Archive: Around Town

When the Lansing Community Council was re-formed in 2006 it was funnelling about $10,000 to The Lansing Recreation Program, Drop-in Center, Lansing Youth Services, and Lansing Older Adults program, with a bit left over for residents in emergency need.  Since then the council has reached for the sky, establishing the Lansing Harbor Festival , and raising additional money for the schools and other local programs.  Now Community Council President Ed LaVigne says the group is looking for new projects to fund.

"As we evolve we are finding out what our next mission is," he says.  "We've stabilized the grant funding, we've moved on to the Harbor Festival, which seems to be stabilized.  And now we're looking for a new project for the next year."

That project may be a walking bridge connecting Myers Park with Salt Point.  Since the Town of Lansing signed a 25 year lease to manage Salt Point with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in 2006, officials have been exploring ways to connect the two parks metaphorically and physically.  A walking bridge was proposed in a plan approved by the DEC when the lease was signed, but there was no money for it.


LaVigne says the Community Council is doing its homework to determine whether the bridge is a realistic project to take on.  "We'd like to wait until we at least confirm that it's feasible," he says.  "There is a conceptual design.  It's merely a sketch right now.  I am working with (Parks Superintendent) Steve Colt and (Town Supervisor) Scott Pinney to find out what the next step is.  One of the areas we are working on is to make sure there aren't any DEC regulations that would prevent it."

On Tuesday Colt said that he has gotten the OK from the DEC.  DEC officials said that because it was mentioned in the 2006 management plan that they won't have to consider it separately.  That brings the bridge one step closer to realization.  Meanwhile LaVigne is looking into other projects that the council could help with such as helping to raise funds to get the North log cabin reconstructed.

While exploring new possibilities for projects the Community Council hasn't been sitting on its hands.  Lansing Harbor Festival is expected to be in the black this year, and just last month the Council donated $1,000 to the Lansing Food Pantry.  LaVigne says that strategizing about when and how to donate to programs is as important as just giving the money.  The money for the Food Pantry was donated in March to take advantage of a matching funds program offered by the Rhode Island based Feinstein Foundation.


"The need continues to increase," LaVigne says.  "We decided to give $1,000 to the Lansing Food Pantry, especially during this time when the Feinstein foundation will match it.  That has been delivered.  The thousand dollars is now two thousand dollars because we gave it in March."

The Community Council has between eight and a dozen members, all volunteers, and LaVigne says that more volunteers are welcome to participate at whatever level they feel comfortable with.  "When you volunteer it really gives a sincere message," he says.  "I'm not paid for this and I wouldn't accept any money for it.  There is too much joy in volunteering and seeing the accomplishments.  To see the whole Lansing park packed with kids and people on Harbor Festival day is something that wasn't there three years ago."

Meanwhile LaVigne is actively researching these new projects to determine whether they would be a good fit for the council.  He says a bridge would be expensive, but would be a great way to add value to the parks without spending a penny of taxpayer money.

"I've heard numbers as high as $100,000.  I suspect it will be more, maybe $150,000.  First we have to see what kind of design we want.  We're doing our research right now.  We're getting our ducks in a row.  We have an advertising plan out there.  We have a fundraising plan out there."

If the bridge project doesn't work out, or even if it does, LaVigne is keeping an eye out for new projects that will improve the quality of life in Lansing.

"The great opportunities we have, the great schools we have, what great people we have, tremendous volunteers, the list goes on and on," he says.  "This is a good place."

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