ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Tompkins County will receive $68,000 from New York State to fund safety and security improvements at two of the organization’s facilities in Tompkins County.
The funding, announced Tuesday at an event by State Senator Lea Webb, will be used to purchase and install a new security system. CCE Executive Director Cynthia Cave-Gaetani said new security apparatuses will be installed at the CCE Tompkins facility on Willow Avenue in Ithaca as well as the 4-H Acres nature preserve property on Lower Creek Road, which is a CCE program.
CCE’s work primarily involves utilizing the vast amount of research from Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Human Ecology “to enrich and empower New York state neighbors, local businesses, towns and cities,” according to the organization. Their programs center on nutrition and food systems, agriculture and farming, sustainability, energy and economic development.
The money was secured through the state’s Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology Program.
Cave-Gaetani said there have not been break-ins at either location, but that both are aging buildings that have gone without many security upgrades since CCE moved into the Willow Avenue location in 1986.
“It’s just one of those things we really need to upgrade, it’s just an old building,” Cave-Gaetani said. “For the safety and security of our community, we have a lot of community members who come and use the site, and we want to keep that top of mind.”
During her remarks, Webb commended CCE’s community work, emphasizing the breadth of services the organization provides to students, farmers, agricultural professionals and food security efforts.
“They have carried on the mission of the organization for quite a bit of time, but the spirit and the passion that they bring to the countless community members that they serve is something that is most certainly not only appreciated, but deserves to be supported,” Webb said.
She added that state government funding will become increasingly critical for organizations like CCE as the federal government reduces its spending and, in turn, its financial support for groups doing similar work. She said there would “hopefully be more to come” in terms of state funding boosts.
“As we continue to see funding for such incredible programs continue to be cut, programs that are helping to literally improve the lives and livelihood of many people in our region and state, today’s announcement, we know, is an important one, but it does not negate the need for ongoing support for this great organization and their entire team,” Webb said.
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