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THE ITHACA TIMES / SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 6, 2026

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Opinion

Lots Happening All Over This Region Via The Learning Farm With Christa Nunez By Mar jor ie Old s

-One land trust is up and growing in the Town of Danby. (And Danby is already host to a land trust formed in 2023 with three families.) -The fifth land trust is in the town of Caroline. In Danby five immigrant families were supported by Mildred Alvarado, to create an EntroEcology sustainable agriculture trust. This group is currently creating housing and a Community Center to support their farms. Mildred, who is a pioneer in Cornell’s Small Farms Project, has previously worked with bilingual families in the Hudson region. When Christa and her family chose this region as the home for Khuba International she envisioned that by partnering with people and organizations, she could help many people of all ages and backgrounds to be able to live on and care for the land. “Khuba International is a non-profit organization that integrates youth education, sustainable agriculture, and community development through hands-on programming and inclusive partnership-building.” And when these land trusts are forming, Christa can assist with financing sources through Khuba’s agricultural networks. Cornell Cooperative Extension, Edward’s Mother Earth Foundation, Community Foundation of Tompkins County, Park Foundation, the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Community, and several federal agencies have been instrumental and generous in funding land purchases,

Paint the Town feature story. Cover designed by the Ithaca Times team.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR...............................4 NEWSLINE...............................5-7 COVER STORY ��8

See https://www.ithaca.com/opinion/ columnists/community_connections/ christa-n-ez-quarter-acre-for-thepeople/article_c57eeb84-e86a-11ecb8f5-c7b221f31257.html and https:// www.ithaca.com/opinion/columnists/ community_connections/christanunez-the-learning-farm-s-afterschool-program/article_71a0b2ea4987-11ec-8e91-6f50b463d969.html

-Three of the newly formed land trusts are about 10 acres each in the Town of Candor.

ON THE COVER:

OPINION ��3

any of us have been swept away when we read about Christa Nunez’ Learning Farm and the diverse projects she has created with neighborhood farmers, landowners, local school children, teen counselors, Indigenous and Native American farming cooperatives, and others in our region.

It was a pleasure to catch Christa long enough to check in on her latest efforts: “Since we last spoke, I have been working with groups of neighbors to create community land trusts. While each of the five land trusts are unique, each has formed with a diverse group of folks of all ages, races, gender, and social economic status. Yet each land trust is formed so that neighbors on the land help and support each other to share knowledge and skills; so that they can care for and live on the land.”

VOL. LV / NO. 05 / September 30, 2026 Serving 47,125 readers weekly

OBITUARY �� 10 SPORTS...................................... 10 ARTS & FILM ��11-13 TIMES TABLE..................... 14-15

Davi Mozie (grandma), Keyanna Mozie (daughter), and Savannah Vann (baby). (Photo: Alicia Dianne)

cooperative development, community land trust organizational development, farmer and forest stewardship training in plant growing knowledge, animal husbandry, access to markets, and conservation. In Caroline, the renowned couple Don Barber and Rita Rosenberg, surrounded their picture-perfect farm and B&B with their grown children’s families. But they also managed to help the newly formed Deyohaha:ge Damaa Community Land Trust to buy the remaining 10 acres available. Jay Smith and Davi Mozie, leaders in the African diasporic land healing, climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and ecology movements, are guiding the development of this land with crops and programs that will be used for wellness and healing. In Candor, Christa accessed USDA Land Access funding and was thrilled that a signed contract for $100,000 was in place to purchase land, only to have the money withdrawn by the federal agency just prior to closing. But general and committed local funders and private donors came together to hold the purchase together. One of the Candor Land Trusts, Pearls of Land, is led by Antonisha Owens, dedicated to youth empowerment, nature-based product development, and community entrepreneurship. And Ndor Ecovillage, led by Chacha, a new father and local farmer originally from Ghana, offers the experience gained from the ecovillage he created in Ghana. Chacha foresees cultural exchanges as both of his land-based trusts focus on sustainable farming and preservation of bird species. Another land trust sharing land in Candor is led by Congolese farmers

and focuses on forest conservation, youth development and food security. In Danby, Mildred Alvarado and her team of community land trust developers selected and purchased a seven-acre parcel of prime forest and farmland as participants of Khuba’s Quarter Acre for the People project. They envision cultural gathering, food, livelihood, and legacy growing for immigrant communities in Tompkins County. This initiative, CASA - an acronym for Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture, is also already inspiring more work Downstate. Mildred is supporting new women and immigrant-led initiatives in the Hudson Valley to develop organizations and purchase land. Since each of these exciting, ambitious farm communities include people of all walks of life, of all ages and backgrounds, there will be plenty of cross-germination of ideas and perhaps crops, as each of these burgeoning land trusts grow in the coming years. A new documentary film collaboration between Khuba International and CAN Cooperative Media, entitled Out Here, will be screened at Cinemapolis on Oct 4th at 3 P.M. It shares the stories of some of these farming community developers, tying their important work to the greater historical threads of land movements happening around the nation and beyond. This screening is part of Khuba International’s Farming for Freedom Trail - Freedom Weekend farm hop event happening Oct 2-4. For more information about Khuba International and its many projects, contact: Christa Nunez at khubainternational@gmail.com

ON THE WEB Visit our website at www.ithaca.com for more news, arts, sports and photos. Call us at 607-277-7000 MIKAYLA ROVENOLT, MANAGING EDITOR EDITOR@ITHACATIMES.COM SCOTT MANSON, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER JIM BILINSKI, PUBLISHER EMERITUS JBILINSKI@ITHACATIMES.COM ROY ALLEN, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS ROY@ITHACATIMES.COM LORIEN TYNE, ASSISTANT EDITOR LORIEN@ITHACATIMES.COM AUSTIN LAMB, COPY EDITOR ALAMB@ITHACATIMES.COM PHILIP O’DELL, REPORTER PHILIP@ITHACATIMES.COM SWAS DASH, ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR, CALENDAR EDITOR SD@ITHACATIMES.COM MARK SYVERTSON, PHOTOGRAPHER MARKSYVERTSONPHOTOGRAPHY@GMAIL.COM STEVE LAWRENCE, SPORTS COLUMNIST STEVESPORTSDUDE@GMAIL.COM KIRA WALTER, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER ARTS@ITHACATIMES.COM ZACHARY ISAAC STEPHENS,AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT & DESIGN ASSOCIATE FREELANCERS: Barbara Adams, Charley Githler, Stephen Burke, Bill Chaisson, Ross Haarstad, Steve Lawrence, Marjorie Olds, Peter Rothbart, Austin Lamb, Clement Obropta, Jake Sexton, Kira Walter, and Ceili Ayoung THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE ITHACA TIMES ARE COPYRIGHT © 2026 BY PATHWAYS TO EQUITY, LLC.

All rights reserved. Events are listed free of charge in TimesTable. All copy must be received by Friday at noon. The Ithaca Times is available free of charge from various locations around Ithaca. Additional copies may be purchased from the Ithaca Times offices for $1. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $139 one year. Include check or money order and mail to the Ithaca Times, PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. ADVERTISING: Deadlines are Monday 5 p.m. for display, Tuesday at noon for classified. Advertisers should check their ad on publication. The Ithaca Times will not be liable for failure to publish an ad, for typographical error, or errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of the space in which the actual error appeared in the first insertion. The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication. The Ithaca Times is published weekly Wednesday mornings. Offices are located at 109 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 607-2777000, FAX 607277-1012, MAILING ADDRESS is PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. The Ithaca Times was preceded by the Ithaca New Times (1972–1978) and The Good Times Gazette (1973–1978), combined in 1978. FOUNDER GOOD TIMES GAZETTE: TOM NEWTON

SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2026 / THE ITHACA TIMES

a small portion of those figures are verifiable (factually April 15, 2026). Fire enough workers and you have inefficiency.

The Talk at

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

By Ithaca Times Readers

Vote Informed, Vote Early

“

Democracy only works if it is ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people.’ Voting is not just a right, but a vital duty of every U.S. citizen who is eligible to vote. Do your civic duty and vote in the upcoming midterms! If you know relatives or friends who are eligible to vote, but are not planning to do so, please encourage them to get to the polls! Go to https://voterlookup.elections. ny.gov/ for accurate, up-to-date information about how and where you can vote. Check your voter registration status. If you are not registered, or if you need to update your voter registration, you can do so on this website. It only takes 2 minutes! You can also register by mail or in person at your county courthouse. The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming midterms is October 24th. This website also tells you who is on your ballot. Get informed about the candidates and issues! Think rationally about who the candidates are and what they represent. Make a list of what is important to you, for example: affordability, education, healthcare, Medicare and Medicaid, social security, roads, research, food safety, fair wages, and the rights

guaranteed to everyone under our Constitution. Evaluate where the candidates stand on each of those issues. Also check who is funding their campaigns. Google statements such as, ‘What is [the candidate’s name]’s stance on Trump’s policies/ tariffs/ICE/the Iran war/Gaza,’ and so on. Get the full picture so you can make informed choices. Ask yourself, ‘Am I better off or worse off under the current political regime?’ If the latter, then seek to vote the incumbents out! Last but not least, consider voting early at your county board of elections, from October 24th to November 1st. Voting early gives you more scheduling flexibility and prevents any last minute surprises.” Sharon Kahkonen, Trumansburg, NY

Criticism of Federal DOGE Activities

“

A lot has happened since DOGE began examining waste, fraud and abuse. Federal worker layoffs amounted to 10%- 30% of the federal work force. Scientists, researchers and professional experts in the CDC and NIH, for example, were let go. In the CDC, one-fourth to one-third of the employees were terminated. Eventually, some were rehired (Georgia Public Broadcasting Feb. 11, 2026).

THE ITHACA TIMES / SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 6, 2026

Since the Trump administration started downsizing, agencies have had to quickly rehire workers they had fired to prevent service delivery failures. In some places, the government is not only rehiring people but also expanding with new individuals. (Brookings Jan. 16, 2026). Congressman Langworthy also decried waste, fraud and abuse. He believes as Trump does that most governmental agencies are wasteful. But was DOGE effective in decreasing waste, fraud and abuse? No one can dispute that they saved some money. Fire enough people and money is saved. However, independent reporters and watchdogs found the group’s accounting unreliable and its methods unvetted, meaning they have not been researched to see if they were reliable, accurate, or even if the methods were suited to the task. They found little evidence that DOGE found new, provable instances of criminal fraud (factually Sept 16, 2026). DOGE has publicly claimed billions in ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’ recoveries, but independent audits show only

During DOGE’s activities, our personal information was allegedly accessed illegally by DOGE ‘tech bros.’ In addition, they gleaned information from across multiple agencies without legal authority (EPIC v. OPM (DOGE Privacy Violations) – EPIC – Electronic Privacy Information Center). Multiple lawsuits about these issues are ongoing. The Trump administration and Congressman Nicholas Langworthy have been reckless. They did not achieve anything except access to information they are not entitled to. This is the real fraud and abuse. Waste in this administration is sending Congress home allowing them to avoid voting on items that are not in the Republicans’ best interest, instead of working their appointed time in Washington. I remember Langworthy decrying how federal workers who worked from home achieved nothing.” Peter Raia, Endicott, NY

Russia’s Influence on U.S. Government is Harmful

“

The Russian playbook seems to have outpaced even Project 2025. For the rich to get richer, our leaders seem prepared to do Putin’s bidding at the cost of Ukraine and Europe. We have destroyed our relationships with many democratic nations and cozied up to those with despotic leadership. We are depleting our military stockpile and putting our nation at risk. Russian oligarchs are using ‘gifts’ to influence policy. Efforts to erode our constitutional freedoms are being eroded, too often with the support of a conservative Supreme Court. We are made vulnerable by the ego of an aging, greedy and narcissistic child who is played by any flatterer and who surrounds himself with equally incompetent appointees Wake up, Congress!” Nina Miller, Ithaca, NY

NEWSLINE

Pictured is a rendering of the SouthWorks Gateway, a major project redeveloping the former Emerson Power Transmission site. The Ithaca City Planning Board voted unanimously to grant preliminary site plan approval for the development during its Sept. 23 meeting. (Photo provided)

SouthWorks Gateway Project Gets Preliminary Approval from Ithaca Planning Board By Philip O’ D ell

he Ithaca City Planning Board voted unanimously to grant preliminary site plan approval for the SouthWorks Gateway development during its Sept. 23 meeting. Dan Bellgraph, senior development director with Beacon Communities, said the SouthWorks team shifted the Upper Morse Place cross-section outward, yielding an additional five feet of room to create a nine-foot landscape bed. He explained that the expanded bed allows for taller trees, grasses, and more hardy plantings designed to add verticality and separate the buildings from the sidewalk. The board formally voted to find the project consistent with the 2019 Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) adopted for the SouthWorks district. The board approved a preliminary and final minor subdivision (creating parcel SW1). The approval was made contingent upon executed access easements, the submission of compiled civil engineering drawings, updated traffic counts during the school year, and an executed binding development agreement between the city and the developers to coordinate the timeline and funding for essential off-parcel infrastructure. The Gateway is a major project to redevelop the former Emerson Power Transmission site. The SouthWorks

project is a 95-acre mixed-use community development composed of four neighborhoods: The Gateway, The Hills, The Woods and The Chainway. The full project includes new structures and redevelops existing ones for residential, office, commercial, retail and other spaces. FOUND Ithaca, a vintage and second-hand shop, is already open at the SouthWorks site and is the site’s first commercial tenant. During the planning board’s July 28 meeting, members urged developers to better integrate the Southworks Gateway project into the broader neighborhood, requesting clearer technical drawings that demonstrate how internal sidewalks connect to existing city infrastructure. Addressing inquiries about navigating the site’s steep vertical grade, developers clarified that while a ramp modeled after nearby developments was infeasible, primary access routes to the planned playground remain fully ADA-compliant. The board ultimately requested that future project presentations place greater emphasis on overall site context and neighborhood connectivity. During the Sept. 23 meeting, board member Emily Petrina commended the developer for using boardform concrete on the plaza walls and expressed comfort with moving forward, though she noted a slight

reservation regarding mechanical screening. She cautioned that if taller buildings are eventually developed on adjacent parcels in future phases, visible rooftop equipment could become an issue, though she acknowledged that higher parapets are a reasonable approach. Project representative Rob clarified that current conceptual planning does not envision nearby buildings looming over the site, and he maintained that using tall parapets provides a cleaner architectural line than building smaller screening structures around each unit. Board member Peggy Tully said she approved the landscape enhancements along Upper Morse Place, noting that the widening of the planting beds brings “exactly the kind of pedestrian scale that this kind of building needs.” She also expressed enthusiasm for the inclusion of a public playground and noted that while the accessible route down the steep grade is less direct than the main stairwell, it provides a workable, accessible pathway given the site’s challenging topography. Board member Jennie Sutcliffe raised concerns on the plaza and broader infrastructure, calling for benches to be added near the playground so parents have places to sit while watching their children. She also urged the board to remain mindful of future bike lane connections across new roadway

segments to align with communitywide transit goals. Bellgraph said that technical landscape drawings already include integrated wall lights along the stairways, and the development team agreed to provide a complete lighting diagram prior to the final review. Continuing the discussion on design details, board member Andy Rollman voiced support for the taller parapets, saying they offer better visual proportions while hiding mini-split mechanical units. Rollman encouraged the development team to treat future rooftop penthouses and mechanical enclosures as full architectural design opportunities rather than simple concealment screens. Before calling for a vote, the board agreed to modify the approval resolution to incorporate several specific conditions. Planning Director Lisa Nicholas outlined the required additions, which mandate that the applicant submit detailed plans for the playground, seating benches, and dog run surfacing — specifically clarifying that artificial turf will not be used — prior to final site plan submission. The resolution was amended to require the early submission of complete site photometric lighting plans so board members can verify full plaza illumination before final approval.

SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2026 / THE ITHACA TIMES

NEWSLINE Kendal at Ithaca Residents Bring Heart and Hope to 23rd Women Swimmin’ By Philip O’ D ell

endal at Ithaca residents and staff led fundraising efforts to power the 23rd Annual Women Swimmin’ and Go the Distance event, which took place in Aug. 2026. In a press release, Kendal at Ithaca said event organizers raised around $668,000 for Hospicare and Palliative Care Services. Kendal at Ithaca resident and event co-founder Joan Brumberg raised over $16,000, finishing as the thirdhighest individual fundraiser for the Women Swimmin’ event. Resident Betsy East generated over $12,000 and placed sixth, leading a group of Kendal residents and staff who contributed as swimmers, fundraisers, and volunteers. On the morning of Aug. 8, a total of 330 women swam 1.2 miles from Camp Comstock to Myers Park to support Hospicare services, which provide endof-life services to people in Tompkins and Cortland counties regardless of income or insurance. Brumberg co-founded Women Swimmin’ in 2004 with her physician, Dr. Ann Costello, as part of her 60th birthday celebration. For the next 20 years she participated in the 1.2-mile swim across Cayuga Lake. At age 82, Brumberg earned the event’s “Starfish” recognition for top fundraising performance. “I started raising money for Women

Swimmin’ back in 2004, the year I turned 60 and dreamed up the swim event with my physician, Ann Costello,” Brumberg said. “Hospicare provides extraordinary end-oflife and bereavement care, and that work depends on the support of this community. Hospicare’s highly skilled staff understands how to care for people and families through both the process of dying and bereavement. In short, they support both life and death.” East has been involved with the Women Swimmin’ fundraiser for Hospicare & Palliative Care Services since 2008, initially swimming across Cayuga Lake before participating in the event’s “Go the Distance” format. She is nearing the end of a nine-year term as co-chair of the event’s planning committee and also serves on its merchandise and marketing committee. She noted that the community tradition traces back to co-founders Joan Brumberg and Dr. Anne Costello, who launched the swim as a 60th birthday challenge for Brumberg with about 50 participants in its inaugural year before it expanded into a major local fundraiser. To raise $12,000 for Hospicare, East emailed about 100 friends and colleagues to explain her fundraising efforts and request their support. East manages operations at Cass Park, where participants line up in

groups of 10 or 12 before loading onto buses to travel around or up Cayuga Lake for the swim across. The event involves over 500 people, including over 100 volunteers alongside roughly 120 to 130 paddlers and motorboaters. Other supporters contribute through alternative “Go the Distance” goals, such as former Hospicare executive director Nina Miller, who delivers baked goods to a local food pantry weekly throughout the summer, while several other Kendal at Ithaca residents and staff members participate as volunteers. Organizing the annual fundraiser presented a logistical challenge this year when construction at Bolton Point prevented organizers from using the east-side location where participants typically finish swimming across Cayuga Lake from Cass Park. Organizers worked with community members to relocate the course to start at Camp Comstock on the west side and finish at Myers Park on the east side, where staff at both locations helped. Beyond venue changes, uncontrollable environmental factors like harmful algal blooms, rough weather, and poor air quality occasionally force organizers to modify the swim format. Despite those hurdles, East said the most rewarding aspects of the event remain working alongside a skilled planning team. “The excitement and the wonderful part is working with a group of incredibly smart people all with different expertise and being there at the event and seeing the swim,” East said. “It’s really quite incredible.”

East’s connection to Hospicare stems from personal experience in 1996, when her late mother received support from a volunteer who talked with her during evenings at Kendal at Ithaca while East worked full-time. East, who served three separate terms on Hospicare’s board of directors, praised the organization’s comprehensive endof-life and community bereavement support programs due to the role that hospice care plays in the community as the local population ages. “I’m just totally amazed at the incredible care that the nurses and the staff provide to people in the community and their families,” East said. This year’s event honored longtime participant and former Kendal at Ithaca resident Sue Cowdery. Team Sue, led by Andrea Volkmar, finished second in team fundraising after placing first the previous year. The team included Dr. Ann Costello, Dr. Lucia Jander, and members of the Kendal medical team, all participating in Cowdery’s honor. Jander raised funds and awareness through the event’s “Go the Distance” campaign, while Costello returned for another lake swim following years of participation. Additional Kendal community members that provided volunteer support for the fundraiser include Kendal at Ithaca President and CEO Laurie Mante and Human Resources Director Megan Taylor who helped organize participants at Cass Park. Residents Elizabeth Bixler assisted at Cass Park and Tommie Blecher supported packet pick-up and activities at Myers Park.

Celebrating 5 Years of the Milkstand By Kira Walter

ain or shine, weekend or weekday, a Milkstand regular who goes by “Jack” is over 90 but still arrives at 8 a.m. sharp and orders a custom omelette now in his name. He stays till 8:40 a.m., checks in with the restaurant’s familiar team, and on days he is absent, they often call home to ensure his safety. Celebrating their five-year anniversary, these kinds of relationships are still at the heart of one of Ithaca’s most popular breakfast establishments, which doesn’t just serve a tasty menu. For students and townies alike, Milkstand has become a safe haven providing first meal of the day classics with both consistency and culinary innovation. Opened on Sept. 6 in 2021, the eatery entered the scene amidst postpandemic uncertainty, while plans for it had been under development for years. Started by Ithaca locals Chris Kim and his wife Soyun, the idea arose from the couples’ proclivity for grabbing brunch together. In town for nearly 20 years, they frequented nearby dining hotspots, but wanted to curate a place with relaxing energy, diner favorites and a European twist. “Some people thought we were crazy for trying to buy a building and open up a diner right in the middle of Covid,” Kim said. “But there was a demand for breakfast and lunch places.” A professor at Ithaca College, Kim expressed the idea felt a bit far-fetched 6

but in pursuit of their vision, the family bought up an iconic property at the corner of North Meadow and West Buffalo Street. The original Byrne Dairy “Milk Stand,” Ithaca residents used to visit the location to bring milk bottles homeward bound long ago. Now a legacy of service and reliability only continues for the destination. After early hiring and a few chef trials, the Kims were thrilled to bring on Colleen Butterfield to execute a brilliant menu for 4.5 years counting. Chris was proud that there’s been little to no employee turnover since opening, adding to the restaurant’s unchanged nature. People and prices remain the same: the ambiance and options continue. “We haven’t raised a penny on our menu,” he said. “Everything is still the same, despite a lot of ingredients becoming more expensive.” Maintaining original pricing is prioritized alongside serving a diverse menu that doesn’t waiver much outside of offering seasonal classics. Kim also noted that he and Soyun visit Europe each year, exploring a different country for culinary inspiration. His favorite remains Rome while hers is Paris, reflected in the abundance of sweet and savory crepes made fresh in the kitchen. Chris cited his personal favorite as the eatery’s fall specific Apple Pancake, which spends 15 minutes in the oven stuffed with fuji apples, before being served hot under a dollop of whip cream. Eggs any way, griddle

THE ITHACA TIMES / SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 6, 2026

pancakes, waffles, lunch plates and salads accommodate any diner desire, while ice cream, and dessert never fail to satisfy. Milk shakes even come with a second cup of “extra shake” left in the blender. After five years of running operations, Kim mentioned that visiting customers have asked him to expand business out of town. But as for opening other locations or venturing out of their North Meadow space, the owner wishes to focus his energy on what is already going successfully. “If we can just keep up the status quo and keep our food the same quality, we are all good,” he said. Kim spoke to the value of being amongst consistent clientele, wellknown staff that collaborate all day from the front desk to behind kitchen doors. He described employees as the business’s most valuable assets, attributing credit for the media ready ambiance and menu execution to the whole team. Having been in Ithaca for so long, he also touched on the significance of serving university students traveling from afar and folks right in town. Milkstand’s international influence can provide comfort to those coming to study from across borders. “The population is pretty dynamic because there are a lot of locals, but it’s a very international city mostly because of all these international students and students coming from all over the United States,” Kim said. “So, we’re able to serve a pretty dynamic

Photo: Mark Syverston

mix of customers.” Kim recalled when choosing location and curating style that he wanted something accessible for everyone in Ithaca. He didn’t want to solely cater to undergrads in college town or open up too far from the student demographic. Now, he still feels the big longtime venue is just right. Passing the anniversary milestone, Kim looks to the future anticipating no major changes or additional projects: he simply is excited to keep being a community rock with the same breakfast promises fulfilled. Reflecting on what’s been the most emotionally impactful in his journey with the restaurant, he echoed the sentiment. “Well, obviously watching the growth of the business has been invaluable, but the same customers coming back is more rewarding,” Kim said. “We always welcome tourists when they pass through Ithaca, but when you see the same people coming every day, that’s very enjoyable.”

NEWSLINE Tompkins County Ranks 5th Worst in New York State for School Lead Contamination, New Report Says By Philip O’ D ell

hree-quarters of Tompkins County public schools contain drinking water outlets exceeding safe lead thresholds, placing it among the state’s worstaffected areas, according to a report by researchers calling for stronger New York water regulations. The Environment America Research & Policy Center and the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) released a report Sept. 17 titled, “Get the lead out New York,” detailing statewide data on lead levels in school drinking water. The report says Tompkins County ranks fifth highest in the state for lead contamination in school drinking water, trailing Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Chautauqua, and Lewis counties, where 75% or more of tested schools had at least one outlet exceeding the state threshold of 5 parts per billion. Researchers collected data from 2023 through 2025. “While we anticipated finding lead contamination in the results, the actual scope of what we discovered was shocking,” said David Masur, senior advocate for the Environment America Research & Policy Center. According to the report, Tompkins County had 12 out of 16 schools (75%) with at least one water outlet test above the state threshold of 5 parts per billion for lead, with 36 of the 526 tested outlets (6.8%) exceeding the threshold. The report says 42% of New York schools — 1,918 of 4,514 reporting since 2023 — had at least one drinking water outlet exceeding the state’s lead limit of 5 parts per billion, according to Department of Health data. Sixteen facilities reported contamination in every outlet tested, while 12,452 of the 221,078 total outlets tested across the state exceeded the threshold. Researchers analyzed self-reported lead testing data submitted to the state Department of Health from public schools and BOCES facilities statewide. The study evaluated water outlets used for drinking and cooking to identify the counties with the highest contamination

rates by affected buildings and taps. The report says Seneca, Chautauqua, Cortland, Franklin, and Jefferson counties recorded the highest rates of outlet contamination. In each of those five counties, at least 15% of tested outlets — over one in seven drinking and cooking taps — exceeded the state lead threshold. According to the World Health Organization, lead exposure can cause irreversible brain damage in children, lowering IQ, shortening attention spans, and increasing behavioral problems and academic difficulties. Exposure can also lead to anemia, high blood pressure, kidney failure, weakened immune systems and reproductive harm. New York State passed a law in 2016 requiring schools to regularly test drinking water for lead and remediate any outlet exceeding 15 parts per billion. To align with health-protective best practices, the state lowered that action threshold to 5 parts per billion in 2022. Blair Horner, the NYPIRG senior policy advisor, said there is no safe threshold for lead exposure, especially for children. He said the report examines what was found in schools using data collected since the 5 parts per billion standard took effect. “Our key finding is that there is a serious issue with the state’s current program, and significant improvements must be made to protect public and student health,” Horner said. “We hope this report prompts the governor, the legislature and policymakers to take appropriate action to protect New York’s schoolchildren.” Horner said the report serves as their initial analysis and provides countylevel averages, while researchers are still analyzing data down to individual schools. Horner advised parents seeking specific lead levels to contact their local school district or review the lead test results that districts submit to the State Department of Health. He also advised students to bring water from home if parents have safety concerns.

TAK E NOT E

Ithaca Selected to Participate in National Homeless Response Peer Network T By L or ien Ty ne

he City of Ithaca has been selected as one of seven communities in the U.S. to participate in the Housing Solutions Lab at the NYU Furman Center’s 2026 Homeless Response Peer Network. The initiative aims to bolster local systems that are addressing homelessness.

A press release from the City of Ithaca said this opportunity will allow Ithaca’s leaders to learn from other communities facing similar challenges and collaborate with their leaders to share ideas and bring new strategies back to Tompkins County.

The Environment America Research & Policy Center and the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) released a report Sept. 17 detailing statewide data on lead levels in school drinking water. The report says Tompkins County ranks fifth highest in the state for lead contamination in school drinking water. Pictured is a county-by-county breakdown of water quality testing in New York schools, displaying varying percentages of tested facilities that exceed 5 parts per billion in lead content per county.

Tony Dutzik, the associate director and senior policy analyst for Frontier Group, said state law requires schools to post detailed lead testing results on their district websites. The data provides tap-by-tap results for every school building, detailing the exact lead levels detected or confirming the water tested clean. Dutzik said state data does not specify exact lead concentrations above the 5 parts per billion limit, as New York only requires schools to report whether a test was above or below the threshold. He said statewide figures can drop over time because tests are updated after taps are remediated and retested, leaving the exact extent of contamination above the limit unclear.

Possible solutions

Dutzik said current state law requires any school water outlet testing above 5 parts per billion to be immediately removed from service for remediation. Schools can fix affected taps by replacing the fixture, installing point-of-use lead filters, or restricting access with warning signs indicating the water is not for drinking. To restore access, the school must complete the remediation and retest the tap to confirm lead levels have dropped below 5 parts per billion. Dutzik said their analysis found several taps remediated and brought under the 5 parts per billion threshold years ago tested above the limits again in later tests. “This underscores that many current remediation measures, while helpful in the short term, are not addressing the root cause of the problem,” Dutzik said. Horner said the report focuses on two main recommendations to lawmakers for eliminating lead from school water

“The City of Ithaca is honored to be selected for the Housing Solutions Lab’s 2026 Homeless Response Peer Network alongside communities from across the country,” Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo said in the press release. “This opportunity allows us to learn from our peers, share our experiences, and strengthen the partnerships that are essential to addressing homelessness. By working together across local governments, service providers, and community organizations, we can continue building a coordinated response that moves us toward our shared goal of making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.” Ithaca’s municipal leaders and housing partners from Tompkins County will join monthly peer learning sessions for the next six months along with other participating communities

systems. He said the state should lower its action threshold to 1 part per billion, following American Academy of Pediatrics guidance that no lead exposure is safe. Horner also urged officials to mandate filtration systems on all school faucets, drinking fountains, and kitchen water supplies to provide immediate and lasting protection. Horner said researchers support Senate Bill S7777A — sponsored by state Sen. Pete Harckham and Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes — that would transition schools to a “filter-first” strategy. Introduced last session, the legislation would require certified filters on all school drinking water outlets, replacing current state remediation rules that do not mandate filtration when replacing faucets or fountains. Masur urged parents, teachers, and community members to contact their school superintendents and push them to back recommendations endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. He said district leadership must advocate for these health guidelines when speaking with state lawmakers. Masur said school districts can take immediate action and voluntarily lower their lead threshold to 1 part per billion without having to wait for state lawmakers’ legislation. Districts can install certified filters on all drinking and cooking outlets immediately, noting major school systems in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia already completed similar upgrades to drinking fountains and food-preparation sinks. “There is no reason school districts across New York State cannot proactively do the same while statelevel legislation is pending,” Masur said.

from Allentown, Pennsylvania; Biddeford, Maine; Columbia, Missouri; Jackson, Tennessee; Prince William County, Virginia; and South Bend, Indiana. During the peer learning sessions these communities will assess homeless response systems by identifying operational gaps and developing strategies to improve services. “Ithaca and Tompkins County, NY are excited to have the opportunity to learn from and with other small cities as we plan together towards the goal of making homelessness rare and brief and towards our shared hope of living in a community where we all thrive,” Liddy Bargar, director of housing initiatives for the Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County, said in the press release.

SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2026 / THE ITHACA TIMES

The Forbidden Factory Emblazoned by Community Art: A 2026 Southworks Mural Jam B y K i r a Wa l t e r

t Southworks, the developing team focuses on converting the city’s historic Morse Chain Factory into a continuation of vibrant downtown culture, a mission that couldn’t be more evident than through this year’s second annual Ithaca Mural Jam. The free two-day public arts festival will be open to anyone with an eye for creation on Saturday, Oct. 3, and Sunday, Oct. 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Much like last year’s function, the 2026 weekend soiree will welcome live music, food trucks, poetry readings, and tabling organizations. Appearances by DJ ha-MEEN, DJ Hot Cole, Babe’s Burgers, and other Ithaca names uphold the local focus. Committee member and local muralist Margalo Guo spoke to the unique diversity of this year’s visiting artists, explaining that the selection process for the second jam was based on applications. With a total of 186 proposals submitted, the team was very busy reviewing ideas this time around. “Last year, we invited artists that we knew of since it was the last minute,” Guo said. “But this year, we put out a call for qualifications. We wanted to choose one local artist, one regional artist, and one national artist.” 8

Photo: Ana Candelaria

After narrowing down submissions, Ashe Martin was the committee’s local creator pick, with 20 years in mixed media, mosaics, and teaching based out of Cortland. Regional muralist Iris Williams hails from Syracuse with a focus on identity and storytelling while national artist Natalie Shugailo was invited all the way from Chicago. For 10 years, her work has been influenced by the merging of city and suburban cultures with an emphasis on relationships to the natural world. Also welcomed to Ithaca this year are Bolivian brothers Ismael, Elias and Fabio Arcani. Now working in New York City, the trio focuses on the beauty of dayto-day life. Margalo will take on a fifth wall, adding to an expansive portfolio of murals that decorate downtown from the exterior of Modern Ohana to the Farmers Market trailhead. The Mural Jam serves as a social not only between Ithaca residents but selected applicants. Southworks Community Outreach and Leasing Coordinator Sarah Barden believe concentrating on local and out of town creators can help bring innovation to the walls. “The reason that we have this spread of

THE ITHACA TIMES / SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 6, 2026

artists is we want to be able to celebrate and uplift local talent, while also inviting new art styles,” Barden said. “We want to create an experience for the mural artists themselves that allows them to network, grow their skills and share ideas. We saw a lot of that last year among the artists where they were able to develop friendships and connections, share paint with each other and share tips. Now they can stay connected beyond the event.” While 2025’s jam was somewhat of a community experiment, with only two months preparation, the 2026 collaboration has been under development since spring. The previous designated painting place now comprises the site’s Mural Walk, lining the road which cuts through the SouthWorks property before ending at Found In Ithaca. This year’s allocated space begins at the development’s entrance, running along a curved perimeter all the way to the back of the former factory. As selected creators paint buildings next to the wall, visitors are welcomed to draw inspiration from professionals in their own contributions. Funding the 2026 mural jam has also been a different journey for organizers this year. Last year, most financial

assistance was provided by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts. The same grant was not available for another jam, so fundraising became a more town involved effort. “While we have some benefit from last year’s experience and the things that we’ve learned, we had to fundraise from scratch,” Barden said. “And so we have a number of businesses who stepped up to help sponsor either through financial donations or through any kind donations.” Among local businesses offering monetary provisions to the festival this year are Gimme Coffee, Argos, John Snyder Architects, Meldrim’s Paint Center and the Tompkins County Tourism Program. Meldrim’s even pitched in primer and paint available for public use. Also supporting the event this year are state Sen. Lea Webb and Assemblymember Anna Kelles. “Our budget is smaller than last year, but there’s more collaborators and we’re grateful for that support,” Barden said. Community based fundraising and a wealth of time has also allowed the organizing team to curate a more targeted advertisement and marketing plan. Ithaca Murals founder Caleb

Thomas specifically looks forward to seeing familiar faces return in addition to new participants that had more time to plan ahead this year. “I think that there’ll be folks who came last year, and I also think that there’ll be new people, both because we’re promoting it more heavily and more widely, and because there’s just word of mouth from the previous year,” Thomas said. “People who weren’t able to attend are excited to come. I’m excited to intentionally invite the neighborhood around South Hill to come, connect, paint and be part of leaving their mark on the community paint wall or come meet other neighbors.” With over 95 acres and nearly two million square feet of land available for development, there is ample space for a variety of artistic projects at SouthWorks. Barden was proud to state that the factory has hosted Ithaca College students filming movies and Ithaca musicians shooting music videos. An artist in residence program is already in action, while Tompkins Cortland Community College professor and local photographer Harry Littell utilized the once abandoned space to publish a Southworks photography collection.

Opening the space allows organizers to not only connect with other community members but to envision what the future of the site will be like. Thomas fondly recalled the first mural jam, and the feeling of having a notoriously empty space be inhabited. Barden described that

public events help make a tremendous transition for the Morse Chain property feel more realistic. “When I tour folks through the site, some people look at this and say I don’t know how you’re going to accomplish this at all,” Barden said. “They just

can’t envision the end product. So it’s really helpful to have events that help us imagine this site full of life and help us imagine the vibrancy. And when the event is over, there is more vibrancy as a result of what we’ve all created together.” Photo: Ana Candelaria

The Subcontractor as Designer: Why the person who works with a material every day can contribute meaningfully to the design itself.

A construction drawing can tell us what something is supposed to look like. Experience can tell us what it will take to make it work. That distinction matters. On a well-executed building project, subcontractors aren’t simply people assigned a portion of the work. They are often specialty tradespeople and subcontractors—carefully selected by the builder or contractor because of their particular knowledge, experience and ability to bring an aspect of the project to life. • The electrician knows electrical systems. • The cabinetmaker knows cabinetry. • The mason knows masonry. • The tile setter knows tile. • The plumber knows plumbing. • The metalworker knows metal. They work with those materials and systems every day. Over time, that experience creates a kind of knowledge that can’t always be captured completely in a drawing or specification. And that knowledge can contribute to the design itself.

Experience is Another Form of Design Knowledge

Design is sometimes thought of as something that happens at a drafting table or on a computer screen. But design also happens through experience and from engaging the people who do the work to get their perspective on things. Consider a cabinetmaker looking at a proposed kitchen. The drawings may establish dimensions, materials and appearance. But the cabinetmaker may immediately see a way to improve the proportions, simplify the construction or make the finished cabinets more durable. • A tile subcontractor may recognize that a particular pattern will create unnecessary cuts and suggest an adjustment that makes the installation cleaner. • A flooring specialist may know how

a particular material will respond to sunlight, moisture or traffic. • An electrician may see an opportunity to integrate lighting in a way that changes the experience of a room. • A mechanical subcontractor may recognize that moving one element early in the design process could make the entire system more efficient. None of these observations replaces the architect’s role. They expand the conversation.

Why the Builder’s Choice Matters

That is also why the selection of subcontractors is more consequential than it may appear. A builder isn’t simply filling slots on a construction schedule. Ideally, the builder is assembling a team of specialists whose experience complements the project’s design and the client’s goals. A particular project may call for a subcontractor who has worked extensively with historic materials. Another may require someone comfortable with unusually detailed finish work. Still another may benefit from a specialist who has figured out how to make a complex system work within an existing building. The right specialist can bring more than labor to the project. They bring a point of view. And when that point of view is introduced early enough, it can influence the design process before bad choices are made.

Bringing Expertise Upstream

This is where timing becomes important. Once construction is underway, changing a design can be expensive. Materials may already have been ordered. Work may already have been completed. A decision that could have been discussed around a table can become a change order. But bring the right subcontractor into the conversation early, and the same issue can become an opportunity. • The subcontractor might say, “Here’s what we’re seeing.” • The architect can respond, “Here’s what we’re trying to accomplish.” • The client can explain, “Here’s how we want the space to function.” • And the team can ask, “How do we bring those things together?” That is collaboration in practice. It doesn’t mean every suggestion becomes part of the final design. It means the suggestion is heard while there is still time to consider it.

Partner Owners: Chris Willett, Gideon Stone & Mike Barnoski

From Executing Plans to Improving Them

There is an important distinction between asking a subcontractor to execute a decision and asking them to help inform a decision. • The first is transactional. • The second is collaborative. Clear roles still matter. Architects have their responsibilities. Builders and contractors have theirs. Subcontractors have specialized scopes of work. Clients bring their own priorities, needs and aspirations. But expertise doesn’t have to remain inside those boundaries. A good project creates opportunities for those different forms of knowledge to meet. • The electrician may see something the architect doesn’t. • The architect may see something the electrician doesn’t. • The client may see something neither has considered. • The builder helps connect those perspectives to the realities of construction. The resulting design can be stronger precisely because it has been tested against multiple kinds of knowledge.

The intelligence of the Trades

There is a larger idea here. We sometimes separate “design” from “building” as though thinking happens first and doing happens afterward. But building is a form of thinking. People who work with their hands every day develop an intelligence that is practical, material and deeply specific. They understand cause and effect because they experience it directly. A specialty subcontractor may know, from years of experience, that a particular detail will work beautifully—or that it will create problems six months later. That knowledge deserves a place in the conversation. Not because every subcontractor needs to become an architect. But because good design benefits from knowing what happens when an idea meets the real world.

Designing Together

The best construction projects don’t eliminate the distinctions between architect, builder, subcontractor and client, but the right spirit of collaboration between those entities help give any project a chance of being great. That is why bringing specialty subcontractors into the conversation can be so valuable. Their contribution isn’t simply measured by how efficiently they complete their assigned work. It can begin much earlier—with a question, an observation, a better method or an idea that changes the way everyone sees the problem. • The drawing is important. • The specification is important. • The budget and schedule are important. But between the drawing and the finished building lies a remarkable amount of knowledge. • Some of it lives in the architect’s experience. • Some live with the builders. • And some live with the specialty subcontractors—the craftspeople who work with the materials and systems every day. When that knowledge is invited into the process at the right time, a subcontractor becomes more than someone who builds what has been designed. They become part of the team that is figuring out how to make the project successful. Because sometimes the best way to figure out how something should be built is to ask the person who knows how to build it. Sponsored Content / Independent Media Production: This content was produced by the Ithaca Times as part of a sponsored media partnership with Trumansburg based Trade Design Build. It is paid promotional content and is separate from the newspaper’s independent editorial coverage - www.tradedesignbuild.com.

SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2026 / THE ITHACA TIMES

Obituary

Richard “Rit” Gallucci

ichard ‘Rit’ Gallucci, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, community member, neighbor, and friend to many died unexpectedly at the age of 76 on Monday, September 14, 2026, at his home in Ithaca, NY. Rit was born in Schenectady, NY on March 30, 1950. He attended Schalmont High School (NY) (Class of 1967) where he starred on the basketball and football teams. Rit went on to study at Union College (Class of 1971), where again, he was a standout on the Dutchman’s football and basketball teams, and served as cocaptain of both. Rit’s professional career spanned nearly 4 decades in New York State’s Office for Children and Family Services (OCFS). Not one to rest, after retirement from the state, Rit continued his service to youth through working at the Ithaca Youth Bureau and at Beverly J. Martin Elementary School in the Ithaca City School District. Rit was predeceased by his parents Guido “Guy” and Domenica “Minnie” (Rocchio) Gallucci; and

leaves behind his devoted wife and best friend Jardine “Jeri” (Cargill) Gallucci. He is also survived by his sister Denise Califano (Bruce); his daughter Nicole Eversley Bradwell and her husband Sean Eversley Bradwell, and his two sons, Anthony Gallucci (Elisha) and Gabriel Gallucci (Erika Cartagena). In addition, Rit leaves behind his cherished grandchildren, Adriane Teabout, Kaya Gallucci, Imani Gallucci, Anais Gallucci, Elijah Gallucci, Tiago Cartagena Gallucci, Hayden Stewart, Adeline Blue; and beloved family, Dimitra (Ken) Dales, Tierra Labrada, Leon Holden, the Bradwell family; great-grandchild, Amari Morrone; niece Amanda (Mathew) Whittaker, nephews Tyrell Foster and Michael (Kasey) Califano; and a large extended network of nieces, nephews, cousins, and chosen family. Rit and Jeri believed in the power of family and lived this value daily by creating strong bonds with those they loved. They were active foster parents, and hosted international students from Japan, Brazil, and gained a special French son in Joann Perrier.

Rit loved his family, his community, good food, and dogs. He loved his dogs. In fact, he loved anyone’s dog. He was known to stop and greet every pup in town. Rit was also known for his larger-than-life presence and even larger than life personality. His quick wit and humor would take over a room. Whether you knew him as Rit, Dad, Pop, Zebo, Mr. Rit, or Grandpa Pocket, you knew a person whose warmth, laughter, and generous spirit left a lasting impression. Together, Rit and Jeri believed that family is not only who we are born to, but who we choose to embrace. Through his kindness, humor, storytelling, and joyful spirit, he built connections wherever he went and left behind a community of people who were better for having known him. As many have said, he will be deeply missed, but the laughter, love, and memories will last forever. It gives the family much peace to know that as Rit transitioned, he was with his beloved dogs, taking a sunbath in the backyard. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Robin Fund at GIAC, a fund that provides emergency assistance to individuals and families in the greater Ithaca community.

Sports

Kirst and Foremost By Ste ve L aw rence

nyone who follows professional lacrosse has likely noticed that as recent records have been broken, Cornell Lacrosse has been mentioned often. Over the summer, I shared this news about Rob Pannell (Cornell class of ‘13):“A 12-time All Star, he is now alone at the top of the professional lacrosse mountain, having scored 658 points in the Major Lacrosse League, and the Premier Lacrosse League.” While Pannell is still playing a a very high level, a new name – also affiliated with Cornell – is getting a lot of attention. A few minutes into the Premier Lacrosse League’s title game – pitting the Philadelphia Waterdogs against the Denver Outlaws – an announcer said, “That goal gives Cj Kirst a first-half hat trick. He is the biggest star in the sport right now.” Kirst would go on to score five goals in that championship game (personally outscoring the Outlaws), helping the Waterdogs to a 14-4 win. That league title is the latest bit of good news for Cj, and to illustrate that point, let’s take a look at his last 18 months: In the Spring of 2025, he became the NCAA’s all-time goal scoring leader. He scored six goals against Maryland in the NCAA title game, giving the Big Red its first national championship since 1977. He was then awarded the Tewaarton Trophy, the preeminent individual award in collegiate lacrosse. Soon thereafter, he was the first overall draft pick in the PLL draft. Having finished his college career playing with a broken hand, Kirst underwent surgery and missed quite a few games in his rookie season, but stormed back this year, setting a new PLL single-season scoring record with 34 goals, winning the MVP and hoisting the championship trophy. Making it all even better is the 10

Former Cornell teammates Gavin Adler, Cj Kirst and Brendan Schaub celebrating the Philadelphia Waterdogs’ PLL Championship. (Photo: Premier Lacrosse League)

fact that two of his Big Red teammates – Gavin Adler and Brendan Schaub – are also Waterdogs. Oh... and the team won the title on Kirst’s 24th birthday. Nick Oxnam, the Local Marketing & Communication Associate for the

THE ITHACA TIMES / SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 6, 2026

PLL, was kind enough to set up a phone interview with Cj, and it was nice to reconnect. We have had a number of interactions over the years, and he is still as polite and engaging as he was as an 18 year-old freshman.

Donations may be made in the following ways: Online: Via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com /donate/?hosted_button_ id=92JYDSVHFGGML By Mail: Robin Fund-GIAC 310 1st Street Ithaca, NY 14850 A gathering to celebrate Rit’s life will be held on Saturday, October 10 th from 2pm – 4pm at the Southside Community Center in Ithaca, NY.

My first question made Kirst LOL, which isn’t difficult. In Oxnam’s words, “Nobody in lacrosse smiles more than Cj Kirst.” My question: “Cj, you’re playing at your peak level, you are the Championship MVP, your seven points were the most-ever in a title game, you’re the league scoring leader, league champ, you get to play with your college buddies, you play against your brothers... do you ever feel guilty getting paid to have this much fun?” “It’s pretty special,” Kirst said, “being in the locker room with my teammates from Cornell. The lacrosse culture at Cornell was something we wanted to be a part of, and it played a huge role in our team’s success.” (The pieces of that puzzle came together when Adler – last year’s Defensive Player of the Year with the New York Atlas - entered free agency and went to the Waterdogs, and then he and Kirst lobbied for Head Coach Bill Tierney to draft Schaub, a solid twoway player. Suffice it to say that Adler’s and Kirst’s credibility was boosted by Schaub’s solid contributions.) As for playing against his brothers (Colin is a goalie and Connor is a defenseman for the Boston Cannons ), Cj said, “Seeing them on the field and in the hotels, it feels like us practicing on our own in our backyard.” (I listened to a broadcast earlier in the season, and found it amusing when the announcer said, “It’s Kirst on Kirst on Kirst!”) Kirst will not be spending a lot of time relaxing and savoring this historic season. He offered, “Training camp for the NLL (National Lacrosse League) starts soon. (Cj plays for the Toronto Rock, joining Hugh Kelleher, another Cornell teammate.) Asked about International play, he said, “There will be some qualifying tournaments to prepare for the Olympics in L.A. in 2028.” Wrapping up, I pointed out that Mike Manley - one of the guys he played against in the title game against the Outlaws – is 38 years old, and I asked Cj if he could envision playing that long. He answered, “It’s inspiring to have some guys like that in the league.” I’ll take that as a “Maybe.”

Arts But the predominant mood of “Come from Away” –– through buoyant songs and story –– is nevertheless upbeat. As Newfoundlanders and voyagers alike learn that guests are gifts, this show affirms the possibility of bonding among strangers. “Come from Away,” book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Directed by James Vásquez. Musical direction by Angie Benson and choreography by Terra C MacLeod. At Syracuse Stage, 820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse. Through Oct. 11. Tues.Sat. 7:30 p.m. with Sat.-Sun. 2 p.m. matinees. Tickets at syracusestage.org and 315-443-3275. Barbara Adams is a regional theatre and arts journalist and retired professor of writing, Ithaca College.

UPS&DOWNS Ups The full cast of “Come from Away.” (Photo: Mike Davis)

“Come from Away” Explores Community, Human Decency on Syracuse Stage By Barbara Adams

s national policy becomes increasingly malevolent and capricious, a play like “Come from Away” can ground you in common sense, human decency, and the strength of community. Syracuse Stage’s moving production, handsomely directed by James Vásquez, helps us breathe fresh air again. I regretted missing the play when it opened in New York almost a decade ago and am grateful to have seen it now. Set in Gander, Newfoundland, immediately after the 9/11 attacks and the closure of U.S. airspace, “Come from Away” tells the story of a small Canadian community that welcomed some 38 diverted planes carrying 7,000 passengers. And it’s those voices that we hear: Canadians Irene Sankoff and David Hein, who wrote the book, music, and lyrics, based the play on their interviews with residents and travelers returning for the 10th-year anniversary of the attacks. (The performance itself concludes on this joyous reunion.) With a cast of 12 playing well over 50 different roles, including at least one Gander local and one stranded passenger, this fast-paced show needs a solid, simple set, here splendidly designed by Diggle and lit by Zach Blane. A warm wooden circular floor, equipped with only a few straightbacked chairs, is backed by an enormous dark wall, hung with rows of lights and cables and a long horizontal ladder. At first this just seems to be the theatre’s backstage, but the methodical arrangement indicates intent –– a world of systems, power grids, order. An airport? A firehouse? Darkly dominating, yet somehow reassuring. Below, everything happens within this circle of community, and ringing it are Angie Benson’s eight musicians, chiming in with the folk sound of guitars, bodhran, fiddle and flute. The opening scenes, in fact many scenes, are chaotic –– the islanders absorbing the news of the twin towers and the imminent arrivals at their large airport; the upset passengers stuck for hours

on board with few cell phones and no information. Vásquez’s staging throughout is exciting, orchestrating the confusion and disorder of both communities. The actors’ movements alone are challenging (without spike marks to guide them) –– especially as they rapidly transition from one identity to another with no more than a cap or a shift in stance or accent. What’s particularly striking is that the visual and aural turmoil is continually countered by moments of stasis and silence, and this repeated rhythm is at the heart of the play. We viscerally feel what it conveys: known, not known; sure, unsure; safe, unsafe. The residents rally and somehow gather food, clothing, toiletries, shelter, and more for all the dazed and frustrated passengers, who are eventually allowed to deplane. Another deadly hush occurs as they first view the television screens showing them what has happened. (By this point anyone in the audience who remembers 9/11 is reliving their own experiences and fears). As the hours stretch into days, the boundless hospitality of the Newfoundlanders brings the diverse international travelers into a secure and nourishing space –– and a new blended community is born. But this isn’t an abstraction; we feel it through myriad moments and personalities. (All costumed in wonderfully ordinary garb by Tracy Dorman.) There’s the genial mayor of Gander, Claude (Brian Ray Norris), badgering the head of the striking bus workers (Brett Mutter) to provide transport to thousands. And the feisty SPCA manager (Bets Malone), determined to help the trapped animals on board, including two rare bonobo apes. Among the passengers, sympathy and more sparks between a Brit businessman (Larry Raben) and Dallas divorcee (Crissy Guerrero). There’s a gay couple, Kevin & Kevin (Mutter and Zummy Mohammed), trying unsuccessfully to be discreet (it’s

a decade before legalized gay marriage in New York State). Hannah (LaRaisha DiEvelyn Dionne), the mother of a firefighter, frantically tries to get word of her son, while local schoolteacher Beulah (Marcia Hughes) tenderly nurtures her and others. Nervous TV reporter Janice (Hannah Embree) is stumbling through her first day on the job, whereas the confident pilot Beverley (Jean McCormick) shows her mettle and calm as American Airlines’ first female captain. Capable police constable Oz (David Kirk Grant) not only reassures and organizes, but he and the mayor provide a way for all to shed some tension. They initiate a “screech-in” ceremony, the Newfoundland tradition to welcome visitors (who’re called “come from away” or “mainlanders”) and make them honorary residents. The custom, among other silliness, involves kissing a big old codfish and downing the local screech, which is 40% alcohol Jamaican rum. Let the partying begin… More delightful comedy is provided throughout by Bob (Will Mann), a very big Black New Yorker, naturally suspicious as heck of strangers and worried that his wallet will be stolen. Assigned to go round up barbeques out of people’s backyards for a communal cookout, he’s convinced he’ll be shot. Instead, he’s offered a cup of tea. Like the others, Bob ends up being transformed by his stay in this remote little town. There are moments of celebration, of prayer in different faiths, of keening grief and threatening suspicion. International chef Ali, the sole Muslim among the passengers, is mistrusted at first landing and then again, most humiliatingly, in a required strip search before departing. Zummy Mohammed, the actor in this role, shared in a post-show talkback that on 9/11, fearing unknown reprisals, his mother had hidden him, at 5, under a mattress. As audience, we’re unhappily aware of all the persecution that will ensue after this ominous date.

By Kaeleigh Banda

The Ithaca City School District (ICSD) is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 2 to celebrate the completion of the new Fall Creek Elementary playground. The playground was designed through a collaborative effort that included Fall Creek students, Cornell University students, educators and design professionals.

Downs On Sept. 22, the IPD responded to Cherry Street for a report that a male was striking a female and had pulled a knife on passersby who intervened. The man, 59-year-old Duane Magee, fled the area and was found by officers who took him into custody.

HEARD&SEEN Heard

The City of Ithaca Fire Department has promoted Assistant Chief Rob Shepherd to the position of Deputy Chief, effective Sept. 20. In his new role, Shepherd will work on the department’s ongoing efforts to strengthen fire prevention, emergency preparedness and comprehensive emergency management.

Seen The Tompkins County Assigned Counsel Program has relocated from its current Center Ithaca office to Seneca Place, 130 East Seneca Street, Ithaca, beginning Sept. 28. The program will ultimately relocate to renovated space in the Old Jail as part of the county’s Center of Government project.

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

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Do you think Cornell needs to increase their funding for local services and entities like TCAT and ICSD 83.0% Yes 17.0% No

NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION:

Do you prefer fall’s rainy weather over the snowy season? Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.

SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2026 / THE ITHACA TIMES

Arts

Songwriters in the Round at The Cherry Arts By Mikayla Rovenolt

he Cherry Arts will host a “Songwriters in the Round” concert on Friday, Oct. 2. The event is a Nashville-style songwriters round, featuring performances by Laura Leigh, Tom Jolu and Tony Gill. The three musicians will take turns sharing original songs and the stories behind them. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and music starts at 7 p.m. “Multi-instrumentalist singer/ songwriter Laura Leigh is at once a relic of a bygone age and a fresh face in the new generation of folk. She pulls from traditions of old time country and rock and roll, while moving between contemporary genres. Backed by Guthrie Bell Productions and flanked by Chanda Dewey on drums, Chris Maccia on bass, and David Lawlor on lead telecaster, her driving rhythms and soaring melodies accompany heartfelt lyrics,” according to a biography provided by Gill. According to the biography, Leigh is from upstate New York. According to Gill, Tom Jolu, who’s from central New York, brings together elements of folk sensibilities, thoughtful lyricism and a punk rock attitude. Born out of a decade of playing punk rock clubs, dive bars and basements, Jolu builds on the legacy of multiinstrumentalist songwriters, crafting songs that are both simple to sing along with but layered in complexity.

Rochester-based Tony Gill combines elements of folk, psychedelia, and country music while drawing from a long tradition of roots music and the American song. A multiinstrumentalist on guitar and fiddle, Gill pairs original songwriting with an old-time sound influenced by artists such as Gram Parsons, Hank Williams, and the Carter Family. Gill has opened for artists such as Ryan Montbleau and Mikaela Davis and is currently active throughout Central and Western New York. His songs center on love, loss, resilience, and looking for light even in the darkest places. “Part of the idea is bringing some of those different songwriting communities together in Ithaca,” Gill said in an interview with the Ithaca Times. “My main inspiration was that there was new music programming happening at the Cherry in Ithaca, and I had the idea for a songwriting event that did a songwriters round in my head for a while. Then I thought of some songwriters from different places around Ithaca, and I thought it’d be great to kind of connect people to new audiences because the local music scene, the regional music scene, I think should be more connected in some ways.” Gill added that he likes the idea of a collaborative and shared performing space, which is exactly what the round

Musicians Tony Gill, Laura Leigh, and Tom Jolu. (Image created by Tony Gill)

does; it brings together different musicians who take turns sharing their music and the inspiration or stories behind the songs. After attending a round music performance himself, Gill said he was inspired to bring that atmosphere to one of his own performances and that he wanted to share the light to have fun with other artists. “It’s a great time to support live

music and to come hear real songwriting and I think that that’s something we should all be trying to do more: is to get out and experience real music,” Gill concluded. Tickets are available online at https://ci.ovationtix.com/35407/ production/1289765?performanceId =11863166 or at the door.

Film

“Heart of the Beast”: Alaska, You Can Keep Brad Pitt, Just Give Us the Dog By Clement Obropta

s long as there are patches of true wilderness left in the world, Hollywood will make movies about famous people getting stuck there and trying to survive. In “Heart of the Beast,” Brad Pitt plays the survivalist, four different dogs play his dog, and Alaska is played by New Zealand, the kind of location choice that begs the question, “If you didn’t actually bother to shoot this in the Alaskan wilderness, then what are we even doing here?” (Director David Ayer says, “You can’t tell the difference.” Yeah, right.) This Very Special Episode of Bear Grylls takes place, we’re laughably told, “somewhere in Alaska,” where war veteran James (Pitt) is enjoying a peaceful solo camping trip with his dog. Grilling, flyfishing, birdwatching, trying not to let the harrowing war flashbacks keep you up at night... classic Guys Weekend activities. But he suffers a heart attack while flying and crashes, stranding man and dog in the frigid north with 30 miles between them and the nearest road. Unlike its more artistically ambitious cousins such as “The Revenant” or “All Is Lost,” this survival thriller only ever treats the wilderness as an obstacle to be surmounted, a beast to be tamed. It should come as no surprise that there is no profundity to be gleaned from David Ayer (a.k.a. Diet Zack Snyder), a gungho military bootlicker who treasures the

“Heart of the Beast”

James (Brad Pitt) stranded in the Alaskan wilderness with his dog, Odin (played by Uber, Seeka, Ryko, and Honda). (Photo: Paramount Pictures)

open wilderness more as a site of Navy SEAL training exercises than as a gorgeous paradise to be protected at all costs. Besides a few effectively edited set pieces, “Heart of the Beast” is lame, tired, and extremely overbudgeted for a movie whose biggest expense was probably its lead actor’s paycheck. “There’s nothing like the quiet of nature,” says J.K. Simmons, who appears briefly as a kayaking guru and beer thief. It’s a bold statement for a film whose every still moment is stuffed with dialogue, twanging folk music, or choral native singing. In a picture like this, the soul comes from the stillness. The moments of awe, wonder, mystery, and anguish that emerge from the raw beauty of nature and seeing man stripped to his most basic, primal state. But “Heart of the Beast” doesn’t have a poetic bone in its body. This terrible movie will undoubtedly live forever in clips on YouTube and

Rated PG-13 Directed by David Ayer Currently playing at Regal Ithaca Mall 40 Catherwood Road, Ithaca 12 T H E I T H A C A T I M E S / S E P T E M B E R 3 0 – O C T O B E R 6 , 2 0 2 6

episodes of “The Joe Rogan Experience” where Rogan says, “Jamie, bring up that clip where Brad Pitt gets ripped apart by wolves.” Its hero is monumentally stupid, it gives away its ending to you in the first three minutes, and it’s very funny that every time Brad Pitt drops his walking stick, the audio design makes it sound like a 2x4 clanging on the floor of a Home Depot. “Suicide Squad” and “Fury” director David Ayer brings little craft to bear here, seeming completely lost with a mismatched script and star who cannot find any dimension in this extremely shallow PTSD survivor. You see, James is damaged and needs to be alone drinking beer in the woods because he has ghosts in his past, specifically Middle Eastern ghosts of people he shot during a tour with the Army Special Forces. Yes, he was a boot of American imperialism who pillaged and

murdered his way across a country where he didn’t speak the language, but aren’t his feelings important, too? “Won’t someone consider the mental health of the boot?” has been the dominant message of American military cinema for the past 20 years, and I’m so sick of it. Not because the message is invalid, but because at some point, the exhortations for men’s mental health and against the mistreatment of war veterans stopped being useful counterpoints for our relentless, bloody imperialist conquest and started being part of that very same imperialist narrative. Men go to war, they kill brown people overseas, and then they come back tortured, and our culture treats this manipulation and degradation of the spirit as totally natural, as reliable and necessary as the sun rising and falling each day. Merely mentioning PTSD in a mainstream film might have once been revolutionary, but those days are long behind us. Now, Ayer and company are desperately trying to find new angles. Let’s put the suffering soldier in the wilderness. Let’s give the dog PTSD. Let’s play some traditional Yup’ik singing over a montage of Brad Pitt fly-fishing. So here’s one of our least compelling movie stars dressed like Davy Crockett marching through New Zealand pretending it’s the Alaskan wilderness while vaguely Tibetan spiritual music plays on the soundtrack. The film looks like a pickup truck ad from start to finish, ends with a country cover of “Stand By Me,” and its most interesting character is the dog with PTSD. Please, Alaska, you can keep Brad Pitt. Just let us have the dog. Clement Obropta is a film columnist for the Ithaca Times.

Arts

Ithaca Textile Artist Zoe Gras Wins National Sustainability Award By Philip O’ D ell

thaca native Zoe Gras was selected as one of 12 students nationwide to receive the inaugural CFDA x Bezos Earth Fund Next Thread Initiative Scholarship Award. She is a textile artist and graduate student at the Parsons School of Design in New York City’s Greenwich Village. According to the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s website, Lauren Sánchez Bezos launched the $6.25 million partnership between the CFDA Foundation and the Jeff Bezos-funded Bezos Earth Fund to advance innovation and education in sustainable fashion. The initiative will provide $3 million over three years to independent American designers and fashion brands, including $1 million in individual awards distributed in 2026 to support sustainable practices. Gras said the award grants her $39,624 in tuition assistance for her final year of graduate school, alongside a $10,000 stipend to fund her master’s thesis materials and studio expenses. The award supports undergraduate and graduate students pursuing sustainable fashion design, providing one-to-two years of support for students’ academic and creative work. The sustainability-focused scholarship has inspired Gras to deepen her artistic exploration of local water issues, including the blue-green algae blooms affecting Cayuga Lake. To highlight the necessity of clean water through her thesis work, she plans to incorporate natural, eco-friendly materials into her textiles, such as transitioning from wool to linen, which requires less water to produce. Gras said she seeks to integrate ecofriendly concepts into their thesis, noting that realizing the beauty and necessity of water inspired them to incorporate it into their project through natural materials. Gras has traditionally worked with wool, but is considering transitioning to linen due to its lower environmental impact and reduced water consumption, aiming to source the most eco-friendly materials possible to create art that highlights water’s essential role in sustaining life. Gras said her past textile projects were created using hand spinning, felting, embroidery, and manual domestic flatbed knitting machines, working with natural fibers such as wool, cotton, and linen. Regarding her commitment to sustainability, Gras said she was largely shaped by her upbringing in Ithaca, particularly through an environmental science class she took at Ithaca High School. She noted that the course emphasized the severe impacts of climate change and underscored the dangers of blue-green algae blooms, which pose health risks to both humans and local wildlife. She noted the connection between the algae exposure and the increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Gras emphasized that protecting the planet requires advocating for animals that inhabit local lakes alongside human communities. Gras attended Boynton Middle School and Ithaca High School before earning her undergraduate degree in music at Ithaca College. She also worked for several years at Gourdlandia, an

during monthly meetings, which are held on the second Saturday of each month at rotating locations, including a Catholic church in Lansing. Gras also emphasized the free makerspace in downtown Ithaca, where she learned digital embroidery, laser cutting, and 3D printing while volunteering — skills that laid the groundwork for her master’s degree work. Gras said she hopes to enter the textile industry post-graduation and maintain her commitment to sustainability. “I’m going to try to stay true to my morals and intentions and stay as sustainable as possible through it all,” Gras said.

INQUIRING PHOTOGRAPHER By Mark Syvertson

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: “WHAT’S AN UNDERRATED APPLE VARIETY OR APPLE-BASED PRODUCT?” NOTE: If readers wish to participate in the Ithaca Times’ Inquiring Photographer column, contact Mark Syvertson at marksyvertsonphotography@gmail.com

Abby - “I feel like a lot of people haven’t had apple butter or know what it is.”

Textile artist Zoe Gras, an Ithaca native and graduate student at the Parsons School of Design, poses in front of her interactive installation, “Under Water.” Gras was selected as one of 12 students nationwide to receive the inaugural CFDA x Bezos Earth Fund Next Thread Initiative Scholarship Award for her work in sustainable fashion. (Photo provided)

art studio run by Graham Ottoson in the EcoVillage on West Hill. Gras highlighted her love for local nature, fresh air, and swimming as artistic influences. Gras said her interest in textiles developed as her health suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 after she contracted COVID-19, suffered a concussion, and contracted mononucleosis all within a threemonth span. The combination left her unable to walk for more than a few minutes or stand, forcing her to spend a year resting in bed between doctor appointments. Because singing became too painful, she turned to knitting and crocheting during her recovery. “I realized that the emotion that I wanted to convey through singing, I was also able to convey through fiber art,” Gras said. “I realized I could convey it in a much more meaningful way.” Gras described her textile creation process as a deeply rhythmic and meditative workflow that begins with music and local nature. She typically listens to folksy alternative music to establish a rhythm while drawing abstract movement patterns inspired by local water currents, such as those at Six Mile Creek near First Dam in Ithaca. Gras then translates those abstract sketches into textile forms through experimentation, often turning the drawings into digital embroidery files that she sews onto her own knitted or felted pieces. Reflecting on techniques learned from the local hand spinners guild in the Ithaca region — where

members gather in a circle to spin yarn together — she tries to maintain a calm, meditative approach to help ease the rigors of graduate school. “I spend like 11 to 12 hours a day in my studio every day, so I want to make it as enjoyable as possible,” Gras said. Gras said an interactive canopy she created last year is one of her proudest artworks, explaining that the piece was inspired by Cayuga Lake and her complex feelings toward large bodies of water. Gras said that while she loves lakes and oceans, swimming in them often brings a sense of dread about what lies beneath the surface, prompting her to design a canopy to illuminate those emotions. Upon displaying the work, however, she discovered the structure amplified whatever state of mind a viewer brought to it — anxious visitors felt overwhelmed and claustrophobic inside, while others found the space peaceful, calm, and joyful. Constructed over a five-week school project that required six to 10 hours of daily labor six days a week, the canopy has been exhibited multiple times in New York. Gras hopes to show it in Ithaca next, pointing to a strong public interest in interactive art that she plans to pursue in future projects. Gras encouraged aspiring textile artists to take advantage of local community resources, specifically recommending the Black Sheep Handspinners Guild and the makerspace at Tompkins County Public Library. She highlighted the guild as an affordable and welcoming network where members share their expertise

Steve - “Newtown Pippins. It originated in Queens, NY back when Queens was farm land. It’s sweet, a little tart, great for eating or cooking. And it makes a great cider.”

Amara - “Apple cider vinegar. It has a lot of health benefits and you can infuse it with almost anything.”

Deva - “We use apple cider in our kombucha which adds a really sweet, crisp flavor.”

Amy - “Porter’s Perfection is a New York apple variety that we used in a small batch of our hard cider. It was definitely an employee favorite.”

SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2026 / THE ITHACA TIMES

Music

Concerts/ Recitals

Stage

Art

Film

9/30 Wednesday

Sociability, Playfulness, and Eighteenth-Century Performance 7:30 p.m. | Barnes Hall, 129 Ho Plaza | Free

Americana Women: Celebrating the Icons of Country and Folk | 2 p.m. | Cortland Repertory Theatre, 6795 Little York Lake Rd.

Cinema Pe Cinema: The Theatres. The Movies. And Us at Willard Straight Theatre | 6 p.m., 9/30 Wednesday | Cornell University, 144 East Ave.

TRACES | 11 a.m., 9/30 Wednesday | Corners Gallery, 903 Hanshaw Rd. Suite 101A | TRACES features work by Masha Ryskin and Jennie Wilde | Free

La Gran Palestina - Film Screening at Cornell Cinema | 6 p.m., 10/6 Tuesday | Cornell University, 44 East Ave.

10/1 Thursday

10/1 Thursday Livers at the South Hill Cider Community Concert Series | 5:30 p.m. | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Rd.

Ozolins and Nelson: On Canvas and Paper | 12 p.m., 10/1 Thursday | SOAG, 120 West State/MLK St. | Free

Cinemapolis

Midday Music: Stephen Prutsman | 12:30 p.m. | Lincoln Hall, 256 Feeney Way | Free

10/2 Friday Live Music - Terrapin Station | 6 p.m. | Hopshire Farms & Brewery, 1771 Dryden Rd. Songwriters In The Round At The Cherry | 7 p.m. | The Cherry Arts , 102 Cherry St. | $15.00 - $18.00

10/4 Sunday Summer Sundays Music Series - ft. FOMO | 1 p.m. | Wagner Vineyards, 9322 State Route 414

10/5 Monday Reverie Road at the Night Eagle Cafe October 5 at 7:30 PM | 7:30 p.m. | Night Eagle Cafe at the Savage Club and Lansing Area Performance Hall, 1004 Auburn Rd. | $20.00 - $25.00

10/7 Wednesday Midday Music for Organ: David Yearsley | 12:30 p.m. | Anabel Taylor Chapel, 548 College Ave | Free

10/2 Friday Hank Roberts Solo Cello at the South Hill Cider Community Concert Series | 5:30 p.m. | South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Rd. The Jess Novak Band | 8 p.m. | Centertown Social, 8 Clemens Sq.

10/3 Saturday Tumbleweed Jones Band | 6 p.m. | ONCO Fermentations, 397 NY RT 281, Suite O NYS Baroque: Paris | 7:30 p.m. | First Congregational Church of Ithaca, 309 Highland Rd.

10/4 Sunday Cornell Symphony Orchestra Concert (CU Music) | 3 p.m. | Bailey Hall, 230 Garden Ave. | Free

10/6 Tuesday Music in the Glen Tuesday and Saturday concerts | 6 p.m. | Glendale Park, 400 Glendale Dr.

10/7 Wednesday

Civic Ensemble Youth Forum Theatre Troupe | 4 p.m., 10/6 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green St.

The Louis K. Thaler Concert Violinist Series at Hockett Family Recital Hall | 7 p.m.

Improv Night! | 7 p.m., 10/6 Tuesday | Liquid State Brewing Company, 620 W Green St.

120 E Green St, Ithaca New movies opening the week of September 30. Contact Cinemapolis for showtimes and continuing films. Digger | The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything. | NA 128 mins The History Of Concrete | Documentarian John Wilson looks to the bedrock of his beloved NYC for inspiration and structure. Concrete, the world’s most widely used building material, appears as an ever-present life force, and John sets out to make the definitive documentary on the matter. | NA 101 mins Snow White (1916) | Free Screening, Sat. Oct 3, 2:30 p.m. with Live Musical Accompaniment by harpist-composer Leslie McMichael and violist Barbara McMichael Part of Cinemapolis Free Movie Day presented by True Insurance and Cat’s Pajamas & Silent Movie Month presented by Wharton Studio Museum! | NA 63 mins Out Here | Out Here is a feature documentary film produced in the Finger Lakes of New York. It shares the impactful histories of rural African Americans building lives on the land and in community with liberators and thinkers across the nation. | NA 155 mins

Esta Isla | Bebo, a teenager from a coastal Puerto Rican town, lives with his brother in a public housing complex. They fish for a living, but growing desperation drives them to illegal dealings that promise easy money. As hitmen close in, Bebo must confront his choices and decide if redemption is possible, or if the sea will be their final escape. | NA 71 mins House | A schoolgirl who travels with six classmates to her ailing aunt’s creaky country home and comes face-to-face with evil spirits, a demonic house cat, a bloodthirsty piano, and other ghoulish visions, all realized by Obayashi via mattes, animation, and collage effects. | NA 88 mins

Special Events IC Service Fair at North Foyer, Emerson Suites | 11 a.m., 10/1 Thursday GO ITHACA Open Hours | 2 p.m., 10/1 Thursday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green St. | Most Holy Rosary Oktoberfest | 5 p.m., 10/2 Friday | Most Holy Rosary Church, 2596 Main St. | Free OKTOBERFEST & Stone Lifting Competition with Stones of the North | 12:30 p.m., 10/3 Saturday Olive Festival | 2 p.m., 10/4 Sunday | Southside Community Center, 305 S. Plain St. | Join us for an afternoon of culture, food, community, and solidarity at our second annual | Free Health & Wellness Fair | 7:30 a.m., 10/6 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green St. Tai Chi for Health | 3 p.m., 10/6 Tuesday | Dundee Library, 32 Water St. Singing Class Begins by Elisa S. Keeler | 5:30 pm; 10/6 Tuesday | First Unitarian Society of Ithaca

THIS WEEK PUBLIC SUNSET CRUISE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 02 FROM 6:00 P.M. TO 7:30 P.M. Discover Cayuga Lake, 1000 Allan H. Treman Marina Drive | A sunset cruise on Cayuga Lake with light narration from the crew. Relax and enjoy the evening on the water. https://discovercayugalake.org/public-boatcruises-cayuga-lake-finger-lakes-ithaca-ny/

COMEDYHOF PRESENTS: THE $100 LAUGH-OFF SATURDAY, OCTOBER 03 FROM 1:00 P.M.TO 6:00 P.M. Camilla Shade Studio,130 Cherry St | A monthly stand-up comedy competition where the audience votes to award a $100 cash prize. BYOB. First Saturday of every month. Eight to ten comedians. Five minutes each to make you laugh. One headliner to close the night. www.lcatompkins.org

THE ITHACA TIMES / SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 6, 2026

ART IN THE GARDENS TOUR WITH SPECIAL GUEST DURAND VAN DOREN SATURDAY, OCTOBER 03 FROM 3:00 P.M. TO 4:30 P.M. Cornell Botanic Gardens, 124 Comstock Knoll Dr. | Join Artist and Blacksmith Durand Van Doren, who has been creating fine, handmade ironwork for over 25 years, and Jean McPheeters, docent, to tour the botanic gardens and learn how Durand’s creations connect us with plants in the herb, flower, and winter gardens. https://events.cornell.edu/event/art-in-the-gardens-tour

CATVIDEOFEST 2026 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 04 AT 4:30 P.M. Willard Straight Theatre,144 East Ave. | A bigscreen compilation of the year’s best cat videos, raising money for local animal shelters in a family-friendly theater setting. https://cornellcinema.eventive.org/ schedule/6a70eac7972b09215e223cb3

Tabletop Role-Playing Game Brainstorming Group | 6 p.m., 10/7 Wednesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green St.

Shadow Puppet Party | 10:30 a.m., 10/3 Saturday | Dryden Community Center, 9 E Main St. | Free

Books

Notices

Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism | 4:30 p.m., 9/30 Wednesday | 132 Goldwin Smith Hall, Cornell University , 232 Feeney Way | Free

Congress to Campus at Campus | 8:30 a.m., 9/30 Wednesday

Queer Horror Book Club Hungerstone | 6 p.m., 9/30 Wednesday | 215 North Cayuga St. | Free Wordplay: a Creative Writing Workshop hosted by Maria Telincho | 4 p.m., 10/4 Sunday Teen & Tween Graphic Novel Book Club | 4 p.m., 10/6 Tuesday Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green St. Comic Book Club of Ithaca | 6:30 p.m., 10/6 Tuesday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green St. Hot People Read Book Club | 5 p.m., 10/7 Wednesday | Buffalo Street Books, 215 North Cayuga St. | Free

Kids Early Fall Baby & Toddler Storytime | 10:30 a.m., 10/2 Friday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green St. | Caregivers and their children are invited to join Cassie at the park next to the Henry St. John Building at 301 S. Geneva St. for music, rhymes, movement and books. Chinese-English Bilingual Storytime | 4 p.m., 10/2 Friday | Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green St. | Free Preschool Projects Take & Make | 10/2 Friday | Cortland Free Library, 32 Church St .

Downtown Location, 312 4th St., Ithaca, NY 14850 | Free Saturday Market | 9 a.m., 10/3 Saturday | Steamboat Landing, 545 3rd St. Cancer Resource Center Walkathon & 5k - Ithaca, NY | 10 a.m., 10/3 Saturday | Kiwanis Pavilion - Cass Park, 701 Taughannock Blvd. Farmer’s Market Cruises | 11 a.m., 10/3 Saturday | Ithaca Farmer’s Market Dock, 545 3rd St. | $10.00 - $28.00 Album Club - with Jondra Harmon | 1 p.m., 10/3 Saturday | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S. Main St. | CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OAR 50th Anniversary | 3 p.m., 10/3 Saturday | Henry St. John Building, 301 S Geneva St. | Celebrate OAR’s 50 Years of service with free food, music, memory wall, art gallery, and more! | Free Freeville Farmers Market | 11:30 a.m., 10/4 Sunday | Freeville Elementary School, 43 Main St. | Free Euchre at The Grayhaven Fall 2026 | 2 p.m., 10/4 Sunday | Grayhaven Motel, 657 Elmira Rd. | Free Parkinson’s People Support Group | 2:30 p.m., 10/4 Sunday | Lifelong, 119 W. Court St. | Free Special Committee on Coordinated Unhoused Services Planning Meeting | 2 p.m., 10/5 Monday | Council Chambers, 3rd Floor City Hall Medical Aid in Dying Is Now Legal in New York: Learn and build access | 3:30 p.m., 10/5 Monday | Free Getting in | 1 p.m., 10/6 Tuesday | This workshop will unpack the racist history and language surrounding cannabis, as well as address inequities around cannabis use. NO Open Mic Night - Cancelled | 7 p.m., 10/6 Tuesday | Center for the Arts of Homer, 72 S. Main St.

ORCHESTRAL SERIES

PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN PERFORMANCE

Free Palestine rally held in DeWitt Park in the City of Ithaca

Jacob Jolliff Mandolin

All photos are by Mark Syverston

Guillaume Pirard Conductor

FANTASIES October 10, 2026 at 7:30 pm

FORD HALL, ITHACA COLLEGE SINGLE TICKETS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS STILL AVAILABLE AT: CCOithaca.org

James and Dianne Orcutt SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2026 / THE ITHACA TIMES

Online @ Ithaca.com

New, Used & Vintage Stringed Instruments & Accessories Guitars Ukuleles Banjos and Mandolins

Strings, Straps, Stands, Songbooks and More!

215 N. Cayuga St. Ithaca, NY 14850 The Dewitt MaLL • (607) 272-2602

GUITARWORKS.COM

THE ITHACA TIMES / SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 6, 2026