Archive: Around Town

The Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), an affiliate of the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI), has awarded $2,200 in grants to 6 Ithaca City School District (ICSD) programs that will reach over 500 students.  Drama Program Grants, Trip Scholarship Grant and the Saltonstall Foundation Teacher Residency will support students and teachers in enhancing the arts curriculum.

All secondary schools received Drama Program Grants, including DeWitt Middle, Boynton Middle, Lehman Alternative Community, and Ithaca High. These grants support the co-curricular work of drama and musical productions. Secondary school arts trips will be supported by scholarship assistance.  Saltonstall Foundation and Arts Colony hosts teachers in residence offering school-break creative retreats for teachers of the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) teachers and other districts.

Three teams comprising nine Cornell graduate students from the Departments of City & Regional Planning, Architecture, and Landscape Architecture presented their teams' designs and answered questions from attendees. Village trustees and planning board members held a joint meeting on Monday, December 9 to see conceptual presentations for a future Village Center north of the Triphammer Road and NY Route 13 intersection.

The students worked within the Advanced Urban Design Workshop, taught by Mitch Glass, Visiting Lecturer, to research the current facilities, infrastructure, and landscaping around the Shoppes at Ithaca Mall and the Cayuga Mall. After information-gathering, each team created visionary designs of how the area might be transformed into a 'Lansing Village Center' in the next 30 to 40 years.

Councilwoman Andra Benson (left) lauded outgoing Councilwoman Katrina Binkewicz Wednesday for 11 years of service on the Lansing Town Board.  Wednesday was Binkewicz's last official meeting as councilwoman.  Benson gave special mention to Binkewicz's leadership in transforming Salt Point into a beautiful, walkable nature park.

"There are thousands of good things you could say about Katrina, and the only thing I could think of besides how wonderful she is to the employees here, how she plants everything in front of the town hall every year... all these things," Benson said.  "Of course, to me, the best thing she has done is Salt Point. So tonight we are going to crown Katrina Queen of Salt."

Do you recycle correctly every single time, or do you sometimes put items in the bin hoping they are recyclable? Maybe you've put something in the recycling bin because you didn't want to throw it in the garbage. Now, more than ever, you need to be mindful about how you sort your materials.

Items that don't belong in the recycling stream are contaminants. These can include trash, or items that have to be recycled separately. When contamination occurs, it can slow down recycling operations, degrade the quality of recycled material, and ultimately lower the value of recyclable commodities. Recyclables with contamination can be outright rejected by markets, causing otherwise perfectly good materials to go to a landfill at great expense.

The Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), an affiliate of IPEI, awarded $4,093 in grants to ten Ithaca City School District (ICSD) programs that will reach 956 students.

Awarded grants reach students from Pre-K through high school. A storytelling workshop by Jay Leeming will benefit Lehman Alternative Community School (LACS) students. ICSD students will perform in the Cayuga Chamber Youth Orchestra Festival Chorus event. Pre-K students will extend their Kids Discover the Trail! Ithaca visit to Cornell University’s Johnson Museum of Art with art and artifact posters. Middle school students will work with local composers, use sound technology applications in the classroom, attend a play and a chamber concert. The Marza Wilks Residency will receive funding for 2020- 2021 workshops and performance. High school choral students will receive assistance to attend a choral conference.

When we heard that my father-in-law Carl was going on an honor flight, my wife contacted the organization to see if we could meet the flight and spend the day with the 80 Minnesota veterans who were participating.  To our joy, Carl's Guardian (a person who accompanies and takes care of a veteran the day of the flight) was enthusiastic about family members sharing this incredible experience with veterans, so on Friday (November 1) we hopped in our car and headed for Washington, DC.

"Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices," the Honor Flight Network Web site explains. "We transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill.  Of all of the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation—and as a culturally diverse, free society. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 640 WWII veterans die each day. Our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out."

It may feel like Winter, but it is still Fall until December 21.  Keeping that in mind, Diane has created a special Lansing gallery for our Thanksgiving week issue, celebrating Fall in our beautiful Finger Lakes community.

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Photo by Open Doors student Amaranta DelgadoLosing a child in a big city airport is frightening enough, but even more so if you don't know the words to ask for help.  Fortunately for Erika Colquehuanca of Peru, she was reunited with her child within minutes. Nonetheless, that experience she suffered a few years ago in Chicago reinforced her desire and drive to learn English, a skill she continues to refine in her new hometown of Ithaca at Open Doors English: the Julie Rudd Program, in downtown Ithaca. 

Not only is Erika well on her journey to English fluency but she is so much a part of Open Doors that "I feel that this is my second home," she told about 200 people, including state and local officials, who gathered Tues., Nov. 19 to celebrate the school's grand opening and ribbon cutting at First Presbyterian Church, 315 N. Cayuga St. 

The Board of Trustees of the Sciencenter announced that after several months of careful deliberation, Dean Briere has decided not to renew his contract to serve as Executive Director of the Sciencenter. The Board selected Michelle Kortenaar, who has served the Sciencenter in various capacities since 2010, including, most recently, as Vice President of Strategic Development, to succeed Mr. Briere as Executive Director.

"We are very grateful to Dean for his many contributions to the growth and success of the Sciencenter during his tenure," said Melinda Oakes, the Sciencenter Board Chair. "Under his leadership, the Sciencenter strengthened partnerships with key members of the community, significantly increased outreach to and access for rural communities, and created interactive programming for adults. Dean also played a critical leadership role in, among other things, the design and development of a number of new exhibits, the revitalization of the Sciencenter's strategic plan, the renovation of the early-childhood space, and in overseeing the steady growth of the Sciencenter's endowment. We would like to thank him for his dedication and wish him the best in his future endeavors."

By Adam Kramarsyck

Meet Garnet! She's an adorable torti with a personality to match. She enjoys head scratches and will gladly come forward and bow her head so you can reach it. Care to take a seat? She'll climb right in your lap for some lovin'. Garnet is not a fan of other cats but she is spayed and microchipped. Come visit her today and get to know her goofy side!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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As people gear up for the holiday season, picking the perfect Christmas tree is high on many families’ to-do lists. But as awareness of climate change and its impacts has increased, some may be wondering about how to honor a beloved tradition while still reducing its overall carbon footprint. Cornell University experts offer tips on how to strike a balance by picking and planting, the right tree.

“Americans love to bring a freshly cut evergreen tree into their homes for decoration at Christmastime," says Cornell Botanic Gardens arborist Daniel Weitoish. "So many family traditions revolve around this custom of introducing one of nature’s outdoor beauties into the indoor setting. Now, in the era of climate change, we all know that cutting down trees—even to honor a beloved tradition—counters the positive impact of trees in reducing atmospheric carbon.

Governor Mario Cuomo came to the Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport a year ago May to announce the State was contributing $14.25 million to greatly expand the terminal.  He was back the following October for a ground breaking ceremony.  And while travelers this week may not believe it, when Cuomo returns in approximately a week and a half the airport will be substantially done, with all major construction completed and only a punch-list of little things to be completed.  And, with the completion of a customs facility, Cuomo will be making his first visit to the Ithaca-Tompkins International Airport.

The Lansing Star will be closed for a couple of weeks, so Airport Manager Mike Hall graciously arranged an early tour so you can get a glimpse of what is to come a few weeks from now.  Hall says it will be finished and cleaned up so when the Governor arrives he will see the realization of what was only a dream a year and a half ago.