The Essentials

The idea of compost often conjures images of kitchen scraps, farms and backyard gardens.

Now a Cornell staff member and her cohorts are encouraging city renters to join in the effort.

“There are a lot of properties in Collegetown,” said Roberta Dixon, the Cornell documentation specialist who conjured up the idea as part of a 10-month Tompkins County community leadership program. “We approached owners and pointed out how a composting program aimed at renters could reduce the amount of solid waste being hauled away from rental properties.”

Ithaca Rentals and Renovations liked being part of something so innovative, and Cayuga Compost agreed to pick up the kitchen waste. Unfortunately, thunderstorms limited participation during the program’s kick-off event last May; but a recent follow-up event to promote apartment composting, educate people on the new idea and hand out free compost buckets proved a success.

In 2009 Dixon was chosen by Cornell to attend the Leadership Tompkins program. Teams within the program decide on and plan out a final community action project, and the composting project was hers.

- Krishna Ramanujan

When the Lost Dog Café closed this summer, the future of Science Cabaret was uncertain. But with the opening of WildFire Lounge in the same location, the monthly science sessions are back, starting Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m.

This month’s speakers are Barbara Mink, founder and artistic director of the Light in Winter festival, and Frank Moon, a sculptor and professor of engineering at Cornell. The two will lead a discussion on science in art and art in science, said Kitty Gifford, one of the series’ co-organizers.

Started in 2005, Ithaca’s Science Cabaret aims to bring science from the universities to the public in an informal setting – often over a cup of coffee or a beer. For upcoming info on the schedule, go to http://bti.cornell.edu/scicab.php.

WildFire Lounge is located at 106 S. Cayuga St. in Ithaca.

– Sarah Perdue

If you attended Ithaca’s Apple Harvest Festival this weekend and happened to get hit with diet cola spray, then chances are you were passing by the Sigma Xi tent.

The Cornell chapter of the scientific research society hosted its “Science from the Slope” event to bring science research from East Hill to downtown. On Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27, 14 scientists performed demonstrations and discussed their research with festival attendees.

In addition to the diet cola experiment, which shows how the carbon dioxide dissolved in soda can be released with great force when a candy like Skittles is added, demonstrations included the use of ground-penetrating radar to see what lies beneath the Commons as well as a discussion of biological diversity in plants. Several posters on various research topics were also presented.

The scientists, mostly graduate students, represented units from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology to the Vet College.

“The main mission of Sigma Xi is community outreach, and we are revitalizing the outreach component with this event,” said graduate student Danica Lombardozzi, an officer of Cornell Sigma Xi.

- Sarah Purdue

Four Cornell Library staff members performed as part of the GrassRoots Chamber Orchestra’s fifth annual concert July 19 at the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance in Trumansburg, N.Y.

Cayenna Ponchione, public services supervisor at Sidney Cox Music Library in Lincoln Hall, conducts the 45-member orchestra, which also includes Kathryn Wilkinson, technical services assistant; Lenora Schneller, public service assistant; and Beth Kelly, music cataloger.

The ensemble performed Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture; Bach’s Double Concerto, with violinists Judy Hyman and Laurie Hart; three movements of Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony; and two pieces from the orchestra’s first-ever composition competition: “River of Blood” by Justin Merritt and “Armemoria” by Amy Kazandjian.

The musicians dress casually to give the only classical performance at the GrassRoots Festival, Ponchione said. “They wear shorts, sandals and T-shirts,” she said. “It makes for a really fun performance because people are relaxed and can enjoy it.”

– Daniel Aloi

Come Jan. 1, an ILR student could be casting votes on critical issues in the city of gorges.

Eddie Rooker ‘10 is running for Ithaca Common Council. He declared his candidacy for one of the 10 city council alderman positions in June.

Uncontested so far, he would serve the Fourth Ward, which includes some of Ithaca’s most coveted and controversial real estate: Collegetown.

Rooker advocates government support of unions, workers rights and a living wage. His talking points include keeping more tax dollars generated by Collegetown in Collegetown; updating building codes to meet higher energy use standards and improving rental housing quality; expanding communication between permanent and student residents; investing in Collegetown sidewalks, roads, bridges and more public garbage cans.

As councilman he would also support the Ithaca Youth Bureau and Greater Ithaca Activities Center, he said, and promote development that would increase density at Collegetown’s core and preserve surrounding neighborhoods by curbing the spread of student housing.

The Cayuga County native is a Big Brother volunteer for the Ithaca Youth Bureau, a youth mentor for the Franziska Racker Center, a member of the Collegetown Neighborhood Council and University Neighborhood Council, and coordinator of volunteers for Cornell’s Into the Streets 2008 cleanup.

Rooker is running as a Democrat with Democratic City Caucus endorsement. Independents have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to file a petition for a place on the ballot. A write-in candidate could also emerge before the Nov. 3 election.

To voters who wonder how long he plans to stay in Ithaca after graduation in May, Rooker said he is looking into local job opportunities and master’s programs at ILR. “I definitely plan on sticking around,” he said.

Cornell work-study students and volunteers will join Tompkins County youth this summer to help local residents reduce their home energy use – and reduce the county’s carbon footprint.

Students and Cornell Cooperative Extension associates will conduct door-to-door home energy assessments around the county to help homeowners make the biggest dent in their energy comsumption. They’ll also educate residents about such techniques as low-flow faucet aerators, water tank wrapping and compact-fluorescent lighting.

Interested in participating? Contact Dominic Frangillo at df66@cornell.edu.

UCNS, a cooperative nursery school, will hold “May Come and Play Days” Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 8:45 to 11:45 a.m., beginning May 11 at the school, 59 Dart Drive. UCNS, a nonprofit, play-based school and a Universal Pre-K participant, serves children 3 to 5 years old for 2, 3 or 5 mornings a week. Parents participate actively in the classroom to enrich the children’s learning experience. Call 266-9680 to pre-register. Web: http://ucns.cornell.edu.

Ithaca’s Mary Grainger ’79, M.P.S. ’87, will receive the Cornell Tradition’s eighth annual Debra S. Newman ’02 Community Recognition Award at the Women’s Community Building on April 18 at 11 a.m.

Grainger has done extensive volunteer work for a wide variety of organizations and initiatives, including Family and Children’s Services, Ithaca Public Education Initiative, Sciencenter, American Association of University Women, and the Tompkins County Girls Hockey Association.

The Debra S. Newman award is sponsored by the Cornell Tradition, an alumni-supported program that recognizes and rewards outstanding undergraduates. The award honors Debra Newman ’02, who was killed in an automobile accident the year she graduated from Cornell.