TompkinsWeekly for the week of November 2nd

Download the newspaper in Acrobat Format Here Grant Aids Fresh Foods Effort The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded Finger Lakes Fresh (FLF), an enterprise of Challenge Workforce Solutions, a $100,000 grant to support its efforts to promote the region’s farmers and their products. This will help bring together local producers and Upstate New York institutions seeking fresh, healthy, locallygrown food. Full Story »   Police Consolidation Considered Tompkins County has several municipal law enforcement agencies within its borders. The Ithaca Police Department, Tompkins County Sheriff ’s Department, and village police departments in Dryden, Trumansburg, Groton and Cayuga Heights all provide services to area residents. Additionally, there are three colleges located in the county that have police forces. Full Story »   Supervisor and town board seats are on the Groton ballot page 2 When Glenn Morey stepped down as Groton Town Supervisor to take a seat on the Tompkins County Legislature, that left a vacancy for the position. Filling in since then has been Deputy Town Supervisor Donald Scheffler. This year Republican Scheffler isrunning for supervisor against Democrat Edward Neuhauser. Full Story »   STEM opportunities for girls outlined page 3 The local district of the American Association of University Women convened at the Paleontological Research Institute on Oct. 24 to discuss a girl’s place in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. Women from Cortland, Oswego, the Mohawk Valley and Southern Tier joined their Ithaca colleagues to share research and strategies for STEM education. Full Story »   Legislature reviews proposed drone law and Biggs property page 5 The Tompkins County Legislature’s Government Operations Committee last week resumed its discussion of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), more commonly referred to as drones, discussing a preliminary draft of a proposed local law, which, if moved forward, could regulate use of the devices in Tompkins County. Full Story »   Love amid turmoil during the Cultural Revolution page 9 Quiet beauty. Great sorrow. Enduring love. The elements of Zhang Yimou’s masterful “Coming Home” (now at Cinemapolis) are simple yet elegantly blended. Full Story »   Health Alliance meets local needs page 10 Can you imagine a community where everyone is connected to compassionate, quality, integrative health care? That’s the vision of sustainability that inspires more than 120 volunteers at Ithaca Health Alliance, including all Free Clinic health care providers. Full Story »   TCAT will use contract bus drivers page 11 TCAT will bring in up to 10 professional transit contract drivers in the coming weeks to bolster its ranks and to address a shortage of bus operators that is being experienced on the local, regional and national levels. The use of temporary professional contract drivers will help TCAT maintain its high levels of service. Full Story »