Local News: April 22, 2024

Public Hearing on ICSD Budget Announced—

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 the county are set to rise this year by nearly 20%.

Event Cancellation Protects Nesting Peregrines—

Last week an event at Taughannock falls was postponed over concern for nesting peregrine falcons. According to the Ithaca Voice, the event had been planned to include lighted nighttime hikes. However, community members on social media argued that the lights could disturb the endangered falcons that nest in the cliffs of the gorge in spring. 

Marc Devokaitis of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology says light pollution has been shown to disturb bird behavior.

“Those huge lights blasting straight up into the sky from the ground at the 911 tribute we're drawing in something like 100 times as many birds as would normally be in that airspace—right into this downtown area where all the buildings were.”

Devokaitis says he believes postponing the event in Taughannock was the right thing to do and that the nesting birds need to stay focused on tending to their young:

“This is the very sensitive time for them. Right? I believe they just had their first egg hatch. They're gonna be raising their nestlings for the next four or five weeks, something like that.”

Years ago there had been 40-50 breeding pairs of peregrines in NY. By 1965 they were all gone. They were found to have returned to Taughannock falls in 2020. 

The New York State Parks system and the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce had planned the event and announced they hope to reschedule later in the year. More information about the effect of artificial light on birds can be found at birdcast.info.