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THE ITHACA TIMES / NOVEMBER 4-11, 2026
NEWSLINE
County Officials Approve Audit of DA’s Office By Mikayla Rovenolt
T
ompkins County legislators voted 14-2 to approve $200,000 in funding for an audit of the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office during their Oct. 20 meeting. Legislators Lee Shurtleff (R-District 9) and John Hunt (D-District 12) voted in opposition. According to legislators, an independent auditor will evaluate how allegations of sexual assault are handled within the DA’s Office. The decision comes during national outrage over the handling of the alleged rape of a former Cornell University student in 2024. The student, who is identified as Jane Doe, alleged in a civil lawsuit that she had been sexually assaulted by seven members of Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity. In a Sept. 28 statement, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten referenced a six-page sworn statement prepared by Cornell University police (CUPD), and signed by Jane Doe in 2024, as the reason his office decided not to pursue the case criminally in 2024 because “the evidence did not support the filing of criminal charges.” Van Houten announced Sept. 26 that he would reopen the case to explore potential criminal charges, but was removed shortly thereafter by Gov. Kathy Hochul, who appointed Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor. Legislator Greg Mezey shared that he believes the audit is a step towards progress.
“I am in a position where I can vote to spend county resources to make an investment in what I feel is progress and improvement,” Mezey said during the meeting. “As many people who work in various fields know that at times evidence-based approaches can evolve and change, and I think this is showing a commitment to our community that we’re willing to take a step back that we have a District Attorney’s office that is cooperative and willing to participate in a review of how they handle these very traumatic and sensitive cases.” While many speakers said they were in favor of the audit, others, such as former Tompkins County Legislator Rich John, urged legislators to “go slow” when calling for an audit. John served in the legislature for a decade before retiring in 2025, and worked closely with the DA’s office as chair of the body’s Public Safety Committee. The resolution underwent multiple revisions from the initial version that appeared in the legislature’s Oct. 20 agenda packet. One notable change was an amendment that could possibly bar an auditor from examining how the DA handled the Jane Doe case. The resolution that passed calls for an audit that excludes “matters [currently] under investigation or prosecution.” Legislator Irene Weiser, who cosponsored the resolution, said the goal was not to throw judgment on Van Houten’s legal determinations, but to address questions about how his office handled the Jane Doe case and others like it. Weiser pointed to reporting by
the New York Times that the district attorney’s office had declined to review additional evidence beyond the six-page CUPD-prepared statement. “The district attorney publicly released highly intimate, one might even say salacious and embarrassing portions of [Jane Doe’s] sworn police statement while defending his office’s earlier decision,” Weiser said during the meeting. “These actions deserve to be named.” Weiser said she felt that the district attorney’s office had failed in its initial handling of the Jane Doe case in 2024, as did other speakers.
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Van Houten also attended the meeting to take questions from legislators. He said that his office was already in the process of implementing some of the recommendations included in the Oct. 20 resolution, such as the development of victim-centered policies and practices. “Absolutely, I’m in favor of [the audit],” Van Houten said. “Because the point is to do the best job that we can. And if evidence-based practices have evolved, then that’s something that we have an obligation to pursue.” The resolution sets a 60-day deadline for county staff to put together a more detailed scope for the investigation in preparation for a future request for proposals (RFP) from potential auditors. Legislators and county staff, including Van Houten, would be involved in drafting the RFP. The full meeting can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=f2mcfepR2wQ&t=756s.
ON THE WEB Visit our website at www.ithaca.com for more news, arts, sports and photos. Call us at 607-277-7000 MIKAYLA ROVENOLT, MANAGING EDITOR EDITOR@ITHACATIMES.COM SCOTT MANSON, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER JIM BILINSKI, PUBLISHER EMERITUS JBILINSKI@ITHACATIMES.COM ROY ALLEN, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS ROY@ITHACATIMES.COM LORIEN TYNE, ASSISTANT EDITOR LORIEN@ITHACATIMES.COM AUSTIN LAMB, COPY EDITOR ALAMB@ITHACATIMES.COM PHILIP O’DELL, REPORTER PHILIP@ITHACATIMES.COM SWAS DASH, DIGITAL STRATEGY COORDINATOR SD@ITHACATIMES.COM MARK SYVERTSON, PHOTOGRAPHER MARKSYVERTSONPHOTOGRAPHY@GMAIL.COM STEVE LAWRENCE, SPORTS COLUMNIST STEVESPORTSDUDE@GMAIL.COM KIRA WALTER, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER ARTS@ITHACATIMES.COM ZACHARY ISAAC STEPHENS,AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT & DESIGN ASSOCIATE FREELANCERS: Barbara Adams, Charley Githler, Stephen Burke, Bill Chaisson, Ross Haarstad, Steve Lawrence, Marjorie Olds, Peter Rothbart, Austin Lamb, Clement Obropta, Jake Sexton, Kira Walter, and Ceili Ayoung THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE ITHACA TIMES ARE COPYRIGHT © 2026 BY PATHWAYS TO EQUITY, LLC.
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NOVEMBER 4-11 / THE ITHACA TIMES
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NEWSLINE
Conference on Media and Freedom of the Press “in an Authoritarian Age” The Problems Facing Local Media By B en As cher
I
thaca College held a conference of Pennsylvania Postdoctoral Fellow in support of the freedom of the Aaron Hyzen, who talked about “the crisis press “in an Authoritarian Age” of journalism.” from Oct. 22 to Oct. 24. Three groups Hyzen explained how the crisis involves hosted the conference: the Union for newspapers (specifically local ones) having Democratic Communications (UDC), lost much of the advertising revenue they Project Censored, and the Park Center for used to have a monopoly over when Independent Media (PCIM) — the latter they transitioned to digital, causing two having local connections to Ithaca. many employees to be laid off as a result. The first day of the event had an However, this was worsened by other opening ceremony, with the following two compounding crises of “conglomeration days having a multitude of speakers and or consolidation”, “distribution”, and “trust panels, along with a lunch and keynote in the media”. speaker on both days. This conference Hyzen continued that conglomeration acted as both UDC’s annual conference and consolidation can be seen with “large and Project Censored’s 50th anniversary, media conglomerates like Sinclair or with the theme chosen because “UDC Gannett, but also just private equity and and Project Censored conferences have hedge funds were buying up all these long spotlighted the march toward newspapers because they lost all their totalitarianism--we now find ourselves in capitalization.” This loss of capital made it,” according to UDC’s website. the smaller papers cheap and easy to “buy “This is aligned with the missions of up” and “strip of assets” like property/ each of the three groups,” organizer and office space to be sold for a profit. Distinguished Director of PCIM, Mickey “Journalists face problems with Huff, said. “UDC is an academic society, distribution once they lose control of Project Censored as a non-profit, and how they reach audiences,” Hyzen said. PCIM as a part of Ithaca College align He added that journalists may have to go academically in terms of internet media through social media platforms or Google and in terms of student opportunities to advertising. There is also the additional learn things that they might not hear in problem of “AI summaries scraping the other places.” internet for stories,” keeping journalists Huff is the third director of Project from getting the “clicks” that produce Censored, the Director of PCIM, and a advertising money. Professor of Journalism at Ithaca College Lastly, Hyzen explained the press faces with connections to UDC, using these the crisis of trust because of “polarization” connections to bring them together at and critiques from both sides of the Ithaca. Beyond Project Censored’s 50th political aisle. On the right is “Trump and anniversary, Project Censored has held the fake news paradigm,” as Hyzen put UDC’s annual conference two times it, but on the left there are “historically prior to this event (at the University of marginalized communities who would San Francisco in 2013 and CSU East Bay say, ‘local news never really served our University in 2019). Park Center gave a community,’” and “they weren’t interested specific pull to Ithaca, as Huff said it is in the news that we needed in this “unique to higher education” by being neighborhood or this community,” Hyzen “one of the only centers for the study of concluded. independent media in the entire country.” These crises then spur on other issues UDC’s website mentions how for local news across the country, such “independent media is more important as “the news mirage” and news deserts, than ever” as media platforms “shape both of which professor and researcher political discourse” in a way that furthers at California State Bernardino, Thomas “the decimation of public trust and the Corrigan, presented on at the conference. erosion of democracy through the erasure Corrigan describes news deserts as “any of local stories and voices and the muzzling community or county municipality that of the press.” doesn’t have enough reporting happening “The independent media connects on that local area for residents to be able to the dots that the corporate media make informed decisions as a populace... won’t because it’ll offend the owners, there’s not the local news institutions to shareholders, and advertisers,” Huff said. go and do original reporting on what’s “What we try to do is simply expose that happening at the school board meetings, that’s the system that we’re looking at in or city council, or what local and/or a country like this and let people decide multinational corporations are doing and use their agency about how to become in the community.” As a result, “voter better informed people. The finding of participation rates fall” and “people feel these facts is something local media is less connected to their neighbors and to supposed to do because it matters to the their community at large.” people who live there. And so, without a Corrigan found that Medill Local News robust local public media system, we as a Initiative—who make maps showing news society in general all suffer.” deserts across the nation—reports on his Speakers at the conference also region of lower California (the Inland highlighted the importance of local media, Empire) as not being a news desert even as well as the threats that currently face the though it has the “fewest journalists per industry. One such speaker was University capita of any large counties in the US.” 4 THE ITHACA TIMES / NOVEMBER 4-11, 2026
According to Corrigan, this juxtaposition is a result of “hedge fund” Alden Global Capital, “the second largest owner of newspapers in the country.” “Alden Global has bought up all daily newspapers in our region [Inland Empire], instead of printing 4 local papers that all cover the news in those local communities, they effectively publish one regional paper and put the local masthead on each of their local editions,” Corrigan said. Corrigan has also investigated the problems local papers face with “churnalism”. He describes this as the practice of using press releases verbatim, pulling from websites or meetings without any interviewing on a subject, or having AI write a story instead of a journalist. However, Corrigan said he can’t “easily blame journalists for these practices”, as they derive from local papers having “skeleton staffs” forced to meet high quotas. All the previously mentioned practices, along with hedge funds buying up local papers and falsely promoting a duplicated paper as local, make what Corrigan refers to as the “news mirage”. They do this in how “they enable a news ecosystem to look like it’s robust with very few journalists actually working there,” he said. The problem arises in how this may make an area not look like a news desert, and “if you suggest that a community is not a news desert that can direct resources and attention to some communities rather than others,” Corrigan explained. The importance of resources being directed to local news was largely what Hyzen’s research was built around, looking at the different funding models. Getting funds from nonprofit foundations and philanthropists were alternatives that Hyzen found for local papers to get around the corporate model and its restraints; however, there are still concerns. Potential problems may arise when there is a fear that grants from foundations may be only for specific stories, or that foundations may not be interested in local news and move on to spend their dollars elsewhere, or that a nonprofit is not going
to move into all the news deserts and suddenly build nonprofits that are well funded by foundations. Operating within Pennsylvania, Hyzen has seen the last issue through nonprofits and philanthropists favoring more “prestige markets” in cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, or just favoring “richer communities” in general, which he clarified specifically applies to philanthropists. Hyzen believes the solution lies within public funding to “fill those gaps” of other models by allowing funding “to be everywhere geographically” and “fill news deserts”, giving journalists more consistency to cover local and breaking news rather than worry about money/ grants, and supplying local news with more staff for an environment that is “productive and healthy.” This would all serve to create an increase in quality amongst local papers by allowing them to focus on serving their communities instead of sensationalism, offering a good alternative to “commercial media” that is built on headlines and tends to “skew to lower quality.” Public funding does exist elsewhere, with Hyzen saying, “literally almost every other country has some sort of public media system,” with America lacking in this department due to most states not having public policy in favor of this system. Hyzen believes this policy could really push competition in America, pointing to states like New Jersey and California that have started to implement it. New Jersey has the “Civic Information Consortium” that “collects public money directly and sends it to local news outlets that apply for grants,” and California is “doing a huge tax rebate” of “hundreds of millions of dollars potentially.” “Whether tax breaks or incentives, both are basically like free money to hire more local journalists,” said Hyzen. He also notes how a bill to create a “Civic Information Consortium” has just passed the State House of Representatives of his home state of Pennsylvania, with it currently moving through the State Senate.
NEWSLINE
Lansing Town Planning Board Schedules Special Meeting By D av id D ur rett
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he town of Lansing’s planning board voted to table discussion of a proposed ban on data centers in Lansing and scheduled a public hearing for Monday, Nov. 9. In the town board’s Oct. 21 meeting, it, acting on feedback it received at a Sept. 29 informational meeting, scheduled a public hearing for Tuesday, Nov. 17. While the vast majority of those who spoke at the Sept. 29 informational meeting supported a ban on data centers, supporters of the data center alleged that they had not been heard, and town board members Christine Montague and Judy Drake voted against the public hearing for the proposed ban on data centers. At the start of the meeting, Dean Shea, chair of the town of Lansing’s planning board, read the rules for decorum in the public comment session. These included the time limit for comments, a ban on disruptive behavior and the request for attendees to be willing to listen to opinions they disagree with. He reminded the public that the town board is the only body with the authority to create or amend local laws. Shea also requested that the residents “take the temperature down in the community,” and behave in a civil manner.
A special town board meeting the Lansing town board held on Sept. 29 to collect information on a possible ban on data centers in Lansing. The town planning board will hold a special meeting to discuss the possible ban. File Photo. “Anonymous phone calls threatening people you disagree with is reprehensible and cowardly,” he said, “so that’s enough said on that.”
In Other News The board held a public hearing and
State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) for a proposed expansion to the Eastlake Recreation Center at 18 Eastlake Road According to David Johnson, the owner of the center, the primary project was to create a waiting and reception area for pickleball players
near the tennis courts, with a similar area for the axe throwing venues on the second story. He also proposed a storage area near the tennis court to store items for events. “It has become standing room only in our hallway as one group is waiting to finish their time and the next group is waiting to get onto the court,” Johnson said. Johnson said the building was only zoned for 50 people, causing problems when a fraternity shows up with 40 people. “We end up saying, ‘Well, half of you need to play pickleball while the other half are doing axe throwing,’ and it kind of breaks up the flow of the team-building event they’re trying to create,” Johnson said. “So, we’d like to build a similar kind of lounge area on the upstairs that opens into the axe throwing venue to allow for groups to have more of a social event than just throwing axes.” No members of the public spoke at the public hearing, so the board went on to the environmental impact form, which found that there was no significant environmental impact. It then approved the application to expand the recreation center.
The town of Lansing’s planning board held a public hearing and State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) for a proposed expansion to the Eastlake Recreation Center at 18 Eastlake Road. File Photo. NOVEMBER 4-11 / THE ITHACA TIMES
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NEWSLINE
NY Domestic Violence Providers Warn of Closures, Layoffs Amid Federal Cuts and State Grant Delays By Philip O’ D ell
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omestic violence service providers across New York are warning of impending staff layoffs, program closures and reduced support for survivors as state grant delays and millions of dollars in federal funding cuts are taking effect. Victim service advocates and lawmakers, including state Sen. Lea Webb and Assemblymember Amy Paulin, held a virtual press conference on Oct. 22 calling on state leaders to overhaul grant distribution and provide emergency relief. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, the U.S. Department of Justice terminated 59 Office for Victims of Crime grants in April 2025 — initially valued at over $72 million — as part of a broader rollback of federal funding. Advocates reported that many of the affected organizations provided critical physical, emotional and financial assistance. The reductions were part of an estimated $820 million in grant terminations that month affecting over 550 organizations nationwide. In New York state, licensed domestic violence programs lost over $19 million in federal funding this summer through the state Office of Victim Services, according to Connie Neal, executive director of the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Neal said OVS serves as the primary funding source for most programs. According to its website, OVS funds over 200 victim assistance programs that offer counseling, advocacy, emergency shelter and relocation assistance. On Aug. 28, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an additional $36 million in state funding for victim assistance programs statewide, administered through OVS. The funds include $11.7 million in grant funds for licensed domestic violence providers. The allocation raised total state funding for the year to $88.8 million. Combined with $73.7 million in federal aid, total victim-services funding reaches $162.5 million. Despite Hochul’s announcement, Neal said several established programs operating for decades lost over half of their prior-year funding awards. Neal said providers are still waiting for the state comptroller to approve OVS grants, warning that executing contracts and distributing reimbursements could take additional months after approval. “We appreciate that action, but our programs are still hanging on by a thread,” Neal said. Neal said statewide domestic violence programs have laid off staff, reduced services, incurred debt to meet payroll and closed offices, creating service deserts in communities with no 6
alternative providers. She called for state intervention, noting that providers rely on the federal government for over 90% of their budgets through state and local grants that she described as unreliable and difficult to navigate. “With more cuts and closures looming, we are deeply concerned about what happens to the survivors who will have nowhere else to turn,” Neal said. Neal said the state’s grant process forces domestic violence agencies to compete for funding against other providers, such as rape crisis centers, child advocacy organizations and legal aid programs. Neal urged Hochul and state lawmakers to overhaul the system by creating dedicated funding for licensed domestic violence services, drafting a long-term plan to replace lost federal dollars and ensuring timely grant distributions. Family Counseling Services of the Finger Lakes laid off nine employees in mid-August following a 47% cut in state Office of Victim Services funding, a loss of $1.8 million received in July, according to President and CEO Barbara Pierce-Morrow. She said the reduction affects specialized client programming across Ontario, Wayne, Monroe, Seneca and Yates counties. Those programs include domestic violence therapeutic care and services for LGBTQ+ and Hispanic communities. “Notifying staff of the significant loss in funding was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever been faced with in my career,” Pierce-Morrow said. Despite receiving additional state funding, FCSFL struggles with a 20% budget reduction and mounting operational costs, Pierce-Morrow said. FCSFL faces $100,000 to $200,000 in unemployment expenses and $35,000 in early lease termination fees. The agency faces financial uncertainty as it awaits contract approval for its new award from the state comptroller’s office. Pierce-Morrow said a delayed contract execution until the third quarter last year forced the nonprofit to consider furloughs three times and incur over $40,000 in interest charges while exhausting its lines of credit. Christine Battisti, CEO of the Crime Victims Assistance Center in Broome County, called for immediate financial relief, transparency and a clear funding plan. She said CVAC provides essential services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. Offerings include a 24-hour crisis intervention hotline, hospital bedside advocacy, safety planning, counseling, court accompaniment, and support for children who experienced or witnessed violence. “We are the people who answer
THE ITHACA TIMES / NOVEMBER 4-11, 2026
the phone in the middle of the night, respond to the hospital after an assault, stand beside victims in court, and help families find a path to safety,” Battisti said. “These are not optional services; for many survivors, they are lifelines.” Battisti said CVAC eliminated five full-time positions with more possible reductions if the situation does not improve. She said CVAC also faces a $500,000 funding cut from OVS. “Domestic violence does not stop because our funding runs out,” Battisti said. According to Battisti, Broome County was designated as an area with high rates of intimate partner violence, and lethality assessment calls under CVAC’s STRIVE initiative increased over 132% over the past year. Despite the surging demand to identify victims facing severe injury or homicide, she said Hochul’s supplemental $36 million funding did not fully restore budgets for all victimassistance organizations. Battisti said the agency has waited months to hear state
officials’ rationale on their procurement process, award scoring and decisionmaking. Paulin said she would advocate during the upcoming budget cycle for funding to offset federal cuts. She said heightened public awareness has increased demand for domestic violence services that agencies cannot afford to cut. Paulin said the state must release delayed funds and replace the competitive grant process with stable, long-term support to keep providers from turning away victims. Webb said she is coordinating with fellow lawmakers, the governor’s office and the state Office of Victim Services to address funding shortages driven by federal policy shifts, including changes to how Victims of Crime Act funds are administered. Webb pointed to broader federal actions, such as recent rollbacks to Title IX regulations on sexual assault and gender-based violence, as key factors compounding financial strains on local victim assistance programs. “Who is taking care of the caretakers?” Webb said. “I think that’s just as important as the policies that promote education, most certainly accountability, and prevention.” Webb said she is examining ways to reduce the funding gap and reform New York’s grant distribution system, including reevaluating the competitive request-for-proposals model and adopting funding strategies used in other states. Webb said structural changes and survivor-focused legislation are necessary to manage rising demand and prevent service losses.
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News
Announcing Community Foundation Week 2026 By Mikayla Rovenolt
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n Oct. 22, the Community Foundation of Tompkins County invited residents to help shape a new multiyear grantmaking initiative during the Nov. 12 through 18 celebration. Community Foundation of Tompkins County works to improve the quality of life in Tompkins County by inspiring and supporting enduring philanthropy, connecting donors with community needs, and investing in organizations working to make the community stronger. In a press release, the Community Foundation asked the community to consider, “What could a nonprofit accomplish with more funding, more
flexibility, and the ability to plan beyond the next 12 months?” Kicking off this year’s activities is a Community Listening Session on Nov. 12, led by the Foundation’s Community Engagement Committee. According to a press release, the session will invite nonprofit leaders and community members to help shape a new multiyear grantmaking pilot, which will explore larger grants of $25,000–$50,000 and what long-term investment could look like. According to the Community Foundation, the idea came from listening to the needs of applicants and grantees serving the community during “these times of stress.” The Foundation said in the release that they have
heard from nonprofit partners about the challenges of operating on shortterm funding, the burden of constantly seeking resources, and the need for greater flexibility. “We’ve heard from our partners, and we want to do something about it. Imagine what an organization could accomplish if it had the resources and breathing room to focus on its mission instead of constantly worrying about the next grant,” Gloria Coicou, VP for Engagement, Equity, & Grants, said in the release. “I look forward to Community Foundation Week every year because it’s an opportunity to bring the community inside what we do. Not just to celebrate our work, but to ask questions, share ideas, and challenge ourselves to think differently about
philanthropy. This year, we are taking that a step further. We do not want to design this new funding opportunity for the community. We want to design it with them.” In the release, the Community Foundation invited people to make a gift to the ongoing Tompkins, Today & Tomorrow initiative which grows resources that support increased grantmaking. The goal of Community Foundation Week is “to strengthen relationships, make philanthropy more accessible, participatory, and transparent, and ensure that community voices help shape the Foundation’s future.” For event details and participation opportunities, the release listed www. cftompkins.org as the site to visit.
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NOVEMBER 4-11 / THE ITHACA TIMES
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The Talk at By Ithaca Times Readers
Petition Regarding Tompkins County’s SPCA Director Search
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With the advent of the impending departure of Tompkins County’s SPCA’s Executive Director, we, the petitioners, ask for transparency in a search for a new director (https:// www.ipetitions.com/p/ensure-a-fairtcspca-director-search/). • A Search Committee that includes seasoned volunteers and staff, as well as individuals who run other non-profit rescues. • A new director with animal shelter experience and/or proven compassion for animals. • A new director who is routinely available to staff and volunteers and is receptive to new ideas and quick to respond to issues. • A new director with a clear vision for restoring the community’s trust in the facility. • A Board of Directors that includes seasoned volunteers, members that run other non-profit rescues, and members with a proven interest in shelter animal wellbeing. In the long run, we recommend that the Board itself be comprised of such identified individuals.” - Patricia Keen, Tompkins County, NY
Reflections on Cornell and Ithaca
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Having once lived in Ithaca and attended Cornell, I have found it painful to watch from afar as both the University and the town have deteriorated. More specifically how the recent news about Cornell has reflected on the community. What saddens me most is how much both places appear to be on a steady downward spiral. Cornell was once widely admired as a place where vigorous intellectual disagreement was encouraged, where ideas were tested through reason, evidence, and open debate. Ithaca, for all its quirks, had a distinctive character that blended natural beauty, independent thinking, and smalltown community spirit. Both seemed confident enough in their identities to welcome disagreement. That confidence was part of what made them special. Friends who have lived in the area for decades now go out of their way to avoid Ithaca altogether. They no longer shop there, make appointments there, or even stop for coffee. When longtime residents who invested their lives in a community begin to avoid it, the message is unmistakable: the new paradigm has made the town a shell of its former self, one some residents no longer recognize. While some may see this transformation as a success, others see it as an utter failure.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Today that confidence appears to have been replaced by division and a relentless desire to reinvent everything that came before. The changes at Cornell and in Ithaca reflect a broader cultural movement that seems less interested in building on the strengths of the past than in condemning the past entirely. Every generation has a responsibility to learn and improve. But acknowledging imperfections is not the same as declaring an entire tradition beyond redemption. Thoughtful reform should not require wholesale rejection of what previous generations left behind. The men and women who built Cornell, developed Ithaca, served their country, raised families, built businesses, and strengthened their communities were not perfect. Perfection has never been the standard by which societies endure. They left traditions that fostered civic pride, personal responsibility, and respect for learning. On learning itself, over the last decade, American student performance has suffered a generation-long decline, with reading and math standards plummeting to a near 25-year low. It appears that the upcoming generational leaders are not our brightest and best. Improvement is different from demolition. Sometimes it feels as if the cultural inheritance of these places is being subjected to a campaign of destruction reminiscent of Sherman’s March through Georgia. The comparison is metaphorical, but it captures the sense that little distinction is being made between genuine injustices that require correction and valuable traditions that deserve to survive. Everything is swept into the same fire, including customs and institutional wisdom that took generations to build. This is a tragedy, because once civic culture and tradition are broken, they are extraordinarily difficult to rebuild. There is a troubling irony in the fact that the many who are driving these changes speak constantly of progress, diversity, and inclusion, yet show remarkably little tolerance for viewpoints that challenge their assumptions. Genuine diversity must include diversity of ideas. Universities especially should be places where disagreement is welcomed as essential to learning, not suppressed as a threat. Communities flourish when differing views can be engaged respectfully. They decline when ideological conformity becomes more important than open inquiry. There is an assumption that anything old must be regressive and anything new must be enlightenment. History supports neither conclusion. The question is not whether a university or a community should change. Of course they should. The question is whether change will build upon the best of what came before or seek to erase it altogether. A society that loses
THE ITHACA TIMES / NOVEMBER 4-11, 2026
respect for its own history risks losing all together. I hope both Cornell and Ithaca can rediscover the balance between progress and preservation that once made them exemplary. Wisdom lies not in destroying that inheritance, but in preserving what was good, correcting what was wrong, and passing something better to those who come after us.” Gregory Solomon, Las Vegas, NV
Condemnation of Public Voting Records
“
§1 of New York State Election Law 5-602 provides:
1. After the last day of local registration and before the fifth day before the next ensuing general election in each year, the board of elections shall cause to be published a complete list of names and residence addresses of the registered voters for each election district over which the board has jurisdiction. …
§1 of New York State Election Law 5-604 provides: 1. The board of elections shall also cause to be published for each election district a complete list of the registered voters of each election district. Such list shall, in addition to the information required for registration lists, include the **PARTY ENROLLMENT** of each voter… I received a text on my phone a few days ago which reads, ‘Records show you voted in both 2022 and 2024.’ It continued,‘…whether you vote is public record.’ I also received a piece of mail from a particularly devious and evil organization communicating the same information. This text writer and that organization seeking to intimidate voters, are both absolutely correct. MY VOTING RECORD, including my party affiliation is PUBLIC RECORD, astoundingly, incomprehensibly, BY LAW – that is, pursuant to statutes passed by the legislature and enacted
into law by the State of New York! There is every reason to maintain a confidential voter list. The Board of Elections must be able to assure that no one votes twice, that voters are of age, that voters are indeed resident of the jurisdiction in which they vote. Anonymized data should be available – ages, ethnicity, political party of voters are all legitimate areas of aggregate, statistical interest. But it is only the Board of Elections, its agents and officers, that should ever have access to confidential, sensitive, private information – the actual identity of voters. Other than the Board of Elections, no one is entitled to know whether I voted or did not vote. No one. Even more so, no one, absolutely no one, ought to have access to the most private of all information – my party affiliation. Whether I voted and my party affiliation is significantly more confidential and private than any of my financial or medical records. Perhaps the State of New York would like all of my neighbors to know what my income was last year, how much I paid in income taxes, what vehicles I own or the results of my last colorectal exam. My voting record is significantly more private and sensitive than any of these other pieces of personal information, and ought to require significantly more protection. No one, and let us be very clear – absolutely no one - can make an argument for why the legislature passed the above cited statutes. There is no logic and no public policy that would ever support such an abomination. There is no benefit to our communities, our government, our economy or our lives that is derived from these laws. And, there is certainly no articulable benefit to any individual voter. Only harm accrues to us. These laws cheapen and degrade the lives of the citizens of the State, making us targets and commodities to be exploited. Only the lowest, worst and most craven form of creatures – politicians and political parties looking to target their constituents - profit from these
disclosures. Not a single other being does. Again, for individual voters like myself, the only impact is harm, State inflicted harm. To make matters worse, this behavior continues at a time when we know that agents of the Federal Government are looking to access voter information in order to de-legitimize, overturn and corrupt elections, with the overt intent of eliminating elections and our democratic form of government entirely. Indeed there was a lawsuit concerning this. Why New York was included in the suit will remain a mystery. Those Federal actors already had everything they could possibly want. The redacted, “public” information that New York State makes available to the agents of the Federal Government and every other person intent on suppressing and intimidating the vote, hands them all the tools they would ever need to destroy our form of government. Drivers’ license numbers and the last four digits of one’s social security number would only have constituted the cherry on the top of the fecal sundae New York had already concocted. One might think this might
have been a wake-up call to deal with the legislation, but, no, not New York State. For no reason whatever the State of New York, has published my incredibly private information for any and all bad actors to access and exploit. In particular, by disclosing my party affiliation at this time in history, the State has literally put a target on my back. I’ve lived in three other states during my lifetime and have never had my privacy violated so openly and pointlessly by state government. In these states, state government never deliberately put my very safety and confidentiality at risk. Indeed, in those other jurisdictions, state government was on my side – it sought to protect me. How do we countenance a state government that has absolutely no concerns for protecting the citizens of the State, but instead actively exposes them to harm? A state government that has no desire or intent to protect elections from corrupt political actors? A state government that has no concerns for voter intimidation or suppression, but instead fosters it? No concern. None. I have contacted all my
state legislators and they have voiced no concern for protecting me, nor any support for protecting the electoral process. Worthless is too kind of a word to characterize them. I have voted in every election since becoming eligible to do so, many, many decades ago. Even while serving overseas, I managed to vote by absentee ballot. But, now, I have no choice. The threats and costs of voting imposed by the State of New York are much too high. Remove my name, address, party affiliation and voting record from any and all records you may now have or have ever created. You as a Board could have used your authority to lobby for changes to this law, but instead have blindly complied. You and the State of New York, under color of state law, have violated every single citizen’s Constitutional right to privacy and now are a threat to the entire electoral process and to my safety, causing me harm. As long as this appalling legislation remains in place, the State of New York has disenfranchised me.” - Robert W. Geiszler, Ithaca, NY
UPS&DOWNS
By Kaeleigh Banda
Ups The City of Ithaca’s Shop Small Businesses Weekend is scheduled for Nov. 27 through Nov. 29 to encourage the community to do their holiday shopping locally. Shoppers can earn a holiday tote bag with a qualifying purchase from participating locations. Find more information online at DowntownIthaca.com.
Downs The New York State Department of Health announced that the flu, a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus, is already prevalent statewide. Tompkins County Whole Health urged the community to get vaccinated for the flu now, saying it is “unusual” for flu cases to be widespread this early in the year. Last year, cases were not declared prevalent by the state until December.
HEARD&SEEN Heard
TAK E NOT E
Ithaca Fire Departments Gets New Fire Boat By L or ien Ty ne
Tompkins County is seeking potential infrastructure projects to submit for the NYS County Infrastructure Grant for up to $1.5 million in support. More information can be found on the county’s Department of Planning and Sustainability website or by emailing DPS at planning@ tompkins-co.org.
Seen Cornell’s Johnson Museum of Art has installed a new exhibition called “Garden Invaders,” which features four illuminated, pixelated aliens on the outside of the building. The exhibition was created by artists Iftikhar Dadi and Elizabeth Dadi and will remain open through the spring.
IF YOU CARE TO RESPOND to something in this column, or suggest your own praise or blame, write editor@ithacatimes. com, with a subject head “U&D.”
QUESTION OF THE WEEK Do you vote early?
58.8% Yes 35.3% No 5.9% I don’t care
T
he City of Ithaca Fire Department has acquired a new Marine 1 fire boat to replace an old, failing boat. The new craft will aid IFD in rescue and firefighting within its coverage area on the south end of Cayuga Lake. According to an IFD press release, the fire boat is from Lake Assault Boats in Superior, Wisconsin. The craft will fill a service gap on Cayuga Lake and along its shores. The IFD said firefighting along Cayuga Lake has been difficult because of limited road access, steep terrain, water supply issues and the conditions of the old fire boat.
“The need for a more advanced and capable fire boat has existed for a long time,” the IFD press release said. “IFD is often called to the lake for boat fires, sinking boats, and fire and medical emergencies on the water and along the shore. […] The asset will dramatically improve our ability to help.” The new boat is 26 feet in length with an aluminum hull. It is powered by two 250 horsepower Yamaha outboards and features a fire pump flowing more than 1250 gallons of water per minute. The boat can fight fire with its on-board water cannon, supply onshore fire apparatus or deploy hose lines from
the boat. The boat is available to the IFD’s mutual aid partners on Cayuga Lake and will be stationed at the Alan Treman Marina.
NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION:
Does NY State need to do more to address domestic violence? Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.
The press release said that funding for the new boat was supported with a $250,000 state grant allocated by Senator Lea Webb in 2024. The Ithaca Common Council voted in November 2024 to fund the other half of the cost. The IFD said that since winter is approaching, the boat will be tested briefly before being stored until spring, at which time extensive training will take place. NOVEMBER 4-11 / THE ITHACA TIMES
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Ithaca Businesses Petition City to Halt Seneca Street Parking Garage Demolition By Philip O’ D ell
D
owntown business owners, reeling from the sudden loss of customer parking, are backing an online petition urging the Ithaca Common Council to halt demolition plans for the Seneca Street parking garage and evaluate repair options.
Petition and local opposition
In an online petition, Moosewood Restaurant urged the Common Council to pause demolition plans for the Seneca Street parking garage, calling for an independent structural study and a moratorium on redevelopment to explore repair options. The petition urges the Common Council to share the findings openly with residents, asserting that infrastructure decisions should involve community input. As of Oct. 28, the petition has 891 signatures. “As longtime members of the Ithaca community and owners of businesses downtown, we are deeply concerned about the rushed plans to demolish the Seneca Street Parking Garage without exploring all possible alternatives,” the petition states. During the Common Council’s Oct. 14 meeting, Moosewood owner Danica Wilcox said hundreds of residents are demanding a review of the garage and urged officials to conduct a comprehensive parking assessment before committing to any further investment or redevelopment on the site. Wilcox said that every evening at Moosewood, roughly half of arriving dining parties send in a single person first while the others circle the block searching for parking. She said that the six months the garage remained closed coincided with a vital business season for downtown merchants, resulting in significant lost opportunity. “I think rather than moving hastily in 2027, I think you need to slow down and really think about what is a priority for downtown,” Wilcox said. Jan Rhodes Norman, a downtown business owner for 49 years and cofounder of Local First Ithaca, said parking shortages are compounding challenges facing business owners still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of patrons. Focusing on the DeWitt Mall, Norman said the building houses a large retired population facing accessibility issues when parking is shifted farther away. She said eliminating convenient downtown parking would be “penny-wise and pound-foolish.” Kelly Cartmill, representing Baywood Hotels and serving as chair of the Local Tourism Committee for the Downtown Ithaca Conference Center, raised concerns over the closure and planned sale of the garage. She said Baywood properties, including The Canopy, Hampton Inn, Fairfield Inn and The Strand Café, already 10
The Seneca Street Garage (Photo: Mark Syverston) sustained lost revenue, reputational harm and negative customer reviews related to the closure. She said business owners were not consulted before the decision was reached. “The removal of the parking garage raises serious questions about whether we still meet those established parking needs upon which those investments were made,” Cartmill said. Peggy Coleman, president of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, urged city officials to reconsider the garage closure to prevent sales tax losses. Coleman said tourists generate 50% of downtown merchant sales, totaling $21.8 million in 2025. The Common Council approved transferring ownership of 202 E. Seneca St. to the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA) on Sept. 2. Under the resolution, the IURA will seek developers and draft an agreement to redevelop the property. Alderperson Margaret Fabrizio cast the sole dissenting vote, urging the council to table the measure to allow for more transparency, public input, and comprehensive planning before issuing a request for proposals. The garage closed on April 10 after falling concrete debris triggered city inspections and an engineering review, which revealed structural deterioration. On May 6, City Manager Dominick Recckio attributed the damage to concrete spalling caused by freeze-thaw cycles. State-mandated assessments obtained via public records requests by the Ithaca Times show escalating structural decay and repair costs at the 425-space Seneca Street garage before its closure. Inspections by WGI Engineering and Elwyn & Palmer in 2019, 2022, and 2025 documented
THE ITHACA TIMES / NOVEMBER 4-11, 2026
widespread concrete spalling, severe moisture damage, and compromised support tendons throughout the 10-level facility. The 2025 evaluation rated the garage in “poor-to-fair” condition, estimating up to $3.39 million in repairs to keep it operational and requiring emergency shoring for failing basement concrete. Earlier reports showed compounding hazards: a 2022 review pegged overhauls at $3.66 million for issues like sagging barrier cables and exposed tendons, following a 2019 inspection that flagged bowed basement walls, torn deck membranes, and compromised support beams. According to its website, the city of Ithaca operates three downtown parking garages, with the Chamberlain’s Office issuing permits for the Green Street and Dryden Road facilities, while AllPro Parking manages permits for the Cayuga Street garage.
City manager report
During the Oct. 14 meeting, Recckio said parking garages deteriorate faster than other structures, resulting in high upkeep and repair expenses. He said the city has spent tens of millions of dollars maintaining its garages over their lifespans and will continue to incur repair costs. “Parking garages as a structure are not something that people are making money on selling them,” Recckio said. “The land underneath the parking garages are valuable, but the garage itself does not retain value and is often demolished.” Recckio said Ithaca’s parking garages sit on tax-exempt land in a municipality where over half of the total property value is not taxable. He said the garages represent a smaller portion of non-taxable land compared to local universities, but
still require high operational expenditures while generating no property tax revenue. Recckio said the city’s policy priorities include boosting active mobility, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, increasing density and enhancing pedestrian and bicycle safety. He said the Common Council sets the priorities that include eliminating parking minimums for private developments, stabilizing property taxes and revitalizing downtown. “There’s not a lot on this policy priority list that points to building or maintaining garages that are in a failing state,” Recckio said. Addressing WGI’s 2025 report, Recckio said it identified an unsafe condition the city was prepared to address prior to subsequent concrete spalling. While the document noted that earlier recommended repairs had been deferred, he said the city had previously decided against investing heavily to permanently extend the aging structure’s useful life. He added that municipal and independent engineers view the report’s estimated $4 million to $7 million repair cost as conservative, noting the assessment relied solely on visual inspections without chipping concrete to evaluate underlying rebar, missed issues observed daily by city staff, and excluded at least $500,000 in necessary elevator repairs. Describing the closure as long anticipated, Recckio said the 52-yearold facility had reached the end of its structural lifespan, noting that not all recommended maintenance was funded over the past decade. The garage’s last major rehabilitation occurred in 2013 with an expected structural lifespan of 10 to 15 years, placing the current facility roughly 12 to 13 years into that projection. Recckio
said the Cayuga Street garage opened in 2005 to bolster downtown capacity in preparation for the Seneca Street facility’s decommissioning. Recckio said staff analyzed the 2025 WGI engineering report before concrete spalling occurred. He said staff held a Jan. 8 safety review to assess findings and prepare capital funds or municipal borrowing to address safety hazards. Recckio said staff chose not to recommend the full scope of repairs outlined in the report, opting instead to fix immediate unsafe conditions, maintain structural safety, and formulate the site’s long-term plans. According to Recckio, L1 Engineers’ April 23 visual inspection report identified 56 exterior deficiencies with potential for concrete spalling, each representing an area where falling material could strike pedestrians below. He said those findings reaffirmed the city’s decision to keep the garage closed. Recckio said engineering consultants were asked to consult a qualified demolition contractor, who provided an itemized estimate of $2 million to tear down the parking garage. He said the city incorporated a $2.5 million line item into its upcoming capital plan presentation to account for the total demolition project cost based on the contractor estimate. Recckio said the garage shutdown forced Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit to relocate service one block east to the 100 block of East State Street, which shares space with the intercity bus hub and led to bus stacking, idling and related operational challenges. He said city staff worked with TCAT to ease corridor congestion by shifting the Route 10 route to North Tioga
Street. He said TCAT recently informed city officials that it will not return service to the garage block until the structure is demolished and a permanent boarding facility is restored. Recckio said the city plans to keep Tompkins Consolidated Transit service along the 100 block of East Seneca Street, shifting buses further east on the corridor once the intercity bus stop is relocated. He said one commercial loading zone and two accessible parking spaces will be added to the block to mitigate disruptions to neighboring businesses. Recckio said the city plans to add eight to 11 on-street parking spaces along the Seneca garage block—and potentially more nearby—now that Tompkins Consolidated Transit will not return to the corridor. Pending state Department of Transportation approval, the addition builds on 11 downtown spaces created earlier this year to support local businesses. Following the structure’s planned demolition by 2027, the city will build an interim surface lot with more than 70 spaces to restore parking until the property is permanently redeveloped.
Alderperson response
Alderperson Margaret Fabrizio said the decision carries immediate consequences for downtown businesses and longterm implications for the area’s future, expressing ongoing concern over whether the city had sufficient information and public input before making such a major choice. Fabrizio said she did not oppose the emergency closure, but questioned the subsequent executive session where city officials decided to permanently
close the facility. After reviewing the 2025 engineering evaluation, she said its conclusion repeatedly advised that completing repairs within one to two years could maintain the structure in service for an additional 10 to 15 years, contrasting sharply with the messaging she previously received. She added that the document outlined roughly $2.6 million in recommended repairs over four years, alongside another $4.7 million in optional work over five years. “Whatever our views are on the future use of this site, we have a responsibility to address the immediate consequences of losing this,” Fabrizio said. Fabrizio recommended the city should pause the request for proposals process until a comprehensive parking study is completed to assess current and future demand and evaluate realistic options. She said the Downtown Ithaca Alliance repeatedly requested such an assessment in writing. Fabrizio also recommended forming a working group to address immediate concerns and mitigate the loss of parking spaces. She said representatives from DIA and other stakeholders should be included on future municipal teams tasked with drafting the RFP and reviewing the site’s redevelopment plans. In response, Recckio said the WGI report cited $4.7 million for recommended and optional repairs, beyond the immediate unsafe conditions flagged at the facility, though city staff consider that figure conservative due to issues with the structure’s post-tension beams. He said municipal staff estimated the actual cost would approach $6 million once detailed construction documents are drawn up.
INQUIRING PHOTOGRAPHER By Mark Syvertson
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: “WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? NOTE: If readers wish to participate in the Ithaca Times’ Inquiring Photographer column, contact Mark Syvertson at marksyvertsonphotography@gmail.com
Ryan - “A 1998 black Honda Accord.”
Joyce - “It was a 1973 Pontiac Le Mans.”
Kerri - “I had a 1993 Geo Storm.”
Personal Health
Lead Poisoning Prevention in Children By Mikayla Rovenolt
F
or this year’s National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW), Oct. 25 through 31, Tompkins County Whole Health (TCWH) held an educational event in partnership with Eco-Testing and Finger Lakes ReUse on Oct. 24 at the ReUse Center on North Triphammer Road. The event was free and open to the public, according to a press release. TCWH staff from the Healthy Neighborhoods Program and certified lead assessors from the Environmental Health division were present to answer questions about lead poisoning and prevention measures. On the spot lead testing using an XRF (X-ray fluorescence) device was provided, which is able to detect the presence of lead and does not harm the item being tested. Testable items included antiques, jewelry, painted toys, repurposed furniture, or ceramics (including pickling crocks). “Lead poisoning is serious but preventable,” TCWH Certified Lead Inspector Chris Laverick said in a press release. “It’s important to be aware of lead paint in old houses and on windowsills and check those antiques to make sure they are safe for your family to use!” According to the release, NLPPW occurs each year as an important reminder and call to action to reduce childhood exposure to lead. Lead is a toxic metal that is harmful if inhaled or
swallowed and can pose serious health risks, especially for children. According to the release, children under six years old most often get lead poisoning from breathing in or swallowing dust from old lead paint that gets on floors and windowsills, hands, and toys. The release stated that in 1978, the United States banned lead-based paint, but many older homes still have leadbased paint present, often under layers of newer paint. In Tompkins County, close to 60% of housing structures were built prior to 1978 (2020 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates). Home renovation projects in older homes increase the risk of creating dust containing lead. TCWH says special precautions are advised, including testing for lead prior to beginning projects, taking steps to mitigate and contain dust, and hiring a lead certified contractor. Learn more at: https://www. epa.gov/lead/lead-safe-renovationsdiyers The release also said children in Tompkins County have been exposed to lead from additional sources, including take-home exposures from a workplace, lead in soil, imported products, and antiques. Some traditional medicines, ointments and cosmetics used by East Indian, Indian, Middle Eastern, West Asian and Hispanic cultures may contain lead. Spices used for cooking have been recalled due to high levels of lead as well as applesauce with
contaminated cinnamon. Old toys and furniture, such as painted cribs and highchairs, often passed down through families, can be another source of exposure. Costume jewelry, especially imported painted items, have been tested and found to have high levels of lead. According to the release, all children should have their blood tested for lead levels at ages 1 and 2, as required by NYS law. Healthcare providers will provide this test at children’s well visits.?It is important to test homes, test children, and learn how to prevent the serious health effects from lead poisoning. Health effects from lead poisoning may include a lower IQ, hearing loss, kidney disease, and growth problems, according to TCWH. If anyone has concerns, TCWH advises that people speak to their health care provider or pediatrician about getting children tested and other resources. Lead poisoning is preventable. “When there is healthy food in the body, it is more difficult for lead to be absorbed,” TCWH’s Director of Family and Child Health Jessica Clark Manderville, BSN, RN, said in the press release. “Make sure your diet is rich in important nutrients such as calcium, iron and vitamin C. Additionally, simple actions like washing hands before eating and removing shoes when you come into the home are good ways to prevent exposure.”
Katie - “My first car was a blue Cutlass Ciera.”
Dan - “I had a red Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale.”
For more information on local lead poisoning prevention efforts, please visit our website: https://www. tompkinscountyny.gov/health/lead For more information about National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website: https:// www.cdc.gov/lead-prevention/php/ nlppw/ Visit the National Center for Healthy Housing for additional information and resources: https://nchh.org/buildthe-movement/nlppw/ “In partnership with our Environmental Health colleagues who are certified lead assessors, we help parents identify sources of lead that may be the cause of lead poisoning, and we provide education on prevention and testing,” Manderville said. “NYS law and regulations require health care providers to test all children’s blood lead levels at ages one and two years.”
NOVEMBER 4-11 / THE ITHACA TIMES
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Arts
Finger Lakes Artist Joe Crookston Creates Printed Tapestries of Taughannock Falls’ Limestone By Janice Hanson
J
oe Crookston – a Finger Lakes painter, printmaker, and musician – had a flash of inspiration while on a guided nature walk in 2019 at Taughannock Falls State Park in Trumansburg. The dry limestone riverbed that he was walking on had been etched over millions of years by the acidity of evaporating rainwater. Using it like a natural lithography stone, he imagined creating art with natural materials to highlight the patterns in the stone to tell its story. It’s taken Crookston seven years of planning and months of hands-on work, but now he is ready to unveil to the public his New York State-funded project, “380 Million Years & A Story to Tell,” at two art shows on November 20 in Interlaken, NY and December 5 in Hammondsport, NY. Each reception will include original Finger Lakes songs performed by Joe Crookston. For this project, Crookston teamed up with Mother Nature, local farmers, and fellow artists to make large-scale relief prints of the flat, textured limestone riverbed at Taughannock Falls using allnatural handmade inks and dyes and cotton muslin fabric. Locally sourced non-toxic black walnut ink was rolled onto the ancient limestone to create 13 one-of-a-kind prints of the geologic patterns, which will be on display. “Joe Crookston is one of the incredibly
talented artists selected for the 2026 fellowship,” Linda Franke, Program Director for the Rural and Traditional Arts Fellowship said. “This project is reflective of the community where he lives and works, utilizing the very land itself to make his art. I hope his story inspires you!” Crookston was one of ten artists awarded the Rural and Traditional Arts Fellowship, which is administered by Shake on the Lake in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts. “This hands-on, real world, materialsbased project comes from a deep love of nature and the place I call home, as well as a fierce response to digital bypassing of our organic relationship with creativity,” Crookston said. “Our culture is fragmented. We need to do fun, meaningful work together. We need to act and find inspiration. I would love for many, many people to experience these natural creations, to be inspired by how they were made, and for the art to spark insight and fascination.” “I love how this project celebrates the artistry of the earth at every step,” Local musician and geologist Benny Bleu said about Crookston’s work. “Seamlessly integrating our region’s geology, biology, agriculture, and community into beautiful images that re-tell a timeless story at a timely moment. The limestone may be 380 million years old but its face
CHAMBER SERIES
NIELSEN AND FAURÉ Sunday, November 15 at 3:00 pm
FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY OF ITHACA
TICKETS AND INFO: CCOithaca.org
12
THE ITHACA TIMES / NOVEMBER 4-11, 2026
Joe Crookston with one of the naturally printed works. changes daily. These images capture a moment in time when humans and trees and vegetables and bedrock (and even the ancient microorganisms that donated their skeletons to create the limestone) gathered together for a selfie. I think if you look close enough you can see that we’re all related.” Over the course of four months, Crookston hand-dyed 4x4 foot muslin fabric tapestry squares with rich earthy vegetable colors made from beets, cabbage, and onions (grown by local farmers), as well as turmeric, rust, curry, and spirulina. He then made dark natural printmaking ink out of Eastern walnuts and gum arabic (from the sap of acacia trees). At the end of the summer when the riverbed was dry, he went to Taughannock Falls gorge with a team of friends and fellow artists, including Josanna Crookston and videographer Noah Bergman. They washed the ancient Tully limestone with river water, rolled walnut ink onto the dried stone, pressed the fabric tapestry squares down onto the ink, and lifted them to reveal the beautiful, natural markings and story of the limestone riverbed. After each printing, the natural homemade ink was washed into the natural environment with zero negative impact on the landscape or chemistry of the water, leaving no trace. Crookston’s artwork and linocuts have been shown in galleries from Minnesota to New York to the True North Gallery in Ontario, where four of his paintings were shown next to paintings by Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Miles Davis, and Bob Dylan. He also teaches visual art,
creativity, and music at schools, retreats, festivals, and workshops for people of all ages. “Having years of experience with printmaking, I knew there would be a trial-and-error process of learning to create the most dynamic and beautiful impressions in this outdoor setting,” Crookston said of this new project. “I also had to learn to let go and follow the lead of the materials at hand – stone, paper, fabric, ink – which in itself was an interesting challenge.” View photos and video of the project at: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/ fo/0gm47uxlo4vm1rv32izqx/-AH2KCb C6GaUocOIpqFj2wQ?rlkey=i6tzwgljeqe zh4e16d480d1ea&st=jpx5fe3r&dl=0 The two opening receptions include a viewing of the final artwork, local cider, and original Finger Lakes songs performed by Joe Crookston. This will be a community gathering to celebrate the geology of Taughannock Falls, the limestone story, and the printed tapestries made by Joe and his community team of artists! The opening receptions are free and open to the public. Friday, November 20, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm Finger Lakes Cider House 4017 Hickok Road, Interlaken, NY 14847 Saturday, December 5, 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm Keuka Peaceful Roots (The Crow’s Nest) 49 Shethar Street, 2nd Floor, Hammondsport, NY 14840
Film
“Sense and Sensibility”: A Great New Adaptation By Clement Obropta
D
The new adaptation of “Sense and Sensibility” has everything Jane Austen fans could possibly want: Brooding, withholding men. Passionate but prejudiced women. Lively, brash supporting female characters. And so, so many woolen waistcoats, empire line dresses, and gorgeous hand-dyed skirts. Directed by Georgia Oakley, who debuted with the quietly enraged queer period drama “Blue Jean,” the script hails from “Love & Virtue” novelist Diana Reid. Both storytellers deliberately avoid the practiced sharpness of previous Austen adaptations. Instead, the new “Sense and Sensibility” lives in the messiness of its characters, the naturalistically dim candlelit interiors, and the period details that might escape more carefully plotted productions. The story follows the Dashwood sisters, who are kicked out of their lavish estate after the patriarch leaves the lion’s share of his inheritance to their pig-headed half-brother. Newly homeless, they take up residence in a humble cottage in Devonshire. “Wealth has nothing to do with happiness,” Mrs. Dashwood (Caitríona Balfe) says, trying to soothe her devastated daughters. It’s an assertion that haunts the rest of the film. Every Austen novel explores femininity in a time ruthlessly dominated by men, but “Sense and Sensibility” uniquely examines a family of women left adrift in the wake of a patriarch. The Dashwoods are the victims of the Georgian Era’s crushing inequality that turned women into human dolls, to be dressed up, paraded around, and ultimately married off to the most convenient match. Or, in their case,
abandoned to a mere 500 pounds a year. But if you want an in-depth discussion of the intricacies of inheritance in 1790s Britain, read “Sense and Sensibility.” Oakley’s film instead pursues the much more familiar period romance narrative, as both Dashwood sisters wrestle with love, passion, duty, and devotion. The eldest, Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones), thought she found true love in Edward Ferrars (George MacKay) before she and her family were whisked away from their home. Meanwhile, the affections of middle child Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles) are being chased by two men of decent fortune seeking a wife: the stoic, rigid Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nordrum) and the flighty, passionate Mr. Willoughby (Frank Dillane). Devoted readers might lament the film’s focus on romance, which comes at the expense of the moving sisterhood that defines the story, but Oakley and Reid hew closely to the archetypal portrait of repressed love. Romance sings in the quiet moments, such as a skipping stone passing between Elinor’s hand and Edward’s. The film is rich in such details — Austen’s fans have always excelled at reading high romance into the subtlest of gestures. Sensational are Edgar-Jones and CreedMiles in the roles of the Dashwood sisters, though Marianne, the closest thing Austen gave us to a wild child, is by far the showier role. As Elinor, Edgar-Jones is more a silent observer, and as such she feels like she’s hiding her true feelings for most of the film, only really coming alive in the final act. I expect this film will age beautifully in about 10 years, when they’re both among our most celebrated actresses.
Elinor Dashwood (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her sister, Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles) in the new “Sense and Sensibility.” (Photo: IMDb / Focus Features) The film’s supporting cast is full of vibrant performances and memorable characters, from the Falstaffian hunter Sir John Middleton (Turlough Convery) to his wife, Lady Middleton (Chloe Pirrie), who’s obsessed with the weather. Fiona Shaw lights up every room she’s in as the busybody Mrs. Jennings, the gossiping auntie who uses all manner of conversation to try to patch the hole left by her deceased husband, and who clutches her black pug like a safety blanket. As the Colonel, Norwegian actor Herbert Nordrum has a wonderful take on the character, playing him as a broken man steadily drawn out of his shell by the lure of potential love. Like her previous film “Blue Jean,” Oakley’s “Sense and Sensibility” always opts for subtlety over gaudy sentimentality. Though there’s romance, it’s far more mannered and philosophical in nature than Emerald Fennell’s equally excellent bodice-ripping “Wuthering Heights.” And though there’s music, it’s sparse. In a good and sensible Austen adaptation, the only music one really needs is the dialogue, the flicker of a candle at night, the gentle buzz of bees pollinating the thistle, and the soft
pitter-patter of rain falling on lily pads. “Sense and Sensibility” is not without its flaws. Cinematographer Arnaud Potier either opts for stage like wide shots or lots of tight framing and soft focus, with little variation or clever blocking. Oakley is more skilled as a dramatist than a painter, particularly in comparison to Ang Lee’s gorgeous and most beloved adaptation. Still, this stands alongside Autumn de Wilde’s “Emma.” as one of the best recent additions to the Austen canon. Everyone deserves the chance to see a great Jane Austen adaptation at the movie theater and given that we only seem to get one of those every five or so years, don’t miss your chance now. Clement Obropta is a film columnist for the Ithaca Times.
“SENSE AND SENSIBILITY” Rated PG Directed by Georgia Oakley Currently playing at Cinemapolis and Regal Ithaca Mall 120 East Green St 40 Catherwood Road, Ithaca
Stage
Kitchen Theatre Presents Ulster American By Ross Haarstad Playwright David Ireland is currently being represented by The Fifth Step, on streaming view from Britain’s National Theatre (with the hot duo of Jack Lowden and Martin Freeman).
the N-word?’ the Hollywood actor asks the British director. Then he raises the stakes with a follow-up question, hypothetical of course. Is it ever morally acceptable to rape someone?”
House of Ithaqua (HOI) is presenting the regional premiere of an earlier Ireland hit, Ulster American (2018) in a superbly acted production. Performances continue on the stage of Kitchen Theatre Company this Wednesday through Saturday.
The banter between the immensely self-absorbed American actor, Jay (Daniel S. Baruch) and the self-effacing ‘socialist’ director, Leigh (Robin Guiver) as he plays toady to his star is a fairly clever satire of both show biz and of two man-children trying to appear woke. “I am a feminist,” both declare.
The title is a deliberate twist on the label of Irish American, and as the play progresses our assumptions about Ireland, the Troubles and more are poked at and turned about. Ulster American has echoes of Martin McDonagh and David Mamet. A satire that verges toward dark farce, the play is in essence a power struggle where the masculinist abode of two men is interrupted by the arrival of a woman. Ireland’s provocation, which will ignite the furious second half, is to quote the Guardian’s review of the London production: “Two white men in show business are shooting the breeze. ‘You ever use
About a third of the way through Ruth (Jada Soltau) their “promising Irish woman playwright” finally arrives, delayed by a serious car crash with her mother. The problem is Ruth does not see herself as Irish, but as British, an assertion her supposed friend and champion Leigh is absolutely cognitively (and politically) incapable of accepting. Secrets inevitably spill out, betrayals accumulate, Jay’s Oscar statuette comes out. The fun is in the unfolding, however, much of where the play is headed is too predictable.
Robin Guiver, Daniel S. Baruch and Jada Soltau. (Photo provided) Ireland’s cleverly constructed machine ultimately proves fairly shallow: bad men will behave badly, a woman will get her revenge. Baruch provides a sly, strutting performance of a perfect narcissist, continually evasive of his real feelings while steeped in rituals of his evolved AA consciousness. Guiver, flipping down several glasses of wine, is a perfect foil as he fumbles to accommodate the mercurial Jay; his prevarications come dizzily tumbling out with ever more comic speed as he tries alternately to coax and placate Ruth.
Soltau is absolutely delicious as Ruth, as she drifts into peals of laughter at Jay’s disastrous “Irish” accent, steels herself to resist the guys’ ploys, and finally unleashes a ton of rage and sorrow. (By the way, Soltau’s accent is impeccable.) A.J. Sage has directed with his typical precision (as well as putting together a handsome interior, lit with aplomb by Rosa Maassen.) Yet I am tiring of masculinist writing that plays the card of “provocative” without ever upsetting the patriarchy.
NOVEMBER 4-11 / THE ITHACA TIMES
13
Sports
Drive Will Get You Five By Steve Lawrence
I
recall publishing a piece about how much I enjoy writing about local high school athletes, and how that enjoyment level was ramped up when one of them went on to make a collegiate roster... any collegiate roster. I then said that the excitement level kept rising if an athlete made a Division 1 team, and rose even more if a conference title was won. I then thanked wrestler Kyle Dake – a Lansing High graduate - for making a Division 1 team, and for winning not one, but two individual national championships. It was difficult to imagine, I wrote, that a local athlete could provide more fertile content for a local sportswriter. Well... that was 15 years ago, and since then Dake has won two more NCAA titles, two Olympic Bronze medals and – as of last Saturday, five World Championships. On Saturday, Dake - at age 35 – became the oldest U.S. wrestler to win a world title when he beat Arsenii Dzhioev of Armenia 3-2 in the 86kg final in Astana, Kazakhstan. Kyle’s other four World titles came at two lower weight classes – 79kg in 2018 and 2019, and 74kg in 2010 and 2022 – and in fact, one of his most legendary achievements was becoming the first and only collegiate wrestler to win four
national titles at four different weight classes. He first generated national attention when he won the title at 141 pounds as an 18 year-old true freshman. Rather than “suck weight” as many wrestlers do to stay at a given weight class, he kept going up a class each year as his body filled out, winning at 149 as a sophomore, 158 as a junior, and at 165 as a senior. For a 35 year-old man to maintain the level of fitness and dedication required to remain at or near the top of the international food chain is remarkable, and there are always questions about his plans to compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. After winning Olympic Bronze in 2020 and again in 2024, Kyle was quoted as saying, “It’s hard to say no when it’s in your backyard. I will have some soul-searching to do.” Winning another World title will likely make that decision a bit easier. It’s fair to say that the Cornell football team is, at times, playing some the best football they have played in some time. It is also fair to say that two mid-season late game collapses will haunt them for some time to come. All games are important, of course, but the Ivy contests carry much more weight than do the non-conference games when
Kyle Dake with one of his Olympic medals (Photo provided by Cornell Athletics) a season is evaluated. The Big Red opened its Ivy slate with a convincing – and to many, surprising – win against Yale, the defending Ivy champs. It was the home opener for Cornell, and it was a great way to...wait for it...kick off the Ivy schedule. Cornell stumbled in a 41-29 loss to Harvard, then raised a lot of eyebrows yet again by putting a shocking 48-38 thumping on Lehigh. It was a nonIvy match up, but it gave the Big Red a major boost going into the match up with Brown. The roller coaster ride bottomed out on that day, as Cornell squandered a 14-point 4th quarter lead to lose 38-31 in OT. That one hurt. On Saturday, Cornell traveled to
Princeton and once again jumped out to the lead. It was 20-7 late in the third quarter, then Princeton cut it to 2014. The Tigers would score the tying touchdown and go-ahead extra point with a minute and a half to play, and a Cornell turnover ended the visitors’ chance at getting into field position for a game-winning field goal. That one hurt even more, as 1-3 in the conference feels a lot different than 3-1. Three more Ivy contests to right the ship. Fans will have two more opportunities to watch the Big Red play at home, as they host Penn on 11/7 and Dartmouth on 11/14. They will wrap up the season on 11.21 at Columbia.
success for a form of media once deemed
calling the acts she reported as gang-rape
dead.
and sexual assault “consensual.”
Ithaca Notes
The Utility of Newspapers that.
Y
By Stephen Burke ou’re
reading
apparently
this, you
so read
newspapers, either on paper
or online.
First, thank you. Next, congratulations on being one of an important but dwindling number. Most likely you are middle-aged or older. People under age 30 barely read newspapers in numbers sufficient to dwindle. More than a third of the newspapers that existed 30 years ago no longer exist. And as you might know from reports here and elsewhere, the existence of the Ithaca Times is currently in peril, after more than 50 years of publication. The short and obvious explanation for the decline is the loss of advertising dollars. Classified ads, for example, were once a source of substantial revenue for the Ithaca Times, filling the entire back page and more. The arrival of Craigslist, providing free classified ads online, reduced and then essentially obliterated 14
Similarly,
display
ads
have
Not long ago, the vinyl record was
The case might have been buried
considered a candidate for extinction:
successfully by Cornell and the local legal
physically
in
system if not for the Sun, which followed
increasingly moved to newly-prominent
features, it had to be played one entire
up on the 2024 event when, this year,
online sites.
side at a time, for 20 minutes or longer,
thwarted by institutions and authorities,
with no device to flip or skip anything.
Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit. The Sun
Format is an issue. Online sites are
cumbersome,
limited
as close as the phone in one’s pocket. A
Today the vinyl record is a revived and
newspaper is an afterthought, or not
even revered format, with sites for its
a thought at all. Recently a twenty-
production insufficient to meet demand.
something person I work with said to me,
It turns out people like its physicality,
“Hey, I heard that you write somewhere
its capacity for superior sound delivery,
about Ithaca.” I handed him a copy of the
and the art and information that can be
Ithaca Times from a nearby stack and
presented in its packaging.
opened it to my column. He took a picture of it and handed the (free) newspaper back to me, apparently unfamiliar with and uncurious about the forum.
Similarly, the newspaper has the capacity for agreeable visuals, with pertinent photography and the graphic
broke the story of the lawsuit. Citing issues of campus safety, institutional malfeasance and lack of transparency, the paper published the names of the accused in an editorial called “Cornell Won’t, We Will.” The Sun, founded in 1880, is editorially and financially independent of the university. Its work brought national attention to the case.
art of page composition. It presents and
Newspapers have substance. Stories
Content is also an issue. These columns
promotes literary craft. It has the capacity
online, even important ones, are just
are generally around 750 words, and many
to meet high standards of thought, civic
a second’s scroll away from something
of the paper’s other stories are longer,
value, and reportage covering all manner
else diverting. Even important stories
and I suspect often fit in the category
of developments and events, from light
online are seen by only an amorphous,
of TLDR (Too Long, Didn’t Read). No
and fun to serious and important.
unfocused number of viewers.
matter the length, it can be difficult for a story about county budgets to command attention when, scrolling away, there is one attention-grabbing dopamine hit after another on TikTok (“Make Your Day…trends start here”), Reddit (“Dive into anything…the most real place on the internet”), Youtube, etc.
There’s probably no better example
in
newspapers
have
the
of the importance of newspapers than
substance of physicality and community
the role of the Cornell Daily Sun in the
recognition. It’s hard for the district
Jane Doe sexual assault case. Jane Doe
attorney to hide from a story from a
went to the Cornell police, who wrote a
well-known source that’s on thousands of
report for the county district attorney’s
doorsteps in the morning.
office. Among other failures, the report omitted her categoric assertion of rape.
Yet there might be hope for newspapers.
The district attorney declined to pursue
The vinyl music record is an example of
the case or even speak with Jane Doe,
THE ITHACA TIMES / NOVEMBER 4-11, 2026
Stories
As the Sun demonstrated, newspapers can set agendas for the betterment of a community, and beyond. We need them, and they need our attention and support.
NOVEMBER 4-11 / THE ITHACA TIMES
15
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16
THE ITHACA TIMES / NOVEMBER 4-11, 2026
NOVEMBER 4-11 / THE ITHACA TIMES
17
Music Bars/Bands/ Clubs
11/4 Wednesday Stucky Ensemble-in-Residence Dal Niente | 7:15 p.m. | Hans Bethe House, 314 West Avenue | Free
11/5 Thursday
Hannah Soren, cello and Jack Yarbrough, piano | 12:30 p.m. | Lincoln Hall, 256 Feeney Way | Free
11/6 Friday
Live Music - Off the Rails | 6 p.m. | Hopshire Farms & Brewery, 1771 Dryden Road Stucky Ensemble-in-Residence Dal Niente Concert| 7:30 p.m. | Barnes Hall, 129 Ho Plaza | Free
11/7 Saturday
Kitestring Live- 11/7 | 4 p.m. | Brewers Taproom, 10 Pinckney Rd Fabi at the South Hill Cider Community Concert Series | 5:30 p.m. | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Road | Free
11/11 Wednesday
Annette Richards and David Yearsley | 12:30 p.m. | Anabel Taylor Chapel, 548 College Ave | Free
Concerts/ Recitals
11/5 Thursday Free Concert by the Vestall Community Band | 7 p.m. | Vestal United Methodist Church, 328 Main Street | Free
11/6 Friday Megan Woods: The Truth Tour - Johnson City, NY | 7 p.m. | First Baptist Church of Johnson City, 1321 Reynolds Road
11/7 Saturday
Nick Stark Farewell Concert | 8 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S. Main Street
11/8 Sunday Young Patriots Performance | 3 p.m. | Willard Chapel, 17 Nelson Street | Free
11/9 Monday
GCS ft. Eric Gales, Dennis Chambers & Billy Sheehan | 8 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S. Main Street
11/10 Tuesday
Music in the Glen Tuesday and Saturday concerts | 6 p.m. | Glendale Park, 400 Glendale Drive Both Sides Now: The Music and Lives of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen | 8 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main Street
11/11 Wednesday Legacy in Sound | 7 p.m. | Ford Hall, 953 Danby Road | Free
Stage
Fall Fun Yoga | 5:30 p.m., 11/4 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Ulster American by David Ireland - a House of Ithaqua Production | 7 p.m., 11/4 Wednesday | Kitchen Theatre Company - Percy Browning Performance Space, 417 West State Street
Swing dance party and lesson | 7 p.m., 11/4 Wednesday | Treehouse Studios, 119 S. Cayuga St. | Jessica Kirson | 6 p.m., 11/5 Thursday | State Theatre of Ithaca, 107 West State Street Carrie: The Musical | 7 p.m., 11/5 Thursday | Dowd Fine Arts Center Lab Theatre, 40 Graham Avenue Move & Groove with Johnny Only! | 10:30 a.m., 11/6 Friday | George F. Johnson Memmorial Library, 1001 Park Street One in a Million at Willard Straight Theatre | 6 p.m., 11/10 Tuesday | Cornell University, 144 East Ave |
Art
Lisa Mackie | The Forest for the Trees - and the Sea | 1 p.m., 11/4 Wednesday | The Ink Shop Printmaking Center, 330 E. State / MLK Street | Free The SHAPE of Place: A Joint Exhibition by Pat Hunsinger and Carol Spence | 12 p.m., 11/5 Thursday | State of the Art Gallery, 120 West State Street | Free Gift-Making Series: Session 1- Magnet Gift Box Sets | 6 p.m., 11/5 Thursday | The Clay School’s ART Room, 950 Danby Road The 2026 Saltonstall Exhibition - Opening Reception | 8 a.m., 11/6 Friday | The Cherry Gallery, 130 Cherry Street Gallery Night Featuring Artist Kate Wheeler | 5 p.m., 11/6 Friday | Danby Food and Drink, 1483 Danby Road | Free Art House Night | 5 p.m., 11/6 Friday | Ink Shop Printmaking Centr
Present Conversations IV Group Exhibition & Artist Talk | 5 p.m., 11/6 Friday | Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County, Center Ithaca Box 107, 171 East State Street Try-It: Painted Pottery | 6 p.m., 11/6 Friday | The Clay School’s ART Room, 950 Danby Road Pay-What-You-Wish Weekends | 10 a.m., 11/7 Saturday | Museum of the Earth, 1259 Trumansburg Road Fossil ID Day | 10 a.m., 11/7 Saturday | Museum of the Earth, 1259 Trumansburg Road (Route 96) Michael Sampson: Layering The Figure exhibit | 12 p.m., 11/7 Saturday | The Gallery at South Hill, 950 Danby Road, South Hill Business Campus | Free Try-It: Acrylic Painting | 6 p.m., 11/7 Saturday | The Clay School’s ART Room, 950 Danby Road Water-Soluble Oil Painting Class | 1 p.m., 11/10 Tuesday | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main Street
Film 2026 HUMP! Film Festival: FALL SEASON - Ithaca, NY | 8 p.m., 11/5 Thursday | Cinemapolis, 20 E. Green Street Fall World Cinema: 12 Masterpieces from Around the World | 1:30 p.m., 11/10 Tuesday | Lifelong, 119 W. Court Street One in a Million at Willard Straight Theatre | 6 p.m., 11/10 Tuesday | Cornell University, 144 East Avenue
Cinemapolis 120 E Green St, Ithaca New movies opening the week of Nov 04. Contact Cinemapolis for showtimes and continuing films. Godzilla Minus Zero | War reduced Japan to zero, and Godzilla plunged it into minus. Two years have passed since then, and the country has faced agonizing struggles to achieve recovery and finally reclaim its daily life. Just as humanity managed to cling to a hard-won peace, a new threat strikes, crushing hope in an instant. | NA 135 mins Wild Horse Nine| Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA agents Chris and Lee are dispatched from Santiago to Easter island by their bureau chief, MJ. Amongst the Island’s iconic statues, and as the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies, Chris’s newfound bond with a pair of rebellious students threatens to send everyone’s trip to this remote paradise sideways. | NA 118 mins
Sports Cornell Women’s Basketball vs Fredonia | 11/5 Thursday | Newman Arena at Bartels Hall | Cornell Women’s Basketball vs Fredonia Cornell Men’s Swimming & Diving vs Harvard University Two-Day Dual Meet | 5 p.m., 11/6 Friday | Teagle Pool Cornell Men’s Swimming & Diving vs University of Pennsylvania - Two-Day Dual Meet | 5 p.m., 11/6 Friday | Teagle Pool | Cornell Men’s Swimming & Diving vs University of Pennsylvania - Two-Day Dual Meet
Cornell Women’s Swimming & Diving vs University of Pennsylvania - Diving only | 5 p.m., 11/6 Friday | Teagle Pool | Cornell Women’s Swimming & Diving vs University of Pennsylvania - Diving only Cornell Volleyball vs Yale University | 6 p.m., 11/6 Friday | Newman Arena at Bartels Hall | Cornell Volleyball vs Yale University Ithaca Volleyball at Lycoming College at Williamsport, PA | 6 p.m., 11/6 Friday | Ithaca Volleyball at Lycoming College Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey vs Quinnipiac University | 7 p.m., 11/6 Friday | Lynah Rink | Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey vs Quinnipiac University Cornell Women’s Rowing Syracuse University - Scrimmage | 8 a.m., 11/7 Saturday | Cornell Rowing Center | Cornell Women’s Rowing Syracuse University Scrimmage Ithaca Football vs Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Butterfield Stadium | 1 p.m., 11/7 Saturday | Ithaca Football vs Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Cornell Football vs University of Pennsylvania - Trustees’ Cup | 1 p.m., 11/7 Saturday | Schoellkopf Field | Cornell Football vs University of Pennsylvania - Trustees’ Cup
Special Events
Are You Game? Mahjongg At C4A | 1 p.m., 11/4 Wednesday | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S. Main Street
THIS WEEK “BATTLE OF THE DAD BANDS” BENEFIT FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 06 FROM 6:00 P.M. TO 10:00 P.M. Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd. | Local dad bands go head-to-head in a charity rock showdown, with audience voting deciding how prize money is split among the nonprofits. https://hangartheatre.org/event/battle-of-thedad-bands/
ULSTER AMERICAN BY DAVID IRELAND - A HOUSE OF ITHAQUA PRODUCTION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 07 FROM 2:00 P.M. TO 3:30 P.M. Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 West State Street | A dark satire about power, identity, and the arts, following a Hollywood star, playwright, and director before a rehearsal. https://www.houseofithaqua.com/ulster-american
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THE ITHACA TIMES / NOVEMBER 4-11, 2026
COMEDYHOF PRESENTS: THE $100 LAUGH-OFF SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 07 FROM 2:00 P.M. TO 3:30 P.M. Camilla Shade Studio at the Cherry Arts, 130 Cherry Street | A monthly stand-up comedy competition where the audience votes to award a $100 cash prize. BYOB. First Saturday of every month.https://www.comedyhof.com/laughoff
21 RUN SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 08 FROM 10:30 A.M. TO 1:30 P.M. Stewart Park, 1 James L Gibbs Drive | A community run at a local park, bringing runners together for a morning of fitness and fresh air. https://www.cityofithacany.gov/calendar. aspx?EID=7118
Fall Craft Fair | 9 a.m., 11/7 Saturday | Erin Fire Station, 1462 Breesport Road | Handmade items; Baked Goods; Raffles Disco Diyas at IC Pub | 6 p.m., 11/7 Saturday | Join us for Disco Diyas, a fun Diwali celebration filled with music, dancing, and delicious Indian food! Tai Chi for Health | 3 p.m., 11/10 Tuesday | The Dundee Library, 32 Water Street Lantern Walk | 6 p.m., 11/10 Tuesday | Ithaca Children’s Garden, 121 Turtle Lane | Free
Books Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America Book Club | 5:30 p.m., 11/5 Thursday | Buffalo Street Books, 215 North Cayuga Street Reading and Writing Poetry | 1 p.m., 11/10 Tuesday | Lifelong, 119 W. Court Street | $40.00 Brewed for Suspense Book Club | 3:30 p.m., 11/10 Tuesday | Brewers Taproom, 10 Pinckney Road Home - Water with Tompkins County Poet Laureate nicole v basta | 6 p.m., 11/11 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street
Kids Read to Dogs | 3 p.m., 11/4 Wednesday | Newfield Public Library, 198 Main Street | Free Family Open Play - Fall ‘26 & Winter ‘27 | 3 p.m., 11/4 Wednesday | CCE-Tompkins Education Center, 615 Willow Avenue LEGO Club | 4 p.m., 11/4 Wednesday | Cortland Free Library, 32 Church Street Fall Fun Yoga | 5:30 p.m., 11/4 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Li’l Sprouts and Seedlings Gatherings for Babies and Toddlers | 9:30 a.m., 11/5 Thursday | Ithaca Waldorf School, 20 Nelson Road | $75.00 - $125.00
Story + Craft: Community Read Edition | 4 p.m., 11/5 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street Chinese-English Bilingual Storytime | 4 p.m., 11/6 Friday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Free Preschool Projects Take & Make | 11/6 Friday | Cortland Free Library, 32 Church Street Girls Who Code Workshop: AI and its Applications for Kids | 2 p.m., 11/7 Saturday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street Tidepool Touch Tank | 10:30 a.m., 11/8 Sunday | Sciencenter, 601 1st. Street Meet a Reptile | 2 p.m., 11/8 Sunday | Sciencenter, 601 1st St | Family Playgroup - Fall’26 | 9:30 a.m., 11/9 Monday | CCE-Tompkins Education Center, 615 Willow Avenue Thriving With Your Spirited Child - Fall’26 | 12 p.m., 11/10 Tuesday, 740 S. Meadow Street | Free
Notices ASPCA Fundraising | 10:30 a.m., 11/4 Wednesday | Ithaca Commons, 102 East State Street Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group | 5:30 p.m., 11/4 Wednesday | Lifelong, 119 W. Court Street Leadership Schuyler | 8:30 a.m., 11/5 Thursday | Welliver, 250 N. Genesee Street Meeting Challenging Academic Needs Abroad at Online | 12 p.m., 11/5 Thursday Paws for a Cause -On line Auction | 5:30 p.m., 11/5 Thursday | Cook Mansion, South Genesee Street Karaoke with Elephant Sound | 8 p.m., 11/5 Thursday | 23 North Restaurant and Bar, 23 Cinema Drive | Free Paper Wishes (DIY Greeting Card) | 9:30 a.m., 11/6 Friday | Cortland Free Library, 32 Church Street
Stitch Club | 1 p.m., 11/6 Friday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E. Green Street West Danby Fire Department Fall Pancake Breakfast | 8 a.m., 11/7 Saturday | West Danby Fire Department, 47 Sylvan Lane Fall Craft Fair | 9 a.m., 11/7 Saturday | Erin Fire Station, 1462 Breesport Road | Handmade items; Baked Goods; Raffles Trail Work at Longview & the IC Natural Lands at IC Square Campus Center | 10 a.m., 11/7 Saturday Green Saturday | 12 p.m., 11/7 Saturday | NRE Space , 402 W. State Street | Free Cornell Women’s Soccer vs Dartmouth College | 6 p.m., 11/7 Saturday | Berman Field | Cornell Women’s Soccer vs Dartmouth College Catholic Mass & Community Dinner at Muller Chapel | 6 p.m., 11/8 Sunday | Weekly Sunday Mass @ Muller Chapel Sustainability & Climate Justice Commission Meeting | 5 p.m., 11/9 Monday | Common Council Chambers, 3rd Floor City Hall 108 E. Green Street Tompkins County Public Library Board of Trustees Community Relations Committee | 5 p.m., 11/10 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street Community Line Dance | 7 p.m., 11/10 Tuesday | Foundation of Light, 391 Turkey Hill Road | Community Line Dance lessons IAWWTF Special Joint Committee Meeting | 1 p.m., 11/11 Wednesday | Ithaca Area Waste Water Treatment Plant, 525 Third Street Pet Clinic | 6 p.m., 11/11 Wednesday | GYM-Southside Community Center, 305 S. Plain Street | Pet Clinic Common Council Committee of the Whole- Session A | 6 p.m., 11/11 Wednesday | Common Council Chambers, 3rd Floor City Hall 108 E. Green Street
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Thank you for staff who seem to know all our names and names of our dogs, for 100year olds who are still able to stay in their cottages, and for giving me a sense of being in another chapter of my life rather than of being at the end.
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Kendal at Ithaca
NOVEMBER 4-11 / THE ITHACA TIMES
19
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