PAGES 8-9
School Board Election, Budget Vote Set for
PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING INTRODUCTION PAGE 3 ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT ORDINANCE APPROVED PAGE 4 FIVE ITHACA SCHOOLS UNABLE TO MEET STATE STANDARDS PAGE 5
“LETTERS FROM MAX” AT THE KITCHEN THEATRE PAGE 11
TAMARIND'S TERRIFIC THAI TASTES PAGE 12
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Ithaca’s Participatory Budgeting Pilot Launches with City Hall Plaza Project
By Matt Dougherty
ITHACA, N.Y. — The City of Ithaca is introducing its new participatory budgeting process through a smallscale redesign of City Hall Plaza. The pilot project aims to educate the public about how participatory budgeting works to help build momentum for its full-scale rollout in 2026.
The pilot is part of the Ithaca Green New Deal’s Justice50 initiative, adopted in May 2024, which commits to ensuring at least 10% of the capital budget is allocated through participatory budgeting and that at least 50% of city investments benefit communities most impacted by climate and economic injustice.
“This pilot is very, very different from what we’ll see in 2026,” said Rebecca Evans, Ithaca’s Director of Sustainability. “But it introduces the concept, the voting platform, and the idea that residents, not just elected officials, can decide how money is spent.”
concept” of participatory budgeting and test elements of the process, such as public voting and idea submission.
Residents currently have until May 19 to take a survey to vote on improvements such as green space, café seating, public art, shade structures, or activity areas through a simple online survey.
“It’s a way to increase democratic engagement and participation with local government,” Evans said. “And it’s open to more than just registered voters; it includes residents as young as 16 and undocumented community members as well.”
“We’re building a process flexible enough to support communityidentified needs, and we’re working internally to understand what types of proposals can be implemented legally.”
— Rebecca Evans, Ithaca’s Director of Sustainability
The City Hall Plaza project was included in the adopted FY25 capital budget with an allocation of $50,000. Evans said it provides an opportunity to “socialize the
Looking ahead to the 2026 launch of a full participatory budgeting cycle, Evans said proposals could go far beyond physical infrastructure. “People might want to use the funds for things like help paying utility bills or energy assistance,” she said. “We’re building a process flexible enough to support community-identified needs, and we’re working internally to understand what types of proposals can be implemented legally, whether through city departments or partner entities like the Urban Renewal Agency.”
Unlike the plaza project, future rounds
X New Travel ID Requirements Took Effect On May 7
ITHACA, N.Y. — Beginning May 7, 2025, travelers will no longer be able to use a standard New York State driver’s license to board domestic flights in the United States. According to the Tompkins County Department of Motor Vehicles, residents will need either a REAL ID, a New York State Enhanced License, or a U.S. Passport Card for domestic air travel.
REAL IDs are marked with a star in the top right corner and can be obtained at the DMV with documents proving identity, residency, Social Security number, and citizenship. There is a $12.50 transaction fee.
Enhanced Licenses feature a U.S. flag and cost $30 in addition to the $12.50 fee. They also require proof of citizenship and legal name changes. While they are valid for domestic flights and land or sea crossings from Canada, Mexico, and some Caribbean countries, Enhanced Licenses are only issued by five states, so TSA agents may not recognize them. Travelers are encouraged to carry Homeland Security documentation explaining the Enhanced License if using it at airports.
U.S. Passport Cards are also accepted for domestic flights and land or sea border crossings
will allow residents to submit their own proposals. “Let’s say someone wants to build a new skate park on West Hill,” Evans said. “They could submit a proposal, create a budget, and rally support. That’s the vision for 2026.”
Evans emphasized that one goal of the full-scale program is to level the playing field when it comes to who gets a say in how to use city resources. The city plans to offer training so that people from all backgrounds, not just skilled grant writers,
Continued on Page 14
and may be a good alternative for individuals with multiple name changes. The cost for firsttime adult applicants is $65. For international air travel, however, a full U.S. passport is required. First-time adult passport books cost $165.
The Tompkins County DMV encourages residents to check their current ID status and plan ahead to avoid travel delays. To determine if your ID is compliant, check the top right corner of the license. Standard licenses will say “not for federal purposes.”
For more information, visit the DMV office at 301 Third St. in Ithaca, call (607) 273-7187, or check the DMV’s REAL ID webpage.
E r
F r EE lan CE rs : Barbara Adams, G. M Burns, Jane Dieckmann, Charley Githler, Ross Haarstad, Steve Lawrence, Marjorie Olds, Henry Stark, and Peter Rothbart
THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE ITHACA TIMES ARE COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY PATHWAYS TO EQUITY, LLC. All rights reserved. Events are listed free of charge in TimesTable. All copy must be received by Friday at noon. The Ithaca Times is available free of charge from various locations around Ithaca. Additional copies may be purchased from the Ithaca Times offices for $1. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $139 one year. Include check or money order and mail to the Ithaca Times, PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. ADVERTISING: Deadlines are Monday 5 p.m. for display, Tuesday at noon for classified. Advertisers should check their ad on publication. The Ithaca Times will not be liable for failure to publish an ad, for typographical error, or errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of the space in which the actual error appeared in the first insertion. The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication. The Ithaca Times is published weekly Wednesday mornings. Offices are located at 109 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 607-277-7000, FAX 607277-1012, MAILING ADDRESS is PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. The Ithaca Times was preceded by the Ithaca New Times (1972–1978) and The Good Times Gazette (1973–1978), combined
A new participatory budgeting pilot invites Ithaca residents to help decide how $50,000 should be spent to improve the City Hall Plaza, marking the city’s first step toward a broader community-led budgeting process under its Justice50 initiative. (Photo: Provided)
IN UIRING PHOTOGR PHER Q A
By Mark Syvertson
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Ithaca Approves ADU Ordinance Without Owner-Occupancy Requirement
By Matt Dougherty
ITHACA, N.Y. — After six years of planning and debate, the Ithaca Common Council voted 8–3 on May 7 to adopt legislation that legalizes the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by right in most residential zones across the city.
The landmark vote followed a lengthy public hearing and council debate over the policy’s potential to alleviate the city’s housing crisis and its impact on neighborhoods, specifically in the third ward.
The city’s effort to legalize ADUs began in 2019, but progress stalled for years due to the pandemic and concerns that ADUs would be used for short-term rentals (STRs) instead of long-term housing. As a result, the Common Council agreed that STR regulations needed to be passed first to ensure ADUs were used for longterm housing. Those STR rules were adopted in 2024, clearing the way for Wednesday's vote.
R-2, and R-3, as well as select commercial and mixed-use zones.
According to the proposed size restrictions detached ADUs can have a maximum footprint of 600 square feet, while attached ADUs can have a maximum footprint of up to 40% of the primary structure’s size, and the height limit is 20 feet. The council also declined to include a provision requiring homeowners to live on the property where an ADU is built, even though hundreds of residents in the third ward supported including that requirement.
“More than 100 people in South Hill signing onto something is a significant number of the population there…and checking in on this policy in five years is a very small task to alleviate the community’s concerns.”
— Pierre Saint-Perez, Third Ward Alderperson
Under the new ordinance, homeowners can build detached or internal secondary units on their properties without special permits, eliminating one of the major barriers to ADU development. The ordinance would allow attached and detached ADUs in certain zoning districts, including R-1,
In the weeks leading up to the final vote, nearly 200 residents in the South Hill and Belle Sherman neighborhoods inside the city’s third ward signed a petition urging the Common Council to include an owner-occupancy requirement in the ADU legislation.
Third Ward Alderperson Pierre SaintPerez introduced a series of amendments to the legislation in an attempt to address his constituents’ concerns.
One amendment called for the legislation to be formally reevaluated five years after implementation, measuring the number of ADUs built, how many are owneroccupied, and how many are owned by local residents. The second amendment sought to require property owners in the South Hill overlay district to live on-site
if they wished to build an ADU. A third, more detailed amendment attempted to impose a similar requirement within a specific section of Belle Sherman known as Bryant Park.
“These neighborhoods are under extreme stress,” Saint-Perez said during the meeting. “Every year that I go around knocking on doors in South Hill, more and more residents tell me, ‘Look, I can’t afford to stay here any longer.’”
The proposed amendments were supported by Third Ward Alderperson David Shapiro and Fifth Ward Alderperson Margaret Fabrizio, who worried that without the measure, out-of-town investors would convert residential homes into rental properties, particularly near the city’s universities.
“We want to make sure this policy benefits the people who actually live in our community,” said Shapiro during a previous meeting. “Without an owner-occupancy requirement, we could see investors buying up properties, adding ADUs, and essentially turning single-family neighborhoods into rental hubs.”
However, the amendments were rejected by a majority of the council, who raised concerns regarding the process of how the amendments were proposed and the image of giving preferential treatment to one area of the city.
Mayor Robert Cantelmo spoke on procedural objections, criticizing the timing of the amendments, which were introduced on the day of the final vote. “This is tantamount to moving the item back to committee,” he said. “If that’s what the majority of the council wishes to do, that’s
Third Ward Alderperson Pierre Saint-Perez introduced a series of amendments supporting an owneroccupancy requirement for ADUs in the third ward, citing concerns from his constituents about affordability and neighborhood stability. (Photo: File)
The Ithaca Common Council voted last week to approve legislation legalizing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) citywide, rejecting amendments that would have required owner-occupancy in the third ward. (Photo: File)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
RE: Disappointment Regarding Waters Edge Development Plans
“As a long-time resident and business owner, as well as a waterfront commercial property owner for over 40 years—20 of which have been spent on Inlet Island—I am compelled to express my deep disappointment, frustration, and even anger regarding the recent decision to permit the developers of Waters Edge, Cayuga Park, and the old Johnson Marina site (whatever its current designation may be) to alter the development plans that have been meticulously crafted over the past fifty years.
I have a wealth of planning documents dating back to the tenure of Thys VanCort and Joanne Cornish in our city’s planning administration. Throughout my involvement, particularly as a member of the Waterfront Advisory Board for Planning and Zoning, I have actively contributed to the rezoning plans for the entire waterfront.
This extensive effort involved dedicated community volunteers who invested countless hours to ensure that our recommendations reflected the desires of our community, in alignment with the vision laid out by former city planners.
The intention behind these plans was clear: to maintain the waterfront as a public/private cooperative, fostering a tourist-friendly atmosphere. Given that Cayuga Lake is predominantly a private body of water with limited public access, our plans were focused on developing a “vibrant waterfront” featuring retail shops, galleries, restaurants, and small enterprises—creating a minicommunity that would showcase the diverse talents of the Ithaca community. Regrettably, instead of these aspirations materializing, we are now faced with the prospect of more private ownership and occupancy.
The mere inclusion of a walking path and a few benches cannot be deemed sufficient public access when so much consideration has been given to ensuring a vibrant, community-inclusive waterfront. I strongly urge that any plans failing to fulfill these established goals be rejected until we receive proposals that align with our community's vision for the waterfront.
Thank you for your attention to this crucial matter.” — Micky Roof, Owner, The Jewelbox
RE: Bitcoin Mining in Upstate NY
“"Burning for Bitcoin" outlines the arguments against cryptocurrency development in Upstate NY. Kazakhstan, until recently, was a popular center for crypto mining, which attracted miners due to its cheap electricity & lack of regulations.
In 2021 things changed: "Power blackouts grew more frequent & peak electricity demand jumped by 7% year on year. The Kazakh government came to its senses, & cut the electricity supply of the miners it once welcomed". The miners fled to the U.S.
China, meanwhile, wisely forced its Bitcoin miners out of their country after careful study.
Trump declared, the day after his election, that he intended to make the US "the cryptocurrency capitol of the globe". This is terrible news for American electricity consumers! He was making a major policy pronouncement that would affect our citizens deeply.
Now the US is the top location for crypto mining, Trump has started his own family crypto business "World Liberty Financial". The available supply of electricity is a major consideration when setting the price for consumers, and electricity IS a necessity. With such a "Draw" from the crypto industry, are we in for black outs and building a new set of electric power plants?
Josh Riley (D-NY-19) recently launched an investigation into NYSEG (4/23-4/29 Ithaca Times due to rate hikes that are strangling his constituents.” —
Dorothy Pomponio
A Call For Reconciliation, Not Division
“I stood among my neighbors at the First Congregational Church on May 5, listening to a panel meant to confront antisemitism. But instead of unity, I heard fear. Instead of empathy, I saw a community insulating itself, wielding the specter of antisemitism while ignoring the suffering of others.
Eighty years ago, my father survived the Nazi camps. His suffering was real. But survival taught him the value of humanity, not fear. Today, I see a task force focused on defending against imagined threats while remaining silent on the suffering of Palestinians. Not once did I hear the word “Muslim.” This is not courage. This is moral blindness.
I call for reconciliation, not division. We need an interfaith movement that
speaks with courage about all suffering. Confronting antisemitism means acknowledging other forms of hatred, not turning a blind eye. Let us be builders of peace, not fortresses of fear.
To the Ithaca Area United Jewish Community: You must do better. Let us heal together.” — Neil Zusman, Ithaca, NY
RE: Planning Board Relies on Technicalities to Ignore Public and DEC Warnings on PFAS-Linked Turf Pollution
“A quick update — tonight the Town of Ithaca Planning Board voted 7–0 to grant preliminary site plan approval for Cornell’s synthetic turf field on Game Farm Road. This happened despite seven people speaking in opposition, ongoing PFAS testing, and serious concerns we raised in our formal request to rescind the Negative Declaration.
The board did not take up our request for rescission. They briefly acknowledged it but dismissed our concerns, claiming that stormwater runoff impacts—including PFAS and microplastic pollution—are outside the scope of SEQRA and can be handled solely through the SWPPP (Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan). We strongly disagree. SEQRA requires a full environmental review, and the board failed to consider key pollution pathways identified by both NYS DEC and the Town’s own engineer. To our knowledge, DEC has not approved the revised stormwater plan—yet the Planning Board is moving forward anyway.
This is preliminary approval, not final—but the board has clearly signaled its intent to approve the project regardless of science or public input. There will still be another vote for final site plan approval.
This means we have more time and opportunities to show up and to log in comments for the public record.
If you think of anything else, please keep the comments coming. Every detail helps document the record. For example, one of the recycling facilities referenced in Cornell’s materials is located in Dalton, Georgia—the carpet capital of the U.S. and the site of multiple PFAS lawsuits related to synthetic turf and carpet manufacturing. The turf sample we’re testing came directly from Dalton.” — Yayoi Koizumi, Zero Waste Ithaca
Hands Off Peace Corps
By Gerry Thomas, City of Ithaca Resident
Very recently, Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), presumably with President Trump’s support, have ordered 80 percent cuts in Peace Corps’ administrative staff employed in the US. These civil servants are the support staff for the approximately 3,000 Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) presently serving in 60 countries, as well as overseeing recruitment of new volunteers and arranging for their placement and training. The total annual budget of the Peace Corps is $430 million, which works out to be approximately $1.30 per person living in the US. It is a miniscule percentage of our federal budget. As in any bureaucracy there might be some “waste” or “inefficiencies,” but “reducing the cost to the US taxpayer” does not seem to be the rationale for dismantling such a small federal agency as the Peace Corps. Rather, it would appear that the motivation, as is the case in many of the DOGE cuts, is the Peace Corps “does not align with the President’s priorities.” What is there not to like about the Peace Corps? The Peace Corps’ three goals remain the same since its beginning in 1961: providing development assistance to low-income countries, fostering understanding between Americans and citizens of other countries, and promoting understanding among Americans of other cultures — in a word, an example of countervailing “soft power.” Millions of people around the world, whose only
Olivia Carpenter: Coming to Ithaca
By Marjorie Olds
Mfirst-hand knowledge of the United States is having known a Peace Corps volunteer, have a very different view of our country than that projected by the news.
I have lived and worked in Tanzania for nearly seven years, spread over more than sixty years, beginning as a community development assistant, working especially in shallow wells and hand pumps. While never a PCV, I was once hired as a Cross-Cultural Training Coordinator for a 10-week Peace Corps pre-service training program in Tanzania. Almost all the volunteers were recent college graduates, soon to be teachers in secondary schools or posted to healthcare and rural development agencies, but they made up for their lack of work experience by being highly motivated, adaptive and willing to learn.
My most recent involvement with Peace Corps has been with a Friends of Tanzania Swahili discussion group on Zoom, led by a PCV medivacked from the country in March 2020. The group’s passion for the language — the prefixes, the infixes, the suffixes, the noun classes, the noun-adjective agreement, etc. — is impressive.
With 240,000 returned PCVs now living in the US, forever changed by their volunteer experience — more compassionate, more open-minded, obviously more worldly — I think we are a better country. I need someone to explain how the President could think the Peace Corps does not align with his or our country’s priorities.
zo: Readers contacted me to ask when the second chapter of Olivia Carpenter’s courageous story would be published. (See online at Ithaca. com). As a member of the only Black family in her small Ohio town, this second chapter pick up as Olivia’s arrives in Ithaca in 2018: Olivia: “I applied to college and was offered many scholarships in Ohio for track—Ohio State, Oberlin, Miami. But I wanted to leave the state, to be in a different part of the country. I applied to Cornell and hoped I had worked hard enough to have whatever it took. However, even as state track champion, valedictorian, class president, and the list went on, they did not admit me. I thought, ‘I wonder if it’s because I’m low-income’?”
“Fortunately, I liked Ithaca, and upon application to Ithaca College in 2018, I was selected to be a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar. The MLK program provided for all 25 Scholars to live in a dorm as a group. We travelled to Selma and Birmingham, Alabama. We stood in the
church Dr. King preached in. An elderly woman in the congregation said to me ‘You will travel the world, you will speak to people, and you will move them.’”
“On that trip, we toured the Lynching Museum and spoke with someone who had just returned from prison. As we walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, a man with a Confederate Flag on his truck passed us, screaming out his window. As a freshman at IC from rural Ohio, I had always been one of the only Black people in my school and was used to that sort of behavior from racist people.”
“It was amazing to be with other Black students, celebrating such significant Black History in a part of the country where Black history runs deep. The entire trip was intense, powerful, and moving. I later created a radio spot about my visit.” [Ithaca College Freshman MLK Scholar Visits Civil Rights Monuments: Selma, Montgomery — WRFI Community Radio]
“I began my career at IC studying Journalism because I wanted to tell stories. I quickly decided it would be wise to study business and switched to the Business School. I began designing clothes and put together a modelling portfolio. I had a desire to work in the fashion industry. I would thrift clothes, pull them apart, and reconstruct them, then paint on them. I had my pieces featured in the HiFashion Show and Magazine. The IC media team also covered my work, and we did a photoshoot where I screen printed on clothing.”
“I got an internship with Luxcartel, a fashion PR house in NYC and went there my sophomore year. I also worked for a screen printing company called Prographix as their office manager. I discovered fairly quickly that the fashion industry was brutal. I faced classism, racism, and verbal abuse in both jobs. I remember the first phone call I ever received while working at Prographix. I answered the call, and the lady on the other end was screaming expletives at me, saying our orders were late. I calmly introduced myself, said I was new, and that I’d see what I could do. She and I
Peace Corps volunteers teach, build infrastructure, and foster cross-cultural understanding in over 60 countries — but 80% of the agency’s U.S.-based administrative staff now face elimination under new federal cuts. (Photo: Provided)
Olivia Carpenter, a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar at Ithaca College, reflects on her journey from rural Ohio to Ithaca, where she found community, creative inspiration, and a voice to share her story through fashion, media, and advocacy. (Photo: Provided)
Jacob Shiffrin, an ITA-endorsed candidate, is running with a focus on improving state test scores at underperforming schools by implementing evidence-based practices.
(Photo: Provided)
in the area in which he grew up. He said he is primarily motivated to run to refocus the district’s goals on learning and academics.
McMurry is a self-taught art dealer with years of experience in finance. He hopes to bring data-driven and evidence-based policy-making to the board of education.
“I think there’s been somewhat of a lack of financial expertise on the board, and I think I would bring a lot of weight to the finance committee if I were elected,” McMurry said.
McMurry has previously written an opinion piece for the Ithaca Times during last year’s budget process in which he highlighted Ithaca’s declining scores on state exams.
He said that the district should reallocate their resources to ensure a quality education for all students and has major concerns about Ithaca’s declining scores.
McMurry said that if elected, his “single biggest priority” would be to improve test scores for economically disadvantaged and Black students, two subgroups who have been identified by the New York State Education Department as needing additional support.
ERIN CROYLE
Croyle, a journalist, writer and public speaker, is running for re-election to serve a third term on the board. She is a disability rights advocate and currently works as a communications specialist with the Center for Family Involvement at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Partnership for People with Disabilities.
After moving to Ithaca in 2018, she was elected to her first term in 2019, and has seen the district before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Karen Yearwood is an incumbent ITA-endorsed candidate with a focus on ensuring that all students who graduate from the ICSD are prepared for success.
(Photo: Provided)
“I want to be one of the people who can listen and effect change from the inside, and I knew that it was time,” Croyle said. “Even though I was newer to the area, I knew that the way to really change things was from the inside, to have a voice for those people who normally aren’t listened to.”
Last year’s budget cycle was impactful and eye-opening, and funding is a major challenge that the district is currently facing, Croyle said.
“The way that public schools are funded is just not sustainable,” Croyle said. “It’s not equitable for community members. It is so expensive to live in this community, and that’s pitting community members and the very schools that serve them against one another.”
Croyle said the district must find sustainable ways to fund their operations, because educating students isn’t getting any cheaper. She said she hopes to continue helping the district find a better balance and reshape how public schools are funded in Ithaca if re-elected.
“How can we look to really reshape how public schools are funded,” Croyle said, “and what can we do to make it sustainable, while also making sure that the people who work in our schools are paid enough, that the students are getting what they need, that our buildings are functional and properly cooled and heated.”
Meaningful inclusion and academic excellence are things that should be considered when shaping all district policies, Croyle said.
JACOB SHIFFRIN
Shiffrin is a Professor of Elementary Curriculum Design at the Relay Graduate
Jill Tripp, an incumbent candidate and 30-year veteran of the district, aims to bring fiscal responsibility to the board and has spearheaded key initiatives to address Ithaca’ s public school funding structure.
(Photo: Provided)
School of Education and has an extensive background in education. He has served in various roles in school districts across the United States with a particular focus on equitable education for historically marginalized student populations. He moved back to Ithaca four years ago to raise his children in the area.
“I care a lot about the quality of our schools and the experience of students, both as an educator and a parent, and I think we could do a lot better to make sure that every child here in Ithaca has access to a really high quality education,” Shiffrin said.
Like Jahnke and McMurry, Shiffrin hopes to improve state test scores at underperforming schools by implementing evidence-based practices.
“We wanted to run together because we think that the board of education can do better, can be more proactive and accountable and focus on real change,” Shiffrin said. “We have a shared vision for a lot of things.”
Running with a focus on academic excellence, Shiffrin hopes to help the district return their schools to “good standing status” and implement a cohesive curriculum that flows throughout the district as students move up grade levels. He additionally hopes to increase teacher support to lower teacher turnover rates.
“What I know from my experience, in particular as a principal, is that you need to have a non-adversarial relationship between teachers and administrators where there can be coaching and support to help teachers meet the needs of students in their classroom,” Shiffrin said.
ICSD Board Election
Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
Polls open from noon to 9 p.m. at various locations across Ithaca.
Must be a registered voter, a citizen of the U.S., 18 years of age or older, a district resident for 30 days preceding May 20 and not otherwise prohibited from voting under Election Law.
Visit https://www.ithacacityschools.org/o/icsd/page/ budget-vote-election for more information and to find your polling location.
KAREN YEARWOOD
Yearwood is an incumbent candidate who has been in Ithaca since 2005. She has extensive experience in Ithaca public education, having served multiple roles with the Equity & Inclusion Leadership Council (EILC), as the 2nd Executive Director of Village at Ithaca, a representative on ICSD hiring committees, a former board member of Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI), and former board chair and member of BJM Academic Plus afterschool program.
She was first elected to the board in 2022 and believes that funding is one of the district’s biggest challenges. Ithaca is unique in that over 70% of its school budget is taxpayer-funded.
She said that as a member of the Revenue Exploration Committee, she has worked to find new revenue sources for the district that aren’t funded by single-family homeowners.
Yearwood said that if re-elected, she hopes to help ensure that all students are prepared for success when they graduate.
“My focus is on all students successfully graduating,” Yearwood said, “graduating ready for college, career, to be civically engaged in whatever community they end up in.”
JILL K. TRIPP
Tripp has been a board member for three years, but has over three decades of experience as a school psychologist in the district, a position which she has now retired from. Tripp had previously served on the City’s Six Mile Creek Advisory Committee, the Board of Public Works and the Conservation Advisory Council.
Tripp said her goals have largely remained the same, particularly aiming to bring improved fiscal responsibility to the ICSD and learn more about decision-making at the district-level.
Continued on Page 13
Lacrosse Culture
Ithaca’s Parents and Coaches Have Bred Generations of Stars
By Steve Lawtence
One might think that a lacrosse player might be o ered a day o from practice as a reward for being named First-Team Division 1 All-American, but that was not the case for Shea Baker When I called Shea — the junior captain of the defending national champion Boston College Eagles — she said, “I’m happy to talk, but I need to get to practice in 15 minutes.”
I have no doubt that Shea would have declined a day o anyway, as she and her teammates were preparing for Sunday’s NCAA match up against Stony Brook. e 2021 Ithaca High graduate was also named the ACC Defender of the Year, she was the team captain for Team USA, which won the U-20 World Championship in Hong Kong last year, and she and her fellow Eagles are dialed in on becoming the rst
back-to-back NCAA champs in over a decade.
I asked Shea if all those championships and accolades tempted her to ease up a bit, and she replied, “No. Once you get a taste of it, it’s all you dream about. Every year is a new opportunity, playing with new teammates, against new opponents, it makes you want to dig deep.”
I asked if being named the team captain by her teammates brought any additional pressure, and she said, “Yes, there is some pressure that comes with that responsibility. Being captain is such an honor, and I love the role. at extra credibility, and the con dence that comes with it makes you see outside yourself, and it inspires me to be the best leader I can be.”
I also asked Captain Baker to what extent coming from such a solid lacrosse community factored into her success, and she said, “I always played with the older
girls, like my sister, Reed, and Jamie Lasda, and that developed leadership qualities in me before I even knew it!”
Boston College is 18-2, and gearing up for a rematch with their nemesis — the 19-0 North Carolina Tar Heels, who handed the Eagles their only two losses of the season. ( ose slim margins — 12-11 and 14-12 — speak to just what a great rivalry it is,) e Eagles won most of their games handily, and Baker said, “It’s an adjustment to jump from those double-digit wins into the close games, but we’re ready.”
Todd Baker, is one of the people who helped bring about the Ithaca lacrosse community. A lax player at Keuka, and now an Ergonomics/Injury Prevention Consultant, Todd told me, “Seeing how badly our girls wanted to get on the ice and on the eld, we started getting involved early.”
Todd mentioned a lot of players who have gone from the early travel teams he and other parents started, on to success at Ithaca High and far beyond. He mentioned Jamie Lasda, who played at Ohio State, Mckenzie Rich (Syracuse) and Alecia Nicholas (North Carolina) Quinn Howe (St. Joseph’s), Maddie Hall (Ithaca College), the aforementioned Reed Baker (Nazareth), and many others, and he said,
Shea and Todd Baker after last year’s Boston College national championship. (Photo: Provided)
“ ose talented kids played together for a long time, and a lot of them have gone on to the next level.”
He said other parents (Leigh Ulrich and Brian Lasda and many others) played a huge role in developing such a thriving lacrosse culture, “We had a lot of people who know a lot about the game, and the
Continued
Christina,
Kitchen’s “Letters from Max” is Correspondents’ Life
By Barbara Adams
In this digital age, receiving fewer personal letters than ever via post, we value them even more. Someone has given time and care to share thoughts directed just to us, and we can re-visit that unique connection with each re-reading. is rich experience is the heart of “Letters from Max,” the play currently wrapping up the Kitchen eatre Company’s rst season under
“Letters from Max”
Kitchen Theatre Company
417 W. State St., Ithaca
Arts & Entertainment Man of Letters
Performances May 14-17 at 7:00 p.m. and May 15 & 18 at 2:00 p.m.
kitchentheatre.org/tickets or 607-272-0570.
artistic director Emily Jackson, who also helms this production.
e play, written in 2023, emerges from the lively correspondence that playwright Sarah Ruhl (“Eurydice,” “ e Clean House,” “Dead Man’s Cell Phone”) had, over four years and several cities, with one of her former playwriting students at Yale, the poet Max Ritvo. Ruhl adapted their letters and his poems rst into a book and then, a er Max’s death in 2016, an intimate, poetic drama.
In the play, we quickly learn that Max has cancer — Ewing’s sarcoma, but that doesn’t dent his passion for life. Jackson Janowicz (the youth from e Kitchen’s “Monsters of the American Cinema”) portrays him as imaginative and quirky, e ervescent with his love of language and continual wonder at the world. Sarah, his former professor, sees his individuality, spontaneity and creativity; she delights in his spirit. Erica Steinhagen plays
her thoughtfully, a stable mentor, encouraging and questioning. She listens carefully but also generously shares her own ideas and doubts.
Inevitably, their evolving friendship tackles challenging topics — art, illness, spirituality, one’s legacy — and both writers speculate about death and the a erlife. eir increasing awareness of Max’s failing health — despite remissions, new treatments, his happy marriage — underscores all their encounters. Yet their pleasure in words and the communion of friendship is palpable, buoying the narrative; humorous, even comical, moments keep popping up, thanks to Sarah’s comfortable candor and Matt’s irrepressible wit.
In the abstract stage setting here, fragmentary “scenes” are uidly marked by Jackson’s creative blocking. Sometimes Max and
Erica Steinhagen as Sarah Ruhl and Jackson Janowicz as Max Ritvo play out a moving story through their correspondence. (Photo: Rachel Philipson)
by Sarah Ruhl. Directed by Emily Jackson featuring Erica Steinhagen and Jackson Janowicz.
Tamarind, Serving Terrific Thai Tastes Since 2008
By Henry Stark
It’s easy to drive by Tamarind as it’s only accessible on Meadow Street going north and not on Fulton Street going south. e management of the establishment seems to have overcome that handicap as it still has the same footprint and is serving the same top quality Asian (mostly
TID BITS:
I nd the sta quite willing to accommodate individual spice level requests.
Most of the entrées are $14.95 or $18.95 depending on the protein you select.
Their parking lot is small with barely room for a half dozen cars and there’s not a lot of room to maneuver within the lot.
Because of sta ng shortages in many restaurants, I phone ahead to check opening hours instead of relying on the web site. Tamarind “opens at 11:30” however every time I go for lunch, the server, who has another job, is late and the door is locked, therefore I recommend arriving around 11:45.
ai), food since February 14, 2008. e interior of Tamarind is pleasant. It’s not a large restaurant with two small dining areas with only enough room for about four dozen diners. e walls are a so sage green with white trim, the music they play is soothing instrumentals, mostly keyboard, and every table has a vase of fresh Alstroemeria.
As a long time restaurant reviewer in the Greater Ithaca area, I very much appreciate all the wonderful authentic ethnic varieties we diners have at our disposal. ere are many Asian choices and one of the elements I like about them is the abundance of truly creative vegetarian items that are part of their culture.
One of the vegetarian entrées I enjoy at Tamarind is Pad Priew Wan ($14.95) which is a sweet and sour dish from the A La Carte section of the menu. I was happy to discover green and red pepper slices, onions, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber pieces, peas, broccoli, and pineapple chunks. If you want to add a protein, you have a choice of chicken,
pork, beef, tofu, and mock chicken, or for $4 more, duck, salmon, shrimp, or seafood.
Guthrie Cardiac and Vascular Care
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Guthrie is proud to welcome Ravi Akula, MD, MBA, FACC, FASNC, to our cardiology team. A trusted physician in the Southern Tier for years, Dr. Akula is now bringing his expertise to Guthrie patients at Guthrie Ithaca Hanshaw Road and Guthrie Cortland Cardiology.
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We look forward to Dr. Akula providing personalized, high-quality care to our patients in Ithaca and Cortland.
To schedule an appointment, call 866-GUTHRIE (866-488-4743) or visit www.Guthrie.org.
Tamarind, a hidden gem on Meadow Street in Ithaca, has been serving authentic Thai and Asian cuisine since 2008, known for its cozy atmosphere, fresh flowers at every table, and flavorful dishes like Honey Duck and Pad Priew Wan. (Photo: Mark Syvertson)
FIFTH ITHACA SCHOOL
continued from page 5
the State to help us better the academic experience and outcomes for students who are not succeeding within our current systems and structures,” Grainger wrote. “I truly believe that we are well on our way, with aligned ELA and math curriculum, celebrations of student successes, and anti-marginalization case studies and investigations.”
These designations are tied to a requirement that the schools and the district develop annual improvement plans with school-level needs assessments and surveys completed by families, staff, and students. All comprehensive improvement plans that the ICSD has developed so far are available on the district’s website.
To be removed from the TSI or CSI designation lists, schools must make annual progress for two consecutive years, according to new NYSED guidelines implemented this year. This means that Cayuga Heights Elementary will not be removed from the TSI list until 2027 at the earliest.
In the most recent results, NYSED found that Enfield Elementary made progress across the entire student body and in the economically disadvantaged student subgroup. However, Beverly J. Martin Elementary, along with both Boynton and DeWitt Middle Schools, did not make progress.
ELECTION GUIDE: SEVEN CANDIDATES
continued from page 9
Tripp also aims to bring more accountability to administration and help ensure equitable and excellent academic opportunity to all students.
Like other candidates, Tripp believes that funding exploration should be a main priority for the board in the coming years. During her time on the board, Tripp has spearheaded efforts to seek an increased contribution from Cornell University and fought for the ICSD to have a seat at the In-
LACROSSE CULTURE
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kids could really look up to them.” He also mentioned Chelle Tambroni (whose husband, Jeff, was the Cornell coach way back when), and the Sposito family (Jennifer Sposito is the daughter of Richie Moran, one of the most legendary names in lacrosse). In Baker’s words, “There were a lot of committed parents, with a focus on
MAN OF LETTERS
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Sarah are present together; other times they’re speaking their correspondence aloud to each other. The overall effect is one of unusual lightness, as if floating in a web of words. Designer Tyler M. Perry’s elegantly shaped space reinforces this: on the floor, angled rock-like platforms provide diverse locales, while above, three curving abstract forms hang, angled to suggest motion, and throughout the air, sheets of ivory letter paper sway and curl.
The lighting swells and dims, washing every scene with emotion. It’s pure visual poetry, complementing the story. And at moments, Tenzin Chopak’s original music adds to the mood.
What’s striking about this philosophical play is that despite the intensity of contemplating death, there’s never a sentimental or maudlin moment. As Jackson points out, both Sarah and Max understand how the sublime and mundane rub shoulders; a gentle and forgiving irony pervades their conversations. Besides, life itself is ever in the foreground here — the joy of friendship, love, and creativity is this drama’s most profound impression.
Barbara Adams is a regional theatre and arts journalist and retired professor of writing, Ithaca College.
dustrial Development Agency (IDA) table, a board which has granted controversial large-scale tax breaks to developers in the past few years.
“We rely a great deal on property taxes, and people are feeling stressed by how high our property taxes are,” Tripp said. “As we move forward, we’re somewhat uncertain about New York State funding, we’re very uncertain about the federal funding that comes to us. I’m concerned about special education programs in particular. I don’t think we’re in a crisis by any means but I think it’s something we need to keep careful watch on.”
balance and perspective throughout.”
As Todd and Cristin Baker prepared to get in the car to make yet another 6-hour drive to Boston, I got the idea that they would do it for 20 more years if given the chance. “After this,” Todd told me, “we have one more year of living the dream.”
B.C. advanced with a 10-7 win over Stony Brook, and will host Yale on Thursday in the quarterfinals. North Carolina also advanced, beating Clemson 18-9.
TAMARIND SERVING
All the veggies were cooked beautifully... just enough to be al dente but not so they were difficult to chew.
There definitely isn’t a dearth of delicious duck dishes in the greater Ithaca area and one of my favorites is the Honey Duck entrée at Tamarind. About a half dozen slices of duck meat, coated with a tasty, crispy, crunchy skin, are placed on a generous bed of steamed al dente broccoli and raw cashew nuts. There were also strips of marinated raw ginger to keep my mouth on edge. Under pinning all this was a honey sauce except, since the honey is mixed with water in the kitchen, the sauce has more of a consistency of a broth. This dish combines a wonderful mixture of textures and flavors and isn’t gamey.
I was intrigued by the description of Pad Kratiam Prik Thai because it was listed as a pepper and garlic concoction and I wanted to be able to write about how strong the pepper and garlic are…well, I could barely discern either one. I chose duck as a protein and those two ingredients were encrusted on the skin and were very mild. The duck was as good as I’ve ever had: generous strips of beautifully roasted meat that were juicy
without being fatty, and the crunch on the skin added wonderful texture. The entrée was served on a large lettuce leaf with a sprig of cilantro along with a scattering of dried, crunchy, flavorless noodles.
There are five curry dishes, three of which are spicy. Massaman Curry, one of the mildest, is made with a yellow curry paste mixed with coconut milk, onions, carrots, lots of potato chunks, and sprinkled with crumbled peanuts. All the curries here have at least a modicum of heat. I chose chicken as an accompanying protein and received several large tender pieces.
Entrées are accompanied by a large mound of white rice.
BEVERAGES: The quality of the wine menu doesn’t match that of the food offerings. There are only a half dozen choices and I was surprised there wasn’t a dry Riesling among the whites or a Cabernet Sauvignon among the reds. Glasses are $7-$10 and bottles are $27$35. There are four beers in bottles ($5), three of which are Asian imports. When I attempted to order Asahi from Japan, my server, who was from Vietnam, intervened and told me she much preferred Ithaca Beer Flower Power so, how could I resist her charms? I also like Singha lager from Thailand. Beer bottles are served cold with a cold beer glass.
PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING PILOT
continued from page 3
can successfully propose projects. To ensure equity and accessibility, the city is forming a planning group of residents to shape the future process. “We don’t want to build a process that only works for wealthy or white residents,” Evans said. “We’re letting the community help build the scaffolding.”
ITHACA APPROVES ADU ORDINANCE
continued from page 4
what they should do, but to amend this on the floor…I’m strongly opposed.”
Cantelmo has previously said that including an owner-occupancy requirement would be “tantamount to not legalizing ADUs,” because cities that have included those requirements have seen significantly less ADU development, according to Deputy Director of Planning Megan Wilson.
Fifth Ward Alderperson Clyde Lederman went even further, arguing that the amendments created unfair exceptions for the third ward. “I don’t think certain parts of the city should get special treatment,” he said. “It looks really bad that the
OLIVIA CARPENTER
continued from page 7
later on became friends, and that was the last time she ever yelled over that phone while I worked there.”
“At Luxcartel, I was told I did not dress well enough for the office. However, I would consistently wear the nicest clothes I owned. I began to realize just how cruel the industry was. I did not have the money to buy nicer clothing, it was an unpaid internship, and I was already
In response to questions about if the city could use participatory budgeting to fund proposals like a city-wide guaranteed income pilot program, an idea previously raised by First Ward Alderperson Phoebe Brown when the process was introduced, Evans said that city officials are assessing legal and logistical frameworks for implementation. She added that such proposals might be legal through entities like the Urban Renewal Agency (URA), which administered a lo -
wealthiest, and dare I say whitest, part of the city should get a special zone.”
Fabrizio and Shapiro pushed back on Lederman’s comments, saying that the concerns of homeowners in the city shouldn’t be downplayed. “I support ADUs, but I also support a residency requirement,” Fabrizio said. She added that the residents who signed the petition were “trying to protect the stability of their neighborhoods and should not be framed as elitist.”
Shapiro agreed, saying, “These are hundreds of people that did share their concerns quite clearly…and it’s unfortunate that their voices aren’t being heard or recognized in this process.”
Saint-Perez added, “More than 100 people in South Hill signing onto something is a significant number of the
working other jobs. For extra cash, I used my modeling portfolio that I’d built through doing photoshoots with photographers at Ithaca College and Columbus, Ohio, to submit to casting calls. I ended up modeling for Adidas, Clinique, and L’Oreal, among others.”
“The spring of 2020 came around and COVID quickly shut everything down. I was in NYC at the time, so I wrapped up my work, found someone to take my lease, and ran back home to Ohio.”
“Junior year, we all came back to
cal guaranteed income program several years ago.
While the FY25 capital budget included approximately $5 million, Evans noted that fiscal uncertainty at the federal level could impact future participatory budgeting funding. Still, under Justice50 guidelines, the city expects to set aside 10% of the final capital budget for the process. That could translate to about $500,000 annually in a typical year.
For now, Evans said the pilot offers a
population there…and checking in on this policy in five years is a very small task to alleviate the community’s concerns.”
While a majority of the council approved the ordinance without any amendments, several council members said that this legislation alone is not a “silver bullet” that will single-handedly solve Ithaca’s housing crisis.
Alderperson Patrick Kuhel emphasized that while he supported the ADU legislation, “We shouldn’t try to convince ourselves that this is the silver bullet to housing…I don’t think this will significantly impact housing one way or another. I think a small number of ADUs will be built year over year.”
Kuhel noted that ADUs already exist in the city under permit regulations and that the major change in the new law was
Ithaca College and I lived off campus with my sister. Our classes were online, and I was upset by the fact that now half of my college career would be spent almost completely over a screen. Since the world was filled with uncertainty, I was unable to ever do any more of the traveling that the MLK Scholars had done in prior years. It greatly saddened me not to have the opportunity to go to London or Ghana.”
While we did our online classes, I still had to survive. Restaurants were gener-
modest but meaningful opportunity to test the system and foster trust between residents and city government.
“People have said they don’t feel government trusts them to know what their communities need,” Evans said. “This is our chance to put money behind the belief that community members have the best solutions to the challenges they face.”
The online survey closes May 19. Residents can participate through the City’s OpenGov platform.
eliminating the owner-occupancy requirement. “We need to be sober about that. We need to say, yeah, that’s what we’re doing,” he said. “I’m okay with that…but I also don’t think we can skirt around the issue.”
Kuehl has been outspoken about his views that the legislation wont do much to impact affordable housing supply since the estimated $250,000 cost to build an ADU would likely result in rents between $2,500 to $5,000 per month.
Other council members, like Shapiro, criticized the city for spending so much time and resources on something that will have a negligible impact on the city. “We’ve spent over five years on this policy,” said Shapiro, “It’s not going to bring affordable housing, and I think it’s been a waste of time and resources.”
ally closed or at a low capacity, and those were some of the only jobs available to me. So, I began making cookies. The same cookies I’d made as a high schooler. I brought them to a coffee shop called “Nothing Nowhere” and asked Caleb if he would sell my cookies. He said ‘Yes’! This was the moment a new path began to form in my life that would change my future drastically and sweeten my college adventure.”
Mzo: Stay tuned for Olivia’s next chapter coming soon.
Special Events
Spring Writes Festival Moves Online, Live Events Back in June
By Staff Report
ITHACA, N.Y. — A er last week’s successful opening weekend the Spring Writes Literary Festival is heading into its next chapter, only this time, it’s online.
e festival kicked o May 7–11 with more than 20 in-person events that lled downtown Ithaca with the energy of local literature lovers. From poetry readings to a zine fair, writing panels to theater performances, the festival brought together over 100 writers at venues including the Downtown Ithaca Conference Center, Buffalo Street Books, the Tompkins County Public Library, and Lot 10.
Now, the festival is transitioning into a week of free Zoom events, from May 15 through May 22, featuring a variety of poets, essayists, and lmmakers. Organizers have said the virtual phase of the festival provides wider audiences a chance to engage with the work and voices of regional and national artists. While events are free to attend, registration is required at SpringWrites.org.
e Zoom lineup begins ursday, May 15, at 6 p.m. with “Here to Stay: Poetry & Prose from the Undocumented Diaspora,” featuring Tobi Kassim, Jesús I. Valles, féi Hernández, and Yessica Martinez. At 7 p.m., “Poetry, Memoir and Re ections” will feature readings from LA Bourgeois, Karel Hilversum, Akua Lezli Hope, BubbleSz, Sue Meredith Mann, and Erica Rose Eberhart.
Friday, May 16, continues with “Rooted Words: Poetry and Prose of the American Landscape” at 6 p.m., presented by Liz Ann Young, Jesse Gilleland, Joseph Heiland and
Suzanne Richardson. At 7 p.m., the theme turns introspective and elemental in “ e Body: Intimate Histories, Possible Futures & Nature,” with readings from Liz Ann Young, Sam Corradetti, Jordan Franklin, Joshua Green and Suzanne Richardson. e online programming picks back up on Wednesday, May 21, with “Of Now and Elsewhere: An ‘Un-American’ Family” at 6 p.m., a conversation and reading with Yangzhou (Yao) Bian, Sandrine Dupiton, Abdul Razak Mohammed, Itzel Robles Valdez, and Süheyla Noyan.
The final night of the Zoom series, Thursday, May 22, will feature two events. At 6 p.m., filmmakers E. Stuelke, Mara Alper, Karen Rodriguez, and Lori Watt will share work and conversation in “Visualizing the Unspeakable: A Filmmakers Showcase.” At 7 p.m., “Past and Present Tompkins County Poet Laureates” will close out the virtual portion with readings from Dan Rosenberg, Janie E. Bibbie, Melissa Tuckey, Jack Hopper, Gail Holst-Warhaft and Katharyn Howd Machan.
Spring Writes will also continue throughout the summer and into early fall with a series of in-person workshops between June and September. ese workshops will give local writers a chance to build skills, explore new genres, and share work in supportive environments.
e rst summer workshop, “Finding the Right Voice: Writing for Young Readers,” takes place on Wednesday, June 18, from 6 to 7 p.m. at CAP ArtSpace, led by Emily Sun Li and Tommy McAree.
Dan Rosenberg will lead a Collaborative Poetry Games Workshop on Saturday, July 5, from 2 to 3 p.m. at Bu alo
Street Books. On Saturday, July 19, from 1 to 3 p.m., Yessica Martinez will guide a Creative Writing Workshop at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art. en, on ursday, July 24, from 6 to 7 p.m., Emily Mure and Nancy Holzner will host “Talking Back to the Voices in Our Heads: Building Con dence as Writers” at Buffalo Street Books.
On ursday, August 14, from 6 to 7:15 p.m., Lee Cotman leads “How to Write Blackout Love Poems” at CAP ArtSpace. On Saturday, August 16, from 2 to 3 p.m., Amir McClam presents “Trans/Queer Poetics of Self-Making” at Bu alo Street Books. en, on Saturday, August 23, from 2 to 3 p.m., Aishvarya Arora will lead “Inciting Poetry: Writing with Revolutionary Lineage Towards Revolutionary Futures.” e nal event of the season will be Saturday, September 6, from 2 to 3:15 p.m., when nicole v. basta leads “ECODEVIANCE: A Generative Writing Class” at Bu alo Street Books.
Writers, readers, and performers gathered across downtown Ithaca for the 17th annual Spring Writes Literary Festival, which kicked off with over 20 in-person events and now continues online with a week of virtual readings, panels, and workshops through May 22. (Photo: springwrites.com)
Full schedules, artist bios and registration details can be found at SpringWrites. org.
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books that have made an impression. | Free Teen Creative Writing Workshop | 5:30 p.m., 5/20 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Love to write your own stories? Have ideas for your own characters and worlds, or an interest in writing fan ction? Join Adrienne Raw for a Teen Creative Writing Workshop!
Behooved Book Launch - M. Stevenson with Isabel Sterling | 6 p.m., 5/20 Tuesday | Bu alo Street Books, 215 North Cayuga Street | Join us to celebrate Behooved on pub-day! | Free Comic Book Club Meeting: “Marvel’s Thunderbolt*s, Then and Now!” | 7 p.m., 5/20 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | The original Thunderbolts characters debuted in the comic books in 1997, in an issue of The Incredible Hulk -- but the team has been through many changes over the years. At this week’s CBC meeting, we will take a look at the evolution of the team that now stars in the latest movie from the MCU. | Free
Kids
Story + Craft | 4 p.m., 5/15 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Story + Craft is our
weekly reading + creating event for children! Join us for a read-aloud, followed by art-making or a guided craft.
Family Playgroup - Spring’25 | 9:30 a.m., 5/16 Friday | CCE-Tompkins Education Center, 615 Willow Avenue | Free 6 weeks series, May 2 - June 6
Spring Baby & Toddler Storytime | 10:30 a.m., 5/16 Friday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Caregivers and their children are invited to join us for songs, rhymes and books at the park next to the Henry St. John Building at 301 S. Geneva St.
Aesop’s Fables | 11:30 a.m., 5/16 Friday | Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd. | Additional shows: Saturday, May 17 at 10 am & 12 pm and Sunday, May 18 at 12 pm. This interactive production is sure to delight audiences of all ages.
Spanish Storytime | 4:30 p.m., 5/16 Friday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Children of all ages and their caregivers are welcome to join us for Spanish storytime - songs, rhymes, stories, and crafts - completely in Spanish!
Zero to Three Jubilee | 10 a.m., 5/17 Saturday | Lansing Town Hall, 29 Auburn Road | Free activities geared toward babies and toddlers aged 0–3 | Free
Business After Hours @ GIAC Rec Center | 4:30 p.m., 5/14 Wednesday | GIAC Rec Center (GRC) 301 W Court
St Ithaca, 301 W Court St | Join us in celebrating the 25-year anniversary of the Community Foundation of Tompkins County at this special Business After Hours!
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Family Storytime | 11 a.m., 5/17
Saturday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Children of all ages and their caregivers are invited to celebrate reading and build their early literacy skills at Family Storytime. We meet each Saturday for stories, songs and hands-on fun.
Family Movies at TCPL | 4 p.m., 5/17 Saturday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | This Saturday we will be screening the pirate adventure comedy Muppet Treasure Island, based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel.
Science Connections: Build a Super Moon Base | 2 p.m., 5/18 Sunday | Sciencenter, 601 1st St | Do you have what it takes to live on the moon? Join us as we build our home on the moon using Superspace Tiles!
LILPAD PUPPET THEATRE: ALFONSO’S MINIATURE ORCHESTRA | 5 p.m., 5/18 Sunday | Ithaca Commons, 171 E. State St./ Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd | LILPAD PUPPET THEATRE: ALFONSO’S MINIATURE ORCHESTRA. Join us for a magical puppet show perfect for children and families!
Science Together: Ramp Painting | 10:30 a.m., 5/20 Tuesday | Sciencenter, 601 1st St | Let’s paint with gravity! Make patterns and test ideas.
LEGO Family Build Night | 5:30 p.m., 5/20 Tuesday | Tompkins County
Public Library, 101 East Green Street | TCPL invites families to a weekly LEGO build night! Buckets of LEGO will be provided for participants to borrow for their builds.
Notices
Pearls of Wisdom Senior Support Group | 11 a.m., 5/14 Wednesday | 171 E. State Street | Pearls of Wisdom Senior Support Group | Free Al-Anon Meeting | 1 p.m., 5/14 Wednesday | Phillips Room in Muller Chapel, Ithaca College | Join the South Hill Higher Ground Al-Anon Meeting. Anyone is welcome-students, sta , faculty, and community. In-person once again!!
Good Grief Circle | 2 p.m., 5/14 Wednesday | The Age Well Center, 165 Main St. | Description The Cortland County O ce for Aging is o ering class for people dealing with grief. For people experiencing the loss of a loved one, home, job, independence or something similar.
Wednesday Market at East Hill | 3 p.m., 5/14 Wednesday | 330 Pine Tree Rd, NY 14850-2819 | Don’t have time to get to the pavilion every weekend, or need a mid-week haul? We have you covered with meat, eggs, veggies, fruit and even some dinner and pastries to hold you over.
Cancer Services Program | 5 p.m., 5/14 Wednesday | Cortland Free Library, 32 Church St | Information and education on breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings for men and women.
GO ITHACA Open Hours | 2 p.m., 5/15
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 a ordable for everyone.
Friday Night Magic: Commander | 5 p.m., 5/16 Friday | Riverwood, 116 E State St | Come down to Riverwood for a recurrent night of Commander-style Magic play! | $5.00 Trumansburg Garden Club Plant
Sale | 9 a.m., 5/17 Saturday | First Presbyterian Church , 69 E Main St | Large variety of perennial plants!
So You Think You Can’t Dance? | 9 a.m., 5/17 Saturday | The Whimsy Mercantile, 2075 East Shore Drive | Learn Choreography each week! Have fun! Move your body! All levels welcome - show up, break a sweat, have fun!
Dahlia Gardening Series | 10 a.m., 5/17 Saturday | Jenny Creek Flowers, 7048 Durling Road | Join our 4-class Growing Dahlias Series for Gardeners to build con dence in your skills and experience the joy of growing your own owers.
Senator Lea Webb’s Community O ce Hours | 11 a.m., 5/17 Saturday | Ulysses Philomathic Library , 74 E Main St | lease join the O ce of New York State Senator Lea Webb for “Community O ce Hours” on May 17th, 2025, from 11 AM- 1 PM at the Ulysses Philomathic Library in Trumansburg, NY | Free Intro to Energy: Exploring Mediumship, Psychic Sensing and Healing | 4:30 p.m., 5/17 Saturday | The Whimsy Mercantile, 2075 East Shore Drive | Step into the world of energy and intuition in this gentle,
exploratory class taught by Medium, Andrea Clare.
FUNDRAISING SOIREE FOR THE LATINO CIVIC ASSOCIATION | 6 p.m., 5/17 Saturday | Orozco Gallery, 115 S Cayuga St | FUNDRAISING SOIREE FOR THE LATINO CIVIC ASSOCIATION | $30.00 - $50.00
Outdoor Qi Gong Class- Sundays | 10 a.m., 5/18 Sunday | Allan H. Treman State Marine Park, 805 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, NY 14850 | Outdoor Qi Gong for Wellness and Nervous System Regulation. | $12.50 - $15.00 LLH Volunteer Appreciation Celebration- Free Carousel Rides! | 4 p.m., 5/18 Sunday | Stewart Park Large Pavilion, 1 James L Gibbs Dr | The 3rd annual Volunteer Appreciation event, this year will feature complimentary carousel rides, beverages and refreshments. Meg-a-Moo’s ice cream truck will have ice cream available for purchase and is donating 20% of their proceeds to the LLH Sponsored Member fund. All are welcome! | Free Wellness in Times of Chaos: Art Therapy Workshop for Helping Professionals | 5:30 p.m., 5/19 Monday | Ithaca Community School of Music and Arts, 330 East State Street | A creative and restorative art therapy workshop for professionals in education, healthcare, human services, the arts, and beyond. Led by certi ed art therapist Dr. Rochele Royster. | $5.00 Musical Memories Café | 12 p.m., 5/20 Tuesday | Library Place, 105 West Court St. | Musical Memories Café is a free live music experience and light lunch to enrich the lives of care-givers and care-receivers, as well as isolated adults. | Free Unity in Shades Roundtable | 12 p.m., 5/20 Tuesday | Family & Children’s Services of Ithaca, Education Suite 127 W State St | Join us for Unity in Shades Roundtable!
Empowering Caregiver Series | 2 p.m., 5/20 Tuesday | Lodi Whittier Library, 8484 S Main St | Supporting Independence
Empowering Caregivers Series | 2 p.m., 5/20 Tuesday | Lodi Whittier Library, 8484 S Main St | This education series teaches caregivers how to navigate the responsibilities of caring for someone living with dementia. Please call the Alzheimer’s Association Helpline: 800-272-3900 to register. | Free
HOMECOMING
FRIDAY, MAY 16TH AT 7:30PM
THIS WEEK
Artspace, 102 Cherry
Ithaca | The Players present a new play by Arthur Bicknell and directed by Rachel Hockett.
BackPage
A Vibrant, Active Community Center
For Learning, Activities, Social Groups
And More! For Adults 50+
Lifelong
119 West Court St., Ithaca
607-273-1511 tclifelong.org
AAM
ALL ABOUT MACS
Macintosh Consulting
http://www.allaboutmacs.com (607) 280-4729
*Acupuncture Works*
Peaceful Spirit Acupuncture
Anthony R. Fazio, L.Ac., D.A.O.M.(c) www.peacefulspiritacupuncture.com 607-272-0114
ANIMALS
LAND & SEA
FingerLakesAnimalRights.org
For rates and information
contact front@ ithacatimes.com
277-7000
CLEANING SERVICES
http://www.cleanswithus.com
JANITORIAL* DEEP CLEANINGS * INDEPENDENCE CLEANERS CORP
Call 607-697-3294
Everyone is welcome to shop at the CoOp!
Full Service Grocery Store
Greenstar Food Co-Op
770 Cascadilla St., Ithaca
Get e Ithaca
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Available in Appstore & Google Play
ITHACA NEWS
Delivered to your inbox every day Ithaca Times Daily
Text ITHACA to 22828 to Sign up
We are thrilled to announce that Longview has fully renovated 1 and 2 bedroom apartments, a freshly renovated dining room overlooking Cayuga Lake, and a state-of-the-art kitchen. Residents and guests will also enjoy a spacious auditorium that boasts new paint, ooring, and eye-friendly lighting, as well as revitalized common areas that create a warm and comfortable living environment.
Longview.org Marketing and Sales (607)375-6360
Patio Homes - Apartments - Assisted LivingAdult Day Program
Looking
for Work?
We are hiring!
Visit us online: www.wgaforchildren.org or call 607-844-6460 e William George Agency
Looking to Boost your Summer Business?
Call Larry at 607-277-7000 ext: 1214
Find out about great advertising ad packages at: Ithaca.com & Ithaca Times
Men’s and Women’s Alterations for over 20 years
Fur & Leather repair, zipper repair.
Same Day Service Available
John’s Tailor Shop
John Serferlis - Tailor 102 e Commons 273-3192
No Long waits for Dermatology Appointments Finger Lakes Dermatology
Brad Yentzer, MD, FAAD 607-708-1330 ngerlakesderm.com
PIANOS
Rebuilt, Reconditioned, Bought, Sold, Moved
Tuned, Rented
Complete Rebuilding Services
No job too big or too small
Ithaca Piano Rebuilders (607) 272-6547
950 Danby Rd, Suite 26
South Hill Business Campus, Ithaca
REAL LIFE
CEREMONIES
Every life story deserves to be told, and told well. Steve Lawrence, Celebrant 607-220-7938
REDUCE YOUR HEATING BILL
A FULL LINE OF VINYL REPLACEMENT WINDOWS.
Call for Free Estimate & Professional Installation
Custom made & Manufactured by SOUTH SENECA VINYL Romulus, NY 315-585-6050 or 866-585-6050
www.SouthSenecaWindows.com
Tiny Gardens Beautiful Results
We can create your cottage garden and terrace. Cayuga Landscape 607-257-3000
caugalandscape.com
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