The Ithaca Community News (ICN) is a non-profit news service bringing alternative news and views from Ithaca, NY to readers all over the world. ICN is also a weekly email newsletter with more than 8,000 subscribers.
Paul Glover founded ICN in 2000 and published it for five years before handing the reins to Elizabeth Field, a freelance journalist, in November, 2005.
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In this issue:
Ithaca Community News is a free, weekly newsletter that zooms to your inbox every Wednesday. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to elizabeth@ithacanews.org with "Unsubscribe ICN" in the subject heading. Editor and Publisher: Elizabeth Bauchner. Founded by
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NOT OFFICIALLY NEWS
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Why Teens Do Stupid Things:
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Dec06/RN.teens.risks.ssl.html
Ithaca's up and coming musician? Finnian Burns, age 4, plays fiddle on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryCn-Ci1tcw
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ICN NEWS
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Articles and news briefs on the ICN site:
Local 'Right Angle' Talk Show Host Returns from Iraq:
http://ithacanews.org/news.htm?newsID=162
Ithaca Car Share wins grants; will start carsharing soon:
http://ithacanews.org/news.htm?newsID=163
Local Musician Marie Burns' Anti-War Song Nominated 'Best Song of the Year':
http://ithacanews.org/news.htm?newsID=164
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Thanks to people who have responded to the ICN pledge drive. We've raised $1,035 as of December 12, 2006. Please help keep ICN going by making a pledge today:
http://ithacanews.org/donate.htm.
Small businesses who wish to support ICN can take out small text ads on the web site for $30 for six months. A great deal! Graphic banner ads start at $25/week. For advertising info: elizabeth@ithacanews.org.
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NEWSLETTER SPONSOR. Indian Chimney Farm Year-end Holiday Farm Event and Sale. December 16 and 17 from 10:00 am-4:00 pm. The ALPACA GIFT SHOP features unique locally made handcrafted alpaca clothing. Warm alpaca blankets, alpaca sweaters, alpaca hats, scarves, gloves, socks, teddy bears and more round out this unique gift shop. Meet the alpaca, horses, our NEW goat named 'Mr. Goat', and tour this dramatic and beautiful farm. This weekend only, ALL ALPACA ITEMS 15% OFF. Come find that special gift with a story. 404 Conlon Road Lansing, NY (Just 10 minutes from Ithaca, VERY easy to get to). More info and directions: 607-533-8866, http://www.IndianChimneyFarm.com.
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NEWSLETTER SPONSOR. TCAT is proud to be a sponsor of Ithaca Community News. TCAT buses are comfortable, clean, and get you where you're going with less impact on air quality, traffic congestion, and public infrastructure than driving a conventional car. Call TCAT at 277-RIDE or go to http://www.tcatbus.com for information on routes, times, and passes. Come ride with us. You may be surprised at who else is on the bus!
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR AD HERE?
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THANKS TO THE DONORS WHO HAVE DONATED IN THE PAST.
http://www.ithacanews.org.
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ITHACA LABOR NEWS
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This past year, local labor activist Peggy Arcadi was a Cornell Public Service Center Civic Leaders Fellow. She recently published the report, "Low-Income Working Mothers in Tompkins County: Who Fills the Gap When the Ends Don't Meet." In the report, she explains how, for working single mothers, managing poverty is a third job.
From the report:
"Applying for assistance requires access to information and a phone, time, transportation, employer flexibility, and either childcare or the ability to meet the needs of children while traveling to appointments, passing time in waiting rooms, learning about options and filling out forms… Pursuing the range of available services can mean contact with as many as ten service providers in different locations. Managing poverty can mean moving more often than those more financially secure, experiencing more car trouble and repairs, paying for taxis, spending more time waiting for public transit, changing jobs more often, and negotiating late rent, unpaid utilities, and other late bills, and shopping for bargains."
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A Mother's Movement
Perhaps not coincidentally, a new grassroots organization, MomsRising.org, seems to be the one that is going to finally start a Mother's Movement. Since May, they've signed up over 70,000 members. They have already sent educational DVDs and packets to most members of Congress, explaining the need for more family-friendly work policies like paid leave, health care for all, and living wages. Following the link below, you can send a quick email to your senators asking them to view the DVD, and sign up for the MomsRising newsletter here: http://action.progressivestates.org/content.jsp?content_KEY=2145
For those in New York, governor-elect Elliott Spitzer has set up a web page on his transition site where constituents can let him know what family policies are important to them, from education to job security to health care for all to environmental protection.
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Public Forum Thursday night regarding ICSD Facilities Bond
Let yourself be heard Thursday evening, 6:30 pm, at the York Lecture Hall at Ithaca High School. The Board of Education is planning to propose a facilities bond project to voters in February that may cost voters nearly $80 million in dozens of upgrades to all schools in the district, including both much needed repairs to several buildings and some much-debated additions and technology upgrades. To learn more:
http://www.icsd.k12.ny.us/board/FacilitiesBond2006/
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Throughout December, ICN is giving props to our local musicians. Thanks to them we get our grooves on. Want to be added to the list? elizabeth@ithacanews.org.
Jalamyst: http://www.jalamyst.com
Genre: Eclectic World Fusion
Link to purchase CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/jalamyst
More info: info@jalamyst.com (607)273-3501
Linda Stout: http://www.lindastout.com/, http://www.myspace.com/lindastout
Genre: Pop / Downtempo/ Jazz
Link to purchase CD: http://www.lindastout.com/products.html
More info: lindastout@lindastout.com
Genre: American traditional folk
Link to purchase CD: http://shapiroandshore.com/recordings.html
More info: pds10@cornell.edu.
The Horse Flies: http://thehorseflies.com
Genre: mélange of alt-folk, ethnic minimalism, and fiddle music that challenges the brain without sacrificing the groove
Link to purchase CD: http://www.funkyside.com/horseflies
More info: info@thehorseflies.com.
Boy with a Fish: http://boywithafish.com
Genre: Indie alt-rock with quirky, poetic lyrics and a percolating beat
Link to purchase CD: http://boywithafish.com/store.html
More info: info@boywithafish.com.
Five2: http://www.five2.net, http://www.myspace.com/five2
Genre: Female-led vocal group, folk music, pop
Link to purchase CDs: http://www.itownrecords.com
More info: uniitc@yahoo.com
Myra Kovary and Laura Campbell: http://www.myrakovary.com
Genre: Classical harp and flute duo
Link to purchase CD's: http://www.myrakovary.com
More info: mmk29@cornell.edu 607-277-3485
Genre: Contemporary Folk/Trad Influenced Songwriter/Performer
Link to purchase CD: http://www.joecrookston.com
More info: joecplay@mindspring.com
Genre: Singer/Songwriter
Link to purchase CD: http://www.jodykessler.com
More info: revjody@jodykessler.com
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News from Cornell Chronicle Online
Cornell forms University Diversity Council to create a more inclusive campus: http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Dec06/university.diversity.fac.html
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ITHACA SUSTAINABILITY
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Celebrating Signs of Sustainability: Thursday December 14, Annex of the Unitarian 208 E. Buffalo St. 6:00-9:00 pm. Holiday gathering and celebration of our progress towards a more sustainable community. We'll begin with a potluck dinner including a scrumptious donation from GreenStar's sustainable catering menu that highlights locally-grown, organic and fairly made goodies (and your favorite holiday dish-to-pass!) and live music courtesy of Rick Manning and friends. Settle back with dessert (provided) and watch our new slide show "Signs of Sustainability -- 2006 Year in Review," visit with friends, join in an alternative gift making activity, or be the first to try out our new "Weaving a Web of Sustainability" game. Family friendly. FREE. More info: Gay Nicholson, 607-533-7312, gaynicholson@aol.com, http://www.sustainabletompkins.org.
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Green Revolution Sweeping US Construction Industry: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1212-03.htm
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ITHACA WAR AND PEACE REPORT
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U.S. Hits Prison Record; we have more prisoners than any other country, with non-violent drug offenders "clogging the system":
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1209-01.htm
Locally, you can help prisoners get through the holidays by supporting Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR), an organization that helps prisoner re-enter society and become productive members. OAR is creating gift packages for those behind bars this season, with more than seventy individuals benefiting from the packages. They are looking for quantities of small items like envelopes and stamps, wrapped candies, calendars without spiral bindings, crossword and word find books, paperback books, and baked goods such as brownies and cookies. Volunteers can help put together the gift bags on Thursday, December 21, at 10:00 am at OAR offices 518 West Seneca Street, on the second floor. For more information, contact OAR at 272-7885.
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Nominees Sought for Peacemaker Award: Deadline Friday, December 15
The Community Dispute Resolution Center (CDRC) and the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) invite nominees for the tenth annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Peacemaker Award. This award, celebrating the life and work of Dr. King, is given to an individual who works non-violently for change, who brings people together to resolve differences and/or promote social justice, and whose work benefits the Tompkins County community. The award will be presented at the MLK Community Breakfast on Saturday, January 13, 2007. To nominate an individual, please send a letter describing their work to CDRC at 120 W. State Street, Ithaca, or email finney@cdrc.org.
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Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney Introduces Articles of Impeachment against Bush, Cheney and Rice: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/16234
McKinney claims George Bush, Dick Cheney and Condoleeza Rice manipulated intelligence to bring the US into illegal pre-emptive war, and that Bush is illegally spying on US citizens.
Read the full articles of impeachment here: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/downloads/mckinneyarticles.pdf
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Do you have a terrorist score on file with the Dept of Homeland Security?
http://people.howstuffworks.com/ref/ats.htm
From the article: "In a memo-type document released in early November 2006, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed aspects of a targeting program that most citizens and many lawmakers didn't know about. A computerized profiling program called the Automated Targeting System (ATS), initially implemented in the 1990s to screen incoming and outgoing cargo for drugs and other contraband at border crossings, has apparently been profiling all travelers entering and leaving the United States for the past four years."
Read the CNN article, "Homeland Security Assigns Terror Scores to Travelers":
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/11/30/traveler.screening.ap/index.html
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Oil for Sale: Iraq Study Group Calls for the Privatization of Iraq's Oil Industry: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/07/1452236
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The science of the evolution of cooperation, a new study:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/314/5805/1512g
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FEATURED EVENTS
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Now on the web! Check out our new events calendar:
http://ithacanews.org/events.htm?catID=1.
Just some of this week's listings: Offender Aid and Restoration Open House; Community Cinema; children's book author Rosemary Wells at Bookery II; Longview Open House; Museum of the Earth Craft Fair and much more. Don't miss out! Calendar is live, same format as newsletter, updated almost daily, and searchable.
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CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Newsletter in support of caregivers now available:
The Winter 2006-07 issue of "In Support of Caregivers" is now available free of charge from the Caregiver's Resource Center at the Tompkins County Office for the Aging. This ten-page newsletter highlights issues and resources of interest to those caring for adult relatives in Tompkins County as well as those caring for elders who live at a distance. Call 274-5492 to be sent a copy. It is also available online:
http://www.tompkins-co.org/cofa/GatewaytoSeniorServices.htm.
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The Advocacy Center to hold Hotline Volunteer Training this spring. Volunteer advocates help staff the 24-hour hotline for adult and youth survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse and sexual assault. They also support friends, families and professionals who have a survivor in their lives. Advocates receive 45 hours of training regarding their services, issues they address, crisis counseling, advocacy, referrals and support. Training will begin Feb. 17 and ends first week of April. For exact dates of training, more information or how to get an application, please contact Aileen, 277-3203 or aboyd@theadvocacycenter.org.
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Organizers Set Date for sister2sister 2007: Volunteers Needed
Saturday, March 31 will be the seventh annual sister2sister event for middle school girls at the
Organizers are specifically looking for volunteers to play a role in their dynamic program committee to assist with the inventing, planning and coordinating the day’s theme and events. Please contact
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The Sciencenter is welcoming new volunteers. Opportunities include:
Sciencenter volunteers enjoy working flexible hours in an energetic, family-friendly environment. Volunteers receive full orientation and training and have opportunities to grow with the organization. The Sciencenter welcomes volunteers regardless of whether they’re science aficionados or not. More info:
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CLASSES, LECTURES, SUPPORT GROUPS
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Now on the web! Check out listings for cool classes, lectures and more:
http://ithacanews.org/events.htm?catID=8
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YOUR LETTERS
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What? No letters this week?