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Ithaca City School District Election Roundup The district-wide Ithaca City School District election is coming up on May 21. Eligible voters in the district will vote on three ballot measures and for candidates for three seats on the school board. The first measure is a vote on the district’s proposed $169 million budget. It will require 60% or better support as it exceeds the state cap on school budget increases. Proposition three would approval to sale of $125 million in bonds to fund capital projects inlucluding school bus electrification, new bus barn construction, and athletic field improvements. Proposition two would authorize drawing down more than $3 million from the district’s capital reserve fund…
On Friday, June 19th, a rally called “Decriminalize, Demilitarize, Decarcerate Tompkins” was held at the Bernie Milton Pavilion in downtown Ithaca. Speakers and artists addressed local injustices within the criminal justice system, including incarceration, the court system, immigrant detention and policing. The rally was held on Juneteenth, which commemorates the June 19th 1865 announcement of…
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Since the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and countless other Black, Indegenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and the recent mass mobilizations for racial justice, WRFI’s Board of Directors recommitted the organization to diversity and inclusion and pledged that all board and staff members would engage in anti-racism trainings in order to…
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Kenneth McLaurin and SingTrece, the comedy and music duo known as Singing Notes and Slinging Jokes, talk about how the pandemic has affected their creative process and how their online live events have both challenges and silver linings.
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Educator Laurie Rubin talks about how and why we should take time to go outside and observe the natural world. The former elementary school teacher developed a curriculum using nature study to inspire students to develop their writing and science skills. She is the author of the book To Look Closely: Science and Literacy in…
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Daily features and interviews from our community
Ithaca City School District Election Roundup The district-wide Ithaca City School District election is coming up on May 21. Eligible voters in the district will vote on three ballot measures and for candidates for three seats on the school board. The first measure is a vote on the district’s proposed $169 million budget. It will…
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Coalition Pushes for “Just Cause” Employment in Ithaca The campaign for “just cause” employment legislation in Ithaca continues. According to the Cornell Sun, the Ithaca Just Cause Coalition has been pushing Common Council to adopt their proposal and a working group on the matter is being formed. The coalition includes unions, nonprofits and businesses. The…
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Ithaca Passes Short Term Rental Ordinance, Green New Deal Plan- Ithaca’s Common Council passed to major resolutions at its regular meeting Wednesday night. The first enacts a long-discussed short term rental ordinance. Under the new regulation, a permit is required to operate a short term rental. A “short term rental” is defined as one for…
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Cornell Professors Condemn Student Suspensions On Tuesday, more than 325 Cornell professors signed an open letter condemning the University’s suspension of four students. The students were suspended for their role in the pro-Palestinian encampment on Cornell’s campus. The letter calls the suspensions “unwarranted and excessive.” Meanwhile suspended undergraduate protestor Nick Wilson rejected a deal from…
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