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March 14, 2016 Keeping You Connected TOMPKINS WEEKLY Locally Owned & Operated TompkinsWeekly.com Vol. 11, No. 3 State needs more organ donors By Jay Wrolstad Ali Brown has a message for those considering organ donation: “If you want to give the gift of life, talk to your family about your intentions, be proactive, and make the decision to register as an organ donor.” It’s advice that often goes unheeded in New York State, where individuals register as organ and tissue donors at less than half the rate of people nationwide. Brown, 24, of Trumansburg, re- ALSO IN THIS ISSUE ceived the gift of life in August 2002, when she underwent a liver trans- plant. She was born with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type II, a genetic disease that progresses to cirrhosis. “I was very sick from day one; it progressed over time up until transplantation,” she says. “My doc- tors knew early on that something provided Photo was wrong with my liver but they Ali Brown, right, and her mother, Molly deRoos, attended the Donate Life Gala could not pinpoint it. Although it is during the 2014 Rose Parade festivities in Pasadena, Calif. Brown received a a genetic disease, there is no history donated liver in 2002. of it in our family. Both of my parents happened to be carriers.” She was states in the registration of eligible part to a more highly educated com- diagnosed at age nine at Cincinnati organ donors at 25 percent of the munity, good medical care facilities Cornell community mourns Children’s Hospital, by the doctor state population. Nationwide, about and the efforts of local volunteers and who discovered the disease. 50 percent of the eligible population service organizations to spread the loss of president page 2 The transplant operation was is registered,” Ryan says. At the same word, Ryan says. conducted at Cincinnati Children’s time, there are 10,000 people in New Waiting times for organ trans- Hospital, and she has enjoyed good York State waiting for organ trans- plants may be affected by the avail- health for nearly 14 years. “It saved plant on any given day. “We have the ability of registered donors, Ryan my life,” Brown says. “I was told that I third-highest need for transplants in says. “It could be longer in New York had about a year to live when I got on the U.S., with one of the lowest num- State, and there are some families the national transplant waiting list ber of registered donors—it’s a prob- who have moved to other states to re- in February 2002.” lem,” she says. duce the waiting time.” It’s a feel-good story cited by Nan- The local outlook is somewhat Low organ donor registration cy Ryan, Director of Marketing and better. FLDRN (www.donorrecovery. rates can be attributed to the fact Community Relations for the Fin- org), based in Rochester and com- that some states make it much easier ger Lakes Donor Recovery Network prising 20 Southern Tier and Finger to sign up, Ryan says, noting that, “In (FLDRN), an organization focused on Lakes counties, has a 33 percent reg- some cases people can enroll and sign increasing the rolls of organ donors istration rate. In Tompkins County, the proper form electronically on here and across the Empire State. the rate nearly matches the national mobile devices such as tablet com - “We are second to last among all average at 46 percent. That’s due in Continued on page 13 Downtown Alliance annual awards page 3 Energy Scores aimed at homebuyers Adult Spelling Bee winners named page 4 By Pete Angie the Residential Energy Score Project to the implementation plan. “This is Team. It comprises members from providing an easily understandable Five municipalities in Tompkins five municipalities: the towns of Car- metric,” says Goldsmith. “I really do County and Cornell Cooperative Ex- oline, Danby, Ulysses and Ithaca; the think it’s valuable and fits in with tension are collaborating on a local City of Ithaca; the Tompkins County many different kinds of existing en- plan to provide homebuyers with Planning Department; and Cornell ergy.” a scorecard for a home’s energy ef- Cooperative Extension. A county-wide program is the ul- ficiency. On Feb. 24 the Residential The team met bi-weekly to envi- timate goal, but initially the program Energy Score Project Team released a sion what an energy score system will be available in the five towns draft implementation plan that out- would look like locally, and included that have been a part of the project. lines how the system would work, and stakeholders from the real estate The program is voluntary and there what steps need to be taken to get it community, home energy improve- is hope that it will give added value going. ment experts, engineers, and advo- to home energy efficiency improve- A public meeting will be held cates for low-income and elderly resi- ments. Without a rating the benefits Ithaca’s Iles is a true road war- Monday, March 14, in the Borg War- dents. of weatherization and energy effi- ner Room of the Tompkins County “It’s been very helpful to have that ciency are seen in lower heating bills rior page 5 Public Library, to help gain the pub- broad array of people in that pro- and lower carbon emissions, but a lic’s input about the proposed plan. cess,” says Nick Goldsmith, Sustain- rating system could add market val- The project was launched in 2013, ability Planner for the Town and City ue to a home. when the New York State Energy Re- of Ithaca. More incentives for home energy search and Development Authority Implementation plan was drafted improvements could mean a boost (NYSERDA) announced that grant by Performance Systems Develop- to local jobs in the contracting field. monies were available through the ment, whch Goldsmith describes as Knowing the rating of your home Cleaner, Greener Communities Pro- a national leader in the field of en- could also affect how homeowners use gram to assist towns with planning ergy rating, and outlines a system by energy. “We want Ulysses residents to projects such as this. which home ratings would be listed be informed about their energy use. According to Darby Kiley, who concurrently with home prices on Knowing where your energy goes, I participated in the team and is the the multiple listing service used by think that really helps improve en- Environmental Planner for the realtors. Similar rating programs ex- ergy efficiency,” Kiley says. Town of Ulysses, conversations at ist in Vermont, Massachusetts and In addition to the potential ben- IC experiments with 3D the Tompkins County Counsel of Connecticut, and are being piloted in efits of the program, there are also printing technology page 9 Governments led to the creation of more than a dozen states, according Continued on page 13 BRAND NEW! BUY ‘15 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE DE FOR $ $ 9,999 AUTOMATIC • POWER WINDOWS-LOCKS • MSRP 14,965 Taxes & DMV Fees are extra. Price reflects rebate. Big Flats, NY 607-796-5555 SIMMONS-ROCKWELL.COM Cornell community mourns loss of president By Ithaca Voice caught off guard they were by the news and how seemingly sudden her Cornell University’s first female death was, describing it as sad, dis- President Elizabeth Garrett died on tressing and tragic. March 6, weeks after announcing that Most of the students we spoke to she has been diagnosed with colon said that they hadn’t had much, if cancer. She was being treated at Weill any, direct interactions with Garrett. Cornell Medicine and recently began Still, her brief time serving as an aggressive treatment program to president did inspire confidence in combat the cancer. She underwent some. “She was looking to make great surgery Feb. 19 and was shortly after- impacts on the community,” said one ward released from the ICU. freshman student. “There’s a high Garrett is the university’s 13th sense of respect here. Anyone you and first female president. She took ask would say the same thing, I think. office this past fall. In an open letter She’ll be missed greatly.” to the Cornell community, Robert S. Many celebrated her status as Harrison, Chairman of the Cornell Cornell’s first female president, and University Board of Trustees, said: were saddened that she passed away “It is with utmost sadness that I so early into her presidency. write to inform you that our presi- “It’s sad that she was just getting dent, colleague and friend, Elizabeth into presidential run and she had to Garrett, passed away late last eve- pass away unexpectedly like that. ning after a brave battle with colon Hopefully, the University will be cancer. There are few words to ex- able to bounce back and get another press the enormity of this loss. provided Photo strong president,” said Shawn, a se- “Beth was simply a remarkable Elizabeth Garrett, Cornell’s fi rst female president, was rememberd for her nior. human being a vibrant and passion- intellect, energy and vision “She had a chance to do some re- ate leader who devoted her life to ally awesome things,” said sophomore the pursuit of knowledge and public munity, Acting President Kotlikoff and legislative director for Sen. David Ava Jarvis. service and had a profound, positive and I offer our heartfelt condolences L. Boren (D-Okla.) and clerked for Athletes Matt Sullivan and Jack- impact on the many lives that she to Beth’s husband, Professor Andrei Justice Thurgood Marshall on the U.S. son Webber pointed out that Garrett touched.