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Homeless Find Community, Assistance in Ithaca
December 4, 2008 - 12:00amThis is the second part of a two-part series analyzing socioeconomic issues at Cornell and in the surrounding community.
When most Cornell students walk into Wegmans for a routine grocery run, they are not thinking about Ithaca’s homeless only a few hundred yards away.
The Jungle is a small tract of land located between the railroad tracks and the Lake Cayuga inlet that provides a safe haven and a sense of community for several of the city’s homeless.
The city has no jurisdiction to kick the residents off the land because the railroad owns the land; in fact, conductors on passing trains often throw water and supplies into the Jungle.
Students, Administrators and City Officials Meet, Discuss Local Tensions
December 2, 2008 - 12:00amIn an effort to address the tense student-police relations in Collegetown regarding the City of Ithaca Noise Ordinance, Ithaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson assembled a group to discuss the issue. In attendance were Ed Vallely, the new Ithaca Police Chief, Nancy Schuler (D-4th Ward), Mary Tomlan ’71 (D-3rd Ward), Svante Myrick ’09 (D-4th Ward) and Student Assembly President Ryan Lavin ’09.
According to Peterson, she called the meeting after Lavin ’09,came to a Common Council meeting to address the problems with the noise ordinance and deteriorating student-police relations.
According to the City of Ithaca Noise Ordinance, a noise violation can be issued when a party or social event produces disruptive noise that carries at least 25 feet.
Ithaca Looks to Update Infrastructure on the Commons
November 25, 2008 - 12:00amWhile the jagged sidewalks and century-old pipeline add to the historic charm of the Commons, these outdated facilities are also a major area of concern. Last night, the Ithaca Common Council held a special meeting to discuss a $250,000 Commons Upgrade Project, which would appoint a professional design company to plan an overhaul for the Commons’s infrastructure.
The plan will be comprehensive, targeting a wide range of problem areas in the Commons including broken sidewalks, old public utilities and outdated fire facilities.
Joann Cornish, acting planning director, stressed that the project will only remain in the scope of planning and investigation.
“We are not committed to build anything,” Cornish said.
Ithaca Chooses New Police Chief
November 25, 2008 - 12:00amEdward Vallely was officially named the new police chief of the Ithaca Police Department last night after the Common Council’s unanimous vote confirmed the mayor’s appointment. Vallely, who is the current acting police chief, will oversee a $10 million budget and more than 100 employees, according to the Ithaca Journal.
The selection process began last October after Police Chief Lauren Signer unexpectedly announced her retirement. A search committee — which included Common Council members and representatives from the Community Police Board — then submitted a list of finalists to Mayor Carolyn Peterson. The two finalists for the job, Vallely and Deputy Police Chief John Barber, were internal candidates.
Democrats Take State Seats
November 5, 2008 - 12:00amDemocrats were victorious in both houses of Congress last night, securing seats that would back president-elect Barack Obama upon his inauguration. Marking a major shift in power in New York, the Democratic Party will hold 26 of the 29 seats in the House of Representatives, in addition to at least 32 of 62 seats in the State Senate.
Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) was elected to serve his ninth term in the 22nd district, which includes Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions. He defeated Republican George Phillips, a history teacher in Binghamton. In an informal lunch meeting at Cornell last month, Hinchey — one of 288 to reject the $700 billion bailout bill in September — addressed the current financial crisis.