On Thursday, October 23, 2014, the Downtown Ithaca Alliance and Mayor Svante Myrick will hold ribbon cutting ceremonies for three expanded businesses in downtown Ithaca.
At 5:15 PM, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Community Dispute Resolution Center in Center Ithaca, 171 The Commons (Suite 105-1, next to Acting Out New York in the upper atrium). The ribbon cutting will be a part of an open house at their new offices from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Says Amber Driscoll, Case Manager at CDRC, “Please stop by and see our bright new accessible location while enjoying snacks and local wines! For over 30 years now, CDRC has been supporting constructive responses to conflict throughout the many communities in Tompkins County. Our staff and skilled volunteer mediators provide the expertise and support to support people from all walks of life who find themselves being compromised by negative conflict interaction in often very difficult situations. In the words of our founding director, Judy Saul, we are changing the world one conversation at a time.” For more information, please visit: http://www.cdrc.org.
At 5:30 PM, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for One World Market, also in Center Ithaca (enter on the Commons between The Art and Found and Jillian’s Drawers). Says proprietor Curtis Bayer, “One World Market used to be called Ten Thousand Villages. We changed our name as part of the process of becoming an independent fair trade store. Our mission is to build sustainable, long-term trade relationships with artisans and strive to ensure fairness in all aspects of our work. We choose handcrafted products that reflect and reinforce rich cultural traditions that are environmentally sustainable and that appeal to the customer. As an independent store, we can work with even more small fair trade companies, thus helping a greater number of people. Our store has been on the Commons for 15 years now, and we have enjoyed the strong support of the downtown Ithaca community!” For more information, please visit: http://www.owmithaca.com.
At 5:45 PM, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for Toko Imports in the Dewitt Mall, 215 North Cayuga Street (next to Sola Gallery). Says new owner Polly Wood, “I’m very thankful to Tom Kozlowski for building and keeping Toko alive for over 30 years, and I’m excited to honor what he’s built while bringing in fresh, new energy. Toko will continue to be your local stop for drums, percussion, and world music instruments as well as outstanding variety of hats for all seasons. Although Toko has long been an import store, some of the instruments and hats are made by local artisans as well. What’s new to Toko is a growing assortment of multicultural statues and gifts, including museum reproductions of ancient mother goddesses, folk-craft deities, and contemporary art of the sacred feminine. We also want to hold more community classes and special events.” For more information, please visit: http://www.toko-imports.com.
