www.tompkinsweekly.com Locally Owned & Operated Your source for local news & events Volume 8, No. 16 • February 17-23, 2014 FREE ALSO IN THIS ISSUE… County Mulls Jail Alternatives By Nick Babel Public Safety Committee reducing the number of public, with one session chairman Brian Robison individuals incarcerated at devoted exclusively to The Tompkins County Legi- says. the county jail. Based on accepting public input, and slature’s Public Safety Com- Under the committee’s the ideas presented, the at least half of the meetings mittee has requested an in- charge, the task force will task force will review the will occur in the evening. depth review, spanning up engage the public, criminal options “with the greatest “There will be a compre- to six months, of additional justice professionals, coun- possibility of safely and hensive look at all existing measures that could be ty department and agency prudently reducing the jail ATI programs, as well as employed to reduce the pop- heads and other individuals population.” All task force new and innovative ideas. Comfort Camp comes to ulation of the county jail. to solicit ideas for further meetings are open to the ATI is a relatively new con- the rescue of local mer- The committee met on cept within the criminal chant ..................................page 2 Feb. 10, approving a motion justice system. With time authorizng the county’s Winter Frolic and experience programs Criminal Justice/Alterna- should be evaluated in tives to Incarceration Board order to gauge their effec- Airport to receive securi- (CJATI) to form a task force tiveness in terms of results ................page 3 (including at least two and cost,” Robison says. “It ty technology members who are not coun- is conceivable that a new ty employees or criminal idea or program used else- justice professionals) “that where has been found to be TC3 introduces culinary will consider and may rec- even more effective than an ommend county initiatives, existing program or maybe ............................page 3 program in addition to the array of not. We are interested in programs already in place, receiving a report from this that may safely and pru- committee detailing their dently reduce the popula- analysis of the ATI pro- tion of the Tompkins grams and also recommen- County Jail.” ris dations on how to improve “Public comments receiv- those efforts.” ed during our recent jail Task force leaders Suzi renovation discussions and Cook, CJATI chairwoman, votes have questioned and Opportunities, Alterna- whether county residents tives and Resources (OAR) Reporters to screen drill- would be better served to of Tompkins County direc- ing documentary ......page 4 review and/or expand our tor Deborah Dietrich will alternative to incarceration Photo bybe Kathy Mor assisted by county admi- efforts. It’s a valid question, Children of all ages squirmed, wriggled and tunneled their way into nistration and other county and although those in the snow forts, as well as roasted marshmallows, drank hot chocolate staff as needed. Drone protestors sen- ATI community believe cooked in a kettle over a fire, made colored ice sculptures and gener- The review will include tenced to jail ................page 5 Tompkins County is a ally embraced winter at the Ithaca Children's Garden’s Festival of Fire consideration of the cost of leader in the state in these and Ice on Feb 8. (Note: go to www.facebook.com/ithacachildrensgar- the initiative, the extent to efforts, a new look seems den for information about lost hats, mittens and other items that can which the initiative is with prudent at this time,” be picked up at Cooperative Extension on Willow Avenue in Ithaca.) Please turn to page 16 ..........page 6 Letters, opinion Advocate Speaks for the Children By Sue Henninger my future,” Jones explained. “Ghetto watch over us,” Jones hypothesizes. Life 101” is striking for both its The importance of mentorship can’t Today LeAlan Jones is an award-win- unsparingly honest look at the boys’ be emphasized enough, he says when ning journalist, author, political can- physical and emotional environments speaking at high schools, college cam- didate (Green Party) and activist. and their ability to retain hope and a puses and community centers. However, as a 13-year-old African sense of humor against long odds. Dynamic, articulate, serious and American boy growing up in the When Jones and Newman asked humorous by turn, Jones is passion- Chicago ghetto, surrounded by pover- their teacher if it’s hard teaching in ate about his topic. Asking who was Film series focuses on ty, violence and substance abuse, his their neighborhood, she said, “It’s dif- currently mentoring Ithaca’s young coping with grief ......page 8 prospects didn’t look quite as bright. ficult because of the publicity that people, Jones didn’t appear surprised Temptations were everywhere and surrounds this area. And it’s difficult when only about 10 percent of the it would have been easy to succumb to because you all don’t believe you’re audience members attending his talk them, Jones recalled during a lecture smart.” raised their hands. This needs to before a full-house audience at the To escape their neighborhood, the change, he said, noting, “If we’re not Ithaca Youth Bureau on Feb. 6. boys often rode the bus to the end of investing in young people, we’re “You develop a rage. You can’t the line to “take a break from life in investing in our own demise.” establish a sense of self because of all the ghetto, sit back, relax and look out He believes that the worst thing you of the misery around you. This makes the window.” can do is to try to help somebody you do things you might not do other- One of the most highly acclaimed based on your sympathy for them. wise,” he said. In retrospect, he pieces of audio work in the history of That’s your agenda, not theirs, he con- believes that it wasn’t poverty so NPR, “Ghetto Life 101” won numerous tends. A labor of love from Star much as an inability to adjust to awards in American broadcasting and The Chicago advocate for youth Trek fans..........................page 9 tragedy that defined his family. has been translated into a dozen lan- puts his money where his mouth is, “Everyone in this room has had to guages and heard worldwide. Jones volunteering as a football coach. deal with tragedy, he said. “Some of and Newman made a second docu- Jones says he has success by starting us do it better than others.” mentary in 1994, “The 14 Stories of with something children are interest- Drawings provide a clos- Things changed for Jones when he Eric Morse,” about a five-year-old boy ed in enough to make a commitment. er look at nature ......page 9 and his friend Lloyd Newman were who was thrown out of a 14-story win- “I put the ‘regiment’ around what approached by David Isay, who was dow by teenagers at the Ida B. Wells they want to do,” he says, claiming producing a documentary on poverty projects. The two tapings were tran- that the skills he teaches through for Chicago Public Radio. Asking the scribed and condensed into a book, sports are transferable to every situa- boys to be “reporters,” Isay had them “Our America: Life and Death on the tion in the teens’ lives and will help record their daily lives growing up in, Southside of Chicago.” his mentees achieve success. and near, the Ida B. Wells housing The documentary explores the They come full circle, Jones says; project. question of why a ghetto destroys the only difference is their starting “I did it because I wanted to try to some young people while others point. Recalling that the only times he understand my life, the context of it, refuse to give up hope. “Maybe it’s wasn’t successful were when adults before I started making choices about because we have one strong person to Please turn to page 16 Comfort Camp Comes to the Rescue By Clara MacCarald Jackson describes the idea behind responding to the burglary During a cash mob, people descend with a cash mob as “mostly born by on a business to spend money. “It’s irritation.” She says that she decid- meant to raise awareness,” ed, “Let’s make a point to make explains Christine Edwards, a sure it doesn’t go unnoticed.” mother who belongs to the local Planning was done online and in support group Mama’s Comfort person. Local singer/songwriter Camp. “Everyone can come out and Angie Beeler came to serenade kids show support.” playing in the play space. Members Edwards was among the organiz- of Mama’s Comfort Camp brought ers of the cash mob and playdate on in food for the event. “It was sort of Saturday, Feb. 8, to support the their gift to us to put it together,” downtown children’s store Bloom says Jones-Rounds. after a recent burglary. Twenty- Marty Hiller, who was shopping three people bought things during with her daughter during the cash the day, more than a normal mob, says she has been in Bloom Saturday,and the daily revenue was before but had not bought anything noticeably higher. from them. Her daughter was too Two local mothers opened Bloom by Clara MacCarald old for many of the toys sold by the about a year ago on the Ithaca store, so they were looking at Commons. They specialize in local- clothes and considering a shower Photo ly made, ethically produced and McKenzie Jones-Rounds, left, rings up a purchase by Della Trent during the cash mob to gift for a pregnant neighbor.