Posts by Esther Racoosin
First-Time Owl Sighting Enchants Neighborhood Residents
WRFI Contributor Esther Racoosin talks about how she and many other casual birders have developed affection for an Eastern Screech Owl holed up in a dead tree in their neighborhood. For more information about owls, visit http://www.allaboutbirds.org (Photo: courtesy of Esther Racoosin)
Read More2021 Virtual Spring Writes Literary Festival Presents Variety of Panels and Workshops
The 2021 Spring Writes Literary Festival, organized by the Community Arts Partnership (CAP) of Tompkins County, begins Wednesday, May 5th and continues to Sunday, May 16. Thirteen different writing workshops will be offered to the public starting in late May, continuing into September. Artistic Director Jen Tennant and CAP Program and Grant Director Robin Schwartz…
Read MoreTompkins Food Future: Development of a Food Systems Plan in Tompkins County
Katie Hallas, the Coordinator of the Community Food System Plan, discusses Tompkins Food Future. This project will create a local food system whereby sustainable, equitable healthy and affordable food is available for all members of our community. For more information, visit http://www.tompkinsfoodfuture.org (photo: Compost SDIM0891 by Stefan Szczelkun, courtesy of Creative Commons)
Read MoreCayuga Bird Club Members Participate in the 2021 Christmas Bird Count
Members of the local Cayuga Bird Club started out the New Year in an energetic and optimistic fashion by participating in a long-standing local tradition, the annual Christmas Bird count. This citizen science project is sponsored by Audubon. WRFI News Contributor Esther Racoosin speaks with Paul Anderson, past President of the Cayuga Bird Club, about…
Read MoreEnvironmental Groups Report that NYS Municipalities May Be Using Oil and Gas Liquid Waste For Road Deicing
Three environmental groups: NYPIRG, Earthworks and Food and Water Watch, have published an analysis showing that some municipalities in New York State have been granted permits to use liquid waste from gas and oil operations for deicing roads. Liz Moran, Environmental Policy Director for the New York Public Interest Research Group, or NYPIRG, discusses their…
Read MoreArea Congregations Together Hosts 2020 Virtual Thanksgiving Service
On November 22, 2020, Area Congregations Together, also known as ACT, hosted a virtual Thanksgiving Service. Suzanne Scholten, one of the organizers of the service, talks about how ACT decided on the theme for this year’s event, “Finding gratitude in hard times: What I learned from the impacts and challenges of Covid-19, economic crisis,…
Read More2020 Edition of “Spring Writes” Literary Festival is Virtual
Jennifer Tennant, Artistic Director of Spring Writes literary festival and Robin Schwartz, program manager of the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County, talk about this year’s festival. Events begin on Wednesday, November 18th, and continue until Sunday, November 29th. Attendees can watch presentations via Zoom; some of the talks and panel discussions will allow for…
Read More“Parents2Polls-Tompkins” Helps Busy Families Access Early Voting Options
Yael Saar and Margaret Royall are the organizers of a local Get Out the Vote initiative called Parents2Polls Tompkins. The two voting advocates discuss the car-side service, that helps parents and seniors who are planning to vote at one of the early voting locations in Tompkins County. Saar and Royall describe how the service works…
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