GIAC GETS
$13 MILLION FOR POOL RENOVATIONS PAGE 3
NEW INTERIM DIRECTOR AT TCPL PAGE 4
GALLERY: SECOND NO KINGS RALLY IN ITHACA PAGE 5
“THE WEIGHT OF THE ANTS” LEADS WITH SATIRE AT CHERRY ARTS PAGE 17
“OUR TOWN” PROVES TIMELESS IN ITHACA COLLEGE’S REVIVAL PAGE 19
By Philip O’Dell
State and local leaders announced on Oct. 15 that the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) will receive $13 million in New York state funds to update the Alex Haley Municipal Pool. GIAC plans to use the funds to enclose the pool so it remains operational yearround, instead of June through August. The pool, which measures 45 feet by 75 feet, will be lengthened and widened to add an extra lane, according to pool manager Michael Thomas.
The pool, which was built in 1993, is in urgent need of upgrades to fix a persistent leak, Thomas said. The pool loses an estimated two inches of water per day, forcing staff to constantly replenish it to prevent the pumps from shutting off. GIAC staff cannot locate the source of the leak, but Thomas suspects the damage is structural. He said the high volume of water replacement has incurred costs over the years, with one year the water bill reaching $13,000 for July and August. Since the pool closed in late August, it has lost about three feet of water.
Thomas said the larger of the two pools has a maximum capacity of 197 people, and a renovated one could accommodate more. A smaller waiting pool’s capacity will remain unchanged at 72 people.
GIAC Deputy Director Travis Brooks said it was deeply gratifying to see many state and local officials working together to help GIAC.
“It just feels amazing that people from outside of our community recognize the work that we do, and what our young
Continued on Page 6
museum in Ithaca, is facing multi-million
hardships and fighting to stay open. (Design: Kaiden Chandler/Ithaca Times Intern)
X Over 1,500 Finger Lakes Residents Urge Lansing Board to Enact Moratorium on Large-Scale Development
LANSING, N.Y. — More than 1,500 residents, business owners, organizations and elected officials from the Finger Lakes region have signed a petition urging the Lansing Town Board to adopt a oneyear moratorium on large-scale developments as the town undergoes a comprehensive zoning rewrite.
Supporters say the temporary pause is needed to prevent projects from being rushed through before the new zoning code is completed, potentially harming the environment and undermining Lansing’s long-term economic goals. The proposed moratorium would not affect existing projects or restrict small businesses from continuing to grow.
“As residents, business owners, organizations and elected officials of Lansing and the broader Cayuga Lake and Finger Lakes region, we have a vested interest in the future vision for our area — a place rich with fresh water, clean air, and a healthy environment,” the petition states. The letter highlights that agriculture and tourism, industries dependent
on the area’s natural resources, generate $4 billion annually for New York State and support 60,000 jobs.
Petition organizer Yvonne Taylor, co-founder of Seneca Lake Guardian, said the effort reflects a deep local commitment to protecting the region’s natural and cultural heritage. “The Finger Lakes are not for sale,” Taylor said. “We will not stand by while corporate interests try to bulldoze it for profit.”
The vote on the moratorium has been delayed until November, a move advocates say benefits developers. Supporters argue that taking time to evaluate development pressures will ensure future decisions align with the Finger Lakes’ identity as a world-renowned wine and tourism destination.
More than 50 businesses and groups, including the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter and Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, have joined in supporting the moratorium.
F r EE lanc E rs : Barbara Adams, G. M Burns, Charley Githler, Stephen Burke, Bill Chaisson, Ross Haarstad, Steve Lawrence, Marjorie Olds, Henry Stark, Peter Rothbart, Austin Lamb, Clement Obropta, Jake Sexton, Kira Walter, and Vasant Alex Laplam
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by the Ithaca
(1972–1978) and The
By Mark Syvertson
“I ASKED SOME LOCAL EDUCATORS: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL?”
NOTE: If readers wish to participate in the Ithaca Times’ Inquiring Photographer column, contact Mark Syvertson at marksyvertsonphotography@gmail.com
“My favorite subject was English, especially when we worked on writing.” – Allegra
“Science was always my favorite.” – Bella
“I loved science, too.” – Connie
“I always looked forward to library.” – Kaitlin
By Philip O’Dell
Kat Savage began her tenure as the interim director of the Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) on Oct. 13, succeeding Susan Currie after her three-month stint as interim director came to a close. The library’s Board of Trustees appointed her following a special meeting.
“My focus will be on supporting the amazing staff and, in turn, their tireless work in supporting our community,” Savage said. “In addition, I look forward to working with Finger Lakes Library System to ensure we are continuing to support access to books and digital materials to all 33 member libraries.”
Savage will serve for a maximum of three months — the limit set by civil service guidelines — allowing the Library Director Search Committee to conduct a comprehensive and expert talent search for a permanent director. She spent the last two years leading TCPL’s Youth
Services Department and chairing the Summer Reading Committee, where she increased attendance across all ages.
Savage’s experience includes eight years at the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) before joining TCPL in 2023. At BPL, she served as an assistant branch manager and a children’s librarian. In addition to her library expertise, Savage brings almost a decade of experience in New York’s arts community. She holds a master’s of library and information science from the Pratt Institute in New York City. She’s a member of the American Library Association, the Association for Library Service to Children and the New York Library Association’s Leadership and Management Section Board.
Susan Currie, Savage’s predecessor, gave her full support for the new appointee and extended her best wishes for success in the role.
“Kat has extensive professional experience, and has done an outstanding job as Youth Services Manager,” Currie said. “We are grateful for her taking on the many new responsibilities in serving as interim.”
By Lorien Tyne
At the Ithaca Town Board meeting on Oct. 6, the board made amendments to a variance in the town code allowing hunters to transport unloaded firearms across the Culver Road Preserve to access the Coy Glen Natural Area.
Todd Bittner, co-chair of Cornell’s Deer Management Committee, attended the town meeting to present the amendment to the variance. Participants of the Cornell Botanic Gardens’ Deer Management Program are permitted per the town code to carry unloaded firearm equipment — which in New York state also includes archery equipment — across the Culver Road Preserve to access Cornell’s Coy Glen Natural Area. The board unanimously passed the amendment, which clarified that archery equipment can be carried across the preserve starting on Oct. 1, since that is the start of archery season. The amendment also changed the start date of non-archery firearm deer management season from Nov. 1 to the third Saturday in November, as per state regula-
tion. The term that participants can carry any hunting equipment across the Culver Road Preserve ends on April 30, each year.
The board also altered the variance to be valid for three years as opposed to five years due to the town making improvements to the Culver Road Preserve. Town Deputy Supervisor Rich DePaulo suggested rediscussing the agreement sooner because when improvements are completed, there may be more public feedback about hunters accessing the area to get to Coy Glen.
“The suggestion of the three years was originally from the town so that we didn't have to come here on an annual basis and save people time, but I understand the changes that are planned,” Bittner said.
The Ithaca Town board discussed some items regarding the town’s 2026 budget and set Oct. 27 as the date for the public hearing for the proposed budget.
Representatives from Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) attended the meeting to request funds for increased
services in the town. The board discussed adding funding for TCAT to the budget and decided to investigate options that would lower investment costs. Town Supervisor Rod Howe suggested a half-year testing period to see if there is demand and to reduce the initial cost while information
By Lucia Iandolo, photography intern
The second No Kings Rally in Ithaca was held in Washington Park on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Indivisible Tompkins led the protest which drew over 1,000 participants, and
filled the event with speakers, performers and chants. Citizens of Ithaca demanded the freedom to vote, access to affordable health care, to provide for their families and to live in environmentally protected spaces.
Several individuals spoke at the rally, including Assemblywoman Anna Kelles
and Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo. Local musician Maddy Walsh performed with her band. At the rally, there were tents set up with information about local community organizations. Ithacans gathered with signs and costumes as they filled the park and participated in chants throughout the event.
Rashida Sawyer Bakery has received the New York State Senate Empire Award in recognition of its excellence, creativity, and dedication to the community. The longtime Ithaca bakery, known for its signature cheesecakes and inclusive menu, has grown through wholesale, catering, and regional shipping since reopening in 2019.
Ithaca police arrested Gregory J. VanDyke, 24, on October 16 after finding several stolen Amazon packages in a bag attached to the electric bicycle he was riding during a burglary investigation on Dryden Road. Police said the bicycle was also believed to be stolen and urged residents to report any missing packages or suspicious activity.
The City of Ithaca and Tompkins County will be holding a Local Vendor Expo on October 22 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Ithaca Downtown Conference Center. The free public event will showcase local businesses and organizations, highlighting their role in supporting the region’s economy and community vitality.
Senator Lea Webb (SD-52) recently announced that she has secured $250,000 in state funding for the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca. The funding was awarded through the New York Senate’s Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology Program (CREST) and will aid in renovations for the historic theatre.
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.”
Should the salaries of Ithaca’s elected officials be increased or decreased?
23.7% Increased.
65.8% Decreased.
10.5% I don’t care.
N ext W eek ’s Q uestio N : Do you plan to vote in the upcoming Nov. 4 general election? Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.
continued from page 3
people deserve and fought to make that happen for us,” Brooks said. “It feels really good.”
New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said the money comes from assembly capital funds and the New York Statewide Investment In More Swimming (NY SWIMS) program. In 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled NY SWIMS to expand access to safe swimming, build new public pools in high-need areas, address the lifeguard shortage, and increase water safety instruction statewide. Heastie said that four years ago, his Assembly District 83 in the Bronx opened a $60 million community center offering children year-round swimming and swim instruction.
The speaker's 2024 visit to GIAC revealed the pool's urgent need for upgrades, which initiated the process of securing the funding. Heastie said GIAC will receive the money through a reimbursement process as expenses incur. The enclosed pool being open an additional nine months would save lives by providing continuous opportunities for children to learn to swim during months the facility would otherwise be closed, he said.
“This is one place that we really wanted to make an impact here,” Heastie said. Heastie said providing a safe space for children and seniors is the best use of the money. He said the action was “delayed but not denied” and should have been accomplished sooner. Heastie affirmed this would not be the last pool renovation they pursue, noting that he and Hochul aim to get more young and old people learning to swim.
GIAC Director Leslyn McBeanClairborne said there is no construction schedule yet, and work will begin when there’s a formal agreement with the state. The project’s estimated cost increased from between $16 to $17 million last year to around $20 million this year following consultations with pool design experts. She said factors for the increase include tariffs and material costs. Regarding the GIAC Recreation Center (GRC), she said the initial cost estimate of $1.5 million increased to $7 million upon completion in October 2024. She attributed the cost increase and project delays from the 2019 start date to the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain problems.
To cover the remaining costs not covered by the $13 million state allotment, GIAC will pursue additional grants, launch a capital campaign, and continue community fundraising.
McBean-Clairborne said GIAC serves as an ideal model for a community center because of its many recreational, educational and multicultural programs. GIAC also offers swim lessons through the summer camp. She said she’s wanted to enclose the pool for 20 years, but couldn’t due to a lack of funds and constant repairs. She said people of color can become year-round lifeguards through GIAC’s training and employment programs. Many local children and families of color lack access to swimming and water safety education, which can have fatal consequences, she said. McBean-Clairborne shared that a 55-year-old resident learned to swim at the pool and now donates to the facility.
“Everything we do has been built, and I’m not afraid to say it, on a platform of
equity and social justice from our very DNA,” she said.
McBean-Clairborne recalled how GIAC faced adversity when it first built the pool.
McBean-Clairborne said GIAC staff faced a year-long struggle against racist, xenophobic and discriminatory pushback at City Council meetings. She said opponents argued that “those folks don’t need a pool” and could simply walk or take the bus elsewhere.
“We put up with that stuff, but we were determined,” McBean-Clairborne said.
At the time, GIAC’s neighborhood included a nearby elementary school that primarily consisted of low-income Black and Brown children. Around 90% of those students qualified for free school meals. Two to three blocks away, a public housing area predominantly populated by people of color resided. She said the community deserved to have a pool of their own.
“When we see a need in the community we try to rise up to the occasion and see how we can make it happen,” McBeanClairborne said.
State Assemblymember Anna Kelles (D-125) said the GIAC pool is one of the only free and accessible public outdoor recreation sites in Ithaca. She noted that while the pool has been held together by temporary fixes for years, the increased cost of thousands of dollars per month just for water was diverting funds away from children’s programs. Kelles said GIAC empowers children, gives them a sense of pride and nurtures a safe space where they can be themselves while engaging in activities like sports, theater, and cooking.
“You make the community want to stand with you, because of how much passion you guys bring to building our community for and with us,” Kelles said to GIAC staff.
The library faced local criticism over its internal leadership earlier this year. In the wake of this scrutiny, the Tompkins County Legislature publicly committed to stricter oversight, prompting former Director Leslie Tabor to step down on March 17. Currie, then a Tompkins County legislator, resigned from her position representing District 3 on March 31 to become the library’s interim director.
Currie served in the role since April and organized the Howard P. Harnett Circulation Desk’s reopening and the Program Partners volunteer program’s restoration. Currie described working
at TCPL as her “dream job” and served in leadership roles on three separate occasions. As director from 2009 to 2017, she erased a $750,000 operating deficit and secured funding for new facilities, including the Makerspace, Digital Lab, Local History Room, and Teen Services area. In 2017, she was named the Finger Lakes Library Director of the Year. While serving as interim director in 2021, she helped restore hours and services that cut due to the pandemic.
“The Board would like to express sincere gratitude to Susan Currie for her willingness to step in, address community concerns, and to restore valued service,” the Board of Trustees said in a statement.
continued from page 4
is gathered about ridership.
Howe said that overall, community organizations asked for minimal increases in funding from the town. He said the largest new item would be TCAT funding, if the board chose to move forward with that. However, he noted that he would like to stay under the budget cap as the town continues with the process.
“If we chose to fund TCAT that, I think we probably all agree, is pretty exciting,” Howe said. “I guess I am wanting to be cautious for this 2026 budget year because there are still some unknowns.”
Howe said there are some unknown
factors in the budget but the largest is how much the town will receive from the City of Ithaca’s fire budget.
“I'm hoping they’ll also as part of that give us a better picture of the administrative fee that they plan on charging us related to fire services. So, we’ve made some guesses on what we put in the budget, but that could change.”
Board members inquired about increases in the departmental budget for human resources and the highway department. Judy Drake, human resources manager, said the increases are due to staffing changes. Drake said one position is being added in the human resources department and an administrative assistant is being promoted in the highway department.
The Talk at
“The author makes several very valid points, and I admit that as a driver I am not always as aware as I should be of those on bikes. But I would like to add another, equally valid point/observation—there are many bicycle riders who display what I would describe as a sense of entitlement, or perhaps it’s selfrighteousness over their use of a very “green” mode of transportation. I can’t even count the number of times I have seen bike riders completely disregard the rules of the road, such as stop signs, yield signs, even traffic lights. And there are also those that blithely ride down the middle of a driving lane, even when there is sufficient room on the side of the road for them to use, or at least make it easier and safer for a driver to pass while also giving them a wide berth. There is an onus on both bike riders and drivers to make the roads safer for everyone.” —
Paula Amols, Ithaca
“To follow up on Stephen Burke’s article on biking — I am a some-time cyclist and a motorist. To all bike riders, please, please, please wear some sort of bright colored or hi viz clothing. So many of you are in black or grey clothing and you are not visible — you are the same color as the road. If you want motorists to see you, stop with the dark clothes.” —
Jean Currie, Interlaken
In support of Michelle Wright for Tompkins County Legislature
“Michelle and I have been friends since we were in our early 20’s. She is a solid, thoughtful, kind, organized and directed person — someone you want in your corner.
Michelle believes in democracy, and she takes it seriously that it is a participatory sport. I was able to see her in action recently, as she led a group of high school students in an exercise in futures thinking, challenging them to examine and exceed their own barriers in imagining new futures collectively.
Michelle is dedicated to public service; the choices she has made in her life have proven that, and gained her valuable experience. She can manage budgets, and differing opinions and tensions at the table. These are not skills to be taken for granted! We in Tompkins County are lucky to have her as our neighbor, friend,
and hopefully, our representative in County government.
Knowing Michelle, what’s most important to her is that you get to the ballot box and VOTE on November 4th. As someone who has known her for 20 years, I highly recommend you vote for her.” —
Katie Church, Ithaca, NY
“As we approach the Tuesday, November 4th election, I encourage residents of the Town of Ulysses to support the re-election of Katelin Olson as Town Supervisor.
With seven years of dedicated public service to our community, Katelin has served on our Planning Board, our Town Board, and now as Town Supervisor. She is a parent of school-aged children and a local business owner. She understands firsthand the pressures of rising housing costs, high taxes, and inflation, and works to address these challenges with thoughtful, balanced solutions.
Among her impressive achievements, which are deeply rooted in the needs of Ulysses, Katelin has secured over $2.8 million in grants for essential bridge and culvert infrastructure and has supported fiscally responsible, high-quality ambulance and fire services.
Looking ahead, Katelin’s vision for Ulysses is clear and forward-thinking. She aims to pursue infrastructure grants to address climate-related challenges; prioritize environmental sustainability and fiscally responsible choices; and expand accessible public spaces.
Katelin Olson has demonstrated her deep commitment to the well-being and future of Ulysses. Her leadership is practical, inclusive, and rooted in the values of our community. I hope you will join me in voting for her on November 4th.”
— Kathryn J. Boor, Trumansburg, NY
“Ward 5 voters — I urge you to vote for G. P. (Gepe) Zurenda to represent you on Ithaca’s Common Council!
As a Tompkins County Legislator for 20 years, I had to make many difficult choices about money. Gepe is super qualified for that responsibility, with the ability to make wise, nuanced, and compassionate fiscal choices.
Gepe’s first career being in manufacturing, his extensive management experience included having to make hard calls
when revenues just didn’t cover expenses. With a second career as a clinical social worker serving many clients with addiction, Gepe’s empathy for the struggles people live with runs deep. He is uniquely qualified to handle the complex decisions an alderperson must make.
The candidates’ platforms are also starkly different. Gepe’s blog (gpforithacacc.com/blog) shows his understanding of competing needs and presents practical solutions that will make a difference. I’m afraid his opponent’s platform is more of a wish list, with nothing about how she’d pay for her aspirations.
The Tompkins County Democratic Committee (TCDC) has a rule that committee members shall support the primary winner for the general election, regardless of who they endorsed in the primary. If the member wants to publicly support another candidate, they must resign from TCDC. I agree with this rule (and wish that Democrats in New York City would follow it and support Zohran Mamdani!).
Therefore I have submitted my resignation from TCDC so that I can write this letter. It means that much to me.” — Martha Robertson, Dryden
“Once again we’ve hosted guests who have returned to Tiny Town and they were absolutely stunned and dismayed at the amount of building, especially housing, (much of which we had to explain is not even full yet continues to be built). When will the insanity end? We don’t need more middle of the road or high end housing that masquerades itself as “affordable,” and then requests special zoning after the units don’t rent out. Ithaca has undergone a radical change and no longer even remotely looks like the quaint university town it once was. It looks industrial, confusing and unwelcoming. The Building Dept. has got to stop handing out permits like they were candy, enough is enough! Let’s save what little of our town is left to save!” — Suzanne Pedersen
“Dan Wakeman listens and thinks things through before he acts. Dan is willing to listen to anyone and everyone who wants to be heard regardless of who is talking or what their politics are. He has proved that over the 14 years he has served Dryden Village on its Board. As an engineer, Dan is used to solving problems. A man who raised his family in
By Desiree Rogers
Mental Health Courts change lives by addressing the root causes of criminal behavior for some of our citizens—mental illness and substance use— rather than relying on punishment alone. These problem-solving courts offer participants a structured program that combines accountability with compassion, helping them rebuild their lives and reduce recidivism.
“As a judge, I have seen how mental health impacts individuals and our justice system,” said Judge Seth Peacock, Ithaca City Court Judge and presiding judge for the Ithaca Wellness and Recovery Court (IWRC). “Mental health challenges are not a sign of personal failure but a common human experience that deserves empathy and support. Every day, we see how untreated mental illness can lead individuals down difficult paths. As judges, we have a responsibility not just to uphold the law, but to recognize the humanity behind each defendant. Supporting mental health isn’t about excusing behavior; it’s about addressing root causes and working toward long-term solutions that benefit individuals, families, and the broader community. A fair justice system must be one that values both accountability and care.
There are moments on the bench when the robe feels heavy—not because of the law, but because of the pain people carry into the courtroom. I’ve seen individuals who are battling invisible wounds: trauma, depression, addiction, hopelessness. Mental illness doesn’t discriminate, and too often, it’s met with harshness instead of support. Judges must look beyond the charges and see the person—because justice isn’t solely about punishment; it’s about understanding, hope, and restoration.”
The Problem Solving Court initiative brings together a team of professionals, including probation officers, treatment providers, and case managers, who work collaboratively to guide participants toward recovery. Court Coordinator Ashley Wilkes emphasized the importance of
By Austin Lamb
In high school, Kira Walter’s love of books led to a journalism career at the suggestion of her mother.
teamwork and consistency. “When individuals are accepted into the Ithaca Wellness & Recovery Court, they are greeted by a group of professionals who are ready, willing, and able to provide the tools for one to live a happy and healthy lifestyle. Our Team provides all this support while at the same time attempting to promote community safety as well as reduce recidivism. Mental Health Court is where justice meets healing.”
Mental Health Court participants attend regular court appearances, follow individualized treatment plans, and celebrate progress through milestones and graduations. For many, it’s the first time they’ve felt supported by the justice system.
B. H., a current participant shared, “The team at IWRC worked with me to collaborate with the medical support I was comfortable with. They apply a method of positive encouragement.” Participant M.F., who graduated from the program, shared their experience: “With the help of IWRC I found the motivation and self-worth to take an active role in saving and rebuilding my life.” The results speak for themselves—participants are more likely to stay engaged in treatment, less likely to reoffend, and more capable of leading productive, fulfilling lives.
As Judge Peacock summed it up: “Every defendant who takes advantage of the opportunity to address their mental health needs is a quiet victory—for the individual, for the court system, and for us all.”
Desiree Rogers is the Project Director for the Problem-Solving Courts, providing support and supervision to 10 counties of programs and staff located in the 6th Judicial District of New York. Unlike traditional courts, problem-solving courts resolve the underlying causes of crime. Problemsolving courts are rehabilitative courts established to deal with specific problems, often involving individuals who need social, mental health, or substance use treatment services. This essay is part of an ongoing series coordinated by Judge Eugene Faughnan J.S.C. — Administrative Judge of the 6th Judicial District based in Binghamton, NY.
“My mom was like 'You know, you should apply it to something instead of just writing fiction in your room that nobody ever sees,’” Walter said.
Walter began writing for Larchmont Living, a local paper in her hometown of Larchmont, New York, where she said she wrote mostly puff pieces about events in town.
Walter came to Ithaca in 2022 as a freshman at Cornell University. During her time at Cornell, she has been the lifestyle editor at the Cornell Daily Sun and worked at Anabel's Grocery, a studentrun nonprofit grocery store on campus.
Walter said she found her footing as a journalist when she interned for the Ithaca Times in the summer of 2024. Since then, she has continued contributing to the Times as a freelance writer, primarily covering arts and entertainment.
“Kira’s creative mind is shown through her expressive writing,” Maddy Vogel, managing editor of the Ithaca Times, said of Walter. “She has an impressive ability to write in a way that allows readers to visualize the scenario that she puts them in.”
Being a journalist also helped Walter learn more about the Ithaca area than the average student. Food justice has always been an important issue to Walter, who’s held numerous food service jobs over the years. Reporting on the Ithaca area provided Walter with plenty of interviews with local farmers and nonprofits concerned with food security.
After Walter graduates from Cornell next year with a degree in communication and minors in creative writing and nutrition, she said she will likely stay in the area to finish a book she’s writing. Titled “Ithaca Falls For You,” Walter said it will include about a hundred stories based on interviews she does with locals, asking why they chose to stay in Ithaca long-term and why they fell in love with the town. The book will also feature the work of a local illustrator.
Walter said she found a publisher for her book as a result of contributing to
the upcoming book “111 Places in the Finger Lakes That You Must Not Miss” by Michael Turback, who also wrote the Ithaca Farmers Market Cookbook.
Walter said she loves living in Ithaca, and its agricultural scene is a reason why.
“One thing I love about the Ithaca area is that it's centered in this area with a ton of farms,” she said. “And then you just got all these people in the center making incredibly good food.”
As a local journalist, Walter is aware of the role of local news in building a strong, healthy sense of community through storytelling and being a reliable source of information. Given how much people are in their own bubbles on the internet, she said, sharing people’s stories online is a valuable way to connect a community.
“People need visibility,” she said. “If there's no visibility, people get polarized in their own lives. If you hear people's stories, other people listen to them — it's a way for them to sympathize with each other.”
And after a few years living in and reporting on the area, Walter knows Ithaca is a community with a desire to connect.
“Everyone just kind of wants to know what their neighbors are up to, how they're doing, check in,” she said.
By Steve Lawrence
My friend Barb reached out recently and said, “I'd like to pass along a story idea, but I am not sure whether a 13th place finish is newsworthy.”
I wanted to hear more, so I asked her “A 13th place in what? The Podunk Old Home Days 5K?” Barb replied, “No,” Barb offered, “My friend Caroline took 13th place at the World Triathlon Age Group Sprint Distance Championships in Wollongong, Australia.” Hell yeah, that's newsworthy!
the course, making it longer,” Rasmussen recalled. She got out of the water in 18:40.
A little research conveyed that the event drew 3,198 athletes from 45 countries, and that Team USA brought 390 competitors to compete in several categories, (Pro, Para, Elite, Amateur and Junior). I called Caroline Rasmussen — who graduated from Cornell in the 1980s, and ran a business in Ithaca for 30 years, and raised three kids — to congratulate her on such an amazing achievement, and to learn more. She told me, “I competed in the 65-69 age group, and at this age, exercise is sort of a war of attrition. I just want to have fun with it.”
She said, “Every nation gets to choose its qualifying standard, and the U.S. holds a national qualifying event every year and the top 8 finishers qualify for the Worlds. While I qualified to compete at the Nationals a bunch of times, the events were always too far away, but when I learned that the 2024 Nationals would be held in Atlantic City, I went for it.” She continued, “The conditions were windy, and miserable and hard, but when I was nearing the finish line, I heard the P.A. announcer say, “Here comes Caroline Rasmussen, on pace to finish 6th!” Another woman was catching me, and I said, ‘No way, Sister,’ and I turned it on! After the race, Team USA asked me if I would represent our country, and I said, ‘Hot Damn! Yes I will!’”
Caroline laughed when she told me how much she enjoys the social component of competing in triathlons, saying “It’s nice to see that there are other crazy people out there!”
Sprint Triathlon involves a .75-kilometer swim, and in Australia, Caroline said, “The start was great, the funnest part was at the starting line, all the women over 60 were in the corral, waiting to start, and they played ‘YMCA.’ It was fun to see all those women, dancing in wet suits.”
The swim was a tough way to start. “I got knocked around a lot, the water was really rough and they actually changed
The bike segment was a two-lap course, and Caroline said, “I took it a bit easy in the first lap, then I lost my chain — but got it back — then I touched wheels with the rider in front of me and I went down. Crashing is a sobering experience.” She hit the end of the 19.9-kilometer course in 37:44.
The running segment would see the triathletes finish in front of a huge crowd, cheering them on, providing that muchneeded dose of endorphins. At the end of the 5.1-kilometer course, Caroline hit the tape in 27:47, making her final time 1:31:08, which was 8th out of 46 competitors in the 65-69 age group.
Caroline — who was accompanied Down Under by her husband, Bob — has returned to her routine of working out, running her business and engaging in as much community service work as possible. (Her friend Barb told me that teaching English to immigrants is one of Caroline’s passions.)
I asked her if that was a “bucket list” item to be checked off, or if she planned to keep racing, and Caroline told me, “One of the best things about Triathlon competition is that you really look forward to reaching the next age group, because then you’ll be the youngest one in the group! My goal is to keep working hard, qualify at 69 and compete at 70!”
Hot Damn indeed...
A quick update on a story I wrote a few weeks ago: Cornell senior Will MacLeod traveled to Loznica, Serbia for the World Chess Boxing championships, won his first two bouts to reach the Finals, and came home with a Silver medal. Well done, Will.
As its financial crisis reaches a tipping point, the Museum of the Earth must raise $1 million by year’s end to avoid foreclosure
By Philip O’Dell
After years of financial troubles and millions of funds raised in support, the Museum of the Earth is still struggling to bridge their multimillion budgetary gap. It needs to raise $1 million to avoid foreclosure by Dec. 31, 2025,
according to the Paleontological Research Institution, which operates the facility.
The Museum of the Earth, nestled on Trumansburg Road just outside Ithaca, includes natural history displays, interactive science features and science-related art exhibitions.
According to the scientific journal PLOS Biology, there is a global decline of natural history collections. This is primarily due to institutional changes, such as research programs shifting away from using specimens and collections being undervalued, and ethical concerns, particu-
larly regarding the collection of sentient animals.
Permanent exhibits include a massive North Atlantic Right Whale skeleton, the Hyde Park Mastodon—one of the most complete skeletons of the species ever found— and the mural “Rock of Ages, Sands of
Time,” which chronicles one million years of geological time. The museum also houses the Glacier Exhibit, the live Coral Reef Aquaria, and models Steggy the Stegosaurus and Amelia the Quetzalcoatlus. Newer exhibits include “Marvelous Mollusks: The Secret World of Shells” and the collection Blaschka Glass Invertebrates from Cornell University.
Past exhibits include “Into The Depths: Marine Paintings By Stanley Meltzoff, a “Bees! Diversity, Evolution, Conservation,” and “Daring to Dig: Women in American Paleontology.”
The Paleontological Research Institution was originally financed through $20 million in donations over 20 years from an anonymous donor, said director Warren Allmon. Those funds helped complete the Museum of the Earth’s construction in 2003. PRI completed the $11.5 million project by raising $8.5 million and borrowing $3 million.
After the Museum of the Earth opened, PRI never budgeted for its mortgage, as the donor covered the debt and pledged to pay the mortgage. Allmon said the museum’s financial crisis began around 2022, when the donor defaulted on an additional $30 million in pledged support. When the donor stopped mortgage payments in August 2023, PRI began to see a crisis unfolding.
Allmon said once it was clear funding from the donor would end after 2023, PRI laid off around half its staff at the close of 2023. PRI’s staff shrunk from 34 to 20 individuals, and its annual budget went from around $4 million to $1.6 million.
PRI did not make mortgage payments for a year, as it maintained a flexible arrangement with the Ithaca-based Tompkins Financial Corporation. During that time, PRI staff tried to secure funding from the anonymous donor.
Allmon said PRI kept its finances largely private for most of 2024 out of hope the major donor's cut in support would be temporary. Staff entered discussions with Cornell University for support that year. Those conversations ended once President Donald Trump’s second term began in January.
“We had made a pretty big mistake by not being more public with the situation we were in,” Allmon said. “We thought we were going to close in January 2025, and we didn’t know what we were going to do.”
PRI Board of Trustees member Dan Karig said the Tompkins Financial Corporation sold the outstanding loan to the Arizona-based holding company SMS Financial in December 2024, and it is now classified as a debt rather than a mortgage and accruing 13% interest. According to
its website, SMS Financial “acquires loans from financial institutions ranging from top 5 money-center banks to privately held community banks.”
Karig said the new financial arrangement threatens the collateral properties, specifically the museum and the PRI building, with foreclosure if payments cease. PRI staff sought funds by visiting The Explorers Club in New York City to inquire about obtaining low-interest or no-interest loans from the nonprofit.
PRI received two separate $1 million donations—one in January 2025 and a second in May—both anonymous and earmarked for PRI’s mortgage debt. Karig said the situation seemed hopeless before the two $1 million donations came in. The
Staff are cataloging items within the collection and negotiating with institutions, such as the American Museum of Natural History, Yale University and the University of Cincinnati, to claim them if the museum closes.
Karig said PRI must remain open because its programs are crucial for engaging kids with science. The Museum of the Earth offers educational materials including climate science packages for middle and high school students. The facility also hosts fossil events for kids in which they can explore the exhibits. The events serve as a constructive alternative to excessive screen time, he said.
“It’s a resource that the whole community can, should and does use,” Karig said.
institution also raised money by selling a line of plush toys popular among fossil enthusiasts, Allmon said. Staff received 2,000 orders, causing a months-long administrative backlog.
Allmon said PRI then made a deal with SMS to pay interest only for the rest of 2025, under the condition PRI pays off all debt by Dec. 31, 2025.
“That sets up the condition we are in right now,” Allmon said. “We have $2 million that we want to use to pay off the mortgage, but we owe $3 million.”
Karig said PRI’s Burgess Shale and Cambrian period fossil collections are rare and world-renowned. The institution possesses one of the largest and most revered collections of fossil invertebrates in the world, with 7 to 10 million samples.
Allmon said PRI raised between $50,000 to $60,000 through smaller gifts, ranging from individual donations of $100 to $5,000. These funds were not directed toward the mortgage debt but applied to operational costs to keep PRI and the Museum of the Earth open. Individuals also created GoFundMe pages for PRI. Allmon said that while the debt can seem insurmountable, people can make a difference through small contributions. PRI has received gifts from an array of supporters, including professional societies of geologists and paleontologists as well as amateur fossil clubs from states such as Texas and California.
“Small gifts from all over the country have helped enormously,” Allmon said. “We’ve raised, truly, an amazing amount of
money this year, and that’s why we are still open.”
Fundraising has primarily been seasonal for PRI, but this year it has been continuous due to the looping mortgage deadline.
“August for us would be a very slow season for unrestricted gifts,” Allmon said. “This year not at all.”
Allmon said PRI’s path to long-term stability is a partnership with an external institution, and the organization is in discussions to secure one. While such partnerships take time to build, he said PRI is fundraising daily to stay open and establish those essential relationships.
“It took us a long time to get into this situation, and it’s going to take a long time to get out.”
PRI staff believe a sustainable longterm solution will help them avoid this type of situation in the future if they succeed in paying off the mortgage by the deadline.
The organization remains fully operational, and staff are brainstorming ways to raise money.
The Museum of the Earth continues its climate change education programs, serving teachers throughout New York state and hosting 30,000 yearly visitors and maintaining public programming.
PRI serves an estimated 1.2 million people online each year, Allmon said. The Museum of the Earth also provides online exhibits on its website, allowing visitors to learn from home about various scientific subjects. The digital collection features specific items such as “Marvelous Mollusks” and “The Blaschka Glass Invertebrates” while also exploring topics such as “Human Origins” and “Seismology.” Other online exhibits address regional history with “NY Rocks! Ancient Life of the Empire State,” environmental issues with “Changing Climate: Our Future, Our Choice,” and natural sciences with “SixLegged Science: Unlocking the Secrets of the Insect World.”
While its Nature Center held a summer camp in 2024, it closed this year due to insufficient staffing, though the property—including the tree house—remains accessible.
PRI is currently fundraising for both operational costs and the mortgage payment.
Allmon said online donations can be made on the PRI website by clicking the yellow banner at the top of the page, which links to pages detailing ways the public can help.
Individuals wishing to contribute can send donations or direct inquiries to Allmon at wda1@cornell.edu.
TBy Kira Walter
he terrible irony coming of age in the 21st century is that the multitude of issues facing young people is almost laughable. Eco-anxiety, political disempowerment, female oversexualization, and overall nihilism create cynical teens, characters equal parts hilarious and tragic. In David Parquet’s “The Weight Of The Ants,” high school outsiders Joan and Olivier run for student council, painfully aware of societal flaws while classmates are just passing time. The play debuted in English for the first time on Friday Oct. 17 at the Cherry Artspace.
Parquet was previously involved with the Cherry Arts in a pre-pandemic rendition of “The Shoe,” whereafter he briefly mentioned drafts for the new play were well underway. “The Weight Of The Ants” premiered in French, starting in Quebec and touring France before landing ten productions in Germany. Now an international phenomenon, it returns to the Western Hemisphere in Ithaca. As the artist’s collective continues a mission of introducing international work locally, this play was an ideal selection.
The playwright is also a longtime friend of Samuel Buggeln, the show’s artistic director and a co-founder of Cherry Arts.
“David’s humor acts as a surprise gateway, where his passions and ideas make contact with
by David Paquet
Brodie
people,” Buggeln commented. “He’s a powerful advocate for his political statements and his feelings promote action. Sometimes these messages sound preachy, but with him they never do.”
Leading with satire and arriving at tragedy amplified the story’s call to action, as actors transitioned between tears and self-deprecating jokes. Furiously impassioned Joan Crust, played by Sylvie Yntema, is turned onto the path of social justice by a bathroom poster made out to prey on teen insecurities. Her constant outbreaks of anger are contrasted with Olivier (Jacob Garrett White), a shy cynic who dreads “doomsday,” but attempts to lift spirits with an encyclopedia of useless facts. Both are easily swayed by teachers, therapists, parents, an alcoholic booksalesmen and other spontaneous figures introduced into the plotline by Mike Chen and Meg Elliot. In the end, they are perhaps the most touched by the struggles of their principal (David Studwell), who blatantly neglects responsibilities as the school’s leader while tending to his dying mother.
The five-person cast is constantly interacting with props and taking new positions around the theater to keep the performance’s very fast. Actors are hardly confined to the stage, as they come into the audience, often breaking the third wall and running down aisles. Several times actors are projected onto three screens during ads, announcements, dreams, and a brief virtual reality segment. Screens also create blind spots for brief impressive costume changes occurring even between scenes, so performers are always on their toes.
Amongst the highly active members of the production is Raid Lyerla, assistant stage manager and a crucial part of the crew on opening night. Although practice began in August, Lyerla came onto the scene on Sept. 12, and has run tech with the actors vaguely every day for a few
hours since. Many sound effects for the play involved using real items, smashing bottles, or shifting microphones in a very hands-on process. Stage manager Christine Fanourakis and technical director Rosa Maasen also helped with elaborate transitions from moment to moment, adding dramatic emphasis with lights and music.
The journey getting into character, and assimilating to the set took place quickly, with merely three months of rehearsal for very thorough execution. The Cherry Arts casting system is also different from other theatrical groups, as formal auditions are not typically held. Since the Cherry is a collective of artists and actors already committed to productions, they sit and read new material together. Actors volunteer themselves for preferred roles and they discuss who should play each.
“It’s a really organic process, not like auditions,” said Buggeln. “Much of the theater industry has to run like that, but we feel fortunate that we can do it a little more organically.”
Getting into Joan’s character, Sylvie Yntema explained that she drew from other actors and relied on the early readings with her scene partners. She thought a lot about the discouraged youth perspective during this time.
“It’s been interesting being an older person, putting myself in that kind of headspace of what is going on, is nobody listening? What can I do to change it?” Yntema said. “Coming up with all these roadblocks and obstacles, but still trying to persevere and push through them. It feels very resonant to that swell of energy I feel coming from folks younger than I am.”
As a first-time Cherry Arts audience member, I definitely felt that the actors shared a closeness that isn’t always apparent in other
By Barbara Adams
“King James,” the dynamite show currently at the Kitchen Theatre, is certainly not about an English monarch with a fondness for biblical translation. If you recognize the title as sports fans’ nickname for NBA superstar LeBron James, you’re getting close. But Rajiv Joseph’s “King James” isn’t about basketball, really — it’s about male friendship and how we cope with the vicissitudes of life.
It’s also, of course, about fandom and being ignited by celebrity icons, whether it’s LeBron James or Michael Jordan, Beyoncé or Taylor Swift, Captain Kirk or Tony Stark.
I was predisposed to like this play, since Joseph is one of my favorite contemporary playwrights. His works like “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” “Gruesome Playground Injuries,” “Guards at the Taj,” “Describe the Night,” and “Dakar 2000” take an intimate look at complex human relationships in provocative locales.
by Rajiv Joseph.
Directed by Margarett Perry and starring Darian Dauchan and David McElwee. At the Kitchen Theatre, 417 W. State St, Ithaca.
Performances Wednesday through Saturday Oct. 22 to Nov. 1 at 7:00 p.m., with 2:00 p.m. matinees on Oct. 23, 26, and Nov. 2. Tickets at 607-272-0570 or kitchentheatre.org/tickets.
A Clevelander himself, Joseph set “King James” in that much-maligned midwestern city (my birthplace too; forgive the regional pride).
It’s 2004, and in a Cleveland wine bar, the bartender’s trying to sell his primo season tickets to the Cavaliers games. That’s Matt — 21, white, a screw-up perennially down on his luck; after poor business investment he’s now desperate for cash. One seriously interested party shows up: Shawn is 21, Black, more together and purposeful, a big Cavs fan but who’s never yet seen a game live. Negotiations are initially rocky, but their shared affection for the Cavaliers wins out.
This is going to be rookie LeBron’s first season with the team, and as the men argue about players, Matt keeps voicing vague discontent. “Is it a good thing that the economic well-being of Cleveland hinges on the talent of a teenager from Akron? Is that good for America?”
Their sports talk is punctuated by personal details that creep into their defensive banter — childhood dreams and disappointments, parental approval or the lack of it, tentative hopes for their future. And gradually the financial transaction promises something more, so that by the next scene, more than six years have passed, and they’re now clearly friends. In the bar again, they’re soaking their sorrows in wine, sharing their misery over LeBron’s public announcement that he’s leaving the Cavaliers to play for Miami.
The play’s action takes them even further, until they’re 33, and their friendship has waxed and waned. LeBron’s “betrayal” of his hometown is repeated by Shawn’s disloyalty, as Matt sees it, in leaving Cleveland for graduate school in New York and eventually L.A. as a scriptwriter. Meanwhile, Matt toughs it out in Cleveland. Over the years, both men have career successes and failures, money and little money — their lives on a virtual wheel of fortune.
In this production, the wine bar set, warmly lit by Jen Leno, fills the Kitchen playing space, giving the men ample room to move and even shoot a few hoops (with wadded-up newspaper). Designer Michael Ruiz-del-Vizo later furnishes the drab curiosity shop Matt’s parents own (and where, in turns, both men end up working) — crowded with trophies and chairs and bric-a-brac, its muse a stuffed armadillo named Armand. Lisa Boquist’s costumes nicely reflect the passing of time: When Matt’s flush, his disheveled hair and sloppy gear is replaced by slicked-back hair, stylish slacks and sockless loafers. Shawn also turns cooly upscale, and the infamous 23 red Cavs jersey gets a good workout here. Where the magic happens is in the acting: under Margarett Perry’s inspired and well-paced direction, the two actors simply astonish. As the dissatisfied Matt, David McElwee is a study in frustrated hopes. (You may have seen him here in “A Case for the Existence of God” and “Seminar.”)
He’s irritating yet likeable, his strong opinions barely masking his need for love and meaning and continuity.
Darian Dauchan is well known to Kitchen audiences from shows like “The Brothers Size,” “The Whipping Man,” and his own works, “The Brobot Adventure” and “Death Boogie.” His Shawn is more centered than Matt but equally private in his own way. His lighter spirit shows up in surprising gestures and reactions, and ultimately his good humor woos Matt out of his frequent funks.
The two argue like siblings (valid rivalry, as Matt’s parents are quite fond of Shawn). There’s resentment and misunderstanding. And in their guy talk, feelings are displaced into squabbles about sports, with unspoken issues of class and race and status always lurking. Joseph’s script has given these dynamic actors splendid dialogue — authentic, unpredictable, completely natural. And with Perry’s clever staging, there’s also a lot of spontaneous fun.
The men’s friendship survives change and abandonment. Shawn returns, and so does LeBron, coming back to the Cavs to lead Cleveland to its first NBA championship. For Shawn it’s pure joy; for the less forgiving Matt, bittersweet. The real triumph: their enduring friendship.
Barbara Adams is a regional theatre and arts journalist and retired professor of writing, Ithaca College.
By Barbara Adams
Even 87 years after its first production, Thornton Wilder’s quiet drama, “Our Town,” still has the power to slow us down, reminding us to look carefully at the commonplace details of daily life. Under the thoughtful direction of Cynthia Henderson, Ithaca College’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance recreated this classic in five performances last weekend.
Distinctly “meta” for its time (1938), “Our Town” is narrated by a stage manager, who introduces the undistinguished New Hampshire town of Grover’s Corners, briefly bringing in local authorities to help provide a sociological overview of the community. He then narrows in on two families and the conventional events that befall them over some 14 years. Their stories unfold in glimpsed scenes — of growth and grief, love and marriage, birth and death. Observing the Gibbs and Webb families through the stages of life, we’re inevitably drawn to consider the meaning of our own life cycle.
Henderson’s setting is intentionally timeless, yet the original one — the decade leading to World War I — leaks through, in details like the soda fountain, the home delivery of milk, the newspaper delivered by bicycle and read over breakfast. And of course, it’s an accepted patriarchal world (“women vote indirect,”
as the narrator informs us). But Henderson has given a fresh look to the pattern through multiracial casting, which is nicely effective, and some cross-gender casting, which has mixed results. (A woman as the depressed alcoholic choir director works well, but the Gibbs family having two moms is less persuasive, given Dr. Gibbs’s paternalistic behavior.).
Tanner Foley’s scenic design echoes the Clark Theatre’s round space, the central playing area a circular brick pavement at the heart of Grover’s Corners. Add a gigantic tree and eventually a full moon, and you’ve got the ingredients for a romantic rooftop rendezvous. Several facades of miniature buildings — houses, a church — surround the room above the audience. Those buildings sparkle under Brady Fiscus’s lighting, while in the graveyard scenes, each of the deceased, seated on their crate tombstones, is moodily highlighted. The attractive visuals are completed by Madden McLeod’s familiar small-town costumes.
Our narrating guide is Alex Ross, clear, distinct, and energized, but almost shouting his lines, which ruptures the studied, philosophical mood we’ve come to associate with this role. A smooth addition here is that the now-traditional land acknowledgment has become site-specific and woven into the stage manager’s opening lines.
Young actors serving as the two sets of parents adds another time warp to this tale: just as the play asks us to see people age, the actors’ actual youth invites us to envision them in their future ages. Couples abound, as the narrator insists: “Most everybody in the world climbs into their graves married.” Charlie Jurta and Riley Suzuki are Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs (both moms), and Andrew Levin and Omolola Adewale are newspaper publisher Webb and his wife.
Various actors play chatty neighbors, but distinct among them are the unhappy choir director (Eislinn Gracen) and the gossipy Mrs. Soames (Meghan Barton).
As the hardworking milkman, Howie Newsome, Kai-Sincere Owen memorably weaves in and out of the action as a dynamic presence.
At its center, “Our Town” homes in on one pair of high schoolers on the brink of a new life: Emily Webb and George Gibbs. Corrinthea Washington’s Emily is a marvel; she’s simply radiant, with a smile that alone lifts your spirits. In act one, Washington expressively captures the girl’s honesty, sense of self, and hopefulness; once Emily has died in childbirth and arrives in the graveyard, she’s the same self but somber and shadowed. Her childhood friend turned husband turned grieving widower, George, is steady and earnest, a likeable guy who’s less clever than his young wife
but no less devoted. Kaden Hawkins plays him with charm and affection. For this production, Wilder’s three acts have been slimmed down to two, but the essence of this insular village remains, affirming the value of community. The stage manager had said there is “no culture or love of beauty” in Grover’s Corners yet pointed out all the daily instances of nature that the locals appreciate. Apart from such bright moments, everyone’s life is small and full of troubles and ends the same — in the graveyard on the hill. There, the residents are grateful that they can forget their human yearnings and conflicts and just sit peacefully. They know that being alive is “to move about in a cloud of ignorance,” rushing and unaware of what’s really around you.
Though Emily gets to go back and relive one “ordinary” day, her 12th birthday, she inevitably understands that it’s just too painful — to see her parents young and know how they age, to realize what all human hope and passion comes to. Here, as in all productions of “Our Town,” the poignancy of her recognition stirs us anew each time we hear it: “Oh, earth, you’re too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it — every, every minute?”
Barbara Adams, a regional arts journalist, teaches writing at Ithaca College.
By Peter Rothbart
The newly renamed Dallas Morse Coors Concert Series–previously the Cornell Concert Series–returns to its classical music roots as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra takes to the Bailey Hall stage on Sunday, October 26. Multi-Grammy and Juno Award winning violinist James Ehnes brings his 1715 Stradivarius violin to his Orpheus debut, joining them in Ernest Chausson’s Poème for Violin and Orchestra, Op.25 and Camille Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, Op. 28.
Orchestras are not democratic institutions. In some ways, the conductor is a benevolent autocrat. At his or her direction, the musicians must speak with one voice. They must adhere to one established tuning, precisely coordinate rhythms, cultivate melodies in a cohesive way, and balance and blend chords and harmonies so that it becomes a unified sound. The orchestra follows the conductor’s gesticulations, as does the audience. The conductor becomes the show, diluting the audience’s focus on the orchestra.
But the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has a more democratic approach. Theirs is a truly collaborative effort. They have no conductor. There is no front man or woman who has his or her back to the audience, waving his or her arms, alternately cajoling and caressing the musicians to conform and perform.
The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has been sans conductor since its inception fifty years ago. Orchestra members take turns leading the orchestra so that no one person is more important than another. Orchestral communication relies on each
Chamber Orchestra
with James Ehnes, violin
Bailey Hall
Cornell University
Sunday, October 26 2025, 4:00 PM
Tickets at: https://www.cornellconcertseries.com/
musician’s body language, eye contact ,and common knowledge of musical syntax and technique. As composer Zachary Wadsworth said in a recent phone interview, “This allows the individual musicians more agency than they usually take.” Watch and listen closely to experience the subtlety of these musician to musician interaction. The results can be freer, livelier, and more organic for the listener.
All the composers for this concert, Claude Debussy, Ernest Chausson, Camille Saint-Saëns, and Maurice Ravel are French. With one exception, all the pieces to be performed are either orchestrations or arrangements of pre-existing works.
The lone outlier is American Jessica Meyer who was commissioned by Orpheus to write an original French themed composition. While in France she wrote “Cartes Postales,” a trio of musical “postcards” evoking the spirit of three different French communities.
Paul Chihara, a Cornell graduate, and internationally known composer in multiple media forms from concert to film music has reorchestrated De -
bussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune. Debussy’s original work changed the trajectory of 20th century music with its emphasis on musical color, texture, free flowing rhythms that defy bar lines, and revolutionary harmonic structures. It requires a large orchestra, but Chihara has reduced the orchestra’s size while preserving the integrity of Debussy’s impressionistic intent. Listen for the orchestral colors preserved by Chihara and marvel at how Orpheus manages to consensually execute the mellifluous rhythms and numerous meter and tempo changes.
David Walter arranged Chausson’s Poème for Violin & Orchestra, as well as Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, Op. 28. Poème is more of a transcription since Chausson had originally written it for violin and chamber orchestra. Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, Op. 28 was written for a Spanish violinist, so listen for the string section strumming and plucking, invoking a Spanish guitar accompaniment to Ehnes’s intentionally melancholic minor melody.
Zachary Wadsworth, a Cornell DMA alumnus, orchestrated Maurice Ravel’s Piano Trio in A Minor into a Chamber Symphony. Expanding a trio into a chamber orchestral sized work, especially one that is as well-known as this, presents a series of problems and hard musical decisions to be made. “An arranger takes a smaller thing and makes it into a larger thing. Ravel’s work is a virtuosic and idiomatic piece,” explained Wadsworth. “You have to take Ravel’s gestures and make them idiomatic for the other instruments.” He asked himself, “What was Ravel’s chord gesture and how to express it on a different instrument?” When I asked how much of the piece he changed, he replied,” It’s measure for measure as Ravel wrote it. It’s his piece with my added colors.”
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.
Bars/Bands/Clubs
10/23 Thursday
Rev Ezra at South Hill Cider | 5:30 p.m. | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Road | Free
10/24 Friday
Live Music — The Tarps | 6 p.m. | Hopshire Farm & Brewery, 1771 Dryden Rd.
10/25 Saturday
Future Joy — John Brown’s Body After Party | 10 p.m. | Deep Dive Ithaca, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd.
10/27 Monday
Jazz Mondays with Dave Davies RhythmMakers | 5:30 p.m. | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Rd.
Concerts/Recitals
10/22 Wednesday
Midday Music for Organ: Anne Spink and Michael Guarneiri (CU Music) | 12:30 p.m. | Sage Chapel, Ho Plaza | Free
10/23 Thursday
Bobby Jo Valentine Concert — Heart-Opening Folk/Pop | 7 p.m. |
First Baptist Church in Ithaca at Dewitt Park, 309 N Cayuga St. | Free
Jonathan Hulting Cohen, piano and Jiayan Sun, piano | 7 p.m. | Ithaca College | Free Craig Finn & His Band of Forgiveness | 8 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St.
10/24 Friday
Shania Twin: Tribute to Shania Twain | 6 p.m. | Tioga Downs, 2384 West River Rd.
Student Ensemble: Concert Band | Ford Hall, IC | 7 p.m. Shostakovich’s Piano Cycles (CU Music) | 7:30 p.m. | Barnes Hall, 129 Ho Plaza | Free Los Straitjackets | 8 p.m. | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St.
Bound for Glory Live—Tim Ball with Alex Fortier | 2 p.m. | Lansing Area Performance Hall, 1004 Auburn Road | Free
Symphony Spectaculars by Auburn Chamber Orchestra | 2 p.m. | Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, 17 William St., Auburn, | Free Dallas Morse Coors Concert Series presents: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra | 4 p.m. | Bailey Hall, 230 Garden Ave | $17.00 - $49.00
Dorothy Cotton Jubilee SingersFall Concert 2025 | 4 p.m. | Ithaca College Ford Hall, 146 Conservatory Drive | Free
Faculty Recital: Wendy Mehne, flute | Hockett Family Recital Hall | 7 p.m.
Anthony Romaniuk Recital (CU Music) | 7:30 p.m. | Barnes Hall, 129 Ho Plaza | Free
King James | 7 p.m., 10/22 Wednesday | Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W. State / W. MLK, Jr. Street | This fresh, thoughtful comedy asks what it means to be a friend, to be a fan, and whether any relationship can survive the ultimate betrayal: LeBron leaving Cleveland. | $10.00 - $55.00
The Weight of Ants | 7:30 p.m., 10/23 Thursday | The Cherry Arts, 102 Cherry St. | Two teenage outsiders take matters into their own hands.
The English-language premiere of an award-winning comedy from Québec | $15.00 - $65.00
Aging In The Apocalypse | 7 p.m., 10/24 Friday | Tompkins Center for History & Culture, 106 N Tioga St. | See Weekend Planner below for more details.
I Want a Country | 7:30 p.m., 10/24 Friday | Flex Theatre, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, 430 College Ave. | Join PMA for a production of I Want a Country, a play by Andreas Flourakis, translated by Eleni Drivas, and directed by Samuel Buggeln, Artistic and Execu -
AGING IN THE APOCALYPSE
tive Director of The Cherry Arts. | Free
The Rocky Horrow Picture Show — LIVE! | 7:30 p.m., 10/24 Friday | Cortland Repertory Theatre, 24 Port Watson Street | October 24 — November 1 by Richard O’Brien Directed by Bryan Knowlton Music Direction by Ben Kapilow A co-production with the SUNY Cortland Performing Arts Department Get ready to do The Time Warp Again!
ComedyHOF: Rising Icons — Natan Badalov (One Night Only) | 7 p.m., 10/25 Saturday | NRE Event Space, 402 W. State St. | Get ready for a night of sharp wit and unforgettable laughs as ComedyHOF presents a special one-night-only event.
THEATRE WORKSHOP —
Stepping In: The Swing/Understudy Toolkit | 6:30 p.m., 10/26 Sunday | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St. | Ever wondered what it takes to be ready to step into a role at a moment’s notice? Swings and understudies are some of the most important, yet misunderstood, heroes of theatre.
Immigrant Stories Open Mic | 7 p.m., 10/28 Tuesday | Komonz Grill, 146 E State Street | Every family has a migration story. On National Immigrants Day, come share your story—or simply listen. Together we’ll celebrate resilience, courage, and our shared humanity. Delicious Middle Eastern food available for purchase! | Free
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24TH AT 7:00 PM AND SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25TH AT 3:00 PM AND 7:00 PM
Tompkins Center for Arts and Culture, 110 North Tioga Street, Ithaca | This multi-media theatrical event will feature readings of original work by Yvonne Fisher and Caryl Henry Alexander, art by Henry Alexander, live music by Jalaja Bonheim, and video by Sue Perlgut. It focuses on human aging, climate change, and the interaction between aging and the Earth. (Photo: Provided; Artwork by Caryl Henry Alexander)
Ithaca Generator Open House | 12 p.m., 10/26 Sunday | Ithaca Generator Makerspace, 233 Cherry St. | Ithaca Generator’s annual open house invites all makers, crafters, and curious folks for an afternoon of crafting, demonstrations, and celebration of another successful year of creativity. | Free
Opening — Daniel Rothenberg’s “The Alchemist’s Press” | 4 p.m., 10/26 Sunday | The Gallery at South Hill, 950 Danby Rd. South Hill Business Campus | The opening reception for Daniel Rothenberg’s on person exhibit. Rothenberg’s “The Alchemist’s Press” delves into the combination of printmaking and photography combined to create one of a kind pieces. | Free
Museum in the Dark | 6 p.m., 10/28 Tuesday | Museum of the Earth, 1259 Trumansburg Rd. | In cooperation with Cornell University’s Astronomy Graduate Network the Museum of the Earth is opening its doors in the evening this October 28th from 6-8 p.m. to look at space in a spooky way! | $0.00 - $8.00
120 E. Green St., Ithaca New films opening October 24 | Contact Cinemapolis for showtimes & continuing films.
Bruce Springsteen: Deliver Me
From Nowhere | Bruce Springsteen’s journey crafting his 1982 album Nebraska, which emerged as he recorded Born in the USA with the E Street Band. Based on Warren Zanes’ book. | PG-13 120 mins
Blue Moon | Tells the story of Lorenz Hart’s struggles with alcoholism and mental health as he tries to save face during the opening of “Oklahoma!”. | R 100 mins
The Mastermind | In 1970, failed architect James Blaine Mooney and cohorts wander into a museum in broad daylight and steal four paintings. When holding onto the art proves more difficult than stealing them, Mooney is relegated to a life on the run. | R 110 mins
October 26 only: Charlie Chaplin in The Gold Rush | A prospector goes to the Klondike during the 1890s gold rush in hopes of making his fortune, and is smitten with a girl he sees in a dance hall. | 135 mins
October 28 only: Nosferatu the Vampyre | Count Dracula moves from Transylvania to Wismar, spreading the Black Plague across the land. Only a woman pure of heart can bring an end to his reign of horror. | PG 107 mins
Cornell Men’s & Women’s Cross Country vs John Reif Memorial | 4 p.m., 10/24 Friday | Moakley Course | Cornell Women’s Soccer vs Brown University | 1 p.m., 10/25 Saturday | Berman Field |
Ithaca Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving — Multi-school competition | 1 p.m., 10/25 Saturday | Kelsey Partridge Bird Natatorium | Ithaca Men’s Swimming & Diving vs Hobart Collegen
Cornell Football vs Brown University | 1 p.m., 10/25 Saturday | Schoellkopf Field, 513 Campus Rd. |
Cornell Volleyball vs Columbia University | 2 p.m., 10/25 Saturday | Newman Arena at Bartels Hall
2025 I WANT A COUNTRY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24TH AND SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25TH AT 7:30 PM
Flex Theatre, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, 30 College Ave., Ithaca | What do you do when the country you consider yourself at home in suddenly seems to be falling apart? In the decade since it was written, I Want a Country has been produced over 25 times around the world. This playful, passionate, unlikely script has rapidly become one of the most significant pieces of international theater writing in the last decade. (Photo: Stock Image)
Ithaca Men’s Soccer vs Clarkson University | Carp Wood Field | 2 p.m., 10/25 Saturday |
Ithaca Volleyball-Multischool competition | 2 p.m., 10/25 Saturday | Ben Light Gymnasium, IC
Cornell Men’s Soccer vs Brown University | 4 p.m., 10/25 Saturday | Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey vs U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team — Exhibition | 7 p.m., 10/25 Saturday | Lynah Rink | Bills Game | 1 p.m., 10/26 Sunday | Hopshire Farm & Brewery, 1771 Dryden Rd. | We’ll be showing Bills games and NFL playoff matchups, staying open late for games starting before 4:30 p.m.
Cornell Women’s Ice Hockey vs Syracuse University | 7 p.m., 10/28 Tuesday | Lynah Rink |
Ithaca Women’s Soccer vs St. Lawrence University | Carp Wood Field | 3 p.m., 10/29 Wednesday |
Ithaca Volleyball vs University of Scranton | Ben Light Gymnasium | 6 p.m., 10/29 Wednesda
WRFI Presents a Square Dance at Stonebend Farm | 6 p.m., 10/24 Friday | Stone Bend Farm, 196 Porter Hill Rd. | WRFI Presents a Square Dance Fundraiser at Stonebend Farm, Friday October 24 from 6-9 p.m. Music by the Mess-A-Rounders, dance calls by Marc Faris. $10 at the door to support WRFI Community Radio. | $10.00 - $20.00
Swing Dance: Roll Up The Rug! | 7:30 p.m., 10/24 Friday | Foundation of Light, 391 Turkey Hill Rd. | Swing dance with live music from Dave Davies and the Flat Fifth. Come dance to swing, waltz and tango music, so simply sit and enjoy the atmosphere! This event is a fundraiser to replace
t he carpet in the Foundation of Light’s healing room. $10 suggested donation. | $10.00
Ithaca Eagles Auxiliary Annual Fall Bazaar | 10 a.m., 10/25 Saturday | Ithaca Eagles Club, 161 Cecil Malone Dr. | Ithaca Eagles Auxiliary Annual Fall Bazaar | Free
Newfield Lions Hayrides | 12 p.m., 10/25 Saturday | Tioga State Bank, 183 Main Street | Join the Newfield Lions Club for free hayrides, hot dogs, donuts, and cider on Saturday, October 25 from 12-4 p.m. at Tioga State Bank parking lot. Weather permitting. | Free
Senior Day & Student Night at the Book Sale | 10 a.m., 10/22 Wednesday | Regina Lennox Book Sale Bldg, 509 Esty St. | Senior Day & Student Night at the Friends of the Library Book Sale, 509 Esty St., Ithaca: On Wednesday, Oct. 22, older adults (age 60+) and anyone with a disability may shop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students (age 16+ with school ID) are welcome 4-8 p.m. www.booksale.org | Free HOW WOMEN CHANGED THE LOCAL WORLD OF GIVING | 3 p.m., 10/22
Wednesday | Kendal Auditorium, 2230 N. Triphammer Rd., Ithaca, 2230 N. Triphammer Rd. | Historian and author, Carol Kammen, will explore the roles of several interesting women who stepped beyond social, religious and legal constraints to begin the creation of care in our community. | Free Natural History Museums and the Future of the World | 4:30 p.m., 10/22 Wednesday | Goldwin Smith Hall, Kaufman Auditorium (G64), Cornell University | Free Tales of Terror: A Writer’s Workshop Exploring Narrative Craft in Horror Fiction | 5:30 p.m., 10/23 Thursday | Tompkins County Public
Library, 101 East Green Street | In this 3-session workshop, we will explore some basics of the Horror genre in fiction and review some pivotal works in that tradition.
Math Fun with MathHappens! | 10 a.m., 10/25 Saturday | Sciencenter, 601 1st St. | Join us for playful, informal math learning with the MathHappens Foundation! Families and kids can explore hands-on activities that make math fun, creative, and connected to everyday life.
Family Movies at TCPL: Coco | 2 p.m., 10/25 Saturday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Join us for an afternoon movie on our “Big Screen” in the Thaler/ Howell Programming Room. This Saturday we will be screening the animated film Coco (2017).
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: The Musical | 2 p.m., 10/25 Saturday | Clemens Center, 207 Clemens Center Parkway, Elmira | Ballet and Books: Seeds (3 yrs-Kindergarten) and Sprouts (1st – 4th grade) | 2:30 p.m., 10/25
Saturday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Ballet & Books is a national, non-profit organization that provides children ages 3-9 with an opportunity to improve their literacy skills through a combination of dance instruction and Science Connections: Naturalist Outreach | 11 a.m., 10/26 Sunday | Sciencenter, 601 1st St. | Join us for a special Science Connections series in partnership with Cornell’s Naturalist Outreach Program featuring insects, reptiles, and birds!
Spooky Science | 12 p.m., 10/26
Sunday | Sciencenter, 601 1st St. | Join us for our annual free community event, Spooky Science.
FAMILY MOVIES AT TCPL: COCO
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25TH AT 1:00 PM
Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | A free event for kids and families that might become your new Halloween tradition. The movie celebrates the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family’s ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer. (Photo: Stock)
LCL Fall Yoga For Youngsters & Their Families | 10:30 a.m., 10/28
Tuesday | Lansing Community Library, 27 Auburn Rd. | Fall Yoga for Youngsters & Families! Join us Tuesdays in October at 10:30 a.m. at Lansing Community Library for songs, stories, games & yoga fun. Register online at the library’s website! | Free
Early Reader Book Club | 3 p.m., 10/28 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Children in grades K-2 are welcome to join our Early Reader Book Club.
Animal Sleepover Storytime | 6 p.m., 10/29 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Join us for a pajama storytime and send your stuffed animal on an after-hours library adventure!!! After storytime ends, your stuffed animal will spend the night exploring the library!
Good Grief Circle | 2 p.m., 10/22
Wednesday | The Age Well Center, 165 Main St. |
Mood Elevating Creative Expression Workshop With Yael Saar | 5 p.m., 10/22 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street | Learn to use art to gently shift nervous system states from stress to creativity while fostering self-trust. Trivia! | 7 p.m., 10/22 Wednesday | Liquid State Brewery, 620 West Green Street | Grow your brain or just show it off to a loveable bunch of Trivia-lovers. Hosted by Ithaca’s Trivia legend, Bob Proehl. Get there early as seats fill up fast! | Free
Wednesday Open Mic Night at The Nocturnal Café! | 7 p.m., 10/22 Wednesday | The Nocturnal Café, 103 S Geneva St. | Free weekly Wednesday Open Mic night at The Nocturnal Café, Ithaca’s nightlife alternative,
featuring music, poetry, dance and more! | Free
Latin Wednesday | 9 p.m., 10/22
Wednesday | The Upstairs, 106 S. Cayuga St. | Get ready for the RETURN of LATIN WEDNESDAYS, Ithaca’s longest running and hottest weekly dance party Meet new dancers, learn new moves, and have fun!..
Tiny House Open House at Hammerstone School | 5 p.m., 10/23 Thursday, 3285 Jacksonville Road | $10.00
Climate Justice Town Hall | 6 p.m., 10/23 Thursday | Statler Hall, 106 Statler Drive | Come to Sunrise Ithaca’s climate justice town hall to hear from local climate justice leaders running for elections in Ithaca about how they will tackle climate justice issues in the local community. | Free
420 at 402: A space for cannabis enthusiasts, & 420-friendly connections! | 3 p.m., 10/24 Friday | NRE
Event Space, 402 W. State St. | 420 at 402 is where growers, farmers, and cannabis enthusiasts connect. | Free “Queeraoke” | 8 p.m., 10/24 Friday | The Rhine House, 632 West Seneca Street | Ithaca’s original “Queeraoke” night is back! Come hang, sing and make new friends...cheers, queers! ����
Fall Worm Composting Class | 10 a.m., 10/25 Saturday | CCE-Tompkins Education Center, 615 Willow Avenue | Learn how worms can make fast, rich compost for your garden while disposing of your food scraps. Take home the bin, a starter population of worms, and the knowledge to tend to your new pets. | $12.00 Food Pantry | 12 p.m., 10/25 Saturday | GYM-Southside Community Center, 305 S Plain St. |
Aging & Possibility: Find Peace at Any Age & Under Any Circumstances! | 1 p.m., 10/25 Saturday | The Foundation of Light, 399 Turkey Hill Rd. |
Join us for this ten session seminar led by presenters experienced in personal transformation, maintaining a spiritual life, and medicine. Participants can expect to gain the ability to transform their lives and discover new ways of being. | $17.50 - $175.00
FREE MARKETING WORKSHOP FOR NON-PROFITS, LOCAL BUSINESSES | 8 a.m., 10/27 Monday | Cinemapolis, 120 E. Green Street | Gain the professional insight you need to launch a marketing, PR and fundraising program that will bolster awareness without breaking the bank at a free breakfast workshop from The Communication
Death Cafe | 3 p.m., 10/27 Monday | Longview, 1 Bella Vista Drive | Death Cafe | Free
Native Plant Gardening: 4 Master Gardeners, 4 Approaches | 5:30 p.m., 10/28 Tuesday | CCE-Tompkins Education Center, 615 Willow Avenue | Hear presentations from four Master Gardener Volunteers about how each went about growing native plants in their gardens, their successes, and lessons learned. | $20.00
Lifelong Antiques Road Show | 1 p.m., 10/29 Wednesday | Library Place, 105 W Court Street | Lifelong Antiques Road Show | $5.00
L.E.A.R.N: NYS Sexual Harassment Prevention in the Workplace | 3 p.m., 10/29 Wednesday, 124 Brindley St. | Join the Tompkins Chamber as we present the New York State guidelines for sexual harassment prevention in the workplace. | $10.00 - $15.00 Shiitake Mushroom Log Inoculation Workshops | 5 p.m., 10/29 Wednesday | Apples and Moore Farm, 2750 Apple Ln | Join Connor Youngerman, Agroforestry & Mushroom Specialist from the Cornell Small Farms Program, who will instruct participants about growing specialty mushrooms and guide them through the process | $25.00
DOROTHY COTTON JUBILEE SINGERS- FALL CONCERT
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26TH AT 4 PM
Ford Hall, Ithaca College | The concert will feature some of DCJS’s standard repertoire, as well as some gospel and spiritual favorites and new inspirational pieces. Join them for an afternoon of uplifting music at this free concert. Donations are gratefully accepted. (Photo: Provided)
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Dryden and still works with young people as a scout leader, Dan will be a voice for
continued from page 17
productions. Lyerla spoke to this and the Ithaca acting community, which is small, close-knit, and involves many teaching at Cornell or Ithaca College.
“There’s a lot of familiar faces, a lot of people have worked with the Cherry before,” she said. “I know Meg, Jacob, Sylvie have all been here. It's Ithaca, so small actor pool, a lot of them also acted at the Hangar and the Kitchen.”
“The Weight Of The Ants” thus becomes a reunion for playwrights, directors, actors, artists, and managers to reconvene and
Dryden voters and for Dryden values just as Mike Lane has for almost two decades.
That’s why Mike supports Dan as his successor. An experienced problem-solver who listens, that’s what is needed for Legislative District 10.” — Joseph Wilson, Dryden
engage their passions in unison. It continues this week from Thursday, Oct. 23 to Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 25 and Sunday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. The Cherry Arts is coming up on its 10th anniversary, and while it’s expanded in that time, there’s a profound focus on preserving relationships and fostering support amongst members.
“We love doing the work, and we love being a home for a lot of different kinds of arts,” Buggeln said. “We’re pleased to have been doing it for a decade, and we wanna do it for more!”
Kira Walter is a contributing arts and entertainment writer for the Ithaca Times.
Community Recovery Fund or Housing Affordability Program, enhance equity through collaboration. Institutional committees, such as Ithaca’s Workforce Diversity Advisory Committee, promote inclusion, while organizational ones, like the Community Foundation of Tompkins County’s boards, support philanthropy for education and environmental projects. Explanatory articles with flowcharts, Q&As, and case studies—like health assessments driving county-wide improvements—might emphasize transparency and cooperation on issues like broadband expansion, uniting diverse residents.
Implementation requires community wide engagement to ensure impact. An 8-12 week series alternating between groups and committees could include digital content, like podcasts, and partnerships
with local libraries or Ithaca College’s civic programs. Reader polls or forums with groups like Civic Ensemble might encourage cross-ideological dialogue, building on statewide civic learning initiatives. Success, measured through volunteer sign-ups or feedback surveys, reinforces the paper’s commitment to depolarization.
Finding common ground demands patience and understanding, with individual efforts converging into collective impact. In Ithaca, our weekly newspaper’s integration of these strategies—promoting reforms, facilitating dialogue, humanizing views, countering misinformation, and educating on civic entities—might turn divisiveness into opportunity.
Leveraging its trusted voice, this paper can inspire readers and residents alike to embrace change aligned with fairness and inclusion. This approach, rooted in realworld practices, proves unity is a journey of persistent, collaborative steps, yielding a stronger, more resilient community.
