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COMMON COUNCIL SETS MORATORIUM ON CORNELL EVENT PERMITS
HIGHWAY BANNERING NETWORK PREPARES HALLOWEEN DEMONSTRATION
CORNELL BANS FRATERNITY EVENTS AMID JANE DOE CASE
NEW BUSINESS: ONWARD & COMPANY
BUDDHIST MONASTERY HOSTS INTERFAITH CONFERENCE
AN OPEN INVITATION TO OUR COMMUNITY
A Call to Ithaca: Let’s Make Time for the First Amendment Introducing Readers Rights and the Readers Union A Manifesto for Community-Supported Journalism & the Democratization of Media Participation by Roy Allen: Director of Strategic Partnerships — The Ithaca Times Support our work: pathwaystoequity.com The First Amendment gives us the freedom to publish, speak, assemble, and challenge authority. But how do we make time for those freedoms to flourish when the institutions that sustain them are struggling to survive? Across the country, newspapers are closing, newsrooms are shrinking, and communities are losing institutions that help them understand themselves, hold power accountable, and participate in democratic life. We often describe this as a business problem. Advertising has migrated to digital platforms, costs have risen, and the economics of local journalism have changed. But perhaps we should ask a larger question: What would it mean to make time for the First Amendment in our everyday lives? What if the crisis of local journalism is also a crisis of participation? What if readers could help sustain independent journalism not simply as customers, but as members of a community invested in its future? These questions are at the heart of Readers Rights and the Readers Union. The First Amendment Needs Our Attention The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government. But constitutional protection and practical opportunity are not the same thing. A community may have the legal freedom to publish while lacking the resources to maintain an independent newsroom. Residents may have the right to speak while losing access to reliable local information. The First Amendment does not guarantee that every community will have a newspaper or that every publisher will find a sustainable business model. Those outcomes require resources, institutions, and sustained commitment. Making time for the First Amendment means paying attention to the conditions that allow independent expression to flourish: journalists able to do their work, institutions capable of supporting them, and communities willing to help sustain them. This is not an argument for government control of journalism or for compromising editorial independence. Nor does it suggest that constitutional freedoms depend on financial contributions. It is an invitation to strengthen the practical foundations of independent expression. The First Amendment establishes a freedom. Our challenge is to make time for that freedom to flourish. From Microcredit to Media Participation Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus helped popularize microcredit, challenging the assumption that access to capital should be reserved for people who already possess wealth. Readers Rights draws inspiration from that principle. If access to capital can broaden economic participation, might organized community support similarly broaden participation in sustaining independent journalism? The models are different, but both invite us to reconsider who gets to participate and how collective action can open new possibilities. No one needs to own a newspaper to exercise freedom of expression. But communities can organize resources to sustain the institutions that make local reporting possible. They can support journalism, participate in civic conversations, and explore whether new ownership structures might eventually give readers a more direct role in the future of those institutions. Making time for the First Amendment means making time for more people to participate in sustaining the institutions through which their communities learn, question, deliberate, and express themselves. Introducing the Readers Union The Readers Union is a proposed intentional community of people who believe independent local journalism is worth sustaining and that readers should have meaningful opportunities to help imagine its future. Membership offers a way to support that purpose, connect with other readers, and explore new approaches to sustaining local news. Readers Union membership does not confer newspaper ownership, equity in a business, or governance rights. Any such rights would require a separate, legally defined structure - something we call a Readers Rights initiative. Contributions of time, talent and capital resources do not purchase influence over editorial decisions. Readers need not agree with every editorial position a newspaper takes. An independent newspaper must retain the freedom to question its supporters, challenge powerful institutions, and publish uncomfortable truths. Community support should strengthen editorial independence, not compromise it. Why Begin With the Ithaca Times? The Ithaca Times serves a region enriched by educational institutions, local businesses, nonprofits, government, arts organizations, and residents with diverse perspectives. These communities benefit from independent reporting that examines public decisions, documents local challenges, celebrates achievements, and provides a shared basis for civic discussion. Yet the value of local journalism does not automatically generate the revenue required to sustain it. The Readers Union and Readers Rights ideas propose to use the Ithaca Times as an initial demonstration site for a larger question: Can a community organize itself to sustain independent journalism while developing a credible pathway toward reader participation and eventual ownership? The first step is not to promise a new ownership structure. It is to discover what people can accomplish together. Can readers organize around a shared purpose? Can contributions strengthen newspaper operations? Can recurring support become a meaningful source of revenue? Can businesses and civic organizations find ways to support journalism? Can the results be documented so other communities can learn from the experience? These are practical questions requiring practical answers. 2
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The Ithaca Times can become a place where making time for the First Amendment is tested not just as an ideal, but as a community wide undertaking. From Good Intentions to Demonstrable Results The Readers Union and Readers Rights models should be judged by what they accomplish. The initial objectives are to build a community of supporters, strengthen the financial foundation of local journalism, and learn what makes participation sustainable. Results must be documented. How many people participate? How much funding is received? How much recurring support develops? What works, what fails, and what would another community need to replicate the approach? A successful fundraising campaign would be an important beginning, but it would not prove long-term sustainability. That requires continued participation, sound financial management, transparent reporting, and meaningful results over time. The longer-term objective is to investigate viable structures for reader ownership, including cooperative and other appropriate arrangements. Any structure must account for legal requirements, financial realities, governance, editorial independence, and the rights of existing stakeholders. Ownership is an opportunity to explore, not an outcome to promise. Readers Rights seeks to discover whether readers might eventually acquire ownership interests or participate in clearly defined governance arrangements. The goal is not to require every reader to become an investor or suggest that contributions buy influence over coverage. It is to explore whether more people can participate in sustaining—and, where appropriate, owning—the institutions their communities depend on. Making time for the First Amendment is the ideal. Demonstrating a workable model is the task. A Civic Investment in the Future Freedom of expression is part of the infrastructure of democracy and the foundation of a constitutional republic. A free press helps us inform ourselves, challenge authority, exchange ideas, and practice self-government. Local journalism helps communities understand public spending, evaluate institutions, and examine decisions affecting their lives. It creates a record of local life, brings neglected problems into public view, and recognizes contributions that might otherwise go unnoticed.
VOL. LV / NO. 08 / October 21, 2026 Serving 47,125 readers weekly
ON THE COVER: Best of Ithaca 2026 Cover designed by the Ithaca Times team.
AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR COMMUNITY........................2 NEWSLINE................... 4-6, 15 COVER STORY............... 10-11 TAKE NOTE............................7 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR..........................8 ARTS & FILM........... 10, 12-14 SPORTS...................................9 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS...................16 TIMES TABLE................. 18-19
Its value is difficult to capture entirely in a balance sheet. Yet reporting, editing, printing, distribution, and business operations require real resources. Good intentions cannot replace a sustainable financial model. The Readers Union and Readers Rights seek to bring these realities together: the civic value of independent journalism and the economic necessity of sustaining it. These efforts welcome readers, businesses, foundations, civic organizations, educational institutions, and others who believe a healthy community benefits from independent local reporting. Cooperation must be transparent and must never compromise editorial independence. Both The Readers Union and Readers Rights must be nonpartisan. Their mission is to bring people together across differences to sustain independent local journalism, expand community participation, and explore new models of media ownership without advancing any political party or ideology. Common ground can be found not in agreement on what to think, but in a shared commitment to preserve the freedom to think, speak, question, publish, and practice the First Amendment. The Time to Make a Difference Is Now Independent journalism cannot survive on public goodwill alone. It needs a community willing to turn its belief in a free press into meaningful action. If you believe Ithaca and the surrounding communities deserve independent local journalism, we invite you to become part of the solution. Join the Readers Union and help us create Readers Rights. Support a community committed to sustaining local journalism and exploring new ways for readers to help shape its future. Membership does not confer newspaper ownership, governance rights, or editorial control. Contribute what you can. Help build a more sustainable foundation for independent journalism. Consider recurring support, encourage others to participate, or introduce a business, foundation, or civic organization that might help. Share your time, talents, and connections. Help spread the word, connect us with potential supporters, offer professional expertise, or contribute creative ideas. Help build a model others can follow. The Readers Union and Readers Rights begin with the Ithaca Times, but our ambition extends beyond one newspaper. We want to test new approaches, learn from our successes and shortcomings, and share what we discover with other communities. We cannot promise that every experiment will succeed. We can commit to approaching this work with purpose, transparency, and a willingness to learn. The question is not simply whether local journalism matters. The question is what we are willing to do together to help secure its future. Don’t just read the newspaper. Help make the next issues possible.
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, ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR, CALENDAR EDITOR 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.
Our Community. Our Stories. Our Future. Make Your Contribution Today Visit pathwaystoequity.com to learn more, connect with us to become a Readers Union member, and discover ways to support this effort. Contact Roy Allen at Roy@ithacatimes.com to discuss how you, your business, or your organization can help. Or write to: P.O. Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14850 Let’s make time for the First Amendment—together. Footnote: Readers Rights and the Readers Union are novel ideas to expand community participation in sustaining independent local journalism and exploring potential future reader-ownership models. Readers Union membership does not include ownership rights.
All rights reserved. Events are listed free of charge in TimesTable. All copy must be received by Friday at noon. The Ithaca Times is available free of charge from various locations around Ithaca. Additional copies may be purchased from the Ithaca Times offices for $1. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $139 one year. Include check or money order and mail to the Ithaca Times, PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. ADVERTISING: Deadlines are Monday 5 p.m. for display, Tuesday at noon for classified. Advertisers should check their ad on publication. The Ithaca Times will not be liable for failure to publish an ad, for typographical error, or errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of the space in which the actual error appeared in the first insertion. The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication. The Ithaca Times is published weekly Wednesday mornings. Offices are located at 109 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 607-2777000, FAX 607277-1012, MAILING ADDRESS is PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. The Ithaca Times was preceded by the Ithaca New Times (1972–1978) and The Good Times Gazette (1973–1978), combined in 1978. FOUNDER GOOD TIMES GAZETTE: TOM NEWTON
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NEWSLINE
Ithaca Common Council approves salary increases for mayor and alderpersons By Philip O’ D ell
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he Ithaca Common Council approved pay increases for its members and the mayor during its Oct. 7 meeting despite opposition from some alderpersons. Both resolutions state the raises take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. The Common Council also approved establishing the Special Committee on Governance Reform, a five-member council body charged with studying the roles of the mayor, council and city manager, while also recommending governance improvements.
Mayor’s salary The Common Council and Mayor Robert Cantelmo approved raising the mayor’s salary from around $30,000 to approximately $52,166.40. With a vote of 7-3, the alderpersons voting no included Margaret Fabrizio, Pat Sewell and David Shapiro. According to the resolution, the mayor’s annual salary — which was reduced from $61,489 to $30,000 on Jan. 1, 2024 — no longer compensates for the position’s full-time duties exceeding 35 hours per week. To ensure the officeholder receives a living wage for the full-time commitment, the Common Council intends to adjust the mayor’s annual salary by applying the current $25.08 hourly living wage calculation to a 40hour workweek over 52 weeks. The City of Ithaca transitioned to a council-manager government in 2024 after voters approved a November 2022 referendum by a 73% margin. The Common Council initiated the shift with a unanimous vote in November 2021, sending the measure to the ballot because transferring administrative authority from the mayor to a city manager required voter approval. Sewell said the mayor’s role should be treated as a part-time position after changes are made to the city charter. He said roughly 75% of the mayor’s previous duties — such as preparing the budget, setting wages, and appointing department heads — were removed and transferred to the city manager, vastly reducing the workload. Sewell said maintaining the position as part-time would increase accessibility, allowing a broader range of residents, including parents, students, caregivers, and semiretirees, to consider running for office. Rather than assuming the position requires a full-time commitment, Sewell urged the council to conduct a formal review of the mayor’s actual time commitment and responsibilities 4
before determining future pay or expectations. Cantelmo disputed claims that voters passed a referendum to cut the salary, pointing to official documentation on the city website stating that under the new structure, the full-time city manager would earn more than the chief of staff while the mayor would earn slightly less than the previous mayoral salary. He said compensation was subsequently reduced without a proper review, questioning why some council members oppose rectifying that error without a formal process. He said the committee’s work will be essential to resolving the matter. “I think that the position as designed very clearly articulated here that the expectation was that the mayor was going to continue on in a slightly diminished capacity with respect to the compensation,” Cantelmo said. Alderperson Kayla Matos said voters never approved making the mayor’s position part-time when they passed the city charter referendum. Matos read the referendum question to clarify that the measure only created a city manager to oversee staff and transferred administrative duties away from the mayor while giving the mayor a vote on the Common Council. Matos said the current administration — including both the city manager and the mayor — is working to repair issues left by previous administrations. She said Cantelmo routinely exceeds a 20-hour part-time schedule and works closer to 40 hours a week. Shapiro said he opposes the resolution’s assumption that the mayor’s role entails 40 hours a week, arguing the community and council have not yet formally established that standard through proper process. Alderperson Robin Trumble said the court of public opinion arbitrarily decided the mayor’s position was parttime rather than the voters, aligning with arguments that the role was never officially designated as such. Trumble described approving the resolution as a straightforward decision for the council, maintaining his support for the higher salary. “We are talking about someone’s ability to provide for their family, not just the current mayor, but any future mayor,” Trumble said. Alderperson Jorge DeFendini said he supports maintaining the mayor as a full-time position, and described the mayor as a leader among equals on the Common Council. DeFendini said
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the city requires a full-time mayor to effectively lead the legislature and guide municipal policy. “I think that we have a much better vision for where the city is going,” Defendini said. “To work with a fulltime administrator, we need a fulltime legislative leader, so that’s why I’m in favor of this move.” Alderperson Margaret Fabrizio said the city could be successful with a part-time mayor. She said a parttime mayor would ultimately make the office more accessible to a broader range of residents. While Fabrizio acknowledged a solid argument could be made for increasing the mayor’s salary, she argued that the council has not yet adequately built that case or properly explained the structural changes in government to the public. She said a thorough review and clear communication with the community is needed before adjusting pay. Fabrizio said she could not support the current resolution, though she remains open to a future salary increase once the proper process is complete. Alderperson Hannah Shvets said the proposal to base the mayor’s pay on a $25.80 hourly rate aligns with the city’s commitment as a living wage employer. Rejecting arbitrary salary figures and comparisons to other cities—where workloads vary based on population — Shvets said applying the city’s standard living wage to the mayoral role is the most equitable approach. Shvets said that after consulting with the city controller, the upcoming municipal budget already accounts for wage increases starting in January to ensure all city workers reach the living wage threshold, concluding that the mayor’s compensation should reflect those same community values.
Alderpersons’ salaries The Common Council approved raising its members’ salaries from $17,091 to $19,562.40. The resolution was approved by a 6-4 vote with alderpersons DeFendini, Matos, Trumble, Shvets and Ducson Nguyen, along with Cantelmo, voted yes. Alderpersons who voted no included Sewell, Shapiro, Fabrizio, and Joseph Kirby, who was counted as a no vote as he left the room prior to the vote. According to the resolution’s findings, the annual salary for each member of the Ithaca Common Council was increased from $13,141 to $17,091 on Jan. 1, 2024, but has
not been adjusted since, despite a 9% increase in the cost of living over that period. To align compensation with the city’s living wage standards, the resolution calculates that applying the current $25.08 hourly living wage rate to an average 15-hour workweek over 52 weeks yields an annual salary of $19,562.40 per member. According to the proposed resolution, the Common Council intends to raise council members’ compensation to account for cost-ofliving increases and ensure a living wage based on an average 15-hour workweek. Citing a 9% inflation rate measured by the Consumer Price Index between January 2024 and May 2026, the local law seeks to adjust salaries for both municipal staff and elected officials to keep pace with rising costs. Sewell proposed, but ultimately withdrew, an amendment to bar elected officials from approving immediate pay raises for themselves, He argued that any salary increase should take effect only after an intervening general election. Drawing a direct parallel to the U.S. Constitution’s 27th Amendment, Sewell explained that delaying pay adjustments prevents self-enrichment and addresses widespread public discomfort with legislators voting to raise their own compensation. Sewell acknowledged that because Common Council seats carry staggered two- and four-year terms, the policy would temporarily create differing pay scales among members—a trade-off he described as a necessary sacrifice for sound government. Highlighted as a middle ground, the proposal allows the council to grant needed cost-ofliving increases while maintaining fiscal restraint, particularly at a time when city departments are being asked to reduce their budgets by 5%. Sewell pledged to support future salary increases for the council if the safeguard is adopted, framing the amendment as an elegant solution that restores public confidence and establishes essential ethical guardrails for local elected officials. Shapiro said alderpersons voting for their own salaries felt like a “conflict of interest.” He said salary increases should take effect only after the next election to ensure fairness for all members. “It does not feel right voting on my own salary,” Shapiro said. Fabrizio proposed amending the proposed Common Council pay raise to a 3% increase, which would
set the annual salary at $17,603.73. Rejecting the original resolution’s 14.5% raise—and an alternative 8.25% increase adjusted for health benefits— Fabrizio said the city cannot afford such steep raises while offering standard employees only 3%. Viewing the council role as public service rather than a primary income source, Fabrizio urged members to align their raises with other municipal staff and remain fiscally realistic during a difficult budget period. “We’ve heard from employees in the city who are very upset that we would
do this for ourselves, a 14.5% increase, but give them a 3% increase,” Fabrizio said. Shvets said adopting different salaries for members doing the same work would be overly confusing, though she supported ending the practice of council members periodically setting their own compensation. Opposing manual pay adjustments, Shvets proposed enacting a local law to tie future council salary increases directly to the same cost-of-living adjustment given to city employees. Tying compensation
to a standardized adjustment would eliminate the need for periodic votes and prevent the large percentage spikes that occur when wages go unadjusted, Shvets said. “I think right now the easiest thing to do is to get us up to a living wage and then never touch it again with a local law like that,” Shvets said. DeFendini opposed delaying pay adjustments, arguing that alderpersons deserve to be paid a living wage like other municipal staff. DeFendini rejected concerns
about self-enrichment or budgetary constraints, sharing his personal experience of having to rely on Medicaid and incur significant debt while serving his first term because the compensation was insufficient. Arguing that local representatives should not face financial hardship or be forced to make unsustainable sacrifices to serve their community, DeFendini pledged his support for immediate salary increases.
NEWSLINE
Common Council Sets Moratorium on Cornell Event Permits Following Gang Rape Allegations By Philip O’ D ell
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uring its Oct. 7 meeting, the Ithaca Common Council approved a moratorium on permits for Cornell Universityaffiliated organizations in the wake of the campus gang rape allegations. The Common Council’s resolution says the moratorium will expire on Nov. 5 and limit social gatherings, including parties at fraternities, sororities, and off-campus housing affiliated with student organizations. The moratorium applies directly to Cornell University, its general student organizations, university student groups, and both residential and nonresidential fraternities and sororities. Under the moratorium, the city will withhold new permits from affected parties under four provisions of the city code, including those governing assemblies and parades, special events, use of the Ithaca Commons, and noise restrictions. The resolution says the moratorium will not infringe upon constitutionally protected activities, including religious exercise, free speech, peaceful assembly, and petitioning the government. The city will continue to process and issue permits required for these activities. The moratorium follows a civil lawsuit filed Sept. 16 that alleges seven members of the Xi Chapter of Chi Phi Fraternity gang raped a former Cornell student inside a fraternity house on the Ithaca campus in 2024. In the lawsuit, the victim’s lawyers said she was legally incapable of consenting to sexual activity due to severe intoxication. The lawsuit says defendants pressured the victim – referred to as Jane Doe – to consume marijuana, alcohol and ketamine prior to the assault. The resolution says the moratorium was developed “in response to Cornell and affiliated groups’ failures to protect students and prevent sexual assault.” The resolution says the moratorium
gives the city an opportunity to establish measures to better protect victims and the broader community. The Common Council unanimously amended the resolution to outline three demands for Cornell University: hand over all sexual and violent crime investigations to the Ithaca Police Department; strengthen university measures to punish, transparently report, and prevent sexual violence on campus; and support statewide efforts to close New York’s “intoxication loophole.” New York lawmakers are urging updates to state sexual consent laws to close what they refer to as a loophole that limits justice for incapacitated victims. At an Oct. 1 press conference led by state Sen. Lea Webb, legislators rallied around two Senate bills: one that prohibits defendants from using a victim’s voluntary intoxication as a defense in sex crime cases, and another that redefines “physically helpless” to require clear, affirmative consent. The Common Council passed the moratorium resolution in a 9-1 vote, with Alderperson Pat Sewell casting the sole dissenting vote. Prior to the vote, Sewell said the measure was punitive, incomplete and overly broad. He said the resolution punished students without clearly articulating the city’s expectations or establishing a framework to evaluate when the restriction should end. He said measures previously discussed by city leaders — such as requiring Cornell University to hand off sex and violent crime investigations to IPD — were absent from the text prior to the final vote. Sewell introduced the amendment, but voted against the underlying resolution. “I don’t see anything being done in this resolution except for denying permits,” Sewell said. “It does not make any demands at all.”
Mayor Robert Cantelmo said the moratorium targets activities not protected by the First Amendment, including Greek life parties, sports team parties, and other student organization gatherings that require noise or special event permits. Alderperson Robin Trumble cited the 2025 Cornell Survey of Sexual Assault and Related Misconduct (SARM) as a reason for his approval vote. The study – which takes place every two years – had a total of 926 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students complete the survey out of a sample sent to 6,000. The 2025 survey’s 15% response rate represents a nearly 60% decline from previous years, dropping from 36% in 2023 and 38% in 2021. The 2025 survey revealed a marked rise in sexual misconduct at Cornell University, with 15% of respondents reporting “nonconsensual sexual contact” since beginning their university attendance—up from 11% in both 2021 and 2023. The increase was experienced by undergraduate women, 35% of whom reported nonconsensual sexual contact, compared to 23% in 2023. A total of 49% of respondents reported experiencing sexual or gender-based harassment, up from 45% in 2023 and 44% in 2021, while stalking reports rose to 17% from 13% in 2023 and 5% in 2021. The survey found 19% of respondents experienced domestic or dating violence, with verbal abuse being the most prevalent form. According to the survey, most incidents of sexual assault and related misconduct took place in campusaffiliated settings, including residence halls and fraternity houses. “Alcohol was involved in over half of reported NSC cases, and 50% of victims reported being incapacitated during the incident,” Cornell’s website says. “A permit is a privilege the city extends; extending it carries an implied assurance that the permittee can keep
people safe,” Trumble said. “On this record, that assurance isn’t there.” Alderperson Margaret Fabrizio said the council should have incorporated an appeal process into the moratorium, citing concerns raised by graduate student organizations about low-risk, non-alcoholic events. Expressing worry that the measure could unnecessarily disrupt benign student activities near the end of the semester, Fabrizio questioned how permitting decisions would be reviewed and argued that an exemption pathway is appropriate for gatherings that do not pose the same safety risks as parties serving alcohol. Alderperson Hannah Shvets, a Cornell student who represents Ward 5, voiced strong support for the measure to force action from the university. Representing more than 6,000 undergraduates, Shvets called the moratorium a tangible step to compel Cornell to better protect its student body, adding that many students view the pressure as the right approach to reaching a resolution. “I think we can’t act like this is an isolated incident, that this is only something that Jane Doe experienced. It’s pervasive,” Shvets said. “We hear about it all the time, both through personal stories and through the statistics that Alderperson Trumbull just cited.” Alderperson Jorge Defendini praised the moratorium as necessary leadership, calling sexual misconduct a systemic issue across Cornell. He said the moratorium is one measure aiming to hold Cornell accountable. “There’s a culture of domination and entitlement that’s trickling down from an administration that engages in bad faith negotiations with its workers, and it trickles down all the way to fraternities that assault women,” DeFendini said. “This happens because Cornell, as an institution, thinks it’s above the law.”
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NEWSLINE
Cornell Suspends Fraternity Events as Hundreds Rally for Jane Doe at Ithaca Commons By Philip O’ D ell
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rassroots advocates and survivors gathered Oct. 13 on the Ithaca Commons to rally against sexual violence following gang rape allegations at Cornell University, coinciding with an announcement suspending all fraternity events for the remainder of the school year. Abuse prevention advocates and content creators organized the rally that saw hundreds pack the Commons in support of Jane Doe and sexual assault survivors. A civil lawsuit filed Sept. 16 alleges seven members of the Xi Chapter of Chi Phi Fraternity gang raped a former Cornell student – using the pseudonym Jane Doe – inside a fraternity house on the Ithaca campus in 2024. In the lawsuit, Doe’s lawyers said she was legally incapable of consenting to sexual activity due to severe intoxication. In response, Cornell students organized a series of campus demonstrations protesting the university’s handling of the case. Events included a rally at Ho Plaza on Oct. 5, a town hall at Willard Straight Hall on Oct. 6 and an economic blackout combined with a sit-in at Toni Morrison Dining Hall on Oct. 7. At the Oct. 13 rally, organizer Finley Muratova expressed support for student protesters’ demands, including the expulsion or degree revocation of anyone complicit in the alleged gang rape. Protesters are also calling for an external investigation into Cornell’s administration, a return to an independent judicial system, and revisions to University Policy 6.4 to mandate independent hearings and set minimum sanctions for sexual assault. Additional demands include mandatory sexual assault prevention training for
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students, trauma-informed training for the Cornell University Police Department, and full compliance with New York’s “Enough is Enough” law. Hours before the rally started, Cornell President Michael I. Kotlikoff announced the suspension of all fraternity parties and social events on campus for the rest of the 2026-2027 school year in an online statement. According to the statement, Cornell fraternities face immediate emergency suspension under a zero-tolerance policy for holding parties during the ban, while university resources will go toward creating “safe social alternatives” with students and faculty. “These are first steps toward systemic change on our campus,” Kotlikoff said in the statement. “We will take all necessary steps to address the conditions that led to Jane Doe’s experiences, and those of other survivors.” In the statement, Cornell pledged to strengthen survivor support by expanding staff in its Office of Civil Rights, including adding a dedicated case manager to assist with academic, housing, and financial aid needs. During an ongoing independent review, the university is also partnering with the New York State Police to let state investigators handle campus sexual assault reports for potential criminal prosecution. Cornell also plans to hire more victim advocates for its Sexual Harassment & Assault—Response & Education office, fund campuswide prevention programs, and increase investment in mental health resources. The statement says Cornell will commit to “changing the social culture” by addressing the broader context of social behavior,
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alcohol, and drug abuse that contributes to campus sexual assault beyond the fraternity system. The university plans to work closely with national prevention experts, faculty members, and community safety organizations. The announcement follows the Ithaca Common Council’s Oct. 7 moratorium on permits for Cornell-affiliated organizations. The moratorium expires Nov. 5 and limits social gatherings, including parties at fraternities, sororities, and off-campus housing affiliated with student organizations. Rally organizer Ray Epstein said attendees were encouraged to wear red because it’s Doe’s favorite color. She said attendees were encouraged to write a personal letter to Jane Doe as organizers collected over 11,000 letters prior to the event. Shannon Porter, host of the podcast What They Don’t Say, read a letter from Doe that thanked the public for continued support. “Thank you for turning your beliefs into action,” Doe said. “Thank you for recognizing the countless difficulties and obstacles that come with being Jane and demanding that the systems that so often fail us can do better. Thank you for giving me hope in the courageous Cornell student body. Please continue to make your voice heard with conviction, compassion, and peace. All my love, Jane Doe.” Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced in a Sept. 28 press release that his office was reopening the case, which it originally declined to prosecute in 2024. According to NBC News, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Oct. 1 that Attorney General Letitia James was appointed special prosecutor in the case after calling for an independent investigation. Muratova, a Title IX advocate, criticized higher education institutions for failing survivors of sexual assault. Muratova said colleges use Title IX offices like human resource departments to protect institutional reputations over student welfare. Muratova urged attendees to demand accountability by writing to university administrators, questioning Title IX compliance, verifying that investigators receive trauma training and pushing coordinators to hire external advocacy organizations for campus instruction. “Title IX was built for us. We can take it back,” Muratova said. “We have to make it costly to misuse Title IX and keep the students in the dark.” Muratova said 32 current Cornell students and alumni reached out to them via Instagram to share personal accounts of Title IX failures from the 1980s through 2025. Muratova informed attendees of advocacy groups, including Know Your IX, End Rape on Campus, Stop Sexual Assault in Schools, and It’s On Us to help drive change. Jess Michaels, a survivor of Jeffrey
Epstein, told attendees and Doe that she was proud of them for speaking out during such a daunting moment. “I am so proud of you for doing the hardest thing in the scariest moment,” Michaels said. According to CBS News, Michaels became an advocate for sexual assault survivors after Epstein raped her in 1991. Michaels said the Epstein Files Transparency Act was approved in November 2025 after survivors spent over two months holding up to four meetings a day with politicians to rally support. She called for the full release of the “Epstein files” during the rally. Michaels told advocates and survivors to never give up and continue their efforts. Rally organizer Samara Ferris read a message from Alva Johnson as she was unable to attend in person. Johnson is one of dozens of women who have accused President Donald Trump of sexual misconduct. In the letter, Johnson expressed her support for Jane Doe, urged the public to challenge powerful institutions that silence victims and called on men and women to protect students from abuse. “We will continue fighting to change the laws that allow institutions and those in positions of power to escape meaningful accountability,” Johnson said in the message. “We will challenge the legal loopholes, the institutional failures, and the cultures of silence that have allowed sexual violence to persist. You cannot claim to value the future of young people while failing to protect their humanity in the present.” The Jane Doe case has brought public attention to New York’s laws concerning intoxication and consent. State lawmakers are seeking updates to sexual consent laws to close what they refer to as a loophole limiting justice for incapacitated victims. At an Oct. 1 press conference led by state Sen. Lea Webb, legislators rallied around two Senate bills: one that prohibits defendants from using a victim’s voluntary intoxication as a defense in sex crime cases, and another that redefines “physically helpless” to require clear, affirmative consent. Elizabeth da Trinidade-Asher, co-chair of the Justice Without Exclusion Coalition, told the crowd that her group has spent seven years lobbying in Albany to remove legal protections for rapists. She said New York must close the voluntary intoxication loophole. She said state lawmakers have declined to close the gap that leaves survivors who consumed alcohol without a path to prosecution, calling on attendees to demand stronger laws that hold predators accountable. da Trinidade-Asher urged the public to contact Assemblywoman Anna Kelles and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and ask them to support legislation to close the intoxication loophole. She provided Kelles’ office number, 518-455-4444, and urged protesters to also call Heastie directly at 518-455-3791.
TAK E NOT E
Ithaca Launches Dog Licensing Campaign to Educate Pet Owners By L or ien Ty ne
T
he
City
of
Ithaca
also must maintain current rabies
licenses should not be obtained from
veterinary clinics, housing providers
launching the “Keep Ithaca
vaccinations.
the city of Ithaca.
and
Paws-itive.
Your
simple steps and information to guide
Pet” Campaign to educate pet owners
pet owners through the city’s licensing
about dog licensing requirements and
process.
Protect
is
responsible pet ownership.
campaign
gives
The campaign announcement also said the city is looking to expand on community partnerships with local
businesses.
The
campaign said these organizations will help distribute educational materials throughout the year-long initiative.
organizations such as the Downtown
This year-round public information
according to the campaign, is that dog
Ithaca Alliance, Southside Community
licensing in the city can be found on
campaign also aims to help reunite lost
licenses must be obtained from the
Center,
the city’s website.
pets with their families by promoting
municipality where the dog physically
Cornell University, Ithaca College,
the benefits of licensing. Dog licenses
lives, not what is stated on a mailing
help identify lost pets and quickly get
address. For example, some properties
them home.
in towns neighboring the City of Ithaca
New
York
state
law,
dogs
are required to be licensed in the municipality where they live and
common
pet-related
misunderstanding,
Per
One
The
Tompkins
County
SPCA,
More
information
about
dog
have Ithaca mailing addresses even though they are not physically located within the city. In these cases, dog
WWW.FLYITHACA.COM WWW.FLYITHACA.COM
Online @ Ithaca.com
ITH - IAD
O C T O B E R 2 1 - 2 7, 2 0 2 6 / T H E I T H A C A T I M E S
7
The Talk at By Ithaca Times Readers
The Cornell 7 Case Reveals a Rural Sexual-Violence Reporting Access Gap
“
The Cornell 7 case has rightly focused attention on how universities respond when students report sexual violence. But Cornell is also located in a largely rural region. Rural survivors often face greater barriers to help because of long distances, limited transportation, shortages of specialized providers, and concerns about confidentiality in small communities. The case should therefore prompt a broader question for Tompkins County about whether survivors regardless of whether they are on campus have access to traumainformed, gender-sensitive law enforcement and justice institutions. My research often takes me to remote communities around the world, where I ask a similar question: How can people access law enforcement and justice institutions for addressing sexual and gender-based violence when institutions are far away and trust may already be low? That research points to three reforms. First, rural communities need specialized investigative capacity. Large cities often have Special Victims Units, but maintaining a fully staffed unit in every small jurisdiction is unrealistic. Tompkins County could instead develop regional expertise shared across Cornell University Police, Ithaca Police, the Sheriff ’s Office, prosecutors, health care workers and advocates. Second, survivors should not have to navigate a maze of institutions. ‘One-stop’ models bring medical care, forensic examinations, advocacy, counseling, legal assistance, and trained investigators together through a single point of entry. Tompkins County already has important building blocks including the Advocacy Center, Cayuga Medical Center’s sexual-assault forensic services, Cornell’s support services, and the Community Justice Center. The challenge is connecting them so the burden of coordination does not fall on survivors. Third, services must reach people outside downtown Ithaca. Mobile teams, satellite locations, and telehealth-supported services could extend specialized care to Cornell and to the county’s more rural communities. The national attention surrounding the Cornell 7 case has created pressure for action. Cornell University, the City of Ithaca, and Tompkins County could use this moment to build a countywide, survivor-centered response system: shared special-victims expertise, a one-stop hub, and mobile or satellite access throughout the county. Tompkins County does not need to start from scratch. It needs to connect what already exists, fill the gaps, and build a model suited for rural communities. If we do that here, Tompkins County could offer a blueprint for other rural counties across New York.” - Sabrina Karim, Ithaca, NY
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Don’t Vote to Increase Property Tax, ICSD Has Enough Money
“
I would like to thank Neil Zusman for providing the breakdown of school and city tax exemption thresholds for seniors. This information should be brought to the attention of every 60-yr-old to aid in planning for the future. Too much information that would help people with ‘the game’ is treated as proprietary and one gets a sense that the well-to-do who can afford to employ accountants get breaks that we know nothing about. I will say that $70,000 with a mortgage (or worse, rent) and kids to take care of is just as bad as $40,000 with a house paid off and kids gone. The core problem is that neither the city nor ICSD has any guidance/ formula/template/call it what you will to balance their spending with the community’s ability to pay. For the school budget, that balance is supposed to be the taxpayers’ vote on the budget in May. Unfortunately, the public trusts that the school board is spending its money as efficiently as possible and balancing students’ needs with taxpayers’ realities. Again, balance is not the charge of the school board. I know. I was on one. It is the taxpayer that is supposed to say ‘when’. The school will cry for more money no matter how much they have to work with but it is the public that has to say ‘$35,000 per student seems like enough’. It is the unwitting, unsophisticated tax payer that not only allows inefficiency and over-the-topspending but actually thinks that it is ‘good for the kids’. And much of the pain is driven by the constant wealth extraction by Wall Street. Trying to remain relevant, the bankers are constantly increasing pension contributions (which should be going down in such a bull market!) and raising the premiums for a plethora of insurances including medical, workers comp, football, etc. Schools couch these increases in ‘contractual’ and the city seems to use ‘complex’. Vote ‘NO’ on any increase in property taxes that you are given a chance to. They have plenty of money. And remember: Knowledge is trivia - applied knowledge is power.” - Joe Lonsky, Danby, NY
One Council Member Per Ward
“
At the Oct. 7th council meeting a council member brought up the salary of the mayor of New Rochelle NY as a reason why Ithaca’s mayor should receive a salary increase. This was shocking to hear because (as governments go) New Rochelle isn’t even in the same league as Ithaca. New Rochelle is in the majors while Ithaca is still in triple A. Two demographic categories for each city bears this out - population and median household income: New Rochelle’s population is 85,864 and its median household income is $109,167. Ithaca’s population is 33,632 and its median household income is $48,784. I bring this up, not as sour grapes
8
T H E I T H A C A T I M E S / O C T O B E R 2 1 - 2 7, 2 0 2 6
over council voting to raise salaries for both itself and the mayor, but because I’m worried that other council members believe that Ithacans are wealthier than we really are. Budget decisions are coming up soon and our elected representatives need to know that Ithaca incomes are not on par with New Rochelle but closer to Elmira incomes. Elmira’s population is 26,089 and its median household income is $43,120. Comparing Ithaca council salaries to New Rochelle and Elmira is also instructive for another important reason: New Rochelle has 6 council members (one per ward) and their salaries add up to $138K.
Ithaca has 10 council members (two per ward) and their salaries add up to $176K . . . $38K more than New Rochelle’s council Elmira has 6 council members (one per ward) and their salaries add up to between $48K to $54K. Both wealthy New Rochelle and less wealthy Elmira have one thing in common, efficient and affordable councils made-up by one council member per ward. According to AI Overview, Ithaca’s two council members per ward is an outdated tradition in New York State. Modern city charters in NYS overwhelmingly have made the transition to one council member per ward. Reducing Ithaca’s 10 member council to 5 would increase efficiency and streamline governance while politically a 5 member council would increase competition for seats on council. Both outcomes will be good for Ithaca. I urge the Special Committee on Governance Reform, the Mayor and the City Manager to take a serious look at reducing the number of council members to one per ward.” - John Graves, Ithaca, NY
Campaign Sign Slogan Against Hochul is Misogynistic
“
Politics is a full contact sport. I know, I played it. But, recently, I saw an image on a campaign sign that should offend every New York woman and the families who love them. Republican Governor candidate Bruce Blakeman’s campaign produced a sign with Governor Kathy Hochul portrayed as Elphaba Thropp, the wicked witch of the west in the Wizard of Oz, complete with green face and black hat. The sign carries the line: ‘Ditch the Witch.’ While the sign might excite some in the GOP base, the sign carries a horrid misogynistic message that degrades all smart, creative, assertive women in New York. For centuries, smart, assertive women, with decisive and powerful skills, were described by envious men as ‘witches.’ Some were burned at the stake. Others banished and degraded. But New Yorkers know the truth. We have an abundance of strong, motivated, decisive women in New York -- a woman United States Senator, the
Attorney General, numerous members of the state Senate and Assembly and office holders from both parties throughout the state. We have had women county executives – including Republicans Maggie Brooks in Monroe County and Joanne Mahoney in Onondaga. None of them are witches. No one would call them that. Kathy Hochul can assert herself, defend her work as governor and argue – persuasively in my judgment – for another term. Bruce Blakeman can make his case against her but using a centuries old stereotype that degrades all New York women is a form of gutter politics that needs to be shunned. To the GOP candidate and his team: ‘Ditch the Witch Pitch!’ and apologize to all New York’s women. Richard Dollinger is a former Democratic state Senator and chair of the Monroe County Democratic Party who will vote for Kathy Hochul this fall.” - Richard Dollinger
Endorsing Josh Riley
“
I am writing about our congressman, Josh Riley, who is up for re-election in November. Josh has been our House member for just about two years, but in that short time he has made a big difference for our part of upstate New York. Josh grew up in a working-class family in Endicott, so he knows how bills for housing, health care, electricity and groceries can erode a family’s finances. That’s why one of his big efforts is to push back on the steep electric rate hikes we have faced in the past year. Josh introduced legislation to prohibit utility executives from receiving bonuses when they raise rates faster than inflation. Another of his bills would bar utility companies from passing along to customers such expenses as lobbying, political donations, private jet travel, entertainment, investor relations and regulatory fines. And Josh appeared before a state regulatory board to crossexamine NYSEG executives about their proposed rate hike. As for housing, Josh helped pass the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in July, a bipartisan law that promotes home construction by lowering costs, cutting red tape in housing programs, protecting housing in rural communities and restricting large institutional investors from buying affordable single-family homes.” Karen Guthrie, Trumansburg, NY
“
No to Cayuga Lake Data Center
I don’t think we should put a data center on Cayuga Lake because it will pollute the water. Some of that water is our drinking water. To cool down their systems it will use a lot of our lake water. In the middle of the lake there will be a huge building. It will be filled with computers. If I were a tourist and I saw that in the middle of the lake, I would think that’s gross. This is just my opinion.” - Everly Marshall, Ithaca, NY
UPS&DOWNS
Sports
Rory’s Golden Story
By Kaeleigh Banda
Ups For the CHARM Initiative’s second year, artists have collaborated to bring 42 new murals to communities across New York, with three directly in Ithaca at 330 E State St, Ithaca and 620 S Aurora St, Ithaca.
By Ste ve L aw rence
Downs The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report on Oct. 5 that a white Hyundai was in a ditch in Newfield. When deputies arrived, they identified the driver as 34-year-old Sara Hayward of Newfield and charged her with a DWI. Deputies also discovered that the vehicle had switched license plates and was not registered or insured.
HEARD&SEEN Heard
According to The Ithacan, Ithaca College has proposed a plan to merge the college’s five schools into three. The student newspaper reported that the college said the team working on this plan will not include students but the team will work to get community input.
Seen Olympic Gold Medalist with some of the Friends of the Ithaca Youth Bureau (Photo: Joe Scahlione III)
I
t
has
fun
watching
bearer on many projects undertaken
their parents and coaches. She spoke of
athletes
interacting
for the benefit of youth hockey, and
how grateful she is that her own parents
with local youth over the years,
her tireless efforts have continued well
were always focused on her level of
and on Saturday I was pleased to see yet
past the years when her own daughters
effort – not outcomes – and how the
another layer added to the mix.
played for the IYHA.
key to her own success is simply the
collegiate
been
fact that she has found ways to make it fun.
For years – okay, decades – I have
Mary gave one of the welcome
watched girls from the Ithaca Youth
speeches, followed by Gregg Houck, the
Hockey Association wear expressions
Director of the Ithaca Youth Bureau,
We talked about her whirlwind
of deep admiration when meeting
then Mayor Rob Cantelmo. The mayor
schedule since winning gold, her
players from the Ithaca High girl’s
was followed by Ithaca High alum Cara
appearances
varsity Cornell hockey team. Their eyes
Nichols, who reflected on her years
football games in her native Minnesota.
grew a little wider when interacting
as a player, an organizer and a hockey
She shared how excited she is to start
with players on the Big Red roster,
parent. After Cara’s presentation, I
her first year with the expansion PWHL
and sometimes – if they were lucky –
took my seat next to Rory, and asked
San Jose – the league’s 12th team - and
they might even meet a member of the
her to reflect on her experience in
that she has already been to the west
Olympic team! The Canadian team,
Milan. She recalled the thrill of playing
coast to secure a living space and begin
that is...
in the dramatic gold medal game, in
that new chapter. She said she’s ready to
which the U.S. trailed arch-nemesis
skate for Team USA at the World Games
Canada late in the game before tying
in November, and that she can’t wait to
it with very little time left to play. She
start the PWHL season on December
said, “Going into overtime, we didn’t
5th. If there was a common theme
know who was going to score, but we
running through her presentation, it
knew we would.” She was right, as the
was... you guessed it... that she finds a
winning goal found the net less than
way to make it fun.
That changed – times two – on Saturday. Rory Guilday – Cornell class of ‘25 – made an appearance at Ithaca High as a guest of The Friends of the Youth Bureau, and hockey fans of all ages were pleased to get an autograph from the first Cornell player ever to play for the U.S. Olympic Hockey team. Not only did they get to meet Rory,
at
pro
baseball
and
most unforgettable games in Olympic history.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Does New York properly enforce the HALT Act?
87.1% No 12.9% I don’t care
NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION:
Do you enjoy the Halloween season? Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.
Rory ended her visit by answering about a dozen questions from audience members,
signing
autographs
and
hold her (much heavier than expected)
Guilday was asked about her decision
posing for photos. It was a great event,
Olympic gold medal. And if that wasn’t
to choose Cornell over several other
and it’s difficult to imagine a better role
impressive enough, there was another
elite schools, and she recalled her
model for the youngsters in attendance.
layer in that those in attendance were
recruiting visit, when the proverbial
Elite
able to ask the gold medalist about her
light bulb went off in her head, making
athletic ability, and plenty of gratitude
upcoming season in the Professional
it clear that she was in the right place.
for the opportunity and to those who
Women’s Hockey League.
We talked about her scary health issue
paved the way. A class act by any
when she was 14 years old, when a
measure.
event as the Interviewer/Moderator,
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.”
a minute into OT, ending one of the
they were able to pose for photos and
I had the honor of taking part in the
The Tompkins County League of Women Voters has notified the community that eligible voters can go to WWW.VOTE411.ORG to find all information about the Nov. 3 General Election and which elections are being held in an individual’s district.
level
academics,
world-class
tumor resulted in the loss of vision in one of her eyes.
thanks to my longtime friend and
To support The Friends of the Ithaca Youth
tireless advocate for girl’s hockey, Mary
She was asked about what advice she
Grainger. Mary has been the torch
could offer to young players, and to
Bureau,
visit
https://www.
friendsiyb.org/ O C T O B E R 2 1 - 2 7, 2 0 2 6 / T H E I T H A C A T I M E S
9
Arts
New Ithaca Bookmaking Studio Blends Vintage Craftsmanship with Modern Design, Grand Opening Set for Oct. 24 I
By Philip O’ D ell
thaca native Zach Lifton has returned home to launch Onward & Company—a book design studio, vintage machine factory store and educational workshop hub set to host its grand opening this month. Located at 805 Tabor Street, Lifton described his company as a “threepronged business” encompassing book and print production, educational programming and a retail store. Onward & Company is a book design and production studio specializing in books and printed matter for the creative community. Located under one roof, the business includes a small factory store selling notebooks and paper goods made in-house on vintage machinery, alongside educational programming like workshops and tours that introduce visitors to bookmaking and traditional print practices like letterpress. Lifton created the space as a place where people can engage with books and printing in a variety of ways while receiving professional support. Onward & Company will host a public open house for its grand opening from 1 to 5 p.m. on Oct. 24. Lifton said the event will give visitors an opportunity
By Mikayla Rovenolt
Our readers voted, and we listened. The Ithaca Times is excited to announce this year’s winners of Best of Ithaca, its annual readers’ poll. After receiving plenty of responses across several weeks of voting, readers have crowned the best of the best in over 20 categories. ENTERTAINMENT: Best Local Band: Fall Creek Brass Band A staple at any Ithaca-area festival with musical performances, Fall Creek Brass Band’s distinctive sound is one that any Ithacan would recognize. With a blend of New Orleans street music with funk, jazz, pop and rock-and-roll, this isn’t the first time the band has won this category in Best of Ithaca and we don’t think it will be the last. Their large green sousaphone can be seen from a distance, bringing in listeners who enjoy their mix of original tunes, New Orleans classics and brassy pop arrangements. Catch them live and sing along sometime!
to view vintage bookmaking equipment and attend a letterpress demonstration at 3 p.m.
Lifton returned to his hometown in 2025 after living across the country, most recently in Milwaukee. There, he ran a larger-scale restoration and preservation project that brought a defunct bindery’s building and equipment back to life. After operating that business for many years, Lifton relocated much of the vintage equipment to Ithaca, paring down the operations to focus on core strengths and launch a fresh, refined business model. “I’m really happy to be back in Ithaca providing the service here now,” Lifton said. As a sole operator, Zach Lifton manages all aspects of the business himself, handling design, binding, printing, project management, and oversight. Lifton said Onward & Company provides comprehensive “designthrough-bind” services, guiding client projects from initial concept through full production. Working as a
While offering high-quality modern
“It’s nice to work with other creative people and make something that they have in their head come to life,” Lifton said. “I really like that part of it.”
printing for photos, illustrations, and graphics, Lifton balances contemporary capabilities with century-old technology to give books a personal touch. By utilizing older equipment, he aims to connect modern bookmaking with centuries of traditional print production, keeping a historic craft accessible to today’s creators. “I think that connection is important to keep alive today,” Lifton said. For clients eager to learn the trade, Lifton plans to offer educational workshops online and one-on-one training sessions that teach individuals how to handcraft their own books.
The business currently operates largely by appointment only, with official walk-in hours for the factory store set to be announced at the grand opening and posted on the company’s website and social media. Lifton said clients interested in acquiring services can connect with him via the business website at onwardandco.com, email at info@ onwardandco.com, send a direct message on Instagram, or call 607-2801747.
Best of Ithaca 2026 to a show here, we highly recommend it. Best Local Poet: Ellen Hirning Schmidt A local writing guru, as Charley Githler calls her, Ellen Hirning Schmidt is a local poet who recently published “Oh Say Did You Know/This Much I Know.” She is also the owner of the Writing Room. With an honest hand and knack for wording, we can’t wait to see what Ellen does next. Congratulations on being this year’s Best Local Poet. ESSENTIALS: Best New Business: Steamy Dumpling New to the restaurant row is Steamy Dumplings, “where every xiaolongbao is folded by hand using recipes from Shanghai. We pick fresh pork, season it right, and steam each basket to order — so the wrapper holds its shape and the broth stays inside where it belongs.” With scratch-made menu options and a variety of food to choose from, no one leaves Steamy Dumpling Hungry. Best Locally-Owned Store: GreenStar
The historic State Theatre of Ithaca has won Best Music Venue for this year’s Best of Ithaca and we were not surprised. With around 75 events per season and over 50,000 visitors to the theatre, the State Theatre has been an Ithaca must-see for nearly 100 years.
GreenStar, a routine winner in Best of Ithaca, has brought home the title for Best Locally-Owned Store yet again. The community-owned grocery co-op has over 13,000 member-owners and three locations across Ithaca.
10
“It’s a very interesting line of work,” Lifton said. “It’s very physical and dynamic. It’s using old equipment that’s sometimes 100 years old and it’s still working just fine. It’s not just sitting in front of a computer all day long.” In an age dominated by artificial intelligence, Lifton considers preserving hands-on bookmaking vital to keeping human creativity alive. He views maintaining an active creative spark between himself and his clients as increasingly essential when compared to content generated by artificial means.
Best Music Venue - The State Theatre
What started as a local theatre in 1928 has become one of the most iconic theatres, and locations in general, in the Finger Lakes region. If you’ve never been
collaborative partner for clients with unfinished ideas, Lifton assists with design, layout, material selection, binding, and printing choices. Every stage of production—including cutting, folding, gluing, sewing, foil stamping, and printing—takes place in-house, allowing clients to engage directly with the process and craft custom, bespoke finished books.
The business has been communityowned since 1971. It hosts a variety of community events and programs that ensure equitable access to the fresh, locally-focused products the stores offer,
T H E I T H A C A T I M E S / O C T O B E R 2 1 - 2 7, 2 0 2 6
including the FLOWER Food Access Program and Double Up Food Bucks NY. Best Second Hand Store: Finger Lakes ReUse A nonprofit aiming to enhance community, economy and the environment, Finger Lakes ReUse sells a plethora of secondhand clothing, furniture, building materials, computers, electronics, household goods, appliances and more. They operate two locations, one on Elmira Road and one in Triphammer Marketplace, redirecting material that would otherwise go to landfills to the homes of local crafters, DiYers and thrifters. The store operates several valuable community programs, including ReSET Technology, a career training program for those looking to get into the IT field. It assists with some local home deconstruction efforts to save materials that would otherwise be destroyed in the demolition process. Among other programs, the ReUse operates the Ithaca Fixers Collective, a weekly gathering where residents can learn how to fix and repair household items. Best Legacy Business: Moosewood Moosewood, a local iconic vegetarian eatery, first put Ithaca on the culinary map in the 1970s. Its distinctive and globallyrecognized cookbooks, of which over 5 million copies have been sold, have served as “the global guide to vegetable-forward eating.” First started as a cooperatively operated
venture in 1973 and later an employee collective, Moosewood is currently owned by Danica Wilcox, the daughter of a longtime collective member and an Ithaca native. Moosewood’s cookbook recipes are internationally recognized, having brought vegetarian food into the American mainstream. Having been at its location since it was first established, the restaurant is a must-visit for anyone in the area. FOOD & DRINK: Best Seafood: Maxie’s Supper Club and Oyster Bar Since 1999 Maxie’s Supper Club and Oyster Bar has been “simmering the deep cultures and fun-loving vibes of Ithaca and New Orleans into a soulful gumbo,” according to their website. With happy hour everyday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., a variety of soulful dishes and classic cocktails, Maxie’s is a great spot for locals and visitors. (Our staff favorite is the jambalaya.) Stop in for oysters and a drink or a full meal, and don’t forget the cornbread! Congratulations, Maxie’s, for being this year’s best spot for seafood in Ithaca. Best Pizza: Franco’s Pizzeria Routinely the winner for Best Pizza in the reader’s poll, Franco’s Pizzeria serves up authentic thin-crust pizza from noon to 9 p.m. every day on W. State Street. With a simple menu and build-your-own options, all of Franco’s dough and sauces are vegan. The pizzeria also serves calzones, stromboli, garlic knots and cannoli.
Best Bar: Bike Bar Located on East State Street, Bike Bar offers a bicycle-themed taproom and even better drinks. They also have a variety of bands playing any given night, so there is a tune for everyone to enjoy. Visit their website for a full lineup of performances. Weekday happy hour is 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Congratulations Bike Bar for being this year’s Best Bar! Best Coffee Shop: Gimme! Coffee With multiple locations across Ithaca, Ithaca’s only employee-owned cooperative coffee company has won Best Coffee Shop in this year’s Best of Ithaca poll again. Founded in 2000, Gimme celebrates 26 years in business. Gimme! Coffee is more than a traditional cafe; it’s a specialty coffee roaster and retailer that sells over a dozen different blends of coffee. Gimme! also donates 3% of all sales in its Rally Blends series to local nonprofits, grassroots organizations and producer partners. Past program partners include The Youth Farm Project, Open Doors English, Ithaca Welcomes Refugees, St. John’s Community Services, Sister Song and the New York Abortion Access Fund. Best Budget-Friendly Tacos CDMX
Restaurant:
Located in Press Bay Alley with some of the best $5 tacos in town, it is no wonder that Tacos CDMX is a winner for this category. Al pastor, chicken, asada or vegan? You can’t go wrong with any of the options or combinations of them! With just a few years under their belt, Tacos CDMX is also a newer Ithaca staple for the hungry. What started in a “snack shack” by ReUse is now one of Ithaca’s most loved tacos spots and we couldn’t be happier to congratulate Tacos CDMX with the Best of Ithaca honors. Best Ethnic Restaurant: Hawi Hawi Ethiopian Cuisine is located in the heart of downtown and has been a strong staple in Ithaca’s downtown food scene for years. The restaurant brings a taste of Ethiopia with its scratch-made and freshly prepared traditional dishes. Now a fixture in the restaurant scene, Hawi has been feeding Ithacans and visitors for over a decade now. With vegetarian offerings and a spice level indicator on each of the menu’s dishes, Hawi is well-prepared for any palate that walks through its doors. PEOPLE: Best Local Authors: Bill Schutt and Bob Proehl (Tie) It’s not often we have a tie, but this year we do! Bill Schutt and Bob Proehl have both won in the Best Local Author category. Bill Schutt has previously published Cannibalism: A Natural History, Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures, Pump: A Natural History of the Heart, and most recently, Bite: An Incisive History of Teeth in 2024. Bob Proehl has published works such as The Nobody People, the Somebody People, and A Hundred Thousand Worlds. He has also worked as a bookseller and programming director for Buffalo Street Books. Best Local Celebrity: Carl Sagan Though Carl Sagan passed in 1996, his impact on Ithaca and the world is still felt. He was Cornell’s David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences, directed the Laboratory for Planetary Studies and was active in the Mariner, Viking and Voyager programs. Sagan is also known for several popular science books, such as The Cosmic Connection, and co-wrote and narrated the 1980 documentary series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.
The response in this category was overwhelmingly in favor of Carl Sagan and we are more than pleased to share this with the community. Don’t forget to look at the stars once in a while. SERVICES: Best Bookstore: Buffalo Street Books Ithaca Times readers voted Buffalo Street Books as this year’s Best Bookstore. As a non-profit indie bookstore, BSB says they are “dedicated to serving our community through books and literary programming all year long.” With a variety of workshops, author readings, pop-up markets, and so much more, BSB is often the place to be for bookworms, visitors and locals. There is always something happening at Buffalo Street so be sure to check out their online calendar of events or stop in to see what’s going on with their community bulletin board. Best Visual Artist: Yen Ospina It isn’t Yen Ospina’s first time winning this category in Best of Ithaca and we were not surprised to see Yen’s name pop up again and again in our submissions. The self-taught Indigenous ColombianAmerican artist and illustrator uses earth tones and ornamental layouts in her murals that can be seen across town. Ospina’s work, particularly in her 2025 series Fragments of Becoming, uses a blend of bold, bright colors to highlight healing, resilience and the beauty found in imperfection. Best Farmers Market Vendor: SOLAZ Mexican Food This is not the first time SLOAZ has won best Farmers Market Vendor, nor do we think it will be the last as SOLAZ is one of the Ithaca Farmer’s Market’s dining staples. They have been serving fresh Mexican food for over 30 years with SOLAZ first starting at the Farmer’s Market in 1989. The business, founded by Kristof Ostlund, once operated a local restaurant called Coyote Loco before rebranding to SOLAZ. Even when the restaurant was busy, SOLAZ remained a staple at the market. Best Dispensary: Connected
The
Highly
As a new category for Best of Ithaca this year, we weren’t sure what the response would be, but you all came out in full force to support The Highly Connected, located on Franklin Street in Ithaca. There were many nominations, as Ithaca is Options when it comes to dispensaries, but The Highly Connected stood out as the crowd favorite. Wendy Matesanz and her husband JP Toro opened the dispensary in August 2024. Congratulations to The Highly Connected team! Your customer service and atmosphere have made you stand out to the community. PLACES: Best Mural: The Electrical Boxes With a tagline of “Our community is what we make it,” Ithaca Murals sure does make Ithaca, and the surrounding areas, beautiful. That may be why the electrical boxes as a whole won best mural this year. With so many submissions, the majority naming one or multiple boxes, we decided to name all of them as the collectively best murals. Artists spend hours upon hours planning and executing works of art for the boxes, through Ithaca Murals and we are happy to honor the hard work and talents of those in Tompkins County who participated in the painting. There are so many murals around Ithaca that are stunning and deserve recognition, so take this as our nod to you, muralists, community painters and those who support the artists. You’re all an important part of the community building and beautifying that happens here in Tompkins County.
Congratulations to Ithaca Murals and their network of creatives! Best Museum: Museum of the Earth Museum of the Earth, run by The Paleontological Research Institution, was founded in 2003 with the goal of providing the public with the opportunity to explore the world through a collection of natural history displays, interactive science features, and art exhibitions. With an 8,000-square-foot permanent exhibition, visitors can journey through 4.5 billion years of history, from the Earth’s origin to the present day. According to PRI, hands-on, visual exhibitions and outreach encourage critical thinking about life on Earth in the past and today, and how humans are affecting the natural world. With a plethora of special exhibits and something new to learn from the permanent exhibit with each visit, the Museum of the Earth has earned a special place in the heart of Ithacans and those from around the county. It’s an activity that you don’t want to miss out on. Congratulations PRI and the Museum of the Earth for being this year’s best museum.
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.”
Best Place to Hike: Robert H. Treeman State Park Robert H. Treman State Park is a local favorite and a must see for many visitors who love getting outside. The Enfield Glen is the park’s scenic highlight, with a variety of trails following the gorge past 12 waterfalls, including Lucifer Falls, where visitors can see a mile-and-a-half down the forested gorge as it trails its way to the lower park.
Joyce - “It was a 1973 Pontiac Le Mans.”
The park also offers camping and pavilions for rent and occasionally hosts weddings and other events. With its scenic views and different trail options, it’s no wonder that Robert H. Treman was marked as this year’s favorite hiking trail. Kerri - “I had a 1993 Geo Storm.”
OPEN-ENDED: Best Slogan to Replace “Ithaca is Gorges” This open-ended category is an annual staple in Best of Ithaca. We know that “Ithaca is Gorges” is an irreplaceable motto for our well-loved city, but our readers always have some kind of spin on the phrase. Here are some of this year’s favorites, many of which we received last year as well: Most respondents offered up some variation of the classic catchphrase. According to Ithaca Times readers, Ithaca is…Potholes, Community, Dispensaries, High, Kind, Inclusive, Mythical, Expensive, Gentrified, Cold and Unaffordable, among other various adjectives.
Katie - “My first car was a blue Cutlass Ciera.”
New Category for Best of Ithaca Readers had a multitude of suggestions for Best of Ithaca categories, some of which we will be using in future years. Here are a few of our favorites:
Dan - “I had a red Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale.”
Best Bakery; Best Bartender; Best Food Truck, Best Waterfall; Best Nonprofit; Best Grocery Store.
presents itself to the world. Further,
Some readers suggested we have a “worst” category, but that doesn’t build community and takes the fun out of this. Store/Venue we miss most While reminiscing won’t always get you far, it can be nice to look back on where we have been as a community and where we are going. With that in mind, we asked you all what you missed about Ithaca as a marker for how places and life around the city is changing.
such actions on the part of Cornell would serve as a courageous model for both universities and the broadest quest for social justice. Barbara
Regenspan,
Emerita
Professor of Educational Studies at Colgate University, taught continually evolving iterations of “The Challenges of Modernity” for fifteen years, the last
Trader K’s; The Haunt; Sunny Days; Agava; Just a Taste; and Creola.
four in Cornell’s Summer Sessions, 2019-
Thank you all for voting, and we look forward to hearing from you in next year’s Best of Ithaca!
and the Educational Imagination, (2014,
2022. Her last academic book, Haunting Sense/Brill), inspired her first volume of poetry, (2022, Cayuga Lake Books)
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Arts
“Facing Adversity” Interfaith Conference Held at Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies By Benjamin Ascher
O
n Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11, Namgyal Monastery hosted its fourth annual interfaith conference, with “facing adversity” as this year’s theme. Their flyer stated how “each of us responds to adversity in different ways,” and that the event was meant for people to “share their stories” and “deepen their understanding of what it is to be human in this world of ours.” Attendees came from a multitude of backgrounds, and speakers from faiths such as Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Panentheism and Buddhism. The event was held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, including group discussions after each round of speakers, midday lunches and opening and closing prayers from the monastery’s Buddhist monks. “It’s an event because one of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s goals and missions is the interfaith dialogue,” Chris Accardo, event organizer, said. “This group is an extension of that mission.” He added that while “Namgyal kind of leads the charge on it,” they “feel strongly that there should be organizers from every faith there.” Accardo is a Vajrayana Buddhist, much like the Tibetan community in Ithaca, having been one since the age of thirteen. Accardo said he grew up in a Christian environment that came with both “conflict” and “kinship”. He said this
gave him a desire to pursue interfaith dialogue. Robert Schenck, one of the biggestname speakers at the event due to controversy surrounding his name, feels he has a less traditional religious upbringing . Al Jazeera referring to him as a “once a famous anti-abortion activist” who is now “an ex-anti-abortion evangelist” and a “pro-choice ‘traitor’” in 2023. During his talk at the monastery, Schenck explains how his “controversial” status derives from the fact that he used to be an important member of the Evangelical Church’s “pro-life” movement known as “Operation Rescue”. He elaborated on how he currently faces stigma within his own community for speaking out against his previous actions/ role, claiming to be “a bit of an exile” as it stands. Schenck came from a Jewish father and a Catholic-born mother who was raised Episcopalian. From within this interesting pairing, he was supposed to be raised Jewish per his grandparents’ request, but Schenck’s parents chose to raise him “open-minded” and allow him to “go shopping for a religion,” as explained during his talk. While he explored other religions and read Hindu texts, he landed on Christian Evangelism at the age of sixteen. He said these early years proved formative for
him and helped him have an open mind later in life. “My open-minded family, when it came to religious questions, was an advantage to me late in life when I was able to reflect back on those experiences [related to abortion],” Schenck He added how this gave him “permission to explore thinking differently, where a lot of people I know who are evangelicals... that’s all they’ve ever known in their lives. They’ve never experienced anything else, so they’re afraid to ask questions, to challenge their own thinking, to explore new and different perspectives religiously.” “Events that we had at the monastery give you a chance to have a close encounter with the religious other,” Schneck said. “One that you would never have normally on your own, at least for an evangelical. To meet a real person and look them in the eye and feel the warmth of a handshake or even an embrace. That has an almost miraculous power to it. It changes everything.” Fellow speaker, Jewish Interfaith Minister Sam Swartz, has a perspective that considers this possibility, but also the possibility that an event like this could do the opposite. “A multi-faith event like this where we all talk about sharing adversity could open people up. It could also close people up,” he said. Swartz gave an example that a
Christian wouldn’t be convinced of one of the Hindu gods by hearing the Hindu speaker at the event. He said an interfaith event “shouldn’t at all be like a debate of thought” as “there’s no point in talking about it to try and change somebody else’s mindset.” Swartz makes these clear distinctions due to his training in an interfaith school where he received base knowledge of multiple faiths, while maintaining his own root knowledge of Judaism and interfaith yoga. He states that this “was more of a multi-faith event than an interfaith event because this particular event let us hear from people of different faiths specifically on facing adversity, but there wasn’t that much ritual offered.” Accardo explained that the Monastery doesn’t allow other faiths’ rituals to be practiced on location, although it is unknown if this will cause the future location of the conference to change. With these conditions explained, Swartz fully understands the reasoning: “Ritual chant is not welcome at Namgyal because in their monastery, they don’t allow that; I get it. They’re trying to preserve the vibration of their path, and at the same time, if I were invited to do so, I would have chanted other things, but I don’t want to be a rude guest in somebody else’s house.”
Film
“NAZA” Exposes the Inner Workings of a Genocide By Clement Obropta
A
t a time when cinema and art in general feel utterly powerless in the face of rising fascism, rampant capitalism, bilious hatred, and ongoing genocide, the new documentary “NAZA” and its brave team of filmmakers remind us that art, at its core, has a responsibility to deliver the truth about the world. In its static shots of Israeli military men speaking in hushed tones in the shadows of Tel Aviv rooftops, “NAZA” attains the truly impossible: It is an investigative mission on the mechanics of Israel’s slaughter of Palestinians, an enraged and mournful cry for the thousands of dead just 60 kilometers away, and a damning, terrifying work of genuine art. Those 24 interview subjects, most of whom are intelligence officers in the Israeli military, opted to remain anonymous. They are partially responsible for the annihilation of Palestinian life in the Gaza Strip. They conducted surveillance, gave bombing missions the green light, and calculated how many Hamas targets and how many “collateral damage” civilian casualties, or “NAZA,” a strike might hit. Each interview with them is a minor miracle, even if it might seem too late for these whistleblowers to decide to speak out. How many bombs have they already dropped? How many families have they already killed? Filmed over the course of three years, Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor’s harrowing document of mass killing draws on Abraham’s thorough reporting for independent media outlets +972 Magazine and Local Call. In those articles, Abraham exposes the Israeli military’s intentional targeting 12
of civilians — a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. Not only has the Israeli army been targeting apartment buildings and private homes of civilians as part of a broader strategy to, they say, try to turn the population of Palestine against Hamas, but new AI targeting systems have been identifying 100 to 200 bombing targets per day. Previously, that information took Israeli intelligence officers months to accumulate, and it means that Israeli soldiers have no shortage of places to bomb next. In the film, we hear the perpetrators themselves talking about the violence they wrought. Perhaps it will not be news to you. Perhaps you will think that instead of anonymity, the subjects of “NAZA” deserve a trial at the Hague. But in focusing on the mechanics of genocide — about the AI targeting systems, the specific orders given to the Israeli military, and how the “cogs” in the machine, as one subject says, feel about the killing — “NAZA” successfully stands apart from so many other films about the Israel-Palestine conflict. This year’s “American Doctor,” which screened at Cinemapolis several weeks ago, is another such film — ideally, there should be so many movies made about the genocide that one is always playing at Cinemapolis. (I also cover films about Palestine on my Substack, Palestine Cinema Dispatch.) The film doesn’t convey anything that the +972 Magazine reporting doesn’t, and in greater detail, but “NAZA” makes the most of its medium. The atmosphere is oppressive and heavy, the tone is dire, and interviewer Abraham, barely containing his outrage, interjects at all the right times. The decision to shoot the
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Filmmaker Yuval Abraham interviews an Israeli intelligence officer in “NAZA.” (Photo: IMDb / Dogwoof Releasing) film with available light on the rooftops of Tel Aviv lends it the cinematic quality of the meetings with Deep Throat in “All the President’s Men.” Sometimes, filmmakers Abraham and Szor (who serve as their own editors) cut to voyeuristic shots of the windows around the city, reminding us not just of the privileged complicity of the Israeli people but also the sheer dumb luck that separates them from the people their government is systematically bombing to oblivion. Abraham and Szor previously won the Best Documentary Oscar with “No Other Land,” which looks at the Israeli Defense Forces and settler violence in the West Bank. That film’s grassroots release strategy yielded over $3 million, clearly demonstrating that there’s a global audience that wants to see films about Palestine. For their follow-up film, “The Zone of Interest” director Jonathan Glazer and The Guardian have stepped in
as producers, and in less than a month, “NAZA” has already grossed twice what “No Other Land” made. If you miss the film in theaters, The Guardian will be releasing it for free on its website later in November. If you’ve already seen dozens of films about Israel and Palestine, go see “NAZA.” If you’ve never seen a film about Israel and Palestine, go see “NAZA.” Isn’t it better to be enlightened and furious than ignorant and happy? Clement Obropta is a film columnist for the Ithaca Times.
“NAZA”
Not Rated Directed by: Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor Currently playing at Cinemapolis 120 East Green St.
Arts
Alexander Thomas in “Something About Money.” (Photo: Rachel Philipson)
Alexander Thomas performs “Something About Money” By Barbara Adams
A
n Ithaca favorite’s back in town, performing his own solo show, “Something About Money,” at the Kitchen Theatre Company, his home away from home. Local audiences will remember Alexander Thomas from his seven-plus shows here, starting in 2002 with his autobiographical solo work “Throw Pitchfork.” Five years later Thomas appeared as a TV personality in “After Ashley.” Other memorable Kitchen productions include two in 2012: “Opus,” where he played a cellist in an ensemble prepping for a White House performance, and “Broke ology,” a widowed father of two sons in a Black family drama. In “The Whipping Man,” 2013, Thomas was the elderly head servant in the broken home of a post-Civil War white family. Then in “Sunset Baby,” 2014, his role was a father, recently released from prison for political activism, trying to reconnect with his grown daughter. And in “The Royale,” 2019, Thomas played the trainer for heavyweight champion Jack Johnson. If we’ve seen less of Alexander Thomas in recent years, it’s because his career (and his spouses in foreign service) has taken him all over the world. He’s landed often in Berlin, and this world premiere is presented in collaboration with English Theatre Berlin | International Performing Arts Center. The producing artistic director there, Syracuse-born Daniel Brunet, also directs this Kitchen
production, a world premiere. “Something About Money” opens on a rather bland mountain draped in white cloth, occasionally washed in color by Kyle Stamm’s lighting. Chris Lane’s sound later adds more ambiance. But soon enough, Thomas will pull away the sheets to expose Alexander Woodward’s full set: piles of white boxes labeled “bankers’ box,” which also comprise the entire floor. Against this background implying accumulated wealth –– someone’s, somewhere –– Thomas appears. A lone swivel chair serves as an informal podium from which he delivers his musings on money, a topic he’s been stirred by for many years. He leaves through his notebook titled just that –– “musings about money” –– and goes on to explore some seven chapters or topics, which provide the structure of the show. Number one is “Shit Jobs,” which range from the demeaning and poorly paid (like cleaning dead rats out of an elevator shaft) to the shrewdly servile but lucrative (attending to the needs of well-tipping male diners as a restroom attendant). Then there’s a riff on different terms for money, and a discussion of “poor” being a relative concept, both influenced by Thomas’s late-in-life international traveling (having grown up Black and impoverished in Albany, New York). Throughout, Thomas pauses at moments to ask questions directly
of audience members, who willingly contribute. He often enacts mini-scenes –– like both a pleading panhandler and the man he approaches, who responds with fury and violence. Often, he just explores topics that have fascinated and troubled him –– from “welfare queens” to get-rich-quick schemes, from the sad state of U.S. health care to greed and blame. This is a different kind of show from the character-driven narratives of his earlier plays here, and though autobiographical, very distinct from his family story in “Throw Pitchfork.” This play is episodic and somewhat rambling, a mix of speculation and observing and critiquing and enacting. This medley of styles is interesting, but the pacing feels slow in places, with some anecdotes too long, leaving the audience trying to grasp the show’s rhythm. The socioeconomic commentary is dead-on, but already familiar to most audiences. Perhaps talking about it, even as charmingly as Thomas does, can’t reach into us the way narrative theatre can. But there are moments that do strike home, the most autobiographical ones. Thomas returns again and again to the indescribable feeling of knowing as an 8-year-old child that being poor meant being “less than” –– with few options and vanishing worth. At school, the regular kids got yellow lunch tickets; the welfare kids got red ones, a public mark of shame that can sear for a lifetime.
When Thomas finally shreds those tickets, we feel the uplift and release. “Something About Money,” written and performed by Alexander Thomas. Directed by Daniel Brunet. A collaboration with English Theatre Berlin | International Performing Arts Center. At the Kitchen Theatre, 417 W. State St, Ithaca. Performances Wednesdays to Saturdays through Oct. 24 at 7:00 p.m., with 2:00 p.m. matinees on Oct. 22 and 25. Tickets at 607-272-0570 or kitchentheatre.org. A series of post-show talkbacks at the Kitchen is free and open to the public (show attendance not required): • Thursday, Oct. 22: A talk and Q&A with Kate G. de la Garza, Executive Director of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, on building financial stability through secure housing • Friday, Oct. 23: A Meet the Artists conversation with Alex Thomas and producing artistic director Emily Jackson about the process behind the show • Saturday, Oct. 24: A personal finance Q&A with Michael Monasky of Visions Federal Credit Union, followed by a mixer in the bar Barbara Adams is a regional theatre and arts journalist and retired professor of writing, Ithaca College.
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Arts
Irakere Founder and Afro-Cuban Pianist Chucho Valdés Celebrates with Lovano and Charles By Peter Rothbar t
N
ational Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and multiGrammy Award winner Chucho Valdés brings his 85th birthday celebration tour to Cornell’s Bailey Hall on October 23rd, opening the Dallas Morse Coors Concert Series. The much vaunted Afro-Cuban and jazz pianist, composer, and arranger brings along two well-known and veteran instrumentalists, post-bop saxophonist Joe Lovano and multi-disciplinary composer and trumpet player Etienne Charles. Joining the are sidemen José Gola on bass, Horatio Hernández on drums, and percussionist Roberto Vizcaíno. Valdés’ first teacher and major influence was his father Ramón “Bebo” Valdés, who was the pianist for Havana’s famous Copacabana nightclub before the Cuban revolution. He taught his son the importance of learning all styles of playing, including classical. He emphasized studying jazz styles period by period, Chucho Valdés continued his classical music studies at the Conservatorio Municipal de Música de la Habana. He began his professional career playing American standards in Cuba in the 1950s but diversified his knowledge and skills until his playing became a virtual cornucopia of musical styles. Drawing from Cuban folk melodies and forms such as sons, montunos, boleros, and songos, he incorporated Latin and African rhythms, improvised Bach-like counterpoints, extended Impressionistic harmonic structures and scales from Debussy, avant-garde chord clusters and merged them with lush and ethereal harmonies from Bud Powell and the introverted lyricism of Bill Evans. At the same time, he extended his musical forms by accelerating and decelerating certain passages while interpolating sudden meter changes and style changes all within the same piece. His is known to brush up against the freedoms of the Free Jazz style of Cecil Taylor but in his essence, Valdés remains a melodically focused player who acknowledges the intensely rhythmic and motive-based funk ostinatos of Keith Jarrett as well as the modal runs of Chick Corea (whom he has played with). His rocket-like runs and arpeggiations channel Art Tatum’s legendary flights of fantasy. Listen carefully and you can hear Tatum taking off in Valdés’ right hand and Corea’s comping in his left. Talk about skill and flexibility. Sudden break outs of stride style–think Fats Waller–interrupt the momentum, possibly evoking the memory of a Cuban folk guitar picking style. In 1973, he co-founded what became the legendary and genre bending Irakere, 14
Chucho Valdés (Photo: Martin Espino Garcia)
an Afro Cuban Latin rock fusion band that unleashed a hard edged and forward looking sound from such unknown (to Americans) players as saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera and trumpet player Arturo Sandoval. The band was at the forefront of the newly emerging world music scene and differed from the ground-breaking Latin music work of Dizzy Gillespie and Tito Puente by overlaying the Latin rhythmic core with rock heavy drum lines and turning up the volume while incorporating a wide variety of styles from classical to bebop to Afro-Cuban folk. Joe Lovano is one of the colossuses of the tenor saxophone, with a sound bigger than Ben Webster’s or Coleman Hawkins’ (forgive me jazz purists). Like Valdés, Lovano also found musical sustenance from his father and was influenced by John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie and the often underrated bebopper Sonny Stitt. He moved into the big bands of Woody Herman and Mel Lewis, establishing himself as a powerful and rhythmically driven soloist. He began to explore the post-bop world in trios and quartets, joining forces with guitarists Bill Frisell, Paul Schofield, and drummer Paul Motian. His post-bop leanings led him to working with Dave Liebman and Michael Brecker, both known for their aggressive and strident sound and enigmatic explorations of alternate scales. His more recent searchings have led him to collaborate with bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding in her expansion into larger and more esoteric artistic forms. A multi-instrumentalist, his flute and clarinet work matches his unabashed approach to sound. His move to ECM records reflects his continued sonic inquiries into the newest areas of jazz and other music.
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Trumpet player Etienne Charles hails from Trinidad and describes himself as a performer and composer as well as a storyteller. His works focus on creating a trance-like holistic atmosphere by merging music composition with dance, film, and the spoken word. He is equally at home as a bandleader (Newport Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival to name just a few), and as a composer, having received commissions from the Chicago Jazz Ensemble and Lincoln Center for the New York Philharmonic. He writes what he experiences by immersing himself in the rituals and cultures he is studying, while interacting with local musicians and dancers.
Chucho Valdés’ 85th Birthday Celebration with special guests Joe Lovano and Etienne Charles Bailey Hall Cornell University October 23, 2026 7:30 PM Tickets at https://www. cornellconcertseries.com/tickets or the Bailey Hall Box Office Peter Rothbart is a professor emeritus of music at the Ithaca College School of Music, Theatre, and Dance where he taught electroacoustic and media music for 40 years. He remains active as a classical, jazz, and pop musician and directs the Ageless Jazz Band.
NEWSLINE
Anti-Trump Highway Banner Network Prepares Halloween Demonstrations Across Northeast Ahead of Midterm Election By Philip O’ D ell
I
thaca activists are gearing up for a Halloween bannering demonstration at the Triphammer Bridge, building on momentum from their Oct. 10 event as part of a multistate midterm voter initiative. The Interstate Midterm Bannering Project features participants displaying highway banners with brief voterengagement slogans, such as “Stop the Chaos-Vote,” “Food ? Gas ? Vote,” “No 4Ever War-Vote,” “Had Enough? - Vote” and “4 Our Kids-Vote.” Project leader Galen Silver, a member of Rochester-based Indivisible Outreach, said the bannering project is a regional network uniting 70 grassroots activist organizations across New York state and New England. “Going onto a bridge overpass, putting a message out there that gets people thinking, is an effective tool because it reaches hundreds or thousands of people in a short amount of time,” Silver said. Silver said the project aims to encourage voters of all political affiliations to elect Democratic candidates in the Nov. 3 midterm election to limit the power of the Trump administration. He said President Donald Trump has caused nationwide chaos through policies that raised fuel and grocery prices and led to an unnecessary war with Iran. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall prices for urban consumers increased by about 4.7% since Trump began his second term and grocery prices have risen by about 3.4%. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, gasoline prices increased 41% from January 2025 to mid-September of this year. EIA data shows average monthly residential electricity costs rose 12.5% between December 2024 and July 2025. According to CBS News, the national average price for a gallon of gasoline was $4.37 as of Oct. 9, up from $2.98 on Feb. 27 before the U.S.-Iran war began. CBS News reported that diesel prices rose to a record high of $6.53 per gallon on Sept. 22 and stood at $6.28 as of Oct. 9. In Ithaca, local organizer Sue Stein said 12 participants on Oct. 10 displayed their banners at the Triphammer Road bridge crossing Route 13 near the Shops at Ithaca Mall. Stein said participating
teams reported around 20,000 vehicles passing the banners over a 90-minute window. Stein said Indivisible Tompkins members are spearheading the project’s Ithaca activities. She got involved after learning about Silver’s regional initiative through an internal network email sent to Indivisible members. Stein said Ithaca participants will return to the Triphammer Road overpass for an Oct. 31 banner display. She said activists might include festive elements like inflatable costumes. Silver said Oct. 31 was selected as the final demonstration because it is the last Saturday before the midterm elections. While the timing coincides with Halloween, Silver said volunteers are encouraged to wear costumes to keep the highway demonstrations engaging and lighthearted. During the project’s inaugural August event, Silver estimated that participants displayed their messages to roughly 125,000 vehicles during a four-hour window. Silver said volunteer turnout varies by location with many averaging 15 people, while larger areas like Buffalo saw around 60 volunteers. According to Silver, an estimated 250,000 vehicles across all locations were reached via the signs during the Oct. 10 demonstrations. He said the traffic estimate is derived using short manual counts at each site. Volunteers stationed on overpasses count passing vehicles for 60 to 120 seconds periodically throughout the event, extrapolating those figures to estimate total hourly traffic in both directions. Silver said the bannering project started earlier this year to connect previously isolated activist groups across upstate New York, starting with outreach to organizations in Buffalo and Syracuse. He said the coalition centered its strategy on the 2026 midterm elections and decided to use highway overpass bannering as its primary tactic. According to Silver, the initial plan was limited to displaying banners along the New York State Thruway between Buffalo and Syracuse, but interest expanded rapidly across the region. By late August, 47 groups throughout New York had joined the effort, spanning from Westfield near the Pennsylvania border across the Rochester-Batavia-
Genesee corridor, into smaller municipalities like Oswego, Pulaski, and Cooperstown, and extending to Ithaca, Albany, and the Thousand Islands region. Silver said he hopes people who are complacent or waiting to act will consider getting involved because national issues directly affect them. “It’s way easier to take care of things now than if they get worse later,” Silver said. Stein said she was not initially a protester and felt uncomfortable attending her first downtown demonstrations. However, she ultimately found it important to combat feelings of hopelessness. “It’s made me grow as a person to put myself out there,” Stein said. “By protesting, we protect our right to protest, and that’s something that shouldn’t be overlooked.” While specific post-midterm projects remain unscheduled, Silver said organizers plan to leverage their multi-state network for future actions following the midterms. Silver said the project connected activist groups from cities like Buffalo and Boston. Looking ahead, Silver aims to expand the network to include New York City and neighboring states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio. “We’ve built up this network that I fully intend to use for projects going forward,” Silver said.
Stein said the project’s coalition provides a rapid-response network if post-election challenges arise, allowing groups to coordinate joint demonstrations quickly if needed. Stein said Indivisible Tompkins members will integrate the banners at the Oct. 17 “No Kings” rally along Triphammer Road. She said the Saturday honk-and-wave event will focus on voter registration and early voting. “The whole idea is that an early vote is a more protected vote,” Stein said. Stein said Indivisible members are active at Wednesday demonstrations at the Ithaca intersection of Clinton and Meadow streets near Wegmans. Stein said participation is open to the broader public, with recruiting drawing from community members beyond the core Indivisible Tompkins network. She said prospective volunteers interested in joining the Ithaca demonstration can sign up by visiting the Indivisible Tompkins website or emailing indivisible.tompkins@gmail.com. She said individuals can subscribe to the group’s weekly newsletter without formal membership to stay updated on upcoming actions. Silver said activists outside Tompkins County can join the multi-state network by emailing contact@interstatenewyork. com to connect with specific local teams.
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Community Connections
Lonnie Hinckle: ReSetting One’s Life G By Marjorie Olds
rowing up in Cortland,
guided with support…Sometimes I was
New York, Lonnie Hinkle
out of my comfort zone, but I hung in
moved as a child to Rome,
there. I had to work hard to stay ahead
NY, after his mother courageously
of the students. I worked with people
walked
harmful,
who had struggled a lot, but were still
controlling relationship. Fortunately,
trying to pull things together, despite
Lonnie’s stepdad was the dad that
their challenges. They said it helped
Lonnie had longed for; and he has
that they knew they were not alone,
provided the affection and guidance
even despite their obstacles (autism,
which Lonnie credits for much of his
ADHD,
success in life.
criminal history, etc.). The students
away
from
a
Lonnie observed how much he had learned growing up from his military
poverty,
homelessness,
hung in there till we completed the
Dad and his uncle in heavy equipment
“By the time I wrapped up my
construction. “For fun we ordered
teaching job, I realized I was no
10 Heathkits, with which we built 3
longer an introvert; that now, leading
television sets, 3 stereos, a voltmeter
and supporting others, I had become
and an oscilloscope to measure waves
an extrovert, in order to teach. I saw
electrical flow.”
clearly my own hard-won self-worth…
“In high school in Groton we were introduced to Apple classic computers.
And I finally could accept praise…All thanks to ReUse.”
I liked working with both the hardware
“When I left ReUse to take a full-
and the software, so I continued my
time tech job, I noted that all people
love of technology as a hobby.”
thrive in a caring environment. And
“Throughout my adult life, my wife, (my high school sweetheart), my family, and others had complimented my skills, but somehow my biggest obstacle in life was believing in myself…I always remember having a
by getting to observe and get to know Diane Cohen, founder, and CEO of ReUse, I saw that the caring climate within ReUse began at the top, as it must, to survive.” “Since 2024 I have worked in Cayuga
Throughout
Health’s Technology Department as
my life, I always kept to myself. I was
a Field Service Tech, which is now
an introvert. I also always wanted to
managed by Xtensys. In 2026 I took
get a tech job but knew there were
the position of Jr. Telecommunications
some gaps in my tech knowledge.”
Engineer. At Xtensys, our tech teams
lack of self-confidence.
“When I explored Reuse’s ReSET Technology Program, I decided this might be the right move. And it was.”
below) to all of our Tompkins County
educating, encouraging others as they
Legislators and County Staff regarding
mastered tech skills.
Reuse’s critical need for funding to full-time
employment as an eCenter Assistant Coordinator — roles that provided
trajectory of my life. Before I came
sustainable
to ReUse, I lived with very little
became wages
the
and
meaningful
responsibility.” “Looking back, I realize now that after teaching 6 classes that was the turning point. I taught 14 different groups the entire ReSET curriculum. In each session I saw reflections of my own hopes and fears in those I taught.
and
organization’s
venues available for all, and most
community centered approach ensures
important, the overwhelming amount
that everyone who comes through the
of reusable equipment, furnishings,
doors, whether a volunteer, apprentice,
tools, apparel, appliances that are
or employee, has the opportunity to
prepared
grow.
who want to do good work, thereby
direction.
The
Finger Lakes ReUse doesn’t just recycle
materials.
They
recycle
potential. They give people the chance to rebuild, re-imagine, and rise. I’m
their
and
affordable
re-sold
shopping
by
people
saving millions of tons of “waste” being expensively transported to the monstrous, environmentally dangerous Seneca Meadow Landfill.
proud to say I’m one of the many
For more information about ReUse
people whose life has been transformed
and the ReSet Technology Program: go
because this organization chose to
to www.ithacareuse.org
invest in me.” Perhaps readers recognize the value
“...I want to share how Finger Lakes ReUse fundamentally changed the
later
offered,
continue in operation.”:
eCenter
and
walk out with new skills, confidence,
region.”
diverse group of trainees, assisting,
earned
of the Finger Lakes ReUse programs
support to other hospitals in this “Recently I sent a letter (excerpt
I
professional, or emotional — and
also provide additional technology
“As an apprentice I worked with a
“Eventually,
Lonnie at Ithaca ReUse (Photo: Ithaca ReUse)
program.”
confidence and kept to myself. I didn’t see much potential in my abilities, and I certainly didn’t imagine a future where I would feel connected to a community or proud of my work. That changed the moment I stepped through their doors. I’ve watched countless individuals
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Music Bars/Bands/ Clubs
10/22 Thursday Midday Music: Linda Ruan | 12:30 p.m. | Lincoln Hall, 256 Feeney Way | Free Rosie Jake Blount Ben Gould and Steve Selin | 6 p.m. | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Road | Free Inhabiting Text & Music in Contemporary American Art Song | 7:30 p.m. | Barnes Hall, 129 Ho Plaza | Free
10/23 Friday
Fabi | 5:30 p.m. | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Road Kawaio1a | 5:30 p.m. | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Road | Free Brewhouse Blues Jam | 6 p.m. | The Farm at Hopshire, 1771 Dryden Road
10/24 Saturday Bryan Jacobson Live | 4 p.m. | Brewers Taproom, 10 Pinckney Road
10/28 Wednesday
Guest organist Tim Pyper | 12:30 p.m. | Sage Chapel, 147 Ho Plaza | Free
Concerts/ Recitals
10/21 Wednesday Coco Montoya | 8 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S. Main Street
10/23 Friday
FAUST at Sage Chapel with Live Score by Invincible Czars! at Sage Chapel | 7 p.m. | Cornell University, 144 East Avenue
10/24 Saturday Hangtime Concert Series featuring The Petty Thieves | 6 p.m. | Treleaven Wines, 658 Lake Road
10/27 Tuesday Music in the Glen Tuesday and Saturday concerts | 6 p.m. | Glendale Park, 400 Glendale Drive
Stage
Something About Money | 7 p.m., 10/21 Wednesday | Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W. State/W. MLK, Jr. Street | $1.00 - $55.00 The Bodyguard | 7:30 p.m., 10/21 Wednesday | Clemens Center, 207 Clemens Center Parkway | PEACE, LOVE, & DARKWINE | 6 p.m., 10/23 Friday | Lifelong - Library Place, 105 W Court Street | $12.00 Steele Teen Halloween Dance | 7 p.m., 10/23 Friday | Chemung County Library District, 101 E. Church Street The Seven Wonders - A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac | 7 p.m., 10/23 Friday | Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Boulevard Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night: Mad Love, Mad Music | 7:30 p.m., 10/23 Friday | Kiplinger Theater, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, 430 College Avenue | Free Chris Fleming Live | 8 p.m., 10/23 Friday | State Theatre of Ithaca, 107 West State Street Ithaca Waldorf School | 10 a.m., 10/24 Saturday | Ithaca Waldorf School, 20 Nelson Road | Free Jeff Tweedy Solo | 6:30 p.m., 10/24 Saturday | State Theatre of Ithaca, 107 West State Street Civic Ensemble Youth Forum Theatre Troupe | 4 p.m., 10/27 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street Dance Workshop with Michael Heatley, Artistic Director of
Hit the Ground Running Dance Theatre Co. | 7 p.m., 10/27 Tuesday | Cornell University, 144 East Avenue |
Art
TRACES | 11 a.m., 10/21 Wednesday | Corners Gallery, 903 Hanshaw Road Suite 101A | Free Lisa Mackie | The Forest for the Trees - and the Sea | 1 p.m., 10/21 Wednesday | Free How to Produce a Feature Film with Gregory Lamberson | 5:30 p.m., 10/22 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library Cayuga Lake Watershed Network Photo Reception | 5:30 p.m., 10/22 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street Art Cafe | 6 p.m., 10/23 Friday | The Clay School’s Art Room, 950 Danby Rd | Free Fossil ID Day | 10 a.m., 10/24 Saturday | Museum of the Earth, 1259 Trumansburg Road (Route 96) Surrealist and Cozy Food Landscape Paintings | 10:30 a.m., 10/24 Saturday | Lansing Community Library, 27 Auburn Road | Free Watercolor Painting | 11 a.m., 10/24 Saturday | The Clay School, 950 Danby Road |$40.00 - $60.00 Michael Sampson exhibit “Layering The Figure” | 12 p.m., 10/24 Saturday | The Gallery at South Hill, 950 Danby Road South Hill Business Campus | Free Annual Halloween Family Fun | 12 p.m., 10/24 Saturday, 1890 House Museum 37 Tompkins Street | $5.00 Absolute Beginner Crochet at SewGreen, Ithaca | 1 p.m., 10/24 Saturday | The Art Room at SewGreen, Press Bay Court 112 W. Green Street, #5 | $32.00
THIS WEEK Kawaio1a
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 FROM 5:30 TO 8:00 P.M. South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Road | Kawaio1a is a musical artist from Makakilo, Hawai`i. He specializes in rock music, but is known for his variety of influences including the likes of rap, metal, R&B, disco, and more, bridging styles ranging from the 70s to the present day. https://www.southhillcider.com/ events/2026/10/23/kawaio1a-south-hill-cider
Jeff Tweedy SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 AT 7:30 P.M. State Theatre of Ithaca | A special solo show with Jeff Tweedy, founding member and frontman of Wilco and one of contemporary music’s most respected songwriters and performers. In addition to 13 Wilco albums, he has released five solo albums – most recently, his 30-track “magnum opus” (New York Times) Twilight Override. A rare chance to experience songs from across his expansive catalog and step inside the world of Twilight Override. https://www.tixr.com/groups/stateofithaca/ events/jeff-tweedy-solo-193670
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T H E I T H A C A T I M E S / O C T O B E R 2 1 - 2 7, 2 0 2 6
Be Gay Do Crafts | 6 p.m., 10/24 Saturday | The Clay School’s ART Room, 950 Danby Road |$10.00 MATERIAL MATTERS : a convergence of art + design | 2 p.m., 10/25 Sunday | Trade Design Build, 1520 Trumansburg Road | Free Water-Soluble Oil Painting Class | 1 p.m., 10/27 Tuesday | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S. Main Street Fall World Cinema: 12 Masterpieces from Around the World | 1:30 p.m., 10/27 Tuesday | Lifelong, 119 W. Court Street | $10.00 - $50.00 Dance Workshop with Michael Heatley, Artistic Director of Hit the Ground Running Dance Theatre Co. | 7 p.m., 10/27 Tuesday | Cornell University, 144 East Avenue unseen at Willard Straight Theatre | 6 p.m., 10/28 Wednesday | Cornell University, 144 East Avenue
Film
How to Produce a Feature Film with Gregory Lamberson | 5:30 p.m., 10/22 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street Cornell Cinema is thrilled to welcome the Invincible Czars back to Sage Chapel to celebrate 100 years of the silent masterpiece FAUST (1926)! Fall World Cinema: 12 Masterpieces from Around the World | 1:30 p.m., 10/27 Tuesday | Lifelong, 119 W. Court Street | $10.00 - $50.00 Dance Workshop with Michael Heatley, Artistic Director of Hit the Ground Running Dance Theatre Co. | 7 p.m., 10/27 Tuesday | Cornell University, 144 East Avenue
Cinemapolis 120 E. Green Street, Ithaca New movies opening the week of Oct 21. Contact Cinemapolis for showtimes and continuing films. Authors in Conversation | Wharton Studio Museum invites you to join authors Jeffrey Blount – his 4th novel is Mr. Jimmy from Around the Way and Susan Gere Carter, The Trolley to Renwick Park as they discuss writing, their books’ shared themes, and their friendship. Moderated by Samantha Sheppard, Professor of Media Studies and Chair in the Department of Performing and Media Arts, Cornell University | NA 90 mins Empire State Film Festival: Block Three: Trauma or Monsters all| Our Opening Night Feature! The final chapter of acclaimed filmmaker Larry Fessenden’s monster quadrilogy works as a standalone film or series finale, a thoughtful arthouse nod to Universal’s classic monster mashes. A journalist investigating her town’s dark past stirs up fears of creatures lurking in the shadows, including the manmade monster from Depraved and the wolfman from Blackout. | NA 118 mins Wildwood | A handcrafted epic fantasy that transports audiences into a secret, dangerously alive world. After her baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows, headstrong teenager Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) launches a desperate rescue mission into the Impassable Wilderness—an enchanted forest hidden just beyond Portland, Oregon. | NA 132 mins A Talent for Murder | A mysterious young man from a New York publisher is sent to Switzerland to persuade the renowned writer Patricia Highsmith to write one final installment of the Ripley anthology.| NA 106 mins
Sports Men’s Cross Country vs Syracuse University | 5 p.m. 10/23 Friday | Teagle Hall, 512 Campus Road Women’s Cross Country vs Syracuse University | 5 p.m. 10/23 Friday | Teagle Hall, 512 Campus Road Women’s Polo vs University of Maryland Polo Club | 7 p.m. 10/23 Friday | Teagle Hall, 512 Campus Road Women’s Soccer vs University of Pennsylvania | 1 p.m. 10/24 Saturday | Teagle Hall, 512 Campus Road Men’s Soccer vs Dartmouth College | 4 p.m. 10/24 Saturday | Teagle Hall, 512 Campus Road Men’s Polo vs Gardnertown Polo Club | 6 p.m. 10/24 Saturday | Teagle Hall, 512 Campus Road
Special Events
How to Produce a Feature Film with Gregory Lamberson | 5:30 p.m., 10/22 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Haunted house | 6 p.m., 10/23 Friday | East Corning Fire Department, 11873 East Corning Road | Free Haunted house! Join us one day or both days. | Free Ithaca Eagles Auxiliary Annual Fall Bazaar | 10 a.m., 10/24 Saturday | Fraternal Order of the Eagles Ithaca #1253, 161 Cecil Malone Drive | Ithaca Eagles Auxiliary Annual Fall Bazaar | Free Fall Festival and Parade | 11 a.m., 10/24 Saturday, 900 S. Main Street | Athens Fall Festival | 11 a.m., 10/24 Saturday | Teaoga Square, 401 S. Main Street | Free
Descendants the Musical! SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 AT 11 A.M. AND SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 FROM 12:00 TO 4:00 P.M. Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd. | It’s the smash hit Disney Channel movies brought to life on stage! When the children of the nastiest villains meet the children of the beloved heroes, they have to decide: follow in their parents’ wicked footsteps or choose their own path? https://www.runningtoplaces.org/
“Smut” a reading by Carol Kammen SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 AT 2:00 P.M. Buffalo Street Books, 215 N. Cayuga St. | a reading by local author and historian Carol Kammen from her most recent book, “Smut”. https://buffalostreetbooks.com/event/2026-10-25/ smut-reading-carol-kammen
Halloween at the Scarousel | 1:30 p.m., 10/24 Saturday, 201 Oak Hill Ave |
Books
Final Weekend Friends of the Library BOOK SALE | 10 a.m., 10/24 Saturday | Regina Lennox Book Sale Bldg, 509 Esty Street Divinatory Poetics with Jade Cruz Quinn | 3:30 p.m., 10/24 Saturday | Ithaca Writing Studio, 1729 Slaterville Road | $0.00 - $30.00 Reading and Writing Poetry | 1 p.m., 10/27 Tuesday | Lifelong, 119 W. Court Street | $40.00 Early Reader Book Club | 3 p.m., 10/27 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street The Craft Book Club for Writers | 6:30 p.m., 10/28 Wednesday | Ithaca Writing Studio, 1729 Slaterville Road
Kids
4-H Forensics 2026 Series | 10 a.m., 10/21 Wednesday | Elizabeth B. Pert Library, 5736 NY-414 | Free Family Open Play - Fall ‘26 & Winter ‘27 | 3 p.m., 10/21 Wednesday | CCE-Tompkins Education Center, 615 Willow Avenue Playtime with Finger Lakes Toy Library | 10:30 a.m., 10/23 Friday | Sciencenter, 601 1st Street Early Fall Baby & Toddler Storytime | 10:30 a.m., 10/23 Friday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street Spooky Science | 12 p.m., 10/25 Sunday | Sciencenter, 601 1st Street | Join us for our annual free community event, Spooky Science, on Sunday, October 25th. Spanish Storytime | 4:30 p.m., 10/23 Friday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street Annual Halloween Family Fun | 12 p.m., 10/24 Saturday,
1890 House Museum 37 Tompkins Street | $5.00 Spooky Science | 12 p.m., 10/25 Sunday | Sciencenter, 601 1st Street | Join us for our annual free community event, Spooky Science, on Sunday, October 25th. Early Reader Book Club | 3 p.m., 10/27 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street Fall Fun Yoga | 5:30 p.m., 10/28 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street
Notices
Ithaca Lions Club Doug’s Fish Fry Fundraiser | 11 a.m., 10/21 Wednesday | Walgreens, 330 Pine Tree Road Kitchen OPEN | 4:30 p.m., 10/21 Wednesday | We’re excited to share that Hopshire is now offering a limited menu! The Ego & You | 1:30 p.m., 10/22 Thursday | Lifelong, 119 W. Court St. | $40.00 Cornell in Los Angeles Information Sessions | 5:30 p.m., 10/22 Thursday | Cornell University, 144 East Avenue Cayuga Lake Watershed Network Photo Reception | 5:30 p.m., 10/22 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street Karaoke with Elephant Sound | 8 p.m., 10/22 Thursday | 23 North Restaurant and Bar, 23 Cinema Drive | Free Stitch Club | 1 p.m., 10/23 Friday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E. Green Street “Queeraoke” | 8 p.m., 10/23 Friday | The Rhine House, 632 W. Seneca Street Saturday Market | 9 a.m., 10/24 Saturday | Steamboat Landing, 545 3rd Street Connecting Farmers to the Land Retreat | 9 a.m., 10/24 Saturday | CCE-Tompkins Education Center, 615 Willow Avenue | Free
Coffee & Collectibles: A San Pedro Sister Community Fundraiser | 9 a.m., 10/24 Saturday | Northville Arts Center, 999 NY-34B | Free Ageless Celebration of Love Living at Home | 3 p.m., 10/24 Saturday | Hangar Theatre, 757 Warren Road | $35.00 Sunday Market | 10 a.m., 10/25 Sunday | Steamboat Landing, 545 3rd Street Freeville Farmers Market | 11:30 a.m., 10/25 Sunday | Freeville Elementary School, 43 Main Street | Free Catholic Mass & Community Dinner at Muller Chapel | 6 p.m., 10/25 Sunday | Weekly Sunday Mass @ Muller Chapel Open Auditions: Call for Singers | 7:30 p.m., 10/26 Monday | Cornell University, 144 East Avenue Pet Clinic | 6 p.m., 10/28 Wednesday | GYM-Southside Community Center, 305 S. Plain Street | Pet Clinic 2027 Budget Meeting 5 - Council Discussion and Vote on Proposed Amendments | 6 p.m., 10/28 Wednesday | Common Council Chambers, 3rd Floor City Hall 108 E. Green Street The Craft Book Club for Writers | 6:30 p.m., 10/28 Wednesday | Ithaca Writing Studio, 1729 Slaterville Road | The Craft Book Club is a reading group that will focus on critical thinking and discussion around the writer’s craft. Where do they write?
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