Finger Lakes Toy Library

Signs of Sustainability

Imagine: Toys for everyone to borrow…A community resource devoted to play… Well, imagine no more; there’s Finger Lakes Toy Library – a lending library that increases access to toys, supports play, and encourages a culture of reuse and sharing. A great resource for families, child care providers, therapists, family workers, grandparents, babysitters and more.🌟 Due to COVID-19, you can now reserve toys online💻 , pick up curbside 🚗, and keep toys longer 🕙. Toys are also quarantined for 72 hours between borrowers. 🌟

Beaver Lake Nature Center

Signs of Sustainability

15 minutes northwest of Syracuse – Beaver Lake Nature Center offers 9 miles of trails 🏃🏃‍♀️ featuring 200 species of birds 🦆🦉🦇🦅 and over 800 varieties of plants 🌻🌳🌷🌺🍁. Kayak or canoe too if thats your thing! COVID accommodations include closing the visitors center and capping the parking lot at 1/3 capacity to encourage social distancing. Visit their Facebook page to learn about species like this one.

Tell Cuomo We Need the New York Health Act!

Calls to Action

In the past few weeks, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has stated that we have to “Reimagine New York.” He explains that we have to learn from the lessons of COVID-19 to make a better New York by changing the systems that so obviously have failed us, namely the healthcare system. As the Health Committee Chairs of the state say, “The need for the New York Health Act has never been clearer. Stop wasting tens of billions of dollars on insurance company profits, administrative overhead, and marketing, making doctors and hospitals spend billions on administrative costs to fight with insurance companies, and paying excessive prices to drug companies. Invest those dollars into guaranteeing care for every New Yorker and supporting health care providers.” Click here to send a message to Governor Cuomo that we need the New York Health Act. Read more of what Health Committee Chairs Gustavo Rivera and Richard N. Godfreid have to say here.

New Remote Tutoring Program

News

The Public Service Center has proudly supported the local community through tutoring and other academic programs for almost 30 years. In our best effort to continue supporting the needs of our community, we have established a new virtual tutoring program as a response to the cancellation of in-person tutoring opportunities. The Supportive Tutoring for Area Youth (STAY) program is offering free, remote tutoring by Cornell students for grades K through 12 in a variety of subjects based on students’ needs.

Mini-Conference on COVID and Sustainable Transitions

News

On May 27th, Future Earth Knowledge-Action Network on Systems of Sustainable Consumption and Production will host a mini zoom conference on COVID-19 and Sustainability Transitions. RSVP here to register and to receive the required Zoom link. As a part of this Mini-Conference, participants are invited to share a visual representation accompanied with a text description of their hopes and inspirations, lives, or experiences of sustainability transitions in the era of COVID-19. Click the link to submit an image or video (up to 5). Once you upload your images feel free to leave a comment about where the picture/video was taken or anything else you would like to share! Please also include your name and current location.

Op-Ed: Issues with Handling of Healthcare

News

Our current circumstances have many using a critical lens to look at our healthcare system and its fundamental shortcomings. Potential alternatives, such as the NY Health Act and Medicare for All, spark curiosity amongst many, including Tony Del Plato, a trustee for the Village of Interlaken and a business owner in Interlaken. Del Plato wrote an Op-Ed for the Finger Lakes Times on how New York State is handling (or neglecting to handle) healthcare around the pandemic and how they should be instead, arguing for a more affordable, functional, and better equipped healthcare system. Read the full Op-Ed here.

New Resources for Food Delivery and Safe Rides to Covid-19 Testing

News

Free and safe rides in a sanitized vehicle now are available for individuals scheduled for COVID-19 testing at the Cayuga Health Sampling Site located at The Shops at Ithaca Mall thanks to a group of transportation service providers and partner agencies including United Way of Tompkins County, Food Bank of the Southern Tier, Human Services Coalition, Tompkins County Health Department, TCAT, Center for Community Transportation and Way2Go. You must register for testing online or by calling 607-319-5708, then call 2-1-1 between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm to schedule a ride with ASAP cab company. This service is free of charge. For emergency or regular food delivery, individuals should call 2-1-1 between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm for assistance. Emergency food requests will be directed to the United Way of Tompkins County which is organizing deliveries from the food hub via Gadabout. Want to help? Volunteer to deliver goods by bicycle! You can be equipped with a bike delivery rig if needed. More info is available on the Bike Walk Tompkins website. For more info, contact Norma Gutierrez at by email or by phone at (607) 272-2292 ext 162 (Voicemail #248).

Ithaca Trails

Signs of Sustainability

What better way to lift your own spirits in these hard times than to catch some rays and move your body? Trails in the Ithaca area are still open to the public. On the Ithaca Trails website, you can search the areas trails, and can even narrow your results by activity, difficulty, length, dog friendliness, lake views and much more! Such a valuable resource. Check it out! 🚵‍♀️🌳🌞🍄🏃‍♂️✨

Ithaca Farmer’s Market Open Despite COVID-19

News

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Ithaca Farmer’s Market opened this weekend to the public, with some added precautions to keep vendors and customers more safe. According to the Ithaca Voice, “The market is scheduled to return for its spring market on Saturdays in April at the Steamboat Landing pavilion, with shortened hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The pavilion has 88 booths, but this month the vendor capacity will be capped at 40 –– with vendors spaced out in every other booth. The shorter hours and the empty booths will allow more room for customers to navigate the shopping area with the suggested 6 feet distance between patrons.” In addition, the market has been equipped with hand sanitizer stations and has outlined some guidelines for customers to follow, to make for the safest experience for all parties involved. To learn more about what this means for you, read this article by the Ithaca Voice and see guidelines on the Ithaca Farmer’s Market website.

The Smith Opera House

Signs of Sustainability

For more than a century the Smith Opera House has thrived as the center stage of the Finger Lakes, offering quality performing arts and cultural opportunities for area residents and regional visitors. Occupied approximately 250 nights per year with events open to the public, the theatre is an ongoing symbol of historic preservation, non-profit perseverance, and artistic excellence. For more info, visit their facebook page.