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Local News: April 22, 2024

Ithaca City School District has announced a public hearing on its proposed 2024-2025 operating budget. The meeting will take place May 14 at 5:30 p.m. at York Hall at Ithaca High School. Last week we reported on a 5-hour meeting during which the board heard from taxpayers concerned with the effect of the rising school budget on local taxes. Following that meeting the proposed budget was reduced by $4 million. According to the Ithaca Voice, if approved the new budget would result in a school tax rate of $15.68 per thousand dollars of assessed value. This would be a reduction of about 13% compared to last year’s tax rate. However average assessments in…

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CREATIVES: New Voices Literary Festival Preview with Raul Palma [AUDIO]

By Felix Teitelbaum

Listen to author Raul Palma in conversation with student organizers April Morales, Emily Trage, Riley Rhoder and Professor Jacob White. The 2024 New Voices Festival runs from April 24-26 at Ithaca College and in your community.  

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Tune in, Turn on, and Take Part! Join Us for WRFI’s Spring “Fun” Drive and Be Part of this Community-Powered Radio Revolution!

By Felix Teitelbaum

What does community radio mean to you? We think this commercial-free, free-form, independent station helps make our listeners lives-and life in our communities-just a little better. We strive to make programing that opens ears, opens hearts, and leads us to ask important questions about our world. Even if it’s just to ask yourself, “What in…

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LISTEN: Freedom of Expression at Cornell – Academic freedom

By Celia Clarke

This is the last of my three stories about freedom of expression at Cornell University this year. Here are links to the first and second stories. The academic theme at Cornell this year is “Freedom of Expression.”  In earlier stories, we reported about the general mood at Cornell around free speech, and students’ opinions about…

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CREATIVES: Frank London of the Klezmatics [AUDIO and TRANSCRIPT]

By Felix Teitelbaum

Photo: Adrian Buckmaster for the Klezmatics Frank London of the Klezmatics talks with Felix Teitelbaum and Aron Gutman ahead of their show at Cornell, Saturday April 13, 2024. He discussed the cultural significance of klezmer music and Yiddish culture with its roots in Ashkenazi Jewish traditions and influences from Eastern Europe. He reflected on the…

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Daily features and interviews from our community

Local News: April 3, 2024

By Celia Clarke | April 3, 2024 | Comments Off on Local News: April 3, 2024

– TCAT to buy more diesel buses due to electric bus problems – The Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) plans to buy five more diesel buses. TCAT officials say they won’t be buying any more electric buses soon. The Ithaca Voice reports electric buses haven’t performed well in Ithaca’s cold winter weather and steep hills.…

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Local News: April 2, 2024

By Celia Clarke | April 2, 2024 | Comments Off on Local News: April 2, 2024

– Ithaca seeks public comment about proposed short-term rental policy – The City of Ithaca wants feedback from residents about the proposed short-term rental ordinance. The law will regulate residential rentals of less than 30 days. Links to more details and how to submit a comment are on our website, WRFI dot org slash news.…

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Local News: April 1, 2024

By Celia Clarke | April 1, 2024 | Comments Off on Local News: April 1, 2024

– Cornell issues comments about ongoing protests, Congress sends second letter – Cornell President Martha Pollack and Provost Michael Kotlikoff remain critical of ongoing protests on Cornell’s campus. In an op-ed in The Cornell Daily Sun, they say the protests are disrupting university activities. They say there should be “a robust campus discussion about what…

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Local News: March 29, 2024

By Celia Clarke | March 29, 2024 | Comments Off on Local News: March 29, 2024

– Tompkins County may pay for a support specialist for tenants of a private developer – Tompkins County is considering hiring a specialist to help people transition from homelessness into properties owned by the Vecino Group. That’s the Missouri-based company that owns Ithaca ArtHaus and the soon-to-open Asteri on Green Street. The Ithaca Voice reports…

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