Sept. 17, 2025

N ews line

Town of Ithaca Plans

to Establish New Preserve on South Hill

By Lorien Tyne

At the Ithaca Town Board meeting on Sept. 8, the board voted to move forward with the purchase of 137 acres of undeveloped lands on South Hill to establish a preserve.

The land spans three properties and would establish Sage Preserves. The preserve would be open to the public as a passive recreation area for activities such as walking, dog walking, bird watching, cross-country skiing, nature observation and picnicking.

“These landowners have gradually purchased several large parcels adjacent to their residence to prevent them from being developed, with the hope that they eventually could be opened to the public — especially for children — and protected long term,” stated a memo from Michael Smith, senior planner for the town.

The town board authorized the town supervisor to execute the purchase and sales agreement “Real Property Purchase Agreement and Sales Contract” with landowners Tessa Sage Flores and Ira Goldstein.

Continued on Page 19

Despite Opposition, Ithaca School Board Extends Superintendent Brown’s Contract in 5-4 Vote

By Maddy Vogel

Longtime Ithaca City School District Superintendent Luvelle Brown was set to depart his position in June 2028, a decision that came during a tumultuous budget cycle that received criticism from the community. A board vote Tuesday night changed that. During its monthly voting meeting on Sept. 9, the ICSD Board of Education approved a oneyear extension of Brown’s contract to June 30, 2029 in a 5-4 vote.

The district’s resolution emphasized the importance of sustained district leadership, stating that Brown communicated his desire to retire from the district at the end of the 2028-29 school year with an “irrevocable letter of resignation.”

Board members Erin Croyle, Karen Yearwood, Madeline Cardona, Garrick Blalock and Sean Eversley Bradwell voted in favor of Brown’s renewal. Jacob Shiffrin, Todd Fox, Emily Workman and Adam Krantweiss voted against the motion.

“The District is involved in multiple strategic initiatives and capital improvement projects for which sustained leadership in the District’s administration will be necessary and beneficial,” the voting item reads.

Before the vote, Workman had intro-

ake n ote

duced a resolution to table it until a later date, but it failed to pass.

Board members who voted against the renewal said they would have preferred more time for public input.

“I don’t consider this vote to be one on a critical timeline of any urgency and I support delaying it until we give ample opportunity to the community to be able to provide feedback that they would like to,” Workman said. “I do not see the need to

Continued on Page 22

X Tompkins County Public Library Holds Events to Remind People Of Their Constitutional Rights

Tompkins County Public Library will launch a four-part discussion series, The Constitution: Rights to Know, on Sept. 18, highlighting the importance of the Bill of Rights, voting, immigration and citizenship during a time when constitutional rights are increasingly at the center of national debate. The series opens Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. with Cornell Law Professor Michael Dorf leading a discussion on the Bill of Rights, why the amendments were added and how new amendments — including the Equal Rights Amendment — are being considered.

On Oct. 16, David A. Bateman, associate professor of government and public policy at Cornell, will guide a conversation on voting,

the Voting Rights Act and the evolution of election laws. Tompkins County Elections Commissioners Alanna Congdon and Stephen DeWitt will join to explain how modern voting technology and processes affect local voters.

Immigration will take center stage Nov. 20, when retired Cornell Law School professor and immigration expert Steve Yale-Loehr will lead a panel on the history of immigration, how naturalization works and the political battles surrounding it. Tania Penafort, law clerk with Journey’s End Refugee Services, will add perspective from current legal cases.

The series concludes Dec. 18 with Dorf returning to examine the meaning of

ON THE COVER:

This week, the Ithaca Times presents its annual Fall Arts and Entertainment Guide, offering a glimpse into the season’s theatre and music happenings. (Graphic: Kaiden Chandler/Ithaca Times Intern)

at www.ithaca.com for

Call

citizenship, how the process has changed and ongoing efforts by the administration of President Donald Trump to repeal birthright citizenship. The series is timely as questions about free speech, voting access, immigration policy and citizenship rights have dominated national headlines during the Trump-era.

“The U.S. Constitution is a beautiful but complex document [and] today it is at the center of controversy and challenges,” said Carol Kammen, Tompkins County Historian. “It is important to know our rights and to act to preserve them.”

All events begin at 6 p.m. at the library, 101 East Green St., and will be livestreamed on the library’s YouTube channel.

jbilinski @ ithacatim E s com

s C ott M anson , a ssociat E p ublish E r 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, and Austin Lamb THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE ITHACA TIMES ARE COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY PATHWAYS TO EQUITY, LLC. All rights reserved. Events are listed free of charge in TimesTable. All copy must be received by Friday at noon. The Ithaca Times is available free of charge from various locations around Ithaca. Additional copies may be purchased from the Ithaca Times offices for $1. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $139 one year. Include check or money order and mail to the Ithaca Times, PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. ADVERTISING: Deadlines are Monday 5 p.m. for display, Tuesday at noon for classified. Advertisers should check their ad on publication. The Ithaca Times will not be liable for failure to publish an ad, for typographical error, or errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of the space in which the actual error appeared in the first insertion. The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication. The Ithaca Times is published weekly Wednesday mornings. Offices are located at 109 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 607-277-7000, FAX 607277-1012, MAILING ADDRESS is PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY

In a narrow vote, the ICSD Board of education voted to extend Superintendent Luvelle Brown’s contract by one year.

(Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times File)

By Mark Syvertson

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

“AT THE CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY ’ S MIGRATION CELEBRATION, I ASKED FELLOW AVIAN AFICIONADOS: WHAT WAS YOUR ‘ SPARK ’ BIRD? ” [THE BIRD THAT GOT YOU EXCITED ABOUT BIRDS]

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City Finishes 2021 Audit Four Years Late

Ithaca’s outdated audits have revealed inefficiencies in the way the city keeps track of financial data

By Matt Dougherty

The City of Ithaca recently completed its financial audit for 2021 in August. The long-awaited audit is four years late and highlights inefficiencies that exist within the city’s current system of tracking finances.

Tracking of financial information has been a troublesome issue for the city in recent years. The city’s backlog of incomplete audits resulted in the temporary suspension of its bond rating in April 2024. The rating is being tracked by the credit rating agency Moody’s, which cited “lack of sufficient information” when it revoked the city’s bond rating last year.

A bond rating is an evaluation of a city's creditworthiness issued by credit rating agencies, reflecting the city's ability to repay its debts and the likelihood of default. A higher rating indicates lower risk for investors, which can result in lower interest rates on loans or bonds issued by the city. Conversely, a lower rating (or having no rating at all) can lead to higher borrowing costs and signals potential for financial instability, making it harder for the city to secure funding for projects or operations.

complete the remaining incomplete audits from 2022, 2023 and 2024.

“We don’t know if there will be any hiccups along the way once the remaining audits start moving along,” Mohlenhoff said. She added that she would know more once the 2022 audit is “further along.”

Mohlenhoff said that the city fell behind on its audits as a result of pandemicinvolved staffing shortages and difficulties with the process of reporting funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

“Initial delays were caused during the pandemic when most of the staff in the Controller’s office were furloughed for an extended period of time,” Mohlenhoff said.

“I would say that there’s been renewed emphasis to try to get caught up.”

— Duane Shoen, Partner at Inerso & Co

“In addition to audit activities and general financial reporting, the ARPA funds program was quite staff intensive in the reporting requirements and then further delayed getting caught up.”

In an effort to address these delays, Mohlenhoff said that the city is transitioning to using the OpenGov platform, which would allow staff to have direct access to departmental finances instead of having to request it from the controller’s office.

Shoen explained the delays in completing their regular audits.

Shoen described a pattern of delayed information sharing on behalf of the city throughout the process of completing the 2021 audit. He said that the city would take “weeks” to send the firm requested information.

“They would answer emails and say ‘yes we’ll get that to you’ and then weeks would go by and we wouldn't hear anything,” Shoen said. “Every so often we would reach out again and say we’re still waiting […] but it would take a long time to get stuff.”

In response to questions about if he’s noticed any change in the efficiency of the city's ability to provide his firm with requested information in a timely manner, Shoen said, “I would say that there’s been renewed emphasis to try to get caught up.”

Shoen continued saying that part of the reason why the city is so far behind on its audits is due to its overreliance on using Excel spreadsheets for keeping track of financial records.

The city’s last bond rating was listed at Aa3 in March 2024, which is the thirdhighest rating on Moody's scale and indicates a high-quality bond with a low risk of default. Despite completing the 2021 audit, City Manager Deb Mohlenhoff has said that it remains uncertain when Ithaca’s bond rating will be restored.

“It’s a good step forward but we are far from being out of the woods,” Mohlenoff told the Ithaca Times. “Right now we [remain] ‘unrated’ [but] we anticipate being restored to a similar rating to when our rating was withdrawn once our reporting is completed.”

Mohlenhoff said that it’s difficult to forecast how long it will take for the city to

The city has been without a controller since the end of 2023, a search that Mohlenhoff said will resume once budget season is over. She said the city has “reallocated tasks among existing staff, hired temps from a service that specializes in municipal finance, and held weekly meetings for progress updates.”

She said that the city is working with a new audit firm, The Bonadio Group, to complete the remaining backlog of audits and temp workers from ProNexus. Mohlenhoff did not respond to questions about the cost of the city’s contracts with these firms.

Insero & Co. was the audit firm the city contracted with to complete its 2021 audit. During the Aug. 6 meeting of the Common Council, Insero & Co. Partner Duane

“The city doesn’t record capital projects within its financial software system. It’s done in excel spreadsheets, kind of off the books, which tends to make things more difficult and prone to error because it’s not all contained,” Shoen said. “The city’s tracking of fixed assets is also done in excel, which makes it prone to error.”

Shoen added that ARPA funds presented a challenge for the city to track because they were not recognized as revenue until the funds were spent.

“ARPA money is a little bit weird in the way it gets calculated because you don’t recognize it as revenue until you spend it, and before that, it stays as unearned revenue,” Shoen said. “The city spent about $950,000 in ARPA money during 2021 but didn't recognize that revenue in the general fund in the financial statements.”

Shoen continued saying that his firm made adjustments to recognize ARPA revenue and the expenses in the general fund, adding that it didn’t have an effect on the fund balance because it increased revenue and it increased expenditures.

“I came to Sapsucker Woods a lot when I was a child and I loved the ducks, especially Mallards.”

Yvette

“I think the Black-faced Spoonbill was the most memorable bird I saw as a child.”

Freda

“I saw an Eastern Screech Owl sleeping in a tree when I was on a walk with my family and just fell in with birds.”

Maddox

“I worked at a wildlife rehabilitation center in Florida and I really loved working with the American Kestrels.”

Tina

“I would have to say either Atlantic Puffins, because they’re so cute, or Mourning Doves.”

Tara

Ithaca Teachers Protest on Expired Contract Following Superintendent’s Extension

By Philip O’Dell

The Ithaca Teachers Association (ITA) held its first practice picket of the 2025-26 academic year on Thursday, Sept. 11, outside the Ithaca City School District Office. The rally comes as hundreds of unionized teachers in the district return to school on an expired contract after negotiations stalled last spring.

A practice picket is a protest held after work hours and is not legally a strike. In New York, it is illegal for public school teachers to strike as they are public employees.

Teachers began the school year without a new contract or annual raises after ITA and ICSD failed to reach an agreement across six months of negotiations earlier this year. At the last bargaining session on June 12, ICSD Chief Investigation Officer Robert Van Keuren was the only district administrator to attend with ITA members present. The contract expired on June 30, and teachers currently receive the same salaries as they did in their 2024-25 contract.

Contention has embroiled the district since Sept. 9, when the Board of Education voted 5-4 in favor of extending Superintendent Luvelle Brown’s contract by one year to June 2029. Brown’s previous plan, announced amid a turbulent budget cycle, was to leave in June 2028.

In the new contract, ITA advocates for a step-and-lane salary structure, expanded health insurance and parental leave, and safeguards against artificial intelligence.

A step-and-lane salary structure bestows pay increases based on years of experience, educational level or professional development credits.

Negotiations will resume on Oct. 9 at 4 p.m. and will be live on Zoom.

Ithaca high school economics teacher Chris Carver said ITA plans to hold rallies every Thursday. The day of the Sept. 11 rally was the first day teachers received full paychecks that were the same as last year with additional healthcare deductions, he said. ITA’s current proposal includes an average yearly increase of 7% to overall salaries over the next four years.

Carver supports step-and-lane, arguing it would provide a significant raise and an equitable distribution of pay for all teachers. He believes this structural change can be made without raising property taxes.

He said the requested 7% salary raise would not require a tax increase because the school budget has already been approved. The union is simply asking for a larger portion of the already-approved funds to be allocated to teachers’ salaries, he said.

Union leaders have repeatedly attributed high turnover rates at the ICSD to the district’s below-average and inequitable salary structure.

“I haven’t felt that teachers or their voices have been valued for years, so at the most basic level [a step-and-lane structure] would [make it] feel like teachers mattered in this place,” Carver said.

Eighth-grade special education teacher Jacob Chapin said a new contract would secure his job. Having worked in districts that downsized, he wants to stay in Ithaca but finds it challenging due to the high cost of living.

“I want to live where I work, and I want to work with my community,” Chapin said.

Chapin said the lack of a new contract was frustrating, especially since the previous one was in effect for six years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that while his pay has only increased by 4%, his rent has gone up by 50% since 2018. Chapin said teachers can only use 30 of their personal sick days for parental leave currently, advocating for 60 days of personal sick days, with the option to borrow from a sick day bank if needed.

UPS DOWNS&

Ups

NAMI Finger Lakes has launched Overwatch Peer Support, a free and confidential program providing peer support for first responders across the region. Modeled after a successful initiative in North Texas, the program offers 1:1 support, peer leader training and a secure app, all developed and led by first responders themselves.

Downs

Despite Cornell’s repeated claims of reducing the use of animals in experiments, the university used more than 21,000 mice and rats in a recent year and thousands of other animals in experiments in 2024, according to federal reports obtained by PETA.

HEARD

SEEN&

Heard

The Ithaca Police Department (IPD) has announced the upcoming appointment of former Chief of the Cornell University Police Department (CUPD) Anthony G. Bellamy as their newest Deputy Chief, effective October 2, 2025.

ITA President Kathryn Cernera said negotiations paused when both sides couldn’t agree on fair teacher compensation and health insurance for active and retired teachers. AI protections could be ratified in negotiations, through ICSD board policy or state legislation. She said the practice pickets are valuable for contract negotiations.

“It’s flexing our demonstration muscles,” Cernera said. “Some people say it looks a lot like a strike. We’d like to think of it as a fire drill. We hope to never use it, but we are prepared if we have to.”

Cernera said ICSD lacks a comprehensive system that determines a teacher’s salary beyond their hiring date. Around 89% of ITA members voted in favor of implementing step-and-lane in May, a poll which the ITA is currently working on updating.

During the June 12 session, Van Keuren said the district was not offering a step-and-lane structure, instead offering an annual 4.6% raise for two years. Van Keuren said the district’s proposal was reasonable for taxpayers to fund. However, on Sept. 11, Cernera replied that a higher raise is needed compared to the district’s proposal due to Ithaca’s rising cost of living.

“The cost of educating students is expensive, and our educators cannot afford to live in the community that they teach,”

Seen

Award-winning actor, director, and screenwriter Jesse Eisenberg gave a presentation at Ithaca College on Monday, September 15. Eisenberg’s appearance at Ithaca College was part of the Park Distinguished Visitor Series in the Roy H. Park School of Communications, which has previously featured such notables as Ken Burns, Geena Davis, Tom Wolfe, and Christiane Amanpour.

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

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

The Ithaca Commons celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Do you think the Commons has gotten better with age?

Yes.

No.

I don’t care.

Do you think the Democratic Party needs to be more progressive or more moderate to effectively resist the Trump administration? Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.

On Thursday, the Ithaca Teachers Union held a “practice picket” as they entered the school year on an expired contract. (Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times)

The Talk at

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Community Response to ICSD Extending Superintendent Luvelle Brown’s Contract

“Anyone on ICSD Board who voted to extend Luvalle Brown’s contract will be voted out, along with self-serving Brown who gave himself a raise & extension while ICSD laying off teachers & aides. I will pay for principal, teachers, aides, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians but not overpaid self-serving Brown! Hardworking farmers are in danger of losing our farms because BROWN’s high salary and BAD leadership raised our taxes so families moved from Ithaca into neighboring towns with good schools and lower taxes. Farmers can’t move. LUVELLE, LEAVE! You’ve wrecked ICSD. Gangs rule ICSD under your nose but you’re too busy showing off to notice, Lily Talbot too ethical to work under you so left to become BOCES Superintendent.. LUVALLE LEAVE!” — Claire Forest

“The decision by Ithaca’s Board of Education to extend Superintendent

Brown’s contract by another year comes as a surprise, given that Dr. Brown publicly promised last year he would ‘not seek or accept renewal.’

How are we supposed to trust in leaders who don’t stick to their word while local schools are breaking their promise of offering high-quality public education? NY State flagged five of twelve district schools as underperforming. The greatest setbacks affect students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds. Meanwhile teacher turnover is close to 20% and the teacher’s contract is expired.

The leadership failure goes beyond the superintendent’s office. Ahead of Tuesday’s vote parents, teachers, and community members asked the board to reject the contract extension or at least table the vote to allow more community input. Why the need to rush this vote? Why prolong an era of leadership marked by dramatic declines in student well-being and performance? Why vote to extend an administrator’s contract when teachers’ contracts are left in limbo? Yet 5 out of 9 board members approved the extension. The district can’t afford “more of the same”. Teachers will leave for other districts, affluent parents will flock to private schools, and voters will balk at funding a budget that fails to deliver outcomes. Our children are left with yet another broken promise while the grown-ups are kicking the can down the road. Let’s work

together as a community next spring and vote for board members who are committed to transparency and new leadership.”

— Corinna Loeckenhoff

“Cernera is right, this sends the clear message that the Board doesn’t respect the community at all and is forcing through something that was just brought into the public light last night. We pay the taxes that make up the majority of this highest-paid position in the county, and we should accordingly have plenty of time to discuss this in a transparent, open way. This is shameful — voters, please remember this and let's get the Board members who pushed this through and bring on people who are pro-transparency!” —

Hardy Griffin

If You Build a Surveillance State, Dictators Will Come

“I would like to add some points to your important discussion on Flock cameras and surveillance.

1. Firstly, it is inaccurate to say that, while driving a car, you have negligible privacy. Sure, you are out in the open; however, all that money on Flock cameras is not being spent for nothing. Such cameras fulfill multiple surveillance goals that random car sightings do not; they enable real time collection of data, retrospective analysis of that data, and systematic large scale collection of that data.

2. Flock data will be shared (despite their claims), not just with the police but also with the FBI and therefore the security services and ultimately, if necessary, with the White House. In short, the

Voices Through the Gorges

President can specifically discover, if they want and if you drove there, whether you personally went from Ithaca to Washington DC for the No Kings March in June, from Flock data alone. This was not possible before.

3. For anyone (like us) trying to hold governments and corporations accountable, all surveillance makes the work more difficult. Because surveillance allows such efforts to be stymied or preempted it becomes necessary to try to limit being spied on. But, if the population as a whole accedes to being surveilled (perhaps because they think they are doing nothing “wrong”?) then anyone trying to avoid it, e.g. by encrypting emails, makes themselves special targets.

4. “Doing nothing wrong” will not protect you. In fact, it is exactly the people who are most upright, ethical, and principled who typically become the biggest targets of surveillance, think of Martin Luther King, Jr. The reason is that ethics are precisely the threat to unethical actors.

5. Surveillance enables dictators. Of course, dictators have always created surveillance systems, that is the obvious part. But the converse is also true. If information derived from surveillance systems becomes available to state actors, like police forces, security service people, corporations, and ultimately politicians, some of them will abuse it for their own gain.

A race to the ethical bottom is inevitable since those who abuse it the most gain the most; think of J Edgar Hoover. If you build, as we have, a surveillance state, the dictators will come.” — Jonathan Latham

“Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you”

—

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Why “Try”: Defending Local Media and Our Shared Covenant with Democracy

A MESSAGE FOR ALL AMERICANS WHO SHAPE, LEAD, AND PRESERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES

By Roy Allen

As America approaches its 250th birthday next July 4, 2026, we are called not just to celebrate our past but to take stock of our future. For nearly two and a half centuries, this country has crafted and promoted a story of individual liberty and self-government—a story powered not only by presidents and protests, but by people, men and women, who have organized neighborhoods, raised voices, built institutions, and held communities together.

Today, as democracy faces real challenges—from disinformation and division to declining trust—we are also watching one of its most essential institutions quietly fade: local journalism. And the question we must ask, as Americans who care deeply about the health of our families, schools, cities, and country, is simple: Do we let our stories go—or do we fight for them?

Democracy Begins at Home Democracy is not something that lives only in the halls of Congress or in presidential speeches. It lives in local school board meetings, community newspapers, church pews and neighborhood gatherings. It begins with knowing what’s happening around us—and having the will to respond. That’s where local journalism comes in.

For generations, Americans have turned to local media not just for headlines, but for information that affects daily life: public health updates, school closures, city council decisions, gallery and theater openings, concerts, environmental concerns, and human stories that bind communities together. Local news isn’t just content—it’s connection, and connection is the foundation of democracy — an essential ingredient for any civil society.

And when that connection is broken, we all feel it.

What’s at Risk When Local News Disappears

Since 2005, more than 2,500 local

the Executive Director of Pathways to Equity and Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Ithaca Times.

newspapers in the U.S. have shut their doors. Many more have been hollowed out—reduced to shadows of the vibrant institutions they once were. When local media disappears, so does transparency. So does public trust. Civic engagement declines. Corruption grows in the dark. People feel more isolated. And the bonds between us begin to fray.

For men and women—who willingly bear and share the responsibility — and burdens — of holding families and communities together—this loss hits especially hard. Because when trustworthy local information vanishes, we’re left to navigate a sea of misinformation, trying to make the best decisions for our children, our elders, our neighborhoods— without the truths we need.

We cannot celebrate 250 years of democracy in 2026 while watching journalism — one of its most important cornerstones collapse under our watch.

Why Try? Because No One Else Will Fight for Us if We do Not Show Up

National news won’t cover your local school board unless something goes terribly wrong. Social media won’t fact-check the latest city ordinance. And AI can’t replace a reporter who knows your town’s history, listens at community meetings,

Continued on Page 19

HOMETOWN

Barbara Adams — Writer, Teacher, Activist and Friend of the Theater

By Jeanne Mackin

Unless you’ve never seen this newspaper before, you already know this name. Barbara Adams has been writing for the Ithaca Times since its misty beginnings in the 1970s, when it was still the Ithaca New Times. Writer, educator, photographer, world traveler and activist, Barbara is one of those people who help make Ithaca the lively, well-informed place it is.

Her accomplishments and activities could fill pages, but here are some highlights: For 52 years, Barbara taught feature, magazine, food and travel writing, as well as arts criticism, among other courses, at Ithaca College, where she also founded a popular internship program for young writers. She’s an active and founding member of Ithaca City of Asylum, a nonprofit that provides refuge and support for persecuted writers and artists who have to flee their home country.

As an arts writer, she has interviewed theater luminaries such as playwrights Robert Wilson and Tony Kushner, choreographers Mark Morris and Bill T. Jones, and lighting designer Jennifer Tipton. For half a century she has written theater, dance, opera and book reviews and features for The Ithaca Times and other publications, including a 24-year reviewing stint at the Ithaca Journal. When the Hangar Theatre had its inaugural performance in 1975 with “Man of La Mancha,” Barbara was there, notebook in hand, to review it.

After a master’s degree at Yale and her first teaching job, Barbara arrived in Ithaca in 1968 as a Cornell grad student working on her doctorate. But Ithaca being what it is and the ’60s being what they were, she got sidetracked and ended up raising goats and growing vegetables instead. “My father was in the Air Force and we moved every few years,” she says. “We’d transferred from the Midwest to the Northeast to the Deep South and then to southern California. I’d had enough moving. I dug in here, and Ithaca is hard to leave.”

Several friends in the early ’70s were photographers who started a gallery, Stills, where they exhibited their work. Around the same time, Barbara began teaching at Ithaca College, where she and

Barbara Adams has been writing for the Ithaca Times for over half a century, since it was the Ithaca New Times in the early 1970s. (Photo: Provided/Anjali Nerlekar)

five other instructors broke away from the English department to establish a writing program (which has long since become the Department of Writing.)

“I don’t identify as a writer,” Barbara says. “I think of myself as a photographer, although I’ve been writing since I was a child and entered the University of Southern California majoring in journalism.” There, frustrated by introductory reporting assignments, she quickly switched to an English major. “The humanities foundation reset my life,” she says. “No looking back, no regrets.”

“I still take photographs every day. I like abstraction based on graffiti, in-themoment photography, and portraiture.” Her photographs have been published in magazines and newspapers and on book jackets.

As a writer, Barbara enjoys a different kind of portraiture, finding that the profiles of talented, accomplished people are the most satisfying to write. “They think profoundly about their work and articulate it. It’s fascinating to learn about their process.”

As a theater reviewer, she’s careful to present productions as collaborative effort rather than a showcase for a few talents. “I think it’s essential to understand the contribution of everyone involved,” she says. “I’ve learned something about choreography, about how sound and lighting are controlled. Theater is a total environment, not the story and the actors alone.”

Roy Allen is

(Photo: Provided)

Community Building and Preserving Local News through Collaborative Innovation

Roy Allen — Executive Director of Pathways to Equity and Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Ithaca Times

Community building thrives when everyone pitches in, and the recent collaboration between the Ithaca Times and Professor Narges Kasiri’s class of 15 MBA students is a shining example of this all-hands-on-deck approach. Last Friday, our team of young professionals at the Ithaca Times cemented a monthslong effort to work with these tech-savvy Ithaca College students to reimagine our treasured digital platform, www.ithaca. com. This initiative will not only revitalize our digital presence but also underscores the critical importance of preserving local weekly news by embracing innovative partnerships with educators and students.

Preserving Local News through Shared Ownership

Local weekly newspapers like the

Ithaca Times are vital for fostering community identity, covering stories often overlooked by larger outlets, and holding local institutions accountable. However, with declining print readership, embracing digital innovation is essential for survival. By partnering with Professor Kasiri’s MBA class, we’re tapping into the tech-savvy expertise of local college students who bring fresh perspectives on digital engagement, user experience, and modern design. This collaboration fosters shared ownership, blending our team’s deep understanding of local journalism with the students’ skills in analytics, marketing, and technology. Open communication and inclusive decision-making ensure that everyone feels invested in the goal of transforming www.ithaca.com into a vibrant digital hub, without losing the essence of our legacy print business.

Empowering Students with Real-World Experience

Partnering with educators like Professor Kasiri provides her MBA students

with invaluable real-world experiential opportunities. Working with a legacy business like the Ithaca Times allows them to apply classroom concepts—such as digital marketing, data analytics, and strategic planning—to a tangible project with real stakes. This hands-on experience bridges the gap between academia and industry, equipping students with practical skills while infusing our newsroom with innovative ideas. For instance, students might propose interactive features like community forums or mobileoptimized content, ensuring www.ithaca. com remains relevant in a digital-first

world. Regular check-ins and collaborative workshops will keep the project dynamic, allowing students to take ownership of specific tasks while learning from our team’s editorial expertise.

Valuing Contributions and Building Connections

The magic of this collaboration lies in making every participant feel valued and connected. Whether it’s a student’s bold idea for a new website feature or a staff member’s insight into Ithaca’s community

The Ithaca Times is collaborating with a class of MBA students at Ithaca College to reimagine its digital presence. (Photo: Provided/Narges Kasiri)

The hands-on experience of working with a legacy business like the Ithaca Times allows students to apply classroom concepts to tangible results. (Photo: Provided/Narges Kasiri)

Indivisible Tompkins Is Organizing Against Authoritarianism in Upstate New York

By Matt Dougherty

Despite polling showing that the 2024 Presidential race was a toss up, Donald Trump increased his share of votes among several key demographic groups and won every single swing state as well as the popular vote. In response, Indivisible Tompkins was established to inform residents about their rights to protest and pressure local elected officials to stand in opposition to the Trump administration instead of caving to its demands.

Trump’s victory in 2016 saw immediate resistance from the entirety of the Democratic Party, but his victory in 2024 saw more demoralization among Democratic voters and capitulation from Democratic politicians.

A post-election survey from the Pew Research Center found that “pessimism” about the future of the Democratic Party is now “higher than at any point over the last eight years.” The survey also found that the public believed the Republican Party represented the interests of “people like them” more than the Democratic Party for the first time since 2016. According to polling from Gallup, the Democratic Party’s current approval rating is at a record low of

34%. When Democrats first lost to Trump in 2016 the party’s approval rating was 45%.

Due to these trends, a number of Democratic politicians responded to Trump’s victory by moving to the right on issues such as immigration and transgender rights.

A total of 60 Democrats in Congress voted to pass Trump’s first immigration related bill, the Laken Riley Act, which granted authority to federal immigration agencies to detain undocumented residents without being convicted of a crime. It’s a policy that has resulted in an estimated 70% of people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lacking a criminal record. Democratic representatives Tom Suozzi and Seth Moulton have also criticized their party for “pandering to the far-left” on issues regarding trans rights.

Most of the reporting in the immediate aftermath of the election focused on the public’s burnout regarding Trump-related crises and speculated about the potential for the administration to take authoritarian measures to crack down on any opposition — like deploying the National Guard in blue cities like Washington DC, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Indivisible Tompkins was founded as a local chapter of the national Indivisible

movement for collective action, intended to use local organizing to pressure elected officials to resist Trump’s agenda.

“Indivisible Tompkins was founded in February 2025 because there was so much local outrage and desire to take meaningful, impactful action to stop the harm being done by the Trump administration,” said Emily Adams, a member of the group’s steering committee. “We knew that organizing under Indivisible would bring us into a community of powerful organizers, all dedicated to saving democracy and defeating MAGA.”

Adams says the group aims to take strategic action through “advocacy and electoral activism,” with one of their primary goals being to “take back the House in 2026 to stop the cruelty, hate and harm being done by the MAGA agenda.”

Despite being a new group in town, Indivisible Tompkins is already impacting local political organizing. For the last several months, they have organized recurring weekly protests along Route 13 and on the Commons to draw attention to the ways in which they claim the Trump administration is undermining American democracy. They have been vocal opponents against local ICE raids, federal funding cuts and mass layoffs enacted by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). They were the main organizers behind the Hands Off protest on April 5 and the massive No Kings protest on June 14 that saw an estimated 4,000 people flood the streets of Ithaca.

These organizing efforts have been successful at attracting local attention to the impacts of national decision-making and encouraging local elected officials to take a stance against the administration. But they haven’t been able to stop the Trump administration from implementing policies that violate the constitution and passing unpopular legislation that cuts trillions of dollars in social spending on health care and food assistance to give trillions of dollars in tax cuts to the rich.

As a result, Indivisible Tompkins and the national Indivisible movement have decided to alter their tactics in the hopes of having a greater impact.

Adams said that the national Indivisible organization is completing a six-week

training course to bring experts in political science, labor, and organizing together to discuss what national strategic non-cooperation looks like.

“Indivisible National recently launched the One Million Rising campaign, designed to help teach non-cooperation strategies to one million people,” Adams said. “We had members of Indivisible Tompkins attend, be trained, and we’re beginning our organizing efforts to see what actions we can take locally that could make an impact.” She added, “the goal right now is to train a million people across the country to participate in strategic non-cooperation.”

Adams said that the national Indivisible organization is completing a six-week training course to bring experts in political science, labor, and organizing together to discuss what national strategic non-cooperation looks like. Adams said these noncooperation strategies could involve ICE agents refusing to participate in raids, or even cafeteria and janitorial workers at detention centers refusing to work.

“The goal nationally and locally is to move into tactics where we can have a

Indivisible Tompkins, a local chapter of the national Indivisible group, was established in February of this year after Trump took office.

(Photo: Nathan Ellison/Sun Fellow at the Ithaca Times)

Indivisible Tompkins organized a massive No Kings rally in June, which over 4,000 Ithacans attended.

(Photo: Nathan Ellison/Sun Fellow at the Ithaca Times)

direct effect on gumming up the works of the unlawful and cruel actions of this administration,” Adams said.

Even though some tactics are changing, the group remains hard at work at maintaining a presence in the community. On Aug. 6, they organized an event at the Bernie Milton Pavillion to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and conduct voter-registration training ahead of a weeklong voter-registration drive. They’re also in the process of planning another No Kings Rally for Oct. 18.

“This will be another large mass-mobilization event at Washington Park,” Adams said. “Our various teams will be meeting before October 18th to prepare street art, hold safety training, and take other timely actions.” Among these is a campaign to pressure Democrats in Congress to use the upcoming Sept. 30 government funding deadline as leverage to force Republicans to act in a bipartisan manner to avoid a government shutdown.

For the government to remain open beyond Sept. 30 the Senate must pass a spending bill, which because of the filibuster requires 60 votes to pass. Due to the slim margins in the Senate this means that Democrats will need to supply at least eight votes for any legislation to pass to avoid a government shutdown. The last time this opportunity emerged in March both of New York’s Senators, along with eight other Democrats, voted with Republicans to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government open despite not getting any concessions.

This decision enabled the Trump administration to dismantle the democratic institutions of government by using legally dubious Presidential authorities to usurp

congressional powers over spending and taxation. It has also allowed the administration to implement immigration policies that violate the constitution while dismantling federal agencies like the Department of Education, National Labor Relations Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Keeping the government open also cleared the way for the administration to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, significantly cutting social spending, extending tax cuts for the rich and increasing spending on immigration enforcement to historic levels.

In the six months since that continuing resolution was approved the Trump administration hasn’t shown any signs that it plans on stopping its abuses of power. In fact, it has doubled down on them, using the powers of the Presidency to deploy the National Guard in Democrat controlled cities that threaten opposition. As a result, a growing number of Democratic voters have begun to call on their party leaders to do more to oppose the Trump administration.

push for more meaningful concessions than a short term extension of health care subsidies. “Participating in government funding in exchange for a short-term extension would, in a word, be madness,” wrote David Dayen, Executive Editor at The American Prospect. “Republicans want both to pass a budget and to avoid the heat for the crumbling of American health care; in this trade they would get both!” Dayen continued saying that Democrats risk weakening their political leverage

Indivisible Tompkins believes that the country is in a time of authoritarian breakthrough, Adams said.

“All Democrats, and everyone who believes in democracy, needs to unite and to mobilize all their resources,” she said. “We need everyone to speak up, contact their elected officials, and prepare to vote in upcoming elections. [...] Now is the time for Democratic politicians to be courageous leaders that lead by example and meet as frequently as possible with constituents to give them courage and motivation.”

“All Democrats, and everyone who believes in democracy, needs to unite and to mobilize all their resources. We need everyone to speak up, contact their elected officials, and prepare to vote in upcoming elections. [...] Now is the time for Democratic politicians to be courageous leaders that lead by example and meet as frequently as possible with constituents to give them courage and motivation.”

— Emily Adams, Indivisible Tompkins

While Adams thanked members of the Tompkins County Democratic Committee for “being strong allies” in resisting the Trump agenda, she said that Indivisible would like to see members of the Democratic Party in other areas and at the state and national level do more to resist the Trump agenda.

Indivisible Tompkins membership committee chair Ken Mckinney has said, “the general feeling within Indivisible is that the Democratic leadership is not doing enough. [...] We would like to see broader, more outright opposition from Congress.”

Adams said that Indivisible Tompkins is urging their members to contact New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand to ask them to withhold their vote on the Sept. 30 government funding deadline “unless the Republicans restore healthcare and rein in Trump’s lawlessness.”

This message has been received by Democrats like Schumer, who say they are now willing to risk a government shutdown unless Republicans agree to some form of extension for Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire at the end of the year. The expiration of ACA subsidies is estimated to increase insurance costs for some by 75% or more. While shutting down the government indefinitely with no clear exit strategy is a risky move, Schumer told PBS “It will get worse with or without it, because Trump is lawless.”

Similarly, Adams said, “It’s not a good thing to let the government shutdown but in this case the alternative is probably worse.” She added, “I hope that Democrats can stand strong and use their leverage to get concessions.”

However, some say the party should

if they agree to a short-term extension of health care subsidies. He argued that such a deal would let Republicans avoid blame for pushing the system toward collapse and allow Trump to claim credit for keeping costs down, undermining Democrats’ advantage on an issue where they hold broad public support.

“Republicans willingly drove the health care system toward the point of oblivion, and some may question why Democrats would offer a lifeline to bail them out,” Dayen said.

When asked if Indivisible thinks the Democratic party needs to be more progressive to effectively oppose Trump, Adams said, “The party needs to evolve for the times we are in. The labels of ‘moderate’ and ‘progressive’ don’t mean very much these days, because everything seems to come down to kitchen table issues.” She added, “Huge numbers of people have immediate economic insecurity, high levels of anxiety and they are looking for leaders who are listening. We stand with

Continued on Page 19

The group has held dozens of rallies in the months since its inception. (Photo: Nathan Ellison/ Sun Fellow at the Ithaca Times)

Emily Adams is a member of the Indivisible Tompkins steering committee.

(Photo: Mark Syvertson/ Ithaca Times)

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Cornell Senior Heads to Serbia for World Chess Boxing Championships

By Steve Lawrence

Avisit to the boxing gym in the Greater Ithaca Activities Center is like a visit to a museum. The walls are adorned with posters from bouts that took place decades ago. So many familiar names and faces — some still with us, some not — and trainer Danny Akers himself, who has been around the gym for well over 40 years. Jesse Cortright — a local kid (now in his 40s) and a fine boxer in his youth — was there, encouraging the young guys, polite and welcoming, as always, still sporting that gleam in his eye that would discourage me from stepping through the ropes.

Danny looked around at the half dozen young men training there — some sparring, some hitting the heavy bag, some working on their footwork. I said to him, “That’s some standard boxing gym stuff.” I then pointed at the chess board set up next to the ring, and I said, “That’s not so standard, is it Danny?” He said, “No. That’s why I called you and told you that you’d love this story.”

The chess board was set up by Will MacLeod, who was doing his post-sparring work in the ring. Will is a senior at Cornell, a math major, and, for the past 3 years, an avid boxer at GIAC. Will had his first competitive bout in May, and he is on his way to Loznica, Serbia this month to compete in the World Championships of Chess Boxing. Yes, you read that correctly. Not Chess AND boxing. Chess Boxing.

Wikipedia says, “Chess boxing, or chessboxing, is a hybrid sport that combines two traditional disciplines: chess and boxing. Two combatants play alternating rounds of blitz chess until one wins by checkmate or knockout.” (There are 11 alternating rounds, 4 minutes for chess, 3 minutes for boxing, with a 1 minute break between rounds.)

Will told me, “The sport originated as an idea in a French comic book, and someone said, ‘Let’s make it a reality.’”

MaCleod had been playing chess since his dad sat him down at a board when he was 4 or 5, and for the past several years, he has been “playing in tournaments, trying to climb the ratings ladder.” When asked which rung her is presently on, he humbly conveyed the he “is currently rated somewhere around 1900, which is Class A, below Master but above about 95% of chess players.” (The Grandmasters — the game’s elite players — are, Will explained, rated in the 2500-2800 range.)

To an outside observer, the chess component makes sense when discussing the pastimes of an Ivy League math major, but what, I asked, drew Will to boxing? He offered, “Boxing is very different than anything I have ever done, and that’s part of why I specifically chose it. It’s a unique sport, it’s very real. You get hit in the head.” He added, “I have always been good at math, I learned guitar, and I find

— and combat

in general — to be very helpful from a personal development standpoint. I don’t want to be a one-dimensional person. I want to

boxing

sports

Cornell senior Will MacLeod will represent Team USA at the World Championships of Chess Boxing. (Photo: Provided/Danny Akers)

FALL ARTS PREVIEW

An Abundance of Fall Musical Happenings

By Peter Rothbart

Ithaca is a small city with no interstate highway, no passenger rail system, just one four-lane highway (Route 13), and not a single escalator. We may be physically isolated, but thanks to the presence of three colleges, remarkable scenery and a comparatively robust economy, Ithaca has an outsized cultural presence compared to other cities of its size. National touring musicians stop by on a regular basis. Well-established local bands and musicians whose skilled musicianship and longstanding presence undergird a vibrant musical community. An overabundance of transient and interbreeding student bands fills the gaps.

Concert Music Opportunities

On the classical front, Ithaca boasts the well-respected professional Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, an emerging professional opera company–Opera Ithaca–as well as the NYS Baroque Ensemble which is headquartered in Ithaca. The Cayuga Vocal Ensemble is our professional chorus that often partners with the other concert music groups.

Ithaca College’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance, and Cornell University’s Department of Music both provide a rich source of adventurous and budding professional musicians who not only play but provide an enthusiastic audience for the many groups that sprout on East and

South Hills. Both performers and audience flow downhill and populate the clubs in town.

Ithaca College hosts over 300 concerts each year. Pick a day, there’s probably a concert in one or more of the Whalen Center’s four concert venues. Most are student performances, but the school hosts several free concert series that showcase top-tier and emerging professional musicians. Concert series are almost always free and include the Shirley and Chas. Hockett Chamber Music Series, the Angela and William Haines Young Concert Artists Residency, the Robert G. Boehmler Community Foundation Series, the Louis K. Thaler Concert Violinist Series, the Rachel S, Thaler Concert Pianist Series, and the Manley and Doriseve Thaler Vocal Concert Series.

Cornell’s Concert Series has been renamed the Dallas Morse Coors Concert Series. With seven concerts from September through April, the organization’s innovative programming continues to expand beyond the traditional boundaries of the western classical music tradition.

This year’s offerings start with Le Vent du Nord, a Quebec-based folk ensemble that builds on its Celtics roots while redefining modern folk music. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra follows in October and is renowned for performing without a formal conductor. Don’t expect to see someone on a podium waving a stick or their hands. But do expect their

collaborative take on works by Camille Saint-Saëns, Maurice Ravel and Ernest Chausson to be vibrant, elegant, and nuanced.

In November, singer, composer, and visual artist Cécile McLorin Salvant arrives with a sound and visual presentation that defies categorization. She obfuscates genres and obliterates stylistic boundaries while integrating elements of storytelling into her blues, vaudeville, folk, and baroque influenced compositions.

Clubs, Breweries, and Cideries

Many drinking establishments don’t schedule their music very far in advance or they are remiss in keeping their websites up to date. Given that people attending these venues tend to be more spontaneous in their planning, this isn’t much of a problem. Other clubs and brew houses like to cultivate a more regular crowd, so they tend to be more organized and update their websites, drawing their entertainment from a cluster of tried and true bands.

The Downstairs is a club that plans ahead and is the embodiment of Ithaca’s eclectic creative scene. On any given night, the small, minimally adorned basement venue offers small jazz groups, adventurous electronic ensembles, deep listening sessions where, according to their website, they encourage you to “bring your own

weird instruments.” They also offer regular open mic nights for music and comedy, nights of competitive storytelling, and monthly concerts of something called vintage surf rock.

The now iconic Deep Dive Big Band appears at the Deep Dive on Old Taughannock Blvd. every other Wednesday night and anchors the now thriving jazz scene in town. This is where veteran jazzers and energized student musicians gather to meet, listen, and be heard. The thoroughly professional house band personnel may vary from time to time, but it always includes the top jazzers Ithaca has to offer. Student musicians and local jazzers often sit in, replacing house band members for several tunes. The DDBB sets are bracketed by additional sets from the Firefly Trio and the People’s Jam. Best of all, there is no cover, so make sure to tip the bands and the sound engineer.

The Argos Inn is an elegant and upscale, yet low key venue that regularly embraces small jazz duos, trios, and quartets every Wednesday afternoon.

Salt Point Brewing Company in Lansing schedules a different band every Wednesday night through September. It’s more of a local music spot featuring groups like the Cast Iron Cowboys,

South Hill Cider hosts popular weekly live music events through October. (Photo: Provided/South Hill Cider)

The Argos Inn embraces small jazz duos, trios, and quartets every Wednesday afternoon. (Photo: Provided/Visit Ithaca)

Recycle with PaintCare

A Bold & Bursting Fall 2025 Theatre Season in Ithaca

By Ross Haarstad

Music, drama, comedy, local and international, bursts from the seams of Ithaca’s performing troupes. Here is what was known at press time.

Kitchen Theatre Company (kitchentheatre.org)

The Kitchen Theatre Company’s intimate 99-seat theatre is flourishing under its new Artistic Director Emily Jackson. For her second season, she has added a third week of performances (generally Wednesday through Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.) for four of the five mainstage plays.

The season opened with Sharon Rothstein’s ‘dark comedy’ Bad Books, under Jackson’s direction (Sept. 3–21) in which “a mother declares war against her local library and sets off a chain reaction of unimaginable consequences.”

October features Rajiv Joseph’s King James (Oct. 15–Nov. 2). This pulse-pounding comedy, currently making the rounds of regional theaters, focuses on two Cleveland fans of the “King” LeBron James, and

their unlikely friendship. Helmed by one of the Kitchen’s favorite directors, Margarett Perry (Polishing Shakespeare), the production also sees the return of two favorite actors: Darian Dauchan (The Brobot Adventure, Monsters in American Cinema) and David McElwee (A Case for the Existence of God.)

Holiday cheer hits the stage in December with Eric Ulloa’s zany comedy Reindeer Sessions (Dec. 3–14). “Blitzen: a hard, drinking, belligerent reindeer [is] ready to blow the roof off the Kringle-industrial complex.” Rachel Lampert directs and Kitchen favorites Karl Gregory and Erica Steinhagen star.

In the spring, look for the world premiere of local playwright Wendy Dann’s Milkweed and a solo feminist reimagining of Beowulf by Megan Gogerty entitled Feast.

Under the moniker of ‘Kitchen Sink’ the company also houses a panoply of both local and touring theatre, including the return of Family Fare. Catch Joey Steinhagen and Rachel Lampert as the Very Artistic Sisters Fitzandstartz with their young ‘pupils’ in the musical September Daze (continuing Sept. 20 & 21.)

The Cherry Arts Collective (thecherry.org)

Celebrating 10 years, the Cherry hosts guest troupes as well as producing their own season (“radically local, radically international, and formally innovative”) in their spacious black box on the inlet.

This fall Dean Robinson directs veteran Cherry actors Sylvie Yntema, Jacob White, Mike Chen, Meg Elliot and David Studwell in the English-language premiere of Quebec playwright David Paquet’s awardwinning comedy, The Weight of Ants (Oct. 17–26). “Two teenage outsiders take matters into their own hands…at one of the worst high schools in the country.”

The spring will feature two aerial theater works in rep in Sky Stories (Round

Time and International Lover) as well as a “dazzling” new play from Norwegian playwright Monica Isakstue.

Cherry Arts is also launching Kidshowz, opening with Cirque Us (Sept. 20 & 21). “An Ithaca favorite company returns, launching folktales and classic literature off the page with twists and backflips.”

House of Ithaqua (houseofithaqua.com)

HOI focuses on horror and the uncanny in their theatre offerings. Artistic Director AJ Sage directs Normal by Anthony Neilson, opening Halloween and playing through Nov. 9.

Set in 1952 and 1931, attorney Justus Wehner guides the audience through his most famous case, attempting to save Kurten (the Vampire of Dusseldor), from execution,

Civic Ensemble (civicensemble.org)

Civic focuses on issues of social justice. Once again they will sponsor the free Youth Forum Theatre Troupe for 7th to 12th graders, meeting Tuesdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Participants build ensemble through theater games, and devise and present an original forum play.

Running to Places (runningtoplaces.org)

Founded by Joey Steinhagen, R2P as it’s fondly known, offers a rigorous and totally free program for middle and high school aged youth across Tompkins County. Their fall offering is

Annie Jr. at Hangar Oct. 11 & 12 and 18 & 19 at noon and 4 p.m. This all-time family favorite with music by Charles Strouse

This year, The Cherry Arts Collective celebrates its 10-year anniversary. (Photo: Ithaca Times File)

features such faves as “Tomorrow” and “A Hard Knock Life.”

Teatrotaller / Story House Ithaca / Performing Identities Across Cultures (PICS) /CSMA (https://bit.ly/47KbJvZ)

Cornell’s venerable Teatrotaller (over 30 years), teams up with newer kid on the block Story House Ithaca, and the Community School of Music and Arts for PICS annual micro-theater festival. This year’s theme is Disruptions. “We invite ten-minute microtheater performances, in any language, that reflect upon the organizing theme in any genre: short play, original music, live art, dance, multimedia forms. We especially welcome proposals with topics related to women of color, Latine(x), Black and Afrolatine(x), Caribbean, Indigenous, and other underrepresented experiences.” Submission deadline is Oct. 15 with performances on Nov. 15.There will be a juried cash prize for the best performances.

Homecoming Players

Headed by Ithacan natives Rachel Hockett and Arthur Bicknell, Homecoming produces a range of work, with especial (but not exclusive) focus on roles for older actors. Rather than mounting a show

this fall, Homecoming is promising the publication of plays they have presented by resident playwright Bicknell.

Ithaca College (ithaca.edu/mtd)

IC’s pre-professional theatre program for undergrads has been the launching pad of many actors on and off Broadway over the years (recent alums include Broadway stars Jeremy Jordan and Aaron Tveit.) Each year they offer a robust season including six “mainstage plays” (generally including two musicals and an opera).

Kicking off the IC season is the Thornton Wilder’s evergreen Our Town, directed by Cynthia Henderson (Oct. 4–19). Henderson has a special knack with ensemble work.

November 12–18 sees Little Women: The Musical by Jason Howland (music), Mindi Dickstein (lyrics), and Allan Knee (book, adapted from Louisa May Alcott.)

Contemporary playwright Jen Silverman’s Witch (Dec. 3–8) rounds out the fall. “A charming devil arrives in the quiet village of Edmonton to bargain for the souls of its residents in exchange for their darkest wishes.”

Their spring mainstage shows will feature Handel’s Acis and Galatea, the mu-

sical Spring Awakening, and Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors.

Cornell Performing & Media Arts (pma.cornell.edu)

The Cherry’s Artistic Director Sam Buggeln guests at Cornell’s Schwartz Center to direct I Want a Country by Andreas

Flourakis. “What do you do when the country you considered yourself at home in suddenly seems to be falling apart?” This internationally produced play is ‘open text.’ “Dialogue is not assigned to characters but emerges from the ensemble.” (Oct. 24 & 25, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 in the Flex Theatre, Schwartz Center.)

The Kitchen Theatre’s season opened with “Bad Books,” a production tackling censorship with humor.

(Photo: Provided/Rachel Philipson)

Scratched Vinyl, and Dan Segal and Friends.

Six Mile Creek Winery & Distillery will fill out Thursday nights through September with the Yardvarks, Darkwine and True Bleu, so if you taste is more acoustic and veers towards the folk-pop or folkrock lane, this is the place for you.

South Hill Cider continues its Jazz

Monday’s series until mid-October with Dave Davies’ RhythmMakers alternating weeks with MAQ. Friday nights feature the bigger and better known acts such as Maddy Walsh and the Blind Spots, Gunpoets, The Notorious String Busters, as well as longtime hometown favorite Donna the Buffalo.

Hopshire Farm and Brewery in Freeville offers live music into December with its twice monthly Thursday night Brewhouse Blues Jams. Local musicians, professionals to novices, gather to strut their stuff, supported by the house band.

For current exhibitions, hours and more, visit museum.cornell.edu

@thejohnsonmuseum

Friday nights are filled with an array of established Ithaca-based bands such as Bad Alibi, Off The Rails, GoGone, and Cielle on Solid Ground.

Other Venues

The State Theatre, a large and historic performance venue, regularly draws big name popular music acts as well as comedy shows, acrobatic and dance performances. Upcoming performances include Trombone Shorty, Steve Hackett (from Genesis), Dark Star Orchestra, Wood Brothers, Bela Fleck, and tribute bands mimicking Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Queen.

The local folk music scene is vibrant, lively and by its nature often flies under the advertising radar. WVBR’s 93.5 Sunday night live folk music radio broadcast Bound for Glory has been on the air since 1967. Starting on September 28, they will offer live Sunday afternoon concerts from Lansing Area Performance Hall at 1004 Auburn Rd, North Lansing. It’s a converted small church with excellent acoustics, creating a warm and cozy listening space if you can make out there.

Final Thoughts

Many of the other performance venues and clubs in Ithaca offer music on an occa-

sional basis. It’s always best to check their websites, but even that can be hit or miss depending how often they are updated, so “your mileage may vary.”

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.

Ithaca’s eclectic music scene thrives with vibrant venues.

(Photo: Mark Syvertson/Ithaca Times File)

NEW PRESERVE ON SOUTH HILL

continued from page 3

The board authorized the hiring of T.G. Miller, P.C. to perform a boundary survey and subdivision mapping for the land. The cost of the service is stated in the resolu-

WE THE PEOPLE

continued from page 7

and tells the stories that bring us together. But together, we can. And, together, we must.

Trying to save local journalism isn’t about protecting an industry—it’s about protecting our voice. It’s about defending the truth and preserving our ability to stay informed, involved, and empowered.

As Americans, we know the power of storytelling. We know what it means to speak up when no one else will. And we know that care—for people, for places, for democ-

INDIVISIBLE TOMPKINS

workers, families, seniors and those in vulnerable communities, over billionaires and corporations. We believe in a message of shared responsibility and prosperity.”

Adams continued saying that Indivisible has found it more useful to organize around general values rather than specific policy goals.

“We find it’s more useful to talk about our values [because] policy details change constantly, while our values do not,” Adams said. “We value peace, freedom, justice, responsibility, bringing people together, welcoming and including those who have been left behind, and taking care of children, the environment, and society as a whole.”

The group is advocating for some specific demands at the state level, including asking Governor Kathy Hochul to call a special session in Albany to address the “looming budget gap caused by the Republican cuts to Medicaid and other vital care programs,” Adams said.

“Albany needs to hold a special session to discuss taxing the super wealthy in New York, protecting those who are being targeted by ICE, and passing the New York Health Act,” she added.

Despite polling showing that 74% of New Yorkers support increasing taxes on the state’s wealthiest residents and 90% of Democratic voters support having the government ensure that all Americans have health care coverage, Gov. Houchul has refused to support increasing taxes on the

tion not to exceed $13,650.

The board authorized an appraisal in May 2023, which determined the easement value to be $655,000, with the total cost to acquire the properties being approximately $676,650. The landowners offered to donate $168,000 of the properties’ value. The town received a $50,000 grant from

racy itself—is not weakness. It’s strength.

A Call to Recommit

As we look toward July 4, 2026, it will be important to not only reflect on the past but also claim our place in the future. Let’s ensure that the next generation of storytellers grows up in a democracy that works, that listens, that informs, and that belongs to everyone.

That means supporting local journalism with our attention, our advocacy, and when necessary, our resources. Subscribe. Donate. Share stories. Vote for policies that treat news as a public good. And

wealthy or the New York Health Act, which would create a universal single-payer health care system in the state. However, she did recently endorse New York City Democratic Mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, who supports both of those policies.

When asked if Democrats risk losing elections by not supporting policies favored by majorities of their base, Adams said, “We know that big money in politics is a huge contributor to people feeling disengaged from the voting process and from democracy in general [and] we encourage

the Park Foundation and a $200,000 grant from the Tompkins County Natural Infrastructure Capital Program, leaving the remaining cost to the town at $258,650.

The parcels contain forested areas, several small wetlands and streams and mowed paths currently maintained by the landowners, according to the memo. At

speak out—talk to your sons, daughters, your neighbors, your elected officials— about why truth and integrity matters, and why we simply must not let it disappear quietly.

Democracy is not self-sustaining. It relies on people like us—people who care deeply, who act courageously, and who understand that being informed is not a privilege—it’s a responsibility.

As men, as women, as citizens, and as caretakers of our communities, we must not be just bystanders to democracy. We must be its protectors. We are the keepers of its promises, its hopes, dreams, aspi-

voters to support candidates who don’t take corporate PAC money or AIPAC money and who want to tax the super rich.” She added, “Democrats can win more elections by adopting economic populist messages that also focus on fairness, freedom, and ending corruption.”

Adams said Democrats should campaign on themes that resonate with a broad base of voters, such as healthcare, housing, affordability, education, childcare, and transportation.

“Democrats should be pointing out that

this time, the town plans to maintain and expand existing paths.

“These parcels could help connect several neighborhoods with off-road walking trails, along with potential connections to the Ithaca College Natural Lands and the Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies property,” Smith wrote.

rations and intentions. And right now, democracy is asking for our help. Don’t be a hater — be a creator. Don’t judge others — focus on your own actions. And as Master Yoda, from Star Wars famously said “Do or do not. There is no try.

Roy Allen is the Executive Director of Pathways to Equity, the parent of the Finger Lakes Community Newspaper group which publishes the Ithaca Times, the Trumansburg Free Press, the Interlaken Review, the Ovid Gazette, the News Chronicle, and the Tompkins Independent — as well as its digital treasure — ithaca.com.

they are the party of freedom and opportunity, not the party of corruption and greed,” she said. “Democrats also need to make room for new energetic candidates with charisma and fresh ideas. As an Indivisible group, we are looking to support candidates who have these messages and these qualities.”

According to Adams, democratic candidates who want to win elections need to learn how to “feel the pain” of their constituents. She said these characteristics “seem to have more influence over how someone votes than actual policy positions.”

Arts & Entertainment “The Hello Girls” Opens at Syracuse Stage

By Barbara Adams

With two great forces divided, entrenched, “imagine if the world as you know it might fall.” At this opening call, the audience shivers, thinking of today’s global and national conflicts. But soon enough we’re whisked back to another period of strife: the First World War. It’s 1918, and the United States, engaged for a year already, desperately needs improved communications.

The unprecedented answer: General John Pershing puts out a call for experienced female switchboard operators fluent in French and English. Over 7,600 women apply, and some 233 are ultimately chosen for the Signal Corps. They’re the very first women inducted into the U.S. Army, with military training, uniforms, pay — and eventually assignments at the front.

This is the fascinating story behind the 2018 musical “The Hello Girls,” currently opening Syracuse Stage’s 52nd season. Peter Mills wrote the music and lyrics, and co-wrote the book with Cara Reichel, who also directs this production.

Backed by a splendid all-female team of designers, Riechel stages the action compellingly. At first glance we’re conveyed to an earlier era,

“The Hello Girls,”

music and lyrics by Peter Mills, book by Peter Mills and Cara Reichel. Directed by Cara Reichel. At Syracuse Stage, 820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse. Through Sept. 28. Tickets at syracusestage.org and 315-443-3275.

one of high craftsmanship, when time itself seemed slower. The rich two-level mahogany set by Milagros Ponce de León simply glows under the inspired and emotive lighting of Dawn Chiang. As the action shifts from the phone company to the transport ship, then on to the barracks and battlefield, the versatile set transforms with it. Tall windows, both above and below, reveal extensive switchboard circuitry, or the coast of France and the rolling sea, or the chaos of combat. (Fine video design by Caite Hevner.) The effect is one of total immersion. And that’s underscored by Jen Caprio’s military uniforms — in their long deep blue coats and sharp caps, the women have real presence.

The narrative itself (along with the lyrics) is fairly straightforward, almost ingenuous, relating how the young women operators respond to the opportunity to support their country (and also have a grand adventure). After some discord, they gradually band into a unified team — patriotic and proud of their new responsibilities. And of course, they’re increasingly vocal about how they’re treated by the servicemen. A feminist sensibility emerges naturally and resolutely as the women become more self-realized.

Their supervisor, Grace Banker — at 25, a senior (and long-unpromoted) Bell Telephone operator from New Jersey — leads them tenaciously forward, from initial fears to grace under fire. A statuesque Chessa Metz plays her as a natural leader, authoritative yet kind, winning both the trust and affection of the women under her charge. Metz’s charisma is matched by her powerful voice throughout, especially in the feisty “Twenty,” where Grace lists 20 reasons why, compare to men, her women are up to the challenge of serving on the front (“13: we’re cooler under

pressure, 14: working round the clock, we’re fresher…”).

Her greatest obstacle is Lt. Joseph Riser, whose command is to monitor the rambunctious new unit. Sam Simahk’s Riser is bythe-book and fairly skeptical. He reluctantly comes to recognize the women’s efficiency (connecting a call in 10 seconds, whereas the previous male operators averaged 60). And he’s grudgingly impressed by their bilingualism. In Simahk’s hands, Riser is tough, but the hidden caring comes through. And like all the featured vocalists in this show, Simakh excels.

Along with Grace, four other talented women represent the distinct personalities of her crew. Storm Lever’s Suzanne is sassy and sharp; Alex Humphreys’ Helen Hill, a farmgirl, is lovably naïve and wacky. The eldest, at 33, Jamila Sabares-Klemm’s Bertha is reliably sensitive and sensible. And as clever Louise, the French-American, Sophia Anna O’Brien is downright rebellious, leading the girls in a jaunty call to partying late, “Je M’En Fiche” (“I don’t care”).

One doughboy distinguishes himself, being blunt and funny and crushing on Suzanne: Andrew Mayer’s Private Matterson, radiating personality. And when Christopher Carl enters the action, you’d think General Pershing himself had arrived; towering, robust, and handsome, he’s every inch the heroic commanding officer.

Ensemble members round out the action as other enlisted men and women, guided by Christine O’Grady’s pleasing musical staging. Under Ben Moss and Alexandra Crosby, the orchestra provides compelling music, which, thanks to Jessica Paz’s admirable sound design,

Chessa Metz stars as Grace Banker, who led the bilingual switchboard operators known as the Hello Girls, in Syracuse Stage’s production running through Sept. 28. (Photo: Provided/Syracuse Stage)

Cast members of “The Hello Girls” portray the pioneering women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, the first female soldiers to serve on the front lines during World War I, in Syracuse Stage’s season opener. (Photo: Provided/Syracuse Stage)

Christopher Gonzales Looks at Father’s Past in New Memoir

By Barbara Adams

This week marks the opening of National Hispanic Heritage Month, whose 2025 theme is “Collective Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future.” Propitiously, this Thursday Buffalo Street Books features a reading by a local author with Mexican heritage, Christopher Gonzales. His debut book, “Return of the Lost Son: Memories of My Wayward Father,” was published last month by LSU Press. It recounts his long search for his father’s hidden past, nearly obliterated by early onset Alzheimer’s. Gonzales will be reading on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 5 p.m. at Buffalo Street Books in the Dewitt Mall, followed by a conversation with fiction author Raul Palma. He spoke recently with Ithaca Times journalist Barbara Adams about his new work.

Ithaca Times: What were the roots of this memoir? How did you decide to begin writing it?

Chris Gonzales: It wasn’t until I was 28, in 2000, when I left Chicago with my wife, who’d gotten a Fulbright to study in Mexico. I had a not very clear plan to investigate business opportunities, but when we arrived it in Mexico City, it was bewildering. Lots of architecture, monuments everywhere — it’s a place that pushes your consciousness. Soon I realized that my family history wouldn’t let me slide into a world of easy capitalism. My North American Review essay, “My Own Lost Mexico,” describes that time — a classic story of a Mexican American going to Mexico and uncovering this more urgent need to tell about his family’s heritage.

“THE

lets us clearly hear all the dialogue and lyrics. The songs vary, ranging from uptempo razzle-dazzle showtunes to ragtime, military marches, and anthems, with some rhythms even echoing “A Chorus Line” and “Ragtime” numbers.

IT: But you began writing the story as a novel�

CG: Yes, and the writing was bad, chaotic. I had a lot to learn. I wanted to sublimate my experience, turn it into some higher form of art. Some people flinch at the idea of Alzheimer’s, and I didn’t want to present naked suffering, rather events clothed in art. But after a couple of years of writing, it became obvious that I was drawing on real memories. Still, I could conjure conversations, use my imagination. I worked on the book for 22 years, off and on — sometimes wishing the project would go away and not have such a draw on me. But it was something I had to finish.

I knew there was part of my father’s story that ran through Ithaca. He’d lived here in the 1960s, hung out with bohemian types. When my wife got a teaching position at Ithaca College and we moved here in 2003, I sort of felt like my father’s ghost was controlling my movements.

IT: It’s a slender memoir — only 153 pages — but highly intricate, with revisited stories and lapidary details�

CG: The story jumps around in time, which was partly the way the book was written, and partly because I could only organize by theme, not time or place. I realized a single linear narrative wasn’t going to work. I wanted the effect to be as if you’re lost in time.

IT: The opening chapter is striking — where you first begin to notice your father’s erratic behavior�

CG: This story of our family traveling to Texas, that for me was the opening —

Growing up in a military family, I can’t help succumbing to the idealism of what might seem a simpler moral time, when these young women without the right to vote fought to put their lives on the line for their country. But “The Hello Girls” doesn’t let one linger in nostalgia; its second act addresses the women’s reality: On returning home triumphant, they learned

starting in the middle with all the detail flying at us at once. That first chapter attempts to answer when my father began to change. There was no one event. You’re putting together the fragments, discovering when your loved one slowly disappears. Understanding it is a long, drawn-out trajectory, over years.

Author Christopher Gonzales will read from his debut memoir at Buffalo Street Books on Sept. 18 as part of National Hispanic Heritage Month. (Photo: Barbara Adams/Ithaca Times)

Gonzales’ memoir, Return of the Lost Son: Memories of My Wayward Father, explores his father’s hidden past and the impact of early onset Alzheimer’s. (Photo: Provided)

Also, I chose that beginning because the trip was my father’s search for his parents, which resonates with my own search for mine. I was seeking to understand my father and his life, but the book is also an act of pushing against the catastrophe of early onset Alzheimer’s. This disease devastates families and individuals at the prime of their lives. My father was 54 when it happened. I was 16 then, and from that point on, I didn’t have my father to ask all the advice and life questions I wanted.

IT: Your pursuit of your father’s story took you to many places, interviewing his long-ago friends and family members� He’d had three previous marriages and other children, all abandoned� Connecting to them widened your own family�

CG: Yes, I was just out visiting Gabriela, my half-sister, near San Francisco. Over the years, I spoke with over two dozen people, which makes the story more complex than just telling it alone. For a long time, I was driven by the idea

they would be considered “contract employees” and not entitled to veteran status, pay, or honors. The war over, their fight continued, and not until 1979, under President Carter, did they receive this recognition. At that juncture, only 33 of the women were still living. In this unforgettable production of “The Hello Girls,” Cara Reichel and her

that I could save my father, or somehow honor him, by recapturing every memory that was taken away. I was searching for the father my mother respected. In her own novel, she romanticized him and their relationship. To his friends, he was legendary, warm and charming, loved to socialize. I never got to meet that man. But his friends also told dark stories, and I realized I was trying to protect my father and felt guilt over telling his secrets. At times I felt like I’d failed as a son and a writer. But finally, I do think I honor him. He was a complicated person, and life is contradictory — literature allows us to make sense of that.

IT: Your final chapter makes that kind of sense: observing the Day of the Dead in Mexico and visiting a volcano interwoven with scenes of your father’s last days� CG: It’s an acknowledgement of death’s power, very personal and real. Death comes for all of us, and we can develop the power to think about it more often. It’s motivating to me personally — I’m nearly the age my father was when he started showing signs of dementia. But writing this memoir has been a kind of survival, of an identity both personal and cultural.

crew have created a world that we can step back into, enjoy, and reflect on; we can perhaps even be stirred to connect our history to our present.

Barbara Adams is a regional theatre and arts journalist and retired professor of writing, Ithaca College.

HELLO GIRLS”

vote to extend a contract for reasons that are largely speculative in nature.”

Members who voted for the renewal said that public input on personnel matters such as contracts is unusual and that this item was discussed in multiple executive sessions.

“For me, I struggle with an open forum on a personnel matter,” Eversley Bradwell said. “There’s no other job that I know of in Ithaca that would open up a public conversation on a personnel matter. [...] While it’s a public position funded with public tax dollars, we have 1,000 public employees funded with public tax dollars.”

Blalock, who is the chair of the board’s finance committee, voted to renew Brown’s contract because he said the district needs stable leadership as it undergoes a study of potential restructuring. He added that the district faces uncertainty of state and federal funding in the coming years.

“If we want to sustain the fiscal health of this district and engage in the tough conversations and the hard work in doing that, it is my belief that we need to have consistent leadership with a well-documented transition plan,” Blalock said.

BARBARA ADAMS

continued from page 7

Barbara believes that theater allows us to see our own lives vividly, in perspective and at a reflective distance. “Good theater for me has an immediacy that no other art form has. It’s liberating.”

And reviewing, Barbara says, isn’t just an opinion. “Yes, it’s evaluation, based on directorial intention, the abilities of performers and designers, and regional and economic context. For example, a reviewer needs to under-

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

continued from page 6

Raise The Personal Needs Allowance for Nursing Home Residents – Help Restore Dignity

“Imagine you’ve paid off your primary living expenses, and now you’re left with a mere $50 monthly to buy a gift card for your grandchild, a favorite snack, better-fitting clothes, or countless other necessities.

Such is the case for tens of thousands of residents in nursing homes across New York State. This small sum — $50 — is

Brown is the highest paid district employee, making over $292,000 annually under his current contract with varying raises of approximately 4% each year.

In 2021, he abruptly resigned to take a position as head of equity, diversity and inclusion for global education company Discovery Education. There was speculation that his departure was tied to a public legal battle with his ex-wife, a claim Brown and board officials denied. Just weeks later and days before his planned departure, Brown retracted his resignation.

Brown’s decision not to pursue a contract renewal in 2024 came as the district proposed a re-vote budget after voters rejected its first. The budget cycle saw widespread criticism for its above average proposed increases to the tax levy. In a statement to the Ithaca Times last year on his decision, Brown said, “This work as a school and community leader is taxing — physically taxing, communally taxing, emotionally taxing, and personally taxing. [...] This is a reset button on the who, why, and how of education in Ithaca and beyond.”

On Tuesday night, several community members attended the meeting and urged board members to vote against Brown’s proposed contract renewal or table the de-

stand what it means to produce a show with a limited budget and one week of rehearsal. But I hope a good review is also informative, even educational — providing historical and thematic perspective.”

Barbara’s reviews are known for their depth of perception and observation but also their lack of snark. “I love the art

I’m covering,” she says, “so even though I’m clearly not a publicist, I’m nevertheless trying to promote the work and get people interested in it. I want to see theater continue and thrive.”

called the personal needs allowance, or PNA. For nursing home residents whose primary payor source is Medicaid, it’s the monthly discretionary amount that they can spend on personal items such as toiletries, a phone service, stamps and stationery, or other similar items of their choice.

Stunningly, the $50 PNA limit in New York hasn’t increased since 1988 — nearly four decades ago — and 28 states allow higher amounts. Simply adjusting for inflation, $50 is equivalent to $140 in today’s dollars.

Under Medicaid, nursing facilities are responsible for providing for a resident’s basic needs: nursing services, activities,

cision. The majority of the 18 speakers cited teacher turnover rates, academically underperforming schools and lack of public input as reasons to table or reject the resolution.

Tara Riley, a parent of two children in the district, said renewing Brown’s contract undermines his promise of a “reset.”

“Under the current superintendent’s leadership, we’ve seen a disastrous decline in student achievement, the teachers are leaving at alarming rates, morale is low, trust has eroded,” Riley said. “The data, the lived experience of educators and families alike, paint a clear picture: this administration has failed to deliver on its most fundamental promises.”

The decision comes as hundreds of Ithaca Teachers Association (ITA) members return to school working under an expired contract after ICSD and the union failed to reach an agreement earlier this year across six months of bargaining.

ITA president Kathryn Cernera said she received calls Tuesday morning before the meeting asking for the union’s position on the renewal, which she couldn’t provide without consulting ITA members. She told the board that although Brown’s renewal may have been discussed at length in executive sessions, this is the first the public is hearing of it.

“It’s important to remember that all

WORLD CHESS BOXING CHAMPIONSHIPS

continued from page 13

develop an array of skills. Boxing was a new lane for me.”

Will is one of about a dozen members of Team USA headed to Serbia, and when asked how he merged the two lanes of boxing and chess, he said, “I saw a video clip of Chess Boxing on social media, and I followed up and went to a Showcase in Atlanta. I met the guy who is the main organizer, the ambassador, who is

room and board, and routine personal hygiene items. But Medicaid does not pay for other personal items or services, including items that an individual might prefer, such as a favorite book, hobby materials, clothing, and other items that a person deems necessary, meaningful, and therefore intrinsic to their overall well-being.

The PNA is set by New York State Law. Any change must happen in the state budget process by raising the PNA to a livable threshold.

New York State’s Long Term Care Ombudsman Program is an advocate for residents of nursing homes and other

executive sessions happen behind closed doors, and that the taxpayers you represent never have access to those discussions,” Cernera said. “While I understand your board directives may not dictate soliciting public comments before voting on an item of this nature, I believe that you should, and that doing so would help solidify a commitment to listen to the families, staff and students whom you advocate for in your board seats.”

Shiqi Zhang, a resident with two children in the district, urged the board not to renew Brown’s employment. She said the New York State Department of Education identifying ICSD and five of its schools as needing improvement sends a “deeper systematic message.” She called for new leadership.

“While I respect the contributions that the superintendent has made to the district, approving this at this time would be irresponsible and dismissive of the concerns expressed by the community,” Zhang said. “The reality is that the ICSD is facing a lot of challenges — academic, financial and organizational.”

Audience members reacted to the vote with hissing, repeated exclamations of “wow,” and one attendee asking, “And there was no raise for the teachers?”

spearheading the growth of the sport.” MacLeod, being one to maximize opportunity to the greatest extent possible, kept following up and now wearing the Team USA colors.

While Will does admit to a degree of apprehension regarding the potential long term effects of combat sports, he said, “I do have some family members reminding me that effects add up over time, but I am drawn to the sport because it is so honest. You face the fact that there are people who are way better than you, and there's nowhere to hide.”

long-term care facilities. As a regional Ombudsman coordinator, I’ve heard from countless residents who say what a PNA increase would mean for them: “I could breathe easier”; it would be “a new beginning”; I’d “feel human again.”

Sign our petition, and call the Governor, your State Assembly Member, and your Senator. Urge an increase to the Personal Needs Allowance in this year’s state budget. Visit https://forms.office.com/g/ urMXCZJy42

The writer is the Long Term Care Ombudsman Coordinator for Region #12, which covers Chemung, Schuyler, and Tompkins Counties.” — Katherine Lyon

Cernera said.

She said ITA seeks dignified healthcare for retirees because a good pension and health insurance is needed for a secure retirement. Cernera said teachers' paychecks decreased due to increased health insurance premiums. Teachers pay around 22% of the premium, with the district covering the remainder.

A point of contention is the district's push to switch from the current Medicare supplemental plan to a Medicare Advantage plan. According to Cernera, ITA favors the current supplemental plan because it provides retirees with no network restrictions and low out-of-pocket costs. She said Medicare advantage plans are full of networks, referrals and HMOs. The supplemental plan has the district paying higher premiums and low out-of-pocket costs for teachers, while the advantage

INNOVATION

continued from page 8

needs, acknowledging contributions fosters authentic collaboration. To avoid challenges like burnout or uneven participation, we’ll distribute responsibilities thoughtfully—students might focus on technical aspects like SEO or design, while our team ensures content aligns with our mission. Addressing conflicts early through transparent dialogue will maintain momentum. This approach not only strengthens our digital platform but also builds a sense of community among contributors, reinforcing the Ithaca Times’ role as a local anchor.

Evidence of Impact

Data supports this collaborative model: studies show that communities with high

plan would feature the opposite.

“Our plan guarantees that for the rest of your life you will have coverage when you need it and where you need it,” Cernera said. “They want us to switch to a plan that we only get coverage if [the] employer and insurance company are willing to pay for it.”

ITA secretary Aurora Rojer said the district’s family leave policy needs improvement. Rojer, a ninth-grade social studies teacher, said the current structure for parental leave–up to six weeks of their sick leave for a vaginal birth and up to eight weeks for a C-section—is inadequate. She said this forces new parents to exhaust their sick days, leaving them with no paid time off if their child gets sick later.

“You shouldn’t use up all your sick days and then not have any more days to take care of this still very small baby,” Rojer said.

The union wants six days for prenatal appointments and 12 weeks of paid parental leave after childbirth, a time Rojer

member involvement, such as volunteerdriven or cross-generational projects, report 30-50% higher satisfaction and retention rates than top-down initiatives. Similarly, businesses that integrate student talent through experiential learning see up to 25% higher innovation outcomes, according to educational research. By engaging tech-savvy students and educators, the Ithaca Times is not only preserving its legacy but also ensuring its relevance in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

A Collective Effort for a Stronger Future

This collaboration is like a potluck— everyone brings something unique to the table, creating a richer outcome. The Ithaca Times team, Professor Kasiri, and her MBA students are rowing in the same direction, united by a shared vision to modernize

called the “fourth trimester” that allows a birthing parent and baby to recover. The union also wants to give birth-giving parents access to the ITA’s sick bank if they need more days. It would also be extended to teachers caring for ailing parents. While ICSD proposed having teachers use the sick bank instead of personal sick days, it included a stipulation that teachers would have to work for six years before the district reimburses the sick bank.

Rojer said multiple ITA members described the district’s six-year proposal as “indentured servitude” and a form of control, instead of rewarding teachers.

Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo attended the rally to show solidarity with the teachers as mayor and a parent of a ICSD student. He hopes they get a fair contract with wages that alleviate the high cost of living in Ithaca.

“The fact that they are operating without a contract right now is unconscionable, especially given some of the recent deci-

www.ithaca.com while preserving the heart of local journalism. This collective effort ensures that our weekly news continues to serve as a vital community resource, amplified by the energy and expertise of the

sions the school board has taken around leadership contracts,” Cantelmo said.

Cantelmo questioned the district’s decision to extend Brown’s contract while teachers remained without one. He accused some school board members of betraying their promises to support educators. Some board members who voted to extend Brown’s contract, including Erin Croyle, Madeline Cardona and Karen Yearwood, were endorsed by the ITA in the most recent board election.

“This board has turned their backs on the very people who put them in office,” Cantelmo said. “It is undemocratic, it is unrepresentative, and it was a vote to side with management over the workers.”

Cantelmo said his son’s teacher, a lifelong Tompkins County resident, left the district for another job. He attributed this to ICSD’s failure to offer a fair wage and said teachers cannot afford to live in the communities where they work. He said ICSD should prioritize people, not spreadsheets.

next generation. By embracing tech-savvy students and partnering with educators, we’re building a stronger, more connected community—one that honors our legacy while boldly stepping into the future.

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Events this Week

9/17 Wednesday

Certified Group Hypnosis Session | 10:00 a.m. | This transformative series of Certified Group Hypnosis sessions will focus on personal change and the power of the subconscious mind. Led by Lynn Winters, a Certified Hypnosis Practitioner, who will guide participants through a variety of techniques to provide a deeply restorative experience. | Foundation of Light, 391 Turkey Hill Road, Ithaca | $30.00 - $40.00

Midday Music for Organ: Jennifer Shin and Jasmine Ngai (CU Music) | 12:30 p.m. | “The Multifaceted Bach”: A program exploring the many forms and styles of Johann Sebastian Bach. | Anabel Taylor Chapel, 548 College Ave., Ithaca | Free

Sarah Smelser | Hodophilia | 1:00 p.m. | Sarah Smelser | Hodophilia A hodophile is a lover of travel, a wanderer, someone who travels to escape, walks to learn about the world and to repeatedly discover oneself, and the works in this show are inspired by such journeys—from the island of Greece to the hills of California and New M | The Ink Shop 330 E. MLK/ State St., Ithaca | Free

Good Grief Circle | 2:00 p.m. | The Age Well Center, 165 Main St., Cortland

CLIMATE LIT. DISCUSSION — LET’S

READ + TALK ABOUT CLIMATE | 4:30 p.m. | Join us at Buffalo Street Books for community discussions about climate change, seen through fiction and non-fiction books! | Buffalo Street Books, 215 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca | Free

LGBTQ+ Youth Group | 5:45 p.m. | Join us at LGBTQ+ Youth Group to do crafts, play games, and socialize. |

THIS WEEK

Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca The Writers’ Room | 6:00 p.m. | Work on your writing project in the company of other writers. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca | Free Astrology Meeting | 6:00 p.m. | We learn astrology together and would love to have you join us. All knowledge levels welcome. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E. Green Street, Ithaca | Free DJ Trivia with Dave Ashton | 6:30 p.m. | Join Dave Ashton for a challenging round of “ DJ Trivia” at Hopshire Farm and Brewery! | Hopshire Farm and Brewery, 1771 Dryden Road, Freeville | Free Ithaca Community Chorus first rehearsal | 6:30 p.m. | First rehearsal of the Fall 2025 semester for a January 17 performance of “Great Opera Choruses.” No audition; first three rehearsals free to try; dues scholarships available. Details at https://acithaca. org/groups/icccs/info/ | St. Paul's United Methodist Church 402 North Aurora Street, Ithaca | Free Faculty Recital — Jared Wallis, trumpet | 7:00 p.m. | Ithaca College trumpet professor, Jared Wallis, will be giving a recital in collaboration with pianist Zachary Peterson. | Ithaca College School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, 953 Danby Rd., Ithaca | Free PICTURING THE WORLD: LIFE Magazine and the Work of Margaret Bourke White | 7:00 p.m. | Join Carol Hockett to explore the 20th century through LIFE magazine and photographer Margaret BourkeWhite, whose work spanned the Great Depression, WWII, and beyond.Wed, Sept 17 · 7 PM, Lansing Community Library | Lansing Community Library, 27 Auburn Rd., Lansing | Free Trivia! | 7:00 p.m. | Trivia Night with Bob Proehl at Liquid State! | Liquid

State Brewery, 620 West Green Street, Ithaca | Free

Bad Books | 7:00 p.m. | In this blistering dark dramedy, a mother declares war against her local library and sets off a chain reaction of unimaginable consequences. | Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W. State / W. MLK, Jr. Street, Ithaca | $10.00 - $55.00

Wednesday Open Mic Night at The Nocturnal Café! | 7:00 p.m. | Free weekly Wednesday Open Mic night at The Nocturnal Café, Ithaca’s nightlife alternative, featuring music, poetry, dance and more! | The Nocturnal Café, 103 S Geneva St., Ithaca | Free Ithaca Field Hockey vs SUNY Brockport | 7:00 p.m. | Higgins Stadium, Ithaca College

An Evening with Cowboy Junkies — Celebrating 40 Years | 7:30 p.m.

| An evening with Cowboy Junkies promises a career-spanning show, including songs from their recent album, ‘Such Ferocious Beauty’, which was released worldwide in 2023, to universal critical acclaim. | Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca

Loudon Wainwright III / Chris Smither — In Concert | 8:00 p.m. |It was the late 1960 ’s on Charles Street in Boston, outside one of the legendary clubs during the | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S Main St., Homer

9/18 Thursday

Imaginary Landscapes | 12:00 p.m.

| Imaginary Landscapes Paintings by Barbara Behrmann and Katrina Morse

| State of the Art Gallery, 120 West State Street, Ithaca | Free

GO ITHACA Open Hours | 2:00 p.m.

| Join GO ITHACA for Open Hours at TCPL! | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca

Family & Children’s Services Tabling | 2:00 p.m. | Stop by to learn about the programs and services that Family & Children’s Services of

Ithaca offers | Tompkins County Public Library 101 East Green Street, Ithaca

Toni Morrison: Literature and Public Life | 3:30 p.m. | A four-day event featuring films, panels, workshops, the unveiling of two murals and other activities will celebrate the 70th anniversary of her degree, life and work. Visit https://tonimorrison. cornell.edu/ for details. | Various Cornell Locations Ithaca

Third Thursday Artist Alley Open Studio | 4:00 p.m. | Join us for the monthly Artist Alley’s Open Studio Night. | Artist Alley at South Hill Business Campus, 950 Danby Rd., Ithaca | Free

The Salvation Army Soup-er Supper & Auction | 4:30 p.m. | Includes soup, salad, bread, and drink. Soups are Chili, Broccoli Cheddar (vegetarian), Minestrone (Vegan, Gluten Free) and Chicken Corn Chowder | Salvation Army, 150 N. Albany St., Ithaca | $15.00

Zalaznick Reading Series: Reading by Kevin Young | 5:00 p.m. |The Fall 2025 Zalaznick Reading Series kicks off with a reading by Kevin Young.| Rhodes-Rawling Auditorium, Klarman Hall KG70 232 East Ave, Ithaca | Free Return of The Lost Son — Christopher Gonzales | 5:00 p.m. | Join us at Buffalo Street Books with author Christopher Gonzales to celebrate the release of Return of The Lost Son. | Buffalo Street Books, 215 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca | Free Native Plant Gardening: Gardening for Life | 5:30 p.m. | Join us for the first presentation in our Native Plant Gardening series. | CCE-Tompkins Education Center, 615 Willow Avenue, Ithaca | $20.00

Surf Renegades | 5:30 p.m. | Come enjoy cider, delicious food, beautiful views, and live music at South Hill Cider! | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Road, Ithaca

Life Skills: Dollars and Decisions | 6:00 p.m. | An engaging 8-week course designed to provide the real-world money skills that kids actually need. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca Forests, Farms, and Floods: Agroforestry and Water in Tompkins County | 6:00 p.m. | Join Harry Greene of Propagate for a presentation and discussion about forests, farms, and | Newfield Public Library, 198 Main Street, Newfield | Free Why Luxury is a Vice (And Not Necessarily Good for the Economy Either) | 6:00 p.m. | COLLIS Institute will be presenting “ Why Luxury is a Vice—And Not Necessarily Good for the Economy Either,” a lecture by David Cloutier (Notre Dame) at 6 p.m. on Sept. 18 at Cornell University. | 398 Statler Hall, Cornell University, 106 Statler Drive, Ithaca | Free Joe Pawelek, Ithaca Beer Co.’s own BREWMASTER | 6:00 p.m. | Joe Pawelek, Ithaca Beer Co.’s own BREWMASTER, plays Ithaca Beer Taproom on Thursday, Sep. 18, from 6-8 p.m.! No cover charge! This Thursday, our very own brewmaster, Joe Pawelek, will play an acoustic collection inspired by his travels, family, dogs, and of course...beer! Bring the entire family! | Ithaca Beer Taproom, 122 ITHACA BEER DRIVE, Ithaca | Free Discover Improv | 6:00 p.m. | A fun, low-pressure intro to improv-no experience needed, just show up and play. | The Cherry Arts, 102 Cherry St., Ithaca, NY 14850, United States, Ithaca | $25.00

Reproductive Rights Film Festival | 7:00 p.m. | Reproductive Rights Film Festival returns to Cinemapolis this September with films, panels, and community dialogue on abortion access and reproductive rights. | Cinemapolis, 120 E. Green Street, Ithaca | Free

9/19 Friday

NY State Ornithological Association 2025 Conference | 1:00 p.m. | Join us in Ithaca for a weekend celebrating the birds and birders of New York State! | Ithaca Downtown Conference Center (IDCC), 116 E Green St., Ithaca | $5.00 - $85.00 Fall Fun Yoga Series | 4:00 p.m. | Children are welcome to join us as we welcome autumn in a yoga series that flows with the seasons! | Tompkins

County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca

Ithaca Volleyball vs Swarthmore vs. Smith College | 4:00 p.m. | Ben Light Gymnasium, Ithaca College

15th Annual Tagore Lecture— Mixed Metaphors: Adventures in Translationland | 4:30 p.m. | Booker Prize-winning author, translator & artist Daisy Rockwell shares some of her own handcrafted metaphors for translation and explores the many dimensions of the art. | A. D. White House, 29 East Avenue, Ithaca | Free Spanish Story Time | 5:00 p.m. | The Latino Civic Association invites you to celebrate Latin Heritage Month! | Community School of Music and Arts, 330 East State Street, Ithaca New Planets | 5:30 p.m. | Join us for the South Hill Cider Golden Hour Music Series! | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Road, Ithaca

Live Music — Go Gone | 6:00 p.m. | Come on over for captivating music with GoGone! | Hopshire Farm & Brewery, 1771 Dryden Rd., Freeville Ithaca Volleyball vs New York University | 6:30 p.m. | Ben Light Gymnasium, Ithaca College Senior Recital: Harry PogorzelskiPonichtera, composition | 7:00 p.m. | Ford Hall, Ithaca College

X Ambassadors — The VHS(X) North American Tour (Night 1) | 7:00 p.m. | State Theatre of Ithaca, 107 West State St., Ithaca Rhinestones and Rust | 7:30 p.m. |Experience the dynamic fusion of classic and contemporary country music with Rhinestones & Rust. | 6 On The Square, 6 Lafayette Park, Oxford | $20.00 - $25.00

9/20 Saturday

New York State Boater Safety Course | 8:30 a.m. | 8 hours of instruction with 1 hour exam — ongoing breaks with 45-minute lunch break (dine in or | US Coast Guard AUX Flotilla 2-2 Base Building, 508 Old Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca | $35.00 - $50.00 United Way of Tompkins County's “Day of Caring” | 9:00 a.m. | Get ready to give back at United Way of Tompkins County ’s “ Day of Caring ”.| YMCA of Ithaca and Tompkins County, 50 Graham Road W, Ithaca | Free Introduction to Performance Storytelling Workshop | 10:00 a.m. | Join us at CSMA for a storytelling

X AMBASSADORS — THE VHS(X) NORTH AMERICAN TOUR TWO NIGHTS! FRIDAY, SEPT. 19 AND SATURDAY, SEPT. 20 AT 8:00 PM

TCQG 2025 QUILT SHOW! 50 YEARS OF TRADITIONS AND BEYOND SATURDAY, SEPT. 20 AND SUNDAY, SEPT. 21 AT 10:00 AM

Cirque Us Stories

September 20–21, at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Cherry Artspace, 102 Cherry St., Ithaca

An Ithaca favorite company returns, launching folktales and classic literature off the page with twists and backflips (Photo: Provided)

workshop led by Jay Leeming! In this workshop we will learn how to take traditional myths, fairy tales, folk tales and epics from the page into our voices so as to perform them for others. | Ithaca Community School of Music and Arts, 330 East State Street, Ithaca | $24.00 - $32.00

Tough Turtle Junior | 10:00 a.m. | This event invites Junior Tough Turtles to run, climb, leap, and crawl their way through a thrilling, natureinspired obstacle course at ICG. | Ithaca Children’s Garden, 121 Turtle Lane, Ithaca

TCQG 2025 QUILT SHOW! 50 Years of Traditions and Beyond | 10:00 a.m. | 50 Years of Traditions and Beyond, the Tompkins County County Quilter ’s Guild 2025 Quilt Show features more than 300 quilts, vendors, special exhibits, and so much more! | Tompkins Cortland Community College Field House in Dryden, New York 170 North St., Dryden | $10.00 Singsong Music Class with Amy | 10:15 a.m. | SingSong is a fun-filled “class ” for little ones and parents/ caregivers to enjoy music together in a circle setting. | Lodi Whittier Library, 8484 S Main St., Lodi | Free Cirque Us: Stories | 11:00 a.m. | Stories is a gorgeously curated show from the Ithaca-favorite company Cirque Us | The Cherry Arts, 102 Cherry St., Ithaca | $15.00 - $65.00 The Sisters Fitz&Startz: September Daze | 11:00 a.m. | The delight-

fully eccentric Sisters Fitz&Startz and their talented students in a new musical for the whole family. | Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W. State / W. MLK, Jr. Street, Ithaca | $10.00

Swifty Spectacular, featuring the Swifty 5K | 11:00 a.m. | Come join us Saturday, September 20th, 2025 for our BIGGEST event of the year! | Greek Peak Mountain Resort, 2000 Rt. 392, Cortland

Cornell Sprint Football vs Navy | 12:00 p.m. | Schoellkopf Field 513 Campus Rd., Ithaca

Assemblage and Collage exhibit at The Gallery at South Hill | 12:00 p.m. | Assemblage and Collage features the works of Jackie Dickinson, Chris Knickerbocker, Carol LaBorie, Rachel Philipson, Mary Reynolds, Michael Sampson, Dee L. Sprague, and Mia Zufall. All using different forms of Assemblage and Collage. | The Gallery at South Hill, 950 Danby Rd. South Hill Business Campus South Hill Business Campus, Ithaca | Free

Ithaca Volleyball vs NYU vs. Smith College | 12:45 p.m. | Ben Light Gymnasium, Ithaca College

Ithaca Field Hockey vs New Paltz | 1:00 p.m. | Higgins Stadium, | Ithaca College

Chess Quest | 1:00 p.m. | Chess can help improve a child ’s development, so why not make it fun? | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca

Girl in the Glass Coffin | 1:00 p.m. | Step back in time to Oswego, NY, during the fabulous Gilded Age and witness the fascinating true | Cortland County Historical Society at Grace Street, 9 Grace Street, Cortland | $0.00 - $5.00

Cornell Women’s Soccer vs Columbia University | 1:00 p.m. | Berman Field, Cornell

Autumn Still Life Watercolor Workshop | 1:00 p.m. | Join us at CSMA for a seasonal watercolor workshop led by instructor Jennifer Gibson! We will learn some basics through various exercises, then dive into a fall still life scene. | Ithaca Community School of Music and Arts, 330 East State Street, Ithaca | $66.00 - $88.00 Newfield Rod and Gun Club Beef Roast | 1:00 p.m. | Beef Roast with all of the fixings. Beverages for sale. Open to the public. | Newfield Rod and Gun Club, 156 Stark Rd., Newfield | $25.00

Rock the Nursing Home! — A Workshop for Solo Musicians | 1:30 p.m. | Rock the Nursing Home — this free workshop shows you how to do it in a win-win way. | Savage Club’s Lansing Area Performance Hall, 1004 Auburn Road, North Lansing | Free Ithaca Men’s Soccer vs Moravian University | 2:30 p.m. | Carp Wood Field, Ithaca College

Cornell Men’s Soccer vs New Jersey Institute of Technology | 4:00 p.m. | Berman Field, Ithaca

McLean Church Steak Dinner | 4:00 p.m. | Delmonico Steak, Baked Potato, Salad, Vegetable Medley, Beverage, and Homemade Pie! | McLean Church Hall, 50 Church Street, McLean

OKTOBERFEST | 4:00 p.m. | A day of beers, games, music, and food! It’s not to be missed. | Hopshire Farm & Brewery, Freeville

Destination 30th Anniversary Celebration | 5:30 p.m. | Treleaven Wines, 658 Lake Road, King Ferry | $10.00

Party for the Park — Stewart Park Fundraiser | 6:00 p.m. | The 10th Annual Party for the Park fundraiser will have delicious food and drink, great music and an art filled silent auction. | Stewart Park Large Pavilion 1 James L. Gibbs Dr. , Ithaca | $100.00 - $500.00

X Ambassadors — The VHS(X) North American Tour (Night 2) |

7:00 p.m. | State Theatre of Ithaca, 107 West State St., Ithaca

Dallas Morse Coors Concert Series presents: Le Vent du Nord | 7:30 p.m. |The award-winning and highly acclaimed band Le Vent du Nord is a leading force in Quebec’s progressive francophone folk movement. | Bailey Hall 230 Garden Ave, Ithaca | $17.00 - $39.00

The Kaplan Cousins Improvise | 7:30 p.m. | Ilan and Gavin Kaplan have been improvising together for 8 years, and have known each other for 31. | Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca | $12.00 - $30.00

9/21 Sunday

Burlesque Buffet Brunchlesque! | 11:00 a.m. | Because who says burlesque is just for the night? Come hungry. Leave hot. | Rosie's Cafe and Parlor 312 E Seneca St., Ithaca | $20.00 Porchfest 2025 | 12:00 p.m. | Visit https://www.porchfest.org/2025schedule/ for a list of performers and schedule. | Porches around the Fall Creek and Northside neighborhoods of Ithaca | Free Free, All Ages Concert with JP Payton & Nick Dittmeier | 3:00 p.m. |JP Payton of Freight (Ithaca) & Nick Dittmeier from Louisville, KY, come to Northville Arts Center for a free, allages concert of original Alt-Country music. | Northville Arts Center 999 NY-34B, King Ferry | Free DJ Trivia with Dave Ashton | 7:00 p.m. | Join Dave Ashton for DJ Trivia every Sunday night at Crossroads in Lansing! | Crossroads Bar and Grill 3120 North Triphammer Road, Lansing | Free

9/22 Monday

Malcolm Cowley: Bringing an American Literary Giant from Out of the Shadows | 5:00 p.m. | A Lecture by Gerald Howard. Mr. Howard will be in conversation with Professor Roger Gilbert about the eminent twentieth-century editor and literary critic Malcolm Cowley (1898-1989), the subject of his forthcoming biography THE INSIDER: Malcolm Cowley and Triumph of American Literature. | Literatures in English Lounge, Goldwin Smith Hall 258, Ithaca | Free Jazz Mondays with Dave Davies RhythmMakers | 5:30 p.m. | Join us every Monday at South Hill Cider for

cider, food, and live jazz with some of the best local musicians! | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Rd., Ithaca

Balancing Personal & Political Grief With the Pursuit of Joy — A Poetry Workshop | 6:00 p.m. |

In this workshop open to poets of any level of experience, we'll study a few published poems for | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca

Ithaca Irrealist Reading | 7:00 p.m.

|Live reading from award-winning writers! | Liquid State Brewing Co. 620 West Green Street, Ithaca | Free

9/23 Tuesday

Greek Peak: She Rises — A Women's Self Care & Empowerment Summit | 8:00 a.m. | Welcome to She Rises — A Women’s Self Care & Empowerment Summit! | 2000 State Route 392, Cortland Meet with staff from the office of Congressman Riley | 1:00 p.m. | Representatives from the office of Congressman Josh Riley are available to discuss federal issues they may have. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca | Free Early Readers Book Club | 3:00 p.m. |Children in grades K-2 are welcome to join our Early Readers Book Club. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca

Taughannock Live Music Series: Annie Burns & Friends | 5:00 p.m. | Inn at Taughannock Falls, 2030 Gorge Rd., Trumansburg

Dead Dive Happy Hour | 5:00 p.m.

|Dead Dive Happy Hour! Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month from 5 to 8 p.m.! | Deep Dive Ithaca, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca

An Evening with Celtic Thunder — Their Greatest Songs & along the way a Reunion with Old Friends | 6:30 p.m. | State Theatre of Ithaca, 107 West State St., Ithaca

Ithaca Field Hockey vs University of Scranton | 7:00 p.m. | Higgins Stadium, Ithaca College

9/24 Wednesday

Ithaca Lions Club Doug’s Fish Fry Fundraiser | 11:00 a.m. | Doug’s Fish Fry ToGo Fundraiser to benefit Ithaca Lions Club community programs | Eddydale Farms Produce, 837 Elmira Rd., Ithaca

Rock ’N Blues Revue with COLIN BARKELL | 2:00 p.m. | Led by Broadway’s Colin Barkell, this “rock n’ blues revue” takes you on a powerful journey through the legends of blues and rock ‘n’ roll. Featuring hits from Elvis, Johnny Cash, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, and Howlin’ Wolf. | Cortland Repertory Theater, 6799 Little York Lake Road, Preble | $35.00

Women in Business Roundtable | 3:30 p.m. | Ithaca Waldorf School, 20 Nelson Rd., Ithaca

Who Killed Shireen? | 5:00 p.m. |Join us for a viewing and discussion of Who Killed Shireen? a 40-minute investigative documentary into the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian-American journalist who was shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank in 2022. | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca | Free “Early Hunter / Gatherer Adaptations Along the Southern Coast of Peru” | 5:30 p.m. | A free, public presentation on the archaeology of Peruvian coastal campsites 13 to 7 thousand years old. | The History Center in Tompkins County, 110 North Tioga Street, Ithaca | Free Natural Building, Real Solutions: Clay, Straw, and Stone | 6:00 p.m. | Imagine a world where every building contributes to clean air, healthy water, and a sense of | Newfield Public Library, 198 Main Street, Newfield | Free

Express Yourself Wednesday | 6:30 p.m. | Open Mic Comedy: 6:30-8 p.m. Open Mic & Live Band Karaoke: 9-12 p.m.! 18+ / FREE | Deep Dive Ithaca, 415 Old Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca

The Freight-cars of Friendship & Boxcars of Love | 7:00 p.m. | Candor Historical Society’s September talk will be on “ The Freight-cars of Friendship & Boxcars of Love; ” the history of the Friendship and Merci Trains, by guest speaker Emma Sedore, Tioga County Historian. | Candor Town Hall Candor | Free Bonnie and Clyde | 7:30 p.m. | Set to a riveting score combining rockabilly, blues, and gospel music, BONNIE & CLYDE is an unmissable, actionpacked musical about grabbing the spotlight any way you can. | MerryGo-Round Playhouse, 6877 E. Lake Road, Auburn | $139.25

CORNELL CONCERT SERIES PRESENTS: LE VENT DU NORD

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 AT 7:30 PM

Bailey Hall, 230 m Garden Ave., Cornell | The awardwinning and highly acclaimed band Le Vent du Nord is a leading force in Quebec’s progressive francophone folk movement. The group’s vast repertoire draws from both traditional sources and original compositions, while enhancing its hard-driving soulful music (rooted in the Celtic diaspora) with a broad range of global influences.

(Photo: Provided)

ITHACA PORCHFEST 2025

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, NOON – 6:00 PM

Porches around the Fall Creek and Northside neighborhoods of the City of Ithaca | Celebrating community through music on the porches of Fall Creek & Northside since 2007! Visit the Porchfest.org website for a list of performers and locations. (Photo: Facebook)

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