Independance day weather, Cornell interim president Kotlikoff, neighbor's fruit?

Good morning ☀️

It’s Wednesday, and today I’m helping you plan out this weekend in Tompkins County if you’re sticking around during Independence Day festivities.

Speaking of, I want your help making this Fourth of July special. Please send me your best fireworks photos or pictures of how you’re celebrating the holiday at jmack@gannett.com to share here, and click here to sign up for more newsletters like this .

There will be no newsletter tomorrow in light of the holiday, but I hope it gives you all a chance to relax and enjoy the company of family and friends.

Without further ado, here’s what the weather is looking like for the later half of this week.

Fourth of July weather: high 80s, potential for Wednesday, Friday rain

A cool and gentle start will give way to hot and more humid temperatures as the week progresses, with temperatures hovering near 90 degrees by midweek.

A high-pressure system will hover over the Finger Lakes Monday and Tuesday, creating conditions for sunny skies, comfortable temperatures and low humidity, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo. It will be followed by warm and humid weather, however, with the daily high approaching 90 degrees by Wednesday.

Those warmer temperatures will bring instability, generating a chance of thunderstorms Wednesday and Friday, according to the forecast. The high temperature is expected to stay in the upper 80s through the end of the work week.

Learn more about upcoming weather closing out this week in this recent weather report by Steve Howe.

Here’s some more of what you need to know today

• The end of an era for Cornell, and the beginning of another: Cornell University’s Michael Kotlikoff began his two-year term as interim president of the college this week, nearly two months after former president Martha Pollack announced her decision to retire from the post. Kotlikoff is continuing a 24-year career at Ithaca’s Ivy League. Learn more about him and his vision for the school here.
• Traffic fatalities surge statewide: New York tallied 1,175 traffic fatalities in 2022, the highest total in a decade, with Long Island’s 245 far surpassing all other parts of the state, according to a state comptroller’s report. Get a regional breakdown of the surge in NY traffic deaths in this article by Thomas Zambito.
• It’s not your property, but could it be your snack?: Who owns the fruit hanging over public space or over your own private property? Many are unaware that the simple act of picking a petal, apple or cherry could land them in legal hot water. Learn how from this article by Victoria Freile.

Fourth of July festivities aren’t the only thing going on in Ithaca this weekend

Splash at Stewart Park, listen to live music, or delight in paintings this weekend in Ithaca, as people nationwide celebrate the start of summer.

If you’re looking for fireworks in the area, I’ve got you covered with this article , which I talked about in yesterday’s newsletter.

Onto other events this weekend, the Stewart Park Splash Pad – a place where children can cool off and play in an array of sprinklers and water drippers  – is opening up July 4, with free carousel rides from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the park Thursday to celebrate.

The Grayhaven Motel Lounge at 657 Elmira Road is hosting a gallery of acrylic paintings, “Living Color” by Julia DeGroat, from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday July 5. Read more about DeGroat, her paintings, and the event here.

If you prefer art you can hear rather than see, join a music performance in The Gallery at South Hill from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday July 6 .  Julia K. Wright's one person exhibit "Structure Mapping" will be featuring a music performance by Steve Ryu and Nic Mathisen.

I hope this gives you something to do besides barbecue and watching sky rockets explode, but I can’t say I plan on doing much else!

That’s all I’ve got for you today.

Check your inbox for more updates, and feel free to reach out to me at jmack@gannett.com regarding this newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Ithaca Journal: Independance day weather, Cornell interim president Kotlikoff, neighbor's fruit?