Archive: Around Town

Last week the Kitchen Theatre Company (KTC) announced the departure of Producing Artistic Director M. Bevin O’Gara, and that David Winitsky has been named Interim Producing Artistic Director. Founder and Executive Artistic Director of New York’s Jewish Plays Project (JPP), Winitsky, a director and producer, was unanimously named to the position by the KTC Board of Directors. He is also a Cornell graduate who was a student when KTC was founded.

"I am most looking forward to getting us back into the theater, and, that moment when the lights go down and we get to start telling our stories," Winitsky says. " I think that's the thing that I'm most looking forward to, but as somebody who has a long history with Ithaca, I'm so looking forward to meeting the audiences, and meeting the board and staff who I have met online. I'm very much just hungry to get into town and to meet people. "

Senator Pam Helming today announced that she has produced a virtual Capitol tour, available HERE.This tour is also available on her Facebook page and website at helming.nysenate.gov. Each year, Senator Helming hosts numerous local school groups and residents from the area for tours of the State Capitol in Albany. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many tours have been cancelled.

“Our state has a rich history and it is important that we appreciate it and share it with the next generation. Learning about our past is important to charting our path forward. While the current pandemic prevents large group tours, there are still opportunities to learn more about New York and its history. It is important to educate ourselves and our young people about our history and the role we can have in shaping our future by getting involved in the legislative process. Leaders like President Theodore once walked the very halls of the State Capitol and went on to change our nation's history,” said Helming

Due to the outpouring of positive feedback that was received upon the completion of "Operation Thanks From Above, Western New York", The National Warplane Museum (NWM) President, Austin Wadsworth has announced plans for another flyover. This mission will take place in the Southern Tier of New York on Saturday, June 6th with a projected take-off time of 10:00a.m. The upcoming flyover will honor first responders, medical personnel and essential workers all across the Southern Tier of New York.

Operation Thanks from Above, Southern Tier will overfly 45 key sites extending from Jamestown east to Binghamton, including the communities of Olean, Wellsville, Hornell, Bath, Corning, Elmira, Cortland, Ithaca, and Watkins Glen. Takeoff from Geneseo is planned for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Planned flyover locations as well as a map are forthcoming.

Annapolis, Md. –Joseph Koch of Lansing N.Y. successfully completed four years of challenging academic, physical, and professional military training, graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, May 22, with a Bachelor of Science degree in History and a commission as a U.S. Navy Ensign. He is a graduate of Lansing High School. At the academy, Koch was a member of the Men's Swimming and Diving Team for 2 years and recipient of the 2020 Captain Edward L. Beach Jr. Naval & Military History Award.

Founded in 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy today is a prestigious four-year service academy that prepares midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically to be professional officers in the naval service. More than 4,400 men and women representing every state in the U.S. and several foreign countries make up the student body, known as the Brigade of Midshipmen.

Visions Federal Credit Union worked in partnership with Ithaca College to deliver PPE to Longview, an Ithacare Community.  On Wednesday, May 20, Aisha Jasper and Samantha Ridgeway from Visions Federal Credit Union along with Jeff Golden from Ithaca College delivered the PPE masks and shields to Kathleen Burke, Director of Development & Community Relations and Danielle Overpeck, RN, Director of Resident Services at Longview.

This community partnership allows the senior living community to have enough access to much- needed safety equipment during these unprecedented times. This was all made possible due to the Visions Federal Credit Union's Heart of a Hero campaign that honors local businesses and organizations stepping up during the pandemic.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the winners Tuesday of the Wear a Mask New York Ad Contest - "We Heart New York" created by Bunny Lake Films and "You Can Still Smile" by Natalia Bougadellis and Emory Parker.

The contest, which was launched by the Governor on May 5th and overseen by his daughter Mariah Kennedy Cuomo, asked New Yorkers to create and share a video explaining why New Yorkers should wear a mask in public. The state collected more than 600 video submissions from across the state, and there were 186,000 votes cast in the contest.

According to a new AirDNA analysis, global vacation rentals bookings have soared by 127% in mid-May after a significant dip in March and April. The analysis shows that some markets are seeing over 900% new bookings compared to 6 weeks ago. The countries with the most growth in reservations are New Zealand, Germany, France, United States, and Australia.  AirDNA collects statistics and analyzes short term rental data.

In North America the largest rise in bookings is in Big Bear Lake, South Padre Island, Carolina Beach, Ocean City, Myrtle Beach, Galveston , New Braunfels, Lake Havasu City, Corpus Christi, and Gulf Shores. Big cities including Philadelphia, Columbus, Vancouver, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Dallas, Toronto, and Montreal are seeing the slowest growth. Rentals near the beaches of Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and the Carolinas are benefiting from the first wave of vacation rentals.

Thanks to Watkins Glen and Lansing, families have food on their tables and know their roads are safe during the COVID-19 pandemic

As people face the challenges and uncertainty caused by the spread of COVID-19, heroic work is happening around the clock to keep food on family tables and store shelves and ensure roads are safe. That work is happening right here in Watkins Glen and Lansing, thanks to businesses and local employees, including 350 Cargill employees who show up every day to nourish, enhance and protect lives.

Communities like Watkins Glen and Lansing are critical to our food and transportation systems. Local employers, like Cargill, are also investing to focus on safety and keep facilities operating during the COVID-19 crisis. Cargill has implemented safety measures such as temperature testing, enhanced cleaning and sanitizing, prohibiting visitors and offering staggered breaks and shift flexibility. Employees are provided with face coverings for public interactions and are encouraged to use face coverings within the plants as a supplement to the many social distancing practices already put into place.

New York's Southern Tier Region, including Tompkins County, has met the metrics set forth by Governor Cuomo for phased reopening of non-essential businesses. The reopening process of Phase One will begin as early as this weekend. Tompkins County Officials held a virtual town hall on Friday to share reopening updates with the community.

"People should feel encouraged that as a County and as a Region we've met the criteria set forth by the Governor; we have worked hard and thank the community. But, we do not want to be complacent, and we must continue following social distancing, mask-wearing, and handwashing guidance. As we begin phase one, the steps we take every day will impact our ability to move into future phases," stated Frank Kruppa, Public Health Director.

Tompkins County Area Transit (TCAT)’s no-fare policy that went into effect in March to reduce any potential for the spread of the coronavirus between drivers and riders will extend to Tues., June 30.  The TCAT Board of Directors called a special remote meeting today and voted unanimously to extend the policy for a second time since it first went into effect March 20. The policy was set to expire on Sat., May 23, the day before summer service goes into effect.  Ceasing fare collections eliminates the need for riders to put their hands on the farebox, as well as limits the amount of time they spend near drivers, who sit adjacent to the fare equipment. The measure also aims to provide relief to riders who are struggling financially due to layoffs and job losses during the crisis.

“Continuing to suspend fare collecting is essential based on the fact that there are still so many unknowns,” said TCAT General Manager Scot Vanderpool. “We will reevaluate the situation once again at the end of June and hope for the best.”

Inspired by similar initiatives around the country to support restaurant owners and their staffs, the Rotary Club of Ithaca has launched its own version of a “Socially Connected – Safely Distanced” Supper Club.

On Friday evening, Rotarians placed orders to go from Coltivare, a farm-to-table bistro that – like most other restaurants – has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Prior to mid-March, it also hosted the service club’s weekly luncheon meetings and has played a key role in some of Rotary’s largest fundraisers, including the Dozen Dinner Draw (DDD) to benefit hurricane relief efforts and international safe water projects.