Issue link: http://visitithaca.uberflip.com/i/635370
Chamber Foundation News Friends of Stewart Park In 2015, the Friends of Stewart Park Board of Directors and Executive Director Rick Manning focused their eorts on becoming independent of the Chamber Foundation. This included housekeeping items, scal and budget planning, and transition planning. The Friends also worked with the City of Ithaca to plan and implement several park revitalization projects, including a 5 year building condition study, planning and design for a new playground, continued restoration work on the Picnic (Large) Pavilion, implementing an ecological restoration project in the Fuertes Bird Sanctuary, and restoring the Carousel by painting the carousel horses and installing a new decorative metal fence. Cayuga Waterfront Trail After 15 long years, the trail was nally completed in 2015. A large celebration in late August at the Farmer's Market, with attendees enjoying portions of the ve mile trail from end-to-end and meeting at the market. The "Finish It, Furnish It" campaign continued and yielded seven new benches and trail amenities, as well as signicant investments in the Crew Cove Overlook. The Chamber Foundation looks forward to continuing to support long-term maintenance, historical and interpretive panel enhancements, and eorts to connect the Cayuga Waterfront Trail and other local trails for a comprehensive trail system and improved community asset. Leadership Tompkins We saw incredible growth in the Leadership Tompkins Program under the leader- ship of Deb Mohlenho and 25 graduates completed the 9 month long course. The program allows participants to learn in-depth information about Ithaca and Tompkins County, closely examining topics such as food insecurity, social services, local government, diversity and inclusion, the philanthropic community, and economic development. This year's class of 21 has already explored many of these topics, and will once again be supporting the Downtown Ithaca Alliance's Chili Festival in February.