Archive: Business & Technology

State Theatre Names Levine Executive Director

: By -Staff; Business & Technology; | Jun 4, 2009 |

State Theatre of Ithaca, Inc.(STI) and Dan Smalls Presents, Inc. (DSP) announced this week that Doug Levine has been hired as Executive Director of the State Theatre. He will manage day-to-day operations and development for the theatre beginning August 17.

Levine spent the past five years at The Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce as the Director of Membership, Public Relations and Special Events. Levine received his MBA from Ithaca College in 2004. An active member of the community, Levine manages the local rock band Hubcap and serves on the boards of 93.5 WVBR FM and the Ithaca Adult Hockey Association. He is also active in local fundraising initiatives, having produced five annual benefit concerts for The Cayuga Waterfront Trail that have raised more than $20,000 since 2004. He is a native of Philadelphia and lives in Ellis Hollow with his wife Treva and 2 young children. Together, they run the “Music in the Hollow” concert series, which brings free live music to the Ellis Hollow community throughout the summer.

From Bookery II to Buffalo Street Books

: By Doug Levine; Business & Technology; | May 28, 2009 |

The Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce will be part of an all-day celebration and grand re-opening of Buffalo Street Books on Monday, June 1st from 10 am to 8 pm. A special ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 5:30 PM

“There has been an ongoing confusion between my store and The Bookery, Jack Goldman’s wonderful used-book store,” explains Gary Weissbrot, who just celebrated the third anniversary of his ownership of the only independently owned comprehensive bookstore within thirty miles of Ithaca. “The similarity in names made sense when Jack owned both stores but the time has come for my store to have its own separate identity. Hence, the new name and, soon, new telephone number.”

Kitchen Announces Capital Campaign

: By Stephen Nunley; Business & Technology; | May 28, 2009 |

In November 2008, the Kitchen Theatre Company (KTC) purchased a building at 417 Martin Luther King/West State Street that will be the future home of the Kitchen Theatre Company. This exciting project will bring together under one roof all of the Kitchen Theatre Company’s operations: performance, rehearsal and administration. The seating capacity will increase from 73 to 99 seats, and the performance space will be enhanced by high efficiency heating and cooling system, increased upstage and backstage space, a 16-foot ceiling height, multiple entrances, and full accessibility. The new lobby will house a gallery and conversation areas and will be an inviting setting for receptions and events.

Tax Program Returns over $2,780,000 to Community

: By Brian Zapf; Business & Technology; | May 21, 2009 |

With the help of 75 volunteers and various community partners, Alternatives Federal Credit Union’s Community Tax Program filed federal and state tax returns for close to 1,500 clients, returning an average of $1,870 to every local working family served.

For the seventh year in a row, the Community Tax Program – also known as the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program – has helped low- and moderate-income working families get the refunds they deserve by providing free quality income tax preparation. The program ensures that every client who qualifies for it claims the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and other tax credits and benefits. This free, confidential tax preparation service is available every year from January to April, for families with household incomes of $42,000 or less and individuals with incomes of up to $27,000.

Syracuse Clothier Expands Into Ithaca, Unique World Moves Into Larger Quarters

: By -Staff; Business & Technology; | May 14, 2009 |

The Edge at 107 South Cayuga Street is one of downtown Ithaca’s newest businesses. It’s also the second location for the Syracuse-based clothier. Unique World at 103 The Commons in the Commons West Plaza recently expanded into one of the Plaza’s street-level storefronts and will continue to operate its basement level store, which has been a favorite of many downtown shoppers and art collectors since it opened in 2002.

The Downtown Ithaca Alliance hosts ribbon-cutting ceremonies for both businesses today, May 15, 2009. The ribbon-cutting for The Edge will be held at 12:30 p.m., while the ribbon-cutting for Unique World will be held a short while later at 12:50 p.m. Ithaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson is scheduled to attend both ceremonies.

Ithacards is 3rd Business for Local Entrepreneurs

: By -Staff; Business & Technology; | May 7, 2009 |

Ithacards at 144 The Commons is one of downtown Ithaca’s newest retail businesses and is also the third Ithaca Commons business for local entrepreneurs Emma Lou and Abdul Razak Sheikh.

The Sheikhs celebrate their latest business opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony today (Friday, May 8, 2009 at 12:00 p.m.). Ithaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson is scheduled to attend the ceremony, and the public is invited.

Alternatives Announces Living Wage

: By -Staff; Business & Technology; | Apr 30, 2009 |

Ithaca, NY – Alternatives Federal Credit Union has released its bi-yearly Living Wage Study, which shows the minimum wage needed in Tompkins County to earn a living for a single person working full-time.

The updated study looks at housing, transportation, health care and other necessities, as well as recreation and savings, to come up with an annual figure of $23,104, up 13% from $20,450 two years ago. As an hourly wage, that would be $11.11/hour for a 40-hour week, up from $9.83/hour. This figure represents the Living Wage for an individual receiving health insurance from their employer. New York State’s minimum wage is $7.15/hour.

Month-Long Green Initiative in Ithaca

: By James Bratton; Business & Technology; | Apr 23, 2009 |

On Earth Day, April 22, 2009, Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit, Inc. (TCAT), Tompkins Trust Company and the Cayuga Radio Group are teaming up to help encourage more people to take public transportation and help do their bit to help the environment.

Tompkins Trust Company is giving away 500, 10-Ride TCAT Bus Passes. The purpose of the promotion is to give people an opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint by using public transportation. Every weekday starting on April 22, 2009, Tompkins Trust Company will give away fifty, 10-Ride TCAT Bus Passes. The free passes will be available at the main Tompkins Trust Company branch located on the Commons between 9AM and 11AM and between 3PM and 5PM each weekday. The passes are limited to one per family during the period of the event and are provided free courtesy of Tompkins Trust Company and the Cayuga Radio Group. The promotion ends on May 22, 2009.

Downtown Business Improvement District Board Elects Members

: By -Staff; Business & Technology; | Apr 23, 2009 |

(Ithaca, NY) Six members were elected to the Downtown Ithaca Business Improvement District Board of Directors on Tuesday, April 14, 2009. The elections were part of the BID Board’s annual meeting.

Members typically serve a three-year term on the board, which is a quasi-governmental entity charged with overseeing the use of special assessment funds collected within a 22-block area of downtown Ithaca. The BID Board also sets policy for, and has fiduciary responsibility for, the Downtown Ithaca Alliance.

County Beats State in 2008 Tourism Growth

: By Bruce Stoff; Business & Technology; | Apr 23, 2009 |

Ithaca, N.Y. (April 10, 2009)—Despite the onset of recession, tourism spending in Tompkins County managed to grow 5.9 percent in 2008, well ahead of the state’s 4 percent growth rate, a new study reports.

“The Economic Impact of Tourism in New York State” shows total tourism spending in Tompkins County climbed to $170,256,000 last year, up from $160,734,000 in 2007. The industry employed 3,423 people locally, generating countywide labor income of $88,331,000, a 4.5 percent increase over 2007. Tourism spending also generated $11,925,348 in local taxes and $10,603,932 in state taxes, the study found.

Chamber Hosts Speed Networking

: By Doug Levine; Business & Technology; | Apr 2, 2009 |

(Ithaca, NY) – The Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce will host a free speed networking event to help college students and professionals connect with each other and local businesses. The event will take place on Tuesday April 7, 5:00 PM, at the Ithaca Downtown Holiday Inn Ballroom, located at 222 South Cayuga Street.

Modeled after popular speed dating events, the event will be more structured then typical networking sessions. Students and professionals will be seated together in pairs for short periods of time then change seats to meet others in the room. All participants will be provided with starter questions to aid them in initiating meaningful conversations. Light refreshments will be provided.

Google Adds New Browser To The Mix

: By Dan Veaner; Business & Technology; | Mar 26, 2009 |

Dr. Digit 'Splains It all...

Windows Users have Internet Explorer. Mac users have Safari. Both can have Firefox, which is also available for Linux users, or Opera, or Mozilla. They are all Web browsers that do approximately the same thing, though some do it better, others do it more flexibly, some are more secure. All are free and downloadable. So why do we need Google Chrome?

Chrome is the latest entry onto the Web browser scene. Google says that Chrome makes the Web faster, safer, and easier. "So why are we launching Google Chrome?," Google's official blog asks. "Because we believe we can add value for users and, at the same time, help drive innovation on the web."

Local Business Threatened by Governor's Budget

: By Dan Veaner; Business & Technology; | Mar 19, 2009 |

Julie Crowley says she is not an activist. Crowley, who owns Lansing's Triphammer Wines & Spirits , has been on a campaign to fight a piece of Governor David Patterson's budget proposal that would allow wine to be sold in grocery stores. She has contacted her customers, been interviewed on radio and for newspapers, and joined a state-wide coalition of wine retailers, vineyards, and others who oppose the legislation.

"I don't feel like I'm an activist," she says. "I'm just trying to be proactive in telling the story of the business owner side of things."

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