Archive: Around Town

by Sarah Post

   My name is T.T. and I'm one awesome guy! I arrived at the shelter as a stray with a few bumps and bruises, but thankfully the vet staff at the SPCA provided me with the TLC needed to be ready to find a forever home. I'm a staff and volunteer favorite and am sure to charm whoever comes in to visit me! I enjoy chasing chasing laser pointers, watching the birds outside, and cuddling up next to volunteers. I'm already neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and can't wait to go home. At five years young, I have a full lifetime to share with my new person... will that lucky person be you?

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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The Webelos II den from Cub Scout Pack 48 in Lansing met with Ed LaVigne to fulfill one of their Arrow of Light Adventures. One requirement for 'Building a Better World' is to meet with a government leader and learn about his or her role in the community.

What's 'old' is 'new' in Ithaca with the launch of the brand new radio station Pure Oldies which debuts this Wednesday, February 1.

"We are really excited to bring this format back to the region" said Operations Manager Chris Allinger. "These are songs that are truly loved by listeners…so many of them have called asking 'when is it starting?'"

Tompkins County Public Library and the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation announced newly-appointed leadership for their respective boards.

Library Director Susan Currie said the Library’s Board of Trustees again tapped the team of Bruce Ryan and Kenneth McClane to serve as president and vice president. Thompson Terry of Newfield will serve as treasurer, and Dr. Janet Corson-Rikert was elected to the secretary post.

Ryan, of Groton, has served as a Trustee since 2011, and is entering his second term as president. He is the dean of external relations at Tompkins Cortland Community College and holds degrees from Ithaca College, Syracuse University and Capella University.

Life throws you knuckle balls every now & then. Wednesday, we thought we'd take our daughter out to lunch on her 26'th birthday to someplace we'd never been before. Something special.

And then, while we were sitting in the restaurant, she became ill. No, this isn't about her getting sick – it's about how beautifully we were treated by Gus, who immediately changed our order 'to go'. I have the impression of him as a supremely kind man.

The History Center In Tompkins County Celebrated The Second Annual History Awards Ceremony On Sunday January 29Th 2017 At Marcham Hall In The Village Of Cayuga Heights. The History Center's Trustees And Employees View The Awards As A Way To Honor Those Who Are Making History, Engaging With Local History, Interpreting Local History, And/Or Whose Work Resonates With Thc's Mission Statement. Six Special Honors Awaited The Awardees.

The Event Was Festive With Well-Deserved Recognition, Beautiful Music By "Johnny Russo's East Hill Classic Jazz Trio," Light Refreshments, Americana Vineyards Wine Tasting And Conviviality. Rod Howe, Executive Director Of The History Center, Gave An Introduction Pointing To The Importance Of Celebrating Local History. The Introduction Was Followed By The Village Historian Beatrice Szekely's Presentation On The Cayuga Heights History Project. Shortly After, Jim Johnson, Trustee And Treasurer, And Rod Howe Proudly Recognized The 2016-2017 Awardees.

The local environmental nonprofit Solar Tompkins has named Jonathan Comstock as Director of its HeatSmart home energy program. Comstock had been serving as chair of the Solar Tompkins Board of Directors.

“Jonathan has brought tremendous energy and enthusiasm to our organization for the last four years,” said incoming Chair Brian Eden. “We are so fortunate to have someone with his talents and commitment in this position.”

Dear Margaret: I recently had dinner with my wife’s family who live in a rural area. I believe they’ve always been rather secluded from anyone outside their own ethnicity and culture. During the course of the meal one family member made a racist remark which brought a few laughs from other members. I want to get along with her family, but keeping my mouth shut just doesn’t sit well with me. It feels like a violation of who I am to remain silent. Any ideas on how I can keep the peace with her family and at the same time retain my self-respect?
Unhappy Peacekeeper

by Sarah Post

   Miss Pippa is a lovely petite super senior who is eagerly awaiting a home to enjoy her golden years in. Like most calm older girls, you'll most likely find her doing her favorite activity, napping in a volunteer’s lap! When she's not napping away, Pippa plays with her toy mice, watches the birds outside, and snacks on treats. Since Pippa is in her wise years, she knows what she likes and she's confident enough to let you know right away if you're not doing something right! If you pet her one too many times, she will let you know with a swat as a way to say "stop please!" Don't take it personally though - she still loves you! If Pippa sounds like the right quiet match for you, come in and say hello today!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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A student representing Lansing Middle School recently received a perfect score in the first of three meets in this year’s WordMasters Challenge™—a national vocabulary competition involving nearly 150,000 students annually.

Competing in the difficult Blue Division of the WordMasters Challenge™, fifth grader Scott Coonrod earned a perfect score of 20 on the challenge. Nationally, only 67 fifth graders achieved this result. Other students from Lansing Middle School who achieved outstanding results in the meet include fifth grader Dominick Ronsvalle, seventh grader Corinna Petrich and eighth grader Hana Thibault. The students were coached in preparation for the WordMasters Challenge™ by Cathy Moseley.

Something changed in Cornell Professor Ronald Booker after helping a custodian friend at his office switch from heating her manufactured home in the country with electricity and propane fuel to a pellet stove and seeing her save thousands of dollars. He realized that she probably was not alone in paying a large proportion of her paycheck to high energy bills, and he thought he might be able to do something.

Booker joined the volunteer Energy Navigator program offered by Get Your Greenback Tompkins, where through the ten-session training learned about the different programs, incentives and local resources available to help people like his custodian friend reduce their energy bills.

The Experience of Finger Lakes Wine, or The Reason I Put Up With New York Winters.

A great piece of our tourism draw is related to the one hundred plus wineries in the region. Each winery has its own distinct personality. as each member of a household will be different. The Finger Lakes wineries are a family, helping each other, advising one another and in total advancing the craft of winemaking to the world class art it has become.

The harsh northeast weather is moderated by the deep finger lakes, making the slopes leading to the lakes a perfect set of micro climates in which to grow a myriad of wine grapes from the deep reds grown near the shores to the whites that thrive happily farther away from the lakes. But the wines are only the beginning.