AFCU`s Myers Steps Down

Transcription

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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE…
AFCU’s Myers Steps Down
Council may join the
push to impeach ........page 3
Students’ discards find
many new homes ....page 4
Land donation adds to
recreation space ........page 5
Opinion and letters page 6
He walks to work. He runs a
financial institution and
says, “There’s no particular
reason for us to make gobs
of money,” then explains
that making tons of money
is not such a bad thing.
“Well, there are some bad
things about making gobs
of money,” he says, “in
terms of how you treat your
customers and your client
base.”
There is no three-piece
suit and no Cadillac for Bill
Myers, CEO of a $50 million
not-for-profit organization
known for innovation. He
wears sneakers to work on
occasion, and is all but
allergic to neckties. Still,
Myers is a virtual guru of
alternative banking and a
nationally recognized hero
of empathic financing. He’s
stepping aside soon, retiring from the credit union he
helped start on State Street
in Ithaca 28 years ago, when
he and some friends
chipped in $25 apiece.
Reacting to his
announced
retirement,
Assemblywoman Barbara
Lifton calls Myers “a selfeffacing local hero” who
has inspired thousands of
others, locally, nationally
and internationally. “He
Photo by Tom Hoebbel
By Anthony Hall
Village pauses to reflect,
honor veterans ............page 2
FREE
Volume 1, No. 34 • June 4-10, 2007
Bill Myers is a virtual guru of alternative banking and a widely recognized hero of empathetic financing.
took his progressive principles and went to work in a
practical and effective way
helping struggling people to
improve their economic
lives,” Lifton says. “We owe
him a tremendous debt of
thanks for all his good
work.”
Myers will now take a
consulting
position
in
banking for the Aspen
Institute, the Colorado
think-tank that has an
international reputation
and draws speakers such as
Brzezinski,
Zbigniew
Madeleine Albright and Bill
Gates.
But first there is a party,
open to the public, planned
to celebrate Myers’ service
to the community on
Thursday, June 14, starting
at 6 p.m. in the Alternatives
Federal Credit Union parking lot at 125 N. Fulton St.
Other than the party,
AFCU considered naming a
building after him or perhaps petition to change the
name of Fulton Street. Softspoken and true to the
bank’s mission, Myers redirected the efforts to thank
him for his contribution
here to a better cause. When
he leaves, AFCU will name
a student internship in his
honor.
How big is his impact?
When the Pew Charitable
Trust compiled a book on
innovation in many facets
of American life (with the
title “Indivisible”) they
wanted a chapter on
finance, explains Alternative’s chief operations
officer Leni Hochman. That
decided, they chose to highlight credit unions. That
decided, they surveyed the
nation to target whom or
what to write about.
“Everyone pointed to Bill
Myers,” Hochman says.
For the alternative wing
of the banking industry
that prides itself on community-oriented, socially
conscious investment, for
finding innovative ways to
work with the underserved
and for challenging the status quo, Myers’ national
impact is such that, “All
roads lead to Alternatives,”
Hoffman says.
The awards, national,
regional and local, line one
wall of the so-called “hippie
bank” that contributes
greatly to Ithaca’s image as
a highly enlightened community. They are a tribute
Please turn to page 16
Salaries an Issue for District
By Glynis Hart
A peaceable kingdom in
Brooktondale ................page 8
Filmmaker focuses on
Asians in Ithaca ....page 9
Better living through a
light touch ....................page 10
Lifting the lid on ‘Star
Wars’ science..............page 14
Overall, the initial budget
for 2007-08 proposed by the
Ithaca City School District
increased the salaries of
teachers and administrators while projecting no
change in costs, or decreases in costs, for material
items like books and gasoline. Voters rejected the
budget the first time
around and sent it back to
the school board for revision.
A second round of cuts
was made last week, and
after a June 11 public hearing, there will be a second
vote on the scaled-back
budget. While voters had
recently approved the facilities bond issue, the budget’s
annual
incremental
increases in administrators’ salaries may be one of
the things that caused them
to balk at another 4.4 percent raise in property taxes.
“Administrative expenditures are under some…vulnerability,” says board
President David Lee.
As submitted, the annual
budget included a raise to
$163,167 from $157,649 per
annum for the district
superintendent and similar
raises for all administrative
positions (except the assistant superintendent for
human resources and labor
relations) for an overall
increase of 10.7 percent in
administrative costs. For
the most part, teacher
salaries went up as well.
At the same time, the
budget projection for fuel
Pharmacists brought in a
median wage of $90,000,
while general physicians
had a median of $145,000.
In Ithaca, the four assistant
superintendents (business
services, curriculum and
instruction, student services and human resources) all
make over $100,000 a year,
“Administrative expenditures are
under some vulnerability.”
- David Lee
for the buses stayed the
same as last year, at
$494,000. Hardware for computer education technology
was also projected to
remain the same, at $33,475,
while district wide art and
P.E. both lost budget money.
Science materials, the
BOCES GED program, and
an extended day homework/enrichment program
all took hits, as did the guidance departments in the
high schools.
Meanwhile, the New York
State Department of Labor
places the median wage for
CEOs at $145,600 and the
average wage for postsecondary education administrators
at
$87,000.
not counting benefits. The
median family income for
the county is estimated at
$53,401.
During the May 29 board
meeting a group of teachers and one assistant principal from the high school
took on the issue of teacher
retention. “We’re losing a
lot of teachers,” said Linda
Knewstub, a teacher at the
high school. While several
people at the meeting felt
that raising salaries would
keep teachers from leaving,
noted
that
Knewstub
administrative
support
makes the high school function better. “We’ve had so
many programs abandoned
because they didn’t have
good administrative support behind them,” she
said.
Specifically addressing
the necessity of having four
assistant principals in the
Carol
high
school,
Bushberg observed that student referrals and discipline had decreased as
result of having these
administrators in the mix.
Thomas Frank emphasized
the vision of “creating a
culture in the high school
where each student is
known by a significant
adult.”
An informal survey of
public response to the initial budget brings several
points of conflict to the
fore. While few favor cutting teachers’ salaries,
many residents wonder
why they pay so many
administrators so much.
Similar upstate school districts get by with fewer
administrators. Further,
the increase in property
taxes is added to a rise in
assessment value, so that
homeowners and landlords
must contend with constantly increasing taxes,
which in turn drive up the
costs of rent and services.
According to the county
Village Takes Time to Reflect, Honor Vets
Memorial Day continues to be a day
to remember our veterans in
Trumansburg. Parade participants
assemble on a Monday morning,
under the direction of Tom Bennett,
a veteran of World War II who has
served as the parade chairman
since 1958.
Bennett notes that each year’s
parade includes local veterans from
World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the
Gulf War and Iraq, along with a
group of reservists, the Civil Air
Patrol. The high school marching
band, led by Hope Lewis, performs a
medley of patriotic songs and the
color guard, Cub Scouts and Girl
Scouts join other local groups in the
march to the cemetery.
Eileen Heptig, Cub master of the
Trumansburg Scouts and Girl Scout
troop leader has raised four Scouts
and firmly believes that Scouts will
always be a part of the Memorial
Day services. “This is a tradition
that should be kept up,” she says.
“The parade and services are what
Scouting is all about — remembrance and a respect for elders and
veterans of foreign wars.” Heptig
adds that marching and attending
the ceremony is a visible form of
embodying what Scouting stands
for.
“It reminds the Scouts about some
of the values that are in their oaths
and it reminds the watching crowds
of what the Scouts stand for,” says
Heptig. The Scouts meet weekly at
the American Legion hall, with
patriotism an important part of
what they learn, she says. “There is
an American flag on their uniforms
2
Tompkins Weekly
June 4
Photo by Sue Henninger
By Sue Henninger
High school sophomore Eliza Vann, center, reads “In Flanders Fields” at the
Trumansburg ceremony. Retired Chief Warrant Officer James Rohan, left, and Father
John Tokaz also addressed the gathering.
and they say the Pledge of
Allegiance, along with their
Scouting oaths, at every meeting.”
The service at the cemetery follows a similar agenda each year.
Master of ceremonies Thomas
Stilwell, post commander, welcomes
those who have assembled, followed
by the invocation, performed this
year by the Rev. John Tokaz, priest
at St. James Catholic Church.
The band plays the “Star
Spangled Banner,” the Pledge of
Allegiance is recited and a community member reads ”In Flanders
Fields,” a poem in which the red
poppy was first described as a
flower of remembrance. The poem
was written by Col. John McCrae, a
Canadian medical officer who was
killed in 1918 while on active duty in
World War I. Its recitation was
requested years ago by resident
Fran Maguire, who recalled having
heard it read at past Memorial Day
services in other places and who
thought it would be meaningful to
include the poem as part of the
memorial
cereTrumansburg
monies.
Retired Chief Warrant Officer
Rohan, as this year’s Memorial Day
speaker,
told
the
assembly,
“Memorial Day, for most, is a threeday weekend filled with picnics and
other gatherings. It is a time to get
away from the normal humdrum of
the week’s responsibilities….The
true meaning of Memorial Day
becomes, at times, distant or vague,
lost to commercialism, or drowned
in forgetful indulgence.
“Sometimes there is a failure to
recognize the magnitude of the
deeds of the men and women who
held true to the notion that evil and
tyranny must not prevail,” he continued. “This day brings back memories, good and bad, of servicemen
and servicewomen that we now
know or have known.” Rohan ended
his speech by thanking the crowd
for “taking time to remember those
current and past men and women
that so proudly serve our country.”
Local religious leaders also conduct the yearly benediction. The
Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Losey of the
Methodist Church stated, “The
Prophets spoke of a time when
nation would not lift up a sword
against nation,” adding that, until
that time, Memorial Day should be
spent “honoring those who have
learned firsthand the horrors of
war and experienced firsthand what
you and I cannot imagine.”
Asking who in the gathering had
ever been a part of the military
service to raise their hands, Losey
then requested that those surrounding them, “Repeat after me — thank
you.” His benediction of “Go forward in peace and gratitude,” was
followed by a stirring trumpet rendition of “Taps” and the “Taps
Echo” played by high school students Kevin Glanton and Sam
Watson.
Following the service, the
American Legion Post 770 holds an
open house at their building on the
corner of Route 96 and Seneca Road.
Bennett adds that the Legion also
offers a mailbox disposal site, in
front of their building, where residents can bring their old American
flags to be properly disposed of.Any
inquiries may be directed to
Bennett at 387-6850.
Council Proposes Impeachment Measure
By Nate Dougherty
Ithaca’s reputation as a progressive community usually takes a
local flavor, but an action of common council could have a
momunmental national impact.
Squeezed into an agenda otherwise filled with city development
appropriations and personnell
matters, a resolution coming
before common council calls for
Congress to investigate charges
which could lead to the impeachment of Pres. George W. Bush and
Vice President Dick Cheney.
According to the resolution,
both Bush and Cheney “committed high crimes and misdemeanors” in leading the country
into the Iraq war. Among the
charges leveled by the resolution
are: misleading the American
people regarding weapons of
mass destruction, misleading
congress and the nation about
ties between Iraq and al Qaeda,
starting the war based on these
falsehood and against national
and international law. Other
charges laid out include using
torture and spying on American
citizens
Council member Maria Coles
(D-Ward 1) originally had the resolution on the agenda for the City
Committee,
Administration
which met Wednesday, but withdrew it because only three committee members were present. “I
thought it would not be wise to
include it in the meeting because
just one vote can skew this one
way or the other,” Coles said.
The resolution calls for
members of congress to establish
appropriate subcommittees to
study the charges. If passed,
copies of the resolution will be
sent to Rep. Maurice Hinchey and
Sens. Hillary Clinton and Charles
Schumer.
If passed, Ithaca wouldn’t be
the first local government to call
for charges to be brought against
the current administration. In
Vermont, the state legislature
along with 36 towns passed their
own impeachment resolutions.
Locally, there are even more
organizations offering support.
group
Finger
Lakes
The
Progressives also called for
impeachment in a March statement, accusing the administration of using false pretenses to
begin the war in Iraq.
“We believe that only impeachment is sufficient remedy to stop
such
crimes
against
our
Constitution, our country, our
rule of law — both domestic and
international, other nations, and
the lives of people around the
world,” the statement read.
Back to Democracy, a
Trumansburg group of grassroots activists, is collecting signatures to urge the Tompkins
County Legislature to pass its
own resolution calling for congress to investigate impeachable
offenses.
Allen Carstensen, an organizer for Back To Democracy in the
village of Trumansburg, said it is
encouraging to see impeachment
efforts spreading both nationally
and locally.
“The more the merrier,”
Carstensen said. “I hope that
more and more towns and cities
and counties start to do this. We
need to broach it on all fronts. It
may be a little early to make it
happen, but I don’t think we
should stop at the grassroots
level because it helps the movement in Washington to have it
build from the ground up.”
Carstensen said that passing
such resolutions may seem like
small gestures, but helps raise
the issue of grievances his and
other grassroots organizations
have with the current administration. He added that even if
impeachment does not come during Bush’s remaining time as
President, it could still be
brought up after he leaves office.
“Even if (impeachment) doesnt happen, even if we don’t successfully remove Bush and
Cheney from office, it’s still
worth doing because it raises
people’s awareness,” he said.
In other business, the City
Administration Committee voted
to:
Approve a policy which would
reimburse
the
salaries
of
employees called into active duty
by the military. The city would
pay the difference between the
individual’s military pay and
what their salary would have
been for their regularly scheduled work week. If the military
pay exceeds or equals the employee’s regular pay, not supplimental
pay would be given.
Those called to duty
would also be able to keep their
individual and family health
insurance in the same manner as
it was received before they left.
Establish an $86,000 capital
project to allow the police department to upgrade to a new 800MHz
communication system. The city
will issue serial bonds to pay for
the upgrade.
Arts Boosters Collect Used Instruments
The Ithaca Community Fine Arts
Booster Group (FABG), through its
“Play it Again, Ithaca” program,
collects used musical instruments
to be distributed to students in the
Ithaca City School District.
Through this program FABG
provides students who might not
otherwise have access to instruments an opportunity to participate in band and orchestra in the
Ithaca schools.
The boosters are accepting used
instruments, or cash donations for
the purchase of instruments. They
can repair or refurbish instruments in need of some attention.
For more information contact
Martha Frommelt at 277-4631 or
[email protected],
or
Beth Lalonde at 273-7579 or
[email protected]. Donations are
tax deductible.
The FABG is an affiliate of the
Ithaca Public Education Initiative
(IPEI), a community-based, not-forprofit organization that works to
develop supportive community and
private sector relationships with
the Ithaca City School District.
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Tompkins Weekly
June 4
3
Joint Effort Turns Junk into Treasure
Inflatable palm trees, gorilla suits,
lip enlargers and lawnmowers.
These are just a few of the items left
behind by Cornell students, staff
and faculty as they rush to end each
school year. And while the leftovers
include the bizarre, most are food,
clothing, office supplies and housewares. Now in its fifth year at
Cornell, the local “Dump and Run”
chapter (D&R) is curbing waste and
helping local charities in the bargain.
What began with a Syracuse
University student policing her
dorm room dumpsters has become
an official 501C(3) non-profit with
chapters at dozens of campuses.
Information about the national
can
be
found
at
chapter
www.dumpandrun.org.
D&R activities begin during study
week, the week before finals and the
migration out of town. Collection
bins are placed throughout campus
housing facilities, encouraging students to donate items they no longer
want but are still usable. The
response has been phenomenal,
with 30 tons of stuff collected last
year, including 15 vanloads of food
saved from the landfill.
Hopes are equally high for this
year. Mike Mott, collections/logistics coordinator for D&R, says, “It is
estimated that by the time we are
through with collections this year
we will be giving the Friendship
Network another two tons of food.”
Sorting lasts well into the summer and is primarily volunteer driven, with a few paid coordinators
overseeing the help from college students, the Tompkins County
Photo provided
By Andres Perez-Charneco
A throng of bargain hunters converged on Cornell’s Helen Newman Gym last year for the
annual Dump and Run sale.
Probation Department, the Dream
Better
Housing
for
Factory,
Tompkins County and Cops, Kids,
and Toys. The effort extends across
campus and beyond.
“In the early years we were only
collecting on campus. However, the
last couple of years we began to pick
up within a 15-mile radius of
Cornell. We also expanded collections to include not only students,
but faculty, staff and other community members,” says Mott. While
food, clothing and toiletries are
immediately set aside for donations,
all other items are saved for CU’s
opening weekend in August, when
they are sold at a massive yard sale
in the Helen Newman Hall Gym.
“It is a real eye-opener to see the
enormity of the sale. We have over-
heard parents as they walk through
the sale talking about consumerism
and the enormous waste. They are
grateful that the sale exists to recycle perfectly good items,” says Cindy
Lockwood, Campus Life facilities
trainer. The sale is open to the public and will be held Aug. 18 from 10
a.m. to 7 p.m. and Aug. 10 from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m.
The sale has also grown because
of increased demand. “We went
from a one-day sale under a tent to a
two-day sale indoors at Helen
Newman Gym. This has allowed us
more time to set up the sale and
keeps us from being at the mercy,”
says Lockwood. Items not sold at the
sale are donated to local organizations such as the Salvation Army
and Tompkins County SPCA.
Items are now pouring in, putting
a strain on storage facilities. “We
are still collecting and our warehouse has about reached its max,”
says Mott. In addition to the warehouse, there are five 40-foot trailers
that are full. The national D&R
organization cites storage as a common issue and encourages supporters to donate available space.
While volunteers do the sorting,
D&R is backed by the university’s
facilities office. “Campus Life
Facilities took over the collection, as
we were better equipped to handle
it, and it lets the students concentrate on the sale,” says Mott. While
Cornell’s D&R activities are affiliated with the national D&R program,
based in Massachusetts, the local
chapter is an independent initiative.
“National was a vital part of getting
the program started the first year,
but since then they are not involved.
We send them a little money each
year to use the name only,” says
Mott.
Organizers see that D&R also benefits the workers and volunteers.
Lockwood believes student volunteers obtain skills they can’t get in a
classroom. “They learn organizational, time management and communication skills. They hone skills
in marketing, PR and volunteerism,” she says. “Dump and Run
allows students to become involved
in making a difference in the community in
which they are a part.”
Those interested in donating or
volunteering
should
contact
[email protected] or [email protected] for more information.
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Tompkins Weekly June 4
Town Will Play with Land Donation
By Anthony Hall
A surprise donation of 54 acres,
which doubles the Town of
Dryden’s land holdings, has culminated in an agreement with the
Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT)
and will end up as recreational
acreage for the public, according to
town officials.
Louise Park-Dabes donated the
Varna property in her will to the
FLLT and they heard about it after
her death, says executive director
Andrew Zepp. “We’re grateful for
the wonderful gift that Louise
Park-Dabes has made to the community,” he says.
Town supervisor Steve Trumbull
also expresses gratitude. “It’s a
beautiful wood lot that has a lot of
recreation and open space potential,” he says. “Best of all, it balances the 48 acres of relatively flat
open land we’ve purchased on the
eastern portion of the town that
includes a significant wetland. The
two properties are very different
from each other and both provide
interesting opportunities for recreation to our two more populated
areas.”
Moreover, the donation falls in
line with the town’s comprehensive plan that calls for more open
public space. Of special concern
are the hamlets, like Varna, that
are already short on public space
and are undergoing rapid business
and residential development. Town
of Dryden environmental planner
Dan Kwasnowski says the town
had less than a healthy amount of
park space. “We’re way behind on
what is considered healthy for the
number of people in the area,” he
notes.
Significantly, he said, the land,
which rises up behind the Antlers
Restaurant off of Route 366, will
help maintain some green areas
around the converging corridors of
the town maintains. The state also
owns Hammond Hill.
There is no acreage for recreation, but the town holds some
rights of way for access to the
James Schug Trail, which runs
“It’s a beautiful wood lot that has a lot of
recreation and open space potential.”
- Steve Trumbull
routes 366 and 13. This green space,
while keeping 54 acres from developers, will actually help attract
development, Kwasnowski contends. “People underestimate how
valuable green space is to attracting people to an area.”
The Town of Dryden will own
the land, while the Finger Lakes
Land Trust holds a conservation
easement that prevents development.
The town almost purchased a
golf course, but that idea came and
went three years ago, when private
owners purchased what was then
Lake View Golf Course and is now
the Dryden Lake Golf Club. At the
time, the former owner of the
course, Bob Martin, was searching
high and low for someone to purchase the land and save the town’s
only golf course. Local officials put
in a bid at the land auction, but
that auction resulted in no sale.
The Town of Dryden’s holdings
currently comprise the land underneath the town hall and the highway department. New York State
owns Dryden Lake and the surrounding recreational areas, which
It's our
along an old railroad bed and connects Dryden Lake to Freeville.
The town did go shopping for
land for a much-needed new town
hall. Offices in the current cinder
block building used for town business are overcrowded. During
court sessions people spill into the
hallway, and there is no private
space for juveniles under arrest to
be sequestered— a state requirement. And there was limited space
for anyone to speak privately with
a lawyer.
Officials then conducted a
search and purchased 48 acres a
mile north of their current
address. The original plan was to
obtain only enough land for a new
town hall, but the former owners of
the property, Empire Livestock
were only interested in selling a 48acre parcel.
That, essentially,
forced the town into the position of
purchasing public recreation
space. Immediately, it became a
“Field of Dreams” for town board
members.
Half of the acreage is wetlands,
but the town board quickly saw the
advantages of nature walks, bird
watching trails and cross-country
ski paths. And on the drier property not being used for the town hall
and the parking lot, the idea is to
provide space for soccer, football,
youth baseball and other activities.
As a compliment to those plans,
the 54 acres in Varna are steeply
sloped on the opposite side of
town. Kwasnowski says the new
holding will have a parking lot and
trail development. Those trails
should see a lot of use in an area
that includes the county’s most
traveled road (Route 13), a busy
retail area and New York State
Electric and Gas, one of town’s
biggest employers.
Lumberjack Event Returns to Cortland
The Cortland Regional Sports Council announces that the Crown Cit
Lumberjack Invitational will return to the area for the third year. More
than 20 competitors are expected for the June 2 event, including two from
Australia and four from Canada.
The competition will be held at the JM McDonald Sports Complex.
Doors open at 11 a.m. for the preparation and warm up phase of. The
main event event starts at 1 p.m. Seating is limited to 800 spectators and
advance sale tickets are available by contacting the Cortland Regional
Sports Council at 756-1864 or the JM McDonald Sports Complex at 7538100.
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Tompkins Weekly
June 4
5
Editorial
An Option for Cost Cuts
It’s belt-tightening time for the
Ithaca City School District, with
some tough choices pending as
officials take another crack at creating a spending plan that voters
will find palatable. Having been
sent back to the drawing by last
month’s budget defeat, the school
board must wield the knife with
precision while scrutinizing cuts
to educational, support and
administrative areas.
The good news is that the board
recognizes compensation for the
district’s top positions may be out
of line. With four assistant superintendents each earning more
than $100,000, and a superintendent paid nearly $160,000 a year, the
ICSD pays well above the average
salary of $87,000 for post-secondary education administrators as
reported by the New York State
Department of Labor.
Such a top-heavy organization
may be cause for concern, especially when areas such as the arts
and sciences, as well as physical
education and guidance, are
forced to bite the bullet. To be fair,
the compensation for administrators, and the roles they play in our
schools, should be subject to the
same scrutiny. The bottom line is,
what are we getting from these
individuals for $100,000 a year?
Some consideration should be
given to consolidating the roles of
assistant superintendents, or
eliminating some positions.
Some contend that the adminis-
trators in charge of business services, curriculum and instruction,
student services and human
resources are vital to a well-functioning high school — improving
discipline and other behavioral
issues. And it’s tough to argue
against students getting personal
attention from a person of authority at the school. Still, with most
folks in the school district making
less than half (and many making
much less) of what the assistant
superintendents are paid, it’s a
hard pill to swallow.
It’s not as if residents aren’t
willing to support their schools.
Passage of the facilities bond act
is proof that they will accept higher taxes if the money is earmarked for specific improvements.
Justifying
six-figure
salaries for individuals with job
descriptions that are hard for
most people to understand is
another matter.
Something has to give. A message has been sent in no uncertain
terms to the school board. A second budget defeat is unlikely,
given recent history, but a barebones spending plan — the worstcase scenario — remains a possibility if reasonable cost cuts are
not imposed and voters just say no
at the polls later this month.
There’s no good reason not to
start at the top in evaluating district spending, and to let everyone
share the pain. That’s a move that
will resonate with taxpayers.
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Published by Tompkins Weekly, Inc.
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may be reprinted without the permission of the publisher.
6
Tompkins Weekly
June 4
Town Democrats Make
Endorsements for Board
By Mike Levy
Following a May 21 meeting of the
Ithaca Democratic
Town of
Committee, the Democratic side of
the town’s November ballot became
much clearer. While town board
member Herb Engman had earlier
received the party’s endorsement
for supervisor, the committee put
their support behind three candidates for the board: incumbent
Peter Stein and newcomers Eric
Levine and William Goodman.
Two of the three seats became
available when Sandra Gittleman
decided not to seek re-election and
Engman chose to seek the town
supervisor seat being vacated by
Cathy Valentino. The endorsements
of Stein, Levine and Goodman
were made after a search committee
identified and interviewed potential candidates. Later, the entire 39member Democratic Committee
met voted on the final decision.
County Republican chairperson
Elizabeth Cree could not be reached
for comment regarding candidates
backed by the GOP.
“We talked to a fair number of
people,” says Merry Jo Bauer,
Democratic Committee chairperson. “But in the end, only two new
candidates plus the incumbent
were serious about running.”
Neither Goodman nor Levine has
held elected positions before, but
both attorneys have had experience
within municipal government.
Stein is running for his second
term on the Town Board.
The party will help the candidates with their campaigns, beginning soon with the circulation of
nominating petitions. Each candidate will need signatures from 5
percent of the town’s registered
Democrats. According to Bauer,
there are some 4,400 Democrats in
the Town of Ithaca.
Levine moved to Ithaca from
Long Island in 2005. He has served
as an alternate on the zoning board
of appeals since last summer.
While Levine was lured to town in
part by a job offer from Alternatives
Federal Credit Union, the nature of
Ithaca was also a big pull for him.
“When I saw that it was a community very involved in environmental conservation, that sealed the
deal that I had to move to Ithaca,”
he says. “I have four kids here, and
therefore I’m interested in keeping
Ithaca’s character intact… I like the
term ‘green interest.’”
Goodman moved to Ithaca in 2002
from Buffalo, where he was a legislative assistant to the city’s common council. Since he has been in
Ithaca, he has helped establish the
second neighborhood at EcoVillage.
He is also co-founder and current
President of the LGBT Democratic
Club of Tompkins County.
Stein is a physicist at Cornell and
a former dean. His experience
includes serving as secretary of the
New York State Democratic
Committee, and he is completing
his first four-year term on the
Ithaca Town Board.
Stein is chairperson of the public works committee and also serves
on the personnel committee and the
joint city-town services study
group.
If no other candidates choose to
run as Democrats, then the three
who were nominated will earn
spots on the ballot. If, however, anyone else comes forward and wants
to run, the situation would become
a bit more complicated.
“They would have to collect signatures for themselves,” says
Bauer, “but that’s not a difficult
thing to do. If there are more than
three Democrats running, there
would be a primary. At this point
we don’t know of any other
Democrats that are interested.”
Bauer says the nature of the position often makes it a hard sell. “It’s
a huge time commitment to be on
the town board, and that’s what
holds people back,” he says.
The deadline for filing petitions
is July 19.
Briefly...
County Studies Revised Financial Goal
The Tompkins County Legislature, which on May 1 failed to adopt a financial goal for the 2008 budget process, will be asked next month to adopt a
revised goal containing a smaller target tax increase.
The legislature’s budget and capital committee has recommended that
lawmakers keep any tax levy increase to 2 percent in 2008, which would
result in a tax rate hike of .5 percent and a projected $1.7 million reduction in local spending. The recommendation would indicate the legislature’s official intent to use the 2008 budget year to stabilize tax levy
increases.
The initial proposal, which drew the support of a majority of legislatorsbut not the eight votes needed for passage, would have set the target at
a 3.6 percent tax levy increase, with a 2.1 percent rise in the tax rate,
requiring an expected spending reduction of just over $1 million. At that
meeting, some legislators had called for a more stringent goal; others supported not setting a goal at all.
Legislator Kathy Luz Herrera, who sponsored the latest resolution,
noted that developments since the May 1 meeting make a revised goal
advisable, among those the recent defeat of the Ithaca City School budget.
Legislator Dick Booth said that he cast a “yes” vote to advance the issue,
but expressed concern that the revised goal proposed may be unrealistic.
Hospicare to Host Writing Groups
Hospicare is offering four small group sessions for individuals who have
experienced a loss, on Thursdays fropm June 14 to July 5. Facilitated by
Jane Baker Segelken, a writer and health advocate who has led numerous
programs, the sessions offer participants structured writing opportunities while encouraging unrestrained narrative expression in a nurturing
setting.
The sessions offer an alternative way to express grief. Participants are
not “writers.” Instead, they are looking for another way to deal with their
loss. “When a person is grieving, powerful feelings can arise, says Saoirse
Briefly...
Continued from page 6
McClory, Community Outreach and Event Coordinator at Hospicare and
Palliative Care Services. “Writing allows those feelings expression and
that can be extremely healing.”
There is no charge, but registration is required for the four sessions,
which will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Nina K. Miller Center for
Hospicare and Palliative Care Services on East King Road in Ithaca. Call
257-9598 or email [email protected] for more information.
Street Beat
The word on the street from around
Tompkins county.
By Kathy Morris
Question: Do you think it’s important to
speak more than one language?
Ithaca College Names New Provost
Ithaca College has announced the appointment of Kathleen Rountree as
provost and vice president for academic affairs. An experienced administrator with a diverse background in higher education, Rountree has
served since 2004 as associate provost for undergraduate education at the
University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She will begin her new
duties in Ithaca on Aug. 1.
At UNC-Greensboro, Rountree has been responsible for overseeing
strategic planning and curricular development, assessment and accreditation, Living/Learning Communities and the University Teaching and
Learning Center. She directed the planning and formation of the
International Honors College, a program designed to enhance the traditional concentration on a liberal education with a global and international focus.
An accomplished musician, Rountree holds a doctor of music degree
from Florida State University. She has served as dean and professor of
music for the College of Performing & Visual Arts at the University of
Northern Colorado and as associate dean for graduate studies and professor of music for the College of Music & Dramatic Arts at Louisiana State
University.
Rountree succeeds Peter Bardaglio, who announced in January that he
would step down at the end of the current academic year.
“I’ve learned several. It’s important for greater understanding
of our own language, and of
other people and cultures.”
- Barbara Ebert, Ithaca
“Not necessarily. Not with our
profession [the house-cleaning
business]. Maybe if you
worked for an airline.”
- John Shay, Trumansburg
“I do. We have to travel to other
places where people don’t know
English and it’s important to
communicate with them.”
- Tenzin Kunchen, Ithaca
“Yes, I do. If orphans in Kenya
can speak more than two languages, why can't we?”
- Maria Mallon, Ithaca
Submit your question to Street Beat. If we choose your question, you’ll
receive gift certificates to GreenStar Cooperative Market and Ithaca
Flower Shop. Simply log onto www.tompkinsweekly.com and click on
Street Beat to enter.
Tompkins Weekly
June 4
7
A ‘Peaceable Kingdom’ in Brooktondale
Bob Morgan with Frosty, front, and Bullwinkle, two of the shaggy Scottish Highlander
steers on his Brooktondale Farm.
ness, she backs away a bit, but eventually I am able to make some contact with this magnificent beast.
“They’re pretty friendly and will
sometimes come when I call their
names, especially if I have a treat
like sweet pea and molasses, which
they love.”
While the Scottish Highlanders
now owned by Morgan have easygoing dispositions, there have been
some occasions when a steer had to
go. “One guy became very aggressive with his horns, so we ate him.
The meat was absolutely wonderful,” he says. “Then there’s the time
we ate one was because she committed suicide by getting her horns
locked up which made her break
her own neck, but I have no plans to
eat any of these guys.”
When asked if he displays the
cattle at livestock shows, Morgan
shakes his head. “I’ve thought
about it, but these guys really hate
to be moved, to the extent that
when I put them in another of my
pastures they will break through
the fence and come right back to
this one,” he says. “Besides, we
have our hands full showing dogs.
My wife Annie and I show
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, and
that takes a lot of time and travel.
One of our dogs is just one show
away from being a champion,” he
adds proudly.
In addition to the cows and dogs,
the Morgans also have donkeys.
“Recently we brought them near
Ithaca AGWAY
Most people who have pets go for
the cat and dog variety. Not Bob
Morgan of Brooktondale. His 55acre farm on Valley Road is home
to several species of animals, the
most unusual being his five
Scottish Highlanders. These bovine
creatures with wooly hair and long
horns are accustomed to people in
cars stopping to look at them as
they move about leisurely in their
pen.
Morgan greets them with a
cheery “Hey guys!” as he pulls
down a section of the barbed wire
fencing so that a visitor can enter
their pen. One or two of the animals look in his direction, munching on some hay. He approaches one
of the cattle and gives it a gentle
rub with one hand while stroking
the horns with the other hand.
“I used to breed them as livestock
and sell them off, but then I developed an attachment to them and
now I think of them as my pets,”
says Morgan. He runs down the list
of names he has given the shaggy
animals. “Let's see, there’s Rocky,
Sandy
[who
is
Bullwinkle,
Bullwinkle's mother], Frosty and
Rose.” When asked if he has a
favorite, Morgan says without hesitation, “I would have to say Frosty,
because she’s the most affectionate.”
He walks over to the strawberry
blonde cow and pets her. She
responds by lifting her large head
and looking toward Morgan, who
now encourages me to touch her.
Tentatively I step toward her and,
perhaps sensing my own nervous-
Photo by Ann Krajewski
By Ann Krajewski
8
Tompkins Weekly
June 4
the house where the show dogs live
and one of the retrievers aggressively went after one of the donkeys. That wasn't a good thing
because burros, or donkeys, kill
coyotes. If there’s a canine around
they will attempt to kill it,” he says.
According to Morgan, the donkeys
protect the horses, another group of
animals on the farm. The donkeys,
rather than dogs, act as herders. An
outdoor riding ring is set up next to
a barn where Cornell and Ithaca
college students ride and board
their horses.
Morgan took early retirement
after serving as Cornell’s director
of Information Services for almost
15 years. He left last year to concentrate on his other business ventures, including two trucking companies in Las Vegas. “I’ve always
been something of an entrepreneur,” he explains. “With all the
hay that I have to move, the trucking business evolved from that, so
now I have tractor-trailer trucks all
around the country.”
Morgan bales the hay for his
many four-legged friends with a
massive piece of farm equipment
that produces 1,500 pounds of hay
bales. This is done partially on the
farm in Brooktondale and on land
he leases in Endicott and Whitney
Point.
So just how many animals does
Morgan have? “Well, we have at
least 22 horses, then add the four
burros, four Chessie retrievers and
of course the five Scottish
Highlanders. Having all these animals defines our life here. We really love it. It’s a true peaceable kingdom.”
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By Glynis Hart
Changhee Chun, director of more
than 30 documentaries for Korean
TV, has focused his lens on the
Asian experience in Ithaca. With
the release of last year’s “Spilled
(Soy) Milk” and this year’s theater
piece “Celebrasian” Chun explores
the search for identity among
Ithaca’s Asian community.
The local Asian population has
grown from a handful of grape
growers in the 1870s, to a steady
trickle of Cornell students through
the 1900s, to a sudden increase in
the 1980s. Asian people now comprise 10 percent of the city’s population. And while a certain cultural
emphasis on pursuing education
has made Ithaca seem like a good fit
for its Asian citizens, these citizens
and their children have been the
targets of misunderstanding and
ridicule.
“Spilled (Soy) Milk” has two
parts. The scene-setting first part
describes the Asian community in
Ithaca, including interviews with
Asian residents and parts of the
annual dragon boat race. The film
shows that while Asians have made
opportunities here and created a
home for themselves, they’ve still
had to endure a lot of unfairness.
Sivilay Somchanmavong
describes his brothers’ and sisters’
short walk to the school bus stop,
from Madison Street to Hancock
Street, as “seeming like five miles.”
He and his siblings were harassed,
ridiculed and often beat up. “Why
do you come home crying?” their
parents ask.
Another Asian Ithacan, Chuck
Dong, suffered because other kids
made fun of his name: “People
would write their names on their
bikes and stuff. I never did. I would
leave mine off,” he says. And
Monica Horton, whose blond hair
belies her background, finds that
people will say things in front of
her that they wouldn’t if they knew
she is half Korean.
Who are you if you look Asian
but have spent your whole life in
Ithaca? If you look white, but identify as Korean? Suzanne Schwartz,
an Asian adoptee who grew up
here, shows a picture she drew that
hangs in her house. Titled “self-portrait,” the picture shows a white
lady who looks like Suzanne imagines a natural child of her adoptive
parents would have looked, smoking a cigarette and resting her
stocking feet on the coffee table.
While Suzanne might well do both
those things, her facial features are
undeniably Asian.
“Spilled (Soy) Milk” explores this
central break in identity by following Sarah Kessler/Kyeong Mee, as
she travels to Korea to study what
would have been her native language. Surrendered by her birth
mother to an adoption agency during a time of economic instability
in Korea, Kyeong became Sarah, an
award-winning flute player and a
student at Ithaca College. She studied Spanish in high school.
“I’m not really Korean,” she says
in the film. “I’m a good photo op for
American colleges but I experience
hate for abusing the system. I feel
like a piece of kimchi that fell out of
the bowl onto the floor.” At the last
minute Sarah decides to spend a
semester in Korea instead of the
Photo by Kathy Morris
Korean Filmmaker Turns Lens on Ithaca
Changhee Chun, right, was on hand for a recent screening of “Spilled (Soy) Milk” at
Cornell. The locally produced film describes what it is like to be outsiders in Ithaca.
Among those appearing in the film are Mary White, Sivilay Somchanhmavong and Suzanne
Schwartz.
Middle East, and while she’s there
she goes looking for what she can
find of her short past in that country. Like Suzanne Schwartz, she
says she doesn’t normally think
much about her identity, but a
sense of not belonging seems to
accompany her wherever she goes.
In Korea Sarah/Kyeong plays at
passing for Korean, but also
immerses herself in Korean culture. “Part of me thinks I should be
familiar with this already,” she
says. Even enjoying Korean food
causes her to question herself: Is
she really enjoying it, or is she
enjoying it because she thinks she
should?
In the end, Sarah/Kyeong goes
back to the adoption agency and is
reunited with her foster family, but
her birth mother cannot be found.
“I came to get rid of this baggage,
but in the end it was like I went
shopping,” she says. She’s angry at
the economic circumstances and
social attitudes that made her birth
mother give her up, and she comes
back to the States having grown up
both ways — more Korean and
more American.
“Spilled (Soy) Milk” is available
at the Tompkins County Public
Library..
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Tompkins Weekly
June 4
9
Better Health Through a Light Touch
Over the years, Nancy Young of the
Healing Tree Studio has developed
a receptivity to her clients, working
closely with their “inner physician.” Young considers herself a
facilitator for healing and release,
offering advanced CranioSacral
therapy, therapeutic massage and
energy balancing. In 2001 she
opened the studio at 307 N. Tioga St.
in Ithaca as a place to provide an
atmosphere of support for healing.
“I love my office, and like the location right near the Commons,”
Young says. Her practice is about listening and building trust. “For me a
session is all about ambiance. What
I offer is the whole — from the
sheets, to the music, to what we talk
about.”
Cerebral spinal fluid surrounds
and protects the brain and spinal
chord. CranioSacral therapy (CST)
works with this system, which
includes the bones of the skull (or
cranium), face and mouth, continuing down the spine to the sacrum or
tailbone. CST developed from work
done in the early 1900s by an
osteopath who believed that the
bones of the skull, rather than being
fused in early childhood, are structured to allow for movement. Later,
others observed a regular rhythmic
movement in the cranial fluid.
In the 1970s, coupling scientific
observance with tactile sensitivity,
doctors Upledger and Milne developed a gentle, noninvasive form of
bodywork that uses an extremely
light touch to access and support the
“cranial wave.” Trained therapists
follow the quality, rate, frequency
Photo provided
By Pamela Goddard
Nancy Young conducts a CST session with a patient at the Healing Tree Studio.
and character of the movement in
working with individual clients.
Young explains that CST helps a
person “go in there.” For example, if
an individual has a twist in neck,
Young responds to what the body
needs in that moment. “I have no
agenda. I don’t know what’s going to
happen in a session before it happens,” Young says. “I sit with a person beforehand, and ask what they’d
like to get out of the session. I call it
setting an intention for the session.
It could be anything; it could be that
they want more joy in life, it could
be that want less pain in their hip.”
Young practices therapeutic
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imagery and dialog to discover why
the body is holding a pattern and to
release that through the soft tissue.
“There’s a cellular memory in each
person’s body and it remembers
everything,” she says. “The impact
of injury or trauma, even many
years ago, may still be in the memory of our soft tissues.”
CST helps to undo old kinks and
tension by awakening that cellular
memory. Gentle bodywork can
release long-held pain and indignation. After working with a variety of
clients, Young has found that CST
can help alleviate problems such as
chronic neck and back pain, sciati-
ca, chronic fatigue, emotional difficulties, learning disabilities, healing from abuse and recovery (even
years later) from car accidents,
blows, falls and other traumas.
Most often, clients come for
some specific trauma. Whether
they visit once a week or a few
times a year, they usually find that
healing from the sessions is cumulative, according to Young.
“This pulls together everything
I’ve ever been,” she says. “All the
market research interviewing, all
the hot line counseling, it’s all
there when I work with someone.
The archeologist I used to be is
there, too. I'm a trained scientist
and I bring that to the body. I
learned to think in layers, to think
about relationships, and be open to
what’s in front of me rather than
having a theory about it.”
CranioSacral therapy requires a
very gentle touch, not heavier than
a small coin. Young might simply
support a shoulder or hip, allowing
tension to drain away. Clients can
receive therapeutic massage as
well at the Healing Tree Studio.
“An introductory client may
choose to have a combination of
sessions,” Young explains. “Say, 40
minutes of massage and then the
last 20 minutes as CranioSacral
therapy. Usually they can’t tell that
I’ve moved from one modality to
another. It’s very smooth.”
Any massage has a strong element of energy at the Healing Tree
Studio. “What I do is help people
get back in touch with their bodies,” says Young. “I try to create a
safe, open and accepting space for
them.”
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Tompkins Weekly
June 4
‘Waitress’ Serves A Bittersweet Slice of Life
By Nicholas Nicastro
Waitress is such a pleasant trifle it’s hard to believe it’s somebody’s last artistic testament.
Writer/ director Adrienne Shelly
first came to prominence as an
actress in a series of highly overrated Hal Hartley films ( The
Unbelievable Truth, Trust). Along
with TV (Homicide, Law & Order)
and stage work, she had been
more recently transitioning to
roles behind the camera. As anyone familiar with the tabloids is
aware, Shelly was found dead in
her West Village office in 2006, an
apparent suicide at age 40. A 19year-old construction worker
later confessed to murdering her
after suffering what he described
as “a bad day.” Such circumstances, along with the film’s
sunny disposition, make for bittersweet viewing.
Shelly’s heroine is Jenna (Keri
Russell), a Southern girl who
rationalizes her entire world in
terms of pies. Her talent for
inventing tasty new ones (and for
not-so-cleverly naming them,
such as “I Hate My Husband Pie”
and “I Don’t Want No Baby Pie”)
is unique, but has gotten her no
farther than a dead-end waitressing job at a small town diner.
Among the many worthless men
in her life are Earl (Jeremy
Sisto), her loutish and infantile
husband,
and
Ogie
(Eddie
Photo provided
★ ★ ★ Waitress . Written and
directed by Adrienne Shelly. At
Fall Creek Pictures.
Cheryl Hines, Keri Russell and Adrienne Shelly in Waitress.
Jemison), her loutish boor of a
boss. Just as she’s plotting escape
from all her deep-fried troubles,
she turns up pregnant by Earl.
Worse, her new OB-GYN, Dr.
( Firefly’s
Pomatter
Nathan
Fillion) is seriously non-loutish.
So what’s a girl to do?
I should confess that I started
off dubious about Shelly’s confection. People who spend their
lives tempted by sweet pastries —
and who (as Jenna admits) never
exercise — are rarely as clear of
skin and taut of figure as the fit
and limpid Russell. Any story
featuring three gum-snapping
waitresses (in this case, Russell,
Cheryl Hines, and Shelly herself),
and with none other than Andy
Griffith in the cast, is definitely
verging on bad TV territory (anybody remember the CBS diner sitcom Alice ).
That this writer still left the
theater with upturned pie-hole
has something to do with Shelly’s
script. The whole project seems
suffused with such sweet, gentle
humanity that only an Earl or an
Ogie can resist it. In a typical
visual joke, we watch Jenna go
about her day with a stony
expression. As the reality of her
happiness with Dr. Pomatter
sinks in, her frown slowly turns
upside down, until she is veritably beaming through her soul-
deadening routine. The same
expression comes over anybody
open to the film’s charm.
But Shelly really did put
Waitress
on Keri ( Felicity )
Russell’s shoulders, and to the
latter most of the credit must go.
Her appeal only begins with her
“looks-g reat-first-thing-in-themorning” winsomeness. Russell
has something beyond mere
beauty that positively demands
empathy; watching her, it’s easy
for viewers male or female to
take her as an ideal vision of
themselves.
It’s
a
quality
Adrienne Shelly herself lacked,
in her days as an ingénue. I still
don’t believe Russell as a piemaking genius, but dwelling on
such doubts has about the same
appeal as kicking a two-month
old golden retriever.
Though this was Shelly’s third
feature as director, this is the
first that has gained wide release.
It’s hard to say where her talent
would have taken her had she
lived. Beyond skill in telling a
story or constructing good visuals, a knack for casting — of
knowing to whom a story is best
entrusted — is one of dramatic
filmmaking’s essential skills. In
that, at least, fate served her well.
To contact Nicholas Nicastro
visit www.nicastro-books.com.
Movie Ratings
★
★
★
★
★
★★★★
★★★
★★
★
Classic
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Trumansburg
Optical
Neil Henninger, O.D.
Full Service
Eye Care
Now Available...
Providing optical services for patients of all ages,
contact lens services, and a
wide selection of frames and accessories.
Please call for an appointment
607-387-7327
79 East Main Street (Rte. 96), Trumansburg
Tompkins Weekly
June 4
11
Tompkins County Community Calendar...
June 2007
4 Monday
Coffee and Talk Book Club Lime
Hollow Nature Center. 1st Mondays of the
month 6:30-8pm. Info: 758-5462
Cortland Youth Center Open 12-9pm.
Info: www.cortland.org/youth 753-0872
Creating Your Resume, Tompkins
Workforce NY-Career Center, 10am-Noon.
Creative ideas for what you will need to get
an employers attention. Info 272-7570 x118.
Center Ithaca Bldg, 171 E. State St
Enhance Fitness Kick-off Class,
Juniper Manor, Trumansburg, 1pm. Class
focuses on stretching, flexibility, low impact
aerobics, 7 strength trianing. Small donaor
tion.
Info
273-1511
[email protected]. 24 Elm St
GED Classes, at GIAC, 9am-12pm. Free.
Info BOCES 273-8804.
GED Classes, at TC3 Campus, 11am2pm. Free, Info BOCES 273-8804
GED Classes, at TST Community School,
5:30-8:30 pm. Free. Info BOCES 273-8804.
GED Classes, at Groton Elementaty, 79pm. Free. Info BOCES 273-8804
GIAC Teen Program Game Room,
Video Games, Open Gym & Field Trips 47pm. 318 N. Albany St., Ithaca
Handwork Wedding Event, Handwork,
102 W. State St., 10am-6pm. Inspirational
wedding ideas from local craftspeople. Gifts
& items for your celebration.
Lifelong, Enhance Fitness-Lifelong 8:309:30am; Clay Class 10am-Noon; Enhance
Fitness-Enfield Comm. Center 10:1511:15am; Open Computer Lab 10:30amNoon; Strength Training-Lifelong 12:301:30pm; Enhance Fitness-McGraw House
2-3pm; It’s Time That Food as Medicine is
Taken Seriously 3-5pm; International Folk
Dancing 7-9pm. Info 273-1511. 119 W.
Court St.
Open
Computer
Lab, Lifelong,
10:30am-Noon. Drop in for free internet
access, one-on-one tutoring or computer
help. Beginning and advanced learners are
welcome. Info 273-1511. 119 W. Court St.
Organizational Meeting to Stop the
War, Song Community meeting room,
Ecovillage, 7pm. To begin the dialog we
want to explore the initiative of the Chicago
based Voices for Creative Nonviolence and
their Occupation Project. Info 917-4539539
or
277-6932
or
email
[email protected]
Women Singin’ at Hospicare, the
Great Room, Nina K. Miller Hospicare
Center, 172 E. King Rd., 5:30-7pm. A
singing circle for all women who like to sing.
Donation. Info [email protected] or
272-0212
Yoga for Women in Midlife, Tiamat
Studio, 7-8:30pm. Explore the possiblities
for renewed strength and aliveness, calm
and alert mind, with acceptance and compassionate awareness. Info 319-4138 or
[email protected] 136 E. State St.,
2nd floor
5 Tuesday
Cortland Dairy Parade, Main St.,
Cortland. Info 753-1593 or www.cortlandtourism.com
Culturally Sensitive Parenting for
All Parents and Caregivers, Cornell
Cooperative Extension, 6-8pm. Share your
strengths Learn new strategies (Pyramid of
Success, Behavior Charts, Thinking
Persons Approach and more). Free class,
snacks and childcare. Info & reg 272-2292.
615 Willow Ave.
Empire State Senior Games, Nearly
2000 athletes will compete in more than 20
sports and recreational events. There will
also be instructional clinics, info exhibits, &
educational
seminars.
Info
www.empirestategames.org/senior
Info BOCES 273-8804
GED Classes, at TST Community School,
5:30-8:30 pm. Free. Info BOCES 273-8804
Handwork Wedding Event, Handwork,
102 W. State St., 10am-6pm. Inspirational
wedding ideas from local craftspeople. Gifts
& items for your celebration.
Impeachment Rally and Walk, Bernie
Milton Pavillion, The Commons, 4:30pm.
Walk to County Courthouse, bring signs to
support County Impeachment Campaign.
12
Tompkins Weekly
June 4
Speakers to include Marty Luster. Info email
[email protected]
Lifelong, Open Computer Lab 9am-Noon;
Morning Watercolor Class 9am-Noon; Long
Term Care Insurance-Is it Right for You?
11am-2:30pm;
Varna
(273-1511)
Community
Seniors
Group-Varna
Community Center (info 272-0230) Noon2pm; Afternoon Watercolor Class 1-4pm;
Community Walk-Beebe Lake (meet at
Lifelong) 1pm; Computers 1:30-3:30pm;
Ithaca Lion’s Club Meeting 7-8:30pm;
Scottish Dancers 8-10pm. Info 273-1511.
119 W. Court St.
Open Computer Lab, Lifelong, 9amNoon. Drop in for free internet access, oneon-one tutoring or computer help. Beginning
and advanced learners are welcome. Info
273-1511. 119 W. Court St.
PeeWee Naturalists, Cayuga Nature
Center, 10am-Noon. Bring your favorite 3-5
year old to explore nature with us. Each program is different & includes activities, crafts,
a nature walk, & snack. Info & reg
www.cayuganaturecenter.org. or 273-6260.
1420 Taughannock Blvd.
Sexual Compulsives Anonymous,
5:30pm every Tuesday. This is an anonymous 12-Step Group of men and women
whose purpose is to recover from sexual
compulsion. Email [email protected]
for meeting info. Info www.sca-recovery.org
Story Time, The Lansing Community
Library Center, 10am. Story Time will
resume for children ages 2 & up. Free &
open to all. Adult must accompany children.
27 Auburn Rd.
StrollerFit, Stewart Park Toddler
Playgroung, 9:30am, May thru July. Parents
can exercise with their stroller-age children
(ages 6weeks to 4yrs). First class free. Info
351-2945 or www.strollerfit.com/ithaca
Toddler Storytime, Tompkins County
Public Library, 10:30am. Parents and caregivers with children from 16months-3 years.
Every Tuesday. 272-4557 x275
Toddler Time Storytime, Groton Public
Library, 10am. Enjoy stroies every Tuesday
with Mrs. Radford. Info 898-5055
Town of Ithaca Planning Board Meeting, 215
N. Tioga St., 7pm. Info 273-1747
Tree Identification, Arnot Forest,
Jackson Hollow Rd, 6-8pm. Spend a relaxing evening learning to identify 10-15 tree
species by their leaves, bark & other characteristics. Fee. Pre-reg req. Info & reg
535-7161
Turtle Time, Ithaca Children’s Garden, 67pm. Explore Gaia and her Wetland Garden
home with hands-on activities and performances. Free and open to all ages. Rt 89,
Cass Park. Info www.ccetompkins.org
6 Wednesday
Almost Heaven, Cortland Repertory
Theatre, 7:30pm. This new musical weaves
together the songs of John Denver to create
a theatrical narrative that reflects America
during the late 60’s and early 70’s. Tix & info
www.cortlandrep.org or 756-2627
Alzheimer’s Support Group, Lifelong,
119 W. Court St., 5:30pm. Meets the 1st
Wed of the month. Open to those caring for
someone with dimentia, confusion or serious memory loss. Info 274-5492 Office for
the Aging or 800-272-3900 Alzheimer’s
Association.
www.cortland.org/youth, 753-3021
Doubt, Hangar Theatre, 7:30pm. Set in a
Catholic middle school in 1964, this is a
story of a nun who must decide whether to
expose a popular, charismatic young priest
who may-or may not-be engaging in questionable behavior with a student. Info & tix
273-4497 or [email protected]
Drop-in
Bereavement
Support
Group, Hospicare Center, 5:30-7pm. For
all bereaved adults no matter when the loss
occured. Free. Info email [email protected] or 272-0212. 172-E. King Rd.,
Ithaca
educational
seminars.
Info
Food
Addicts
in
Recovery
Anonymous, Cayuga Addiction Recovery
Services Building. 7-8:30pm. There are no
dues, fees, or weigh-ins. Info 387-8329. Crn.
State & Plain Sts., Ithaca
GED Classes, at TST BOCES Campus,
9-noon. Free. Info BOCES 273-8804
GED Classes, TC3 Campus, 11am-2pm.
Free. Info BOCES 273-8804
GED Classes, Newfield Elementary, 9:3011:30am. Free. Info BOCES 273-8804
GED Classes, South Seneca Elementary,
9am-Noon. Free. Info BOCES 273-880
Video Games, Open Gym & Field Trips 4-
7pm. 272-3622 318 N. Albany St., Ithaca.
Basketball 7-9pm Tuesdays at BJM. 2723622
Health and Safety Night, East End
Community Center, 4-7pm. There will be
something for everyone in the family to learn
about staying safe & healthy in today’s ever
changing world. Sponsored by the Cortland
County Health Department and the city
Police Department. Info 753-3021 x26. 46
Elm St., Cortland
How to Get Your Foot in the Civil
Service Door, Tompkins Workforce NYCareer Center, 10-11am. Topics include:
How to look up exam & job info for
Tompkins County, City of Ithaca, NYS and
Federal Governments, Process of Civil
Service, info on government links & inform
participants which exams you qualify for.
Info 272-7570 x118. Center Ithaca Bldg,
171 E. State St
Jazz Dance Classes with Nancy
Gasper, Finger Lakes Fitness Center,
5:45pm. Nonmembers & drop-ins welcome.
Info 256-3532. 171 E. State St., Center
Ithaca, lower level.
Kundalini Yoga, Cayuga Nature Center,
5:30pm. An ancient and exciting practice
which utilizes 4 tools: Breath, Movement,
Sound and Meditation. Fee. Info
www.CayugaNatureCenter.org or 273-6260.
Lifelong, Enhance Fitness-Lifelong 8:309:30am; Health Insurance Counseling (appt
273-1511) 9am-Noon; Enhance FitnessEnfield Community Center 10:15-11:15am;
Chair Yoga Class-St. Catherine 10:3011:30am;Intermediate German 1-3pm;
Crafting Circle 1-3:30pm; Beginning
Powerpoint 1:30-3:30pm; Enhance FitnessMcGraw House 2-3pm; Long Term Care
Planning Insurance Counseling 3-6pm;
Alzheimer’s Support Group 5:30-7:30pm.
Info 273-1511. 119 W. Court St.
Little Explorers Storytime 11am.
Borders Books in Pyramid Mall, 257-0444
Lynn Wiles , Watercress Bistro, Noon2pm. Performing solo guitar every Wed. Info
www.watercressithaca.com or 257-0823. 2
Hickory Hollow Lane, Ithaca
Salad Farmers, Ithaca Children’s
Garden, 4-5pm. Lots of hands-on gardening, garden ecology, games, and taste-tests.
For youths ages 6-12. Fee. Reg & info
[email protected] or 272-2292 x186
Visiting Artist Concert Series featuring Los Bandidos, Dryden High
School Auditorium, 7pm. Enjoy traditional
Cuban-style music including the mambo,
son, cha cha cha, bolero and danzon. Free,
donations accepted. Proceeds benefit musical opportunities, awards & scholarships for
Dryden K-12 students. Info 844-8694 or
[email protected]
Wednesday Night Drumming and
Dancing, Moonlight Dancer Studio, 79pm. Exploring rythms and expressive
dance, come with your drums and desire to
move, bring your friends and families. Info
email [email protected]. 407 Taughannock
Blvd
7 Thursday
AL-ANON Hope for Today, Meeting
open to anyone affected by another per7:30pm
844-4210.
son’s drinking.
518West Seneca St., Ithaca, main floor
Band Concert, Cortland HS Gym, 7pm.
Info 758-4100
www.cortland.org/youth, 753-3021
Cultural Garden Adventures: Old
Pizza Garden,
World/New World
Ithaca Children’s Garden, 4:30-6pm.
Culture, horticulture, and science combine
in this hands-on gardening program for
youth ages 6-12 and their families. Every
other Thursday. Reg req. Fee. Info & reg
272-2292 x186 or www.ccetompkins.org
educational
seminars.
Info
Folk Series: Dave Lippman, Blue Frog
Coffeehouse, 8pm. Dave Lippman “the
World’s only known singing CIA agent”. Fee.
Info www.CortlandArts.com. 64 Main St.,
Cortland
GED Classes, TST BOCES Campus, 9Noon. Free. BOCES 273-8804
GED Classes, Groton Elementary, 9amNoon. Free. Info BOCES 273-8804
GED CLasses, Newfield Elementary,
9:30-11:30am. Free. Info BOCES 273-8804
GED Classes, Candor Elementary, 9:3012:30am. Free. Info BOCES 273-8804
Video Games, Open Gym & Field Trips 47pm. 272-3622 318 N. Albany St., Ithaca
Jubilee Swing, Carriage House Cafe,
305 Stewart Ave., 9-11pm. Bring a friend
and dance to great music from the 1920’s1950’s. Fee. Info [email protected] or
280-9944
Kripalu DansKinetics, Tiamat Studio
139, The Commons, 7:25-8:30pm. Every
Thursday. Info Sigrid Kulkowitz 272-0407 or
www.flyingleaps.com
Kundalini Yoga Class, YogAnahata,
10:30am. Every Thursday. Info [email protected]. 101 Linn St
Lifelong, Take A Break Coffee Time 9:3011am; Poetry Writing Class 10-11:30am;
Strength-Lifelong 11:30am-12:30pm; Open
Computer Lab 1-3pm; Newfield Community
Senior Group 6-9pm; Canceled-Couples
Country & Line Dancing 7-9pm. Info 2731511. 119 W. Court St.
Mrs. McPuppet, Stepping Stones,
Ithaca. Info [email protected]
New York State Public High School
Association’s
Girls
Atheltic
Lacrosse Championships, SUNY
Cortland’s Atheletic Complex. 12 teams
from across New York State will be here for
the highly coveted State Chamion Title. Info
or
www.nysphsaa.org
www.cortlandsports.org
Open Computer Lab, Lifelong, 1-3pm
Drop in for free internet access, one-on-one
tutoring or computer help. Beginning and
advanced learners are welcome. Info 2731511. 119 W. Court St.
Out of Bounds, WEOS-FM 88.1, 7pm.
This weekly interview program will feature
host Tish Pearlman in conversation with
DeWayne Luca who is Assistant Professor
in the Dept. of Political Science at Hobart
and William Smith Colleges. Info www.outofboundsradioshow.com or 277-4128
Center, 10am-Noon. Begins April 17th.
Bring your favorite 3-5 year old to explore
nature with us. Each program is different &
includes activities, crafts, a nature walk, &
snack. Info & reg www.cayuganaturecenter.org. or 273-6260. 1420 Taughannock
Blvd.
Prenatal Yoga Classes 5:30-7pm.
Diane Fine. Info [email protected] 5643690 or dianefineyoga.com
Save Energy, Save Dollars, Cornell
Cooperative Extension, Noon-2pm. This is a
free 2-hour workshop to help households
reduce their energy and save money on
their energy bills. Free and open to all. Prereg req. Info & reg 272-2292 or [email protected]. 615 Willow Ave.
Senior Theatre Troupe, Lifelong, 12pm. Meets every Thursday. Accepting new
memebers, all levels of experience welcome, Instructor Sue Perlgut. Info 273-1511
or www.tclifelong.org. 119 W. Court St
Playgroung, 9:30am, May thru July. Parents
Summer
Concert
Series,
the
Commons, 7-9pm. Free live music every
thursday
night.
Info
www.downtownithaca.com
8 Friday
Theatre, 2 & 7:30pm. This new musical
weaves together the songs of John Denver
to create a theatrical narrative that reflects
America during the late 60’s and early 70’s.
Tix & info www.cortlandrep.org or 756-2627
Back To Democracy, Trumansburg Fire
Hall, 7pm. Free movie night featuring
“Kilowatt Ours” which shows a plan on how
to eliminate the use of coal and nuclear
power through energy conservation & the
use of renewable sources. Info www.backtodemocracy.org or 387-5080. Rt 96, Main
St
Doubt, Hangar Theatre, 8pm. Set in a
educational
seminars.
Info
GIAC Teen Program After Hours
Spot 4-midnight. Movies, open gym, game
room, video games, snacks, computers,
skating & more. 272-3622 318 N. Albany St.,
Ithaca
Lifelong, Enhance Fitness-Lifelong 8:309:30am; Chair Yoga Class-Lifelong 1011am; Enhance Fitness-Enfield Community
Center 10:15-11:15am; Tai Chi Class
11:30am-1pm; Line Dancing 1:15-1:50pm;
Mahjong 1:30-3:30pm; Enhance FitnessMcGraw House 2-3pm; Square, Line, &
Polka Dancing 2-4pm. Info 273-1511. 119
W. Court St.
Movie Night, Borders Books in Pyramid
Mall, 6:30-8pm. We’ll show movies that
appeal to kids age 5-10. 257-0444
Association’s
Girls
Atheltic
www.nysphsaa.org
or
Pajamarama Storytime, Barnes &
Noble, 7pm. Join us for stories for preschool & elementary age children. Juice &
snacks provided, pj"s welcome. Info 2736784 or www.BN.com
Preschool
Story
Hour
at
Southworth Library, Dryden, 10am. No
sign-up required - just come and enjoy stories, activities and refreshments. We are
also looking for volunteer readers for this
program. 844-4782
PowerSports Comes to Ithaca,
Cornell Outdoor Eductation’s Hoffman
Challenge Course, Mt. Pleasant. Soccer &
Leadership Program for Mom’s and
Daughters-helping girls ages 9-14yrs to
become self-confident & influential women.
Guest skills trainer John McKeown and
leadership expert Beta Mannix. Info 3190724 or email [email protected]
Rookie Reader Storytime, Barnes &
Noble, 10:30am. Join us for stories perfect
for infants & toddlers. Activities will follow.
Info 273-6784 or www.BN.com
Story Hour at Lansing Community
Library Old Town Hall, Lansing. 2 yr olds:
10-10:20am. 3 yr olds: 10:30-11am. All children with care provider. Info: Susan 2660266
The Parade of Pillows Exhibit
Opening, Lansing Community Library
Center. Come and view over 100 hand
made 9-square pillows created by Lansing
Middle School students in Audrey Hummel’s
Family and Consumet Science class. Info
533-4939 or lansinglibrary.org. 27 Auburn
Rd., Lansing
9 Saturday
5th Annual Youth Fishing Derby,
Meyers Point Park, Lansing, 7:30am-Noon.
Youth 15 and under are invited to participate
in an exciting, fun filled morning of fishing for
perch, sunfish, & rockies. Contests & prizes.
Lansing Youth Services & Cornell
Cooperative
Extension.
Info
[email protected] or 5334271 x2118
15th Annual Bluegrass on the
Green, Village Green, Homer, Noon-6pm.
Delaney Brothers Bluegrass and two additional bands. Info 749-9942 or www.cortlandtourism.com
23rd Annual Dryden Dairy Day,
Parade down Main St 9:30am, Activites in
Montgomery Park 10:30am-3pm. This
years theme “Hay, Hay, It’s Dairy Day”.
Activities include games, food, crafters, live
animals, ice cream eating contest & more.
Info 844-8049 or 844-4143
AARP Safe Driving Course, Lifelong,
9am-1pm. This course will teach defensive
driving techniques & include info on agerelated cognitive and physical changes that
affect driving. Two 4hour classes. Pre-reg &
info www.tclifelong.org or 273-1511. 119 W.
Court St
Cultural Garden Adventures: Old
Pizza Garden,
World/New World
Ithaca Children’s Garden, 4:30-6pm.
Culture, horticulture, and science combine
in this hands-on gardening program for
youth ages 6-12 and their families. Every
other Saturday. Reg req. Fee. Info & reg
272-2292 or www.ccetompkins.org
Doubt, Hangar Theatre, 3 & 8pm. Set in a
educational
seminars.
Info
Explorers Storytime 11am at Borders
Books in Pyramid Mall, 257-0444
Families Learning Science Together,
Tompkins County Public Library, 2nd
Saturday of the month, 1:00-2:00PM. (607)
Fun
Workshop, Ithaca
Family
Children’s Garden, 10-11am. Wacky
Container Gardens. If you can fill it with soil,
we’ll help you turn it into a colorful crazy container garden full of annual flowers. Ages 512 & their families. Fee. Info & reg. 2722292 x186 or [email protected]
Family Storytime Tompkins County
Public Library. 11:30am-12pm. Free.
www.tcpl.org, 272-4557 x272
Fossil ID Day, Museum of the Earth,
10am - Noon. Second Saturdays. Info 2736623 or www.museumoftheearth.org 1259
Trumansburg Rd, Route 96 Ithaca
GIAC Teen Program After Hours
Spot 4-midnight. Music, movies, open
gym, game room, video games, computers,
skating & more. 272-3622 318 N. Albany St..
Ithaca
“I
Ain’t
Marching
Anymore”
Coffeehouse, Unitarian Church Annex,
7-9pm. Iraq Veterans Against the War
share their perspectives. 208 E. Buffalo St
Impeachment Tabling, in front of the
Worker’s Center, 2-5pm. Info 387-5080 or
[email protected]
Introduction to Classical Fencing,
every Saturday from Noon- 1:00pm. Henry
St. Johns gymnasium, Corner of Geneva St.
and W. Clinton St, downtown Ithaca. For
boys and girls ages 8-17. Fee. Reg and info
Linda
at
273-7359
or
call
[email protected]
Introduction to Growing Tree Fruit,
Cornell Orchards, Rt 366, Ithaca, 9am12:30pm. Cornell specialists, Ian Merwin
and Greg Peck will discuss site selection,
planting, fertilization and pest control in this
introduction to tree cultivation. Fee. Pre-reg
by 6/7. Info & reg 687-4020. or www.ccetompkins.org.Cornell Cooperative Extension
11am. Beginners. Nonmembers & drop-ins
welcome. Info 256-3532. 171 E. State St.,
Center Ithaca, lower level
Lifelong, Men’s Group 9am-Noon; AARP
Safe Driving Course 9am-1pm; Saturday
Writing Group 1:30-3:30pm. Info 273-1511.
119 W. Court St.
Morning Story Time 10am. Caroline
Community Library 2670 Slaterville Rd.
Slaterville Springs. www.tcpl.org
Natural History Class: Tree ID and
Habitat, Lime Hollow Center for
Environment and Culture, 6am (but call to
check time). This class, led by Matt Young,
will involve field trips only. Fee. Info & reg
[email protected] or 758-5462
or 345-7713
Atheltic
Association’s
Girls
www.nysphsaa.org
or
Open Community Drum Circle,
Stewart Park NW corner (warm weather
permitting) or inside at the Alternative
Community School, 111 Chestnut St.,
Ithaca, 6pm. Bring your family and friends,
lots of extra drums availlable. Potluck
optional. Info [email protected]
Open Family Swim Tompkins Cortland
Community College, Dryden. 11am-1pm.
Fee. 844-8222
Challenge Course, Mt. Pleasant. Soccer &
Public Boating Course, York Lecture
Hall, Ithaca High School, 8am-4pm. Passing
the Ithaca Sail and Power Squadron’s one
day Boat/Smart course entitles anyone 14
and older to operate a PWC (jet ski) in NYS
and anyone 10 to 18 to operate a boat without someone 18 and older aboard. Pre-reg.
Info & reg 532-4915
Public Skating, Community Recreation
Center, Ithaca, 8:30-10pm. 277-7465
St. Anthony’s Festival, Pomeroy St.,
Cortland. 4pm Spaghetti dinner & more.
Info www.cortlandtourism.com or 756-7533
Second Saturday Groton Poetry
Reading 2007 Series, Thou Art Gallery
and Gifts. Featuring Paul Hamill and Lyrae
Van Clief-Stefanon. Q & A with the poets
and open mic will follow the reading. Free.
Info 898-4063. 111 Church St., Groton
Showtime Insider’s View of the
Zoo, Sciencenter, 2pm. Walter Gates will
share his experiences volunteering at the
Bronx Zoo. Included with admission. Info
272-0600 or www.sciencenter.org. 601 First
St
Playgroung, 9am, May thru July. Parents
Your
Face’
Opening
‘Stuff
Reception, The Main Street Gallery, 58pm. This exhibition is a slice of life within
our contemporary society involving the simple pleasures of food as well as a list of
other issues. Info www.mainstreetgal.com or
898-9010. 105 Main St., Groton
The Garden Conservancy’s Open
Days Garden Tour, Cornell Cooperative
Extension, 10am-4pm. Five gorgeous gardens in Tompkins County will be open to visitors for one day only. Fee per garden. Tix,
maps & directions available at each location.
Proceeds benefit Tompkins County
Community Beautification program and the
Garden Conservancy. Info 272-2292 or
www.ccetompkins.org
The Village of Trumansburg’s
Comprehensive Plan Committee
Public Workshop, Trumansburg Fire
Hall, 10 am. Discuss the draft 20 year
vision statements, goals & strategies for
the following topics: land use, recreation,
environment, economic development, community, & housing.
Trail Blazers, Lime Hollow Center for
Environment & Culture, 10am-2pm. 2nd
Saturday of month. Teens help clearing,
roughing trails & building bridges. Grades
6-12 age 11-18. Fee for pizza. Info 7585462. 3091 Gracie Rd., Cortland
Yard Sale and Bake Sale, Fountain
Manor, 9 Midline Rd., Slaterville Springs,
9am-3pm. Rain or shine.
10 Sunday
Theatre, 2pm. This new musical weaves
ArtFest at the Hollow, Lime Hollow
Center for Environment & Culture, 1-5pm.
Enjoy artwork & entertainment of local musicians as we celebrate our connection to the
natural world. Fee. Info 758-5462 or
www.limehollow.org. New Visitor Center,
338 McLean Rd
educational
seminars.
Info
Addicts
in
Recovery
Food
Anonymous, Cayuga Addiction Recovery
Services Building. 9am. There are no dues,
fees, or weigh-ins. Everyone is welcome
including those who think they may have a
problem with overeating, bulimia, or anorexia, or are concerned about someone else.
Info 387-8329. Crn. State & Plain Sts.
Global Warming Cafes, Unitarian
Church, 208 E. Buffalo St., 3-6:30pm.
Participatory workshop in which converstaion & information-sharing will lead to
practical plans for reducing carbon dioxide
emissions. Free & open to all. Info [email protected] or 272-0407
Hike, Meet in the Ithaca Shopping Plaza,
9:30am. Join the Cayuga Trails Club for a
rugged 5.2 mile hike on the new “Old CCC
Camp Spur Trail”. Parking Fee. Info 2728679 or www.cayugatrailsclub.org
Impeachment Tabling, GreenStar, 25pm every Sunday Info 387-5080 or [email protected]
7:15pm. Nonmembers & drop-ins welcome.
Info 256-3532. 171 E. State St., Center
Ithaca, lower level
Center, 1-3pm. Celebrate Earth Day by
exploring spring flowers and birds, reading a
story & sharing it all together. Crafts &
healthy
snack.
Fee.
Info
www.CayugaNatureCenter.org or 273-6260.
Challenge Course, Mt. Pleasat. Soccer &
St. Anthony’s Festival, Pomeroy St.,
Cortland. All day. Enjoy food, an auction,
activities & more. Info www.cortlandtourism.com or 756-7533
St. Paul’s Nursery School 50th
Anniversary Celebration, Cass Park
Pavilion (near the Children’s Garden), 35pm. If you, your children, your grandchildren, or friends attended St. Paul’s Nursery
School, we’d love to hear from you. Info
Jaclene @ 269-0390
Surf’s Up Luau, Regal Cinemas, Pyramid
Mall, Noon-6pm. Enjoy games, face painttng, tropical crafts, coloring contest, hula
contests, Surf’s Up activity sheets & prizes
along with some special guests from the
YMCA. Proceeds benefit Stars of Hope
Foundation. Info 257-7611
The Fall Creek Garden Tour, Cornell
Cooperative Extension, 11am-4pm. Pick up
maps at Thompson Park on Cayuga St.
Sponsored by the Fall Creek Garden
Collective. Info 272-2292 or www.ccetompkins.org
11 Monday
Dryden Senior Citizens, the Dryden
Fire Hall, 12:15pm (dinner served), seating
starts at 11:30am. Please bring your own
table service. The menu will be oven baked
chicken, baked beans, fresh diced fruits in
a bowl, macaroni salad, cole slaw, roll, &
ice cream sundaes. The entertainment will
be provided by Phil Klein at the keyboard.
Please bring canned items for the Kitchen
Cupboard & children thru adult books for
the Dryden School summer book mobile.
Fee. Anyone who is 55 yrs or older is eligible to join Dryden Senior Citizens. If
Dryden Schools are closed due to weather
there will be no meeting. Info
[email protected]
Info BOCES 273-8804
GED Classes, at TST Community
School, 5:30-8:30 pm. Free. Info BOCES
273-8804
Hands-on
Container
Planting
Workshop,
Cornell
Cooperative
Extension, 6:30pm. Bring your favorite container and we provide the rest-potting mix
and a selection of annuals for instant color,
plus instruction. Fee. Prepayment req. Prereg and info 272-2292 or www.ccetompkins.org. 615 Willow Ave
Infant Care Class, Cayuga Medical
Center. The basics on the care and feeding
of your little one in the first few weeks. Fee.
Info 274-4011. 101 Dates Dr.
Kionix YMCA Kids-to-Camp Golf
Tournament, Robert Trent Jones Golf
Course at Cornell. Featuring keynote
speaker Coach Steve Donahue of the
Men’s Cornell Basketball Team. Info
www.ithacaymca.com
Open Computer Lab, Lifelong,
10:30am-Noon. Drop in for free internet
access, one-on-one tutoring or computer
help. Beginning and advanced learners are
welcome. Info 273-1511. 119 W. Court St.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest Seminar,
Cayuga Medical Center, 5:30-8pm.
Cardiologists Malcolm Brand and Jonathan
Mauser will talk about what SCA is and
how it differs from a heart attack. Free. Info
www.heartseminars.com/atlantic or 800808-4139. Picnic meal provided. Outdoor
tent, Rt 96
Yoga for Women in Midlife, Tiamat
Studio, 7-8:30pm. Explore the possiblities
for renewed strength and aliveness, calm
and alert mind, with acceptance and compassionate awareness. Info 319-4138 or
[email protected] 136 E. State St.,
2nd floor
Submit Your
Calendar Listing:
• visit tompkinsweekly.com
and click on submissions
• email: [email protected]
• fax 607-347-4302
• write: Tompkins Weekly
PO Box 6404,
Ithaca, NY 14851
Deadline: is each Wednesday for
the following Monday's paper.
Tompkins Weekly
June 4
13
Lifting the Lid on ‘Star Wars’ Science
By Larry Klaes
Thirty years ago, on May 25, 1977,
the film “Star Wars” made its debut
in just 32 movie theaters across the
country. Located “a long time ago, in
a galaxy far, far away…,” the film
told the rather straightforward
story of an evil Galactic Empire
with a massive weapon, a moonsized space battle station named the
Death Star, and the efforts of a band
of rebels fighting to destroy the
planet-obliterating station and rid
their society of a totalitarian
regime.
“Star Wars” went on to become
one of the most popular and financially successful films in history. For
both good and bad, “Star Wars” had
a tremendous impact on most of the
science fiction pictures that followed it. The film and its sequels
also heavily influenced how the public perceived science and future
technology, even though many of
these elements in the series were
pure fantasy.
Since so many folks over the last
three decades have taken their limited knowledge about space and science from the “Star Wars” franchise, Cornell chemistry graduate
student Brandon Aldinger devoted
the last lecture of the spring semester for the Cornell Astronomical
Fuertes
Society
(CAS)
at
Observatory to “The Science of Star
Wars.”
Speaking to an audience with
many who were not even born when
the original film trilogy debuted,
Aldinger’s presentation compared
real science and physics to what was
shown in “Star Wars” with some
help from major characters in the
series. The talk even began with a
version of the famous text crawl
summarizing the events of each
installment, with the familiar martial music playing in the background.
The first subject Aldinger tackled
was the one that most often defines
the “Star Wars” series: how the
characters travel from one star system to another in their fantastic
spaceships. Although the galaxy
depicted in Star Wars appears similar in size and design to our vast spiral Milky Way, the denizens of this
fictional society have little problem,
or even think much about, traversing interstellar distances, which in
our galaxy average trillions of miles
across. In the “Star Wars” realm,
such journeys are shortened thanks
to the hyperdrive engine installed
on virtually every ship. This device
allows a spaceship to “tunnel” its
way through space to reach a far-off
planet in a matter of minutes.
The current state of technology in
our little corner of the Milky Way
does not allow us to approach even
the speed of light at 186,000 miles
per second, let alone disregard this
cosmic speed limit with a fancy
hyperdrive engine.
The fastest Earth spaceship to
date is the robot satellite Helios 2,
which one year before the premier
of “Star Wars” briefly zipped
through our Solar System while circling the Sun at 150,000 miles per
hour. This rather impressive speed
would do little good for anyone
wanting to quickly visit even the
nearest star, Proxima Centauri,
which dwells 4.2 light years from us.
At just 0.02 percent of light speed, if
Helios 2 were aimed at our closest
stellar neighbor it would take the
craft some 19,000 years to get there
— thus the creation of a means to
hop around the galaxy in a matter of
minutes instead of millennia.
Aldinger called on Sir Isaac
Newton and Albert Einstein to help
explain why a spaceship could not
go faster than the speed of light
(“The speed of light requires infi-
pointer across the room, Aldinger
asked a young man from the audience to clap two erasers near the
instrument. As a cloud of chalk
dust emerged from the clapped
erasers, the green laser beam suddenly became visible amid the dust.
When the dust settled, the light
beam appeared to vanish.
The other major feature of any
“Almost everyone has seen ‘Sar Wars,’ so this
gives us a common starting ground to talk
about some real astronomy.”
- Brandon Aldinger
nite energy and time,” declared
Einstein). Some scientists have theorized that cosmic wormholes or
“warping” space time might get
future astronauts around the light
speed barrier, but as Jedi master
Yoda cautioned, “To manipulate
space time, have an enormous
amount of mass or energy you
must.”
Related segments of this CAS lecture examined why a manned spaceship accelerating very fast in a very
short period of time would be
instantly “fatal to organic life forms
such as [humans],” as stated by the
golden android C3PO, why there is
no sound in space and why lasers
would actually be invisible (they
need to reflect their light off of particles).
Aldinger demonstrated this last
point with a laser pointer used to
denote interesting objects in the
night sky for visitors to the observatory during open house sessions on
clear Friday evenings. Aiming the
“Star Wars” film is the large number of organisms dwelling among
the star systems of that galaxy.
While the Dark Lord of the Sith,
Darth Vader, cautioned the audience
that they “would be wise to remember that there is no positive evidence
for anything except [life on Earth],”
astronomers have discovered several hundred alien planets in the
Milky Way since 1995, a few of
which may be hospitable to life.
Aldinger explained why he chose
a famous yet scientifically inaccurate science fiction film for his
astronomy lecture. “Almost everyone has seen ‘Star Wars,’ so it gives
us a common starting ground to talk
about some real astronomy,” he said.
“Plus, children who would be bored
by any other topic readily listen to a
‘Star Wars’ themed talk."
Aldinger ended the presentation
by producing a light saber he had
built. Like the weapons in the films
themselves, it doesn’t really work,
but it’s fun to look at.
INSTANT REPLAY
SPORTS
Spring
Equipment
New & Used
Golf
Lacrosse
Baseball
Softball
Douglas T. McEver Agency
Doug McEver
“Your Insurance Advocate”
Improved Rates
NEW! Exclusive Features
315 Third St. Ithaca 277-7366
at the Rink in Lansing, 216-0056
[email protected]
14
Tompkins Weekly
June 4
2428 N Triphammer Rd
Ithaca, NY
257-9283
Classifieds
Automotive
Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota,
Volvo, Volkswagen/Audi + GM/
Chrysler/Ford (Used) Large Selection.
Apply on-line Special Financing
SelectEuroCars.com Nearly 30 Years,
7 Days a Week (315) 789-9368.
Two Convenient Locations Same
Great Service Autoworks 277-9989 at
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M-F 7:30am-5:30pm
Joe's Restaurant- 19 signature pizzas
and 7 signature wing sauces, among
other delicious italian entrees. 602 W.
Buffalo St. 256-3463
Writers Wanted
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interested in writing for
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Delivery
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Must be reliable with your
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References please.
Part - time.
Call Tim at
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MediaMax - HO-RC
BUY 1 GET 1 FREE
Hobbies, Music & Sports, Electronics
Excavating & Drainage. Estimates,
Full Insured. Mancini-Ferrara & Sons,
Inc. 608 Elmira Rd., Ithaca 272-3600
Seed Starting Supplies - Ithaca
Agway Lawn & Garden Center. 213 S.
Fulton St & Rt. 13. 272-1848
Insurance
For Rent
LAKESIDE —West shore, modern,
fully furnished, 2 bedroom. Check
our website: www.cayugalake.biz
Ideal for visiting faculty/grad student.
Short term lease (Aug 2007-May 2008)
$895/mo (607-532-4494).
For Sale
Buy-Sell-Trade New and Gently Used
Children’s Clothing Mama Goose 401
W. Seneca St. 269-0600
PS2 $99 / X Box $149 / Game Cube
$69.95 with 3 Free Games or DVD's
and 90 Day Warranty. Media Max 607341-3636 buyselltradeitnow.com
Health
Full Service Eye Care- Trumansburg
Optical. Neil Henninger, O.D. 79 E.
Main St. Appointments 387-7327
Celebrating 30 Years Family
Medicine Associates of Ithaca 209 W.
State St & 8 Brentwood Dr. email
[email protected] or277-4341
Provides Positive Adult Role
Models For Students- The first of ten
good reasons to have a 100%
Tobacco-Free policy. STOPP. -555
Warren Road, It
Food & Drink
M-F 7:30am-5:30pm; Sat 8:30-12:30
GOLF • FISHING • LACROSSE • PAINTBALL
• SKATEBOARDS • BIKES • KNIVES •
SWORDS • RC HOBBIES • COMPUTERS
Hard-To-Find VINTAGE CDs, DVDs, & VHS, etc.
“EBAY SELLERS & BUYERS • Noboby Beats Our Price”
Bus Route 35 or 47 outbound in front of the
Salvation Army Store
317 Harrison Ave. • Endicott, NY 13760
Mon. Wed. Thurs. Fri 12-8pm • Saturday 12-5pm
607-785-4380
Lawn & Garden
Cayuga Compost--Bulk sales of high
quality compost, soils, and mulch products. Pick up or delivered. 387-6826
Using organics to offer tomorrow's
solutions today.
Leisure
Fall Creek Pictures Show Info 2721256 or Cinemopolis 277-6115
http://cinemapolis.org/home.asp
Real Estate For Sale
Downtown Ithaca home on two
block street with 3 bedrooms and an
income studio apt. Hardwood floors,
spacious yard, quick downhill walk
to Green St. bus. Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/southhillhome/index.htm
Pets
Your Yard, Garden & Pet Place, Ithaca
Agway, 213 S. Meadow St. 272-1848
Salons
The Mane Event. 200 Pleasant Grove
Rd., Community Corners. 266-8809
Wanted to Buy
Games & Electronics. Broken or not
video games & systems, I-Pods, Cell
Phones, Zunes, Laptops, Media Max
317 Harrison Ave., Endicott, NY next
to Valvoline Oil Change off Main St.,
17-C Open M, W 10-6, Th, Fri noon-8
Sat 12-5 buyselltradeitnow.com 607785-4380
Read us on-line at
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T w o Convenient Loca tions
Same Gr ea t Ser vice!
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Always There, State Farm Insurance,
1111 Triphammer Rd. Call 257-8900
Larkin Insurance Home, Auto,
Business 401 N Aurora St., 273-4732
see store for details - one coupon per customer
Traveling?
Your Hometown Grocery T-Burg
Shur Save Rt 96, T-Burg 387-3701
Shortstop Deli Open 24/7 at 204 W.
Seneca St., Ithaca 273-1030________
Two Locations to Serve You Best
GreenStar 701 W. Buffalo St. 2739392 & 215 N. Cayuga St 273-8210
1278 Dryden Rd.
Servicing All Makes & Models
Now in Our New
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Building Materials
Architectural Salvage For Sale:
Doors, Hardware, Lighting, Clawfoot
Tubs and more! Good Quality, Great
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Building Preservation Works, LLC - 45
James St., Homer, NY 607-749-8889.
www.preservationworks.com.
Home
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987 Dryden Rd.
No appointment needed
Come in & get out FAST!
M-F 7:30am-5:30pm
Complete Automotive Care
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Tompkins Weekly
June 4
15
© THomas Hoebbel Photography
Bill Myers greets Hillary Clinton during a visit by the senator to the Alternatives Federal
Credit Union.
Myers
to Myers’ opportunistic idea that
AFCU’s not-for-profit status is a
ticket to creativity. “It’s one thing to
add up all the checks at the end of
the day, and we have to do that,
just like any other bank,” Myers
says, “but, if that’s all we did, that
would be boring. Not having ambitions to be large, not having ambitions to make gobs of money, that
lent us a lot of latitude to have
fun.”
By ignoring the standard battle
cry in banking to compete for
every dollar out there, AFCU took
the time to cultivate the business
that nobody else wanted, Myers
says. It was fun, and it worked.
“What we found out over the years
is that the business nobody wants
tends to be profitable.”
Perhaps typical of Myers’
impact is the a bi-annual
announcement of the livable wage
survey for Ithaca and Tompkins
County. It’s a bit uncomfortable
for the chamber of commerce,
Myers explains, and a bit out of
place for a financial institution.
But with a someone-had-to-do-it
attitude, the AFCU took on the
role 10 years ago of conducting a
survey that breaks down the
expenses for living here and making that a headline story.
Employees surely notice — especially if they are working a 40hour week and not earning what
the survey says is a living wage,
which covers the basics of housing, transportation, food, medical
expenses and entertainment.
The living wage was inspired by
a conversation Myers had with a
bank teller; a dedicated employee,
he says, who had been at the bank
for several years. In an impromptu comment the teller said that the
only way she could live in the
community where she worked was
if her parents helped her out with
the rent.
As the CEO of an organization
with a mission statement that
declares its intention of “building
wealth in the community,” Myers
saw a problem.
If nothing else, the bi-annual
announcement generated debate
in the community over what constitutes the basics for a moderate
lifestyle. On the face of it, one can
argue that from many angles,
Myers says. But from a moral perspective, a living wage — that is,
the concept that someone working
full-time should be able to survive
in the community they work in —
is impenetrable, he adds. “You
can’t argue against that.
Employers are responding,
Myers says, noting that the City of
Ithaca and Tompkins County are
committed to paying their employees a living wage. About threedozen other employers, including
mechanics, churches, bookstores
and clothing stores, have signed
on, as well.
Looking back, Myers says that
straight financing — helping
someone take out a loan for a new
SUV — is a career with limited
satisfaction. “I want to do this to
change the way people view their
financial lives, and I want to move
people out of poverty,” he says.
His career resembles financial
missionary work as much as it
does a stereotypical bank president bent on appeasing corporate
stockholders. Banks need to do
the nuts and bolts of banking
impeccably, but they can also do a
lot more, Myers says. “We’re not
about making a better checking
account or giving a better rate on
a car loan.” he says. “At the bottom, we’re here to help people out
of poverty.”
Salaries
assessment office, from 1995 to
2005 the assessment on a $120,000
home went up $861. The gross tax
rate per $1,000 of assessed value
rose about 11 percent. At the same
time, more Tompkins County residents are suffering from low or
stagnating wages.
Statistics show that 20 percent
of county residents were living in
poverty in 2005, and a majority of
those residents were working.
Family income on Temporary Aid
to Needy Families is only 63 percent of the poverty standard,
which is $20,000 per annum for a
family of four. Cornell researcher
Peggy Arcadi found that much of
Tompkins County’s workforce
commutes from Schuyler County
or other outlying areas, because
they can’t afford to live here.
In other words, the working
population of Ithaca is not accurately reflected by the residents of
Ithaca. School administrators
who make more than $100,000 a
year may not have a clear idea of
what life is like for the 20 percent
of residents trying to raise children on salaries of less than
$20,000, or for the increasing number of residents being pushed out
of the county by the cost of rent.
Arcadi also observed that managing poverty is a job in itself,
with waiting in line, filling out
forms, going to food pantries and
dealing with unreliable vehicles
taking up a good deal of low wage
earners’ time. Residents heavily
affected by rising rents and property taxes tend to be those least
able to attend meetings or public
hearings.
On June 11 there will be a public budget hearing at the Board of
Education building on Lake
Street, leading to the revote on
June 19. Input from citizens is
always encouraged by the board.
16
Tompkins Weekly
June 4

AFCU`s Myers Steps Down

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