Fall Meeting Tomorrow, November 15, 2012

6:00 p.m.
Belle Sherman School
501 Mitchell Street

Our special guest speaker is Mayor Svante Myrick who will address a few issues of interest to our neighborhood including:
 

• City Budget
• Safety and Security
• Resident/Student interaction, student density
• Collegetown Planning
• Enforcement of the building codes

We will also be collecting dues - $5/household. In the interest of time, please arrive a little early or on time so we can move people through the membership process quickly.If you would rather mail your membership, please send to Liz Wills, 100 Maple Grove Place, Ithaca, NY 14850.

Collegetown Neighborhood Fair

Saturday, Oct. 20, 1-4 p.m.

Ithaca Fire Dept. Station #9

309 College Ave.

The newly formed Cornell Collegetown Student Council seeks to address issues facing students, landlords, and residents, and to foster a vibrant and shared sense of community in Collegetown.

The fair is designed to engage students and year-round residents in an informative, interactive forum.

Use Caution When Visiting Gorges

City Urges People to Use Caution in Gorge Areas

Since we live between two beautiful gorges, a reminder is always a good idea!

With the on-set of warm weather, Ithaca's waterfalls and gorges become popular destinations. These areas are beautiful but as natural water bodies, they also have hidden and changing dangers. To ensure public safety, City Officials urge everyone to obey all posted rules and regulations, such as:

•  
• No swimming, wading, or bathing in any natural waters in the City
• No rock climbing, or cliff jumping
• Stay on posted trails

There are hidden rock formations and water currents that can pin even strong swimmers underwater. Weather conditions cause variations in water levels that can also increase danger. The gorge walls are mostly shale that breaks easily and can trap climbers or cause dangerous falls.

Violating these safety regulations put people at risk of serious injury and death and place emergency response workers in danger by performing high risk rescues. People who violate the regulations are subject to arrest.

Ithaca's gorges and trails provide a source of beauty and inspiration. By using good judgment while enjoying these sites, everyone can return home safely.

 

 

 

Eat Local

Here is something that applies to all of us.

Eating Local is the theme for July and August for Get Your GreenBack Tompkins, a community-based campaign to inspire all 42,000 households and every business in Tompkins County to take at least one step to save energy and money in the areas of Food, Building Heating and Lighting, Transportation, and Waste.

Read on if you are interested......

Get Your GreenBack’s Summer Steps - Eat Local & Save

Summer brings an abundant harvest and opportunities for affordable and flavorful feasts. This is a great time of year to take a new step to eat local and save:

• Shop farmstands--it’s on your way home
• Pick your own--picking fruits and vegetables is family fun
• Farmer’s markets--did you know you can use WIC and Food stamps?
• Go fishing & eat wild
• Dine at restaurants serving local food
• Create, learn and share recipes that use local food
• Preserve the harvest--can, freeze, dry, ferment, pickle
• Grow your own--Summer’s the perfect time to start a Fall garden or join a community garden
• Share from your garden and cook together
• Learn to stretch your food dollar & food stamps
• Buy, prepare and preserve in bulk
• Plan your recipes around what’s in season
• Glean--let no part of the harvest go to waste

Learn more and register your step to win local food prizes at GetYourGreenBack.org or call 272-2292.

Detour Continues

Ithaca Road construction has forced a detour through Mitchell and Cornell Streets.

Please report concerns to the non-emergency police number: (607) 272-3245. An example of a concern happened a few days ago when a truck broke a large limb off of a tree on the northeast corner of Cornell and Mitchell Streets. The Fire Department arrived promplty to remove the limbs and branches from the road. Unfortunatey, that corner is receiving a little less shade than it once provided.

The City of Ithaca Board of Public Works has a Facebook page where you can view pictures of construction progress not only in our neighborhood, but all throughout the city.

Neighborhood Picnic Time Fast Approaching

We need two to three able volunteers to organize our neighborhood picnic this August.

Please contact Marybeth Tarzian if you can help: marybeth.tarzian@gmail.com.

The picnic will not happen if we can't find people willing to plan it.

Thanks!

Belle Sherman Cottage Now Open For Viewing

The Belle Sherman Cottages will now be open each Saturday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

In addition to touring the home, you can view flooring, countertop, cabinetry and other options to individualize your custom BELLE SHERMAN COTTAGE.

There is still time for fall occupancy! Prices start in the mid-$300,000 and a $10,000 incentive is available to the first two buyers.

For more details, contact Margaret Snow or Karen Eldredge, Licensed Associate Real Estate Brokers at Audrey Edelman RealtyUSA and Representatives of the Belle Sherman Cottages, 607-220-5333.

We are ready to serve you at our two locations in Ithaca, 710 Hancock Street and 2333 N. Triphammer Road.

City Introduces New Interactive Mapping Tool

The City of Ithaca GIS Program is pleased to announce the release of the City of Ithaca Public Interactive Web Map.

This public service is made possible by the Tompkins County-City of Ithaca Initiative, a 12-year inter-governmental collaboration. This partnership has allowed both governments to serve staff and the public with the latest, most powerful online mapping technologies, while limiting costs and eliminating redundancy.

The release of the public map completes our migration to a new enhanced method of making data accessible to citizens, visitors and the business community. Via this citizen access tool, constituents can find detailed information about any property, zone, historic district, ward, City managed tree, park, road configuration, and can overlay any of these pieces of information with the color aerial photography for a complete picture.

The new viewer has over 50 tools to help individuals access publicly available information, extract or annotate measurements and coordinates, and see alternate views of any City location through Bing Maps or Google Streetview.

Properties can be searched by address or parcel number, digitally annotated and emailed or printed to share ideas with City Officials.

Citizens are invited to explore, discover and spread the word!

View the Public City Map and start exploring for yourself. Additional Public Viewers for the City and County can be found via the Tompkins-Ithaca Geoportal.

More information is available by contacting Ruth Aslanis, GIS Manager at gisrequest@cityofithaca.org or (607) 272-1717.

ITHACA ROAD TO CLOSE FOR REHABILITATION

Beginning on Monday June 11, 2012 the City crews will be performing road work on the stretch of Ithaca Road between Mitchell Street and Dryden Road.

A signed detour will be posted for northbound traffic coming from East State Street to turn left into Mitchell Street and continue all the way to the Cornell Road intersection. Motorists should turn left onto Cornell Road and continue up to Route 366. 

For southbound traffic, the detour will follow a right turn onto Dryden Road continuing down to College Avenue intersection. Traffic should turn left onto College Avenue and head down to Mitchell Street and connect on to East State Street.

No Parking Signs will be set up on College Avenue and at the Mitchell/Cornell Street intersection taking out parking locations to accommodate our detour route. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes to avoid the area. Pedestrians commuting through Ithaca Road will be accommodated within the work zone. The project duration is scheduled to begin June 11 and last through the month of July.

NOTE: residents on Mitchell and Cornell Streets and Dryden Road, take note. We will see a good deal of traffic through the month of July. 

Pedestrians should use caution when crossing streets and PLEASE report dangerous drivers to the Ithaca Police Department at (607)272-3245.

Special Meeting of Common Council to Discuss Redistricting

Ellen McCollister sent this message to the listserv. Thanks, Ellen!
 

Dear 3rd Ward Neighbors,
 

Common Council will soon be making some important decisions about redistricting. At the risk of causing your eyes to glaze over, I'd like to summarize what's happening.
 

As most of you know, the County and the City must redraw the legislative boundaries every ten years to reflect population changes from the most recent U.S. Census.

Ward populations, by law, cannot deviate by more than 10 percent. An ad hoc City Redistricting Committee, chaired by the 3rd Ward's Tom Frank, met throughout the fall and winter and held numerous public hearings. They have sent a "preferred" map and an "alternative" map to Common Council for consideration. If adopted, either one of these scenarios would have to go to referendum in the fall because they reduce the total number of Council seats from 10 to 8. 

Under the first scenario, called 4-5a, the City would go from 5 wards, 2 representatives per ward, to 4 wards, 2 reps per ward. The alternative scenario calls for 8 wards, 1 rep per ward. Under the 4-ward scenario (4-5a) the current 3rd Ward boundaries would expand to include the south side of upper State St but wouldn't be all that different from what they are now. (The 4-ward scenario also addresses a long-standing oddity in the City's Ward 1 boundaries, which currently stretch from West Hill, through part of the Flats, and over to South Hill.)
 

Under the 8-ward scenario, Belle Sherman/Bryant Park would be split. This second alternative, 8-3a, did not gain a lot of traction at our May 16 Government Performance and Accountability (GPA) committee. Most committee members felt that it's advantageous to have two representatives per ward with staggered terms. In addition, some of us felt that we didn't want to "balkanize" City neighborhoods. See both maps here.
 

In addition to the two recommended scenarios, Mayor Myrick has asked Common Council to revisit a scenario called 4-6. See that map here. This scenario would create the biggest change for Belle Sherman/Bryant Park (and our work load) because South Hill would be added to the current 3rd Ward. 

Finally, there is interest from some citizens in bringing forward a 12-Ward scenario. This has already been considered and rejected by the Redistricting Committee. I have already gone on record that I do not support this proposal. Among other things, in order to carve out balanced populations in 12 wards, this scenario would create a separate ward for Cornell's north campus freshman dorms (currently District 1 in Ward 3). Since you have to be freshman to live there, it's not clear how a candidate could be recruited who would be around to fulfill a 2-or 4-year Council term. 

Common Council will be reviewing these scenarios at a special meeting on Monday, June 4, at 7 p.m. I hope you'll take the time to review the maps. Please call me if you have any questions, 272-5936, or write to Common Council <council@cityofithaca.org> if you'd like to weigh in.
 

Ellen McCollister, Alderperson
City of Ithaca Third Ward
emccollister@cityofithaca.org
221 Bryant Ave
272-5936
(sent from gmail due to problems with City server. Please send mail to City address.)

More Road Construction

The 700 block of East State Street/Martin Luther King Jr. Street between Quarry and Eddy Streets will be reduced to one alternating travel lane during working hours 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., starting Monday, June 4th through Monday, June 15.

Traffic will be controlled by flaggers and no on-street parking will be permitted until the project is completed.

No official detour will be in place, but motorists are advised to seek alternative routes.

Playground Community Build

The Belle Sherman Annex playground has reached the end of its lifespan and a new playground is planned for installation in two weeks. There will be a community build on June 15th and June 16th. Can you lend a hand for a few hours?

There will be three volunteer shifts:

• Friday, June 15th from 3pm-6pm to sort parts and prepare the footing sites. (10-15 volunteers are needed for this shift)
• Saturday, June 16th from 8am-12:30pm (30-35 volunteers are needed for this shift)
• Saturday, June 16th from 1pm-7pm (30-35 volunteers are needed for this shift)

Childcare and food will be provided on Saturday.

You can sign up to help on our electronic signup sheet at:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgT3MAfH-Hi7dG9tVy1tNjFzdE1OSHB2QVFqdTlsdkE#gid=0

Of course, if you prefer to call or email to sign up that will work as well.
Contact Beth Gerrard at bethgerr@mac.com

Want to know what it will look like? Plans and drawings of the new playground are available on the Belle Sherman website at: bspta.org

Pub Night Scheduled!

Mark Your Calendars and Join Your Neighbors....

PUB NIGHT
Tuesday 29 May
Agava Restaurant
481 Pine Tree Road
7:15 p.m.

If you haven't checked out Agava yet, join your neighbors who have!

Share a drink and some appetizers/desserts (dutch treat), sit back and catch up.

RSVP to marybeth.tarzian@gmail.com so we know how many people Agava should prepare for.

City's Memorial Day Schedule

Please be advised that the City of Ithaca will be following the schedule below in observance of Memorial Day:

 

• CITY OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY, MAY 28, 2012
• TRASH WILL NOT BE COLLECTED ON MONDAY MAY 28, 2012
• TRASH COLLECTION WILL BE A DAY LATE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK
• TRASH WILL BE COLLECTED TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

Questions about trash collection can be forwarded to the Streets & Facilities Division at (607) 272-1718.

City Approves New Sidewalk on Cornell Street

Alderperson, Donna Fleming shared today that the City is moving ahead with new sidewalks for lower Cornell Street. Please see the listserv for her message. Visit Ithaca.com to read an article about the decision.

Upcoming Pub Night - Stay tuned!

A new neighborhood restaurant is set to open in the next few weeks. Agava is located in the old Olivia space across from Rite Aid and behind P&C at East Hill Plaza.

If you want to keep track of their progress "like" their Facebook page.

We are long overdue for a neighborhood pub night, so stay tuned for the date. Once Agava opens, we will meet there!

Belle Sherman Annual Spring Fair Plant Sale: May 18th

There may be snow on the ground and school may even be closed today, but it's time to start thinking about Spring Fair....

We need gardeners and would-be gardeners for the Spring Fair Plant Sale on May 18th!

Join with other Belle Sherman gardeners, the Belle Sherman Garden Club, and the Bryant Park Civic Association for the 26th annual Spring Fair Plant Sale. Proceeds from the sale will be used for beautifying the school grounds.

If you are a gardener, here's how you can help: Dig up and pot perennials that need dividing. Label each pot with common name of plant, sun or shade, color and date of bloom, and height of plant. Plants can be dropped off May 14th-May 17th at 227 Valley Road. In addition to perennials, houseplants, annuals, and vegetables are always popular.

The plant sale committee welcomes new members -- learn about gardening! If you wish to volunteer your time to dig, pot, price, transport, set up and/or clean up, please contact Heidi at  hew1@cornell.edu or call 607-220-6302.

There may be snow on the ground and school may even be closed today, but it's time to start thinking about Spring Fair....

We need gardeners and would-be gardeners for the Spring Fair Plant Sale on May 18th!

Join with other Belle Sherman gardeners, the Belle Sherman Garden Club, and the Bryant Park Civic Association for the 26th annual Spring Fair Plant Sale. Proceeds from the sale will be used for beautifying the school grounds.

If you are a gardener, here's how you can help: Dig up and pot perennials that need dividing. Label each pot with common name of plant, sun or shade, color and date of bloom, and height of plant. Plants can be dropped off May 14th-May 17th at 227 Valley Road. In addition to perennials, houseplants, annuals, and vegetables are always popular.

The plant sale committee welcomes new members -- learn about gardening! If you wish to volunteer your time to dig, pot, price, transport, set up and/or clean up, please contact Heidi at  hew1@cornell.edu or call 607-220-6302.

Democratic Congressional Candidates Forum: April 25th

On Wednesday, April 25th at 7 p.m. in the Tompkins County Public Library Borg Warner Room, candidates Leslie Danks Burke, Melissa Dobson and Nathan Shinagawa will present themselves to all attending and respond to questions from the audience.

The three Democrats have announced their candidacy for the 23rd congressional district, which was recently re-districted, placing voters in the City of Ithaca in this newly formed Congressional District.  

 

If you have time, please take the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the new congressional district, as well as the various candidates running in the upcoming congressional election.

 

Mayor warns about Carmageddon!

Last week's Ithaca Journal and Cornell Daily Sun reported on the many construction projects about to commence in Ithaca. These upgrades of building and road/bridges will make our commuting very difficult. To keep apprised of updated information, join the Board of Public Works new Facebook page. Just "like" the page and your news feed will show the latest on what we can expect in and around town. 

Redistricting Committee Meeting - This Wednesday

The independent Redistricting Committee will be meeting on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. in the 2nd Floor Conference Room of City Hall, 108 E. Green Street. 

This Committee is charged with making a recommendation to Common Council regarding boundaries and the number of City Wards and Election Districts based on the 2010 census. Current scenario maps under consideration can be found here.

Contact Tom Frank, Chair with questions at tfrank@twcny.rr.com

Yard Waste Pick Up Has Begun - New Fees Take Effect

The Department of Public Works will resume curbside collection of yard waste on Monday, April 9, 2012. 

Yard waste will be collected every other week on your regular trash day (opposite of the recycling schedule) on a separate time schedule. Yard Waste Tags will be required for the disposal of yard waste. Residents may place yard waste at the curb: loose materials must be placed in cans with no lids or biodegradable paper bags that are not tied, and weigh less than 50 pounds. Branches must be tied in bundles that do not exceed 4' in length; individual branches cannot exceed 2" in diameter. 

Trash tags can be purchased at City Hall, Greenstar, Oasis, Agway, and the P&C Fresh(East Hill Plaza) for $1.50 per tag or a sheet of 6 for $9.00. Questions can be referred to the Streets & Facilities Division at (607) 272-1718.

Attention Homeowners on Cornell Street Between East State Street and Eastwood

If you own a property on Cornell Street between East State and Eastwood, you should be aware of the upcoming Board of Public Works meeting tomorrow from 4:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

The agenda includes a chance for you to express your concerns and ask questions about the impending installation of sidewalks and costs you might incur.

Belle Sherman Cottages Begin to Rise

From Margaret Snow and Karen Eldredge.......

If you’ve driven on Mitchell Street this week you’ve noticed that the model home for the Belle Sherman Cottages has been set! Completion of the model is projected to be sometime between April 15 and May 15. Of course, the home will have regularly scheduled hours for viewing by the public, and we’ll let you know what those dates and hours will be. 

Remember to check www.facebook.com/BelleShermanCottages for the latest information and pictures!

For more details, contact Margaret Snow or Karen Eldredge, Licensed Associate Real Estate Brokers at Audrey Edelman RealtyUSA and Representatives of the Belle Sherman Cottages, 607-220-5333. We are ready to serve you at our two locations in Ithaca, 710 Hancock Street and 2333 N. Triphammer Road.

And....more road construction updates

Given the fact that many of us drive through downtown regularly, you will appreciate knowing about upcoming delays. Give yourself more time to get to where your going starting this week:

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDoT) will begin mill and paving work on Route 79 (Green Street), east and west starting Monday, April 2, 2012. Asphalt milling will commence on Green Street at Meadow Street on April 2nd and will proceed easterly to Geneva Street.

At that point, the work will shift to Seneca Street at Geneva Street and proceed westerly to Meadow Street.

Parking will be restricted on both sides of the streets in order to provide 2 lanes of traffic. The milling is expected to take 4 – 5 days. Upon completion of the milling operations, the NYS DoT crews will reset manholes and valves; this work may take two weeks or more. After manholes and valves have been reset, the paving will be completed.

Upon completion of the first phase of the work NYS DoT will undertake a similar effort between Geneva Street and the Tuning Fork (Seneca Way).

Based upon progress of the work between Geneva Street and Meadow Street, the DoT will either commence the second phase of work immediately or
will wait until after the first week of June.

Motorists should expect delays and use alternate routes if possible. Please drive slowly through the work zones to protect everyone's safety.

We will send out more information as it becomes available.

Food Insecurity Survey

Occasionally, we will post surveys and other information that benefit our entire community, not just our neighborhood. Please take the time to answer this survey regarding hunger awareness and relief efforts. The two students conducting this research work with our neighbor,  Risa Mish, Senior Lecturer of Management at the Johnson School. Thanks!


*******************************************

Dear friend,

Please help your community by answering a 5-minute survey for the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. Your answers will help us improve local hunger awareness and relief efforts.

The goal of this survey is to understand individuals’ awareness of hunger in the community, and knowledge about the Food Bank within Tompkins County. The survey is completely anonymous and voluntary, and the results will greatly help the Food Bank reach and educate residents about hunger relief efforts.

Please access the survey here (or copy and paste into your browser:https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2CH59HQ.

Additionally, we would appreciate if you could pass this survey along to friends, neighbors, colleagues, co-workers, etc. who live in Tompkins County. Essentially, the greater participation we have, the better… Thank you for helping your community!

Kindly yours,

Laura & Leticia
MBA Class of 2012

Spring Street Cleaning Continues

You might have noticed street sweepers in parts of our neighborhood already. The work continues this coming week, so pay attention to those tow away signs. We witnessed the City in action, with many cars being towed on South Hill last week. One acquaintance had to pay $200 to get her car back!

A schedule of street cleaning locations can be found on the city website. This week area cleaning will take place around the Woodcrest, Eastwood and Homestead neighborhood and on Cornell Street, around the Belle Sherman School and in Bryant Park.

Coming Soon.....Road Construction

It wouldn't seem like spring/summer if we didn't encounter road work in and around the City. With the warm weather upon us (totallly weird, but hard not to enjoy), the Board of Public Works is beginning to alert us to traffic due to new or continuing projects. Here are two that you might encounter as you are driving around town:

PROJECT NAME: Gas Main Work
PROJECT LOCATION: 100 block of Chestnut St. & 100 block of Sunrise Rd.
PROJECT START DATE: Monday, March 26, 2012
PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND GOAL: DDS Utilities, Inc., working as a contractor for NYSEG, will be performing gas line work along the 100 block of Chestnut St. & 100 block of Sunrise Rd. This work will include trenching and excavating.
LOCAL IMPACTS: Travel lanes may be narrowed at times, expect minor delays.
PARKING RESTRICTIONS: On-street parking may be reduced during work hours.
SCHEDULED COMPLETION DATE: Mid-May 2012

PROJECT NAME: Gas Main Work
PROJECT LOCATION: 400 block of N. Geneva St.
PROJECT START DATE: Monday, March 26, 2012
PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND GOAL: DDS Utilities, Inc., working as a contractor for NYSEG, will be performing gas line work along the 400 block of N. Geneva St. This work will include trenching and excavating.
LOCAL IMPACTS: The 400 block of N. Geneva St. will be closed to all through traffic during the workday. Local residents will have limited vehicular access to their residences. The travel lanes will be open during non-work hours. Sidewalks may be occasionally obstructed.
PARKING RESTRICTIONS: On-street parking will be unavailable during work hours. Some on-street parking may be available during non-work hours.
SCHEDULED COMPLETION DATE: Early-May 2012

In addition to these projects, the New York State Department of Transportation will begin work on a mill and pave project. Some work may start on Seneca Street next week. More details will be sent out when they are available. The DOT will begin milling and paving West Green Street from Meadow Street to Geneva Street on Monday, April 2, 2012. Lane restrictions will be used and travelers should expect delays and/or find alternate routes to their destinations. As more information becomes available we will share it with you.

Announcements from Cornell's Community Relations Office

• The Collegetown Neighborhood Council (CNC) will discuss CU's annual Slope Day, plus andlord-tenant relations, at its next meeting - 4:30-5:30 p.m., April 10 - at St Luke's Lutheran Church, 109 Oak. Ave. 
• A first-time CU resource-sharing event for area governments has been scheduled on the morning of April 20 at the State Armory on Hanshaw Road. For more information, access <www.cardi.cornell.edu>.
• Student safety, and the 2011 Good Samaritan Law will be the focus of the April 23 Campus-Community Coalition (CCC) meeting, 7-8:30 p.m., Ithaca High School cafeteria. Staff and students from Cornell University, Ithaca City School District, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College will discuss the importance of someone calling for medical assistance when an individual experiences severe intoxication or a serious injury after consuming alcohol. 
• The Cascadilla Gorge Trail from Linn Street in downtown Ithaca, to the Stewart Avenue bridge is now open. Repairs continue on the section from the Stewart Avenue bridge to Collegetown and that section remains closed.
•  Campus advisories and updates - including crime alerts, street closures and operating status - are continually logged at <cuinfo.cornell.edu>.
• A listing of diverse campus events, most of them free and open to the public, are accessible at <http://events.cornell.edu>.
• Updates on building projects and sustainability initiatives are regularly updated at: <http://www.fs.cornell.edu/>.

City Redistricting Meetings

CITY OF ITHACA

MEETING NOTICE

REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE

PUBLIC HEARING

TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

7:00-9:00 PM

Town of Ithaca

215 N Tioga Street

Ithaca

The City Redistricting Committee has been meeting since late August of 2011 to create a recommended redistricting plan for the City. The Committee is charged with making a recommendation to Common Council regarding boundaries and the number of City Wards based on the 2010 census.

As a result, the Committee is holding public hearings on 4 scenarios for new ward boundaries. Your input as a City resident is sought regarding these scenarios.

Current scenario maps for consideration will be posted on City website shortly.

An additional public hearing meeting is scheduled for 7:00-9:00 PM on Tuesday, March 20, 2012, Council Chambers, City Hall, 108 E. Green Street, Ithaca. Contact Tom Frank, Chair with questions at tfrank@twcny.rr.com

Belle Sherman School Annual Dessert Night - March 13th

Tuesday, March 13th, 2012, 6:30-8:00pm

 

Tickets: $8 per person. Childcare (with cookies) will be provided on site for $2 per child.

*******************************************

 

Come and enjoy a luscious dessert served with a selection of fine-quality coffee and teas, in a relaxed cafe-like setting, with live music. 

 

All desserts will be made by Sarah's Patisserie, with a choice of five options:

 

• Sixth Avenue Chocolate Cake with coffee buttercream, hazelnut & crème brulee
• Chocolate Mousse Cake
• Flourless Chocolate Torte (gluten & nut free)
• Coconut Layer Cake with passion fruit curd
• Cherry Galette with crème anglaise

 

This event is a fundraiser for the 5th grade class trip, and our 5th graders will be your servers! 

 

All tickets must be purchased in advance. Contact Durba Ghosh at dghosh256@yahoo.com by noon on Saturday, March 10 to reserve your space!

Public input session this Saturday on Ithaca Commons redesign project

If you are interested in the Commons redesign project, consider attending a meeting this Saturday.

Share Your Thoughts On Ithaca's Future

By now, many of you have heard about the City's Comprehensive Planning effort.

Our neighborhood will have a chance to provide input next Tuesday, February 28th from 7-9 p.m. in the Belle Sherman School Cafeteria.

The City website also includes an online survey, as well as a mail-in public comment form. While we hope you can attend our own meeting next week, we understand you might be busy with other commitments. If this is the case, please be sure to share your thoughts by completing either the survey or comment form.

This is our chance to provide input into this important exercise.

For those of you with teenagers!

Book talk: The Adolescent Brain: Learning, Reasoning, and Decision Making
Thursday, March 1, 2012

4:00pm
160 Mann Library

Cornell University

In the second decade of life, young adults have endless choices, but the decisions they make depend on developing the power of the human brain to learn and reason.

Join Dr. Valerie Reyna for a "Chats in the Stacks" talk about her new book “The Adolescent Brain: Learning, Reasoning, and Decision Making,” (American Psychological Society, December 2011).

Valerie Reyna is Professor of Human Development in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell, and a Co-director of the Center for Behavioral Economics and Decision Research. In her book, she brings together an nterdisciplinary group of leading scientists to examine how the adolescent brain develops, and how this development impacts various aspects of reasoning and decision-making, from the use and function of memory and representation, to judgment, mathematical problem- solving, and the construction of meaning.

A reception and book signing will follow. The "Chats in the Stacks" book talk is funded by the Mary A. Morrison Public Education Fund at Mann Library.

Belle Sherman School Book Fair

This year the Belle Sherman Scholastic Book Fair is trying something new...opening up to the Community for one evening.

On Tuesday February 28th, the Book Fair will be open from 3-7:30pm in the Main School Library. Families from the neighborhood and schools in town that don't have book fairs of their own are invited.

Also new this year - a large selection of middle school level books (in addition to our standard PreK-5th).  Please stop in, support the Belle Sherman PTA and bring some books home!

Feel free to spread the word!

For questions, email aimeelehmann@twcny.rr.com

Save The Date! Redistricting Meeting

CITY OF ITHACA
REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE MEETING NOTICE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2011
6:30 p.m.

SECOND FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL 

THIS MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC  AND EVERYONE IS INVITED TO ATTEND

Deptartment of Planning and Development Comment Period for Collegetown Crossing Complex

The Department of Planning and Development is accepting comments on the Collegetown Crossing Project at 307 College Avenue. This project was mentioned at our recent neighborhood association meeting due to the lack of parking planned at the site. If you have questions or concerns, please submit them by noon on February 21, 2012. The Committee will be considering this and other projects at their February 28 meeting. Visit this link to see the list of projects for review.

Belle Sherman Cottages Coming Soon!

Belle Sherman Cottages is starting to take shape! You may have noticed that Walnut Street, the private road running through the development, has been laid and the curb cuts are done.

The first three to-be-built homes, a Craftsman, a Bungalow and a Victorian, are now listed in the Multiple Listing Service, and you can find details of these at http://belleshermancottages.com/homes.html. And don’t forget to “Like” our Facebook page to receive ongoing updates at http://www.Facebook.com/BelleShermanCottages.

Sometime this spring you’ll see a model home arrive, and we’ll let you know when it will be open for you to take a look!

For more details, contact Margaret Snow or Karen Eldredge, Licensed Associate Real Estate Brokers at Audrey Edelman RealtyUSA, 607-220-5333. We are ready to serve you at our two locations in Ithaca, 710 Hancock Street and 2333 N. Triphammer Road.

Save The Date!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

7-9 p.m.

Belle Sherman Elementary School

Main Building Cafeteria

Belle Sherman/Bryant Park Neighborhood Association 

will meet to provide neighborhood input into the  

City of Ithaca Comprehensive Plan

For more information: 

Wendy Wallitt/273-2278 or Alphonse Pieper/273-3791

Input Sought on Strawberry Fields

As a member of the City Parks Commission, I am gathering information about how Belle Sherman/Bryant Park neighbors use Strawberry Fields, the ten-acre city-owned parcel uphill from the Wilson Annex.  I am particularly interested in how users access the park.  Please feel free to send me your comments, positive and negative, and please let me know where you live.  For information on Strawberry Fields and other parks, please go to the City of Ithaca website, then Departments/Planning/Boards Served/Parks Commission/City of Ithaca Parks Inventory.  (We’re trying to find a more intuitive spot for this information.)

Margaret Hobbie

mhobbie@verizon.net

Neighborhood Association Winter Meeting Scheduled

Save-the-Date

Join your friends and neighbors for the 

Belle Sherman-Bryant Park 

Neighborhood Association Winter Meeting

Monday, January 23, 2012

6:30 p.m.

Belle Sherman Gym 

(Main School)

501 Mitchell Street

Draft Agenda:

• Welcome from new Belle Sherman Principal, Dan Breiman
• Update on City Redistricting
• Update from new Common Council member, Donna Fleming
• Report and introduction of the newly formed Garden Club
• City Comprehensive Plan - next steps

Winter Sidewalks

One of the benefits of living in our neighborhood is its pedestrian-friendly nature.  With the eventual, albeit late, arrival of winter snow, it's a good time to remind everyone of the responsibility for clearing sidewalks. The City of Ithaca outlines resident snow removal responsibilities on their website:

Snow Removal Responsibility
Owners are required to keep the full width of sidewalks clear of snow and ice beginning 24 hours after the snowfall. "Sidewalk" includes pads adjacent to curbs and corner curb ramps. When snow and ice on any sidewalk is frozen so hard that it cannot reasonably be removed, it shall, within 24 hours after the beginning of a snowfall be strewn and kept strewn with ashes, sand, sawdust or other suitable material, so as to be no longer dangerous to life and limb. As soon as practical thereafter, the sidewalk shall be completely cleared of snow, ice and other materials strewn thereon. Failure to comply shall be punished by ticket and fine.  Each day that a violation continues shall be considered a separate offense.

Community Invited to a Farewell & Welcome Event

All are invited to attend a special community event to say thanks and farewell to the City of Ithaca outgoing Council members and the Mayor, as well as welcome the new leadership. 

The event will be held on Friday, January 20, 2012 at Corks and More (708 W. Buffalo St.) from 4pm to 6pm.

The event will be an informal meet and greet. A cash bar and light refreshments will be available.

Outgoing Common Council members include George McGonigal; First Ward, Eric Rosario; Second Ward; Joel Zumoff; Third Ward; and Dan Cogan; Fifth Ward, as well as Mayor Carolyn K. Peterson.

New Common Council members include Cynthia Brock; First Ward, Seph Murtagh; Second Ward, Donna Fleming; Third Ward, Graham Kerslick; Fourth Ward, Chris Proulx; Fifth Ward, as well as new Mayor Svante Myrick.

For additional information contact:

Julie Conley Holcomb, City Clerk

108 E. Green Street, Ithaca, NY 14850

(607) 274-6570

julieh@cityofithaca.org

OR

Deborah Mohlenhoff, Alderperson 5th Ward

(607) 351-0047

dmohlenhoff@cityofithaca.org

New Restaurant Opening Soon!

If you are ready for a new restaurant for East Hill Plaza, you might want to participate in this survey. I have visions of a "neighborhood hang out" where we can hold our pub nights, see live music and eat great food. Let the owners know what it is you are hoping for! This from a colleague (who is directly connected to Agava, located in the space vacated by Olivia).

Hello all,

Please consider completing this 10 question survey to help gather feedback in advance of the opening of Agava, a new Southwest-Inspired Restaurant on Ithaca's East Hill.   Upon completion of the survey, you'll be entered for a chance to win a free dinner upon opening!!

Here's a link to the survey:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5BTS97V

Feel free to spread the word and forward the survey.  Thanks for your help!

You're Invited to a Belle Sherman School Fundraiser

Mark your calendars, and tell all your friends! There will be a Family Square Dance on Wednesday, January 18 from 6:00 - 7:30 in the Belle Sherman cafeteria. Admission is $5/person, $18/family; proceeds to benefit the 5th grade trip to the Floating Classroom and Cayuga Nature Center. Live music by the amazing Long John and the Tights, featuring our own Randi Beckmann; calling by the fabulous Nancy Spero! All ages welcome; all dances taught; no partner necessary. Come beat the winter blahs, get your body moving, and have TONS OF FUN!

Fleming, McCollister Assume New City Positions

New Third Ward Common Council member, Donna Fleming, was sworn in yesterday in a ceremony that also appointed returning Third Ward Common Council member, Ellen McCollister, as alternate acting mayor. Outgoing Third Ward representative, Joel Zumoff, and several other Common Council members were thanked for their service, while new Mayor Svante Myrick accepted the gavel from outgoing Mayor Carolyn Peterson. We are looking forward to working with Donna and Ellen in the coming months/years on behalf of our neighborhood and thank Joel for his service!


To read more about the swearing-in ceremony, read today's Ithaca Journal.

Holiday Trash Collection

TRASH COLLECTION WILL BE ONE DAY LATE MONDAY – FRIDAY, JANUARY 2 – 6, 2012.

 

CITY OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY JANUARY 2, 2012.

 

TRASH WILL NOT BE COLLECTED ON MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 2012.

 

FRIDAY’S TRASH COLLECTION WILL BE SATURDAY JANUARY 7, 2012.

Christmas Tree Pick Up Starts Soon

Discarded Christmas trees can be placed on the curb for removal throughout January and ending February 3.


Crews from the Department of Public Works should remove trees within a week of their placement on the curb.


Only Christmas trees will be removed as general yard waste collection remains suspended during the winter months. General yard waste collection resumes the first week of April.