Big Block Party Tonight on Aurora Street

The city and the Downtown Business Partnership are throwing a big block party tonight to celebrate the re-opening of the Aurora Street bridge above Six Mile Creek, and the 100 block of N. Aurora Street, between State and Seneca Streets.

Music will be provided by IY at 5 p.m., and the Horseflies at 7.

There will also be roving street performers such as jugglers, magicians, and stilt-walkers.

The bridge and the street have been closed since the spring for repairs and renovation. The most noteable change is the elimination of most parking spots on the block, to accomodate larger sidewalks for expanded outdoor dining on a street now being promoted as Restaurant Row.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

The Future for Ithaca's Water: From Six Mile Creek or Cayuga Lake?

The city of Ithaca is on the verge of an historic decision: whether to keep the Six Mile Creek reservoir system as its water source, or switch to Cayuga Lake.

To stay in service, the century-old reservoir system needs considerable modernization, including the addition of new access roads through its woodland setting. The alternative is to partner with the Town of Ithaca's exisiting water source, Bolton Point, at Cayuga Lake.

From an engineering and environmental standpoint, a switch to Bolton Point might be simpler and lower-impact, although significant expansion of the system will be necessary.

From a governance standpoint, a move to Bolton Point is potentially troublesome, as the city of Ithaca would no longer have sole autonomy over its water source.

From a political standpoint, there is likely to be strong public sentiment to retain the site at Six Mile Creek. Preliminary studies indicate little difference in water quality between the two sources. But the protected nature of the reservoir watershed creates the perception that it is a safer, purer site.

The historical nature of the Six Mile Creek site might also be a political factor that is perhaps emotional in nature, yet real. It is a municipal asset that people might resist losing - regardless of whether or not it is the best choice.

The acronym NIMBY is well known in the politics of development: "Not In My Back Yard." The idea of a shift from Six Mile Creek might lead to a new one that is less pronounceable, perhaps irrational, yet potent: IJDLI, or "I Just Don't Like the Idea."

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Weekend Picks, August 10 - 12

Friday 8/10: The Haunt continues its diverse and energetic programming with Kaplan-Shaw Blues Band at 6:30, and a dj-hosted salsa dance party ("Salsa, Salsa, y Mas Salsa") at 10.

Keeping pace, Castaways also has a blues band early, 505 Blues, at 5 p.m., and a nighttime show, at 9:30, featuring local boys the Fuzz Brothers, and IY.





Saturday 8/11: Don't miss what is likely to be a peak week at the Farmer's Market. Tomatoes? Corn? Peaches? Find out starting at 9 a.m.

Black Castle brings its popular 21st century reggae to the Chapter House, 10 p.m.





Sunday 8/12: ABC Cafe has one of the best Sunday brunches in town (Cafe Dewitt has the other) ; ABC also has live music for your brunching pleasure. Kitchen Chair is a 2-woman ensemble of guitar and fiddle. Performance starts at 11, but be warned, tables start filling up with the ravenous pretty nicely by 10.

On the right side of Nashville, there was Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton; Ernest Tubb and Loretta Lynn; and of course Johnny Cash and June Carter. On the wrong side, there are Johnny Dowd and Kim Sherwood Caso. Felicia's Atomic Lounge, 7 pm.

Drop-In Center Gets Funding, Avoids Closing

In the spirit, perhaps, of it takes a county to raise a child, the Tompkins County Legislature last night allocated $50,000 to the Drop-In Children's Center to prevent the Center from closing.

The Drop-In Children's Center provides child care on a sliding scale for up to 84 children, including 18 slots left open for emergency drop-in services.

The Center has pressing financial needs from an expansion in 2005, and an increase in service to low-income families paying on the lower end of the sliding scale fee structure.

Dozens of people came to the meeting to advocate for the funding, which passed by a 9-5 vote.

County Chair Tim Joseph explained that the county has the necessary funding available in its contingency fund, which exists to aid in emergency situations.

The Center has operated in Ithaca's northside neighborhood since the 1970's, when it started as a parents' cooperative. Today it is run by a professional staff, with opportunities for parents to work for child care credit.

The Center still has another $50,000-plus in debt, and community help is still crucial.

The Center has a fundraising CD set, "Families Are a Rainbow," produced by local musicians. The 2-CD set costs $19.95, and is available at Small World Music. 100% of the purchase price goes to the Center. The compilation recording includes songs by The Horse Flies, Mamadou Diabate, Amy Glicklich, Annie and Amelia Burns, Mbusi, Tom Knight, Cornerstone, Vitamin L, Radio London, and others.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

What, Now We Shouldn't Drink Bottled Water?

W.C. Fields wouldn't have this problem. He never drank water, he once said, because of the things fish do in it.

Of course, W.C. was no paragon of health, and we know that drinking plenty of fresh, clean water is an excellent health habit.

But Americans today are drinking four billion gallons of water a year in store-bought, individual-serving bottles, and the commercial water industry is turning into an environmental health hazard.

Water bottles are a petroleum-based product. It takes 1.5 million barrels of oil to make the water bottles Americans use each year. That's as much fuel as 100,000 cars use.

It also takes a lot of fuel to transport those billions of pounds of water from the source, to the distributor, to the retailer, to the consumer.

Unlike beer and soda, bottled water is exempt from deposit and redemption programs. Almost 80 percent are thrown away rather than recycled.

It's a lot of waste simply for the convenience of a bottle. In most places, commercial water is not superior to the water from the tap. In fact, in many cases it is water from the tap.

It's also a waste of money. Someone choosing commercial water for their eight recommended servings a day will spend well over $1,000 a year. The same amount of tap water costs less than a dollar.

This summer, San Francisco prohibited its city agencies and departments from spending money on bottled water. The mayor noted that the city's municipal water is "some of the most pristine on the planet."

Then, of course, there are the larger geo-political issues of private companies potentially seeking to buy up sources of this most necessary, public resource for commercial gain.

So don't be like W.C., but also don't believe the rap, or fall into the trap. Instead, turn on the tap.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Weekend Picks, Aug. 3 & 4: Battle of the Bars

The focus on local entertainment this weekend is not so much on the artists, but the venues, as the Haunt holds its heralded Re-Opening (without having ever actually closed), and Castaways aims to keep pace, with a large roster of performers each night.

It will be interesting to see where Thousands of One actually go, as both venues are claiming them on Friday night. The Haunt is also advertising Kevin Kinsella, and Mbusi, and Castaways Rising Sun, Yacouba Diarra, Eliot Rich, and Ezekiel.

On Saturday, Castaways lists Thousands of One again, with Void Union. The 9 pm show is billed as a benefit for the Multicultural Resource Center. The Haunt throws in the towel in the T. of One stakes, with Fairway and Seth Feldman.

The Chapter House weighs in on Saturday, with a rare show by Plastic Nebraska.

Urban Horse Thieves perform outdoors at Taughannock Park's lovely Saturday night series, at 7 pm. Admission is free, but parking is $5.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Local Organic Flowers From Three Sisters Farm

Funny how people will stop into a coffee bar, or bar, or bakery to buy themselves a treat they deserve, but don't often treat themselves to flowers.

Maybe it is the relative inaccessibility of the commodity, or maybe it's just an unfamiliar notion.

Whatever the reason, Three Sisters Farm is hoping to change it.

Three Sisters Farm is beginning retail sale of flower bouquets that are grown locally and organically. They will be at the Farmers Market on Thursdays, from 3 - 7 pm.

Mary Loehr of Three Sisters answered a few questions from Ithaca Blog.

Ithaca Blog: Where is Three Sisters Farm?

Mary: We grow the flowers on Snyder Hill Road, on land that we rent.

IB: Is it strictly flowers?

Mary: No - we have a vegetable farm, a CSA with 25 or so subscribers. I read an excellent book, "The Organic Flower Farmer," and began growing flowers for subscribers. We still have space for subscribers, and enough to sell retail, hence Farmers Market.

IB: And Three Sisters is an organic flower farm.

Mary: Yes. Flowers are a huge source of pesticide use. Buying local and organic is safer for all involved. In our case, it's a chance for people to support a woman-owned, small organic farm.

Mary's partners in Three Sisters Farm are Aro Veno, Rebecca Nellenback, and Amy Garbincus. They plan to be at Farmers Market on Thursdays through September.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

"Respect Yourself": Stax Records Documentary on PBS Tonight

The "Great Performances" series on public television tonight airs "Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story." If you know the Stax story, you know how much you will enjoy its depiction. If you don't, you owe it to yourself to find out.

Stax Records was a homegrown label from Memphis in the 1960's with such stars as Otis Redding, Booker T. and the MGs, Sam and Dave, Isaac Hayes, the Staples Singers, and many others. It was a fledgling operation run by friends and colleagues who believed in their ability to produce good music and compete in that era's heady marketplace of radio, records, and performance.

Motown, its more famous, less funky counterpart in Detroit, eclipsed Stax with enormous success courting the young white audience. Stax never consciously courted any market, except the market for good, soulful music. While never disparaging commercial success, with Stax the mission was, first, the music.

The mission was also social. Stax operated out of a renovated, abandoned movie house in a racially mixed downtown area. Segregation was law at the time, but Stax ignored it. Blacks and whites worked together in every aspect of the business.

The triumphs were profound, though fleeting, with the death of Otis Redding, Stax's biggest star, in an airplane crash in 1967 at age 26 (he died before the release of his biggest hit, "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay"), and a subsequent series of business downturns. But the artistic and social triumphs live on, as recounted in this important and exciting documentary.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Travelogue: The Irish Kingdom in the Northeast Catskills

We snuck away for another brief vacation this past weekend, and therefore have nothing to report about Ithaca, until we get back into the swing of things, and there seems to be a lot to cover, between southwest development, water sources, the November elections, etc.

What we have to offer right now is a description of the section of New York northeast of Catskills Park. That's where we went, and had never been before. If you're like us, you're curious about places you've never been, especially places so close and yet so far, so here is the story on the area.

We went there for a big gathering of high school and college friends who still stick together, after decades. Two of our gang just bought 90 remote acres, and it was big enough for our group; with about 100 of us attending, we had about an acre apiece. Of course, most of the action took place on a central parcel where, among other things, a stage was built. We like to perform.

The area altogether is remote. The main thing of note is a large ski operation in Windham. We were just north of there, in a town called Durham, where there is a notable Irish cultural center, with music performances and classes.

Probably the most notable thing of all is the Irish identity of the area. It is like a living, Irish theme park. There are signposts in Gaelic, shamrocks on business signs, and a lot of restaurants and motels called Hogan's, Gavin's, Mickey's, the Four Green Fields, and like that. People have brogues.

Our motel-keeper said that, for decades, Irish from New York City have been attracted to the rural, rolling hills there, similar to the home landscape. We suspect they were also attracted by land prices cheaper than on the southern side of Catskills Park, which is much closer to the city.

The relative inaccessibility seems to have kept the area from much snazzy development. There are miniature golf courses galore, from the 1950's it seems, and unrefurbished since then. We played at one called Supersonic Fun Park, which also had go-karts and a batting cage. It was nestled in trees and it had an ice cream parlor where they had egg creams for $1.65, and Proudly Sold Sealtest Ice Cream. It was not too crowded and it was not too expensive, either, believe me.

We passed a water park called Zoom Flume that seemed circa 1972 or so, was also hard to find, among thick trees, and looked like relatively supersonic fun. We could see that there were not long lines, which is the bane of most modern theme parks.

There were very few exotic places to eat - like, none. Each town semed to have one Italian and one Chinese restaurant, and that was exotic as it got.

Primarily, this is a place of high hills, wistful vistas, and what you might call peace and quiet. There are no traffic jams (there are few, if any, traffic lights in most towns). The area is unwired and untowered. Do not assume the presence of a telephone in your motel room - ask.

It is three hours from Ithaca, on mostly small roads. You take 79 East to Whitney Point, to 206 East, to Interstate 88 East. The easiest, though not most direct route is to stay on 88 to Cobleskill, to 145 South. That takes you there.

It is a trip not far in distance, but pleasantly distant in aspect. It is also quaint in price. We stayed at a servicable place called the Rose Motel for $65. It was clean, quiet, friendly, and had a small swimming pool. The depiction of a rose, not a shamrock, on their sign makes it easy to find.

Stephen (Patrick) Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Weekend Picks, July 27 - 29

Friday, July 27: Traonach, who are leading a burgeoning of Celtic music in this area, play a free, happy hour gig at Felicia's Atomic Lounge. In the enchanting alleyway, 5:30 pm.

Two (more) free shows, up east hill. The Burns Sisters perform at 6:30 at the Cornell Business and Technology Park, on Brown Road, near the airport. The Destination plays at 7:30 on Cornell's Arts Quad.

Saturday, 28 July: The Sim Redmond Band plays at Taughannock State Park. $5 to park, otherwise free. Prepare for a rare, slight traffic jam at the entrance on Rt. 89!

Sunday, 29 July: Johnny Russo, Ithaca's ambassador of jazz, will play at the Farmer's Market, 11 am. Pick up a copy of Johnny's new CD. Also, a Jollyburger, Ithaca's newest meatless taste sensation. Tell them Ithaca Blog sent you.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Standing Room Only for "St. Patrick's Four" Film

Last night's showing of a new documentary on the St. Patrick's Four, the Iraq war protesters from Ithaca, drew a capacity crowd to Cinemapolis, despite a lack of advertising for the event.

An extended run seems like a good idea. Ithaca Blog has contacted Cinemapolis but has not received a reply. We will let you know as soon as we do. Meanwhile, if you want to see it, consider calling them, too.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

"St. Patrick's Four" Film at Cinemapolis, Tonight (Only)

It is late notice, but Ithaca Blog just received word that tonight, Cinemapolis will host a screening of a new film about the St. Patrick's Four, the Iraq war protesters from Ithaca.

The film will screen at 7:15.

On March 17, 2003 - St. Patrick's Day - four anti-war protesters engaged in civil disobedience against the impending invasion of Iraq at a military recruitment station in Ithaca. The four were exonerated by a hung jury at trial in Ithaca, but were subsequently brought up on the same charges in federal court in Binghamton, where they were again found innocent of the most serious criminal charges, but imprisoned for lesser ones.

The film tells their story, and examines the rights of non-violence advocates to protest meaningfully in our democracy.

Ithaca Blog will report on possible future showings of the film.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

GrassRoots 2007 Breakout Artist

Reporting back from GrassRoots Festival:

We love GrassRoots as much as anyone, and appreciate with amazement how, for four days, the Trumansburg Fairgrounds becomes a beautiful, intensified reflection of this creative, loving community.

We also appreciate how four days of camping can rekindle your love for your bed, your routine, and porcelain.

The most exciting thing each year at the festival is to see who the breakout artist will be. In the past two years it has been the Avett Brothers and Musafir. This year it was no newcomer, but Hugh Masekela, the veteran jazz trumpeter from South Africa.

Most people who know Masekela at all will know him for his sole hit song, from the 1960's, "Grazing In the Grass." But his performance Saturday night showed him to be a consummate composer, bandleader, trumpeter, singer, stage presence, and ambassador of world music.

Masekela's playing, and even moreso his voice, had the strength and passion of someone decades younger. Our friend and keen appraiser of such things, Hollywood Joe, said, "It was like hearing Miles Davis and James Brown, at the top of their game, in one person."

Masekela enthralled the crowd with stories of defeating aparetheid in South Africa. He performed "Mandela," his anthem to his friend.

He elicited laughter with casually risque stage patter, and enthusiasm with talk of togetherness and love.

It was a great performance - and a lesson that newness, freshness, and impact are not provinces exclusively of the young.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Ithaca Blog on Vacation

Ithaca Blog will be on vacation, or at least hiatus, until after the GrassRoots Festival.

Thanks and see you soon -

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Decline of Stewart Park Reaches Notice of Ithaca Journal

We were happy to see the Ithaca Journal's piece today about the decline of Stewart Park and possible remedies. A similar piece ran in Ithaca Blog on 29 June ("Stewart Park: Big Park, Lean Budget").

The Journal noted, as we did here, that the park's decline is largely a matter of fiscal priorities.

We bet that the city pays a lot more maintaining parking areas, for example, than Stewart Park. The park runs on an annual budget of less than $100,000. That's labor, materials - everything.

Of course, it you don't maintain parking lots and garages, they get run down, and more expensive to fix, eventually. But the same is true with the park.

If there was insufficient money in the budget to maintain parking areas, we would simply raise their budgets so they wouldn't fall into disrepair. We should do the same for Stewart Park.

The time, it would seem, is now. We look forward to the Journal following this story in the months leading up to city elections, as we will in Ithaca Blog.

Stephen Burke

GrassRoots Tickets Information For the Last-Minute Buyer

1. Today (Tuesday, 17 July), GrassRoots Festival advance sale weekend tickets are still available at Small World Music., 614 W. State St., 256-0428. We are open until 6 pm.

Tickets may still be available here tomorrow. But at some point GrassRoots people will be here to collect them. We open at 11 am.

2. Advance sale weekend tickets are $85.

3. Weekend tickets sold at the gate cost $110.

4. Cash or check is necessary for advance sales purchase. (There is an ATM at Alternatives Credit Union, down the street from Small World Music.)

5. Tickets for individual days are not available in advance. They must be purchased at the gate.

6. Tickets are no longer available on the GrassRoots web site. It is too late for orders to be processed. There is good info at the site, though, including programs for all 4 days: www.grassrootsfest.org.

see you there -
Steve Burke

Ithaca Weekend: More Free Shows, 13 and 14 July

Summer is the time for fine music in splendid settings, for free. There were three nice shows last weekend; and this weekend, too.

Friday the 13th: Chad Crumm and Friends at Felicia's Atomic Lounge, 518 W. State St., 5:30 pm. Chad is one of the seminal architects of that elusive "Ithaca Sound" (cf. Horseflies, Donna the Buffalo, Johnny Dowd). A Happy Hour show in the elegant alleyway between Felicia's and Gimme Coffee.

Traonach is the reigning Celtic band of Ithaca, and well beyond (see previous Blog posting, "Ithaca, Capital of Celtic Music?"). They do a free show on the Cornell Arts Quad at 7:30 pm. Bring picnic & outdoor accoutrements.



Saturday 7/14: The Crow Greenspun Band play their original folk-rock-soul-hip hop at Taughannock Falls. $5 to park, otherwise free. Another picnic opportunity. Finger Lakes Wines for sale by the bottle or glass, or BYOE. 7 pm.

What's not to enjoy -
Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Ithaca Hours on NPR's "Morning Edition"

"Morning Edition" on National Public Radio ran a segment this morning on Ithaca's local currency, Ithaca Hours.

"Ithaca, N.Y. Forms Currency For Local Use" is the title of the segment. The reporter visits Small World Music, Autumn Leaves Books, and Littletree Orchard's booth at the Farmers Market, all of which accept Hours, and Starbucks, which doesn't.

You can hear it by visiting http://www.npr.org/. Find out more about Hours by visiting http://www.ithacahours.org/.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

GrassRoots Tickets Are Available at Advance Sale Price!

GrassRoots Festival tickets are available for sale at a discounted, advance-sale price, despite contradictory information around town.

Advance sale tickets are $85 for the 4-day festival, which starts on Thursday, 19 July.

Tickets at the gate are $110.

The confusion apparently stems from the fact that advance sales on-line from the GrassRoots website will stop on Wednesday, 11 July, since the festival can't guarantee on-time processing past then.

But tickets will be available at outlets around town, until they run out, which they won't necessarily, but it is a good idea not to wait until the last day (or last few days, even).

There's a lot of festival info at http://www.grassrootsfest.org/, or feel free to call us here at Small World Music/Ithaca Blog, at 256-0428. We have tickets for sale here and are open 11 am - 6 pm, Tuesday through Saturday.

Steve Burke

Weekend Picks: Three Free Shows, July 6 - 8

Three great shows, one each night, all free.

Friday 6 July: The Contradictions play fiddle-based old-timey tunes in a free show on the Arts Quad at Cornell. 7:30 pm.

Saturday 7 July: The Burns Sisters play their heralded brand of folk-rock-country, heavy on the harmony, in a free show (except for parking) at Taughannock Falls State Park. 7 pm.

Sunday 8 July: Ithaca's sweetheart, Mary Lorson, leads her band Saint Low in at Maxie's restaurant, 6 pm.

Have fun -
Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Open Letter to Friends and Readers on Independence Day

We, and a few other people, got an e-mail message from our friend Nick on Independence Day, about the latest blatant malfeasance of the Bush administration, in the Scooter Libby case.

Like a lot of people we know, Nick would like to see impeachment proceedings against Bush and Cheney. In the realm of things we can control, Nick was calling for diligent citizenry on Independence Day - and beyond, of course - as our democratic prerogatives are beseiged by officials who find them inconvenient.

We wrote back to Nick with emphatic empathy, with similar thoughts on the subject. We thought we'd open that letter here to Ithaca Blog readers, as it explains a bit what we are trying to do on this site:

Nick,

I agree completely, that our country is threatened by our own officials, subverting our laws.

In the Libby case, which stems from the war in Iraq, we see that the administration lied to the U.N., to intelligence officials, to the press, and to American law enforcement.

When found guilty in a court of law, they commute their own sentences, and close the case.

I'm glad you took the time to write. It's important for all of us to talk about what we see. Otherwise we get caught in the apathy and hopelessness of thinking no one else notices or cares.

Fifteen years ago I was in Washington preparing for a career in journalism. What I found there among the media were a lot of people of middling ability and ambition who were primarily interested in easy work, in corporate jobs, rather than careers dedicated to serving the public with intellect and nerve.

While I thought about leaving, I talked to an older reporter and teacher. He said, "Steve, if you want to know the truth, don't talk to the government. Talk to your neighbors." It was like a grade-B movie scene: get out, kid, while you can. There's still time for you.

So I got out. He was right. Look at our own senator today, Hillary Clinton. Obviously a person of great intelligence and skill. But when we needed her leadership on the question of war, she ducked. She hid. She says now she didn't know enough then to know the war was wrong. Who was she listening to? Who was she talking to? Not to me or my neighbors. We all knew. That's what my teacher was telling me. Your neighbors can see the truth and will tell the truth. Your leaders might see the truth, but they won't tell you.

Now I'm trying to do my litle bit with Ithaca Blog. We write about local things, but also larger issues. I try to write in a way that respects the truth as the ultimate goal. I try to do it in a way that repects the reader - no rants or raves here. No foul language. Using whatever skill I can muster in trying to see, think, and talk straight.

Do me a favor and tell your friends about the Blog. Maybe together, the little bit we each do will be magnified and make a difference.

Meanwhile, take heart and have faith and find pleasure in the effort.

Steve

Libby Case: Justice is Blind-Sided

The New York Times says President Bush's commutation of the jail sentence of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby "came as a surprise."

Maybe not, if one considers the president's earliest words about the case in the right light.

Libby was sentenced to prison for lying to a grand jury about leaks from the administration that were designed to punish Joseph Wilson, an early critic of the war in Iraq, and intimidate other critics. The leaks revealed the identity of Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, as an undercover agent of the CIA.

Early in the investigation, on Sept. 30, 2003, President Bush commented on the proceedings:

"There's leaks in the executive branch; there's leaks in the legislative branch. There's just too many leaks. And if there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated the law, the person will be taken care of."

Mr. Bush was true to his word. Mr. Libby was taken care of.

Usually, according to Justice Department standards, "requests for commutation generally are not accepted unless and until a person has begun serving that sentence," which Mr. Libby hasn't, and are generally not granted to those appealing their convictions, which Mr. Libby is.

Margaret Colgate Love, the pardon lawyer at the Justice Department for most of the 1990s, said, "I can't think of a recent commutation that was granted before at least some prison time was served."

Additionally, cooperation with prosecutors is an important consideration in granting commutation. It seems clear that in this case, past non-cooperation is the requirement, and its continuation the goal.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Weekly Give-away: Name Your Park

With summer swinging, we have blogged a lot about parks this week. For this week's shot at a $10 gift certificate to Small World Music, simply tell us which park you visit most frequently.

Send your reply directly to Small World Music: sworldmu@twcny.rr.com. Entries will be accepted through the week, and winner announced on Friday 6 July.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog and Small World Music

Stewart Park: Big Park, Lean Budget

The problems at Stewart Park cited in Ithaca Blog this past week can be officially attributed to something:

Money.

Ithaca Blog spoke to Rick Ferrell, of the Public Works Department. We asked Mr. Ferrell about park maintenance and improvements, strategies, and budgets.

Mr. Ferrell said, "We had tough times with budgets through the '90's and the first couple of years of the 2000's." He said that the annual budget for Stewart Park is $90,000 for all labor and materials.

There is one full-time worker at Stewart Park, and one seasonal worker in the summer. Mr. Ferrell said that at one time there were 4 seasonal workers.

There is no money regularly designated for capital improvements. Such funds come only through a special application process with the city, which considers them in the context of all applications from all city departments.

" No, 'competition' is the right word," Mr. Ferrell said, when asked if competition was too strong a word for the process.

Cleaning the shoreline is a job that requires additional workers and additional budget. Thus it only happens once every 6 or 7 years, when Public Works' turn comes around.

The closing of the concession stand also comes from budget shortages. Mr. Ferrell says the building needs work on its roof and interior, and upgrades for access for the disabled. Which might or might not ever happen?, he was asked. "No, it will happen eventually," he said.

Recent complaints about the conditions of the restroom have been addressed, Mr. Ferrell says. He said that heavy use of the park by day camps and other youth groups on certain days results in a need for extra maintenance, and he has discussed the matter with park personnel.

Complaints about goose droppings are not so easily addressed. "I wish I had an answer for that one," Mr. Ferrell said, noting the scope of the problem in parks throughout the northeast.

One thing we didn't think to ask Mr. Ferrell was whether he thought input from the public to the city could help prioritize Stewart Park's needs. In retrospect we guess he'd say it couldn't hurt. That's what we would say, anyway, now that we know how much the condition of the park is a matter of money.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Weekend Picks, June 29 & June 30

Oona Grady deFlaun and Marie Grady Demott play traditional Irish music (see yesterday's Ithaca Blog post) at Felicia's Atomic Lounge, 508 W. State St., Friday at 5:30 pm.

Samite performs a free outdoor concert on the Arts Quad at Cornell, Friday at 7:30.

The Splendors and Trevor MacDonald play at Castaways, 10 pm. Cover is $5.

Saturday 30 June: The best shows tonight require a little traveling. Weatherwise, it should be a nice night for a road trip. Vance Gilbert, a well-known folksinger of great guitar style and vocal range, performs at the Night Eagle Cafe in Binghamton. Vance is also a funny enough guy to have opened for George Carlin at the State Theater.

Another funnyman of music, one of the ultimates, is Dan Hicks, who performs at the Opera House in Earlville at 8 pm.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Ithaca, Capital of Celtic Music?

This year marks a big anniversary for Irish music in Ithaca: the 20th consecutive year of the local weekly music session, known in Gaelic as a ceili (pronounced kay-lee; meaning "visit"), featuring informal sets of traditional music on fiddle, flute, guitar, tin whistle, accordion, and bodhran (a hand drum).

The ceili - or, simply, session - was started in 1987 by Mark Bickford, who went on to form the enduring band, Traonach. Joel Cowan, also of Traonach, was an early participant in the first sessions, which were held at the Rongo in Trumansburg.

The session changed venues over the years, located at various times at the Chapter House, Micawbers, the Nines, and Kilpatrick's. Not many players have fallen away, while a a new generation has joined.

Reflecting the youth movement is a show on Friday 29 June at Felicia's Atomic Lounge, not your father's (nor anyone's) traditional Irish pub. The friendly hipster hangout, at 508 W. State Street, will host a 5 pm show by cousins Oona deFlaun Grady and Marie Grady Demott, on fiddle and flute.

Ed McGowan, fiddler for Traonach and a family friend of the cousins, is delighted by the headliner status of the young women. He instructed Oona as a girl, and notes that both women have played intensively since early childhood. In recent years, the cousins studied music at university in Ireland.

McGowan compares the Felicia's show to an event one might find in downtown Manhattan or Brooklyn, and not many other places. He notes that for years the Hudson Valley was a hotbed of Irish music, perhaps the foremost in the U.S., but seems to be fading, while Ithaca's scene grows. A weekly ceili held in that region for 19 years is ending, according to the Irish Echo newspaper.

McGowan is planning some informal celebrations of the anniversary of the Ithaca session - partly, he says, to let the wider community know that perhaps Ithaca is the regional capital of the music now, if not the national one.

"The music critics at the Echo are engaged in a certain amount of hand-wringing right now," he says. "They should know that the scene is alive and well up here. We've been doing this for twenty years, and it's better than ever."

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Stewart Park: Second-Class?

Is Stewart Park becoming a second-class citizen among local parks?

Buttermilk, Treman, and Taughannock are the superstars of the local park system. They have waterfalls, swimming areas, recreational features, and camping facilities.

They are state parks and receive state funds and maintenance. They charge a fee for parking, which helps with their upkeep.

Stewart Park, on the other hand, is a city park, and receives no direct state aid. A true people's park, it is entirely free, even the parking.

Lately, however, there are grumblings about the condition of the city's park.

Goose droppings are almost everywhere you might want to spread a blanket. The shore line is heavy with detritus. The restrooms are less than inviting.

People seem to be complaining about the park not because they love it so little, but because they love it so much. It is wonderfully accessible to town. It has beautiful trees and views. There is plenty of room, even on busy weekends. There is no swimming, but there is a sprinkler system, popular with children and unabashed adults. There are picnic tables, pavilions, and grills. The breeze off the lake is strong enough to keep you entirely cool as you suntan your way to a burn.

Stewart Park is a great resource. Recent visitors from New York City said, "At home we'd have to drive an hour to get to a place like this, and then it would be mobbed."

But like any major resource, the park needs resources itself.

Who is responsible for the upkeep of Stewart, and other city parks? A look in the phone book does not reveal a Parks Department in the city of Ithaca.

Ithaca Blog called the mayor's office today to ask about park management. What is the budget? How is it allocated?

In New York City, the most-used parks are scrutinized from almost every imaginable angle: numbers of visitors each day, to each section, by gender, by age group. Central Park is the second-most visited area in the city (after Times Square), so care is taken to maintain its value.

Ithaca Blog is interested to learn if there are similar analytical tools used here in Ithaca.
We will be back with more after speaking to the city.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

CTB Express Loses Battle With Dunkin' Donuts

The Drive-Thru War of Meadow Street has been won by Dunkin' Donuts in a knock-out. This past weekend, Collegetown Bagels Express quietly announced its closing, effective immediately.

CTB Express was the newest of six outlets in the local franchise comprising Collegetown Bagels and Ithaca Bakery. Its raison d'etre was a drive-thru window, the only branch to have one.

It might have been a longshot in the first place, as the Express was actually competing with its own flagship store, only 4 blocks away. But a big blow was delivered last November, when Dunkin' Donuts opened a drive-thru facility right next door.

The Dunkin' Donuts store had the advantage of an entrance on Green St. as well as Meadow Street. CTB's side street was Cleveland Av., which is closed to car traffic at Meadow Street.

Then, of course, there is the strength of a national chain, with commercials with Rachael Ray, and the fact that CTB Express was considerably more ambitious than Dunkin' Donuts in its food offerings, which takes time. The CTB staff made food, whereas the Dunkin' Donuts staff only has to find donuts.

CTB/Ithaca Bakery is a great local business that provides great food, service, and ambience. They are a point of local pride, and they do an enormous amount of good work in the community.

We congratulate them on a valiant effort, and wish them continued success in their other enterprises, and thank them for all they do for Ithaca. If Dunkin' Donuts is really up for a challenge, we invite them to try to compete with CTB/Ithaca Bakery on that turf.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Weekend Picks, June 22 - 24

Friday 22nd: Castaways has a full night of music, starting with Rick Redington, a New England musician developing a following in New York, and local favorites Mu-tron Warriors and Revision. Redington plays early, at 5. The local bands start at 9.

Saturday 23: the Southside Community Center hosts a Juneteenth celebration of African-American history and heritage, with music and dance, food, and family activities. From 12 - 7 pm, at the SCC on S. Plain Street.

I-Town recording artists IY play an acoustic show at ABC Cafe, 308 Stewart Ave., 10 pm.

Sunday 24: Nawal, "the Voice of Comoros," plays and sings the music of the African archipelago, and her Sufi ancestry. Global Rhythms magazine calls her "a legend in the makking." Castaways, 8 pm.

Big, big benefit concert for the Trumansburg Learning Cooperative, featuring Sim Redmond Band, Five2, Amy Glicklich, Chad Crumm, Vinny and the Vinenots, Thousands of One, and others. The show is scheduled for 2 pm through midnight, at the Rongovian Embassy in T'burg.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Valentino's Change of Mind: Political Charade?

Cathy Valentino, the Ithaca town supervisor, made a surprising announcement in January that she would not seek re-election to the politically powerful post she has held for 12 years.

This week she made another surprising announcement, that in fact she would seek re-election.

The local media reported the development as a simple change of mind. But circumstances suggest that Valentino never really intended to retire at all, and her announcements were part of a plan to hold onto her job against the scrutiny of her Democratic party leadership.

As part of the electoral process, political parties actively seek candidates for all open positions. There were signs this year that strong candidates would emerge to challenge Valentino for the Democratic endorsement, and she might not get it.

Announcing her retirement was a way to avoid non-endorsement by her party.

In the spring, the Democrats conducted a candidate search that focused on a choice between Tim Joseph, of the county legislature, and Herb Engman, of the town board. Both candidates announced in advance that they would not contest the party's endorsement if they failed to get it, and would support the other candidate.

Engman won, and Joseph immediately endorsed him.

It seems clear that Valentino did not feel comfortable about her chances against other candidates, nor with a pledge to support any other candidate.

So, in the words of a Democratic leader who responded to a call from Ithaca Blog today, Valentino "did an end-run" around the process.

Having avoided scrutiny and accountability herself, Valentino re-entered the race with a crude attack on Engman, who had participated in a thorough and open selection process that revealed a high regard for his work on the town board.

Valentino has a powerful personal political base in town. The question is whether that will be enough to win against her party's endorsement of another candidate, not to mention a blatant lack of transparency in her actions pertaining to the election, and a blistering political style that many seem to wish to transcend.

Valentino will challenge Engman in a Democratic primary in September. The Republicans have not announced a candidate for the general election in November, and will probably not field one.

The speculation here is that if Valentino loses the primary to Engman, she will challenge the Democratic nominee in November as an independent.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Free Ticket to Bill Kirchen Show

Late notice for this, so there's no quiz question to ponder to win a free ticket to see Bill Kirchen, the Hot Rod Lincoln man, at Castaway's this Thursday, courtesy of Rootabaga Boogie Productions. Just send an e-mail to sworldmu@twcny.rr.com for a chance to win.

Thanks and good luck!

Contest Winner: Maybe Groucho Was Wrong...

... when he opined that there aren't many songs about fathers. Our contest entries cited the following:

Song for My Father - Horace Silver
My Daddy Was a Lovin' Man - the Harlem Hamfats
Poppa's Got a Brand New Bag/Don't Take No Mess - James Brown
Daddy Sang Bass/Played Dobro .... Johnny Cash, Jerry Douglas, et al.
Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast - Wayne Newton
Come to Papa - Bob Seger
My Hometown - Bruce Springsteen
Papa Was A Rollin' Stone - the Temptations

We honored an entry about a satiric "fatherland" from "The Producers," and "Hot Rod Lincoln," by Commander Cody (and Bill Kirchen), submitted for the lines,

They arrested me and threw me in jail
And they called my pappy to throw my bail
And he said son, you're gonna drive me to drinkin'
If you don't stop drivin' that Hot Rod Lincoln.

We had to honor it, Bill Kirchen is coming to town this week.

We were a little surprised at no mention of "Cat's In the Cradle," the most melodramatic song of father-induced trauma we can think of, and a song by an Ithaca guy, Harry Chapin. Perhaps Ithaca Blog readers are sunnier than that.

But the randomly selected winner was Marie, of Ithaca, the jazz fan of the bunch. Marie wins a $10 gift certificate to Small World Music. Congratulations to Marie, and thanks to all.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Father's Day Contest Continues

Normally, our weekly contests go from Friday to Friday, but we are extending our Father's Day contest until actual Father's Day, this Sunday. Win one for pop.

We're asking you to send in a song about father(s). See the original posting for context, if you like, but that's pretty much it.

Send your entry to Small World Music, sworldmu@twcny.rr.com, for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the fabulous storefront of hard to find, easy to love music, and who knows what all else.

Our contest for the coming week will feature a different prize than usual: courtesy of Rootabaga Boogie Productions, a ticket to see Bill Kirchen, "King of Dieselbilly," ex of the Commander Cody Band, live at Castaways next Thursday. Details soon.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Weekend Picks, June 15 & 16

Friday, 15 June: the Lonesome Sisters, a fine old-timey ensemble, at Felicia's Atomic Lounge, 508 W. State St. A happy hour show, at 5:30 pm. (They appear even earlier tomorrow at Felicia's, at 4 pm, with Chad Crumm. Chad and his band, the Chokers, have a new CD which, like the Lonesome Sisters', is available at Small World Music, one block from Felicia's.)

GrassRoots Festival favorites Big Leg Emma make an all-too-rare Ithaca appearance at Castaways, 10 pm.

Saturday, 16 June: Radio London played a nice set Thursday for Bill Myers' retirement party at Alternatives Credit Union. Tonight they bring their classic rock, with excellent vocals on hard-to-sing songs, to the Common Ground, 7 pm.

Baby Gramps is a street musician extraordinaire who mixes equal parts Blind Blake, Tuvan Throat Singers, and Popeye. He has worked with Johnny Depp, appeared on Letterman, and is a fixture in hipper quarters of NYC. He was featured this week in the New York Times in a piece on the Lower East Side. Tonight he performs at the Nines, at 10 pm.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

"Scooter" Libby Faces Jail Sooner Rather Than Later

Judge Reggie Walton today denied a petition from "Scooter" Libby, ex-chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney, to delay his incarceration while his lawyers file appeals for his convictions for perjury and obstruction of justice.

Libby thus might be ordered to prison within the next six to eight weeks. He was ordered to surrender his passport in the basement probation office of the federal courthouse today after his hearing.

In an improbable twist of fate, Libby finds his name linked with Paris Hilton, another public figure who recently sought release from a prison conviction on the grounds that it is uncomfortable for a person of privilege.

Unlike Ms. Hilton, Mr. Libby has the potential trump card of a presidential pardon from George W. Bush.

The Bush adminstration has so far deflected all questions about a pardon, which it knows will be unpopular, and another blow to the already-reeling Republican party.

Now, however, with Mr. Libby's incarceration looming sooner rather than later, Mr. Bush's role as "the decider," as he has famously descibed himself, will soon face a significant test.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Retirement Party for Bill Myers, President of Alternative Federal Credit Union

Bill Myers, president of Alternatives Federal Credit Union, is retiring after 28 years. His retirement party is at 6 p.m., Thursday 14 June, at the credit union, 125 N. Fulton Street. It is open to the public.

There is no truth to the rumor that Hillary Clinton will be there to honor Bill, nor to the rumor that she asked to come, but was asked not to. We know there is no truth to either proposition, because we invented them.

The speculation is not baseless, however. It is true that Alternatives considered inviting the senator, who visited Alternatives in 2004, but decided against it, to avoid politicizing the event.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Father's Day Contest

Groucho Marx once noted that there are many songs about mothers, but few about fathers. Our contest for the week leading up to Father's Day simply asks you to name one.

(If you need a lead: Groucho had a couple in his stage repertoire.)

Creative entries are acceptable. Send your entry directly to Small World Music, sworldmu@twcny.rr.com, for a chance at the weekly prize of a $10 gift certificate to the store, which you can learn about via a couple of pdf links here in the margins of Ithaca Blog.

The winner of last week's contest was A.W., who submitted the (sole) correct reply to the question we posed for the 40th anniversary of the release of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by the Beatles pop group: Who was the celebrity (semi-celebrity, really) whose image was removed from the cast of characters on the cover, because he (and only he) demanded payment (of $500)?

The answer: star of "Mr. Hex", "Bowery to Baghdad", and about 6 or 7 grade-B movies per year at the height of his career in the 1940's, Mr. Leo Gorcey. You can see the space where his head was supposed to be in the top row, in a blank space next to the image of his Bowery Boys co-star, Mr. Huntz Hall.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Weekend Picks, June 8 - 10

Friday: tomorrow is the Belmont Stakes, third jewel in horseracing's Triple Crown, so that means one thing for tonight: a road trip to Cortland, to Uncle Louie's restaurant/Off-Track Betting parlor, to get dinner and bets. (See the May 2 Ithaca Blog entry for details on this worthy out-of-town junket.)

If you're not feeling lucky, and you would go betting with scared money, don't go. Stay in town and hear some music. Select from three fine local bands playing tonight:

The Hogwarshers, 7 pm at Felicia's Atomic Lounge.

Thousands of One, 9 pm, the Haunt.

Wingnut, with Hank Roberts, 10 pm, ABC Cafe.



Saturday: The Void Union brings "ska for the people" (their credo) from Boston to Castaways, 9 pm. An additional attraction on the bill is Bronwen Exter, who left Ithaca to pursue music stardom in NYC, and seems to be gaining on it, with a lot of good gigs, and notice in important journals.


Sunday: the Pine Leaf Boys are the up-and-comingest band playing Louisiana music anywhere. Catch them before they achieve massive genre fame at Castaways, in a daytime show, 3 pm.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Help for Underemployment in Ithaca

The Ithaca Times published an insightful article today on the phenomenon of '"underemployment" in Ithaca.

The situation, basically, is that Ithaca is a desirable place to live, but without a surplus of large employers or jobs.

The appeal of Ithaca is easy to see. It is beautiful, safe, friendly, pleasant, and cosmopolitan.

Thousands of people come to Ithaca from around the country and the world because of Cornell University, and many want to stay, at least for a while. To people from New York City, Ithaca can seem a lovely, lively alternative to stressful urban situations. And in central and upstate New York, Ithaca is a cultural oasis.

There is a driven population, therefore, looking for work.

The unemployment level in Tompkins County is perennially the lowest in New York State. On the face of it, that seems good. But it also means a perennial scarcity of jobs.

And it means a low wage structure, even at large and elite workplaces. An adminstrator at Cornell, for example, makes a fraction of what the same job would pay at Columbia University in New York. Of course, the cost of living in higher in New York, but not for everything. For housing, certainly. But it costs the same here as there for food, clothing, taxes, a car, gas, a college education for your children, and most other things.

The problem of underemployment led to the founding of two unique institutions in Ithaca: the Alternatives Federal Credit Union, and Ithaca Hours.

Alternatives says plainly in its mission statement, "Alternatives is dedicated to economic justice, to building wealth and creating economic opportunity for underserved people and communities."

The basic fees at Alternatives are well below industry norms. Savings accounts have no monthly charges or transaction fees, and only a five dollar minimum balance requirement. Checking accounts are free: no monthly fees, and no transaction fees.

Beyond the basics, Alternatives has a raft of innovative programs for building savings, borrowing easily and fairly, managing resources, and creating new opportunities.

Aware of the number of poor and working people who are not getting tax benefits such as the Earned Income Credit, the credit union started a program of preparing members' tax statements, for free. The credit union also offers free, extensive credit counseling.

Alternatives has a remarkable program called the Individual Development Account. An individual who saves $1000 in an IDA receives double that amount in matching funds through the program.

For information about these and other Alternatives features, call the credit union at 273-4611, or visit www.alternatives.org.

Ithaca Hours is a local currency system started in the 1990's specifically to help with the problem of underemployment. The thinking was, there were people in the community with needs, and people with resources. The only thing keeping them apart was money, or the lack of it. The solution was to create new money, to enable transactions to happen.

Since then, Hours has grown into a bona fide revenue stream for Tompkins County, with over $120,000 worth of Hours in circulation, and a new issuance of perhaps another $30,000 planned.

Many businesses accept Hours in partial payment (some in full) to attract customers. Hours publishes a Directory that provides inexpensive advertising for businesses, and for moonlighters.

Researchers have lauded Hours for its "multiplier effect" of creating economic transactions. Because Hours do not leave the area, studies show, an Hour spent will create up to 30 times more transactions locally than a dollar will.

The local scope of the currency helps small, independent businesses to compete with larger chain stores from outside the area. Observers have noted the relative health of Ithaca's downtown compared to other cities in central New York, and the growth of local institutions such as the Farmers Market.

For more information about Ithaca Hours, visit their website, www.ithacahours.org.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Wine Tour Finale: Hosmer

Hosmer Winery has been around since 1985, and in that time has developed into a formidable producer of good quality wines.

Hosmer wines have been recognized with a raft of prestigious awards, but the winery retains a fun, friendly touch. Hosmer was voted Best Finger Lakes Winery in the most recent Ithaca Times readers poll.

The tasting room is expansive, with high ceilings and lots of natural light. A big crew of workers took care of a large group of visitors. Our servers at the tasting bar were knowledgable about what they were selling, and personable in sharing it.

A look around the room showed about two dozen wine competitions won by Hosmer varieties. What intrigued us, though, were a couple of off-beat offerings exclusive to Hosmer.

One was a dessert wine - the only one Hosmer makes - called Raspberry Royale, a fortified (i.e., high alcohol) wine infused with locally-grown raspberries. It has a lot of strength and flavor, and is the kind of drink you can't drink much of and remain lucid, so it is a good drink to get visitors to go to bed.

The other Hosmer exclusive we liked, and bought, was Sangria. At the other end of the wine spectrum from the dessert wine, it is a light and welcoming wine to celebrate the start of a summer evening. It is also a good buy (ahem), at $10 for a 1.5 liter bottle.

Hosmer was the last of our stops. Altogether we spent about four hours patronizing six wineries, one eatery (and checking out 2 others), enjoying much scenery (personally I have a limited capacity for scenery, but this was about right), and tangentially visiting Sheldrake, a tough place to define (town, hamlet, settlement?), oddly befitting its most famous resident, the late Rod Serling, creator of the Twilight Zone.

We had fun, stayed legal, got to know our region better, and got ready for our '07 vintage of house guests. You can find more information at www.cayugawinetrail.com, which will also direct you to individual winery websites.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Grog

Weekly Contest Winner, & New Quiz

Our contest winner last week was Arthur, randomly selected from the many repsondents who knew that Miles Davis was the guy who, IHOHO, "changed music four or five times."

Arthur wins a $10 gift certificate to Small World Music, where we certainly appreciate what Miles meant, in his unreconstructed way.

This week's quiz: you may be aware that today is the 40th anniversary of the release of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by the Beatles pop group. The iconic cover featured a gamut of celebrities and historic figures, from Albert Einstein and George Bernard Shaw, to Tom Mix and Marlon Brando.

Two images originally used on the cover were removed.

The image of Mahatma Ghandi was removed for fear the use of a spiritual leader would offend people.

The other guy was not a spiritual leader.

He was a B-movie actor, possibly the least renowned person on the cover, but the only one to demand a fee - reportedly $500, although he purportedly later said he would have taken $400. A man after our own hearts, and actually one of our favorite actors, if you conceive of the term loosely. Who was he?

Send your reply directly to Small World Music at sworldmu@twcny.rr.com. $10 gift certificate winner will be announced next Friday.

Good luck!

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Wine Tour, part 5: Knapp

Knapp Winery was the furthest point north on our trip, and not part of our original itinerary, but we recommend it. It is no behemoth, but it is the largest of the wineries on our path, and it has a long, strong roster of product.

Knapp produces 33 varieties, all available to sample. The sampling station is big and well-run. They have the most liberal policy of the tasting stations we visited. The fee is $1, and we were told, "You can sample up to 8 wines, but we're not counting." Every other place was 4 to 6, and they were counting.

Knapp offers premium reds and whites from vinifera vines, along with sparkling wines, specialty blends, brandy and cordials. The prices are competitive with the other wineries we visited, and there is a discount of 5% off three bottles, 10% off six, and 15% off twelve.

We sampled high end, low end, and in-between, thanks to that liberal policy (though we stayed below the count-line). The high end was represented by their sparkling Brut, which was crisp and energizing. The low end was a red that was described as a "French American Grape Based Blend." The American part meant concord, we could tell, with that inimitable hint of Flinstones jelly - a reminder of the bad old days of New York wines, before the introduction of vinifera.

Knapp also has a restaurant, full-fledged, with fancy fare (American continental?), appropriately priced, and both indoor and outdoor seating.

Our next, and final, stop - and installment here- Hosmer Winery.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

A Nod to Ithaca Festival

The Ithaca Festival, 30th edition, engulfs town this weekend, and big as it is, we think any effort to present a guide to it would fall far short of, as they say, representing.

It would sort of be like writing about a bar and telling you what to drink. You will drink - in the case of the Festival, drink in - what you like, from prodigious choices.

One thing we will note is that Galumpha, nee Second Hand Dance, will perform Sunday at Stewart Park at 7 pm. They are always great, and usually they are a premium ticket wherever they appear, so this is quite an opportunity, to see them in front of a big, hometown crowd, for free.

The other thing we will note is that there is good TCAT bus service to get you to Stewart Park, rather than trying to park a car nearby. Buses run from downtown every 10 minutes. They will stop for you if you are walking along Cayuga Street. The fare is 50 cents, and must be exact - drivers don't make change.

Have fun -
Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Wine Trip, part 4: Thirsty Owl and Cayuga Ridge Wineries

Thirsty Owl Wine Company is one of the trail's newest wineries.

We were at their eatery on its second day of operation. The menu is very limited, but that seemed alright to us. It's not a food court, and you really only need a couple of good things.

We had sandwiches: chicken salad, and turkey panini.

The chicken salad was simple, and good, although the bread was a bit on the ordinary, Strohmeinn's side: too-thick slabs of dry, white bread. Dry and white is okay for wines, but not for $9.50 sandwiches. But we were hungry and it was okay.

The turkey panini was a little more involved, and nicer, with spinach, and slices of tomato.

A smallish side comes with your sandwich. We had potato salad, and cole slaw. I commented on the pleasing crunchiness of the slaw, which drew a comment that crunchiness is pretty much an intrinsic attribute of raw cabbage. Okay, okay, so I am easily pleased.

After lunch, we looked at the wines, but found the overall tasting set-up, and offerings, a little lacking in verve, especially after buzzy Sheldrake Point. So we decided instead to try Cayuga Ridge, which is right next door, and in fact does not even require re-entering your car.

Cayuga Ridge hosts tastings in a barn, with an appealing funkiness. The tasting fee is $1, which is refundable with a purchase.

Despite the informal environment, which extended to a hippie-ish appearance to the youthful bartenders, the tasting was informative, and the workers were chatty and seemed eager to sell. We don't mind a good, strong sales pitch, if it is artful, and we left with a couple of modest purchases. The refund policy, while a modest feature, was not unincentiveful.

We had planned this as our northern-most, turn-around point, but realized that the Knapp Winery is just up the road, and thought it might be interesting, as an older and larger winery. So we soldiered up. We'll continue there in our next installment.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Wine Trip, part 3: Sheldrake Point

After proximate, familiar old Frontenac, we drove to Sheldrake Point, a rising star on the trail.

Sheldrake has recently incorporated Simply Red's restaurant, late of Trumansburg, as their eatery.

The winery is about 10 miles north of Trumansburg, and we saw some familiar faces there - musicians, artists, community people - to the extent that we could see the place emerging as a bona fide local hipster hangout.

Adding to the hipster luster is Sheldrake's stated committment to "sustainable practices and sensitivity to the environment."

The parking area was almost filled, and there were many out-of-state plates, so the word about Sheldrake must be spreading not just locally, but far and wide.

In fact, the place was so crowded that we did not compete for a spot at the tasting bar, which was full. We decided this stop would be for informational purposes only.

The mood was much livelier than at any other place we would see. It reminded us a little of the usual ebullient mood at Maxies Restaurant in Ithaca.

The eatery, which retains the name Simply Red's, was also crowded, although it seemed well-managed. We had already decided to eat at Thirsty Owl, the next winery up the road, so we were only slightly tempted to join this gleeful crowd. The decision to split was facilitated a bit by the fact that they were serving a Sunday brunch menu that struck as a little ordinary. The lunch and dinner menus are a bit spicier, with a southern flair, and we will return sometime for that.

The bottom line, then, on Sheldrake is that it is adding a bit of style to the trail, and we will be sure to include it as a full-serve stop when our cosmopolitan visitors are with us.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Quick and Easy Wine Trip, part 2: Frontenac Point

Our idea (see previously posted Intro) was to have a relaxed wine country experience, but to reach a good variety (pardon) of establishments, and use our time well.

We picked our end point first. We figured we would go as far as the Thirsty Owl Wine Company, where they have just opened an eatery, where we'd have lunch.

But we yo-yoed it up there. We'd picked 6 places to go, but decided to see half going north, then go to our end point for lunch, and see the others on the way back, fortified by lunch.

Route 89 is the wine route, and it is a beautiful road, alongside the lake, with no commercial traffic (at least I have never seen any) - in fact, little traffic of any kind.

There are a couple of notable attractions on your way out of town: the Glenwood Pines roadhouse restaurant, and Taughannock State Park. Another day for those.

The first winery on the way north is Frontenac Point. You won't find it on most wine trail publicity. My understanding is that they just aren't association-joining types.

They probably don't have to be. They have the very strong tactical advantage of being first in line on the trail route out of Ithaca.

Frontenac is a small enterprise, and maybe the lack of publicity keeps it quiet, but it is nice like that. We were one of three couples in the small tasting room, which is pleasantly cool and dark.

Frontenac makes 13 wines. Ten are available for tasting.

One of our fundamentals is that the more a wine costs, the harder it is to get us to like it - at least, enough to buy it. And this wine philosophy was borne out by the dessert wines we tried at Frontenac. They have two: an ice wine, and a port. The ice wine is $26, and the port $15. Guess which is better? Enough to buy?

We tried the riesling, as we would at each stop, as the Finger Lakes are increasingly known for riesling. We enjoyed it, but not half again as much as the house white, while it costs half again as much. If you realize that we bought a bottle of the house white, at $8, you are paying attention.

The tasting fee, by the way, is $1 for four samples. The wineries have similar policies, though with some interesting twists, which we shall note.

Our next installment will be a very up-and-coming winery: Sheldrake Point.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Quick and Easy Wine Trip: Intro

We have people visiting this summer, numerously, and they will all want to see the wineries, if not actually for the wine (tasting; buying), then for the nice ride, and because you're supposed to do that when you're here.

But, like New Yorkers who never go to the Statue of Liberty, we are less than fully acquainted with this landmark feature of our region. So we went out this weekend to do a little research.

We want them to see nice ones, but we don't want them going too far, with only a limited time here. We had an inquiry from one prospective guest about Konstantin Frank's winery, for example, and we know Dr. Frank was a big player and makes great stuff, but it is all the way in Hammondsport, and that's a little too much scenery. A quick weekend visit to Ithaca from NYC will already have lots of driving, so we want to minimize that.

We also don't want our people getting too bombed out, or simply too tired. We figure 5 or 6 places is enough to get a sense of the region, and what's offered, without overdoing it.

That was our game plan. We went out seeking success, and think we did pretty well. Details to follow in next installment.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Weekend Activities, May 25 & 26

The big entertainment event this weekend in the United States, one supposes, is the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but our sources say don't bother - the series has jumped the shark completely, so to speak, landing mere inches away from Santa Claus Versus the Martians.

Even the cameo by Keith Richards, we hear, is a disappointment. One wonders if it might not be better, rather than giving Keith lines (pardon the expression), instead to give Keith the impression, with whatever reinforcement he might require, that he is a real-life pirate, and all this is actually happening, and see what he does. That at least would be worth eight dollars to see.

If you are in the mood for a good movie, there are excellent ones this weekend at each of the downtown theaters: The Wind That Shakes the Barley at Cinemapolis, and Waitress and Away From Her at Fall Creek Cinema.

Musical offerings this weekend include a Bob Dylan birthday tribute, with Jamie Notarthomas et al., at Castaways, Friday at 9 p.m.; and Thousands of One at the Rongo, Saturday 10 p.m.

Personally, we are planning to take advantage of the summer weather to visit a couple of wineries this weekend, for summertime reds and whites, we reckon. It won't matter again until next year, but we will let you know whether graduation weekend is a good time or a dumb time for such a trip.

Have fun -
Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Contest for Week of 25 May - 1 June

This week's contest asks you to identify the late, great American musician whose 81st birthday would have been this week - he died in 1991 - who once casually described his legacy as having "changed music four or five times." Not simply his own music, mind you. Music.

Send your answer to Small World Music, sworldmu@twcny.rr.com, for a chance at a $10 gift certificate to the store, where currently you will find four-five CDs and LPs of our subject's music, and a lot else.

Winners of last week's quiz are P.J.B., and Tom J., who knew that the most watched TV show in the world is Baywatch, and (and/or, actually) that Bo Diddley was banned from the Ed Sullivan Show after performing his eponymous anthem, "Hey, Bo Diddley" on the live broadcast, when he was supposed to be singing "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford. Mr. Diddley professed no malice, but simply said he forgot.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Traitors

Is there any way to think of our elected representatives as anything but traitors, as they betray the call of Americans for an end to the war in Iraq?

The 2006 elections were a mandate for an end to the war. Americans turned away from the Republicans to the Democrats to make it happen. The Democrats made promises and plans, then allowed them to wither and die. They voted today to spend another $120 billion to continue this deadly debacle.

The will of millions of Americans means little to these politicians, next to the billions of dollars involved. The bill they have passed includes a lot of trade-off money for Democratic politicians and patrons.

And of course, the $100 billion-plus that is spent on the war is a large enough amount that, although most of it goes to Republican-friendly patrons, there is enough for the Democrats, too.

The interest of both parties is controlling money. That's their sole concern. Amassing it; appropriating it.

Money is the most potent means to power - and the easiest. Legitimate power, borne of good leadership, is hard to achieve. But money and its strength flows easily, if you don't mind how or why.

The war in Iraq has already lasted longer than World War II, for two reasons. In World War II everyone sacrificed. In this war, the rich don't sacrifice and they don't serve. In World War II, war profiteers were hunted down and prosecuted as criminals. In this war, profiteering by the rich is the goal.

We need to take one step further than the turning away from the Republicans. That's to turn away from the Democrats, too, and towards a third party that will respect the will of the people, and the principles of representative government, rather than the mastery of money.

When you look at what they do - forget about how they talk, or pose; look at how they vote - you realize it's not just our best shot, but our only shot.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Being Mayor in Ithaca

Carolyn Peterson's announcement that she will run for re-election as Ithaca's mayor was made, and met, with a minimum of fanfare, which seems to be her intrinsic style.

You don't hear people saying bad things about Mayor Peterson. On the other hand, you don't hear people saying much about her at all.

Is it calculated? Does the mayor figure that the less heat she generates, the easier it is to get things done?

Maybe so, but then she has the problem of people not knowing what she has done. Perhaps she figures the reputation of quiet competence is sufficient, and appropriate.

It is certainly a change in style from her predecessor, Alan Cohen.

Mayor Cohen was a limelight-loving guy who liked doing sit-ups in public, for instance (he could do a thousand), and seemed to relish the role of ringmaster of city government, although thinking of the city as a circus sometimes became a self-fulfilling image, not always for the good. Mayor Cohen had very public skirmishes with adversaries that frequently descended into bozohood. There has been none of that with Mayor Peterson, who seems not to have an adversary in the world, much less an enemy.

No other candidates have emerged for mayor, yet. Mayor Peterson actually publicly called for other candidacies, in the interests of democracy, which is certainly a high-handed approach, characteristic of Her Honor.

We like Mayor Peterson, but are also interested in energetic democracy, so we also wish to encourage other candidates, and also to offer a little advice.

It seems the best way to take on the mayor is to present a contrast to her easy management style and demeanor. This need not mean public calesthenics; it might mean a respectful but vocal approach to problems that Mayor Peterson's lack of heat, so to speak, is leaving out in the cold.

Race relations is one. Affordable housing is another. Transportation is another.

We have often thought that you could get elected mayor in this town if you promised one thing: to stagger the traffic lights downtown. That could be your whole platform. People would figure if nothing else, they would at least get that.

We are not really advocating that, except as an example of a matter which, minimally, would get people thinking about what they want from their local government.

Hopefully, of course, it is a lot more than happy motoring through town. But a competitive candidate for mayor in Ithaca might want to start simply by getting people talking.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Reminder: Dalai Lama Tickets on Sale 23 May

Tickets to see the Dalai Lama in Ithaca next October go on sale tomorrow, at the website for the Namgyal Monastery and Institute for Buddhist Studies, www.namgyal.org.

Hard to say how fast the tickets will go. They will be expensive, although prices are not yet posted. Proceeds go to Namgyal Monastery, a not-for-profit institution.

It would be nice if the D.L. could do a large, free appearance, even a brief one, but there are probably security issues.

Maybe you can catch a D.L. sighting around town. Hillary Clinton had dinner at Lucatelli's.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Weekly Contest: TV Quiz

This week's contest is about a subject we don't cover much in Ithaca Blog: television. So we'll give a choice of questions. One will reward the person with a knowledge of music, a subject we like to cover. The other will reward the person with a generic knowledge of TV.

That second category is a shorter question, so we'll ask that first. What is the most viewed TV show in the world? A hint, or at least clarification: it is not a current show, but one in syndication, available to an estimated one billion people.

The music question has to do with the subject of yesterday's posting, Bo Diddley.

A lot of people know that, in 1967, the Doors were barred from the Ed Sullivan Show after reneging on an agreement to change some purportedly inflammatory lyrics to "Light My Fire" in their live on-air performance. Years earlier, Bo Diddley was banned from the show, also for an abrogated promise to big Ed. What was Bo's transgression?

Send your answer to either question, or both, for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to Small World Music: sworldmu@twcny.rr.com. Entries will be accepted through Friday, and randomly-selected winner announced late Friday.

Thanks, and good luck!

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog and Small World Muisc

Weekend Activities, May 19 & 20

There are a lot of good, veteran local musical favorites playing out this weekend.

Saturday 19 May:

Joejo brings its "cowpunk from Wilseyville" to Castaways. Hunu opens. 9 p.m.

Jennie Stearns and Kathy Ziegler at the ABC Cafe, 9:30 p.m.

Pete Panek and the Blue Cats come down from the Nines to the Lost Dog. 9:30 p.m.

Plastic Nebraska at the Chapter House, 10 p.m.


Sunday 20 May:

Gerald Burke plays country blues at the Farmers Market. This is the third weekend of the Sunday rendition of the Market. 11:30 a.m.

The Small Kings play spirited old-timey tunes at the Shuck'n'Jive series at Maxie's restaurant. 6 p.m.

Mary Lorson at Felicia's Atomic Lounge, 518 W. State St. 7 p.m.

Ave atque avail yourself -
Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Bo Diddley on the Mend

Rock and roll originator Bo Diddley, 78, suffered a stroke four days ago during a performance in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He was hospitalized and his condition described as "guarded," but he is reportedly making significant progress, is not in physical danger, and may well be able to continue his performing career.

Mr. Diddley's manager, Margo Lewis, says he will need speech therapy, but she believes he will sing and play again.

"We're going to get a guitar for him and put it in his lap and let him entertain people here," Lewis said from the hospital. "People think that would be good therapy for him."

Along with Chuck Berry in the 1950's, Diddley was a key figure in the development of rock and roll music from the blues. As Mr. Berry had a signature guitar riff, Diddley had a signature beat, simply known as the Bo Diddley beat.

Despite his string of pioneering hits, racism kept Diddley from the recognition and financial rewards he deserved, as white imitators surpassed him in earnings and fame.

Mr. Diddley was once asked how he felt about his treatment by society. Always a man of humor as well as intelligence, he simply said, "Man, we a nation of slow understanders."

God bless and get well soon, Bo Diddley.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Christopher Walken for President 2008?

Like many Ithacans, we have an affinity for political action and thought, whether it's making bold predictions about who will win the presidency in 2008 (Al Gore, running as an independent: payback time not just for his debatable loss in 2000, but against the grim machinations of two-party, big money politics that prevented him from expressing the core beliefs and leadership potential he has shown in his public life since), or (we also have an affinity for long sentences) advocating for longshot candidates who might add life and verve to the national discourse.

Of course, we are talking about Christopher Walken.

Can the star of stage and movie screen and Saturday Night Live, the man who has inspired countless mimics, inspire the American electorate with a campaign that, like him, is so strange it is sane?

Not only that, who says he is running?

A campaign website, www.walken2008.com, exists. It is not clear if it is serious, or even authorized. It is not overtly unserious. If you have a sense of drama and humor combined with your interest in politics, it is hard not to wish that it is serious.

One imagines what a debate would be like between Walken and anyone normal. One imagines that, on TV, it could outdraw the Superbowl. Here is a quote from Walken's site:

I believe in saving money. I believe in having a house. I believe in keeping things clean. I believe in exercise.

People talk about wanting plain talk in politics. Well, you got some there.

You can find a little more on the website. You can also order t-shirts and hats there. Hmmm.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Hours

Dalai Lama Tickets: On Sale May 23

The Dalai Lama will visit Ithaca for the first time since 1991 on October 9 and 10, and will make three public appearances: at Cornell, the State Theater, and Ithaca College.

Tickets will go on sale May 23 at www.namgyal.org, the website of the Namgyal Monastery and Institute of Buddhist Studies.

Reports are that tickets prices will range from $20 to $125, although the Namgyal Monastery has not yet commented publicly on prices.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Dog Torture Suspect Out On Bail

Alexander Atkind, a Cornell student accused of animal abuse in Ithaca last month for beating and pouring bleach on a dog in his care, was released on May 11 from Tompkins County Jail on $20,000 bail.

We imagine that is the last of Atkind in this area. He was indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday for a felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals, and the case against him was quite clear.

The question remains whether he can be sued in civil court by the dog's owner. Or is that even easier a procedure to skip from?

Any lawyers out there?

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Please, Mr. Postman: Insufficient Postage on Monday's Mail?

The prices of stamps and other postal services go up on Monday, 14 May.

The price of a first class stamp will go from 39 to 41 cents.

The increase has been kept pretty quiet, it seems to us. The only reason we thought of it was because it is bill-paying time here today, and we were considering which we could put off until next week. Then we realized (and confirmed on the Internet) that the price goes up on Monday, and we don't have those supplemental 2-cent stamps around, so we better get everything out today.

Otherwise, I tell you, Chase Cardmember Services would have been the beneficiary, when the payment I owe them on the 18th would have come back to me for insufficient postage on the 16th, too late to get it there on time. Then, hello $30 late fee, goodbye, 12.99% rate. No kidding.

Maybe the post office will be benign and deliver everything in the boxes on Monday. After all, they were unmalicious enough not to raise the prices before Mother's Day, tomorrow.

And maybe the credit card companies will laugh everything off, too, and forgive late payments.

Yeah. What's the expression Wayne Campbell used to use?

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Weekly Contest: Last Week's Answers, and This Week's Question

Our contest last week, in honor of the Kentucky Derby, asked you to submit a song about horses, or mentioning horses, or a single horse, or a race. Here's the list we got.

"Wild Horses", Rolling Stones

"Dead Flowers", Rolling Stones

"Fugue for Tinhorns", from "Guys and Dolls"

"Horse With No Name", America

"Stewball", traditional blues

"Tennessee Stud", Doc Watson, et alia

"Old Grey Mare", traditional

"Mr. Ed" (a theme song's a song, we suppose)

"The Horse", Phish

"The Horse", by "some soul band from the 60's" (we remember the song - an instrumental - and likewise don't know the artist, and didn't bother to look it up).

An eclectic list, to be sure. The randomly-selected winner is Alex, who gets a $10 gift certificate to Small World Music.

For this week's drawing, in honor of Mother's Day, tell us who is your mother's favorite musician. Or one of her favorites. We'll learn something about local tastes across generations. It will be interesting demographic information.

Submit your entry to Small World Music at sworldmu@twcny.rr.com. Entries accepted through Friday morning, and winner announced Friday afternoon.

Thanks -
Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog and Small World Music

Weekend Activities, May 12 & 13

Friday: Juge Greenspun makes his full foray into the Ithaca music scene with a CD release party at Castaways, 9:30 pm. With the Butane Variations, and guest Gregor Sayet-Bone. 9:30 pm.

Saturday: a gamut of local musicians come out to play for fellow musician Bert Scholl, who is planning treatment for a diagnosis of cancer. Performers include the Sim Redmond Band, Hank Roberts, Kevin Kinsella, Paso Fino, and Bert's band, Route 5. There will be food from Just A Taste, Just Desserts, Ithaca Bakery, Boatyard Grill, Shortstop Deli, and Word of Mouth Catering. There will also be an auction and raffle. The performances start at 8 pm. From 6 - 7:15 pm there is a showing of a documentary about the Gerson Method of cancer treatment that Bert is planning to take. The event is at the Montessori School, 12 Ascot Place, off Triphammer Mall near the Pyramid Mall.

Sunday: Jennie Stearns plays for the final time in her Sunday night series at Felicia's Atomic Lounge. The show is free, there will be special guests, and Felicia's promises a "special Mother's Day present" for moms. 508 W. State St., 7 pm.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

The Untold Story of the Untold Fans of the Grateful Dead at Cornell

We didn't want to put the State Theater in a tough spot on Grateful Dead Day this past May 8 with one particular aspect of our personal reminiscence of the original May 8 , 1977 show, which is the large number of people who got in to the sold-out show at Barton Hall without tickets.

It might not have been that large a number, relative to the overall crowd. But it was a large percent of the people who came without tickets - like, 100%.

We know, because we let them in.

In 1977, I was 19 years old, a sophomore at Cornell, and somehow in charge of security (with two friends of mine, who shall remain nameless, as I don't have their permission to implicate them) for the Cornell Concert Commission, even though I had hair past my shoulders, weighed 133 pounds (pneumonia that winter), and was a little loose.

The Grateful Dead show sold out, and knowing their crowd, we knew there would be a lot of people showing up without tickets. We weren't worried about it, but the president of the Cornell Concert Commission was. The CCC was a big deal in those days, as a springboard for getting big jobs in the music industry. So the officers tended to be serious and business-like.

Before the show, the president came to address the security people, ushers, and ticket takers. He said there would be a lot of people trying to get in free, and scam and cajole us, and we had to be resolute, and defend the barriers, or something.

So we listened to that, very solemnly, and when the president was finished, we accepted his best wishes and support, and he left us to our duty.

And when he did, we told the crew what we would really like them to do, which was to let everyone in who showed up. With conditions, of course.

Anyone who didn't have a ticket would be asked to come back after everyone with tickets got in. We figured it was only fair to take care of the paying customers first, and then we could see what we were dealing with, numerically.

Then, if you didn't have a ticket, you could gain entry, not for nothing, but also not for money. It wouldn't have been right for us to take money, and we didn't.

Instead, we required anyone without a ticket to do something to contribute to the event. Not money, but they had to give something. Also, not drugs or alcohol. But some token, of some kind.

If they had a ticket to another event, we would honor that. If they got a ticket driving to the show, we would honor that. If they had a coupon to Arby's, or a key chain, or a lucky charm, or a guitar pick, or a pencil, or a cooking utensil, or anything else unorthodox they were willing to give, that would do it.

I remember one guy giving a peanut butter sandwich. We didn't eat it, of course, but he told us he had made the peanut butter sandwich in Tennessee, which we thought was pretty good. We had never seen a sandwich from Tennessee before.

Another guy didn't have anything, so we asked him to spell Tennessee. He did, or at least he tried, so he got in.

The majority of people got in that way: by answering a question, telling a story, performing a dance, doing chin-ups (there was a convenient overhanging bar right in the doorway), or singing a song. We heard "Happy Birthday" a lot that night.

We didn't think we were doing any harm, as there was plenty of room in Barton Hall, and they say there's always room for one more. We considered this a chance to see if that's really true. We were students, you know, and inquisitive about such things.

Cornell didn't really need the money, and they weren't going to let these people in for money, anyhow. So we were in agreement there.

From a security standpoint, we thought, how secure is it to have all these disappointed people milling around outside, when they wanted to be inside, to see the Grateful Dead? We understood that; we wanted to see the Grateful Dead, too. Mightn't they try to figure out some other way - maybe some destructive or violent, or at least obstreperous way - to get in, if there's no way to get a ticket, and their sandwiches and singing won't work? Of course they might.

All those unhappy, shut out people would have made us feel insecure. And we were in charge of security. So we acted.

It was not up to us to act upon stringent security issues for the State Theater show this past week. So we didn't even hint at the possibility - nor the history.

Plus, of course, we are older and wiser now. Aren't we?

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Review: Dark Star Orchestra as the Grateful Dead

The saying used to go, "there is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert," but if that is true, what do you make of Dark Star Orchestra concerts?

You can't say they are nothing like a Grateful Dead concert. The reason people go is because they are a lot like Grateful Dead concerts. Last night at the State Theater, they recreated the Grateful Dead show at Barton Hall from May 8, 1977, and sold the place out.

The DSO sound like the GD, and a couple of the guys ("Garcia" and "Weir") even look like them, and seem to be mimicking their mannerisms.

The show felt the way I remember Grateful Dead shows feeling. People arrived in groups. It was crowded, hot, and noisy, but everyone was smiling, pretty much, or on the verge of it.

The music went on for a long time. People danced together. They danced alone. Quiet guys stood with arms folded, listening. Shirtless big guys swayed and howled. It was fun, harmless fun, and everyone was nice to everybody else, and it felt like the place to be.

What is missing from the show - besides the original guys, obviously - is spontaneity. That was the artistic premium of any Grateful Dead show. It was like a ballgame, in that no matter what you thought would happen, you didn't really know what would happen, and you would invariably be surprised. The band themselves would be surprised.

Now we know everything that happened, and what already happened is all that's going to happen.

But, maybe sometimes that's good enough. It was good enough last night. Dark Star Orchestra and the State Theater did a great job in presenting a piece of Ithaca history, making it live again - if not for real, at least real loud, and fun.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

"Grateful Dead" Show Sold Out

The State Theater is sold out for the May 8 concert of the Dark Star Orchestra performing the Grateful Dead's legendary Barton Hall show of May 8, 1977.

Ithaca Blog first announced the show on April 18. We hope and trust our regular readers acted on the early information and got their tickets quickly enough. For all others, our sympathies. We hope you can find some other way to celebrate Grateful Dead Day in Ithaca, as officially proclaimed by Mayor Carolyn Peterson.

There is a story about the 1977 concert that cannot be told until after the 2007 concert. Check back here on 9 May!

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

GrassRoots Performers Announced for 2007

The GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance has announced the performer roster for the 17th annual festival, 19 - 22 July, 2007.

As usual, the festival eschews mainstream stars in favor of lesser-known, but worthy and exciting, musicians of many styles, from around the world.

This year's schedule is especially notable for its global and stylistic breadth. Countries and regions represented include Australia, Taiwan, Mali, Burkina Faso, South Africa, eastern Africa, the Middle East, Ireland, Canada, Mexico, and Native America. Styles include traditional Native American, as well as "Navajo punk"; blues, bluegrass, and old-time, including "guerilla old-time"; jazz, gospel, folk, reggae, cajun, zydeco, rock, country, alt.country, and hip hop - including "post-punk laptop rap."

One of the fun things about the festival, year after year, is the emergence of at least one performer from first-time obscurity, to community renown. Last year it was Musafir, from India. Before them, it was the Avett Brothers old-timey band. This year there are many great candidates for discovery - and four days of fun for doing it.

See www.grassrootsfest.org for more details.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Weekend Activities, May 5 & 6

It's an unusual weekend in that the biggest shows are on Sunday, not Saturday. So we'll work backwards.

Sunday night: Les Yeux Noir at the State Theater. One never knows what the hot new music will be, nor why. Wherefore Jewish gypsy French violin and vocal swing, which is one of the hottest right now? Find it out with this torrid octet tonight, at 7:30 pm.

Sunday afternoon: Bear Fox, Richie Stearns, and Lydia Garrison play a benefit concert for the Akwesasne Freedom School. Ms. Fox sings lovely songs from and about her Native American heritage. There will be corn soup and fry bread. Suggested donation is $8, with kids under 10 free, and child care provided. 3 pm at the Lehman Alternative Community School.

Saturday: The Fountains, I-Town Records artists, at the Chapter House, 10 pm.

Have fun -

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

Weekend Contest: Post Time Set List

For this week's contest, we wanted to let you pick the Kentucky Derby winner either outright, or by post position, if you found that easier. Then we realized the contest goes through next Friday, and the race is tomorrow. So anyone who waited until after the race to reply would have a distinct advantage.

So instead we will have a question inspired partly by the Derby, and partly by another big pageant in the sunny southland this weekend, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Here it is:

Simply name a song about either a horse race or a horse. That's it. We'll print the answers, and see how many you know, and we'll select one entry at random for the winner's circle prize of a $10 gift certificate to Small World Music.

Send your entry to sworldmu@twcny.rr.com. Winner will be announced here next weekend.

The winner of last week's contest was Beth, who knew that Barton Hall was once the biggest pillarless room in the world, and that thirty years ago this Tuesday, it was a concert venue for the Grateful Dead. That show will be recreated by the exceptional Dead tribute band, Dark Star Orchstra, at the State Theater on Tuesday. Congratulations to Beth, and thanks to all who entered.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog