Archive: Business & Technology

Ithaca, N.Y. (Dec. 5, 2008)—Ithaca's annual Winter Recess, the nation's first and only festival for public school teachers, will open for Valentine's Day 2009 and bring an estimated 4,000 educators and family members into the Finger Lakes community. The weeklong event, Feb. 13-22, offers pre-K-12 teachers and their guests a discounted week of recreation, relaxation and entertainment in a community built on education.
 
Launched in 2007 to thank educators for their contribution to the community, Winter Recess draws from an audience of 1.2 million Northeastern teachers who have Presidents Week school breaks. Attendance has doubled annually, drawing teachers to Ithaca from 10 states and as far away as France.

Cayuga Radio Group announced it would introduce Cayuga Market Place , an online Market Place where customers can purchase certificates to their favorite local participating businesses at 30% off.

In light of recent economic tough times, Cayuga Radio Group created Cayuga Market Place to help both local businesses and shoppers as well.  The site creates a way for businesses to receive radio advertising and on-air promotion in exchange for certificates to their business. The service is aimed at businesses that have cash flow problems, those who have had to cut back their marketing budgets, or simply those looking for some extra promotion.

Local First Ithaca, which recently launched its 2008 holiday campaign in support of independent, locally owned businesses, announced the beginning of the "Local Lover Challenge", opening Friday November 28, the traditional opening of the holiday shopping season.

The Local Lover Challenge is a holiday shopping game that creates incentive for consumers to spend their dollars in locally owned businesses this holiday season.  Players receive stamps for shopping at participating businesses; with five different stamps, a player is eligible to win gift cards, valued at $250, $100, and $50, as well as gift certificates to participating businesses.

Ithaca Beer (IBC) celebrated its 10th Anniversary Thursday at the Chapter House, Ithaca Ale House, Kilpatrick’s, Korova, and Pixel Lounge. "We’ve been open 10 years, and we’re going to celebrate," says owner, Dan Mitchell. IBC gave out limited edition, 10th Anniversary pint glasses to the first 100 people at each bar who purchased Ithaca Beer.  When customers bought an Ithaca Beer at one of the five locations that Thursday night, he or she was entered in IBC’s10th Anniversary raffle. The grand prize was 10 cases of beer a year for 10 years. All five locations had three or four different Ithaca Beers on draft and a cask-conditioned ale prepared by the brewers, for the 10th Anniversary.

Downtown Ithaca’s Holiday Parade of Ice is expanding this year to include a Festival of Lights and downtown shoppers will also be able to help support a local program that serves nutritious meals to children in the City of Ithaca.

The Festival of Lights and donations to the meals program are part of a larger effort that includes free parking at all downtown garages and meters on “Green” Friday, November 28, 2008, traditionally known as Black Friday, the Holiday Parade of Ice, the final Gallery Night of 2008, a State Theater Birthday Party celebration/concert and more. Downtown merchants will also be open extended hours.

Spark Studios will hold a grand opening Saturday, December 6th from 10am to 4pm.  Located next to Baker’s Acres on Rt. 34, Spark Studios is a fine arts studio created to offer affordable fine arts classes to people of all ages.

The studio offers a variety of classes, free groups and meetings.  Classes include adult and teen ballet, private ballet lessons, lyrical dance, stretch and strengthening, ballet and creative dance for children, guitar, bass, a writer’s workshop, open art studio, children’s art studio, a free book club, free photography club, and more.

(Ithaca, NY) The Pilates Room of Ithaca and Rasa Spa celebrated their 2nd anniversaries with an open house gala and birthday party Thursday. The celebration will be held at their spas and studios, which are located on the 2nd floor of the Island Health and Fitness Center, 310 Taughannock Blvd. in Ithaca. The event is free and open to the public, and will be highlighted by a ribbon cutting ceremony at 6:00 p.m.

Both female owned businesses offered free treatments and services such as Pilates demonstrations, massages, dips, waxes and consultations. Each also offered discounts on their services and treatments for those who would like to return in the future. Free food and live music was a part of the celebration along with many other activities, prizes and giveaways.

Dr. Digit 'Splains It All

After years of being a PC guy I was accused of going over to the dark side when I added a little Macbook to our network.  Even before that I had thought that iTunes was the best of the MP3 organizing programs even if you didn't buy songs from the iTunes store.  And once I finally succumbed and got an iPod I was blown away by the effortless synergy between that device and the computer.  But there was a disconnect between the computer and the place in our house where we actually listen to music.

Enter the Airport Express and AirTunes.  Airport Express is a little white box that fits in the palm of your hand.  You plug it into the wall and connect a cable from it to your setero, any place in your house.  You run a little utility on your computer to set it up.  And Presto!  iTunes automatically senses the gadget, giving you the option to play your music on the stereo, your computer speakers, or both.

Finger Lakes ReUse held a Ribbon Cutting and Open House Wednesday for it's greatly anticipated new ReUse Center. The new center is located at Triphammer Mall, near JoAnn Fabrics, The Rose Restaurant and Ithaca Bakery. Items were for sale at 50%-90% off market equivalents.

Tons of building materials, computers, electronics, house wares, furniture, and other goods are thrown away every day even though their usable life is far from over. Finger Lakes ReUse saves materials from going to the landfill and provides quality goods at affordable prices. 

(Ithaca, NY) The Downtown Ithaca Alliance announced the winners of its 2008 Annual Awards. The awards are given to people and organizations who’ve demonstrated exemplary support and/or service to downtown Ithaca during the past year. This year’s recipients will be honored at the Downtown Alliance’s 2008 annual dinner Tuesday at the downtown Ithaca Holiday Inn, 222 S. Cayuga Street.

The 2008 recipients were honored after a keynote address by Ithaca College President Dr. Thomas Rochon, titled “The Importance of a Strong Downtown: An Ithaca College Perspective”. The address was be one of Rochon’s first public speeches since becoming President of Ithaca College earlier this year.

The Cayuga Mall Pizza Hut will raise money for the Tompkins County American Red Cross during the entire month of November. From November 1st through the 30th, Pizza Hut will donate $2 for every Supreme Pizza ordered at their Triphammer location.   The Supreme Pizza is a specialty pizza combining beef, pork, pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers and red onions.

 

All monies raised from this generous month-long donation will be used to support the programs and operations of the Tompkins County Red Cross Chapter - Disaster Emergency Services, helping community members who find themselves the victims of personal disaster or Homeless Services, helping people who require housing and temporary support.

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ITHACA, NY — Babbage’s Basement and Einstein’s Attic, the Sciencenter’s computer and scientific equipment restoration and resale programs, welcomed their last regular customers on Saturday, October 18. A one-day final clearance sale is being planned for mid-November.

For the past 8 years, proceeds from the sale of refurbished computers, salvaged scientific equipment, and office furniture has supported the educational programs of the Sciencenter.  The reuse operation was made possible by dedicated Babbage’s Basement volunteers and by Emerson Power Transmission’s donation of space for processing donated materials for retail sale.  The Emerson building that housed Babbage’s Basement and Einstein’s Attic is being repurposed.