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The Ithaca Voice
Work to replace water main to close part of Seneca Street starting this week
ITHACA, N.Y. — City workers will begin to replace the water main that currently runs under East Seneca Street between Schuyler Place and Stewart Avenue. Construction is expected to take seven weeks beginning on Tuesday, June 11. Work is scheduled to be completed on July 31, according to a...
SouthWorks project seeks tax deal for Emerson site on South Hill
ITHACA, N.Y. — It’s been over a decade since concept plans for the Morse Chain / Emerson Power Transmission property on South Hill were first shared with the public. Now, with approvals in hand and a ten-year environmental cleanup process largely completed, the project team is seeking a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement as they hope to finally move forward with site redevelopment in 2025.
Weather: Drier and hotter as week continues
ITHACA, N.Y. — It’s a cool and showery close to the weekend. However, for those yearning to get some outdoor grilling or pool time in, drier and substantially weather will work its way into the area towards the middle of the week, with more pleasant, seasonable, conditions on tap for next weekend. No major weather disruptions are anticipated during the week ahead, though we will need to keep an eye on a potential heat wave heading into the second half of June.
Dryden Road parking garage closing Monday
ITHACA, N.Y. — The municipal parking garage at 118 Dryden Road in Ithaca’s Collegetown neighborhood will be closed for two weeks for repairs beginning on June 17. City workers will repair concrete slabs and repaint the garage’s traffic deck, according to a statement from city officials released Friday.
Ithaca Bikeshare sees rising ridership despite questions over long-term funding
ITHACA, N.Y. — Local non-profit electric bicycle rental service Ithaca Bikeshare reached its 100,000th ride last month after 18 months in operation. A spokesperson from the non-profit that operates the service said there has been a 15% increase in ridership between 2023 and 2024 so far. Ithaca Bikeshare, which...
Longtime downtown gallery owner to retire after 52 years
ITHACA, N.Y. — After a 52-year tenure in the craft world, the owner of Ithaca’s iconic American Crafts gallery will begin his journey into retirement. Robbie Dein began his creative career in 1972 when he opened a small studio and gallery in Varna called People’s Pottery. Decades later, Dein’s small beginnings in a personal passion project have morphed into an Ithaca institution, beloved by locals and visitors.
Traffic stop data released as part of law enforcement transparency push
TOMPKINS COUNTY — The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office unveiled a dashboard that makes it easier for the public to access data on county-wide traffic enforcement stops. The new site is the latest in a series of publicly accessible databases released by local law enforcement agencies under recommendations from Ithaca’s landmark police reform initiative, Reimagining Public Safety.
Semi-pro hockey team expanding to Lansing in 2024
ITHACA, N.Y. — The Elmira Impact, a semi-pro ice hockey team in the United States Premier Hockey League, will move part of its operations north to The Rink in Lansing for this upcoming season. The Impact, which was founded five years ago as part of the US Premier Hockey...
Ithaca school board finalizes new budget proposal for re-vote
ITHACA, N.Y. — The Ithaca City School District (ICSD) will ask voters to approve a new proposed operating budget that would increase overall spending by 2.8%. The original budget, which failed during an initial election on May 21, included a 6.5% increase to overall spending. School board members voted...
Trails close after “potentially rabid” coyote seen in Monkey Run natural area
ITHACA, N.Y. — The environmental health division at Tompkins County Whole Health sent a health alert Tuesday to warn residents of a “potentially rabid” coyote in the Monkey Run Natural Area of the Cornell Botanical Gardens in Dryden. Multiple people and dogs have been attacked by a...
Hochul announces new public lands on Cayuga Lake in Lansing
ITHACA, N.Y. — A large swath of Cayuga Lake’s eastern shoreline in Lansing will soon open for public use as an established wildlife management area. The property was formerly known as Bell Station and was owned by NYSEG. The Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Fish and...
Obituary: Matthew F. Watros
Matthew F. Watros, 60, of Newfield, N.Y., passed away peacefully at home on May 27, 2024. Incapacitated in the last few days of his life, Matt was lovingly cared for by his entire family, but when he took his last breath, it was with his little sister Tammy and faithful dog, Max, at his side, with his wife, Pam, and son Dylan just steps away.
Ithaca council to consider “good-cause” eviction law
ITHACA, N.Y. — The Common Council will soon consider a proposal for a “good-cause” eviction law, a tenant protection policy that limits rent hikes and a landlords’ ability to terminate a tenant’s lease under certain circumstances. The news comes after state lawmakers passed a bill...
Gallery: Ithaca Festival 2024 draws weekend crowds
ITHACA, N.Y. — Thousands of revelers descended on downtown Ithaca over the weekend for the annual Ithaca Festival celebrations. The festival kicked off with a parade through the heart of Fall Creek Thursday evening. Festival-goers enjoyed sunny weather throughout Friday and most of the weekend while perusing offerings from local vendors, artisans, community organizations and performers.
Man dies days after suspected overdose in Tompkins County Jail
ITHACA, N.Y. — An inmate at the Tompkins County Jail was transported to Cayuga Medical Center (CMC) the night of May 29 after experiencing what paramedics described as “cardiac arrest” after a suspected drug overdose, according to archived police scanner recordings. The man later died after he had been released from custody.
Council to vote on $171k consultant fees for wastewater plant improvements
ITHACA, N.Y. — The Common Council will vote Wednesday to spend $171,420 on consultant services to plan for an upcoming multi-million investment into the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility. It’s the City of Ithaca’s share of a $300,000 bill that will pay for consultants to plan out what officials...
Calculator: how the proposed Ithaca school budgets could affect taxes
ITHACA, N.Y. — After the Ithaca City School District’s (ICSD) original budget proposal failed by record breaking margins last month, district officials are weighing alternate plans to put before voters during a re-vote election on June 18. You can use the calculator below to explore how each of...
Weather: Increasing heat & humidity, but a cooler weekend
ITHACA, N.Y. — Frankly, with temperatures as mild and dewpoints as low as they’ve been the past few days, it’s been pretty darn pleasant. (Funny, because for years I’ve joked the Ithaca Festival had invoked some kind of curse to always bring bad weather upon itself.) We’ll see some warm, humid, and stormy summer-like conditions as we head into the middle of the week, but cooler if still unsettled conditions will arrive for next weekend. No major weather-related disruptions are expected this week.
Gallery: Ithaca Festival Parade 2024
ITHACA, N.Y. — Hundreds of Ithacans marked the unofficial start to summer during the 47th annual Ithaca Festival Parade. Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo and his family led the parade along with law enforcement officials and Alderperson Ducson Nguyen. Marchers — among them a delegation of bottle gourd enthusiasts, several...
Planning Board Recap: Townhomes near Ithaca Falls obtain approval
ITHACA, N.Y. — If this month’s City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board meeting could be described in one word, it would be “pithy”. While on the shorter side as these meetings tend to go, it was rather dense with material. One project got the green light of final Site Plan Approval, while plans for a large mixed-use development along the waterfront stared down a very long review timeline. In contrast, Cornell tried to reduce their timeline by splitting a project up into two independent submissions, a move which had to be approved by the planning board.
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