Archive: Around Town

The Lansing Community Library Center (LCLC) capital construction project is well under way with the addition taking shape daily.  Walls are going up, the roof is under way and you can begin to see the shape of the building take form.  Meanwhile the last phase of the fund raising effort has begun.  With a goal of $375,000 the Library board has $25,000 to go.  Library Chair Marlaine Darfler says the board would like to come from smaller donations from individuals.  With that in mind the library is planning a "Building Block Party" on August 5th.


The initial phase of the fund raising effort targeted larger donors.  The first donation of $25,000 came from the Triad Foundation, formerly known as the Park Foundation. Other donations quickly followed from such donors as BorgWarner Morse TEC, Clifford B. Buck, Katherine L. Buck, Cargill Deicing Technology, Emerson Power Transmission Corporation, Gregg & Betsy Galvin, Hardie Farms, IMR Test Labs, The Lakewatch Inn, Andy & Rosemary Sciarabba, Tompkins County Foundation, and Vertical Access LLC.

While there have been some setbacks, LCLC has kept its eye on the bottom line. LCLC has operated in the black since its inception around five years ago and the board wants to continue to be fiscally responsible.  After a couple of grants fell through plans for the building were altered to keep costs under control.  But with the money raised at the Building Block Party they will be able to pay for the addition without affecting the library's operating funds.

LCLC is going to attempt to raise the entire $25,000 at the August 5th event.  Two raffles will provide $17,500 if all the tickets are sold.  The first raffle is for a 1988 Saab Convertible, Turbo in excellent condition that was anonymously donated.  Library officials have placed the car at events around town, including the High School graduation and the Lions 4th of July picnic to get people interested in buying a $50 ticket.  Only 200 tickets will be sold, with the potential to raise $10,000 for the library.  The second raffle is for $2,500.00 cash.  Again, only 200 $50 tickets are for sale.


Other fund raising will include a chicken barbecue and a special book sale.  Library volunteers and board members have selected favorites from their home libraries to donate for the sale.  You can sponsor a book for a minimum donation of $10.  The library will provide a list of books they would like to purchase, and sponsors' names will be placed on a bookplate when the book is purchased and put on the shelves.  "We're also asking people to flat out make donations to the library," says Publicity Chairperson Bobbi Wasenko.  "Bring a checkbook."

The event is being sponsored by Kirk Shreve of the Lansing Funeral Home, Money with a Mission/FAFN, Inc, and the Plantsmen Nursery.  Elephant Sound DJ will provide music, the Lansing Fire Department will have a fire truck activity for kids, and tours of the library expansion and the one room schoolhouse will be offered.

Construction officially began with a ground breaking ceremony last November that included State Senator Michael Nozzolio, Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, Town Supervisor Stephen Farkas, donors and library officials.  But the real work began this Spring when contractors began work on the former school house and Town office building in  earnest.

The library will be closed on July 23 while the indoor phase of construction is completed.  Volunteers plan a work party on June 29th to carefully wrap the books and stacks in plastic to protect them from construction dust.  That will also create a space crunch.  "The library will not be taking any donations of books after July 22 until further notice," says Operations Committee member Holly Hardie.  But it looks like the construction project is on target to be completed by Fall.

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