelong painter but painting was a private experience until later in life. While working in higher education I remained committed to art through curated workshops and self-study, constant practice, intensive reading and research, teaching art and offering workshops to diverse communities, and purposeful travel to see and study original art in museums around the country and the world. Earning an MFA later in life was a fortuitous way to both summarize and commence certain goals.

Marjorie: In recent years your work has become recognized and well-known.

Terry: Yes, the past few years have been exceptionally fruitful. In 2021 I was chosen to do a show focused on Harriet Tubman’s history and that connection with my family history. That show was in the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center and the Cayuga History Museum. It was very well received—watercolor landscapes and oil portraits. A painting of Harriet Tubman in that show led to a very noteworthy commission by Cornell Law School—to honor their first African American graduate, George Washington Fields, a formerly enslaved man who graduated with the first class in 1896. That painting is now hanging in the Peñalver Student Foyer in Myron Taylor Hall. I’m especially grateful to Dean Ohlin for his foresight—for his part in that commission.

And later, after an image of that painting was found online by a curator at the Gibbes Museum in Charleston South Carolina, it was included in their exhibition Picturing Freedom: Harriet Tubman and the Combahee River Raid which brought together the work of artists who have visualized Harriet Tubman’s life and work.

Terry Platter's MFA graduation photo at New York Academy of the Arts. (Photo: Provided)

It was especially moving for me because among the artists included in the show were several at the absolute top of the Black American canon including Faith Ringgold, Romare Bearden, Aaron Douglas, and Elizabeth Catlett. That show will travel to the Hampton University Museum in May.

And in addition to all that, I was included in the Roberson Museum’s Regional Exhibit in Binghamton: I won first prize for the painting you like so much, Marjorie: Night Picnic

I also showed locally as well—at the Ulysses Philomathic Library in Trumansburg and at the CAP ArtSpace. Yes, 2025 was a full and fruitful year for me.

Marjorie: After all that I hate to ask but what’s next?

Terry: I’m investing in myself this year, protecting time to spend in the studio working on my current project and moving my work forward otherwise. I look forward to some new commissions, to doing some college teaching, and spending more time in New York City exploring opportunities in larger metropolitan areas.

Marjorie: I will never forget sitting with you today, Terry, honored to hear your hopes and dreams, your ideas and observations. Monumental.

Terry: Let me be the one to thank you Marjorie: thank you for the interview. I always enjoy speaking with you and I certainly appreciate the Ithaca Times’ renewed commitment to arts advocacy and to supporting local artists across all disciplines.

(Photo: Gary Hodges)

This painting is based on a public domain photograph of Harriet Tubman from the Library of Congress.

Arts & Entertainment

Terry Plater, Harriet, oil, 36" × 36", private collection.

Terry Plater, Night Picnic, oil, 36" x 48", private collection.

(Photo: Provided)

“Wuthering Heights”: Come Undone with Emerald Fennell’s Malicious Masterpiece

By Clement Obropta

Catherine Earnshaw (Margot Robbie) shivers in the dilapidated ruins of Wuthering Heights. She and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) are forbidden to burn any firewood, which their profligate father (Martin Clunes) saves for himself. But then Heathcliff rises from his wooden chair, lifts the thing over his head, and brings it down on the floor. He smashes it to pieces and tosses the chair into the fireplace.

That single scene, of Heathcliff destroying his own chair to keep Cathy warm, aptly summarizes the grand, dramatic, sexy, chair-bashing romance at the heart of Emerald Fennell’s new adaptation of “Wuthering Heights.” The classic Emily Brontë novel has been reimagined almost beyond recognition — gone is the frame narrative, and the story is reassembled in chronological order, beginning when Catherine and Heathcliff are children, played by Charlotte Mellington and “Adolescence” star Owen Cooper. The classic Gothic tale tells the story of Catherine, the wild and free-spirited daughter of a reputable farming family, and her friendship and romance with her adoptive brother, Heathcliff. They reside at Wuthering Heights, here envisioned as a stone ruin emerging from the rocky, misty crags of the Yorkshire moorland.

Though she loves him desperately,

“Wuthering Heights”

Rated R

Directed by Emerald Fennell

Currently playing at Cinemapolis and Regal Ithaca Mall

120 E Green St., Ithaca and 40 Catherwood Road, Ithaca

SUNNY DAYS OF ITHACA

continued from page 4

Sunny Days of Ithaca increasingly turned to custom apparel production to combat its financial challenges, a pivot born from the closure of the long-standing local business T-Shirt Express during

Catherine fears she cannot marry Heathcliff for reasons of wealth and status (also, let’s not forget, incest). So she weds her rich velvet baron neighbor, Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif), who lives at the opulent manor of Thrushcross Grange. The marriage ultimately threatens the ruin of Catherine, Heathcliff, and every other character who gets in their way as these two scornful people violently and catastrophically reenter one another’s lives.

“I can follow you like a dog to the end of the world,” Heathcliff tells Catherine, foreshadowing their fateful and disastrous love affair. Elordi fills Heathcliff with bridled resentment and rage, which eventually ossifies into arrogance and cruelty. He is truly sensational in the role, exquisitely capturing the brooding defiance and inner misery of the Byronic hero.

Margot Robbie, meanwhile, acquits herself like a modern Elizabeth Taylor, nailing the character’s morose grace and ferocious edge. As the film goes on, Robbie’s costumes (designed by Jacqueline Durran) tend to do most of the acting for her, but at least once a scene, she’ll whip out a sadistic line delivery or a stare that could stop a crow’s heart.

Fennell has added plenty of sex scenes and other moments not found in the original text, which is sure to anger fans. But if you’re willing to meet the work on its own terms, you might be pleasantly surprised — the filmmaker, who previously made “Promising Young Woman” and “Saltburn,” intends to honor the book not by creating an exact replica, but rather by forging the version of “Wuthering Heights” many of us imagine in our minds. The one that’s sensual, carnal, and lustful, the one that’s frequently called the “greatest romance

the pandemic. Kurzweil said that T-Shirt Express owners Abdul and Emma Lou Sheikh insisted she have “Ithaca is Gorges” products in her souvenir shop. Sunny Days started printing those products after hiring a former T-Shirt Express employee to teach them the craft. Over the last three years, this has evolved into a full-scale service for

novel ever written” despite being about two deeply terrible people.

Heathcliff isn’t Black in this adaptation, which might further infuriate book readers. (The novel is deliberately vague about his ethnicity but alludes several times to his darker complexion.) Thankfully, the multicultural cast — which includes the Pakistani-Scottish-English actor Shazad Latif and the VietnameseAmerican Hong Chau — ensures that this alternate-history version of Georgian-era England can still be analyzed thoughtfully through a racial lens. Chau, as the servant Nelly, seizes a particularly meaty part, thanks to some added dialogue about the character’s controversial mixed-race parentage that radically changes her motivations.

Pig’s blood, urine, vomit, dog scat — all co-star in this adaptation alongside Elordi and Robbie. Few people use body fluids quite like Emerald Fennell, whose artistic sensibilities seem to have been formed entirely by the peach scene in “Call Me by Your Name.” Like much of her other work, this motif has the brand of a provocateur first and an artist second, and many of

local bands, schools, and small businesses. Kurzweil’s goal is to regain customers lost to online retailers by offering competitive pricing and no minimum order requirements for items like hoodies and tote bags. She views this printing service as essential for offsetting seasonal retail slumps and hopes further awareness of

the squelcheist and wettest moments of “Wuthering Heights” feel at odds with the classic Hollywood references throughout. Still, love it or hate it, “Wuthering Heights” is a singular film, one clearly made on Fennell’s own terms. It’s a spectacle of spiteful, malicious people that draws equally from both “Gone with the Wind” and “Fifty Shades of Gray” and has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. It might very well be Fennell’s masterpiece, the ultimate achievement of her messy, ambitious style and interest in class, gender, and the sticky ways we undo one another.

My one major reservation is for Charli XCX’s music — about a dozen songs litter the film, and whenever a new one starts, “Wuthering Heights” seems to temporarily become its own trailer, as though the aestheticization of its story takes precedence over the story itself. But in an age when more people are likely to see this film via short TikTok clips than at the cinemas, perhaps we’ve gotten the “Wuthering Heights” we deserve.

Clement Obropta is a film columnist for the Ithaca Times.

these services will generate enough revenue to hire employees again with living wages. Located at 171 E. State St. on the Ithaca Commons, the shop is open from 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday. The business can be reached at 607-319-5260.

Catherine (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff stand face to face on the moors. (Photo: IMDb/Warner Bros.)

Lutenist Paul O’Dette Performs Elizabethan Music of Dowland

By Peter Rothbart

Fresh off his most recent Grammy award–it’s his 3rd–Paul O’Dette brings his Internationally acclaimed skills as a lutenist to the Unitarian Church on Feb. 21 as part of the NYS Baroque’s concert series.

O'Dette is an American lutenist, conductor, and musicologist specializing in early music. He is the technical and stylistic standard bearer to which contemporary early music musicians aspire. The term “early music” refers to European music from the medieval (often called Early Modern by scholars), Renaissance, and Baroque eras, roughly encompassing the years from the late 15th century to the end of the 18th century.

O’Dette has 155 recordings under his belt, including a five CD set of the music of John Dowland, the17th century English Renaissance composer of lute and vocal music who was well respected in his lifetime as a lutenist as well. O’Dette’s solo concert will draw from these recordings and will commemorate the 400th anniversary of Dowland’s death.

Dowland was known for his skillful contrapuntal writing, melancholic lyric settings, evocative text painting (using melody or texture to emphasize specific text), and matching musical and lyrical rhythms, called prosody. His music

Paul O’Dette, Lute

Mr. Dowland’s Midnight Lute Music of John Dowland

Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Unitarian Church

306 N. Aurora St. Ithaca, NY

Tickets: https://nysbaroque.com/tickets/ Students grade 3-12 admitted free

is restrained but intensely emotional in keeping with the decorum of the times. Lute music is usually quiet, evocative rather than provocative. It demands a slower paced listening process, especially for contemporary ears and tastes more accustomed to faster and louder fare. To fully appreciate Dowland’s opus and O’Dette’s dexterous handling of it, listen for the nuanced joy and sorrow of the highly expressive and emotionally rich music.

In an interview with writer Bruce Duffie, O’Dette explains that “One has to learn enough about the taste of a period in order to be able to understand how they wrote their music and what they were trying to say with it.”

Courtly dances such as the stately pavan or the livelier galliard were often paired together in the Elizabethan era and O’Dette’s programming reflects that custom. Other dances include the bouncing “Mrs. Vaux’s Jigge” and several unnamed works, each called “A Fancy.” Dowland’s most famous lute piece, “Lachrimae,” reflects the melancholy nature of much of his work and appears towards the end of the program.

Virtually all lute music was and remains written in tablature rather than the still evolving music notation with which we are familiar. Noteheads indicate which fret and string to place the finger on, rather than identifying pitch. O’Dette comments that, “it’s the most direct way and eliminates much of the mental gymnastics… on classical guitar.”

Modern guitar tablature uses a similar method.

Nonetheless, notation was often spotty and irregular. Ornamentation, called agréments, was either written or left up to the performer. “It depends on the repertoire and the style,” says O’Dette. “Some of the music is very carefully notated, and everything is indicated, including the ornamen-

tation and the right- and left-hand fingerings. In other repertoire all you have is a skeleton, and the performer is required to add ornamentation and to improvise.”

In addition to his activities as a performer, Paul O'Dette is an accomplished researcher, having discovered, prepared, and recorded extensively on the performance and sources of seventeenth-century Italian and English solo song, continuo practices, and lute technique.

O’Dette’s research often leads to new finds of old music, often in the libraries of European aristocratic families. In a NYS Baroque concert in Ithaca three years ago, he performed from manuscripts that had just been discovered in the private library of the Albani family from Urbino, Italy.

The lute, a descendant of the Arabic oud and relative of the modern guitar, was the most popular court as well as family home instrument during

the Renaissance, much like the guitar is today. The lute in its various forms was a versatile instrument, capable of supporting singers, pairing with other instruments, playing melodies, modal and tonal harmonies, and sophisticated counterpoint pieces for listening and especially dancing.

An oblong shaped body and a right angle pegbox are its most recognizable features. Strings are plucked and paired in courses, (groups of two strings tuned in unison or in octaves). O’Dette will perform on an 8-course lute.

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

of fact, context, and interpretation. Print, in this sense, is both historical evidence and civic insurance—a safeguard against the impermanence of digital media.

The Ithaca Times stands at a decisive moment. By embracing the philosophy of journalism as critical civic infrastructure,

grounded in First Amendment protections, it can pursue both digital innovation and archival permanence. This duality ensures that the paper remains relevant in contemporary discourse while fulfilling its enduring constitutional and civic obligations.

In sum, local journalism is not merely an industry—it is a pillar of republican society. Digital platforms enhance imme-

diacy and accessibility, but they cannot supplant the epistemic reliability, archival integrity, and civic durability of print. By committing to a dual-system model—digital-first for responsiveness, print-preserved for permanence, local newspapers serve both present and future generations, safeguard constitutional freedoms, and provide a tangible record of communal life. In doing so, they preserve not only stories

but the very architecture of civic memory upon which a healthy democracy depends.

We are seeking community members to engage in this discussion, not to suppress either technology or print but rather to explore the best ways to synthesize their strengths to protect, serve and sustain our nation. Interested parties may contact Roy@ithacatimes.com.

Paul O’Dette will perform at the Unitarian Church on Feb. 21 as part of the NYS Baroque’s concert series. (Photo: Provided)

Help Create the International Desk at the Ithaca Times

Are you an international student studying in Ithaca? Have you experienced moments of hope and uncertainty?

Critical Allies, a special initiative of the Ithaca Times, is launching an International Desk—sta ed by international students, for international students.

We’re inviting you to help build something new.

What Is the Critical Allies International Desk?

The International Desk will explore and showcase how international students navigate life in Ithaca—on campus and in the wider community. But this isn’t about deficit narratives or crisis-only storytelling.

We will ask deeper questions:

• What strategies are students using to build belonging?

• What institutional experiments are helping—and which aren’t?

• How are students responding to exclusion, isolation, or misunderstanding?

• What opportunities does time in America create—here and back home?

• What lessons from Ithaca can inform communities elsewhere?

This is journalism as civic innovation.

Who Should Apply?

We’re looking for international students who:

• Care about improving campus and community life

• Want to influence public dialogue

• Are curious about how systems change happens

• Want their voice—and others’ voices—to be heard

Become a Critical Ally

Help transform Ithaca into a space where international students are not just guests—but co-authors of the community story. Please send resume to Roy@ithaca.com Your perspective is essential. Your story could change more than you think

Music

Bars/Bands/Clubs

2/20 Friday

The Elderly Brothers | 5 p.m. | Hopshire Farm and Brewery, 1771 Dryden Road, Freeville NY

2/21 Saturday

Marc Devo Quartet | 6 p.m. | Personal Best Brewing, 321 W State St. | Free Virginia Davis | 6 p.m. | Brewer’s Taproom and Kitchen | 1384 Dryden Rd.

Coyote Island LIVE | 7 p.m. | Liquid State Brewing Company, 620 W Green St. | $15.83

Concerts/Recitals

2/18 Wednesday

The Great American Songbook by Williamson Voice Studio | 7 p.m. | Nabenhauer Recital Room, Ithaca College

Matthew Bengtson, fortepiano and John Haines-Eitzen, cello (CU Music) | 7:30 p.m. | Barnes Hall, 129 Ho Plaza | Free

2/19 Thursday

Coral Douglas (CU Music) | 12:30 p.m. | Lincoln Hall, Cornell University, 256 Feeney Way | Free Cornell Chorale presents Taipei Voices (CU Music) | 7:30 p.m. | Sage Chapel, 147 Ho Plaza | Free

2/20 Friday

Ithaca College Concert Band |

7 p.m. | Ford Hall, Ithaca College

Giving Voice — Ithaca College

Wind Ensemble | 7 p.m. | Ford Hall, Ithaca College | Free

Crys Matthews | 7 p.m. | Lansing Area

Performance Hall, 1004 Auburn Rd., North Lansing NY | $20.00 - $25.00

Songs of Love and Life | 7 p.m. |

Unitarian Chhurch, 306 N Aurora St. | $10 suggested donation

Sketches of Spain (CU Music) | 7:30 p.m. | Bailey Hall, 230 Garden Ave. | Free

2/22 Sunday

Junior Recital: Gianna Gassira, flute | 2 p.m. | Hockett Family Recital Hall, Ithaca College

Ensemble X presents Boulangerie 1 (CU Music) | 3 p.m. | Barnes Hall, 129 Ho Plaza | Free Lamentations of Jeremiah | 4 p.m.

| St. Luke Lutheran Church, 109 Oak Ave. | Free

Sabor Latino 32nd Annual Concert | 6 p.m. | State Theatre of Ithaca, 107 W State St.

The Robert Cray Band | 8 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St., Homer NY

2/23 Monday

Guest Recital: Jason Dovel, Trumpet | 7 p.m. | Hockett Family Recital Hall, Ithaca College

Schutz Vocal Studio Recital | 7 p.m. | Hockett Family Recital Hall, Ithaca College

2/24 Tuesday

Elective Recital: Megan Moriarty, bassoon Hall | 7 p.m. | Hockett Family Recital Hall, Ithaca College

Folk at the Farmhouse — Evan Horne (aka Tenzin Chopak) & Emmett Scott | 7 p.m. | The Farmhouse at Grist Iron Brewing Company, 4880 New York 414, Burdett NY Ithaca College Concert Band | 8:15 p.m. | Ford Hall, Ithaca College | Free

2/25 Wednesday

Midday Music for Organ: Andrew Johnson and Yuhe Su (CU Music) | 12:30 p.m. | St Luke Lutheran Church, 109 Oak Ave. | Free

Art

Members Show: The Returning Light | Thursday-Sunday 12-5 p.m. | State of the Art Gallery, 120 W State St. | Celebrate the new year with a selection of work from fourteen of our artist members. Featuring paintings, photos, sculpture, and fiber arts representing a broad spectrum of styles. | Free Art Opening | 4 p.m., 2/21 Saturday | The Gallery at South Hill, 950 Danby Rd., South Hill Business Campus | Photographers Brian Arnold, Crystal A. Calabrese, Andrew Gillis, Dede Hatch, Harry Littell, Rachel Philipson, Jon Reis, and Sheryl D. Sinkow. For details

please go to www.thegalleryatsouthhill.com | Free

Film

Movie Night- Wicked: For Good | 6:30 p.m., 2/20 Friday | Newfield Public Library, 198 Main St., Newfield NY | Join us for the exciting tale of Elphaba and Glinda. Popcorn provided by the Library! | Free

Aster Film Festival |1-5 p.m. 2/21

Saturday and 2/22 Sunday | Film Forum, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, 430 College Ave. | This unforgettable two-day celebration of creativity, storytelling, and community, is organized by Delta Kappa Alpha (DKA) at Cornell University. This spring event showcases the best short films from emerging student filmmakers across the US | Free

Banff Mountain Film Festival | 7 p.m., 2/21 Saturday and a second set of films at 3 p.m. 2/22 Sunday | Bailey Hall, Cornell University | Sponsored by Cornell Outdoor Education, this collection of outdoorsy and environmentally themed films is sure to get you excited about the outdoors. Tickets are available online at cornelltickets.com

Professional Directions: 95 and 6 To Go with Filmmaker Kimi Takesue | 5 p.m., 2/25 Wednesday | Film Forum, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, 430 College Ave. | After the screening of 95 and 6 To Go, filmaker Kimi Takesue will participate in a talkback. The event will be

moderated by PMA Associate Professor

Jeffrey Palmer and Associate Professor

Kelly Gallagher, Film and Media, Syracuse University, and is open to the public. | Free

Cinemapolis

120 E Green St, Ithaca

New movies opening the week of February 18. Contact Cinemapolis for showtimes and continuing films.

Move When the Spirit Says Move |

Dorothy Foreman Cotton was a bold, highly effective civil rights leader, who educated thousands in their citizenship rights and inspired generations of activists with her powerful freedom songs. The only woman on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s executive staff, Dorothy was a charismatic, courageous and consistently overlooked key player in the Civil Rights Movement.| NR, 87 min

| One showing, 2:30 p.m. 2/18

2026 Oscar Nominated Short Films | Catch all three categories of Oscar-nominated short films on the big screen before the winners are announced on March 15! Live action, animated, and documentary shorts are shown as three separate programs.

Midwinter Break | A stirring meditation on faith, commitment, and the enduring power of love, as a longtime couple takes a life-changing trip to Amsterdam. | PG-13 90 mins

Buster Keaton in The Navigator | Free screening with live musical accompaniment presented in partnership with Wharton Studio Museum | Sun. February 22, 3 p.m. | NR 65 mins

Sports

Ithaca College Swimming and Diving Liberty League Championships

| All day 2/18 Wednesday through 2/21 Saturday | Bird Nataroium, Ithaca College

Ithaca College Women’s Basketball vs Skidmore College | 5:30 p.m.

2/20 Friday | Ben Light Gymnasium, Ithaca College

Cornell Men’s Polo vs Denver Polo Club | 7 p.m. 2/20 Friday | Oxley Equestrian Center, Cornell University

Ithaca College Men’s Basketball vs Skidmore College | 7:30 p.m. 2/20 Friday | Ben Light Gymnasium, Ithaca College

Cornell and Ithaca College Women’s and Men’s Track and Field Marc Denault Invitational | 10 a.m. 2/21 Saturday | Barton Hall, Cornell University

Cornell Men’s Basketball vs Harvard | 2 p.m. 2/21 Saturday | Newman Arena, Cornell University

Ithaca College Women's Basketball vs Vassar College | 2 p.m. 2/21 Saturday | Ben Light Gymnasium, Ithaca College

Ithaca College Men’s Basketball vs Vassar College | 4 p.m. 2/21 Saturday | Ben Light Gymnasium, Ithaca College

Cornell Women’s Polo vs Denver Polo Club | 6 p.m. 2/21 Saturday | Oxley Equestrian Center, Cornell University

Cornell Women’s Lacrosse vs James Madison University | 12 p.m. 2/22 Sunday | Schoelkopf Field, Cornell University

Cornell Men’s Lacrosse vs Hobart | 5 p.m. 2/24 Tuesda | Schoelkopf Field, Cornell University

Special Events

Black History Month Community Celebration | 7 p.m., 2/19 Thursday | Ford Hall, Ithaca College | The second of two concerts highlighting the musical contributions of people of color and the power of community musicmaking, the Community Celebration

will include performances by various community groups. | Free

Books

Forensics for Writers Workshop | 4 p.m., 2/18 Wednesday | Buffalo Street Books, 215 N Cayuga St. | Join Mary Jumbelic, M.D. at Ithaca’s Buffalo Street Books for workshop “Forensics For Writers” focused on the techniques she utilized with writing her most recent work Speak Her Name (2025). | Free Writing Group | 6:30 p.m., 2/18 Wednesday | Cortland Free Library, 32 Church St., Cortland NY | We are all writers! At least we are as soon as we start writing!

4 Seasons Winter Book Club | 12 p.m., 2/19 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | We will discuss Heartwood by Amity Gaige, a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2025).

Author Reading: Dante Micheaux and Alex Gilvarry | 5 p.m., 2/19 Thursday | Klarman Hall, RhodesRawlings Auditorium, KG70, 232 East Ave. | Poet Dante Micheaux and novelist Alex Gilvarry. Reception and book signing to follow in the English Lounge, 258 Goldwin Smith Hall. Open to the public. | Free Grayhaven Book Club: James | 5:30 p.m., 2/19 Thursday | Grayhaven Motel, 657 Elmira Rd. | Join fellow guests, community members, and Grayhaven staff for the Grayhaven Book Club! We’ll be discussing our third selection, “James” by Percival Everett | Free Practice Makes Perfect: Nurturing Your Writing Habit | 2 p.m., 2/21 Saturday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | A workshop on the art/craft/joy/special hell that is getting your ideas onto the page.

A Celebration of Archie Ammons’ 100th Birthday | 2 p.m. 2/22 Sunday

| Buffalo Street Books, 215 N Cayuga St. | Ammons is widely regarded as one of the great poets of the later 20th century. Bring a favorite Ammons poem to read (or a poem of your own in tribute to him).

Magical Realism: A Fiction Writing Workshop | 5:30 p.m., 2/24 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | Join Augusto Luiz Facchini and enhance your craft in a new writing workshop focused on Magical Realism! |

The Gilda Stories: A Discussion | 6 p.m., 2/25 Wednesday | Buffalo Street Books, 215 N Cayuga St. | Queer Horror × BIPOC Voices Book Club collaborate to discuss The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez. | Free

Kids

Animal Feeding | 4 p.m., 2/18 Wednesday | Sciencenter, 601 1st St. | Join an Animal Keeper to observe snakes, lizards, frogs, and fish snacking on their preferred prey.

Life Skills: Dollars and Dilemmas | 6 p.m., 2/18 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | An engaging 7-week course designed to provide the real-world money skills that kids actually need. Give your children the money tools they’ll actually use for the rest of their lives.

Parent & Child Monotype with Stencils | Jasper & Craig Mains | 1 p.m. – 3 p.m., 2/19 Thursday | The Ink Shop, 330 E. MLK/State St. | Parent & Child Monotype with Stencils | $30 for 1 parent and child (+ $10 for materials) $40 for 1 parent and 2 children (+ $10 for materials).

Mario Kart Tournament | 2 p.m., Kid and Tween Edition, 4 p.m. Teen Edition, 2/19 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | Start your engines! We’ll set up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on our biggest projector and play together. Snacks will be provided!

Baby & Toddler Storytime | 10:30 a.m., 2/20 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., 2/21 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.

Lion Dance and Chinese Cultural Dance | 2:30 p.m., 2/21 Saturday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | TCPL, in partnership with the Cornell Lion Dance Club and the Cornell Illumination Chinese Cultural Dance Troupe, invites you to a spectacular and thrilling dance performance for children and families

Ballet & Books: Spring 2026 | 2:30 p.m., 2/21 Saturday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | Ballet & Books is a national, non-profit organization that provides children ages 3 years — 4th grade with an opportunity to improve their literacy skills through a combination of dance and reading.

“Li’l Sprouts” Waldorf class for Babies & Toddlers | 9 a.m., 2/23 Monday | Ithaca Waldorf School, 20 Nelson Road | A weekly Waldorf gathering for babies and toddlers with their parent/ caregiver, led by master teacher Karen Lonsky. | $30.00 - $175.00

Family Open Play | 9:30 a.m., 2/23

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., 2/23 Monday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | Baby & Toddler

PAUL O’DETTE LUTE RECITAL

SATURDAY, FEB. 21 AT 7:30 P.M.

First Unitarian Society of Ithaca, 306 N Aurora St. | The second concert in NYS Baroque’s Dowland mini-festival. O’Dette, with dozens of recordings, Grammy nominations, and other awards to his credit, has recorded the complete solo lute works of Dowland. He travels the world as a solo lutenist, chamber musician, opera conductor, and recording artist, returning to his home in Rochester where he teaches at the Eastman School of Music. There will be an informal and informative pre-concert talk at 6:45pm given by the musician. (Photo: Provided)

Playtime is an unstructured play and social time for children and caregivers offering a warm, child-friendly space with books and age-appropriate toys.

Sit! Stay! Read! | 3 p.m., 2/23 Monday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | Children are invited to practice their reading skills by sharing a story with a truly non-judgmental listener — a dog! Mondays.

Crafty Kids | 4 p.m., 2/24 Tuesday | Cortland Free Library, 32 Church St., Cortland NY | We will meet to make a different craft each month. Meets on the last Tuesday at 4 p.m. Open to ages 6-12 yrs. Registration is limited & is required each month.

Notices

Ithaca Loves Teachers @ TCPL |

2 p.m. – 4 p.m., 2/18 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | Join us for a happy hour in our Makerspace as we show our appreciation for all teachers

Pet Clinic | 6 p.m., 2/18 Wednesday | Southside Community Center Gym, 305 S Plain St.

Common Council- Committee of the Whole Session B | 6 p.m., 2/18 Wednesday | Common Council Chambers, 3rd Floor City Hall, 108 E Green St. Trivia! | 7 p.m., 2/18 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 Proehl. Get there early as seats fill up fast! | Free

GO ITHACA Open Hours | 2 p.m., 2/19 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Join GO ITHACA for Open Hours at TCPL!

GO ITHACA is proud to help transform transportation in Tompkins County! Our program makes sustainable commuting accessible and affordable for everyone.

Community Choice Aggregation

Public Meeting | 6 p.m., 2/19 Thursday | Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC), 301 W Court St. | Learn more about Community Choice Aggregation coming to Ithaca!

Own Your Power Public Information Meeting | 7 p.m., 2/19 Thursday | Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC), 301 W Court St. | Own Your Power is designed to help residents and businesses build locally-owned, on-site renewable power. The program will focus on proven solutions like solar, geothermal heat, electric vehicles, and other Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). | Free

Karaoke with Elephant Sound | 8 p.m., 2/19 Thursday | 23 North Restaurant and Bar, 23 Cinema Dr. | Show off your singing chops every Thursday night. Great food, great drinks, great FUN! | Free

American Red Cross Blood Drive | 10 a.m., 2/20 Friday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. Embroidery Workshop | 11 a.m. –1 p.m. 2/21 Saturday | Newfield Public Library, 198 Main St., Newfield NY Newfield Lions Pork Dinner | 5 p.m., 2/21 Saturday | Newfield Fire Department, 77 Main St., Newfield NY | Dinner fundraiser includes pork loin, potatoes, veggies, rolls, beverages, and desserts. Eat in or take out.  Feel free to bring your own container. | $12.00

What’s Next Ithaca? At South Hill

Cider | 3 p.m., 2/22 Sunday | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Road | What do we do next?? South Hill Cider, along with DCTC and WRFI, will be hosting a story sharing experience and discussion about civic engagement and empowerment in local democracy. | Free

Federal Casework Assistance of Staff of Congressman Riley |

1 p.m., 2/24 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St. | An opportunity to meet with the staff from Congressman Josh Riley’s office regarding concerns or Federal case work needs.

Vegetable Seed Starting | 5:30 p.m., 2/24 Tuesday | CCE-Tompkins Education Center, 615 Willow Avenue | Grow everything from artichokes to zucchini from seed at home! | $20.00 Discover Improv | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., 2/24 Tuesday | The Cherry Arts, 102 Cherry St. | Come discover the joy of improv in a supportive environment! Register at ithacaimprov.com | $25.00

Planning and Development Board Meeting | 6 p.m., 2/24 Tuesday, City Hall 3rd Floor Council Chambers, 108 E Green St.

Afro-Cuban Traditional & Folkloric Dance Class | 7:30 p.m., 2/24 Tuesday | Treehouse Studio, 119 S Cayuga St. | Taught by Adolfo Castillo and Lisbet Lopez, accomplished professional dancers from Guantanamo, Cuba. Class is for all levels. Live percussion accompaniment. | $20.00

LGBTQ+ Youth Group | 4:30 p.m., 2/25 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!

Community Police Board Meeting | 4:30 p.m., 2/25 Wednesday | Council Chambers, 3rd Floor City Hall

Swing Dance Party | 7 p.m., 2/25 Wednesday | TreeHouse Studio & Lounge, 119 S Cayuga St. | The Ithaca Swing Dance Network hosts a swing dance party with DJ Kendall. Come practice your dance moves in this friendly atmosphere! Large wood dance floor. $5 cover. | $5.00

LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH

SUNDAY, FEB. 22 FROM 4 TO 6 P.M.

St. Luke Lutheran Church, 109 Oak Ave. | Presented by Music at St. Luke. The Southern Tier Singers Collective performs this lenten polyphony by Orlandus Lassus. Written in 1584, The Lamentations of Jeremiah contains many themes that still resonate in our modern world. Immerse your ears in the intimate spirituality of one of the Renaissance’s greatest composers. (Photo: Provided)

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STATE SEN. WEBB ANNOUNCES

continued from page 3

legislation addressing a wide range of issues impacting women, including menstrual product accessibility, improved maternity health services, reinforced reproductive rights, enhanced protection against fibroids and ovarian cancer, and stricter measures to prevent human trafficking.

Senator Webb grew up in Binghamton and is a first-generation graduate of SUNY

LESSONS FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD

continued from page 9

requires carefully weighing the need for a fair and living wage and the needs of ordinary homeowners and business owners to remain afloat. This doesn’t have to be a zero sum game. More open discussion and concerted action could lead to the identification of other sources of revenue for the ICSD — such as increased funds from Cornell. This September, many community

A NATION SPEAKS

continued from page 10

corps. In Congress, we are down to one senator and ten representatives. Considering that there are about 3.5 million more women in the United States than men, this situation is outrageous. It is true that part of the problem has been that women have not been aggressive in demanding their rights. This was also true of the black population for many years. They submitted to oppression and even cooperated with it. Women have done the same thing. But now there is an awareness of this situation particularly among the younger segment of the population.

As in the field of equal rights for blacks, Spanish Americans, the Indians, and other groups, laws will not change such deep-seated problems overnight. But they can be used to provide protection

BOMBERS INTRODUCE ‘LEGACY NUMBER’ continued from page 11

It has always been enjoyable to watch Cornellians play in the Olympic Hockey games, but until this year it was slightly conflicting, given they all played for Canada. This year, Rory Guilday — Cornell class of 2025 — is on the U.S. Team, and at this writing, the red, white and blue

Broome and Binghamton University, where she earned a degree in neuroscience.

Before joining the Senate, Senator Webb worked as an educator at Binghamton University, where she developed diversity and inclusion training and programs for faculty, staff, and students.

Senator Webb is also an advocate for civic engagement and is a national trainer with Vote Run Lead, training thousands of women across the country on how to run for elected office.

Webb is also a founding chair of the

members were outraged when their request for a postponement of a vote on the extension of the superintendent’s contract was not allowed. They felt that they had had insufficient notice that this vote was on the agenda and that more information should be available. In my experience, public comment had led to solutions when concerns were presented often and when open questions were put to the board and administration. Email and phone calls can be helpful in providing input to board members. Board members’ email addresses are

for those who are most abused, and to begin the process of evolutionary change by compelling the insensitive majority to reexamine its unconscious attitudes.

It is for this reason that I wish to introduce today a proposal that has been before every Congress for the last forty years and that sooner or later must become part of the basic law of the land— the Equal Rights Amendment.

Let me note and try to refute two of the commonest arguments that are offered against this amendment. One is that women are already protected under the law and do not need legislation. Existing laws are not adequate to secure equal rights for women.

Sufficient proof of this is the concentration of women in lower-paying, menial, unrewarding jobs and their incredible scarcity in the upper-level jobs. If women are already equal, why is it such an event whenever one happens to be elected to Congress?

is steamrolling its way through the field. The women have outscored opponents by an utterly dominant total of 26-1, and have shut out their last four opponents. Big Red alums have brought numerous gold medals back to campus, and it would be awesome to see that happen again. (For more details on Guilday’s remarkable story — she lost sight in her right eye when she was in seventh grade — see the Ithaca Times story from Jan. 14.)

Black Millennial Political Convention and a founding board member of Local Progress. Senator Webb has earned many awards, including the Broome Tioga NAACP President’s Award.

“It continues to be the privilege of a lifetime to serve working families in Broome, Cortland, and Tompkins Counties,” Webb said. “I am proud of the work I’ve done over the past year to deliver increased funding for our communities, improve infrastructure, support our children’s education, and boost maternal health support. I look forward to

available on the district website. Improved options for virtual attendance at meetings also need to be provided. I have found the streamed meetings to be difficult to hear and it is often unclear who is speaking. Close captioning could enable many more people to follow what is going on.

It is indeed stressful to be in public disagreement, but clear explanations and frank discussions of positions on issues are necessary if the public is to be informed and thus enabled to play a meaningful role in decisions affecting

It is obvious that discrimination exists. Women do not have the opportunities that men do. And women that do not conform to the system, who try to break with the accepted patterns, are stigmatized as ”odd” and “unfeminine.” The fact is that a woman who aspires to be chairman of the board, or a member of the House, does so for exactly the same reasons as any man. Basically, these are that she thinks she can do the job and she wants to try.

A second argument often heard against the Equal Rights Amendment is that it would eliminate legislation that many states and the federal government have enacted giving special protection to women and that it would throw the marriage and divorce laws into chaos.

As for the marriage laws, they are due for a sweeping reform, and an excellent beginning would be to wipe the existing ones off the books. Regarding special

Staying on the topic of the Olympics, the collapse of U.S. Olympic ice skater Ilia Malinin brought to mind the tale of Hephaestus, the Greek god that fell from Mount Olympus. The over-hyped 21-year-old athlete was held to Mount Olympus standards, and photos and videos of him wearing his “Quad God” swag were shown incessantly. Ultimately, the 21-year-old proved to be human, crashing out in the brightest of spotlights, on the biggest of stages. Like

continuing this important work for Senate District 52 in the new year and pushing for greater affordability, stronger environmental protections, and more accessible rural resources, while always making sure the Southern Tier has a seat at the table.”

The 2026 New York State Senate election will be held on Nov. 3, 2026. Primary elections will be held on June 23, 2026. It will be held alongside elections for governor, attorney general, comptroller, United States House of Representatives, and state assembly.

our community. Board members who are knowledgeable about our schools, willing to articulate individual positions, and adept at challenging authority provide the basis for a strong board that is able to carry out its legal responsibilities and provide direction in challenging times. The school board needs to hear your voice.

Jill Tripp is a long-time Ithaca resident. She is retired from a thirty-plus year career as a school psychologist in the ICSD. She served on the BOE 2022-2025.

protection for working women, I cannot understand why it should be needed. Women need no protection that men do not need. What we need are laws to protect working people, to guarantee them fair pay, safe working conditions, protection against sickness and layoffs, and provision for dignified, comfortable retirement. Men and women need these things equally. That one sex needs protection more than the other is a male supremacist myth as ridiculous and unworthy of respect as the white supremacist myths that society is trying to cure itself of at this time.

Next week, we will celebrate Patsy Mink, the first Woman of Color and first Asian — American woman elected to Congress in 1965. Mink was the principal author of Title IX — that prohibited sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs and represented Hawaii for 24 years.

the once-thought-to-be invincible Simone Biles before him, the pressure proved to be too much, and proved that he is, after all, human. It was painful to see him collapse under the weight of the expectations — self-imposed and otherwise. Here’s to hoping that young athletes’ perfection is not prioritized over their mental health, and that Malinin — like Boles — takes the time he needs to take care of himself and make a multi-level comeback.

The Power of Food to Build and Sustain Community

The Interfaith Community

Dinner often warmly referred to as

" D i n n e r w i t h F r i e n d s " — is a

cherished monthly gathering in the

Ithaca, NY area that brings people of

diverse faiths and backgrounds

together around shared food and

conversation. Held in locations across

Greater Lansing and Ithaca, such as

Lansing United Methodist Church,

Congregation Tikkun v’Or, Al Huda

Islamic Center, Ithaca Reform

Temple, First Congregational Church

of Ithaca, and oth

Dinner with Friends emphasizes openness and neighborliness. Organizers encourage attendees to "bring a labeled dish-to-pass and an open heart to meet new friends," underscoring the goal of nurturing understanding through everyday acts like breaking bread together. The Facebook page for Interfaith Communities of Greater Lansing & Ithaca serves as a key hub for updates, with email contacts available for those interested in hosting or participating.

If you're in the Ithaca area and would like to join or learn about the next event, check the Interfaith

Communities Facebook page (@interfaithcommunity) or reach out via email (interfaithcommunity14882@gmail.com) for the latest schedule and details. All are welcome — no reservations typically required, just a kind heart and an open spirit. www.whoisyourneighbor.org SPONSORED CONTENT WHO'S YOUR NEIGHBOR?

Photo: StockCake.com

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As our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026—and continues through September 2037, the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution— Sounds of Democracy will create a living audio archive of essays, letters to the editor, and news stories originally published in our local papers.

In an era of social and political dis-ease, Sounds of Democracy offers a simple but powerful act: listening to one another . Please contact Roy Allen , Director of Strategic Partnerships, at Roy@ithacatimes.com for more information. We look forward to hearing from you.

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