Archive: Around Town

When neighbors are hurting or in need, Lansing just rolls up its sleeves to help out.  We've seen it time and again, but each time it seems special, and a little bit amazing.  That's how it seemed last Saturday in the Car Quest parking lot when Penny Flora organized a barbecue to benefit the Moon family, who recently lost their son Charlie in an automobile accident.  "They're sweet people, said Flora, who is the store manager at Car Quest.  "It's bad enough losing their boy, and then the funeral expense on top of that.  So we're having a barbecue to put towards the funeral.
When Flora got the idea for the event she asked her boss whether it was OK to use the premisses and whether he would cover for her.  "He said 'Let's do it.'  That was the end of that," Flora says.  "I didn't have to go through the corporate mumbo-jumbo.  He was very supportive."  And then she got the whole community involved. 

Dawn and Corrine Little barbecued the chicken, while Kay Moore of Moore Tree Farm arranged for the group to use the Lansing United Methodist Church kitchen to cut the chicken and husk corn donated by Turek Farm.  The Sub Shop donated 400 rolls and 400 brownies.  Eddydale Farms donated 100 pounds of salt potatoes.  Applebees donated 250 pieces of silverware.  Dick's donated a $90 football for us to raffle off, and we had the Lansing football team sign it.  

"I had a lot of help from Snyder's Repair Shop," Flora says.  "The signs were done by Anna Snyder.  Snyder's donated, and Anna spent a significant amount of time making sure that nobody was forgotten and that everybody was acknowledged in the proper spot."  Flora's mother was selling raffle tickets.  "We bought $100 worth of lottery tickets," Flora explained.  "It's $5 a chance.  Whoever wins it wins the entire amount.  We're going to buy another $50 worth and the drawing for the $50 box is going to be October 31st."  She said tickets would be available at the counter in Car Quest.

The weather threatened to rain, but that didn't stop people from coming.  In fact so many people came that the crew couldn't cook the 450 chicken halves fast enough.  But nobody seemed to mind, and Frank Towner as Crossroads was on hand to entertain. 

"Charlie is the kind of guy you immediately fall in love with," recalled Towner, who is Associate Director of the Ithaca YMCA when he isn't appearing as Crossroads.  "The smile, the personality.  We met first at Moore's.  Santa Clause met Charlie first, and knew that he was a good boy and put presents in his stocking.  Then he worked at the YMCA, and he was just dependable.  The kind you could count on.  You didn't have to supervise him.  You showed him what to do and -- bang!  it was done.  We maintained a friendship ever since."


Eugene P. (Charlie) Moon was a Lansing High School graduate, who played football and ran track.  He graduated from SUNY at Cortland this year.  He died at age 22 on August 29 when his car struck a ditch on Peruville Road and turned over several times.

"Charlie started working for us seven years ago," Kay Moore said.  "His mother came to buy a tree in December, and she told me that day, "Charlie needs a job."  So that day I took Charlie down to our basement and fitted him with a red coat, and we put him on the line helping us, and that's how it started.  After school, during his college career, in the summers.  He did many different things for us on the tree farm, shearing trees, weed eating -- he was the go-to guy, and we're going to miss him."


Keith Armstrong, who operates an auto body shop on Lockerby Hill Road, got local car enthusiasts to bring classic cars to display and attract people to the event.  On display were an '88 Dodge Ram, a '67 Plymouth Fury, an '84 Dodge Ram and two restored John Deere tractors.  "The draw of people here is phenomenal," said Armstrong.  "The volunteers are just incredible.  I can't believe the people that showed up to help today.  It turned out very well."


Indeed it did.  Flora hoped to be able to donate $3,000 toward the funeral, but by the end of the day her group had raised $4300.50.  With raffle tickets still on sale, the final total will be even more.  "Without the community none of these people would be here," Flora said.  And Towner reflected the loss everyone is feeling.  "The shock of an accident overwhelms everybody," he said.  "The road's a dangerous place.  I'll never forget him."

----
v2i37