Archive: Around Town

Friends of Stewart Park (FSP) has launched the new Cayuga Waterfront Trail website. The new website features beautiful images, updated maps, and useful information to help Trail users explore the gorgeous Ithaca waterfront.

The new Trail website assists visitors with planning their trip to the enchanting Cayuga Waterfront by providing details about activities and destination spots, do's and don'ts of Trail use, opportunities for volunteering, and more. The website focuses on making it easier for community members to find the wide range of opportunities for Trail users to safely explore the outdoors and discover the joys of nature.

Tompkins County Health Department and Emergency Operations Center officials held a live streamed COVID-19 Update Monday. Officials detailed the recent increase in positive cases and guidance on gatherings and travel leading into the fall and winter holidays.

The Tompkins County Health Department is strongly discouraging all non-essential travel and gatherings. Tompkins County Public Health Director Frank Kruppa stated, "When we talk about gatherings, we're really concerned about people getting together who don't live together — we don't want to bring other families into your bubble, increasing the chance that either party would harm another." Kruppa also reminded the community that the 14-day quarantine is still in place for travelers from non-contiguous states unless they choose to adhere to the recently announced testing and quarantine guidance.

Senator Pam Helming announced that 85 residents of the 54th District have been nominated for the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame.

“One of my greatest honors as a State Senator is to recognize the men and women who have served with honor and distinction in the United States Armed Forces,” said Helming. “I am indebted to our veterans for their dedicated service to our country and our communities, and I am proud to recognize these honorees of the 2021 Veterans Hall of Fame. Thank you to the families and friends who took the time to nominate them and share their incredible stories.”

New Roots Charter School will proactively transition to entirely remote learning for one week after the Thanksgiving and winter breaks, according to Superintendent Tina Nilsen-Hodges.

"We want to plan thoughtfully for a safe and healthy transition back to our learning schedule after the holiday breaks," Nilsen-Hodges said. "Realistically, we can anticipate higher levels of illness and absence following the holidays based on historical trends. This year, both the stakes and the stress levels are higher due to the pandemic."

The Tompkins County Health Department received additional funding in the amount of $40,000 from The Kresge Foundation in a rapid response grant opportunity, Advancing Public Health in Communities. A previous grant was awarded to the Health Department in September 2018 for the Emerging Leaders in Public Health program. The original funding continues to support strategic planning efforts as the Public Health and Mental Health Departments become one agency, as the Department is adapting and continuing to respond to COVID-19, and with the ongoing need to address structural racism and health inequities in our community.

REACH Medical was previously awarded funding from the City of Ithaca (Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency – IURA) to implement a mobile COVID-19 testing team for individuals experiencing homelessness or who are unstably housed. REACH Medical is staffing a mobile COVID-19 testing outreach team to collect between 600-900 samples of an estimated 200 unique individuals three times over the course of six months. The additional funding from Kresge will contribute to the processing fees of surveillance testing. This testing will allow for early identification of positive cases that otherwise may not be identified, as well as isolation of any positive cases, and quarantine of close contacts.

The Tompkins County Office of Human Rights, in partnership with Tompkins County Health Department, hosted a panel discussion "COVID-19, Compassionate Mental Health and Social Services." In recognition that COVID-19 has brought even further to light the need for providers and public agencies to approach their clients from a place of empathy and compassion, this panel featured Susan Spicer, Clinic Supervisor at Tompkins County Mental Health, Tammy Baker, Outreach Coordinator at Family & Children's Services of Ithaca, Kit Kephart, Tompkins County Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner, and Deana Bodnar, Tompkins County DSS Deputy Commissioner. It was moderated by Dr. Ken Clarke, Director of Tompkins County Office of Human Rights.

Susan Spicer described the increased need for mental health services during the pandemic, stating that we all fall somewhere along a continuum of mental wellness; those in need prior to the pandemic are now more in need, and those who did not need services before may now find themselves reaching out. Services are primarily being conducted over the phone, or via video conference if desired. This changes the dynamic of the therapeutic session but is encouraging the clinicians to "be more creative about ways to engage with people."

The National Science Foundation has awarded the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) $32.6 million to build a High Magnetic Field (HMF) beamline, which will allow researchers to conduct precision X-ray studies of materials in persistent magnetic fields that exceed those available at any other synchrotron. The HMF beamline, to be located at CHESS's Center for High Energy X-ray Science (CHEXS), is a partnership with the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (National MagLab), headquartered at Florida State University, and the University of Puerto Rico (UPR).

"This significant new infusion of NSF funding for Cornell's CHESS lab will guarantee the preservation and expansion of its revolutionary scientific research in the heart of upstate New York," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, a long-time supporter of the facility whose advocacy in 2012 helped secure an extension of CHESS's funding from the NSF.

This fall has seen the largest incoming cohort of undergraduate student veterans at Cornell University in more than four decades: 33, comprised of 28 transfer and five first-year students. The total number of enrolled undergraduate student veterans is now 67, up from 41 just a year ago. Additionally, there are about 166 graduate and professional student veterans enrolled.

Cornell continues to build a community that welcomes veterans to the university, based on an array of programs and resources that proactively address their needs and draw on their strengths and experiences. While still a small percentage of the overall student population, Cornell’s student veteran community has been experiencing significant recent growth.