Good morning ☀️
It’s Tuesday, so I’m digging through my inbox to help solve some of my reader's problems later on in today’s newsletter.
If someone forwarded this to you, click the sign-up link here for more updates, and don’t forget to spread the word to anyone else who might enjoy giving it a read.
Without further ado, here's a look at what was going on at Cornell this past weekend.
Cornell encampment protest continues, despite threat of suspensions
The most recent string of protests at Ithaca’s own Ivy League school, Cornell University, began Thursday, as a group of students staged a pre-dawn demonstration on the university’s Arts Quad, including signs supporting Palestine and denouncing the university's connection to research and development of weapons for the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
The university suspended four students, including graduate students Bianca Waked and Momodou Taal, alongside sophomore Nick Wilson and a student who declined to share their identity, according to the Cornell Daily Sun, for choosing to remain in the encampment after the university’s 8 p.m. deadline — the originally denoted end time for the “art installation” event that the Coalition for Mutual Liberation applied for with the university.
A statement released by Joel Malina, Cornell’s Vice President for University Relations on Saturday, suggested that the university would prepare to “issue additional suspensions,” noting that some college staff were “deeply distressed by chants made at some of the rallies near the encampment, particularly the phrase, “There is only one solution: Intifada Revolution.”
“The protesting group has repeatedly stated that their protest is political and not anti-Semitic, but these chants belie that claim,” Malina said.
Get more details on the protests in my most recent article on the subject .
Here’s some more of what you need to know today
Voucher program aims to change family caregiving in NY: The New York State Caregiving & Respite Coalition supports family caregivers through training, education and access to respite resources. Specifically, the coalition offers reimbursement up to $600 for respite care, aiming to provide financial relief and a break to some of the 4.1 million family caregivers statewide.
Don’t fall victim to this new con - E-Z Pass customers targeted in text message toll scam: The New York State Thruway Authority is warning New Yorkers of a scam targeting E-Z Pass customers where scammers pretend to collect tolls through text messages. Find out what to look for in this article by Emily Barnes.
A karaoke lounge is burning Ithaca mouths to feed families: K-HOUSE Karaoke is hosting a spicy fundraiser to help feed more than 100 families each week, according to 14850.com. For every portion of spicy ramen you eat, they’ll donate $10 .
Keeping critters off your plants: some natural solutions
My lovely partner Ellie and I haven’t been on our own for very long, in fact, this is the first real year we’ll be having to maintain our lawn and keep the critters off whatever we decide to grow in our garden. Many of you have reached out to me for some tips relating to this, so I’ll give you the best info I can find.
Managing your yard and garden really comes down to what pests and diseases you may encounter, and how you decide to tackle them. Our land doesn’t have the best nutrients, so we’re working on some raised garden beds for our plants this year, which will also probably help deter any pests.
If your plants have been coming out chewed, try managing your local insect population by putting up a birdhouse, or introducing beneficial insects to your garden. As BirdandBlooms.com says , birds will manage pests for you, with many of them eating more than their weight in bugs each day.
As for beneficial bugs, ladybugs have been known to fight against aphids, mites, and other creepy crawlies that may seem bent on destroying your plantings.
Another tip we’ll be taking advantage of is companion planting, finding two plants that work well together and fend off their natural predators when planted side-by-side. “One of my favorite combinations is alternating rows of carrots and onions. Together, they keep carrot flies and onion maggots away,” says Birds & Blooms field editor Sue Gronholz of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.
One last word of advice: find a hungry feline friend to man the fort. Nothing seems to want to visit our yard anymore once Mona started her daily strolls outside … well, nothing except brave squirrels that is. Now that I’m thinking about it, maybe brave isn’t the right word ….
That’s about it for me today, check your inbox tomorrow for more updates.
Feel free to reach out to me at jmack@gannett.com for any comments, questions, or concerns about this newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Ithaca Journal: Cornell protests continue, E-Z pass scamming, Karaoke fundraiser, caregiving vouchers
Local News
