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F R E E S e p t e m b er 2 7, 2 0 1 7 / V o l u m e X X X V I I I , N u m b e r 5 / O u r 4 6 t h Y e a r

Online @ ITH ACA .COM

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F R E E S e p t e m b er 2 7, 2 0 1 7 / V o l u m e X X X V I I I , N u m b e r 5 / O u r 4 6 t h Y e a r

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Live Music & Scenic Beauty! Relax and enjoy wine & spirits of Distinction with a spectacular view from our covered deck. Minutes from Downtown

Grassanova Thu 9/28 6-8pm Johnny Cash, Beatles, and Bluegrass

Rt 79 Ithaca • 607-272-WINE CAYUGA NEUROLOGIC SERVICES OF CMA WELCOMES

Christopher King, MD

Accepting new patients • Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, Texas) • Residency: Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, Texas) Internal Medicine and Neurology • Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology • Special clinical experience to treat patients with: - Dementia - Multiple Sclerosis - Headaches - Parkinson’s Disease Dr. King practices with Neurologists: Deana M. Bonno, MD Susan Cowdery, MD James Gaffney, MD David Halpert, MD Jody Stackman, MD

Experience Health Care that Cares about You. In partnership with Cayuga Medical Center. Most insurances accepted.

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WITH CLINICAL SUPPORT FROM

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Congregation Tikkun v’Or Ithaca Reform Temple

Spirit Community Justice

Yom Kippur Services with Rabbi Brian Walt

Sept 29 (6:45 PM) & Sept 30 (9 AM) Services & programs throughout the day Children’s services and childcare in the morning All holiday services will be held at Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd. Membership and tickets are not required Full schedule at: www.tikkunvor.org info@tikkunvor.org (607) 256-1471

Newsline

VOL.X X XVIII / NO. 5 / September 27, 2017 Serving 47,125 readers week ly

Utopia............................................... 8

City Of Ithaca

A day trip to a failed vision of paradise.

New Overlay Zoning Proposal Seeks To Wrangle South Hill Rentals

Ninefold........................................ 13

Reviving a tradition of the days of King Arthur.

NE W S & OPINION

Newsline . ......................................... 3-11 Sports ................................................... 12

SPECIAL SEC T IONS

Best Of Ithaca . ......................... Insert

ART S & E NTE RTAINME NT

ast week, the city released its proposed overlay zoning district regulations for South Hill, which will halt any construction of a secondary dwelling on a property for the foreseeable future as the city examines and formulates a neighborhood plan. The new zoning, designed by Economic Development Planner Jennifer Kusznir, comes as a hopeful answer to South Hill outcry that’s been brewing for a while but boiled over after a local developer announced plans to build a secondary dwelling on a property at 217 Columbia Street. Specifically, the regulations will look to stif le density-focused development that has become a hub of student rental housing and thus a common source of complaints from non-student neighbors. Impacted properties include any currently designated residential parcels classified R-1 or R-2 falling within the overlay district. Existing structures are not affected, but as long as the temporary zoning is in effect no primary structures would be constructed on parcels of land that already contain one or more, and if a parcel is devoid of any primary structures, only one can be constructed. The 17-acre overlay district would allow the city some time to decipher whether guidelines, and what kind, would be beneficial both for the city’s density goals, but also to retain the character of the neighborhood. A time limit was not established in the draft proposal for the expiration of the overlay zoning restrictions. The city anticipates, according to the document, starting work on an area plan for South Hill some time in the next calendar year. The proposal will be considered by the Planning and Economic Development Committee at its October 11 meeting. –M att Butler

Art . ....................................................... 14 Music . ................................................... 15 Film......................................................... 16 Special Events ................................... 17 Dining . ................................................. 17 TimesTable ..................................... 18-21 Classifieds..................................... 22-24

City Of Ithaca

A Portrait Of A City

E A R E I T H ACA, a multi-faceted 20172 018 p h o t o g r a p h y project, is currently compiling videotaped stories and still portraits from all segments of the City’s populace. As a visual historic snapshot of Ithaca’s uniqueness and diversity, WE ARE ITHACA will be presented next summer in a book of portraits purchasable on-line and a two-day community celebration on The Commons. Project Director/photographer Robyn Wishna and Jon Jensen of Park Foundation, as initial collaborators, invited the Community Arts Partnership to join them on this inspired pictorial adventure. Portrait sessions began in mid-September and will be held through November (more sessions may be added) two times at each of the following ten city

locations: McGraw House, Ithaca High School, Southside Community Center, Greater Ithaca Activities Center, Titus Towers, Lehman Alternative Community School, Community School of Music and Art, Belle Sherman Elementary School, and Ithaca Farmers Market. After the fourth portrait session, Wishna— a Lecturer in Media Arts, Sciences and Studies R Ithaca College — when asked of her satisfaction with the community’s response, replied, “I anticipate, as more people learn about the project, more people will participate. We already have well over 100 people who shared incredible stories for the video portion and brought interesting objects to pose with... People can talk about themselves; it’s an ‘open mic’ basically.” Several people, she said, mentioned how inclusive a place Ithaca is. A bunch of young people shared what they want to be when they grow up. A man who picked up the fiddle at age sixty

T a k e ▶ One of Ithaca’s more unique athletic events is coming up... for the fourth year, Historic Ithaca is hosting its annual Cemetery Sprint on Oct. 14 at 11 a.m. (Registration starts at 10 a.m. at a cost of $10 to $13 per person). The run is part of a slate of advocacy events Historic Ithaca holds each October: every weekend throughout the month, the group will be hosting tours of the graveyard each Saturday and Sunday, where you can learn

Robin Wishna, at work.

played a tune and a retiree sang a song from his European homeland. Another retiree, who loves to play golf, dressed in her golfing togs and held a golf club and a golf ball. Wishna went on to say that it’s been quite a production to schlep a portable photo studio around in her little car; she couldn’t do it without the team of volunteers and a handful of Ithaca College Park School of Communication students who are facilitating WE ARE ITHACA’s photo sessions, social media and web site. She said she feels lucky and grateful to work on a project like this in a town she loves, and that she’s been “...entrusted with such a large incredible project by Park Foundation. It is an honor.” For detailed information about the portrait sessions and venue schedule visit: weareithaca.com –Deirdre Cunningham

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about the Ithaca City Cemetery’s evolution from village burying ground to Victorian garden of the dead. Enjoy the sweeping views and champion trees that make the cemetery a favorite spot for the living, while getting to know the famous and infamous residents and the stories they have to tell. Visit historicithaca. org/cemetery-tours-2017/ for info on the tours and historicithaca. org/sprint for information on the race and, of course, call 607-2773450 for more information.

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▶ One of the editor’s favorite short story collections has been named as TCPL’s 2017 Community Read. “Blasphemy,” a collection of short stories by one of the nation’s most astute observants of Native American life in the Pacific Northwest in Sherman Alexie, can be reserved for your book group or agency by contacting Tom Burns at tburns@tcpl.org or (607) 272-4557 extension 253.

I t h a c a Ti m e s

Cover Design: Marshall Hopkins Cover Photo: Casey Martin

ON THE W E B

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All rights reserved. Events are listed free of charge in TimesTable. All copy must be received by Friday at noon. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $69 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 607-277-7000, FAX 607-277-1012, 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. F o u n d e r G o o d T i me s G a z e t t e : Tom Newton

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INQUIRING

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City Of Ithaca

PHOTOGRAPHER Checking Ithaca’s Commitment To Union Labor By C a se y Mar tin

In your opinion, what is Ithaca’s #1 selling point?

he din of the construction site has become a familiar sound around Ithaca: The repetitive beeping of a reversing truck, the scraping of dirt, the clanging of metal and the yelling of orders, rising above it all. Every so often, the cacophony is broken by chants and picket signs, organized by local workers’ rights groups and union members. Such was the case last Tuesday at the Maplewood Apartment Complex near East Hill, where a group of a dozen or so protesters held signs demanding the site’s construction workers, most of whom are not local union members, receive fair wages for their labor. The Maplewood redevelopment is currently the largest construction project in Ithaca, a n $80 mi l lion ma mmot h rebuild of an apartment complex between Mitchell Street and Maple Avenue intended for Cornell University graduate students. It’s just one more in a long (and still growing) line of construction projects that will soon indelibly change Ithaca, joining City Centre, Harold’s Square, the Hilton Canopy Hotel and more pouring an estimated

“Gotta go with Gimme Coffee!” —Sam Harris

“The people!” Casey Harris —

“ That’s a hard question! Everything in Ithaca is a selling point, except for the winter weather...” —Nick Mayer

City Of Ithaca

Traffic Change Prompts Outcry “It’s the perfect size – Not too big, not too small! We also have a great international community. ” —Kim

“I wish Matte Factor was still open! I tell all my out of town friends about that place. “ —Dominique Ostuni

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est State Street/Hector Street has long cut a geographic divide directly through the West End and the West Hill neighborhood, serving as a natural barrier while also the main thoroughfare from the neighborhood to the center of Ithaca. But potent ia l cha nges to one section of the roadway has now divided residents of the neighborhood along decidedly different lines: commuters and pedestrians. The schism was evident during Monday’s Board of Public Works meeting, which was dominated by West Hill residents from both inside

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Laborers at work on the Maplewood Complex on East Hill. (Photo:Casey Martin)

$200 million of development into the area. But even with an unprecedented city development boom, the resulting benefit to local labor unions has been

Local labor leaders seem to generally agree that while they are happy about the work they are receiving, considering the amount of development around the city and “The problem I have with what’s county, they happening is you’re introducing want a bigger piece of the construction managers and pie. Dav id contractors who have never had Marsh, Busia presence here before, and they ness Manager of the Labor[don’t care] about local labor. I ers Local 785 find that problematic, but I don’t and President o f To m p want to sit here and say we’d kins-Cortrather not have any work.” la nd Bui ldi n g Tr a d e s only moderate, according to area Council, estimates between 20 labor officials. to 30 percent of construction in

the city throughout the last several years has come from local union labor, with a significant portion of the remaining work coming from out of town; places like Syracuse and Rochester or farther. This has a substantial ripple effect on the region, Marsh argued. “Local labor” is generally defined by the unions here as workers from the six contiguous counties of Cayuga, Seneca, Schuyler, Chemung, Tioga and Cortland Counties. “The problem I have with what’s happening is you’re introducing construction managers and contractors who have

and outside the city’s limits to state the case for or against a new proposal to make the Hector Street-Floral Avenue more pedestrian and biker friendly. In total, it is a $714,000 project, covered by New York State funded grants, which would include a mid-block crosswalk, a new traffic light at the intersection of Hector and Floral and two five foot bike lanes on either side of the street. The south side of West State Street would also receive 10 foot sidewalk, and one of the current four lanes of traffic would be eliminated. The city settled on the plans after eliminating two previously evaluated routes, inaction and bridge widening, in April and choosing it over a more costly option that would have only provided one bike lane, along with a concrete barrier. While there were a litany of concerns expressed by each side, they boiled down to two main fac-

navigate the area if traffic was to increase at certain times of day. Advo c ate s , on t he ot her hand, argued that the loss of a few minutes spent with engines idled in traffic is a small price to pay to ensure the safety of bikers and pedestrians alike, some of whom are local high school students or children of neighborhood residents. To counter the majority/minority points of detractors of the proposal, supporters indicated the only reason more people don’t utilize bikes or walk in the area is because of the aforementioned safety concerns. David Warden, a member of the Board, perhaps put it best when he borrowed a phrase from Field of Dreams: “In my experience, if you build it, they will come.” People also spoke of the beneficial environmental impacts that placing less emphasis on automobiles could have. –M att Butler

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tions, with a list of common talking points among each speaker. Opponents of the proposal decried the potential for further traffic problems in the area, saying the streets are overloaded with cars already and that further precautionary items, like the two proposed traffic lights, would hobble the f low of traffic further. In a more general sense, they felt that adding a bike lane was catering to the minority, bikers and pedestrians, at the expense of the majority (car drivers who use the bridge). The safety concerns that advocates have argued demand a change have been exaggerated, residents against the change further stated. They also lodged complaints that the proposal’s process, to this point, has been conducted without a sufficient amount of public input or notification. One woman also wondered aloud about the impact on emergency response vehicles’ ability to

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A Vote Looming, Ithacans Still Paying Attention

City Of Ithaca

City Weighs Efficiency In City Hall Against Loss Of Expertise

O Protesters from Tompkins County Progressives . the Ithaca Democratic Socialists Alliance and several other local health care advocacy groups protested outside Congressman Tom Reed’s Ithaca Office on Tuesday. The group is advocating for Single Payer Healthcare at the federal level as the United States Senate pushes for the ratification of a healthcare bill to replace the current Affordable Care Act. A vote is anticipated on the bill Sept. 30 and, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill will cause millions to lose their health insurance. (Photo: Nick Reynolds)

City Of Ithaca

As Development Strains Services, Some Wonder When New Taxes Will Pay Off

ver the past five years, Ithaca’s budget, backed largely by a rash of development, has done something very few budgets in New York State have done: account for substantial increases in spending without finishing in the red. Between the years 2012 and 2016, the City Of Ithaca has managed to increase overall spending (adjusted for inflation) by nearly 5.2 percent, all while lowering the tax rate nearly a full percentage point. While this is in part due to increased property tax revenues from nearly everyone’s property assessments going up during that time, a major factor in the city’s fiscal health has come from several million dollars in new residential and commercial development in the city, something city officials have largely credited as the remedy to the city’s past fiscal woes. Despite obvious benefit to the city’s tax rolls – new development increased the land value in the city by ten percent between 2015 and 2016, leading to the lowest property tax rate increase

in 16 years according to Mayor Svante Myrick – as the city prepares for its budget this year, some are beginning to wonder when the pre-recession level of services will be replaced and beyond this, begun to question whether or not increased development is having a negative impact on city services. Despite the addition of 679 units of housing between 2012 and 2016 boosting that more than 5 percent increase to the budget, several city departments most responsible for looking after the well-being of property and public safety barely saw increases to their budgets if at all, according to an analysis by The Ithaca Times. Adjusted for inf lation, personnel spending at the Ithaca Fire Department increased just 0.75 percent during that time, from $5.1 million in 2012 dollars ($5.33 million today) to $5.37 million. The Building Division, responsible for all the city’s code inspections and building permit applications, stayed fairly stable while losing five staffers to attrition,

bringing their overall roster to 13 individuals. And the Ithaca Police Department, its roster still reeling from the impacts of the Great Recession, still has a budget more than 8 percent lower than it was in 2012. And a ll, due to increased development, have more demanded of them than ever before, particularly due to the nature of the buildings themselves. M i ke Niechw iadow icz , Director of Code Enforcement for the City of Ithaca, said the waiting list for housing inspections for existing buildings is getting longer and longer – up to three months in some cases, complicated by the fact larger buildings – given the complexity of the City of Ithaca’s building code, its energy standards and safety regulations – demand a high level of involvement of building division staff as well as the fire department, which is responsible for testing a building’s fire safety systems. Though Ithaca Fire Chief Tom Parsons is reluctant to say larger buildings mean more calls (in 2016, the Ithaca Fire Department responded to 3,638 calls in the City of Ithaca – 129 more than four years earlier.) he does agree with the sentiment more people mean more calls: all this, he said, is while the City is slowly continued on page 12

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n November 7, Ithacans will be voting on somet hing ot her t ha n just their candidates for Common Council and County Legislature. On the ballot this fall, Ithaca cit y residents w i l l have t he opportunity to vote for a general restructuring of their local government involving the creation of four umbrella commissions – mobility and transportation, community and quality life, parks, recreation, and natural resources, and public safety and information – to replace a dozen of the 29 current committees in city hall. This would encompass the functions of groups like the Board of Fire Commissioners, the Natural Areas Commission and the Commons Advisor y Board, among other committees. The intent of this plan, according to its drafters, is to eliminate overlap and improve public engagement with city government. While the expected outcome is an optimized and more efficient pathway between the authors of more minute aspects of city policy and the Common Council, some fear that commissions with a broader and more generalized scope of work may lead to the neglect of more specific conversations in the conference rooms of 108 E. Green St. Some members who voted for having the referendum, like First Ward alderman George McGonigal, still have some reser vations about the measure even though, for the most part, it is a much-needed step forward in improving communication between the top-most and lowest rungs of policy. “I think what’s driving it, for the large part, is that the current system has become unmanageable for city staff,” McGonigal said. “For some of the committees, the minutes don’t get covered… it’s kind of a dog’s dinner the way things are now. I think it could be improved a lot with better organization, and I have serious trepidation over losing

Ups&Downs ▶ Cayuga Sound Who would’ve thought the most lit party to hit Ithaca in a long while would happen in Stewart Park? We’re extremely excited for what this means for the future. From reggae fest to this, we’re glad to see the park reaching its potential as a gathering spot.

Also, shout-out to PorchFest on another successful year. ▶ Chlorine and letting people know a wee bit late we were drinking it. Tastes kinda funky, but then again, we like really strong coffee so didn’t really notice.

If you care to respond to something in this column, or publish your own grievances or plaudits, write upsanddowns@ithacatimes.com, with a subject head “U&D.”

Heard&Seen ▶ If you want to hear something cool this week the band Space Carnival is playing at The Range on Saturday night. They’re super fun, and we highly recommend your seeing them. ▶ The top stories on Ithaca.com this week are...

1) Groton defeats No. 11 Lansing in 100th minute 2) City posts alert for Chlorite 3) Ithaca native one of the nation’s best mountain bikers 4) Student charged in Cornell assault, race questions still unanswered 5) A city built to spill: How ready for a flood is Ithaca?

question OF THE WEEK

On the real: Are toritillas just flat bread, or should they have a separate classification? Please respond at the Ithaca Times Web site www.ithacatimes.com. L ast Week ’s Q uestion : D o you think Cornell’s tech campus will have any direct impact on I thaca?

69.6 percent of respondents answered “No” and 30.4 percent answered “Yes.”

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GuestOpinion

Community Connections

D ig gi ng t h rough t h e se m a n t ic s of c olu m bu s day | By Ton y D e l P l at o

By M a rjor i e O l d s

Whose Day Is It? G

over nor A nd re w Cuomo s ay s he originated in San Francisco in 1869. I enjoy favors keeping a statue of Christopher a day off as much as anyone, but Italians the Columbus in Central Park in New world over have been celebrating for centuries York City. He says it’s really about honoring without anything official. Italian Americans and their contributions to The gesture was intended to make these New York. I disagree. It’s not just about New hard working, often uneducated people feel York. The statue of Columbus preserves one included in the “melting pot” of America. of the oldest symbols of white supremacy in During the depression of the 1930s and the the world. rise of fascism in Italy, the American governWith so many great Italians in history, ment wanted its Italian population to feel part why choose Columbus to be honored? Italians of America’s democratic culture and vision. have contributed so much How am I supposed to to world civilization in art, feel about being Italian in “Many Italians love to food, architecture, engiAmerica and celebrating celebrate life and love. neering and science. And the “contributions” of CrisWe can do much better like peoples the world over, toforo Columbo? The pride than hailing a genocidal we have had our less than I feel in my heritage comes maniac commissioned by laudable characters. While from the beauty and love a king, queen and pope. most of us fall somewhere expressed in stories by my Governor Cuomo can do in between, let’s consider family and friends, not a better too.” c e le br at i ng t he fol lowtale of a lost captain who ing great Italians: Dante until his death believed he A lg h ier i, w r iter/p o e t ; had not found a ny t hing Leonardo DaVinci, artist/scientist/engineer; new. Maria Montessori, physician and educator; Many Italians in the United States were and many more. insecure about their status in this country, In 1934 Colorado Senator Casimo Barela whether they were recent arrivals or had been and President Franklin D. Roosevelt intro- here for generations. Like other immigrants, duced legislation offering Italians a welcome Italians were stereotyped as dangerous with a gesture. Columbus Day became a federal proclivity for crime and brutality. Many of us holiday across the United States in 1937. Some looked, sounded and smelled different. The Ku historians think celebrating Italian culture Klux Klan lynched Italians for being Roman contin u ed on page 7

Henry’s Journey H enry Peterson left a good job at McGraw Hill Publishing so that he could explore and understand other lifestyles. Sampling yoga and meditation in the fall of 1972 he entered the Ananda Ashram in Monroe, New York and there, he met Baba Gil. Henry and other students followed teacher Baba Gil when he traveled to New York City. There they sat, sang, chanted, ate and meditated outdoors on the street corner of 86th and Central Park West. Gil and his devotees (referred to as “the Family”) attracted many others and the Family grew quickly. Their message was simple: “Start the Day with Love, Spend the Day with Love, End the Day with Love. If you love God, you’ll love people; loving people you’ll share. If you share, you’ll let go of pain and be happy.” Henry made a trip to India visiting ashrams and upon his return in January 1973, he joined 42 seekers (plus some cats and dogs) as they embarked on a brightly painted school bus headed toward Mexico. The border crossing took some time since their bus was emblazoned with “Yea God”, brightly colored artwork, and its unconventional occupants were a unique experience for the border patrol. “This was an incredible trip,” he recalled. “30-35 of us continued on to Mexico – singing and chanting, meditating and doing yoga together, often with local folks along the way. Sharing our positive ‘Yea’ attitude. For a while we camped at an Ashram near the border where Baba Gil shared his message to ‘Let Go. Experience Life.’”

Some of the Yea God members who ventured to Mexico eventually made a second trip to Panama, heading toward South America. When they could not rent a barge to transport their vehicle, they sold the brightly colored bus and flew to Miami with the proceeds. Upon returning to the States a group of Yea God family moved to West Danby in 1973 and 1974 with the intention to live communally at Beech Hill Pond. “Many of us found this was the best setting for transforming our lives,” he said. “At Yea God we were able to live and practice what we believed in. Here in this sheltered environment we were able to release ourselves from time, to let go of heavy egos, and become who we really were meant to be. All of this letting go was very positive. We lived in an atmosphere with a continuous flow. By chanting and meditating on love and peace and living organically we were able to find our truest selves. We studied and revered the great teachers from all cultures and all eras. We saw the unity of the teachers’ loving and positive values. On the bus trips and during the Pond years Gil bestowed a spiritual name on some family members: Silver Cloud, Aura, Let, Beauty, Sparkle, Simplicity. Many retain their given names to this day.” “Some of us went for years without saying “No”; emphasizing the positive in Life. I lived in silence for seven months and Gil was silent for several years,

YourLetters

August 5, 2009). That document draws attention to the virtues of this particular streetscape of the 400 block on College Avenue, praising it for its “aesthetic harmony.” It also states: The east side of the 400 block of College Avenue is a major urban planning success, notable not only within its Collegetown context, but within the context of the City as awhole, and no incentive (such as substantially increasing the maximum permitted building height) should be enacted that would provide an economic incentive to demolish any of the buildings, old or new, that together create this exceptional urban ensemble. The 2015 Plan Ithaca outlined various land use goals for the City of Ithaca, including the preservation and enhancement of neighborhood character, listing historic preservation as an important component of livability. The most recent August 2017 draft of the City of Ithaca’s Collegetown Design Guidelines recognizes the significance of the 400 block of College Avenue as

Save Collegetown Heritage While You Can

he built environment matters to us all. It is in this spirit that Historic Ithaca wholeheartedly supports the individual landmark designations of both the Chacona Block (411-415 College Avenue) and the Larkin Building (403 College Avenue) in Collegetown. Both of these buildings stand as excellent examples of commercial buildings erected near the entrance to Cornell University in the early 1900s as Collegetown developed into its own urban neighborhood with services directed to the student population. The buildings meet the criteria for historic significance required for designation as set forth in Ithaca’s Municipal Code and were reviewed this summer by the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission (ILPC). Their designation is consistent with the 2009 Collegetown Urban Plan and Conceptual Guidelines (endorsed by Common Council on

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contin u ed on page 7

Connections contin u ed from page 6

using his own sign language. We discovered this positive state within ourselves, rather than manifest the conditioned responses we relied upon in our earlier lives.” “During our years together we had morning and evening group meetings and meditation. In between we provided for each other at Yea God: We gardened, hauled water, made meals, cut wood. We lived without electricity and bathed and saunaed daily with wood heat. We built lean-tos, domes, yurts, tepees and houses to live in on the land we loved.” “We came from all over to Yea God. From every social strata, every background. Many of us grew up in conventional families. I went to college, played sports, was a paratrooper in the military. We were all kinds of people who lived and learned together. Coming together at Yea God we chose our family. New people coming to the Pond felt welcomed home and valued.” “We were strengthened by our time together and many members went on to have renowned careers. Some became doctors or lawyers, professors, teachers, business people. Most of Yea God members still value service to others in their lives. We now live all over; 20 or more have stayed in this area.” Since Henry left Yea God he has often lived in and savored communal households these past 40 years. His three grown children and three grandchildren

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part of the Collegetown Core Character Area and the key gateway to Cornell University, calling this block “a Collegetown design exemplar.” What better way to recognize these two buildings and their contributions to their Collegetown neighborhood, the history of Cornell University, and the ongoing role they play in maintaining a vital streetscape than to individually designate them? Dramatic changes have occurred in Collegetown over the last 20 years with the construction of multiple new apartment and mixed use buildings. The City of Ithaca would be wise to recognize and approve the ILPC’s designation of the last remaining vestiges of a rich built heritage on a block that happily mixes the new with the old.

–Sara A. Johnson Interim Executive Director, Historic Ithaca

Say No To The Constitutional Convention

n the back of the ballot this November is one of the most important questions we as New Yorkers will have to answer on behalf of all our citizens: “Shall there be a convention to revise the constitution and amend same?” We must vote NO to this question.

are thriving, and he is close with them all. Henry noted that children who grew up at Yea God, and also children whose parents grew up at Yea God, seem savvy about the world. Many too are politically involved and service-oriented. They, like their Yea God parents and grandparents, seem to value close friendships. Henry sums up the inf luence of Yea God: “These three generations seem focused on living with good intentions. That orientation has been passed from one generation to the next.” Not long ago Henry and fellow Ithaca Yea God folks hosted the 45th Yea God Anniversary in Ithaca. Henry provided a vegetarian dinner at his rural home, eaten in silence in a circle, like meals had often been savored at Yea God. “People came from Hawaii, California, Colorado... We find that the different priorities we developed during our communal years have stayed with us, After all these years we remain a family.” And Henry’s life: Lately Henry has been helping families create a small community in Danby called White Hawk: “One part is wild; one part has agriculture and room for cottage industries; one part is set aside for homes and recreation. Families already live in nine houses; the tenth is to be built soon.” “My heart continues to soar,” he said. “I find great happiness in my life— my family and friends. I appreciate all my life’s teachers. They all had strong points. I have learned from them to” Take the best and to leave the rest.”

The future of our state, our lives, our families, and our children will be at the mercy of Albany insiders if we fail to make the right choice. By voting NO in November we will send a clear message to corporate special interest groups, powerful Wall Street hedge fund managers, Albany power brokers and the politicians who do their bidding: that our state constitution and all that it protects and guarantees is not up for grabs in an unlimited tax payer funded free-for-all. By voting NO we can continue to protect our environmentally sensitive Adirondack and Catskill state parks, our children’s right to a free public education, our social safety net for our most vulnerable citizens, and our workers’ right to be safe on the job. All of these items and more will be in the crosshairs of a small but powerful, and well-funded minority of groups who only want to enrich themselves and their allies at the expense of hard working New Yorkers like yourself. Don’t risk losing everything our great state constitution protects and guarantees. Don’t play Russian roulette with our children’s futures and generations of New Yorkers to come. Vote NO to a state constitutional convention on November 7th.

–Liam O’Kane, Ithaca

GuestOpinion contin u ed from page 6

News Quick Hits

Catholic and one only had to go to New Jersey or Louisiana in the 1920s and 1930s to find hotbeds of KKK terrorism against us. Many faces in our families reflect the beauty of the Mediterranean and North Africa. While Columbus was considered a master seaman with a scientific view of the world, his advocates ignore important facts, which in my opinion, disqualifies him for any honors. When natives failed to meet his quota of gold, he ordered their hands cut off. He wrote in his journal of expanding the slave trade to include native peoples. He was going to make money on his expeditions somehow. Columbus, aka Cristobal Colon, sailed as a mercenary for the Spanish crown, seeking trade routes which also included taking land. This was justified by “The Doctrine of Discovery.” This doctrine was used to rationalize the taking of land not inhabited by Christians. Pope Alexander VI declared in a papal bull in 1493: “We of our own motion, and not at your solicitation, do give, concede, and assign forever to you and your successors, all the islands, and main lands, discovered; and which may hereafter, be discovered, towards the west and south; whether they be situated towards India, or towards any other part whatsoever, and give you absolute power in them.” The pope blessed European colonialism. My mother, a native of Apulia (heel of the boot), regularly wore one of my favorite t-shirts with a beautiful graphic of Taino or Arawak peoples peering through the shrubs on an island in the Caribbean, observing the approach of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. Under the colorful graphic it said: “Columbus did not discover America…he invaded it.” I choose to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead and acknowledge what they have given to the world, like 60 percent of foods we eat such as corn, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, squash and more. Or their spiritual view that we are all related. Many Italians love to celebrate life and love. We can do much better than hailing a genocidal maniac commissioned by a king, queen and pope. Governor Cuomo can do better too. Take down the Columbus statue. As a former City cabby, I urge Mayor DeBlasio to rename the traffic circle. Let’s make history, not swallow it.

Tony Del Plato is an innkeeper, cook and Interlaken Village Trustee

Ithaca startup named recipient of $25k grant from Chobani An Ithaca-based startup was one of seven companies nationwide to be granted $25,000 in funds to support their business prospects by the yogurt giant Chobani, the company announced Tuesday. Grainful, a local company that earned a quick reputation for turning steel cut oats into dinner food with their “Steel Cut Sides,” received the grant as part of the second class of the Chobani Food Incubator. According to a news release, the group is comprised of companies that are “disrupting, innovating and inspiring new food categories in the U.S. – from innovative products like plant-based ice cream, a low-sugar, low-calorie beer alternative, a healthier frozen fruit pop, as well as fresh and sustainable takes on foods that have been around for centuries, like oats, saffron and seafood.” If you want to try them yourself, Grainful’s products are available both at Greenstar and literally every Wegman’s in the region. City posts drinking water alert for Chlorite The City of Ithaca has released an announcement regarding elevated levels of Chlorite that appeared in the drinking water earlier this month. The statement, published Monday, September 25, said the levels, which exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level, were detected on September 3. The incident was a result of a new chloride dioxide feed system used to disinfect drinking water which was started in late August. “You are not required to do anything due to this event,” the announcement stated. “This is not an emergency. If it had been you would have seen notification immediately.” The following EPA mandated advisory was included in the post:

Corrections Unitarians Aren’t All Described Universally In an article from the Sept. 13 issue of the Ithaca Times, ‘A Milestone Comes To Pass,’ Unitarian Universalism was described as “an openly liberal Christian religion …” It should be said while some UU mem bers consider themselves Christians, the denomination as a whole should not be described as such. Th e

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Some infants and young children who drink water containing chlorite in excess of the MCL could experience nervous system effects. Similar effects may occur in fetuses of pregnant women who drink water containing chlorite in excess of the MCL. Some people may experience anemia.

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Oneida:

Utopian Ideals, Free Sex and the Search for Perfection T he Oneida Mansion House sits atop a hill surrounded by sweeping lawns and huge trees, looking like a staid and prosperous college campus. But inside this formal Victorian façade dwelt one of the most radical institutions of its time – a religiously-based Utopian commune that challenged mores and even laws of mid-19th century America. Originating in the 1840s as the Perfectionists Community, members practiced what was called “ Bible communism:” communal property and labor, communal child rearing, equality of the sexes, and “complex marriage”– freely shared non-monogamous sex among members. The Oneida Community lasted only 32

The great religious revivals in New York

The Perfectionist Community that would become Oneida was founded in Putney, Vermont by John Humphrey Noyes. The Yaleeducated son of a Vermont Congressman and a cousin of President Rutherford B. Hayes, he preached that the spirit of Christ had returned and entered into his group, that the basis of sin was selfishness, and that we could be free of sin (and thus perfect) in this world through faith and by sharing all labor and property. That belief extended to marriage, which encouraged the sin of possessiveness. Instead, members were all married to and could participate in sex with one another. Neighboring Vermonters did not take well

There they built the Oneida Community, on the wave of an extraordinary mid-19th century religious and spiritual revival that saw the founding of many Utopian and religious communities in Upstate New York. This included the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons), the Shakers, and the Adventists among others. So many religiously-based movements sprang up in Western and Central New York State then that it was referred to as the “burnedover district,” meaning the area had been so heavily evangelized that there was no “fuel” (unconverted population) left over to “burn” (convert). The mid-19th century was also a period of massive political, social and economic upheavals as the industrial revolution trans-

dence and comfort, attributed to a strong work ethic, communal work and good management. The equality of women as partners in all things was emphasized –one of the reasons marriage had to be abolished was because it enslaved woman, Noyes believed. Women worked along with men, held positions of power in the group, and wore pants and short hair unusual for the period. Oneida soon became a major economic influence in the region, with endeavors that included dying silk threads, manufacturing a range of metal animal traps, and eventually the silver tableware for which their name is still known today. Community members did not work themselves in the factory – they hired locals, and supervised, adding to the economy.

This glamorous day trip from Ithaca offers a vision of a time when Upstate New York was a center of religious revival. By Judith Horstman years, from 1848-1880, but from its radical social beginnings it evolved into one the most impressive and successful corporate manufacturing companies of the 20th century, still known today as Oneida Limited.

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to these polyamorous practices: Noyes was charged with adultery, and fled with his followers to Oneida in Upstate New York where adultery laws were not strictly enforced.

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formed manufacturing and banking, women clamored for equal rights, and slavery was abolished with a brutal Civil War. During these changes, the Oneida community functioned with impressive confi-

Sex in Utopia was not always Utopian But while the community was respected for its hard work and contributions to the re-

gion, its sexual practices made Noyes and the community notorious, and eventually caused problems inside as well as from without. Under the tenets of Complex Marriage, all men and women were considered married to each other. Any member could have a sexual encounter – called a “social interview” – with any other member if permission was asked and granted through a third party. The “interviews” took place in privacy in individuals’ bedrooms, after which participants departed for their own room. Forming close relationships was prohibited. Men were responsible for birth control through a practice called “Male Continence” in which the man does not ejaculate during or after intercourse. This helped limit the number of children born until the community was financially secure, and most of the Mansion House well under way in 1869. In preparation for a baby boom, a special children’s wing was designed and built for communal child rearing. Those who then wished to have children had to be approved as being spiritually advanced by a Central Committee under a selective breeding program of “special law for special sex.” The community believed spiritual qualities could be passed from parent to child. This eugenics program was called ”spiritual genealogy” (or Stirpiculture, a botanical term), Careful records were kept of parentage, and children took fathers last names. But the practice led to resentment and even departure by some who were denied children To add to the controversies, the group also practiced something called “Ascending Fellowship,” in which older members of both sexes introduced virgins (who were typically much younger) into Complex Marriage. Noyes, who was legally married before founding

Visiting Oneida Mansion House Oneida Community Mansion House 170 Kenwood Avenue Oneida, NY The Mansion House and grounds are open to visitors Monday-Saturday from 9 am - 5 pm and Sundays from 10 am-5 pm, with 90 minute guided tours Wednesday – Saturday at 10 am and 2 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. The exhibit areas are wheelchair accessible. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students with ID, and free for children under 12 and members.

the Community had one legitimate child, and fathered 13 more with other women during his time in the community.

Exploring The Mansion House

The Breakup

The 93,000 square foot Mansion House is a National Historic Landmark, preserved and continuously inhabited since 1862.

In 1880, the fraying edges unraveled. The Oneida Community had lasted 32 years, longer than most of the many similar movements, and prospered with 300 members at its peak. Historians give various reasons for its demise, most citing weakened leadership when Noyes passed the reins to his oldest legitimate son, Theodore, a Yale trained MD and an agnostic who lacked his father’s skills. In 1879, Noyes, who was warned of rumors he was about to face sex-related charges, fled to Canada. Continuing pressure from outside hostility and controversy about complex marriage (and internal dissatisfaction) led to abandoning that practice, after which many members quickly married. But the community had begun to disintegrate. It all ended in a tidy manner in 1881, with members voting the organization out of existence and forming a joint stock corporation called Oneida Community LTD that was shared by all. At that time, the community’s holdings were estimated to be worth $600,000. Noyes died in 1886, in Canada, and is buried in the cemetery at Oneida. His son, Pierrepont, managed the Oneida business off and on for decades, using enlightened management to steer it towards enormous success in stainless steel and silver-plated flatware: today, Oneida Limited is one of the world’s largest designers and sellers of cutlery, and the largest supplier of dinnerware to the foodservice industry in North America. It was sold to a conglomerate in 2011. Many members continued to live in Mansion House or built very nice homes in

the surrounding area and charming village of Sherrill, which are featured in architectural tours. And of course, the name lives on in the flatware. After being closed to the public for more than 100 years, Mansion House was taken over by a nonprofit organization in 1987 and opened as a museum and small hotel. But it remains a home, with 28 residential apartments. All are inhabited, one by a descendent of an original member. Today, the handsome Oneida Mansion House and its gardens are a destination for heritage tours and many events. In a splen-

did bit of irony that the original membership might have appreciated, among the most popular private events held there are weddings.

Events Mansion House can be rented for weddings and other events, and has workshops and talks almost every week. Admission to these varies. Coming up: Oct. 7, talk on Industry and Manufacturing at Oneida with a tour of the historic factory where Oneida silverware was made, Oct. 28 Cemetery Tour For more events: http:// www.oneidacommunity.org/visit-events/programs Staying there You can go back in time and arrange for a hotel room with en suite bath for $115--$140 a night. Each has a television and a window air-conditioner. Rates include breakfast and a private tour of the Mansion House. But you better book ahead for one of these 11 rooms:

Mansion House is only an hour from Cooperstown and its many attractions, and 35 miles from Syracuse. When we were there it was booked by attendees of the Madison-Bouckville Antiques Week. There is no food on site but you get a chit for breakfast at a local coffee shop just down the road, and you can walk to the nearby Lakeview Restaurant at the Oneida Community Golf Course golf for lunch or dinner http:// www.oneidagolf.com/lakeview-restaurant.html. Getting there The Oneida Community is about 82 miles and 2 hours from Ithaca, and about 55 miles from Cooperstown. Easiest: Pick up the New York State Thruway (90) east, and take Verona Exit No. 33. Turn left onto Route 365

(west) to Route 5 east. Turn right onto West Hamilton Avenue (stop light controlled) and follow to Sherrill Road (stop light) and turn right. Crossing Oneida Creek, Sherrill Road becomes Kenwood Avenue. The Mansion House is on the west side of Kenwood Avenue (your right as you drive south), just south of a large Collegiate Gothic style building, formerly Oneida Ltd. headquarters. For more information, call the main line at 315-3630745; email ocmh@oneidacommunity.org; or go online to www.oneidacommunity.org for reservations and pictures of lodgings.

Visitors can wander the halls and rooms in public spaces on the main floors, with their soaring 16-foot ceilings, huge windows, generous woodwork and 19th century ambiance and displays. Guided tours offered twice a day give more details (see Visiting Oneida Mansion House) as does an excellent explanatory display. Built in sections over several years (and designed by several architects) Mansion House reflected the needs of its community. The many comfortable sitting rooms placed throughout were intended for meeting and mingling in a life lived in community. The small and spare individual bedrooms, about 7 by 14 feet, were used for sleeping, contemplation and, of course, “social interviews” with the opposite sex. Children were moved to a wing of their own to be raised communally by special caregivers at the age of 18 months. The last sections, completed in 1878, had the latest in hygienic design: flush toilets, low pressure radiant heat and exhaust flues. The main meeting hall with trompe l’oeil paintings, a theatrical stage and surrounding balcony could accommodate all 300 members and was designed for a variety of entertainments. Oneida often held events open to the larger community, including performances of Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. On a balmy early evening, we found a visitor playing Beethoven sonatas on the grand piano there. The skylight lit central library invites relaxation for visitors and residents. It has contemporary books and publications as well as many of the more than 3,000 tomes of its original owners. There was no censorship in the community: In its day, Oneida subscribed to more than 100 newspapers and journals in wide ranging subjects. Many of the four acres surrounding the Mansion House are groomed with walking trails, gardens and century-old specimen trees such as the oldest Tulip Poplar tree in New York State, planted in 1851. Nearby Sunset lake offers trails and unique birding opportunities.

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Judith Horstman was a reporter at The Ithaca Journal. She is widely published, the author of seven books, and spent some time in a New Hampshire commune in the 1970s which had less sex but did not end with as much class as Oneida. www.judithhorstman.com

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Committees

contin u ed from page 5

some of the focused expertise on some of these committees.” The city’s Shade Tree Advisory Committee proves an interesting example of t his. STAC, which wou ld be absorbed under the blanket of the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission, has been in existence for 37 years and, for the most part, largely consisted of a stable cohort of volunteers – not paid staff – of highly specialized expertise. There’d be no time for precision, its members argue, the neglect of the smallest details a likely outcome of a generalized committee. A review of the minutes of STAC meetings show just the degree of that, its discussions centered on, for the most part, the exact species and orientation of trees planted throughout the city and the articulate policies behind them. “If there’s like five or six people on these commissions, nobody is going to be looking at the technical stuff like we do, Nina Bassuk, Professor and Program Leader at the Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell University and chair of the committee for much of its existence said in an interview. “We would like to remain as an active committee, whether it’s a subcommittee of the active commission or as some other entity. Nobody is going to want to discuss on what to plant on Cayuga Street next fall. The nitty gritty of what we discuss goes beyond generalities. They’d be losing a lot of active expertise if they just eliminated us.”

Though the active membership of STAC lined and coherent feedback stream in City would be drawn into a blanket organiza- Hall, argues David West, a local consultant tion, other groups, like the once-flourish- and member of the Bicycle–Pedestrian ing Citizens Advisory Group, have since Advisory Committee, another highly spegone away while other groups overlap, add- cialized group to be absorbed under the ing redundancy and noise to policy con- November referendum. versations in City Hall. Here, Bassuk says, “One of the issues with City Hall is, for is where focus should be: the argument the average person, one individual project that these inactive committees or those could end up in a dozen different commitwith difficulty filling their appointment tees and, if you’re interested in something, slots should be absorbed into these other you won’t know where to go,” West said. blanket commissions while the more active “It’s really complicated… I’ve watched ones, like STAC, be allowed to maintain projects die during this process, good ideas their independence. good people want to bring forward that get “Some commitsent to a bajillion tees should just go different commit“It’s hard to get city staff to away,” said Bassuk, tees that get whitregularly attend committee “a nd ot hers cou ld tled away or don’t meetings; we don’t have that still be a llowed to happen at all. administrative support we be active. We have There are logisneed to be effective in terms of a gend a s , we h ave tics issues with the understanding when the city minutes, we report status quo: Meetbudget process is happening, to t he clerk ever y ing attendance is when it’s appropriate and when mont h. Perhaps low, city residents, it’s too late to give certain kinds s ome c om m it te e s elec ted of f icia ls of feedback, all those things I are not doing that , a nd members of think would work better. If staff but there’s a range t he press of ten and city officials can be involved of expertise on these unable to attend a with fewer committees, I see committees that for majority of them. that as being the big advantage of some, might be betCity staff to proconsolidation.” ter off as part of a duce minutes for larger group.” t he me et i ngs of But sometimes, the more than 30 McGonigal said, a lot of the specialized committees that exist are sparse, discuswork, even at the most specific level, has sions held at the lowest levels can often go a difficult time reaching the ears of Com- neglected or unheard at the top, leaving mon Council: even with the current liaison it up to many committees to advocate for structure in place that is intended to bridge themselves in larger, more visible groups this divide. A mass consolidation, advo- like the Planning and Economic Developcates argue, encourages a more stream- ment Committee or the Board of Public Works. And, because of the complexity of city government, otherwise important issues can take up to a full year to advance to the lawmaking stage. “There’s no process for making that happen,” West said. “It’s hard to get city staff to regularly attend committee meetings; we don’t have that administrative support we need to be effective in terms of understanding when the city budget process is happen-

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ing, when it’s appropriate and when it’s too late to give certain kinds of feedback, all those things I think would work better. If staff and city officials can be involved with fewer committees, I see that as being the big advantage of consolidation.” That civics-centered approach, McGonigal counters, could be a negative to some degree. “The commissions – the way I see it – are going to be much simpler for people in City Hall,” McGonigal said. “...they’re not really taking enough into account – and I’m not trying to criticize the work everyone put in – but the whole thing is being looked from the perspective of management on the City Hall side; not necessarily from the committee side. That’s why most of the committees are unhappy with this; there’s been very little support from them.” While some of the groups might no longer have any real functions anymore – like the Board of Fire Commissioners, which no longer has much sway in lawmaking or the budget – their intangible traits could arguably be something that could disappear from conversations in City Hall entirely. The Board of Fire Commissioners, McGonigal said, provide an important example of this: it not only provides a link to the past, but can be a source of highly specific conversations needing to be had around issues such as a lack of volunteerism in local firehouses. Others, like the Disability Advisory Committee, may be miscategorized: Being absorbed into a broader commission on transportation, quality of life advocacy for those with disabilities often encompass far more than simply how they get around. “I think that the committee has in good faith tried to do something good; I don’t fault them” said Bassuk. “But they have to see the breadth of what happens in these committees.“ –Nick Reynolds

sports

Mr. LAzor By Ste ve L aw re nc e

hen word hit the street last week that the Cornell men’s soccer team had taken down Syracuse, I knew I had to reach out to second-year head coach John Smith and try to gain some insight into how a team that won but a single game last year pulled it together to beat the #11 team in the nation. The coach was very generous with his time, and we started out with a humorous exchange. Me: “Coach, I lived in the Bay Area for a few years, and I have to ask why a person leaves Stanford to come to one of the cloudiest places on earth…” Smith: “A wife, two young children, $4,600 per month for rent.” Ouch… Gotcha… All joking aside, Smith told me, “Many assistants come and go at Stanford, as it is very difficult to grow roots” (in a place where the cost of living is so high). Plus, having coached at Stanford, I knew that my next job would be at a high academic institution. Cornell is a vibrant place, and it’s infectious.” The coach is also following an established personal pattern, as he offered, “Coming here involved some of the same type of motivation in that when we arrived in Palo Alto, We inherited a culture that was pretty toxic. Nobody was talking about Stanford soccer.” Two Pac-12 titles and a national championship later, that changed. When he arrived in Ithaca, Smith knew what lay in store. “Getting but one win was difficult for all of us, but we set about rebuilding a culture the players could all be proud to be a part of.”

The Big Red obviously bought into it, because now – seven games into their season – the team has tripled the win total from last year and its recent win over Syracuse, by any measure, was huge. “Any significant win helps a program,” Coach Smith said, “but Cornell hadn’t beaten Syracuse in 16 years and this shows how things are coming together.” When asked to elaborate, Smith said “My first recruiting class is here, and they’re very invested, very engaged. They have varied skill sets, and the returnees – having gone through what we call ‘the gut check’ – have really put in the work. I know you can never take your foot off the pedal in the pursuit of the wins, and we have at times been playing some incredible soccer. There are so many things to feel good about, and it’s great to get some wins. It’s great to see the players putting in the work and being able to say ‘This works.’” *** I have never before written these words: I really enjoyed watching the Cincinnati Bengals game on Sunday. I would still not call myself a Bengals fan, but I did enjoy the amount of attention given to their new Offensive Coordinator, Bill Lazor. Lazor – a Scranton native – quarterbacked the Cornell Big Red from 1991-93, setting numerous school records in the process. He is in his 12th season as an NFL coach, and he has also worked for the Atlanta Falcons, the Seattle Seahawks and the team from Washington that shall not be named. (I just don’t

tters

ce Ma n e i r e p Ex

like using it.) The Bengals had scored but nine points in their first two games, and a more anemic offense would be difficult to imagine. They came out strong in the first half, sputtered a bit in the second half and ultimately lost to the Green Bay Packers, but many in the Bengals organization are very optimistic going forward. It was fun to hear the commentators gushing over Lazor’s Ivy League background, and it is likely he will follow fellow Ivy League quarterback into the head coaching ranks (Dallas’ Jason Garrett is a Harvard guy) but the bottom line will always be the same: If you’re winning you’re a genius, and if you’re losing you’re a bum. So is the lan-

guage of the multi-billion dollar NFL. *** I recently had a Facebook interaction with a person who said, “People watch football for entertainment, therefore it is not a good platform for politics.” I would add by that logic that an NFL game is also a bad match for the national anthem, and it should instead be played at Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans’ Day events.

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demanding more money can simultaneously make their positions tenuous. A lack of local labor, even admitting the had a presence here before, and they [don’t flexible use of the term “local,” means money care] about local labor,” Marsh said. “I find paid to workers flows out of the area economy that problematic, but I don’t want to sit here instead of staying to support the local tax base through things like rent or property and say we’d rather not have any work.” Theories abound why local union labor has tax or routine expenses like grocery shopbeen getting left behind, but a short list of the ping or community retail. In extreme cases, most often mentioned reasons are the higher when workers come from other states and wages union workers get paid (as a result of just stay in the area for the duration of the negotiated rates between the union and gen- project, their contributions may be limited to eral contractors known as Area Prevailing the rate on their hotel room or on the cost of Wages that are posted by the Department of snacks for the drive back home, but nothing Labor) and a lack of minimum local labor long-term. “They’re not buying homes, they’re not requirements in local incentives programs, such as the county’s tax abatement program buying vehicles from the local dealers,” or the City of Ithaca’s Community Invest- said Chuck Smith, a representative with the Northeast Regional Counment Incentive Tax Abatecil of Carpenters Local 277, ment Program (CIITAP), “They’re not buying on the impacts on the local which is designed to assist homes, they’re not economy. “Pretty much the dense development. buying vehicles from only thing local they’re getAs Marcus Williamee, the local dealers. ting is breakfast and lunches. business representative of Pretty much the only They take it out of the comthe Ithaca-based Plumbers thing local they’re munity.” and Steamfitters Local 267, getting is breakfast and Smith further noted that puts it, there are two main lunches. They take it it goes project by project, expenses for a construction out of the community.” mostly dependent on who project: materials and workowns or is developing the er wages. There’s not much property; sometimes, union leeway for developers and contractors on material prices, but when labor will receive a good chunk of the work unions aren’t involved and no prevailing or even all of it, such as what happened with wage standard rule is implemented, there’s far the Tompkins Trust Company building, more on worker wages. While workers could while others might be left out of local projects avoid this by becoming part of a union, the entirely. And while missing out on a project fear of getting laid off normally prevents them might seem small, Marsh added, something from doing so, Williamee said. With cheaper, as large as Maplewood can be 16 months of though normally less-trained and uninsured, employment for a worker. Over a 30 year labor to be found elsewhere, workers know career, 16 months of work can add up pretty

quickly. But the unions are not totally devoid of allies: Longtime Commons stalwart Lou Cassanitti, while unable to legally bar them from his hot dog stand, said he has told contractors working in the area that if their workers are non-union, he would prefer they steer clear of his vending cart for their lunch break snacks. And though the interim might be tough, relief may be coming at some point in the near future. The adoption of a Local Labor Utilization Policy in April 2016 by the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency, which is in charge of approving tax abatement agreements with developers, is potentially the first step toward a local labor requirement. The policy introduces two new requirements for IDA-applicant projects: documented proof that local contractors were solicited for bids on construction projects and monthly labor payroll reports which will require submission of each worker’s name (“or an identifying number” in lieu of a name), their total hours worked, gross income and each worker’s residential zip code. The policy begins to address one of the union’s primary gripes with recent development: if a project is going to be granted lower taxes for several years, there should be an accompanying requirement of prevailing wage standard payment for construction workers on the project. For the unions, this would achieve two things: it would ensure all workers, regardless of union affiliation, are fairly paid, a stated union goal in itself. But it would also make it far harder to undercut union construction bids. “If these developers are going to come into your community and ask for help from a municipality, whatever it may be, there should

development,” Cogan said. “If we didn’t have all these projects we wouldn’t be generating nearly as much in property taxes, and that’s money we would have to get from somewhere else. That’s what development gets us. Do new apartments generate more need for services? They do – they do generate more fire and police calls largely because you simply have more people. That’s the nature of it, there’s more burnt toast, more crime. That stuff rises with your population. But if you build those 100 units of housing in a place where you already have the infrastructure in place, the thought is the additional economic activity will still put us ahead.” State aid is another thing worth pointing out: with a static amount of state funding (roughly $2.8 million annually to draw from, a number that could be $4 million if state aid kept pace with inflation) coming to the budget each year that hasn’t increased since before the recession, the city has had to make up the gaps in the budget largely independent of the state. Because of increased demands of the budget as well, the commensurate increases that one would expect from the maintenance of additional units of housing or population growth, in recent years, haven’t been a part of budget discussions, the default for drafters of the budget to invest public money more on efficiency saving measures rather than on the costly decision to add staff. Cogan said this is because, for the most part, increases in funding are based on perceived need: not a formula.

“The budget grows unevenly, and it does that for a number of reasons,” Cogan said. “Council may decide they want to spend money on one certain thing and not another… it’s more a situation of what we

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adding back what it took away from the budget at the end of the last decade. “A lot of people have perceptions that somehow, we went from 1,000 ca lls to something like 10,000 calls because of growth,” said Parsons. “That’s not necessarily true… but when the budget comes out, it probably wouldn’t be a bad thing to have a conversation at the Mayoral and Chief Of Staff level about funding for the departments and grow t h and development. I could talk about the fire department all day, but I can tell you the fire department is not much different from all the other service departments.” This is not something the crafters of the budget dispute. Dan Cogan, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, said that while an increase in new development could have an impact on the service the city provides, the city also needs to look toward managing increased stresses on its perpetually increasing payroll, its insurance obligations and catching up on projects which, under the dire fiscal straits of several years ago, would have otherwise been impossible. Despite these “growing pains,” Cogan characterized the new income supplementing the budget as a means to plug holes in the budget that, at one point in the city’s history, would have otherwise gone unplugged. All of this, ideally, should be done without increased demand on the taxpayer. “We’re way better off as a result of this

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be a conversation about local construction labor,” Marsh said. But even with the new reporting mandates, it will take years – TCAD Director Heather McDaniel predicts 2018 – before enough data is collected to assemble a valid sample size, in terms of construction projects, from which to draw conclusions about future policy direction. The City Centre project is the first construction approved under the new guidelines. “With the amount of information we have today, this is the best thing we can do,” McDaniel said of the agency’s thinking at the time. “We’re just trying to gather data from these reports to see what’s reasonable [...] what’s the capacity of the community’s labor force to fill all these construction jobs.” Finding the balance between catering to the union workforce without discouraging the development believed to be so necessary to the city’s vitality is a challenge everyone involved acknowledges, and appreciates. McDaniel said that balance must be at the forefront of any future decision making regarding specified minimum labor requirements. In the meantime, the local labor unions have to hold their breath and hope developers are willing to spend a bit more for the safety nets a union project affords. “We want to spur growth, and do we want growth that also meets all these community benefits? Absolutely,” McDaniel said. “But we have to weigh community benefit with, for lack of a better term, killing projects.” –Matt Butler

the city will, one day, hope to come in balance with – even if today, an equilibrium between the city’s housing stock and services seem a ways off. “There are expenses associated with growth,” Niechwiadowicz said. “It isn’t just “We’re way better off as a result of this growth as a positive in development. If we didn’t have all these projects terms of income, there we wouldn’t be generating nearly as much in is the expense side too. property taxes, and that’s money we would That is just the reality of have to get from somewhere else. That’s what it. Including additional development gets us. Do new apartments work for staff. I could generate more need for services? They do – they use more staff, I could do generate more fire and police calls largely use more resources, but because you simply have more people. That’s the I understa nd it’s t hat nature of it.” way for ever y depar tment a nd we have to need, what our demand for services are, share those limited resources.” what the public is asking for and where the Whether or not the impact of developneeds are acute. So is development taken ment will be an issue when Mayor Myrick into account when we’re budgeting? I would presents his budget to the public later this say no, it’s not a budgeting issue.” month remains to be seen. What can be Therein lies a challenge: while many anticipated, however, is something that has departments have seen improvements in been true for several years now: Ithaca, for efficiency, overall quality of service lies the most part, should still be sitting pretty largely with the people available to provide from a financial perspective. them. You can’t fix all the roads with fewer “It’s been a question that’s been raised a people, Parsons said, any more than you lot by elected officials, by employees of the can expect a computer program to help you city, everybody’s kind of wondering ‘when inspect houses faster or put out a fire faster: is all this development going to start paying these are all human-held positions that, at dividends?’” Cogan said. “Unfortunately, some point, reach their limit. In the City the answer is that it already has, and that of Ithaca, where most of its land is off the things would only be worse if it hadn’t been tax rolls, this means the silver bullet fiscal for all this development.” solution of more development – and all its negative impacts – becomes a compromise –Nick Reynolds

Ninefold Festival welcomes women of Ithaca to Paganism By Christie Citranglo

ing Arthur engaged in his final battle, attempting to take down his enemy, Mordred. He was unsuccessful, and to his dismay, critically wounded himself. And so he ventured to the only known place to heal himself: Avalon. Perhaps he perished there. Perhaps his wounds healed, leaving him awaiting reincarnation. The mythical lore surrounding King Arthur and his trek to Avalon serves as a key myth in Celtic Paganism, rooted in the traditions of The Sisterhood of Avalon. As an international organization, the Sisterhood of Avalon brings a piece of the fabled Avalon near Ithaca during the Ninefold Festival, a women-only festival held from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 in the Arnot Forest. The Sisterhood of Avalon follows Celtic and British Paganism, Welsh Traditions, Druidism, Goddess Spirituality and Wise Women’s Ways. The events at the festival, then, also reflect the beliefs of these Pagans. One major pillar of these forms of Paganism is the divine feminine — hence the women-only aspect. Jhenah Telyndru, founder of the Sisterhood of Avalon and an Ithaca resident, said the festival is exclusively for self-identifying women to find sovereignty within themselves. During the festivities, women are free to explore themselves as humans and not through their assigned roles as daughters or partners. “I think it’s important for women to have a place to be and explore: It’s not anti-male, it’s just pro-women,” Telyndru said. “When a woman is sovereign and comes into her space, she thinks about how she can be the best

woman she can be, and how we as women can help our communities, in all the ways we’re in the relationships with the world.” The idea of finding sovereignty at Ninefold comes from the women communities in Celtic Paganism. When King Arthur walked the shores of Avalon, he met the nine sisters who sustained the island. Each woman on the island served a specific role, one as an oracle, one as a healer and so on. They fostered a community and a sort of ecosystem on Avalon, free of society’s traditional pressures.

Above: Women in the Sisterhood of Avalon on a journey together through the woods. (Photo: James Stone) Bottom left: Sisters of Avalon entering the sacred landscape. (Photo: Lori Feldmann) Bottom right: Members of the sisterhood working on an album of chants and songs. (Photo: James Stone)

Ninefold Festival is not recreating Avalon, rather, it’s building off of the myth. The tale of King Arthur dates back to the 12th century, with the story recorded by Geoffrey of Monmouth — whose work on British historiography is now considered historically unreliable. There’s little concrete evidence of Avalon and what may have happened after battle. Despite this, the tale still lives on in present day. “We take the myth of Avalon and reflect that process back to us,” Telyndru said. “... Myths endure because they have something to teach us, so we still know about it because it was important to pass along. Especially the Celts themselves followed oral tradition, a lot of the beliefs had fallen away, but they held onto the characters.” The Sisterhood of Avalon reinterprets Avalon as a sanctuary for women to build one another up. Growing up in a patriarchal society, many women are taught to challenge one another and compete for either a career, a partner, a friend — anything. Women have sometimes come to these festivals, Telyndru said, without having any female friends because they cannot trust other women. “There is a sense that women can be freer when they’re not worrying about the male gaze,” she said. “We kind of try to foster a communal way of being, a more top-down and nonpatriarchal environment of co-creation. All women are welcome, including trans women.” Ninefold aims to nourish female friendship and empowerment through several workshops and lectures from keynote speakers. Throughout the weekend, there will be yoga classes, drum circles, fire circles, Bardic circles and other community-building activities. Among one of the speakers is author Elizabeth Cunningham, the author of Maeve Chronicles. Cunningham’s talk will focus on personal and political anecdotes that have tried women. Through her talk, she will be creating her own woman-run tale — a story that will Th e

follow in Celtic tradition. Telyndru said not every Pagan community features such a passionate background of women — but the Sisterhood of Avalon does. Other Pagan communities still harbor ancient traditions and worship goddesses, but the Sisterhood steps into a new territory of belief: because many other religions fail to proudly recognize women, the Sisterhood of Avalon sought to create a change through elevating femininity to a place of sovereignty. “It’s because of the imbalance women have had over the years,” Telyndru said. “It may be because in some of the major religions, not only are women not represented as the divine, but they’re also the cause of fall, or the cause of temptation — they hold the sin.” The Sisterhood of Avalon seeks to bring a

balance back to womanhood, beginning with the Ninefold Festival and finding oneself. “What’s so important in our tradition is women’s sovereignty,” Telyndru said.“What we see in women’s sovereignty is conscious selfdetermination. This means you know yourself well enough to make choices that are presented to you, that aren’t based in fear or expectation.” Ninefold Festival, Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at the Arnot Forest. This weekend will likely be the only time Ninefold comes to Ithaca, as the festival travels throughout the country. •

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