Briefs: Dan Brown retires, trail kiosk opens, more

Dan Brown celebrated at Racker retirement event

After 27 years of leadership, innovation and compassion, Dan Brown will retire as executive director of Racker on July 1. His upcoming retirement was celebrated Monday night at an event open to community members.

An ardent and articulate advocate of Racker, Brown has served as a board member, financial director, associate executive director and, finally, as executive director.

Under Brown’s leadership, Racker experienced significant program growth to a $40 million annual budget and over 800 employees. His dedication to equality helped drive powerful advocacy efforts to underscore to state legislators and leaders the critical role of provider agencies like Racker.

Brown’s vision of inclusion led him to serve as a director on state and national boards to ensure that the disability service system works better for people not only in Racker’s service area but also across the country.

As executive director, Brown immersed himself in the community. He never missed an opportunity to build bridges and create relationships with people and other organizations. His person-centered approach helped the community understand the importance of Racker’s mission of creating “a world where all people know they belong.”

These relationships, and his innovative thinking, created opportunities for partnerships and community projects like The Neighborhood Depot, a Tioga County facility in development that will allow nonprofits to share services and reduce overhead costs and will serve as an emergency response center for Owego.

With a focus on the future, Brown moved the agency forward with technology innovations.

He helped develop a strategic plan that used technology to streamline programmatic reporting for staff and allowed more focus on the individual. Racker as an agency moved to cloud-based file storage to ensure the IT safety of the agency.

Brown has always enjoyed getting to know people and never missed an opportunity to create a bond. All employees receive a personal phone call on their birthday. His hands-on approach has made him approachable by staff at all levels.

Cristine Donovan, current associate executive director of Racker, has been chosen as Brown’s successor (see tinyurl.com/25zq3xzo). Brown’s retirement will take effect July 1, but he will continue to serve as director of statewide initiatives. Brown looks forward to traveling to visit his three children and spending time with the love of his life, his wife Eve.

Racker has been supporting individuals with disabilities and their families for 74 years. For more information on Racker, visit racker.org.

 

Black Diamond Trail Kiosk opens with ribbon cutting

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s Finger Lakes Regional Headquarters held a ribbon cutting event for the recently installed kiosk for the Black Diamond Trail Trailhead in Cass Park.

The kiosk was funded, in part, by the Finger Lakes Cycling Club in memory of Andrejs Ozolins, longtime member of the club and Black Diamond Trail advocate and enthusiast. A bike repair station was donated by Cayuga Ski and Cyclery. Friends of Stewart Park donated benches and bike racks, and ProCon Construction from Vestal, New York, was the prime contractor for the kiosk. Additional sitework, plantings and signage installation were performed by State Park staff.

The Black Diamond Trail, a 8.5-mile trail, runs along the former railroad line between Alan H. Treman State Park Marina/Cass Park and Taughannock Falls State Park. Opened in 2016, the trail has become a popular recreation trail for hikers, joggers and cyclists, and it serves as a commuter link between the village of Trumansburg and the city of Ithaca.

Speakers at the ribbon cutting included Laura Lewis, acting mayor of the city of Ithaca; Peggy Coleman, director of the Ithaca/Tompkins County Convention and Visitors Bureau; Vicki Armstrong from Friends of the Black Diamond Trail; Doug Dylla from the Finger Lakes Cycling Club; Margaret Johnson, director of Bike Walk Tompkins; and Fred Bonn, Finger Lakes State Park regional director (pictured in front of the kiosk).

Bonn said that his office is also working on plans to further extend the Black Diamond Trail through Trumansburg and beyond.

“We are Ithacans,” he said. “We are vocal. We are active. We are advocates. So, it’s that sort of energy and that sort of activity that we can leverage together to make future projects happen.”

Learn more by visiting parks.ny.gov.

 

Conservation Board to host invasive species education event

The Town of Ithaca Conservation Board invites the public to join them on June 9 between 5 and 7 p.m. at the town’s East Shore Park to explore, observe and help to manage the invasive species threatening our environment (spotted lanternfly pictured).

The Conservation Board will be joined by the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network and the Community Science Institute to discuss terrestrial and aquatic invasives along with Harmful Algal Blooms. East Shore Park is located at 1000 East Shore Dr. (State Route 34), adjacent to the Cornell Merrill Family Sailing Center. Please come to learn what you can do!

This event is part of New York’s annual Invasive Species Awareness Week (ISAW). New York ISAW is a statewide educational campaign being held June 6 through 12 that provides opportunities for New Yorkers to learn about invasive species and how they can prevent and manage their spread.

The Town of Ithaca’s Conservation Board wants everyone to “Be Aware of Ithaca’s Invasives.” Learn the difference between weeds and invasives and why it’s important for everyone to help stop the spread of invasive species in our environment.

Invasive species are plants, animals, insects and diseases that are not native to an area and cause harm to the environment, the economy or human health. Invasive species impact all of us.

Whether it’s removing invasive seeds from boots before and after hiking; cleaning water weeds from watercraft before and after boating; using native plants when gardening and landscaping; or using local firewood to prevent the spread of forest pests and diseases, we can all do our part to stop the spread.

To learn more about what you can do to stop the spread of invasives species in New York state, please go to fingerlakesinvasives.org.

For more information about the event, please contact the Town of Ithaca Planning Department at (607) 273-1747 or msmith@town.ithaca.ny.us.

 

Construction on Cass Park rink enclosure begins

The City of Ithaca is pleased to announce that construction on the Cass Park Arena, located at 701 Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca, has begun this month.

The project will fully enclose the rink, providing dehumidification and shelter that will improve ice conditions, lengthen the ice skating season, provide a year-round community space for events and programming and greatly enhance the user experience, including the addition of new spectator bleachers.

The city has awarded contracts to Bouley Associates, Inc. from Auburn for general construction; AFT Mechanical, LLC from Elmira for HVAC construction; and Knapp Electric, Inc. from Auburn for electric construction.

The city’s architect/engineer on the project is Stantec Consulting Services, LLC from Rochester. Taitem Engineering, PC from Ithaca is the city’s commissioning consultant.

The Cass arena enclosure has been a focus of the Ithaca Youth Bureau, the Engineering division of the Department of Public Works, the Friends of the Ithaca Youth Bureau, community members and businesses for more than seven years to raise funds to support the project.

Funding for this project includes city funds, a New York State Regional Economic Development Council grant from the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, a state grant through former State Assembly Member Barbara Lifton’s office and community fundraising efforts led by the Friends of the Ithaca Youth Bureau.

The rink opened in November 1972. The enclosure of the open-air facility is a piece of a multi-phased plan to update Cass Park to serve the community for another 50 years. To date, the city has already replaced the refrigeration system and concrete slab, replaced and extended the roof, and replaced the lighting and sound system. The enclosure is an important step to modernize the facility; lobby, locker room and rest room renovations are also needed in the future.

The Cass Park Rink is home to Ithaca Youth Hockey Association (IYHA), Ithaca High School Varsity Hockey teams, Ithaca Adult Hockey Association, IYHA and Tompkins Girls Hockey Association regional tournaments, Ithaca Sirens, Youth Bureau skating lessons and public skating, Cass Park Summer Day Camp, roller skating and many more recreational activities enjoyed by the community.

Ithaca Mayor Laura Lewis said, “Cass Park is a hub of community activity and one of Ithaca’s finest treasures that serves people of all ages and abilities. With support from Friends of the Ithaca Youth Bureau, NYS grants and city of Ithaca project funds, we will see the Cass Arena enclosed this year!”

Jim D’Alterio, IYB deputy director, said, “The Enclose Cass project, as with any construction, will require some adjustments and flexibility to normal operations, but we look forward to a successful pool and summer camp season. Cass Park Day Camp will continue to meet and use a portion of the arena surface for its meetings and daily activities. Summer roller skating will be on hold; however, we are looking for an alternate site. Please check our Facebook page and website for updates. Construction is due to be completed in time for the 2022-23 ice season.”

The Ithaca Youth Bureau, established in 1948, provides youth development and recreational programs and facilities for the Ithaca and surrounding communities. Cass Park is a 138-acre park that includes the arena, Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis courts, playing fields, picnic pavilions and playgrounds.

For more information and updates, go to casspark.org.

 

Christine Lovely named chief HR officer at Cornell

Cornell University has named Christine D. Lovely, associate vice chancellor and chief human resources officer at the University of California, Davis, as its next vice president and chief human resources officer, effective Aug. 30.

The Executive Committee of the Cornell University Board of Trustees approved Lovely’s appointment May 25. She will succeed Mary Opperman, who announced plans to step down last fall. Initially planning to depart June 30, Opperman has agreed to stay on through Aug. 29, concluding 25 years of service at Cornell.

Lovely is a lawyer turned human resources executive with extensive experience in higher education and a passion for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.

“I’m very excited to join Cornell,” Lovely said. “To be able to come into an organization and innovate and be creative is very enticing, and to do it at a place like Cornell makes this in many ways my dream job.”

“Christine has an impressive track record of engaged leadership, recruiting and retaining talented staff and building a sense of belonging among all employees,” said Cornell President Martha E. Pollack. “I look forward to working with Christine to make sure Cornell remains one of the best places to work in the country.”

The university employs approximately 18,000 staff and faculty on campuses in Ithaca, Geneva, New York City and Qatar, as well as dozens of research facilities. Lovely’s portfolio will include oversight of the Division of Human Resources, Office of Inclusion and Workforce Diversity, and Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX.

Lovely, a lifelong Californian and self-described “people person,” told the Cornell Chronicle that her first few weeks will be spent getting to know Cornell and its faculty, staff and students.

“It’s so important to get out and meet and talk to people at all levels,” she said. “I’ve always been the type of leader that wants to engage with and mentor employees, support their development and ensure that people have an opportunity to advance in their careers.”

For more information, check out the Cornell Chronicle’s full article at tinyurl.com/24h2w2qb.

 

GO ITHACA launching summer tours program

Starting this month, explore Ithaca’s top tourist destinations with the GO ITHACA team. The transportation demand management program offers free tours of some of the most scenic sites around Tompkins County all summer long. The best part is that you won’t have to use your vehicle to visit any of the locations.

“GO ITHACA’s mission is to get people out of their vehicles and use more efficient and greener modes of transportation for everything, including taking community tours,” said Carrie Spanton, the GO ITHACA team member leading the tours. “We want to show tourists when they come to Ithaca, New York, they can visit all the destinations without needing a vehicle. Our summer tours will get people biking, using transit and walking around to visit spectacular and natural wonders in the Ithaca community.”

The tours will be at 11:30 a.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 4 through Aug. 14. Participants will visit various gorges, parks and other outdoor attractions. Each tour originates from the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Ithaca Commons pedestrian mall. Participants will then bus, bike or walk to various tourist attractions, including the picturesque Cascadilla Gorge and Taughannock Falls State Park.

Tour reservations aren’t required; you simply show up at the Bernie Milton Pavilion. For the biking tours, you can either bring your own bike and helmet or rent a bike. GO ITHACA has partnered with Boxy Bikes, which offers e-bike or road bike rentals. GO ITHACA provides a $20 bike rental voucher for its bike tours, which is enough to cover a two-hour standard bike rental. Bike rental information is available on the GO ITHACA website (goithaca.org).

All of the tours are dependent on the weather, so you’ll want to keep an eye on the GO ITHACA Facebook or Instagram profile for tour cancellations.

GO ITHACA’s Summer Tours are made possible by Tompkins County Tourism Program Grant. For more information, visit goithaca.org/goithacahappenings.

 

Cayuga Nature Center Lodge reopens June 18

Cayuga Nature Center’s Lodge will officially reopen to the public on June 18. Visitors are invited to explore the indoor lodge, in addition to the outdoor grounds and trails.

The Lodge offers exhibits, including the past and present Cayuga Lake aquaria and climate change exhibits, a live animal room, a new nature nook and touch table, taxidermy and a gift shop.

The Lodge will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Labor Day. Check the website for hours and updates: cayuganaturecenter.org/visit.

The Lodge will have a new “pay-what-you-wish” donation admission price this year to make visiting more financially accessible to all visitors.

“The Lodge is a great place for new and returning visitors of all ages to explore and connect with nature,” said Katie Bagnall-Newman, associate director of nature center programs. “We hope the new donation-based admission price will make learning about the natural world more accessible for all.”

The Cayuga Nature Center will hold public programming throughout the summer, so check its events calendar (tinyurl.com/2dlg9ww3) or follow on social media for more information.

The Cayuga Nature Center Lodge has been closed since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. The trails, outdoor animals and TreeTops, the six-story treehouse, at the Cayuga Nature Center have remained open to visitors.

The Cayuga Nature Center will also hold summer camp again this year at the Lodge with two new programs, Backwoods Base Camp and Animal/Critter Camps.

The Cayuga Nature Center reopening is part of the Paleontological Research Institution’s (PRI) 90th anniversary celebration.

 

GreenStar Food Co+op hires new general manager

The Council of GreenStar Food Co+op recently announced the hiring of Greenstar’s next general manager, Jeff Bessmer. Bessmer will begin in his new role July 5.

A cooperative management professional of 15 years, Bessmer has served as general manager for three co-ops, bringing their communities together to realize a more cooperative future. Bessmer is committed to member engagement and community involvement, has served on eight local and national co-op boards and holds a master’s degree in management of cooperatives and credit unions from Saint Mary’s University. Bessmer is relocating from Sacramento, California, and said he is excited to serve the Ithaca community and beyond.

The recent hiring is the culmination of a six-month search that began in January with the formation of an ad-hoc General Manager Search Committee, composed of six GreenStar Council members and three co-op staff members.

GreenStar is planning a meet and greet for staff and member-owners once Bessmer has arrived and will announce further details in the coming weeks.

GreenStar’s Council recognizes and appreciates that GreenStar employees Deb Peskin, director of human resources, and Giles McCarty, front end manager, ably served as interim general manager and assistant interim general manager, in addition to their regular jobs, during the search process.

“We are grateful to Deb and Giles and all of our dedicated GreenStar staff for keeping co-op operations on track during this challenging period,” Council President Marilyn Chase said.

GreenStar Food Co+op is owned by 13,000 community members, is governed by a volunteer board of directors and is the largest private sector living wage employer in Ithaca. For more information, visit greenstar.coop.