Archive: Around Town

IPEI Brings Native Storyteller to the ICSD

: By IPEI; Around Town; | Oct 5, 2018 |

IPEI's Connecting Classroom Grant brings speaker and author Perry Ground to meet with the students of Ithaca elementary schools! In October, elementary schools in the Ithaca City School District will play host to Perry Ground, who will share stories of native life with the students, increasing their understanding of native cultures, and pointing out how those cultures are still with us today.

Millie Stevenson, librarian at Caroline Elementary and lead grant applicant described: "Perry is a Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. Perry has been a storyteller and educator for over 25 years and enjoys working with students of all ages to teach about the history & culture of Native Peoples. At each school, Ground will offer both an engaging and interactive storytelling event and an in-depth, hands-on activity with fourth grade classes. Every fourth grader will have this anchor experience with the Haudenosaunee culture. At the end of the experience, students will understand and be able to articulate that Haudensaunee (Iroquois) culture lives on in our region and is not just a remnant from the past."

IPEI Celebrates Success And New Leadership

: By IPEI; Around Town; | Oct 5, 2018 |

IthacaSTEM Advocates Pitch new products/services and demonstrate prototypes

On Thursday September 27th IPEI's hosted its annual meeting to announce goals for the new year and welcome new leadership.

At the Just Be Cause Center, the leaders of IPEI's and its affiliated groups, The Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), Ithaca STEM Advocates, and Star Bressler, Executive Director of the Discovery Trail, representing Kids Discover the trail! Ithaca, gathered community members including former IPEI presidents Terry Brynes and Jennifer Engel and former vice president Mary Grainger, to bear witness to the successes of 2017-18 and look forward to next year.

Discovering Cayuga Lake

: By Dan Veaner; Around Town; | Oct 5, 2018 |

By now you probably know about the Floating Classroom. That's the boat on Cayuga Lake that takes people, including thousands of local students, on Cayuga Lake for hands-on learning, lake monitoring, and science experiments. What you may not know is that last year the organization purchased its own boat and began offering a variety of lake tours and charters that support their educational mission. And it has a new name that encompasses both the educational and tourism sides: Discover Cayuga Lake.

"Everything is new this year," says Program Director Bill Foster. "We've been doing the Floating Classroom since 2003. It grew over time, but we were always chartering a privately owned boat. Over the last few years it became evident we really needed to have control over our own boat, so we stretched out last year and looked for a boat. We found this one. We had a donor step up and provide a bridge loan. Now we have this boat and we introduced a public tour program. The whole idea is to pull in revenue for the education and access mission."

Remembering Soldiers Missing and Killed

: By Dan Veaner; Around Town; | Sep 28, 2018 |

MIA/POW Watchfire in Myers Park September 21, 2018

The 28th annual Watch Fire to commemorate Prisoners of War/ Missing in Action on National POW/MIA Recognition Day was well attended Friday on Myers Point. Finger Lakes Chapter 377, Vietnam Veterans of America hosted the event, the main feature of which is a watch fire from a pile of wood bigger than a house. Even the weather paid its respects: while strong winds made the fire more dramatic than usual, thunderstorms waited for the Watch Fire to conclude.

"The watch fire has been a tool of military action throughout the history of warfare," watch fire organizer and Marine veteran Harvey Baker. "When soldiers were separated during battles they were able to find their way back to their units because of fires that were lit to guide them. This is a symbolic fire that we light here tonight. Being out on this point has let the bright light from our fire shine for many miles around. Pretty much around 20 miles away. So people can really see it here"

Lansing Gallery - Museum of the Earth Turns 15

: By Diane Duthie; Around Town; | Sep 28, 2018 |

The Museum of the Earth celebrated its 15th birthday party Saturday with free admission, Cecil the Dinosaur, scavenger hunts, lectures, and birthday cake.

Since opening in 2003, the Museum of the Earth, a part of Paleontological Research Institution (PRI), has offered natural history displays, educational programs, and art exhibitions. The museum has hosted thousands of visitors each year from all over the world. The Museum is a member of the Discovery Trail.

SPCA Pet of the Week - Ava

: By Chloe Winter; Around Town; | Sep 28, 2018 |

By Chloe Winter

Hi friends! I'm Ava. I am a super cute blonde pittie who absolutely LOVES people. I get excited when people come to visit me and do a little bounce and try to lick your face. My previous owner says I'm also really good with kids. I like to watch over them, play with them, get pets and hugs, and of course, lick them! One thing I do not like is sharing my space with other dogs. But I'm sooo ready to find some people who can love me forever. Is it you?

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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Dear Margaret - Loathe to Confront

: By Margaret Snow; Around Town; | Sep 28, 2018 |

I am a woman owner of a small business of less than 10 employees. I've been in business for over 20 years. I recently had to let an employee go for a number of reasons. Long-time, faithful customers had been complaining to me about her unprofessional demeanor, she has not been performing to an expected standard, and she doesn't get along well with other employees. I live in a small community, and word is getting back to me of the extremely negative things she is saying about my business. I've lost a couple of customers as a result. My stomach is churning because I dislike confrontation and would prefer to just let this die down on its own. Other employees are insisting I do something about it because it's their livelihood she is jeopardizing as well. How can I accelerate the speed at which this situation dies out without initiating a confrontation?
Loathe to Confront

Ithaca HS Teacher Awarded Fulbright Distinguished Awards

: By ICSD; Around Town; | Sep 28, 2018 |

Ithaca High School social studies teacher Keith Thompson is one of 38 highly accomplished U.S. teachers awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching fellowship for the 2018-2019 academic year.

The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE). It is an intensive international exchange and professional development program designed to build teachers' and students' global competence and to share educational best practices internationally. A highly competitive award, Thompson was selected based on his teaching experience, academic training, inquiry project proposal, and professional experience.

Large, Early Crop - Pick Your Perfect Pumpkin Now

: By Lindsey Hadlock; Around Town; | Sep 28, 2018 |

Due to the ideal growing conditions in New York state, the pumpkin crop is early this year and consumers should act fast when picking says Steve Reiners, professor of horticulture at Cornell University and a New York state vegetable industry expert. Reiners shares advice on how to pick the perfect pumpkin that should last through the Halloween season if left uncarved.

"Warm temperatures and abundant sun have resulted in some crops like pumpkins arriving earlier at farm stands," Reiners says. "People should not wait too long to purchase their pumpkin this year. Even though New York yields are fantastic, other states will be looking to purchase our pumpkins. In most of the Carolinas for example, much of the crop has rotted from water soaked fields."

United Way Raises 7,500 Pounds of Food for Local Pantries

: By United Way of Tompkins County; Around Town; | Sep 28, 2018 |

United Way of Tompkins County (UWTC) President James Brown welcomed a crowd of supporters and volunteers to Stewart Park this Wednesday for the 16th Annual Stephen E. Garner Day of Caring. Together, volunteers contributed more than 200 hours of service working to sort and distribute 7,500 pounds of non-perishable food, personal care items, pet supplies, and school supplies to thirteen Tompkins County food pantries.

The Day of Caring is named in memory of past UWTC leader and president of Tompkins Trust Company, Stephen E. Garner. Norbert McCloskey, Ithaca Health Alliance, recalled Garner's mission with a Winston Churchill quote, "service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth. "A figure who exemplifies the event's focus on service to others is Joan Barber, volunteer donations coordinator. Barber's motto is to "do something good each day," and for years she has accomplished this by volunteering for food pantries, PTOs, community centers – and of course UWTC through the Day of Caring beginning in high school.

Celebrate National Coffee Day With a Cuppa

: By Dan Veaner; Around Town; | Sep 28, 2018 |

Do you love coffee? According to a new Wallethub analysis the best coffee city in America is only a four hour drive from Lansing. New York City ranked #1 among 100 cities they looked at. The analysis comes just in time for National Coffee Day (tomorrow, September 29th), and the financial Web site also provided a handy list of Coffee Day Deals, Freebies & Specials.

NYC even beat out Seattle, which ranks second, despite the fact that the Washington State city is a meca for coffee roasters, including Starbucks, Tully's Coffee, Caffé Vita Coffee Roasting Company, Espresso Vivace, Victrola Coffee Roasters, Lighthouse Roasters, Peet's Coffee, and Stumptown Coffee Roasters.

Reed Delivers Grant To Sciencenter

: By Office of Congressman Tom Reed; Around Town; | Sep 21, 2018 |

Washington, DC - Congressman Tom Reed announced a $251,327 grant last week to provide the Sciencenter in Ithaca with funding to develop a touring exhibition.

"We care about ensuring our friends and neighbors have fair access to local museums," Reed said. "This grant enables the Sciencenter to develop additional hands on educational opportunities for our community."

Big Red's New Big, Blue, Juicy Grape

: By Lindsey Hadlock; Around Town; | Sep 21, 2018 |

The newest offering from Cornell University's grape breeders is a fruit that's big, bold and comes with a towering history. Those factors led the grape's breeders to name the new variety Everest Seedless, a nod to the celebrated Nepalese mountain, said Bruce Reisch, professor of horticulture in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and grape breeder with Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York.

"We were looking to develop very flavorful grapes with large berries and large clusters, and we've achieved that with Everest Seedless," Reisch said.

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