Stop the Silence

March 13-19, 2017 Keeping You Connected Locally Owned & Operated TompkinsWeekly.com Vol. 12, No. 3 STOP THE SILENCE Photo by Pete Angie / Tompkins Weekly This billboard along Route 96 between Ithaca and Trumansburg is part of the campaign to educate residents that exploitation of children is happening in Tompkins County. Commercial exploitation of children is happening — in Tompkins County By Pete Angie homeless, seeking somewhere to stay. regularly we are hearing from CSEC youth services, homeless services, Tompkins Weekly That teen is taken in by someone who (commercial sexual exploitation of law enforcement, and social services soon requires sex to keep living there. children) victims, as it is very poorly become more aware of and responsive ver the past several months, Eventually that child is told they recognized,” Miller said. to the victims of sex trafficking. There billboards have been need to have sex with others in order are 28 Safe Harbor: NY counties, as displaying an important to keep a roof over their head. RECOGNITION OF THE ISSUE well as the St. Regis Mohawk nation, message throughout Tompkins Those scenarios are happening ecognizing sexual exploitation and the boroughs of the Bronx, O here, according to Louise Miller, is complicated by the fact that Brooklyn and Queens. County – it features a simple graphic of a child and a blunt statement: director of the Advocacy Center Rmany victims do not see themselves Caitlin Weems is coordinator Commercial Sexual Exploitation of of Tompkins County, which helps as such. They may see their situation, of Safe Harbor: NY in Tompkins Children is Happening in Tompkins victims of sexual assault and domestic or engaging in prostitution, as County. She has been working with a County. violence. a choice. Or they could be in a team comprised of members from the Posters have also been placed “We have and are actively romantic relationship with their Probation Department, county Child throughout the county with the same providing services to trafficked teens,” exploiter. According to federal law, Protective and Children’s Services, message, asking people to “Listen to she said, “and as we as a community anyone under the age of 18 who Ithaca Police Department, Tompkins the Silence.” continue to educate ourselves, we engages in a commercial sex act Community Action, the Learning While the statement may not fit anticipate seeing an increase in those is a victim of human trafficking, Web, Open Doors, the Advocacy with the “10 square miles surrounded in need of supportive services.” regardless of whether they were Center of Tompkins County and by reality” impression portrayed for Housing is one means by which forced or coerced. Planned Parenthood. The billboards Ithaca, the reality is that children and children become exploited. Other The billboards and posters on were the brainchild of this group as young adults in Tompkins County teens and young adults in Ithaca also display are designed to highlight the part of a media campaign, and were are facing just what the message come under the control of pimps, and existence of what can be a hard to designed by local firm Iron Designs. indicates. The sex trade, and sexual others may be addicted to drugs like see problem. The signage came about Weems has also been providing exploitation is far more complicated heroin and rely on their exploiter to through funding granted by New trainings, called CSEC 101, to than the stereotypical street corner feed that addiction. York State when Tompkins County anyone who works with youth. They exchange, and is a problem locally. These things occur locally, stated became an official Safe Harbor: NY are designed to raise awareness of Take, for instance, a teenager Miller. Getting an estimate of just community in January. Safe Harbor: possible red flags for sex trafficking, who leaves home due to abuse or how often, or how many people are NY provides funds and support such as homelessness, school truancy, a dispute with a parent that goes victims, however, is not easy. for the development of resources tattoos they are reluctant to explain, unresolved, and finds themselves “It’s difficult to say exactly how to help community agencies like Continued on page 11 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Spotlight on ... Golden Opportunity.......................................page 3 Eye on Agriculture: Just A Few Acres Farm........................….page 8 Cayuga Heights, Dryden, Groton village elections coming........page 4 Rosie broadens food access, grocery store opportunity......….page 9 Groton =ready to kick off bicentennial celebrations..............page 5 Scheffler pulls double duty for Lansing, IC track........………...page 16 Tech & Sports Boosters have teamed up to SCORE 1 for the Lansing Kids! Our 2017 fundraising efforts are supporting sports related technology. th pm 24 Local Sports Celebrities 7-11 MARCH Fantasy Casino LAKEWATCH INN Happy Play Sports Themed Games St. Patrick´s Watch Tournament Basketball Games Live music featuring F.O.G.G. (a local Lansing band) Day and a Great DJ SPORTS Bid on TECHNOLOGY auction items • Over 1000 different beers, hard ciders and malternatives in stock • Over 200 gourmet sodas • 10 Beers, 1 hard cider, and 1 soda taps for growler ﬁlls • Keg Beer • NOW OPEN! New Redemption Center! We pay 6¢ for most NYS returnable containers. We do Bottle Drives for schools, churches, Boy and Girl Scouts etc TICKETS $20 ONLINE FOOD & DRINKS *21 & OVER ONLY $25 AT THE DOOR ADMITTED TO THE EVENT MORE INFO AT LANSINGCDCTECHBOOSTERS.ORG Win $1,000 in Groceries The Bracket Challenge is Back! Register before 11am on March 16 to be eligible to win! 2nd place $500 from Cayuga Lumber, 3rd place $250 from Cornell Store 2 TOMPKINS WEEKLY March 13-19, 2017 N EWS Spotlight On ... Golden Opportunity By Rob Montana TW: How do you fulfill that Tompkins Weekly mission? KH: Our Team: We’re incredibly on-profit organizations grateful to have an amazing team are plentiful throughout of passionate tutors, most of whom Tompkins County, and make are retired educators with over 25 a big impact in our communities. years of teaching experience. Our N primary focus is on early academic Despite their contributions, area non- profits can sometimes go unnoticed intervention – working with students or unknown. In an effort to shine a as young as second grade – and spotlight on those who are making a helping them build skills in core difference in our county, Tompkins academic subjects such as reading, Weekly will be showcasing these writing and math. While we hope organizations on a regular basis. to tame the burden of homework, This week we are highlighting we certainly don’t want to become Golden Opportunity, a tutoring a “homework club.” Instead, we and mentorship non-profit based empower our students, bring them in Ithaca. To learn more about the to self-reward and help them organization, we interviewed its understand how talents and abilities executive director, Kolby Harrell. can be developed through hard work, patience and persistence. Photo by Jo Marcia Todd Our Culture: At GO we really Organization: Golden Opportunity have a culture of going above and Golden Opportunity tutor Joan Johnston, right, reads to a student. Founded: 2005 beyond for these kids. Our tutors Address: 505 Linn St., Ithaca conduct classroom observations, Our Impact: Each participating TW: What are the biggest challenges Website: www.GOTutors.org attend curriculum nights, sit in on student receives 60 hours of one-on- your organization faces? parent-teacher conferences and meet one tutoring support every academic KH: One of our biggest at least twice per year with their year. That’s really our core mission. challenges, which is the same for Tompkins Weekly: What is your student’s classroom teacher to set In addition, most students begin in other one-to-one programs, is mission? learning goals. In short, we improve second grade and continue with the expansion – how do we scale up? Kolby Harrell: We aim to make student outcomes by bridging same tutor throughout elementary We know there is an unmet need in quality academic support accessible expanded (after-school) learning school. This continuity of service the district, so we’re really working to all students in our community by with in-school learning. As a result, helps our tutor-student pairs build hard to diversify our funding sources providing free, one-on-one tutoring our tutors are able to meet students trust and foster relationships, which to ensure our ability to sustain and and mentorship to students from at their current academic level and creates a safe space for learning, expand upon our current reach. low-income families in the Ithaca create a plan that grows with the trying new things and advancing the Our tutoring and mentorship City School District. child. emerging interests of the students. program costs about $1,700 per Finally, to complement the academic participating student. While this piece, our tutors serve as mentors, might seem expensive, one can connecting students to enrichment think of it as a dramatic class-size History of Tompkins County opportunities. Whether it’s tickets reduction. It would be wildly more to a play, concert or sporting event; expensive to hire more teachers to visiting a museum; or receiving bring down the teacher-student sponsorship for swimming or music ratio and allow for more one-on-one lessons, this added level of support support in the classroom. Instead, we and opportunity transforms how rely on teachers to refer students to students feel about school

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