Coddington nets over $5M, Keuka Lake Wine tour named best, NY closed illegal weed shops

Good morning and happy Friday ☀️

Congratulations on making it through another week. 🥳 I hope it was productive or relaxing for you.

Regardless, I’ll be sharing some local love from the Ithaca area with you later on in this newsletter to help you kick the weekend off right.

If you have any Finger Lakes moments you’d like to share, send me your best photos and a short passage to JMack@gannett.com so I can share the love with other readers this Friday.

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Without further ado, here’s an update on childcare in Tompkins County receiving a big boost.

Coddington Road Community Center receives $4.3M for expansion

The New York State Comptroller recently reported that Tompkins County had one of the lowest rates of available childcare in the state, limiting access to employment for many families with children in the area.

To help remedy the issue, Assemblymember Anna Kelles, D-Freeville, announced Tuesday that $4.3 million in grants - finalized last fall through the state Capital Assistance Program - will expand childcare and training for care providers across the county.

An event announcing the funding at the Coddington Road Community Center on Wednesday showcased the "Building Community at Coddington Expansion Project," aiming to expand the facility with a full-size gymnasium, a commercial kitchen, and additional childcare spaces allowing the center to extend childcare programs to more families in Tompkins County.

Learn more about the grant award and what’s being planned for the funds here.

Here’s some more of what you need to know this weekend

• A Finger Lakes Winery on Keuka Lake was recently named best in its class for wine tours: The Hammondsport winery also ranked in the top-10 of the Best Wine Tasting Room category, placing fifth .

• Ithaca is pushing for protections, but this time it’s not for people: According to the Ithaca Times, in an effort to protect its avian population , the city of Ithaca is considering a groundbreaking ordinance requiring bird-friendly design standards for new construction projects.

• New York shuttered 1,000 illegal weed shops since April : Following the botched rollout of the states legal cannabis industry, state officials seized a total of $110 million worth of illegal cannabis products since May 2023.

Some love for Loaves and Fishes, more Tompkins County recognition

Senator Lea Webb recently shared that she presented Leaves and Fishes of Tompkins County with a proclamation from the New York State Senate to recognize the organization’s 40 years of dedication to those in need. Since 1983, Loaves and Fishes has turned Ithaca’s St. John’s Church into a hub for free meals and hospitality for those who don’t get enough of either.

For some more giving back, look no further than the Ithaca Police Department , whose team won a recent charity softball tournament at Ithaca College for the benefit of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

For another recent Ithaca sporting event with a good cause, Special Olympics New York took to Ithaca College in June and Grace Collins recently put this story together on the positive connections and impact that the summer games have had on Ithaca and the over 1,200 athletes and coaches it had on campus.

That's about all I've got for you this week, but check your inbox Monday for more updates, and feel free to reach out to me at jmack@gannett.com with any comments, questions or concerns regarding this newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Ithaca Journal: Coddington nets over $5M, Keuka Lake Wine tour named best, NY closed illegal weed shops