LABOR, ARTS, EVENTS, ACTIVISM, LOCAL HISTORY, YOUR LETTERS, FUN STUFF!
[This is the SECOND OF TWO MESSAGES MONTHLY sent to 7,318 Ithaca area residents]
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FIFTEEN READERS OF THIS ISSUE HAVE WON GIFT CERTIFICATES with Ithaca Bakery ($5), Viva Taqueria
($5), Cinemapolis/Fall Creek Pictures (2 tickets),
Ithaca Fine Chocolates
(4-pack), Gimme! Coffee (1# coffee),
Oasis Grocery ($5),
($6), Sparrow's Wines ($10), Ten Thousand Villages ($10), ABC Cafe ($10),
Acorn Designs ($7.50),
Toko Imports ($5), Dinosaur Drygoods
($10), White Lotus
Home ($10), Surya Incense (pkg), The Yoga Corner (free class).
WINNING EMAILS (randomly selected by computer) ARE NOTED AT ithacanews.org Winners reply sending their mailing address.
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350 LOCAL CLASSIFIED ADS ONLINE FREE! Spend & earn Ithaca HOURS, Sell, Buy, Swap, Give Away, Rent, Find Work & lost pets, garage sales.
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ITHACA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WHO NAMED "THE ITHACA COMMONS" IS NOW A DOWNTOWN
MARKETING ANALYST: Bill Ryan ('79) won the contest to name our pedestrian
mall & was inspired by Ithaca to develop a "toolbox for small cities
interested in exploring ways to improve the economic health of their
downtown" He also publishes a monthly
newsletter on downtown economic revitalization.
---"I am proud of my hometown & its forward-thinking residents. In my
travels around the Midwest, I frequently reflect on Ithaca & its sense of
place. I am excited about Cornell's planned participation in a downtown
office building & the addition of a Hilton Garden Inn. These developments
will draw people to the heart of the community. The incremental pedestrian
traffic will benefit specialty retailers, restaurants & services that make
the Commons special. I am also excited about the Cayuga Green proposal as
it will encourage 24-7 vitality."
COMMONS DESIGN DISCUSSED at COMMONS-L. To subscribe: write
[email protected] w/ message: subscribe commons-l
ITHACA MAYORAL CANDIDATES compared:
THE WRITING ON ITHACA WALLS:
THE ITHACA DIALECT
THE WILD LIFE
YARD SALE & COMMUNITY DAY 8/23, 9am. "Awesome bargains, a Bar-B-Q lunch
11:30am (veggie options), games, entertainment, prizes. Benefit for Family
& Children's Service of Ithaca. Seneca/State Street parking lot, across
from Cornell Laundry & TWC. Ithaca HOURS accepted.
"DUMP & RUN" STUDENT CASTOFFS SALE 8/23, 11:30am-5:30pm at Cornell on lawn
of Appel Commons, across from Helen Newman gym. "Tons of clothes, shoes,
books, decorations, electronics, furniture, more! Proceeds benefit Loaves &
Fishes." Volunteers get 35% discount. Parking in "A Lot" on Pleasant
Grove Rd & "R LOT", on Cradit Farm Drive. [email protected] 592-3713
DONATE TO LIBRARY BOOKSALE 275,000 books this year!
SOLAR, WIND & HYDRO POWER from RENOVUS ENERGY
HOURS accepted.
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ITHACA HEALTH NEWS
HEALTH CARE WORKING GROUP promotes single-payer health care. Next meeting
8/13, 1pm, Workers' Rights Ctr across from Immaculate Conception. Tony
DelPlato or Bernie Fetterly
ITHACA HEALTH FUND recently paid $943.13 to a Cornell employee for surgery
to repair a broken bone, when Cornell's plan didn't cover the full bill.
Membership still just $100/year: Balance sheet
at ithacahealth.org/balancesheet.htm
SEX NEWS: get answers to questions about sexually-transmitted diseases:
[email protected]
PLANT SALE GIFT CERTIFICATES SUPPORT ITHACA BREAST CANCER ALLIANCE: Plants
for Life Sale 9/13: buy them via: [email protected] or 257-9598.
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ORGANIC FOOD NEWS
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ITHACA WAR & PEACE REPORT
PROGRESSIVE FESTIVAL 9/6 The Commons. To participate: Heidi Tremain
PEACE SONG 9/11, 6-8pm at Autumn Leaves: "Come together in peace through
the power of music."
"Song is written to be performed as 'We Are the World'w/artists singing
different verses. The song is simple, but very powerful requiring acoustic
guitar section, string/wind sections & chorus. Cassette of song to
musicians in advance. Performance will be recorded & general public invited
to sing along. WANTED LIST: Musicians, P.A. w/ 6-8 microphones,
Organizations to set up information tables concerning PEACE/ACTIVISM,
Banners with PEACE messages, Food Table Donations, Flowers & plants,
Volunteers to set up/ break down, entertainers: juggle, face paint, etc."
Robert A. Hubbell 592-7213
SCHOOL SUPPLY KITS FOR CHILDREN OF IRAQ: "Makeshift schools under trees or
in abandoned military bases are now being prepared not only as homes for
these people, but places where they can go to school in October. Please
purchase designated supplies, place in paper bag & deliver to 171 The
Commons: 4 spiral notebooks, 4 unsharpened #2 pencils, ruler (plastic;
both 30cm & 12in), box of 12-20 colored pencils & large eraser. Deliver by
9/12." Liz Adams 546-2083 or 256-0616.
BRING US HOME: GI EMAILS FROM IRAQ
KUCINICH FOR PRESIDENT 8/14, 5:30-7:00pm, Autumn Leaves Books, 115 The
Commons. Barbara Regenspan
ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES IN ITHACA: "computer scientists at Johns Hopkins
University said the[ electronic] voting system was so flawed that a
15-year-old hacker could tap into the software & tamper with election
results." (Washington Post on 8/7/03)
Preliminary NYS Board of Elections plans includes $140 million "which is exactly the cost of replacing our 20,000
machines with touch screen ones costing $7000 apiece."
ITHACA TEENAGERS' TRIAL FOR "DIE-IN" POSTPONED TO 9/2
Mary Anne Grady Flores reports: "The four teen women on trial 7/28 were to
begin trial for the die-in at the military recruiter's office 12/21/02.
Because they are minors, the Judge may decide whether to let the public
stay or not. Before the trial started the prosecutor asked the judge to
order everyone (80+ supporters) except the parents or guardians to leave
the courtroom. The judge so ordered, but NOBODY MOVED! It was great &
spontaneous. Judge Bill Buren gave the order three times but still no one
moved! He was reportedly knocking his head w/his hand, saying 'What am I
going to do with 87 people in contempt?' The court postponed the trial
until 9/2 at 10:30am.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 8/19, 7:30 pm. Kahin Center, 640 Stewart Ave.
Directions: 257-3156
ITHACA FAIR TRADE COALITION 8/13, 7-9pm, Old Jail building (125 E. Court
St,. 1st fl.) "Fair trade is a positive form of global trade. Unlike
'free' trade, fair trade provides a fair wage, enables workers to provide
for their families, encourages environmentally sustainable practices, &
offers hope for the future to farmers & artisans around the world.
[email protected]
GUIDE TO (Ithaca) LEFT WING POLITICAL ACTIVITIES Printed Material,
1966-1972 Collection #3650 Div. of Rare & Manuscript Collections.
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YOUR LETTERS
"You posted a paragraph about the Liberty School in the Ithaca Community
News in May & there was a phenomenal response. Thank you for doing that--
it made a great contribution to the school." --Meghan
"The Tompkins County Committee of the Independence Party of New York
condemns, in the strongest terms, the efforts of the County Republican
Committee & County Judge candidate, Sue Kirby, to have County Judge Jack
Sherman removed from the Democratic Party line for the upcoming election.
Further, the Committee withdraws its earlier endorsement of Kirby's
candidacy.
"With two young kids at home I don't have time for the daily paper, so when
I get time on the computer ICN provides good, well-rounded news." --Vicki
Rasmussen
"The Bush Administration claimed that we invaded Iraq to stop the spread of
weapons of mass destruction, & yet they are preparing to build new nuclear
weapons & resume nuclear testing. Their official nuclear plan calls for
developing 'more usable' nuclear weapons for 'certain battlefield
situations.' They have threatened non-nuclear countries with nuclear
weapons. View the ad. --Linda Holzbaur
"I'm a newcomer to Ithaca who is grateful that a new friend referred me to
Ithaca Community News. Thank you for collecting the interesting voices &
ideas that are too hard to find in traditional venues. Would you add me to
your mailing list? I know I will enjoy being alerted." --Linda Story
"I suspect the reason we got two four-year terms of Cohen was because
activists were disenchanted w/Ben Nichols' lack of enthusiasm, etc, &
didn't bother to come out to vote for him. I have heard activists
expressing discouragement for Learner & Peterson & I think the sentiments
are misplaced. A Cohen-type outcome would be much worse. We can thank our
uppity attitude about Ben for the horrible 'development' we must now live
with." --Eric
"We enjoy staying 'in touch' w/Ithaca through your messages, although we
are presently living in Eugene. Keep 'em coming. Incidentally, there were
a couple messages about Kucinich in your last message: one about him using
the Presidential stump as a ruse to build up his Senatorial run chances &
one mentioning him turning down overtures from the Greens to run under
their auspices: He was here recently in Eugene in full Presidential swing,
no hint of planning to concede. Also, in a question & answer period he
informally referred to himself as a 'Green Democrat.'" --Raphael
"I think Kucinich believes he can raise issues, rally progressives to the
Democratic Party for this election, & increase his national stature as a
national spokesperson for progressive causes as well as for a possible
Senate run or another presidential campaign in the future. I don't think
Kucinich believes he can win the Democratic nomination this time. I also
think he doesn't believe a progressive third party will ever amount to much
in the US. So he's trying to build a left inside the Democratic Party. I
respect him as an honest, principled progressive. But I think his
inside-the-Democratic-Party strategy has far less chance of moving politics
in this country to the left than the Green Party strategy." --Howie
Hawkins
"A few months ago, I sent Gregory Keillor an email suggesting that WSKG
should carry Democracy Now, & that a recent pledge drive they'd had, which
hadn't met its goal, might have done better if they were more responsive to
listeners' requests. He responded (not very pleasantly) by telling me that
I should be able to receive Democracy Now on
WEOS [88.1FM], that WSKG was very happy w/ its classical music format, &
that the issue had nothing to do with missing their fundraising goal. Made
me very happy that I do have WEOS as an option." --Deirdre Silverman
"Does anyone in Ithaca rehabilitate old bicycles & give them to people who
can't afford to buy?" --Bud
[Re: boycott of Hollywood Video] "Speaking as someone who worked for years
in the managment of a small branch of a large chain, I can say with
reasonable confidence that the reason a particular branch of Hollywood
Video doesn't stock a particular DVD is not because the management of that
branch objects to its content. It's extremely unlikely that the management
of the branch has anything to say about what they stock at all. If
Hollywood is like 99% of other chains, the selection of items you see on
the shelf is based on an 'assortment.' Corporate HQ has several lists of
items, called 'assortments,' for the different sized stores. Larger stores
get the full list, smaller stores get a shorter list, & so on. Corporate
HQ decides what goes on each list, based on what their research shows will
be the most popular. Believe me, most big retailers worry far more about
the bottom line & what they think will sell far more than about the worth
of the product. Sure, one DVD doesn't take up much room, but when you
think of the hundreds of people who go in looking for a particular title &
don't find it, it would take a lot of shelf space to please everyone. My
guess is that, in the minds of corporate HQ, "Queer as Folk" is apt to be
less frequently rented because it's on a premium cable channel, w/a
cult/niche following, & a lot of people don't even know about it. Branch
managers in most chains just don't have the influence to get their
assortment changed based on local tastes. You might have a chance of
changing their minds if you & a few hundred other people could show the
corporation that stocking that DVD would make a big difference in their
profit margin." --Melissa
"You said: 'Rejection of the Six Point Plan shows that a candidate for
Mayor or Council understands that big box stores lose money & that building
wider roads merely brings more traffic.'
"Hi! I see that my email address is listed as one of the gift certificate
winners! Thank you! What a lot of work you must put into this. The whole
community should give YOU a gift certificate!" --Marci
"I am sad to see the Green Party with its head still so in the sand. Yes,
the Greens made a 'major impact' in 2000; they helped elect Bush. Yes, it
would be nice to have run-off elections, but We Don't, so you have to play
the game, which is building alliances. And as a Ukrainian visitor told me,
building alliances is still the game in run-off elections because you have
so many more candidates. Greens can still raise important issues & try to
steer the argument in a good direction -- but please, Vote for whoever has
the best chance of defeating Bush (I believe Dean can do it) & more
importantly, support whoever has a chance of defeating a Republican
senator. Our country is in trouble; the Religious Right is deliberately
gaining control of the Republican Party, & we need to pull together."
--Mary Kirkpatrick
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ETCETERAE
LIVING WAGE COALITION/Workers' Rights Ctr receive August AFCU ROUND-OFF
donations.
COLLEGETOWN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL (CNC) 8/14, St. Luke's Lutheran Church,
109 Oak. Ave., 4pm. "Open to the public--discussion ranges from landlords
to litter. 255-4666 [email protected]
TOWN-GOWN ROUNDTABLE 8/18, noon-2pm, Cornell Cooperative Extension, 615
Willow Ave. "Staff will also be on hand w/ information about local
programs for youth, families, communities, agribusiness & the environment.
Suggestions for local efforts welcome." Gary Stewart 255-4666
ROTARY CLUBS SPONSOR INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE TO WEST AFRICA: goodwill visit
March/April 2004. "Seeking four outstanding young professionals
(non-Rotarians) age 25-40. Visit 4-6-weeks. Must be full-time
professional. Expenses paid. Application: click
"Group Study Exchange" Dale Flinn 533-4671. Apply by
8/31.
New Law Offices of Susan B. McNeil: Business Law, Collections, Creditor's &
Debtor's Rights, Family Law, Juvenile Delinquency & PINS, Not-For-Profit
Law, Wills. HOURS accepted. 266-8090; [email protected] 410 E.
Upland Road, Suite 201, Ithaca.
FOUNDATION OF LIGHT "spiritual, healing & community outreach center. We
offer lightly guided and inspirational discussion to enhance our silent
meditation services." Sundays 10:30am- noon, 391 Turkey Hill Rd. "We
honor the ageless wisdom of all the spiritual traditions & religions."
August theme 'Reaching Balance w/Meditation.' 273-9550. Office: 10am-2pm
Mon, Weds, Fridys.
CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP "Every Picture Tells a Story" 8 Mondays
9/8-10/27, 7-9pm, WCB, 100 W. Seneca St., Mondays. $160. HOURS accepted.
Pre-register: 272-1247 [email protected]
BOUND FOR GLORY 8-11pm Sundays starting 8/31 at Anabel Taylor Hall.
Broadcast onWVBR, 93.5 & 105.5 FM. America's
longest-running live folk radio show: 36 years.
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Thanks to Homer & Jane at LIGHTLINK for reliable internet services.
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EDITOR: < a h r e f = " m a i l t o : [email protected] " >[email protected] < / a >
ITHACA COMMUNITY NEWS HOME PAGE W/BACK ISSUES
* Eric Lerner campaign page
* Carolyn Peterson campaign page
* Beau Saul campaign headquarters: NW corner Seneca & Tioga.
---Were LERNER to win the Democratic primary, 11/4 voters get: Lerner
(Dem.), Peterson (Working Families), Saul (Republican, Independence). Were
PETERSON to win the Dem primary: Peterson (Dem, WF), Saul (Rep, Ind). Were
SAUL to win the Dem primary: Peterson (WF), Saul (Rep, Dem, Ind).
* SUPPORT OUR PRESIDENT AND THE TROOPS (see http://www.bringthemhomenow.org
* FIGHT FOR BEAUTY (applied with coarse black stencil)
* ABOLISH $LAVERY (inviting us to break chains & link to each other)
* Basic Ithacan: Core Vocabulary
* 1890 study by Oliver Emerson (Dialect Notes v.1 p.85): "The dialect of
Ithaca represents... a dialect of the 18th Century, w/ certain
peculiarities usually attributed to the 17th Century. Ithaca has remained
comparatively isolated, so that it represents a speech-island. The
predecessor of IthD is probably the English of Eastern England. The
principle element is now Connecticut English."
---Emerson writes, "This investigation has been made from the speech of
people essentially unaffected by the schools." He cites, for example, an
Ithacan who "has the peculiarity of unvoicing certain voiced aspirants, due
probably to loss of teeth." Ithacans say "sumpin" instead of "something."
They accent the last syllable of "hotel, incline, inside," & the first
syllable of "idea, intense, Elmira & police."
* Bobcat/lynx sounds & tracks in Enfield.
* Ithaca screech owls prey at night: earliest sighting 8:25pm, latest
activity 4:15am.
* Bars & clubs avoided by nonsmokers should be visited now, to encourage
more antismoking laws.
* Tompkins County Farm City Day 8/16, 11am-4pm, Jerry Dell Farm, 2219 Gee
Hill Rd, Dryden. "Visit a certified organic dairy farm. Family oriented,
lots of hands-on, interactive exhibits. Guided wagon ride farm tours.
Sponsored by Agriculture & Farmland Protection Board. 272-2292
* GreenStar establishes 5-year goal to expand proportion of organic sales.
* Just Organics: home food delivery weekly, monthly: HOURS accepted:
* Kiraku: "Freeville's organic general store/restaurant/school
* Ithaca Farmer's Market on Sundays (3rd St) & Tuesdays (DeWitt Park) are
thriving too!
* The worst companies in the world profit from popular organic brands:
corporganics.org
* "California organic produce tests positive for deadly chemical compounds
such as perchlorate (rocket fuel residue)."
* "If the corporate assault on organic standards & organic companies
continues, & if mainstream food
corporations are allowed to take over the organic industry, then it won't
be long before the 'organic' label becomes meaningless."
[email protected]
lists.organicconsumers.org/listinfo/biodemocracy
* Beyond Organic: Agroforest Food Production 8/17-22 among courses at The
The Liberty School: "not for credit, for real" Van Etten, NY
---REMEDY: Passage of Voter Confidence bill (HR 2239) requiring
voter-verified paper record & random comparison of machine results to paper
results.
---"The adults' charges were lowered to a violation to prevent a jury trial
& the youth were left with the greater misdemeaner charge, with no jury
trial. They are defending themselves."
---Directions to Lansing Town Hall: Rt. 13 exit nr IHS, left to Rt. 34 N to
T in road. Rogue's Harbor Inn on right / gas station on left. Turn right,
go approx. 1 block. Hall is on right ( before soccer fields).
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---"To have Judge Sherman removed, Kirby & the Republican Committee are
citing ridiculous &
hair-splitting flaws in petitions Sherman submitted to appear on the ballot
as the Democratic candidate.
---"There is no doubt whatsoever that 1) more than the requisite 5% of bona
fide registered Democrats signed his petitions supporting his candidacy &
2) that the information on his petitions clearly describes what those who
signed were signing for. The challengers are seeking to have the petitions
thrown out because of minute errors in the title of the position sought &
in the address of the candidate. These errors have no bearing on the
qualifications of the candidate, the qualifications of those who signed the
petitions, or whether the petitions accurately reflect the intentions of
those who signed them.
---"By attempting to have those petitions thrown out, Kirby & the
Republican Committee are in effect seeking to disenfranchise those who
signed his petitions. Their hope is apparently to beat the candidate with a
technicality & thereby avoid having to compete in a fair & open debate of
ideas & issues.
---"The Independence Party came into existence in large part out of
pervasive & growing disgust with exactly this sort of nickel-dime partisan
politics & the deadly corrosive effect it is having on the political
process in this country. We hope & trust that citizens of all persuasions &
parties will pay close attention when actions such as these are undertaken
to undermine the democratic process & that they will respond forcefully
within their communities, their parties & at the polls to protect their
rights." --Ben Curtis, Tompkins County Chair, Independence Party of New
York 387-5325
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---[REPLY] Were the Green Party to run candidates only when it could avoid
being labelled spoilers it would rarely assert itself electorally. Certain
cities have established Instant Runoff Voting, which allows voters to
choose first, second & third candidate preferences. This ends the spoiler
argument.
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---[REPLY] Recycle Ithaca's Bicycles 256-5355
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---"Hmmm. Interesting. I won't debate the 'big box stores' issue, but I'd
think more traffic would be the result of more people wanting to come here
& spend money... but maybe we shouldn't encourage that either." Keith
Smith
---[REPLY] More traffic would be good if it didn't bring more pollution &
collisions, & if it did not remove money from Ithaca via infrastructure
costs not offset by big box sales. The alternatives are a constellation of mutual aid
systems, co-ops, nonprofit suppliers, community-based small businesses.
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---[REPLY] Thanks! Living in Ithaca can be a gift. But donations
(dollars & HOURS) are welcome: Paul Glover, Box 365, Ithaca, NY 14851
----
"Winner of Gift Certificate-- Wow! I never win anything." --K.
---[REPLY] Congratulations-- that's no longer so.
----
"I'm a [gift certificate] winner, Yee Haw, what do I do?" --Tim R.
---[REPLY] You did it. Reply w/full name & mailing address.
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---[REPLY] Gore beat Gore. Even the DLC said that Nader did not hurt
Gore. Exit polls showed that Bush would have won the popular vote had
Nader not been in the race. The latest Syracuse New Times features my
Green Party campaign.