There are a lot of places in Ithaca to get a massage.  But until this summer there were almost no options to get a massage to come to you.  That is what Ithaca On Call offers: whether you live in town or are visiting and staying in a hotel or B&B a few clicks on a Web site is all it takes to schedule and pay by credit card.  Then all that's left is to open the door when your massage therapist shows up.

"I know that Tompkins County gets just shy of a million visitors a year," says Ithaca On Call owner Sarah Robarge.  "So it seemed like we had a real need for a welcoming service for these B&Bs and hotels and all the guest residences.  And much to my surprise there wasn't one single mobile massage service -- that I know of.  I just wanted to give people that come here what I look for when I travel to other places and make it easy."

Ithaca Tompkins Regional AirportYou may not find a cake at the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport, but it is celebrating an important anniversary this year.  50 years ago Tompkins County bought the East Hill Airport, which then became the Tompkins County Airport.  "It's an interesting deed," says Airport Manager Bob Nicholas.  "It talks about various odd things like a farmer that was allowed to grow crops on the east side of the runway.  There was a limit to how close he could come to the runway and he had to make sure the crop didn't grow above five feet.  There was another verbal clause in this title as well that some retired army officer was given a verbal lease on a house until June 1957."

To celebrate the airport commissioned several photographs from the 1950s from the History Center and put them on display in the terminal with photos of aircraft from the 50s they already had.  The History Center included summaries with the pictures, which will be on display throughout this year.

What says local better than pictures of Tompkins County taken by artists who live here?  That's the idea behind IthacaStock.com, a local stock photographyt company that markets images by largely local photographers to advertising agencies, graphic artists, businesses, visitors bureaus, web designers, and individuals.  

"I have invited a group of photographic artists to contribute their work," says Managing Partner Monroe Payne.  "Their purpose is to put their work out where the public can view it, and to give the public an opportunity to purchase it.  For the most part they are pieces of art, and almost all of it is from Central New York, probably within 100 miles of Ithaca."

One thing leads to another.  Eileen Coller was taking a Jazzercise class in Dryden when her instructor approached her to become an instructor herself.  She hadn't thought about instructing before, but decided she would like to do it.  So she became certified, at first working for her instructor, then going out on her own. 

Three years ago she approached her student Lee Ann Capogrossi about becoming an instructor.  And Capogrossi decided to go for it, working with Coller, teaching in borrowed locations in Lansing and elsewhere.  "We had to find places that would allow us in and have a pretty consistent schedule, which is really difficult to do in this area," Coller says.  "The schools were very gracious to let us use the building."

Last month the pair opened their own studio, The Upstate NY Jazzercise Center, at 3100 N. Triphammer Road, just south of the intersection of Triphammer and Peruville Road (34B).  Scrounging for locations that allowed consistent scheduling was getting harder, and they had talked about opening their own center.  "We've both been talking about it for a couple of years," Capogrossi says.  "We knew we couldn't do it without the other.  We were talking about it and Eileen said, 'OK, you find a place and we'll do it.'"

Hollywood stars hire personal trainers to prepare for roles.  Other people people just join a gym.  Others go to fitness classes.  Journey Fitness takes a unique approach that merges the best of each to create a community-based social approach to meeting  fitness goals.  When you enter the gym the first thing you notice is -- it's not a gym.  It's a big space where groups of people work with trainers, celebrating successes and encouraging others as they strive to loose weight or get in shape.

"We do group personal training here," says Logan Peters, Director of the Ithaca facility.  "Most people think of machines and benches and treadmills.  When they walk in here we do what we call 'functional fitness' where we're using your body as a machine to take us through the workouts.  We'll do it through different movement patterns, whether it's a bend, a squat, a push, a pull...  Then we add different forms of resistance, turning your body into a machine to better fit the everyday activities that you would do."

Admit it - when you see little kids bouncing around in a bounce house part of you wishes you were in there bouncing, too.  There is no denying children love to bounce.  Wednesdays through Sundays you can come to Lansing and bounce year 'round at Jump Around Inflatables.  The company rents inflatables to private parties as well as fairs and carnivals, but also has what amounts to an indoor amusement park in Lansing.

"It's just so cool to see the kids light up when they walk through the door," says co-owner Nicholas Conner.  "They all know what's here.  They come here once and the parents will tell us when they drive by later they hear 'Bounce house! Bounce house!'"

In today's world families are spread all over the place, making it difficult to get together when they really want to.  More and more it is harder for family members to travel to make a funeral.  A new Web site seeks to soften that pain and help families and friends connect online to honor and remember loved ones that have passed away.  The site is the brainchild of Kevin Geiger, an interactive online expansion of his Keepsake Kabinet product, a beautiful display cabinet for displaying pictures and playing recordings and tribute videos at funerals.

"The Keepsake Kabinet is an actual cabinet we are trying to sell to funeral homes.  I came up with the idea at my Mom's funeral," Geiger says.  "As nice a job as my sisters did on your typical pegboard, I thought my Mom deserved something better.  Through many prototypes I finally have what's now called the Keepsake Kabinet.  It's more desirable than your typical pictures on an easel."

Kirksway FarmWhen you move to Lansing and you ask around to find out who can do some work around your property the answer is likely to be, 'Call Bill Kirk.'  Kirk is the owner of Kirksway Farm, which specializes in landscaping, excavating, septic installation and repair, and fencing.  And just about anything else you may need done.  "I tell people I'll do whatever they can talk me into," Kirk laughs.  "I do my best to do everything I can for them, and do it at a fair price.  I think the majority of the time I succeed."

Kirk started out as a dairy farmer.  He grew up on a Groton farm, and worked on farms through his college years before starting his own dairy farm on Cobb Street  in Groton in 1978.  A year later an 800 acre Lansing farm went up for sale.  A cash cropper bought most of the acreage.  Kirk bought the barn and five acres, and moved the farm and his family to Lansing, also renting a few hundred acres to grow corn and hay.  He's been on the corner of Auburn and Buck Roads ever since.

Knitting Etc.Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that someone who started knitting at age six ended up with her own knitting and yarns shop.  Hickory O'Brien Lee didn't necessarily think she would end up owning her own shop, but when she learned that Shelley Blackler was selling Knitting Machines Etc., the opportunity was too good to pass up.  "I love the yarn," Lee says.  "I love the fibers, I love the colors, and I love everything about the yarn.  But I also like that I have met so many really, really fantastic people, mostly women, but there are a few men that come into the shop."

Lee had held various jobs including working at Julie Schroeder's Homespun Boutique in Ithaca.  When she left Homespun Lee says she didn't set out to directly compete.  "I didn't set it up to compete with her at all actually," she explains.  "For some reason, knitters tend to pick a store that is their favorite store.  I actually tried not to buy stock from the companies she buys from so that I have different things than she has.  There are a few things that have to overlap because they are so good we both have to have them.  We have very similar tastes, though, and that's why I like her so much of course!"

Often when you drive by Lansing Chiropractic between Rogue's Harbor and Lansing Community Center the parking lot is full.  The office holds the practice of Robert Brown, D.C., D.A.B.C.O. -- also known simply as "Dr. Bob."  He has practiced in Lansing since 1986.  Before that he practiced in Trumansburg for three years.


Brown specializes in activator methods, a device used in a gentle form of chiropractic.  It uses the lowest level of force to manipulate your spine, while providing the greatest amount of control over the adjustment.  The technique is pain-free.

Kgeiger Design announced today that it will partner with Memories By Design to provide a high quality package that will help families honor their loved ones with dignity and respect. KeepSake Kabinet is a quality crafted display for photos, memories, and videos. Memories By Design specializes in creating professionally produced tribute videos and photo restoration. Together the companies offer customers a one-stop opportunity for honoring loved ones.

"We are very excited to partner with Memories By Design," says Kgeiger Design President Kevin Geiger. "We feel this is a perfect match. We have the same goal: to help families in the time of sadness and help with the healing process along with celebrating one's life with dignity and respect."

Lansing Funeral Home"I have a photograph of myself standing in front of the door to this little fort in our back yard and I had written 'Shreve Funeral Home' on a sign.  Even as a kid I wanted my own funeral home."  

That was Kirk Shreve's dream.  At age 8 he was fascinated by the preparation of his Grandfather's body.  Then he attended his Great Aunt's funeral at age 13.  "There were eleven other people laid out the same night," he recalls.  "I was totally entranced by the whole process.  She looked amazing.  Just perfect.  I wanted to learn more.  I wanted to know who did this and how they did it."  Not long after that he was in his back yard and decided that was what he wanted to do.  "I went inside and told my mom, 'I want to get a job this summer.'  'She said, 'Oh, what do you want to do?'  I said 'I want to get a job in a funeral home.'

"She was doing dishes.  She turned the water off and said, 'What did you say?'"