You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Ithaca’ category.
I was a volunteer at the Ithaca Festival Parade tonight, and despite growing up here, it’s really the first parade I can remember attending. And if you ever want to capture a glimpse of the culture and soul of Ithaca, you should find a reason to visit this parade. I only had my phone camera with me, but I took a few shots because I wanted to be able to share. The parade is held every June as a kickoff to the town festival. It’s held after most students from Cornell and Ithaca College have left town for the summer. And what you’re left with, is a celebration of a very unique group of people…’Ithacans’. A few pictures and then a video of something I can’t quite explain. (You might want to keep your volume down when you watch it.)
In order of appearance in the slideshow: 1) Bagman. Apparently, he’s famous. He was yelling that the black bag represents oil. 2) Greensprings, Ithaca’s Natural Burial Preserve (yes, that’s a woman laying in a coffin.) 3) Not sure what these two were promoting, but I heard something about fiddles and dancing rainbows. 4) Yup, that’s the Tompkins County Amateur Radio Club (and of course he’s carrying an antenna!) 5) Go Ithaca Wastewater Treatment Facility! (That would be a walking toilet, connected to the walking treatment facility and finally, clean water) 6) And that? That’s just a man riding a penny-farthing.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
I'm 6 feet tall. Eli is 25 inches. Jeff Foote is big.
They couldn’t pull off the miracle upset, but they did more than anyone could have expected. Thanks for the awesome ride. Today they were greeted by faculty and locals on campus since the students are away on spring break. A few videos from today’s welcome back…
The escort onto campus and Cornell Marching Band:
The singing of the alma mater to the team:
Whether they can play David and take down the Kentucky Goliath on Thursday or not, they’ve already given us an awesome gift. It has been an unforgettable few days seeing Cornell basketball mentioned in nearly every major newspaper and television program in the country. The Cornell and Ithaca community is buzzing like I’ve never experienced…and I can’t imagine we’ll experience again. So we’re enjoying every day of this ride. Enjoying our team. Enjoying it more than any fan at Michigan, Kentucky, Duke or Kansas could ever understand. Read a great column from Bill Reynolds, an ex-Ivy Basketball player here. I think he captures this feeling pretty well. Go Big Red!
I bought tickets to this concert last year when it was announced. The 1,500 seats in our local theater sold out within 3 days. I had heard a few John Prine songs, but didn’t own an album until I bought the tickets. I now own five and can’t get enough of his music. His songwriting is some of the best I’ve ever heard. It’s easy to compare his sound to Bob Dylan on a first listen, but after a few songs, a close listen to lyrics, and then watching him on stage, it’s clear he’s in his own league. Each song is a story and a poem. When I saw him on stage, he took on the image of a great storyteller sharing wisdom around a campfire. He would probably hate that comparison, but there was something about the warmth of his performance, and the way the audience waited on every word, that it seems appropriate.
The highlights of the night for me were his performances of “Please Don’t Burry Me,” “That’s The Way the World Goes Round ” and “Hello in There.” When he sang “Hello in There”, I looked over at my dad and felt a deep appreciation for the man on the stage and the man in the seat next to me. Thanks for that Mr. Prine.
Having lived in Ithaca for over 15 years & following Cornell basketball since I was 10, this news is almost impossible to believe. The last time I attended a Cornell basketball game was in 1990 when Cornell hosted North Carolina in Ithaca. They lost 108-64. And I think North Carolina pulled their starters at halftime. Cornell hasn’t had a competitive basketball program in decades. They haven’t been able to compete in the Ivy League, let alone the national stage.
But over the last 3 years they’ve built a team around Louis Dale, Jeff Foote, and Ryan Wittman (picture above). After making it to the NCAA tournament the last 2 years, they are now putting together a miracle season. Miracle as far as an Ivy League team with no scholarships goes. This year they held a lead against the Kansas Jayhawks, the #1 team in the country, until the last minute of play. And after beating Harvard by 36 points this weekend, today they were voted one of the top 25 teams in the country by the ESPN/USA today coaches poll.
Cornell basketball has been a joke and afterthought for so many years that I can barely comprehend this. I had to document this moment on the blog because I want to remember 20 years from now that this really happened. I can’t imagine I’ll see it again in my lifetime. So when my son is 10, and we’re attending a game at Newman Arena, I’ll probably need this blog in order to prove it. To prove that in the year 2010, our Cornell basketball team was one of the best in the country. Go Big Red!
The Art of Mangold Hurling
This is not a Dr. Seuss book, but a match made in the world of international root tossing. I’ve written twice now about my passion for the International Rutabaga Curling Championship at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market. Well, this week, the commissioner of the Rutabaga Curl was contacted by the Acting Chairman of the Ancient Order of Sherston Mangold Hurlers. Nope, I’m not making this up. Apparently we’re not alone in our love for the sport of root vegetable throwing. However, unlike the 14 year history of Rutabaga Curling, Mangold Hurling dates way back to the 18th century. Sadly, despite this rich history, Sherston represents the only remaining functioning Order in the UK with an annual hurl.
Well not only did the Sherston Mangold Hurlers reach out, but they invited a delegation of Ithaca Rutabaga Curlers to visit Sherston for their competition in October, in exchange for a return delegation for our December event. And it sounds like the wheels are already in motion for the trip. How great is that? Thanks for the outreach Sherston. It’s nice to know that we have a brotherhood across the pond. We look forward to hosting you later this year.
A video of the 2009 Sherston Hurl:
If you’re avoiding seeing ‘Precious‘ because the movie seems too heavy or depressing, do yourself a favor and go anyway. Yes, it’s heavy. We saw it on Friday at Cinemapolis with an audience discussion after the film. And by the time the movie was over, Rachel had a splitting headache and the whole audience needed a collective deep breath. But as disturbing as the story is, it forced me to think about a side of our communities often overlooked as someone else’s problem. This movie strips that away. It forces you to look, and forces you to feel the emotion of domestic abuse. Our discussion after the film featured a school psychologist, a community organizer and a member of our local advocacy center for domestic violence. Nobody left the theater after the film. 20 people stood up and spoke about what this film meant to them. How often does a movie bring out that kind of reaction?
The film itself was incredibly well done. The acting across the board was outstanding. Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) and Mo’Nique (The Mother) deserve academy awards. Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carrey suprised me. My only complaint was with the casting of Paula Patton for the teacher. She’s beautiful, she’s a good actress, and she did a fine job with the role. But she didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the movie. She looked like she was ready for a modeling shoot in every scene. And then one of our audience members noted that in the book ‘Push’ which the movie is based on, the teacher is heavy with much darker skin and dreadlocks. In the book, Precious relates to this teacher in large part because of her looks. I wonder why the producer took the liberty to change the look of this central character so much. Perhaps because Precious herself wanted that type of body and light skin? Regardless, it came across as a mistake in an otherwise near-flawless movie. Oh, and the movie ends on a fairly positive note. So don’t worry about walking out and needing counseling. Just go see it. Two heavy thumbs up.
For the 12th year, Ithaca held the International Rutabaga Curling Championship. This was my second year as a participant, and I had high hopes for bringing the trophy home to my family after last year’s knockout in the championship round. I had a lot stacked against me this year. The dawn of fatherhood has completely thrown off my training and sleep schedule. I was down in NJ with the family on the morning of the curl and had to leave at daybreak just to make the registration booth in time. The temperatures were again in the single digits and I did not dress for the weather. But we made it to the curl in time for the opening ceremonies, the parade of nations and the turnip toss. (If you haven’t seen pictures of the event, see my post from last year)
The goal of the competition is to roll and stop your rutabaga as close to the target as possible. If you’re in the top 5 rolls of your round, you move on to the finals. For this year’s competition I was the 69th competitor in the field. When I stepped up to the line I felt good. I wanted to keep the rutabaga short of the target, as I was disqualified by rolling too hard last year (too much adrenaline, I think.) Well, the plan worked and my roll looked beautiful bouncing down the wood planks. But then like an act of god, the root took a heavy turn to the left. That turn cost me, as I ended up the 6th closest turnip of the round; missing the final by less than an inch. Oh, the drama.
Thanks to commissioner Steve for making this event happen every year. You really tap into the heart of something so ridiculous, so fun and so Ithaca.
My losing curl:
The Rutabaga Choir:
Downtown Ithaca Before 'The Commons' - Circa 1901
Initial concepts for the redesign of Ithaca’s downtown pedestrian mall were unveiled today by Sasaki Associates. The Boston firm, which designed the master plan for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was selected to provide recommendations and plans for a new Ithaca Commons. These initial plans focus primarily on the spatial layout and considerations for the subterranean infrastructure, and they are a big step towards bringing a needed facelift to this central part of downtown Ithaca. As a member of the Commons Advisory Board, I’m excited to see the city’s commitment to this, despite objections from a few groups that want the space returned to a street. If grants can be secured and funding provided, this redesign will have a very positive impact on the economic health of downtown Ithaca. It will bring the space back to its original conception as a community space for social exchange, entertainment and commerce. If the opportunity passes or the appropriate funding for a full redesign is not secured, then the minority is right and it should be returned to a main street. But what a loss that would be.
See the article from today’s paper here.
My mother was born on Halloween and we moved to Ithaca one year ago on October 31st. With two weeks left until the due date, it could happen. Rachel and I took a walk to get a few pictures of her before the baby arrives, with the upstate NY foliage in full bloom. Rach will be relieved when this baby arrives and she’s no longer the focus of all my pictures. (But she’s such a great subject)
Recent Comments