Archive: Around Town

The Saltonstall Foundation and Arts Colony, in partnership with the Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), an affiliate of IPEI, will offer a five-day, four-night retreat for Ithaca City School District (ICSD) teachers during the school break weeks of February 18-22, 2017 and April 15-19, 2017.

New this year is the choice of weeks and the opportunity to experience the retreat with teachers from other districts. This residency is designed to provide a residency-type retreat for local ICSD teachers in the following disciplines: creative writing, photography/film/video, and painting/sculpture/visual art.

Foodnet Meals on Wheels announces the up-coming retirement of founding Executive Director Stephen Griffin. After thirty years in the position Griffin plans to step down on December 31, 2016.

Griffin, a native of the Syracuse area, graduated from Cornell in 1976 and immediately started to apply his skills, talents, and knowledge to what is now called 'food security' for older adults in Tompkins County. Beginning his work with the Salvation Army's nutrition for the elderly program Griffin drew attention to the unmet nutritional and health needs of County seniors. Following extensive community conversations and planning Foodnet was born in 1986. Griffin was instrumental in these efforts and was named to lead the new agency.

Dear Margaret: My mother lives by herself and is getting on in years. It’s getting to the point where she needs to be in an assisted living facility. She forgets to take her medication, has trouble walking, isn’t eating properly and isn’t cleaning herself in her characteristic perfectionist manner. I’m not in a situation where I can take her into my home and it breaks my heart. The problem is that she absolutely refuses to accept the fact that she needs help and moving from her home is out of the question for her. When I broach the subject she becomes very stubborn and angry. I want her to receive much needed help without destroying our relationship. What am I to do?
Worried about Mom
 

A lonely dirt road, winding, quiet, splashed with vibrant autumn colors lays itself out before us on a ride this afternoon. Trail heads are marked – the Gorge Trail, The Interloken Trail, Ravine trail, Potomac Group Campground – all lead into some special terrain that is exquisite.

This is the Finger Lakes National Forest, probably the most under-used piece of land in the finger lakes. In our hour of driving slowly and stopping frequently to take photos, we saw no cars and no people. It felt a little liberating to stop the pickup in the middle of the road, hop out and capture images that (while beautiful) don't begin to convey the peace and natural freshness the forest has to offer.

by Sarah Post

Handsome Fletcher was brought to the SPCA when, sadly, his person passed away. Despite this, Fletcher is in great spirits and has settled in perfectly at the shelter. Everyone who meets him falls in love with him! He also always gets along with his feline roommates and seems to use his litterbox perfectly. Fletcher seems to have a regal bearing, and would like to try out for the role of King of the Hill in his new home. Might that be YOUR home?

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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When the Shops at Ithaca Mall proposed adding a BJ's Wholesale Club a half dozen years ago, part of the deal was that they would also build senior housing to the north on a plot at the corner of Triphammer and Oakcrest Roads.  BJ's opened early in 2012, but the senior housing part of the project is still just a plot of land.  Not for want of trying -- part of the plot is wetlands that require a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).  Triax Management Group, L.L.C. Principal Partner Eric Goetzmann explained the holdup to Village of Lansing Trustees earlier this month and requested a minor change to the PDA (Planned Development Area) that redefines the area allowed for residential development according to boundaries the USACE set.

"In 2014 when we were finally 100% done with the first project, over the years you’ve seen flags go up on the property, flags come down on the property," Goetzmann said.  "You’ve seen wetlands definitions have changed, plans have changed, rules have changed, people have changed.  I have a permit now to move forward with the project."

by Sarah Post

  Hi there, I'm Hazel, a lovable, cuddly, and all around purr-fect feline! My previous owner had to move and could not bring me along, but I'm in good spirits and can't wait to find my new forever person! I love sitting in laps, watching the birds outside, and eating tasty treats. I have lived with other felines and did fine with them, so if you have another calm cat at home it would be okay! I'm spayed, microchipped, vaccinated, had my teeth cleaned, and am ready to go home! Will you be the lucky one to take me?

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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The Lansing Fire District has taken possession of its newest fire truck, and will be fitting it with equipment for the next several weeks.  The nearly $800,000 pumper arrived from Churchville Fire Equipment, west of Rochester, Thursday (9/29), after being constructed in Appleton, Wisconsin.  Five Lansing firefighters went to Wisconsin last month to inspect the vehicle.

Pumper 1101 will be based in Central Station on Ridge Road.  Fire District officials say the new truck replaces a 28 year old pumper that will be sold.  Another pumper will be moved to station 5 in the Village of Lansing.  1101 can hold 2,000 gallons of water, and seats seven firefighters inside the cabin.

Dear Margaret: I've recently been promoted through the ranks as manager of a department where I was formerly a staff member. I worked very hard to get this promotion, and I don't think anyone in the department denies this fact. However, my employees who were once co-workers seem to resent me. I give them a task and they pretend they don't hear me, refuse to do it, or do it in a slipshod manner. How can I get the employees to accept me so we can have a good working relationship?
Rejected as Manager
 

It smells good. People going in and coming out with smiles on their faces. This must be the place.

Busy schedules are the bane of my existence; working hard without end, writing, portrait sessions, commercial design and the like. Finding time to celebrate my friend Jeff's birthday over a cup of coffee just didn't seem to happen, but we DID get lucky and find an hour over lunch time yesterday.

We normally go to another place in town for coffee, but I hadn't been to Kelly's in several years and had a yen. It was a good decision.

Five Lansing Monarch Butterflies began their long journey from Raymond C. Buckley Elementary School nearly 3,0000 miles to Michoacán, Mexico a week ago last Monday.  Young scientists tagged the butterflies while learning about the striking orange and black insects that had grown from egg to larva to butterfly in their school.  Those five butterflies will fly to Mexico to mate, but it will take five generations to get back to Lansing.

"This is part of a project from North America -- Canada, the United States and Mexico -- of thinking about an ambassadorship, using this insect to teach kids about the international world," explains Lansing Elementary Special Education teacher Wendy Wright.  "It also brings in geography and, certainly, citizenship.  It brings in math, because we figure out how far the butterfly is going to fly from Lansing to Michoacán, Mexico."

Wednesday morning on "The Wake Up Q" Chris Allinger told his audience that the inaugural '2 Steps to Fight Hunger' raised $34,500 for The Food Bank's BackPack Program™ in Tompkins County. The program helps children at risk of hunger on weekends and holidays during the school year.

'2 Steps to Fight Hunger' consisted of 'A Run on Campus' at Cornell in late September and 'A Walk in the Country' on October 2nd. 103.7 Q Country radio host Chris Allinger for the past 4 years raised funds for this organization by walking to each town in the County. His 'Walking the Country' events raised over $100,000.00 in the 4 years he walked.