Social Justice
Common Council May Push Back on Deciding to Replace Ithaca Police Department and Focus on Other Recommendations Instead
Ithaca City and Tompkins County Officials have made changes to the recommendations in the Reimagining Public Safety Draft Report. Mayor Svante Myrick and County Administrator presented the updates to the document at a special Common Council meeting on Wednesday night. The report now specifies that if the Common Council approves the recommendation to replace the…
Read MoreIthaca Black Town Hall Responds to Reimagining Public Safety Draft Report
Southside Community Center hosted a Black Town Hall to talk about the Reimagining Public Safety draft report. It was held on Thursday, March 4th, and titled, “The Future of Public Safety?” Mayor Svante Myrick, and County administrator Jason Molino attended the meeting, presenting the recommendations of the report, and gathering input from members of…
Read MoreReimagining Public Safety Draft Report, From Release to Now
The Reimagining Public Safety Draft report has made waves in Ithaca and Tompkins County, and has even rippled into the National news. Here, we track how the draft report was first released to the press, referred to in a GQ article, then presented to the Ithaca Common Council. The draft report and supplemental materials can…
Read MoreIthaca and Tompkins County Release Ambitious Public Safety Reform Draft
Tompkins County and the City of Ithaca have released a draft of their Public Safety Reimagined report. The report comes in response to Governor Cuomo’s executive Order 203, mandating municipalities review their public safety systems. The draft report was produced under the advisement of the Center for Policing Equity. It includes 19 detailed recommendations for…
Read MoreInterview: The Reverend Billy Talen on shopping, activism, and the end of the world
It’s black Friday, and, as the coronavirus spikes around the country, retailers closely eye holiday spending. Radical performers Reverend Billy Talen and the Church of Stop Shopping blend activism, music, and humor to trace the connections between consumerist culture, climate crisis, and the coming “shopacalypse.” “Reverend Billy Radio – Preacher for the Planet” makes it’s…
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 MoreSeneca Lake Guardian Conveys Concern About Proposed Garbage Transfer Station
Joseph Campbell, President of Seneca Lake Guardian, talks about a proposed new garbage transfer facility to be constructed in the Town of Cayuta, in Schuyler County. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation has determined that the facility poses no environmental impact to the surrounding area. Campbell discusses why his organization disagrees with the DEC’s…
Read MoreThe Hangar Theatre Participates in the Red Alert Solidarity Movement to “Save Our Stages” [AUDIO]
Adam Zonder, Production Manager of the Hangar Theatre talks about a special virtual rally taking place Tuesday, September 1st, called “The Red Alert Solidarity Movement”. This movement is being put on by the National Independent Venue Association, or NIVA, and is promoted on social media with #SaveOurStages. NIVA is also posting information at http://wemakeevents.org. DJ…
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