ICN Newsletter Archive

ICN is a free, community newsletter that zooms to your inbox every other Wednesday. Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of every newsletter.

For the love of the free world, learn yoga with our fearless leader (and Navel Aviator) George W. Bush—and find inner peace (http://www.bushyoga.com/).

From Cornell Daily Sun: Cornell professor of physics, Veit Elser, has found that an algorithm developed to process X-ray diffraction data also solves Sudoku puzzles: (http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Feb06/Elser.sudoku.lg.html).

Ithaca Train Station: (http://www.trainweb.org/rshs/GRS%20-%20Ithaca.htm)

Zobo Funn Band remembered and re-mastered: this cornerstone of Ithaca’s alternative community catalyzed other great stuff we enjoy here today. Inscribe your fond memories at: (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/zobofunn) 

“Take an old friend hunting” with an ITHACA GUN.  Manufactured for generations above Fall Creek, now made in Sandusky Ohio: (http://www.ithacagunsusa.com)

Rod Serling Conference April 21-22: (http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/serling/conference06.html)

Twilight Zone’s author lived part-time in Ithaca

Ithaca Community News Benefit Dance Party! This Saturday, March 18, Ithaca’s own Thousands of One (http://www.thousandsofone.com) will play a benefit show for ICN at the Women’s Community Building. Come celebrate with us as we launch our new web site! Suggested donation, $5-$10 per person. The benefit starts at 7:30 pm, with the new web site going “live” at 8:00, and Thousands of One playing at 8:30. Snacks and drinks donated by Gimme! Coffee, Juna’s, GreenStar, and Ithaca Bakery are included. And, there will be a raffle with some great prizes, including weekend passes to Grassroots Festival, the new Moosewood cookbook, an overnight stay at Frog’s Way Bed and Breakfast, a hot tub retreat for two and more! Come see what’s new with Ithaca Community News, learn about Ithaca HOURS, and party with us as we celebrate local, alternative media in Ithaca. Hope to see you there.

Email me at mailto:ebauchne@twcny.rr.com to purchase advance raffle tickets. They are $3/each or 2 for $5.00.

(http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0313-06.htm).

Frog’s Way is a bright, spacious, ecologically designed Bed & Breakfast on 174 acres of land, with a pond, miles of trails, quietude, and spectacular views. Our trails, through woods, meadows and farmland, are perfect for hiking, running and skiing. Located two miles from downtown Ithaca, we are part of a cooperative ecological neighborhood at EcoVillage at Ithaca. Guests who want to know EcoVillage better can arrange for tours and to attend community meals and events. Besides our three Bed & Breakfast rooms, we rent out the whole house for vacations, special events, and retreats. For more info, go to (http://www.frogsway-bnb.org) or call 607-275-0249.

Ithaca Community News is now accepting advertisements from local businesses who meet our advertising guidelines. Please see http://www.ithacanews.org/adpolicy.html for details.

THANKS TO THE DONORS WHO HAVE DONATED IN THE PAST. Ithaca Community News accepts donations in cash or HOURS. Donations can be sent to ICN P.O. Box 874, Ithaca, NY. 14851. Donations can also be made online, from home page (http://www.ithacanews.org).

Community Supported Agriculture Supports Local Farmers, Benefits Consumers

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between farmers and community members in which farmers agree to produce a certain amount of food over the course of the season and community members agree to buy it by paying for it in advance. The consumer usually receives a weekly portion of whatever is ready for harvest.

(http://www.ithacanews.org/articles/CSAteeter.html).

Ithaca Employers can now be certified as Living Wage employers thanks to efforts of the Tompkins County Living Wage Coalition. Click here to see the Ithaca Times story.

Bookery II to stay open. Former IHS teacher, Gary Weissbrott, buys store. More to follow in next issue of ICN.

In today’s Internet age, it sometimes happens that a phenomenon becomes better known on the web than in its own locale. Such may be the case with a project called the Tompkins County Relocalization Plan (TCRP), an online research project designed to develop an emergency plan fro re-localizing distribution of goods and services in response to irreversibly rising oil prices, according to organizer Bethany Shroeder. Many county residents have never heard of it, but peak oil websites and blogs around the world are abuzz about the ambitious and comprehensive project. Gryphon Danu, a permaculture blogger from rural California, writes, “Tompkins County has a plan... [the TCRP] web site is pretty impressive and should make excellent food-for-thought for any relocalization effort.”

Read full article here: (http://www.ithacanews.org/articles/tcrp.html).

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Fair: Saturday, March 25, 1:00-4:00 pm, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, 615 Willow Ave, in Ithaca. Meet the farmers from 7+ CSA programs, including 2 meat producers, serving the Ithaca area. Learn about their programs and production methods. Informational exhibits and hands-on activities, this is a fun, family-oriented, free event. Contact Debbie Teeter, mailto:DLT22@cornell.edu or 272-2292.

The Taillores Declaration, which has been around since 1990, calls for signatories to follow a “ten point action” to become a more environmentally sustainable institution: (http://www.ulsf.org/programs_talloires.html).

Rally, March, and Direct Action to Mark the Three Year Anniversary of the War in Iraq. Saturday, March 18, Rally Starts at 3:30 on the Commons. The rally is in response to the Global Call for Non-Violent Civil Resistance to End the US-Led Occupation of Iraq, and will include stiltwalkers, music and free speech. (http://www.globalcalliraq.org).

Students to Discuss Complexities of War, week of March 20-24. Ithaca College will host “War is Complex,” a series of events marking the third anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq. The series will feature speakers, films and panel discussions about the Iraq War and related topics. Buzzsaw Haircut, Ithaca College’s independent student magazine, is organizing the week of events. The series will begin on March 20 with a panel discussion on veterans’ issues at 7 pm in Textor 101, and will continue throughout the week. Guests include Colby Buzzell, Iraq War blogger and author of My War, which is winning praise from dozens of book critics. Other events include a screening of the film “Occupation: Dreamland,” with a discussion to follow with the film’s producer. To see a full schedule of events, go to (http://www.buzzsawhaircut.com).

Back to Democracy Anti-War Events March 17 and 18. In response to the global call to action (http://www.aglobalcall.org), Back to Democracy will hold a vigil from 6:00-8:00 am at the Trumansburg Fairgrounds on Friday, March 17th, calling for a real exit strategy from Iraq of US troops, corporations, & military contractors. It also is St. Patrick’s Day & a way to honor the work of the St. Patrick’s Four. People can bring signs/posters of their choice, or can volunteer to help make signs at The Perry City Friends Meeting House, Rte 227, Trumansburg March 16, from 7:00-9:00 pm (BYO supplies). On Saturday, March 18, 10:00 am in front of the Trumansburg High School, BTD will gather for a Peace March down to the small park across from where 227 "T's" into Rte 96.  Last year, the rally was 127 strong. This year, they hope to double that number. Sing up at (http://www.unitedforpeace.org).

Ithaca group of Amnesty International meets third Tuesday of every month. Next meeting: March 21, 7:30 p.m. at Cornell’s Kahin Center, 640 Stewart Ave. Everyone is welcome to come and find out they we do for human rights. Info: 273-3009, 227-3471, or mailto:cba9@cornell.edu.

Unity Walk, sponsored by CRESP, to be held 6:00 pm March 25. Given the many issues regarding race and intolerance engaging our community recently, please join CRESP, youth from Vitamin L, and many community leaders to show solidarity and unity. Now is the time to go public, as silence speaks volumes in times like these. The walk will start at Calvary Baptist Church, 507 N. Albany St., proceed to the Commons, and end at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 402 N. Aurora St. at 6:45 pm. The Unity Walk is open to all community members interested in being visible in opposition to violence and intolerance in our community. In case of heavy rain, the walk will take a more direct route. Afterward, stay at St. Paul’s for a benefit for Village at Ithaca (http://www.villageatithaca.org). More info below in featured events.

Chilean Film tonight: La Cueca Sola, 7:00 pm, Uris Auditorium, Cornell. On September 11, 1973, a military coup in Chile brought Augusto Pinochet to power, and over the next 17 years, thousands of women and men were taken from their homes- never to return. After 30 years in exile, critically acclaimed filmmaker Marilu Mallet returns to Santiago to meet with five Chilean women from three generations who suffered under the dictatorship and have emerged as heroes under democracy. Illustrating throughout with a wealth of archival images, Mallet paints a vivid portrait of the country’s painful past and offers insight on Chile’s situation today. Important historically, socially and politically, this moving film expresses both the courage of women and the vitality of a nation. Free (donations welcome).

Film, “Invisible Ballots,” March 16, 7:00 pm at the Borg-Warner Room at the Tompkins County Library. The film is about problems with electronic voting machines, and will be followed by a question and answer session with Bo Lipari, Executive Director, New Yorkers for Verified Voting (NYVV). The Fingerlakes Chapter of NYVV will hold its next meeting on March 28 at 7:00 pm at the Living Wage Coalition above Autumn Leaves Book Store. More info: mailto:nyvvaction@yahoo.com or 387-9308.

Tompkins County Public Library’s Teen Advisory Group meets March 16, 4:30-5:30 pm. Calling all teens interested in making the Tompkins County Public Library work for you! Attend the third meeting at 4:30 in the Youth Services Department’s Thaler/Howell room at the library for discussion and pizza. Registration is not required, but appreciated. More info (http://www.tcpl.org/teen) or call Adelle Leise 607-272-4557 ext 277. 

Community Cinema: TAKING THE HEAT: The First Women Firefighters of NYC, March 17, 7:00 pm at the Henry St. John Building, 301 S. Geneva Street, Ithaca. About the film: With the story of Lt. Brenda Berkman of the Fire Department of New York at its core, TAKING THE HEAT explores the history of women firefighters in America and the price these women paid to serve their communities in a system that was, and still is, heavily biased against them.
Sponsored by Southern Tier Advocacy & Mitigation Project, Inc. (S.T.A.M.P.), a new, local, all-volunteer not-for-profit organization, Community Cinema is free, open to the public, and will be offered every third Friday through the summer. The screening is handicapped accessible, and all are welcome. More info on the film: (http://www.itvs.org/outreach/takingtheheat/),
(http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/takingtheheat/index.html), and more info on Community Cinema: (http://www.guerrilla-griots.org).

Sister2Sister, event for Middle School Girls, March 18, Women’s Community Building.

This is the sixth annual event and the theme is “Finding Your Place: Roles Girls Play.”  Event runs from 9:30 am-3:30 pm. High school girls guide the middle school girls in the small group activities, and local professionals and members of a Cornell student group, the WOmentors, orient the high school mentors for their role. After hearing from a panel of women speakers and meeting their mentors, there will be a lunch break and the “Love Your Body Fair,” which features such things as hair braiding, massage, face-painting and information on healthy lifestyles. Afterward, more small group activities are planned on the theme. More info: (http://www.s2sithaca.org), 280-4380 or mailto:s2sithaca@yahoo.com. $5.00 fee can be waived.

‘Crossing Borders’ Live Radio broadcasts March 18 and March 25. Crossing Borders is a multi-cultural concert series broadcast live on WVBR, 93.5FM, 8:00 to 10:00 pm every Saturday, from the Carriage House Cafe at 305 Stewart Avenue, Ithaca. March 18 is Caribe Jazz All Stars. March 25 is Cushing Bagpipe & Co., A.K.A. the Family Cushing. Fee. For more info: (http://www.Crossingborderslive.org) or mailto:Crossingborderslive@yahoo.com. Special Crossing Borders performance Friday March 17, 8:00 pm featuring Walter Strauss and Tensleep.

MUSIC and MAGIC for MIRA: Concert to benefit local toddler with rare brain cancer, Sunday March 19, 12:00-3:00 pm, Boynton Middle School. Performers include John Simon, Tom Knight,
Radio London, Vitamin L Chorus and Moreland the Magician. Refreshments for sale. Donations will be accepted at the door. For more information about the concert, contact Jennifer Lawrence Birnbaum at 277-SONG, or (http://www.momsclubofithaca.org/mira). 

Artist to give talk and screen film on devotional fabric art from India, March 19 2:00 pm, Community School of Music and Arts, 330 E. State Street, Ithaca. Isadora Gabrielle Leidenfrost will show her documentary film, “Unconscious Eloquence: an Exploration of Textiles of the Mother Goddess” and talk about her experiences in India with the makers of devotional fabric art in Gujarat, India. “Unconscious Eloquence” is a 27 minute documentary that introduces a textile tradition of the Gujarati culture of northwestern India. Free and open to the public. 

“A Song in my Heart,” a recital of art songs by Felix Mendelssohn, Maurice Ravel, and others with soprano Jennifer Hahn and pianist Rebekah Miller, March 19, 3:00 pm, Community School of Music and Arts, 330 E. State Street, Ithaca. The recital will be held in CSMA’s historic Third Floor Performance Space. Tickets are $5, and $15 for a family, and can be purchased at the door. More info: 272-1474, or mailto:info@csma-ithaca.org.

MaryAnne Marino, pop-folky singer-songwriter. March 19, Felicia’s Atomic Lounge, 508 West State Street, 273-2219. 7:00 pm (http://www.maryannemarino.com). Free.

Poetry Reading March 22, 7:00 pm, Muller Chapel at Ithaca College. Alumnae poet Bridget Meeds will present a reading in honor of the 50th anniversary of the School of Humanities and Sciences. She will read poems about Onondaga Lake and its history of pollution, as well as a sequence about the war in Iraq. She will be joined by current student poets Meg Webster, Sean Frasier, and Zachary Vickers.

50-hour radio marathon to benefit Advocacy Center. Ithaca College’s Internet-Based Radio Station, 106 VIC, will host its annual 50-hour marathon March 24-26. It will be webcast on (http://www.106VIC.org) and on 92 WICB, 91.7 FM. More info: (http://www.ithaca.edu/50hourmarathon).

Poetry Reading March 25, 3:30 pm, with poets Steven Huff and Bruce Need. Community School of Music and Arts, 330 East State Street, Ithaca. Reading is followed by an open reading and listeners are encouraged to bring a poem of their own to share. Free.

First Annual Gala Benefit for the Ithaca Free Clinic, March 25, Olivia Restaurant, 6:00-9:00 pm. Proceeds from the Gala Benefit will go directly towards providing Tompkins County residents with free health services. Tickets are $100/per person, and will include a sumptuous array of food and spirits prepared especially for this event by Olivia, as well as music and an auction. More info, or to get tickets, call Sarah, 277-0673 or mailto:sb_clarke@yahoo.com.

“Lift Every Voice; Tear Down the Walls:” Benefit for Village At Ithaca, 7:00 pm March 25 at St. Paul’s Methodist Church, Court and Aurora Streets. Mayor Carolyn Peterson will perform with Rick Manning and the Uncommon Council; Tompkins County poet laureate Michelle Berry will offer up a special piece about race, relationships and community; and, Fe Nunn and area youth will add their voices, too, at the annual St. Paul’s/Calvary Baptist musical celebration, Lift Every Voice, Tear Down the Walls. Proceeds of Lift Every Voice IV will again support the mission of the Village at Ithaca, a grassroots organization that works to ensure African-American, Latino, and low-income students in the Ithaca City School District have access to the resources they need to excel. (http://www.villageatithaca.org) Suggested donation at the door is $8; K-12 students and younger admitted free.

The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art Presents: The Architect's Brother, March 25-June 11. Robert ParkeHarrison’s photography constructs stories of healing and restoration amid landscapes scarred by technology and overuse, reminding us to consider the state of our one and only earth. Robert’s wife, Shana, collaborates with him to produce the work. The exhibition has been organized by George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film. On March 30 at 5:15 pm, the artists will give a talk about their work.

Art Opening, Upstairs Gallery, March 28: Kenneth Evett: a Retrospective Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings March 28 - April 22. Gallery open Tuesday-Saturday 11:00 am–3:00pm.

The exhibition of works by the late Kenneth Evett, painter, art critic and professor of art at Cornell University from 1948 to 1979 will be on display and for sale at the Upstairs Gallery in the DeWitt Building, Office Complex, 215 N. Cayuga St. Ithaca.

Israeli artist Yair Dalal brings message of peace through music, 7:00 pm March 30, Unitarian Church, Buffalo and Aurora Streets, Ithaca. Israeli musician and peace activist Yair Dalal perform a collaborative concert with local students and musicians. The “Time for Peace” concert will feature VOICES: Ithaca Community Multicultural Chorus, Cornell University Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, student musicians from the Community Music Education Project and a local Jewish and Muslim children’s choir. All these singers and musicians will come together to perform Mr. Dalal’s composition Zaman el Salaam—“Time for Peace,” in Arabic and Hebrew.  Advance tickets are available for $8 at Small World Music, Ithaca Guitar Works, and McNeil Music. Tickets are $10 at the door. Children 12 and under will be admitted free of charge.

One-Heart Community Drum Circle. Every Saturday at Lehman Alternative Community School, 111 Chestnut Street, Ithaca. 6:00-9:00 pm. Bring drums, or just show up to play. More info: Steve Calkins, mailto:ecstacy2@earthlink.net. 

Public Hearing: On March 21, 5:30 pm, the Tompkins County Legislature will hold a public hearing in regards to the inclusion of two parcels to Agricultural District 1 (East Side of Cayuga Lake).  The parcels cover a total of 71.36 acres and are located at 184 Lower Creek Road, Etna and 583 Sheldon Road, Etna. Pursuant to New York State Agricultural District Law, the Legislature is required to hold a public hearing when landowners request inclusion into Agricultural Districts. The meeting will be held in the Legislative Chambers of the Tompkins County Courthouse, 320 North Tioga Street, Ithaca. More info: 274-5434

First Colombian Documentary and Short Film Festival (Mar 31-April 2) seeks volunteers.

The free, three-day weekend event needs volunteer judges to watch the films and help them choose the best films in each category. There will be more than 45 documentaries and shorts produced by Colombians. The subjects of this films range from socio-political issues, race and gender, internal conflict, displacement to national cultural values. Judges will have the opportunity to observe first hand these fantastic works, and will be provided with food and some gifts for helping. It is a great opportunity to interact with people and to get to know more about Colombia. They also need a couple of volunteers during the film festival and in the days leading up to the festival to help with last minute details. TO VOLUNTEER: contact Enrique Caicedo: mailto:caicedo14850@yahoo.com (http://colombiandocufilm.tripod.com/participantes.html).

The Finger Lakes Runners Club has started a shoe recycling program. They are collecting shoes at all of their races OR by contacting Diane Yates to work out a better time and location for those unable/uninterested in attending a local run. More info: mailto:diane_yates@hotmail.com, or (http://www.fingerlakesrunners.org/programs/recycleshoes.html).

MONTHLY IBCA E-NEWS. Every month, the Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance sends out a free e-news with information about IBCA events, interesting websites about breast cancer, and noteworthy breast cancer news. To add your name to the list of recipients, please send an e-mail to mailto:info@ibca.net.

Significant Elements Spring Clearance Sale, March 16-18. Significant Elements Warehouse, 212 Center Street (corner S. Plain St), Ithaca. Significant Elements saves quality items from being lost to landfills. More info: (http://www.significantelements.org).

PEGASYS Access Oversight Committee meeting, March 20, 4:30-6:00 pm, in the PEGASYS studio, 612 W. Green St., Ithaca. The Access Oversight Committee reviews and monitors public access television policies, facilities, hours and staffing. All meetings are open and include a public comment period. More info: 272-7272.

The League of Women Voters will hold an informational program: The Unmet Needs of Children Living in Poverty, March 28, 7:00-9:00 pm, Salvation Army Community Center, 150 North Albany Street. Starting in September 2004, The Tompkins County League of Women Voters organized a group to study the conditions of children (prenatal to 11 years) living in poverty in Tompkins County. The focus of the study is to determine available services that provide for the basic needs of housing, food, clothing, health care and childcare, to identify unmet needs and gaps in services, and address barriers to information and access to services. The presentations will be followed by a discussion session with community members and representatives from local agencies and organizations.

What’s lurking in your food? A Lecture on Food Safety. March 15, 7:30 pm, Boyce Thompson Institute Auditorium, Tower Rd, Cornell University. (Parking is available at Peterson Lot across from the Cornell Dairy Bar and behind the Boyce Thompson Institute.) Kathryn J. Boor, Associate Professor, Food Science Department, Cornell, will talk about food safety. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Experiences with Houseplants, tonight, March 15, 6:30-8:30 pm. Tom Weiler of Cornell’s Horticulture Department will review and continue the “Houseplants--The Basics” discussion started on January 19, emphasizing reasons for the successes and challenges attendees are experiencing with their houseplants. Presented at the Tompkins County Cooperative Extension Education Center, 615 Willow Avenue, Ithaca. Fee: $5.  Pre-registration preferred. Please call 272-2292 for more information or registration.

Caring for Aging Parents Support Group. The monthly, evening support group for those caring for aging parents or other elderly relatives, sponsored by the Tompkins County Office for the Aging, will meet tonight, March 15, from 7:00-8:30 pm at Lifelong, 119 W. Court Street, Ithaca. Whether caring for a loved one from a distance or nearby, those providing emotional/physical support for elderly parents or other older relatives or friends are invited to come and share their experiences and concerns, and learn from others. More info: Jane Baker Segelken, 274-5488, or mailto:jsegelken@tompkins-co.org.

Immigrants in Tompkins County: Challenges and Contributions. March 16, 7:00 pm, First Presbyterian Church on Cayuga Street (in Dodds Hall—enter through the Court Street entrance). The program will feature a panel presentation by six immigrants to the Ithaca community from Chile, El Salvador, Burundi, Morocco, Burma and Laos. There will be time for questions and discussion too.

Parents Apart Class to meet March 20 and 27, 6:00-9:00 pm. Parents Apart is a program for parents wanting to promote a healthy adjustment for their child during separation and divorce. Parents Apart is a six-hour program taught in two three-hour classes and offers tools for parents to help their children cope with separation and divorce and adjust to a changing family structure. Call the Community Dispute Resolution Center at 273-9347 for more information. 

Coping With the Loss of Your Pet, March 20, 2:00-4:00 pm. Sponsored by the Colonial Veterinary Hospital, the session is designed to encourage participants to pay tribute to their pets and provide support to each other. People that have experienced the loss of a pet are invited to come and share their stories through writing and reading. The session will be led by Jane Baker Segelken, a writer, health advocate, and animal lover who has held writing sessions for those dealing with variety of situations. Free, but registration is required. More info or to sign up call Colonial Veterinary Hospital at 257-3650.

Gardening Class for the New Gardener, March 22, 6:30-8:30, Cooperative Extension. Try your hand at vegetable gardening this year by starting with a few easy vegetables, such as tomatoes, lettuce, sunflowers, or garlic. Pat Curran, Horticulture Program Manager, will discuss these and more—also favorite varieties, soil preparation, starting seeds versus buying plants, stretching the season, and when to harvest.  Participants will also have an opportunity to browse the seed cabinets at Extension and take home free seeds. This workshop will be held Tompkins County Cooperative Extension Education Center, 615 Willow Avenue, Ithaca. Fee $5; limited to 20 participants; pre-registration preferred.  Please call 272-2292 for more information or registration.

Monday Night Seminar at the Lab of Ornithology: “From Walden to Wall Street: Frontiers of Conservation Finance.” March 27, 7:30 pm. Caren Cooper of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology will give a talk entitled “Bird Declines in Fragmented Landscapes: Lessons from Australia.”
The loss and fragmentation of natural habitat is a major threat to avian biodiversity worldwide, but the reasons differ depending on the region. In North America, but not in Australia, habitat fragmentation results in elevated nest predation and brood parasitism. In this talk, Caren will explain the behavioral ecology of the Brown Treecreeper and another mechanism by which fragmentation causes population declines. Free. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is located on Sapsucker Woods Road, just off Route 13, north of Ithaca.

“The Herbalist and Herbal Medicine” with 7Song, director of the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine (http://www.7song.com), March 28, 7:00 pm, at the Ithaca Free Clinic, 225 S. Fulton St, Suite B. 7Song, who has been studying, teaching and practicing herbal medicine for over 20 years, will talk about herbal medicine and practicing as a clinical herbalist. This class will provide an overview of herbal remedies and discuss practical ways to understand and use these medicines. It will also examine how clinical herbalists assess clients, formulate and prepare herbal medicines. 7Song is a practicing herbalist and steering committee member of the Ithaca Free Clinic. (http://www.ithacahealth.org/clinic.htm). More info: mailto:office@ithacahealth.org, or (607) 330-1253.

Parenting: the Hardest Job in the World. This series welcomes parents of children with special social, emotional, and behavioral needs. Join Lisa Pate and Travis Winter, Tuesday evenings March 28-May 23, 6:00-8:00 pm, T-S-T BOCES Smith School, 555 Warren Rd. Learn how to talk with your child (any age!) using the five skills: Encouragement, Can Do, Choices, Self Control and Respecting Feelings. Free classes, snacks and child care. Call 272-2292 to register, for free childcare call by Friday March 17.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Spring Field Ornithology course begins March 29 and runs through May 21. For novice and expert alike, this eight-week course will clear the cobwebs of winter and hone knowledge of bird behavior and identification skills. Spring Field Ornithology is offered in two sections: Wednesday night lectures and guided weekend field trips. The lectures are held at the Lab on Sapsucker Woods Road and led by Dr. Stephen Kress, National Audubon Society’s vice president for bird conservation. Drs. Ken Rosenberg, Kimberly Bostwick, and David Winkler are among those who will lecture on a variety of topics, including eggs and nests, why birds sing, courtship rituals, and conservation. More info or to sign up: 254-2452 (outside Ithaca, 800-843-2473), mailto:sfoclass@cornell.edu, or go to the Spring Field Ornithology web site at (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/sfo). You can also email any questions to

Permaculture Fundamentals: Weekend Workshop, held at ECOVILLAGE in Ithaca: Friday, March 31 - Sunday, April 2. Instructors Stephen Gabriel and Karryn Olson-Ramanujan will provide an overview of the ethics, principles, and techniques of permaculture with a focus on practical application of design strategies for sustainable living. Cost: Sliding Scale $100 - 250 ($50 non-refundable deposit reserves your spot.) Sponsored by the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute. More info: (http://www.flpci.org), or 607-319-0737.

Space Exploration shouldn’t be Lumped in with Defense Spending:

“Dear Elizabeth: As one of many planetary scientists working here in Ithaca, I was very disappointed to see that you lumped space exploration in with defense weapons as negative aspects of the federal budget in your recent ICN. I should think we could all get behind learning about the origins of our planet, learning how its complex systems interact to produce the environment, learning how changes to those systems will change the environment, searching for life in extreme environments (including on Mars, Europa, Titan, and extrasolar planets), and inspiring kids to learn math and science.  NASA’s Earth-observing satellites are optimized for the long-term climate studies that are crucial in the global-warming debate. They are providing irrefutable data in volumes and accuracies undreamt of just 10 years ago. These data are winning over both scientific and public opinion, making the nay-saying of big business and the congresspeople they own sound ever more pathetic. Senior NASA personnel are so outspoken on global warming that the Bush administration recently subjected the director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in NYC to routine censorship for his remarks in this area. But, Bush can't hide the truth, whose emergence is due in large part to our investment in space exploration…. NASA’s budget is a tiny fraction of what the US spends on killing people. Space weapons, such as we have them, and surveillance satellites are entirely a project of the DoD and the military branch of DoE, and are under no reasonable concept a part of space exploration, or of NASA.”—Dr. Joe Harrington. (This letter was heavily edited due to space constraints, but can be read in its entirety at (http://www.ithacanews.org/letters/harrington.html).

-----[REPLY]: Dear Dr. Harrington, Just to clarify, I wasn’t lumping together space exploration with defense weapons as negative aspects of the federal budget. I was pointing out that these two programs were the bulk of the $2.2 billion increase in federal spending over all the other federal science programs available. I appreciate that you took the time to explain more of how NASA spends its money, where it fits in with the overall budget, and also how NASA programs benefit us locally. I am also acutely aware of the gag rules placed on senior NASA officials when it comes to global warming, and appreciate that scientists are speaking out regardless. Thanks also for pointing out that space weapons are not NASA projects but are in fact projects of the Department of Defense and military branch of the DoE. 

“Dear Elizabeth and ICN readers,

I am writing to you on behalf of Ithaca Biodiesel, a small cooperative group in Ithaca that produces biodiesel from recycled restaurant fryer oil. We have constructed a processor, and have been producing fuel that we have sold to Musefest and used in our own cars. We are navigating the path of finding a winterized (heated) space that meets code requirements for what we are doing, officially a form of “chemical manufacturing.” To do this, we need to do considerable fundraising in order to pay rent and finance certain modifications to the building we are prospectively moving into in order for it to meet the code requirements. Our mission is to produce fuel for diesel engines that reduces emissions and strengthens the local economy. Eventually we would like to provide fuel to more people than just ourselves, possibly in the form of a coop, although we have not yet solidified our organizational structure.

“On Sunday, May 14, The Haunt is sponsoring a fundraiser for us. Our vision is to have a big Environmental Fair, themed Party for Mother Earth (Mother’s Day) with lots of booths from different community organizations and green businesses. We plan to have slide show and presentation on peak oil, activities for kids, $1 and $5 raffles, and the band Thousands of One will play towards the end of the afternoon. The timeframe is set-up from noon – 1:00pm, doors open at 1:00pm, 1:00 – 5:30 is the event, and the band would play at 4:00pm. We changed this date at the suggestion of Gay Nicholson, who pointed out that our original date of April 23rd, Earth Day, conflicted with the Earth Day Fair at the Farmers’ Market. We are hoping that many of the same groups who table there are willing to participate in the IB fundraiser. We would like to invite you, as representatives of green organizations, to table at this event, or to donate door prizes for the raffles. This can be a really wonderful community while also helping Ithaca Biodiesel raise money to advance our project. Our goal is to not only work towards a cleaner and green environment, but to specifically serve the Ithaca community. Please get in touch if you have any further questions or would like to participate in any way. I can be reached by phone at 607-342-1071, or mailto:micaela@spiralupworks.com.  Thank you for your time in considering this request.” –Micaela Cook, Ithaca Biodiesel.

-----[REPLY]:  Dear Micaela, Thanks for writing. I hope you get a lot of responses for this new venture. I’ll see you at the IB fair!  

“Hi Elizabeth, Thanks so much for including a blurb about our Ithaca Stitch n’ Bitch group! My friend and I started the group over two years ago and have met so many wonderful and talented knitters & crocheters. We are pleased to report that the group is still going strong with new stitchers stopping by every week.  In fact, just this past Wednesday someone came because she saw the link in your newsletter! Hooray! Anyway, if you are ever in the mood for some stitchin' or bitchin' feel free to drop by. Thanks again”—Natasha Thompson.

-----[REPLY]: Hi Natasha, Thanks for the invite. Actually, my fourteen year old daughter is the knitter in the family, but I would like to learn, so maybe we’ll drop by one of these nights. For anyone else who’s interested, Ithaca Stitch n’ Bitch meets Wednesdays at Gimme! Coffee on State Street at 7:00 pm.

“Am I missing something or are there no longer classified ads in the Community News? If not, why?”—Bonnie Tyler.

-----[REPLY]: Hi Bonnie, As part of the redesign of the web site, I am also redesigning the classified section. The new Ithaca Classified site will be much easier to use, and it will always be current. There were two major problems with the free listings: one was that anyone could list their business or service, so it often filled with spam; the other was that ads could stay up for any length of time, even long after they expired, which virtually rendered the service unreliable. The new Ithaca Classifieds should be up and running within a month. There will be a small fee to list goods and services, but it will be a reliable source for local businesses, sellers and buyers. Sellers will still be able to state how much in Ithaca HOURS they will accept, and they will have the option of posting photos as well. Thanks for asking! I’ll let you and everyone know when the new site is available.     

If you're thinking of writing to Ithaca Community News, give in to the temptation. Send emails to Elizabeth Bauchner: mailto:ebauchne@twcny.rr.com.

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